ARC 2019-05-20_08a E Grand Village
MEMORANDUM
TO: ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
FROM: MATTHEW DOWNING, PLANNING MANAGER
BY: ANDREW PEREZ, ASSISTANT PLANNER
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF TENATIVE TRACT MAP 18-004 AND
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 18-002; DEVELOPMENT OF TWENTY-
TWO (22) RESIDENTIAL UNITS, AND 1,642 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL
SPACE; LOCATION – 1136 E GRAND AVENUE; APPLICANT – EAST
GRAND VILLAGE, LLC; REPRESENTATIVE – JESSIE SKIDMORE
DATE: MAY 20, 2019
SUMMARY OF ACTION:
Recommendation for future action by the Planning Commission will result in a mixed-use
development consisting of 22 new residential dwelling units, and 1,642 square feet of
office space on the subject parcel.
IMPACT ON FINANCIAL AND PERSONNEL RESOURCES:
There are no direct impacts to City financial and personnel resources as a result of the
proposed project.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) review the proposed
project and make a recommendation to the Planning Commission.
BACKGROUND:
The project site is a 39,691 square foot parcel located at 1136 E. Grand Avenue
(Attachment 1). The primary access to the site is from E. Grand Avenue as well as a
fourteen (14) foot wide stem at the northernmost portion of the parcel that connects to
Linda Drive. Existing development on the site consists of several buildings, including an
approximately 2,300 square foot residential structure that is now used for commercial
purposes, a garage, and several smaller storage b uildings. The site is generally flat and
contains a number of trees throughout the site. The property is zoned Fair Oak Mixed-
Use (FOMU) and the General Plan land use designation is Mixed-Use. Commercial land
uses are located to both the east and west of the project site, and a neighborhood of
multi-family and single family dwellings is located immediately north.
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-004 AND CONDITIONAL USE
PERMIT 18-002
MAY 20, 2019
PAGE 2
The applicant is proposing to demolish all of the structures on site, and construct twenty-
two (22) new, ownership residential units and 1,642 square feet of retail space on the E.
Grand Avenue frontage.
Staff Advisory Committee
The Staff Advisory Committee (SAC) reviewed the proposed project on June 27, 2018.
The SAC discussed utility connections, stormwater requirements, emergency access,
and traffic generation. Members of the SAC were in support of the proposed project and
recommended approval of the project to the Planning Commission.
ANALYSIS OF ISSUES:
Project Description
The applicant is proposing a tentative tract map and conditional use permit to split the
existing parcel into twenty-two (22) separate lots. Twenty (20) of the parcels will be solely
residential, while the two (2) parcels closest to E. Grand Avenue will be mixed-use. All of
the residential units in this project are proposed to be two bedroom units, ranging in size
from 1,062 square feet to 1,367 square feet, and all units, with the exception of the two
closest to Linda Drive, will have a private roof deck. The two (2) mixed-use structures will
consist of 821 gross square feet of commercial space each on the ground floor with a
1,255 square foot, two-story apartment and a 445 square foot roof deck above. The
project will be accessed by a new single, two -way driveway from E. Grand Avenue. The
driveway leads to the central parking area for the project, in addition to providing
emergency access to the site. An enclosure for the trash receptacles for the entire site
will be located in an enclosure behind the mixed -use structures, and hidden from the
street view.
Two (2) of the residential units will be deed restricted as affordable units for low income
households in order to meet inclusionary affordable housing requirements for projects
proposing two (2) or more units. AGMC 16.80.060 requires that project proposing two or
more residential units must either, restrict a certain percentage of the units at some level
of affordability, or pay the inclusionary housing in-lieu fee. This project complies with that
provision by restricting ten (10) percent of the units as affordable to low -income
households. Per AGMC Section 16.80.060, when the number of affordable units requi red
for a project includes a fraction of a unit, the applicant shall round to the closest whole
number for purposes of providing affordable units. In this particular situation, ten percent
of the twenty-two units proposed is 2.2 units, which rounds down to two (2) units.
General Plan
The General Plan designates the subject property for Mixed-Use land uses. The proposed
mixed-use development helps achieve concurrence with the General Plan, including
Objective LU5 and Policies LU5-3, LU5-6, LU5-7, LU5-8, LU12-2.3, and LU12-2.4 the
Land Use Element and Housing Element Policies A.5, and B.1, which state:
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-004 AND CONDITIONAL USE
PERMIT 18-002
MAY 20, 2019
PAGE 3
LU5: Community commercial, office, residential and other compatible land uses shall be
located in Mixed Use (MU) areas and corridors, both north and south of the freeway, in
proximity to major arterial streets.
LU5-3: Ensure that all projects developed in the MU areas include appropriate site
planning and urban design amenities to encourage travel by walking, bicycling and public
transit.
LU5-6: Allowable uses within the MU category shall not include uses that adversely affect
surrounding commercial or residential uses, or contribute to the deterioration of existing
environmental conditions in the area.
LU5-7: Plan for a revitalized East Grand Avenue Mixed -Use corridor that has less of a
strip-commercial aspect and more coordinated, mixed -use boulevard ambiance with
distinct activity subareas including “Gateway, Midway and Highway” districts
LU5-8: Provide for different combinations, configurations and mixtures of commercial,
office and residential uses designating the East Grand Avenue, El Camino Real and
Traffic Way corridors as Mixed Use (MU).
LU12-2.3: Provide building elevations that are well-articulated in order to break up
building bulk. Incorporate one-story elements in two-story structures.
A.5: The City shall encourage housing compatible with commercial and office uses and
promote “mixed use” and “village core” zoning districts to facilitate integration of
residential uses into such areas.
B.1: All residential projects that receive additional densities or other City incentives to
include affordable housing shall be placed into a City-approved program to maintain the
affordability for at least 45 (owner-occupied) or 55 years (rental units).Any sale or change
of ownership of these affordable units prior to satisfying the year restriction shall be “rolled
over” for same amount of years to protect “at risk” units. For rental housing, affordability
shall be maintained through recorded agreements between a property owner and the City,
its Housing Authority, or another housing provider approved by the City. For owner-
occupied units, long-term affordability can be maintained through property owner
agreements to maintain the designated unit as affordable for the specified period, utilizing
a promissory note and deed of trust recorded on the pro perty
Development Standards
The subject property is zoned FOMU. The primary purpose of the FOMU district is to
provide for the combination of retail and service uses with an emphasis on those related
to home improvement, as well as restaurants, offices, visitor serving uses and multi-family
residences that are preferably incorporated in a mixed use project. The regulations
established for the FOMU district, combined with the Design Guidelines and Standards
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-004 AND CONDITIONAL USE
PERMIT 18-002
MAY 20, 2019
PAGE 4
for the vicinity of the FOMU, intend to promote a pedestrian accessible mixed use district
with shared parking and transition to surrounding residential neighbor hoods. The FOMU
district implements and is consistent with the Mixed Use land use designation of the
General Plan. The following table shows how the proposed project would comply with the
development standards of the FOMU zone:
Table 1: Site Development Standards for the FOMU Zoning District
Development
Standards FOMU District CUP 18-002 Notes
Maximum Density –
Mixed Use Projects
25 dwelling units/acre
(based on gross
project area).
24 dwelling
units/acre Code Met
Minimum Lot Size 15,000 sq. ft. gross 1,413 sq. ft. –
5,496 sq. ft.
Lot sizes less
than minimum for
zone are allowed
through PUD.
Minimum Lot Width 80 ft. 134 ft. Code Met
Front Yard Setback
0 - 10 feet. Exceptions
for larger setbacks
may include entrance
courtyards, areas for
outdoor dining, or for
projects facing a
residential district as
determined through
discretionary review.
0 ft.
Code Met
Rear Yard Setback
0 – 15 feet.
Parking encouraged.
For projects abutting a
residential district,
corresponding
residential setback
shall apply.
16’9”
Rear lot line is
adjacent to a
residential use,
therefore the rear
setback is 15 ft.
Code Met.
Side Yard Setback
0 – 5 feet. For projects
abutting a residential
district, corresponding
residential setback
shall apply.
5 ft. Code Met
Building Height
Maximum height is 35
feet of three stories
whichever is less
34 ft. Code Met
Building Size Limits Maximum building size
is 50,000 square feet. 5,427 sq. ft. Code met
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-004 AND CONDITIONAL USE
PERMIT 18-002
MAY 20, 2019
PAGE 5
Development
Standards FOMU District CUP 18-002 Notes
Site Coverage Maximum Coverage of
site is 75% 35% Code Met
Floor Area Ratio Maximum floor area
ratio is 1.00 .91 Code Met
As identified above, the proposed project meets all applicable development standards of
the FOMU zoning district as specified by the Development Code.
Parking
The parking requirement for townhouses, per Section 16.56.060 of the AGMC, is two (2)
covered spaces for each unit, and an additional 0.5 spaces per unit for guest parking
when the development contains four (4) or more units. However, the Municipal Code
allows parking for the residential component of a mixed-use project to not be covered.
Also, as a project that includes ten (10) percent of the total units as affordable to low
income households, the applicant benefits from a parking incentive per AGMC 16.82.110,
which establishes a maximum parking ratio, inclusive of handicapped and guest parking,
of two on-site parking spaces per unit for residential units with two (2). This parking rate
applies to the entire development, not just the restricted affordable units . Therefore, with
the implementation of the parking incentive, the parking requirement for the residential
component of the project is 44 spaces.
The commercial component of the project consists of 1,642 square feet of retail space.
Applying the parking rate of one (1) parking space for every 250 square feet of gross floor
area results in a parking requirement of seven (7) parking spaces .
A total of 51 parking spaces would typically be required if the proposed project did not
include affordable housing. The application of the affordable housing parking incentive
and the City’s shared parking provision reduces the project’s parking requirement down
to 41 parking spaces, and 40 automobile and two (2) motorcycle parking areas are
proposed. Per Development Code Section 16.56.070, motorcycle parking areas count
toward fulfilling automobile parking space requirements at a rate of one parking space
per motorcycle parking area. Two (2) motorcycle parking areas are currently proposed.
These requirements are broken down in the following table.
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-004 AND CONDITIONAL USE
PERMIT 18-002
MAY 20, 2019
PAGE 6
Table 2: Parking Calculations
Residential Parking Commercial
Parking Total
Development
Code
Requirements
2+ bedrooms: 2 spaces/unit (44
spaces)
One space per
250 square feet
of floor area (7
spaces)
Guest parking: 0.5 space/unit (11
spaces)
Total: 55 spaces 7 spaces 62 spaces
Density
Bonus Law No guest parking required -11 spaces
Development
Code Section
16.56.050
Total parking requirement reduced by 20% for shared
uses. - 10 spaces
Total
Required: 41 spaces
Proposed
Parking
42 spaces (including 38 regular spaces, 2 disabled
access spaces, and 2 motorcycle areas. All parking is
shared between the residential and commercial uses)
42 spaces
Access
AGMC Section 16.56.100 requires parking areas with thirty (30) or more vehicles to
provide more than one driveway for entrance and exit, and shall provide designated
walkways for pedestrian access. The property is accessed via a twenty-four (24) foot wide
driveway from E. Grand Avenue. This is the only point of vehicular ingress and egress to
the site. An ADA accessible sidewalk will be installed on both sides of the driveway to
provide pedestrian access to the site. The driveway is of sufficient width to allow an
emergency apparatus to access the site in case of emergency. A hammerhead
turnaround area located at the end of the parking lot has been included as requested by
the Five Cities Fire Authority. All of the curbing in the turnaround area will be painted red
and signage will be installed prohibiting any parking within that area.
A second point of access was not incorporated into the project due to site constraints.
The strip of land that connects the bulk of the parcel to Linda Drive is approximately
sixteen (16) feet at its widest point, and narrows down to approximately fourteen (14) feet
at the narrowest. Projects with more than three (3) units are required to provide an access
driveway that is a minimum of sixteen (16) feet wide ; therefore, this access point is too
narrow to be considered an access driveway. Additionally, there is an existing utility pole
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-004 AND CONDITIONAL USE
PERMIT 18-002
MAY 20, 2019
PAGE 7
on Linda Drive that would need to be relocated to install a City standard driveway
approach. The applicant has indicated that relocating this pol e would be cost prohibitive
and burdensome to the Linda Drive neighborhood. Due to the configuration of the parcel,
the minimum width cannot be achieved. Rather than providing vehicular access from
Linda Drive, a pedestrian path and landscaping will be installed in the strip of land.
Architecture
A mixture of materials, textures, and colors are proposed throughout the project
(Attachment 2). The two mixed-use structures will be mirror images of each other,
providing a symmetrical entry into the project site. The commercial portion is well defined
with large windows, glass entrance doors, and a painted metal awning. These structures
are proposed to have bronze corrugated metal siding on the ground floor, and a
combination of cladding above, with the use of wood textured hardiboard paneling and
white stucco.
The interior residential units are proposed to be townhouses and are designed to have
individual facades. There are four (4), three-story models and two (2), two-story models
among the twenty (20) townhouses in the project. All of the townhouse floorplans will have
two-bedrooms, and the three-story models will have a third floor office and rooftop deck.
None of the rooftop decks will be directly adjacent to another one to maintain privacy. The
decks are a minimum of ten (10) feet from a property line to comply with code
requirements. Similar to the mixed-use structure, the front of the townhouses will use a
variety of colors, materials, and textures through the use of corrugated metal siding,
stucco, and smooth and wood textured hardiboard paneling. The rooftop decks will have
a cable railing, consistent with the style of the buildings.
Compliance with Design Guidelines
The project design complies with the Design Guidelines and Standards for Mixed -Use
Districts (Design Guidelines) for the FOMU zoning district (Attachment 3). The Design
Guidelines encourages the screening of trash enclosures and off-street parking, and
locating the parking areas away from E. Grand Avenue, both of which are accomplished
in this project by utilizing the two mixed-use structures as a buffer between right of way
and the parking area and trash enclosures. The Design Guidelines promote buildings that
are one to three stories, have appropriate fenestration, and include awnings and
overhangs. The appropriate amount of fenestration, ac cording to the Design Guidelines,
is approximately forty (40) percent of the building’s façade. The project proposes nearly
thirty (30) percent fenestration on the southern façade, which meets the intent of the
Design Guidelines.
Landscaping
Twenty-one (21) of the thirty-eight (38) existing trees on site are proposed to be removed,
including two (2) coast live oaks. The trees that will remain are mainly Monterey Pines
(Pinus Radiata) and Victorian Box trees (Pittosporum Undulatum). Consistent with
Development Code requirements, a landscaped area greater than or equal to ten (10)
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
CONSIDERATION OF TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 18-004 AND CONDITIONAL USE
PERMIT 18-002
MAY 20, 2019
PAGE 8
percent of the gross lot area used for parking and access is provided on site. The square
footage of the access and parking area is 17,522 square feet, and 1,943 square feet of
landscaping is proposed. The Development Code also requires one tree for every five (5)
parking stalls. To meet this requirement the project proposes six (6) new Coast Live Oaks,
and eight (8) new Multi-trunk Arbutus, for a total of fourteen (14) new trees throughout the
site. In addition to the trees, the side and rear yard areas will be landscaped with low
growing shrubs and grasses.
ADVANTAGES:
The project proposes to appropriately develop an underutilized site located in the E.
Grand Avenue mixed-use corridor. Development of the site increases the aesthetic
appeal of the site, and will provide housing units at a density that complies with the
General Plan and AGMC. The project will also provide the AGMC required percentage of
severely needed affordable housing units in the community. The development’s design
and land uses are an appropriate transition between the residential uses on Linda Drive
and the commercial uses on E. Grand Avenue.
DISADVANTAGES:
The three-story buildings will be the tallest in the area and inconsistent with the scale of
the both the Linda Drive and E. Grand Avenue neighborhoods, however the project
complies with the maximum allowed density and building height for the FOMU zoning
district. The project proposes to remove two coast live oak trees from the project site.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and the project was
determined to be categorically exempt per Section 15332 of the State CEQA Guidelines
regarding in-fill development.
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND COMMENT:
The Agenda was posted at City Hall and on the City’s website in accordance with
Government Code Section 54954.2. At the time of report publication, no comments have
been received.
Attachments:
1. Location map
2. Proposed colors
3. Design Guidelines and Standards for Mixed-Use Districts
4. Project plans
ATTACHMENT 1
ATTACHMENT 2
ATTACHMENT 3