Z O N I N G A DJUSTMENTS B O A R D S t a f f R e p o r t FOR BOARD ACTION APRIL 10, 2008 2451 Ridge Road Use Permit #04-10000066 to demolish rear portion of existing seminary chapel and construct new chapel with same seating capacity, average height of 28 feet, 3 inches, and 2,862 square feet of floor area, on a lot of 109,601 square feet (R-4H, AS) I. Application Basics A. Zoning Permits Required: Use Permit to demolish more than 50 percent of exterior walls and roof of a nonresidential main building, under BMC Section 23C.08.050.A Administrative Use Permit to allow cupola to exceed 35-foot height limit (by approximately 19 feet, 3 inches), under BMC Sections 23D.04.020.C and 23E.96.070.B Modification to existing seminary Use Permit, under BMC Section 23B.56.020 B. CEQA Determination: Categorically exempt pursuant to Sections 15301 and 15332 of the CEQA Guidelines ( Existing Facilities and In-Fill Development Projects ). C. Parties Involved: Applicant/Owner Church Divinity School of the Pacific, 2451 Ridge Rd., Berkeley, 94709 2120 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 Tel: 510.981.7410 TDD: 510.981.7474 Fax: 510.981.7420 E-mail: zab@ci.berkeley.ca.us
2451 RIDGE ROAD ZONING ADJUSTMENTS BOARD Page 2 of 9 April 10, 2008 Figure 1: Vicinity Map
ZONING ADJUSTMENTS BOARD 2451 RIDGE ROAD April 10, 2008 Page 3 of 9 Figure 2: Site Plan
2451 RIDGE ROAD ZONING ADJUSTMENTS BOARD Page 4 of 9 April 10, 2008 Table 1: Land Use Information Location Existing Use Zoning District General Plan Designation Subject Property Seminary R-4H High Density Residential Surrounding Properties North University Christian Church, Starr King School of Ministry, GTU student apartments, offices, bookstore R-4H South GTU library, student cooperative R-4H housing (Casa Zimbabwe and Ridge House) East Multi-family housing R-3H (Multiple Family Residential) High Density Residential High Density Residential Medium Density Residential West Pacific School of Religion R-4H High Density Residential Table 2: Special Characteristics Characteristic Applies Explanation to Project? Creeks N No creeks within 30 feet of subject property. Historic Resources N No designated resources on subject property. LPC has reviewed project and did not initiate as City landmark. Oak Trees Y There is a protected coast live oak in the vicinity of the proposed construction. The project has been redesigned to provide an adequate setback from the tree, and tree protection measures will be required during construction. Seismic Hazards N Subject property is not located within any seismic hazard zone. Green Building Score N Project application received prior to initiation of Green Building requirements. Table 3: Project Chronology Date June 7, 2004 July 12, 2007 September 6, 2007 March 27, 2008 April 10, 2008 May 30, 2008 Action Application submitted Application deemed complete LPC hearing Public hearing notices mailed/posted ZAB hearing PSA deadline
ZONING ADJUSTMENTS BOARD 2451 RIDGE ROAD April 10, 2008 Page 5 of 9 Table 4: Development Standards Standard Existing Addition/ Proposed Permitted/ BMC Sections 23D.40.070-080 (Reduction) Total Required Lot Area (sq. ft.) 109,601 -- 109,601 5,000 Gross Floor Area (sq. ft.) 83,179 1,862 85,041 N/A Floor Area Ratio 0.76 0.02 0.78 N/A Building Height Building Setbacks (ft.) (for new construction) Average (ft.) Sacristy: ~18-6 9-9 28-3 (cupola: 54-3 )* Maximum (ft.) ~26 ~7 33 (cupola: 54-3 )* Stories 1 1 1 3 Front (Ridge) -- -- 35 15 Rear (Le Conte) -- -- ~60 15 Left Side (West) -- -- 4 4 Right Side -- -- ~157 6 (Euclid) Lot Coverage (%) 29.9 1.7 31.6 40 Parking 77 -- 77 ** * AUP requested to allow cupola to exceed 35-foot limit. ** Determined by ZAB on case-by-case basis under Section 23D.40.080.B. 35 35 II. Project Setting A. Neighborhood/Area Description: The project site is part of the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), a cluster of religious schools about one block north of the UC campus. Apart from these institutions, the predominant uses in the immediate neighborhood are higher-density residential uses such as student cooperatives and apartments, and commercial uses (primarily restaurants) located on Euclid Avenue to the east. The architectural character of the site and neighborhood is mixed, with both pre-1940 historicist structures such as the chapel on the subject property, and more modern postwar structures such as the GTU library and the Ridge House cooperative directly south of the site. The nearest City landmark is located approximately 300 feet southwest of the site at 1820 Scenic Avenue ( Benjamin Ide Wheeler House and Garden ). B. Site Conditions: The subject property has been developed as an Episcopal seminary, the Church Divinity School of the Pacific (CDSP). The seminary occupies the entire block
2451 RIDGE ROAD ZONING ADJUSTMENTS BOARD Page 6 of 9 April 10, 2008 bounded by Ridge Road, LeConte Avenue, and Euclid Avenue. It contains several buildings in a range of styles reflecting the character of the surrounding neighborhood. The proposed building site is located in the central west portion of the block, which is currently occupied by the rear portion of the existing chapel, and by a landscaped courtyard adjacent to the chapel. According to an architectural historian s report submitted to the LPC, the existing chapel consists of three portions. The front portion of the chapel was built in 1937 from a design by Walter Ratcliff. The rear portion consists of a second Ratcliff building, built in 1940 and originally separate from the 1937 chapel. The middle portion consists of a 1959 addition that joined the two Ratcliff buildings together. Neither the chapel, nor any other building on the site, is a designated historical resource or listed on the State Historic Resources Inventory. According to the historian s report, the 1937 portion appears to be eligible for the California Register of Historical Resources due to its significant contribution to the broad patterns of local religious history, in this case the development of theological education in Berkeley. III. Project Description The proposed project would remove the middle and rear portions of the existing chapel and construct a new chapel to be connected to the front portion via a single-story link structure. The project removes slightly more than fifty percent of the total exterior walls and roof of the existing chapel, and therefore constitutes a demolition under the Zoning Ordinance. The new chapel would seat 146, roughly the same number as the existing chapel, although in a more functional and comfortable space. The new chapel would have a square footprint measuring 53 feet, 6 inches on each side, and a steep-pitched, pyramidal roof rising to a central cupola about 19 feet above the main roof and topped with a cross. The total height including the cupola would be about 54 feet, 3 inches. The roof would be constructed of standing seam metal and the walls primarily of glass, with inner walls providing the main support. The link structure would be constructed of board-formed concrete and would provide a small side chapel, organ equipment room, storage room, and men s restroom. The front portion of the existing chapel would be renovated and utilized as a sacristy 1, small office, storage room, and women s restroom. The project also includes various accessibility upgrades to the site, including an elevator from the adjacent courtyard to the site s north parking lot, and a lot line adjustment (to be approved separately) that will modify the property line between the new chapel and 1 A sacristy is a room used to store garments and other articles used in religious services. The applicants have indicated that this sacristy may also be used for educational purposes, i.e., training seminarians in how to prepare for and conduct religious services.
ZONING ADJUSTMENTS BOARD 2451 RIDGE ROAD April 10, 2008 Page 7 of 9 Easton Hall to the west, in order to meet the required zoning setbacks. The lot line adjustment will not substantially change the area of the subject property. IV. Community Discussion A. Neighbor/Community Concerns: At this writing staff has not received any communications indicating concerns regarding the project. B. Committee Review: On September 6, 2007, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) reviewed the proposed demolition and chose to pass on initiating the structure as a landmark. V. Issues and Analysis A. Key Issues: 1. Historical Resources: As noted above, the LPC chose to pass on initiating the existing chapel as a landmark, and there are no designated historical resources on the site. According to the architectural historian s report, the portions of the chapel to be removed do not qualify as historical resources for the purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and the proposed addition has been designed to conform to the Secretary of the Interior s Standards, so as to avoid any significant impact on the historical significance of the front portion of the chapel. The report therefore concludes that the project would not have a significant impact on any historical resources. Staff agrees with this conclusion. 2. Parking: The site has 77 parking spaces, a fairly high number in comparison with most of the other nearby seminaries. The project would not significantly increase the seminary s parking demand, because it would not increase the seating capacity of the chapel. The additional floor area created by the project would be occupied mainly by ancillary spaces that do not contribute significantly to parking demand, such as the sacristy, restrooms, and storage areas. Therefore the project would not have a significant impact due to parking demand. 3. Neighborhood Scale and Character: The proposed chapel would be compatible with the scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood for several reasons. First, the modernist forms and materials of the chapel would be appropriate because the surrounding buildings are eclectic both in style and scale, and they include a significant number of modernist buildings, such as the GTU library and Ridge House cooperative to the south, Shires Hall to the east, and Parsons Hall to the north. Second, the height of the chapel would be appropriate because it would be set back substantially from the public right-of-
2451 RIDGE ROAD ZONING ADJUSTMENTS BOARD Page 8 of 9 April 10, 2008 way, and would be partially screened by landscaping, other buildings, and the uneven topography of the site. Third, the building has a simple but attractive design that will enhance the neighborhood and complement the other notable buildings in the vicinity. 4. Oak Tree: A coast live oak tree is located in the courtyard to the west of the existing chapel, near the west corner of the proposed chapel. As noted in Table 2 above, the project has been redesigned to provide an adequate setback from the tree, and tree protection measures will be required during construction (see Condition 9). B. General and Area Plan Consistency: General Plan Policy Analysis: The 2002 General Plan contains several policies applicable to the project, including the following: 1. Policy LU-3 Infill Development: Encourage infill development that is architecturally and environmentally sensitive, embodies principles of sustainable planning and construction, and is compatible with neighboring land uses and architectural design and scale. 2. Policy LU-7 Neighborhood Quality of Life, Action A: Require that new development be consistent with zoning standards and compatible with the scale, historic character, and surrounding uses in the area. 3. Policy UD-16 Context: The design and scale of new or remodeled buildings should respect the built environment in the area, particularly where the character of the built environment is largely defined by an aggregation of historically and architecturally significant buildings. 4. Policy UD-24 Area Character: Regulate new construction and alterations to ensure that they are truly compatible with and, where feasible, reinforce the desirable design characteristics of the particular area they are in. Staff Analysis: See Neighborhood Scale and Character in Key Issues above. 5. Policy UD-32 Shadows: New buildings should be designed to minimize impacts on solar access and minimize detrimental shadows. Staff Analysis: The roof form and setbacks of the new chapel will minimize additional shadows on adjacent properties.
ZONING ADJUSTMENTS BOARD 2451 RIDGE ROAD April 10, 2008 Page 9 of 9 VI. Recommendation Because of the project s consistency with the Zoning Ordinance and General Plan, and minimal impact on surrounding properties, Staff recommends that the Zoning Adjustments Board APPROVE Use Permit 04-10000066 pursuant to Section 23B.32.040 and subject to the attached Findings and Conditions (see Attachment 1). Attachments: 1. Findings and Conditions 2. Project Plans, dated March 31, 2008 and August 26, 2004 3. Photos 4. Notice of Public Hearing 5. Correspondence Received Staff Planner: Aaron Sage, asage@ci.berkeley.ca.us, (510) 981-7410