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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDRB 2016-11-09 #2r t I SAN RAFAE L. THE CITY WITH A MISSION Community Development Department — Planning Division Meeting Date: November 9, 2016 Case Numbers: CDR16-007 Project Planner: Alan Montes — (415) 485-3397 Agenda Item: REPORT TO DESIGN REVIEW BOARD SUBJECT: 3773 Redwood Highway (Oakmont Senior Living) — Conceptual Design Review for redevelopment of a 1.29 acre site with a three story senior assisted living facility containing ninety-two (92) units, with a maximum capacity of 100 beds, and 50 parking spaces; APN: 179-064-01; GC Zone; William Mabry, Applicant; Eric Ziedrich, Owner; Civic Center Neighborhood. PROPERTY FACTS Location General Plan Designation Project Site: GC North: GC South: GC East: N/A (Highway 101) West: HR1 Lot Size Required: 6,000 sf Proposed: 56,125 sf (existing) Zoning Designation GC GC GC N/A HR1 Existing Land -Use Retail Retail, Restaurant Retail Highway Multi -Family Residential Lot Coverage Allowed: No restriction Proposed: Approximately 54% or 30,528sf Height Residential Density Allowed: 36' Allowed: 56 Dwelling units (1: 1000sf) Proposed: 35' Proposed: TBD (Appears that 30 dwelling units are proposed) Parking Required: 50 Proposed: 50 Tree Removal/Replanting Setbacks* Total(No./species): Not available at this time Required Proposed Proposed: n/a Front: n/a 1' Side: 10' 10' Landscape Area Ext. side: n/a 0' Required: 15% (8,417.75 sf) Rear: n/a 12' Proposed: Not calculated * Where the frontage of a block is partially in an R district, the front yard shall be the same as required for that R district, and when the side and/or rear of the lot(s) abuts an R district, the respective side and/or rear yard shall be ten feet (10). Parking or maneuvering shall be permitted within the required side and rear yards provided that a minimum six-foot wide landscape buffer area, excluding curbs, is provided adjacent to the side and rear property lines. SUMMARY The project is being referred to the Design Review Board (Board) for conceptual design review of site and design improvements of a senior care facility located at the corner of Las Gallinas Ave. and Redwood Highway. Conceptual review is required for development projects subject to Major Design Review pursuant to San Rafael Municipal Code Section 14.25.030.B. Board review is requested to provide comment on the design approach, prior to formal submittal of zoning entitlements. As proposed, the project would require major Design Review approval and Use Permit approval (for the Large Senior Care Facility). Formal project review would be required at the Planning Commission level. Staff has requested comments on the following topics, in addition to any other design comments noted at the Board meeting: Visual compatibility within the area and the appropriateness of the height. • Staff has some concerns regarding the visual mass and bulk of the East/West walls, as the walls are long and relatively unbroken. i Landscaping suggestions along the exterior of the structure. BACKGROUND The site is currently developed with a 19,684 sq. ft. retail space (previously, Hudson Street Design). The site was originally developed as a furniture store in 1971 and has continued the use throughout its history. The applicant has submitted for a Pre -application concurrently with the Conceptual Design Review. The City is still working on completing the Pre -application review. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The project consists of demolition of the existing commercial structure and onsite parking and construction of a new 35' tall, 3 -story building with 48 on-site parking spaces under the facility and two (2) spaces at -grade. The structure is proposed to be 92,272 sq. ft. on a 56,125 sq. ft. lot and proposes 92 units with 27 of those units dedicated to memory care (100 beds maximum). Currently only approximately 30 of the units qualify as dwelling units and be counted as density. The facility includes a private and formal dining room, a cafe, entertainment/ activity rooms, beauty salon, library, and a courtyard. ANALYSIS General Plan 2020 Consistency: The following policies are pertinent to the Boards review and comment on the project design concept: General Plan Policy CD -10 (Nonresidential Design Guidelines) recognizes that new structures should be visually compatible with the surrounding structures. ➢ Policy NH -86 (Design Considerations for Development in the Vicinity of the Civic Center) this property is located within the Civic Center Neighborhood, which the requires: o Urban design analysis to assure compatibility. of materials, color and building masses with the Civic Center. o Functional inter -connection with the Civic Center. ➢ Policy NH -148 (Residential Use at the End of Merrydale Road) promotes residential use at the end of Merrydale Rd. This property is located near the end of Merrydale Rd. A comprehensive review of all General Plan policies would be conducted at time of formal submittal. The project is generally consistent with the General Plan 2020. The pertinent design criteria contained 2 within the General Plan have been incorporated into the design guidelines criteria which are discussed below. Zoning Ordinance Consistency: Development Standards Site Plan The GC zoning District does not require setbacks except for "where the frontage of a block is partially in an R district, the front yard shall be the same as required for that R district, and when the side and/or rear of the lot(s) abuts an R district, the respective side and/or rear yard shall be ten feet (10')". This property is adjacent to the rear yard of a HR1 zoned property and is required to provide a ten ft. (10') side setback. Since this adjacent residential property does not front on Las Gallinas Ave., like the project, staff finds that the proposed project is not required to provide the 15 ft. front setback. The project is subject to maximum density, height limits and parking standards which are discussed below. Density Only the units that have kitchens are counted as density. Pursuant to section 14.030.02 of the Zoning Ordinance; Kitchen means any portion of a structure equipped, used or intended to be used for the storage, preparation, and cooking of foods with proximal arrangement of two (2) or more of the following: (a) sink (other than that associated with a bathroom), (b) food storage and preparation areas, (c) refrigerator, or (d) cooking appliances including a stove, microwave oven, convection oven, cooking burners or similar appliances. The storage of food in a pantry, freezer or refrigerator located in any area of the structure shall not, by itself, classify such area of the structure as a kitchen. The project appears to propose approximately 30 dwelling units. The other 62 units do not propose kitchens. Staff will request more details of the unit floorplans and breakdown of what's proposed in each unit for the formal application. Hecht The site is subject to a 36' height limit pursuant to 14.05.030 of the San Rafael Municipal Code. The project proposes a 35' -high structure. Staff is requesting the Board's opinion on the appropriateness of the height of the structure. The applicant has provided an exhibit (See aerial photo; Exhibit 3) showing the relative height of the adjacent properties. Parking The parking requirement for assisted living facilities is one (1) space for each five (5) clients plus one (1) space for each staff person, visiting doctor or employee on maximum staffed shift. The applicant has provided a parking study prepared by Crane Transportation Group. The parking study identifies that facility will need to provide 50 parking spaces based on the facility having 92 bedrooms with up to 100 beds, a maximum of 25 employees during a single shift, and up to five (5) visitors (including health professionals). 1 space for each 5 beds = 20 spaces 1 space for each staff member, during a shift = 25 spaces 1 space per maximum number of visitors = 5 spaces TOTAL 50 Spaces The project currently proposes 48 underground parking spaces and two (2) parking spaces in front of the building. San Rafael Design Guidelines: In addition to the specific zoning criteria listed above, the nonresidential design guidelines may be used for guidance and to ensure compliance with the General Plan 2020 design criteria. The pertinent nonresidential design guidelines criteria are attached. The Board may provide further comments on the project with respect to these design criteria. NEIGHBORHOOD CORRESPONDENCE Notice of the meeting was posted on-site and mailed to residents and occupants within 300 feet of the site, the Rafael Meadows and North San Rafael Neighborhood Coalition at least 15 days prior to the meeting date. In addition notice was posted on the site, along the redwood Hwy. frontage, at least 15 days prior to the meeting. To date, no comments have been received as a result of this noticing. CONCLUSION Staff requests that the Board provide comments on the conceptual plan, and specifically address the points listed in the Summary section. *3:1131'? 1. Vicinity Map 2. Non -Residential Design Guidelines 3. Aerial Photo; Neighboring Heights 4. Applicant's Statement 5. Auto -Cad Elevation, Drawings (This exhibit was a late addition, as it was received on 11/3/16) 6. Reduced plans Full-sized plans have been provided to the DRB members only. cc: Applicant 112 Exhibit 1 Vicinity Map MARIN COUNTY CIVIC CENTER LJ`�lt^� Y� F �5`�^�Lt' 61 Exhibit 2 NONRESIDENTIAL DESIGN GUIDELINES As modifications are made to San Rafael, whether through public improvements or as private development affects neighborhoods or the Downtown, the design quality of these changes should improve the quality of life in San Rafael. These guidelines provide a framework of design principles that builds on the strength of the existing character of an area and that strives to improve the visual unity of the area. Parking Lots • A logical sequence of entry and arrival as part of the site's design should be provided. • Where possible, design entrances from the street to direct views towards the building entry. • Parking should be distributed to provide easy access to building entrances. • Where possible, parking should be located to the rear or side of a building in order to reduce the visual impact of parking areas. • Design for adequate vehicle maneuverability in parking areas. Vehicles should not back out from a parking space onto the street. • Parking areas should be screened from the street with hedges, walls, fences or berms, subject to security considerations. • On major arterials, where possible and appropriate, consolidate curb cuts and reduce entry and exit conflicts. • Auto and pedestrian entrances into the development should be easy to find. For example, special entry treatments, such as colored concrete, special planting and signage should be located at the entries to the site. • Shade trees should be provided in parking lots per the zoning ordinance. Landscaping • Landscaped areas should be planned as integral parts of the development and to create a strongly landscaped character for the site. • Unsightly uses should be screened. • Commercial signage or displays should not be hidden with landscaping. • Trees should be planted in a variety of locations, such as along the side property lines, clustered in planting areas, or distributed throughout the parking lot, consistent with the zoning ordinance. • Pedestrian areas should be made visually attractive with special planting and flowering trees. • Where feasible, landscape the area between the building and the property line even when a building is located at the minimum required side or rear yard setback. • Retain and maintain existing public street trees and add additional street trees where practical. Lighting • Limit the intensity of lighting to provide for adequate site security and for pedestrian and vehicular safety. • Shield light sources to prevent glare and illumination beyond the boundaries of the property. • Lighting fixtures should complement the architecture of the project. Pedestrian Circulation • Consider pedestrian orientation when designing building entries, windows, signage and 0 doors. • Include a well-defined pedestrian walkway between the street and building entries. • Clearly define pedestrian movement through the parking lot. For example, provide changes in pavement or separate landscaped walkways. • Where appropriate, pedestrian walkways should be provided between adjacent lots. • Special design elements should be included, such as bollards, pots, benches, trash cans, unique paving, tree grates, tree guards and pedestrian lighting to add visual richness to areas designed for pedestrian access. • Where appropriate, include outdoor gathering places and seating for the public. • Adequate facilities should be provided for bicycle parking, consistent with zoning requirements. Building Form • Where appropriate, locate the building, or a substantial portion of the building along the front yard setback or street edge to create spatial enclosure in relation to the street. • Consider the pedestrian experience when designing the ground floor of buildings. • A continuity of design, materials, color, form and architectural details is encouraged for all portions of a building and between all the buildings on the site. • Consider the development's visual and spatial relationship to adjacent buildings and other structures in the area. Entryways • A defined sense of entry with pedestrian orientation should be provided. • Building entrances should be defined with architectural elements such as roof form changes, awnings or other architectural elements. Towers • If a tower is included in the design, it should perform a definite on-site function, such as delineating an entrance to a site or a building entry, or emphasizing a display window. • The tower should provide an attractive distinctive silhouette against the sky. • Where appropriate, the visual bulk of the upper portion of the tower should be reduced to reduce its apparent bulk, for example with openings through it or with open latticework. Arcades • Arcades may be used in shopping areas to provide weather protection for shoppers, add a sense of unity to a larger project and/or provide depth to the building. • Arcades may be topped with a simple broad band for tenant signing. • Internal illumination may be used to emphasize arcade forms at night. Awnings • Where appropriate, provide well-designed awnings to enhance the design of the building, provide weather protection, and add liveliness, interest and a sense of human scale. • Provide a uniform treatment of awnings on multi -tenant buildings. • Awning colors may be varied and should be compatible with the colors of the building and of adjacent buildings. • Signs may be provided on an awning, consistent with the zoning ordinance. • Translucent, internally illuminated awnings are not encouraged. • The following building code standards are included for reference: o Minimum height above grade: 8 feet; 14 feet at alleys, parking lots or other areas with vehicular traffic 7 o Maximum horizontal projection (from face of building): 7 feet, or 66% of the distance between the building and curb, whichever is less o Minimum distance to curb: 2 feet between the awning and curb Materials and Colors Use articulation, texturing and detailing on all concrete exposed to exterior view. Exterior materials should minimize reflectivity. Use color to provide appropriate accents on a building. 0 z W W N Ll O a w F; H to C W O O O 0 G) 0 m m m OAKMONT of SAN RAFAEL Oakmont Senior Living is submitting an application to bring our assisted living services to the city. To accomplish this we are proposing to replace the current single story showroom building, built in 19711, on the 56, 125 square foot lot at 3773 Redwood Hwy with a new state of the art senior assisted living community. The surrounding land uses are: To the north of the site is Las Gallinas Ave followed by two story apartments and La Hacienda Taqueria. The East side of the property is bordered by Redwood Hwy and then the 101 freeway. The South is Herb's Pool Service. To the West is a three story senior apartment building and another three story apartment complex. We believe this one acre site will be an ideal location for our residents to enjoy the accessibility and close proximity to all the amenities that the city of San Rafael has to offer. The proposed project will provide ninety two (92) assisted living units offering a wide range of services within a gracious and secure environment. All the units of this senior health care facility will be licensed by the State of California Department of Social Services as a Residential Care Facility for the elderly, classified as "Assisted Living". This three story structure will be designed architecturally from the ground up to provide for the special needs of our seniors. All the rooms will be supplemented with common areas to promote friendships and create a sense of open community. The building will also be fully sprinkled and built using type III A two hour construction. This community will provide amenities such as private and formal dining rooms, a cafe, entertainment and activity rooms, beauty salon, library, outside courtyard and more. There will be an in-house fitness center, and a private Surround -Sound theater. Luxurious comfort will be defined by the fine woodwork, elegant furnishings, artwork, fireplaces, and fresh flowers. Conversation areas are strategically located throughout the building to promote socializing. In this fully licensed residential care community, residents will receive healthy meals in our dining room, housekeeping, assistance from knowledgeable staff, an emergency response system, programs and health screening. The dining room and exhibition kitchen will be operated like a restaurant directed by a chef. Breakfast is served from 7 to 9:30AM, lunch from 11:30AM to 1:30PM, and dining from 5 to 8PM. Progressive care needs of the residents will be, addressed by providing high levels of - assisted living in their individual units. This will fulfill our aging -in-place philosophy allowing our residents to stay in their chosen unit. At move -in the majority of our residents are in their early to late 80's. They utilize a myriad of assisted living services offered within the community such as our in house concierge doctor program and diabetes management. In addition; twenty seven (27) of the units are set aside for memory care. The memory care program will be offered in a specifically designed area for residents with Alzheimer's or Dementia. Being that few residents drive, we take care of their transportation needs by providing a small bus and driver along with a town car. The Staff will take residents to shops, doctor appointments and community activities. We are happy to say our parking will consist of fifty (50) spaces which will more than accommodate all our parking needs. Housekeeping services, residential and grounds maintenance, and 24-hour on-site management are among the many amenities that provide peace -of -mind. In addition to our personal service philosophy, we promote intergenerational opportunities and work closely with the community to develop ongoing programs. Being that this is a licensed facility the property will be operated on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week. The number of employees will fluctuate throughout the day. That being said we anticipate about sixteen employees du ing the day and evening shifts and three employees for the night shift. All shifts will not start during the AM/PM peak commute times. The morning shift starts at 6 Alla the Afternoon shift will start at 2 PM and the night shift at 10PM. We are proud to say at our facilities over fifty percent of our employees are residents of the local community.. We anticipate the new project will have a similar percentage of employees living in San Rafael. Our facility will have little or no impact with regard to: • Traffic: -Low impact, and would not affect the AM/PM peak commute times. ® Schools: All residents are senior citizens; therefore schools are not affected. ® Noise: Probably the least noise of any type of development. Socially and economically our proposal provides much needed high quality services for seniors, full time jobs for the local community and will support the local economy. ANCILLARY SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY Construction Phase • Subcontractors, such as Framing -Grading -Concrete -Painters -Drywall -Roofing • Materials suppliers -Concrete and gravel -Lumber -Landscape and nursery • Industrial equipment rental Physical Plant • Landscaping service • Service companys and supplies • Pest control • Window cleaning • Commercial cleaning services • Fire sprinkler and alarm maintenance • Elevator/HVAC maintenance • Kitchen and culinary supplies Personal/Business Services • Food service • Banking and financial services • Commerciallaundry • Doctors • Florist • Bottled water • Medical prescriptions • Massage therapist • Hairdresser • Entertainment -Landscaping -Masonry -Plumbing -Electrical -HVAC • Moving services • Cable TV • Auto and van purchase and maintenance • Chemical and housekeeping supplies • Exterminator • Personal care supplies • Medical equipment purchase and rental a Newspaper advertising EMPLOYWNT NEEDS We anticipate that the majority of our employees will be hired from within the community. a Caregivers Housekeeping ® Culinary staff Nursing staff Business Manager ® Office staff ® Marketing ® Maintenance personnel ® Concierge • Activity Directors Oakmont of San Rafael Assisted Living & Memory Care DESIGN CONCEPT Architecture Given the 35' height of this building and considering the variety of the architectural styles in this neighborhood, we have developed exterior elevations that tend to break up the massing of the building as well as provide streetscape elements that lend a pedestrian scale to this building. "Bungalow", "Craftsman" or "Arts & Crafts" are terms that describe the exterior architectural style of the building. This style incorporates oriental influences from the early twentieth century, which now has become a west coast architectural style reflecting elements of low pitched gable roofs with generous overhangs. Exterior walls use wood shingles, stucco and natural stone facing. The building entrance uses timber framing. Windows reflect the multi -pane divisions normally found with this architectural style.