February 13, 2001 Lomita CA 90717 A REGULAR MEETING OF THE LOMITA PLANNING COMMISSION OPENING CEREMONIES 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Lomita City Hall, 24300 Narbonne Avenue, Lomita. 2. FLAG SALUTE At the request of Chair Frederick, Commissioner Kaneen led the salute to the flag. 3. ROLL CALL Commissioners responding to roll call by Secretary Schroder were Colbary, Dever, Kaneen, Savidan, Suminaga, Waite and Chair Frederick. Also present were Community Development Director Richard Kawasaki and Assistant Planner Michael Patterson. 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Commissioner Colbary moved to approve the minutes of January 9, 2001. Commissioner Dever seconded the motion which carried unanimously. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None PUBLIC HEARINGS 5. PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 11-1.15.13(M) AND 11-1.48.04(A)4 AND ADDING SECTION 11-1.68.07 OF THE LOMITA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATIVE TO SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR HOTELS AND MOTOR INNS Community Development Director Kawasaki reviewed the staff report. 1
Staff prepared an amendment to the zoning ordinance which contains development standards for new hotels and motels and for additions to existing motels. At present hotels and motels are permitted only in the C-R zone, which is along the Pacific Coast Highway corridor. At present, new hotels and motels must have 35 rooms. The proposed new regulations would apply to both new and existing facilities proposed for expansion. The proposed new rules would require 3-acre parcels and a minimum of 500 feet of combined street frontage. Hotels and motels would be required to have 100 sleeping units and a full service restaurant. The ordinance would require meeting rooms and/or banquet facilities with a combined occupant rating of 200 persons. The proposal includes special setbacks and separation from adjoining uses. Hotels and motels facing Pacific Coast Highway shall provide insulation necessary to limit highway and other ambient noise within the sleeping room to 65 db CNEL or less. The Planning Commission would be required to review the architectural features of the proposed development and would use the criteria contained in the proposed ordinance. Discussion followed on the 65 dba, which is the same as for residential, during the day; on the minimum length of time a room would be rented for, several hours, or overnight, which is covered by the Municipal Code; 3-acre parcels and 100 sleeping units. Most high quality establishments have 100 or more rooms and high quality is what Lomita wants. The public hearing was declared open. As no one wished to speak, the public hearing was closed. Commissioner Dever moved to accept the recommendation of the Planning Staff and approve the proposed amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to add development standards to hotels and motor inns. Commissioner Waite seconded the motion which carried unanimously. SCHEDULED MATTERS 6. SITE PLAN NO. 922 Review of a request for a 1,535 square foot addition to a single story residence and a 483 square foot addition to a garage at 2070 Lomita Park Place in the R-1 Zone. Assistant Planner Patterson reviewed the staff report. The 865 square foot house is on a 6,623 square foot lot. The driveway is approximately 20 feet wide and would require an apron modification. The proposed single story addition would include a master bedroom, one and a half bathroom, a family room, a kitchen, an office and a living room. The property is considered legal-nonconforming due to encroachment into the rear yard and insufficient parking (no garage). The proposed two-car garage would be attached to 2
the front of the house. The applicant is proposing approximately 1,455 square feet of landscaping in the left side of the backyard, which could be used as a replacement area for the required rear setback. The trash storage is on the left side of the front yard and staff recommends it be placed in the backyard. Approval of Site Plan No. 922, with conditions, is recommended. There was discussion on the 10-foot setback and notifying the adjacent neighbors. The applicant, Ms. Lillian Honma, 1708 W. 169 th Place #2, Gardena, was present to answer questions. She agreed with all of the conditions of approval and will move to Lomita as soon as the remodeling is finished. Commissioner Savidan moved approve Site Plan No. 922 with conditions. Commissioner Colbary seconded the motion which carried unanimously. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS 7. CITY COUNCIL ACTIONS The City Council is in the process of deciding what features to include in the downtown streetscape. The utility poles on the eastside will be taken down. There will be angled parking on the west side of the street. The City will try to move the curb on the west side of the street five feet out in order to widen the side walk. At the City Council meeting of February 20, consultant Don Pelegrino will report the findings of his studies. He agrees that Lomita needs to work on its identity and the downtown improvements are the number one priority. The downtown area will be worked on first, then Lomita Boulevard, third, Pacific Coast Highway. Edison has informed the City about the possibility of rolling blackouts. City Hall will receive a ten to thirty minute warning. Staff has informed all of the school facilities, including private schools and pre-schools of this possibility so that they will have emergency plans in place. The Sheriff s Department has visited about 10 of the larger schools and found that nine of the 10 have emergency and evacuation plans on file and had also practiced drills. Lomita has four different areas within the grid system so the entire City would not be subject to a blackout at one time. The blackouts would be limited to one or two hours at the most. There was discussion on the old Tune-up Masters on Pacific Coast Highway, a sign left by First Interstate and regulations for signs left by closed businesses. The Narbonne 3
Market sign was recently taken down. The code enforcement officer will check the Tune-up Masters sign. As to the First Interstate sign that is covered with plastic, the leaders of the Chabad have indicated that they would like to use it as some kind of civic sign. They have resisted taking down the sign even though part of their approval for the school was for the sign to be taken down. The City Council denied theverizon tower at the Hot N Tot. The Islamic preschool is trying to buy adjoining property in order to make a new proposal. It was noted that the year is about up on the property on the corner of Eshelman and 240 th where a garage was to be built. The owner stated that his daughter had been ill and his money went to pay hospital bills. Staff was not sure what arrangement the City Attorney has worked out with the owner. The property on Narbonne Avenue near 250 th Street approved for auto sales is packed with cars. The applicant was to have striped the lot to control the number of cars on the lot. Staff will ask code enforcement to check into it. The auto repair business on Lucille and Pacific Coast Highway appears to be repairing and parking cars in the street. The City issues tickets to the owner on a regular basis and he pays a fine. The owner seems to have a contract with one of the large Torrance auto dealers to repair their cars. All of the repair work should be done inside the building. The question was asked what the City doing about the tents people are using as carports. Staff only responds to complaints and then contacts the residents. In the 25100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, where an illegal addition was being used as a living unit, it appears that it is still being lived in. Commissioner Kaneen was happy about the striping of the bike path. Her thanks to the City and especially Gary Irwin. OTHER MATTERS 8. ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS Commissioner Waite announced that the Livable Communities Committee of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments will be holding a summit in June. There will be a orientation and training session on implementing Livable Communities practices in the 4
sixteen communities of the South Bay. He asked the Commissioners when would be the best time of day for them to attend. The actual date and location will be announced. Commissioner Colbary reported on the SWAPC meeting she attended in Carson relative to mixed use. There was discussion on the energy crisis. Commissioners Suminaga and Colbary spoke about the library dedication. Chair Frederick may not be at the March 13 Planning Commission meeting. 9. COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IN MARCH Commissioner Savidan will attend on March 5, 2001. Commissioner Kaneen will attend on March 19, 2001. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Kaneen moved to adjourn at 7:50 p.m. Commissioner Suminaga seconded the motion which carried unanimously. Attest: JULIA G. SCHRODER PLANNING SECRETARY 5
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