TO: PLANNING COMMISSION
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: December 17, 2024
SUBJECT:
Title
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FILE #24-C05, REVIEW OF A REQUEST TO ALLOW DEVELOPMENT OF A PROPOSED SECOND-STORY RESIDENTIAL UNIT ADDITION TO THE EXISTING COMMERCIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 212 NORTH YALE AVENUE. APPLICANT - DARLENE MARTINEZ
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SUMMARY
The applicant, property owner Darlene Martinez, is requesting approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a second-story addition of a 1,586-square-foot residential unit. The proposed new unit will be created by adding a second story above the existing commercial building footprint near the northeast corner of Yale Avenue and West Second Street at 212 North Yale Avenue. No additional parking beyond the seven existing on-site parking spaces is proposed to be provided as part of the project. Pursuant to AB 2097, a new State law that went into effect on January 1, 2023, cities may not impose minimum parking requirements on residential, commercial, or other development projects if the project is within one-half mile of public transit.
The existing commercial building was built in 1925. While identified as a contributing building in the Village Design Plan, it is not listed on the City’s Register of Structures of Historic and Architectural Merit (Local Register). The design of the proposed second-story residential addition, and the first-story façade remodel and interior tenant improvements will also be reviewed by the Architectural & Preservation Commission should the subject CUP be approved. Staff believes that the proposed second-story residential unit is consistent with the Claremont Municipal Code (CMC), General Plan, and Village Design Plan and that all the required CUP findings can be made.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Planning Commission:
A. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT #24-C05, A REQUEST TO ALLOW DEVELOPMENT OF A PROPOSED SEC0ND STORY RESIDENTIAL UNIT ADDITION TO THE EXISTING COMMERCIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 212 NORTH YALE AVE- APPLICANT - DARLENE MARTINEZ; and
B. Find this item is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Continue the item for additional information.
B. Approve the project with additional or revised Conditions of Approval.
C. Express an intent to deny CUP #24-C05 in its entirety, specifically identifying the findings of Section 16.303.040 of the CMC that cannot be met, and continue the item to January 21, 2024, for adoption of a denial resolution.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Costs associated with the review of this application have been borne by the applicant.
ANALYSIS
Background
The project site is a rectangular property of approximately 4,855-square feet located near the northeast corner of Yale Avenue and West 2nd Street. The subject site is located in the Claremont Village Overlay (CVO) zoning district, which is intended to encourage a complementary mix of small-scale retail stores, commercial services, restaurants, offices, and civic uses within a small-town, pedestrian-oriented district. The property has a corresponding General Plan designation of Claremont Village. Residential uses are permitted in the Village where consistent in character with the commercial uses. However, retail and service commercial are the predominant uses in the CV. Located in the heart of the Village, uses surrounding the subject property include the Folk Music Center to the north, Pizzas N Such restaurant to the south, Starbucks Coffee, and Chamber of Commerce to the west, and City Hall to the east. The site is developed with a well-maintained 2,195-square foot building, originally built in 1925.
Like many of the buildings on this block of Yale (between Bonita and Second), this building has been remodeled over time and has lost most of its original architectural features. The original storefront of the building was modified with stucco panels and green tile on the three structural piers sometime in the 1950s or 1960s. The remodel removed all the original windows and covered the original façade materials, which were brick or glazed brick fascia. In 1991, another remodel was done which retained the existing green tile but removed the stucco panels. The remodeled façade incorporated elements used in the historic design such as transom windows, awnings, recessed entry door, and a two-bay façade. The existing building reflects the changes made in this 1991 remodel. Though not listed in the City’s Register of Sites of Historic or Architectural Merit, the building is still shown as a contributing building in the Architectural Quality Map of the Village Design Plan.
The Claremont Municipal Code (CMC) Section 16.060.010.G in the Claremont Village chapter allows for mixed residential/commercial developments with the approval of a conditional use permit. This section of the Code specifies that the residential component must be part of a larger mixed-use development that includes commercial uses on the ground floor and encourages residential uses to be located on the second floor above commercial uses.
This provision of the Code is relevant in that while the Code allows a mechanism for the Planning Commission to provide parking relief for residential development in the Claremont Village zone, the City is no longer able impose minimum parking requirements for development projects within one-half mile of public transit pursuant with AB 2097. The subject property is located within one-half mile of the Claremont Depot Metrolink station, which qualifies as a public transit stop, allowing the property to benefit from the provisions of AB 2097. The subject property will have a total of seven on-site parking spaces following the completion of the second story residential addition’s construction.
Project Description
The proposed project consists of the creation of a new 1,586 square-foot second-story residential unit above the existing 2,195 square foot commercial building. The proposed residence would be set back from the existing first-story setback twelve feet. The proposed addition would bring the total floor area for the property to 3,781 square feet. Access to the second story unit would be provided via a new staircase on the east side of the building as depicted in Attachment B. The second story will have a roof height of 27 feet,2 inches to the top of the new parapet wall. The proposed height is significantly lower than the maximum permitted height of 40 feet and the height limit guideline in the Village Design Plan of 35 feet. The new residential unit would consist of two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a powder room, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a sitting area, and two balconies. The balcony to the east facing the parking lot shared with City Hall is 150 square feet and balcony to the west overlooking Yale Ave is 453 square-feet.
Parking
CMC Section 16.060.030.A.5 requires that one off-street parking space is provided for each dwelling unit. It is worth noting that this Code section also states, “the Planning Commission may reduce or increase the specific amount of parking upon a finding that such a reduction or increase is necessary, reasonable and would not defeat the purpose of this requirement.”
Pursuant to Government Code Section 65863.2(a), a “public agency shall not impose or enforce any minimum automobile parking requirement on a residential, commercial, or other development project if the project is located within one-half mile of public transit.” 212 North Yale Avenue is located 0.2 miles from the Claremont Depot with bus and train services. For this reason, minimum parking requirements cannot be enforced as a requirement for theproposed residential addition.
The existing rear-loaded parking lot is extremely substandard and does not meet any City code required dimensions for stall dimensions, back up, turn-around radius, handicap accessible parking, lighting, landscaping. If the threshold of project cost exceeds $190,000 the project will be required to provide full property ADA accessibility which may necessitate the removal of existing parking stalls striping for the installation of one ADA van accessible space and an ADA accessible path of travel to the building. This will likely substantially reduce the existing number of existing on-site parking stalls. These details will not be known until the project goes through a detailed building division plan check process and through a certified accessibility specialist (CASp) review. However, based on the recently signed state legislation (AB 2097) described above, the number of parking stalls is not a prerequisite for approving new or expanded residential projects. Staff will ensure however as this item goes through the final plan check and approval process that the parking lot will be reconstructed to meet all City parking lot standards even if this requires removal of several spaces to meet the minimum standards required by zoning code parking lot design standards.
Basis for Recommendation
The approval of a CUP requires that the Planning Commission make certain findings as set forth in Section 16.303.040 of the CMC. Staff has determined that all the findings can be made for this request (Attachment A). Section 16.303.000.C of the CMC notes that the intent of a CUP procedure is to provide for uses that are “appropriate uses in the districts in which they are listed as permitted subject to a conditional use permit but requiring specific consideration of the proposed use or development.”
Staff finds that adding a second-story residential use to create a mixed-use property is appropriate for this unique location in the Village. As one of the few places in the city with numerous amenities all accessible on foot, staff believes that the property is a suitable location to introduce a new residential dwelling unit. With the introduction of new commercial and professional uses on the ground floor, the property will become a hub of day-through-night activity, fitting of the property’s Village context. The project takes advantage of recent changes to State law that encourage the creation of housing in proximity to quality public transit, recognizing that residents in these areas can rely less on vehicle use. The Village’s pedestrian scale and urban feel make it unique in the region’s suburban context. Approval of the CUP to allow for new residential units that benefit from and contribute to the Village’s walkable and livable urbanized environment is warranted. The project has been thoughtfully designed to introduce density in a manner that does not visually overwhelm the building’s simple but effective architecture. Approval of the proposed CUP request would support several of the General Plan’s goals and policies, especially those focused on encouraging sustainable development, providing a variety of housing types, creating activity nodes, and promoting context-sensitive design. The proposal also complies with setbacks, height, design guidelines, and all other development standards, notwithstanding parking requirements, which are set forth in the Code but are superseded by new novel State laws.
CEQA REVIEW
This proposal is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301 (Class 1) for existing facilities, in that the project entails the addition of less than 2,500 square feet to an existing building. Though not explicitly listed on the Claremont Register of Structures of Historic or Architectural Merit, the building is identified as a contributing building in the Village Design Plan and therefore the proposed addition has been designed to be closely consistent with the original structure’s architecture, which has been significantly altered over the years, and as such, will not cause a substantial adverse change in the buildings significance in the context of the Village. Therefore, no further environmental review is necessary.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact Nhi Atienza at natienza@claremontca.gov.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Brad Johnson Jordan Goose
Community Development Director Assistant Planner
Reviewed by:
Christopher Veirs
Principal Planner
Attachments:
A - Draft Resolution
B - Plan Set