HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/25/2021MINUTES OF THE CITY OF DIAMOND BAR
MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
DIAMOND BAR CITY HALL WINDMILL COMMUNITY ROOM
21810 COPLEY DRIVE, DIAMOND BAR, CA 91765
MAY 25, 2021
CALL TO ORDER:
Chair/Rawlings called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Vice Chairman Garg led the Pledge of Allegiance.
1. ROLL CALL: Commissioners: Naila Barlas, Kenneth Mok, Raymond
Wolfe, Vice Chairman Mahendra Garg, Chairman William
Rawlings,
Staff Present : Greg Gubman, Community Development Director; James
Eggart, Assistant City Attorney (telephonically), Grace Lee, Senior Planner; Mayuko
Nakajima, Associate Planner; Joy Tsai, Assistant. Planner; Hal Ghafari, Public Works
Manager/Assistant City Engineer (telephonically); Stella Marquez, Administrative
Coordinator.
2. MATTERS FROM THE AUDIENCE/PUBLIC COMMENTS: None Offered.
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: As presented
4.
5.
CONSENT CALENDAR:
4.1 Minutes of the Special Joint Meeting with City Council —April 16, 2021.
4.2 Minutes of the Regular Planning Commission Meeting of April 27,
2021.
C/Wolfe moved, C/Mok seconded to approve the Consent Calendar as presented..
Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote:
AYES: COMMISSIONERS:
NOES: COMMISSIONERS:
ABSTAIN: COMMISSIONERS:
OLD BUSINESS: None
BarlasMok, Wolfe, VC/Garg,
MAY 25, 2021 PAGE 2 PLANNING COMMISSION
6. NEW BUSINESS:
6.1 Review of fiscal year 2021-2022 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) -
Conformity with the General Plan.
SP/Lee presented staffs report.
C/Wolfe encouraged staff to make sure residents in the community understand
that conductors of Union Pacific and Metrolink continue to have the option of
sounding the train horns in a quiet zone.
There were no public comments offered on this item.
C/Mok moved, C/Barlas seconded, to adopt the resolution finding the
proposed Fiscal Year 2021-2022 Capital Improvement Program in
conformance with the City's General Plan. Motion carried by the following Roll
Call vote:
AYES: COMMISSIONERS: Barlas; Mok, Wolfe, VC/Garg,
Chair/Rawlings
NOES: COMMISSIONERS: None
ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: None
PUBLIC HEARING(S):
7.1 Development Review and Tree Permit Plannina Case No. PL2020-49
Under the authority of Diamond Bar Municipal Code Section 22.48 and 22.38,
the applicant, Pete Volbeda and property owner, Ken Truong, requested
Development Review approval for the demolition of an existing single family
residence to construct a new 10,652 square foot single family residence, 1,512
square feet of garage and storage areas, and 2,224 square feet of
patio/balcony area on a 0.7 gross acre (29,070 gross square foot) site. A Tree
Permit was requested to remove one protected coast live oak tree and one
California sycamore tree that are in fair/poor health, and replace with six coast
live oak trees on site. The subject property is zoned Rural Residential (RR)
with an underlying General Plan land use designation of Rural Residential.
PROJECT ADDRESS: 2523 Blaze Trail
Diamond Bar. CA 91765
PROPERTY OWNER: Ken Truong
1712 Pass and Covina Road
West Covina, CA 91792
MAY 257 2021 PAGE.3 PLANNING COMMISSION
APPLICANT: Pete Volbeda
164 N. 2nd Avenue, Suite 100
Upland, CA 91786
AE/Nakajima presented staffs repoit and recommended that the Planning
Commission adopt a Resolution approving Development Review and Tree
Permit Planning Case No. PL2020-49, based on the findings of Diamond Bar
Municipal Code (DBMC) Sections 22.48 and 22.38, subject to conditions.
C/Wolfe asked if there were- one or -two master bedrooms included in the
project. He also asked what the purpose of a second stairway was.
VC/Garg asked if there were special requirements for basements.
AE/Nakajima responded no, Unless the basement was intended to be
habitable space. VC/Garg asked staff to explain what fuel modification means.
AE/Nakajima responded that it is a requirement of the LA County Fire
Department to allow only certain types of plants within specific zones of
projects because some plants are more flammable than others, and this
project is in a very high fire zone which requires the owner to comply with
buffering requirements.
Chair/Rawlings opened public comments.
Pete Volbeda, project architect, thanked staff for their assistance on this
project. To C/Wolfe's question, the lower floor bathroom next to bedroom #3
should be indicated as a third bathroom. For the basement, proper light,
ventilation, and exits are provided for habitable rooms, which is common in
The Country Estates area. Mr. Volbeda further responded to C/Wolfe that a
second entry stairway is provided for everyday use, while the main, or formal,
stairway is primarily a decorative feature .
Nef Cortez (speaking telephonically) commented that it appears this will be a
great project and beautiful home for the owner.
Paul Deibel (speaking telephonically) said in initially looking at the plans for
this project he was concerned about removal of protected trees but now
understands why that is being done.
Chair/Rawlings closed public comments.
C/Wolfe moved, VC/Garg seconded, to adopt the Resolution approving
Development Review and Tree Permit No. PL2020-49, based on the findings
of Diamond Bar Municipal Code (DBMC) Sections 22.48 and 22.38, subject to
conditions. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote:
MAY 255 2021 PAGE 4 PLANNING COMMISSION
AYES: COMMISSIONERS:
NOES: COMMISSIONERS
ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS
Barlas, Mok, Wolfe, VC/Garg,
Chair/Rawlings
None
None
8. PLANNING COMMISSION COMMENTS/INFORMATIONAL ITEMS:
C/Barlas said she was happy to see everyone in person after several months of virtual
meetings.
Chair/Rawlings concurred with C/Barlas and thanked staff for their hard work behind
the scenes.
9. STAFF COMMENTS/INFORMATIONAL ITEMS:
CDD/Gubman wished everyone a happy and safe Memorial Day and reported that
there is one item on the June 8th agenda, the Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)
Ordinance update to conform to state law.
10. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE EVENTS:
As listed in the agenda.
ADJOURNMENT: With no further business before the Planning Commission,
Chair/Rawlings adjourned the regular meeting at 6:58 p.m.
The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this 8th Day of June, 2021.
Attest:
Respectfully Submitted,
t,-
j t e /" t
Greg Gubman, Comity Development Director
William Rawlings, Chairperson