75C - PH - 1302 EAST FOURTEENTH STREET

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GPA No. 2011-03, AA No. 2011-02 & VA No. 2011-09 January23, 2012 Page 3 proposed land use, potential noise impacts to the residence once constructed, and the proposed Grand Avenue widening project. As proposed, the project has been designed with a six foot perimeter wall to provide privacy and deflect noise from Grand Avenue traffic. In addition, per California Energy Code requirements, the windows for the residence will be insulated and dual glazed. The public right-of-way for Grand Avenue adjacent to the subject site was fully widened and improved at the time of the 1-5 Widening Project. These improvements reduced the subject parcel at 1302 East Fourteenth Street to 4,813 square feet, and included the construction of a median barrier to restrict entry onto Fourteenth Street. At the Planning Commission's direction, the City's Housing Division met with the applicant in an effort to exchange this site with an Agency-owned property that would be suitable for single family residential development. None of the offers for land exchange were accepted by Mr. Vasquez. On September 19, 2002, the Planning Commission recommended denial of Mr. Vasquez's discretionary requests by a vote of 7-0; with City Council adopting a resolution on October 6, 2003 to deny that proposal. Mr. Vasquez has chosen to pursue the project again, by submitting a new General Plan Amendment, Zoning Amendment and Variance applications in 2011. Proiect Analvsis General Plan Amendment The existing General Plan land use designation for the project area is General Commercial (GC) with a maximum allowable 0.5 floor area ratio. General Commercial districts are primarily located on commercial corridors and major arterial roadways in the City. They provide accessible commercial development along the City's arterials as well as provide support facilities and services, including retail, office, restaurants and various other services. The parcel located at 1302 East Fourteenth Street is a vacant remnant property as a result of the 1-5 Freeway widening. Due to its limited lot size of 4,813 square feet and lack of driveway access onto Grand Avenue, this parcel is not considered viable for a freestanding commercial use, without the potential of intrusion on the adjacent residential neighborhood to the east. The General Plan land use designation proposed for the three parcels in the project area is Low Density Residential intended for a maximum of seven dwelling units per acre (Exhibit 7). The total land area included within the proposed General Plan Amendment No. 2011-03 is 18,699 square feet or .43 acres (Exhibit 8). Amending the General Plan land use designation from General Commercial (GC) to Low Density Residential (LR7) will allow for consistency between the two existing single family homes and the City's General Plan land use vision. The proposed Low Density Residential land use designation will also act to implement the Land Use Element goal of preserving existing residential 75C-5