HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.2 Attch 1 PC Rpt 04-25-2006 w/o attchmts -of�bU�,y
1 ,82 AGENDA STATEMENT
2006 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING DATE: April 25
l p 25,
2006
PUBLIC HEARING: PA 06-008 Fountainhead Montessori School —
Conditional Use Permit and Site Development Review (Adjudicatory
Action)
Report Prepared by Marnie R. Nuccio, Associate Planner
ATTACHMENTS: 1. Resolution approving PA 06-008 Fountainhead Montessori School
Conditional Use Permit and Site Development Review to operate a
Day Care Center, Construct an Outdoor Playground, and make
associated site improvements at 6665 Amador Plaza Road, with
Project Plans attached as Exhibit A
2. City Council Resolution 2-97 approving a Planned Development
Rezone for PA 96-043 Enea Plaza
3. Charles M Salter and Associates Noise Study dated 23 March 2006
RECOMMENDATION: 1. Receive Staff presentation
2. Open the public hearing
3. Take testimony from the Applicant and the public
4. Close public hearing and deliberate
5. Adopt Resolution (Attachment 1) approving PA 06-008 Fountainhead
Montessori School Conditional Use Permit and Site Development
Review to operate a Day Care Center, Construct an Outdoor
Playground, and make associated site improvements at 6665 Amador
Plaza Road, with Project Plans attached as Exhibit A
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Fountainhead Montessori School is a day care center for children ages 18 months through kindergarten.
Their existing facility is located at 6901 York Drive on a portion of the Valley High School site. The
Dublin Unified School District has leased space to Fountainhead Montessori at various locations for over
20 years. As part of the School District's plan to offer Adult Education classes, the District terminated
their lease with Fountainhead Montessori at the Valley High School site. The Fountainhead Montessori
School would like to remain in Dublin and is seeking approval of a Conditional Use Permit and Site
Development Review to operate their day care center for up to 135 children at 6665 Amador Plaza Road.
Modifications to the site layout are also proposed and include the construction of an outdoor playground,
alterations to parking and circulation, and the installation of landscaping and fencing.
COPIES TO: Applicant
Property Owner
File S. ]
ITEM NO. '
CAPA#\2006\06-003 Fountainhead MontessorOPCSR 04-25-06.doc
ATTACHMENT 1
In accordance with Chapter 8.32 Planned Development Zoning District, Chapter 8.100 Conditional Use
Permit, and Chapter 8.104 Site Development Review, the Applicant is requesting the following approvals:
1. A minor amendment to the adopted Development Plan for Planned Development Zoning District
(PA 96-043),
2. A Conditional Use Permit for the operation of a day care center at 6665 Amador Plaza Road, and
3. Site Development Review for modifications to the site layout at 6665 Amador Plaza Road.
ANALYSIS:
Minor Amendment to Development Plan
In January of 1997, the City Council approved the consolidation of three (3) Planned Development
Zoning Districts into one zoning district known as Planned Development Zoning District (PA 96-043),
Enea Plaza and adopted a Development Plan which set forth the general provisions and development
standards for the District (Attachment 2). In the Resolution approving the Development Plan the Zoning
District is described as a retail commercial zoning district. The regulations and standards contained
within the Development Plan are consistent with a retail commercial development and include permitted
uses such as retail shopper goods, eating and drinking establishments, personal services and office uses.
Conditional uses include community facilities, recreational facilities, movie theatres, vehicle sales and
service, nursing facilities, service stations, and others. Day Care Centers are not included in the list of
permitted, conditional, or prohibited uses.
The City Council Resolution states that "...development and operation of land use activities within this
planned development shall be subject to the City of Dublin Zoning Code in effect at the time of
development and land use activities are considered. " The closest comparable zoning district to Planned
Development Zoning District (PA 96-043) is C-1, Retail Commercial. Within this Zoning District, Day
Care Centers are a conditional use.
Section 8.32.080 of the Dublin Zoning Ordinance allows for minor amendments to an approved
Development Plan by means of a Conditional Use Permit approved by the Planning Commission "upon a
finding that the amendment substantially complies with and does not materially change the provisions or-
intent of the adopted Planned Development Zoning District Ordinance for the site. " The intent of the
Planned Development Zoning District is to encourage retail commercial development within the District
that is compatible with existing commercial uses in the immediate vicinity. The operation of a Day Care
Center is consistent with retail commercial development and would be compatible with surrounding
commercial uses.
Should the PIanning Commission decide to grant a minor amendment to the Development Plan for
Planned Development Zoning District (PA 96-043), Day Care Centers would become a conditional use
within the entire+19.9-acre District area(See Figure 1 below).
If the Planning Commission decides not to grant the request for a minor amendment to the Development
Plan, the Applicant's requests for a Conditional Use Permit and Site Development Review to operate a
Day Care Center would have to be denied.
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Figure 1. Planned Development Zoning District (PA 96-043) Boundary
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v
Dublin
Blvd 1-680
Golden Gate
A
Drive mador
PIaza Road
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St. Patrick's '
Way
I-580
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Conditional Use Permit
The Fountainhead Montessori School is requesting approval of a Conditional Use Permit to operate an
approximately 6,669 square foot Day Care Center with an approximately 7,720 square foot outdoor
playground at 6665 Amador Plaza Road. The day care center would provide child care services for up to
135 children ages 18 months through kindergarten. The day care would operate from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. Monday through Friday with a maximum of eighteen employees on-site between the hours of 9:00
a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
The proposed day care center would occupy a portion of the first floor of a two-story office building
(Sheet A2, Exhibit A of Attachment 1). There would be seven activity rooms ranging in size from
approximately 470 square feet to 1,230 square feet. The day care center would be sprinklered as required
by the Building and Fire Codes.
Other tenants would also occupy the two-story office building, one on the first floor and multiple tenants
on the second floor. All tenants are categorized as Office uses. The administrative offices for
Fountainhead Montessori would also occupy space on the second floor. Because office uses are permitted
within the Planned Development Zoning District, Fountainhead Montessori's occupancy of the second
floor is not part of the Conditional Use Permit request.
Approval of the Conditional Use Permit request is contingent upon the Planning Commission approving
the request for a minor amendment to the Development Plan for Planned Development Zoning District
(PA 96-043).
Site Development Review
The project includes modifications to the existing site layout to accommodate an outdoor playground for
the day care center. The playground would be located to the rear of the building at 6665 Amador Plaza
Road within the existing parking lot and would result in a loss of 43 parking spaces (see discussion below
on parking).
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The playground would be approximately 7,720 square feet in size and would be enclosed with a 6-foot
high fence. The fence would be constructed of decorative steel or similar durable materials. It would be
designed to allow for visual surveillance of the playground and rear doors to the building from areas
within the parking lot.
Two gates would provide access to the playground, one on the east end and the other on the west end.
The gate Iocated at the east end of the playground would be the primary access point to the day care
center while the gate on the west end would primarily be used for exiting purposes. Both gates would be
equipped with panic hardware as required by the Building and Fire codes.
Along the front of the building a portion of the existing walkway would also be enclosed by a fence. The
fence would be constructed of wrought iron pickets and would be 5 feet in height. A gate on either end of
the fence would allow for emergency egress. This fence would prevent public access to the day care
center.
Landscaping
The fencing along the perimeter of the outdoor playground would be softened with a 5-foot wide
continuous planting strip of evergreen shrubs and flowering accent plants. Ornamental pears would also
be planted along the perimeter of the playground and would complement existing ornamental pears
located at the rear of the building and along the eastern property line.
The Applicant also proposes to enhance existing landscaping by adding flowering accent plants to
landscape planters along the north, east, and west sides of the building. New shrubs and groundcover
would also be planted along the southern property line to fill in and enhance the landscaping in this area.
All existing trees would remain throughout the site.
Parking and Circulation
The site of the proposed day care center is one of 3 parcels within a phased office development. Four
office buildings and 319 parking stalls were originally constructed in the early 1980's. Subsequently, one
of the four office buildings burned down and only three currently remain. Each of the remaining
buildings is approximately 20,600 square feet in size. The Development Plan approved for this Planned
Development Zoning District(PA 96-043) adopted the following parking ratios:
• 4 spaces per 1,000 square feet of net rentable office space (the Zoning Ordinance requires I space
per 250 square feet of gross floor area)
• 5 spaces per 1,000 square feet of net rentable retail space (the Zoning Ordinance requires 1 per
300 to 1 per 400 square feet of gross floor area)
Day Care Centers have the following parking requirements:
• 1 space per employee
• 1 space per company vehicle
• 1 loading space for every 5 children
The construction of the outdoor playground would result in a loss of 43 parking spaces leaving a total of
276 spaces available for all users of the three office buildings including Fountainhead Montessori School.
Gross floor areas were used because precise net rentable areas could not be obtained. Based on gross
floor area calculations the following number of parking spaces would be required:
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Address Gross Parking Requirement** Parking
Square Spaces
Foota e* Required
6665 Amador Plaza
• Fountainhead Montessori 6,999 1 per employee, I per 5 children, 1 46
per company vehicle***
• Office Uses 13,158 4 per 1,000 sq. ft. of net rentable area 54
6670 Amador Plaza
• Office Uses 20,187 4 per 1,000 sq. ft. of net rentable area 81
6690 Amador Plaza
• Office Uses 20,187 4 per 1,000 sq. ft. of net rentable area 81
TOTAL 262
*Gross square footages were used for the purpose of calculating parking because net rentable areas were not available.
**The parking requirement is per the development standards for the PD, Planned Development Zoning District(PA 96-043)in
which the project is located.
***Fountainhead Montessori would have 18 employees, 135 children and I company vehicle.
A total of 262 parking spaces would be needed to adequately serve all office uses and the proposed day
care center. Even with a loss of 43 parking spaces, a surplus of 14 spaces would still remain. It is also
worth noting that if net rentable areas could be obtained, a greater surplus of parking would be available.
The vehicular circulation patterns for the site would be modified along the rear of the building in order to
accommodate the proposed outdoor playground. A two-way drive aisle with parking on both sides (see
Figure 2) would be replaced with a one-way, westbound drive aisle (see Figure 3).
Fi ure 2.
Existing two-way drive
aisle with parking on
both sides.
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Asyt+ yr
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Figure 3.
Proposed one-way,
westbound drive aisle.
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i
The revised parking and circulation layout has been reviewed by the City's Traffic Engineer and the
proposed changes were found to be appropriate for the use and would not result in any negative impacts to
the site or its current or future users. The project has been conditioned to include appropriate traffic signs
and pavement markings to direct and inform motorists in a sale and effective manner_
Noise
An acoustical report was prepared by Charles M. Salter Associates to evaluate potential noise impacts
from the day care center on adjacent office users (Attachment 3). Acoustical measurements were taken at
the existing Fountainhead Montessori site, located at 6901 York Drive, and at the proposed day care
center site, located at 6665 Amador Plaza Road. The study found that the traffic noise levels from the
Interstate 580/680 interchange which runs along the southwest edge of the site would exceed the noise
generated by children playing outdoors. The study concluded that the anticipated outdoor activities by the
day care center would not impact adjacent office users because the noise generated from children playing
outdoors compared to the existing traffic noise would be negligible.
Noticing
In accordance with State law, a public notice was mailed to all property owners and occupants/residents
within three hundred feet of the proposed project to advertise the project and the public hearing scheduled
for April 25, 2006. The public notice was also published in the Valley Times and posted at several
locations throughout the City.
Review by Applicable City Departments and Agencies
The Public Works Department, Building Division, Alameda County Fire Department, Dublin Police
Services, and Dublin San Ramon Services District have all reviewed the proposed project. Conditions of
approval from these departments and agencies have been included in the proposed Resolution
(Attachment 1).
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Consistency with General Plan West Dublin BART Specific Plan, Planned Development Zoning-District
(PA 96-043) and the Zoning Ordinance
The project is located within the Primary Planning Area and is designated as Retail/Office on the General
Plan Land Use Map. The West Dublin BART Specific Plan designates the project site as Commercial B
which includes smaller scale commercial uses such as specialty retail, restaurants, offices, entertaining,
and similar pedestrian oriented uses. Goal #10 of the Specific Plan allows existing uses and buildings to
phase out or convert to uses consistent with the vision and requirements of the Specific Plan. Under
Section 5.3 Permitted/Conditional Land Uses, for existing buildings, the Specific Plan refers back to the
former Zoning District in effect prior to the adoption of the Specific Plan for Permitted and Conditional
uses.
The Planned Development Zoning District in which the project is proposed is defined as a retail
commercial zoning district in which day care centers are typically permitted as a conditional use. The
request for a minor amendment to the Development Plan for the Planned Development Zoning District
would add Day Care Centers to the list of conditional uses within this Zoning District.
The project would be consistent with the Zoning Ordinance in that the project has been designed and
conditions of approval have been applied to ensure compliance with all development regulations and
standards not otherwise specified in the Development Plan for the Planned Development Zoning District.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The project has been found to be Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) pursuant to Section 15304, Minor Alterations to Land. The project consists of a minor
amendment to an adopted Development Plan to allow day care centers as a conditional use with Planned
Development Zoning District (PA 96-043); a Conditional Use Permit to allow the operation of a day care
center for up to 135 children with an outdoor playground; and a Site Development Review permit for
modifications to site layout which would include the construction of an outdoor playground, alterations to
parking and circulation, and the installation of landscaping and fencing.
CONCLUSION:
This application has been reviewed by all applicable City departments and agencies, and their comments
have been incorporated into the Conditions of Approval for the project_ The proposed project, as
conditioned, is consistent with the Dublin General Plan, the West Dublin BART Specific Plan and the
Planned Development Zoning District in which the project is located and represents an appropriate project
for the site.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission: 1) Receive Staff presentation; 2) Open the public
hearing; 3) Take testimony from the Applicant and the public; 4) Close public hearing and deliberate; 5)
adopt Resolution (Attachment 1) approving PA 06-008 Fountainhead Montessori School Conditional Use
Permit and Site Development Review to operate a Day Care Center, Construct an Outdoor Playground,
and make associated site improvements at 6665 Amador Plaza Road, with Project Plans attached as
Exhibit A.
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GENERAL INFORMATION:
APPLICANT: Shandy Cole, Fountainhead Montessori School, 115 Estates
Drive, Danville, CA 94526
PROPERTY OWNER: Karyn Mitchell, HHH Investments, 5601 Arnold Drive, Suite
101, Dublin, CA 94568
LOCATION: 6665 Amador Plaza Road (APN 941-1500-051-02)
GENERAL PLAN
LAND USE DESIGNATION: Retail/Office
SPECIFIC PLAN/
LAND USE DESIGNATION: West Dublin BART Specific Plan/Commercial B
ZONING: PD, Planned Development (PA 96-043)
SURROUNDING USES:
Location Zoning General Plan Land Use Current Use of
Proper
Site PD Retail/Office Office
Planned Development
North PD Retail/Office Retail Commercial
_ Planned Development _
Northeast PD Retail/Office Automotive Sales and
_ Planned Development Service
West PD Retail/Office Office
Planned Development
South PD N/a _ I-580/1-680 Interchange
Planned Development
I
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