TITLE
Recommendation to receive supporting documentation into the record, conclude the public hearing, consider the appeal by Warren Blesofsky and Long Beach Citizens for Fair Development, and uphold the Planning Commission’s decision to approve an Addendum to the Shoreline Gateway Environmental Impact Report (#18-05 and #26-07), and approve a Modification to Site Plan Review to allow a 35-story mixed-use building with 315 residential units and 6,711 square feet of retail/restaurant space, previously approved for 221 residential units and 6,367 square feet of retail/restaurant space as part of the Shoreline Gateway Master Plan (Application No. 0510-27), to be constructed on a vacant parcel located at 777 East Ocean Boulevard in the PD-30 area. (District 2)
DISCUSSION
On October 20, 2016, the Planning Commission voted 6-0 to approve an Addendum to the Shoreline Gateway Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (#18-05 and #26-07), and to approve a Modification to Site Plan Review request for a 35-story mixed-use building (East Tower) with 315 residential units and 6,711 square feet of retail/restaurant space. The East Tower was previously approved for 221 residential units and 6,367 square feet of retail/restaurant space. An appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision was filed by Warren Blesofsky as an individual, and, by Warren Blesofsky representing the Long Beach Citizens for Fair Development, within the ten-day appeal period. The reason stated for the appeal was “improper use of EIR addendum” along with a four-page attachment. (Exhibit A - Appeal Application).
The subject property is located at the northwest corner of Ocean Boulevard and Alamitos Avenue (Exhibit B - Location Map) and consists of a 0.9-acre site, including former Lime Avenue right-of-way between Ocean Boulevard and Medio Street, and a 0.55-acre site, totaling approximately 1.68 acres. The Shoreline Gateway Master Plan was approved through Site Plan Review 0510-27 in 2007, and included two mixed-use buildings and a pedestrian plaza. The 17-story West Tower (Phase 1) was completed in 2016 with 223 units and 6,502 square feet of retail/restaurant on the 0.9-acre site. The East Tower, a 35-story high-rise tower, approved for 221 residential units and 6,367 square feet of retail/restaurant space on the 0.55-acre site, has not been constructed. The approval of the Shoreline Gateway Master Plan also included a Tentative Tract Map to allow individual ownership of the residential units, an Administrative Use Permit to allow guest parking to be shared with retail/restaurant tenants, and a General Plan Conformity Finding for the vacation of Lime Avenue between Ocean Boulevard and a portion of Medio Street. The vacated right-of-way has been incorporated into the project site.
The applicant is requesting approval of a Modification to Site Plan Review to modify the Shoreline Gateway Master Plan to allow an increase of 94 units and 344 square feet of retail/restaurant space, for a total of 315 residential units and 6,711 square feet of retail/restaurant space specific to the East Tower. The request does not propose changes to the approved building height of 35 stories (approximately 417 feet) or to the exterior form of the building. However, to increase the number of parking spaces from the previously-approved 393 spaces to 458 spaces, the subterranean garage will increase from two levels to five levels.
Pedestrian access to the lobby of the proposed East Tower, as well as the West Tower, is provided from a 10,000-square-foot plaza shared between the two towers. The plaza occupies the former Lime Avenue right of way, and will be fully completed with the construction of the East Tower. The configuration of the plaza was approved as part of the Shoreline Gateway Master Plan and will include pedestrian spaces and public art. The plaza will be open and accessible to the public.
Vehicular access to the site is provided from Medio Street into the parking garage. The project is required to provide 401 on-site parking spaces based on the requirement of 1.25 parking spaces per unit (393.75 spaces) plus one space per 1,000 square feet for 6,711 square feet of retail/restaurant area (6.7 spaces). The project proposes 458 parking spaces (60 tandem). The project includes an allowance for the guest parking spaces to be used to satisfy the required retail parking. Given this, the project exceeds the required parking by 63 spaces. The tandem spaces are considered excess and will be required to be used and assigned solely for residential units.
The proposed retail tenant spaces face Ocean Boulevard, Alamitos Avenue, and the plaza area. Placement of the retail spaces and the lobby on the ground level activates the building on three sides. The garage entrance and utility area are located on the Medio Street elevation, which is the least visible side of the development site.
The residential unit mix in the project consists of studios, one- and two-bedroom units, and lofts. Unit sizes range from 500 square feet to 2,097 square feet, with an average unit size of 900 square feet. The unit mix is distributed evenly throughout the building.
PD-30 (Downtown Plan) was approved in 2012, subsequent to approval of the Shoreline Gateway Master Plan in 2007. As such, any proposed changes as part of the Modification to Site Plan Review must comply with the Downtown Plan standards. The Downtown Plan requires the provision of common outdoor open space equivalent to 15 percent of the lot area, or 3,593 square feet. The project proposes over 8,300 square feet of common outdoor open space. For common indoor open space, at least one 500-square-foot community room is required. The project is providing two community rooms and two lounges that total over 7,300 square feet. The project also includes a gym, resident community garden, pool, and spa. Lastly, the Downtown Plan requires that at least 50 percent of dwelling units have private open space. In this project, 93 percent of the units have private open space in balconies ranging from 52 to 760 square feet.
The Downtown Plan includes a minimum unit size of 600 square feet, but allows for the applicant to request up to 15 percent of the units to be less than 600 square feet, but not smaller than 450 square feet. The project proposes 13 percent (40 units) that are between 500 and 520 square feet. The Downtown Plan states that undersized units must be high-quality dwelling units with sufficient amenities and that private open space is not reduced in these units. The project provides common amenities far exceeding the minimum code requirements, as well as recreational facilities like the gym and spa, ensuring that the undersized units will be served by amenities that meet the intent of the Downtown Plan. Inclusion of these smaller units will allow a broader unit mix in the building, which is a stated goal of the Downtown Plan.
The landscape plan approved for Shoreline Gateway includes street trees, plaza landscaping, and landscaping in the common outdoor open spaces in the building. Street trees include palm trees along Ocean Boulevard, and shade trees along Alamitos Avenue and Medio Street. The Downtown Plan includes the Raymond Ash as the designated street tree for Alamitos Avenue. Landscaping in the plaza includes trees, planter pots, and planter areas. Lastly, the common outdoor open spaces in the building will also consist of planter pots and planter areas. The project will be required to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the City’s updated Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance.
The project, as proposed, meets all Downtown Plan design guidelines and standards that address scale and massing by building type, context, architectural design and allowable building materials. The originally approved building design is not proposed to change. The design is contemporary in style and utilizes smooth concrete panels, a window wall system, and glass balcony railings as the primary materials (Exhibit C - Plans). The building takes inspiration for its shape from a sail and is designed to provide visual interest from all sides by including varying glass types, and architectural planes. The approved East Tower was anticipated as part of the Shoreline Gateway Master Plan. The proposed modifications to the East Tower are consistent with the image that the Master Plan sought to create. The building provides all required amenities and complies with the Downtown Plan. The approved design will result in a quality building that will provide a strong presence at the gateway into Downtown at Alamitos Avenue and Ocean Boulevard. See Exhibit D for Findings and Conditions of Approval that accompany the application.
Public hearing notices were distributed on November 8, 2016, and no comments were received as of the date of preparation of this report.
In accordance with the Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the proposed Modification to Site Plan Review was analyzed and does not result in any additional impacts than were identified in either the previously- certified Shoreline Gateway Environmental Impact Report or the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (EIRs) (#18-05 and #26-07). An Addendum has been prepared for the proposed project and carries forward all applicable Mitigation Measures from the previous EIRs. The Addendum has been included as Exhibit E. The previously-certified EIRs are available on compact discs (Exhibit F), as well as at: <http://www.lbds.info/planning/environmental_planning/environmental_reports.asp>.
This matter was reviewed by Assistant City Attorney Michael J. Mais on November 7, 2016 and by Budget Analysis Officer Rhutu Amin Gharb on November 4, 2016.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on November 22, 2016. Long Beach Municipal Code Section 21.21.504.A requires a City Council hearing on this item within 60 days of the appeal filing, which took place on October 26, 2016.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal or local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
[Enter Body Here]
Respectfully Submitted,
AMY J. BODEK, AICP
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER