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Minutes 1977-07-07MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CYPRESS PLANNING COMMISSION HELD July 7, 1977 The regular meeting of the Cypress Planning Commission was called to order at 6.30 p m. on Thursday, July 7, 1977 in the Cypress City Council Chambers 5275 Orange Avenue Cypress California, Chairman Robert Van Allen presiding PRESENT ABSENT Commissioners Adler, Friedmann, Mullen, Partin and Van Allen None Also present were Brian Hawley, Planning Director, Art Schatzeder, Public Works Director, Don Lamm and Bob Kastenbaum, Assistant Planners, and Elizabeth Strauss, Deputy City Attorney PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Commissioner Mullen led the pledge to the flag MINUTES June 16, 1977 It was moved by Commissioner Friedmann, seconded by Commissioner Partin and unanimously carried to approve the June 16 minutes At the Planning Director's request, Chairman Van Allen removed Item #1 under Administrative Matters from the agenda regarding Sign Review for the Recreational Vehicle Storage Facility at 5702 Lincoln Avenue He added an item under Administrative Matters regarding reconsideration of the proposed Condominium Ordinance. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS 1 Sign Review - L $ B Alignment Facility The Assistant Planner presented the sign plans for L & B Align- ment at 6081 Ball Road and a memorandum dated July 5 indicating the applicant proposed to reduce the sign height from 28 to 20 feet and the area from 144 to 96 square feet The same materials and colors will be used as the original signing Staff recommended approval subject to three conditions Mr Al Paulson Chief Neon Sign Company indicated they reduced the size of the sign and he agreed with the conditions of approval It was moved by Commissioner Mullen, seconded by Commissioner Partin and unanimously carried to approve the sign plans subject to the following conditions 1 The design and location of the sign shall be in conformance with the plans and elevations as reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission. 2 All required building and electrical permits shall be obtained in accordance with City Codes 3 The sign shall not blink or flash or be animated in any fashion and shall not project over and extend into the public right-of-way Planning Commission Minutes July 7, 1977 2 Sign Review - Monument Sign, Bank of America The Planning Director reported the Bank of America, in the Cypress East Shopping Center, submitted plans for a monument sign, about 7 feet in height and 30 square feet in area., to be located in the front setback area He presented the plans and indicated the sign will be non -illuminated He stated they sub- mitted the landscape and irrigation plans and the landscaping is compatible with that in the center and the irrigation system is adequate He stated he was unaware whether the bank proposed signing on the front of the building Mr. Robert Hippe, the architect, stated they anticipate signing on the building which will comply with the size and type in the rest of the center He stated the monument sign replaces signing on the north side of the building which would be obstructed by the savings and loan bank and drive-thru canopy to the north He stated they will return with a signing program for the building. Commissioner Mullen asked that the Bank consider using the Bank of America logo rather than individual letters on the front of the building The Planning Director indicated he would like to see plans for the overall signing program Mr Hippe stated the Bank would probably want identification signing on the west and south sides Commissioners Van Allen and Adler indicated they would like to consider the total signing plans It was moved by Commissioner Mullen, seconded by Commissioner Friedmann and carried, with Commissioners Adler and Van Allen voting no, to approve the plans for the monument sign Chairman Van Allen stated they are in favor of the monument sign but wished to consider the total signing program The staff presented the landscape and irrigation plans and des- cribed drainage of the property It was moved by Commissioner Mullen, seconded by Commissioner Adler and unanimously carried to approve the landscape and irri- gation plans as submitted 3 Sign Review - Shopping Center at Ball and Moody The Planning Director presented the plans for the freestanding sign for the shopping center at the southeast corner of Ball and Moody and stated the proposed sign area of 72 square feet is in conformance with the Zoning Ordinance He reported the City Council continued consideration of the left turn pocket on Ball Road to its July 25 meeting and referred the matter to the Traffic Commission for further review It was moved by Commissioner Partin and seconded by Commissioner Mullen to continue consideration of the sign plans until the left turn pocket matter is resolved Mr Bill Murray, representing Mr Fisher the owner of the center, stated he was unaware of the proposed left turn pocket He stated the tenants felt they are not getting adequate exposure and are requesting the additional sign The Chairman pointed out that the Commission approved signing on the building which slightly exceeds the amount permitted since the applicant did not propose a freestanding sign He expressed concern that the small size of the proposed lettering will be unreadable to passing traffic and he agreed the matter should be continued until the left turn pocket is decided on -2- Planning Commission Minutes July 7, 1977 Commissioner Mullen indicated he did not support this type of signing and felt the problem at the center was lack of access He suggested that the applicant consider a sign to identify the center The motion to continue unanimously carried Commissioner Partin requested that the Traffic Commission expedite the matter The Planning Director stated staff will report back after consideration by the City Council Chairman Van Allen announced that it was time to conduct the public hearings He opened the following hearings and continued them until later PUBLIC HEARING RE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO 77-11 - DON W JAMES PUBLIC HEARING RE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO 77-3 - WALKER STREET ZONING STUDY (Continued) 4 Review of Revised Site Plan for Conditional Use Permit No. 76-18, Butler Housing Corporation The Planning Director presented a memorandum dated June 30 and the revised site plans for a project at 4782 Lincoln Avenue which was originally proposed as a commercial shopping center and 80 condominium units He described the revised plans which indicated a rearrangement of the commercial structures, the addition of a fast-food restaurant, and a reduction in the number of parking spaces Staff felt the peak hour parking demands for the different uses would occur at different times of the day and the reduction would not present a problem and could be permitted as an administrative adjustment He stated the revised plan would provide greater visibility for the center to eastbound traffic, increased landscape area throughout the project, and alignment of the main access drive with Sumner Place He reported a median opening is proposed opposite the easterly driveway Mr David Miller, representing the applicant, indicated these were conceptual plans and complete plans would be submitted later He stated that to provide more landscaping than paving, they intend to use a six inch curb with low ground cover rather than wheelstops Mr Miller agreed that the rear side of the restaurant would have the same architectural treatment as the rest of the building. He stated they could investigate with staff the possibility of a crash gate to provide access to Camp Street He stated between Buildings A and B there will be a pedestrian access way It was moved by Commissioner Mullen, seconded by Commissioner Friedmann and unanimously carried to approve the revised site plans for Conditional Use Permit #76-18 subject to the following conditions 1. The final site plan and building plans shall be submitted for review and approval by the Planning Commission prior to the issuance of any building permits 2 Plans for the proposed landscape and irrigation systems and for the proposed signing program shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission All required landscaping shall be installed prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy for any uses proposed on the subject property - 3- Planning Commission Minutes July 7, 1977 Chairman Van Allen stated Item #5 would be continued until after the public hearings ORAL COMMUNICATIONS. Chairman Van Allen asked if anyone wished to speak in regard to any matter not on the agenda. No one wished to speak PUBLIC HEARING RE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO 77-11 - DON W JAMES Chairman Van Allen announced that this was the time and place for the public hearing to consider a proposal to establish, operate and maintain a homeowner equipment rental facility at 5001 Cerritos Avenue, situated on the northeasterly corner of the Cerritos Avenue and Moody Street intersection in the CG -10000 Commercial General Zone. He opened the hearing and asked for the staff's report The Assistant Planner presented Staff Report #77-22 dated June 30 describing the property and proposed use The use will include the rental and sale of trailers cement mixers, lawn maintenance equipment hand tools and homeowner hardware He stated the applicant will lease and then purchase the property in two or three years He reported no comments were received from adjacent homeowners. The Public Works Director stated the applicant should be aware that future median construction on Cerritos will not provide a median opening for access to this property He reported that left turns into the property by southbound Moody traffic are legal. Commissioner Partin stated the adjacent homeowners may not want the five foot landscaping since it may cut off the sunlight Mr Don James, 609 Alondra Drive, Huntington Beach, the applicant stated he spoke with many of the neighbors and assured them this would not be a contractor's type business and he also asked what type of materials they would like him to carry. He stated all equipment and supplies will be for the home and there will be no heavy equipment like tractors on the property He reported he has a five year lease with an option to purchase at any time Mr Francis Cherney, 10442 Pompano Court, Cypress, stated he lives around the corner from the subject property and he felt the business would greatly benefit the community by removing the eyesore Mr. Carl Ray 10443 Pompano Court stated he agreed the existing property is an eyesore and detriment and he felt the business will be good for the community He asked that the landscaping provide a noise screen and that there be reasonable hours for the business Chairman Van Allen asked if anyone wished to speak in opposition No one wished to speak in opposition Mr James responded to questions from the Commission He reported the gas tanks will be utilized although there will be no sales of gasoline He reported that 62% of the business will be rentals, all equipment will be new, and the equipment will not be started up on the property He stated they will distribute written in- structions on use of the equipment. He stated they will check and repair the equipment during the afternoon to avoid noise disturbance for the neighbors He requested hours of operation between 7 a m and 7 p m , seven days a week He reported the wall will consist of 10 foot sections of masonry alternating with four to six feet of wrought iron He stated they will plant seasonal type landscaping -4- Planning Commission Minutes July 7, 1977 The Planning Director reported that Condition #4 would allow the Commission to modify the hours of operation without a public hearing. He discussed parking provisions with the Commission and stated the three stalls on the east side of the building are un- necessary and should not be designated It was moved by Commissioner Mullen and seconded by Commissioner Friedmann to approve Conditional Use Permit #77-11 subject to the following conditions with the hours of operation to be 7 a m to 7 p m seven days a week 1 All parking spaces shall be nine feet by twenty feet (9' x 20') in size 2 The outdoor storage area shall be maintained in.a clean and litter free condition at all times 3 Maintenance and repair of equipment shall be accomplished in a manner which will not disturb or create undue hard- ship upon the surrounding residents 4 The hours of operation shall be restricted to the hours between 7 00 a m and 7 00 p m , seven days per week These hours are subject to modification by the Planning Commission in order to insure compatibility with existing developments in the immediate vicinity 5 A landscape and irrigation plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission 6 Electrical and plumbing equipment shall be certified by a qualified contractor as to conformance with City codes prior to a Certificate of Occupancy being issued 7 Gasoline pumps and storage tanks must be approved by the Orange County Fire Marshal's office Should the storage tanks not be used, they must be removed from the premises or adequately filled with inert material 8 Any welding or open flame services must be performed out- side the existing structure 9 The existing structure shall be refurbished to meet Building Electrical and Plumbing Codes where applicable 10 The westerly drive approach on Cerritos Avenue and the southerly drive approach on Moody Street shall be removed and replaced with full height curb gutter and sidewalk 11 Street trees (15 gallon) and treewells spaced forty feet (40') on center shall be installed along Moody Street and Cerritos Avenue in conformance with the street tree policy of the Public Works Department The type of trees shall be as required under the Townscape and Urban Design Element of the General Plan 12 A bond shall be posted by the applicant to guarantee maint- enance of the irrigation system so that it operates in a manner for which it was designed and to guarantee maint- enance of all plant materials in a healthy, growing condi- tion free of weeds and litter, for a period of not less than twelve (12) months to the specifications of the City staff 13 A Certificate of Occupancy shall not be issued for this development until all landscaping and irrigation is com- pleted in accordance with plans and specifications as approved by the Planning Commission -5- Planning Commission Minutes July 7 1977 14 A continuous concrete curb, six inches (6") in height, shall be constructed at a minimum distance of five feet (5') from the base of the existing block wall along the north and east property lines Planting shall be installed in the area between the block wall and the curb, subject to approval of the Planning Commission 15 Any on-site security lighting shall be arranged so that direct rays will not shine on adjacent properties or produce glare for street traffic 16 All existing public improvements at the development site which are damaged, cracked, or otherwise below standard shall be removed and replaced to the satisfaction of the City Engineer 17 A handicap wheelchair ramp shall be installed at the north- east corner of Cerritos Avenue and Moody Street, per City of Cypress Standard No 109 18 The corner cutoff at the northeast corner of Cerritos Avenue and Moody Street shall be dedicated to the City of Cypress for sight distance purposes No landscaping shall be in- stalled in the cutoff area which has a mature height greater than two feet (2') No structures shall be allowed in the cutoff area Developer shall maintain all landscaping and irrigation within the cutoff area 19 The proposed wall and gate at the northwest corner of the development shall be redesigned to the satisfaction of the Traffic Engineer to provide adequate sight distance between vehicles exiting this parcel and pedestrians southbound on the sidewalk Perimeter gates shall be recessed to the satisfaction of the Traffic Engineering Department 20 Drainage shall be solved to the satisfaction of the City Engineer 21 New utility services shall be underground 22 The developer shall conform to all applicable provisions of the City Code 23 Plan checking and inspection fees shall be paid in accordance with City of Cypress Resolution No.. 1713 Mr James stated he understood that the future median construction on Cerritos may prevent left turns from the property The motion unanimously carried by the following roll call vote• AYES 5 COMMISSIONERS Adler, Friedmann, Mullen, Partin $ Van Allen NOES. 0 COMMISSIONERS. None ABSENT• 0 COMMISSIONERS• None Chairman Van Allen suggested that the applicant consider a monument sign for the property He declared the hearing closed RECESS• Chairman Van Allen called a recess at 9 00 p m The meeting was called back to order at 9 20 p.m with all Commis- sioners present -6- Planning Commission Minutes July 7, 1977 PUBLIC HEARING RE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO 77-3 - WALKER STREET ZONING STUDY (Continued). Chairman Van Allen announced that this was the time and place for the public hearing to consider a proposed amendment to the Land Use Element of the General Plan to change the land use designation of the area generally referred to as the Walker Street Area, situated easterly of Walker Street and south- erly of Lincoln Avenue from its current designation of high- density residential and commercial to some other urban use He opened the hearing and asked for the staff's report Chairman Van Allen asked that speakers avoid making comments on the traffic problems on Karen Avenue The Planning Director reported that since the last meeting, the staff received a communication from Mrs Sendziak, 9060 Walker, who opposed the proposed zone change from commercial to multiple - family residential She indicated that she was unaware of the proposed zone change when she purchased the property in November of 1976 and Ashwill-Burke is presently handling her property to get a commercial tenant She indicated two other property owners in the block have plans for commercial use Chairman Van Allen asked if anyone wished to speak Mrs Claire Trower, 5561 Karen Avenue, Cypress, read a statement signed by 14 individuals representing 8 parcels which indicated they recommended that zoning on Karen be compatible with the rest of the study area and be designated for lower density multiple - family residential because of the large lot sizes Mr Dan Trower, 5561 Karen Avenue, asked if the Commission had a 20 year plan for the Walker area particularly relating to the west end of Karen Avenue The Planning Director stated that staff's recommendations were for the ultimate land uses in the area Mrs Olga Stillwell, 9096 Walker Street, stated she opposed the proposed change from commercial to multiple -family residential She stated she recently purchased her property with the intent of going into business or leasing it for a business Mr C Valerio 9100 Walker Street stated he purchased his prop- erty three months ago and no mention was made by the real estate agent or City Building Department regarding a proposed zone change Mr Valerio stated he worked hard to improve his property to provide a commercial building Mrs Isabel Sendziak, 9060 Walker Street, indicated that Ashwill- Burke felt her property had commercial potential and estimated a traffic count on Walker of 16,000 vehicles per day She re ported they have mailed flyers to potential businesses Commissioner Friedmann felt it was heartening that three viduals were enthusiastic about commercial use on Walker tion to two speakers at previous meetings Commissioner agreed and felt redevelopment of these properties, which a gateway to the entire Walker area would be crucial to ment of the rest of the area He felt redevelopment was as a result of permitting the multiple -family residential zoning in the area Commissioner Mullen felt a lower density (10 units/ acre) multiple -family zoning which would allow two residences or a duplex on the large lots on Karen would provide a better chance for redevelopment with the least disruption to property owners who might otherwise have to relocate Commissioners Van Allen and Adler expressed support for allowing the commercial zoning to remain between Bishop and Camp. Commissioner Adler suggested that indi- in addi- Mullen serve as redevelop - occurring -7- Planning Commission Minutes July 7, 1977 the properties on Walker south of Camp be zoned multiple -family residential which may allow for consolidation of parcels and development similar to that south of Orange Avenue Commissioner Mullen supported lower density multiple -family zoning for the property between Camp and Nelson and asked if condominium develop- ment was possible here. The Planning Director stated that condo- miniums usually require a larger size property. Chairman Van Allen stated persons south of Camp expressed interest in developing a commercial use and he suggested that the commercial zoning on Walker extend to Newman. Commissioner Mullen inquired about controls for the conversion of a dwelling to a commercial use with regard to the commercial properties on Walker. The Planning Director stated staff is considering the establishment of a policy and standards for such conversions Chairman Van Allen asked if the Commission could recommend a zone change to RM -10/A without having standards of development for this classification. The Planning Director stated the development standards would be in- cluded when precise zoning is considered for the individual properties. It was moved by Commissioner Mullen and seconded by Commissioner Friedmann to recommend to the City Council rezoning of the Walker Street areas as follows. the existing single-family residential area to remain RS -6000 with the Presley tract to be changed from RM 20/A to RS -6000• and that the remainder of the study area be rezoned to a lower density multiple family zone allowing ten units per acre with the exception of the properties on Walker between Bishop and Camp which are recommended to remain CS -N -2A Mr Paul Fitch, 2120 Clover, Anaheim, felt downzoning from RM -20/A to RM -10/A was unfair to property owners who purchased property for multiple -family development since the property size may allow only one unit He felt there should be a provision to allow duplexes on these lots Commissioner Adler supported RS -6000 zoning on Camp and Bishop Streets and felt the cul-de-sacs created an ideal atmostphere for single-family development He stated he agreed with the designations for the remainder of the area. Chairman Van Allen asked that staff consider a requirement for the RM -10/A zone limiting multiple -family units to one story The motion carried by the following roll call vote• AYES 4 COMMISSIONERS Friedmann, Mullen, Partin $ Van Allen NOES• 1 COMMISSIONERS Adler ABSENT• 0 COMMISSIONERS None The Planning Director stated that the Commission's recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council who will conduct public hearings on the matter probably starting on August 8 He suggested that persons transmit their name and address to the Planning Depart- ment to ensure their receiving the hearing notices Chairman Van Allen closed the public hearing ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS (Continued) 5 Reconsideration of Condominium Ordinance. The Planning Director reported the condominium ordinance was referred back to the Commission by the City Council since the Council heard new information not presented the Commission He -8- Planning Commission Minutes July 7, 1977 reported the Council heard a presentation and rebuttal to staff's study and recommendations by the Daon Corporation which proposes to convert apartments located on the west side of Holder Street north of Ball Road He reported the Council also requested staff to survey other cities to determine their approach and standards for condominium conversions The Council requested that staff consider the impact of conversions on the City's total housing stock and relate the housing stock and impact of potential con- versions on the City's Housing Element He stated a report should be presented at the next meeting The Commission discussed the possibility of touring apartments in the City and elsewhere The Planning Director reported that staff had difficulty gaining access to apartment and condominium projects The Planning Director reported that an application for an indus- trial subdivision on 23 acres at the southeast corner of Walker and Cerritos would be presented at the July 21 meeting. The Commission discussed the possibility of touring other indus- trial parks in Orange County but did not decide on a tour Chairman Van Allen requested that all future staff reports contain staff's recommendation on applications or reasons why a recommen- dation cannot be made ADJOURNMENT. Chairman Van Allen adjourned the meeting at 11.45 p.m. CHAIRMAN OF THE PLANNING COMM ATTEST SECRETARY OF THE PLANNING CIMMISSION -9- SION