31B - VARIANCE - 1221 N BRISTOL ST

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Variance No. 2011-07 May 9, 2011 Page 2 new accent tiles on the exterior walls, the repainting of the building and the replacement of all damaged glass. In addition, the existing drive through lane for the restaurant will be removed and will be replaced by a new outdoor seating area. Improvements to the interior of the building will also be made and will include new kitchen equipment, upgrades to make the building ADA accessible, flooring and paint. The project will also incorporate various site improvements. These improvements will consist of the removal of the drive through lane, the removal of existing landscaping and the planting of new landscaping, the construction of a new trash enclosure, the repairing and repaving of the parking lot and new site lighting. In addition, all existing signage will be removed and will be replaced with new signs that comply with current code provisions (Exhibits 3, 4, 5 and 6). Access to the project site will be provided from both Bristol Street and Washington Avenue. The parking requirement for a restaurant use is 10 spaces per 1,000 square feet of building (Section 41- 1341). A total of 15 parking spaces will be provided on-site, which exceeds code requirements by four spaces. Project Background The building was constructed in 1965 as a takeout food establishment and was occupied as a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant until the restaurant vacated the premises in January 2008. At the time of its construction, the building was in compliance with all development standards in place for a commercial use. In the mid 1980's, the City revised its commercial development standards to require a minimum lot size for a commercial use of 15,000 square feet as well as a 15-foot landscaped setback standard, thereby making the building and site non-compliant with today's development standards. In 1991, the City adopted the Bristol Street Corridor Specific Plan, which provided the framework for future redevelopment and widening of Bristol Street. Due to the proposed widening of Bristol Street from four to six lanes, the subject property has been designated as a 'full take" site. General Plan and Zoning Analysis The General Plan land use designation for the site is Open Space (OS), which allows for parks, water channels and other open space uses. Due to the redesignation of the site from General Commercial (GC) to Open Space, and the project's nonconforming status, the project is not consistent with this General Plan land use designation. The subject site is located in the Bristol Street Specific Plan (SP-1) zoning district. SP-1 is a zoning designation that has several objectives, including the widening of Bristol Street, encouraging upgrades to the development character of the area, and the protection and enhancement of residential areas and community facilities along the corridor. Due to noncompliance with the lot size and setback standards, the project is legal nonconforming with current zoning standards. 31 B-4