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PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
1. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Parsons, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Frautschi Staff Present: Community Development Director de Melo (CDD), Parks and Recreation Director Gervais (PRD), Associate Planner Gill (AP), City Attorney Zafferano (CA), Recording Secretary Flores (RS) 2. AGENDA AMENDMENTS - None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR - None 4A. Minutes of January 20, 2009 5. NEW BUSINESS: 5A. Water Dog Lake Open Space Trail Improvement Update Nicki Fox, Landscape Architect and Belmont resident, described in detail the remedies planned for the trail and bridges. She stated that the goals are 1) to create a trail that can be used safely by all and 2) to create a trail that has the least environmental impact and provides the opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the area. The new trail is approximately one mile long vs. about a half mile for the current trail. Discussion ensued regarding the specifics of the proposed trail and answers to questions from Commissioners. Chair Parsons suggested seeding of the embankments with native wild flowers to prevent erosion, and removal of the graffiti and surveillance by the Police Department. PRD Gervais noted that an individual believed to have been doing the tagging has been apprehended and that the graffiti will be painted over. Commissioner Frautschi recommended that the environmental science teacher at Notre Dame High School would be a good resource for this project. He asked if there is a maintenance schedule for the trails throughout the City. PRD Gervais responded that there is not a schedule – most staff time is spent in the parks. He added that open space is maintained mostly by volunteer labor and that goals are to find more advocates for open space and grant funding. Eventually he would like to see the addition of basic amenities like benches and a water fountain so that Water Dog Lake could become a destination place. Discussion ensued regarding the use of pressure-treated wood vs. redwood, and Commissioner Frautschi suggested that concrete footers be considered. Commissioner Mercer suggested that staff determine if Ralston Middle School still has an after-school Trail Blazing Club, and, if so, assure that the students are working towards the project’s goals. Commissioner Mayer was pleased to hear that they are talking about Water Dog Lake becoming a destination place but had concerns about the condition of the water. PRD Gervais explained that the Public Works Department manages the dam and that they keep it at the lowest level for safety reasons, which explains the algae problem. In order for the lake to become a destination area, they would need to raise the water levels and dredge the sediment, noting that it is an 1880’s dam and some people want to keep the least amount of pressure on the dam. Commissioner Frautschi added that Council has authorized looking into Water Dog Lake as part of the creek restoration project and that the Director of Public Works is looking for funding. Patty Ciesla, resident of Belmont, spoke to the Commission about her excitement about the project, noting that she as has been recruiting volunteers to do trail work in Water Dog for a few years. Part of her motivation for being involved is to create a family-friendly trail. She noted that plants that are dug up for the trail will be transplanted so that when the trail is done it will have a very natural look. She is looking forward to recruiting people throughout Belmont to help build the trail and thanked PRD Gervais for helping to lead the project and keeping the volunteers excited and motivated. Kevin Sullivan, Belmont resident and Parks and Recreation Commissioner, addressed the Commission, stating that he also has been working heavily on the trail and is enthusiastic about what the trail can do to make the Water Dog area a place where more people can go. He supports the efforts to make it a destination area and thanked the Council and the Commission for their current and continued support. He asked that they try to stick with the plan to build it mostly by hand with limited machinery because that will achieve a more natural and enjoyable trail site. He also hoped to bring in more people from user groups other than the bike community. 5B. Resolution to Approve Conditional Use Permit (Cabaret Use) for 1400 El Camino Real (Continued from 2/3/09 Planning Commission Meeting) CDD de Melo summarized the staff memorandum, adding that correspondence had been received from the applicant on the previous day asking for modifications to the hours relative to Condition of Approval 4. After discussion with Commissioners, the second sentence of Condition 4 could be changed to read “Live entertainment shall be permitted on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.” and the first bullet point could read “A Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m….” Relative to Commissioners’ concerns about having sound from either live entertainment or canned music on the patio, Chair Parsons recommended that Condition 10 be amended to state that no speakers shall be installed for the outdoor patio area to transmit live or recorded music. Golara Mokhtari, applicant, said that she had not received a copy of the proposed resolution, but based on what she had heard the proposed hours seemed acceptable. She stated that the fewer limitations the better it would be for her patrons who want to have private parties at the restaurant, and she requested a potential to have some sort of music on the patio for private party special occasions. She stated that brunch hours are currently 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and if they opt to serve dinner on Sundays they would like to have jazz music until 2:00 – on the patio. She did not think it would be an issue, citing traffic and train noise and concerts in the park, and that there are few residential units behind the restaurant. She said they would do their best not to exceed the noise ordinance limitations and if someone complained they would stop. There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item. Responding to Commissioner Mercer, CDD de Melo provided a recap of the floater days granted to the other cabarets in the City, noting that they have rarely been used. Commissioner Frautschi supports the changes that staff has suggested but he could not support the extension of entertainment to the patio. He pointed out that they are discussing a CUP for 1400 El Camino Real – not 1404. There is no application for entertainment on the patio and he would not support that for this application. Commissioners Mercer Horton concurred, and felt that they should take this slowly to see how it works – the City is not ready to have outdoor entertainment. The residents on the hills have been very vocal about the intrusion of music that drifts up the hills. Commission Mayer was more inclined to be flexible because Condition 6 calls for review after 1 year, at which time they would have the flexibility to retract it if necessary. Chair Parsons did not believe they could do anything about it at this meeting because 1404 is not included in the cabaret application. Commissioner Frautschi mentioned that when the University uses Ralston Hall for outdoor weddings the neighbors call and complain because of the amplified sound system. Ayes: Frautschi, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Parsons Motion passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 6A. PUBLIC HEARING – 2311 Casa Bona Avenue AP Gill summarized the Staff Report, recommending approval with the conditions attached. He called attention to an error in the third paragraph of page 3 of the Staff Report – the first sentence of that paragraph should be deleted. Jeff, a representative for DaRosa and Associates, answered questions for the applicant from the Commission as follows: Chair Parsons opened the Public Hearing. No one came forward to speak. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Frautschi, to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed 5/0 by a show of hands. Vice Chair Horton suggested that she would have added a half bath. Commissioner Mercer would have fixed the front door. She is pleased that the owner is not attempting to go to two stories - she believes it is a very moderate, reasonable and unobtrusive addition. Commissioner Frautschi noted that a 50-year-old house could have used more remodeling, the landscaping looks tired, and that they could have chosen a better time for the neighborhood outreach meeting. Commissioner Mayer had many of the same feelings but since the house is so unobtrusive he was not concerned about the landscaping. Commissioner Mercer suggested that, because it is a narrow street, a condition be added to specify that a dumpster not be located on the street. Chair Parsons responded that for a short period of time they could get an encroachment permit to put it across the street. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Mayer, to adopt the Resolution approving a Single-Family Design Review at 2311 Casa Bona (Appl. No. 2008-0064). Ayes: Horton, Mayer, Mercer, Frautschi, Parsons Motion Passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 7. OLD BUSINESS 7A. COMMISSION BALLOT / PRIORITY CALENDAR STEP II – SPRING 2009 Commissioner Frautschi made the following suggestions: • The General Plan could become a mechanism to generate revenue. San Francisco produced a small book “A Vision of Place – A Guide to San Francisco General Plan,” copies of which are sold for $16.00. 8. REPORTS, STUDIES AND UPDATES: 8E. San Mateo Development – North Road/43rd Avenue 8A. Motel 6 – 1101 Shoreway Road 8B. NDNU (Koret) Athletic Field 8C. Charles Armstrong School – 1405 Solana Drive 8D. Ralston/US-101 Landscape Project 8F. 900 Sixth Avenue – Belmont Vista Facility 8G. Caltrain Landscape Area 8I. Parking Study – Downtown Village Areas Other Items Graffiti visible from O’Neill will be referred to Police Department. Mark Nolfi is in touch with the party responsible for the piles of dirt on Ralston. Chair Parsons asked who had picked the new light standards that have been installed in the Chula Vista neighborhood. The Commission had been in the process of choosing light standards for main thoroughfares and other streets and now suddenly lights are being installed that nobody has seen. The Commission had wanted a more pedestrian residential look to the neighborhoods. Announcements: The Commission Appreciation Dinner is February 27th at the Iron Gate. The Commission’s T-Mobile Wireless Communications decision has been called up by two council members and will be on the February 24th Council agenda. If the call-up receives a majority vote, a Public Hearing will be held at the March 10th Council meeting. Interviews for prospective Commissioners have been scheduled. CDD de Melo reminded Commissioners to check their Belmont.gov email accounts regularly and to keep up with their AB1234 ethics requirement. Priority Calendar votes as tallied by CA Zafferano were announced, with Item F, Garage Parking Standards, being the top vote-getter. By consensus, it was agreed that Items I and M will be combined. Results will be forwarded to City Manager’s office. The first Council meeting to discuss this topic will be on March10th. 8. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 9. ADJOURNMENT: ________________________ CD’s of Planning Commission Meetings are available in the PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
1. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Parsons, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Frautschi Staff Present: Community Development Director de Melo (CDD), Parks and Recreation Director Gervais (PRD), Associate Planner Gill (AP), City Attorney Zafferano (CA), Recording Secretary Flores (RS) 2. AGENDA AMENDMENTS - None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR - None 4A. Minutes of January 20, 2009 5. NEW BUSINESS: 5A. Water Dog Lake Open Space Trail Improvement Update Nicki Fox, Landscape Architect and Belmont resident, described in detail the remedies planned for the trail and bridges. She stated that the goals are 1) to create a trail that can be used safely by all and 2) to create a trail that has the least environmental impact and provides the opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the area. The new trail is approximately one mile long vs. about a half mile for the current trail. Discussion ensued regarding the specifics of the proposed trail and answers to questions from Commissioners. Chair Parsons suggested seeding of the embankments with native wild flowers to prevent erosion, and removal of the graffiti and surveillance by the Police Department. PRD Gervais noted that an individual believed to have been doing the tagging has been apprehended and that the graffiti will be painted over. Commissioner Frautschi recommended that the environmental science teacher at Notre Dame High School would be a good resource for this project. He asked if there is a maintenance schedule for the trails throughout the City. PRD Gervais responded that there is not a schedule – most staff time is spent in the parks. He added that open space is maintained mostly by volunteer labor and that goals are to find more advocates for open space and grant funding. Eventually he would like to see the addition of basic amenities like benches and a water fountain so that Water Dog Lake could become a destination place. Discussion ensued regarding the use of pressure-treated wood vs. redwood, and Commissioner Frautschi suggested that concrete footers be considered. Commissioner Mercer suggested that staff determine if Ralston Middle School still has an after-school Trail Blazing Club, and, if so, assure that the students are working towards the project’s goals. Commissioner Mayer was pleased to hear that they are talking about Water Dog Lake becoming a destination place but had concerns about the condition of the water. PRD Gervais explained that the Public Works Department manages the dam and that they keep it at the lowest level for safety reasons, which explains the algae problem. In order for the lake to become a destination area, they would need to raise the water levels and dredge the sediment, noting that it is an 1880’s dam and some people want to keep the least amount of pressure on the dam. Commissioner Frautschi added that Council has authorized looking into Water Dog Lake as part of the creek restoration project and that the Director of Public Works is looking for funding. Patty Ciesla, resident of Belmont, spoke to the Commission about her excitement about the project, noting that she as has been recruiting volunteers to do trail work in Water Dog for a few years. Part of her motivation for being involved is to create a family-friendly trail. She noted that plants that are dug up for the trail will be transplanted so that when the trail is done it will have a very natural look. She is looking forward to recruiting people throughout Belmont to help build the trail and thanked PRD Gervais for helping to lead the project and keeping the volunteers excited and motivated. Kevin Sullivan, Belmont resident and Parks and Recreation Commissioner, addressed the Commission, stating that he also has been working heavily on the trail and is enthusiastic about what the trail can do to make the Water Dog area a place where more people can go. He supports the efforts to make it a destination area and thanked the Council and the Commission for their current and continued support. He asked that they try to stick with the plan to build it mostly by hand with limited machinery because that will achieve a more natural and enjoyable trail site. He also hoped to bring in more people from user groups other than the bike community. 5B. Resolution to Approve Conditional Use Permit (Cabaret Use) for 1400 El Camino Real (Continued from 2/3/09 Planning Commission Meeting) CDD de Melo summarized the staff memorandum, adding that correspondence had been received from the applicant on the previous day asking for modifications to the hours relative to Condition of Approval 4. After discussion with Commissioners, the second sentence of Condition 4 could be changed to read “Live entertainment shall be permitted on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.” and the first bullet point could read “A Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m….” Relative to Commissioners’ concerns about having sound from either live entertainment or canned music on the patio, Chair Parsons recommended that Condition 10 be amended to state that no speakers shall be installed for the outdoor patio area to transmit live or recorded music. Golara Mokhtari, applicant, said that she had not received a copy of the proposed resolution, but based on what she had heard the proposed hours seemed acceptable. She stated that the fewer limitations the better it would be for her patrons who want to have private parties at the restaurant, and she requested a potential to have some sort of music on the patio for private party special occasions. She stated that brunch hours are currently 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and if they opt to serve dinner on Sundays they would like to have jazz music until 2:00 – on the patio. She did not think it would be an issue, citing traffic and train noise and concerts in the park, and that there are few residential units behind the restaurant. She said they would do their best not to exceed the noise ordinance limitations and if someone complained they would stop. There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item. Responding to Commissioner Mercer, CDD de Melo provided a recap of the floater days granted to the other cabarets in the City, noting that they have rarely been used. Commissioner Frautschi supports the changes that staff has suggested but he could not support the extension of entertainment to the patio. He pointed out that they are discussing a CUP for 1400 El Camino Real – not 1404. There is no application for entertainment on the patio and he would not support that for this application. Commissioners Mercer Horton concurred, and felt that they should take this slowly to see how it works – the City is not ready to have outdoor entertainment. The residents on the hills have been very vocal about the intrusion of music that drifts up the hills. Commission Mayer was more inclined to be flexible because Condition 6 calls for review after 1 year, at which time they would have the flexibility to retract it if necessary. Chair Parsons did not believe they could do anything about it at this meeting because 1404 is not included in the cabaret application. Commissioner Frautschi mentioned that when the University uses Ralston Hall for outdoor weddings the neighbors call and complain because of the amplified sound system. Ayes: Frautschi, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Parsons Motion passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 6A. PUBLIC HEARING – 2311 Casa Bona Avenue AP Gill summarized the Staff Report, recommending approval with the conditions attached. He called attention to an error in the third paragraph of page 3 of the Staff Report – the first sentence of that paragraph should be deleted. Jeff, a representative for DaRosa and Associates, answered questions for the applicant from the Commission as follows: Chair Parsons opened the Public Hearing. No one came forward to speak. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Frautschi, to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed 5/0 by a show of hands. Vice Chair Horton suggested that she would have added a half bath. Commissioner Mercer would have fixed the front door. She is pleased that the owner is not attempting to go to two stories - she believes it is a very moderate, reasonable and unobtrusive addition. Commissioner Frautschi noted that a 50-year-old house could have used more remodeling, the landscaping looks tired, and that they could have chosen a better time for the neighborhood outreach meeting. Commissioner Mayer had many of the same feelings but since the house is so unobtrusive he was not concerned about the landscaping. Commissioner Mercer suggested that, because it is a narrow street, a condition be added to specify that a dumpster not be located on the street. Chair Parsons responded that for a short period of time they could get an encroachment permit to put it across the street. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Mayer, to adopt the Resolution approving a Single-Family Design Review at 2311 Casa Bona (Appl. No. 2008-0064). Ayes: Horton, Mayer, Mercer, Frautschi, Parsons Motion Passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 7. OLD BUSINESS 7A. COMMISSION BALLOT / PRIORITY CALENDAR STEP II – SPRING 2009 Commissioner Frautschi made the following suggestions: • The General Plan could become a mechanism to generate revenue. San Francisco produced a small book “A Vision of Place – A Guide to San Francisco General Plan,” copies of which are sold for $16.00. 8. REPORTS, STUDIES AND UPDATES: 8E. San Mateo Development – North Road/43rd Avenue 8A. Motel 6 – 1101 Shoreway Road 8B. NDNU (Koret) Athletic Field 8C. Charles Armstrong School – 1405 Solana Drive 8D. Ralston/US-101 Landscape Project 8F. 900 Sixth Avenue – Belmont Vista Facility 8G. Caltrain Landscape Area 8I. Parking Study – Downtown Village Areas Other Items Graffiti visible from O’Neill will be referred to Police Department. Mark Nolfi is in touch with the party responsible for the piles of dirt on Ralston. Chair Parsons asked who had picked the new light standards that have been installed in the Chula Vista neighborhood. The Commission had been in the process of choosing light standards for main thoroughfares and other streets and now suddenly lights are being installed that nobody has seen. The Commission had wanted a more pedestrian residential look to the neighborhoods. Announcements: The Commission Appreciation Dinner is February 27th at the Iron Gate. The Commission’s T-Mobile Wireless Communications decision has been called up by two council members and will be on the February 24th Council agenda. If the call-up receives a majority vote, a Public Hearing will be held at the March 10th Council meeting. Interviews for prospective Commissioners have been scheduled. CDD de Melo reminded Commissioners to check their Belmont.gov email accounts regularly and to keep up with their AB1234 ethics requirement. Priority Calendar votes as tallied by CA Zafferano were announced, with Item F, Garage Parking Standards, being the top vote-getter. By consensus, it was agreed that Items I and M will be combined. Results will be forwarded to City Manager’s office. The first Council meeting to discuss this topic will be on March10th. 8. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 9. ADJOURNMENT: ________________________ CD’s of Planning Commission Meetings are available in the PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
1. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Parsons, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Frautschi Staff Present: Community Development Director de Melo (CDD), Parks and Recreation Director Gervais (PRD), Associate Planner Gill (AP), City Attorney Zafferano (CA), Recording Secretary Flores (RS) 2. AGENDA AMENDMENTS - None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR - None 4A. Minutes of January 20, 2009 5. NEW BUSINESS: 5A. Water Dog Lake Open Space Trail Improvement Update Nicki Fox, Landscape Architect and Belmont resident, described in detail the remedies planned for the trail and bridges. She stated that the goals are 1) to create a trail that can be used safely by all and 2) to create a trail that has the least environmental impact and provides the opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the area. The new trail is approximately one mile long vs. about a half mile for the current trail. Discussion ensued regarding the specifics of the proposed trail and answers to questions from Commissioners. Chair Parsons suggested seeding of the embankments with native wild flowers to prevent erosion, and removal of the graffiti and surveillance by the Police Department. PRD Gervais noted that an individual believed to have been doing the tagging has been apprehended and that the graffiti will be painted over. Commissioner Frautschi recommended that the environmental science teacher at Notre Dame High School would be a good resource for this project. He asked if there is a maintenance schedule for the trails throughout the City. PRD Gervais responded that there is not a schedule – most staff time is spent in the parks. He added that open space is maintained mostly by volunteer labor and that goals are to find more advocates for open space and grant funding. Eventually he would like to see the addition of basic amenities like benches and a water fountain so that Water Dog Lake could become a destination place. Discussion ensued regarding the use of pressure-treated wood vs. redwood, and Commissioner Frautschi suggested that concrete footers be considered. Commissioner Mercer suggested that staff determine if Ralston Middle School still has an after-school Trail Blazing Club, and, if so, assure that the students are working towards the project’s goals. Commissioner Mayer was pleased to hear that they are talking about Water Dog Lake becoming a destination place but had concerns about the condition of the water. PRD Gervais explained that the Public Works Department manages the dam and that they keep it at the lowest level for safety reasons, which explains the algae problem. In order for the lake to become a destination area, they would need to raise the water levels and dredge the sediment, noting that it is an 1880’s dam and some people want to keep the least amount of pressure on the dam. Commissioner Frautschi added that Council has authorized looking into Water Dog Lake as part of the creek restoration project and that the Director of Public Works is looking for funding. Patty Ciesla, resident of Belmont, spoke to the Commission about her excitement about the project, noting that she as has been recruiting volunteers to do trail work in Water Dog for a few years. Part of her motivation for being involved is to create a family-friendly trail. She noted that plants that are dug up for the trail will be transplanted so that when the trail is done it will have a very natural look. She is looking forward to recruiting people throughout Belmont to help build the trail and thanked PRD Gervais for helping to lead the project and keeping the volunteers excited and motivated. Kevin Sullivan, Belmont resident and Parks and Recreation Commissioner, addressed the Commission, stating that he also has been working heavily on the trail and is enthusiastic about what the trail can do to make the Water Dog area a place where more people can go. He supports the efforts to make it a destination area and thanked the Council and the Commission for their current and continued support. He asked that they try to stick with the plan to build it mostly by hand with limited machinery because that will achieve a more natural and enjoyable trail site. He also hoped to bring in more people from user groups other than the bike community. 5B. Resolution to Approve Conditional Use Permit (Cabaret Use) for 1400 El Camino Real (Continued from 2/3/09 Planning Commission Meeting) CDD de Melo summarized the staff memorandum, adding that correspondence had been received from the applicant on the previous day asking for modifications to the hours relative to Condition of Approval 4. After discussion with Commissioners, the second sentence of Condition 4 could be changed to read “Live entertainment shall be permitted on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.” and the first bullet point could read “A Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m….” Relative to Commissioners’ concerns about having sound from either live entertainment or canned music on the patio, Chair Parsons recommended that Condition 10 be amended to state that no speakers shall be installed for the outdoor patio area to transmit live or recorded music. Golara Mokhtari, applicant, said that she had not received a copy of the proposed resolution, but based on what she had heard the proposed hours seemed acceptable. She stated that the fewer limitations the better it would be for her patrons who want to have private parties at the restaurant, and she requested a potential to have some sort of music on the patio for private party special occasions. She stated that brunch hours are currently 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and if they opt to serve dinner on Sundays they would like to have jazz music until 2:00 – on the patio. She did not think it would be an issue, citing traffic and train noise and concerts in the park, and that there are few residential units behind the restaurant. She said they would do their best not to exceed the noise ordinance limitations and if someone complained they would stop. There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item. Responding to Commissioner Mercer, CDD de Melo provided a recap of the floater days granted to the other cabarets in the City, noting that they have rarely been used. Commissioner Frautschi supports the changes that staff has suggested but he could not support the extension of entertainment to the patio. He pointed out that they are discussing a CUP for 1400 El Camino Real – not 1404. There is no application for entertainment on the patio and he would not support that for this application. Commissioners Mercer Horton concurred, and felt that they should take this slowly to see how it works – the City is not ready to have outdoor entertainment. The residents on the hills have been very vocal about the intrusion of music that drifts up the hills. Commission Mayer was more inclined to be flexible because Condition 6 calls for review after 1 year, at which time they would have the flexibility to retract it if necessary. Chair Parsons did not believe they could do anything about it at this meeting because 1404 is not included in the cabaret application. Commissioner Frautschi mentioned that when the University uses Ralston Hall for outdoor weddings the neighbors call and complain because of the amplified sound system. Ayes: Frautschi, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Parsons Motion passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 6A. PUBLIC HEARING – 2311 Casa Bona Avenue AP Gill summarized the Staff Report, recommending approval with the conditions attached. He called attention to an error in the third paragraph of page 3 of the Staff Report – the first sentence of that paragraph should be deleted. Jeff, a representative for DaRosa and Associates, answered questions for the applicant from the Commission as follows: Chair Parsons opened the Public Hearing. No one came forward to speak. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Frautschi, to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed 5/0 by a show of hands. Vice Chair Horton suggested that she would have added a half bath. Commissioner Mercer would have fixed the front door. She is pleased that the owner is not attempting to go to two stories - she believes it is a very moderate, reasonable and unobtrusive addition. Commissioner Frautschi noted that a 50-year-old house could have used more remodeling, the landscaping looks tired, and that they could have chosen a better time for the neighborhood outreach meeting. Commissioner Mayer had many of the same feelings but since the house is so unobtrusive he was not concerned about the landscaping. Commissioner Mercer suggested that, because it is a narrow street, a condition be added to specify that a dumpster not be located on the street. Chair Parsons responded that for a short period of time they could get an encroachment permit to put it across the street. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Mayer, to adopt the Resolution approving a Single-Family Design Review at 2311 Casa Bona (Appl. No. 2008-0064). Ayes: Horton, Mayer, Mercer, Frautschi, Parsons Motion Passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 7. OLD BUSINESS 7A. COMMISSION BALLOT / PRIORITY CALENDAR STEP II – SPRING 2009 Commissioner Frautschi made the following suggestions: • The General Plan could become a mechanism to generate revenue. San Francisco produced a small book “A Vision of Place – A Guide to San Francisco General Plan,” copies of which are sold for $16.00. 8. REPORTS, STUDIES AND UPDATES: 8E. San Mateo Development – North Road/43rd Avenue 8A. Motel 6 – 1101 Shoreway Road 8B. NDNU (Koret) Athletic Field 8C. Charles Armstrong School – 1405 Solana Drive 8D. Ralston/US-101 Landscape Project 8F. 900 Sixth Avenue – Belmont Vista Facility 8G. Caltrain Landscape Area 8I. Parking Study – Downtown Village Areas Other Items Graffiti visible from O’Neill will be referred to Police Department. Mark Nolfi is in touch with the party responsible for the piles of dirt on Ralston. Chair Parsons asked who had picked the new light standards that have been installed in the Chula Vista neighborhood. The Commission had been in the process of choosing light standards for main thoroughfares and other streets and now suddenly lights are being installed that nobody has seen. The Commission had wanted a more pedestrian residential look to the neighborhoods. Announcements: The Commission Appreciation Dinner is February 27th at the Iron Gate. The Commission’s T-Mobile Wireless Communications decision has been called up by two council members and will be on the February 24th Council agenda. If the call-up receives a majority vote, a Public Hearing will be held at the March 10th Council meeting. Interviews for prospective Commissioners have been scheduled. CDD de Melo reminded Commissioners to check their Belmont.gov email accounts regularly and to keep up with their AB1234 ethics requirement. Priority Calendar votes as tallied by CA Zafferano were announced, with Item F, Garage Parking Standards, being the top vote-getter. By consensus, it was agreed that Items I and M will be combined. Results will be forwarded to City Manager’s office. The first Council meeting to discuss this topic will be on March10th. 8. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 9. ADJOURNMENT: ________________________ CD’s of Planning Commission Meetings are available in the PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
1. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Parsons, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Frautschi Staff Present: Community Development Director de Melo (CDD), Parks and Recreation Director Gervais (PRD), Associate Planner Gill (AP), City Attorney Zafferano (CA), Recording Secretary Flores (RS) 2. AGENDA AMENDMENTS - None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR - None 4A. Minutes of January 20, 2009 5. NEW BUSINESS: 5A. Water Dog Lake Open Space Trail Improvement Update Nicki Fox, Landscape Architect and Belmont resident, described in detail the remedies planned for the trail and bridges. She stated that the goals are 1) to create a trail that can be used safely by all and 2) to create a trail that has the least environmental impact and provides the opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the area. The new trail is approximately one mile long vs. about a half mile for the current trail. Discussion ensued regarding the specifics of the proposed trail and answers to questions from Commissioners. Chair Parsons suggested seeding of the embankments with native wild flowers to prevent erosion, and removal of the graffiti and surveillance by the Police Department. PRD Gervais noted that an individual believed to have been doing the tagging has been apprehended and that the graffiti will be painted over. Commissioner Frautschi recommended that the environmental science teacher at Notre Dame High School would be a good resource for this project. He asked if there is a maintenance schedule for the trails throughout the City. PRD Gervais responded that there is not a schedule – most staff time is spent in the parks. He added that open space is maintained mostly by volunteer labor and that goals are to find more advocates for open space and grant funding. Eventually he would like to see the addition of basic amenities like benches and a water fountain so that Water Dog Lake could become a destination place. Discussion ensued regarding the use of pressure-treated wood vs. redwood, and Commissioner Frautschi suggested that concrete footers be considered. Commissioner Mercer suggested that staff determine if Ralston Middle School still has an after-school Trail Blazing Club, and, if so, assure that the students are working towards the project’s goals. Commissioner Mayer was pleased to hear that they are talking about Water Dog Lake becoming a destination place but had concerns about the condition of the water. PRD Gervais explained that the Public Works Department manages the dam and that they keep it at the lowest level for safety reasons, which explains the algae problem. In order for the lake to become a destination area, they would need to raise the water levels and dredge the sediment, noting that it is an 1880’s dam and some people want to keep the least amount of pressure on the dam. Commissioner Frautschi added that Council has authorized looking into Water Dog Lake as part of the creek restoration project and that the Director of Public Works is looking for funding. Patty Ciesla, resident of Belmont, spoke to the Commission about her excitement about the project, noting that she as has been recruiting volunteers to do trail work in Water Dog for a few years. Part of her motivation for being involved is to create a family-friendly trail. She noted that plants that are dug up for the trail will be transplanted so that when the trail is done it will have a very natural look. She is looking forward to recruiting people throughout Belmont to help build the trail and thanked PRD Gervais for helping to lead the project and keeping the volunteers excited and motivated. Kevin Sullivan, Belmont resident and Parks and Recreation Commissioner, addressed the Commission, stating that he also has been working heavily on the trail and is enthusiastic about what the trail can do to make the Water Dog area a place where more people can go. He supports the efforts to make it a destination area and thanked the Council and the Commission for their current and continued support. He asked that they try to stick with the plan to build it mostly by hand with limited machinery because that will achieve a more natural and enjoyable trail site. He also hoped to bring in more people from user groups other than the bike community. 5B. Resolution to Approve Conditional Use Permit (Cabaret Use) for 1400 El Camino Real (Continued from 2/3/09 Planning Commission Meeting) CDD de Melo summarized the staff memorandum, adding that correspondence had been received from the applicant on the previous day asking for modifications to the hours relative to Condition of Approval 4. After discussion with Commissioners, the second sentence of Condition 4 could be changed to read “Live entertainment shall be permitted on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.” and the first bullet point could read “A Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m….” Relative to Commissioners’ concerns about having sound from either live entertainment or canned music on the patio, Chair Parsons recommended that Condition 10 be amended to state that no speakers shall be installed for the outdoor patio area to transmit live or recorded music. Golara Mokhtari, applicant, said that she had not received a copy of the proposed resolution, but based on what she had heard the proposed hours seemed acceptable. She stated that the fewer limitations the better it would be for her patrons who want to have private parties at the restaurant, and she requested a potential to have some sort of music on the patio for private party special occasions. She stated that brunch hours are currently 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and if they opt to serve dinner on Sundays they would like to have jazz music until 2:00 – on the patio. She did not think it would be an issue, citing traffic and train noise and concerts in the park, and that there are few residential units behind the restaurant. She said they would do their best not to exceed the noise ordinance limitations and if someone complained they would stop. There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item. Responding to Commissioner Mercer, CDD de Melo provided a recap of the floater days granted to the other cabarets in the City, noting that they have rarely been used. Commissioner Frautschi supports the changes that staff has suggested but he could not support the extension of entertainment to the patio. He pointed out that they are discussing a CUP for 1400 El Camino Real – not 1404. There is no application for entertainment on the patio and he would not support that for this application. Commissioners Mercer Horton concurred, and felt that they should take this slowly to see how it works – the City is not ready to have outdoor entertainment. The residents on the hills have been very vocal about the intrusion of music that drifts up the hills. Commission Mayer was more inclined to be flexible because Condition 6 calls for review after 1 year, at which time they would have the flexibility to retract it if necessary. Chair Parsons did not believe they could do anything about it at this meeting because 1404 is not included in the cabaret application. Commissioner Frautschi mentioned that when the University uses Ralston Hall for outdoor weddings the neighbors call and complain because of the amplified sound system. Ayes: Frautschi, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Parsons Motion passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 6A. PUBLIC HEARING – 2311 Casa Bona Avenue AP Gill summarized the Staff Report, recommending approval with the conditions attached. He called attention to an error in the third paragraph of page 3 of the Staff Report – the first sentence of that paragraph should be deleted. Jeff, a representative for DaRosa and Associates, answered questions for the applicant from the Commission as follows: Chair Parsons opened the Public Hearing. No one came forward to speak. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Frautschi, to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed 5/0 by a show of hands. Vice Chair Horton suggested that she would have added a half bath. Commissioner Mercer would have fixed the front door. She is pleased that the owner is not attempting to go to two stories - she believes it is a very moderate, reasonable and unobtrusive addition. Commissioner Frautschi noted that a 50-year-old house could have used more remodeling, the landscaping looks tired, and that they could have chosen a better time for the neighborhood outreach meeting. Commissioner Mayer had many of the same feelings but since the house is so unobtrusive he was not concerned about the landscaping. Commissioner Mercer suggested that, because it is a narrow street, a condition be added to specify that a dumpster not be located on the street. Chair Parsons responded that for a short period of time they could get an encroachment permit to put it across the street. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Mayer, to adopt the Resolution approving a Single-Family Design Review at 2311 Casa Bona (Appl. No. 2008-0064). Ayes: Horton, Mayer, Mercer, Frautschi, Parsons Motion Passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 7. OLD BUSINESS 7A. COMMISSION BALLOT / PRIORITY CALENDAR STEP II – SPRING 2009 Commissioner Frautschi made the following suggestions: • The General Plan could become a mechanism to generate revenue. San Francisco produced a small book “A Vision of Place – A Guide to San Francisco General Plan,” copies of which are sold for $16.00. 8. REPORTS, STUDIES AND UPDATES: 8E. San Mateo Development – North Road/43rd Avenue 8A. Motel 6 – 1101 Shoreway Road 8B. NDNU (Koret) Athletic Field 8C. Charles Armstrong School – 1405 Solana Drive 8D. Ralston/US-101 Landscape Project 8F. 900 Sixth Avenue – Belmont Vista Facility 8G. Caltrain Landscape Area 8I. Parking Study – Downtown Village Areas Other Items Graffiti visible from O’Neill will be referred to Police Department. Mark Nolfi is in touch with the party responsible for the piles of dirt on Ralston. Chair Parsons asked who had picked the new light standards that have been installed in the Chula Vista neighborhood. The Commission had been in the process of choosing light standards for main thoroughfares and other streets and now suddenly lights are being installed that nobody has seen. The Commission had wanted a more pedestrian residential look to the neighborhoods. Announcements: The Commission Appreciation Dinner is February 27th at the Iron Gate. The Commission’s T-Mobile Wireless Communications decision has been called up by two council members and will be on the February 24th Council agenda. If the call-up receives a majority vote, a Public Hearing will be held at the March 10th Council meeting. Interviews for prospective Commissioners have been scheduled. CDD de Melo reminded Commissioners to check their Belmont.gov email accounts regularly and to keep up with their AB1234 ethics requirement. Priority Calendar votes as tallied by CA Zafferano were announced, with Item F, Garage Parking Standards, being the top vote-getter. By consensus, it was agreed that Items I and M will be combined. Results will be forwarded to City Manager’s office. The first Council meeting to discuss this topic will be on March10th. 8. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 9. ADJOURNMENT: ________________________ CD’s of Planning Commission Meetings are available in the PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
1. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Parsons, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Frautschi Staff Present: Community Development Director de Melo (CDD), Parks and Recreation Director Gervais (PRD), Associate Planner Gill (AP), City Attorney Zafferano (CA), Recording Secretary Flores (RS) 2. AGENDA AMENDMENTS - None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR - None 4A. Minutes of January 20, 2009 5. NEW BUSINESS: 5A. Water Dog Lake Open Space Trail Improvement Update Nicki Fox, Landscape Architect and Belmont resident, described in detail the remedies planned for the trail and bridges. She stated that the goals are 1) to create a trail that can be used safely by all and 2) to create a trail that has the least environmental impact and provides the opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the area. The new trail is approximately one mile long vs. about a half mile for the current trail. Discussion ensued regarding the specifics of the proposed trail and answers to questions from Commissioners. Chair Parsons suggested seeding of the embankments with native wild flowers to prevent erosion, and removal of the graffiti and surveillance by the Police Department. PRD Gervais noted that an individual believed to have been doing the tagging has been apprehended and that the graffiti will be painted over. Commissioner Frautschi recommended that the environmental science teacher at Notre Dame High School would be a good resource for this project. He asked if there is a maintenance schedule for the trails throughout the City. PRD Gervais responded that there is not a schedule – most staff time is spent in the parks. He added that open space is maintained mostly by volunteer labor and that goals are to find more advocates for open space and grant funding. Eventually he would like to see the addition of basic amenities like benches and a water fountain so that Water Dog Lake could become a destination place. Discussion ensued regarding the use of pressure-treated wood vs. redwood, and Commissioner Frautschi suggested that concrete footers be considered. Commissioner Mercer suggested that staff determine if Ralston Middle School still has an after-school Trail Blazing Club, and, if so, assure that the students are working towards the project’s goals. Commissioner Mayer was pleased to hear that they are talking about Water Dog Lake becoming a destination place but had concerns about the condition of the water. PRD Gervais explained that the Public Works Department manages the dam and that they keep it at the lowest level for safety reasons, which explains the algae problem. In order for the lake to become a destination area, they would need to raise the water levels and dredge the sediment, noting that it is an 1880’s dam and some people want to keep the least amount of pressure on the dam. Commissioner Frautschi added that Council has authorized looking into Water Dog Lake as part of the creek restoration project and that the Director of Public Works is looking for funding. Patty Ciesla, resident of Belmont, spoke to the Commission about her excitement about the project, noting that she as has been recruiting volunteers to do trail work in Water Dog for a few years. Part of her motivation for being involved is to create a family-friendly trail. She noted that plants that are dug up for the trail will be transplanted so that when the trail is done it will have a very natural look. She is looking forward to recruiting people throughout Belmont to help build the trail and thanked PRD Gervais for helping to lead the project and keeping the volunteers excited and motivated. Kevin Sullivan, Belmont resident and Parks and Recreation Commissioner, addressed the Commission, stating that he also has been working heavily on the trail and is enthusiastic about what the trail can do to make the Water Dog area a place where more people can go. He supports the efforts to make it a destination area and thanked the Council and the Commission for their current and continued support. He asked that they try to stick with the plan to build it mostly by hand with limited machinery because that will achieve a more natural and enjoyable trail site. He also hoped to bring in more people from user groups other than the bike community. 5B. Resolution to Approve Conditional Use Permit (Cabaret Use) for 1400 El Camino Real (Continued from 2/3/09 Planning Commission Meeting) CDD de Melo summarized the staff memorandum, adding that correspondence had been received from the applicant on the previous day asking for modifications to the hours relative to Condition of Approval 4. After discussion with Commissioners, the second sentence of Condition 4 could be changed to read “Live entertainment shall be permitted on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.” and the first bullet point could read “A Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m….” Relative to Commissioners’ concerns about having sound from either live entertainment or canned music on the patio, Chair Parsons recommended that Condition 10 be amended to state that no speakers shall be installed for the outdoor patio area to transmit live or recorded music. Golara Mokhtari, applicant, said that she had not received a copy of the proposed resolution, but based on what she had heard the proposed hours seemed acceptable. She stated that the fewer limitations the better it would be for her patrons who want to have private parties at the restaurant, and she requested a potential to have some sort of music on the patio for private party special occasions. She stated that brunch hours are currently 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and if they opt to serve dinner on Sundays they would like to have jazz music until 2:00 – on the patio. She did not think it would be an issue, citing traffic and train noise and concerts in the park, and that there are few residential units behind the restaurant. She said they would do their best not to exceed the noise ordinance limitations and if someone complained they would stop. There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item. Responding to Commissioner Mercer, CDD de Melo provided a recap of the floater days granted to the other cabarets in the City, noting that they have rarely been used. Commissioner Frautschi supports the changes that staff has suggested but he could not support the extension of entertainment to the patio. He pointed out that they are discussing a CUP for 1400 El Camino Real – not 1404. There is no application for entertainment on the patio and he would not support that for this application. Commissioners Mercer Horton concurred, and felt that they should take this slowly to see how it works – the City is not ready to have outdoor entertainment. The residents on the hills have been very vocal about the intrusion of music that drifts up the hills. Commission Mayer was more inclined to be flexible because Condition 6 calls for review after 1 year, at which time they would have the flexibility to retract it if necessary. Chair Parsons did not believe they could do anything about it at this meeting because 1404 is not included in the cabaret application. Commissioner Frautschi mentioned that when the University uses Ralston Hall for outdoor weddings the neighbors call and complain because of the amplified sound system. Ayes: Frautschi, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Parsons Motion passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 6A. PUBLIC HEARING – 2311 Casa Bona Avenue AP Gill summarized the Staff Report, recommending approval with the conditions attached. He called attention to an error in the third paragraph of page 3 of the Staff Report – the first sentence of that paragraph should be deleted. Jeff, a representative for DaRosa and Associates, answered questions for the applicant from the Commission as follows: Chair Parsons opened the Public Hearing. No one came forward to speak. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Frautschi, to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed 5/0 by a show of hands. Vice Chair Horton suggested that she would have added a half bath. Commissioner Mercer would have fixed the front door. She is pleased that the owner is not attempting to go to two stories - she believes it is a very moderate, reasonable and unobtrusive addition. Commissioner Frautschi noted that a 50-year-old house could have used more remodeling, the landscaping looks tired, and that they could have chosen a better time for the neighborhood outreach meeting. Commissioner Mayer had many of the same feelings but since the house is so unobtrusive he was not concerned about the landscaping. Commissioner Mercer suggested that, because it is a narrow street, a condition be added to specify that a dumpster not be located on the street. Chair Parsons responded that for a short period of time they could get an encroachment permit to put it across the street. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Mayer, to adopt the Resolution approving a Single-Family Design Review at 2311 Casa Bona (Appl. No. 2008-0064). Ayes: Horton, Mayer, Mercer, Frautschi, Parsons Motion Passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 7. OLD BUSINESS 7A. COMMISSION BALLOT / PRIORITY CALENDAR STEP II – SPRING 2009 Commissioner Frautschi made the following suggestions: • The General Plan could become a mechanism to generate revenue. San Francisco produced a small book “A Vision of Place – A Guide to San Francisco General Plan,” copies of which are sold for $16.00. 8. REPORTS, STUDIES AND UPDATES: 8E. San Mateo Development – North Road/43rd Avenue 8A. Motel 6 – 1101 Shoreway Road 8B. NDNU (Koret) Athletic Field 8C. Charles Armstrong School – 1405 Solana Drive 8D. Ralston/US-101 Landscape Project 8F. 900 Sixth Avenue – Belmont Vista Facility 8G. Caltrain Landscape Area 8I. Parking Study – Downtown Village Areas Other Items Graffiti visible from O’Neill will be referred to Police Department. Mark Nolfi is in touch with the party responsible for the piles of dirt on Ralston. Chair Parsons asked who had picked the new light standards that have been installed in the Chula Vista neighborhood. The Commission had been in the process of choosing light standards for main thoroughfares and other streets and now suddenly lights are being installed that nobody has seen. The Commission had wanted a more pedestrian residential look to the neighborhoods. Announcements: The Commission Appreciation Dinner is February 27th at the Iron Gate. The Commission’s T-Mobile Wireless Communications decision has been called up by two council members and will be on the February 24th Council agenda. If the call-up receives a majority vote, a Public Hearing will be held at the March 10th Council meeting. Interviews for prospective Commissioners have been scheduled. CDD de Melo reminded Commissioners to check their Belmont.gov email accounts regularly and to keep up with their AB1234 ethics requirement. Priority Calendar votes as tallied by CA Zafferano were announced, with Item F, Garage Parking Standards, being the top vote-getter. By consensus, it was agreed that Items I and M will be combined. Results will be forwarded to City Manager’s office. The first Council meeting to discuss this topic will be on March10th. 8. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 9. ADJOURNMENT: ________________________ CD’s of Planning Commission Meetings are available in the PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
1. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Parsons, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Frautschi Staff Present: Community Development Director de Melo (CDD), Parks and Recreation Director Gervais (PRD), Associate Planner Gill (AP), City Attorney Zafferano (CA), Recording Secretary Flores (RS) 2. AGENDA AMENDMENTS - None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR - None 4A. Minutes of January 20, 2009 5. NEW BUSINESS: 5A. Water Dog Lake Open Space Trail Improvement Update Nicki Fox, Landscape Architect and Belmont resident, described in detail the remedies planned for the trail and bridges. She stated that the goals are 1) to create a trail that can be used safely by all and 2) to create a trail that has the least environmental impact and provides the opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the area. The new trail is approximately one mile long vs. about a half mile for the current trail. Discussion ensued regarding the specifics of the proposed trail and answers to questions from Commissioners. Chair Parsons suggested seeding of the embankments with native wild flowers to prevent erosion, and removal of the graffiti and surveillance by the Police Department. PRD Gervais noted that an individual believed to have been doing the tagging has been apprehended and that the graffiti will be painted over. Commissioner Frautschi recommended that the environmental science teacher at Notre Dame High School would be a good resource for this project. He asked if there is a maintenance schedule for the trails throughout the City. PRD Gervais responded that there is not a schedule – most staff time is spent in the parks. He added that open space is maintained mostly by volunteer labor and that goals are to find more advocates for open space and grant funding. Eventually he would like to see the addition of basic amenities like benches and a water fountain so that Water Dog Lake could become a destination place. Discussion ensued regarding the use of pressure-treated wood vs. redwood, and Commissioner Frautschi suggested that concrete footers be considered. Commissioner Mercer suggested that staff determine if Ralston Middle School still has an after-school Trail Blazing Club, and, if so, assure that the students are working towards the project’s goals. Commissioner Mayer was pleased to hear that they are talking about Water Dog Lake becoming a destination place but had concerns about the condition of the water. PRD Gervais explained that the Public Works Department manages the dam and that they keep it at the lowest level for safety reasons, which explains the algae problem. In order for the lake to become a destination area, they would need to raise the water levels and dredge the sediment, noting that it is an 1880’s dam and some people want to keep the least amount of pressure on the dam. Commissioner Frautschi added that Council has authorized looking into Water Dog Lake as part of the creek restoration project and that the Director of Public Works is looking for funding. Patty Ciesla, resident of Belmont, spoke to the Commission about her excitement about the project, noting that she as has been recruiting volunteers to do trail work in Water Dog for a few years. Part of her motivation for being involved is to create a family-friendly trail. She noted that plants that are dug up for the trail will be transplanted so that when the trail is done it will have a very natural look. She is looking forward to recruiting people throughout Belmont to help build the trail and thanked PRD Gervais for helping to lead the project and keeping the volunteers excited and motivated. Kevin Sullivan, Belmont resident and Parks and Recreation Commissioner, addressed the Commission, stating that he also has been working heavily on the trail and is enthusiastic about what the trail can do to make the Water Dog area a place where more people can go. He supports the efforts to make it a destination area and thanked the Council and the Commission for their current and continued support. He asked that they try to stick with the plan to build it mostly by hand with limited machinery because that will achieve a more natural and enjoyable trail site. He also hoped to bring in more people from user groups other than the bike community. 5B. Resolution to Approve Conditional Use Permit (Cabaret Use) for 1400 El Camino Real (Continued from 2/3/09 Planning Commission Meeting) CDD de Melo summarized the staff memorandum, adding that correspondence had been received from the applicant on the previous day asking for modifications to the hours relative to Condition of Approval 4. After discussion with Commissioners, the second sentence of Condition 4 could be changed to read “Live entertainment shall be permitted on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.” and the first bullet point could read “A Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m….” Relative to Commissioners’ concerns about having sound from either live entertainment or canned music on the patio, Chair Parsons recommended that Condition 10 be amended to state that no speakers shall be installed for the outdoor patio area to transmit live or recorded music. Golara Mokhtari, applicant, said that she had not received a copy of the proposed resolution, but based on what she had heard the proposed hours seemed acceptable. She stated that the fewer limitations the better it would be for her patrons who want to have private parties at the restaurant, and she requested a potential to have some sort of music on the patio for private party special occasions. She stated that brunch hours are currently 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and if they opt to serve dinner on Sundays they would like to have jazz music until 2:00 – on the patio. She did not think it would be an issue, citing traffic and train noise and concerts in the park, and that there are few residential units behind the restaurant. She said they would do their best not to exceed the noise ordinance limitations and if someone complained they would stop. There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item. Responding to Commissioner Mercer, CDD de Melo provided a recap of the floater days granted to the other cabarets in the City, noting that they have rarely been used. Commissioner Frautschi supports the changes that staff has suggested but he could not support the extension of entertainment to the patio. He pointed out that they are discussing a CUP for 1400 El Camino Real – not 1404. There is no application for entertainment on the patio and he would not support that for this application. Commissioners Mercer Horton concurred, and felt that they should take this slowly to see how it works – the City is not ready to have outdoor entertainment. The residents on the hills have been very vocal about the intrusion of music that drifts up the hills. Commission Mayer was more inclined to be flexible because Condition 6 calls for review after 1 year, at which time they would have the flexibility to retract it if necessary. Chair Parsons did not believe they could do anything about it at this meeting because 1404 is not included in the cabaret application. Commissioner Frautschi mentioned that when the University uses Ralston Hall for outdoor weddings the neighbors call and complain because of the amplified sound system. Ayes: Frautschi, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Parsons Motion passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 6A. PUBLIC HEARING – 2311 Casa Bona Avenue AP Gill summarized the Staff Report, recommending approval with the conditions attached. He called attention to an error in the third paragraph of page 3 of the Staff Report – the first sentence of that paragraph should be deleted. Jeff, a representative for DaRosa and Associates, answered questions for the applicant from the Commission as follows: Chair Parsons opened the Public Hearing. No one came forward to speak. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Frautschi, to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed 5/0 by a show of hands. Vice Chair Horton suggested that she would have added a half bath. Commissioner Mercer would have fixed the front door. She is pleased that the owner is not attempting to go to two stories - she believes it is a very moderate, reasonable and unobtrusive addition. Commissioner Frautschi noted that a 50-year-old house could have used more remodeling, the landscaping looks tired, and that they could have chosen a better time for the neighborhood outreach meeting. Commissioner Mayer had many of the same feelings but since the house is so unobtrusive he was not concerned about the landscaping. Commissioner Mercer suggested that, because it is a narrow street, a condition be added to specify that a dumpster not be located on the street. Chair Parsons responded that for a short period of time they could get an encroachment permit to put it across the street. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Mayer, to adopt the Resolution approving a Single-Family Design Review at 2311 Casa Bona (Appl. No. 2008-0064). Ayes: Horton, Mayer, Mercer, Frautschi, Parsons Motion Passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 7. OLD BUSINESS 7A. COMMISSION BALLOT / PRIORITY CALENDAR STEP II – SPRING 2009 Commissioner Frautschi made the following suggestions: • The General Plan could become a mechanism to generate revenue. San Francisco produced a small book “A Vision of Place – A Guide to San Francisco General Plan,” copies of which are sold for $16.00. 8. REPORTS, STUDIES AND UPDATES: 8E. San Mateo Development – North Road/43rd Avenue 8A. Motel 6 – 1101 Shoreway Road 8B. NDNU (Koret) Athletic Field 8C. Charles Armstrong School – 1405 Solana Drive 8D. Ralston/US-101 Landscape Project 8F. 900 Sixth Avenue – Belmont Vista Facility 8G. Caltrain Landscape Area 8I. Parking Study – Downtown Village Areas Other Items Graffiti visible from O’Neill will be referred to Police Department. Mark Nolfi is in touch with the party responsible for the piles of dirt on Ralston. Chair Parsons asked who had picked the new light standards that have been installed in the Chula Vista neighborhood. The Commission had been in the process of choosing light standards for main thoroughfares and other streets and now suddenly lights are being installed that nobody has seen. The Commission had wanted a more pedestrian residential look to the neighborhoods. Announcements: The Commission Appreciation Dinner is February 27th at the Iron Gate. The Commission’s T-Mobile Wireless Communications decision has been called up by two council members and will be on the February 24th Council agenda. If the call-up receives a majority vote, a Public Hearing will be held at the March 10th Council meeting. Interviews for prospective Commissioners have been scheduled. CDD de Melo reminded Commissioners to check their Belmont.gov email accounts regularly and to keep up with their AB1234 ethics requirement. Priority Calendar votes as tallied by CA Zafferano were announced, with Item F, Garage Parking Standards, being the top vote-getter. By consensus, it was agreed that Items I and M will be combined. Results will be forwarded to City Manager’s office. The first Council meeting to discuss this topic will be on March10th. 8. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 9. ADJOURNMENT: ________________________ CD’s of Planning Commission Meetings are available in the PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
1. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Parsons, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Frautschi Staff Present: Community Development Director de Melo (CDD), Parks and Recreation Director Gervais (PRD), Associate Planner Gill (AP), City Attorney Zafferano (CA), Recording Secretary Flores (RS) 2. AGENDA AMENDMENTS - None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR - None 4A. Minutes of January 20, 2009 5. NEW BUSINESS: 5A. Water Dog Lake Open Space Trail Improvement Update Nicki Fox, Landscape Architect and Belmont resident, described in detail the remedies planned for the trail and bridges. She stated that the goals are 1) to create a trail that can be used safely by all and 2) to create a trail that has the least environmental impact and provides the opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the area. The new trail is approximately one mile long vs. about a half mile for the current trail. Discussion ensued regarding the specifics of the proposed trail and answers to questions from Commissioners. Chair Parsons suggested seeding of the embankments with native wild flowers to prevent erosion, and removal of the graffiti and surveillance by the Police Department. PRD Gervais noted that an individual believed to have been doing the tagging has been apprehended and that the graffiti will be painted over. Commissioner Frautschi recommended that the environmental science teacher at Notre Dame High School would be a good resource for this project. He asked if there is a maintenance schedule for the trails throughout the City. PRD Gervais responded that there is not a schedule – most staff time is spent in the parks. He added that open space is maintained mostly by volunteer labor and that goals are to find more advocates for open space and grant funding. Eventually he would like to see the addition of basic amenities like benches and a water fountain so that Water Dog Lake could become a destination place. Discussion ensued regarding the use of pressure-treated wood vs. redwood, and Commissioner Frautschi suggested that concrete footers be considered. Commissioner Mercer suggested that staff determine if Ralston Middle School still has an after-school Trail Blazing Club, and, if so, assure that the students are working towards the project’s goals. Commissioner Mayer was pleased to hear that they are talking about Water Dog Lake becoming a destination place but had concerns about the condition of the water. PRD Gervais explained that the Public Works Department manages the dam and that they keep it at the lowest level for safety reasons, which explains the algae problem. In order for the lake to become a destination area, they would need to raise the water levels and dredge the sediment, noting that it is an 1880’s dam and some people want to keep the least amount of pressure on the dam. Commissioner Frautschi added that Council has authorized looking into Water Dog Lake as part of the creek restoration project and that the Director of Public Works is looking for funding. Patty Ciesla, resident of Belmont, spoke to the Commission about her excitement about the project, noting that she as has been recruiting volunteers to do trail work in Water Dog for a few years. Part of her motivation for being involved is to create a family-friendly trail. She noted that plants that are dug up for the trail will be transplanted so that when the trail is done it will have a very natural look. She is looking forward to recruiting people throughout Belmont to help build the trail and thanked PRD Gervais for helping to lead the project and keeping the volunteers excited and motivated. Kevin Sullivan, Belmont resident and Parks and Recreation Commissioner, addressed the Commission, stating that he also has been working heavily on the trail and is enthusiastic about what the trail can do to make the Water Dog area a place where more people can go. He supports the efforts to make it a destination area and thanked the Council and the Commission for their current and continued support. He asked that they try to stick with the plan to build it mostly by hand with limited machinery because that will achieve a more natural and enjoyable trail site. He also hoped to bring in more people from user groups other than the bike community. 5B. Resolution to Approve Conditional Use Permit (Cabaret Use) for 1400 El Camino Real (Continued from 2/3/09 Planning Commission Meeting) CDD de Melo summarized the staff memorandum, adding that correspondence had been received from the applicant on the previous day asking for modifications to the hours relative to Condition of Approval 4. After discussion with Commissioners, the second sentence of Condition 4 could be changed to read “Live entertainment shall be permitted on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.” and the first bullet point could read “A Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m….” Relative to Commissioners’ concerns about having sound from either live entertainment or canned music on the patio, Chair Parsons recommended that Condition 10 be amended to state that no speakers shall be installed for the outdoor patio area to transmit live or recorded music. Golara Mokhtari, applicant, said that she had not received a copy of the proposed resolution, but based on what she had heard the proposed hours seemed acceptable. She stated that the fewer limitations the better it would be for her patrons who want to have private parties at the restaurant, and she requested a potential to have some sort of music on the patio for private party special occasions. She stated that brunch hours are currently 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and if they opt to serve dinner on Sundays they would like to have jazz music until 2:00 – on the patio. She did not think it would be an issue, citing traffic and train noise and concerts in the park, and that there are few residential units behind the restaurant. She said they would do their best not to exceed the noise ordinance limitations and if someone complained they would stop. There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item. Responding to Commissioner Mercer, CDD de Melo provided a recap of the floater days granted to the other cabarets in the City, noting that they have rarely been used. Commissioner Frautschi supports the changes that staff has suggested but he could not support the extension of entertainment to the patio. He pointed out that they are discussing a CUP for 1400 El Camino Real – not 1404. There is no application for entertainment on the patio and he would not support that for this application. Commissioners Mercer Horton concurred, and felt that they should take this slowly to see how it works – the City is not ready to have outdoor entertainment. The residents on the hills have been very vocal about the intrusion of music that drifts up the hills. Commission Mayer was more inclined to be flexible because Condition 6 calls for review after 1 year, at which time they would have the flexibility to retract it if necessary. Chair Parsons did not believe they could do anything about it at this meeting because 1404 is not included in the cabaret application. Commissioner Frautschi mentioned that when the University uses Ralston Hall for outdoor weddings the neighbors call and complain because of the amplified sound system. Ayes: Frautschi, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Parsons Motion passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 6A. PUBLIC HEARING – 2311 Casa Bona Avenue AP Gill summarized the Staff Report, recommending approval with the conditions attached. He called attention to an error in the third paragraph of page 3 of the Staff Report – the first sentence of that paragraph should be deleted. Jeff, a representative for DaRosa and Associates, answered questions for the applicant from the Commission as follows: Chair Parsons opened the Public Hearing. No one came forward to speak. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Frautschi, to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed 5/0 by a show of hands. Vice Chair Horton suggested that she would have added a half bath. Commissioner Mercer would have fixed the front door. She is pleased that the owner is not attempting to go to two stories - she believes it is a very moderate, reasonable and unobtrusive addition. Commissioner Frautschi noted that a 50-year-old house could have used more remodeling, the landscaping looks tired, and that they could have chosen a better time for the neighborhood outreach meeting. Commissioner Mayer had many of the same feelings but since the house is so unobtrusive he was not concerned about the landscaping. Commissioner Mercer suggested that, because it is a narrow street, a condition be added to specify that a dumpster not be located on the street. Chair Parsons responded that for a short period of time they could get an encroachment permit to put it across the street. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Mayer, to adopt the Resolution approving a Single-Family Design Review at 2311 Casa Bona (Appl. No. 2008-0064). Ayes: Horton, Mayer, Mercer, Frautschi, Parsons Motion Passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 7. OLD BUSINESS 7A. COMMISSION BALLOT / PRIORITY CALENDAR STEP II – SPRING 2009 Commissioner Frautschi made the following suggestions: • The General Plan could become a mechanism to generate revenue. San Francisco produced a small book “A Vision of Place – A Guide to San Francisco General Plan,” copies of which are sold for $16.00. 8. REPORTS, STUDIES AND UPDATES: 8E. San Mateo Development – North Road/43rd Avenue 8A. Motel 6 – 1101 Shoreway Road 8B. NDNU (Koret) Athletic Field 8C. Charles Armstrong School – 1405 Solana Drive 8D. Ralston/US-101 Landscape Project 8F. 900 Sixth Avenue – Belmont Vista Facility 8G. Caltrain Landscape Area 8I. Parking Study – Downtown Village Areas Other Items Graffiti visible from O’Neill will be referred to Police Department. Mark Nolfi is in touch with the party responsible for the piles of dirt on Ralston. Chair Parsons asked who had picked the new light standards that have been installed in the Chula Vista neighborhood. The Commission had been in the process of choosing light standards for main thoroughfares and other streets and now suddenly lights are being installed that nobody has seen. The Commission had wanted a more pedestrian residential look to the neighborhoods. Announcements: The Commission Appreciation Dinner is February 27th at the Iron Gate. The Commission’s T-Mobile Wireless Communications decision has been called up by two council members and will be on the February 24th Council agenda. If the call-up receives a majority vote, a Public Hearing will be held at the March 10th Council meeting. Interviews for prospective Commissioners have been scheduled. CDD de Melo reminded Commissioners to check their Belmont.gov email accounts regularly and to keep up with their AB1234 ethics requirement. Priority Calendar votes as tallied by CA Zafferano were announced, with Item F, Garage Parking Standards, being the top vote-getter. By consensus, it was agreed that Items I and M will be combined. Results will be forwarded to City Manager’s office. The first Council meeting to discuss this topic will be on March10th. 8. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 9. ADJOURNMENT: ________________________ CD’s of Planning Commission Meetings are available in the PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
1. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Parsons, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Frautschi Staff Present: Community Development Director de Melo (CDD), Parks and Recreation Director Gervais (PRD), Associate Planner Gill (AP), City Attorney Zafferano (CA), Recording Secretary Flores (RS) 2. AGENDA AMENDMENTS - None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR - None 4A. Minutes of January 20, 2009 5. NEW BUSINESS: 5A. Water Dog Lake Open Space Trail Improvement Update Nicki Fox, Landscape Architect and Belmont resident, described in detail the remedies planned for the trail and bridges. She stated that the goals are 1) to create a trail that can be used safely by all and 2) to create a trail that has the least environmental impact and provides the opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the area. The new trail is approximately one mile long vs. about a half mile for the current trail. Discussion ensued regarding the specifics of the proposed trail and answers to questions from Commissioners. Chair Parsons suggested seeding of the embankments with native wild flowers to prevent erosion, and removal of the graffiti and surveillance by the Police Department. PRD Gervais noted that an individual believed to have been doing the tagging has been apprehended and that the graffiti will be painted over. Commissioner Frautschi recommended that the environmental science teacher at Notre Dame High School would be a good resource for this project. He asked if there is a maintenance schedule for the trails throughout the City. PRD Gervais responded that there is not a schedule – most staff time is spent in the parks. He added that open space is maintained mostly by volunteer labor and that goals are to find more advocates for open space and grant funding. Eventually he would like to see the addition of basic amenities like benches and a water fountain so that Water Dog Lake could become a destination place. Discussion ensued regarding the use of pressure-treated wood vs. redwood, and Commissioner Frautschi suggested that concrete footers be considered. Commissioner Mercer suggested that staff determine if Ralston Middle School still has an after-school Trail Blazing Club, and, if so, assure that the students are working towards the project’s goals. Commissioner Mayer was pleased to hear that they are talking about Water Dog Lake becoming a destination place but had concerns about the condition of the water. PRD Gervais explained that the Public Works Department manages the dam and that they keep it at the lowest level for safety reasons, which explains the algae problem. In order for the lake to become a destination area, they would need to raise the water levels and dredge the sediment, noting that it is an 1880’s dam and some people want to keep the least amount of pressure on the dam. Commissioner Frautschi added that Council has authorized looking into Water Dog Lake as part of the creek restoration project and that the Director of Public Works is looking for funding. Patty Ciesla, resident of Belmont, spoke to the Commission about her excitement about the project, noting that she as has been recruiting volunteers to do trail work in Water Dog for a few years. Part of her motivation for being involved is to create a family-friendly trail. She noted that plants that are dug up for the trail will be transplanted so that when the trail is done it will have a very natural look. She is looking forward to recruiting people throughout Belmont to help build the trail and thanked PRD Gervais for helping to lead the project and keeping the volunteers excited and motivated. Kevin Sullivan, Belmont resident and Parks and Recreation Commissioner, addressed the Commission, stating that he also has been working heavily on the trail and is enthusiastic about what the trail can do to make the Water Dog area a place where more people can go. He supports the efforts to make it a destination area and thanked the Council and the Commission for their current and continued support. He asked that they try to stick with the plan to build it mostly by hand with limited machinery because that will achieve a more natural and enjoyable trail site. He also hoped to bring in more people from user groups other than the bike community. 5B. Resolution to Approve Conditional Use Permit (Cabaret Use) for 1400 El Camino Real (Continued from 2/3/09 Planning Commission Meeting) CDD de Melo summarized the staff memorandum, adding that correspondence had been received from the applicant on the previous day asking for modifications to the hours relative to Condition of Approval 4. After discussion with Commissioners, the second sentence of Condition 4 could be changed to read “Live entertainment shall be permitted on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.” and the first bullet point could read “A Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m….” Relative to Commissioners’ concerns about having sound from either live entertainment or canned music on the patio, Chair Parsons recommended that Condition 10 be amended to state that no speakers shall be installed for the outdoor patio area to transmit live or recorded music. Golara Mokhtari, applicant, said that she had not received a copy of the proposed resolution, but based on what she had heard the proposed hours seemed acceptable. She stated that the fewer limitations the better it would be for her patrons who want to have private parties at the restaurant, and she requested a potential to have some sort of music on the patio for private party special occasions. She stated that brunch hours are currently 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and if they opt to serve dinner on Sundays they would like to have jazz music until 2:00 – on the patio. She did not think it would be an issue, citing traffic and train noise and concerts in the park, and that there are few residential units behind the restaurant. She said they would do their best not to exceed the noise ordinance limitations and if someone complained they would stop. There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item. Responding to Commissioner Mercer, CDD de Melo provided a recap of the floater days granted to the other cabarets in the City, noting that they have rarely been used. Commissioner Frautschi supports the changes that staff has suggested but he could not support the extension of entertainment to the patio. He pointed out that they are discussing a CUP for 1400 El Camino Real – not 1404. There is no application for entertainment on the patio and he would not support that for this application. Commissioners Mercer Horton concurred, and felt that they should take this slowly to see how it works – the City is not ready to have outdoor entertainment. The residents on the hills have been very vocal about the intrusion of music that drifts up the hills. Commission Mayer was more inclined to be flexible because Condition 6 calls for review after 1 year, at which time they would have the flexibility to retract it if necessary. Chair Parsons did not believe they could do anything about it at this meeting because 1404 is not included in the cabaret application. Commissioner Frautschi mentioned that when the University uses Ralston Hall for outdoor weddings the neighbors call and complain because of the amplified sound system. Ayes: Frautschi, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Parsons Motion passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 6A. PUBLIC HEARING – 2311 Casa Bona Avenue AP Gill summarized the Staff Report, recommending approval with the conditions attached. He called attention to an error in the third paragraph of page 3 of the Staff Report – the first sentence of that paragraph should be deleted. Jeff, a representative for DaRosa and Associates, answered questions for the applicant from the Commission as follows: Chair Parsons opened the Public Hearing. No one came forward to speak. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Frautschi, to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed 5/0 by a show of hands. Vice Chair Horton suggested that she would have added a half bath. Commissioner Mercer would have fixed the front door. She is pleased that the owner is not attempting to go to two stories - she believes it is a very moderate, reasonable and unobtrusive addition. Commissioner Frautschi noted that a 50-year-old house could have used more remodeling, the landscaping looks tired, and that they could have chosen a better time for the neighborhood outreach meeting. Commissioner Mayer had many of the same feelings but since the house is so unobtrusive he was not concerned about the landscaping. Commissioner Mercer suggested that, because it is a narrow street, a condition be added to specify that a dumpster not be located on the street. Chair Parsons responded that for a short period of time they could get an encroachment permit to put it across the street. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Mayer, to adopt the Resolution approving a Single-Family Design Review at 2311 Casa Bona (Appl. No. 2008-0064). Ayes: Horton, Mayer, Mercer, Frautschi, Parsons Motion Passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 7. OLD BUSINESS 7A. COMMISSION BALLOT / PRIORITY CALENDAR STEP II – SPRING 2009 Commissioner Frautschi made the following suggestions: • The General Plan could become a mechanism to generate revenue. San Francisco produced a small book “A Vision of Place – A Guide to San Francisco General Plan,” copies of which are sold for $16.00. 8. REPORTS, STUDIES AND UPDATES: 8E. San Mateo Development – North Road/43rd Avenue 8A. Motel 6 – 1101 Shoreway Road 8B. NDNU (Koret) Athletic Field 8C. Charles Armstrong School – 1405 Solana Drive 8D. Ralston/US-101 Landscape Project 8F. 900 Sixth Avenue – Belmont Vista Facility 8G. Caltrain Landscape Area 8I. Parking Study – Downtown Village Areas Other Items Graffiti visible from O’Neill will be referred to Police Department. Mark Nolfi is in touch with the party responsible for the piles of dirt on Ralston. Chair Parsons asked who had picked the new light standards that have been installed in the Chula Vista neighborhood. The Commission had been in the process of choosing light standards for main thoroughfares and other streets and now suddenly lights are being installed that nobody has seen. The Commission had wanted a more pedestrian residential look to the neighborhoods. Announcements: The Commission Appreciation Dinner is February 27th at the Iron Gate. The Commission’s T-Mobile Wireless Communications decision has been called up by two council members and will be on the February 24th Council agenda. If the call-up receives a majority vote, a Public Hearing will be held at the March 10th Council meeting. Interviews for prospective Commissioners have been scheduled. CDD de Melo reminded Commissioners to check their Belmont.gov email accounts regularly and to keep up with their AB1234 ethics requirement. Priority Calendar votes as tallied by CA Zafferano were announced, with Item F, Garage Parking Standards, being the top vote-getter. By consensus, it was agreed that Items I and M will be combined. Results will be forwarded to City Manager’s office. The first Council meeting to discuss this topic will be on March10th. 8. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 9. ADJOURNMENT: ________________________ CD’s of Planning Commission Meetings are available in the PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
1. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Parsons, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Frautschi Staff Present: Community Development Director de Melo (CDD), Parks and Recreation Director Gervais (PRD), Associate Planner Gill (AP), City Attorney Zafferano (CA), Recording Secretary Flores (RS) 2. AGENDA AMENDMENTS - None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR - None 4A. Minutes of January 20, 2009 5. NEW BUSINESS: 5A. Water Dog Lake Open Space Trail Improvement Update Nicki Fox, Landscape Architect and Belmont resident, described in detail the remedies planned for the trail and bridges. She stated that the goals are 1) to create a trail that can be used safely by all and 2) to create a trail that has the least environmental impact and provides the opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the area. The new trail is approximately one mile long vs. about a half mile for the current trail. Discussion ensued regarding the specifics of the proposed trail and answers to questions from Commissioners. Chair Parsons suggested seeding of the embankments with native wild flowers to prevent erosion, and removal of the graffiti and surveillance by the Police Department. PRD Gervais noted that an individual believed to have been doing the tagging has been apprehended and that the graffiti will be painted over. Commissioner Frautschi recommended that the environmental science teacher at Notre Dame High School would be a good resource for this project. He asked if there is a maintenance schedule for the trails throughout the City. PRD Gervais responded that there is not a schedule – most staff time is spent in the parks. He added that open space is maintained mostly by volunteer labor and that goals are to find more advocates for open space and grant funding. Eventually he would like to see the addition of basic amenities like benches and a water fountain so that Water Dog Lake could become a destination place. Discussion ensued regarding the use of pressure-treated wood vs. redwood, and Commissioner Frautschi suggested that concrete footers be considered. Commissioner Mercer suggested that staff determine if Ralston Middle School still has an after-school Trail Blazing Club, and, if so, assure that the students are working towards the project’s goals. Commissioner Mayer was pleased to hear that they are talking about Water Dog Lake becoming a destination place but had concerns about the condition of the water. PRD Gervais explained that the Public Works Department manages the dam and that they keep it at the lowest level for safety reasons, which explains the algae problem. In order for the lake to become a destination area, they would need to raise the water levels and dredge the sediment, noting that it is an 1880’s dam and some people want to keep the least amount of pressure on the dam. Commissioner Frautschi added that Council has authorized looking into Water Dog Lake as part of the creek restoration project and that the Director of Public Works is looking for funding. Patty Ciesla, resident of Belmont, spoke to the Commission about her excitement about the project, noting that she as has been recruiting volunteers to do trail work in Water Dog for a few years. Part of her motivation for being involved is to create a family-friendly trail. She noted that plants that are dug up for the trail will be transplanted so that when the trail is done it will have a very natural look. She is looking forward to recruiting people throughout Belmont to help build the trail and thanked PRD Gervais for helping to lead the project and keeping the volunteers excited and motivated. Kevin Sullivan, Belmont resident and Parks and Recreation Commissioner, addressed the Commission, stating that he also has been working heavily on the trail and is enthusiastic about what the trail can do to make the Water Dog area a place where more people can go. He supports the efforts to make it a destination area and thanked the Council and the Commission for their current and continued support. He asked that they try to stick with the plan to build it mostly by hand with limited machinery because that will achieve a more natural and enjoyable trail site. He also hoped to bring in more people from user groups other than the bike community. 5B. Resolution to Approve Conditional Use Permit (Cabaret Use) for 1400 El Camino Real (Continued from 2/3/09 Planning Commission Meeting) CDD de Melo summarized the staff memorandum, adding that correspondence had been received from the applicant on the previous day asking for modifications to the hours relative to Condition of Approval 4. After discussion with Commissioners, the second sentence of Condition 4 could be changed to read “Live entertainment shall be permitted on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.” and the first bullet point could read “A Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m….” Relative to Commissioners’ concerns about having sound from either live entertainment or canned music on the patio, Chair Parsons recommended that Condition 10 be amended to state that no speakers shall be installed for the outdoor patio area to transmit live or recorded music. Golara Mokhtari, applicant, said that she had not received a copy of the proposed resolution, but based on what she had heard the proposed hours seemed acceptable. She stated that the fewer limitations the better it would be for her patrons who want to have private parties at the restaurant, and she requested a potential to have some sort of music on the patio for private party special occasions. She stated that brunch hours are currently 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and if they opt to serve dinner on Sundays they would like to have jazz music until 2:00 – on the patio. She did not think it would be an issue, citing traffic and train noise and concerts in the park, and that there are few residential units behind the restaurant. She said they would do their best not to exceed the noise ordinance limitations and if someone complained they would stop. There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item. Responding to Commissioner Mercer, CDD de Melo provided a recap of the floater days granted to the other cabarets in the City, noting that they have rarely been used. Commissioner Frautschi supports the changes that staff has suggested but he could not support the extension of entertainment to the patio. He pointed out that they are discussing a CUP for 1400 El Camino Real – not 1404. There is no application for entertainment on the patio and he would not support that for this application. Commissioners Mercer Horton concurred, and felt that they should take this slowly to see how it works – the City is not ready to have outdoor entertainment. The residents on the hills have been very vocal about the intrusion of music that drifts up the hills. Commission Mayer was more inclined to be flexible because Condition 6 calls for review after 1 year, at which time they would have the flexibility to retract it if necessary. Chair Parsons did not believe they could do anything about it at this meeting because 1404 is not included in the cabaret application. Commissioner Frautschi mentioned that when the University uses Ralston Hall for outdoor weddings the neighbors call and complain because of the amplified sound system. Ayes: Frautschi, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Parsons Motion passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 6A. PUBLIC HEARING – 2311 Casa Bona Avenue AP Gill summarized the Staff Report, recommending approval with the conditions attached. He called attention to an error in the third paragraph of page 3 of the Staff Report – the first sentence of that paragraph should be deleted. Jeff, a representative for DaRosa and Associates, answered questions for the applicant from the Commission as follows: Chair Parsons opened the Public Hearing. No one came forward to speak. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Frautschi, to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed 5/0 by a show of hands. Vice Chair Horton suggested that she would have added a half bath. Commissioner Mercer would have fixed the front door. She is pleased that the owner is not attempting to go to two stories - she believes it is a very moderate, reasonable and unobtrusive addition. Commissioner Frautschi noted that a 50-year-old house could have used more remodeling, the landscaping looks tired, and that they could have chosen a better time for the neighborhood outreach meeting. Commissioner Mayer had many of the same feelings but since the house is so unobtrusive he was not concerned about the landscaping. Commissioner Mercer suggested that, because it is a narrow street, a condition be added to specify that a dumpster not be located on the street. Chair Parsons responded that for a short period of time they could get an encroachment permit to put it across the street. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Mayer, to adopt the Resolution approving a Single-Family Design Review at 2311 Casa Bona (Appl. No. 2008-0064). Ayes: Horton, Mayer, Mercer, Frautschi, Parsons Motion Passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 7. OLD BUSINESS 7A. COMMISSION BALLOT / PRIORITY CALENDAR STEP II – SPRING 2009 Commissioner Frautschi made the following suggestions: • The General Plan could become a mechanism to generate revenue. San Francisco produced a small book “A Vision of Place – A Guide to San Francisco General Plan,” copies of which are sold for $16.00. 8. REPORTS, STUDIES AND UPDATES: 8E. San Mateo Development – North Road/43rd Avenue 8A. Motel 6 – 1101 Shoreway Road 8B. NDNU (Koret) Athletic Field 8C. Charles Armstrong School – 1405 Solana Drive 8D. Ralston/US-101 Landscape Project 8F. 900 Sixth Avenue – Belmont Vista Facility 8G. Caltrain Landscape Area 8I. Parking Study – Downtown Village Areas Other Items Graffiti visible from O’Neill will be referred to Police Department. Mark Nolfi is in touch with the party responsible for the piles of dirt on Ralston. Chair Parsons asked who had picked the new light standards that have been installed in the Chula Vista neighborhood. The Commission had been in the process of choosing light standards for main thoroughfares and other streets and now suddenly lights are being installed that nobody has seen. The Commission had wanted a more pedestrian residential look to the neighborhoods. Announcements: The Commission Appreciation Dinner is February 27th at the Iron Gate. The Commission’s T-Mobile Wireless Communications decision has been called up by two council members and will be on the February 24th Council agenda. If the call-up receives a majority vote, a Public Hearing will be held at the March 10th Council meeting. Interviews for prospective Commissioners have been scheduled. CDD de Melo reminded Commissioners to check their Belmont.gov email accounts regularly and to keep up with their AB1234 ethics requirement. Priority Calendar votes as tallied by CA Zafferano were announced, with Item F, Garage Parking Standards, being the top vote-getter. By consensus, it was agreed that Items I and M will be combined. Results will be forwarded to City Manager’s office. The first Council meeting to discuss this topic will be on March10th. 8. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 9. ADJOURNMENT: ________________________ CD’s of Planning Commission Meetings are available in the PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION MINUTES TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2009, 7:00 PM
1. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Parsons, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Frautschi Staff Present: Community Development Director de Melo (CDD), Parks and Recreation Director Gervais (PRD), Associate Planner Gill (AP), City Attorney Zafferano (CA), Recording Secretary Flores (RS) 2. AGENDA AMENDMENTS - None 4. CONSENT CALENDAR - None 4A. Minutes of January 20, 2009 5. NEW BUSINESS: 5A. Water Dog Lake Open Space Trail Improvement Update Nicki Fox, Landscape Architect and Belmont resident, described in detail the remedies planned for the trail and bridges. She stated that the goals are 1) to create a trail that can be used safely by all and 2) to create a trail that has the least environmental impact and provides the opportunity to experience the natural habitat of the area. The new trail is approximately one mile long vs. about a half mile for the current trail. Discussion ensued regarding the specifics of the proposed trail and answers to questions from Commissioners. Chair Parsons suggested seeding of the embankments with native wild flowers to prevent erosion, and removal of the graffiti and surveillance by the Police Department. PRD Gervais noted that an individual believed to have been doing the tagging has been apprehended and that the graffiti will be painted over. Commissioner Frautschi recommended that the environmental science teacher at Notre Dame High School would be a good resource for this project. He asked if there is a maintenance schedule for the trails throughout the City. PRD Gervais responded that there is not a schedule – most staff time is spent in the parks. He added that open space is maintained mostly by volunteer labor and that goals are to find more advocates for open space and grant funding. Eventually he would like to see the addition of basic amenities like benches and a water fountain so that Water Dog Lake could become a destination place. Discussion ensued regarding the use of pressure-treated wood vs. redwood, and Commissioner Frautschi suggested that concrete footers be considered. Commissioner Mercer suggested that staff determine if Ralston Middle School still has an after-school Trail Blazing Club, and, if so, assure that the students are working towards the project’s goals. Commissioner Mayer was pleased to hear that they are talking about Water Dog Lake becoming a destination place but had concerns about the condition of the water. PRD Gervais explained that the Public Works Department manages the dam and that they keep it at the lowest level for safety reasons, which explains the algae problem. In order for the lake to become a destination area, they would need to raise the water levels and dredge the sediment, noting that it is an 1880’s dam and some people want to keep the least amount of pressure on the dam. Commissioner Frautschi added that Council has authorized looking into Water Dog Lake as part of the creek restoration project and that the Director of Public Works is looking for funding. Patty Ciesla, resident of Belmont, spoke to the Commission about her excitement about the project, noting that she as has been recruiting volunteers to do trail work in Water Dog for a few years. Part of her motivation for being involved is to create a family-friendly trail. She noted that plants that are dug up for the trail will be transplanted so that when the trail is done it will have a very natural look. She is looking forward to recruiting people throughout Belmont to help build the trail and thanked PRD Gervais for helping to lead the project and keeping the volunteers excited and motivated. Kevin Sullivan, Belmont resident and Parks and Recreation Commissioner, addressed the Commission, stating that he also has been working heavily on the trail and is enthusiastic about what the trail can do to make the Water Dog area a place where more people can go. He supports the efforts to make it a destination area and thanked the Council and the Commission for their current and continued support. He asked that they try to stick with the plan to build it mostly by hand with limited machinery because that will achieve a more natural and enjoyable trail site. He also hoped to bring in more people from user groups other than the bike community. 5B. Resolution to Approve Conditional Use Permit (Cabaret Use) for 1400 El Camino Real (Continued from 2/3/09 Planning Commission Meeting) CDD de Melo summarized the staff memorandum, adding that correspondence had been received from the applicant on the previous day asking for modifications to the hours relative to Condition of Approval 4. After discussion with Commissioners, the second sentence of Condition 4 could be changed to read “Live entertainment shall be permitted on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.” and the first bullet point could read “A Sunday evening from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m….” Relative to Commissioners’ concerns about having sound from either live entertainment or canned music on the patio, Chair Parsons recommended that Condition 10 be amended to state that no speakers shall be installed for the outdoor patio area to transmit live or recorded music. Golara Mokhtari, applicant, said that she had not received a copy of the proposed resolution, but based on what she had heard the proposed hours seemed acceptable. She stated that the fewer limitations the better it would be for her patrons who want to have private parties at the restaurant, and she requested a potential to have some sort of music on the patio for private party special occasions. She stated that brunch hours are currently 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and if they opt to serve dinner on Sundays they would like to have jazz music until 2:00 – on the patio. She did not think it would be an issue, citing traffic and train noise and concerts in the park, and that there are few residential units behind the restaurant. She said they would do their best not to exceed the noise ordinance limitations and if someone complained they would stop. There was no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item. Responding to Commissioner Mercer, CDD de Melo provided a recap of the floater days granted to the other cabarets in the City, noting that they have rarely been used. Commissioner Frautschi supports the changes that staff has suggested but he could not support the extension of entertainment to the patio. He pointed out that they are discussing a CUP for 1400 El Camino Real – not 1404. There is no application for entertainment on the patio and he would not support that for this application. Commissioners Mercer Horton concurred, and felt that they should take this slowly to see how it works – the City is not ready to have outdoor entertainment. The residents on the hills have been very vocal about the intrusion of music that drifts up the hills. Commission Mayer was more inclined to be flexible because Condition 6 calls for review after 1 year, at which time they would have the flexibility to retract it if necessary. Chair Parsons did not believe they could do anything about it at this meeting because 1404 is not included in the cabaret application. Commissioner Frautschi mentioned that when the University uses Ralston Hall for outdoor weddings the neighbors call and complain because of the amplified sound system. Ayes: Frautschi, Horton, Mercer, Mayer, Parsons Motion passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 6A. PUBLIC HEARING – 2311 Casa Bona Avenue AP Gill summarized the Staff Report, recommending approval with the conditions attached. He called attention to an error in the third paragraph of page 3 of the Staff Report – the first sentence of that paragraph should be deleted. Jeff, a representative for DaRosa and Associates, answered questions for the applicant from the Commission as follows: Chair Parsons opened the Public Hearing. No one came forward to speak. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Frautschi, to close the Public Hearing. Motion passed 5/0 by a show of hands. Vice Chair Horton suggested that she would have added a half bath. Commissioner Mercer would have fixed the front door. She is pleased that the owner is not attempting to go to two stories - she believes it is a very moderate, reasonable and unobtrusive addition. Commissioner Frautschi noted that a 50-year-old house could have used more remodeling, the landscaping looks tired, and that they could have chosen a better time for the neighborhood outreach meeting. Commissioner Mayer had many of the same feelings but since the house is so unobtrusive he was not concerned about the landscaping. Commissioner Mercer suggested that, because it is a narrow street, a condition be added to specify that a dumpster not be located on the street. Chair Parsons responded that for a short period of time they could get an encroachment permit to put it across the street. MOTION: By Vice Chair Horton, seconded by Commissioner Mayer, to adopt the Resolution approving a Single-Family Design Review at 2311 Casa Bona (Appl. No. 2008-0064). Ayes: Horton, Mayer, Mercer, Frautschi, Parsons Motion Passed 5/0/2 Chair Parsons announced that this item can be appealed to the City Council within 10 calendar days. 7. OLD BUSINESS 7A. COMMISSION BALLOT / PRIORITY CALENDAR STEP II – SPRING 2009 Commissioner Frautschi made the following suggestions: • The General Plan could become a mechanism to generate revenue. San Francisco produced a small book “A Vision of Place – A Guide to San Francisco General Plan,” copies of which are sold for $16.00. 8. REPORTS, STUDIES AND UPDATES: 8E. San Mateo Development – North Road/43rd Avenue 8A. Motel 6 – 1101 Shoreway Road 8B. NDNU (Koret) Athletic Field 8C. Charles Armstrong School – 1405 Solana Drive 8D. Ralston/US-101 Landscape Project 8F. 900 Sixth Avenue – Belmont Vista Facility 8G. Caltrain Landscape Area 8I. Parking Study – Downtown Village Areas Other Items Graffiti visible from O’Neill will be referred to Police Department. Mark Nolfi is in touch with the party responsible for the piles of dirt on Ralston. Chair Parsons asked who had picked the new light standards that have been installed in the Chula Vista neighborhood. The Commission had been in the process of choosing light standards for main thoroughfares and other streets and now suddenly lights are being installed that nobody has seen. The Commission had wanted a more pedestrian residential look to the neighborhoods. Announcements: The Commission Appreciation Dinner is February 27th at the Iron Gate. The Commission’s T-Mobile Wireless Communications decision has been called up by two council members and will be on the February 24th Council agenda. If the call-up receives a majority vote, a Public Hearing will be held at the March 10th Council meeting. Interviews for prospective Commissioners have been scheduled. CDD de Melo reminded Commissioners to check their Belmont.gov email accounts regularly and to keep up with their AB1234 ethics requirement. Priority Calendar votes as tallied by CA Zafferano were announced, with Item F, Garage Parking Standards, being the top vote-getter. By consensus, it was agreed that Items I and M will be combined. Results will be forwarded to City Manager’s office. The first Council meeting to discuss this topic will be on March10th. 8. CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2009 9. ADJOURNMENT: ________________________ CD’s of Planning Commission Meetings are available in the
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