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Home My WebLink AboutZOA 19-0002 CC STAFF RPTSTAFF REPORT CITY OF PALM DESERT DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MEETING DATE: June 27, 2019 PREPARED BY: Kevin Swartz, Associate Planner REQUEST: Consideration to approve a Zoning Ordinance Amendment amending the El Paseo Overlay District and the Downtown District to allow professional office uses on the ground floor fronting El Paseo east of San Luis Rey Avenue; and adoption of a Notice of Exemption in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act Recommendation Waive further reading and pass Ordinance No. 1350 to second reading, approving a Zoning Ordinance Amendment (ZOA) to Section 25.28.040 El Paseo Overlay District (EPOD) and Section 25.18.040 Downtown District (DD), allowing professional office uses on the ground floor fronting El Paseo east of San Luis Rey Avenue, and based on the criteria identified within the Analysis section and; 2. By Minute Motion, adopt a Notice of Exemption in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Strategic Plan Objectives Allowing professional office uses on the ground floor along the east end of El Paseo will add additional users to the street and help fill the vacant storefronts. It will also add additional year- round employees to the street to dine and shop as identified in the City's Strategic Plan including: • Land Use - Priority 4: "Create a mixed -use city core integrating shopping, dining, lodging, and housing. " • Tourism and Marketing — Priority 1: "Improve access to Palm Desert and its attractions to enhance the ease of lifestyle." • Transportation — Priority 1: "Create walkable neighborhoods and areas within Palm Desert that would include residential, retail, services and employment centers, and parks, recreation and open space to reduce the use of low occupancy vehicles." • Transportation — Priority 3: "De-emphasize single/low-occupancy vehicles and optimize modes of travel (bus, carpool, golf -cart, bicycle and pedestrian)." June 27, 2019 — CC Staff Report El Paseo ZOA Office Uses Page 2 of 4 Executive Summary Approval of staffs' recommendation will approve a ZOA to allow office professional uses on the ground floor fronting El Paseo east of San Luis Rey Avenue. The ZOA provides criteria to where office uses will be permitted, the type of office uses, the maximum percentage (15 percent) of building frontage, and requirement for Conditional Use Permit (CUP) approval. The requirements are identified in the Analysis section of this staff report. Background On March 28, 2019, staff recommended approval of a ZOA to allow office professional uses on the ground floor fronting El Paseo throughout the one -mile (Highway 74 to Portola Avenue) corridor based on the below recommendations. • Allow office uses throughout the one -mile corridor (Highway 74 to Portola Avenue). • Prohibit office uses located on corner lots. • No office uses allowed to abut/neighbor one another. • Require a CUP. • Allow professional offices that will engage the street (no banks or medical). • Prohibit office uses that occupy more than 15% of total linear building frontage within each block (north and south sides). The 15% recommendation came from Mr. Gibbs as well as the EPMA. At the March 28, 2019, City Council meeting, the Council discussed this topic but was not able to come to an agreement and after several different motions, the ZOA failed. At its regular meeting of April 25, 2019, Councilmember Jonathan stated that one of the elements that was not presented to the City Council at the March 28, 2019 meeting was the option of allowing office uses east of San Luis Rey Avenue. He requested under Councilmember Requests for Action that staff propose that option to the City Council. Discussion The City's overall goal is to focus on El Paseo as a whole and to create a city center/downtown that provides high intensity mixed -use developments anchored by civic, cultural, entertainment, retail, and dining activity along walkable streetscapes. The one -mile corridor of El Paseo between Highway 74 and Portola Avenue consists of seven blocks. Staff conducted a field survey and identified 11 existing office uses fronting El Paseo throughout the one -mile corridor. Block 7 (San Luis Rey Avenue to Portola Avenue) includes three of the 11 existing office uses. Below is a breakdown showing the type of office uses within Block 7 (north and south sides). Block 7 — San Luis Rey Avenue to Portola Avenue o North — 2 office uses (Real estate and bank) o South — 1 office uses (Wealth advisor) GAPlanning\Kevin Swartz\WorMEi PaseoUune 27, 2019 CC staff report 8 Paseo office uses.docx June 27, 2019 — CC Staff Report El Paseo ZOA Office Uses Page 3 of 4 Analysis Staff is mindful of the City's overall goal for El Paseo to remain a high -end, luxury pedestrian - friendly street and understands the need to allow a small amount of storefront office uses without saturating the street. Staff believes that the recommendations made at the March 28, 2019 Council meeting are still appropriate, with only two new recommendations: 1. limit office uses east of San Luis Rey Avenue; and 2. allow medical offices. The draft ordinance recommends limiting office uses to occupy not more than 15 percent of total linear frontage (north and south sides). The total linear building frontage on the north side totals 875 feet (multiple 15 percent), allowing 131 total linear frontage of office uses. Currently, the bank occupies 120 linear feet and the real-estate business occupies 23 linear feet, both totaling 143 linear feet. Based on today's environment, no new office use would be able to operate under this recommendation. In addition, the bank is currently located on a corner lot, which is another recommendation not to allow office uses on corner lots. If the bank were to close or relocate, extra space would be available along the north side. The total linear building frontage on the south side is 1,020 feet (multiple 15 percent), allowing 153 total linear frontage of office uses. Currently, the wealth advisor business occupies 34 linear feet. The south side would be able to accommodate an additional 119 linear feet of office use. Staff is recommending the following: No office uses allowed on corner lots. This will preserve the two intersections within Block 7, and allow vibrant businesses that engage and interact with the street, such as restaurants and mixed -use developments. • No new office uses allowed to abut/neighbor one another. This will help preserve breaks between retail/restaurant businesses and office uses along Block 7. City staff does not want to create the entire block into office frontages. • Allow professional offices that will engage the street. o Professional offices (e.g. accounting, investment firms (i.e. Charles Schwab), medical offices, and attorneys). o Offices engaged in the production of intellectual uses (e.g. advertising, architectural, photography, and travel agency). o Prohibited uses include, and are not limited to, financial institutions (banks), utility companies, or quasi-govemment uses. • Require a CUP. This would allow staff and the Planning Commission to review the type of office uses, locations, land use compatibility, and parking. Staff believes that the CUP process provides for an excellent tool. • Prohibit office uses that occupy more than 15% of total linear building frontage within Block 7 (north and south sides). Capping the percentages will help preserve Block 7 from saturation of office uses. GAPlanning\Kevin Swartz WordO PaseoUune 27, 2019 CC staff report EI Paseo office uses.dom June 27, 2019 — CC Staff Report El Paseo ZOA Office Uses Page 4 of 4 In order to achieve and implement the recommendations, Palm Dese Fiscal Analysis: There is no fiscal impact related to staff's recommendation. Environmental Review rt For the purposes of CEQA, the Director of Community Development has determined that the proposed project will not have a significant negative impact on the environment and staff has prepared a Notice of Exemption, which is attached as part of this report and filing is in accordance with CEQA Guidelines. LEGAL REVIEW DEPT. REVIEW FINANCIAL REVIEW CITY MANAGER N/A Ryan Stendell Robert W. Hargreaves Director of Janet Moore Lauri Aylaian City Attorney Community Director of Finance City Manager Development ATTACHMENTS: 1. Draft ZOA Ordinance No. 1350 , Exhibit "A" and Exhibit "B" 2. Notice of Exemption 3. Legal Notice 4. Draft Amendments to Sections 25.28.040 and 25.18.040 CITY COUNCILA(CTION APPROVED. V DENIED RECEIVED OTHER MEETING DATE 016 7 -ZOl AYES: ICGI,c,`� lks rri1- NOES: ABSENT: - ABSTAIN: UN�� VERIFIED BY:.6W m n Original on File with City Clerk's Office -EBy Minute Motion, direct staff to: 1) Return to the City. Council with a proposed Ordinance that would apply to the whole street (El Paseo) and use factors set forth in the staff report as considerations- (instead. of; absolute prohibitions) that would be assessed in the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) process and emphasizes identification of desirable uses contemplated within the City's vision; 2) along with #1, provide proposal on the issue of a related percentage cap. GAPIanningWevin Swartz\Word\FJ PaseoUune 27, 2019 CC staff report EI Paseo office uses.docx