31A - CUP 2010-01 - 500 W SANTA ANA BLVD

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CUP No. 2010-01 and VA No. 2010-02 February 22, 2010 Page 5 • 19 percent of the student population is non-driving, and therefore use an alternative method of commuting such as bicycling, ride-sharing and using public transit. The project site and vicinity is well developed with sidewalks, crosswalks and pedestrian pushbuttons to accommodate the movement of pedestrians between the bus stops and the building. The applicant should provide a transit information area in the lobby of the building, where students can pick up current bus route schedules and maps, and should consider providing transit passes at a reduced rate to encourage transit ridership. Based on the analysis, parking on-site is not sufficient to fully provide the needed parking for the school use. Although 424 spaces are required by SAMC, the study concludes that a total of 285 spaces are needed. The parking structure contains 258 parking stalls and therefore, 27 additional parking spaces will need to be provided off-site. The applicant has been working with several properties within the immediate downtown area to secure the 27 parking spaces. The concept of utilizing parking within the downtown/civic center area is not unusual and to some extent parallels the practice used in suburban shopping centers. Parking can be shared between uses, either because of differing operational hours or the fact that customers park once to shop or visit throughout the downtown and civic center areas. Further, as a result of the study several conditions of approval are requested to ensure that the operation of the school use does not adversely affect the surrounding areas. In general, these conditions relate to: • Securing additional parking off-site; • Class schedules offer a 20-minute break between ending and starting; • Implement appropriate measures to reduce vehicle queuing at parking structure; • No public parking within parking structure; • Provide transit alternatives including reduced bus passes, carpool matching and convenient bike racks; and Additionally, because of the late night operation of the school, the Police Department has recommended an evening security service. Lastly, the parking for the project is directly tied to the specific floor plan submitted. Any future expansion of the school use or deviation from the approved floor plan resulting in a higher parking demand would require a re-evaluation of the conditional use permit and variance by the Planning Commission. The issuance of a conditional use permit will allow a professional trade school to provide educational opportunities for residents of the City as well as those within the surrounding communities while providing additional potential customers to the area. Staff has analyzed the project and has determined that the project will create minimal impacts to the surrounding properties. The request for a reduction in parking through Variance No. 2010-02 has been analyzed and with conditions can be accommodated and ensure the school will not negatively impact adjacent properties. Therefore, staff recommends approval of Conditional Use Permit No. 2010-01 and Variance No. 2010-02 as conditioned. 31 A-7