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PC - Item 4A - Minutes of April 20, 2015 Minutes of the PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING April 20,2015 The regular meeting of the Planning Commission was called to order by Chair Eng at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers,8838 E.Valley Boulevard. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE-Chair Eng INVOCATION-Commissioner Herrera ROLL CALL-Commissioners Herrera, Lopez,Tang, and Chair Eng ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS PRESENT: Community Development Director Ramirez, Assistant Planner Hanh, and Commission Secretary Lockwood. 1. EXPLANATION OF HEARING PROCEDURES AND APPEAL RIGHTS Community Development Director,Michelle Ramirez, presented the procedure and appeal rights of the meeting. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE None 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 15-01 AND DESIGN REVIEW 15-01 - Jing You has submitted applications for a Conditional Use Permit and Design Review requesting to establish an animal grooming with animal day care use and to add new floor area to the existing building, respectively. The proposed project will include exterior facade remodeling and interior tenant improvements. The subject site is located at 9254 Valley Boulevard, in the R-1 (Single-Family Residential)and C-3D(Medium Commercial with Design Overlay)zone. PC RESOLUTION 15-05 - A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, APPROVING CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 15-01 AND DESIGN REVIEW 15-01, TO ESTABLISH AN ANIMAL GROOMING WITH ANIMAL DAY CARE USE AND TO ADD NEW FLOOR AREA TO THE EXISTING BUILDING, RESPECTIVELY. THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 9254 VALLEY BOULEVARD (APN: 8594-004-026), IN THE R-1 (SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL)AND C-3D(MEDIUM COMMERCIAL WITH DESIGN OVERLAY)ZONE. STAFF RECOMMENDATION- It is recommended that the Planning Commission ADOPT Resolution No. 15-05 with findings and APPROVE Conditional Use Permit 15-01 and Design Review 15-01, subject to the twenty-six(26)conditions. Assistant Planner Hanh presented staff report. Chair Eng asked if there were any questions or comments for staff. Commissioner Lopez asked if this service will be available 24 hours or will there be scheduled business hours. Assistant Planner Hanh replied business hours will be 7:00 a.m.to 7:00 p.m.and will not be open 24 hours. Commissioner Tang asked for the current square footage of the property. Assistant Planner Hanh replied 1,946 square feet. Commissioner Tang asked for the size of the proposed addition square footage. Assistant Planner Hanh replied 543 square feet. Chair Eng stated the site looks vacant and asked what the current use is. Assistant Planner Hanh replied the previous use was an auto upholstery shop. Chair Eng asked for the parking standards. Assistant Planner Hanh replied it is one(1)parking space for every 400 square feet. Chair Eng asked if that meets the Municipal Code. Assistant Planner Hanh replied yes. Chair Eng asked what some of the tentative improvements being proposed are. Assistant Planner Hanh replied they are going to install restrooms, wash stations, a grooming area, a lobby, a day care,and wall partitions to separate the areas. Chair Eng stated those are interior improvements and asked what exterior improvements are being done. She stated there is a bay area and asked if that will be closed. Assistant Planner Hanh replied yes. Chair Eng asked what type of pets will be serviced. Assistant Planner Hanh replied dogs. Chair Eng asked if it is just dogs. Assistant Planner Hanh replied he believes it is just dogs, but the question can be deferred to the applicant to confirm. Chair Eng asked if the applicant anticipates that pets will be boarded outdoors or will they all be kept indoors. Assistant Planner Hanh replied he believes indoors only but the applicant can confirm. Community Development Director Ramirez stated it can be specified in the Conditions of Approval that it be only for dogs and that they are to be boarded indoors only. Chair Eng asked if the gate leading into the driveway is going to be renovated, replaced,or removed. Assistant Planner Hanh replied it will be painted. 2 Chair Eng asked if the parking spaces are located at the rear of the site and are set-up against the property wall. Assistant Planner Hanh replied yes. Commissioner Lopez referred to the day care and asked if there is a maximum amount of dogs that they will house and how will it be staffed. Assistant Planner Hanh explained that the Zoning Code does not have a maximum but the applicant is proposing a maximum of twenty(20)dogs at one time during operating hours. Commissioner Lopez asked how it will be staffed. Assistant Planner Hanh replied that question can be deferred to the applicant. Chair Eng asked if the facility will be open seven (7)days a week. Assistant Planner Hanh replied yes. Community Development Director Ramirez referred to Attachment "A", on page 16, Condition of Approval number twenty four(24)and stated it can be changed to state, "The animal grooming and animal day care shall service dogs only,with a maximum of twenty(20)dogs at one time with no overnight boarding." Chair Eng stated the applicant will be asked if they are agreeable to that change. Commissioner Tang asked if the outdoor care of dogs should be addressed also. Community Development Director Ramirez stated she will research to see if it should be added there or somewhere else. Chair Eng opened the Public Hearing and invited the applicant to the podium. Representative Andy Yu stated he is the Designer of the project and Solon Chiang stated he is the owner's husband. Chair Eng asked if they have another pet grooming business. Owner Chiang replied yes and it is located in Temple City for the last four(4)years. Chair Eng asked if they are closing their business in Temple City and relocating in Rosemead. Owner Chiang replied yes. Chair Eng referred to the revision of Condition of Approval number twenty-four(24) and asked if they are agreeable to the change. Community Development Director Ramirez referred to Condition of Approval number twenty-four(24)and stated she has added to it to address the outdoor grooming. She stated it will be changed to state," The animal grooming and animal day care shall service dogs only,with a maximum of twenty (20) dogs at any one time, with no overnight boarding or outdoor care of animals allowed". Chair Eng asked the applicant if that was acceptable. 3 Owner Chiang replied yes. Chair Eng asked if the two rooms for boarding are going to have a maximum of ten (10)dogs per room. Owner Chiang replied it may be more than that because it will depend on the size of the dog. Chair Eng asked if the primary service is grooming of dogs. Owner Chiang replied they also provide self-service dog wash. Chair Eng stated so there are basically two types of services and asked how many staff members will be employed there. Owner Chiang replied currently in the Temple City location there are two groomers and three additional employees. Chair Eng asked if the size of his current operation is similar to what is proposed here in Rosemead. Owner Chiang replied yes. He added that in Temple City they are open 6 days only but in Rosemead they will be open 7 days a week. Chair Eng asked what the hours of operation are. Owner Chiang replied currently they will be 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. He added it may change later. Community Development Director Ramirez addressed the applicant and advised that he will not be able to increase his hours of operation without amending their conditional use permit. She added that they can lessen the hours of operation. Chair Eng asked if there is a Condition of Approval that addresses the hours of operation. Community Development Director Ramirez stated it is in Condition of Approval number nineteen(19). Commissioner Herrera referred to the parking stalls and confirmed that staff will utilize three spaces and asked if most of the traffic will be just in-and-out for drop-offs. Owner Chiang replied yes. Commissioner Tang asked what would be the procedure is someone does not pick up their pet. Owner Chiang stated that has never happened in the last four years in Temple City, but if it did,they would take the dog home with them for overnight. Resident William Hoffmann stated that none of the twenty-six (26) conditions of approval address his concern. He stated he is concerned with the noise of the dogs and how it would impact him since he lives directly behind the site. Chair Eng explained that a condition of approval was just revised that the grooming and boarding of the dogs be restricted within the interior of the building only. Resident Hoffmann expressed concern that with twenty(20)dogs barking, it may get pretty loud. 4 Chair Eng stated that the applicant may address when dogs are barking too much and how they handle that situation. Resident Eileen Howard stated she lives across the street from Mr. Hoffmann and that places her at an angle from this site. She referred to parking and asked how many parking spaces will be allotted and is the parking in the back against the wall,which is against Mr. Hoffmann's property. Assistant Planner Hanh replied there will be a total of six(6) parking spaces. Resident Howard asked where the parking spaces will be located. Assistant Planner Hanh replied the parking spaces are located in the rear of the lot and the lot is currently a parking lot but the previous tenant did not use it. Resident Howard stated her concern is traffic up against Mr. Hoffmann's wall. She explained that the previous owner before the upholstery business used it to store automobiles, was not used for traffic, and only sold the car parts. She confirmed the hours of operation and asked if the walls were going to be buffered or insulated for noise concerns. Assistant Planner Hanh replied the applicant will have to meet Building Code requirements but there is not a requirement in the City's Zoning Code for sound barriers. Community Development Director Ramirez explained that there is a 54' feet distance between that building and the wall, which is quiet a distance. She added there is a noise ordinance and, if at any time the noise becomes to excessive, residents are able to contact the Public Safety Division to file a complaint. She stated Public Safety will then investigate the complaint and if it is found that there is excessive noise staff will contact the applicant to resolve. Resident Howard stated she was concerned because the area where she lives has a lot of families with dogs and once one starts barking,then they all bark. Chair Eng thanked Eillen Howard and asked if there was anyone else wishing to speak on this item. None Chair Eng invited the applicant to the podium to clarity a few items. She asked what measures has he taken to keep noise levels down within his current business for the last four years. Owner Chiang replied the dogs they care for currently are very tame, but in the past, if there is excessive barking or if they bite,they have had to put a muzzle on them. Chair Eng asked it their current operation in Temple City is next to any residential property. Owner Chiang replied yes. Chair Eng asked what type of complaints he has received from his neighbors at his current business. Owner Chiang replied their first year they had a guard dog (a German Shepard) and it barked at anyone walking by late at night. He explained they took away the guard dog and in the last three years he has not received any complaints. Designer/Representative Yu explained the building they are moving into is enclosed more and the windows are kept closed,so noise should not be a concern. 5 Chair Eng asked it there are any changes proposed in regards to the windows. Designer/Representative Yu replied they will replace windows during the tentative improvement. Commissioner Herrera asked if the dogs will be taken outdoors to go to the restroom or to play. Owner Chiang explained they call the owner to let them know theft dog is ready for pickup. If their dog is not picked- up in a timely manner,then they will take the dog outdoors for a walk. Commissioner Herrera asked if they have a grassy area for the dogs. Owner Chiang replied yes,there is an area located in a corner in the back. Commissioner Herrera asked if the daycare will have individual cages for all the dogs or will there be multiple dogs in cages. Owner Chiang explained the dogs are all kept in two big rooms. He explained one room will be for small dogs and the other for large dogs or they are separated by their aggressiveness. Chair Eng asked if the two rooms for daycare are open space. Owner Chiang replied yes,they are a daycare and they do not provide dog boarding. He explained that it is enclosed but the rooms have dividers and are separated by glass. Chair Eng asked if the dogs get to roam around freely and will not be in a cage. Owner Chiang replied yes, and passed around pictures of their current daycare business in Temple City. Commissioner Herrera asked if there are different prices for daycare,grooming,and self-grooming. Owner Chiang replied yes. Commissioner Tang asked what the City's standard is when it comes to the windows that they place in this development. Assistant Planner Hanh replied the City's Zoning Code does not specify what type of windows to install for this type of use. Commissioner Tang asked if they will be able to install a single pane window. Community Development Director Ramirez explained that the Building Code will call the type of windows. Commissioner Lopez asked the location of the windows that are being replaced. Assistant Planner Hanh replied the windows being replaced are along the side of the building and in the front. Commissioner Lopez asked if there are windows in the back of the building or is it a solid wall. Assistant Planner Hanh replied there is one window at the sink area. 6 Chair Eng remarked that the set-up is similar to Pets-Mart or Pet-Co,so there is nothing that is unconventional. Owner Chiang replied no,there is nothing unconventional. Commissioner Lopez stated the dogs look very calm in the pictures. Owner Jing You stated she is also going to employ another person with many years of experience in training the basics and taking care of dogs for the daycare. Chair Eng asked if there will be semi-training for the dogs also. Owner You replied yes. Chair Eng thanked the applicant and asked if there were any further questions. None Chair Eng closed the Public Hearing and asked staff if the tentative improvement will include any height improvements. Assistant Planner Hanh replied no,the building will remain the same height. Chair Eng asked the Planning Commission if they had any further comments or questions for staff. Commissioner Lopez asked if the back wall is a standard 6'feet. Assistant Planner Hanh replied yes. Commissioner Lopez asked if it a 6'feet cinderblock wall. Assistant Planner Hanh replied it is a block type wall and it is gray in color. Chair Eng asked for clarification if it currently is a block wall. Assistant Planner Hanh replied he believes so. Resident Hoffmann stated from the audience that the wall is not a block wall but is a metal corrugated wall. He explained more but it was not audible. Commissioner Lopez recommended that is something that should be looked into to help reduce/absorb some of the noise concerns. Community Development Director Ramirez stated staff does not have control over requiring a block wall be installed. She explained that they do have a wall, it does have a distance of 54' feet from the building, there is a condition of approval which states they cannot take the dogs out there, and there is a noise ordinance. She added staff is doing everything possible to accommodate the residential neighborhoods. She stated if complaints come in from the residential neighborhood,then staff will call the applicant in to see what adjustments can be made. Chair Eng asked the Planning Commission if there were any further questions or comments. None 7 Chair Eng asked for a motion. Commissioner Tang made a motion,seconded by Commissioner Herrera,to approve ADOPT Resolution No. 15-05 with findings and APPROVE Conditional Use Permit 15-01 and Design Review 15-01, subject to the twenty-six(26)conditions. (Modification to Condition of Approval number twenty-four(24) was made by the Planning Commission). Vote resulted in: Yes: Eng, Herrera,Lopez,and Tang No: None Abstain: None Absent: None Community Development Director Ramirez explained the ten(10)day appeal process. 4. CONSENT CALENDAR None 5. MATTERS FROM STAFF None 6. MATTERS FROM THE CHAIR&COMMISSIONERS Commissioner Herrera asked what the status of Delta Avenue and Garvey Avenue is and if there are any plans of them opening soon. Community Development Director Ramirez replied it is moving forward and staff is not aware if they are opening soon. Commissioner Herrera asked if they were going to be a medical building. Community Development Director Ramirez replied yes. Commissioner Lopez announced that he will not be present at the June 1, 2015 Planning Commission meeting due to a planned vacation. Commissioner Tang asked who has the jurisdiction on Southern California Edison properties where the towers are located, and commented he has seen a lot of overgrown weeds surrounding the towers. Community Development Director Ramirez stated if Commissioner Tang can provide the addresses of the tower location, then staff can submit a"CAM' to have Code Enforcement go out there and get in touch with them to have that taken care of. She added that Commissioner Tang may also submit those request himself if it is easier. Commissioner Lopez commented the weeds are bad on Mission Drive and Walnut Grove Avenue. Community Development Director Ramirez stated that complaints come in time to time, and SCE does do clean-ups from time to time based on their master clean-up plan. She added unfortunately the weeds grow faster than they are 8 able to get there. She informed the Planning Commission that if they have a location she can submit a"CRM'or they can do it themselves if they like. Commissioner Tang stated they have done a really great job at their Corporate Center,they just finished a bridge on Walnut Grove Avenue,and it looks great out there. Chair Eng stated she would like to thank the staff and everyone that participated with the Young Americans event. She added it was successful, her son and over 100 kids participated, it was an awesome experience, and she hopes it continues for years to come. 7. ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 7:37 p.m. The next regular Planning Commission meeting will be held on Monday,May 4,2015,at 7:00 p.m. Nancy Eng Chair ATTEST: Rachel Lockwood Commission Secretary 9