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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC_Minutes_70.09.21MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, HERMOSA BEACH, ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1970, AT 7:30 P.M. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:33 p.m. by Chairman Noble. ROLL CALL: Present: Comm. Collis, Foote, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble. Absent: None Motion by Comm. Watters, seconded by Comm. Mulfinger, to approve the minutes with two corrections: to note Comm. Toole's absence under "Roll Call", and to substitute "might" instead of "will" in item 5 on Page 3. Resolution P.C. 154-782 Motion by Comm. Watters, seconded by Comm. Toole to approve Resolution P.C. 154-782 as amended to read "might" instead of "will" in item 5, page 2. AYES: Comm. Collis, Foote, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble. NOES: None ABS ENT: None Resolution P.C. 154-783 Motion by Comm. Toole, seconded by Comm. Stabler to approve Resolution P.C. 154-783. AYES: Comm. Collis, Foote, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble NOES: None ABSTAIN: Comm. Mulfinger ABSENT: None Resolution P.C. 154-784 Motion by Comm. Watters, seconded by Comm. Mulfinger to approve Resolution P.C. 154-784. AYES: Comm. Collis, Foote, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble. NOES: None ABSENT: None U -la - Resolution P.C. 154-786 Motion by Comm. Mulfinger, seconded by Comm. Toole, to approve Resolution P.C. 154-786. AYES: Comm. Collis, Foote, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble NOES: None ABSENT: None Resolution P.C. 154-787 Motion by Comm. Stabler, seconded by Comm. Foote, to approve Resolution P.C. 154-787. AYES: Comm. Collis, Foote, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble. NOES: None ABSENT: None Irm Resolution P.C. 154-785 Motion by Comm. Toole, seconded by Comm. Foote, to approve Resolution P.C. 154-785. AYES: Comm. Collis, Foote, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble. NOES: None ABSENT: None Amendment of Article 6 of City Zoning Ordinance N.S. 154 City Planner Crawford explained to the Commission that the proposed ordinance would amend the R-3 zone in its entirety, and lists under per- mitted uses certain of the conditional uses which are now listed in Section 1000 of the Zoning Ordinance. It would separate from the R-3 zone such conditional uses as circuses, outdoor entertainments and hospitals. Comm. Noble asked how tandem parking would affect it. Mr. Crawford said one of the proposals is to eliminate tandem parking for required parking by amending Section 1159 (B) of Article 11.5 of the Municipal Code. As proposed, it requires that all required off-street parking spaces shall be directly accessible from a street or driveway, except that extra or visitor spaces, in excess of required off-street parking, may be tandem where access is from an alley or private drive- way. He continued that a rear yard would also be required, with pro- visions to allow single story accessory buildings to occupy up to 50% of the required rear yard. In the case where you have a 20' rear alley, the garage level could come up to the property line, as presently allowed, but the living portion of the structure would have to be set 10' back; or, 20' back where there is no rear alley. Comm. Collis asked Mr. Crawford if a rear yard was defined. Mr. Crawford said it was a line drawn parallel to the rear lot line. He said that the apartment houses that are now being uilt are utilizing every square inch of yard and are about 22' from eacivii6oss rear alleys and only ten feet where there are no alleys. This makes narrow, dark alleys, because in nearly every case, the apartments are three story. Comm. Collis said that living conditions have become too crowded and that the rear yard is an attempt to try to open it up. In the case of back -3- yard to back yard, there is a 20' set back on each lot. He asked if a garage can encroach one-half way into the rear yard. Mr. Crawford concurred and added that in most cases what happens is that they set the garages ten feet from rear lot line. In cases where they have accessibility to a side street or alley, they go clear to lot line with garage, and use the top as a deck. Comm. Collis said that this doesn't seem to allow much flexibility of design. Comm. Watters commended that we are developing a Planned Development Zone ordinance for the needed flexibility Comm. Collis was talking about. Mr. Crawford added that the back yard proposal should solve one of the problems that we ran into on the 21st Street proposal where the 45-foot- high three-story building is five feet away from a neighbor's backyard. Chairman Noble said he would like to see some refinements to using this idea on different size lots and how it would affect those subdivisions. Public hearing opened: 8:15 p.m. Henry Rado, 720 - 24th Place said that he had read the Planning Commission's article in the Newsletter and he was interested but could not make a comment on the ordinance as he didn't know which side to comment on. No other persons appeared to be heard. Public hearing closed: 8:17 p.m. Comm. Watters stated that he thought changes to the R-2 zone should be considered immediately -alter the R-3 . Comm. Stabler asked how long it will take the Commission to formulate both and said that if they held off until they came up with another proposal for R-2, they may delay putting into effect some good ideas. He said they should upgrade the parking requirements as soon as possible for apartment buildings. Comm. Watters agreed that the Commission should consider the R-3 zone at this time. Comm. Stabler said it would affect the zoning subcommittee. He thought that some of the ideas that would come out of Planned Develop- ment Ordinance would have bearing on other commercial zones as well as R-3. This ordinance is of dire need to the city right now. He said he would not like to see the Commission consider R-2 until they had gone through Planned Development zone. Comm. Foote said that the Commission could go ahead and complete this ordinance and not be so concerned with tandem parking at this time but he felt that the tandem parking provisions should be included. Mr. Crawford indicated that the tandem parking amendment would stay in the parking section of the ordinance, but if included would be amended along with R-3 changes as a package. Comm. Collis added that he didn't think he was in complete agreement on the retaining of the 1-1/2:1 parking ratio. He said that whether you have two units or three units, you can't get by on less than 2:1 parking. He thought that tandem parking could work pretty well as extra spaces where you have enough room. Motion by Comm. Watters, seconded by Comm. Stabler to include the proposed revision of Section 1159 (B) in the proposed change to the Zoning Ordinance of Section 600-608 (Article 6). The City Planner said that concerning Section 607, if it was the Com- mission's wish to change the wording relative to off-street parking they could strike the second sentence and go back to Section 11 and change 1151 (C) from 1-1/2 spaces to two spaces for each dwelling unit. Comm. Collis said that such was his intent, and that the density that the city presently has without any changes would according to their General Plan allow over 35, 000 people in the city. Consensus of opinion of residents is that they don't want that high of a density. A 2:1 parking ratio is not only necessary for automobile parking, but would indirectly help lower the density. Motion by Comm. Foote, seconded by Comm. Watters to accerlSection 607 of the resolution with the corrections noted theron. AYES: Comm. Collis, Foote, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble. NOES: None ABSENT: None Comm. Stabler said if the Commission could get 2:1 parking, that it would decrease density enough. Comm. Foote suggested that the Commission drop the density to 750 square feet per unit. -5- Chairman Noble said that density control is best accomplished by parking. He asked if the Commission wished to raise the lot area requirement from 600 to 750 square feet per unit. Motion by Comm. Watters, seconded by Comm. Toole that Section 1151 (C) be amended to require two parking spaces per unit and that the minimum land area per unit be 750 square feet of lot area. AYES: Comm. Collis, Foote, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble. NOES: None ABSENT: None Mr. Crawford stated that proposed Section 606, proposed changes of Usable Open Space. He indicated that the ordinance now requires that every dwelling unit provide two hundred square feet of'.usable open space for each dwelling unit. The revision would allow V2 of that to be provided on balconies, the remainder on ground or decks above non -living space, such as garages. Chairman Noble asked if the Commission should eliminate the wording "over non -living space" and require a material that would be impervious. Comm. Stabler said that it was possible to have redwood decking as a regular backyard area for a rear unit. He said he would like to see the minimum width reduced to 1096for sideyards, every lot should have side - yards equivalent to 10% of the lot. The Commission agreed. Comm. Foote added that Section 603, side yards, should be changed to read "shall have side yards, each equal to 10% of the width of the lot. " The Commission agreed. Comm. Foote moved, seconded by Comm. Watters that the Commission approve the ordinance as amended and forward to the City Council for their action. AYES: Comm. Collis, Foote, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble. NOES: None ABS EN T: None Tenth Street Closure or Redesign City Planner Crawford presented a petition signed by residents on loth Street which suggested the closure of Tenth Street near Pacific Coast Highway in an effort to reduce the heavy traffic now travelling down the street as a result of the reorientation of Aviation Boulevard at Pacific Coast Highway. They also recommended that a right -turn only be permitted onto Pacific Coast Highway. He also informed the Commission of a letter from Mr. Jack W. Rathbun, P. O. Box 1073, Parker, Arizona, owner of the property on the northwest corner of loth Street and Pacific Coast Highway, objecting to the closure on the basis of good business development. Mr. Crawford further stated that the Police Department had objected to the closure on the basis that they object to all dead end streets, and the Fire Department because it would make the fire hydrant inaccessible. He said that a review of the traffic pattern had been conducted by the Engineer- ing staff, and that their opinion favored keeping the street open to avoid loading up adjacent streets. The survey showed a definite increase in traffic on LOth Street during peak hours, indicating some through traffic was using loth Street as a bypass to Pacific Coast Highway. He said that traffic was backed up from 8th Street to loth Street on Pacific Coast Highway making entry from Aviation difficult at times. The staff recommended investigating re -phasing the Pacific Coast Highway traffic lights as a first step. The several methods of abstructing entrance and exit from Pacific Coast Highway were illustrated. He added that the General Plan projected loth Street as a major commercial thorough- fare through this block, eventually serving the beach. Public hearing opened at 9:27 p.m. Mr. Mike Strange, 600 - 10th Street, said that the whole problem began when Aviation's traffic pattern was altered and all the traffic started down loth Street, and often the cars do not stop at the bottom. One dual -wheeled truck last Friday night cut across the sidewalk. Collis: Would you be adverse to the study as recommended by Mr. Crawford:? By Blocking the street off we are not solving the problem but creating one for someone else. Would you be agreeable to the recommendation that the change of signalization at the corner of 8th Street would help? Strange: The traffic pattern has already been developed. A member of the audience had several suggestions: a traffic sign directing -7- traffic to Pier Avenue, right -turn lanes, parking on only one side of the street, a sign requesting traffic to slow at top of hill. During its discussion the Commission added rephrasing the signals on Pacific Coast Highway, and a temporary barricade to determine what would actually happen were the street to be Cut off, as additional steps to solving the problem. Chairman Noble directed City Planner Crawford to report to the City Council, and with the Council's consent, to pursue the following ideas; and transmit the results to the Commission. 1. Contact State Highway Department to see if signal phasing on Pacific Coast Highway can be improved to relive rush hour congestion. 2. Place directional signs on Aviation and Pacific Coast Highway indicating location of Pier Avenue and Beach. 3. Partially barricade loth Street (to cross/left turn traffic) on a temporary basis, and determine resultant traffic flow change (a six week project, by staff estimate) . 4. Restrict on -street parking on loth Street during hours of 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Place a speed limit sign on loth Street. 5. Do not close loth Street unless all other avenues have been exhausted, and it is determined that a real hazard exists. So ordered. Uncommitted City Properties City Planner Crawford summarized the staff recommendations for disposal of city properties by dividing them into three categories: (1) No future public use, (2) Public Use potential, and (3) Possible usable for public purposes, but better used privately. Comm. Collis felt very -strongly that any monies derived from the sale of any of the property should be set aside for park development, and Comm. Watters commentced that the city needs money for all capital improvements. Motion by Comm. Stabler, seconded by Comm. Toole to accept the Planning Directors recommendations with the added item that any property sold in residential zoned property provide 2-1 parking, regardless of zone. AYES: Comm. Collis, Foote, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters and Chairman Noble. NOES: None ABSENT: None Motion by Comm . Watters, seconded by Comm. Collis, that the Planning Commission recommends to the City Council that all monies derived from the sale of uncommitted city properties be earmarked for specific capital improvement projects. The Planning Commission will undertake to establish a list of recommendations. AYES: Comm. Collis, Mulfinger, Watters and Chairman Noble NOES: Comm. Foote, Stabler, Toole ABSENT: None Capital Improvement Program City Planner Crawford stated that during the first year of the five year plan the city staff is proceeding with projects already started. Comm. Toole recommended that this discussion be scheduled for another meeting. Seconded by Comm. Watters. Unanimous. South Hermosa Plan Comm. Watters said the next committee meeting would be Wednesday, September 23, 1970 at the Pancake House. He said that he has been mak- ing an effort to get large developers interested in the area and would appreciate any help he could get from other Commission members. 18th-22nd Street Rezoning Petition City Planner Crawford presented a letter from property owners in this area objecting to a six unit apartment building on the basis that it was a family residential neighborhood. He said the R-3 zone established this evening would be a big step toward this goal. Comm. Stabler said that in this type of development, they would have had to obtain a variance if it hadn't been for the open space. Mr. Crawford said there were three courses of action: (1) Change the R-3 standards, (2) Create a Planned Development Zone, and (3) Change the zone to R-2. The Commission directed Mr. Crawford to write a letter to the persons signing the petition informing them that the Commission had received the petition and that they agreed that this type of development is wrong for the area, and list the alternative actions they could take. Los Angeles County General Plan City Planner Crawford interpreted a series of sixteen maps containing various types of information covering all aspects of growth in the County. He emphasized transportation and the plans to provide open space. Motion by Comm. Toole, seconded by Comm. Watters to adopt Resolution P.C. 154-788 requesting the City Council of Hermosa Beach to advise the Regional Planning Commission of certain disagreements with the proposed Development Guide for Los Angeles County as follows; A. Eliminate the "Coast Freeway", connecting same instead to the "Hawthorne Freeway", which as now planned, creates a traffic bottle neck at its junction with the San Diego Freeway. B. Extend (revise) the mass transit routes to serve the South Bay area, including Hermosa Beach. C. Rethink the arterial street system which appears to reduce this city to a transportation corridor. D. Provide more depth to the water and other utility service planning. L A. R. T. S . Regional Profile City Planner Crawford recommended that the Commission members read the profile for background information on changes in travelling habits. Bowman Rezonin , Reguest to Reschedule City Planner Crawford said that on the advice of the City Attorney the City Council cancelled their public hearing and requested the Planning Commission to reschedule a new hearing and make a new recommendation on the Bowman rezoning. The Commission agreed to the rescheduling. Zone Change Re: 201 Ardmore City Planner Crawford said that the property presently zoned railroad right of way and owned by Mr. Schmolle, was not rezoned R-3 after his objection at the City Council meeting. Underground Utilities Meeting Comm. Collis reviewed accomplishments of the Underground Utilities BEIM Committee meeting, saying that the areas of greatest concern in the city are: Pacific Coast Highway, Pier Avenue south to southern boundary; From Pacific Coast Highway, Pier Avenue west to Monterey; South end of town on Hermosa Avenue (1 block section); and Hermosa Avenue near Greenwich Village intersection . He further stated that the recommended district was Pacific Coast Highway, but the entire street would cost $375,000, so they were considering doing it in two stages. They are also recommending that the County be asked for additional funds for the improvement. Beach Plan Committee Comm. Toole explained that the Beach Plan Committee felt it did not have enough available information at this time to present a recommendation to the Planning Commission, primarily because they had no concept of the cost involved. Staff information has not been forthcoming, and there has been little interest from Councilmen. Resolution P.C. 154-781 - Auto_ repai_r_garages.. Motion by Comm. Watters , seconded by Comm. Toole to adopt Resolution P.C. 154-781 interpreting the meaning of Resolution 801 (1) relation bus- inesses not conducted entirely within a building and establishing automobile repair garages as one such business. AYES: Comm. Collis, Mulfinger, Stabler, Toole, Watters, and Chairman Noble NOES: None ABSTAIN: Foote ABSENT: None Adjourned at 11:05 until October 5, 1970, 7:30 p.m. CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that the foregoing minutes have been Planning Commission of the City of Hermosa Bead held,A�trr the 21st of September, 1970. %4 DATE ES D. COLLIS, `Secretary LZ( f ed e Ae meets; g JOE b. NOBLE, Chairman