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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/28/2020MINUTES OF THE CITY OF DIAMOND BAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION JANUARY 28, 2020 CALL TO ORDER: Chair/Barlas called the meeting to order of 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Windmill Room, 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Commissioner Mok led the Pledge of Allegiance. 1. ROLL CALL: COMMISSIONERS: Kenneth Mok, William Rawlings, Vice - Chairperson Frank Farago, and Chairperson Naila Barlas. Also present: Greg Gubman, Commuhity Development Director; James Eggart, Assistant City Attorney; Grace Lee, Senior Planner; Mayuko Nakajima, Associate Planner; Natalie T. Espinoza, Associate Planner; and, Stella Marquez, Administrative Coordinator, 2. MATTERS FROM THE AUDIENCE/PUBLIC COMMENTS: Newly appointed City Council Member Jennifer "Fred" Mahlke addressed the Commission stating she had the privilege of spending the past five years with her colleagues and staff where she learned so much. She thoroughly enjoyed learning the process, especially from staff who are so knowledgeable and who took the time to educate her and put her in a position where she could competently feel like she understands what is happening in the City. She enjoyed serving with her colleagues and always looked forward to participating in the Planning Commission meetings. C/Mok thanked C/Mahlke for her service to the City which is greatly appreciated as is her leadership as Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission. This Commission will not be the same without her. VC/Farago thanked C/Mahlke for a fantastic job on the Planning Commission and said he looked forward to her doing the same good work on the City Council. C/Rawlings said that while he has worked with C/Mahlke for only a year,; now in her new role he will hopefully get to work with her for a few more years. C/Mahlke will be a great Council Member, 3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: As presented. JANUARY 28, 2020 PAGE 2 PLANNING COMMISSION 4. CONSENT CALENDAR: 4.1 Minutes — Regular Meeting — January 14, 2020. C/Rawli"go moved, Chair/Barlas seconded, to approve the January 14, 2020, Meeting Minutes as corrected. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: 5. OLD BUSINESS: 6. 7 NEW BUSINESS: COMMISSIONERS: COMMISSIONERS: COMMISSIONERS: None 6.1 General Plan Status Report for 2019. Mok, Rawlings, VC/Farago Chair/Barlas None None SP/Lee presented staff's report and recommended that the Planning Commission approve the report and forward same to the City Council to Receive and File. C/Mok moved, C/Rawlings seconded, to approve the General Plan Status Report for 2019 and for the report to the City Council to Receive and File. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS NOES: COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS PUBLIC HEARING(S): Mok, Rawlings, VC/Farago Chair/Barlas None None 7.1 Comprehensive Sign Program No. PL2019-165 -Under the authority of Diamond Bar Municipal Code Section 22.36.060, the applicant and property owner requested Comprehensive Sign Program approval to establish design criteria for exterior signage of an existing shopping center, Oak Tree Plaza. The subject property is zoned Office Professional (OP) with an underlying General Plan land use designation of Neighborhood Mixed Use. PROJECT ADDRESS: 900 N. Diamond Bar Boulevard Diamond Bar, CA 91765 JANUARY 28, 2020 PAGE 3 PLANNING COMMISSION PROPERTY OWNERS: APPLICANT: Foremost Diamond Oaks LLC 32 Discovery, Suite 270 Irvine, CA 92618 Patrick Faranal National Sign & Marketing 13580 Fifth Street Chino, CA 91710 AP/Espinoza presented staff's report and recommended Planning Commission approval of Comprehensive Sign Program No. PL2019-165, based on the Findings of Fact, and subject to the conditions of approval as listed within the Resolution. C/Mok said he understood that Caltrans had been requested to remove the large sign at the corner of Highland Valley and Diamond Bar Boulevard and asked if staff has received an update about this since printing of the agenda. AP/Espinoza said that she had not but that the property owner was available to respond with a possible update. C/Rawlings said he lives up the hill from the center and remembers when Builders Emporium was in the building that Oak Tree Lanes currently occupies and believes this update will do a lot for the center including improving the look and feel of the area. Chair/Barlas opened the public hearing. Raj Panchal, Foremost Diamond Oaks LLC, thanked the Planning Commission for the opportunity to review the materials. He responded to VC/Rawlings that he grew up down the street and spent all of his summers bowling at Oak Tree Lanes. It was especially nice for him when his company acquired the property because they now have and are very thankful for, the opportunity to revitalize it. Responding to C/Mok's inquiry, Foremost has not received any update regarding removal of the sign since initially reaching out to Caltrans. They will continue to follow up with Caltrans on this matter. C/Mok asked if it was true that until the City hears from Caltrans, no one can remove that sign and ACAlEggart said the goal was to do it with Caltrans consent. C/Mok said the sign was installed there so that traffic coming out of the former Lantern Developmental Center would know in what direction to travel to get to a certain direction of travel on the freeway. Suppose the sign is removed but JANUARY 28, 2020 PAGE 4 PLANNING COMMISSION later on that development turns into something else. Would Caltrans want to reinstall the sign? CDD/Gubman said that the City would address that matter should it come up at a future date. Chair/Barlas closed the public hearing. C/Rawlings moved, C/Mok seconded, to approve Comprehensive Sign Program No. PL2019-165, based on the Findings of Fact, and subject to the conditions of approval as listed with the Resolution. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Mok, Rawlings, VC/Farago, Chair/Barlas NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None 7.2 Development Review and Tree Permit No. PL2018-226 —Under the authority of Diamond Bar Municipal Code Section 22.48 and 22.38, the applicant and property owner requested Development Review approval to demolish an existing single family residence to construct a new 8,906 square foot, two-story single family residence, 991 square foot garage, 116 square foot front porch, 872 square feet of patio/balcony areas, 1,616 square feet of deck area, and a 95 square foot dressing room on a 1.32 gross acre (57,499 square foot) site. A Tree Permit (TP) was also requested to protect two California black walnut trees. The subject property is zoned Rural Residential (RR) with an underlying General Plan land use designation of Rural Residential. PROJECT ADDRESS: PROPERTY OWNER: APPLICANT: 2432 Indian Creek Road Diamond Bar, CA 91765 Mei Lan Liang 14328 Lomitas Avenue City of Industry, CA 91745 Jeffrey Sun 14328 Lomitas Avenue City of Industry, CA 91745 AP/Nakajima presented staffs report and recommended Planning Commission approval of Development Review and Tree Permit No. PL2018-226, based on the findings of Fact, and subject to the conditions JANUARY 28, 2020 PAGE 5 PLANNING COMMISSION of approval as listed within the Resolution. C/Rawlings asked if staff was aware of the difference in elevation between this property and the property to the south with respect to privacy concerns. AP/Nakajima responded to C/Rawlings that the elevation of the subject site is slightly higher than the property to the south. C/Rawlings asked the distance between the two residences and AP/Nakajima responded that it is 27 feet 10 inches. C/Rawlings said it appears to him from looking at the photo, there is room to plant trees and AP/Nakajima agreed. Chair/Barlas opened the public hearing. Ron Nichols, 2446 Indian Creek Road, said he was concerned that the very high structure that will be built next to him will invade his privacy from his home as well as that of his rear yard. He spoke with the property owner who told him they were planning some type of trees or bushes but that the City would not allow those trees or bushes to be higher than eight feet as a screening mechanism between the two homes. He asked that the Planning Commission allow mature trees to be planted that have sufficient height to serve the purpose of screening off these two large structures, one from the other. Chair/Barlas closed the public hearing. C/Rawlings asked staff to comment on the speaker's comment about the height of the trees/bushes. AP/Nakajima said it was incorrect that the tree height would be restricted to eight feet. The City has allowed Italian Cypress trees that grow to 20-30 feet in height. C/Rawlings asked if the condition to include Italian Cypress trees was recommended by the Commission, should it include language about maturity of the trees. AP/Nakajima suggested the condition include that staff and the applicant shall work with the Fire Department on the appropriate species of trees because it has been noted that Italian Cypress could be problematic for the Fire Department. C/Mok asked if the privacy issue was confined to looking into the back yard or included living quarters. AP/Nakajima responded that it appears there are windows and balconies that would potentially impact the neighbor to the south. C/Mok said that if Italian Cypress were planted, they grow quite tall so if there were enough planted close together it would seem to him to shield the field of view. JANUARY 28, 2020 PAGE 6 PLANNING COMMISSION Chair/Barlas reopened the public hearing. Mr. Nichols said he is concerned about views into his home and his view from his back yard of the side of the proposed home, which is very tall and very massive. He would appreciate it if the impact to his property could be softened by screening with nice landscaping. Jeffrey Sun, Project Manager, said that originally he planned to plant small trees because his client wanted to reduce the height of the building. However, because of the neighbor's concerns, the owner is willing to remove some of the windows keeping in mind that code requires a certain number be installed. He said he was willing to discuss planting more mature trees but he will need to understand what the Fire Department will allow but knows that the owner is open to planting mature trees. Chair/Barlas closed the public hearing. C/Rawlings said he would be comfortable moving forward with this item with the condition that there be appropriate landscaping for screening between the subject property and the property to the south to be determined in consultation with the fire department and the property owner. Chair/Barlas agreed with C/Rawlings. C/Rawlings moved, C/Mok seconded, to approve Development Review and Tree Permit No. PL2018-226, based on the Findings of Fact, and subject to the conditions of approval as listed within the Resolution, with the addition of a condition that there be appropriate vegetation screening planted between the subject property and the property to the south in consultation with the Fire Department and the property owner. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COMMISSIONERS NOES: COMMISSIONERS ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS Mok, Rawlings, VC/Farago, Chair/Barlas None None 8. PLANNING COMMISSION COMMENTS/INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: Chair/Barlas said she would miss C/Mahlke. C/Rawlings said that Commissioner Mahlke would very definitely be missed and that he was very happy for her being appointed on the City Council. He too, was an applicant and would say that the matter was handled very quickly and very effectively. JANUARY 28, 2020 PAGE 7 PLANNING COMMISSION He believes the Council did a wonderful job in the interview and questioning process. There were some great applicants for the vacancy and he hoped they would all ask to be placed on commissions and get involved in city government. It was a wonderful process and he was pleased to have been involved. Chair/Barlas said that when she cannot go in person she watches the meetings on television. This City is very open and transparent which she appreciates. 9. STAFF COMMENTS/INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: 9.1 Project Status Report. CDD/Gubman stated that the next Commission meeting is scheduled for February 11'h for which there is one public hearing, an addition to an existing residence. In addition, there are items that will likely be ready for the February 25th agenda, one of which is a proposed Planet Fitness to backfill the vacancy that was left by the Rite -Aid at the H Mart center. 10. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE EVENTS: As listed in the agenda. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business before the Planning Commission, Chair/Barlas adjourned the regular meeting at 1:13 P.M. The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this 25th of February, 2020. Attest: Respectfully Submitted, Greg Gubmari" Community Development Director t Naila Barlas, Chairperson