HomeMy WebLinkAboutDRB 2018-04-17 #2REPORT TO DESIGN REVIEW BOARD
SUBJECT: 111 Shoreline Parkway (Home Depot): Environmental and Design Review Permit and Use
Permit for expansion to the Home Depot store, consisting of a new 11,520 sf fenced outdoor
garden center, a 9,778 sf outdoor "seasonal sales" area in the parking lot, a permanent 3,356
sf outdoor display area along the front entrance, and 11,376 sf of designated inventory
"staging area" along the east/west and north (rear) of the property. In addition, the project
proposes to legalize the existing food cart and upgrade landscaping on site. No building
expansion is proposed. APN: 009-320-40; Planned Development (PD1 895) District; CPI
Development, owner; Scott Mommer, Consulting, applicant; File No(s): ED17-021/UP17-008.
PROPERTY FACTS
Location General Plan Designation
Project Site: Light Industrial/Office (LI/0)
North:
Conservation
South:
LI/O
East:
LI/O
West:
L/O
Lot Size
Required:
40,000 sf
Existing
11 acres (479,160 sf)
Height
Allowed: Lesser of 36' or 3 stories
Proposed: (no change)
Parking (at 1:250 for retail)
Current Code Required: 408 spaces
Approved 1993: 551 spaces
Existing: 538 spaces
Proposed: 461 spaces
Grading: N/A
Zoning Designation
PD(1895)
W -WO
PD(1895)/LI/O
PD(1895)
PD(WO)/LI/O
Existing Land -Use
Commercial/Retail
Vacant
Auto dealerships
Target/SF Bay
Vacant, Business Park
Lot Coverage (Max.)
Required: N/A (see FAR below)
Existing: 26% (no change)
Gross Building/Floor Area
Allowed: 0.32
Existing: 0.26
Proposed: no change
Outdoor Area OR Landscape Area
Required: 78,835 sf approved in 1993
Proposed: 83,187 sf
SUMMARY
The proposed project site is the Home Depot store located a 111 Shoreline Parkway (see Exhibit 1). It
is important to note that the site has been operating for many years with the outdoor display area in
front of the store entrance and staging areas along the rear and sides, without the benefit of planning
review. Between 1996 and 2013, Temporary Use Permits were granted for seasonal sales of rugs,
plants and Christmas trees in the parking lot on site. This Design Review/Use Permit Amendment
would eliminate the need for submitting multiple temporary use permits each year.
Components of the proposed project included:
➢ New 11,520 sf fenced garden center.
➢ A new 9,778 sf permanent seasonal sales areas for plants, rugs, Christmas trees and
miscellaneous Home Depot merchandise in the parking lot (yearly, between March 1 st to July
31St, and November 15th to December 31St)
➢ Memorialize a 4,368 sf outdoor display area along the front store entrance.
➢ Memorialize the use of several areas along the perimeter of the lot as a 72 hour "staging area"
for flatbed truck deliveries during heavy sales periods. Total square footage of the staging area
proposed is 11,376 sf.
➢ Landscaping changes along the street frontage
➢ Legalization of an existing food cart.
The Design Review Board previously reviewed the project proposal on December 19, 2017. The Board
had several questions about the project design and ultimately felt additional information was needed
and that revisions to the project design were warranted. The Board voted to continue the project to a
date uncertain. The following summarizes the Board's consensus comments and the applicant's
response/revisions to the Board's recommendations:
1. Board comment: Corrected and additional dimension details are needed along entire building
frontage, from the building through the drive aisle.
Applicant response: Revised Plan Sheet 4.1 illustrates the design of the new wider pedestrian
walkway. The walkway ranges between 5 feet - 12 feet in width and is located outside the
boundary of the vehicular drive aisle. Home Depot will be adding yellow striping to mark the
limit of the pedestrian walkway, and red to mark the required fire lane. Bollards are proposed
for additional safety (see "buffer barrier design detail" on Plan Sheet 4). To accommodate the
new pedestrian walkway design, the total outdoor display areas is proposed to be reduced from
4,3 68 sf, to 3,356 sf (a 1, 012 sf reduction).
2. Board comment: Provide full planting details for the landscaped areas along the street front,
showing how the existing plantings will integrate with the new plantings.
Applicant response: Revised Plan Sheet 13 shows the proposed landscaping plan for the
portion of the frontage along the main entrance, which has been re -designed to improve
vehicular sight distance. The City's Public Works Department has reviewed the plan and
indicated that it should help improve sightlines for cars exiting Home Depot. Additional stop
signs added to the drive aisle running east to west near the main exit will also help increase
safety.
3. Board comment: The Landscape Plan shall be revised to propose an alternative tree species to
Purple Leaf Plum trees. Additionally, the Landscape Plan shall propose to replace all existing
Purple Leaf Plum trees within the parking lot and along the frontage, which are currently in poor
health, with a more appropriate species of tree.
Applicant response: Revised Plan Sheet 6 shows that 11 Purple Leaf Plum trees are
proposed to be replaced with "Oklahoma Redbud" trees. The applicant also proposes to
"straighten and replace" an additional five (5) Purple Leaf Plum trees in the parking lot, as
shown on Plan Sheet 6.
4. Board comment: The Landscape Plan shall be revised to propose some type of new
landscaping to be planted in the existing planter along the east property line, which currently
has none.
Applicant response: Revised Plan Sheet 14 identifies the new planting plan along the east
property line.
In addition, in order to minimize clutter and improve overall site circulation, Home Depot is proposing
the following revisions to the site:
1. Relocate the existing unpermitted storage containers (located along the west side of the
property) to the rear of the property where they are not visible from the public street. No
additional screening is required.
2. Create a new dedicated customer pick-up and loading zone along the western building frontage.
A total of five (5) "customer loading" parking stalls are shown on Sheet 4.1 (to the east of the
food cart). This will create less queuing along the drive aisle in front of the store, as customers
currently have no designated area to park for item pick-up. The new design will also improve
traffic flow as well as ensure proper fire access in an emergency.
Based on review of the applicable design criteria, which is discussed in detail on Pages 5-6, staff is
supportive of the proposed revisions to the site. The applicant has worked directly with staff and met
on site multiple times since the December 2017 DRB hearing. The proposed design changes to both
the outdoor display areas and temporary staging areas along the perimeter will help reduce conflict with
drive aisles, comply with fire access requirements, and improve pedestrian safety. Staff anticipates that
the proposed new site design will be less chaotic than what has existed for years.
Staff asks the Board to comment on the following
➢ Whether the proposed changes to the front outdoor display area complies with the Board's
recommendations.
➢ Whether the proposed staging areas along the site perimeter should be reduced or screened.
➢ Appropriateness of landscape choices for the landscaped area near the main exit on Shoreline
Parkway, and along the east property line.
ANALYSIS
General Plan 2020 Consistency:
The proposed revisions to the Home Depot project site are generally consistent with the General Plan
2020 policies with regard to Land Use (Policy LU-14:Land Use Compatibility) and Policy LU -23: Land
Use Designation), Community Design (Policy CD -10: Non -Residential Design Guidelines and Policy
CD -18: Landscaping), and Economic Vitality (Policy EV -2: Seek, Retain and Promote Businesses that
Enhance San Rafael). However, staff would like further discussion about the following General Plan
Policy:
Neighborhoods (Policy NH -4: Improve Property Maintenance): Requires owners to maintain their
properties in good condition and appearance and to eliminate unsafe and unhealthy conditions.
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Over the years, the Home Depot site has added a large outdoor display area in front of the store
(plants, BBQ grills, sheds) and also stacked palettes of additional merchandise (wood, building
materials, and soil) along the sides/rear of the building. Both uses have created visual clutter and
potential safety issues with regard to fire access and possible inappropriate runoff into the storm water
system (from broken bags of fertilizer of other building materials). However, the applicant has
presented a revised site plan that would: 1) reduce the existing outdoor display area by 1,012 sf and
add bollards to provide a safe pedestrian walkway for customers using the outdoor display area; 2)
repaint red fire lane markers to ensure visibility; and 3) paint boundary areas designated for temporary
inventory staging to ensure that stacked palettes do not encroach into the required fire lanes.
The applicant has indicated that the proposed 11,376 sf of inventory "staging areas" is a necessary part
of the Home Depot operation and delivery system. They have presented a revised plan and indicated
their intent is to manage inventory and keep the palettes from encroaching into the fire lanes. Still, the
staging areas are likely to continue to present an element of clutter on site.
Zoning Ordinance Consistency:
The Zoning Designation for the Home Depot project site is Planned Development (PD1 895) and the
General Plan Land Use Designation is Light Industrial/Office.
Chapter 14.04 - Base District Regulations
The proposed development is subject to regulations under the Planned Development (PD1 895) District
adopted by the City Council in May 2011 for the Shoreline Center. This amended the previously
approved PD(1726) for the Shoreline Center Master Plan. The proposed project is in substantial
compliance with the PD(1895) regulations (as summarized in Property Facts chart on Page 1 of this
staff report). The site has an existing FAR of 0.26, which is below the maximum FAR of 0.32 allowed
per PD(1895). The addition of the proposed garden expansion (11,520 sf) and proposed outdoor
display areas (3,356 sf) would not increase the FAR on site because the areas are uncovered.
Chapter 18 — Parking Standards
The Home Depot project was approved in 1993. At that time, required parking was based on a rate of
5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross building square footage (1:200 sf). The original approval
required 512 spaces based on 102,190 sf of retail use (Home Depot store, excluding the garden
center). However, the project proposed and was approved with more parking spaces - a total of 552
spaces on site. There are currently 538 parking spaces on the project site. The current Zoning
Ordinance requires parking for retail at a rate of 4 spaces per 1,000 sf (1:250 sf). As such, the current
parking requirement for the Home Depot site would be 408 parking spaces and the site is currently
"over parked" (i.e., more spaces than required) per Chapter 18 standards. The project is proposing a
total of 461 spaces on the project site, after accounting for loss of 83 parking stalls from the garden
expansion, the seasonal sales area and staging area, and the addition of 6 parking spaces (previously
blocked by merchandise staging).
The applicant conducted a Preliminary Parking Analysis for the site in March 2017. The data reviewed
historic use and analyzed parking demand on site to determine whether the proposed project would
exceed parking supply on site. The parking study was reviewed by the City's Public Works Department
(DPW). DPW staff has indicated that they support the proposed project because the reduction in
parking (fenced merchandise area) is not a permanent building structure. Given the fact that the
proposed garden expansion area, seasonal sales area, and staging areas are not permanent
structures, and can be reduced in size if future parking demand warrants such, DPW determined that
they are willing to support the proposed project, with the following recommended Conditions of
Approval (COA) in the Use Permit:
1. If parking reaches capacity during the seasonal use, then the seasonal sales area shall be
reduced to accommodate additional parking.
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2. If the site reaches parking capacity due to the garden center expansion, the City can call the
Use Permit up for review and amendment, and require that some or all of the garden expansion
area be reverted back to parking. A new parking analysis study may also be required.
3. If the building were to ever change use or ownership then the required parking must be restored
or a Use Permit Amendment be processed.
4. This Use Permit (UP17-008) does not impart "grandfathered rights" for reduced parking on the
project site.
With DPW's conditional support, staff determined that the project will not have a negative impact on
parking availability on site. Staff reviewed the proposed DPW COA's with the applicant, and they have
agreed to the conditions as stated. The proposed project requires approval at the Zoning Administrator
level. The DPW condition language will be incorporated into the upcoming Zoning Administrator review
process. It is important to note that DPW calculated that there will be an additional 54 AM and 44 PM
peak trips associated with the proposed garden expansion, outdoor display areas and staging areas.
DPW has determined that based on the new trips generated, a traffic mitigation fee of $416,108 will be
required. If the square footages of any of the proposed areas are changed, the traffic mitigation fee may
be revised accordingly.
Chapter 25 — Environmental and Design Review Permit
There are no changes proposed to the existing building. The current site is basically operating with a
temporary garden expansion area (recently approved per Temporary Use Permit (UP17-007), as well
as unpermitted outdoor display areas and staging areas that have been in operation without permits for
several years. As such, the legalization of the changes will represent minimal changes to the project
site. The proposed garden expansion would be on the west side of the building and enclosed with a
black coated wire fence (see Plan Sheet 1). Also proposed is a permanent "seasonal sales" area
(approximately 6 months of the year) for special merchandise sales, located in the parking lot directly
south of the garden expansion area. This area would be enclosed with the same black coated wire
fence or a white tent, depending on the type of merchandise on sale. Maintenance upgrades to the site,
including re -landscaping along the Shoreline Parkway frontage to improve site distance at the driveway
exit, replacing old trees and adding landscaping along the east property line is also proposed.
Specific architectural design considerations include, but are not limited to the following:
➢ Provision of a sense of entry
➢ Materials and colors should be consistent with the surrounding area
➢ Landscape design
The project is generally consistent with the design criteria of Section 14.25.050 of the Zoning Ordinance
in that: 1) the proposed changes to the site are designed to have a minimal visual impact; 2) the
proposed fence materials and colors are compatible with the existing fences approved for surroundings
businesses; 3) landscaping at the front of the site would be re -designed to promote vehicular safety
when exiting the driveway; and 4) existing old trees in the parking lot area that are not thriving would be
replaced with a more appropriate trees species.
The proposed outdoor display area along the front of the building has been reduced in size by 1,012 sf,
thereby creating space for a much needed pedestrian walkway (ranging between 5 feet - 12 feet in
width). This change will help reduce the existing haphazard clutter at the building entrance and
improve the building's "sense of entry", which is one of the considerations listed in both Chapter
14.25.050 of the Zoning Ordinance and the San Rafael Non -Residential Design Guidelines. Chapter 25
states that development should be harmoniously integrated in relation to both the specific site design
and the architecture in the vicinity in terms of colors and materials, scale and building design. Given
the nature of this type of home improvement business, staff has determined that the new design is an
organized way to present inventory and would be a vast improvement on the existing conditions.
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San Rafael Non -Residential Design Guidelines
These Guidelines are discretionary and intended to assist projects in achieving high quality design.
Staff has determined the proposed design of the garden expansion minimizes impact on the existing
building design because: a) it is an extension of the existing building along the west side; and b) the
garden expansion would be enclosed with a chain link fence (coated black to help improve the fence
appearance). In addition, the landscaping has been upgraded at the front and side of the property to
enhance the site. The original landscape plan required plants along the rear of the property to help
screen the building. Several of the trees planted still remain. However, in recent years there has been
an explosion of homeless encampments along the rear of the Home Depot building that presents a
safety concern. Planning staff met on site with the property owner and San Rafael Police staff to
discuss thinning out overgrown shrubs and removing low limbs on existing trees. The changes made
are reflected in Plan Sheet 7.
Staff is in support of the project design choices, and has determined that the project is generally
consistent with the intent of the Non -Residential Design Guidelines.
NEIGHBORHOOD CORRESPONDENCE
A courtesy notice for the Design Review Board hearing was mailed to all property owners and
occupants within a radius of 300 feet of the subject property within 15 days prior to the Board's
meeting. In addition, a public notice sign was also posted at the site along the Shoreline Parkway
street frontage. To date, staff has received no comments on the proposed project.
CONCLUSION
Staff is generally supportive of the proposed project and has determined that on balance, the proposed
changes would be an improvement to the existing site design. However, staff requests the Board's
comments on the following items (also shown on Page 3):
➢ Whether the proposed changes to the front outdoor display area complies with the Board's
recommendations.
➢ Whether the proposed staging areas along the site perimeter should be reduced or screened.
➢ Appropriateness of landscape choices for the landscaped area near the main exit on Shoreline
Parkway, and along the east property line.
EXHIBITS
1. Project Vicinity Map
Full-sized plans and 11' x 17" reduced plans have been provided to the DRB members only.
cc: Scott Mommer, 4694 Jacquelyn Avenue, Fresno, CA 93722
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