RESOLUTION NO. ____________ (N.C.S.)
RESOLUTION ADOPTING A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION, APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE GENERAL PLAN LAND USE DESIGNATION, BOUNDARIES, AND A CONDTIONAL USE PERMIT TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE AN EXTENDED STAY HOTEL LOCATED AT 2110 NORTH MAIN STREET (GPA 2022-003 AND CUP 2022-005 – RELATED TO RZ 2022-005) WHEREAS, on June 20, 2023, the Salinas City Council at the request of Daniel Saphorghan, Swift Consulting on behalf of Janika Corporation DBA Capitol Motel held a duly noticed public hearing to consider the following applications on a site located at 2110 North Main Street (APN: 253-074-005-000):
General Plan Amendment 2022-003 (GPA 2022-003); Request to change the General Plan designation of an approximately 8,349 square-foot eastern portion of a 18,880 square-foot lot located at 2110 North Main Street from “Residential Low Density” to “Retail”; Rezone 2022-003 (RZ 2022-003); Request to change Zoning designation of the above referenced 8,349 square-foot eastern portion of the project site from “Residential Low Density (R-L-5.5)” to “Commercial Retail (CR)”; and Conditional Use Permit 2022-005 (CUP 2022-005); Request to establish and operate an Extended Stay Hotel for 22 of 25 rooms; and WHEREAS, the City, in accordance with requirements of CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines prepared a Mitigated Negative Declaration, dated March 17, 2023, for General Plan Amendment 2022-003, Rezone 2022-003, and Conditional Use Permit 2022-005 herein incorporated by reference and included as Exhibit “2”; and WHEREAS, the City completed and filed a Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration with the Monterey County Clerk on March 17, 2023, which commenced a 30-day local public review period starting on March 17, 2023 and ending on April 17, 2023; mailed a Notice of Public Hearing to all property owners located within 300-feet the project sites; and posted the Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration in locations throughout the City of Salinas City Hall and administrative offices; and WHEREAS, the City mailed the Mitigated Negative Declaration to the State Clearinghouse on March 17, 2023, which commenced a 30-day local public review period starting on March 17, 2023 and ending on April 17, 2023 (State Clearinghouse No. 2023030481); and WHEREAS, on May 3, 2023, the Salinas Planning Commission, held a duly noticed public hearing to consider General Plan Amendment 2022-003, Rezone 2022-003, and Conditional Use Permit 2022-005; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission considered a Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for this project and independently determined that all impacts were adequately addressed in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission weighed the evidence presented at said public hearing, considered the staff report, determined that positive findings could be established for approval of the project, adopted Resolution No. 2023-05 recommending that the City Council adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve General Plan Amendment 2022-003, Rezone 2022-003, and Conditional Use Permit 2022-005; and WHEREAS, on May 9, 2023, the Housing and Land Use Committee recommended that the City Council adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve General Plan Amendment 2022-003, Rezone 2022-003, and Conditional Use Permit 2022-005; and WHEREAS, the City Council weighed the evidence presented at said public hearing, including the Staff Report which is on file at the Community Development Department, reviewed and considered the information contained in the Initial Study and related environmental documents including the Mitigated Negative Declaration.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Salinas City Council that the Council adopts the proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration and approves General Plan Amendment 2022-003 and Conditional Use Permit 2022-005 and adopts the following findings as the basis for its determination, and that the foregoing recitations are true and correct, and are included herein by reference as findings:
For the Mitigated Negative Declaration:
The environmental impacts of the project have been analyzed in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). An Initial Study was prepared to evaluate the potential impacts associated with the project. Based upon review of the Initial Study, the proposed project will not have a significant effect on the environment. The Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration were routed to responsible agencies and posted at the County Clerk’s Office on March 17, 2023; the deadline for comments was April 17, 2023. The State Clearinghouse received the document on March 17, 2023; the deadline for Clearinghouse comments was April 17, 2023 (SCH# 2023030481).
The City Council hereby finds that a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) has been prepared with respect to the project in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) of 1970, as amended, and the guidelines promulgated thereunder. Further, this Commission has independently reviewed and considered the information contained in the Initial Study and related environmental documents, together with the comments received during the public review process. On the basis of the whole record before it, the Council finds that there is no substantial evidence that the project will have a significant effect on the environment and that the MND reflects the Council’s independent judgment and analysis. On this basis, the City Council adopts the Mitigated Negative Declaration.
Public comments were received from the following during the comment period as described below:
Comments received via email from Monterey Salinas Transit on April 12, 2023.
Monterey Salinas Transit (MST) serves, operates and maintains two (2) existing stops within the project’s vicinity for Line 49. Line 49 travels from the Salinas Transit Center in Downtown Salinas to Santa Rita via North Main Street. Per MST, the service operates every 15 minutes from Downtown Salinas to Northridge Mall and every 30 minutes to Santa Rita. MST encourages the Applicant/Property Owner (Capitol Motel) to enroll in their Group Discount Program to offer employees and hotel guests bus passes at substantially reduced rates.
Staff Response: This information from MST has been provided to the Applicant/Property Owner for future reference.
For General Plan Amendment 2022-003:
That the proposed General Plan Amendment is in conformance with all other goals, policies, programs, and land uses of the Salinas General Plan.
The proposed Amendment is consistent with Salinas General Plan Policies. The proposed change of a land use designation for an approximate 8,349 square-foot eastern portion of a 18,880 square-foot lot from “Residential Low Density” to “Retail” is not expected to result in negative impacts or conflicts with surrounding properties, because it would be consistent with the western portion of the project site and allow for uses prescribed by the City’s 2002 General Plan Land Use designation of Retail.
That the proposed General Plan Amendment promotes the public necessity, convenience, and general welfare.
The General Plan Amendment promotes the public necessity, convenience, and general welfare because the proposal will allow an existing lot to have a consistent designation and allow for a proposed Extended Stay Hotel.
For Conditional Use Permit 2022-005:
The proposed location of the use is in accordance with the objectives of the Salinas General Plan, this Zoning Code and the purposes of the district in which the site is located; The western portion of the site is designated “Retail” by the 2002 Salinas General Plan. The related General Plan Amendment will redesignate an approximate 8,349 square-foot eastern portion of the project site to from “Residential Low Density” to “Retail”. The proposed Extended Stay Hotel would be allowed with the entire site being zoned “Retail”. Per the General Plan, Retail provides for a variety of retail uses such as retail stores, restaurants, hotels, personal services business services and financial services. The proposed project is consistent with General Plan Goals and Policies. Located on an in-fill site, the project would help maintain a compact City form, consistent with Land Use Policy LU-2.4. Consistent with ED-LU-1.10, Action LU-1.10.5, the proposed Hotel, Extended Stay for H-2A workers supports Federal agriculture services.
As shown on the official Zoning Map, the western portion of the project site is zoned Commercial Retail (CR) and the eastern portion is zoned Residential Low Density (R-L-5.5). The related Rezone would change the Zoning designation of the eastern portion of the project site from R-L-5.5 to CR. This would allow the entire project site to be zoned CR and allow for the proposed Extended Stay Hotel. Per Section 37-30.190, Commercial Retail allows a wide range of retail stores, restaurants, hotels and motels, commercial recreation, personal services, business services, offices, financial services, mixed use residential, and/or limited residential uses. Per Section 37-50.085(a), the proposed Extended Stay Hotel will provide an additional option for the workforce, residents, and travelers in need of longer hotel stays that will advance Salinas’ economic growth and relieve housing shortages; and will ensure that the Extended Stay Hotel is operated in a manner that provides the highest possible livability standards of design, environment, and security and achieve overall neighborhood compatibility.
The proposed location of the conditional use and the proposed conditions under which it would be operated or maintained are consistent with the Salinas General Plan and will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, or welfare of persons residing or working in or adjacent to the neighborhood of such use, nor detrimental to properties or improvements in the vicinity or the general welfare of the City of Salinas; and Per Section 37-50.085(c), for conversion of an existing hotel/motel to extended stay, compliance with the Zoning Code development standards will ensure that the proposed use is not detrimental to the public health, safety, or welfare of persons residing or working adjacent to the neighborhood of such use, nor detrimental to the properties, or improvements in the vicinity or to the general welfare of the City. Furthermore, in conformance with Section 37-50.085(d), the site has passed a Code Enforcement inspection on February 25, 2022, and a Fire Department inspection on March 24, 2022.
The proposed conditional use will comply with the provisions of the Salinas Zoning Code, including any specific conditions required for the proposed use.
Conditions have been recommended for this permit to ensure that, when implemented, the project will conform and comply with the provisions of the Salinas Zoning Code. For example, conditions require the Extended Stay Hotel to conform the development standards in Section 37-50.085(c).
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 20th day of June 2023 by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
APPROVED
_________________________________
Kimbley Craig, Mayor
ATTEST
________________________
Patricia Barajas, City Clerk
Attachments:
Exhibit 1: Vicinity Map
Exhibit 2: Mitigated Negative Declaration dated March 17, 2023 Exhibit 3: General Plan Amendment Map for 2110 North Main Street FILENAME \p I:\ComDev\Planning Share Space\General Plan Amendments\GPA 2022-003, RZ 2022-003, & CUP 2022-005 - 2110 N Main St\CC Staff Report packet\GPA 2022-003 and CUP 2022-005 CC Resolution MND.doc Page PAGE 1 of NUMPAGES 3