ARC 2018-06-18_08a Habitat for Humanity Brisco Road
MEMORANDUM
TO: ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
FROM: KELLY HEFFERNON, ASSOCIATE PLANNER
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-003 AND
PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT 18-001; CONSTRUCTION OF EIGHT
(8) ATTACHED SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES; LOCATION – 184 BRISCO
ROAD; APPLICANT – HABITAT FOR HUMANITY FOR SAN LUIS
OBISPO COUNTY (HFHSLOCO)
DATE: JUNE 18, 2018
SUMMARY OF ACTION:
Recommendation for future action by the Planning Commission will result in eight (8)
new attached single-family homes for very low income families on a vacant parcel in the
Multi-Family Apartment (MFA) zoning district.
IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES:
None.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) consider the proposed
project and make a recommendation to the Planning Com mission.
BACKGROUND:
Location
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-003 & PLANNED UNIT
DEVELOPMENT 18-001
JUNE 18, 2018
PAGE 2
The subject property is 0.5-acre in size and is zoned Multifamily Apartment (MFA). The
vacant property is long and narrow, relatively flat, and is surrounded by high density
residential development to the north and west, single family residence s to the east, and
the Arroyo Grande Cemetery to the south.
On December 14, 2010, the City’s former Redevelopment Agency (“RDA”) approved a
Loan and Negotiation Agreement with HFHSLOCO to acquire property located at 184
Brisco Road and develop a minimum of seven (7) multi-family owner-occupied low
income affordable housing units. The Agreement required the RDA and HFHSLOCO to
negotiate an Affordable Housing Agreement to further implement the project.
HFHSLOCO successfully acquired the property with use of the funds, and the
Affordable Housing Agreement was approved by the City on May 14, 2013. On April
10, 2018 the City Council approved a three (3) year time extension of the Agreement, o r
until May 14, 2021.
The City started working with HFHSLOCO in 2014 on a conceptual development plan
for the subject property. The design included eight (8) attached single-family homes
facing an interior community open space area. The primary issue with this design was
providing adequate emergency vehicle access. A Pre-Application for a similar
development was submitted in August 2017 that addressed previously identified
concerns, and formal applications for a Tentative Tract Map and Planned Unit
Development were submitted on June 5, 2018.
HFHSLOCO is a nonprofit agency that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and
homelessness and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Using
volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials, HFHSLOCO
builds and rehabilitates homes with the help of future homeowners, referred to as
“Family Partners”. HFHSLOCO incorporates universal design features and includes
green/energy efficient features and low water use fixtures into the homes it buil ds.
These features help to keep utility costs down for the homeowners and supports
HFHSLOCO’s commitment to green building.
ANALYSIS OF ISSUES:
Project Description
The applicant proposes to construct eight (8) attached single family residences (four
sets of two attached homes) that would be built in part with sweat equity by families
earning very low annual incomes. All of the units are two-stories, include three
bedrooms and 1.5 baths, and have roughly 1,100 square feet of total living area.
Carports line both sides of the access along the front portion of the property with the
homes located on the back half of the property. A meandering pedestrian path runs
between the homes along the middle of the property that terminates at a rear open
space area with picnic tables and limited turf. Built-in cluster mailboxes are proposed
on either side of the driveway entrance, and two (2) trash enclosures that match the
lower portion of the residences in color and materials are located within the parking
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-003 & PLANNED UNIT
DEVELOPMENT 18-001
JUNE 18, 2018
PAGE 3
area. All units include storage space. Solar panels are proposed on the south facing
rooftops to maximize solar exposure (see figure 1 for Site Plan).
Figure 1: Site Plan
General Plan Conformance
The General Plan designation for the project site is Multifamily High Density, which is
implemented by the Multifamily Apartment (MFA) zoning district in the Development
Code. The proposed development conforms to the following General Plan Land Use
and Housing Element policies:
Land Use Element:
LU3-3: Accommodate the development of apartment buildings as well as
condominium and townhouses in areas designated as Multiple-Family
Residential – High Density.
Housing Element:
A.1: The City shall adopt policies, programs, and procedures to attempt to
meet the present and future needs of residents of the City, and to aim at
providing their fair share regional housing need allocated for each income
classification, within identified governmental, market, economic and natural
constraints.
A.2: The City shall continue to utilize the following incentives for the production
of affordable housing: a) allowing secondary dwelling units under specified
criteria; b) allowing manufactured housing on legal parcels in all residential
zones; c) allowing density bonuses for very low and low-income housing, and
senior housing projects.
A.3: The City shall give priority to processing housing projects that provide for
affordable housing, and lower development impact fees shall be charged as an
incentive for low, very low, and extremely low-income housing.
A.9: The City shall continue to enable and encourage multiple-family, rental
apartments, senior, mobile home, and special needs housing in appropriate
locations and densities. These multiple family residential alternative housing
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-003 & PLANNED UNIT
DEVELOPMENT 18-001
JUNE 18, 2018
PAGE 4
types tend to be more affordable than prevailing single -family residential low and
medium density developments.
A.11: The City shall continue to utilize and expand the Density Bonus program
to encourage affordable housing supply.
D.1: The City shall relax parking standards for apartments containing
extremely, very low, low, and/or senior housing.
M.3: When feasible, buildings shall be sited on a north-south axis and designed
to take advantage of passive solar heating and cooling.
Development Code Requirements
The purpose and intent of the MFA district is to provide a broadened range of housing
types for those not desiring detached dwellings on individual parcels, and with open
space and recreational amenities not generally associated with typical suburban
subdivisions. This district is intended as an area for development of single -family
attached and multifamily attached residential dwelling units, and certain senior housing
types at a maximum allowable density of fourteen (14) dwelling units per gross acre.
Density
The MFA zoning district allows a maximum density of fourteen (14) dwelling units per
acre. Based on the size of the property (0.5 acre), the maximum number of dwelling
units allowed is 7 (0.5 x 14 = 7). However, under t he State’s density bonus law
(Government Code Section 65915-65918, codified in Development Code Chapter
16.82), a 35% density bonus is allowed with a 100% affordable housing project,
allowing up to ten (10) units on the subject property (rounding up is allowable for
affordable housing projects). A density bonus is necessary to develop the site with
eight (8) units.
Parking and Access
The State’s density bonus law allows parking reductions by right through the entitlement
process for projects that qualify for a density bonus, and therefore the City cannot
require additional parking. Under this law, affordable housing projects require one (1)
space for studios and 1-bedrooms, two (2) spaces for 2-3 bedrooms, and two and a half
(2.5) spaces for 4+ bedrooms. Guest parking is included in these requirements and
therefore jurisdictions cannot require additional guest parking.
Per the City’s Development Code, a total of twenty (20) parking spaces would typically
be required if the proposed project did not include affordable housing. Under the
State’s density bonus law, a total of sixteen (16) spaces are required, and twenty (20)
spaces are proposed. The project therefore meets parking requirements as shown in
Table 1. Note that bicycle parking areas are also included (six racks).
The project site proposes one (1) public access point from Brisco Road. Secondary
access is not required because there are less than thirty (30) units and the fire hose can
stretch to the back buildings.
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-003 & PLANNED UNIT
DEVELOPMENT 18-001
JUNE 18, 2018
PAGE 5
Table 1: Parking Requirements
Parking Calculations
Development Code
Requirements
2+ bedrooms: 2 spaces/unit (16 spaces)
Guest parking: 0.5 space/unit (4 spaces)
Total: 20 spaces
Density Bonus Law 2-3 bedrooms: 2 spaces/unit (16 spaces)
No guest parking required
Total: 16 spaces
Proposed Parking Eight (8) 3-bedroom units: 20 spaces
Development Standards
The development standards for the MFA zoning district and the proposed project are
identified in Table 2:
Table 2: Site Development Standards for the MFA Zoning District
Development
Standards
MFA District Proposed
Project
Notes
Maximum Density –
Mixed Use Projects
14 dwelling units/acre
(site maximum is 7 units)
8 units (density
bonus
required)
Code met
(Chapter 16.82).
Minimum Lot Size 10,000 square-feet 1,117 square
feet per
residential lot
Smaller lot sizes allowable
through PUD process.
Minimum Lot Width 80 feet 33.71 feet Smaller lot width allowable
through PUD process.
Minimum Lot Depth 100 feet 33.14 feet Smaller lot depth allowable
through PUD process.
Front Yard Setback 20 feet 5 feet Smaller setbacks allowable
through PUD process.
Rear Yard Setback 15 feet 5 feet Smaller setbacks allowable
through PUD process.
Side Yard Setback 10 feet 0 and 5 feet Smaller setbacks allowable
through PUD process.
Maximum Height 30 feet or two stories 26’-4” Code met.
Maximum Lot
Coverage
45% *24% (total
site)
Code met for total site.
Greater Lot Coverage
allowable through PUD
process for individual lots.
Floor Area Ratio 0.35 **0.40 (total
site)
Greater FAR allowable
through PUD process.
*Lot Coverage for individual lots is close to 50%
** FAR for individual lots is close to 1.0.
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-003 & PLANNED UNIT
DEVELOPMENT 18-001
JUNE 18, 2018
PAGE 6
As illustrated above, the proposed project deviates from most applicable development
standards for the MFA zoning district. However, all of the proposed deviations are
allowable through the Planned Unit Development process as long as density
requirements are met.
Open Space
Given the density and project design, most of the open space is shared and not private.
A total of 7,539 square feet of landscaping is provided, or 35% of the total area, which
meets common open space requirements. Private open space is 343.25 square feet
per unit, or 2,746 square feet total for the project.
Accessibility Requirements
Because this is a single family residential subdivision and not a multi-family housing
project, disabled accessibility requirements do not apply. Therefore, the units do not
need to be adaptable and disabled parking spaces are not required.
Drainage
Project conditions of approval will include full compliance with Low Impact Development
(LID) and stormwater requirements. Proposed stormwater managem ent for the project
includes two (2) bioretention basins within the parking area.
Architecture
The proposed architectural style is considered Agrarian Modern. The carport cover is
made of corrugated aluminum, and the duplexes will utilize vertical board and batten
siding on the upper level as well as horizontal channel siding on the lower level. Four
(4) body colors will be used to differentiate between the individual units (red, blue, green
and taupe), and a light color will be used for the trim and ent ries. Integral vinyl window
frames are proposed and painted to match the trim. The asphalt shingle roofs will
include solar panels and are sloped to take advantage of solar exposure. The roofs
also include exposed rafter tails as an architectural detail. Although it is preferred to not
have parking dominate the front of a project, it is unavoidable in this case given the
narrowness of the property. A color and materials board will be available at the
meeting.
Landscaping
The project includes drought tolerant landscaping in the parking area and the back open
space area, with the exception of a small turf area. Tree species include Strawberry
Tree, Golden Medallion Tree, and New Zealand Christmas Tree. The final landscape
plan will be conditioned to comply with the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Maintenance
The homeowners will enter into a maintenance agreement for all common areas,
including Lot 9 (open space) and Lot 10 (parking area). HFHSLOCO will be the
maintenance manager and the homeowners will pay a set amount each month that will
go into a maintenance fund for repairs. The re will be clear CC&Rs that stipulate what
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-003 & PLANNED UNIT
DEVELOPMENT 18-001
JUNE 18, 2018
PAGE 7
the homeowners can and cannot do with regard to maintenance, painting the outside of
the homes, etc. HFHSLOCO will enforce these restrictions as the maintenance
manager.
ADVANTAGES:
The proposed project will redevelop a vacant site with a eight (8) affordable housing
units, which will help the City in meeting its regional housing needs allocation of the
Housing Element.
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DISADVANTAGES:
None identified.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The project has been reviewed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) and the CEQA Guidelines, and has been determined to be categorically
exempt pursuant to Section 15332 (Class 32) of the CEQA guidelines regarding in-fill
development projects in urban areas. The project also qualifies for an exemption
pursuant to California Code of Regulations Section 15194(b) – (d) regarding affordable
housing.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENTS:
The Agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City’s website in accordance with
Government Code Section 54654.2.
Attachment:
1. Project plans (Available for public review at City Hall)