September 24, 2024
Dear Members of the City Council,
I am writing to introduce myself, Mike Simms, and my business, Hotel Clemente and Loretta's Restaurant, which my team and I are in the process of developing. We are excited to be building both a boutique hotel, Hotel Clemente, and Loretta's Restaurant, which will offer high-quality lodging and dining experiences in our community.
With decades of experience in the hospitality and restaurant industries, we are dedicated to creating unique spaces that reflect our passion for personalized service, warm hospitality, and exceptional dining. Both Hotel Clemente and Loretta's Restaurant are being designed to serve as welcoming destinations for both locals and visitors, adding vibrancy and value to the city.
We believe these projects will have a positive impact on the community by generating jobs, attracting tourism, and contributing to the local economy. As we move forward, we are committed to working in alignment with the city’s stated goals for growth and development to ensure that our hotel and restaurant integrate seamlessly into the community.
As we prepare for our hearing on October 15th I would like to revisit the recent conditions of approval for our project submitted to the Planning Commission. We would like to respectfully request that the City Council revisit our initial submittal and consider adjusting three of the altered conditions of approval that are critical to the success of our business and to providing an enhanced experience for both our restaurant and hotel guests.
Seating Capacity Reduction (Appendix 1.A, 1.B, 1.C)
The Planning Commission imposed a reduction of 30 seats in our restaurant, a decision which appears to have been made without the utilization of a parking study that was conducted by a highly recognized firm. This study, which was peerreviewed, and agreed to by the city's third-party parking experts, complies with the city code that allows for the use of such studies. We kindly ask the City Council to reconsider this reduction in seating capacity based on the validity and thoroughness of this parking study.
Outdoor Ambiance Music (Appendix 2)
Another condition limited the use of outdoor ambiance music, which we believe is an essential element of creating a welcoming atmosphere for our guests. We fully understand and support the need to comply with the city's noise ordinances, and we are prepared to employ technology recommended by the city to ensure that sound levels remain within the prescribed decibel limits. We respectfully ask that the Council reconsider this restriction and allow us to provide limited outdoor music that enhances the ambiance, without exceeding the noise standards set by the city.
1. 2.
ATTACHMENT 5
It’s important to note that as we have paying hotel guests living directly above our operations. It is in our own best interest to ensure our guests receive the best possible experience by keeping noise levels in check and having ample parking. If we fail to do so, we would risk losing our clientele, which would directly affect our business viability. The original strongly worded conditions utilize a "trust but verify" approach, whereby city staff have the authority to monitor and reduce operations if any nuisance issues arise.
We kindly ask that the City Council take these points into consideration and allow us to move forward with a revised approval that takes into account the operational and experiential benefits for our patrons. We believe these modifications will enable us to better serve the community while remaining in compliance with city standards.
Thank you for your time and consideration of our project and these requests. We look forward to working with the Council to achieve a mutually beneficial solution.
Sincerely,
Thomas M. Simms (Mike)
Operating Hours (Appendix 3)
Lastly, we would like to revisit our original request regarding the establishment's operating hours. The later hours we have proposed are primarily aimed at enhancing the services and amenities available to our hotel guests, which is a common practice in the hospitality industry. The flexibility to extend our operating hours will enable us to provide a superior guest experience and align with the expectations of travelers who frequently patronize establishments with late-night amenities.
3. Appendix #1.A
Parking
Zoning Code Parking Requirement
The application of the Zoning Code parking regulations to the project results in a requirement for 56 spaces (Hotel: 1 space per unit, plus two for the manager’s units, and 1 employee space per 10 rooms, Restaurant: 1 space per 5 seats); however, Section 17.28.170(D) of the Zoning Code allows two options for a reduced parking requirement that can apply to this project: a Minor Conditional Use Permit to establish shared parking (SCMC 17.64.120) and/or a Conditional Use Permit, with the submission of a parking study. Due to the operations of the site and the size limitations of the property, the area available for parking is limited so the applicant is requesting a CUP to approve a Parking Management Plan and on-site shared parking to reduce the number of parking stalls required for the project.
Parking Study
The applicant commissioned a parking study prepared by LLG that evaluates the actual parking demand for the project. The parking study utilizes the Urban Land Institute (ULI) methodology which is an industry standard in assessing the parking demand for uses and appropriate levels of parking reductions based on the Parking Management Plan (PMP). The analysis also estimates the potential parking needs for the project and compares peak demand against the proposed supply to identify the number of parking spaces required for the project. The study evaluates the PMP, queuing, and circulation, to assess the operations and capacity for the project. A parking survey was also conducted of a similar sized restaurant and hotel in Huntington Beach with a similar PMP to determine if the proposed parking demand is accurate. A Valet Service Plan is included to ensure parking for guests and employees are adequately managed and controlled to optimize parking efficiency, and create parking contingencies on site during peak demand periods. The complete report is provided as Attachment 12.
Parking Supply
The project proposes 36 parking spaces on-site, which includes three accessible/ADA parking spaces and 12 spaces on the upper level of parking lifts. In addition to the 36 parking spaces, there would be a designated loading/unloading zone in the courtyard for deliveries. All of the parking would be managed through paid valet parking service.
Eight bicycle parking spaces are provided within the courtyard, and additional parking for 12 e-bikes is provided in the hotel basement storage area.
Staff and Parking Consultant Analysis
The study was reviewed by Staff and the City’s third-party parking consultant, Kimley Horn, to assess the study and evaluate the justification for the reduced parking requirement. Staff and Kimley Horn concluded the parking study justifies the Project’s proposed on-site parking supply of 36 spaces with the implementation of the PMP and Valet Service Plan for the project.
Other Site-Specific Considerations
The Zoning Code already recognizes the common use of shared parking that results in a higher efficiency within the CB Overlay, and therefore reduces the parking requirement for certain uses such as retail and restaurants. Additionally, Avenida Del Mar is served by the City’s free trolley, which operates on weekends and daily during peak summer months. The trolley provides access to bus routes, the two train stations, and other visitor serving amenities within the City. This allows guests/patrons to arrive without a car or arrive with a car, but explore the City without removing their vehicle from the on-site parking facilities. Conditions of approval 7.12 and 7.13 are proposed to ensure the parking and valet operation are working as proposed and if there are issues an amendment to the project is required to remedy the issues.
Additional Parking
The project’s removal of the existing driveway on Avenida Del Mar would allow for the addition of two new public on-street parking spaces. These two on-street spaces are not counted as part of the project’s 36-space supply.
To further accommodate guests, the applicant has also acquired authorization from the adjacent property owner at 231 Avenida Del Mar (FedEx) to allow the use of the parking lots 16 spaces after 7:00 pm when the business is closed to be utilized by restaurant patrons. The neighboring property owner does not want to enter into a deed restricted agreement with the applicant for the use of parking in perpetuity because it would limit future development of the site. Since the project provides the necessary parking identified in the parking study, staff does not believe that a deed restricted off-site parking agreement is necessary. Off-site parking spaces can only be formally credited to the project when they are deed restricted for the life of the business operation, per SCMC 17.64.050.
Appendix #1.B
7.10 Parking
If subsequent to the project approval the City Planner and/or City Engineer determines that parking issues are negatively affecting the project site, adjacent properties, or the surrounding street network, the applicant shall submit an amendment to (Entitlement Number) with a plan to address the parking and/or traffic issues.
The plan may include entering into an off-site parking agreement, creating short-term parking stalls, and/or active monitoring and enforcement to manage parking. The applicant shall be
responsible for implementing the parking management plan, at their expense. The amendment shall be subject to the
amendment review process specified in SCMC 17.12.180.
August 29, 2024
Dear City of San Clemente,
Commitment to Addressing Resident Concerns Regarding Parking on Avenida Granada I am writing to acknowledge the concerns raised by residents regarding the current parking situation on Avenida Granada, particularly related to employees of existing local businesses.
We understand the impact this issue has on the community, and we want to assure you that we are fully committed to working with the City of San Clemente and the residents to ensure our project does not contribute to these parking challenges.
Our goal is to develop a project that is mindful of the needs of the community and that adds value without exacerbating existing issues. If our project exceeds all expectations and requires more parking than originally anticipated, we are prepared to act swiftly and are dedicated to collaborating with all stakeholders to explore and implement solutions that will prevent additional strain on parking in the area.
As part of our commitment, we have proactively reached out to multiple groups to explore additional parking opportunities, should the need for additional parking arise. These efforts include discussions with the Outlet Mall, the FedEx building, the City of San Clemente regarding potential partnerships with city lots, and a local business owner who has extra parking available. Our aim is to identify viable solutions that will alleviate any potential impact our project might have on the existing parking situation.
We are dedicated to developing a project that is considerate of the community’s needs and contributes positively to the area. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with all stakeholders to make this project a success for everyone involved.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Mike Simms
Hotel Clemente
Appendix 1.C
Appendix #2
Condition 7.9 Amplified Music
Amplified music is limited to the restaurant and lobby from the hours of 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 12:00 pm to 12:00 am Friday and Saturday. Amplified music for the roof deck shall be at an ambient level to not exceed the Noise Ordinance and shall be from the hours of 8:00 am to 9:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 8:00 am to 10:00 pm Friday and Saturday. The roof deck speakers shall have noise monitoring equipment that is limited to a set decibel level with a verified decibel text to ensure the amplified music is limited to a decibel level that does not exceed the Noise Ordinance.
Appendix 3
Condition 7.4 Hours of Operation
The alcohol service shall be limited to the enclosed areas of the property including the interior restaurant, courtyard, and roof deck. The alcohol service is condition to ensure service does not exceed the specified hours of service from the hours of 7:00 am to 11:00 pm and the and the outdoor patio 7:00 am to 10:00 pm and Sunday through Thursday and Friday and Saturday the indoor restaurant service will be limited to the hours of 7:00 am to Midnight with the outdoor patio service from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. The indoor bar that is only accessible to hotel guests would be open from 11:00 pm to 2:00 am Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 pm to 2:00 am. Alcohol service for the roof deck is limited from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm on Sunday through Thursday and 8:00 am to 10:0 pm Friday and Saturday.