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 15 of said Map from I (Institutional), CCA (Community Automobile-Oriented), and R-1-N (Single Family Residential) to SP-1 (Midtown Specific Plan), read and adopted as read. (District 7)
DISCUSSION
On April 19, 2018, the Planning Commission (Attachment A - Planning Commission Report) held a public hearing and recommended that the City Council adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration, approve a Zone Change, Site Plan Review, and Lot Merger for Phase 2 of the Salvation Army Citadel Campus (Campus), approve an Addendum to the Midtown Specific Plan EIR and Zoning Code Amendment for technical changes to the Midtown Specific Plan (SP-1), and find that the proposed vacations of a portion of Elm Avenue and two alleys were consistent with the General Plan.
The Campus is situated on a 3.6-acre site at the northeast corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Spring Street. The Campus consists of 10 parcels in an L-shaped configuration ranging from 31st Street to a midblock point, and includes a to-be-vacated portion of Elm Avenue (Attachment B - Location Map). The Campus currently consists of a social services building, administrative offices, chapel, multipurpose building, parking lot, and vacant land. The Campus is adjacent to commercial uses and a Long Beach Memorial Hospital parking lot, and is bordered by single-family residences and oil fields to the north and east. The project site will be developed on vacant land on the Campus.
The proposed project is part of a multiple-phased development of the Campus. The first phase (Application No. 1306-10) involved the conversion of an existing retail building into a social service office without food distribution at 3092 Long Beach Boulevard in 2014. The second phase (Application No.1501-38) consisted of the conversion of a retail hardware store into a chapel (299 seats), a new 3,200-square-foot lobby, a new parking lot with 43 parking spaces, and the demolition of the former two-story (+/- 20,000 SF) chapel/community center. During the second phase of development, oil wells were discovered on the property, which led to the current site design to allow for compliance with Fire and Building Codes for oil wells. The proposed Site Plan Review represents the final phase of the Campus buildout and involves the construction of a 22,931-square-foot, two-story gymnasium with a fitness center and activity room, a new 70-space parking lot, and a youth soccer field.
The proposed Zone Change from CCA, R-1-N, and I to SP-1 allows the properties proposed for the gym and soccer field uses to be incorporated into the Midtown Specific Plan (SP-1) zoning of the existing Phase I improvements (Attachment C - Zone Change Map). As proposed, the project and the consolidated campus would comply with all development standards within the Midtown Specific Plan (SP-1), as shown in Table 1.
The applicant is also requesting approval of a Lot Merger to consolidate eight lots along Pasadena Avenue into one lot, and five lots located on the northeast corner of Long Beach Boulevard and Spring Street into one lot. The former merger is needed to allow the soccer field and associated parking lot to be placed on one lot. Before the Lot Merger can occur, the vacation of a portion of Elm Avenue and the entire portion of two alleys (one north/south and one east/west) located north of the project site must occur so the former rights-of-way can be included in the merged parcel. A hammerhead turnaround will be constructed on Elm Avenue along the northern project site boundary to allow emergency vehicles ingress and egress to the site. The plans for the proposed project can be found in Attachment D; findings and conditions of approval for the project can be found in Attachment E.
|
Table 1 - Midtown Specific Plan Compliance |
|
Development Standards |
Required |
Proposed |
Complies with SP-1 |
|
Maximum Building Height |
36 Feet |
36 Feet |
Yes |
|
Maximum Floor Area Ratio |
1.5 |
<1.5 |
Yes |
|
Minimum Lot Size |
10,000 square feet |
3.6 acres |
Yes |
|
Minimum Side Setback |
6 Feet |
6 Feet |
Yes |
|
Minimum Rear Setback |
5 Feet |
15’4” |
Yes |
|
Parking |
66 spaces @ 2 per 1,000 (Monday-Friday daytime) 151 spaces @ 2 per 1,000 (Evenings and Weekends) |
180 spaces |
Yes |
The General Plan Land Use Element establishes Land Use Districts, which provide general guidance as to the type and density of land uses considered appropriate. The project site is located within Land Use District No. 7 (Mixed Use). The Land Use Element states, “The district is intended for use in large, vital activity centers, not in strips along major arterials.” The proposed rights-of-way vacations will reduce the length of an existing street (Elm Avenue), and remove a north/south and east/west alley adjacent to the property to allow the Campus to be consolidated into integrated development and create a cohesive campus-like setting. Therefore, the proposed vacations are consistent with the Land Use Element.
The Mobility Element does not identify Elm Avenue, nor the subject alleys for any street improvements and does not provide a street classification. Public Works staff has preliminarily reviewed the street and alley vacation requests and have determined that vacating this segment of Elm Avenue and both alleys will not impede traffic flow, nor block entrances or exit ways. Staff have determined that the vacations are consistent with the Mobility Element (Attachment F - Vacation Plans). There will be Conditions of Approval on the project that provide for improvements to the alleys that are to be vacated.
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the State CEQA Guidelines, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) has been prepared for this project (Attachment G - Mitigated Negative Declaration). The MND was circulated for a public review period from March 1, 2018 to March 30, 2018. Written comments were only received from County Sanitation District of Los Angeles County. None of the comments received identified potential environmental impacts not analyzed in the MND, or provided evidence requiring recirculation of the MND. The MND included mitigation measures for Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Noise, Transportation and Traffic, and Tribal Cultural Resources. The MND determined that the project, in compliance with all mitigation measures set forth in the MND, will not result in any significant adverse environmental impacts.
This request includes a Zoning Code Amendment to allow for minor amendments to SP-1 that provide clarification to ambiguities and minor updates to the text. The text language proposed is technical in nature and does not affect land development standards or policies of the Midtown Specific Plan. The text amendments are summarized below, and provided in the attached Midtown Specific Plan (Attachment H - Midtown Specific Plan Amendments):
• Table 3-2: Change churches from being conditionally permitted to a by-right use in compliance with the Federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act
• Section 3.6: Clarify open space requirements for residential developments
• Section 7.2.2: Correct an error in the listed hearing bodies for Specific Plan Amendments
• Section 7.2.3, Number 2: Clarify when Site Plan Review is necessary for residential projects
• 7.3.3, Task 3: Clarify implementation of funding for new parks for new development
An Addendum to the Midtown Specific Plan Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared to analyze the Zoning Code Amendment. The Addendum determined that the minor text changes are in compliance with the Program EIR for the Midtown Specific Plan, and will not result in any significant adverse environmental impacts. The preparation and public availability of the MND and Addendum to the Midtown Specific Plan EIR have been carried out in compliance with the provisions of CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines.
The Planning Commission found the proposed project conforms with the requirements of the applicable Zoning Regulations, and that all other relevant findings of fact necessary for approval are met. Therefore, the Planning Commission recommends that the City Council adopt Mitigated Negative Declaration MND-04-15; approve the Zone Change, Site Plan Review, and Lot Merger; approve an Addendum to the Midtown Specific Plan EIR and a Zoning Code Amendment; and, find the vacation of Elm Avenue and the two alleys consistent with the General Plan.
Public hearing notices were distributed on June 5,2018, and the notice was published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram in accordance with the provisions of the Long Beach Municipal Code. No responses were received as of the preparation of this report.
This matter was reviewed by Assistant City Attorney Michael J. Mais on May 23, 2018 and by Budget Management Officer Rhutu Amin Gharib, May 31, 2018.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action is requested on June 19, 2018. Pursuant to Section 21.25.103 of the Zoning Regulations, this request must be presented to the City Council within 60 days of the Planning Commission hearing, which took place on April 19, 2018.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal or local job impact associated with this recommendation.
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 15 OF SAID MAP FROM I (INSTITUTIONAL), CCA (COMMUNITY AUTOMOBILE-ORIENTED), AND R-1-N (SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL) TO SP-1 (MIDTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN).
Respectfully Submitted,
LINDA F. TATUM, AICP
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER