Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, November 01, 2022
Special Orders of the Day
SUBJECT:
Title
PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER APPROVAL OF MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING REPORTING PROGRAM, GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. 109-20, SPECIFIC PLAN NO. 23-20, AND ZONE CHANGE NO. 184-21 FOR A 19-UNIT MULTIPLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT ON TWO VACANT PARCELS TOTALING .52 ACRES LOCATED AT 21240-21250 MAIN STREET, APNS 7334-002-007 AND 7334-002-008 (CITY COUNCIL)
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I. SUMMARY
On September 27, 2022, the Planning Commission conducted a public hearing and unanimously adopted Resolution No. 22-2842 approving Site Plan and Design Review No. 1832-20 for a 19-unit multiple-family residential development project known as Carson Lofts, consisting of two separate 3-story-high buildings on two vacant parcels at 21240-21250 Main Street (APNs 7334-002-007 & 008). (Exhibit No. 1)
In addition, the Planning Commission resolution recommended that the City Council adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program (MND/MMRP), and approve General Plan Amendment No. 109-20, Zone Change No. 184-21, and Specific Plan No. 23-20, for the proposed project. (Exhibit No. 1)
The subject of the item for City Council’s consideration is the proposed MND/MMRP, General Plan Amendment, Zone Change, and Specific Plan.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
TAKE the following actions:
1. OPEN the public hearing, TAKE public comment, and CLOSE the public hearing;
2. INTRODUCE, for first reading by title only and with full reading waived, Ordinance No. 22-2220, “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF CITY OF CARSON, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING SPECIFIC PLAN NO. 23-20 (CARSON LOFTS SPECIFIC PLAN) AND ZONE CHANGE NO. 184-21 FROM COMMERCIAL GENERAL WITH A DESIGN OVERLAY (CG-D) TO SPECIFIC PLAN NO. 23-20 (CARSON LOFTS SPECIFIC PLAN), RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 19-UNIT MULTIPLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON TWO VACANT PARCELS TOTALING 0.52 ACRES AT 21240-21250 MAIN STREET (APNS 7334-002-007 AND 7334-002-008); and
3. ADOPT Resolution No. 22-211, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARSON, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM, AND APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. 109-20 TO CHANGE THE GENERAL PLAN LAND USE DESIGNATION FROM GENERAL COMMERCIAL TO URBAN RESIDENTIAL, RELATED TO APPROVAL OF A 19-UNIT MULTIPLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON TWO VACANT PARCELS TOTALING 0.52 ACRES AT 21240-21250 MAIN STREET (APNS 7334-002-007 AND 7334-002-008)”.
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE any other action the City Council deems appropriateIV. BACKGROUND
Project Description
The proposed project is a 19-unit, multiple-family residential development consisting of two separate 3-story-high apartment buildings on two vacant parcels totaling 0.52 acres. One parcel will be developed with a 12,331-square-foot, 11-unit building with 24 at-grade parking spaces. The other will be developed with a 10,152-square-foot, 8-unit building with 18 at-grade parking spaces.
Surrounding Uses and Compatibility
The subject project site is located on the northeast corner of 213th Street and Main Street. The land uses surrounding the proposed project site are primarily residential uses to the south, west and east, and commercial to the north. The proposed apartment development will help provide a transitional use between the commercial uses to the north and the single-family homes to the east and south of the project site.
Site History
City records indicate the following chronology of uses. All improvements were demolished in 1987 and the site has remained vacant since.
• 1947 - Gas Station
• 1952 - Real Estate Office
• 1956 - Grocery Store
• 1960 - Beer Bar
• 1965 - Church
General Plan Amendment (GPA No. 109-20)
The subject property at 21240-50 Main Street currently has a General Plan land use designation of General Commercial. The proposed project is not consistent with said land use designation, so the applicant proposes GPA No. 109-20 to change the subject property’s General Plan land use designation from General Commercial to Urban Residential, a land use designation which would allow densities up to 65 dwelling units per acre (subject to applicable specific plan/zoning maximums discussed below).
Specific Plan (SP No. 23-20) and Zone Change (ZCC No. 184-21)
The subject property is currently zoned Commercial General, Design Overlay (CG-D). The proposed residential project is not consistent with the standards of the current Commercial General, Design Overlay (CG-D) zoning. To facilitate development of the multiple-family project, the applicant is requesting approval of Specific Plan No. 23-20, the Carson Lofts Specific Plan (Exhibit No. 3), and ZCC No. 184-21, a zone change to a Carson Lofts Specific Plan zoning designation (see Exhibit B to Exhibit No. 6), both applicable to the subject property. The Specific Plan’s maximum allowable residential density for uses on the property is 40 units per acre. The project’s actual density is 36.5 dwelling units per acre (19 units/.52 acres).
General Plan and Zoning Consistency
If GPA No. 109-20, SP No. 23-20, and ZCC No. 184-21 are approved, the proposed project will be consistent with the amended General Plan land use designation and the zoning designation, development standards, and allowable uses identified in the Specific Plan.
The proposed General Plan Amendment is consistent with the General Plan goals and policies. The proposed project furthers General Plan Land Use Element goals including:
• LU-6 (A sustainable balance of residential and non-residential development and a balance of traffic circulation throughout the City);
• LU-7 (Adjacent land uses that are compatible with one another);
• LU-9 (Eliminate all evidence of property deterioration throughout Carson);
• LU-12 (Create a visually attractive appearance throughout Carson); and
• LU-15 Promote development in Carson which reflects the “Livable Communities” concepts.
The proposed Specific Plan will guide the following:
• Allow development of an underutilized property to contribute to the City’s growth.
• Create a visually attractive appearance based on its design guidelines which include architectural style and landscape requirements that will result in an aesthetically pleasing project and enhance the streetscape.
• Contribute to the diversity of housing types that enable citizens from a wide range of economic levels and age groups to live in Carson.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
The City reviewed the environmental impacts of the proposed project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). A Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) (State Clearinghouse #202260615) was prepared and made available for a public review period from June 27, 2022, through July 27, 2022. No public comments were received in response to the draft MND, including none suggesting that an EIR should be prepared, and no significant revisions were made in the final MND. As assessed in the final MND, with incorporation of the proposed mitigation measures set forth therein and in the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, all of which are made conditions of project approval, the project will have no potentially significant environmental impacts. Based on the whole record, there is no substantial evidence that the project will have a significant effect on the environment (Exhibit No. 4).
V. FISCAL IMPACT
The project conditions of approval (see Exhibit B to Exhibit No. 2) require payment of applicable Community Facilities District (CFD) and Interim Development Impact Fees (DIF), as follows:
• CFD $20,461.86. The subject property falls under “Residential - All Others” rate at $1,076.94 per unit per year through June 30, 2023. The 19-unit development’s currently estimated annual amount for ongoing services is $20,461.86, subject to annual increases.
• DIF $351,225.64. The development impact fee is currently $18,485.56 per unit for Fiscal Year 2022-23. If paid during Fiscal Year 2022-23, the proposed development would be responsible for development impact fees of $351,225.64 (19 new units X $18,485.56 = $351,225.64). If the Project increases or decreases in size, the IDIF Amount will be adjusted accordingly at the same rate.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. Planning Commission Staff Report and Draft Minutes dated September 27, 2022, and Carson Lofts Development Plans (pgs.6-48)
2. Planning Commission Resolution No. 22-2842 dated September 27, 2022 (pgs. 49-67)
3. Ordinance No. 22-2220 (pgs. 68-74)
4. Resolution No. 22-211 (pgs. 75-82)
Prepared by: McKina Alexander, Associate Planner, Saied Naaseh, Community Development Director