HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-28-1998 98-007 General Motors Automall
CITY OF DUBLIN
PLANNING COMMISSION
AGENDA STATEMENT/STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: July 28, 1998
TO:
Planning Commission
FROM:
Planning Staff
PREPARED BY:
Tasha Huston, AICP, Associate Planner
SUBJECT:
PA 98-007 General Motors Automall
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION:
The application includes a Planned Development Rezoning, a Tentative Parcel Map,
Conditional Use Permit, and Site Development Review to design an Automall for 3 new
auto dealerships on the south side of Dublin Boulevard, east of Tassajara Creek, West of
Tassajara Road, and north ofInterstate 580. Additional descriptions of the proposed
development concept are contained in the proposed Development Plan included as
Exhibits A-I and A-2 to this report.
BACKGROUND:
This project is located along the south side of Dublin Boulevard, east of Tassajara Creek, and west of
Tassajara Road, within the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan area. The Specific Plan was adopted by the City
of Dublin in November 1993, and established land use designations for approximately 3300 acres ofland
east of the Camp Parks military reserve. This project implements the Specific Plan through development
with land uses consistent with that plan.
The General Motors Automall application includes requests for approval of a Planned Development (PD)
Rezone Development Plan, Tentative Parcel Map, Conditional Use Permit, and Site Development
Review. A Development Agreement is also required prior to approval of the Final Map. Additional
approvals which will be processed after this application include a Development Agreement, building
permits, and other development permits.
Item No.
Copies To:
Applicant!
Property Owner
PAFile
Project Planner
City Attorney
General Distribution
ANALYSIS:
The property is bounded by Tassajara Creek along its western side, and Dublin Boulevard on the north,
and Interstate 580 on the south. Land uses planned to the east of this site involve a "corporate center"
office and hotel project. The site topography is flat, other than the slight grades near the creek.
The Automall project involves 3 new auto dealerships and 3 separate parcels on an approximately 15-acre
site. The first parcel ("A"), located at the intersection of Dublin Boulevard and Miller Court, will contain
the "Pontiac/BuicklGMC" dealership. The second parcel ("B") will remain vacant for a future
dealership. The third parcel ("C"), adjacent to the 1-580 freeway, will contain 4 buildings: two sales
buildings, housing a Chevrolet showroom and a Cadillac/Oldsmobile showroom; one body shop building;
and one quick lube/car wash/storage building.
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT REZONING
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( The Dublin Zoning Ordinance establishes the intent, purpose, and requirements of a Planned
: Development District. The intent of the Planned Development Zoning District is to create a more
\ desirable use of the land, a more coherent and coordinated development, and a better physical
j : environment than would otherwise be possible under a single zoning district or combination of zoning
I districts. The Zoning Ordinance requires that a Development Plan shall be adopted to establish
I ~egulations for the use, development, improvement, and maintenance of the property within the requested
L!lanned Development Zoning District. .
The proposed zoning for the site is "Planned Development / C-2 (General Commercial)" for the majority
of the site, with a "Stream Corridor/Open Space" designation over the Tassajara Creek corridor on the
western edge of the property. These zoning categories are consistent with the purpose, intent, and
requirements of the City's Zoning Ordinance. The property was prezoned as a Planned Development
District, and designated in the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan for Campus Office/General Commercial.
Commercial and Stream Corridor/Open Space. Commercial uses are permitted to the extent that traffic
impacts do not exceed the City's level of service standards. The traffic study prepared for this project
(TJKM, June 22, 1998) concludes that with the improvements to be constructed for this project, no
significant traffic impacts would result.
A Development Plan has been proposed for the Automall, depicting the development concept and
addressing the requirements of the Zoning Ordinance. The proposed Development Plan is attached as
Exhibit A-I, stamped by the City "RECEIVED JULY 23, 1998", and Exhibit A-2, Development Plan -
Permitted Uses and General Provisions.
The approval of the Development Plan will complete the 2-stage PD zoning process, in accordance with
the City's Zoning Ordinance, as well as the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan requirement for a "District
Planned Development Plan". The approved Planned Development (PD) Rezone & Development Plan
will include all text and diagrams attached as Exhibit A-I, the General Provisions & Development
Standards attached to the PD Rezone Resolution, and the revisions reflected by the conditions of approval
of the attached Tentative Map, Conditional Use Permit, and Site Development Review Resolution.
These uses and locations are also consistent with and reinforce the General Plan and Specific Plan land
use designations, goals and policies by maintaining a 100-foot open space setback and an additional 20-
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foot wide transitional landscape area along Tassajara Creek, by providing an efficient site plan, and by
providing development of a commercial use appropriate to the General Commercial land use designation.
The site plan also illustrates a 20-foot wide landscape setback from Interstate 580, and ten-foot wide
landscape areas along the north and east site boundaries. Several pockets of landscaping are provided on
site, with shade trees and shrubs to break up the hardscape of the buildings and asphalt. Walkways are
provided for pedestrian and wheelchair access, and a bike lane is provided to the businesses along Miller
Court. With these amenities, the site plan accomplishes the purpose of the Planned Development Zoning
District, as established by Chapter 8.32.010, A through H, of the Zoning Ordinance.
Finally, the proposed Development Plan includes the information required by the Eastern Dublin Specific
Plan for a District Planned Development Plan (DPDP). The project phasing involves 2 stages. All on-site
dealership facilities and improvements for Parcels A and C will be constructed in the first phase, along
with Dublin Boulevard and Miller Court roadway improvements. The on-site improvements for Parcel B
will be constructed in the future, and be subject to the approval of a Site Development Review, and
potentially a Conditional Use Permit, depending on the type of use. Because specific infrastructure
requirements for the project will be determined with preparation of improvement and service plans,
additional information regarding infrastructure sequencing will be addressed in the Development
Agreement required for this project.
SITE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
The Eastern Dublin Specific Plan requires that Site Development Review occur at the Tentative Map
stage. The purpose of the Site Development Review process is to promote orderly, attractive, and
harmonious site and structural development. It addresses building location, architectural and landscape
design and theme, vehicular and pedestrian access, on-site circulation, parking, and traffic impacts.
The proposed approval of the automall project would include approval of Site Development Review for
Parcel A, on which is located the Pontiac/BuicklGMC dealership, and Parcel C, occupied by the
Chevrolet/Cadillac/Oldsmobile dealership. Any dealership facility proposed for Parcel B would require
the approval of an individual Site Development Review by the Planning Commission.
Architecture
Building designs are typical of the type of architecture used in many auto showrooms. The
Pontiac/BuicklGMC dealership building, along Dublin Boulevard, is proposed to be constructed primarily
of split-face masonry block, with canopy projections involving grid detailing which is continued on other
portions of the building. Building walls are finished at the top with a cornice band using smooth-faced
block for contrast. Dealer signs and logos will be located on the main canopy elements.
Parcel C, at the south end of Miller Court adjacent to 1-580, will contain 4 buildings, including two
dealership facilities. The main building, adjacent to the freeway, will house the Chevrolet dealership
building, with a small quick lube building located on the rear of the lot. The Cadillac/Oldsmobile
dealership is located on the north side of the lot, and includes a separate body/paint detail building. The
buildings on this site are constructed primarily of tilt-up concrete panels, with additional concrete block
and glass materials introduced for variation.
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Elevations have been enhanced to provide attractive views from travelers on Dublin Boulevard and
Interstate 580, through the use of various structural elements, and the additional of trellises for planting
vines. Building color themes are consistent for all dealerships, and involve an off-white base building
color with gray accents, and signage highlights in red and blue.
Parking
Parking will be provided for visitors with designated spaces in the front (east) area of the Chevrolet and
Cadillac dealerships, and on the north and east sides of the Pontiac/BuicklGMC dealership building.
Employee parking is also designated on the site plan, and all parking will be labeled and striped. The site
plans provide for ample inventory parking, and numerous display spaces will be located to be visible from
Dublin Boulevard, Miller Court, and Interstate 580. Circulation within the site allows for adequate
turning movements and loading, and conditions of approval require that all drive aisles must be kept clear
at all times.
Landscaping & Creek area
The Site Plan and Preliminary Landscape Plan provide for a wide variety of street trees, shrubs, vines, and
ground covers which are incorporated into a coordinated site plan and landscape design. The landscape
scheme enhances the project's built environment and blends well with the natural elements adjacent to the
site along Tassajara Creek.
The Tassajara Creek corridor has been designed to take advantage of a natural open space feature through
the development of public regional trail and creek buffer with native landscaping. A 100-foot creek
setback is maintained, and the Automall plans propose a 20-foot wide transitional landscape area adjacent
to the creek corridor. As mentioned above, the site plans also include a 20-foot landscape setback from
Interstate 580, ten-foot wide landscape areas along the north and east site boundaries, and several pockets
of landscaping are provided on site, with shade trees and shrubs to break up the hardscape of the buildings
and asphalt.
A condition of approval requires the submittal of a Final Landscape and Irrigation Plan prior to the
issuance of building permits. Street trees must be of a minimum 15-gallon size. Exact tree locations and
varieties and shrub, vine, espalier, and groundcover varieties will be reviewed and approved by the
Director of Community Development. The Final Landscaping and Irrigation Plan must conform to the
City's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.
Walls and Fences
A 6-foot tall wrought-iron fence will be installed along the west and south property lines. A special
version of this fence which will accommodate growth of vines, will also be used in the 6-foot wide
planting strip along the south side of the Chevrolet building. This landscape strip will provide a visual
screen to buffer views of the building's service areas from Interstate 580.
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT
The purpose of a Conditional Use Permit is to determine whether the proposed use is appropriate for the
site. Issues that are commonly addressed include access to the site, land use compatibility and site
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design. The following findings must be made by the Planning Commission before a Conditional Use
Permit may be granted:
1. The use is required by the public need;
2. The use is properly related to other land uses and transportation and service facilities in
the vicinity;
3. The proposed use will not materially adversely affect the health of safety of persons
residing or working the vicinity, or be materially detrimental to the public welfare or
injurious to property or improvements in the neighborhood;
4. The proposed use will not be contrary to the specific intent clauses or performance
standards establishedfor the District in which it is to be located in that conditions have
been applied to ensure conformance with the applicable zoning regulations, and the use is
consistent with the character of the surrounding area as well as the retail business district.
5. The approval of the Conditional Use Permit will be consistent with the Dublin General
Plan and the City of Dublin Zoning Ordinance.
The proposed automall is considered a Conditional Use for the General Commercial zoning district,
according to the Dublin Zoning Ordinance. This type of commercial use is considered appropriate for this
area for several reasons. First, the site will have adequate access when Dublin Boulevard and Miller
Court are improved for this project. The site will have good visibility from the 580 freeway and Dublin
Boulevard, which is considered essential for automobile sales. To the west of the site, on the opposite
side of Tassajara Creek, is an approved project for an auto sales facility (Autonation). The proposed
activities associated with an auto dealership are compatible with the planned land uses in this area.
Finally, the site has adequate parking, circulation, and landscaped open space, and will provide vehicle
sales with convenient freeway access. Therefore the site is considered an appropriate location for the
proposed automall.
TENT A TIVE MAP
The developer has submitted a Tentative Map proposing to subdivide an existing large parcel belonging to
Alameda County Surplus Property Authority into 3 new parcels for the automall, plus one parcel on the
opposite side of Miller Court for a future office development, and the remaining Alameda County
landholdings. Parcel "A", located at the intersection of Dublin Boulevard and Miller Court, is proposed to
be 3.136 acres, and will contain the "Pontiac/BuicklGMC" dealership. Parcel "B" is proposed to be
2.803 acres, and will remain vacant for a future dealership. Parcel "C", 7.536 acres, is adjacent to the 1-
580 freeway, and will contain 4 buildings: two sales buildings, housing a Chevrolet showroom and a
Cadillac/Oldsmobile showroom; one body shop building; and one quick lube/car wash/storage building.
The remaining parcels shown on the tentative map (office development site east of Miller Court, and
remaining Alameda County land holdings) are not a part of this Planned Development, Site Development
Review, and Conditional Use Permit.
Development is proposed to be accessed from Dublin Boulevard, along the northern edge of the site, and
from Miller Court, along the eastern edge of the site. An emergency vehicle access road will be provided
along the west side of the site, via the multi-use trail adjacent to Tassajara Creek (outside the creek area).
The project maintains a 100-foot setback from the top of the creek banks.
Improvements provided by the Tentative Map, along with the Conditions of Approval, address flood
control, street improvements, utilities, and phasing. Street improvements and right-of-way dedications
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are shown in detail on the Tentative Map and Site Plans. Requirements of the affected utilities and special
districts have been incorporated into the Conditions of Approval as part of the required "will-serve"
commitments.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
Approval of the proposed Planned Development, Tentative Map, Site Development Review, Conditional
Use Permit, and Development Agreement for the General Motors Automall is within the Dublin General
Plan's Eastern Extended Planning Area and the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan area, which was the subject
of an Environmental Impact Report, certified by the City of Dublin in 1993 (Addenda to the EIR were
also approved, dated May 4, 1993 and August 22, 1994; see Background Attachments). The General
Plan/Specific Plan EIR is a program EIR, which anticipated several subsequent actions related to future
development in Eastern Dublin. The EIR did identify some impacts from implementation of the General
Plan/Specific Plan which were not able to be mitigated. Upon certification of the EIR, the City adopted a
statement of overriding considerations for several impacts, some of which relate to this project (e.g.;
visual impacts). The City also adopted a mitigation monitoring program, which included several
measures intended to reduce impacts from the development of the Eastern Dublin area. These mitigation
measures apply to project approvals and actions at various stages in the development process, and will be
applied to this project as applicable. The timing of these mitigation measures is indicated in the City's
EIR mitigation monitoring matrix, attached as a Background Attachment.
An Initial Study, dated June 30, 1998, was prepared for the project, to determine whether there will be
additional environmental impacts occurring as a result of this project beyond or different from those
already addressed in the Program EIR. The Initial Study resulted in the conclusion that no additional
significant impacts are expected and no new mitigation measures are needed for site-specific
environmental effects.
The main issues addressed in the Initial Study's focused evaluation of pertinent project-level
environmental issues were traffic and visual impacts. Each of these issues has been the subject of
supplemental environmental studies, and in each case, studies have determined that the project will not
have any additional significant environmental impacts which were not evaluated in the earlier EIR.
Recommendations from the supplemental studies are included in the project description and/or are
reflected in the conditions of approval. Further discussion of the pertinent issues appears below.
TRAFFIC A traffic study was conducted for the project. It identified several impacts, however the
impacts and related improvements were previously addressed in the certified Program EIR. Mitigation
measures of the EIR required traffic improvements and fees to mitigate any significant impacts. The
recent traffic study improvements, which have been made conditions of the project, are within the scope
of the mitigations identified in the EIR. The traffic study concluded that applicable levels of service
required by the Dublin General Plan will not be exceeded by this project, and that the proposed
development is an appropriate use for this site.
VISUAL A supplemental visual analysis was conducted for the project at a project-specific level to
determine whether the project design complies with the mitigation measures of the EIR and whether any
additional visual impacts or mitigation measures would be required. The study also evaluated the project
design in terms ofthe Specific Plan visual policies. Several design guidelines and development standards
have been proposed as part of the project's Development Plan and demonstrate conformance with the
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Specific Plan and General Plan policies. No additional significant impacts beyond those addressed in the
Program EIR were identified for the project.
The Initial Study discusses the provisions of the project, conditions, and applicable mitigation measures of
the Program EIR which address environmental concerns. A copy of the EIR, the Initial Study, and the
supplemental environmental studies regarding these issues are incorporated in this Staff Report by
reference (copies are available for review at the Dublin Planning Department, 100 Civic Plaza, Dublin,
CA 94568).
As a result of the review of the certified EIR and addenda, and an analysis of pertinent project-level
environmental issues presented in the Initial Study, it has been determined that the proposed project will
not have any new significant effects on the environment which have not been analyzed adequately in an
earlier EIR pursuant to applicable standards. To this extent, the project is within the scope of the Program
EIR.
CONCLUSION
This application has been reviewed by the applicable City Departments and agencies, and their comments
have been incorporated in the Development Plan and/or made Conditions of Approval. The proposed
project is consistent with the Dublin General Plan, Eastern Dublin Specific Plan, and represents an
appropriate project for the site.
Staff recommends the Planning Commission approve the Tentative Map, Conditional Use Permit, and
Site Development Review (subject to City Council approval of the Planned Development Rezone), and
forward a recommendation of approval for the project, through adoption of the attached Resolutions as
follows:
Exhibit A:
Resolution recommending City Council Adopt an Ordinance approving the Planned
Development Rezone & adopting a Development Plan;
Exhibit B:
Resolution Approving the Tentative Map, Conditional Use Permit and Site Development
Review.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
FORMAT:
I)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Open public hearing and hear Staff presentation.
Take testimony from the Applicant and the public.
Question Staff, Applicant and the public.
Close public hearing and deliberate.
Adopt Resolutions A and B relating to P A 98-007.
ACTION:
Adopt: Resolution A, recommending City Council adoption of the Ordinance
approving a PD Rezone & Development Plan; Resolution B, approving the
Tentative Map, Conditional Use Permit, and Site Development Review.
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ATTACHMENTS:
Exhibits:
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
Resolution recommending City Council Adopt the Ordinance approving a Planned
Development Rezone and Development Plan (with Development Plan attached as Exhibits
A-I and A-2);
Resolution approving the Tentative Map, Conditional Use Permit, and Site Development
Review.
Background Attachments:
Attachment 1:
Attachment 2:
Attachment 3:
Attachment 4:
Attachment 5:
Attachment 6:
Attachment 7:
Dublin General Plan
Eastern Dublin Specific Plan
EIR for Eastern Dublin Specific Plan & General Plan Amendment (including
Addendum dated May 4, 1993) SCH# 91103064; and Addendum dated August 22,
1994
City Council Resolution Certifying Eastern Dublin Specific Plan and General Plan
Amendment Program EIR (Resolution # 51-93
City Council Resolution adopting Eastern Dublin Specific Plan and General Plan
Amendment; adopting findings and approving overriding considerations; and adopting
Mitigation Monitoring Program ("Matrix") for EDSP EIR (Resolution # 53-93)
City Council Resolution approving Prezoning of annexed land (Resolution # 10-94)
Initial Study
(g:98007\PCSR.doc)
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