TO:
FROM:
g n p
November 6, 2023
Honorable Mayor and City Council
Planning & Community Development Department
SUBJECT: PREDEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW FOR THE EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL USE FROM 62 UNITS TO
107 UNITS AT 1259 LA PINTORESCA DRIVE
RECOMMENDATION:
This report is intended to provide information to the City Council; no action is required.
BACKGROUND:
The applicant, Front Porch Development, has submitted a Predevelopment Plan Review (PPR) application to expand an existing multi-family use at 1259 La Pintoresca Drive.
The subject site has an area of 104,704 square feet (approximately 2.4 acres), is zoned FGSP-RM-16 (Fair Oaks/Orange Grove Specific Plan (FGSP) - Multi-family Residential District, 16 du/ac) and has a General Plan Land Use Designation of Medium Density Residential (0-16 du/ac). The site is bounded by Washington Boulevard on the north, La Pintoresca Drive on the east, Claremont Street on the south and Fair Oaks Avenue on the west.
The site is currently developed with 11 separate buildings with 62 multi-family affordable rental units and 40 surface parking spaces. The applicant proposes to do the following at the southern portion of the site:
• Demolish two buildings with 13 unitsand remove 26 surface parking spac~s (49 units and 14 surface parking spaceswould remain).
• Construct a new two- and three-story building with 58 multi-family units and 109 subterranean parking spaces . All of the new units would be reserved as affordable rental housing. The subterranean parking would be accessed from La Pintoresca Drive.
• The entire site would then have a total of 107 units and 123 parking spaces.
Surrounding properties include the following:
• North - La Pintoresca Park on land zoned FGSP-OS (Fair Oaks/Orange Grove Specific Plan - Open Space);
11/06/2023
MEETING Of _ - -
8 AGENDA lTEM NO. ___ _ _
1259 La Pintoresca Drive
November 6, 2023
• East - Single-family residential uses zoned RS-6 (Single-family Residential, 0-6 du/ac);
• South - Commercial uses and a surface parking lot zoned FGSP-C-2 (Fair Oaks/Orange Grove Specific Plan - Limited Commercial District); and • West- One- and two-story single- and multi-family dwellings zoned PD-27 (King's Village Planned Development).
Refer to Attachment A for an aerial photograph and zoning map of the subject site and surrounding area.
A PPR is required for multi-family projects consisting of ten or more dwelling units. The purpose of the PPR is to achieve better projects through early consultation between City staff and applicants. The intent is to coordinate the review of projects among City staff and City departments, familiarize applicants with regulations and procedures that apply to the project, and avoid significant investment in the design of a project without preliminary input from the City. Since this project includes the construction of 50 or more units, it qualifies as a project of communitywide significance and is presented to the City Council for informational purposes.
PREDEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW ANALYSIS:
All applicable City departments reviewed the project as part of the PPR process and provided comments that are included in Attachment B. Notable Planning-related comments are discussed below. The most significant is related to the proposed density, which may require the project to be redesigned at a lower density. Refer to Attachment C for a summary comparing the proposed project and FGSP development standards and Attachment D to review the development plans.
Residential Density and Affordable Housing
Per the zoning of the site and General Plan, the site is permitted a maximum of 38 units, or 16 du/ac. State Density Bonus Law (SDBL) allows a density bonus of 80 percent for housing projects that are 100 percent affordable (with a minimum 80 percent of the units reserved for very low or low income households and any remaining units reserved for moderate income households, not including the manager's unit). This would result in 71 units for the site.
The project site is currently developed with 62 units, or 25.8 du/ac, which exceeds the maximum permitted in the FGSP and General Plan. The project was constructed in 1969 and pre-dates the current standards, resulting in non-conforming density. The proposed project would include 107 units, or 44.6 du/ac, which significantly exceeds the maximum permitted under SDBL (with a proposed density bonus of 182 percent). The project would also be subject to Senate Bill (SB) 330 and SB 8, which ensures housing development projects do not result in a net loss of units (market rate or affordable) and may require resettlement benefits, compensation and other services for displaced renters.
1259 La Pintoresca Drive
November 6, 2023
may require resettlement benefits, compensation and other services for displaced renters.
Massing and Scale
The proposed building includes transitional massing with two-story volumes at the north and east, and three-story volumes at the south and west, along the street edges. The preliminary design offers some modulation of the fa9ades including recessed balconies and a sawtooth roof design. Building heights are labeled at 30 feet on the plans.
However, the highest ridge or parapet appears to extend above the labeled height indiciating the actual height exceeds 30 feet. In the RM-16 district, the maximum height of structures is 32 feet to the highest ridge line.
Draft Fair Oaks Orange Grove Specific Plan Update
The applicant has been advised that the FGSP is in the process of being updated. The draft update to the Specific Plan was made available to the public in 2020 as part of the Round 3 Virtual Open House and was presented to the Northwest and Design Commissions in 2021. The draft update to the Specific Plan is anticipated to go to the Planning Commission for a study session in Spring 2024, followed by a series of public meetings with the Planning Commission and City Council. In the draft Specific Plan, the subject site is identitifed as having a maximum density of 16 du/ac, which is consistent with its Medium Density Residential General Plan Land Use Designation. The proposed project exceeds the maximum permitted density under both the existing and draft Specific Plan standards. The only way the project could proceed is if it was redesigned at a lower density or the land use designation was changed as part of the Specific Plan update.
ENTITLEMENT PROCESS:
The proposed project exceeds maximum density allowed, inclusive of the eligible 80 percent density bonus. If the project is revised to demonstrate compliance with the Zoning Code, FGSP and SDBL, the project would be reviewed through the Design Review process.
Design Review - The project consists of new construction of a multi-family residential project with more than ten units, design review is required with the Design Commission being the review authority. Design Review is a three-step procedure: 1) Preliminary Consultation 2) Concept (schematic-level) Design Review; and 3) Final Design Review.
Environmental Review - The project would be subject to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which will be conducted in conjunction with the applicable discretionary process. The appropriate environmental document for this project will be determined when a formal application is submitted for review. 1259 La Pintoresca Drive
November 6, 2023
NEXT STEPS:
The applicant has received comments from City departments as part of the PPR process. The next steps for the project would be to address the comments from the departments, including the project's density. If resolved, the subsequent step would be to submit an application for Design Review.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This report is for information only and will not result in any fiscal impact.
Prepared by:
Approved by:
A ·...JJ ..&==--
MIGUEL~ROuEz
City Manager
Attachments: (4)
Respectfully submitted,
enniferP ,ge,AIC
Director of Planning & Community
Development
Concurred by:
Beilin Yu
1 • ' ".J •,;
Zoning Administrator
Attachment A - Aerial Photograph and Zoning Map
Attachment B - Predevelopment Plan Review Comments to Applicant Attachment C - Project Summary Table of Development Standards Attachment D - Predevelopment Plan Review Plans