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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/10/2017 PC MinutesMINUTES OF THE CITY OF DIAMOND BAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 10, 2017 CALL TO ORDER: Chair/Mahlke called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Windmill Conference Room, 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: 1. ROLL CALL: C/Mok led the Pledge of Allegiance. Present: Commissioners Naila, Barlas, Frank Farago, Ken Mok, Vice Chair Raymond Wolfe and Chair Jennifer "Fred" Mahlke Also present: Greg Gubman, Community Development Director; James Eggart, Assistant City Attorney; Grace Lee, Senior Planner; Natalie T. Espinoza, Assistant Planner; and, Stella Marquez, Administrative Coordinator, 2. MATTERS FROM THE AUDIENCE/PUBLIC COMMENTS: None 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: As presented 4. CONSENT CALENDAR: 4.1 Minutes of the Regular Meeting of November 8, 2016: VC/Wolfe moved, C/Barlas seconded to approve the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of November 8, 2016, as corrected by C/Mok. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: 5. OLD BUSINESS: None 6. NEW BUSINESS: 6.1 General Plan Status Report for 2016 Barlas, Farago, Mok, VC/Wolfe Chair/Mahlke None None SP/Lee presented staff's report and asked for Planning Commission approval and recommendation that the report be forwarded to the City Council to Receive and File. State law requires cities to submit an annual report to the local legislative bodies, the State Governor's Office of Planning and Research JANUARY 10, 2017 PAGE 2 PLANNING COMMISSION and the State Department of Housing and Community Department. The report lists the City's progress toward the implementation of the General Plan as well as, meeting the regional housing needs for the community in the calendar year. SP/Lee highlighted some of the City's efforts beginning with Land Use. The City issued nine construction permits for new single family residences and 41 permits for additions to existing homes. Lennar Homes started construction of model homes for the South Pointe Project which consists of 99 for -sale detached homes. The opening of this project is anticipated for the spring of 2017. This level of construction activity is an indicator of the continued desirability of Diamond Bar as a place to live, and the desire of individuals to remain in the City by adapting their homes to meet the needs of their families. With respect to Commercial, the former Von's/Haggen Supermarket opened as a Smart & Final Extra in March 2016; the multi -tenant out pad building in the Target Center consisting of Starbucks, T -Mobile and Jimmy John's Restaurant opened in the fall; the former Walnut Pool building is currently under construction for an exterior facelift, parking lot reconfiguration and enhanced landscaping; and, the former Kmart site is being renovated with exterior and interior upgrades to the existing building and will include construction of new shops space and renovation of the parking with new surfacing, landscaping and lighting. Sprouts, Ross, Chipotle, and Coffee Bean/Tea Leaf have signed tenant leases to occupy the Kmart Center and the Center is being rebranded as "Diamond Bar Ranch." The City continues to work with property owners of the former Honda site to attract a hotel anchored development project and, the property owners of the Brea Canyon Road RV storage property to develop their site with a hotel as an anchor. Regarding Recreational, Diamond Canyon Park adjacent to the Willow Heights Community opened in December 2016 and Lennar Homes is currently under construction of Larkstone Park, a 6.8 gross acre neighborhood park adjacent to the South Pointe residential development which is anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2017. With respect to the Health and Safety Element, the City instituted new Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness meetings called "Let's Talk Public Safety" which is geared to educating and informing residents about emergency preparedness, fire safety and crime prevention. These meetings are a collaboration between the City, Sheriff's Department, and the LA County Fire Department. The City continues to collaborate with the City of Industry for implementation of the SR57/60 Confluence Project, a $256 million multi - phased improvement project to the existing SR57/60 Freeway Interchange. There are four phases in the project: 1) Construction of the westbound onramp JANUARY 10, 2017 PAGE 3 PLANNING COMMISSION from Grand Avenue which is currently under construction with completion targeted in December 2017; 2) Construction of the westbound SR60 off ramp and auxiliary lane to Grand Avenue which is currently under construction with completion expected by summer 2018; 3) Construction of the street widening improvements in the vicinity of the Grand Avenue and Golden Springs Drive intersection with design currently underway; and 4) Freeway Mainline Improvements and Bypass Connectors. Staff is currently working with Metro to restart the design engineering work in order to begin construction by late 2020. The Lemon Avenue Interchange Project is expected to result in the closure of the SR60 Brea Canyon Road eastbound access ramps and create new onramp and off ramps at Lemon Avenue. Construction began in September 2016 with completion targeted for March 2018, The City was awarded $1.4 million from Metro's competitive grant program for the development and implementation of an Adaptive Traffic Control System and full implementation is anticipated for spring 2018. The City also continues to annually implement the guidelines of the LA Congestion Management Program which is required to maintain eligibility for Regional Transportation Funding Opportunities. In the fall, the City embarked on the multi-year process of updating the City's General Plan that will create community visions and the blueprint for growth and development in the City through 2040. The City engaged the community through the following means: Developed a project website where community members can stay up-to-date on the project; a kickoff meeting with the City Council and the Planning Commission was held; the first General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) meeting was held; stakeholder interviews were conducted with local developers, commercial property owners, service organizations, major employers, and active members in the community; the first Community Visioning Workshop was held; three popup booths were placed at various locations and events; and, surveys were distributed at various community events and posted online. The City continues to pursue economic development to increase City revenue, address traffic related issues, preserve Open Space and continue to create a community environment that nurtures social, cultural, religious, educational and recreational opportunities for all residents. VC/Wolfe commented on the SR57/60 Confluence project that the organization he represents in his day job is partnering with LA Metro on a Freight Formula Grant Application with USDOT that hopefully will fill a big part of this gap. He said he believes there are 482 municipalities in California and cities are required to submit this update to the California State Office of Planning and Research and asked if Diamond Bar had, in the past, ever JANUARY 10, 2017 PAGE 4 PLANNING COMMISSION received comments back from that office. SP/Lee said she has been submitting this report for the past six years and has yet to receive any comments. Chair/Mahlke moved, C/Mok seconded, to approve the General Plan Status Report for 2016 and forward the report to the City Council to Receive and File. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Barlas, Farago, Mok, VC/Wolfe Chair/Mahlke NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None 7. PUBLIC HEARING(S): 7.1 Development Review No. PL2014-659 — Under the authority of Diamond Bar Municipal Code Section 22.48, the applicant and property owners requested Development Review approval to construct an 8,871 square foot single family residence with 956 square feet of garage area and 2,249 square feet of patio/deck/balcony area on a 1.20 gross acre (52,018 gross square foot) lot. The subject property is zoned Rural Residential (RR) with an underlying General Plan land use designation of Rural Residential. PROJECT ADDRESS PROPERTY OWNER: APPLICANT: 2718 Steeplechase Lane Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Joy Living Investments, Inc. 19639 Highland Terrace Drive Walnut, CA 91789 Dario Zuniga 1202 Larimore Avenue La Puente, CA 91744 AP/Espinoza presented staff's report and recommended Planning Commission approval of Development Review PI2014-659, based on the Findings of Fact, and subject to the conditions of approval as listed within the resolution. Chair/Mahlke opened the public hearing. Kathy, representing the owner, said that the owner told her he received a letter from a neighbor complaining about road damage. The owner promised he JANUARY 10, 2017 PAGE 5 PLANNING COMMISSION would do the repair and after the project is finished he will do the repair again to make everything look like new. C/Mok asked the speaker if the owner said he would repair the road to match the road to the left and right or just repair it by putting in new asphalt and slurry seal. Kathy said the owner just told her he would repair the damage now and after the project is finished he will rebuild the street. VC/Wolfe said it is not the responsibility `of the City and/or the Planning Commission with respect to the private road. Chair/Mahlke closed the public hearing. VC/Wolfe moved, C/Barlas seconded, to approve Development Review No. PL2014-659, based on the Findings of Fact, and subject to the conditions of approval as listed within the resolution. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Barlas, Farago, Mok, VC/Wolfe Chair/Mahlke NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None 7.2 Development Review and Tree Permit No. PL2016-129 — Under the authority of Diamond Bar Municipal Code Sections 22.48 and 22.38, the applicant and property owner requested Development Review approval to construct a 12,786 square foot single family residence with 1,852 square feet of garage area and, 7,658 square feet of patio/deck/balcony area on a 1.33 gross acre (57,935 gross square feet ) lot. A Tree Permit was requested to remove three black walnut trees and replace them at a three to one (3:1) ratio. The subject property is zoned Rural Residential (RR) with an underlying General Plan land use designation of Rural Residential. PROJECT ADDRESS: PROPERTY OWNER 23540 Mirage Lane Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Huang Rong Tian 13571 Benson Avenue Chino, CA 91710 APPLICANT: Simon Shum 383 S. Lemon Avenue #E-383 Walnut, CA 91789 JANUARY 10, 2017 PAGE 6 PLANNING COMMISSION AP/Espinoza presented staff's report and recommended Planning Commission approval of Development Review No. PL2016-129, based on the Findings of Fact, and subject to the conditions of approval as listed within the resolution. Chair/Mahlke said that staff's report indicated a total of 30 trees, three of which are still alive and need to be removed; however, the Arborist's report says there are three trees that need to be removed along with an additional 30 trees for a total of 33 trees that need to be removed. AP/Espinoza said it was a typo. Previous versions of the Arborist reports indicated a total of 33 trees onsite and the Arborist's report should read a total of 30 trees, 27 of which are dead and three that are surviving. AP/Espinoza said that staff would request a corrected report. Chair/Mahlke opened the public hearing. Simon Shum, Architect for the project stated the previously submitted plans on two separate occasions. Because of the budget and other constraints, the new owner is trying to move forward with a similar design that has been updated to meet the new requirements/guidelines. Chair/Mahlke closed the public hearing. C/Farago moved, C/Mok seconded, to approve Development Review No. PL2016-129, based on the Findings of Fact, and subject to the conditions of approval as listed within the resolution. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS NOES: COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS Barlas, Farago, Mok, VC/Wolfe Chair/Mahlke None None Chair/Mahlke congratulated the applicant on a beautiful design. PLANNING COMMISSIONER COMMENTS/INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: C/Mok wished everyone a Happy New Year and said he looks forward to working with his colleagues and staff on wonderful new projects in 2017. C/Farago asked for an update on the lot on Diamond Bar Boulevard adjacent to the carwash. CDD/Gubman responded that the soil remediation has been completed. JANUARY 10, 2017 PAGE 7 PLANNING COMMISSION The discovery of the contamination is what stalled and ultimately killed the Amerca's Tire project. At this time, staff is unaware of any new tenant showing interest in the site. C/Barlas wished everyone a Happy New Year. VC(Wolfe said that with respect to Item 2, when one looks at the front cover, knowing that the rotunda is on left it is difficult to see because the roof tile indicates that it is a flat surface. VC/Wolfe said he was looking forward to General Plan updates as the City proceeds through that effort this year and he will be very interested to see how much participation the City can garner from the community. It is an opportunity and often, community members do not participate at all in city government. This is an opportunity to help define the future of the community and he hopes for significant community input in the process. Chair/Mahlke wished everyone a Happy New Year and said she is glad to be back at work on the Commission. She hopes that the New Year is treating everyone well and that it is starting off in the right direction for everyone. 9. STAFF COMMENTS/INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: 9.1 Public Hearing dates for future proiects. CDD/Gubman wished everyone a Happy New Year. The next scheduled Planning Commission meeting date is January 24 and that meeting will be canceled so tonight's meeting will be adjourned to February 14. Next week the second GPAC.meeting will take place in the Windmill Room on Thursday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m. The main topic of discussion at that meeting will be to discuss the findings of the Existing Conditions Report that has been prepared as one of the baseline documents to start building the new General Plan document. The report looks at the existing economic and fiscal conditions and potential opportunities and constraints, evaluation of the City's infrastructure, its circulation system, public services and all of the factors that need to be planned for the next generation. This will be a good starting point to see what is feasible as the visioning process begins for what the new General Plan document will shape up to be. CDD/Gubman reported that a November 9 community workshop had a very good turnout of about 80 to 85 residents who were very engaged in the discussion and exercises. Participants worked in groups and presented their ideas for what they would like the City to be in 2040. One of the exercises was to create a magazine cover dated 2040 that celebrated Diamond Bar's progress over the past 20 years. Residents enthusiastically participated and JANUARY 10, 2017 PAGE 8 PLANNING COMMISSION staff has been getting good survey response. It is staff's hope that this momentum will generate some additional involvement and input as the process moves forward. CDD/Gubman spoke about the Planning Commissioners Academy which will be held in Los Angeles March 1 through 3 and thanks to all who have indicated their interest in participating and are now registered to attend. It should be an interesting roster of sessions which he plans to attend as well and will help Commissioners choose what sessions might be most helpful to them. He looks forward to discussing what is presented at the workshops and help translate "Plannery" to English for the Commissioners. There has been no physical activity on the Kmart project site. However, the developer is moving forward and leases have been signed. A contractor is on board and is preparing to mobilize a construction team to start the demolition work. One of the tenants was going to be Petco. SP/Lee mentioned Sprouts, Ross, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Chipotle. Unfortunately, it appears that Petco will not be a tenant at this point. However, the property owner has other interested businesses that are willing to come in which may lead to another out -parcel building on the side of the driveway across from Chipotle and Coffee Bean are located. As a result, staff may be coming to the Planning Commission with a somewhat scaled down shell building where Petco was going to be located and a new building for a couple of additional tenants. For those who have not heard, after 27 years with Diamond Bar and 40 years in public service, CM/DeStefano is retiring and his target date for leaving is in July. The City Council held a Special Meeting on December 19 to talk about the transition and the recruitment process which will commence in the next couple of weeks with announcing the position and follow through with interviews and vetting. The plan is to have the appointment finalized in May to allow for a smoother transition prior to CM/DeStefano's departure. C/Mok asked if the Commissioners were supposed to commute each day to the Planning Commissioners Academy or stay at the airport for the three days. CDD/Gubman said it was up to the Commissioners. Only the registration for all three days will be paid by the City. 10. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE EVENTS: As noted in the agenda. JANUARY 10, 2017 PAGE 9 PLANNING COMMISSION ADJOURNMENT: With no further business before the Planning Commission, Chair/Mahlke adjourned the regular meeting at 7:45 p.m. to February 14, 2017. The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this 14th day of February, 2017. Attest: Respectfully Submitted, Greg Gubman Community Development Director J nifeA 4h`Ike, Chairperson