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Amendment Application No. 2013-02 <br />June 10, 2013 <br />Page 3 <br />The M-1 zoning of the property was intended to facilitate the construction of industrial related uses on <br />the site. In fact, when the project was first leased, the predominant use of the site was by industrial <br />users. However, it was also not uncommon to find stand-alone office uses or mixed office/warehouse <br />types of projects in the industrial zones, including McFadden Place, as these uses were determined <br />to be compatible with industrial development. Since its opening in 1970, the site has always been <br />occupied by various commercial and retail uses. The demand for retail in the City's industrial zones <br />increased in the mid to late 1980's due to the availability and price of industrial land. This led to the <br />City requiring a conditional use permit for retail in the industrial zones, which McFadden Place <br />received in 1988 by Conditional Use Permit No. 1988-8. This allowed over 125,000 square feet, or 45 <br />percent of the site, to be used by retail uses. <br />Since 1988, the project has continued to operate as a hybrid commercial/industrial development, with <br />the site occupied by a mixture of retail and industrial uses. In an effort to adopt a zoning designation <br />that better reflects the property, the applicant is proposing a zone change to a specific development <br />(SD) plan designation (Exhibit 5). The SD is a tool that may be applied to allow for unique and <br />innovative projects that are otherwise consistent with the General Plan, but which do not conform to <br />the adopted zoning standards for that area. The SD will contain the development standards for the <br />existing project as well as any future development of the site. <br />The specific development has been created as a hybrid industrial/commercial zone and will allow <br />uses that are compatible with the existing center. As such, many of the heavy industrial uses that can <br />adversely affect the existing tenants and adjacent properties will not be permitted in this zoning <br />district. For instance, uses currently allowed in the M-1 zone such as impound yards, truck and heavy <br />equipment sales and service, contractor's yards, automotive repair and service, lumberyards and <br />recycling facilities will no longer be permitted at McFadden Place. Retail and service uses will <br />continue to be allowed, with the conditional use permit (CUP No. 1988-8) no longer applicable. <br />The Specific Development No. 85 document will be a comprehensive zoning tool for McFadden <br />Place. In addition to establishing the permitted and conditionally permitted uses, development <br />standards pertaining to setbacks, landscaping and parking will be incorporated into the SD. For the <br />most part, these standards will reflect the actual development pattern of the development. The <br />applicant is seeking to install additional identification signage on the freeway facing buildings and <br />reduce the amount of required parking. Instead of processing variances for each request, these <br />modifications will be incorporated into the development standards of the SD. For signage, due to the <br />location and topography of the site, six freeway oriented blade signs, not exceeding 112 square feet <br />each, will be permitted on the two northernmost buildings that face the Newport-Costa Mesa (SR-55) <br />Freeway (Exhibit 6). In addition, a shared parking analysis was prepared that depicts a surplus of <br />parking spaces at the center. The study recommends that the parking requirement for retail uses at <br />McFadden Place be reduced from one space per 200 square feet of floor area to one space per 350 <br />square feet in order to accurately reflect the parking demand at the center. This revised parking <br />demand will give the property owner the flexibility to attract additional retail tenants that are <br />compatible with the existing uses. <br />75A-5