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PC - Consideration of a Conditional Use Permit, Site Plan Review, and Tentative Parcel Map to develop a five-story, 134-unit assisted living facility located at 11141 Washington Boulevard.
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Contact Person/Dept: Michael Allen, Current Planning Manager
Lisa Edwards, Contract Planner
Phone Number: (310) 253-5710
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [X] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
City Council Action Required: Yes [ ] No [x] Date: N/A
Public Notification: (Mailed) Property owners and occupants within a 500-foot radius and extended (2/19/2020); (Posted) Onsite Sign (2/24/2020), City Website (3/6/2020); (E-Mail) Master Notification List (3/6/2020), Meetings and Agendas - Planning Commission (3/6/2020); (Published) Culver City News (02/20/2020).
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (03/06/2020)
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission 1) Adopt a Categorical Exemption under CEQA Section 15332, Class 32 (Infill Development), and 2) Approve Conditional Use Permit, P2019-0243-CUP, Site Plan Review, P2019-0243-SPR, and Tentative Parcel Map, P2019-0243-TPM subject to the Conditions of Approval as stated in Resolution No. 2020-P004 (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. Planning Commission discusses the matter and arrives at its decision.
BACKGROUND:
Request
SRM Development, LLC (the Applicant) is requesting approval of a Conditional Use Permit, Site Plan Review, and Tentative Tract Map to develop a residential care facility on an 0.88-acre CG Zoned property located on the north side of Washington Boulevard between Sepulveda Boulevard and Washington Place (the Project). The Project known as the Culver City Senior Assisted Living Facility includes a tentative map for a lot merger of four (4) existing legal parcels.
Existing Conditions/Project Site
The site is approximately 38,460 square feet and contains four commercial structures with rear surface parking and buildings placed at zero-setback along the frontage. Several parkway palm trees line Washington Boulevard, however, overall vegetation is minimal. The topography is flat and is accessed from Sepulveda Boulevard via a through-alley that has another entry point at Washington Place. No access to the property is provided along Washington Boulevard (see Project Summary Sheet, Attachment No. 7).
The site is bounded to the north by commercial uses, to the east by Washington Place and retail uses, to the south by commercial uses along Washington Boulevard, and to the west by commercial uses along Sepulveda Boulevard. Surrounding zoning and land uses are listed below:
* West - CG Zoning; One-story commercial building
* East - CG Zoning; Common surface parking lot
* North - CG Zoning; Motel, Elks Lodge, retail buildings
* South - CG Zoning; Commercial strip mall
Proposed Development
The Project involves the development of a five-story, 134-unit assisted living facility with 156 beds containing a retail component containing a 635-square foot salon and 1,620 square-foot physical therapy office, open to the public. Levels 2-5 are residential units with studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedrooms. Level 1 includes the main entrance, lobby, medical facilities, memory care units, physical therapy center, two outdoor courtyards, kitchen and dining area, library, theater, activity room, and common-area. A single-level parking garage will serve both the residential and retail/commercial uses which will be accessible by a 20'-wide driveway ramp that leads into the parking garage from the alley.
Access to the parking garage will be from the alley at the northerly boundary and offers a sheltered area at grade for convenient drop off and pick up of residents by visitors which will be separate from the trash and delivery areas. This drive-through will also serve as the designated boarding area for the community van that transports residents to scheduled stops and recreational destinations.
The site is located within the Commercial Zero Setback Overlay (-CZ) because the property lies within a portion of Washington Boulevard that is intended to promote pedestrian activity. The first-floor building line is primarily in keeping with the intent of the -CZ overlay and includes intermittent greater setbacks at the middle of the project site along Washington Blvd. by providing a landscaped courtyard area and creating entryway landings for the retail uses. Shown in Image 1, at the second floor, a 1'-8" setback is being proposed along several portions of building frontage rather than the required 5'-0" setback normally prescribed for upper floors of commercially zoned buildings because the setback design is consistent with the intent of varying building massing to maintain a positive pedestrian experience. Illustrated in Image 2, the building is articulated with a variety in massing with varying vertical plains and angles creating ground level carve outs and courtyards to enhance the pedestrian experience along Washington Blvd.
Image 1 -
Image 2 -
ANALYSIS:
Operations
This Senior Assisted Living Facility proposes to house residents 60+ years of age and older. These residents are those that require assistance with activities of daily living that include, but are not limited to, assistance with bathing, dressing, grooming, and medication management. Memory care units will also be provided and are not considered to be 24-hour medical care or skilled nursing care under State licensing. A total of 12 memory care units and 122 assisted living units will both target independent and assisted living seniors from 70-80 years of age, with the average age being 83 years old.
Some of the amenities that the residents are afforded are transportation, housekeeping, and meal programs. Activities will include daily opportunities for shopping, wellness programs, and other scheduled events. Conveniences such as a salon, physical therapy office, and library will be on the premise open for residents to enjoy at their leisure.
Site Plan
The Project utilizes most of the site both horizontally and vertically. The building stands approximately 56 feet high with the highest roof elevation measuring at 55'-9" at the south corner of Washington Blvd., and the lowest roof elevation measuring at 54'-2" at the north side of the alley. Along Washington Boulevard, an existing 11'-wide sidewalk with existing mature palm trees is to remain and new parkways are to be installed to continue a pedestrian-oriented streetscape. Main vehicular access to the facility will be along the adjacent 20'-wide alley way to alleviate any potential traffic delays at Washington Boulevard.
According to the Zoning Code, CG zoned properties are intended to "encourage small- to medium-scale commercial uses, emphasizing community-serving retail, office and service uses. This district may also accommodate mixed use and live/work developments." As such, the Senior Assisted Living Facility will follow these criteria in that the proposed size and uses are classified as medium scaled mixed-use.
Architectural Design
The project will be a modern design with a monochromatic color palette. The building is largely exposed concrete, light-colored brick, and smooth-stucco walls with reflective glazing. Other features include decorative Juliet balconies, aluminum siding, and textured concrete cladding panels. Light-colored brick and canopies are used to distinguish the retail floor from the residential floors. Dark gray aluminum siding used in between stucco wall applications are intended to compliment the retail fa?ade canopies. A smooth stucco finish, compatible with the rest of the building, will be used for the elevator shaft.
Accent features are found at the building entries at the front and the rear. Wood soffits are provided within the courtyard area and horizontal wood slates are used for mechanical screening at the drop-off/pick-up area.
Building Height & Rooftop Screening
The proposed building height of the facility from finished grade to the roofline ranges from 54'-2" to 55'-9". A 4'-0" parapet wall, (up to 5'-0" allowance above the maximum building height), follows the building footprint and serves to screen the mechanical rooftop equipment (i.e. photovoltaic panels). The varying height of the building and parapet at 4'-0" results in an overall structure height less than 60'-0" (See Sheet A4.1). Elevators are allowed up to a maximum of 19 feet 6 inches above the building roofline. The proposed elevator is approximately 12'-0" high (See Sheet A3.3).
Open Space and Landscaping
Several opportunities to incorporate landscaping on site have been provided through courtyards and decorative hardscape. At the main entrance, a courtyard is the focal point for the Project (2,500 square feet) while another courtyard (1,040 square feet) provides a secure outdoor environment for the memory care residents. Both spaces have amenities such as outdoor seating, canopy trees, and a trellis patio cover. To allow a transition between the public to private space for pedestrians, a public bench and community fountain invite pedestrians to interact within this semi-public space between the sidewalk and courtyard.
Off-site landscaping includes 540 square feet of parkway improvements along the property's street frontage. Numerous existing palm trees that line Washington Boulevard will be preserved to maintain the character of the street and soften the buildings appearance and the City's streetscape standards will be required providing benches, in-ground planters, trash receptacles and new street trees where applicable.
Parking
Parking Ratios
A Residential Care Facility requires 1 space per 3 patient beds. The facility will have a maximum of 156 beds requiring 52 parking spaces. With the retail component requiring 6 parking spaces for customer and employee parking, a total of 83 parking spaces will be provided, 25 more than required by the Zoning Code. A mix of 59 standard size spaces, 18 compact size spaces, and 6 accessible spaces are being provided.
Use
Ratio
No. of Required
No. of Provided
No. of Compact
(25% of total)
No. of EV (charging, ready, capable)
No. of ADA
Assisted Living Parking
(154 beds)
52
(1 sp/ 3beds)
52
77
18
20|1010|Retail Parking
1 sp/ 350 sf|101010 101010|Long-term Bike Parking
5% of req parking|101010|
Short-term Bike Parking
5% of req parking|101010|
On-street Parking
Restriping of Washington Boulevard between Sepulveda Boulevard and Harter Avenue will result in an 8-foot wide parking lane alongside the Project's frontage. This lane would accommodate seven (7) metered public parking spaces, adding to the surplus of short-term parking already provided for the Project. A Class II bicycle lane will also be designated per the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan that will be 5 feet in width on both side of Washington Boulevard.
Sustainability
Per 17.320.035.O (Electric Vehicle Parking), the Project requires charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. A specific ratio of "EV capable", "EV Ready", and "Full EV Charger/Charging Station" parking spaces are needed to meet this requirement. As proposed, the Project meets these requirements for non-residential uses.
Due to the size of the building, installation of solar photovoltaic system is required. The applicant is providing panels are being proposed to meet the City's Green Building criteria related to energy efficiency.
Lighting
Lighting for the assisted living facility, both on the building and for the parking garage will be provided to ensure site security. Proposed building lighting allows for the safe pedestrian travel throughout the development in the form of soffit and sconce lighting. The lighting will comply with Zoning Code requirements to not shine onto to adjoining properties or be excessively bright. The conditions of approval require that a lighting plan be submitted for review and approval by staff prior to building permit issuance.
Traffic and Circulation
Based on the Focused Traffic Analysis prepared by LSA dated June 13, 2019, the project is anticipated to generate 30 trips during the a.m. peak hour, 41 trips during the p.m. peak hour, and 406 daily trips. A Traffic Study is typically required by the City when a project exceeds 500 or more daily trips or 50 or more trips during the a.m. or p.m. peak hour. As request by the City Engineer, a focused traffic analysis prepared was for purposes of addressing specific circulation issues associated with the project.
The Project is designed in a manner where access to the parking garage is off the alley that runs along the northern boundary of the site. This alley is accessed by Washington Boulevard, Washington Place, and Sepulveda Boulevard and has two-way movement. Traffic counts were conducted along the on either side of the driveway and given the nominal traffic volumes, the Project traffic would not cause potential congestion at the alley.
Construction Management
The Developer will be required to address construction management issues in order to minimize impacts upon the surrounding community. A Concept Construction Management Plan (CCMP) (Attachment 8) has been prepared in order to address community concerns regarding the timing and impacts of construction of the Project and street work in the local area as part of the City's Capital Improvement Program. In order to minimize traffic impacts created by the closure of traffic lanes and cumulative construction related dust and emissions, project demolition, shoring and excavation are tentatively scheduled between July and September 2020, to be completed prior to lane closures on Culver Boulevard. related to the Culver Boulevard Realignment Project. Closure of traffic lanes related to the proposed Project will be reviewed and approved by the Public Works Department, but will not be permitted beyond temporary staging, set-up, and breakdown of equipment. The CCMP also includes provisions for noise and vibration management, dust management and erosion control, and pedestrian protection along the project street frontage. Although the CCMP indicates that the pedestrian sidewalk will be closed during construction, Public Works has conditioned the Project to maintain pedestrian access along the project frontage during construction and develop a Pedestrian Protection Plan for review and approval (i.e. canopy cover over sidewalk for length of project site).
Tentative Parcel Map - Lot Merger
Submitted with the Project is a request for a Tentative Tract Map. Tentative Tract Map No. 82922 is a proposed 11-lot merger that will create a single CG-zoned parcel totaling 38,466 square feet known as 11141 Washington Boulevard. The map does not include incorporation of the alley, public right-of-way portions, or easements. The Public Works Department has reviewed the proposed tract map and determined it to be compliant with the State Subdivision Map Act and the CCMC subdivision ordinance (Title 15 of the CCMC).
Community Meetings and Outreach
Pursuant to the City's Community Outreach Guidelines, the Applicant held three (3) community meetings as part of its outreach to neighbors and community members for the Project. The meetings occurred as follows.
January 29, 2019 The Elks Lodge (6:30 PM-8 PM)
Summary of Meeting/Concerns:
The applicant presented the project and then opened a discussion with the residents. Some concerns raised were the alley activity during construction, increased traffic volumes, insufficient parking, potential noise impact for residents at alley, vehicular entry access, and institutional design of the building.
July 16, 2019 The Elks Lodge (7 PM-8:30 PM)
Summary of Meeting/Concerns:
This meeting was conducted in an Open House format with four (4) stations focused on different aspects of the project. Each station was facilitated by experts in the areas of Architecture/Design, Traffic, Operations, and Environmental. Comment cards were collected which noted the residents' positive response to the design of the building, thoughtful placement of delivery area at alley, sustainability aspects, and attention to parking demand for residents/construction workers.
Since a traffic study had been prepared prior to this meeting, the project engineer was able to speak to matters regarding potential increases in traffic congestion citing that the conclusion of the study was that would be no impact to the alley or neighboring intersections.
September 26, 2019 The Elks Lodge (6:30 PM-8 PM)
Summary of Meeting/Concerns:
The applicant presented alterations to the project and then opened a discussion with the residents. Parking concerns were addresses by stating that the project would exceed the City's parking requirements for a Residential Care Facility and therefore would not be under parked, emphasizing that tenants of these facilities do not normally possess a vehicle.
Air quality during construction was a concern since the City's Urban Stormwater project would be underway approximately at the same time construction for the Senior Assisted Living Facility would occur. Construction is anticipated to commence in late Spring or Summer of 2020. The applicant assured the residents that all construction activity would adhere to the City's air quality standards and that demolition would take no more than one week to complete.
CONCLUSION:
Utilization of the 0.88-acre site for a Senior Assisted Living Facility with ground-level service uses is a low-intensity residential use complimented with related service uses (i.e. salon, physical therapy). Since Washington Boulevard has been identified as a pedestrian-oriented street, the project attempts to encourage pedestrian travel by patrons of nearby businesses and by visitors/residents/employees of the facility. The project integrates public and private space along this pedestrian path by providing opportunities for community enjoyment such as a fountain, public bench, and parkway improvements. Additionally, the facility is overparked and will not be a detriment to the surrounding uses with respect to parking.
Staff believes that the assisted living facility and accompanying land use standards for the project achieve both consistency and compatibility with the surrounding area.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:
The following alternative actions may be considered by the Planning Commission:
1. Approve the proposed project with the recommended conditions of approval if the applications are deemed to meet the required findings.
2. Approve the proposed project 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. Disapprove the proposed project if the applications do not meet the required findings.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Resolution No. 2020-P004 with Exhibit A, Conditions of Approval
2. CEQA Class 32 Categorical Exemption Support Letter dated December 24, 2019
3. Tentative Tract Map No. 82922
4. Project Vicinity Map
5. Community Meetings Notes dated January 29, 2019, July 16, 2019, and September 26, 2019
6. Business Description
7. Project Summary Sheet
8. Draft Construction Management Plan
9. Proposed Project Plans, dated 12/18/2019
MOTION
That the Planning Commission:
1. Adopt a Categorical Exemption under CEQA Section 15332, Class 32 (Infill Development); and
2. Approve Conditional Use Permit, P2019-0243-CUP, Site Plan Review, P2019-0243-SPR, and Tentative Parcel Map, P2019-0243-TPM subject to the Conditions of Approval as stated in Resolution No. 2020-P004.