TO: TARA SCHULTZ, CITY MANAGER
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: JUNE 25, 2019
Reviewed by:
City Manager: TS
Finance Director: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
APPROVAL OF FINAL TRACT MAP NO. 73078 FOR A THIRTY-UNIT CONDOMINIMUM PROJECT - CLAREMONT CONDO DEVELOPMENT, L.P.
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SUMMARY
Claremont Condo Development L.P., the sub-divider of Tract Map No. 73078 (TR 73078), requests that the City Council approve the final tract map for recordation by the Los Angeles County Recorder’s office. The Claremont Condo Development is part of the Old School House/Double Tree Hotel Specific Plan located on the northwest corner of Indian Hill and Foothill Boulevards. The final map includes minor adjustments to existing property lines and clarifies the location of various easements in order to facilitate the development of thirty residential condominium units and a 239-space residential and commercial parking garage.
Pursuant to Sections 66458 and 66474.1 of the Subdivision Map Act, the approval of a final map is a ministerial action if the final map is in substantial conformance with the conditionally approved tentative map and conforms to the requirements established by the Subdivision Map Act and local ordinance. The City Council is the decision-making body for final maps and, according to the Subdivision Map Act, if the map conforms to all requirements, the City Council must approve the map at the meeting at which it receives the map or at its next regular meeting.
Staff finds that Final Tract Map 73078 (Attachment A) is consistent with the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act and is in substantial conformance with the tentative map reviewed by the Planning Commission on June 22, 2017 and approved by the City Council on July 11, 2017. Minutes are provided in Attachment B.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE FINAL TRACT MAP NO. 73078 approving Final Tract Map TR 73078, and the associated Subdivision Improvement Agreement for the completion of public improvements along Colby Circle and Indian Hill Boulevard, and the Deferred Improvement Agreement for the completion of Public Road A (roadway, sewer and water improvements).
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the staff recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Continue the item until the July 9, 2019 City Council meeting and request additional information. Any additional continuance beyond that meeting requires the consent of the applicant.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The staff cost to prepare this report is estimated at $1,280 and is covered in the hourly rate for review services which has been paid by the applicant.
Prior to the recordation of the final map, Claremont Condo Development, L.P. has been required to pay development fees to the City in the amount of $700,674. The following fees have been paid:
Outstanding fees (tentative map) $ 25,092
Public Works Plan Check $ 16,245
Public Works Permit $ 40,617
Grading Permit $ 32,799
Grading Plan Check $ 12,336
Final Map Check $ 20,461
Preparation of Deferred Improvement Agreement $ 1,857
Sewer Connection Fee $ 9,000
Parkland Dedication Fee $132,000
Drainage Fee $ 65,344
Resurfacing Fee $ 67,555
Transportation Impact Fee $ 6,300
Foothill Boulevard Improvements $271,068
$700,674
In addition to the payment of fees, Claremont Condo Development has been required to post the following bonds and deposits for improvement security addressing the required public and/or private improvements fronting Colby Circle, Indian Hill Boulevard, the completion of Private Road A, and sewer and water main installation improvements. The surety also guarantees the completed work for one year after final acceptance by the City. Claremont Condo Development has provided the required sureties as follows:
Faithful Performance $ 497,790
Labor and Materials $ 497,790
Colby Circle - South Street Lights $ 30,000
Monument Placement $ 7,380
$1,032,960
The above listed sureties have been posted by the applicant. In addition, the following bonds are being provided to accommodate the phasing of the project to coordinate with the future development of the Colby Neighborhood townhomes. These sureties have also been posted by the applicant.
Phase II Private Road A (Road and Sewer Bond) $187,740
Phase II Private Road A (Water Bond) $ 46,646
Candlelight Pavilion Improvements $150,836
$385,222
ANALYSIS
The Old School House (OSH)/Claremont Inn Specific Plan was adopted by the City Council on December 12, 2006. The thirty-unit condo development was approved with this Specific Plan. The property owner, Claremont Star L.P., purchased the various parcels that make up the specific plan site in 2004 with the intent of revitalizing the hotel and the entire OSH property that had fallen into significant disrepair over the years.
The owner worked with the City to develop the OSH/Claremont Inn Specific Plan detailing the phased redevelopment of the entire site, including the hotel, residential/commercial mixed-use, and residential condominiums. The first phase was completed to address the most immediate community needs, including an extensive hotel rehabilitation and rebranding as DoubleTree, rehabilitation of the historic Old School House building, and construction of a new retail building that includes Trader Joe’s and cafes along Foothill Boulevard.
With the current phase of development of the Specific Plan, the tentative tract map for the construction of the thirty-unit condominium development and associated 239-space residential and commercial parking garage was reviewed by the Planning Commission on June 22, 2017 and approved by City Council on July 11, 2017. The final map will subdivide 17 of the 21 acres contained in the Old School House/Claremont Inn Revitalization Specific Plan area. The map will adjust the property lines of four lots, clean up easements and accommodate thirty new residential condominium units along with a 239-space parking garage.
The final map will also create a new private road and fire lane (“Private Road A” shown on Attachment D). Private Road A will run east/west, providing a new connection of the southwest portion of Colby Circle to Indian Hill Boulevard. The new road is located immediately north of the new condominiums and approximately 130 feet south of Colby Circle. The road is intended to provide additional internal circulation for the plan area and connect the main north/south private roadway to parking lot areas.
At the time the tentative map was processed, there was no development proposed for Lot 4 and the map was approved without a phasing approach in mind. The applicant will construct Private Road A (and associated utility improvements) to allow for a phased future development adjacent to the north of the subject site. To ensure Private Road A is fully constructed as required by this current map, construction surety is being submitted with this map, along with the adoption of a Deferred Improvement Agreement.
Public Improvements
As required by the map, improvements in the public right-of-way along the entire street frontage of the development site will be provided as follows:
Colby Circle (south side, east-west portion): The project developer will post an improvement bond for the installation of streetlights in the amount of $30,000. As part of the required construction for the occupancy of the thirty condominium units, sidewalk improvements and American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps will be constructed in this portion of Colby Circle. When future development takes place for the Colby Neighborhood Townhomes site, the proposed development will be required to improve Colby Circle consistent with the approved specific plan street cross section.
Colby Circle North-South Bend: The map’s conditions require a study to be completed to analyze the need for stop signs in the Colby Circle north and south bends. This study was required due to concerns with sight distance issues resulting from blind corners and, if required, to provide ADA accessibility at the stop sign locations. A stop sign evaluation was prepared by Kimley-Horn and is currently under consultant review with staff. If warranted, stop signs and associated accessibility improvements that are deemed necessary will be installed by the project prior to occupancy of the thirty-unit condominium project.
Colby Circle (east-west portion, west of the bend area): The project contractor will perform sidewalk repairs and driveway improvements as needed to ensure compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements within this portion of the map boundary. The map conditions of approval also require the posting of surety for the installation of streetlights at the south side of Colby Circle. The applicant posted the required $30,000 surety bond.
Indian Hill Boulevard: The project contractor will perform sidewalk repairs and improvements as needed to include sidewalk, ADA compliant ramps, streetlight installation, and driveway reconstruction to meet ADA. A new bus shelter will be installed according to City standards. A new streetlight will be constructed on Indian Hill Boulevard at the connection of Private Road A.
Foothill Boulevard: As part of the map entitlement process, the applicant was required to pay to the City a contribution in the amount of $271,068 for the improvements on Foothill Boulevard, which have been identified in the Foothill Master Plan.
Deferred Improvement Agreement
The applicant proposes to phase the construction of Private Road A through the adoption of a Deferred Improvement Agreement with accompanying surety bonds. At the time this tentative map was approved by the Specific Plan, the development of Lot 4 and the parcel north of Colby Circle were not proposed with this subdivision. Since that approval, a new development team has begun working with the City to move forward with the processing of a tentative subdivision map for the future construction of the Colby Neighborhood townhomes, which was also approved by the Specific Plan.
To coordinate both developments, the construction of Private Road A with sewer and water improvements must be phased. Phase I will consist of constructing Private Road A, with sewer and water improvements between the Colby Circle bend to the existing north/south private roadway/fire lane, labeled as Private Road B.
Phase II will consist of constructing the remaining portion of Private Road A with sewer and water improvements between the existing north/south private roadway/fire lane to Indian Hill Boulevard (see Attachment D).
When the future development takes place for the Colby Neighborhood Townhomes, that developer will be required to post bonds for Phase II improvements and complete construction prior to occupancy of the 30-unit condominium project.
After City Council approval of a subdivision improvement agreement and surety bonds for the new sub-divider, the Deferred Improvement Agreement and accompanying surety bonds submitted with this map may be released. In addition to the roadway, water and sewer improvements, the bonds include provisions to complete further site renovations associated with the Candlelight Pavilion as identified in the Specific Plan.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds the following:
Council Priorities - This item does not apply to the City Council Objectives list.
Sustainability Plan - This proposal is consistent with the Claremont Sustainability City Plan. Several sustainable components are already incorporated into the project, and others will be considered as the project is refined during the design and construction phase. These include, promotion of a mixed-use transit-oriented neighborhood location, support of a mixed-use corridor on Foothill Boulevard, and continue the redevelopment of the OSH properties. Other parking lot and landscape design best-practice concepts will be designed into the final construction plans.
Economic Sustainability Plan - This item does not apply to the Economic Sustainability Plan.
General Plan - The Claremont General Plan includes many goals and policies that relate to the proposed project and the OSH. The project also includes improvements that further many General Plan goals and policies in the areas of redevelopment and Mixed-Use, housing, design, parking, and neighborhood associations.
2018-19 Budget - This item does not directly relate to the budget; however, the project will provide building and development permit and impact fees. In addition, the new homes will generate property and utility user tax revenue, and the new convenient parking is anticipated to help generate additional sales tax from the adjacent businesses.
Youth and Family Master Plan - This item does not apply to the Youth and Family Master Plan.
CEQA REVIEW
Final Maps are ministerial projects and exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act as stated in Section 15268 of the California Environmental Act Guidelines.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
This item has been noticed through the regular agenda notification process. Copies are available at the City Hall public counter, the Youth Activity Center, the Alexander Hughes Community Center, and the City website. Special notices have been mailed out to residents who have expressed an interested in this project.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Brad Johnson DeLisa Bryant
Community Development Director Assistant Engineer
Reviewed by:
Maria B. Tipping, P.E.
Interim City Engineer
Attachments:
A - Final Map
B - Minutes
C - Resolution
D - Private Road A Phasing Map