TO: Chair and Members of the Design Review Committee
THRU: Anna Pehoushek, Assistant Community Development Director
FROM: Monique Schwartz, Associate Planner
1. Subject
title
Design Review No. 5059-21, Industrial Warehouse Buildings, 2390 N. American Way.
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2. Summary
recommendation
Recommendation of approval to the Planning Commission.
body
The applicant proposes to demolish all existing on-site development in order to construct two industrial warehouse buildings totaling approximately 101,170 square feet and related site improvements.
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3. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Applicant: EPD Solutions, Inc. / Brandon Wolfe
Owner: Rexford Industrial Realty, L.P. / Bruce Herbkersman
Property Location: 2390 N. American Way
General Plan Designation: Light Industrial, Max. 1.0 FAR, Three-Story Height Limit (LI)
Zoning Classification: Light Manufacturing (M-1)
Existing Development: A 22,735 square foot vacant event/cultural center with open courtyard, two nonconforming residential structures and related garage totaling 5,338 square feet, various industrial buildings totaling 2,850 square feet, surface parking, limited landscaping, and 131 mature trees.
Associated Application: Major Site Plan Review No. 1072-21
Previous DRC Project Review: None
4. project description
The applicant proposes to demolish approximately 30,923 square feet of existing structures, including a vacant 22,735 square foot event/cultural center with open courtyard, two non-conforming residential structures and related garage totaling 5,338 square feet, and various industrial buildings totaling 2,850 square feet in order to construct two industrial warehouse buildings totaling 101,170 square feet and related site improvements.
The existing rectangular site is comprised of three parcels totaling 4.01 acres. The project proposes a lot line adjustment to merge the three parcels into two larger parcels for property marketing purposes. Each parcel will be developed with a new industrial warehouse building with associated truck loading docks, trash enclosure, surface parking, landscaping, and related site improvements. Although this report addresses the project as a whole, each parcel has been designed to comply with the development standards of the M-1 zone, except that the southern parcel containing Building 1 is deficient in the required tree count (Please see Section 7 of this report).
The northern parcel (1.97-acres) will be developed with Building 2, containing approximately 48,830 square feet of gross floor area. The interior of the building will be configured with office area, restrooms, utility rooms, a large warehouse on the first floor, and office area on the second floor mezzanine. A truck loading dock with four overhead sectional doors and one delivery door is located on the south side of the building, and the main entrance is located at the southeast corner of the building. Building 2 is 40 feet tall and is setback 20 feet from the northern property line along Fletcher Avenue, 10 feet from the eastern property line along American Way, and 0 feet from the western property line. The southern parcel (2.03-acres) will be developed with Building 1, containing approximately 52,340 square feet of gross floor area. The interior of the building will be configured with office area, restrooms, utility rooms, a large warehouse on the first floor, and office area on the second floor mezzanine. A truck loading dock with four overhead sectional doors and one delivery door is located on the north side of the building, and the main entrance is located at the northeast corner of the building. Building 1 is 40 feet-6 inches tall and is setback 10 feet from the eastern and southern property lines along American Way and Freedom Avenue, and 0 feet from the western property line.
Below are the floor plan square footage breakdowns for Buildings 1 and 2:
|
Floor Plans |
Office - Floor 1 and Mezzanine (Square Feet) |
Warehouse (Square Feet) |
Total Building Area (Square feet) |
|
Building 1 |
8,000 |
44,340 |
52,340 |
|
Building 2 |
8,000 |
40,830 |
48,830 |
There are no specific tenants proposed for occupancy within the buildings at this time; however, each building will be utilized for warehouse and distribution purposes. Typical operational characteristics will include employees traveling to and from the site, delivery of materials for storage within the buildings, truck loading and unloading, and product distribution. It is anticipated that both buildings will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Site Access and Parking
Access to the project site is provided by two, two-way driveways located along American Way. These driveways connect to interior drive aisles that lead to 16 open parking spaces, and 46 gated parking spaces, for a total of 62 parking spaces provided for both parcels.
Pedestrian access to the buildings is provided along the north, south, and east building elevations and pedestrian gates are located at the gated entries.
Building Architecture
The project features a contemporary architectural style that reflects current trends in industrial development. A variety of architectural features strive to achieve this character, including flat roof lines, use of varied rectangular windows, alternating wall planes, enhanced corner detailing at building entries and street intersections, and vertical and horizontal accent details. The use of a variety of exterior building materials also contribute to this distinctive architectural style, including tilt-up concrete wall panels in a painted finish, metal fins applied to the thin vertical windows along the east and south elevations of Building 1, and on the east and north elevations of Building 2, anodized aluminum store front systems, medium performance blue glazing, painted sectional roll-up loading dock doors, and painted aluminum building access doors. Both buildings will incorporate coordinating color schemes in contrasting shades of gray and orange.
Accessory Structures
A large tilt-up concrete trash enclosure (25 feet-6 inches long x 15 feet wide x 6 feet tall) will be located within the center landscaped island on each parcel, just inside of the vehicle access gates. The trash enclosures will be designed to current City regulations regarding recycling of solid waste (trash, recycling, and organics) and will incorporate similar design features and matching colors and materials as the industrial buildings, including simple rectangular design, painted concrete finish, and painted metal gates. No roof structures are proposed (See Sheet A1.4).
Streetscape and Landscape
The project site includes many existing mature trees located on the interior and perimeters of the property, including Queen Palm, Evergreen Elm, and Evergreen Pear trees. The applicant has provided a Tree Demolition Plan (Sheet L-2) that identifies 131 trees proposed for removal.
Sheet L1 (Conceptual Landscape Plan) illustrates the proposed landscape palette for the project. The project incorporates a variety of water efficient plant material along the street frontages and project interior. Enhanced landscaping, including Palo Verde, Crape Myrtle, Chinese Elm, Fern Pine, Brisbane Box, Floss Silk, and Italian Cypress trees, as well as a mix of shrubs and ground cover, including Purple Hopseed Bush, Coast Rosemary, Strawberry and Green Cloud Texas Ranger, Yellow Bells, Dwarf Lantana, and Regal Mist Pink Muhly will accentuate the project entries, help articulate and soften the 40-foot tall building elevations, and create a relationship between the buildings and pedestrians along all street frontages. There are large electrical transformers proposed in front of the gated entries that will be screened from public view with 24-inch box size Chinese Elm trees and shrubs. In addition, fire backflow and Fire Department connections for each building are proposed in the center landscape island along American Way. Three 36-inch box size Palo Verde trees are shown adjacent to these connections; however, the Orange Fire Department has requested that two of these trees be removed in order to provide adequate clearance (3 feet) around the devices. With the removal of two trees, a total of 133 new trees are proposed for the project.
Fencing/Walls
Sheet A1.5 (Fence and Wall Plan & Elevations) illustrates proposed fencing/walls for the project. An 8-foot tall, tilt-up concrete screen wall is proposed along the western property line between the two industrial buildings. A similar 8-foot tall screen wall with automatic vehicle access gates is proposed at the project entries that will provide access to the parking lots, site security, and screening of the loading dock areas. Pedestrian access gates are also proposed along this wall. The walls and gates will be painted to coordinate with the two industrial buildings.
Lighting
Sheets A1.6 and A1.7 (Site Lighting Plans) include LED wall mounted light fixtures (with lights projecting in a downward direction) on the north, south, and east elevations of each industrial building. The interior drive aisles and parking lots will include a total of eight, 25-foot tall LED pole mounted light fixtures. All project lighting will be shielded and oriented to prevent glare or light spillage onto neighboring properties. The proposed fixture styles are contemporary and compatible with the architecture of the buildings.
5. EXISTING SITE
The existing site is comprised of three parcels totaling 4.01 acres. The site is developed with a vacant event/cultural center and open courtyard, two-nonconforming residential structures and parking garage, and various industrial buildings. The site has minimal landscaping; however, contains mature trees on the site interior and perimeter boundaries. The site is currently accessed via one driveway along Fletcher Avenue at the northwest corner of the site, two driveways along American Way, and a driveway at the southwest corner off of the Freedom Avenue cul-de-sac.
6. EXISTING AREA CONTEXT
To the north of the project site is West Fletcher Avenue, two-story multi-family residential complexes, and Fletcher Elementary School. To the south is West Freedom Avenue and the Freedom Business Park industrial complex. To the east is North American Way and an industrial building occupied by the Fletcher Coating Company. To the west is the Fletcher Basin, which is a storm water detention pond.
7. analysis and statement of the issues
Issue 1: Parking, On-site Landscaping, and Street Trees
The Code requires 0.5 parking spaces/1,000 square feet of gross floor area for warehouses over 10,000 square feet. The project requires a total of 50 parking spaces and the project has provided a total of 62 parking spaces, which provides a surplus of 12 spaces.
Because there are 12 surplus parking spaces for both Buildings 1 and 2, staff had provided a recommendation to the applicant to remove some stalls on each parcel in order to provide increased landscaping opportunities and to accommodate the required tree count without overcrowding and allowing for tree sustainability; however, the applicant desires to maintain the 12 surplus parking spaces to provide a level of parking that could accommodate an industrial tenant that may involve a higher parking requirement in the future. The project as a whole is deficient two trees (with the removal of the two Palo Verde trees as requested by the Fire Department). When considering each parcel separately, the northern parcel containing Building 2 has six trees more than what is required, while the southern parcel containing Building 1 is deficient eight trees. There is a six-foot drainage easement located along the property frontage of the southern parcel, where trees cannot be planted. Staff is seeking direction from the DRC about converting excess parking to landscaping given the applicant’s interest in parking flexibility.
The table below summarizes the parking required and provided, and trees required and provided for the project:
|
|
Parking Required |
Parking Provided |
Surplus Parking |
Trees Required |
Trees Provided |
|
Building 1 (Southern Parcel) |
26 |
31 |
5 |
68 |
60 |
|
Building 2 (Northern Parcel) |
24 |
31 |
7 |
67 |
73 |
|
Total |
50 |
62 |
12 |
135 |
133 |
Street Trees
Although the Conceptual Landscape Plans do not include street trees along all street frontages for the project, a condition of approval has been included that requires the applicant to work with the Public Works Department to determine if the right-of-way can accommodate street tree installation, and to determine the quantity, size, spacing, species, and locations of street trees along all street frontages of the project.
8. ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDATION
The Staff Review Committee (SRC) conducted reviews of the project on November 4, 2021 and April 6, 2022, and provided comments. On June 15, 2022, SRC conducted a third review and recommended that the project proceed to the DRC.
9. PUBLIC NOTICE
On July 21, 2022, the City sent a Public Meeting Notice to a total of 189 property owners/tenants within a 400-foot radius of the project site and persons specifically requesting notice. The project site has been posted in three locations with the notification on that same date.
10. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Categorical Exemption: The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA per State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15332 (Class 32: In-Fill Development Projects) because the project is consistent with the City’s General Plan and zoning regulations, is located on a site that is less than 5 acres, is not located in an area that is environmentally sensitive, will not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality or water quality, and the site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. There is no environmental public review or notice required for a categorical exemption.
11. STAFF RECOMMENDATION AND REQUIRED FINDINGS
Findings for DRC applications come from four sources:
• The Orange Municipal Code
• The Infill Residential Design Guidelines
• The Historic Preservation Design Standards for Old Towne (commonly referred to the Old Towne Design Standards or OTDS)
• Orange Eichler Design Standards (or OEDS)
The Findings are applied as appropriate to each project. Based on the following Findings and statements in support of such Findings, staff recommends the DRC approve the project with recommended conditions.
• The project design upholds community aesthetics through the use of an internally consistent, integrated design theme and is consistent with all adopted specific plans, applicable design standards, and their required findings (OMC 17.10.07.G.3).
The proposed project complies with the Orange Municipal Code, including, but not limited to the industrial development, parking, and landscape standards (See Attachment 2). The project is generally appropriate for the location and for the site. The consistent architectural design of the buildings, including colors and materials, brings a contemporary aesthetic to an area that is characterized by an eclectic mix of industrial and multi-family residential development. The proposed landscaping provides the project frontages with flowering trees, shrubs and accent foliage that soften the building height and massing as seen from the adjacent elementary school and residential development, helps screen on-site parking, and provides an appealing pedestrian environment between the project and surrounding industrial and residential uses. The project overall presents an internally consistent and integrated design theme that upholds community aesthetics.
12. CONDITIONS
The approval of this project is subject to the following conditions:
1. All construction shall conform in substance and be maintained in general conformance with plans and exhibits labeled as Attachment 4 in the staff report (date stamped received July 15, 2022), including modifications required by the conditions of approval, and as recommended for approval by the Design Review Committee.
2. Except as otherwise provided herein, this project is approved as a precise plan. After any application has been approved, if changes are proposed regarding the location or alteration of any use or structure, a changed plan may be submitted to the Community Development Director for approval. If the Community Development Director determines that the proposed change complies with the provisions and the spirit and intent of the approval action, and that the action would have been the same for the changed plan as for the approved plot plan, the Community Development Director may approve the changed plan administratively.
3. Subsequent modifications to the approved architecture and color scheme shall be submitted for review and approval to the Community Development Director or designee. Should the modifications be considered substantial, the modifications shall be reviewed by the DRC.
4. The applicant agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, and defend the City, its officers, agents and employees from any and all liability or claims that may be brought against the City arising out of its approval of this permit, save and except that caused by the City’s active negligence. The City shall promptly notify the applicant of any such claim, action, or proceedings and shall cooperate fully in the defense.
5. The applicant shall comply with all federal, state, and local laws, including all City regulations. Violation of any of those laws in connection with the use will be cause for revocation of this permit.
6. Building permits shall be obtained for all future construction work, as required by the City of Orange, Public Works Department’s Building Division. Failure to obtain the required building permits will be cause for revocation of this permit.
7. All signage shall comply with Chapter 17.36 Sign Regulations of the Orange Municipal Code.
8. If not utilized, project approval expires twenty-four months from the approval date. Extensions of time may be granted, if requested in writing in accordance with OMC Section 17.08.060. The Planning entitlements expire unless Building Permits are pulled within two years of the original approval.
9. In conjunction with construction, all activity will be limited to the hours between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. No construction activity will be permitted on Sundays and Federal holidays.
10. These conditions shall be reprinted on the second page of the construction documents when submitted to the Building Division for the plan check process.
11. Any graffiti shall be removed within 72 hours from the time the City of Orange Notice of Violation is received by the applicant/property owner.
12. Any new lighting on the premise shall be installed in such a way to direct, control, and screen the lighting to prevent off site light spillage onto adjoining properties and shall not be a nuisance to any point beyond the exterior boundaries of the property.
13. Prior to issuance of Certificate of Occupancy, the applicant shall schedule a light reading inspection with the Crime Prevention Bureau. The lighting shall be tested and confirmed to determine if the lighting meets or exceeds the exterior boundary standards. The applicant shall use shielding so as to ensure that the light standards meet the requirements of OMC Section 17.12.030 for areas beyond the property’s exterior boundaries; light spillage or pollution to surrounding residential areas shall not exceed a maintained minimum of 0.5 foot-candle.
14. Prior to building permit issuance, the applicant shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Community Development Director that all mechanical and air conditioning equipment shall be shielded and screened from view from adjacent streets and properties. The screening shall be integrated architecturally with the building and painted to match the walls of the building.
15. Plans submitted for Building Plan Check shall comply with the California Fire Code as amended by the City and as frequently amended and in effect at the time of application for Building Permit.
16. Prior to building permit issuance, final landscaping plans for the project shall be designed to comply with the City’s Water Efficient Landscape Guidelines as described in Section IX et al of the City of Orange Landscape Standards and Specifications. The project landscape architect shall submit documentation certifying compliance with this requirement for review and approval by the Community Development Director or designee in coordination with the Public Works Director or designee.
17. Prior to building permit issuance, the applicant shall prepare a final landscaping and irrigation plan consistent with the grading plans, site plans, and the conceptual landscaping plan as proposed for the project for the review and approval of the Community Development Director or designee in coordination with the Public Works Director or designee.
18. Landscape maintenance shall be performed in such a manner as to allow all trees to retain their full canopy height for screening and full canopy breadth for shade at point of maturity, except as required for public safety purposes.
19. Prior to building permit issuance, City required irrigation and landscape inspection notes, in accordance with the City of Orange Landscape Standards and Specifications, shall be placed on the final landscape plan, to the satisfaction of the Public Works Director or designee in coordination with the Community Services Director or designee.
20. Prior to certificate of occupancy, all landscaping improvements shall be completed according to the approved plans, the City of Orange Water Efficient Landscape Guidelines, and City of Orange Landscape Standards and Specifications. The project landscape architect shall submit documentation certifying compliance with this requirement (Appendices B and E of City of Orange Landscape Standards and Specifications) for review and approval by the Community Development Director or designee, in coordination with the Public Works Director or designee.
21. The final landscape plan shall include a note that a fully automated irrigation system will be provided.
22. Prior to building permit issuance, landscape plans shall include landscape area calculations needed for State landscape water use reporting.
23. Prior to building permit issuance, a Tree Removal Permit shall be approved by the Community Service Director in accordance with the City’s Tree Preservation Ordinance. A plan is required for submittal to the City depicting all of the existing on-site trees, the species of each tree, and the number of trees proposed for removal and replacement.
24. Prior to building permit issuance, the applicant shall work with the Public Works Department to determine if the right-of-way can accommodate street tree installation, and to determine the quantity, size, spacing, species, and locations of street trees along all street frontages of the project.
13. ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment 1 Vicinity Map
• Attachment 2 Development Standards Reference Table
• Attachment 3 Environmental Technical Report, Dated May 2022
• Attachment 4 Project Plans, Date Stamped Received July 15, 2022; Color and Materials Board Provided at Meeting