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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2 Attachment 7 Conditional Use Permit 15-7 12411 Seal Beach Blvd ATTACHMENT 7* DRAFT Environmental Quality Control Board Minutes of May 18, 2016 *Distributed on June 15, 2016 DRAFT CITY OF SEAL BEACH ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY CONTROL BOARD AGENDA SPECIAL MEETING Minutes of May 18, 2016 CALL TO ORDER Chair Vento called the special meeting of the Environmental Quality Control Board to order at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Opening Remarks: Senior Planner Landavazo stated that the Environmental Quality Control Board was holding a special meeting for the purpose of receiving comments on the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) that was available for public review during a twenty day period, from April 28, 2016 through May 18, 2016. Senior Planner Landavazo declared that during the last regular meeting on April 27th staff introduced the IS/MND to the Environmental Quality Control Board so that the board could review the document and provide any comments to staff at tonight's special meeting on May 18, 2016. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Deputy Director of Public Works/City Engineer, Michael Ho, led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Present: Board Members: Vento, Smalewitz, Bennett, Hirsch, Barton Absent: None Staff Present: Jim Basham, Community Development Director Crystal Landavazo, Senior Planner Steve Fowler, Assistant Planner Michael Ho, Deputy Director of PW/City Engineer Also Present: Laura Stetson, MIG Representative APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA Member Vento moved, second by Smalewitz, to approve the agenda, as presented. AYES: Vento, Smalewitz, Barton, Hirsch, Bennett. NOES: None ABSENT: None Motion Carried: 5-0-0 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Member Vento opened oral communications. Resident 1- Joe Gotlieb stated that he wanted to know why he was made aware of the meeting by his HOA and did not receive notification of the EQCB meeting by mail. Senior Planner Landavazo stated that the EQCB holds public meetings not public hearings. The Municipal Code requires notification to be sent ten days prior to a public hearing but does not require noti- fication prior to a public meeting. Senior Planner Landavazo explained that the meeting agenda was posted in City Hall and on the city's website as required by code and made the document available for public review at City Hall and all three public libraries within the City of Seal Beach. She explained that staff made an additional effort, not required by the Municipal Code, to notify all HOAs in the area surrounding the project area so that they can forward the notification to their respective residents. Emails were sent out to HOAs a week prior to the meeting asking them to notify all residents about the special meeting. Senior Planner Landavazo stated that staff would personally email any residents who would like to be contacted directly with infor- mation about future meetings. Resident 2 - Craig Maunders - Inquired about the process for incorporation of all comments for the Planning Commission meeting. Chair Vento informed the resident that Steve Fowler, Assistant Planner, will be presenting this process shortly. Resident 3 - Ron Casey, Rossmoor Community Services Board Member, referred to the traffic analyses completed for this project and agreed with the mitigation to increase/elongate the left- hand turn lane onto Rossmoor Center Way from Seal Beach Blvd. He expressed concerns re- garding the four-way stop sign intersection at Sprouts Market, which is a few feet away from the aforementioned left-hand turn. Mr. Casey suggested that the City create another entrance for the Health Club in order to alleviate the heavy traffic. Resident 4 - Expressed concerns about the number of the parking spaces lost when construct- ing a 37,000 square foot building. He indicated that the number of 40 parking spaces, as stated in the IS/MND document, is inaccurate and requested a confirmation on that information. MIG Representative, Laura Stetson, addressed Chair Vento suggesting that city staff com- mence with the project presentation which may answer many of the public's questions. Chair Vento agreed and closed Oral Communications. CONSENT CALENDAR Chair Vento moved, second by Smalewitz, to approve the minutes of June 17, 2015 and April 27, 2016 meetings. AYES: Vento, Smalewitz, Barton, Hirsch, Bennett. NOES: None ABSENT: None Motion Carried: 5-0-0 SCHEDULED MATTERS: DISCUSSION: INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION (IS/MND) PREPARED FOR A REQUEST TO RECONSTRUCT 37,000 SQUARE FOOT FITNESS CENTER WITHIN THE SHOPS AT ROSSMOOR CENTER. Assistant Planner Fowler provided a presentation on this item which included a description of the project location, subject site, use of the proposed Health Center, and loss of 40 parking spaces. Planner Fowler reiterated that the purpose of the meeting was to take final comments on the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration and to ensure that this document has been prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations). MIG Representative Stetson followed with a detailed explanation of the CEQA process for this proposed project. Stetson described that preparation of the Initial Study required an evaluation of a total of 17 potential environmental impact areas for the proposed project. Stetson stated that construction noise and traffic were two areas identified as having potential impact and need of mitigation, which already have city measures in place. She identified the following mitigation: 1. Construction Noise — Mitigation Measure: The contractor shall limit construction activities to reasonable day hours. Construction activities will not be permitted on Sundays. 2. Traffic noise— Mitigation Measure: The contractor shall provide all construction vehicles with mufflers and that they will remain in good operating order at all times. Stetson stated that the Expanded Queuing Analysis, dated April 2016, recommended extending the queuing length of the left-turn pocket lane from northbound Seal Beach Boulevard onto westbound Rossmoor Center Way. She stated that the Expanded Queuing Analysis and Traffic Impact Analyses prepared for the project were completed to the satisfaction of the City Engi- neer. She concluded by confirming that based on the traffic study, prepared by Ken Wilhelm of LSA Associates, there were no other traffic impacts identified and all intersections will operate at acceptable levels of service. Member Barton inquired about the timeframe, such as the day and week, during which the traf- fic study was conducted. She also inquired about the exact number of parking spaces for the center. Marty Potts confirmed that the study was done in the peak hours and also that there are more parking spaces now than the code requires. Member Smalewitz requested information on the original EIR, the total number of parking spac- es that were initially assigned to each business at the Shops at Rossmoor. Community Devel- opment Director Basham clarified that an EIR was not prepared when Rossmoor Shopping Cen- ter was constructed. Assistant Planner Fowler explained that the project was analyzed based on the Seal Beach Municipal Code for the entire Shopping center and the center will have a surplus of over 80 parking spaces which complies with the City Municipal Code. Member Hirsch stated his concerns over air quality resulting from a higher volume of traffic gen- erated each day. Although the IS/MND stated that the air quality would not be impacted, mem- ber Hirsch expressed hesitations regarding the criteria of the study. Member Smalewitz inquired about the arrangements made to accommodate employees park- ing. Consultant Stetson stated that city staff evaluated parking to comply with the Municipal Code but further discussion over parking would be under purview of the Planning Commission. Member Smalewitz stated she considers that there is a traffic impact. She stated that residents who live in the area know how impacted Seal Beach Boulevard can get. Member Smalewitz pointed out the Intersection of Seal Beach Boulevard and Saint Cloud Drive and inquired about the lack of mitigation for this intersection in Appendix B of the Traffic Analyses and Queuing Analysis. LSA Representative Wilhelm stated that all traffic data analysis presented on page 73, Table 21 of the IS/MND document, showed that there is no significant impact presented at the intersection. Mr. Wilhelm explained that each city has an Intersection Level of Service (LOS), ranking anywhere from "A" to "F", just as in school grades "A" being the best and "F" being the worst. The City of Seal Beach's minimum standard for intersection LOS is a "D", and the LOS for that intersection at Seal Beach Boulevard and Saint Cloud Drive ranks a "B" level. Member Smalewitz inquired about the synchronization of signalized intersections. City Engineer Ho explained that in 2014 the City of Seal Beach received an OCTA grant for traffic optimization and in December 2015 new signal timing was implemented to optimize intersection operation on Seal Beach Blvd. City Engineer Ho further explained that the optimized signal timing would re- service the northbound left-turns onto Rossmoor Center Way and Town Center Way to allow northbound left turns to occur twice every circle and alleviate traffic during periods of heavy queuing such as weekday p.m. peak hour and the Saturday midday peak hour. Member Smalewitz asked what the main access to the Health Center would be and what direc- tion the gym members would primarily travel from. Ken Wilhelm explained that according to the data from traffic analysis, main access to the Health Center would be via Seal Beach Boulevard, 43% traveling from the South and 57% from the North. Chair Vento opened the meeting for public comments. Resident 5 - Deborah Meshidorf of Saint Cloud Drive and Druid Lane, stated that additional ve- hicles on Saint Cloud Drive will make exiting out of their garages very difficult. She also ex- pressed concerns about the prices of the homes in neighborhood going down due to the noise from the increased traffic. Ms. Meshidorf expressed her discontent on the gym's hours of opera- tion being 5:30am till 11pm, saying that all the cars getting out after 11pm will be keeping the neighborhoods awake. Resident 6 - Vince Leony asked for clarification of parking spaces lost, stating that a footprint of 37,000 square feet would cover more than 40 parking spaces. Per his knowledge, one parking space takes about 171 square feet, which multiplied by 40, would result in 6,800 square feet total. Marty Potts clarified that indeed the 37,000 square feet does not equal 40 parking spaces. He further explained that the entire parking lot would change from 60 degree parking to 90 de- gree parking by which they would gain additional parking spaces in the surrounding area and would result with a loss of only 40 spaces. Resident 7- Rhonda Bogges, Rossmoor Homeowner Association Member, mentioned that there is already a facility built within the shops at Rossmoor and asked why the applicant could not use that building instead. Marty Potts explained that that building is only 8,000 square feet, as opposed to the needed 37,000 for this project. Resident 8 - Zen Onaza expressed his concerns that the traffic analyses report did not point out the traffic on Montecito Drive, stating that although the majority of traffic is projected to originate from Seal Beach Boulevard, it would not take too long for people to find out that there are other ways/quicker ways to access the Health Center via the back streets. He mentioned that there are a lot of retirement communities in the area and his main concern is that all the retirees would not get their rest and sleep because of the noise. Resident 9 - Sandy Gotlieb came forward with additional noise concerns and suggested that the hours of operation of the Health Club be from 6am to 10pm, instead of 5:30am to 11pm. Resident 10- Joe Gotlieb added to noise concerns from additional vehicles and mechanical equipment such as vents to keep the gym cool at all times. Mr. Gotlieb also asked that the meeting be stopped until the city gets the original EIR for the Shops at Rossmoor or required a new EIR for the entire shopping center. Community Development Director Basham explained that an EIR was not prepared when the center was originally developed and the City cannot re- quire a private property owner to prepare an EIR for an existing permitted development. Resident 11 - Kevin Meyers commented that the condo complexes around the Shops at Rossmoor are using the Rossmoor Center parking lot to park their cars at night. Therefore, building the Health Club on currently used parking spaces would highly impact the parking situa- tion for the condo residents. Resident 12 - Dimitri George shared concerns about traffic increase on smaller streets, such as Montecito Drive, and is not convinced that extending the left-turn lane from Seal Beach Boule- vard onto Rossmoor Center Way will alleviate traffic. Resident 13 - Diana Ortiz, 12200 Montecito Drive, stated that her biggest concern is the four- way stop on Rossmoor Center Way that every parent in that apartment complex is using in the morning to take their kids to school. Ms. Ortiz also stated that there are multiple delivery trucks that currently park behind Sprouts Market, the exact area where the Health Club is projected to be constructed. She stated she is concerned about the future parking location for those delivery trucks and the impacted areas that could suffer due to this change. Resident 14 - Craig Sandberg expressed concerns about the four-way stops at Montecito Drive being backed up due to additional traffic and about the already-existing difficulty to exit their own driveways in that area, considering it being a public safety issue. Resident 15 - Jay Bridges stated that the Traffic Study didn't reflect peak-hours, 5pm-8pm and expressed hesitations about the outcome of the study that showed No Significant Impact. Mr. Bridges also inquired about the location of all the construction trucks and equipment, suggested that the City pay to have an on-site manager to ensure Construction Site Best Management Practices are maintained. Resident 16 - Mark Nitikman, President of HOA at Rossmoor Center, shared two points that he believed should be included in the analysis. The first point is that after constructing the Health Center, the overnight parking used by the condos around the Shopping Center will be prohibit- ed. He stated that currently, 50-75 cars use that parking each night. The second point was the fact that seniors will be forced to walk longer distances as a result from having to park in the streets. Mr. Nitikman considered these points' traffic issues and life quality issues for seniors. Resident 17 - Jim DiAmbrosio shared his concerns about the parking and stated that residents on smaller streets soon would not be able to park in front of their own homes. Resident 18 - Shelly Sustarsic expressed concerns over noise and disturbance caused by addi- tional traffic and simultaneous departure from the Health Center upon closing hours. Ms. Sus- tarsic also stated that the study report did not address her previous statement. She further stat- ed that she believed the study was inconsistent as it pertains to the direction of travel of future gym members. Resident 19 - Craig Maunders inquired whether there would be a new draft/addendum to the CEQA Document following today's meeting and when would it be available to the public. Com- munity Development Director Basham explained that all comments and concerns received would be gathered to be presented in front of the Planning Commission. Mr. Maunders stated an EIR should have been prepared for the Shops at Rossmoor and inquired why one was not prepared for the original development of the shopping center. Director Basham explained that Staff cannot make such assumptions of past determinations. Resident 14 - Craig Sandberg expressed concerns about the delivery trucks behind Pei Wei causing more traffic congestion when exiting the Shopping Center. Resident 20 - Karen Schultz stated that the intersection near Sprouts Market needs improve- ment and asked for the Board's consideration. Member Smalewitz stated that she believed the IS/MND had not met the requirements of CEQA because it did not analyze the project's potential impacts on the intersection of St. Cloud and Seal Beach Blvd, the intersection of Seal Beach Blvd and Montecito, and the four way stop on Rossmoor Center Way, adjacent to Pei Wei and Sprouts. Member Smalewitz moved, second by Bennett, to find that the IS/MND does not meet the CEQA requirements. AYES: Barton, Bennett, Hirsch, Smalewitz NOES: Vento ABSENT: None STAFF CONCERNS Senior Planner Landavazo informed the Board that a notice was provided to inform the Board that a Joint Meeting with the other Boards, Commissions and Committees was scheduled for June 6, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. to provide a Ralph M. Brown Act Workshop. BOARD CONCERNS ADJOURNMENT With no objections, Chair Vento adjourned the Environmental Quality Control Board meeting at 8:04 p.m.