PC Resolution-08-04-22-01PC RESOLUTION NO. 08-04-22-01
ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL 07-01, GRADING PLAN MODIFICATION 07-08, TREE
REMOVAL PERMIT, PARKING EXCEPTION
A RESOLUTION OF THE. PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SAN JUAN
CAPISTRANO DENYING THE VENTANAS INDUSTRIAL PARK PROJECT, A VACANT
PARCEL TOTALING 20.33 GROSS ACRES (13.83 NET ACRES) LOCATED AT THE
WEST TERMINUS OF CALLE ARROYO BORDERING INTERSTATE 1-5 TO THE WEST
AND SAN JUAN CREEK TO THE SOUTH AND LOCATED WITHIN THE PC (PLANNED
COMMUNITY) ZONE DISTRICT SUBJECT TO COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT
PLAN (CDP) 78-01, ORTEGA PLANNED COMMUNITY WITHIN PLANNING SECTORS
"B" AND "C" (ASSESSOR PARCEL NUMBERS 666-131-09, 013, 014, 015 & 016)
Whereas, Centra Realty Corporation has requested approval of Architectural
Control 07-01, Grading Plan Modification 07-08, a Tree Removal Permit for eleven (11)
trees, and a Parking Exception for a deficiency of forty-five (45) stalls in order to develop
the. Ventanas Industrial Park project consisting of construction of eleven (11) buildings,
two -stories in height, totaling 236,329 square feet of building area, 664 parking stalls and
three vehicle drive entrances on the south side of Calle Arroyo (the "Project'); and,
Whereas, the Planning Commission conducted several noticed public
hearings on the Project, including public hearings on January 22, 2008, February 26, 2008,
March 11, 2008, and April 8, 2008; and,
Whereas, the Planning Commission considered all the information presented
by Staff, the applicant, and public oral and written testimony on the Project; and
Whereas, on April 8, 2008 the Planning Commission adopted a resolution
certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) and applicable documents; and
Whereas, on April 8, 2008 the Planning Commission denied zoning
entitlements within the Planning Commission's authority and recommended denial of the
entitlements within the City Council's jurisdiction and directed staff to bring back a
resolution of denial with Findings of Fact consistent with the Planning Commission's denial
at the next regular meeting on April 22, 2008; and,
Whereas, on April 22, 2008 the Planning Commission considered this
resolution of denial and the following findings of fact.
PC Resolution 08-04-22-01 2 April 22, 2008
BE IT RESOLVED, that the Planning Commission finds as follows:
1. While the Project is generally consistent with the Industrial Park
designation on the General Plan Land Use Map and the underlying zoning, the Planning
Commission disapproves of the overall architectural style of the proposed buildings and
site plan. Specifically, the Planning Commission finds:
a) The Project does not provide sufficient set backs from public viewing
areas, including the adjacent San Juan Creek and the 1-5 Freeway. Even .
though the project is setback between 75 feet and 95 feet from the
freeway right-of-way, the first row of buildings closest to the 1-5 Freeway
are still too close and negatively impact views of the hillside east of the
Project site. The height and overall massing of these buildings,
particularly the first row of buildings adjacent to the 1-5 Freeway, detract
from the 1-5 view corridor.
b) Even though the Project can be characterized as infill development, the
Project site is located in sensitive setting with San Juan Creek adjacent to
the site on the South and the highly traveled 1-5 corridor to the west. The
Project does not represent an appropriate balance of development and
open space in this sensitive setting. The Project proposes 11 buildings
with 236,329 square feet of development and an accompanying 664
space surface parking lot on 13.83 net acres. While the Project may be
below the maximum Floor Area Ratio and includes some perimeter open
space areas, the Project still appears massive and barrack -like with an
insufficient amount of open space to off -set the massing. In addition, the
Project's use of a designated open space area for a portion of the parking
lot is inconsistent with the City's ongoing efforts to preserve open space
areas.
c) The Project site is currently vacant and undeveloped except for a City
owned water pump station (0.92 acre lot). Development of the Project at
the density proposed does not create a sufficient buffer between San
Juan Creek and recreational users of the trail system. The building
setback from the relocated General Plan -designated trail is 35 feet and
from the creek jurisdictional boundary is 57 feet. The parking lot areas
are setback five feet from the edge of trail and 27 feet from the creek
jurisdictional boundary. This insufficient buffer would adversely impact
existing and future users of the adjacent trail by increasing nighttime
lighting and converting the existing natural setting into a substantial urban
development.
PC Resolution 08-04-22-01 3 April 22, 2008
d) To accommodate the substantial surface parking area and numerous
buildings, the Project requires significant lighting, which includes a total of
96 light fixtures, as shown on the photometric plans. Some of these
fixtures will be located around the perimeter of the Project site thereby
creating spillover onto adjacent areas such as San Juan Creek and the
Ortega Equestrian Center.
e) Because the Project provides minimal setbacks for the relatively large
scale buildings that are proposed, there is an insufficient buffer area to
provide adequate landscaping to soften the building mass or screen truck
loading areas from Calle Arroyo; and,
Q To address direct and cumulative traffic impacts, the Environmental
Impact Report and Traffic Impact Analysis recommend traffic mitigation
by requiring installation of a second left hand turn lane on Ortega
Highway at the 1-5 Freeway southbound on-ramp. The Caltrans preferred
alternative and construction schedule for the I-5/Ortega Highway
Interchange improvement project are undetermined at this time. In
addition, Caltrans may not allow the City or developer to perform interim
improvements that would require removal at a later date. Therefore, the
possibility exists that this project's traffic impacts will remain unaddressed
for an extended duration.
2. Due to the proposed density of the Project, the Project site cannot
accommodate the, minimum parking required for the Project. The Project is inconsistent
with the parking requirements set forth in San Juan Capistrano Municipal Code, Title 9 -
Land Use and will be deficient by forty-five (45) stalls. Although one solution to creating
additional parking is to replace landscape areas with parking stalls, this solution would
have negative aesthetic and visual quality impacts and can not be supported.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Planning
Commission hereby denies Architectural Control 07-01, Grading Plan Modification 07-08,
Tree Removal Permit, and Parking Exception and, based upon these denials, recommends
that the City Council deny the Tentative Parcel Map, Floodplain Land Use Permit, Lot Line
Adjustment/Easement, Public Right -of -Way Vacation, License Agreement, and
Shared/Joint Use Parking Agreement.
PC Resolution 08-04-22-01 4 April 22 2008
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 22nd day of April, 2008, by the
following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Sheldon Cohen,, Planning Commission Chair
Jot�r ,
Steven 4ple,PT&nning Director, Secretary