75A - PH EDNOVATE CHARTER APPLICATION

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Amendment Application No. 2018-05 Ednovate Charter High School at 1440-1450 E. 17th Street July 17, 2018 Page 2 Ednovate Charter High School was located on the New Song Church Campus at 1010 West Seventeenth Street beginning in early 2016. The high school vacated the site in early July 2018. The previous site is in the Community Commercial (C-1) zoning district where schools are permitted by right and is currently improved with a church. During its time in Santa Ana, Ednovate has grown and requires relocation to a larger facility that can accommodate the increase in students and faculty. The rehabilitation of the subject site's two-story, 24,000 -square foot building and a 5,000 -square foot addition will accommodate the current needs and future growth. Furthermore, a total of 70 off-street parking spaces will be provided for the project while 68 are required. On-site amenities will also be provided and will include an outdoor basketball court, a multi -use outdoor plaza and bike racks. The architecture of the building will be significantly upgraded to incorporate design elements such as new building openings (windows and doors), new clear windows, a colored metal panel system and a perforated metal panel system. These features will enhance the appearance of the building that was constructed in the late 1960's. Other exterior improvements are also proposed for the site that will bring it into compliance with current development standards. For example, the parking lot will be repaved and restriped, new fencing will be constructed, new landscaping will be planted, and new parking lot security lighting will be installed. The school is currently not occupying the subject property. While improvements are made to the subject site's building, the applicant has submitted plans to Building plan check to temporarily occupy a church located across from the new facility at 1500 East Seventeenth Street. Schools are permitted in the C-5 zoning district by right. As part of their delegated authority, the Planning Commission approved three variances for the school to address two existing legal non - conformities on the site (setbacks and driveway location) and a new fence around the school's basketball court. The variances are required due to the applicant's proposal for an addition that exceeds 10 percent of the square footage of the existing building and do not affect the school's ability to occupy the site. The first variance allows the building to remain with a less than 15 -foot landscaped street setback on Seventeenth and Wright streets as approved in 1969. The second variance allows a driveway on Wright Street that will be closer than 150 feet from the street intersection due to the site's configuration. The third variance allows a new 10 -foot high decorative fence around the basketball court to be within the Wright Street setback. The Commission determined, after analyzing the proposal and receiving public testimony, that special circumstances exist warranting approval of the variances. Full-sized plans are available for public viewing in the Clerk of the Council Office. STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT Approval of this item supports the City's efforts to meet Goal #3 - Economic Development, Objective #2 (create new opportunities for business/job growth and encourage private development through new General Plan and Zoning Ordinance policies). 75A-2