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PC: Comprehensive Plan, P2017-0042-CP, General Plan Map Amendment, P2017-0042-GPMA, Zoning Code Map Amendment, P2017-0042-ZCMA, and Tentative Parcel Map No. 74999, P2017-0042-TPM, for the Construction of a New multi-site 26,835 square foot Commercial Development, including a Market Hall and Three-and-a-Half-level Parking Structure, and Creation of a Commercial Condominium Subdivision at 12337-12423 Washington Boulevard in the Public Parking Facility (PPF) and Commercial General (CG) Zone.
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Meeting Date: October 25, 2017
Contact Person/Dept: Gabriela Silva, Associate Planner;
Michael Allen, Contract Planning Manager
Phone Number: (310) 253-5736
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [X] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: (Mailed) Property owners and occupants within a 1,000-foot radius of the site (10/03/17); (Email) Master Notification List (10/04/17); (Posted) City website (10/04/17); (Sign) Posted on the site (10/03/2017); (Published) in Culver City News (10/05/17).
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (10/19/17)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission 1) Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) based on the Initial Study finding that the Project, with the mitigation measures incorporated, will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment (Attachment No. 2), 2) Approve Tentative Parcel Map No. 74999, P2017-0042-TPM, and 3) Recommend to the City Council approval of Comprehensive Plan, P2017-0042-CP, General Plan Map Amendment, P2017-0042-GPMA, and Zoning Code Map Amendment, P2017-0042-ZCMA, subject to the Conditions of Approval as stated in Resolution No. 2017-P016 (Attachment No. 1).
PROCEDURES
1. Chair calls on staff for a brief staff report and Planning Commission poses questions to staff as desired.
2. Chair opens the public hearing, providing the applicant the first opportunity to speak, followed by the general public.
3. Chair seeks a motion to close the public hearing after all testimony has been presented.
4. Commission discusses the matter and arrives at its decision.
BACKGROUND
Request
On March 2, 2017, an application was submitted by Culver Public Market, LLC (Regency Centers, the Applicant/the Developer) for a Comprehensive Plan (CP), General Plan Map Amendment (GPMA), Zoning Code Map Amendment (ZCMA), and Tentative Parcel Map (TPM) to allow the construction of a new multi-site (Site A and Site B), multi-story commercial development with associated parking lot and parking structure at 12337-12423 Washington Boulevard in the Public Parking Facility (PPF) and Commercial General (CG) Zone, as further detailed below.
* Comprehensive Plan - to establish specific development standards, requirements, and allowances for the site. This includes a customized permitted land use table tailored towards fostering the desired artisanal food and specialty culinary uses, and which will allow outdoor dining, alcoholic beverage sales, and bars as a permitted use, rather than through separate use permits. The Comprehensive Plan also specified the details of the proposed development and is requested to allow the construction of the Project as follows.
o Site A: A one-story, 21,605 square foot commercial building, including an 11,483 square foot market/food hall, with attached three-and-a-half-level public parking structure containing 184 stalls (includes 12403, 12413, 12421, and 12423 Washington Boulevard, 4061 and 4063 Centinela Avenue, and 4064 Colonial Avenue)
o Site B: Two (2) one-story structures comprising 5,230 square feet of floor area for commercial/food retail development with a twenty (20) stall surface parking lot (includes 12337 and 12343 Washington Boulevard)
* Zoning Code Map Amendment - to change the existing Zoning Map designation from Public Parking Facility (PPF) and Commercial General (CG) Zone to Planned Development (PD) Zone for Site A and Site B
* General Plan Map Amendment - to change the existing General Plan Map designation for a portion of Site A from Institutional to General Corridor
* Tentative Parcel Map - to consolidate and reconfigure the existing ten (10) parcels at Site A into two (2), and create an airspace subdivision upon one (1) of the parcels, to allow separate ownership of the market hall/commercial space from the parking structure
Site History
The project proposal is the result of years of effort, visioning, planning, and public outreach by the City and the former Redevelopment Agency, including acquiring, clearing, and remediating the properties at Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, which comprise the Project site, in preparation for the proposed development, with the goal of creating a unique development focused on an artisanal and specialty food/market hall, as well as the goal of addressing various community needs, including public parking.
* October 17, 2005 - The former Redevelopment Agency acquired the property addressed 12343 Washington Boulevard and referenced as APN 4232-009-901
* February 19, 2006 - The City, using former Redevelopment Agency funds, acquired the property addressed 4064 Colonial Avenue and referenced as APN 4231-002-900 and 4231-002-908
* February 26, 2006 - The former Redevelopment Agency acquired the property addressed 12337 Washington Boulevard and referenced as APN 4232-009-900
* October 26, 2007 - The former Redevelopment Agency acquired the following properties: APN 4231-002-901, 4231-002-902, 4231-002-903, 4231-002-904, 4231-002-905, 4231-002-906, 4231-002-907, 4231-002-909
* May 2006 - April 2009 - Demolition of all previously existing improvements, including various commercial structures and three single family dwellings
* 2007 - Remediation activities
* March 14, 2011 - All properties were transferred from the former Redevelopment Agency to the City.
* June 27, 2011 - City of Culver City and the former Redevelopment Agency approved the redevelopment of the subject parcels with a project conceptually consisting of a 33,250 square foot uniquely designed "Market Hall" with specialty retail and artisanal food vendors, comprised of Site A and Site B of similar design to be constructed concurrently, and also authorized the issuance of a Request for Proposals ("RFP") to secure a firm to design and develop the Project and to act as construction manager for the construction of the public parking structure.
* On February 14, 2012, the City and the Developer entered into an Agreement for the Developer, among other things, to develop the Project, including to act as construction manager for the construction of the public parking structure.
* December 10, 2012 - The City Council adopted a Resolution approving a General Plan Text and General Plan Map Amendment (GPTA-P2012100 and GPMA-P2012099), which amended the Land Use Element of the General Plan to include public parking facilities as an allowed use within the Institutional land use designation and amend the General Plan Land Use Map to designate a portion of the project site as Institutional.
* January 14, 2013 - The City Council adopted an Ordinance amending Title 17, Zoning, of the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) and the Culver City Zoning Map relating to Alternative Parking Provisions, establishing a Public Parking Facility (PPF) Zone, and designating a portion of the project site as PPF Zone (ZCA-P2012101; and ZCMA-P2012102).
Throughout the years, the subject site has been used for numerous temporary/seasonal events, including pumpkin patches and tree sales lots.
Existing Conditions
The subject site is located on the northeast and northwest corner of Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, east of Colonial Avenue and west of Grand View Boulevard, as identified in the Vicinity Map (Attachment No. 3), and comprised of the addresses and parcels as follows.
Site A is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, and Site B is at the northeast corner of the intersection. Site B is bordered by an existing twenty (20) foot wide public alley along the easterly boundary. Site A is intersected by an existing twenty (20) foot wide public alley that runs east from Colonial Avenue and then north as it approaches the midway point to Centinela Avenue. Due to the angled direction of travel of Washington Boulevard, the parcels have an asymmetric and irregular shape, with Site A having a curved corner at the intersection with Centinela Avenue. The project site is generally flat in topography, and measures a total of approximately 82,429 square feet (1.87 acres) of lot area, with 57,740 square feet at Site A and 23,487 square feet at Site B. The neighborhood surrounding the site to the south, and west along Washington Boulevard consists of similarly angled parcels of varying but significantly lesser size, while to the north and east there are largely rectangular parcels measuring approximately 5,000 to 6,000 square feet in size.
The Land Use Element of the City's General Plan designates the portions of Site A along Washington Boulevard and all of Site B as General Corridor, with a large portion of the northerly area of Site A designated as Institutional. The properties surrounding Site A are designated Low Density Single Family and Medium Density Multiple Family Residential to the north, and General Corridor to the south, east, and west, while those surrounding Site B are designated Low Density Single Family to the north and General Corridor to the south, east, and west.
The Zoning Map designation for Site A is Commercial General (CG) for the portion along Washington Boulevard and Public Parking Facility (PPF) for the remaining portion to the north, while Site B is fully CG. Zoning for properties surrounding Site A include Residential Single Family (R1) and Residential Medium Density Multiple Family (RMD) to the north; CG to the south across Washington Boulevard; CG, R1 and Commercial Community (CC) to the east across Centinela Avenue; and CG and R1, to the west across Colonial Avenue. Site B is surrounded by the R1 Zone to the north, R1 and CG to the east, and the CG Zone to the south, and west. The Zoning and General Plan land use designations for the project site are consistent with each other.
As detailed above, all previous structures have been demolished; thus, the project site is currently vacant, except for perimeter security fencing, above-ground utilities, and minimal sporadic vegetation. Development surrounding the site along the Washington Boulevard corridor includes single- and multi-story commercial development, with uses such as restaurants, fitness and dance studios, fueling station, and office; there is also multi-family housing east of the site along Washington Boulevard. In the areas abutting the site north of Washington Boulevard, development is primarily comprised of single- and multi-story single- and multi-family dwellings; there is also a multi-tenant shopping center further north along Centinela Avenue.
Project Description
As outlined in the Preliminary Development Plans within the Comprehensive Plan (Attachment No.5), the project applicant proposes to construct a multi-site commercial development, tailored to a food/market hall use with ancillary specialty food retail and culinary retail uses and restaurant uses. The Project is organized into two (2) sites, Site A and Site B, as detailed in Table 1 above. Site A contains the bulk of the proposed Project, consisting of a one-story commercial building, with a second floor outdoor dining terrace, and an attached three-and-a-half-level public parking structure. The proposed overall building height is 43'-10", with the tallest portion being at the northeast corner of Site A where the parking structure terminates. The portion of the building along Washington Boulevard will be 25'-2" in height. The parking structure portion of the building is designed to contain access ramps, a fully enclosed loading zone, and facilities for refuse storage and compactor on the ground level, and three levels of public parking above containing a total of 184 parking stalls which will serve the Project and adjacent commercial area. The commercial floor area will be comprised of a total of 21,605 square feet of floor area (excluding storage and utility rooms) located on the ground floor and fronting to the south towards Washington Boulevard. This space is organized into two (2) general areas, one (1) area is located at the easterly area of Site A and will comprise 11,483 square feet which will be fully dedicated to an open format market/food hall; the second area spans towards the west of the site and comprises 10,122 square feet that will allow for a continuation of the market/food hall area as well as for individual tenant spaces for artisanal food retail and/or restaurant uses requiring their own separate tenant space. This second area is referred to as the exterior market/food hall or the inline shops. A 1,075 square foot outdoor dining terrace will be located on the second floor. Additional outdoor dining/seating areas are proposed along the entire frontage of the building along Washington Boulevard, comprising a total of 3,585 square feet. Additional site improvements include planters and decorative trellis and shade features at the outdoor open space, and landscaping throughout the site.
Site B is proposed to contain a one-story commercial development comprised of two (2) detached structures, totaling 5,230 square feet of gross floor area, and measuring up to 28'-3" in height. This part of the Project will also contain a surface parking lot with twenty (20) stalls, including one (1) small loading space, and approximately 786 square feet of outdoor dining/seating area. The buildings are located along the Washington Boulevard frontage with the on-site parking located to the north, and outdoor dining/seating located between the buildings and along both street frontages. Additional site improvements include landscaping throughout the site. All improvements are consistent with the provisions of the CCMC, as identified in the Project Summary (Attachment No. 4).
As a joint project with the Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency (the "Successor Agency"), the Project is subject to a development agreement and the terms specified therein. It is anticipated that the City will contribute to the construction of the parking structure (on Site A), which will provide a method to leverage the development that the Successor Agency and the City are seeking for these Parcels, including the provision of public parking to address surrounding community needs. Further, the ownership of the Project will be separated such that the parking structure portion will be transferred to the Culver City Parking Authority upon completion of the Project, while the remaining portions of Site A and all of Site B will be owned by the developer.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Zoning Code Map Amendment and General Plan Map Amendment
Zoning Map
On January 14, 2013, the City Council approved a Zoning Code Map Amendment, ZCMA-P2012102, to change the Zoning designation for a portion of Site A from R1, RMD, and CG to PPF. As a result, the current Zone for Site A is CG for a portion along Washington Boulevard and PPF for the remaining portion to the north, while Site B is fully within the CG Zone. The change was made in an effort to comply various regulations surrounding the State's dissolution of redevelopment agencies throughout California. The PPF Zone would allow parking facilities exclusively for the specific portion of the site, and the CG Zone would allow the market hall commercial development, as was envisioned. Due to the scale and unique nature of the Project, it has been determined that the Project would be treated as a planned development. Therefore, the proposed Zoning Code Map Amendment proposes to change the Zone for Site A and Site B to Planned Development (PD) Zone No. 15.
As specified in Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Chapter 17.240 - Planned Development (PD) Zoning Districts, the PD Zone is applied to sites of large-scale multiple-family residential and commercial complexes developed as a planned district, as well as sites suitable for combined commercial, residential and/or live/work uses within a physically integrated and contiguous area, and suitable for similar large-scale development, measuring at least one (1) acre in size. The PD Zoning District is consistent with the Planned Residential Development Land Use designation of the General Plan, and can be consistent with various residential and commercial land use designations of the General Plan. Therefore, the PD Zone will be consistent with the existing General Corridor designation applicable to Site B and a portion of Site A. Furthermore, all development proposed within a PD Zoning District shall require approval of a Comprehensive Plan in compliance with Chapter 17.560, to establish development standards, allowable land uses, and permit requirements. The PD Zone and proposed Comprehensive Plan will continue to allow the uses allowed by the existing PPF and CG Zone as has always been envisioned for the site.
General Plan Map
On December 10, 2012, the City Council approved a General Plan Map Amendment, GPMA-P2012099, to change the General Plan Land Use designation for a portion of Site A from Low Density Single Family, Medium Density Multiple Family, and General Corridor to Institutional. The change was processed in order to comply with various regulations surrounding the State's decision to dissolve redevelopment agencies. Since the City's goal was to preserve a portion of the property for development of a public parking structure, that portion was changed to Institutional. Now the Project has evolved and been refined, and due to the unique nature and scale of the Project, it was determined that the site should be treated as a planned development. Accordingly, the Zoning designation is proposed to be changed to PD. Per Zoning Code Section 17.240.010, the PD Zoning District is consistent with the Planned Residential Development Land Use designation of the General Plan, and can be consistent with various residential and commercial land use designations of the General Plan. Therefore, the General Corridor land use designation of Site B and a portion of Site A is consistent with the proposed PD Zoning designation. The northerly portion of Site A currently designated as Institutional is proposed to be changed to General Corridor to maintain consistency.
Comprehensive Plan
As specified above, the Project is of a unique type and scale and is best executed a planned development; therefore, as a PD Zone, a Comprehensive Plan is required and serves to specify the land use permit requirement and development standards. The proposed uses and standards will maintain consistency with the long-term vision for the site and the existing zoning and land use designations of the site an adjacent commercial corridor as further indicated below. This will be in compliance with CCMC Section 17.240.015 - Planned Development (PD) District Requirements, which indicates that in establishing allowable land uses and development standards, the standards of the zoning districts most similar in nature and function to the uses proposed within the PD District shall be considered.
Allowed Land Uses and Market Hall Concept
Since the early stages of the Project's conception, one primary goal has been to create a unique destination with unique specialty and artisanal uses, such as a food hall or market hall. As a result, the land use table within the Comprehensive Plan is distinctly tailored to allow food retail, limited restaurants, and other uses that support artisanal food and specialty culinary uses, and will be further limited by use restrictions in a City/Developer Implementation Agreement.
A food hall or market hall is distinct and deliberate in the types of tenants and products, and is distinct from the traditional commercial food court found in malls and shopping centers. The food court has come to be considered a discredited concept of 20th century dining, while food halls are the latest popular format, which has been emerging throughout the world, including as anchors to larger commercial and mixed-use developments, and is forecasted to expand in the coming years. The food hall is characterized as "the child of two American classics: the food court and the old public market". The typical physical components of a food hall include an open floor plan, a post-industrial space (or one with high ceilings, exposed wiring, and hanging air ducts), shared seating with long benches, stools, and small countertops, all of which create a sense of authenticity, a drafty and austere moniker for an age of raw interior design. The food hall is characterized by dozens of vendors providing unique culinary products and chef-driven concepts, and no chains, with fresh food prepared in front of your eyes, creating an atmosphere abound with the sounds of a traditional market, the hustle and bustle of patrons, the working sounds of a butcher's chop, an espresso machines roar, and other cooking and food preparation. This concept appeals to chefs and food vendors due to the economies of scale which help to minimize startup and operating costs while maximizing exposure to foot patrons.1
In order to appropriately tenant and design the interior of the market/food hall space, and achieve the vision for the market/food hall, the developer will secure the services of an approved, qualified curator. The selected curator will be required to have extensive experience in planning, designing, and curating successful food/market halls. The developer has selected a curator, which must be approved by the City in accordance with the terms of an Implementation Agreement.
In order to facilitate achieving the vision for the Project, the Comprehensive Plan includes a land use table that will allow outdoor retail sales/display (artisanal food), outdoor dining, alcoholic beverage sales, and a limited number of "bars" within the Project, as principally permitted uses, rather than requiring additional use permits. The existing zoning designations allow these uses, but would require for an Administrative Use Permit (AUP) or Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to be processed and approved as the specific business operators were identified and began occupying the space. However, outdoor retail sales/display (artisanal food) will be allowed in accordance with Zoning Code land use standards order to achieve the desired plaza activation. Since it is anticipated that the Project will incorporate outdoor dining as a key open space feature, and that food service operations often offer alcoholic beverages, this can be built into the planned development as part of the Comprehensive Plan approval. In addition, it is anticipated that the Project would allow a maximum of two (2) businesses that would offer specialty alcoholic beverages for off-site and/or on-site consumption without food service and possibly with incidental on-site production (e.g. brewing). Such a use would be allowed in the current CG Zone with a CUP under the classification of "bar". By incorporating these uses into the Comprehensive Plan as allowed uses with no further use permits, it will minimize timelines and costs for future tenants and business operators, which can be a significant burden to the types of local, artisanal, non-chain business the Project seeks to attract.
Development Standards
The proposed development has been designed in accordance with the Zoning Code requirements for the current zoning designation for the Washington Boulevard corridor. The proposed Comprehensive Plan for the PD Zone No. 15 illustrates the building heights and setbacks proposed for the building, which are to be maintained as the standards for the site as shown on the plans. The height is in compliance with the PD district maximum requirement of 56 feet in height. Significant changes will be subject to a request for modification presented for consideration to the Planning Commission and City Council, per CCMC Section 17.560.025 - Comprehensive Plan Modifications, Major and Minor. Additional development standards such as off-street parking are also identified within the Comprehensive Plan as further discussed below.
Architectural Design
The structures (Site A and Site B) are designed in a rustic architectural style, while also using elements of current modern architecture. The shape of the buildings is characterized by straight lines, and ninety (90) degree angles. The building incorporates flat roofs with parapets of varying heights, as well as sloped roofs and sloped parapets to create a sense of asymmetry. The color palette is characterized by light neutral tones earth tones, combining light and dark tones, including various shades of brown, tan/beige, copper, and similar colors. The primary materials will be standing seam metal panels and high pressure laminate panels, but will also include various metals, plaster, painted and exposed concrete, and stacked concrete masonry blocks; corten will be used at select landscape planters. The Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue fa?ades will incorporate storefront glass with a grid pattern designed to contribute to the rustic theme of the Project. In addition, vine trellises will be incorporated on select fa?ades at both sites. The variation in color and materials serves to provide depth and contrast throughout the building. The structures are designed with the use of the same materials, finishes, colors, and architectural style to match and complement each other across Site A and Site B, so as to create one cohesive visual at the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue
The structure on Site A will include one-story, 25'-2" in height, of commercial floor area fronting on Washington Boulevard, the L-shaped footprint provides a deep southerly setback along the westerly segment allowing for a large open space dining area. This building includes the three-and-a-half-level parking structure attached to the rear and rising above and over the commercial tenant area, revealing two (2) to three (3) levels of the parking structure which increase in height as they move towards the northeast corner of the site. A decorative trellis/awning structure over a walkway at the second level of the garage provides visual enhancement to this part of the fa?ade. Minimal landscape plantings along this awning structure provide little visual screening for the parking structure. This creates a fa?ade along Washington Boulevard that is visually dominated by the appearance of the parking structure, which is fully open along this fa?ade, and is also open on the easterly (Centinela Avenue) and westerly (Colonial Avenue) elevations. Therefore, staff requested screening and landscaped fa?ades that will provide visual relief. Such plantings have not been provided; however, staff recommends that the Project be conditioned to provide this feature. Further, as a result of the parking structure location and design, twenty-five (25) foot wide access ramps and loading area rollup doors are located along the east and west elevations. In order to comply with Zoning Code requirements to enclose parking structure fa?ades facing residential parcels to prevent light and noise spill, the northerly elevation incorporates plaster pilasters with "infill panels" where parking structure openings would otherwise occur. The Zoning Code also requires such fa?ades to incorporate architectural design elements, including surface treatments, offset planes, structural articulation, and landscaping to provide visual interest and compatibility with adjacent dwellings. However, this proposed northerly fa?ade is architecturally disconnected from the rest of the building design. The two (2) structures on Site B are single-story reaching a maximum height of 28'-3", thereby maintaining a low-scale with little bulk or mass. These buildings are located at distinct angles, with the easterly building located parallel to the Washington Boulevard street frontage and the westerly building parallel with Centinela Avenue, creating an articulated appearance.
The overall design and street view of the Project serves to enhance the vacant site and the commercial corridor. The building is designed with the primary entrances facing the street, and along with the various architectural elements aids and contributes to the pedestrian-oriented quality of the streetscape. The building mass for Site A is articulated and broken up by the use of variation in the building height, with portions of the front fa?ade being lower in height, and rear portions being taller, so as to reduce the massing along the Washington Boulevard street frontage. The L-shaped footprint of the Site A building fa?ade also provides a change in the building plane, creating the appearance of width variation. The buildings are designed with architectural treatment on all street sides, providing materials variations along the street facing fa?ades, and creating visual interest in the appearance of the building. The overall architectural style of the proposed Project complements the eclectic mix of building styles reflected in the commercial development along Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, and with the surrounding residences which were mostly constructed in the 1940's and 1950's and are characterized by the architectural style of that time period. Nevertheless, the proposed style draws upon the elements of new commercial development in the surrounding corridor and throughout the City. Further, it can be expected that the architectural style of this neighborhood will transition over time as existing properties along Washington Boulevard are remodeled and redeveloped. The design and scale of the proposed Project has been created with some consideration of the residential structures in the neighborhood and the building height and massing is consistent with the zoning standards of the district, and intent of the CP required findings.
Landscaping
As required by CCMC Section 17.310.020, the applicant must landscape all setback and open space areas not occupied by structures or devoted to driveways, walkways or patios. In addition, for Site B, parking lot landscape is also required. For Site A, the building spans the entire width of the site providing a zero setback along the east and west property lines; therefore, setback and open space areas are limited to the southerly frontage along Washington Boulevard and the northerly perimeter facing existing residential properties. The front open space area will be primarily utilized for outdoor dining/seating, but will incorporate perimeter planters as well as various planters intermittently placed within the seating area. These areas will be planted with a variety of drought-tolerant plantings aimed at complementing the building architecture and enhancing the street view aesthetics of the Project. The planters will also include six (6) trees, which include specimen trees (e.g. olive trees). The northerly perimeter of Site A includes a ten (10) foot wide planting strip along the edge of the proposed parking structure access ramps, and another five (5) foot wide planting strip along the northerly edge of northeast corner of the site. An additional five (5) food wide planting strip will be provided between the northerly edge of the building and the westerly access ramp. This planter and the two planters at the easterly access ramp will be planted with at least six (6) screen trees each, along with low groundcover plantings. This will serve to soften and screen the building fa?ade at the north elevation. Due to the location of various utilities, the remaining planter between the northerly property line and the westerly access ramp will have low plantings and cannot accommodate trees or other larger plantings. The northerly building fa?ade will also incorporate mesh trellis system that will allow vines to grow and create a green wall to enhance the view visible from the residential neighborhood to the north. Minimal fa?ade plantings are proposed along the southerly building fa?ade, which do little to screen the visibility of the parking structure. This creates a fa?ade that is visually dominated by the appearance of the parking structure which is fully open along the south (Washington Boulevard), east (Centinela Avenue), and west (Colonial Avenue) fa?ades. Although staff has requested screening and landscape for these three fa?ades in order to provide visual relief and screen the visibility of the parking structure and garage interior. Such plantings have not been provided; therefore, staff recommends that the Project be conditioned to provide this feature and has added as a condition of approval that all parking structure fa?ades will be fully screened and landscaped.
For Site B, landscape will comprise of planters throughout the outdoor dining area, setbacks, and parking lot. The open space landscape will be within decorative planters and include drought tolerant plantings that will complement the building architecture. A setback area at the southeast corner of the site creates a large planter where two (2) trees will be provided and will be visible from the Washington Boulevard frontage. The parking lot landscape will include five (5) to ten (10) foot wide perimeter planters with low ground cover plantings and approximately seventeen (17) trees, the majority of which will be located along the northerly property line where the site abuts an existing single family property. The building along Centinela Avenue will also incorporate a mesh trellis system at select segments of the building fa?ades to allow for vines to grow and create a green wall. All proposed landscaping will be required to be drought tolerant and to complement the project buildings and enhance the aesthetic appearance of the development.
New landscaping will also include at least eleven (11) street trees on Washington Boulevard, eight (8) on Centinela Avenue, and three (3) on Colonial Avenue. The species and precise location of these shall be in accordance with the City's Street Tree Master Plan; permanent irrigation will be required to be provided as part of the on-site irrigation. Preliminary landscape information is included in the preliminary development plans/Comprehensive Plan made part of this report (Attachment No. 5), and final landscape plans will be required as part of the building permit submittal process.
Open Space and Outdoor Dining
The proposed development incorporates a total of approximately 5,527 square feet of open space to be used for outdoor dining/seating. As indicated in the land use discussion above, these areas will be established as part of the planned development through the Comprehensive Plan without further use permits. The areas are distinguished between common outdoor dining/seating areas, which will be available to all tenants and patrons of the Project, and "additional" areas that would be potentially dedicated to a specific tenant. Site A will include 3,585 square feet (1,169 common, 2,416 "additional") of outdoor dining/seating located along the entire frontage of the building along Washington Boulevard. These open space areas are bounded by decorative landscape planters (concrete and corten) and railings; a decorative shade structure will be located over the primary outdoor open space seating area. A 1,075 square foot common outdoor dining terrace will be located on the second floor. Site B will contain a total of 786 square feet of common outdoor dining/seating area dispersed between the two (2) buildings and along both street frontage. The area between the buildings is provided with a decorative overhead trellis. The outdoor dining/seating areas serve to enhance the street view and pedestrian oriented environment; the design of furniture, lighting, and other outdoor dining/seating amenities will be of a high quality as shown in the preliminary development plans and Comprehensive Plan, and final selections will be subject to review by the Planning Division. For any individual tenants proposing to use any of the "additional" outdoor dining as their dedicated dining area, specific plans and details of shall be submitted for review by the Planning Division. No outdoor dining areas will be allowed to be enclosed with any type of full height enclosures.
Lighting
Project lighting will include standard interior and exterior lighting for security and safety, where said lighting will include occupancy sensor lighting in all common areas, and use of LED or other high efficiency lighting systems to implement sustainability goals. Exterior lighting will also include parking structure and parking lot lighting, which will include lighting poles for Site B. In order to be sensitive to surrounding residential uses, light poles will be maintained at a maximum height of twelve (12) feet from grade on Site B. In addition, for the Site A parking structure, the rear/northerly elevation will be enclosed to prevent any light spill from inside the structure; the applicant/developer will work with City staff to minimize the height of any light poles used on the rooftop level to minimize potential for light spill and/or glare. The rear stairwell will also be enclosed along the north elevation to minimize light spill to northerly residential properties. The preliminary plans indicate there will be no lighting on the rear fa?ade of the parking structure so as to be sensitive to the residential neighborhood. The proposed open fa?ade design for the remaining elevations of the parking structure, presents a light containment issue. Therefore, the proposed open areas on the parking structure, including stairwells, are conditioned so that the building will incorporate design features to shield area lighting and vehicle headlights. All on-site lighting fixtures, and in particular exterior lighting, will be designed and located to ensure the light produced is not excessively bright and does not shine onto or create glare on adjoining properties, as required by the Zoning Code. The conditions of approval require that a final lighting plan be submitted for review and approval by staff prior to building permit issuance, in order to ensure that there will be no light spill beyond the property lines.
Noise and Vibration
The project site abuts residential uses along the northerly property lines, which can be sensitive to noise generated by the Project. As indicated in the Noise and Vibration Impact Analysis and Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) prepared for the Project, potential noise sources include construction activities and operational activities. In terms of construction, the analysis (prepared by LSA, July 2017) indicated no construction related noise or vibration impacts will occur as long as five (5) mitigation measures are implemented. The mitigation measures are as follows:
* Mitigation Measure (NOISE-1): Construction Hours. Construction activities occurring as part of the Project shall be subject to the limitations and requirements of Section 9.07.035 of the City's Municipal Code, which states that construction activities may occur between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. No construction activities shall be permitted outside these hours or on City holidays unless the City grants a temporary waiver.
* Mitigation Measure (NOISE-2): Construction equipment, fixed or mobile, shall be equipped with properly operating and maintained noise mufflers consistent with manufacturer's standards.
* Mitigation Measure (NOISE-3): Construction staging areas shall be located away from off-site sensitive uses during the later phases of Project development.
* Mitigation Measure (NOISE-4): Whenever feasible, the Project contractor shall place all stationary construction equipment so that the emitted noise is directed away from the sensitive receptors nearest the project site
* Mitigation Measure (NOISE-7): The construction contractor shall only use light construction equipment (e.g. small bulldozers and trucks) within 15 feet from the north construction boundary at both Sites A and B.
Standard conditions of approval also require compliance with various noise standards during construction, including that noise dampening measures, equipment mufflers and sound control devices, as well as acoustical shielding be utilized during construction activities.
The proposed building will be used for commercial development, including food retail and restaurant uses, similar to surrounding commercial uses. However, the study identified potential impacts related to operational activities such as vehicular traffic and loading; thus, two (2) mitigation measures are identified as follows:
* Mitigation Measure (NOISE-5): Mechanical ventilation such as air conditioning systems are required for on-site buildings along Centinela Avenue for Site A and on-site buildings along Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue for Site B so windows and doors can be closed for a prolonged period of time to maintain the City's interior noise standard of 55 dBA CNEL for commercial, retail, and restaurant uses.
* Mitigation Measure (NOISE-6): Construction of an 8 foot high perimeter wall along the north side of the Project at Site B adjacent to residences, to reduce potential noise from loading activities.
In addition to this, staff and the applicant also considered potential noise generated by foot traffic in the exterior northwest stairwell. Although this was not identified as a potential source for noise impacts, it was determined that this stairway will be utilized for emergency egress only. The ground level access door will be kept locked at the exterior and will be fitted with panic hardware in the interior. As a result, with implementation of the proposed mitigation measures and compliance with the conditions of approval, the potential project impacts related to noise and vibration will be less than significant.
Loading and Refuse Operations
Per CCMC Section 17.320.050, loading spaces are required for non-residential buildings and uses that meet certain criteria. Based on these standards, the Project is required to provide one (1) large loading area measuring twelve (12) feet in width and forty (40) feet in length for Site A, and one (1) small loading area measuring 8 feet, 6 inches in width by 18 feet in depth for Site B. Loading facilities for Site A comprise of a large twenty-five (25) foot wide by at least seventy-five (75) feet long loading bay, fully enclosed within the ground floor of the parking structure. Access for delivery trucks would be from Colonial Avenue and exiting on Centinela Avenue. Loading/unloading for Site B would occur at one (1) of the standard parking stalls located in the surface parking lot. Delivery vehicles would enter and exit the site through either of the two-way driveways, located on Centinela Avenue or the easterly public alley. Delivery vehicles would not block access, internal circulation, or other on-site parking stalls. All loading/unloading activities are accommodated on-site; therefore, parking and circulation on surrounding streets will not be affected.
A designated and fully enclosed refuse and recycling room for use by all tenants of Site A will be located at the northerly end of the building, adjacent to the loading area. An ample open space area immediately outside of the room, and accessible by means of a rollup door, is provided for any necessary on-site staging. Refuse pickup vehicles would access the trash room and staging area through the existing and proposed public alley, the bins would be emptied and returned to the refuse room or staging area as determined by the Environmental Programs and Operations (EPO) Division of the Public Works Department. For Site B, an exterior refuse and recycling enclosure will be provided along the easterly edge of the site; the enclosure will be screened from being visible from the street by the proposed buildings and other site improvements. The materials, colors, and finishes of the enclosure will be required to match the proposed structures. Refuse pickup vehicles would access the site from either of the two-way driveways, the pickup vehicle operators would retrieve the bins from the enclosure, empty them, and return them to the enclosure. The Project would foster recycling of reusable materials (i.e. cardboard, plastics and aluminum) by providing dedicated and easily accessible bins. The proposed location and design of the refuse collection facilities would ensure no on- or off-site circulation conflicts occur.
Parking and On-site Circulation
The Project proposes a collection of artisanal and specialty food uses, collectively referred to as a market/food hall. The Zoning Code does not identify market/food halls as a land use category within the off-street parking requirements. Therefore, it has been determined that the Project will be required to provide parking at the rate required for shopping centers less than five (5) acres, which is a use identified as a mix of commercial uses that are primarily retail stores, but may also include personal service uses, eating and drinking establishments, or other uses with higher parking requirements, where the businesses share common pedestrian and parking areas. This land use category is required to provide off-street parking at a rate of one (1) stall per 250 square feet of gross floor area, with an allowance for up to 25% restaurant included, and any additional restaurant space to be required parking at a rate equal to the type of restaurant (e.g. one (1) per 100 square feet for table service restaurants). It should be noted that the Zoning Code definition identifies examples of uses that may be included in a shopping center, but the allowed uses are based on the Zone or, as in this case, are based on the applicable allowable land use section of the proposed Comprehensive Plan. Consistent with Zoning Code requirements, outdoor dining is required to be parked at a rate consistent with the use(s) it serves for any area exceeding 250 square feet. A significant portion (i.e. 3,030 square feet, including the second level dining terrace) of the outdoor dining/seating is for common use by all the tenants, and, therefore, does not increase the capacity of any one (1) tenant/use, the common outdoor dining areas are not included in the required off-street parking calculation. Since this area exceeds 250 square feet, all "additional" outdoor dining/seating (i.e. 2,416 square feet) is required to be parked at the shopping center rate. These calculations are detailed in Table 2 below.
*Shopping Center rate used for entire site
**Outdoor dining square feet counted towards parking requirements excludes common outdoor dining areas (3,030 sq. ft.)
The Project will include a three-and-half-level parking structure on Site A, and a small surface parking lot on Site B. Site A will contain a total of 184 off-street parking spaces, which includes one (1) space required for the uses on Site B and which could not be accommodated on that site as well as 47 additional spaces for general public use as required by the Agreement with the City and the Successor Agency. Site B will contain twenty (20) surface parking spaces. All parking space dimensions and striping, driveways, drive aisle dimensions, circulation and maneuvering areas, and height clearances for all parking and vehicle access areas are designed to comply with all applicable requirements of the Zoning Code as shown in the table below. The minimum required twenty-four (24) foot wide drive aisles are provided at both parking areas, and sufficient turnaround space is provided at the roof end of the parking structure aisle to allow vehicles to maneuver and return to the exit or previous floor.
Table 3: Parking Dimensional Standards
Feature
Dimensional Standard
Parking stall width and length
8.5 and 18 feet
Drive aisle/backup aisle (for 2-way circulation and 90 degree stalls)
24 feet
Height Clearance
7 feet
Driveway width (for 2-way access)
25 feet
The ground level of the proposed structure will include an enclosed dedicated loading area, refuse storage room, and the access ramps for the parking structure. The loading area will have one-way circulation with trucks entering through a 25-foot wide driveway and rollup door on Colonial Avenue and exiting through a 15-foot wide driveway/roll-up door on Centinela Avenue. Access to the parking structure is designed to be provided by twenty-five (25) foot wide two-way ramps from Colonial Avenue as well as Centinela Avenue, which lead directly to the second level of the parking structure where the first level of parking stalls is located. The driveway/access ramp on Centinela Avenue will be designed to allow left- and right-turns to and from the public right-of-way; however, the driveway/access ramp on Colonial Avenue will be designed to only allow right-turns in and left-turns out only, so as to prohibit through access to the residential neighborhood to the north from the segment of Colonial Avenue abutting the Project. Vehicular access to Site B will occur by means of a two-way, twenty-five (25) foot wide, access driveway on Centinela Avenue and another at the existing public alley along the easterly edge of the site. These driveways would provide right-turn in and right-turn out access only.
Primary pedestrian and disabled access from the public street to the building entries is proposed via at-grade walkways, ramps, and stairs a minimum of four (4) feet in width along Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue. The parking structure is designed to provide necessary pathways, elevators, and stairs to access the street level from the various levels for pedestrian and disabled access. The staircase at the northwest corner of the parking structure will be for emergency egress only, as previously described. For Site B pedestrian and disabled access from the surface parking lot to the buildings will be provided via at-grade walkways, ramps. All pathways and access are designed to meet the Zoning Code standards.
Traffic and Circulation
A Traffic Study was prepared for the proposed Project by Raju Associates, Inc., dated January 2017 (Attachment No. 7). Due to the unique nature of the uses proposed for the Project, the study was conducted based on approximately 15,526 square feet of specialty retail use, 14,680 square feet of quality restaurant use and 5,210 square feet of high-turnover restaurant use, totaling 35,416 square feet, which exceeds the actual floor area (26,835 square feet) proposed by the Project, and results in a conservative assessment of the potential traffic impacts. The traffic study was reviewed and accepted by the City's Traffic Engineer. The report analyzed existing and future (year 2019) traffic conditions, with and without the proposed Project, with focus on nineteen (19) intersections in the vicinity of the project site, of which twelve (12) are located in the Culver City and seven (7) in the City of Los Angeles. For future conditions, the study considered fifty-two (52) related projects located in the general vicinity. In addition, as part of the study, a street segment and residential street segment analysis, and Congestion Management Program (CMP) analysis were also prepared. Access and circulation at the proposed driveways to the parking area for the Project were also evaluated, as was the mass transit system and bicycle facilities. Based on the traffic study, a net total of 1,802 daily trips, including 58 AM peak hour trips and 137 PM peak hour trips, are projected to be generated by the proposed Project. The results showed that under the "Cumulative (Future Year 2019) plus Project" conditions, which considers the Project as well as fifty-two (52) related projects within the study area, 14 of the 19 study intersections would have a morning peak hour Level of Service (LOS) of D or better, while 9 of the intersections were projected to operate at LOS D or better in the evening peak hour. Further, less than 50 trips would be added to the nearest CMP arterial monitoring locations, and less than 150 to the nearest mainline freeway monitoring locations. In short, the study concluded that the proposed Project would not create any significant impacts and no mitigation measures would be required.
The existing 100 and 90 foot wide public right-of-ways, Washington Boulevard and Centinela Avenue, respectively, have been deemed by the Engineering Division of the Public Works Department to be of adequate width to serve the site and the proposed development. Specific segments of Washington Boulevard, Centinela Avenue, and Colonial Avenue are required to be repaved, as well as portions of the existing and proposed public alley at Site A, as specified in the proposed conditions of approval. The gutter, curb, and sidewalk along the Project's various street frontages are required to be removed and replaced in compliance with applicable standards. This will serve to remove existing obsolete driveway aprons, including three (3) on Centinela Avenue for Site A and two (2) on Washington Boulevard and two (2) on Centinela Avenue for Site B, and implement the new access driveways as described above. Street improvements will also include providing red curb along Colonial Avenue for Site A and Washington Boulevard for Site B. Implementation of the Project and associated off-site improvements will result in the loss of approximately six (6) on-street parking spaces, which will be absorbed by the 41 stall surplus provided within the Project parking structure.
Although the Project will not result in any significant traffic and circulation impacts, minor changes to lane striping and vehicular circulation will be implemented to improve the circulation conditions on the surrounding streets and protect sensitive residential streets abutting the Project. For example, striping plans will be provided to implement restriping of Washington Boulevard to create a two-way left-turn lane between Colonial Avenue and Chase Avenue, and to implement striping on Centinela Avenue from the Project's main driveway to Washington Boulevard. Restriping will also include the creation of a left-turn pocket from Centinela Avenue to access the Site A driveway. In addition, the Project may also be required to provide street improvements necessary to restrict northbound access to Colonial Avenue from just north of the Project driveway, which may include curbing, planters, signage, etc., to the satisfaction of the City. These improvements would be aimed to protect the residential street from experiencing any potential parking or traffic intrusion as a result of the Project, although this is not anticipated to occur. The Traffic Study identified three design (3) options (Figure 13 of the Traffic Study, Attachment No. 7), which were also presented during community meetings. Option 1 would include a 15-foot wide median extending from the easterly curb to the centerline of Colonial Avenue, allowing a 14-foot wide southbound lane along the west side of the right-of-way, and would have the angled driveway design previously described; this option would result in a loss of street parking (2 spaces). Option 2, the community preferred option, would provide two (2) 8-foot wide mountable curbs on both sides of the street, allowing a 14-foot wide southbound lane along the center of the right-of-way, and would also include the angled driveway design. Option 3 would continue to allow through-traffic in both directions, and only includes the implementation of the driveway apron as described above, which would restrict right-turns out of the Project and left-turns into the Project.
The Traffic Study specifies the recommended option is Option 3 with implementation of various additional requirements, including conducting a traffic study no later than six months "after" 85 percent occupancy to determine if Option #3 is effective in preventing Project traffic to and from the residential neighborhood along Colonial Avenue. This requirement would include that the applicant obtain before and after-Project traffic counts, speed checks and parking occupancy data to determine the effectiveness of the no-right-turn restriction, and if the City Engineer determines that additional measures are necessary to prevent Project traffic from turning right onto Colonial Avenue towards the residential neighborhood, the Project shall be responsible for the design and implementation of those measures. In addition, should the required "after" traffic study identify a parking impact in the surrounding residential neighborhood (e.g. within the "triangle neighborhood" (Colonial Avenue, Wasatch Avenue, and Boise Avenue, between Washington Place and Washington Boulevard) which within Parking District 12), the applicant shall work with the Public Works Department to determine whether more restrictive on-street parking requirements can be established, or if additional streets must be included in the parking district, and shall provide funding to pay for two (2) parking permits per dwelling unit in said parking district for one (1) year as required.
Sustainability and Mobility
The Project is proposed to incorporate energy-saving and sustainable design, as well as carbon emission reduction measures, resulting in a LEED equivalent building. The Project is required to comply with the City's Mandatory Solar Photovoltaic requirements, providing 1kW of solar photovoltaic generation per 10,000 square feet of development, as well as with the Culver City Green Building Program as set forth in CCMC Section 15.02.1100, et. seq., and CalGreen mandatory commercial measures. The Project will feature a number of sustainable building features, such as storm water collection, filtration and discharge systems, implementation of low impact development (LID) requirements, cool roof energy conservation systems, high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems, natural/passive ventilation and lighting (e.g. via large doors and operable windows), and energy efficient lighting. Conservation conscious features will include use of low-water and drought tolerant plantings, and irrigation timers with rain sensors. The Project will provide on-site recycling collection facilities to promote and facilitate recycling practices. In order to accommodate alternative transportation and current technology, the Project is proposed to incorporate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at eleven (11) stalls within the parking structure and two (2) stalls at the surface parking lot on Site B, and will be a condition of the Project if approved. As part of sustainability, the Project will incorporate features that promote alternative transportation and mobility as detailed below.
The Project location is near existing transit stops for multiple operators, and near bicycle friendly streets, which will provide mobility options for the tenants/employees and patrons of the proposed Project. The Project is situated near bicycle lanes on Washington Boulevard and Washington Place, and is near Culver City Bus Line No. 1 and No. 2 along Washington Boulevard and additional bus lines on Centinela Avenue and Wade Street. In order to capitalize on this existing infrastructure and be consistent with the City's goals of promoting alternative transit and mobility, the Project will also include a number of mobility features as summarized below.
* Bicycle parking: The Project will meet the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan requirements by providing a total of six (6) long term bicycle parking stalls (4 at Site A, 2 at Site B) and ten (10) short term stalls (8 at Site A, 2 at Site B) on-site; long-term bike stalls will be provided in bike lockers and short-term bike stalls will provided on racks.
* Bike Share Program: The Project will participate in future bike share program
* Transit Passes: The Project will provide Metro Tap cards to encourage and promote use of public transportation, including nearby bus lines. For each new commercial lease on this property, the applicant will require those lessees to provide Metro's Business Transit Access Pass (B-Tap) cards for a minimum of 50% of the employees for one year following lease up.
* Ride Share Parking: The Project will provide a designated short term parking space for ride-hailing automobiles (i.e. Uber or Lyft) on Site B, and will request permission from the Public Works Department to establish such a passenger loading area along the Washington Boulevard frontage of Site A.
* Streetscape improvements to create an attractive, pedestrian friendly environment.
* Bus Stops: The Project will remove existing bus stops and relocate them to appropriate locations; the new bus stop facilities will meet the City's Transportation Department requirements, including the incorporation of digital signage that displays local rail and bus schedules.
* Transportation Demand Management (TDM): The Project will incorporate TDM measures, such as area commuter van pooling and car sharing.
Tentative Parcel Map
The State Subdivision Map Act and CCMC Chapter 15.10 regulate the subdivision of land, and require the submittal of a tentative parcel map for subdivisions meeting certain criteria, including specific airspace subdivisions for condominium purposes. In addition, CCMC Section 17.220.020 - Table 2-6, Commercial District Development Standards (CN, CG, CC, CD), specifies the minimum lot area is determined through the subdivision review process. The primary goals of the proposed Tentative Parcel Map (TPM) are to consolidate and reconfigure the existing twelve (12) parcels listed in Table 1 into three (3) parcels, and create an airspace subdivision upon one (1) of the parcels, to allow separate ownership of the market hall/commercial space from the parking structure.
Site A is comprised of ten (10) parcels and segments of an existing public alley right-of-way, totaling approximately 57,740 square feet. The TPM proposes to consolidate and reconfigure these parcels and vacate the portions of the public alley right-of-way. The result will be two (2) parcels and a 25.32' wide by 100.29' long (?2,539 sq. ft.) public alley along the northerly edge of the east corner of Site A. The southerly parcel would be an irregular shape (similar to a triangle), comprising a total of ?13,500 square feet of lot area, and would contain the outdoor dining/seating area and portions of the market/food hall; the northerly parcel would be square-shaped and comprise a total of ?41,704 square feet. All existing utility easements will be relocated as necessary to accommodate the proposed Project. The alley vacation and relocation of utility easements will allow for a more efficient use of the land. In order to achieve the ownership and operational goals set by the Successor Agency, the TPM proposes to create a condominium airspace subdivision on the proposed northerly parcel which is proposed to contain the public parking structure. The condominium subdivision would allow the Parking Authority to own the parking structure parcel and the developer to own the airspace of the ground floor where the remaining portions of the market/food hall, the inline shops, storage and utility rooms, loading area, and refuse storage area will be located. Site B is not part of the proposed TPM; however, it is comprised of two (2) parcels totaling ?23,487 square feet of lot area, which will be required to be consolidated into one (1) parcel by the appropriate means, and will be fully owned by the developer/applicant.
One of the various objectives of the tentative parcel map process is to allow the City to review the proposed parcel consolidation and condominium subdivision to ensure all necessary improvements and requirements are provided. The Public Works Department has reviewed the tentative parcel map (Attachment No. 6) for the proposed parcel consolidation and condominium subdivision and found it to be in compliance with all applicable State and local regulations as more specifically outlined in the recommended conditions of approval.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
As part of public outreach for discretionary projects the City requires up to three community meetings prior to the formal Public Hearing. As part of the project review process, various community meetings were held at Culver West Park (4162 Wade Street), including one on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 during the Preliminary Project Review (PPR) phase, and another on Thursday, August 3, 2017 during the application review phase. The applicant sent invitations two weeks before each meeting to property owners and occupants within a specified radius from the site, inviting interested persons to learn about the development project, provide comments and feedback, as well as to share any concerns regarding the proposed Project.
Community Meeting 1 - November 15, 2015 (Notification Boundary: 500 feet, 28 attendees)
Topics of discussion
* Mobility features (e.g. bicycle facilities)
* Parking and future repurposing of parking
* Height of parking structure
* Parking and traffic on Colonial Avenue
* Hours of operation and security
* Tenant selection Process
* Art and open space
* Timeline for Project completion
* General support for idea of specialty/artisanal food uses
Community Meeting 2 - January 12, 2016 (Notification Boundary: 500 feet)
Topics of discussion
* Concerns regarding alley access and access to residential streets
* Concerns regarding existing traffic/circulation and parking conditions
* Construction conditions (e.g. traffic) and schedule
* Concerns regarding Project traffic, circulation, and access to Project and Colonial Avenue
* Buffer between Site A building and northerly residential properties
* Truck access and loading
* Types of tenants (chains versus small-scale)
* General support for Project concept
Community Meeting 3 - February 23, 2016 (Notification Boundary: 500 feet)
Topics of discussion
* Traffic and circulation
* Parking intrusion in surrounding residential neighborhood
* Noise
* Construction Process/Staging
* Improvements to surrounding bus stops
* Number and types of tenants (chains versus small-scale); hours of operation
* Alcoholic Beverage Sales
* Property management, operations (including special events, classes, etc.)
Community Meeting 4 - Thursday, August 3, 2017 (Notification Boundary: 1,000 feet, 45 Attendees)
Topics of discussion
* Traffic and circulation
* Allowed turns into and out of Site A
* Interest in implementing Preferred Parking Program in residential neighborhood west of Site A
* Interest in implementing measures to limit access to Colonial Avenue, especially from Site A of the Project
* Interest in requiring interior design renderings for the market hall component of the Project
* General support for Market Hall concept; interest in making it truly artisanal and limiting national/chain tenants
The Community Meetings were well attended and provided a valuable source of input to the applicant and City staff with regard to the primary concerns of the community and recommendations related to ways of addressing some of those concerns. In the early meetings community members expressed concerns regarding traffic, neighborhood parking, and project scale. The applicant and City staff responded by refining the plans and addressing concerns by providing methods to discourage parking and access into Colonial Avenue, providing excess parking for use by patrons of surrounding commercial businesses.
Comments Received During Public Comment Period
As of the writing of this report, staff has not received any public comments on the proposed Project, in writing or any other form, in response to the public notification for the public hearing.
CONCLUSION/SUMMARY
The subject site has been vacant for approximately ten (10) years, located at the intersection of two (2) primary arteries developed with a wide mix of non-residential and residential development. The proposed commercial development project will be oriented towards the street intersection with emphasis on the Washington Boulevard corridor which is transforming with new development and rehabilitation and reuse of existing development. The proposed development will enhance the "West Washington" area which has been emerging as a hub for unique restaurants and specialty culinary businesses in the west area of the City. The building has been designed with setbacks and varying building materials to break up bulk and mass and incorporates a site design that create a pedestrian friendly environment and incorporates a site design that will improve the appearance of the Washington Boulevard corridor. The Project will incorporate mobility and sustainability features that will complement the City's general goals of moving towards a more environmentally sound community. The Project is fully parked and provides adequate access and circulation. Based on the proposed preliminary development plans, suggested plan modifications, the Comprehensive Plan (Attachment No. 5), and the recommended conditions of approval and suggested landscape modifications, the Project will be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood, and consistent with the Culver City General Plan and the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. Additionally, the Tentative Parcel Map meets all requirements of the CCMC and the State Subdivision Map Act. Staff believes the findings for Comprehensive Plan, P2017-0042-CP, General Plan Map Amendment, P2017-0042-GPMA, Zoning Code Map Amendment, P2017-0042-ZCMA, and Tentative Parcel Map, P2017-0042-TPM, can be made as outlined in Resolution No. 2017-P016 (Attachment No. 1).
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, an Initial Study was prepared for this Project. The Initial Study determined that the Project would not result in significant impacts on the environment provided certain mitigation measures are required and a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared as the required CEQA clearance documentation for the Project (Attachment No. 2). The Draft MND determined that the Project will require mitigation measures to reduce the following "potentially significant" impacts on the environment to a less than significant level:
1. Biological Resources - Potential impact to the movement (and nesting) of wildlife species, related to removal of existing landscape.
2. Geology/Solis - Potential impacts related to strong seismic ground shaking due to the Project site's proximity to the Charnock Fault, and other large active faults in the region; seismic-related ground failure, ground and soil stability hazards; and expansive soil risks.
3. Hazards/Hazardous Materials - Potential impacts related to the potential release or handling of hazardous materials during construction activities, and related to the site being included on a list of hazardous materials sites.
4. Noise and Vibration - Temporary construction-related noise and operational noise (e.g. loading activities) impacts and vibration impacts to surrounding properties and the project site.
5. Public Services - Potential temporary short-term impacts to public services (fire, police) access during construction activities.
The prescribed mitigation measures that will reduce the Project's potentially significant impacts to a less than significant level are listed in a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), which was included at the end of the Draft Initial Study/MND (Attachment No. 2). The Draft MND was circulated for public review from October 4, 2017 through October 25, 2017. A "Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration" for the Project was posted by the County of Los Angeles from October 4, 2017 through October 25, 2017. Notification of the proposed CEQA finding was included in the public notice for this Project, mailed at the commencement of the public review period to all owners and occupants within a 1,000 foot radius of the project site. As of the publishing of the staff report no written comments have been received regarding the Initial Study/MND.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:
The following alternative actions may be considered by the Planning Commission:
1. Recommend Approval of the applications to the City Council with the staff recommended conditions of approval if the applications are deemed to meet the required findings.
2. Recommend Approval of the applications to the City Council with additional and/or different conditions of approval, if deemed necessary to meet the required findings and mitigate any new project impacts identified at the meeting.
3. Recommend Disapproval of the applications to the City Council Disapprove the proposed Project if the applications do not meet the required findings.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Resolution No. 2017-P016 and
Exhibit A: Conditions of Approval
Exhibit B: Map Amendment(s)
2. Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) dated October 4, 2017
3. Vicinity Map
4. Project Summary
5. Comprehensive Plan/Preliminary Development Plans
6. Tentative Parcel Map No. 74999
7. Traffic Study for the Market Hall Project, June 2017 (Raju Associates, Inc)
MOTION
That the Planning Commission:
1. Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) based on the Initial Study finding that the Project, with the mitigation measures incorporated, will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment, and
2. Approve Tentative Parcel Map No. 74999, P2017-0042-TPM, subject to the Conditions of Approval as stated in Resolution No. 2017-P016
3. Recommend to the City Council, approval of Comprehensive Plan, P2017-0042-CP, General Plan Map Amendment, P2017-0042-GPMA, and Zoning Code Map Amendment, P2017-0042-ZCMA as stated in Resolution No. 2017-P016
1 http://www.businessinsider.com/food-court-dead-where-americans-eating-instead-2017-7?amp (The food court is dead - here's where Americans are going instead, July 9, 2017, Henry Grabar of Slate)
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