Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: DECEMBER 6, 2022
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: MEG MCWADE, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
PREPARED BY: STEPHEN BISE, CITY ENGINEER
JUAN ZAVALA, PRINCIPAL CIVIL ENGINEER
SUBJECT: ABANDONMENT AB 22-01 REGARDING PORTION OF ELLIS PLACE EAST OF HARBOR BOULEVARD
SUMMARY
Public Hearing to consider abandonment of a portion of Ellis Place east of and abutting Harbor Boulevard.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution No. 2022-XXX.
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-XXX – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING ABONDONING AND VACATING A PORTION OF ELLIS PLACE EAST OF AND ABUTTING HARBOR BOULEVARD TO ALLOW AN OUTDOOR DINING, GATHERING AND ENTERTAINMENT AREA IN CONJUNCTION WITH TWO NEW DEVELOPMENTS LOCATED AT 550 NORTH HARBOR BOULEVARD AND 115 ELLIS PLACE
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
The City Manager concurs with the Planning Commission recommendation to approve a partial street vacation of Ellis Place.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statement:
Infrastructure and City Assets.
FISCAL IMPACT
Vacating a portion of the street would generate cost savings in street sweeping, repairs and maintenance. The City would receive $75,000 in one-time revenue based on the appraised fair property value for the partial vacation of Ellis Place. This fee includes a street segment (APN 029-033-24) that the City / Successor Agency owned in fee and subsequently transferred to the City.
DISCUSSION
The Fullerton Planning Commission adopted Resolution PC-2022-24 on October 26, 2022, approving Major Site Plan for redevelopment of a 0.49-acre lot with a new 6,830 square-foot commercial building with an open courtyard for restaurant uses and a microbrewery located on APN 029-032-21 (known as the Triangle Parcel - 115 Ellis place).
The Planning Commission also considered partial abandonment of Ellis Place and adopted Resolution PC-2022-27, recommending that City Council approve a partial street vacation of Ellis Place to allow an outdoor dining, gathering and entertainment area included in the Major Site Plan.
City Council / Successor Agency adopted Resolution No. 2022-092 and Resolution No. SA 2022-03 on November 15, 2022, approving the Disposition and Development Agreement for Fox Block Commercial and Retail Project Major Site Plan. City Council also adopted Resolution No. 2022-088 at that meeting, declaring its intention to hold a public hearing on December 6, 2022 to consider public testimony related to the proposed partial abandonment of Ellis Place area located within the future Fox Block project. Staff posted the hearing notices as required by law.
The City received grants to segments of public street proposed for the abandonment (Exhibits “A” and “B” of the attached draft resolution) by various instruments in 1912, 1919 and 1923.
Staff reviewed the proposed partial abandonment of Ellis Place in conjunction with the Major Site Plan and concluded that it has merit, based on the following findings:
Ellis Place, a short 600-foot discontinuous street that provides local roadway access to abutting commercial and residential properties between Harbor Boulevard and Pomona Avenue, is STOP-controlled at Pomona Avenue and at Harbor Boulevard. The closure of Ellis Place east of Harbor Boulevard to vehicular travel will reduce vehicular conflicts on Harbor Boulevard and enhance public safety.
The closure will not significantly affect access to existing properties on Ellis Place since the connection to Pomona Avenue will remain and two public alleys providing north / south connections to and from Chapman Avenue will remain.
The vehicular closure of the Ellis Place connection to Harbor Boulevard will also provide the opportunity to realign the existing uncontrolled offset crosswalk such that pedestrians cross perpendicular to conflicting traffic, thus improving their visibility and shortening the distance for exposure to conflicting traffic movements.
The proposed abandonment reserves an easement dedicated to the City of Fullerton for public service and public utilities purposes over, under, along, across and through abandoned street segments.
Pursuant to Resolution PC-2022-24 Item 3, pedestrian access through the vacated portion of Ellis Place shall not be prohibited. Any security measures, such as gates or other measures to secure the outdoor courtyard and dining areas during hours the development is closed require Director of Community and Economic Development review and approval to ensure maintenance of public pedestrian access through the site.
The project will construct a street cul-de-sac at the Ellis Place terminus resulting from the proposed partial street abandonment, subject to City’s review and approval.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – PowerPoint Presentation
Attachment 2 – Resolution 2022-XXX
Attachment 3 – Vicinity Map
cc: City Manager Eric J. Levitt
Abandonment AB 22-01
December 6, 2022 - Page PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2