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PC - PUBLIC HEARING: Continuation of the Public Hearing for a Site Plan Review, Administrative Modification, and Administrative Use Permit (P2021-0171-SPR/AM/AUP) for the Construction of a 3-Story, 16,900 Square Feet of Office Structure and Subterranean Parking at 5861-5863 Washington Boulevard (Project).
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Meeting Date: April 13, 2022
Contact Person/Dept: Deborah Hong, Planning Technician
Susan Herbertson, Senior Planner
Phone Number: (310) 253-5714 / (310) 253-5727
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 (02/16/22); (Email) Master Notification List (02/16/22), Onsite Sign (03/18/22). (Email) Meetings and Agendas - Planning Commission (4/8/22)
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (4/7/22)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission 1) Adopt a Class 32 Categorical Exemption, pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Section 15332 In-Fill Development Projects, 2) Approve Site Plan Review, Administrative Modification, and Administrative Use Permit (P2021-0171-SPR/AUP/AM) subject to the Conditions of Approval as stated in Resolution No. 2022-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
On March 9, 2022, the Planning Commission reviewed the Project and determined that requested parking modifications warranted additional onsite and offsite bicycle parking to provide alternative project related mobility measures.
Additionally, the Commission determined that the street frontage elevations and the east elevation lacked sufficient articulation and required additional design work. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to continue the public hearing to April 13, 2022, to allow the applicant time to make the requested revisions. The following are the revisions that the Planning Commission requested:
1) Provide ten, or more if feasible, additional bicycle parking spaces, which may be a combination of short-term and long-term spaces and shall include one shared bicycle. Some of these spaces may be on the public right-of-way, as approved by the Department of Public Works.
2) Provide additional articulation for the elevator tower, east elevation, and the walls at the mezzanine level.
The Project involves the following requests:
* Demolition of a 3,414 sq. ft. non-residential structure, an auto repair garage, and other site improvements;
* Site Plan Review (SPR): To construct a three-story, 16,900 sq. ft. non-residential structure with a ground floor retail space, creative office spaces on upper levels, and one level of subterranean parking;
* Administrative Use Permit (AUP): To utilize tandem parking configuration to meet onsite parking requirement for a total of 20 automobile parking stalls; and
* Administrative Modification (AM):
(1) 10% reduction of the length of parking stalls from 18 feet to 16'-2",
(2) 10% reduction of the width of drive aisles from 27 feet to 24'-4",
(3) 10% reduction of number of required parking spaces from 48 stalls to 43 stalls, and
(4) 10% increase of building height from 43 feet to 47'-3".
The applicant has made several changes to address the Planning Commission's comments. The revisions are described in detail below.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Bicycle Parking
Previously, two short term bicycle parking spaces were provided in the entry courtyard. The applicant has increased the area dedicated to short term bicycle parking, and now four short term spaces are provided with the addition of one bicycle rack. On the subterranean parking level, the elevator lobby has been increased and the layout is slightly modified to provide eight additional long term bicycle parking lockers. Two previously proposed long-term lockers remain as originally planned. In addition, the Public Works Department has approved a proposal of four short term spaces on the public right-of-way along Washington Boulevard. In summary, 10 additional bicycle spaces are provided onsite, and four spaces are provided offsite on the sidewalk adjacent to the Project, resulting in a total of 14 bicycle spaces (four short-term and ten long-term) onsite and four spaces (all short-term) offsite.
The proposed bike parking in the garage does not conform with the safety or visibility recommendations of the Culver City Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan (BPAP) and Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) Bicycle Parking Guidelines, but these are recommendations and not code requirements.1 The bicycle parking count is summarized below in Table 1.
Table 1: Bicycle Parking Summary
Type
Number of Spaces Provided
Location
Onsite
Short Term|1010|Ground Level Entry Courtyard
Long Term
10
Basement Elevator Lobby
Offsite
Short Term|1010|Washington Blvd. Sidewalk
Total
18
Facade Articulation
The parapet height is decreased by 1'-5", resulting in a 10-inch parapet above the roof line to reduce the overall size of the building. The roof line remains at 47'-3" as measured from the finished grade. This is a 10% increase from the 43 ft height limit for the IG zone but may be approved with the proposed Administrative Modification.
The building fa?ade has been modified with a light gray corrugated metal finish for additional articulation where the walls at the mezzanine level were previously proposed to be finished with white smooth stucco. Vertical reveals (reglets) are proposed on the east elevation, which faces the adjacent IG-zoned property, to break up the building face. Staff has also suggested adding this light gray metal finish building material on this elevation to continue the design, but the applicant opted to maintain white stucco finish.
The applicant proposes to utilize three sides of the elevator tower visible from the street as the location of public art, as approved by Cultural Affairs Commission. As the project valuation is $5,800,000, it is subject to the Arts in Public Places (APPP) allocation equaling 1% of the valuation, or $58,000. This amount is below the threshold requirement for public art installation. The applicant was notified that the proposal to include the public art on the elevator tower as an onsite public art requires a voluntarily increase of the APPP allocation to a minimum $75,000 and to install an artwork with a valuation that is equal to or greater than the APPP allocation amount.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
One community meeting was held for this project as described in the previous staff report. The submitted plans address comments received during the community meeting.
Comments Received During Public Comment Period
As of the writing of this report, staff has not received any inquiries for this Project.
CONCLUSION/SUMMARY
The Project revisions maximize the number of onsite and offsite bicycle parking spaces and provide additional architectural finishes and reduced building height to address the areas of concern expressed by the Planning Commission. Based on the proposed development plans and recommended conditions of approval as outlined in Resolution No. 2022-P004 (Attachment No. 1), staff considers the project to be consistent with the Culver City General Plan and applicable development standards of the Zoning Code.
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 Planning Commission Resolution No. 2022-P004 with Exhibit A: Conditions of Approval and Exhibit B: Standard Code Requirements
2. Project Summary
3. Revised Sheets from the Preliminary Development Plans dated April 6, 2022
4. Full Set of Preliminary Development Plans dated April 6, 2022
5. Bicycle Parking Location Diagram
NOTES
1. The BPAP and APBP recommend bike parking that does not require walking behind automobile parking stalls or car maneuvering and excluding it where it is not readily visible from the main pedestrian entrance.
MOTION
That the Planning Commission:
Adopt a Class 32 CEQA Categorical Exemption, Approve a Site Plan Review, Administrative Use Permit, and Administrative Modification for a 3-story, 16,900 sq. ft. Office Development, subject to the Conditions of Approval per the proposed Resolution.