HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 119-2011 RESOLUTION NO. 119 -2011
CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA
A RESOLUTION MAKING FINDINGS AND APPROVING A
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT, USE PERMIT, AND
DESIGN REVIEW, TO ALLOW THE EXPANSION OF THE
GIMBAL'S FINE CANDIES FACILITY AT 250 HILLSIDE
BOULEVARD
WHEREAS, Gimbal's Fine Candies ( "Applicant ") seeks approval of a General Plan
Amendment, Use Permit, and Design Review, to collectively authorize an expansion of their
facility, consisting of the construction of an 8,810 square -foot addition to the existing 28,902
square -foot food preparation facility, and approval of a parking reduction, at the 1.73 -acre site,
located at 250 Hillside Boulevard (APN 012- 070 -360) ( "Project "); and,
WHEREAS, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (Pub.
Resources Code, §§ 21000, et seq. [ "CEQA "]) and the CEQA Guidelines, the City of South San
Francisco ( "City") prepared and circulated for public review, and Initial Study and Negative
Declaration ( "IS/ND "), which analyzed the environmental impacts of the Project, and concluded
that the proposed Project could not have a significant effect on the environment, as more fully
described and set forth therein; and,
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on July 7,
2011, to consider the IS /ND, the proposed General Plan Amendment, the Use Permit and Design
Review, and to take public testimony, and make a recommendation to the City Council on the
IS/ND and the Project, and following the public hearing, recommended that the City Council
adopt the IS/ND, and approve the Project; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council has considered the IS/ND and by separate Resolution,
adopted the IS/ND as an objective and accurate document that reflects the independent judgment
of the City in the identification, discussion and analysis of the Project's environmental impacts;
and,
WHEREAS, the City Council held a duly notice public hearing at its regular meeting of
September 28, 2011, to accept input from interested parties and consider a recommendation to
the City Council on the Project.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that based on the entirety of the Record before
it, which includes without limitation, the California Environmental Quality Act, Public
Resources Code §§ 21000, et seq. ( "CEQA ") and the CEQA Guidelines, 14 California Code of
Regulations § 15000, et seq.; the South San Francisco 1999 General Plan and General Plan
Environmental Impact Report, including the 2001 updates to the General Plan and 2001
Supplemental Environmental Impact Report; the South San Francisco Municipal Code; the
Initial Study and Negative Declaration prepared for the 250 Hillside Boulevard— Gimbal's
Candy Project, including all written comments received; all reports, minutes, and public
testimony submitted as part of the Planning Commission's duly noticed public hearing on July 7,
2011; all reports, minutes, and public testimony submitted as part of the City Council's duly
noticed public hearing on September 28, 2011; and any other evidence (within the meaning of
Public Resources Code §21080(e) and §21082.2), the City Council of the City of South San
Francisco does hereby find as follows:
I. General Findings
A. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and made a part of this Resolution.
B. The Exhibits attached to this Resolution, including the Conditions of Approval
(Exhibit A), and the proposed General Plan Amendment (Exhibit B), are each incorporated by
reference as part of this Resolution.
C. By separate Resolution, the City Council, exercising its independent judgment
and analysis, has adopted the IS/ND as an objective and accurate document that reflects the
independent judgment of the City in the identification, discussion and analysis of the Project's
environmental impacts.
D. The documents and other material constituting the record for these proceedings
are located at the Planning Division for the City of South San Francisco, 315 Maple Avenue,
South San Francisco, CA 94080, and in the custody of Chief Planner, Susy Kalkin.
II. General Plan Amendment
A. The proposed Project is consistent and compatible with all elements in the City of
South San Francisco General Plan (as proposed for amendment) and any applicable specific
plans, because the proposed Project will further a number of Guiding and Implementing Policies
in the General Plan. Specifically, by allowing the continued operation and expansion of the one
of the City's older, large industrial uses, the proposed Project is consistent with Guiding Policy
2 -G -4: "Provide for continued operation of older industrial and service commercial businesses at
specific locations." The proposed Project's General Plan Amendment is also consistent with how
the City has treated other older industrial uses; for example, regarding the See's Candy facility in
the El Camino Real Planning Sub -Area, Policy 3.4 -1 -20 provides, "Recognize See's Candies as a
transitional use; permit it as a conforming use, allowing for expansion or contraction as
necessary. Require any redevelopment of the site to be non - industrial and sensitive to the
residential uses to the north."
B. The proposed Project is consistent with the South San Francisco Municipal Code,
including specifically, Chapter 20.540 ( "Amendments to the General Plan "), because as further
documented in the Record, the Project has complied with the application and review procedures,
has been considered at a noticed public hearing of the Planning Commission, and has been
considered at a noticed public hearing of the City Council.
III. Use Permit
A. The proposed use is allowed within the applicable zoning district and complies
with all other applicable provisions of the Zoning Ordinance and all other titles of the South San
Francisco Municipal Code, because the Project site is located within the Community
Commercial (CC) District, and subject to the proposed General Plan Amendment, the Project site
would be considered a transitional and conforming use. Further, the existing building and
proposed addition are in general compliance with current City development standards, such as
floor area ratio, lot coverage, setbacks, building height, and landscaping. The Applicant has
sought approval of a parking reduction, consistent with the procedures set forth in the Zoning
Ordinance.
B. The proposed use is consistent with the General Plan (as proposed for
amendment) and any applicable specific plan, for the reasons set forth in Finding II.A, above.
C. The proposed use will not be adverse to the public health, safety, or general
welfare of the community, nor detrimental to surrounding properties or improvements, because
the Project proposes expansion of an existing use that has operated among the surrounding
properties without significant issue. The proposed development will be constructed consistent
with the City's zoning regulations, health and safety requirements, and design and development
standards, which will minimize adverse impacts on surrounding properties. An IS/ND was
prepared to evaluate any potentially significant environmental impacts of the Project, and
concluded that the proposed Project could not have a significant effect on the environment. A
neighborhood meeting was held to consider and address concerns of the surrounding property
owners, and the majority of those in attendance expressed support for the proposed expansion.
D. The proposed use complies with any design or development standards applicable
to the zoning district or the use in question as may be adopted by a resolution of the Planning
Commission and /or the City Council, because the proposed Project was favorably reviewed by
the City's Design Review Board in July of 2010, and would otherwise meet minimum site
development requirements, including floor area ratio, lot coverage, setbacks, building height, and
landscaping, and the Applicant has sought approval of a parking reduction, consistent with the
procedures set forth in the Zoning Ordinance.
E. The design, location, size, and operating characteristics of the proposed activity
would be compatible with the existing and reasonably foreseeable future land uses in the
vicinity, because the Project proposes expansion of an existing facility, which, subject to the
proposed General Plan Amendment, would be recognized as an important transitional use.
F. The site is physically suitable for the type, density, and intensity of use being
proposed, including access, utilities, and the absence of physical constraints because the existing
facility already has access to utilities, and the proposed expansion can be accommodated on -site
with access to utilities, while still meeting minimum site development standards.
G. An environmental determination has been prepared in accordance with the
California Environmental Quality Act, because the City prepared and circulated an IS/ND, which
analyzed the environmental impacts of the Project, and concluded that the proposed Project
could not have a significant effect on the environment.
H. "Special Conditions," as that term is used in Section 20.330.006 of the South San
Francisco Municipal Code, exist that will reduce parking demand at the Project Site, because the
existing nonconforming parking along the north side of the building has been used in its current
configuration since the 1960s, and the parking is accessed only by employees, not the general
public; therefore the Applicant is better able to manage the parking configuration. Further, the
Applicant is also proposing to implement Trip Reduction measures based on elements included
in the City's Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Ordinance. These measures are
intended to reduce single occupant auto travel to the site, and include financial incentives to all
employees who choose to use public transportation or carpool to work, as well as those who
drive a hybrid or clean air vehicle; provision of shower facilities for those bicycling or walking
to work; and implementation of a "guaranteed ride home" program for all commuters, which
provides the cost for a taxi ride if a transit option is not available when an employee is ready to
leave. Further, the Project site is within 1/3 mile of two SamTrans bus stops that serve five
separate routes.
I. The use will adequately be served by the proposed on -site parking, because
operations at the site are conducted in two shifts and the maximum number of employees on -site
at any one time is approximately 27. The expansion would allow Gimbal's to operate a full
second shift, but the maximum number of employees on -site would not increase. Further,
through the implementation of the Trip Reduction measures based on the City's TDM ordinance,
including financial incentives to use public transportation and carpools, shower facilities for
those bicycling or walking to work, and a "guaranteed ride home" program, the number of
single- occupancy vehicle trips to the site will be reduced, and consequently parking demand at
the site will be reduced. The proposed on -site parking, therefore, will adequately serve the use
with implementation of the these measures.
J. Parking demand generated by the Project will not exceed the capacity of or have a
detrimental impact on the supply of on- street parking in the surrounding area, because the
proposed expansion will not increase the maximum number of employees on -site at any one
time. Furthermore, the Trip Reduction measures will reduce the number of single- occupancy
vehicle trips to the site, which will minimize the demand for parking spaces on -site. Parking
demand generated by the project, therefore, will not exceed the proposed capacity or have a
detrimental impacts on the supply of on- street parking the area.
IV. Design Review
A. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with Title 20 of the South
San Francisco Municipal Code for the reasons set forth in Finding III.A, above.
B. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with the General Plan for the
reasons set forth in Finding II.A, above.
C. The Project, including Design Review, is consistent with the design guidelines
contained in the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance, for the reasons set forth in Findings
Finding II.A and III.A above; however, there are no specific Design Guidelines adopted for this
particular site or facility.
D. There is no tentative map or variance for the Project; however the Project,
including Design Review, is consistent with the General Plan Amendment and the Use Permit
proposed for the Project, for the reasons set forth in Findings ILA through II.B, and III.A through
III.J, above.
E. The Project is consistent with the Design Review Criteria, because the Project
was reviewed by the Design Review Board at the Board's July 20, 2010 meeting, and the
Applicant has revised site plans in order to incorporate the comments of the Design Review
Board.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council hereby
approves a General Plan Amendment (Exhibit B), Use Permit, and Design Review to allow the
expansion of the Gimbal's Fine Candies Facility at 250 Hillside Boulevard, subject to the
attached Conditions of Approval (Exhibit A).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Resolution shall become effective immediately
upon its passage and adoption.
* * * * *
I hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was regularly introduced and adopted by
the City Council of the City of South San Francisco at a regular meeting held on the 28 day of
September 2011 by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Mark Addiego, Pedro Gonzalez, and Karyl Matsumoto,
Vice Mayor Richard A. Garbarino and Mayor Kevin Mullin
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: None
ATTES :
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