Council Agenda - City of Burbank

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Agenda Item - 2

 
 

 
DATE: January 11, 2005
TO: Mary J. Alvord, City Manager
FROM:

Susan M. Georgino, Community Development Director

via:  Art Bashmakian, Assistant Community Development Director/City Planner

by:  Joy R. Forbes, Principal Planner
SUBJECT:

PLANNED DEVELOPMENT NO. 2003-1

Property bounded by Alameda Avenue, Lima Street, Olive Avenue and property adjacent to the 134 freeway off-ramp � Applicant:  PW, LLC

PURPOSE:

 

The purpose of this report is for City Council to consider a second reading of an ordinance to approve a mixed use development at the above referenced property.

 

BACKGROUND:

 

Public Hearing of December 7, 2004:

 

On December 7, 2004, City Council held a public hearing to consider a proposal by PW, LLC to construct a mixed used project in the Media District.  After public testimony, rebuttal from the applicant and Council deliberation, the City Council voted 4-1 to adopt the Water Supply Assessment, certify the Environmental Impact Report, amend the General Plan for this site, conditionally vacate the street and alleys, conditionally approve the vesting tentative tract map and complete a first reading to adopt the ordinance approving the Planned Development with accompanying Development Agreement and conditions (the �PD Ordinance�).

 

The Council made these approvals subject to modifications to the project which include:

  • Reduce the height of the tallest building to 103 feet (from 133 feet).  The other buildings are to remain at 50 feet along Alameda Avenue and 70 feet in the center of the site.

  • Allow the 103 foot building to be slightly �squatter.�  The applicant stated at the hearing that this would add a maximum of 1,800 square foot footprint to the building.

  • Reduce the number of residential units to 250 (from 298).

  • Eliminate the health club.  For clarification, the applicant may choose to keep a type of work out facility as a benefit to the residents on site, but it would not be open to the public.

  • Require a dedication along Lima Street to be determined by staff.  Since the meeting, staff has determined that a 10 foot dedication would be appropriate to accommodate another lane in the future if necessary and to maintain 12 foot parkways and sidewalks for an appropriate pedestrian friendly environment.

  • The square footage proposed for the residential units will remain the same (443,132 square feet).  However, it was understood that by reducing the height, the buildings will likely lose some square footage.  By not requiring reduction of total square footage proportional to the reduction in the total number of units and height, the applicant has the flexibility to make the units larger.

  • The applicant will attempt to complete the project in one phase, but at the most, two phases.

  • The applicant will contribute $500,000 of their $2,500,000 affordable housing fee ($100,000 x 25 units (10% of 250 units)) toward capital costs for a Media District shuttle service.

Attached is an amended site plan submitted by the applicant which includes these changes. (Exhibit A) Additionally, the Development Agreement and Conditions of Approval have been amended to reflect these changes.

 

As is required with all ordinances, the Council must approve a second reading of the ordinance before it is adopted.  The Council has directed that the public hearing for the project be reopened for the purpose of allowing the community to comment on the modifications under a public hearing format.  Therefore, notices were sent out as required under a public hearing.

 

Items of Clarification:

 

The matter of height was discussed at the Council meeting, specifically as it relates to a �building envelope� for the proposal.  The zoning code includes a definition of height which states that height shall be measured from average grade to the ceiling of the highest room permitted for human occupancy.  Therefore, the building heights discussed in the December 7, 2004 staff report and this staff report have assumed application of this code requirement.  It is reasonable to expect that roof and architectural features, as well as mechanical equipment, could therefore exceed this height by another 10 to 15 feet.  For a point of comparison, the Pinnacle building across the street is approximately 84� feet to the ceiling and another five feet approximately to the top of the parapet.  There is also mechanical equipment which exceeds the height of the parapet.

 

There was also discussion of what can be built on the property now.  For clarification purposes, the portion of the Site currently zoned MDR-4 plus the vacated street and alleys would accommodate 157 residential units by right.  The portion of the Site currently zoned MDC-2 would accommodate 46,600 square feet of general commercial development by right or 61, 978 square feet of media office by right.  In addition to those by-right uses, the Site could permit 181,898 square feet of general office or 241,924 square feet of media office space if the MDR-4 zoned properties were rezoned to be consistent with the Media District Specific Plan.  As indicated in the Traffic Study prepared, this amount of office development would have a much greater impact on peak hour traffic than a predominantly residential project, such as the modified project with 250 residential units.  Also, a maximum of 56 housing units (given R-4 density) would be permitted over ground floor commercial on the portions of the site zoned MDC-2, subject to the approval of a conditional use permit.

 

ANALYSIS:

 

Updated CEQA:

 

An Addendum to the Environmental Impact Report that was certified by City Council has been prepared which states that the modifications made to the project at the December 7 public hearing have been adequately studied and do not result in new or greater significant impacts than those already identified.  Additionally, should the City Council move a second reading of the ordinance, staff has prepared a resolution modifying the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings to more accurately depict the modified project.

 

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 

Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution modifying the CEQA findings and move a second reading of the PD ordinance and approve the project as modified by the City Council on December 7, 2004.

 

LIST OF EXHIBITS

 

Exhibit A          Amended Site Plan based on December 7, 2004 Council changes

 

 

 

 

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