CITY OF SIGNAL HILL
STAFF REPORT
2175 Cherry Avenue • Signal
Hill, California 90755-3799
11/8/2022
AGENDA ITEM
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
COLLEEN T. DOAN
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
SUBJECT:
ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 2022-09-1541 TO ESTABLISH THE AMERICAN
UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND AMERICAN UNIVERSITY RESEARCH
ACADEMY (AUHS/AURA) SPECIFIC PLAN TO EXPAND UNIVERSITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND ESTABLISH A PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL AT 1600 E. HILL STREET Summary:
Ordinance No. 2022-09-1541 was introduced at the City Council meeting of September 13, 2022, but was not presented for adoption at the following Council meeting due to new information discovered as the applicant was preparing to slurry and restripe their parking area. Additional time was needed to ensure the parking layout complied with the AUHS/AURA Specific Plan. All items have been resolved and the Ordinance is now presented for adoption.
Recommendation:
Adopt Ordinance No. 2022-09-1541, entitled:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SIGNAL HILL, CALIFORNIA, TO APPROVE ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT 22-05, AMENDING TITLE 20 OF THE SIGNAL HILL MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADD CHAPTER 20.25 ENTITLED “SP-25, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY RESEARCH ACADEMY (AUHS/AURA) SPECIFIC PLAN”, AND AMENDING THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP TO CHANGE THE ZONING DESIGNATION OF AN APPROXIMATE 3.75-ACRE SITE AT 1600 E. HILL STREET FROM “COMMERCIAL OFFICE (CO)” TO “AUHS/AURA SPECIFIC PLAN (SP- 25)” (APN 7215-009- 005), CONTINGENT ON THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTION OF THE NEGATIVE DECLARATION
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
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Background:
At the September 13, 2022, City Council meeting, the City Council held a public hearing, introducing Ordinance No. 2022-09-1541.
A summary of the Ordinance was posted in accordance with Signal Hill Municipal Code (SHMC)
1.08.010 and published in the Signal Tribune newspaper on September 16, 2022. Prior to adopting the Ordinance, staff discovered that the applicant intended to slurry and restripe the entire parking area and that during preparation of the new striping plan it was discovered that not all the existing parking spaces or the two-way drive aisles met the precise measurements noted in the AUHS/AURA Specific Plan. Therefore, further analysis of the parking layout was necessary.
Analysis:
Existing Parking
Staff and the contract City Traffic Engineer conducted two site inspections to measure all parking spaces and drive aisles at the subject property. The inspections confirmed that the total number of spaces at 237 is in compliance with the Specific Plan, although not all parking spaces measured nine feet by 20 feet, and not all drive aisle widths measured 24 feet (the width required for a two-way aisle). In compliance with SHMC Chapter 20.82 titled “Nonconforming Lots, Buildings, and Uses,” the new striping and circulation plan proposes several one-way drive aisles (one-way aisle width is 12 feet) to accommodate the high school drop off circulation design which results in several aisles exceeding minimum widths. The plan for restriping also converts 64 previously nonconforming parking spaces into conforming spaces and adds two additional handicap stalls in compliance with State requirements, thereby improving the existing nonconforming status of the lot overall (Attachment A).
A future amendment to the AUHS/AURA Specific Plan will revise the text of one section which references both the site plan with improved parking layout and the SHMC parking standards. To assist the applicant with their desire to open the high school as soon as possible (with an initial enrollment of only 20 students), staff is recommending postponing the amendment until operations are underway, and review of the parking and operations management can be conducted so that any additional amendments that might be needed can be done concurrently.
The Parking and Operations Management Plan
As a reminder, the AUHS/AURA Specific Plan requires regular and proactive review of the Parking and Operations Management Plan, with an avenue for amendments as needed. A future amendment to the AUHS/AURA Specific Plan text could be processed concurrently if an amendment to the Parking and Operations Management Plan is merited. The applicant has provided a summary of the existing on-site vehicles, and the number of vehicles anticipated for the first four years as the high school is phased in with 20 students per year (Attachments B and C).
A summary of the Ordinance was posted in accordance with SHMC 1.08.010 and published in the Signal Tribune newspaper on September 16, 2022. Upon adoption of the Ordinance, the summary will be posted in accordance with SHMC 1.08.010 and published in the Signal Tribune newspaper.
Ordinance No. 2022-09-1541 will be published in its entirety on the City website.
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Approved:
_________________________
Joe Hoefgen
Attachments
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