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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-030 Grafton Station Stg 1 DP Amnd, Stg 2 PD Rezone etc. AGENDA STATEMENT PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION DATE: June 27, 2006 SUBJECT: STUDY SESSION: PA 05-030, Stage I Development Plan Amendment, Stage 2 Planned Development Rezone, CEQA Addendum, Master Sign Program, Site Development Review and Conditional Use Permit for the Grafton Station retail shopping center. Report prepared by Erica Fraser, Senior Planner \0J\J~) 1 J I) Stage I Development Plan. 2) Stage I Development Plan showing amendments. 3) Stage 2 Planned Development Rezone booklet. 4) Master Sign Program. 5) Site Development Review Package. 6) Computer Renderings of Lowe's. 7) Conditional Use Permit Plan, Sections and Examples. 8) City of Dublin Scenic Corridor Guidelines. 9) Location Map. ATTACHMENTS: RECOMMENDATION: Receive presentation and provide comments. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Dublin Ranch is located within the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan Area that has been annexed to the City of Dublin. Area H was annexed as a part of Dublin Ranch and also pre-zoned to conform to the land use designations in the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. Area H (commonly referred to as Grafton Station) is also a part of the Tassajara Gateway subarea, as defined in Section 4.9.1 of the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. On March 21, 2000, the City Council approved a rezone and Stage I Development Plan for Area H (P A 98-070). The vacant site is bordered by vacant land (zoned General Commercial) to the west; Dublin Boulevard and medium high density residential neighborhoods to the north; Interstate 580 to the south; and vacant land (zoned Campus Office) and a future stormwater treatment basin to the east. The site consists of approximately 29.2 gross acres. The site has two land use designations with 18.7 acres designated as General Commercial and 10.5 acres are designated as General Commercial/Campus Office. The Applicant is proposing to I) amend the Stage I Planned/ Development Permit related to gross acreage and additional allowed uses; 2) amend Stage II Planned Development Permit Rezone to ensure compatibility with the Development Plan; 3) process a Site Development Review for the Lowe's building and associated landscaping and parking as well as the installation of the bio-swale and the extension of Brannigan Street and Grafton Street; and 4) allow the display of outdoor goods through a Conditional Use Permit. COPIES TO: Property Owner/Applicant File ITEM NOJ, I Page I of 10 Ci-\PAIi\100~\n~_Oln l.nw~'.\P(,SR StllrlV S"..inn rI....-: ANALYSIS: Stage I Amendment As mentioned above, the Stage I Development Plan for Area H was approved by the City Council in 2000. A Stage I Development Plan is required to pre-zone a property prior to annexation. The Stage I Development Plan establishes the permitted uses, site area, and density. The Stage I Development Plan for Area H is requested to be amended at this time to: I) modify the gross acreage of the site; and 2) include additional permitted and conditional uses for the project area. Please refer to the Stage I Development Plan Amendment documents included as Attachment I and the Stage I Development Plan which shows the changes made to the adopted plan as Attachment 2. While preparing documents for the current application, the Applicant determined that the actual gross acreage of the site was 29.2 acres. The existing Stage I Development Plan estimated the gross acreage of the project site to be 26.9 acres (or a difference of2.3 acres). The change in gross acreage is due to several factors, including the re-alignment of Dublin Boulevard, a more accurate measurement of the parcel, and the inclusion of half of the street right-of way of Northside Drive in the gross acreage. The Applicants have also requested that the list of permitted and conditionally permitted uses in the approved Stage I Development Plan be amended to include uses which are compatible with typical shopping centers and consistent with uses permitted in the Zoning Ordinance for shopping centers. The proposed additional permitted uses would include retail medical offices/health facilities (such as a doctor's office) and microbreweries. Parking lot sales are also proposed to be added to the list of temporary uses. The proposed amendments to the Stage I Development Plan are consistent with the intent ofthe approved Development Plan. Stage II Planned Development Rezone The Grafton Station shopping center is proposed to be developed with approximately 318,000 square feet of retail space distributed over eight retail pads (please refer to Sheet PD-I in Attachment 3). The buildings are oriented so that the smaller retail buildings face Dublin Boulevard and Grafton Street to form an extension of the Village Commercial Center to be located along Grafton Street, north of Dublin Boulevard. The large scale retail stores are located on the western side of the property and the entrances to these stores will face the parking lot. The shopping center will be constructed in phases, (see Sheet C- 10 in Attachment 5) with the Lowe's store and related parking and landscaping, the extension of Grafton Street and Brannigan Street, and the construction of the bio-swale in Phase I. Permitted, Conditional and Temporary Land Uses The list of permitted and conditionally permitted uses can be found on pages 1-7 under the "Permitted, Conditional, and Temporary Land Uses" tab in Attachment 3. The uses included in these lists are broken down by large scale big box stores and smaller retail stores. The purpose of including two store categories is to limit retail uses which are more suitable for smaller retail pads into the smaller retail pads and to encourage large scale commercial stores (such as Lowe's) to locate in the two large retail pads. The proposed uses are compatible with uses found in typical retail shopping centers. With the minor amendments to the Stage I Development Plan (as discussed above), the Stage 2 Rezone will be compatible with the approved Development Plan. Page 2 of 10 Design Theme Grafton Station is proposed as an extension of the Village Commercial Center along Grafton Street south of Dublin Boulevard. Where appropriate, the Planning and Site Standards in Attachment 3 require the continuation of architectural and landscape themes, materials, forms and elements established for the Village Center project to be implemented on the project site. By including common architectural themes in both commercial areas, the two centers will compliment each other and will maintain design consistency on Grafton Street. At the Planning Commission meeting, the Applicant will present documentation describing the architectural connection between the two projects (Grafton Station and Village Commercial Center). Although the two centers will have common design themes, it is important to note that the Grafton Station shopping center will include features to distinguish and announce the shopping center, such as the architectural towers (see 11-32 of Attachment 3 for an example). The overall design theme of the shopping center can be described as a "Main Street" design theme. Pages 1-4 through 1-10 in Attachment 3 provide guidelines on what elements will need to be incorporated into individual building designs to meet the "Main Street" design theme. Specific design requirements are also included in the entire 'Design Standards' section of the Stage 2 booklet (Attachment 3). Examples of architecture which would meet these requirements are also included in the design Standards section. At this time, the scope of the Site Development Review before the Planning Commission is limited to the Lowe's store. The property owner will apply for additional Site Development Reviews in the future as the property owner is able to attract additional tenants to this shopping center. Each building will be required to meet the design guidelines as established by the Stage II Planned Development Permit and would require the review and approval of a Site Development Review by the Planning Commission. Landscaping Landscape guidelines are included in Section IV of the Land Use and Design Standards section of the Stage 2 booklet (Attachment 3). The proposed landscaping includes a variety of evergreen trees in the parking lot with deciduous trees proposed as accent trees. Trees will be planted along Grafton Street and in the median. A plaza area with large canopy trees, shrubs, benches and a water feature will be located at the terminus of Grafton Street, adjacent to the traffic circle (see Traffic Circle Enlargement Sheet 3). In addition, a public art piece will be located in the center of the traffic circle. The public art will be subject to the Public Art Ordinance regulations. The specific design of the public art piece will be determined at a later date and approved by the City Council. Please refer to the landscape plans included in the Stage 2 booklet for additional information. Final landscaping plans for the site will be reviewed during each future Site Development Review request. While the Lowe's portion of the site (12 acres) is proposed to be completely developed at this time, the remaining area (approximatelyl7 acres) of the overall Grafton Station project area is not proposed to be developed at this time. The proposed application does not indicate if there will be any interim improvements on the remaining vacant area or adjacent streets. Staff requests that the Planning Commission discuss this issue and determine if interim improvement such as temporary parking areas or planting the area with a low-lying ground cover is appropriate on the undeveloped parcels. Additionally, Staff is seeking direction regarding the installation of the streetscape material (trees and other vegetation) along the rights-of-way surrounding the property (i.e. Grafton/Dublin/Brannigan) to create a visual buffer between the undeveloped land that would surround the developed Lowe's property. Page 3 of 10 Master Sign Program The project includes a request for a Master Sign Program (Attachment 4). The proposed sign program will provide attractive signage for the entire shopping center, once complete. The Sign Program is clear and easy to read which will aid in the enforcement of the Sign Program once tenants begin to locate in the center. The Master Sign Program provides for overall design consistency within Grafton Station. The Sign Program includes a freeway sign (Sheet 3.0 of Attachment 4). The freeway sign is proposed to be 75 feet in height and include the name of the shopping center and major tenant names. The base of the sign will have a stone finish and the upper portion of the sign will have a smooth finish and will be painted a tan color. The height of the proposed freeway sign is significant; however, the height of the sign is compatible with freeway signs approved by the City; including Hacienda Crossings and Shamrock Ford sites which also have 75 foot tall existing freeway signs. Additionally, once constructed, IKEA will have a freeway sign which is 99 feet in height. While signage is important for the visibility of businesses, it is also important to ensure that the sign is scaled appropriately. The adjacent freeway (1-580) is located approximately 200 feet from the Lowe's store and the proposed sign is approximately 40 feet from the freeway right-of-way. There is minimal grade difference between the freeway and the project site. Staff requests that the Planning Commission discuss the proposed height of the freeway sign and provide direction to Staff regarding the proposed height of the freeway sign. CEQA Addendum The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 156164 provides that an addendum to a previously certified Environmental Impact Report (EIR) may be prepared when the project requires a minor technical change to the EIR and there are no new significant environmental effects and no substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. The amendments to the Stage I Development Plan require environmental review due to the increase in gross acreage of the site (which results in an increase in the allowable floor area of the site). The increase in acreage allows an additional 25,059 square feet of commercial space to be constructed on the site. Although there will be an increase in the allowable floor area on the project site, the total amount of commercial space (318,000 square feet) falls within the development potential which was studied for the Tassajara Gateway subarea and Eastern Dublin in the Eastern Dublin EIR. The CEQA Addendum for this project is not included as a part of this Study Session Staff Report. The Addendum will be included with the Staff Report for the public hearing. Site Development Review (SDR) At this time, approximately 12.24 acres of the site is proposed to be developed (this does not include the roadways). The proposed SDR includes the Lowe's building and garden center, related parking and landscaping, the bioswale and the extension of Brannigan and Grafton Street will be constructed. The Lowe's building is proposed to be 138,135 square feet in size and the garden center is proposed to be 31,659 square feet in size. The remainder of the shopping center will require separate Site Development Review permits prior to construction of these retail pads. The Site Development Review plans are located in Attachment 5. Elevations can be found under the architecture tab on Sheet A-4. Samples of the colors and materials of the building are located on Sheet A-5 under the architecture tab. Computer enhanced elevations (renderings) are included in the Staff Report as Attachment 6. A full-sized color and materials board is available for review at City Hall and will also be available during the Study Session. Page 4 of 10 Tassajara Gateway Subarea The project is located within the Tassajara Gateway Subarea of the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. This area encourages the development of uses that will benefit from the close proximity to the area's three major corridors (1-580, Dublin Boulevard and Tassajara Road). Due to the area's visibility from these corridors, the land uses within this area should present a high profile, quality image. The Lowe's building is consistent with the Tassajara Gateway Subarea in that: I) the use is located in a manner as to provide visibility to the public; and 2) the project also incorporates various design features (i.e. stone enhancements, varied building articulation) and site landscaping. Eastern Dublin Scenic Corridor The project is also subject to the Eastern Dublin Scenic Corridor Study. This Study determined significant viewpoints throughout Eastern Dublin. The project site is located within Scenic Corridor - Zone I, which is the area adjacent to the 1-580 corridor. This zone is intended to protect the views to the ridges and knolls located to the east of the freeway. In an effort to reduce view obstructions, the Lowe's building is located in the western portion of the property. By massing the building in the western portion of the property, the remaining area of the parcel, which is devoted to parking, provides an open area that preserves the views to the east. The project, as designed, is consistent with the Eastern Dublin Scenic Corridor requirements. Site Plan The Lowe's store will be located adjacent to the property line on the west side of the property, north of Northside Drive. The south side of the building (where the garden center is located) will be visible from 1- 580. The front of the store faces the interior of the shopping center and includes an area for outdoor displays. The loading dock and staging areas are located at the rear of the building adjacent to the extension of Brannigan and the western property line. Entrances to the garden center, the main store and the indoor lumber yard are located on the east elevation and face the interior of the parking lot. During this phase (Phase I) of the project, Grafton Street will be extended from its current location (on the north side of Dublin Boulevard) into the shopping center. The Lowe's store will be accessed from Grafton Street in two locations (please refer to Sheet PD-4 in Attachment 3). Brannigan Street will also be extended from its current location on the north side of Dublin Boulevard through the project site. This street is not intended for main access; however, motorists can enter the rear of the shopping center and proceed to the front of the store through the "entry street" off of the Brannigan Street extension. Front (East) Elevation The body of the building will be constructed with concrete tilt-up panels which are typical materials for a retail building of this size and nature. The body of the building will be beige in color with a medium beige base. The front of the building will also feature stone accents on the entrance to the store and at various locations throughout the front of the building. An arcade (or awning) will be located on the front of the building. The building will have varying heights and setbacks/projections to reduce the massing ofthe building. The varying colors and materials and the arcade reduce the appearance of massing of the building and the arcade also reduces the perceived height of the building. Sheet I of Attachment 6 provides a good illustration of some of the varying setbacks of the building walls. The front of the building also features ten metal frames which will have vines that, once matured, will grow over the frames and will provide an attractive landscaping element to the building. The proposed vine species, star jasmine, have been selected based on their performance with recycled water. Staff is recommending that the SDR include a condition which will require these vines to be replaced if they do not show substantial growth within one year. Page 5 of 10 Other improvements to the front of the building include a low screen wall and trees which are shown on the Outdoor Display Plan (Sheet A-2 of Attachment 5). These elements are intended to screen the outdoor display items and are discussed under the Conditional Use Permit Section discussed later in the Staff Report. Rear (West) Elevation The rear of the building is visible from the extension of Brannigan Street and from the adjacent property which is vacant at this time. This side of the building also has a beige concrete body with a medium beige base. This elevation also includes stone accents and two frames with vines. On the left side of this elevation, a staging area, where items are stored, will be located behind a solid wall. Access to this area can be taken from the metal doors which are visible on the elevation. This area is not accessible to the public. On the right side of this elevation, a low concrete wall will screen views of the loading dock and delivery trucks parked behind it. On the right side of the elevation, there is a tubular steel fence for the garden center. Sheet 4 of Attachment 6 provides a view of the rear elevation with the trees along the extension of Brannigan Street from the adjacent property. Please note that although the rendering shows grass on the adjacent property, the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan shows that property can be developed as a commercial shopping center in the future. Right Side (North) Elevation This side of the building will be visible from Dublin Boulevard (the wall of the building is located approximately 615 feet away from Dublin Boulevard) until Pad A (as shown on Sheet PD-I in Attachment I) is constructed. On the left side ofthis elevation, the canopy which extends from the building over the small drive aisle for access to the indoor lumber yard is visible. Contractors can drive under this overhang and load lumber supplies in their vehicles during business hours. This side of the building also features a concrete finish with stone accents. On this elevation, eight frames will be installed with vines similar to the ones on the front of the building. These elements will break up the massing of the building and provide a visual feature on the wall of the building to limit blank areas. One additional frame will also be included without vines along this wall. Additional landscaping is provided to screen views of this wall from Dublin Boulevard. More detail regarding the landscaping is located under the landscape section. Left Side (South) Elevation This side of the building will be visible from 1-580. The garden center forms a large portion of this side of the building. The garden center will be surrounded with a tubular steel fence with a mesh material to obscure views of the area. Stone columns will be located along the fence consistent with the stone materials used throughout the building. On the left side of this elevation, the loading dock is visible. As mentioned above, views of the dock from the rear of the building and the adjacent property will be screened by a wall. The loading dock is not visible from the front of the building as the garden center projects in front of the area. Landscaping along the freeway has been designed to limit views of this area (see Sheet L-6 in Attachment 5). Landscaping Landscaping will be installed on the Lowe's portion of the project during this phase (see Sheet C-IO on Page 6 of 10 Attachment 5). Street trees will also be planted along Dublin Boulevard and the extension of Brannigan Street. A bioswale will be installed adjacent to Northside Drive. The parking lot will feature a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees (Sheet L-2 and L-3 of Attachment 5). Evergreen trees will be located within the interior portion of the parking lot to provide a tree canopy throughout the year which will also break up the expanse of the parking lot and will limit views of the parking lot throughout the year. Additional evergreen tree species will be located at the end of each of the parking stall aisles to provide a focal point in the parking lot and will provide visual interest in the parking lot. Deciduous trees will also be located in the parking lot as accent trees. Groundcover will be located beneath the trees in the parking lot. On the Brannigan Street extension, a double row of trees will be planted between the street and the adjacent property (see Sheet L-6 of Attachment 5). These street trees will be Nicholas Eucalyptus and Blackwood Acacia trees. Both of these trees are good screening trees because the Eucalyptus tree can grow up to 48 feet in height with a 15 foot - 36 foot canopy and the Acacia tree can grow up to 40 feet in height with a 20 foot canopy. As discussed under the Left Side Elevation Section, a truck loading dock is located on the left side of the elevation and may be visible from Northside Drive and the 1-580 freeway. In order to screen views of this loading dock, the landscape plan has been designed to provide adequate landscape screening (see Sheet L- 6 of Attachment 5). Adjacent to Northside Drive, a double row of oleander shrubs will be planted. Oleander shrubs are an evergreen shrub and can grow up to 20 feet in height and up to 12 feet wide. These shrubs are typically used for screening as they keep their leaves year round, are attractive, and can grow to form a screen wall due to the typical width of the shrub. A row of myrtle trees will also be planted adjacent to the access road around the building. These trees tend to remain compact and will provide additional color in the area. Adjacent to the north (right) side of the building and the entry street (see Sheet L-2 of Attachment 5), a variety of plant materials will be added. A row often Southern Live Oak trees (an evergreen tree) will be planted to soften this side of the building which will be visible from Dublin Boulevard until Pad A is developed in the future. Along this entry street, shrubs and groundcover will also be planted to provide an attractive element for motorist along this entry aisle. A bioswale will be constructed in an area south of the parking lot adjacent to Northside Drive (see Sheet L-5 of Attachment 5). The bioswale will provide treatment for a portion of the storm water runoff from the parking lot and roof areas within the shopping center as required by the conditions of the Water Quality Certification Order issued by the Regional Water Quality Control Board in 2003. Various riparian species and native trees and shrubs will be planted in the bioswale. The landscaping on the remainder of the Grafton Station shopping center will compliment the landscaping that will be installed during this phase of the project for the Lowe's store. Sheet L-I in Attachment 5 depicts the overall landscaping plan for the entire site once all phases are complete. As shown, the overall landscape plant palette will be consistent throughout the project once complete. Parking A total of 544 parking stalls will be constructed during this phase of the project. These stalls will be located on the Lowe's parcel; however, a reciprocal parking easement will be filed for the entire shopping center to form a "pool" of parking. The Lowe's store will be 138,135 square feet in size. Based on the parking requirements in Dublin Zoning Ordinance Chapter 8.76, the parking requirement for this type ofretail establishment (service retail) is one parking stall per 300 square feet of floor area. A total of 460 parking spaces are required to support this use. The parking plan shows a mix of standard and compact spaces which are consistent with the code Page 7 of 10 requirements for the maximum number of compact spaces (not to exceed 35% of the total stalls) and the size requirements for parking stalls. The parking plan also includes contractor-designated spaces which are designed to be I-foot wider than standard spaces to accommodate trucks. These stalls will be located near the indoor lumber yard. The project will also include accessible stalls as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project also includes a garden center. Since the garden center is not considered floor area (the area has no roof and the walls are made up of fencing materials with mesh) the parking requirement for the garden center is lower than what is required for the store. The Dublin Zoning Ordinance includes a parking requirement for outdoor areas. The Ordinance requires one parking stall per 1,000 square feet of area. The garden center is 31,659 square feet in size which means that a total of 31 parking stalls are required. Based on the garden center and store, a total of 491 parking stalls are required (please note that the parking summary on Sheet C-5 of Attachment 5 is incorrect because it does not include the parking required for the garden center). A total of 544 parking stalls will be located on the site which will result in a surplus of 53 parking stalls. Prior to the public hearing, the parking plan summary located on Sheet C-5 will need to be updated to accurately reflect the required parking for the site. Conditional Use Permit As part of the application packet, Lowe's has applied for a Conditional Use Permit to allow the display of items in the front of the store. The Dublin Zoning Ordinance allows commercial uses to have these types of displays with authorization of a Conditional Use Permit. The Stage 2 Planned Development includes permitted and conditionally permitted uses and also includes outdoor storage as a conditional use. The City has not previously approved a permanent outdoor display for a retail business. Home improvement stores, such as Lowe's, typically display items for sale in the front of the store. Attachment 6 includes a site plan which depicts the proposed location of each of the items for display. Photos are also included which show examples of the types of items that would be displayed. In response to Staffs concerns regarding the display of goods outside, the Applicant has proposed outdoor display screens adjacent to the outside of the building (see Section A-A on Sheet A-2 of Attachment 7). The screens would consist of a 3'4" high masonry wall (painted to compliment the building colors) with a tree planter. The screen walls would be distributed along the front of the store (they will not be located in front of the garden center) and will be spaced to provide the required access to the front of the store. The tree species have not been selected at this time but will be small accent trees. The screen walls and planters will provide a unique screen which should block most of the views ofthe outdoor display items. Staff does not have concerns with the tasteful display of plant materials including trees, shrubs and flowers, the display of durable goods including patio furniture, BBQs, and equipment; and the material displays such as fences and deck materials as shown in the photographs (Attachment 7). The display of these items in conjunction with the proposed screening materials should provide an attractive element for the front of the store. However, Staff does have concerns with the proposed display of certain items which appear to be storage rather than a display of items. As shown on the photos in Attachment 7, the drywall/plywood display, block display, soil/fertilizer displays and roofing displays appear to be materials which are stacked on top of each other and are typical of what you would see inside the store. Staff also has concerns with the display of storage sheds which are large in size and could create access problems into the store and could not be adequately screened. Staff feels that these types of displays are not appropriate for the exterior of the store. Page 8 of 10 Staff would like direction from the Planning Commission on whether or not outdoor displays should be permitted for the store. Additionally, if the Planning Commission determines that outdoor displays should be permitted, Staff is asking for direction on what materials are appropriate for outdoor storage. CONCLUSION: The Applicant is proposing a unique development for Grafton Station that combines architecture and extensive landscaping to provide for an attractive retail center for the community. The Lowe's store and related improvements will be constructed during the first phase of the project and additional retail buildings will be constructed in the future. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Planning Commission provide Staff with direction/comments on the proposed Grafton Station development and Lowe's project. Staff is also asking the Planning Commission for direction on the requested CUP for the proposed outdoor display areas adjacent to the front of the store. Page 9 of 10 GENERAL INFORMATION APPLICANT: Jim Tong Charter Properties 4690 Chabot Drive Suite 100 Pleasanton, CA 94588 Laura Orlich SSOE Inc. 22121 17th Avenue Suite 225 Bothell, W A 98021 PROPERTY OWNER: Chang Su-O Lin, H. Yao Lin and H. Lien Lin 4690 Chabot Drive Suite 100 Pleasanton, CA 94588 LOCATION: South of Dublin Boulevard and north of North side Drive and 1-580 ASSESSORS PARCEL NUMBER: 985-0036-009 GENERAL PLAN DESIGNATION: General Commercial and General Commercial/Campus Office SPECIFIC PLAN AREA: Eastern Dublin Specific Plan EXISTING ZONING AND LAND USE: Planned Development SURROUNDING USES: Location Zoning General Plan Land Use Current Use of Property Site PD- Planned General Commercial Vacant Development and General Commercial/Campus Office North PD- Plauned High Density and High Density Development Neighborhood Residential Units and Commercial Vacant South N/A N/A 1-580 Freeway and City of Pleasanton East PD- Planned Campus Office Vacant Development West PD- Planned General Commercial Vacant Development Page 10 of 10