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Minutes 1977-04-28MINUTES OF AN ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING OF THE CYPRESS PLANNING COMMISSION HELD April 28, 1977 The adjourned regular meeting of the Cypress Planning Commission was called to order at 7 35 p m on Thursday April 28 1977 in the Cypress City Council Chambers, 5275 Orange Avenue, Cypress California, Chairman Gerald Mullen presiding PRESENT ABSENT Commissioners Friedmann Greenwood Partin Van Allen and Mullen None Also present were Brian Hawley, Planning Director Don Lamm Assistant Planner, and Robert Kastenbaum, Assistant Planner PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Commissioner Van Allen led the pledge to the flag Chairman Mullen announced that the meeting had been called for the purpose of considering the Walker Street Zoning Study and he asked for staff's report The Planning Director indicated that the report was initiated by the City Council earlier in the year in response to concern regarding the changing character of the Walker Street area He stated it was currently a single family area but was under- going a transition to multiple family in accordance with the current Zoning Ordinance He stated the City Council questioned the desirability of this change in character and had requested the Planning Commission and City staff to prepare a study of the area to better define the characteristics of the area and to provide guidance and direction for the growth and development The Planning Director also indicated that a copy of the Walker Street Zoning Study had been transmitted to all property owners and residents in the area and to interested developers He stated that the meeting was not a public hearing but was being held for the purpose of allowing the citizens to respond to comments contained within the study He indicated the Commission hoped to get input from those people present regarding what course of action to take in the area Mr Kastenbaum and Mr Lamm presented a slide presentation and general overview of the area as it currently exists as well as possible alternatives for changes in zoning patterns and traffic circulation Mr Hawley indicated that the only identifiable traffic problem at this time existed on Karen Avenue due to the fact that it is the only street in the area which extends through from Walker to Valley View Chairman Mullen asked if the Police Department had been made aware of the suggestions regarding traffic circulation which were contained in the report and Mr Hawley indicated that a copy of the study had been transmitted to the Police Department and the Traffic Commission and as yet no official comment had been received He indicated that the Police Department might be waiting to see what the action of the Planning Commission would be regarding ultimate land use in the area Planning Commission Minutes April 28, 1977 Commissioner Van Allen indicated that on page 18 of the Walker Street Study it stated that traffic counts on Karen Avenue were consistent with normal residential traffic flows Mr Hawley indicated this was true for a 24-hour period but that at peak traffic hours there appeared to be a higher than normal traffic volume on Karen He indicated that one of the major problems was the speed of traffic travelling on Karen Chairman Mullen stated that if a traffic device were installed, it might help slow people down, but might also impede the progress of emergency vehicles travelling on Karen Mr Hawley indicated that the comments contained in the report were coordinated with the City Traffic Engineering Department He stated he felt only cul-de-sacing would cause interference with emergency vehicles and that even this would not be too much of a problem since Police and Fire Departments are con- stantly kept aware of changes in the streets in the City Chairman Mullen asked for comments from the audience Ms Kathy Pool 5682 Karen Avenue spoke regarding the traffic on Karen Avenue and indicated she felt the main problem was the occurence of speeding on the street and that the street was dangerous to small children Mr Amerest 5658 Camp Street, inquired what the zoning was for the tract in which his home was located and the Planning Director responded that the zoning was RM -20/A Residential Multiple -Family Ms Marjorie Callan, 5561 Newman Street, indicated she felt it would be better to post a police officer than to construct any sort of traffic diverter Mr Wayne Zartman, 5721 Karen Avenue, indicated he felt Karen Avenue has a lot of traffic and a lot of speeders He felt a four-way stop would be the best solution to the traffic problem Mr Hawley indicated that traffic control devices and the requirements for establishing them are governed by the State Vehicle Code He stated that in order to establish a four-way stop, traffic volumes must meet certain standards established by the State Vehicle Code He indicated that Karen and Peach did not warrant a stop sign at this time Ms Bernadine Hubbard 5632 Karen Avenue asked when the traffic study was done in the Walker area and Mr Hawley indi- cated he thought it was done during the Christmas holidays He indicated that if there was any question regarding the traffic counts, new counts could be requested from the Traffic Engineer and Traffic Commission Ms Hubbard also inquired if the fact that the sewers were inadequate for complete multiple -family development meant that the property owners would be approached with a bond issue Mr Hawley indicated that there was no proposal for a bond at this time and that the study was only pointing out that the existing sewer system is not adequate to accommodate density of development as currently permitted by the Zoning Ordinance He noted that, generally new developers bear the cost of new services Ms Hubbard inquired about funds being available for low income families Mr Hawley indicated that funds were avail- able but it would require authorization by the City Council to initiate such a program Planning Commission Minutes April 28, 1977 Chairman Mullen asked about the distribution of the study and Mr Hawley indicated they were mailed to all property owners and made available to non property owners and residents of the area and that additional copies were made available to other interested persons He stated that each report was accompanied by a letter indicating the date, time and place of the public meeting Mr Crispin Gaspar, owner of property at the southeast corner of Walker and Nelson, said his property is zoned Commercial and he would like to see it remain that way He indicated he would like to make improvements on the property but is waiting for a decision regarding the zoning in the area Mr Norman Hubbard, 5632 Karen, indicated he felt there was a problem with speeding on Karen Avenue and stated that cars often come around the corner on two wheels He indicated he would be in favor of a cul-de-sac Regarding zoning in the area, Mr Hubbard stated he was in favor of zoning which would provide for duplex development only Chairman Mullen asked the Planning Director to explain the Housing and Community Development Act Mr Hawley indicated that funds were made available to local jurisdictions for various programs including neighborhood improvement He stated the City of Cypress was using these funds to put in curbs, gutters sidewalks, street lights, street trees and sewer connectors in this area for neighborhood improvement Ms Joan Roberts, 5664 Camp Street, stated she felt strongly that the whole area should become single-family residences Mr Amerest 5658 Camp Street, indicated he would like to see the area zoned for single-family dwellings He also indicated he was concerned about the traffic on Camp Street and felt that multiple unit zoning would make the problem worse. Mr Ivan Votaw, 5732 Karen Avenue, stated he would like to see a stop sign installed. He felt the City should not wait until someone was injured in a traffic accident He stated he would like to see more police on Karen Avenue when the traffic is at peak volumes Mr Hawley indicated that all comments received regarding traffic circulation would be transmitted to the Police Department Mr Sam Beatty, 3362 Huntly Drive, Los Alamitos, indicated that he was the property owner at 5601 Karen Avenue and would like to build two one-story duplexes on his property He felt there would be adequate off-street parking for this development Mr Hawley asked Mr Beatty if he felt this would be financially feasible and Mr Beatty replied that he did • Mr Charles Doyle, 5668 Camp Street indicated he would like to see single-family dwellings in the area He expressed con- cern regarding the Straight Talk Clinic and the traffic and parking problems the Clinic generated He indicated he would like to see the Straight Talk Clinic move from the neighborhood Mr Hawley reported that the Clinic is located on school -owned property and the zoning of that property is PS -Public and Semi - Public He stated that the building in which Straight Talk is located is owned by the City He also stated he did not know how long the Straight Talk Clinic might remain at its present location Planning Commission Minutes April 28 1977 Mr Doyle indicated that the people in the area did not feel that the Straight Talk operation was harmonious with single- family residences Chairman Mullen inquired if the people concerned about the Straight Talk Clinic had expressed their concerns to the Clinic itself, and Mr Doyle stated the com- plaints had been made directly to the City Mr Hawley indi cated that complaints of this nature should be directed to the City Council since only the Council can take any action on the matter. Ms McClanahan, 5660 Camp Street, indicated she would like to see downzoning in the area She felt multiple -family zoning would add to traffic problems She indicated she felt there was an interest among homeowners in the area in upgrading their single-family residences Mr Mark Hydow, 5623 Newman Street, indicated he was concerned about the traffic problem on Karen Avenue. He'said parking was a problem and when people have guests the parking problem becomes worse He felt that the parking requirements for four -unit developments were inadequate and that if the area were permitted to remain high-density, the parking problem would be unbearable He felt high-density zoning might also have a negative effect on the local school. Mr Hawley indicated that the new four -unit developments in the area were built in conformance with the parking require- ments as contained in the current Zoning Ordinance Ms Valerie Dana, 5591 Camp Street, indicated that her prop- erty had been purchased as an investment and inquired if the property value would go down if the property were rezoned Mr Hawley indicated that no particular course of action was being suggested at this time He stated the Assessor's Office would not take into consideration the existing zoning of the property unless changes occur in the area Ms Dana asked what would happen to the existing apartments if the area was downzoned and Mr Hawley replied that they would then be non -conforming uses but would remain Mr Roberts, 5664 Camp Street, indicated that in his opinion, multiple -family zoning for the area was out of the question Mr Wayne Zartman, 5721 Karen Avenue, inquired if any consid- eration had been given to tearing down or removing any houses beyond the corner of Karen and Peach to accommodate a cul- de-sac and Mr. Hawley replied that the traffic control devices outlined in the report were only suggestions and staff had not considered the acquisition of any adjacent properties since no acquisition would be necessary to accommodate the traffic devices outlined in the report Mr Kyle Johnson, 5662 Karen Avenue, indicated he did not park on the street because of the traffic problem Ms Esther Murphy, 5680 Camp Street, stated she would like to see the area downzoned to single-family residential She agreed that there was a traffic problem in the area Commissioner Van Allen inquired if a copy of the report and notification had been mailed to the Straight Talk Clinic Mr Kastenbaum replied that one had not been sent to Straight Talk but a copy had been sent to the School District Commis- sioner Van Allen requested that a copy of the report be sent to the Straight Talk Clinic Planning Commission Minutes April 28, 1977 Mr Amerest 5658 Camp Street, stated that when the new houses were built on Camp, it seemed to generate an interest in rehab- ilitation of older homes in the area He inquired if the area would deteriorate further if it were downzoned Mr Hawley replied that one of the basic causes of deterioration of single- family areas is the fact that the houses are owned by absentee landlords for tax purposes He stated that if the zoning were changed, it might arrest some deterioration, particularly for owner -occupied units Commissioner Van Allen stated he felt there should be some comment regarding the commercial area on Walker as to whether it should be left as it is or zoned for heavier commercial uses or returned to a residential classification Chairman Mullen indicated he felt that the effect of the new houses on the older neighborhood had been discussed and that the effect of the older deteriorating neighborhood on the newer homes should be considered also Mr Jim Carr 5562 Bishop Street said he felt that because most of the lots in the area were 50 feet by 130 feet multiple - family zoning should not be permitted Commissioner Greenwood stated that this would be his last Planning Commission meeting and complimented staff on the Walker Street Report and he requested that he receive copies of the minutes of Planning Commission and City Council meetings regarding the Walker Street Study Mr Charles Doyle, 5668 Camp Street, stated he felt Straight Talk was blocking a direct entrance to the school, thus neces- sitating the children walking to the end of Camp Street and down the railroad tracks to enter the school from the rear Ms Evelyn McCowan, 5611 Camp Street, stated she felt there should be more commercial uses on Walker Street instead of so many houses She also indicated that most of the residents on Camp Street lived in their own homes and the majority of houses were not absentee -owned Mr Jack Fulling 5571 Newman asked if there was any plan to improve the unimproved alley between Nelson and Newman Streets Mr Hawley advised that there were no plans at this time He indicated that if the property were developed for multiple - family uses the alley could serve as a primary or secondary access to off-street parking areas and if the property were developed for single-family uses, the alley could be vacated upon request of the majority of property owners along the alley, in which case the alley would be divided down the middle Mr Fulling then indicated that he felt alternative two as listed in the report was a realistic choice for the area Ms Mary Barnes 5582 Camp Street stated she had spent money on upgrading her home and that it was discouraging to see so many homes in poor condition She stated that often things such as cutting the grass and taking in trash containers were not attended to Chairman Mullen asked if the City could follow public nuisance abatement procedures for things such as these The attorney stated that public nuisance procedures were more often used for health and sanitation reasons and she did not feel abatement could be sought for aesthetic purposes RECESS• Chairman Mullen called a recess at 9 40 p m The meeting was called back to order at 9 50 p m with all Commis- sioners present Mr John Cusicas, 11306 Wimley Road, Los Alamitos, stated he felt the problem with commercial zoning in the area was the Planning Commission Minutes April 28 1977 inability to get financing for commercial developments. He felt this was due to the mixed land use in the area. He stated he did not see any future for commercial development in the Walker area at this time He felt three -unit develop- ments would be the most feasible Mr Hubbard, 5632 Karen indicated he felt financing could be obtained for single-family dwelling rehabilitation and that he would like to see the area zoned for single-family use with the commercial zoning remaining on Walker Street Ms Joan Rachaw 9831 Pear, stated she would like to see the area remain the same, rather than be developed with apartments Commissioner Partin asked the Planning Director if there were minimum lot sizes for development of multiple units and Mr Hawley replied that there were However, on legally estab- lished lots, development is probable even though they may be substandard in size Commissioner Partin stated that in the past the Commission had granted variances wherever possible and that developers had used as much of the lots for development as possible He indicated he felt it was time the City did something about the overuse of property Commissioner Greenwood stated he felt the zoning on Walker Street should remain CS -N -2A and RM He noted the recently built condominiums on Walker Street were all sold before they were completed Chairman Mullen stated that he felt the previously granted variances in this area were justified but that a change of policy might be in order He indicated he favored the setting of a public hearing to consider possible rezoning in the Walker area. Commissioner Van Allen stated that regarding the new apart- ment developments in the Walker area, the Commission had granted approval to developments that were in accordance with the current Zoning Ordinance He indicated he would like to see consideration of the matter continued to the second meeting in May Commissioner Friedmann indicated she felt something should be done about the Walker area and she felt discussion should be continued on the matter prior to the setting of a date for public hearing Commissioners Mullen, Greenwood and Van Allen stated they were glad to see so many interested citizens present and felt the attitude of the audience was positive It was moved by Commissioner Van Allen and seconded by Com- missioner Friedmann to continue consideration of the Walker Street Zoning Study to the Commission's meeting of May 19 Mr James Duncan, 9787 Rome Street, stated he felt the neigh- bors in the area should get together and decide what they would like to see done about the zoning in the area He suggested that the people consider the need for a buffer zone between commercial and single-family areas Chairman Mullen inquired as to the feasibility of encouraging the combining of small lots for development and Mr Hawley stated he felt rezoning the entire area to single-family with some provision for multiple development only if a combination of lots were achieved would be a feasible alternative. 1 1 Planning Commission Minutes April 28, 1977 Mr Duncan asked who would have to pay for new sewer lines if they were required and Mr Hawley indicated that developers would have to put in new sewer lines as needed Commissioner Greenwood indicated he would like to see condo minium development in the area as opposed to apartments Mr Hawley indicated the City cannot legally restrict developments to condominiums Commissioner Greenwood indicated he would not like to see lot consolidation for the purpose of apartment development Chairman Mullen indicated he felt the City should provide a range of housing to meet the various needs of the citizens of Cypress The motion to continue consideration of the Walker Street Zoning Study to May 19 was unanimously carried Chairman Mullen indicated he would like staff to advertise the fact that this item would be heard at the Commission's meeting of May 19, 1977 ADJOURNMENT Chairman Mullen adjourned the meeting at 11.05 p m ATTEST CHAIRMAN OF TH ING COMMISSION SECRETARY OF THE PLANNING CO MISSION 7