TITLE
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending the Use District Map of the City of Long Beach as said Map has been established and amended by amending portions of Part 17 of said Map from Two-Family Residential (R-2-N) to Institutional (I), read and adopted as read. (District 5)
DISCUSSION
On September 5, 2013, the Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on the certification of the Mitigated Negative Declaration, zone change from Two-Family Residential (R-2-N) to Institutional (I), and Site Plan Review relating to the renovation of the Schroeder Hall U. S. Army Reserve Center to serve as the Long Beach East Division Police Department Substation. The subject site is located at 3800 East Willow Street between Redondo Avenue and Lakewood Boulevard; the renovated Schroeder Hall will contain the East Patrol Division and the Juvenile Investigations Section.
Constructed in 1960 to serve as a U.S. Army Reserve training facility, the U.S. Army occupied this facility until 2011, when the U.S. Department of Defense declared Schroeder Hall surplus under the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC). The City of Long Beach was subsequently recognized as the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) responsible for reuse planning for the site. One of the two recommended uses by the BRAC Advisory Committee was to utilize the site for the East Division Police Substation.
The existing East Division Police Substation, located in a leased facility at 4800 Los Coyotes Diagonal, has been identified as inadequate to serve the existing residential population. The Police Department has searched for alternate locations for several years, finding only a lack of appropriately sized vacant properties or other unsuitable facilities. In December 18, 2007, the recommendation by the citizen-based BRAC Committee was approved by the City Council. The Juvenile Investigations Section, previously located at 1957 Pacific Avenue, will also occupy the renovated Schroeder Hall.
Schroeder Hall is eligible for the National Register, and as such, there will be minimal changes to the exterior. The exterior massing and materials will remain intact and the original windows and doors will be maintained and repaired. A new elevator tower is proposed to provide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access to the second floor space within the existing auditorium. The elevator tower will be located just east of the existing low roof area. A new catwalk will be provided in order to connect the new elevator tower with the two wings of the building.
The existing paved areas will be repaired, slurry coated and re-striped for 246 parking spaces. Visitor parking would be located within the northeastern portion of the project site and would be separated from employee/officer and patrol parking by a screened wrought iron fence. Visitor access to the site would occur at the easternmost driveway on Willow Street. Staff/patrol vehicle access to the site would occur from Grand Avenue (Exhibit A - Site Plan and Elevations).
In accordance with the Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act, a Mitigated Negative Declaration was certified by the Planning Commission (Exhibit B - Mitigated Negative Declaration), and the Planning Commission made positive findings for the zone change and approved the Site Plan Review with conditions (Exhibit C - Findings and Conditions). There were no appeals of the Planning Commission's decision.
This matter was reviewed by Assistant City Attorney Michael Mais on September 9, 2013 and by Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on September 16, 2013.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
The Municipal Code requires City Council action within 60 days of positive action by the Planning Commission, which took place on September 5, 2013.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal or local job impact associated with this request.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AMENDING THE USE DISTRICT MAP OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AS SAID MAP HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND AMENDED BY AMENDING PORTIONS OF PART 17 OF SAID MAP FROM TWO-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL (R-2-N) TO INSTITUTIONAL (I)
Respectfully Submitted,
AMY J. BODEK, AICP
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER