BACKGROUND
This Council Communication provides a summary evaluation of the project and a summary of the February 11, 2021 Planning Commission hearing. A more detailed background and evaluation is provided in the Planning Commission staff report, included as Attachment 1.
Background/Project Description
The 0.6-acre project site is located on Parcel W-20 within the West Roseville Specific Plan (WRSP), at the southeastern intersection of Upland Drive and Pleasant Grove Boulevard. The site has a zoning designation of Single-Family Residential/Development Standards (R1/DS) and a land use designation of Low Density Residential (LDR). Although Parcel W-20 has a land use designation of LDR, the WRSP has not allocated any residential units to the site. The parcel was intended to be a landscape gateway for the Plan area and is currently undeveloped, with the exception of frontage and landscape improvements along Pleasant Grove Boulevard to the north and Upland Drive to the west. The site is adjacent to single-family residential uses to the north and east across Pleasant Grove Boulevard, a vacant High Density Residential (HDR) parcel to the south (Parcel JM-30 of the Sierra Vista Specific Plan), and single-family residential uses to the west across Upland Drive. A small portion of the southeastern corner of the site is also bounded by the vacant Community Commercial (CC) parcel located at the southwest corner of Pleasant Grove Boulevard and Fiddyment Road (Parcel JM-41 of the Sierra Vista Specific Plan).
The proposed project will amend the land use and zoning designations of the property to facilitate the construction of a 910-square-foot drive-through coffee kiosk on Parcel W-20. The user of the coffee kiosk is unknown at this time. The project includes a General Plan Amendment (GPA) and Specific Plan Amendment (SPA) to amend the land use designation of Parcel W-20 from LDR to Community Commercial (CC), and a Rezone to change the zoning designation from R1/DS to Community Commercial with a Special Area overlay (CC/SA). The Special Area overlay will modify permitted uses to ensure compatibility with adjacent land uses. Lastly, the project includes the ninth amendment of the Development Agreement by and between the City of Roseville and Mourier Investments, LLC as assignee of VC Roseville, LLC (“Westpark DA”) to reflect the proposed land use change. Approval of the land use amendment would require updates to the City’s General Plan land use map as well as updates to the WRSP land use map and associated land use tables. The WRSP will also be updated to include the table of permitted uses specific to the CC/SA zone for Parcel W-20.
Associated with this request was a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) and a Design Review Permit (DRP), which the Planning Commission unanimously approved at their February 11, 2021 meeting. Per the Zoning Ordinance, approval of the CUP is required to allow a drive-through use contiguous to a residential zoned parcel. The DRP approved the proposed building and site design, including parking, lighting, and landscaping. Further discussion and exhibits for these entitlements are included in the Planning Commission staff report (Attachment 1).
Summary Evaluation
As detailed in pages 4-6 of the attached Planning Commission staff report, the proposed GPA, SPA, and Rezone of the property is consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan and WRSP. Based on the size of the parcel and proximity to residential uses, a SA overlay will be added to the proposed CC zone. The SA overlay allows modification of the underlying general district regulations, including permitted use types. The proposed CC/SA zone would modify the permitted uses and would be structured to prohibit potentially incompatible uses (i.e., auto repair, nightclubs, smoke shops) (see Table 4-6 in Exhibit E). This ensures uses on these parcels will be those that are desirable to the community and compatible with the existing and future residential uses. As such, staff finds that the proposed CC land use and zoning would be appropriate for the property and compatible with the adjacent residential land uses with adoption of the SA zone district overlay.
Consistent with the General Plan policies, the land use modification was evaluated for impacts to traffic, noise, and utilities. A discussion on each of these impacts is included below. These same potential impacts are also evaluated in the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for the project, included as Exhibit A.
Traffic: A traffic study was prepared by Fehr & Peers, an engineering consultant, to analyze the potential traffic impacts from the project. The traffic study is included as Attachment 4 of Exhibit A – Initial Study. The traffic study included an estimated trip generation, impacts on Level of Service (LOS), and analysis of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). The project incorporated the recommendations made in the traffic study to improve the project access and on-site circulation design. The City’s Engineering Division reviewed the traffic study and determined there is sufficient capacity to accommodate the trips generated by the project, and the project was found to be consistent with the General Plan policy relating to LOS. Per the traffic study findings, the project is considered a locally-serving use that does not include any unique characteristics which would draw in regional traffic, or which would prompt longer trips that would lead to a significant increase in VMT. Thus, the project would have a less than significant impact to the transportation system on the basis of project-generated VMT.
Noise: An Environmental Noise Assessment was prepared for the project by Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. to ensure the project complies with the sound limits identified in the City’s Noise Ordinance (Chapter 9.24). The Environmental Noise Assessment is included as Attachment 3 of Exhibit A – Initial Study. The noise assessment concluded that noise from drive-through operations (e.g., drive-through menu speaker board and vehicle idling/pass-bys) could potentially exceed the applicable nighttime hourly average noise level standards for sensitive receptors (e.g., residential uses) at the southern property line adjacent to the HDR parcel, if the drive-through hours of operation extend into nighttime hours (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.). Therefore, to comply with the General Plan noise standards, the noise assessment recommends constructing a 10-foot solid noise barrier along the southern property line or limiting the drive-through hours of operation to 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The applicant is proposing to limit the hours of operation. The hours of operation and any external amplified sound are regulated by the conditions of approval, as discussed in the Conditional Use Permit evaluation section of the Planning Commission staff report, which will ensure the project is consistent with the General Plan and Noise Ordinance.
Water: The change in land use from LDR to CC would increase water demand for the site by 1.1 acre feet per year (AF/yr). As discussed in the Initial Study, the City’s Environmental Utilities staff determined this to be a de minimis amount of water and concluded there are sufficient water supplies available to allocate the additional water demand. Therefore, the project would not require new or expanded water supply entitlements.
The project includes a ninth amendment of the Westpark DA to reflect the proposed land use change. The DA amendment does not amend any previous development obligations and is consistent with the City’s General Plan and Zoning Ordinance.
Public Comments
Prior to the Planning Commission hearing, staff received a total of six emails from members of the public regarding the proposed project. Three emails were in support of the project and three emails were in opposition of the project. The public comments are included with the Planning Commission staff report (see Attachment 1) and staff’s memorandum to the Planning Commission, dated February 9, 2021 (see Attachment 2). Those in opposition of the project raised concerns with the rezone of the site and with the project’s impacts to traffic and noise.
Summary of Planning Commission Hearing
The project was heard by the City's Planning Commission on February 11, 2021. The applicant addressed the Commission, spoke in favor of the project, and requested approval by the Commission. Public testimony was received at the hearing by email from Matt Gray and Hailey Patterson, and by phone from Audrey & Charles Ehrlich. The email received by Matt Gray was identical to the email submitted prior to the Planning Commission hearing, which is included and addressed in the Planning Commission staff report and also discussed in the Environmental Review section of this Council Communication. The email received by Hailey Patterson is included as Attachment 3. Audrey & Charles Ehrlich provided comments by phone and identified concerns with the rezone of the site, hours of operation, and potential noise.
After receiving testimony, the Planning Commission deliberated on the item and ultimately voted to adopt the WRSP PCL W-20 – Coffee Shack Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, voted to approve the Conditional Use Permit and Design Review Permit, and recommended the City Council approve the General Plan Amendment, Specific Plan Amendment, Rezone and Development Agreement Amendment, with a vote of 7 aye, 0 nay, 0 absent.