TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Carrie Tai, AICP, Community Development Director
Talyn Mirzakhanian, Planning Manager
Ted Faturos, Assistant Planner
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Approving a Master Use Permit to Allow a New 161-Room, 81,771 Square-Foot Hotel with Full Alcohol Service for Hotel Patrons and a New 14,500 Square-Foot Retail and Office Building with a Reduction in Parking to 152 Parking Spaces at 600 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, and Adopting a Categorical Exemption in Accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (Community Development Director Tai).
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 21-0044
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 21-0044, making an environmental determination and approving a Master Use Permit (“MUP”), subject to conditions, to allow a new 161-room, 81,771 square-foot hotel with full alcohol service for hotel patrons and their guests and a new 14,500 square-foot retail and office building with a reduction in parking to 152 parking spaces.
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DISCUSSION:
The City Council opened a public hearing de novo on January 19, 2021, to consider the Project. City staff, the applicant, and both Appellants made presentations and presented testimony. After the presentations and testimony, the City Council continued the public hearing to February 2, 2021. Upon the Applicant requesting a continuance in order to study a redesign of certain elements of its proposed plan, the City Council continued the public hearing to April 6, 2021. The April 6, 2021, City Council agenda announced that the continued public hearing would be rescheduled to a duly noticed continued public hearing on May 4, 2021 to provide the staff, the public and the Appellants ample time to review revised plans submitted by the Applicant. Staff provided the revised plans to a representative of Appellant MB Poets pursuant to a Public Records Act request, and posted the new plans on the City’s website on April 16, 2021.
After receiving additional evidence and deliberation on May 4, 2021 the City Council voted unanimously to direct staff to draft a resolution, for Council consideration, to: (1) approve a Master Use Permit (MUP) to allow for a new 161-room, 81,771 square-foot hotel with full alcohol service for hotel patrons and their guests and a new 14,500 square-foot retail and office building with a reduction in parking to 152 parking spaces at 600 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, subject to conditions; and (2) determine that the project qualifies for a Class 32 Categorical Exemption in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act. Attached for City Council consideration is draft Resolution No. 21-0044 for Council consideration. The conditions of approval specifically requested by the City Council pertaining to: 1) six- and 12-month reviews after operation of the hotel begins; 2) alcohol service hours; 3) landscaping along Chabela Drive; 4) parking fees; and 5) prohibition of rental car business/storage, are included in the Resolution as condition numbers 3, 14, 24, 37, and 38, respectively.
The applicant submitted a letter to the City Council on June 9, 2021 requesting modifications to the Council-imposed Condition of Approval No. 37 (as included in Attachment 1), which prohibits the applicant/operator from charging patrons for parking. The applicant’s June 9 letter is included as Attachment 2; the alternative condition suggested therein is comprised of three components.
Staff evaluated the three components of the alternative condition proposed by the applicant, and is concerned with the feasibility and enforceability of these components as presented. In the event that the Council opts to grant the applicant’s request, suggests that the City Council consider the following:
Component 1: In lieu of the verbiage proposed by the applicant, incorporate the original condition of approval from the Planning Commission’s resolution (Resolution No. PC 20-10) that allows up to two-hours of free parking, written as follows:
All surface parking spaces shall remain available for retail, office, and hotel guest check-in parking during retail and office business hours. All employees on the site shall be required to park in the parking structure and shall not be charged for parking. Two-hour free parking shall be provided in the parking structure for retail, office and hotel visitors during retail and office business hours. No changes in parking restrictions or access shall be made without City approval.
Component 2: The second component of the applicant’s alternative condition is to modify the Mira Costa Residential Override Zone permit parking program. Staff does not recommend including such a condition, as the condition would govern the actions of the neighboring property owners rather than governing the actions of the subject site’s property owner/applicant. As such, it is not a valid condition of approval. For additional context regarding the Mira Costa Residential Override Zone permit parking program, staff has included a map that demonstrates existing parking restrictions under this program (see Attachment 3). Independently, the residents can always seek a modification to the Override Zone.
Component 3: In lieu of the verbiage proposed by the applicant, incorporate the following language:
Hotel management shall notify hotel guests upon check-in that guests shall park their vehicle(s) on site. Signs shall be placed throughout the subject property stating the hotel guests shall park on site.
The Council may elect to proceed in the following alternative ways:
1. Leave the item on the consent calendar and approve the Resolution as originally directed by the City Council (see Attachment 1).
2. Leave the item on the consent calendar and approve a modified Resolution that replaces Condition of Approval No. 37 with the alternative language above, inclusive of Component 1 (Condition of Approval from Planning Commission Resolution No. PC 20-10) and Component 3, addressing the three components of the applicant’s request.
3. Remove the item off from the consent calendar during approval of the agenda and consider the applicant’s request.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Resolution No. 21-0044
2. Applicant’s Letter- June 9, 2021
3. Map of Mira Costa Residential Override Zone Parking Restrictions