Item 26 - Public Hearing Vista Heritage Charter School (601 North Fairview Street)

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Vista Charter Public Schools District Office and Outdoor Space Project CEQA Exemption 15183 4.11.2 Project Analysis The proposed project would remodel and reoccupy a building formerly occupied by an automotive repair use as an office building for Vista Charter Public Schools. The project would also redevelop the shared surface parking lot into an outdoor area consisting of a community garden, a play field, and a play yard for administrative staff and existing students associated with the adjacent school; the outdoor areas would not be open to the public. Ancillary improvements include landscaping fencing along the perimeters of the proposed outdoor areas, and expansion of the existing parking lot. Similar to existing conditions, the site would remain accessible from North Fairview Street via two driveways to the west, and two alleys connecting to West 5th Street to the south and southeast. The student drop-off and pick-up area and internal site circulation would be slightly modified to accommodate the outdoor learning garden space and the outdoor play areas. The project site is not within a residential community; it is surrounded by industrial uses, with nearby residential uses separated by an existing railroad alignment. As such, development of the proposed project would not divide any established surrounding residential community. The project is subject to the policies and/or regulations of the General Plan Update and Municipal Code at the local level. As previously stated, the project site has a land use designation of Industrial/Flex-Low (FLEX-1.5) and is within the Light Industrial (Ml) and Specific Development No. 82 (SD-82) zones. The FLEX-1.5 designation allows for various office uses, a maximum FAR of 1.5 and a maximum building height of three stories. The proposed project would renovate an existing 5,837-square foot building as an office building for Vista Charter Public Schools. The building is located on a 0.9-acre (39,204 square -foot) site, thus providing an FAR of 0.15. The existing building height would remain the same at 19 feet and four inches. As such, the project would meet the design standards of the FLEX-1.5 designation. Further, as detailed in Table 5, General Plan Update Land Use Element Project Consistency Analysis, the proposed project would be consistent with the applicable General Plan Update Land Use Element goals and policies. Table 5 General Plan Update Land Use Element Project Consistency Analysis Applicable General Plan Land Use Policies Project Consistency Analysis Goal LU-1: Provide a land use plan that improves quality of life and respects our existing community. Policy LU-1.1: Foster compatibility between land uses to Consistent. Industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential uses enhance livability and promote healthy lifestyles. surround the project site, including Vista Heritage Global Academy and Templo Calvario Church, which both share parking with the project site, and office uses to the south and the Romero -Cruz Academy to the west. The project proposes to remodel and reoccupy a building formerly occupied by an automotive repair use as an office building for use as Vista Charter Public Schools district office. The project would also redevelop the shared surface parking lot in the southern portion of the site into an outdoor area consisting of a community garden, a play field, and a play yard. Outdoor areas would serve existing students of the adjoining Vista Heritage Global Academy. Overall, the redevelopment of the project site would be compatible with the adjoining institutional uses. Dec i y ouncil 26 — 99 1/16/20'2 e 39