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Home My WebLink About12/16/1985 - Minutes PC ~. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES City of Orange Orange, California December 16, 1985 Monday, 7:30 p.m. The regular meeting of the City of Orange Planning Commission was called to order by Chairman Master at 7:30 p:m. PRESENT: Commissioners Master, Greek, Hart, Mason, Scott ABSENT: None STAFF John Lane, Administrator of Current Planning and Commission Secre- PRESENT: tary; Ken Wolf, Assistant .Planner; Gene Minshew, Assistant City Attorney; Gary Johnson, City Engineer; and Toba V. Wheeler, Recording Secretary. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IN RE: ITEMS TO BE CONTINUED OR WITHDRAWN Mr. Lane said the applicant had requested another continuance for Variance 1776. Moved by Commissioner Hart, seconded by Commissioner Mason, that Variance 1776 be continued to the meeting of January 20, 1986. Y AYES: Commissioners Master, Hart, Mason, Scott NOES: None ABSTALNED: Commissioner Greek MOTION CARRIED Mr. Lane said Staff recommends a continuance of Conditional Use ~~ ~~ Permit 1456 to the meeting of January 6, 1986. ~ ! ` Moved by Commissioner Hart, seconded by Commissioner Mason that 'I Conditional Use Permit 1456 be continued to the meeting of Janu- "~ ary 6, 1986. AYES: Commissioners Master, Greek, Hart, Mason, Scott ~ ~ NOES: None MOTION CARRIED a SIN RE: PERSONNEL CHANGE AND RESOLUTION __f_~ ;~ Commissioner Master said there will be a personnel change,--that Mr. 'Lane wi11 no longer be Administrator of Current. Planning and Commission Secretary. He expressed the thanks and. appreciation of the Planning Commission for Mr. Lane's effou~ts i.n this position to '' date, and he read a resolution to this effect commending Mr. Lane. ~ LN RE:. NEW HEARINGS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 1488, VARIANCE '1780 - BELVEAL Proposed six-unit addition to an existi.ntg 32-unit apartment Planning Commission Minutes • December 16, 1985 Page Two complex on the west side of Batavia Street, 154 ifeet north from Palmyra Avenue. NOTE: Negative Declaration 1039 has been prepared for this project. Mr. Lane made the presentation in accordance with the Staff Report and said Staff recommends denial for the reasons listed in its report. Commissioner Mason commented on the applicant`s statement in the Staff Report that "this project was previously approved under its current zoning through all City agencies," and asked when this was done and how it came about. Mr. Lane said this was done a number of years ago and there was a discretionary permit applica.- t~ion that was' reviewed by ~thei~Commi.~sion iat that time .which in- cluded variances. Chairman Master opened the public hearing. Brian Jeannette, the architect on the project, 470 Old Newport Boulevard, Newport Beach., representing the applicant, said he hdd been. working with Chris Carnes of the Planning Department Staff since October on this project and had received encouragement from Staff for this project. He said that prior to having a hearing he was notified that another Staff member was working on the project and it appeared that the variances requested were in excess of what had been discussed earlier. He said he had just received a copy of the Staff Report on the afternoon of this meeting and, in fact, had to send someone from his office to the Planning Department to get it. He said that after reading the Staff Report he is somewhat dismayed with the problems of the project stated in it .and is therefore requesting clarifica- tion. Mr, Jeannette said he would appreciate a continuance in order to solve the prbblemt and wouldalso like to receive some feedback from the Commission as to what would be needed in order for this project to be approved. Commissioner Hart said one of the requirements for approval of a variance is to show a hardship, and asked if Mr. Jeannette was prepared to show a hardship other than the matter of not making enough money. Mr. Jeannette said he could not. Commissioner Mason asked if the previously approved project included the six additional units being asked for now, and was told that it did not. Commissioner Greek pointed out-that there are two problems-- parking and density--and said he couldn't see anyone looking at the proposed design and saying it was a fine design; consequently he questioned the fact that Mr. Carnes could have encouraged the project based on the proposed plan. Commissioner Hart questioned the fact that Mr. Jeannette had not received a copy of the Staff Report prior to obtaining one himself earlier on the day of this Planning Commission Minutes • December 16, 1985 Page Three meeting. Mr. Jeannette said he had been told a copy was mailed to him early in the previous week; however, it had not been received. He sa~i.d~~~that'.~:h~ would not have paid the filing fees, etc., had he known Staff would recommend denial, It was pointed out to him that he would not have obtained the public hearing without having paid the fees and filed a formal application. Mr, Jeannette said he felt he should have been discouraged at the beginning if it appeared the project would not be recommended for approval. Commissioner Greek said it was City policy to encourage applicants to apply for what appears to be reasonable and expect that a professional such as Mr. Jeannette would recognize parking and densi~y;;prbblems and not submit something that requires such variances. Chairman Master declared the public hearing closed. Moved by Commissioner Mason, seconded by Commissioner Scott, to accept the findings of the Environmental Review Board to file Negative Declaration 1039. AYES: Commissioners Master, Greek, Hart, Mason, Scott NOES: None MOTION CARRIED Moved by Commissioner Mason, seconded by Commissioner Scott, to deny Conditional Use Permit 1488 and Variance 1780 for the reasons given in the Staff Report. AYES: Commissioners Master, Greek, Hart, Mason, Scott NOES: None MOTION CARRIED IN RE: NEW-HEARIN~S TUSTIN STREET DESIGN STANDARDS -CITY OF ORANGE Proposed design standards for-the Tustin Street Redevelopment Project area relating to the establishment of thematic districts, design zones, design categories, color selection, signage standards, parking/circulation, and landscape/hardscape features. Commissioners Hart and Greek asked to be excused due to possible conflict of interest. Mr. Lane. made the presentation in accordance with the Staff Report. Mr. Ron Thompson, Director of the City of Orange Redevelopment Agency, gave a brief i-a-t~sd~ and showed graphics of the signage. __ E,4 ~~~-"'A `' `.~ ``x ,e ~~ He said the proposal was to remove all of the existing non-conforming signs, pay for the cost of removal,... give a 50% grant for the cost of the new signs that would meet the standards,=give a 3% loan for the remainder of the signs. He said that with respect to other improvements, Staff is recommending a ten-year, 3% loan with a 20% rebate once the new improvements have been installed in conformance with the design standards. • Planning Commission Minutes December 16, 1985 Page Four Chairman Master opened. the public hearing and, there being no comments from the public, declared the public hearing closed. Moved by Commissioner Mason, seconded by Commissioner Scott, that the Planning Commission recommend to the City Council and the Redevelopment Agency that the design standards as outlined in the December, 1985, Newsletter of the Tustin Street Redevelopment Project, be adopted. AYES:. Commissioners Master, Mason, Scott NOES: None ABSENT: Commissioners Greek, Hart MOTION CARRIED Moved by Commissioner Mason, seconded by Commissioner Scott, that the Planning Commission recommend to the City Council and the Redevelopment Agency that the proposed grant and loan program, dated December 5, 1985, from the Economic Development Director, be adopted. AYES: Commissioners Master, Mason, Scott NOES: None ABSENT:. Commissioners Greek, Hart MOTION CARRIED Q Chairnt~n Master said the Planning Commission wi~,shes to thank the Redevelopment Committee for the work it has done in presenting the rather detailed plan including signage and- recommendations for the loan and grant program, and looks forward to this major b~autifi- cation of .the central core of the commercial development area. IN RE: ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8:75 p.m,, to reconvene at a regular meeting on January.6, 1986, at the Civic Center Council Chambers, 300 East Chapman Avenue, Orange, California. .7