Placerville, a Unique Historical Past Forging into a Golden Future City of Placerville Planning Commission REPORT ITEM 7 MEETING DATE: September 1, 2015 APPLICATION NO: 225 Placerville Drive Site Plan Review (SPR) 2014-06 - Sierra Central Credit Union PREPARED BY: Andrew Painter, City Planner REQUEST DESCRIPTION: The Sierra Central Credit Union requests Planning Commission approval of final landscaping and irrigation plans for the new, approximately 4,000 square-foot financial services commercial building, to be built at 225 Placerville Drive. The site is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Green Valley Road and Placerville Drive in western Placerville. Assessor Parcel Number for the site: 325-120-47. Should the final landscape and irrigation plans for the project be approved, it would complete the requirements of Condition No. 35 of the approved SPR 2014-06. Proposed planting and irrigation plans are provided as Exhibit A. ENTITLEMENT BACKGROUND - SPR 2014-06: On March 3, 2015 the Planning Commission conditionally approved SPR 2014-06 for the demolition of an existing two-story, 7,000 square-foot commercial, and the grading, construction, drainage improvements, onsite parking and street frontage improvements for the new 4,000 square foot building. For context, approved building elevations are provided as Exhibit B. Post-approval of SPR 2014-06, applicant representatives informed staff of their intention to not construct a free-standing ground sign or landscaping within the City right-of-way along Placerville Drive. This area is adjacent to and southeasterly of the site, bordered by Placerville Drive to the southeast, Green Valley Road to the southwest and Easy Street to the west. See Exhibit C. Proposed landscaping would be located entirely within the Sierra Central Credit Union site. ZONING ORDINANCE CONSISTENCY ANALYSIS: Zoning Ordinance 10-4-9 (G) Criteria, addresses landscape and site treatment for a Site Plan Review request. The following criteria appear the most relevant to the site and the request. (G)3(e): Plant material shall be selected for interest in its structure, texture, and color, and for its ultimate growth. 1
(G)3(n): All vegetation and landscaping shall be maintained free of physical damage or injury A landscape maintenance agreement between the City and the property owner shall be required to ensure the ongoing maintenance of landscaping. Staff finds the request is consistent with the above criteria. Landscape design incorporates a combination of native and non-native trees and shrubs, with approximately fifty percent (50%) of which are listed as native on the City of Placerville Development Guide Plant List. The majority of proposed trees would be placed along the westerly property boundary that is expected to provide shade opportunities for the rear parking lot. Shrubs and groundcovers would introduce color and visual interest throughout the year. The project s plant schedule and planting plan appears harmonious with the architecture and layout of the new facility. Upon approval of the final landscape and irrigation plans, Condition No. 36 of SPR 2014-06 requires the Sierra Central Credit Union to enter into a Landscape Maintenance Agreement with the City prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy (facility completion) for site improvements. CITY OF PLACERVILLE DEVELOPMENT GUIDE CONSISTENCY ANALYSIS: The Development Guide contains landscape design guidelines (Section VI), irrigation system design (Section X) and landscape maintenance guidelines (Section XI) for development projects. Of these, the following appear most relevant to the request and site. Section VI: Landscape Design Guidelines A. General Requirements 4. All trees shall be placed as to respect visibility clearances at driveways and intersections, and shall be placed as not to inhibit the light pattern of electroliers. 5. All street trees must be from a minimum fifteen (15) gallon container size or equal. Larger plant materials such as 24" or 36 box trees are strongly encouraged. 7. A screening element of 30"-36" in height shall be provided adjacent all street rights-of-way, except in the lower Main Street historic area. This screen shall be achieved through the use of shrubbery, berming and walls which complement the site's architecture. A combination of these elements is acceptable. 8. Recommended planting methods and standard installation details are found in Appendix 'B' of this Development Guide. Proposed tree plantings along the project site s boundary facing Placerville Drive would be setback from the encroachment intersection with Placerville Drive to not impact vehicle driver sight distance, or the light pattern of facility exterior light fixtures. In addition, existing overhead utility lines run along this property boundary. Per the Urban Forests Ecosystems Institute s Select Tree website, the Norway maple is a utility friendly tree and therefore should not impact 2
the overhead utilities. Norway maple trees would be planted along Easy Street also. All installed size would be 15 gallon. Guidelines would be met. Vegetative planting along Easy Street frontage and the boundary facing Placerville Drive, consisting of a combination of ornamental grasses and shrubs, would provide an inviting transition between the street, the facility parking area, and the facility, meeting the guidelines. Proposed planting installation section details involving rootball depth, tree staking and tree guying meet or exceed the installation detail within Appendix B of the Development Guide. H. Water-Conserving Landscapes 4. Plants with similar water use requirements should be grouped together into 'hydrozones' to maximize efficiency of irrigation. 5. Plants selected should be well-suited to the Placerville environment, with special attention and emphasis given to native, drought tolerant and fire resistant species. Refer to the lists of plant materials in Appendix 'A' of this document for additional information. Per the applicant s Plant List and Legend, proposed landscaping includes low and moderate water use plants. Approximately fifty percent (50%) of the total quantity of trees and shrubs proposed are listed as native on the Appendix A Plant List. This percentage exceeds the thirtyfive percent (35%) minimum native percentage submittal requirements by fifteen percent (15%) under Section XIV: Project Review Process of the Development Guide. The proposed landscaping meets the above guidelines. Section X: Irrigation System Design 1. All landscape irrigation systems shall be designed by a California Registered Landscape Architect in association with a Certified Irrigation Designer or other qualified professional. 2. All landscape areas shall be irrigated with an automatically controlled underground irrigation system. Details illustrating typical installations are found in Appendix B of this Development Guide. 4. To protect the system from damage in freezing weather, winterize all above-ground equipment with insulation and/or enclosures and provide anti-drain valves at the lowest elevations in the system. 5. Irrigation systems shall be valved separately, relating to specific hydrozones determined by the proposed or existing plant communities, solar orientation and exposure, slope conditions and soil properties. Control valves shall operate systems of like conditions and water demands. 3
6. Backflow prevention devices must be installed in accordance with all local codes and ordinances. They shall be located in shrub planting areas and screened from view by means of plant materials. 8. Low precipitation spray heads, low precipitation rotors or impact heads, micro-irrigation equipment and/or pressure compensating bubblers shall be used. 9. The use of micro-irrigation systems and moisture sensing equipment is encouraged. 10. All irrigation systems shall be designed to prevent overspray onto walks, walls, streets, and other non-landscaped areas. 11. No irrigation heads shall be installed on fixed risers adjacent to streets, walks or other paved areas. All irrigation heads in high pedestrian or vehicular traffic areas shall be pop-up models only. 12. All irrigation systems shall be designed to allow a complete watering cycle within an eight (8) hour period. Watering cycles shall be completed between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. 13. Automatic controllers should include a minimum fourteen (14) day calendar, two (2) independent programs, and three (3) cycles per day capabilities. All systems shall be capable of manual or automatic shut-off during periods of rain. 14. A watering schedule shall be submitted with the landscape plans which includes run time, days of operation and frequency of irrigation for each valve in each of the four seasons. These schedules are provided as general guidelines only. It is the responsibility of the on-site water manager to determine optimum run times. It is in the best interest of the property owner and/or tenant to maintain an efficient system, in accordance with the requirements of the City s landscape maintenance agreement. A backflow prevention device would be placed within the planter nearest the northeast corner of the site. This device would be screened by shrubs, grasses and other plants. The proposed landscape and irrigation plans have been prepared by a licensed architect for the Sierra Central Credit Union. An automatically controlled drip irrigation system would be installed. Relevant guidelines would be met. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The Planning Commission found that the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per CEQA Guidelines per Sections 15302, Replacement and Reconstruction, in that Section 15302 exempts the replacement or reconstruction of an existing structure, where the new structure will have substantially the same purpose and capacity as the structure being replaced. Landscaping and irrigation are components of the replacement and reconstruction and therefore by extension is covered under the CEQA exemption. No action is necessary by the Commission. 4
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Planning Commission: I. Make the following finding: Find the request is consistent with the 10-4-9 of the Zoning Ordinance and the Development Guide, as analyzed in staff s September 1, 2015 report. II. Approve the landscape and irrigation plans for the SPR 2014-06 project, dated 6/22/15 and prepared by Kevin C. Leamy, Registered Landscape Architect. EXHIBITS A. Proposed planting and irrigation plans; B. Approved SPR 2014-06 Building Elevations; and C. Aerial exhibit Easy Street, Green Valley Road and Placerville Drive 5
Exhibit A Proposed Planting and Irrigation Plans
Exhibit B Approved SPR 2014-06 Building Elevations
Exhibit C Aerial Exhibit Easy Street, Green Valley Road and Placerville Drive 225 Placerville Dr. SPR 2014-06 Project Site City Owned Placerville Drive Right-of-Way