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478, Export of soil & grading, Resolutions & Approval Conditions• • RESOLUTION 92-16 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS GRANTING A VARIANCE TO THE BALANCE CUT AND FILL GRADING REQUIREMENT AND SITE PLAN REVIEW APPROVAL FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW PARKING LOT, RETAINING WALLS AND LANDSCAPING FOR THE CITY HALL COMPLEX IN ZONING CASE 478. THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS DOES HEREBY FIND, RESOLVE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Applications were duly filed by the City of Rolling Hills with respect to real property located in the C-L and RAS-1 Zone at 2 Portuguese Bend Road (Lot 21-A-RH and a portion of Lot 21-B-RH; 2.76 acres) requesting a variance to allow the exportation of soil and for Site Plan Review approval of a proposed plan to construct new parking areas, retaining walls, a trash enclosure and new landscaping in and around the City Hall complex (hereinafter referred to as the "Civic Center hardscape plan"). Section 2. The Planning Commission conducted a duly noticed public hearing to consider the applications for the variance and Site Plan Review on Saturday, March 28, 1992. Evidence both written and oral was presented by the applicant at this hearing. Section 3. The Planning Commission has reviewed and considered the Negative Declaration prepared for this project and finds, based upon the initial study and any comments received, that there is no substantial evidence that the project will have a significant effect on the environment. Based upon these findings, the Planning Commission hereby adopts the Negative Declaration for the project. Section 4. Sections 17.32.010 through 17.32.030 of the Rolling Hills Municipal Code permit approval of a variance from the standards and requirements of the Zoning Ordinance and have been applied to permit the approval of variances from local standards contained in the City's adopted version of the Los Angeles County Uniform Building Code. Section 15.04.130 of the Rolling Hills Municipal Code amends Section 7015 (d) of the County of Los Angeles Building Code to prohibit the importation or exportation of soil from or to any lot in the City unless a variance is first obtained from the Planning Commission. The applicant is requesting to export approximately 1,100 cubic yards of soil for the purpose of creating a larger pad on which to construct a parking lot and driveway access to the Civic Center buildings. Section 5. With respect to the request for a variance, the Planning Commission finds as follows: 920327 kge 1680850 (1) • • A. There are exceptional and extraordinary circumstances and conditions applicable to the property and to the intended use that do not apply generally to other property in the same vicinity and zone for the following reasons: (i) A substantial portion of the site currently lies within the Commercial Limited (CL) zone. This zone is used by the City and the Rolling Hills Community Association for public and private institutional uses, including but not limited to a City Hall and Association offices. These uses are not found in other parts of the City and create unique impacts and physical requirements not found with respect to other uses in the City. (ii) The City Hall and Association offices generate a need for a large amount of vehicular parking spaces. Parking spaces are needed to serve the residents and members of the public who come to conduct business with the City and the Association generally, as well as to attend meetings of the City Council, Planning Commission, Traffic Commission, Wildlife Preservation Committee and the Rolling Hills Community Association Board of Directors. (iii) The City Hall and Association Offices currently exist on the site. However, the existing number of parking spaces and the existing driveway access in and around the City Hall and Association offices is inadequate to serve this existing demand for parking and creates traffic congestion with the resultant increase in the risk to motorists and pedestrians. (iv) The exportation of soil is necessary so that the building pad and parking areas around the City Hall and Association offices can be expanded so as to create the additional parking spaces and additional driveway area to serve these facilities. Under the proposed Civic Center hardscape plan, the available number of parking spaces in an around City Hall will increase from approximately 39 to approximately 44. B. The variance is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a substantial property right possessed by other property in the same vicinity and zone, but which is denied to the property in question for the following reasons: (i) The subject site is devoted to public and institutional uses and facilities which generate certain unique requirements and impacts. (ii) The full and beneficial use of these institutional facilities require a larger parking area than currently exists. (iii) Exportation of soil from the site will allow for an increase in the number of parking spaces which may be constructed on the site. 920327 kge 1680850 (1) — 2 - • • (iv) Alternative locations for these additional parking spaces are infeasible due to the fact that there is no additional vacant land adjacent to the City Hall complex upon which to construct the additional parking. C. The granting of the variance would not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in such vicinity and zone in which the property is located for the following reasons: (i) The subject property is located on the City's northern boundary and is adjacent to one residential property on the south, a roadway and easement on the west, a roadway on the north and a roadway and canyon to the east. Due to this unique location, the proposed expansion of the building pad to create additional parking will not create significant impacts to properties within the vicinity of the proposed parking areas. (ii) The proposed project is not anticipated to have a material impact on noise levels due to the fact that the subject site is located adjacent to existing roadway uses. The project is also not anticipated to have an impact on the City's goals and policies in the Housing or Open Space Elements of the General Plan. (iv) The project is anticipated to have a positive impact on parking safety as required on page 6 of the Circulation Element of the General Plan by improving site distances between motorists, reducing circulation conflicts between vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists and equestrians, and by removing the necessity for visitors to park on adjacent easements. Section 6. Based upon the foregoing findings, the Planning Commission hereby approves a variance to Section 15.04.130 of the Rolling Hills Municipal Code in Zoning Case 478 to permit the exportation of 1,100 cubic yards of soil from the subject property in connection with the construction of the Civic Center hardscape plan. Section 7. Section 17.34.010 requires a development plan to be submitted for Site Plan Review approval before any building or structure may be constructed or any expansion, addition, alteration or repair to existing buildings or structures, which involve changes to grading or an increase to the size of the building or structure by more than twenty-five percent (25%) in any thirty-six month period, may be permitted. Section 8. With respect to the Site Plan Review application, the Planning Commission makes the following findings of fact: 920327 kge 1680850 (1) - 3 - • • A. The proposed Civic Center hardscape plan is consistent with the intended uses in the Commercial Limited (CL) zone as set forth in the Land Use Element of the General Plan. B. The proposed Civic Center hardscape plan preserves and integrates into the site design, to the maximum extent feasible, existing natural topographical features of the lot including surrounding native vegetation, mature trees, drainage courses, and land forms. Most of the existing mature trees and shrubbery will be preserved by the plan and the proposed parking areas will be surrounded by landscaping that is compatible with the rural character of the community. C. The proposed Civic Center hardscape plan attempts to utilize as much of the soil displaced by graded cuts as is possible for fill areas so as not to disturb the natural contours of the site any more than is required to create the necessary parking and hardscape areas. The natural drainage course to the east of the site will not be disturbed. D. The proposed Civic Center hardscape plan will supplement the existing vegetation with landscaping that is compatible with and enhances the rural character of the community and will preserve most of the existing mature trees and shrubbery. E. The proposed Civic Center hardscape plan substantially preserves the existing buffer areas between Palos Verdes Drive North and the surrounding properties and attempts to make the parking and driveway areas as compact as possible in order to make the project blend with the rural character of the community and to retain some open space on the site. F. The proposed Civic Center hardscape plan is harmonious in mass and scale with the site, the natural terrain and surrounding residences. As indicated in paragraph E, the proposed hardscape plan substantially preserves the existing buffer areas between Palos Verdes Drive North and the surrounding properties and attempts to make the parking and driveway areas as compact as possible . The exportation of soil will allow the hardscape areas to be partially sunken into the site rather than placed at a higher elevation which would be more prominent when viewed by surrounding residences. In addition, much of the proposed hardscape areas will be placed between the Association offices and Palos Verdes Drive North so as to reduce the impacts of these areas on surrounding properties. G. The proposed Civic Center hardscape plan will make substantial improvements to the convenience and safety of circulation for pedestrians and vehicles because this plan contains substantial improvements to the parking areas and driveway plan in and around the City Hall and Association offices. 920327 kge 1680850 (1) — 4 • . H. The project conforms with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act and a Negative Declaration has been adopted for the project. Section 9. Based upon the foregoing findings, the Planning Commission hereby approves the Site Plan Review application for Zoning Case No. 478 for the proposed Civic Center hardscape plan as indicated on the development plan incorporated herein as Exhibit A, subject to the conditions contained in Section 10 of this Resolution. Section 10. The variance to the balanced cut and fill requirement approved in Section 6 and the Site Plan Review application for the Civic Center hardscape plan approved in Section 9 of this resolution are subject to the following conditions: A. The variance and Site Plan Review approval shall expire within one year from the effective date of approval as defined in Section 17.34.080.A. B. All requirements of the Buildings and Construction Ordinance and the Zoning Ordinance must be complied with unless otherwise set forth in the Permit, or shown otherwise on an approved plan. C. The lot shall be developed and maintained in substantial conformance with the site plan on file dated March 19, 1992 and marked Exhibit A, except as otherwise provided in these conditions. D. The working drawings submitted to the County Department of Building and Safety must conform to the development plan approved with this application. E. Grading shall be limited so that the amount of soil exported shall not exceed 1,100 cubic yards of soil. Cut and fill slopes shall not exceed a steepness of a 2 to 1 slope ratio. The grading plan shall utilize land form or contour grading techniques in its design so as to create a building pad and slopes that blend with the horizontal and vertical contours of the natural terrain. F. To minimize the visual impacts of the improvements, the structures, driveway, graded slopes and retaining walls shall be screened and shielded from view with native drought -resistant vegetation that is compatible with the surrounding vegetation of the community. G. A landscape plan must be prepared and approved by the City staff to comply with the purpose and intent of the Site Plan Review Ordinance, shall incorporate existing mature trees and native vegetation, and shall utilize to the 920327 kge 1680850 (1) — 5 - • • maximum extent feasible, plants that are native to the area and/or consistent with the rural character of the community. H. The project must be reviewed and approved by the Rolling Hills Community Association Architectural Review Committee prior to the issuance of any building or grading permit. 1992. ATTEST: PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this 28_thday of March, CL-w a/ DIANE SAW'SCER, DEPUTINCITY CLERK ALAN ROBERTS, CHAIRMAN 920327 kge 1680850 (1) - 6 - • s The foregoing Resolution No. 92-16 entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS GRANTING A VARIANCE TO THE BALANCE CUT AND FILL GRADING REQUIREMENT AND SITE PLAN REVIEW APPROVAL FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW PARKING LOT, RETAINING WALLS AND LANDSCAPING FOR THE CITY HALL COMPLEX IN ZONING CASE 478. was approved and adopted at a regular adjourned meeting of the Planning Commission on March 28, 1992, by the following roll call vote: AYES: Commissioners Frost, Hankins, Lay, Raine and Chairman Roberts NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None DEPUTY CITY CL 920327 kge 1680850 (1) - 7 -