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PC - Item 4A - Minutes of August 17, 2015 Minutes of the PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING August 17,2015 The regular meeting of the Planning Commission was called to order by Chair Tang at 7:01 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 8838 E.Valley Boulevard. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE—Commissioner Dang INVOCATION-Chair Tang ROLL CALL-Commissioners Dang, Eng, Herrera,Vice-Chair Lopez, and Chair Tang OFFFICIALS PRESENT—City Attorney Murphy, Community Development Director Ramirez,Associate Planner Valenzuela,Assistant Planner Hanh, and Commission Secretary Lockwood. 1. EXPLANATION OF HEARING PROCEDURES AND APPEAL RIGHTS City Attorney Greg Murphy presented the procedure and appeal rights of the meeting. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE None 3. PUBLIC HEARINGS A. DESIGN REVIEW 15-03 — Guo Wu has submitted a Design Review application to request to construct a new two-story single-family dwelling unit with 3,569 square feet of floor area at 3732 Brookline Avenue (APN: 8593-031-015. The proposed dwelling unit would include an attached three-car garage. The subject site is located in the R-1 (Single-Family Residential)zone. PC RESOLUTION 15-12 - A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, APPROVING DESIGN REVIEW 15-03, PERMITTING A NEW 3,569 SQUARE FEET SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING UNIT WITH AN ATTACHED THREE-CAR GARAGE. THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 3732 BROOKLINE AVENUE (APN: 8593-031-015),IN THE R-1 (SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL)ZONE. Staff Recommendation - It is recommended that the Planning Commission ADOPT Resolution No. 15-12 with findings,and APPROVE Design Review 15-03,subject to the 20 conditions. Assistant Planner Hanh presented the staff report. He stated staff has received a letter today from resident Mrs. Beverly E. Mills opposing the project and a copy of the letter has been given to the Planning Commission to read. Community Development Director Ramirez addressed the Chair and stated staff spoke to the resident and encouraged her to attend this evenings meeting,so she may express her concerns in person. Chair Tang asked if there were any questions or comments for staff. Commissioner Eng asked if the other two-story homes in this neighborhood are similar in square footage. Assistant Planner Hanh replied one home has 3,336 square feet, another home has 1,025 square feet, and another is at 2,234 square feet. Commissioner Eng asked if the two-story homes are similar in height also. Assistant Planner Hanh replied that information is not available. Commissioner Eng asked i1 site line standardsiapply to single-family homes. Assistant Planner Hanh replied variable height is not applicable. Commissioner Eng referred to Conditions of Approval numbers seventeen (17) and eighteen (18) regarding grading, drainage,landscape,and irrigation and asked if they will incorporate the lead low impact elements. Assistant Planner Hanh replied the Building Division plan check process will look at that when they review it. Commissioner Eng recommended the language be included in the standard language regarding drainage and landscaping, because the City does have a lead low impact development ordinance in place. Community Development Director Ramirez replied that is acceptable. Commissioner Eng asked City Attorney Murphy if the language needs to be clarified now. City Attorney Murphy replied in this case staff has indicated the Building Division will take that into account and a new condition needs to be worked up by staff rather than amending one of these two. He stated low impact development is not wholly grading, landscaping, or irrigation but meshes everything together, so the two current conditions will be alright for tonight. He stated Director of Community Development Ramirez has stated that she will have staff write a new condition for future applications. Commissioner Eng thanked City Attorney Murphy. She stated because the applicant is exceeding the thirty-five percent(35%) FAR and they are incorporating elements to receive another five percent(5%), she asked what are some of the architectural materials that are being used for this development. Assistant Planner Hanh replied they will be using stone veneers at the bottom portion of the home and also on the chimney. Commissioner Eng stated this project has four (4) bedrooms, a dining room/office, and the garage is in the back, and asked if there is room to accommodate extra guest parking or for extra vehicles. Assistant Planner Hanh replied guest parking is not a requirement and all that is required is the three car garage. Chair Tang referred to Condition of Approval number eighteen (18) and asked if this is the new City standards that are addressing the drought or is it a continuation of what has been included in most residential developments. Community Development Director Ramirez replied it is current standards and that the City has until December 14 to adopt the State's new Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance. She added City Attorney Murphy can speak on that to provide more details. City Attorney Murphy explained that the new Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance that the State has put into the California Code of Regulations requires cities to either adopt that or adopt a more stringent measure and the deadline is December 1st. He stated while we work towards that, the current water efficiency is legal and in effect 2 and is all that the City can impose. He added when the City gets the new updated one it will be brought back to the Planning Commission and to the City Council for approval. Chair Tang opened the Public Hearing and invited the applicant to the podium. Representative Kamen Lai stated he is representing the owner and is present to answer any questions the Planning Commission may have. He stated the owner is very excited to move to Rosemead and hopes it will be constructed within a year. He stated the applicant has read the conditions of approval and agrees to all of them. Commissioner Dang requested to look at the rendering, stated he had hoped to see the elevations of the gate, and asked what color it was. Representative Lai replied it is a natural grey concrete color. Commissioner Dang stated since the building is an earth tone color, he suggested that the blocks also be of earth tone colors like a tan color. Representative Lai replied it is a good suggestion and can be changed. Commissioner Dang confirmed that the driveway was 12 ft. wide and referred to the wall that runs from the front of the property to the back along the driveway and asked if the wall will have a stucco or smooth finish. Community Development Director Ramirez replied it will be stucco. Commissioner Dang asked if the cement cap on top is smooth or split face stone cap. Representative Lai replied it will be a smooth cap. Commissioner Eng asked if this home will be owner-occupied. Representative Lai replied yes. Chair Tang asked if there were any further comments or questions. Assistant-Planner Hanh asked if a Condition of Approval should be added to stucco the existing wall. Commissioner Eng asked if it is already in the code. Community Development Director Ramirez replied it is already required but a Condition of Approval can be added. City Attorney Murphy stated that will be Condition of Approval number twenty-one (21) and will state, "The existing wall shall be stucco with a tan color and a smooth cap as the applicant has agreed to during the hearing". Commissioner Eng asked in terms of sewage and water lines if that will be reviewed by the appropriate agencies. Assistant Planner Hanh replied that will be reviewed by Public Works. Commissioner Eng asked if it will be reviewed to make sure it complies with the current regulations. Assistant Planner Hanh replied yes, and explained it will be reviewed during the building permit process. 3 Chair Tang asked if there were any other questions or comments. None Chair Tang closed the Public Hearing. He asked if there were any further questions or comments for staff. None Chair Tang asked for a motion. Vice-Chair Lopez made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Herrera, to ADOPT Resolution No. 15-12 with findings,and APPROVE Design Review 15-03,subject to the 21 conditions.Condition of Approval number 21 was added by the Planning Commission: Vote resulted in: Yes: Dang, Eng,Herrera, Lopez,and Tang No: None Abstain: None Absent: None Community Development Director Ramirez explained the 10-day appeal process. 4. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Minutes of 6-15-15 Commissioner Eng requested the Consent Calendar items be voted on separately due to her being absent on the June 15, 2015 Planning Commission meeting and she would like to abstain. Vice-Chair Lopez made a motion,seconded by Commissioner Herrera,to approve the Minutes of 6-15-15. Vote resulted in: Yes: Herrera, Lopez,and Tang No: None Abstain: Dang and Eng Absent: None B. Minutes of 7-20.15 Commissioner Eng requested three (3) corrections to the Minutes of 7-20-15. On page 5, she requested that the word "power-point" be added, and to also add "staff to continue this visual presentation in the future when feasible because it is helpful to both the commissioners and audience", on page 11, she requested the word "off-sale" to be added, and on page 12,the word"generalization'be changed to "generation". Chair Tang asked staff if the changes are acceptable. Community Development Director Ramirez replied staff will verify and make the changes. Chair Tang asked for a motion. 4 Vice-Chair Lopez made a motion seconded by Commissioner Dang to approve the Minutes of 7-20-15 with corrections. Vote resulted in: Yes: Dang,Eng,Lopez,and Tang No: None Abstain: Herrera Absent: None 5. MATTERS FROM STAFF A. Annual Review of Wal-Mart Conditions of Approval Associate Planner Valenzuela presented the Planning Commission with a revised staff report and explained there was a typo in the exhibit numbers and there has been an update to Condition of Approval number fifty-nine (59), which includes the years°2013 and 2014"annual reviews. Chair Tang thanked staff and asked the Planning Commission if there were any questions or comments for staff. Commissioner Eng stated she would like to thank staff for continuing to monitor Wal-Mart. She stated that the staff report indicates that Wal-Mart is taking the effort to relocate the solar inverter because of the noise concerns brought up by the nearby residents. She stated she appreciates Wal-Mart's good faith efforts in doing that and hopefully that will mitigate some of the concerns. She stated she spoke with Community Development Director Ramirez and Associate Planner Valenzuela in regards to Wal-Mart working with the concerned residents items. She added two of those residents are present this evening and hopefully they were involved in the process and this will address some of their concerns. She stated she would like to make sure their concerns are addressed and thanked them for attending this evening. She also thanked Wal-Mart and stated she appreciates their efforts. She stated she did try to contact some of the residents in regards to this meeting that had concerns. She added she understands that the Public Notice was published and posted, but often times they are not read. Community Development Director Ramirez stated the City encourages anyone that may be interested can sign up for e-alerts. She explained once a person signs up for e-alerts they will receive all Notices for the City Council meetings, Planning Commission meetings,or anything else noticed by the City. Commissioner Eng stated she understands this is a receive and file report. She asked since Wal-Mart and some of the residents are present can the residents ask questions in regards to the noise concerns. Community Development Director Ramirez replied yes, but they will need to fill out a speakers request form. Commissioner Eng asked the residents if they had any questions or comments. None Commissioner Eng thanked the residents. Chair Tang asked the Planning Commission if there were any further questions. None 5 Chair Tang referred to Condition of Approval number twenty-four (24), read it, and stated several months ago he had observed debris,wood pallets,and shipping containers on the Rush Street entrance/exit. Community Development Director Ramirez explained that Wal-Mart had been remodeling and they received temporary use permits for those containers. Chair Tang stated as he was reading through the conditions of approval's, he noticed a lot had to do with the construction of Wal-Mart. He suggested that since Wal-Mart is up and running is it possible to update the conditions of approval. Community Development Director Ramirez replied no, and explained it needs to remain as it was approved. Chair Tang asked if there is a way to distinguish what applies currently. Community Development Director replied yes, they can be highlighted in the future. Chair Tang stated that would be helpful and thanked staff. He stated the representative for Wal-Mart is present and he would like to give her the opportunity to speak on the noise issue or anything else she would like to speak on. Representative Alison Wong (on behalf of Wal-Mart) reiterated that they will be moving the solar inverter within the next year. She stated the new location will be inside the truck dock, it will be further away from the resident side on Delta Avenue, and it will also be blocked slightly by the truck dock itself. She added Wal-Mart considered three locations for the relocation and decided the truck dock would be the best because of the distance and the blockage. She stated although you can't stop noise,you can interfere with it, so they are going to interfere with it.She explained Wal-Mart considered putting the solar inverter inside the building but because of the amount of heat that it generates, it would be very difficult, and they would have to put a special kind of air conditioning unit,which that would defeat the purpose of the solar inverter itself. She stated she hopes the Planning Commission understands that this will not eliminate all the noise itself, but it should improve it. She stated Wal-Mart is hoping it will improve the noise issue so that the residents will be satisfied. Commissioner Eng thanked Ms. Wong and reiterated her appreciation to her and Wal-Mart for taking the resident's concern and in working with a reasonable solution.She understands the noise cannot be totally eliminated, but their good faith effort goes a long way. Representative Wong stated they just hope it will really work. Chair Tang thanked Ms.Wong and asked for a motion. Commissioner Eng made a motion,seconded by Vice-Chair Lopez to Receive and File the Annual Review of Wal-Mart Conditions of Approval. Vote resulted in: Yes: Dang, Eng, Herrera, Lopez,and Tang No: None Abstain: None Absent: None Chair Tang asked if there were any further matters from staff. 6 Community Development Director Ramirez announced the date, time, and location of the upcoming Farmers Market and Annual Moon Festival. She encouraged all to attend. 6. MATTERS FROM THE CHAIR&COMMISSIONERS Commissioner Herrera commented the locations for the Farmers Market and Moon Festival are very nice and both events will be great for the community. She referred to a business "Kai Kadai'across from City Hall and asked if the building had been repainted. Community Development Director Ramirez replied a texture was added to the building in order to distinguish it from the bank and explained the public was having difficulty distinguishing the two businesses. Commissioner Eng referred to the last Planning Commission meeting held on Monday, July 20, 2015 regarding the application for a new 7-Eleven and informed the Planning Commission and staff that there are two current 7-Eleven's in Rosemead. She added one is located on Muscatel/Mission and one on Hellman/San Gabriel. Chair Tang stated the Civic Center is a great use for the Farmer's Market, it brings out the community, and thanked staff for putting it all together. 7. ADJOURNMENT Chair Tang adjourned the meeting at 7:36 p.m. The next regular Planning Commission meeting will be held on Monday,September 21,2015,at 7:00 p.m. due to City Hall being closed on Monday,September 7,2015 in the observance of the Labor Day holiday. John Tang Chair ATTEST: Rachel Lockwood Commission Secretary 7