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PC MINS 19850625MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION JUNE 25, 1985 The meeting was called to order at 7:35 P.M. by Chairman McNulty at Hesse Park Community Building, 29301 Hawthorne Boulevard. Director Hightower conducted the swearing-in ceremony of new Commissioner Jay D. Hodge. PRESENT: McNULTY, HODGE, ORTOLANO, VON HAGEN, WIKE ABSENT: NONE Also present were Director of Environmental Services Sharon Hightower, Associate Planner Steve Rubin, and Assistant Planner Greg Fuz. COMMUNICATIONS A letter from the City Attorney regarding the Kearns Certificate of Compliance was distributed. CONSENT CALENDAR A correction was made to page 2 Minutes of June 11, 1985 paragraph 5 "the majority decision of the commission The minutes were approved as amended 3-0; with Commissioners Ortolano and Hodge abstaining. NEW BUSINESS Conditional Use Permit No. 92 Amendment The staff report was presented Salvation Army 30840 HAWTHORNE BLVD. by Assistant Planner Greg Fuz which recommended adoption of Resolution PC No. 85-13 approving the revision to the Conditional Use Permit, subject to the con- ditions in Exhibit A. The Commission questioned staff regarding parking requirements, a County trail plan, and requirements for trees. Chairman McNulty opened the public hearing. Sunshine, 6 Limetree, representing the Peninsula Horsemen's Association and the Four Cities Equestrian Subcommittee, requested the Commission to con- sider requiring an easement for an equestrian trail adjacent to Palos Verdes Drive South. She stated the existence of a County adopted trail plan which circles the Peninsula and submitted materials on that plan dated 1956. Mr. Von Hagen moved to close the public hearing; seconded by Mrs. Wike and passed unanimously. 601.CP-MIN.1-3 Minutes June 25, 1985 Page 2 Commission concerns included that a trail easement was not appropriate since it was not in the City's adopted Trail Plan, the replacement of trees, and whether parking requirements were adequate. Mrs. Wike moved to reopen the public hearing since the applicant's repre- sentative wished to speak; seconded by Mrs. Ortolano and passed unani- mously. Thomas House, 4815 Arbor Road, Long Beach, the project architect, stated that the space which would be vacated with storage of materials in the new structure was not particularly usable space but was closets and so forth. Mr. Von Hagen moved to close the public hearing; seconded by Mr. McNulty and passed unanimously. There was additional discussion regarding the parking requirements and guarding against future problems of intensified use. It was agreed to amend Condition No. 2 in Exhibit A to allow removal of the existing Eucalyptus providing the area was replanted with additional trees. It was moved by Mrs. Wike to approve the application in concept with Con- dition No. 2 amended and adding a Condition No. 8 that, if the intensity of use is increased by converting the present storage facilities to higher intensity uses, the Conditional Use Permit must be reviewed by the Commission; seconded by Mrs. Ortolano. Mr. Von Hagen moved amendment to the motion to direct staff to verify the parking necessary to serve the vacated uses in the existing building. The motion for amendment died for lack of a second. The original motion passed by majority vote with Mr. Von Hagen dissenting. Chairman McNulty advised the applicants of their rights to appeal. ,Variance No. 120 Gardner The staff report was presented 5762 Ravenspur Drive by Associate Planner Steve Rubin on this request for approval of a variance to encroach into the required street side setback for purposes of an exterior renovation involving new construction. The staff recommendation was to approve the Variance subject to the conditions contained in Exhibit A of the proposed resolution. Chairman McNulty opened the public hearing. 601.CP-MIN.1-3 4 01 Minutes June 25, 1985 Page 3 Ted Gardner, 777 Silverspur, Rolling Hills Estates, the applicant, stated that all of the bedrooms fronted on Hawthorne, there was need for noise attenuation, there is storage on the balconies now, and the application was for bronze frames, not bronze glass, with single pane glass. Mr. Von Hagen moved to close the public hearing; seconded by Mrs. Wike and passed unanimously. Commission concerns included use of the enclosed balconies for storage, Fire Department requirements, the massive appearance of the glass enclosed balconies, tinted glass, and double pane glass for noise attenuation. It was moved by Mr. Von Hagen to adopt Resolution P.C. No. 85-13 approving Variance No. 120 subject to the conditions contained in Exhibit A. It was moved by Mrs. Ortolano to amend the motion to require tinted glass in the balcony enclosures. The motion died for lack of a second. It was moved by Mrs. Wike to table the application for further investiga- tion of sound proofing and other alternatives; seconded by Mrs. Ortolano and passed by majority with Mr. Von Hagen and Mr. McNulty dissenting. It was moved by Mrs. Wike to rescind the previous motion to table and to reopen and continue the public hearing and direct the applicant to explore other alternatives within 30 days; seconded by Mr. Hodge and passed by the majority with Mr. Von Hagen and Mr. McNulty dissenting. Chairman McNulty advised the applicant of his rights to appeal. ,.Variance No. 122 Grading No. 812 The staff report was presented Kearns by Associate Planner Steve 6317 Via Colinita Rubin for this request to construct a single family resi- dence on a slope exceeding 35% with a direct access garage having a less than the 20 feet front setback and the height of the residence exceeding the downhill height of 30 feet by 8 feet. The staff recommended that the Commission discuss and determine which variance or variances the Commission believes are justified and direct the applicant to redesign the proposed structure to comply with those requirements. Chairman McNulty opened the public hearing. Regina Lande, 6437 Via Colinita, stated that the proposal bent Art Jury rules, it would create a lack of privacy if trees are trimmed, the plan should be restructured due to the size of the lot, the parkways should not be encroached upon due to safety, privacy, and children's play space, and requested that the plans be modified or a larger parcel selected. 601.CP-MIN.1-3 Minutes June 25, 1985 Page 4 Fredrick Kearns, 18406 Hawthorne Blvd., #206, Torrance, the applicant, addressed the concerns listed in the staff report. He stated that they had met the requirements of the Art Jury including one which required the garage and house roof to be tied together, trees would hide the view of his house, there was enough driveway to park in between the curb and the garage, the grading was minimal, the location of the house at a higher ele- vation was better for privacy of neighbors below, and if he had not pro- posed a gym on the bottom floor and did not attach the house to the garage that the house would meet the 30 ft. height limit with a 5 ft. crippled wall. Mr. Von Hagen moved to close the public hearing; seconded by Mr. Hodge and passed unanimously. Commission concerns included that the house was too large for the lot, new structures should meet Code requirements, and the setbacks are not necessarily a problem but the overall height is. Mrs. Wike moved to support staff alternative No. 3, to direct the applicant to redesign the proposed house to comply with all setback and height requirements; seconded by Mrs. Ortolano and defeated 2-3 with Mr. Hodge, Mr. Von Hagen and Mr. McNulty casting dissenting votes. Mrs. Ortolano moved to approve staff alternative No. 4 to give conceptual approval to the application except for the height variance and direct the applicant to redesign the proposed structured to comply with the Code height requirements; seconded by Mrs. Wike and approved by majority with Mr. McNulty dissenting. Chairman McNulty advised the applicant of appeal rights. INFORMAL HEARINGS ..Conditional Use Permit No. 23-REV.D Assistant Planner Greg Fuz gave Hanger the staff report on this Lot 2, Tract 32991 request to revise the approved building envelope and to allow for lesser setbacks and open space. The staff recommended that the appli- cant redesign within the envelope created by the preestablished setbacks, subject to review and approval of the Director of Environmental Services. Staff clarified the proposed building envelope location and the side set- backs proposed. Robert Earl, 420 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, architect, stated that the proposal meets the standard RS -1 zoning standards except for open space, the reduced open space is due to the long driveway and basketball court, the Conditional Use Permit footprints are too small for today's market, and the L -shape of the house has large side setbacks in the front area. 601.CP-MIN.1-3 41 Minutes June 25, 1985 Page 5 David Hohmann, 420 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, Planning Director with the architectural firm, compared the General Plan, Development Code, Conditional Use Permit No. 23 to the proposal. Commission concerns included the RPD requirements, the relationship of the adjacent lot which is the smallest in the tract, the size of the proposed house compared to lot size, and that the setback deviations are the larger problem. Mrs. Ortolano moved to adopt staff alternative No. 3, to allow the appli- cant to redesign within the envelope created by the preestablished setbacks subject to the review and approval of the Director of Environmental Services; seconded by Mrs. Wike and approved by the majority with Mr. Von Hagen and Mr. McNulty dissenting. Chairman McNulty advised the applicant of his appeal rights. -,Grading No. 784 Assistant Planner Fuz gave the Environmental Assessment No. 465, staff report on this request to Encroachment Permit No. 2 allow illegal grading and ter - London racing to remain on a 1-J: 1 3300 Crownview Drive slope for the purpose of improving drainage and land- scaping and also to allow an encroachment into the public right of way for grading and fencing. The staff recommendation was to approve staff alter- native No. 3 to require partial restoration of the slope subject to the mitigation measures found in the Initial Study and to approve encroachments for the proposed fence and the restoration of the terraced slope. The Commission questioned the impacts of complete restoration and if the City could require recording on the deed of the unstable nature of the lot. Chairman McNulty opened the informal hearing James London, 3300 Crownview Dr., applicant, stated he has had severe drainage problems in the past with seepage into the house, the house was not built according to Code but was approved by the City, drainage was not constructed according to plan, and he had had a lake on lower part of the hill. Doug McHattie, South Bay Engineering, applicant's representative stated he would like some time to discuss the alternatives proposed by staff. They had dried out the slope and the rubble walls have a stability factor of 1.5:1. 601.CP-MIN.1-3 Minutes June 25, 1985 Page 6 Joe Jacobelli, 29611 Highpoint Road, a neighbor of the applicant, stated that the applicant has been doing constant work on the slope since December 1984, and he was concerned about rocks coming down on his property and about mud after it rains. Mr. London stated he had had work done only on the drainage system and planting of trees, grapes, etc. Commission concerns included the severity of the problem, the public safety hazard along the street, the potential of rocks falling downhill, and that this was a very technical problem which needed a technical solution. Chairman McNulty moved to continue this item for 30 days to allow the City's geologist, the applicant's engineer, and staff to meet and discuss the alternatives and to see if there was a common solution; seconded by Mr. Hodge and approved unanimously. REPORTS COMMISSION None. STAFF Director Hightower reported on Council action taken at the June 20, 1985 meeting approving a staff recommendation to ini- tiate a specific plan for the Western Avenue area including the Harbor Heights Shopping Center. She explained the number of proposals which staff has recently received for commercial construction along Western Avenue and the need for specific plans to be prepared before these applications are heard. Staff proposes to have an initial meeting with the Commission soon to outline the specific plan procedure and schedule. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 12:10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. July 2, 1985. 601.CP-MIN.1-3