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PC MINS 19970708CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING JULY 8, 1997 CALL TO ORDER APPROVED 7/22/97 610 c4 The meeting was called to order at 7.02 P.M. by Chairman Vannorsdall at the Hesse Park Community Building, 29310 Hawthorne Boulevard. FLAG SALUTE The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Director/Secretary Petru At this time Chairman Vannorsdall asked the Commission, Staff, and members of the audience to give a moment of silence for the passing of Commissioner Ng's mother ROLL CALL Present Commissioners Alberio, Cartwright, Slayden, Vice Chairman Whiteneck, Chairman Vannorsdall. Absent Commissioners Clark and Ng (both excused) Also present were Director/Secretary Petru, Senior Planner Snow, Associate Planner Fox, Assistant Planner Ward, and Recording Secretary Atuatasi APPROVAL OF AGENDA Commissioner Cartwright moved to approve the agenda as presented. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Alberio and passed, (5-0). Staff Director/Secretary Petru distributed 1) correspondence from Senator Karnette regarding the'Public Safety Fair' scheduled for Saturday, July 26, 1997 in Long Beach, and, 2) copies of the soil engineering investigation report regarding Agenda Item No. 3 (Grading Permit No. 1933) Commission None CONSENT CALENDAR Tentative Parcel Map No. 19062 - Time Extension; Robert and Marilyn Katherman, 18 Rockinghorse Road. Chairman Vannorsdall read aloud the requested action and Staff recommendation for this item. Commissioner Alberio moved to waive the reading of the Staff Report, seconded by Vice Chairman Whiteneck and passed, (5-0). Chairman Vannorsdall asked if there were any speakers for this item Recording Secretary Atuatasi stated that there were none Chairman Vannorsdall asked the Commission if they desired to discuss this item The Commission had no comments Vice Chairman Whiteneck moved to accept Staffs recommendation to approve the requested one (1) year extension, setting the expiration date of Tentative Parcel Map No. 19062 to June 9, 1998, via Minute Order. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Alberio, and passed (5-0). PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. Tentative Parcel Map No. 24546, Coastal Permit No. 134, Grading Permit No. 1882, and Environmental Assessment No. 685; Frank Sciarrotta, 6560 Palos Verdes Drive South. At this time Vice Chairman Whiteneck excused himself from the dias and indicated that he would not be participating on this item since he lived within close proximity of the subject property Senior Planner Snow presented the Staff Report and stated that the purpose of the hearing that evening was to examine the significance of negative environmental impacts resulting from the proposed subdivision and coastal permit, and consider the approval of the associated grading permit. Mr Snow stated that the applicant requested a subdivision of a 22,344 square foot lot into two lots The proposed lots would be 10,654 square feet and 11,690 square feet in size, respectively In addition, the applicant also requested 2,900 cubic yards of cut be exported from the site to lower the building pad heights Staff conducted the analysis for the proposed project and PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 1997 Page 2 concluded that based on the complex Issues related to view preservation, grading, drainage Staff did not recommend approval of the project as proposed Mr. Snow noted that retaining walls would be necessary along the eastern and southern property lines to keep all grading on-site and that drainage problems would occur as a result of reduction in the elevation of the pads. Staff recommended a revised project be approved with conditions 1) maximum ridge height not to exceed 236 feet, 2) pads to be graded down to elevation of 223 feet or less; 3) the applicant to obtain authorization to grade onto adjacent parcels to minimize the need for retaining walls; 4) the applicant to obtain drainage easements on adjacent parcels to drain the project to Sandy Point Drive, and, 5) submit revised grading plans detailing changes required for review and approval, and revise the Final Parcel Map to include all pertinent information and revised dimension Commissioner Alberto moved to open the Public Hearing, seconded by Commissioner Cartwright, and passed (5-0). Chairman Vannorsdall asked if there were any speakers for this item Mr. Tom Yuge, (applicant's civil engineer) 521 Faye Lane, Redondo Beach, CA 94277, stated that he and the applicant attempted to design the project to blend with the neighborhood, not destroy the existing slopes, and preserve an ocean view from the new lots Mr. Yuge felt that the subject property was penalized by the dip in Palos Verdes Drive South in front of the property. The portion of the ocean view that would be insignificant. He concluded by saying that he had accepted conditions as recommended by Staff, with the exception of lowering the pad elevations further Ms. Jacqueline Crowley. 32538 Coastsite Drive, stated that she lived two blocks away from Mr Sciarrotta's property Ms. Crowley believed that the ridgeline for the proposed project did not create any significant impact since it was in conformity with the neighboring properties Ms Crowley favored the proposed project. Mr. Frank Sciarrotta4' (applicant) 6560 Palos Verdes Drive South, stated that the ridge height of the adjacent homes in the Seabluff tract were 239 7 He asked the Commission to allow him the same ridge height so that he would be in conformity with the adjacent neighbors Chairman Vannorsdall asked the Commissioners if they desired to discuss this Item Commissioner Cartwright suggested that a mock-up would be helpful to the Commission when considering the ridge height of the proposed project He also suggested that Staff conduct a further view analysis to serve as supplement information in addition to the Staff Report provided PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 1997 Page 3 ri F1 `A Commissioner Slayden concurred with Commissioner Cartwright's statement. Chairman Vannorsdall also requested the applicant to build a sillouhette indicating the proposed ridge height in order to compare with the ridge height of the adjacent properties Commissioner Albeno stated that sillouhettes should be constructed for both lots for the Commission to view and to compare with the adjacent properties ridgeline. Chairman Vannorsdall stated that he was concerned that the Seabluff Homeowners Association had not provided any input regarding the project He felt that the homeowners in that area should have been notified of this public hearing Chairman Vannorsdall asked Director/Secretary Petru if the homeowners were notified Director/Secretary Petru replied that the homeowners were notified and that Staff would gladly re -notice the project if the Commission so desired Commissioner Slayden asked if the proposed project was part of the Seabluff Homeowners Association. Director/Secretary Petru replied that the subject property was not part of the Seabluff Homeowners Association, as the particular property was excluded from he project when the Seabluff project was subdivided in the early 1980's. Commissioner Slayden moved to continue the Public Hearing to July 22, 1997, seconded by Commissioner Alberio. Director/Secretary Petru was suggested that the hearing be continued to August 12, 1997, since the agenda for the meeting July 22, 1997 was full and there would not be adequate time for preparation of the Staff Report, conducting of a view analysis, and construction of the sillouhette. The Commission amended the motion to request that the applicant construct a mock-up for viewing and comparison purposes, direct Staff to conduct further analysis, and continue the Public Hearing to August 12, 1997. The revised passed,(4-0-1) with Vice Chairman Whiteneck abstaining. Chairman Vannorsdall encouraged the applicant to work together with the Seabluff Homeowners Association PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 1997 Page 4 RECESS AND RECONVENE There was a brief recess at 8 35 P M. until 8 45 P M when the meeting reconvened NEW BUSINESS At this time Vice Chairman Whiteneck returned to the dias 3 Grading Permit No. 1933; Richard Schag, 30764 Tarapaca Road. Associate Planner Fox stated that Staff had provided copies of the soils report for the project for the Commission's review that evening He presented the Staff Report and stated that the applicant requested nine hundred forty-one cubic yards of grading on a lot with an average slope in excess of thirty-five percent for the construction of a new 6,013 square -foot single-family residence Staff believed that the four findings for a grading could be made for the residence Staff believed that the amount of grading was not excessive, no adverse impact upon views would result since the residence met the Code building height requirements, the grading was sensitive to the existing topography, and the grading within the extreme slope areas would not be detrimental to public health, safety and welfare Mr Fox suggested that the Commission determine that the boundary between the RS -2 and OH districts was identical to the boundary between the recommended buildable area and the geological precautionary setback area, as noted on the approved geotechnical report for the project. Staff therefore, recommended approval of Grading Permit No 1933 for the proposed grading and construction of a 3 -level single-family residence via Minute Order, subject to conditions Chairman Vannorsdall asked if there were any speakers for this item Mr. Jeff Richards. (applicant) 4246 Spencer Street, Torrance, CA 90803, stated that he had a soils investigation report prepared by Mr Keith Ehlert, a licensed geologist. Mr Richards stated that he had worked on the proposed project together with the geologist since September 1996 He stated that the geology report was submitted to the City's geology consultant, Dale Hinkle, who reviewed all the soils information and concluded that there were no discrepancies in the reports prepared by Mr Ehlert. Mr Richards reiterated that one of the main problems on the lot was the existing drainage pattern, such as the water running off of the driveway which was eroding the lot. He informed the Commission that he would rectify the problem by installing a substantial drainage system which would help stabilize the lot. Mr Richards mentioned that the design Mr Hinkle requested would be constructed with very large caissons about 60' deep that go into bedrock. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 1997 Page 6 Mr. John Villcich (applicant's architect) 723 S. Dodson Avenue, San Pedro, CA 90731, stated that approximately 390 feet from the front property line the slope of the lot was approximately 33% in steepness. However, the area where the house would be placed was much closer to the front property line and had less than 30% slope. He noted that the proposed project was specifically designed to minimize the amount of grading. Mr Keith Ehlert, (engineering geologist), 27520 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 195, clarified Mr Richards statement regarding the stability of the lot Mr. Ehlert stated that there was no instability on the lot, but that the factor of safety on the property needed to be increased in order to allow development. He stated the purpose of the caisson was to bring a factor of safety higher on the lot so that it would meet the minimum regulatory agency criteria for development (1 5) Mr Ehlert stated that friction piles would be created by drilling the hole, filling them with steel, and pouring concrete in the hole. In investigating the geology on the site, he stated that the exploratory holes were drilled down the slope well below the building area In addition to the two holes, there was a trench excavated to the length of the property, fairly deep Mr Ehlert stated that the purpose for this was to check the continuity of the geologic structure Mr Ehlert believed that one of the issues that the City's consultant Dale Hinkle was concerned with was the final design of the proposed foundation structure Dr. John Jordan 30759 Tarapaca, stated that he disagreed with the Staff regarding the view impact. He stated that his primary view included the shoreline, but that Mr. Von Hagen's property directly below his and the applicant's proposed project would create a significant view impact Dr Jordan believed that this new 3 -level home would greatly affect his view and therefore was not supportive of the proposed project He suggested that maybe the applicant could construct his new home further down the slope, approximately 60 feet onto a more level area which might also decrease grading. This would bring the ridgellne of the applicant to approximately the foundation level of Mr. Von Hagen's pad or lower Dr Jordan's main concern was the preservation of the view as well as his property value. Mr. Keith Reynolds, 30745 Tarapaca Road, stated that he had two primary concerns, one regarding his view impact and the other was the geologic condition of the subject property. Mr. Reynolds requested that the Commission obtain an additional assessment regarding the proposed project before granting approval. Chairman Vannorsdall asked the Commission if they desired to discuss this item Chairman Vannorsdall's primary concern was the geologic conditions on the property. He noted that there was an Open Space Hazard Zone on most of the lot and on adjacent properties He believed that, since the applicant was proposing to build a very large house on a very steep lot, a second opinion by Dr Ehlig should be obtained PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 1997 Page 6 before the Planning Commission made a final decision on the project. Commissioner Alberio agreed with Chairman Vannorsdall, and also felt that the applicant should work with the adjacent neighbor to address his concerns about view impairment. Keith Ehlert returned to the microphone and stated that he would welcome a review of the project by Dr. Ehlig, since Dr. Ehlig had studied the South Shores Landslide below the subject property and was extremely familiar with the geologic conditions in the area. Commissioner Cartwright stated that since obtaining a second opinion from Dr. Ehlig was suggested by Chairman Vannorsdall, he thought that it also offered an opportunity for the applicant to work on improving the design of the project Commissioner Slayden concurred with Commissioner Cartwright's comments. He noted that the design of the residence was such that most of building would not be visible from Dr. Jordan's property. However, Mr. Slayden's main concern was about the west elevation of the residence which would impact the view from Dr. Jordan's property. Vice Chairman Whiteneck felt that the Commission was not qualified to determine geological conditions of the subject property, but that it was the responsibility of the City Engineer to make these types of determinations He felt that the Commission should only consider issues that related to the Development Code standards Commissioner Alberio moved to continue the Public Hearing to a date certain, direct Staff to work with the applicant to look into the possibility of lowering the pad or moving the proposed project down the slope while remaining within the safety factor of 1.5 to avoid any view impairment, and obtain a second opinion from Dr. Ehlig regarding the geological conditions of the subject property. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Slayden and passed by a roll -call vote (4-1) with Vice Chairman Whiteneck dissenting. Director/Secretary Petru asked Chairman Vannorsdall about the date of the next meeting for this project Chairman Vannorsdall suggest the August 12, 1997 meeting Director/Secretary Petru stated this would be difficult due to the fact that the 6 month review of the Hilltop Automotive Service Station was already scheduled for that meeting She noted that there were other public hearing items on that agenda, including the Parcel Map that was considered earlier that evening to the first meeting in August 1997. Ms. Petru stated that the next available date would be August 22, 1997. PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 1997 Page 7 Commissioner Alberio suggested an adjourned meeting between August 12th and the City Council meeting of August 19th to discuss this item. Director/Secretary Petru replied that the Commission consider the dates of either August 13th or 14th. Commissioner Alberio made a motion to schedule this item for an adjourned meeting on Thursday, August 14, 1997. The Commission agreed to continue the Public Hearing to that date. 4 Conditional Use Permit No. 23 - Revision 'CCC' and Grading Permit No. 1954; Arthuro Viega, 3345 Palos Vista Drive. Assistant Planner Ward presented the Staff Report and stated that the applicant requested to revise the approved building footprint in order to develop a new single family residence The applicant proposed 999 25 cubic yards of earth movement for construction of a 4,697 square foot, three-level residence and garage Staff believed the Conditional Use Permit Revision was appropriate since the proposed development was in compliance with the Seacliff Hills Development Guidelines Staff also felt that the grading was in conformance with the Municipal Code's grading criteria Therefore Staff recommended approval of Conditional Use Permit No 23 - Revision 'CCC' and Grading Permit No 1954, subject to conditions Chairman Vannorsdall asked if there were any speakers for this item Mr. Arthuro Viega. (applicant) 1910 B Ernest Avenue, Redondo Beach, CA, stated that he was present to answer any questions that the Commission might have Chairman Vannorsdall asked the Commission if they desired to discuss this item. The Commission had no comments Chairman Vannorsdall asked the Commission for a motion regarding this item Vice Chairman Whiteneck moved to accept Stafrs recommendation to approve Conditional Use Permit No. 23 - Revision 'CCC' and Grading Permit No. 1954, subject to conditions, via Minute Order. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Cartwright, and passed, (5-0). Chairman Vannorsdall noted the 15 -day appeal period PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 1997 Page 8 ITEMS TO BE PLACED ON FUTURE AGENDAS Staff 5 Pre -Agenda for the Planning Commission Meeting of July 22._1997. Commission None. COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ADJOURNMENT At 10:30 P.M. Vice Chairman Whiteneck moved to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Commissioner Cartwright. There being no objection, the meeting was adjourned by Chairman Vannorsdall. N \GROUP\PLANNINGIPCMIN\MIN07 08 PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES July 8, 1997 Page 9