On February 25, 2005, the City Council adopted the final Planned Development Handbook for Spanish Springs Town Centre.

 On January 14, 2008, the City Council approved the tentative and final amendment to the Spanish Springs Town Centre Planned Development to allow for and include standards for lodging and 24-hour uses without a special use permit.  The northwest section of the planned development is built out with a mixture of uses.

 This is the second request to amend this planned development handbook. The request was to add a new use of mini-warehouse to be a permitted use in RCS02 Land Use Designation (southeast portion of the planned development) and associated development standards. The development standards proposed to place the sixteen foot wall of the mini-warehouse on the southern property line.

 The Planning Commission reviewed this request to amend the handbook on April 21, 2016. From the notice, staff received numerous calls and emails with concerns pertaining to this project. Staff contacted the applicant who prior to the Planning Commission hearing met with owners of adjacent properties. The neighbors were opposed to the project because they did not want a 16 foot wall on their rear property line.  A compromise was worked out that the neighboring property owners support. On the south property line, adjacent to the Desert Home subdivision project under construction, the minimum setback is 20 feet and the maximum wall height is 10 feet. The 20 feet will be landscaped and fenced off with the only access from the mini-warehouse maintenance people. The revised pages are attached to this staff report. No one spoke in opposition to the project during the public hearing. The Planning Commission unanimously recommends approval of the amendments to the handbook.

This request is to amend the Spanish Springs Town Centre Planned Development Land Use Table to add “Mini-warehouse (with or without office and caretaker residence)” as a permitted use in the RCS02 Land Use Designation.  This is the only land use designation in this planned development where mini-warehouse would be an allowed use. RCS02 is located on the eastern portion of the planned development at the southeast corner of Los Altos Parkway and Galleria Parkway.

 In Chapter 2 Development Standards, Section V Architecture, a new section was added to establish the standards for construction and operation of a mini-warehouse project. As a result of the applicant’s meetings with the neighboring property owners, the design of the project has changed to require a minimum of a 20 foot setback from the south property line which is fully landscaped and closed off to limit access to only the maintenance people of the mini-warehouse project. The corrected handbook pages are a separate attachment and also are reflected in the entire handbook.

PLANNED DEVELOPMENT FINDINGS:

 PDa   In what respects the plan is or is not consistent with the statement of objectives of a planned unit development.

 The statement of purpose for this planned development cites a desire to establish regulatory requirements for the uses within the planned development.  This amendment is to allow a new use, mini-warehouse, and establish development standards for the new use. This amendment is consistent with this purpose.

 PDb   The extent to which the plan departs from zoning and subdivision regulations, otherwise applicable to the property, including but not limited to density, bulk and use, and the reason why these departures are or are not deemed to be in the public interest.

 The addition of a mini-warehouse use does not depart from zoning or subdivision regulations that would otherwise be applicable to the property.

 PDc    The ratio of residential to nonresidential use in the planned unit development.

 There is no residential developed in this planned development. The addition of a mini-warehouse as a permitted use will not change the previously approved ratio of residential to nonresidential uses in this planned development.

PDd   The purpose, location and amount of the common open space in the planned unit development, the reliability of the proposals for maintenance and conservation of the common open space, and the adequacy of the amount and purpose of the common open space as related to the proposed density and type of residential development.

There is no residential developed in this planned development. The addition of a mini-warehouse as a permitted use will not change the previously approved open space requirements or maintenance provisions in this planned development.  The development standards require that the mini-warehouse project provide a minimum 10% landscaping. The 20 foot setback on the south property line provides additional landscaping and buffering from the neighboring single family homes to the south.

PDe    The physical design of the plan and the manner in which the design does or does not make adequate provision for public services and utilities, provide adequate control over vehicular traffic, and further amenities of light, air, recreation and visual enjoyment.

The Handbook’s provision for public services and utilities and for the amenities of light, air, recreation and visual enjoyment will not be impaired or altered by the addition of mini-warehouse as a permitted use in the Land Use Table. Any impacts related to vehicular traffic and noise from a mini-warehouse would be addressed when a development application is reviewed. 

PDf     The relationship, beneficial or adverse, of the proposed planned unit development to the neighborhood in which it is being proposed to be established. 

The amendment adds a use – mini-warehouse – as a permitted use in the Land Use Table and new regulations for development of this use.  The design of the mini-warehouse project will be addressed when a development application is reviewed and must comply with the development standards in the planned development handbook.

PDg   In the case of a plan which proposes development over a period of years, the sufficiency of the terms of conditions intended to protect the interests of the public, residents and owners of the planned unit development in the integrity of the plan.

The Handbook’s 2008 terms and conditions intended to protect the interests of the public, residents and owners during an extended development period are not modified by this amendment.  The proposed amendment only affects the Phase 2 portion of the planned development.

The proposed amendment maintains the integrity of the plan by retaining land uses that were originally approved in the handbook for Spanish Springs Town Centre Planned Development while allowing for the addition of mini-warehouse as a permitted use.  The western portion of the planned development is built out. This amendment will only affect the eastern portion of the planned development. The proposed development standards have regulations for buffering, amount of landscaping, architectural design standards, sign standards and operational standards. Any impacts from traffic, lighting and noise will be mitigated with the administrative review application for the development of the project. 

City Council may choose to not approve the request to amend the Spanish Springs Planned Development Handbook to allow the use of mini-warehouse and the associated development standards or provide alternative direction to staff.

I move to approve a request for a tentative amendment to the Spanish Springs Town Centre Planned Development Handbook associated with PCN15066, adopting Findings PDa through PDg and the facts supporting those Findings as set forth in the staff report.