31A - CUP - 4412 WESTMINSTER AVE

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CUP No. 2016-36 and VA No. 2016-07 November 28, 2016 Page 5 required along the Westminster Avenue frontage to accommodate future street widening. This dedication further constricts the applicant's ability to develop the site with a functional car wash use. Fourth, the design requirements of a car wash use, where the use requires minimum areas to accommodate driveways, vacuum stations and the placement of buildings, in conjunction with a lot with minimal depth, further restricts the placement of the building on the site. Finally, car wash uses typically require higher ceilings to provide adequate clearance for trucks and vehicles that will use the facility. In order to allow a car wash to be constructed on the site, an increase in the allowable height is needed. To mitigate the potential impacts associated with the car wash use, the applicant is proposing several site improvements. The strip of land to be dedicated to the City for future widening will be landscaped, thereby providing an 18 -foot landscaped setback until such time as the dedication is needed. The landscaping will also be designed in a way to be minimally affected once the land is required for street purposes. Further, the landscaping will be increased in size to provide a more mature appearance when the car wash is operational. In addition, a block wall of up to 10 feet in height will be constructed along the south property line to ensure no noise or other impacts affect the residential uses. Finally, the proposed project will comply with all other applicable development standards for the use, except for setbacks and building height. On October 24th, the Planning Commission held a public hearing on the proposed project. After receiving public input, the Commission continued the item for 30 days to allow staff and the applicant time to address concerns related to aesthetics, more specifically the height of the building, on-site circulation and noise mitigation. First, staff and the applicant met to discuss options for altering the height of the building to minimize its impact on the adjacent residential uses. Due to the unique design of the structure, and the desire to maintain elements that contribute to the overall design, the applicant intends to maintain the proposed 31 -foot building height. The applicant has agreed to remove the solar panels from the structure at the south side of the building, which will help reduce the visual impacts of the building. Additionally, the applicant is proposing to change the material on the south side of the building from glass to a solid wall, which conveys a sense of privacy to the residences while maintaining the visual appeal of the structure. To provide context of the surrounding structures and depict the compatibility of the proposed building with the adjacent uses, the applicant has provided photographs of adjacent structures (Exhibit 8). Second, staff analyzed the stacking lanes for the two automatic car washes (210 East First Street and 4426 West First Street) that were approved by the Commission. The stacking lanes for those projects ranged from 148 to 170 feet, while the proposed project has a 240 - foot long lane. After discussing the lane distance with the Public Works Agency, it was determined that the stacking lane for this project exceeds minimum standards and would not result in any impact to Westminster Avenue. Finally, staff met with the applicant's noise consultant to discuss measures that could be considered to minimize and reduce potential noise impacts. In response, the applicant's proposal to change the material on the south side of the building to a solid wall will help mitigate potential noise travelling south towards the residences. In addition, a 10 -foot high 31A-7