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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 8266 City of Palo Alto (ID # 8266) City Council Staff Report Report Type: Consent Calendar Meeting Date: 6/27/2017 City of Palo Alto Page 1 Summary Title: 305 N. California Avenue: New Mozart School of Music CUP Hearing Request Title: QUASI-JUDICIAL. 305 N. California Avenue [17PLN-00015]: Request for a Hearing on the Director's Tentative Denial of a Conditional Use Permit for Operation of the New Mozart School of Music at an Existing Church Facility. Environmental Assessment: In Accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15270 CEQA Does Not Apply to Projects Which A Public Agency Disapproves. Zoning District: R-1 (10,000) From: City Manager Lead Department: Planning and Community Environment Recommendation: Staff recommends that the City Council deny the request for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for operation of the New Mozart School of Music at 305 N California Avenue based on the findings set forth in the Record of Land Use Action included in Attachment B. Executive Summary On January 10, 2017, New Mozart School of Music filed an application for a CUP to establish an independent music school for private and small group lessons, Monday through Saturday within an existing church building. This application was filed in response to a notice of violation and pending code enforcement case related to the establishment of the use without required permits. At the time the notice of violation was issued, staff believed a CUP application was a path forward for the applicant to seek approval of a music school at this location. Application processing, however, was delayed and the CUP ultimately denied because of a lack of information provided by the applicant to fully analyze the request. This denial was memorialized in the Director’s decision letter (Attachment C). City of Palo Alto Page 2 Subsequently, the applicant filed a request for hearing before the PTC, which was considered on June 14, 2017. When preparing the PTC report, staff realized the CUP was not an appropriate application to file because the proposed music school is properly considered a personal service use, which is not a permitted or conditionally permitted use in the residential district. While private educational facilities generally are conditionally permitted, this use does not meet the academic standard required to be considered a private educational facility, as defined in the zoning code. Based on the foregoing, the PTC was unable to approve the CUP and forwards a recommendation of denial to the City Council (Attachment B). Similarly, the City Council, based on current municipal regulations, is unable to approve this land use and the CUP request must be denied unless there is first a change to the City’s zoning ordinance. Code enforcement has been stayed pending resolution of this CUP application. As staff has now determined that the CUP is no longer an appropriate application type to remedy the documented violations, staff will resume its code enforcement authority to abate this use. Background The subject property is developed with a church that was established in 1948. At the time the church was established, religious institutions were a permitted use in the single-family residential zone. However, in 1951, in accordance with the adoption of Ordinance No. 1324, a more extensive zoning ordinance identified church uses as conditionally permitted uses in the single-family residential zone. Therefore, the church use at this property is considered a legal nonconforming use. The City of Palo Alto Code Enforcement Division received a complaint that the New Mozart School of Music was operating at the subject property without approval of a CUP. This complaint was substantiated and on February 22, 2016, the city issued a Notice of Violation requiring the music school cease operation or obtain the required approvals to allow the use. On December 16, 2016, a second Notice of Violation was issued. A CUP application was submitted the following month. Inspection of the property indicates there may be other unpermitted land uses taking place on the property. Follow up action on these uses and a Notice of Violation was prepared and issued to the property owner on June 1, 2017. The proposed use of the site in the subject application includes one room as an office, eight rooms for private (one-on-one lessons) and one room for group lessons of up to 10 students. Lessons would be available from noon to 9 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 5 pm on Saturdays with most lessons on weekdays beginning after 2 pm. The Applicant’s project description is included in Attachment E and the project plans are included in Attachment F. The request for a City of Palo Alto Page 3 Conditional Use Permit was tentatively denied by the Director of Planning and Community Environment on April 26, 2017. Following issuance of the tentative denial and in preparing the Planning and Transportation Commission report, staff re-evaluated a basic premise of this application. While private educational facilities are conditionally permitted in the R-1 district, the subject land use does not meet this definition and instead is more appropriately defined as a personal service, which is not a permitted or conditionally permitted land use in the district. Therefore, approval of the CUP would be a violation of the municipal code and cannot be approved. The Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) held a public hearing on June 14, 2017 in response to the applicant’s request for a hearing. The PTC recommended denial of the project based on the findings included in the attached Record of Land Use Action (Attachment B) as well as public testimony received. Discussion The New Mozart School of Music is a personal service use in accordance with PAMC 18.04.030 (114)(G), which states that personal service uses include “music studios intended for an individual or small group of persons in a class.” Personal service uses are not an allowed use in the R-1 (10,000) zoning district in accordance with PAMC 18.12.030. Locating the subject personal service use at the church would therefore not be permissible. This information came to staff’s attention in preparing the staff report for the PTC hearing; however, the Director tentatively denied the request for a CUP based on the conclusion that the findings for approval of a CUP could not be made in the affirmative for other reasons, as discussed further below. PAMC 18.76.010, Conditional Use Permit, outlines the findings for the granting of approval of a Conditional Use Permit. To approve the project, the following findings must be made. Failure to make any one of the findings requires denial of the project. (1) The granting of the application will not be detrimental or injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity, and will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, general welfare, or convenience; (2) The project will be located and conducted in a manner in accord with the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan and the purposes of this title (Zoning). With respect to the above findings, both staff and the PTC found that the proposed use did not met the zoning code and that continued operation of the subject facility would be detrimental to the general welfare. Inspection of the premises and a quick online search reveals several different land uses at the site, some appear church-related, others do not. Staff has repeatedly asked for a breakdown of the existing land uses and ancillary church uses operating at the City of Palo Alto Page 4 subject property to evaluate parking compliance and compliance with other code provisions. The burden for providing this information rests with the applicant. This information remains outstanding today and prevents the city from effectively determining whether there is sufficient parking to accommodate the range of land uses onsite. As noted, however, because personal service uses are not permitted or conditionally permitted in the R-1 zone, staff would be unable to make the required findings regardless of the information provided by the applicant. Moreover, the city has received correspondence from area residents documenting negative impacts to the general welfare related to the subject school and perhaps other non-church related activities or uses.1 Without the benefit of receiving the requested information, staff is unable to adequately analyze whether the subject application or other uses are creating this neighborhood impact. The applicant has provided a letter to the city that expresses a perspective different from those documented in the Director’s denial letter. The applicant’s perspective is summarized below:  The project is not detrimental or injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity and is not detrimental to the public health, safety, general welfare or convenience.  There has never been an issue with parking as most of the students are dropped off and picked up and also notes that traffic has never been an issue. The applicant states that it is only aware of one comment that has been received opposing the ongoing operation of the New Mozart School of Music.  The applicant suggests that the New Mozart School of Music offers a significant benefit to the community as it offers after school music education to young students.  Other illegal uses of the site are not relevant to this application and should not be the basis for its denial. While staff recognizes that the music school’s personal service use is likely beneficial to those that attend, their families and the community at large, the grounds for approving the CUP are based on other factors including whether the use is detrimental to the neighborhood and in compliance with the comprehensive plan and zoning code. As previously noted, the applicant failed to provide sufficient information to document those findings and the proposed use is not permitted in the R-1 zone. Environmental Review The subject project has been assessed in accordance with the authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State CEQA Guidelines, and the 1 Separate and apart from the music school, the city’s code enforcement division is following up with the property owner to remedy the other outstanding issues at this location. City of Palo Alto Page 5 environmental regulations of the City. In accordance with Guideline Section 15270 CEQA does not apply to projects for which a public agency rejects or disapproves. Because the request for a CUP was denied, CEQA did not apply. To approve the project, additional analysis in accordance with CEQA would be required. Attachments: Attachment A: Location Map (PDF) Attachment B: Draft Record of Land Use Action (DOCX) Attachment C: CUP Tentative Denial Letter (PDF) Attachment D: Applicant's Request for Hearing (PDF) Attachment E: Project Description (PDF) Attachment F: Project Plans (DOCX) 63.7' 105.4' 81.0' 89.1' 24.8' 70.2' 105.0' 60.5' 105.4' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 80.0' 105.0' 80.0' 105.0' 50.0' 105.0' 50.0' 105.0' 71.5' 105.0' 49.0' 22.3' 91.6' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 69.3' 130.0' 50.9' 18.4' 105.2' 67.0' 142.3' 68.1' 130.0' 150.0' 67.5' 142.3' 24 51.6' 150 103.9' 105.0' 81.4' 22.3' 91.6' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 90.1' 93.9' 90.0' 98.3' 60.4' 98.3' 60.0' 105.4' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 60.0' 105.0' 64.0' 95.1' 64.0' 93.9' 64.0' 95.1' 96.2' 105.4' 103.9' 107.8' 28.3' 121.7' 50.2' 125.9' 50.0' 125.9' 50.2' 130.0' 50.0' 130.0' 50.2' 134.2' 50.0' 134.2' 64.2' 139.5' 64.0' 111.4' 9.1' 59.4' 121.7' 88.3' 82.0' 141.0' 82.0' 141.0' 82.0' 106.5' 82.0' 106.5' 278.9' 105.3' 278.9' 105.3' 21.2' 60.8' 60.2' 7.3'127.3' 60.2' 132.3' 10.0' 60.0' 144.0' 122.3' 60.2' 127.3' 60.0' 70.3' 135.4' 28.7' 64.2' 136.4' 67.0' 136.4' 67.7' 127.0' 67.0' 127.0' 67.1' 123.1'123.1' 51.3' 24.3' 109.0' 122.8' 108.8'122.5' 115.6' 133.3' 128.3' 60.2' 133.3' 60.2' 60.2' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 50.0' 112.5' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 50.0' 45.0' 11050 60.0' 105.0' 150.0' 100.0' 150.0' 100.0' 50.0' 200.0' 50.0' 200.0' 50.0' 200.0' 50.0' 200.0' 75.0' 150.0' 75.0' 150.0' 75.0' 150.0' 75.0' 150.0' 150.0' 50.0' 150.0' 50.0' 200.0' 50.0' 200.0' 50.0' 200.0' 50.0' 200.0' 50.0' 150.0' 50.0' 150.0' 50.0' 150.0' 50.0' 150.0' 50.0' 100.0' 50.0' 100.0' 50.0' 100.0' 50.0' 0.0' 0.0' 100.0' 150.0' 50.0' 150.0' 50.0' 150.0' 50.0' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 56.7' 112.9' 66.7' 112.5' 50.0' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5'42.3' 112.9' 52.3' 112.5' 107.5' 94.0'99.1' 94.4' 99.1' 18.5'12.0' 37.5' 82.1' 56.2' 82.1' 75.0'75.5' 75.3' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' 62.0' 112.5' 62.0' 112.5' 139.4' 247.5' 139.4' 247.5' 57.5' 247.5' 57.5' 247.5' 139.5' 248.4' 160.0' 247.5' 170.5' 139.6' 138.6 89.0' 132.8' 85.5' 108.2' 40.7'16.6' 108.2' 85.5' 54.0' 139.5' 142.9' 139.6' 80.0' 139.6' 80.0' 139.5' 101.5'139.5' 101.5' 209.6' 97.5' 70.0' 22.5' 139.6' 120.0' 139.6' 127.5' 139.6' 127.5' 70.0' 150.0' 70.0' 150.0' 69.5' 247.5' 69.5' 247.5' 140.8' 82.4' 139.5' 65.1' 139.5' 64.0' 139.5' 64.0' 50.0' 847.8' 50.0' 147.8' 167.8' 50.0' 167.8' 6.1' 139.5' 6.1' 139.5' 91.0' 9 61.0' 56.7' 112.9' 66.7' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 60.0' 112.5' 73.0' 56.3'68.0' 56.5' 68.0' 28.8' 7.1' 27.5' 110.0' 56.5' 27.5' 109.7' 84.0' 51.3' 45.3'47.3' 45.5' 50.3' 41.3'466 41.5' 45.3' 8.2' 45.3'43.0' 45.3'43.0' 45.3' 3'40 92.3' 82.1' 52.3' 60.2' 60.4' 52.5' 87.4'87.4' 112.5' 50.0' 112.5' SANTA RITA AVENU E W ASHIN GTO N AVENUE B RYANT STREET W AVERLEY OAKS (PVT) NORTH CALIFORNIA AVENUE NORTH CALIFORNIA AVENUE WA VERLEY STREET SO UTH C OURT R BRYA NT STREET NORTH CALIFORNIA AVE N UE This map is a product of the City of Palo Alto GIS This document is a graphic representation only of best available sources. Legend Staff-Coverage Districts, Project Review Special Setback Near Creek (SCVWD) abc Known Structures Tree (TR) Zone Districts abc Zone District Notes Curb Edge abc Dimensions (AP) Water Feature Railroad abc Zone District Labels 0' 145' 305 N California CITY O F PALO A L TO I N C O R P O R ATE D C ALIFOR N IA P a l o A l t oT h e C i t y o f A P RIL 16 1894 The City of Palo Alto assumes no responsibility for any errors ©1989 to 2016 City of Palo Alto chodgki, 2017-05-31 15:14:41 (\\cc-maps\gis$\gis\admin\Personal\Planning.mdb) Attachment B APPROVAL NO. _______ RECORD OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO LAND USE ACTION FOR 305 N CALIFORNIA AVENUE: CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT [FILE NO. 17PLN-00015] On ______, 2017, the City Council upheld the Planning and Transportation Commission’s recommendation to deny the applicant’s request for approval of a Conditional Use Permit to allow for operation of the New Mozart School of Music Monday through Saturday at the First Baptist Church located at 305 N California Avenue, making the following findings, determination and declarations: SECTION 1. BACKGROUND. The City Council of the City of Palo Alto (“City Council”) finds, determines, and declares as follows: A. On January 10, 2017, The New Mozart School of Music applied for a Conditional Use Permit to allow for operation of the music school at the existing First Baptist Church Monday through Saturday. B. The proposed use is defined as a personal service land use in accordance with PAMC Section 18.04.030 (114)(G). This land use is not identified as a permitted or conditionally permitted land use in the R-1 zoning district in accordance with PAMC Section 18.12.030. C. Following staff review, the Director of Planning considered and proposed denial of the Conditional Use Permit application on April 26, 2017. D. Following a timely request for hearing received on May 9, 2017 the Planning and Transportation Commission (Commission) reviewed the project and recommended denial of the project to City Council. E. On_______, 2017, the City Council reviewed the request. After hearing public testimony, the Council voted to deny the project. SECTION 2. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. The subject project has been assessed in accordance with the authority and criteria contained in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State CEQA Guidelines, and the environmental regulations of the City. In accordance with Guideline Section 15270 CEQA does not apply to projects for which a public agency rejects or disapproves. Because the request for a CUP was denied, CEQA did not apply. SECTION 3. CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FINDINGS. The proposed use does not comply with the Findings for a Conditional Use Permit as required in Chapter 18.76.010 of the PAMC. Finding #1: The granting of the application will not be detrimental or injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity, and will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, general welfare, or convenience. This finding cannot be made in the affirmative. The request for a conditional use permit for the proposed personal service land use (music studio for individual or group lessons) is not a permitted or conditionally permitted land use in the subject R-1 (10,000) Zone District. There is no procedure that exists in the municipal code as presently codified that would allow a CUP to be granted authorizing the proposed use in contravention to the municipal code regulations. Allowing an unpermitted and illegal land use to continue operation has the immediate effect of being detrimental and injurious to property and improvements in the vicinity and is detrimental to the public health, safety and general welfare. The R-1 single family residential district is intended to create, preserve, and enhance areas suitable for detached dwellings with a strong presence of nature and with open area affording maximum privacy and opportunities for outdoor living and children's play. Establishing the proposed land use concentrates a commercial activity and its associated deleterious impacts into a residential neighborhood and nearby deprives owners and occupants from the quiet enjoyment expected from a residential zoning district. Finding #2: The project will be located and conducted in a manner in accord with the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan and the purposes of this title (Zoning). This finding cannot be made in the affirmative. The subject property is zoned R-1 (10,000) and the Comprehensive Plan land use designation is Single Family Residential. Surrounding uses are single-family residential. Personal service use is not a permissible use in the R-1(10,000) Zone District. Therefore the project is not consistent with Title 18 of the municipal code. SECTION 4. VOTE. The requisite findings described in PAMC 18.52(c)(2) for approval of a conditional use permit cannot be made for the proposed project. This decision is effective immediately upon adoption. PASSED: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: City Clerk Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: APPROVED: __________________________ ____________________________ Senior Assistant City Attorney Director of Planning and Community Environment Law Offices Of Peter N. Brewer Telephone 2501 park blvd., 2nd fl. Fax (650) 327-2900 Palo Alto, California 94306 (650) 327-5959 www.BrewerFirm.com May 9, 2017 Claire Hodgkins Associate Planner City of Palo Alto 250 Hamilton Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301 Re: 305 N. California – Mozart School of Music – Request for Hearing Pursuant to PAMC Section 18.77.070(b(4) Dear Ms. Hodgkins: As per your email we are submitting this letter on behalf of our client, the Mozart School of Music, to request a hearing / appeal your denial of our Conditional Use Permit application. The basis for our appeal is that the application is not detrimental or injurious to property or improvements in the vicinity and is not detrimental to the public health, safety, general welfare or convenience. The Mozart School of Music is operated out of some of the classrooms currently existing at the First Baptist Church located at 305 N. California, Palo Alto, California. The school primarily offers after-school music lessons to Palo Alto children. The school uses ten classrooms at First Baptist. One is used as the office. Nine are music lesson rooms. Eight of the nine are for private lessons and one is used for group classes. At any given time there is at most one student and one teacher in the private classroom. Thus, at maximum capacity, there are 16 people in the building for private lessons including teachers and students. In group classes, there is a maximum capacity is 10 students. Number of classes the school offers vary every semester. This session the school has fifteen group classes with between four and ten students in each class. These group classes meet only one at a time as there is only one group classroom. Lessons are available from noon to 9 pm during weekdays and 9 am to 5 pm on Saturdays. The school is closed on Sundays. Though lessons are available from 12 pm, since the school caters to children, lessons mostly occur starting around 2 pm. In addition, not all rooms are used all at the same time. May 9, 2017 Page 2 Normally, we have less than 20 people on site at any one time, but the maximum would be 26 and only when each private lesson and a full group lesson are all occurring at the same time. That is very rare. There has never been an issue with parking as most of the students are dropped off and picked up. Traffic has also never been an issue. The Mozart School of Music offers a significant benefit to the community as it offers after school music education to young students, most of whom live in Palo Alto. The school is not detrimental to public health, safety, general welfare or convenience. The school has received only one neighbor complaint relating to its operation and that was a complaint about placement of the trash containers for collection and the school complied with that request. The school is unaware of any other complaints from any other neighbors that would suggest that the operation is detrimental to public health, safety, general welfare or convenience. The school is located within the First Baptist Church which is located in a residential zone. Private Educational Facilities are allowed to operate in and R-1 district with a Conditional Use Permit. Palo Alto Municipal Code §18.12.030. Allowing the school to continue to operate is consistent with the Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan and Title 18 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code as the school serves its own and additional residential neighborhoods by offering music education to students in Palo Alto in a way that is not disruptive of the residential nature of the neighborhood and actual enhances the neighborhood by provided needed services. The only potentially problematic issue is parking. As noted in the initial application, the School is and always has been willing to consent to any reasonable parking restrictions or to limiting the number of concurrent students it services to comply with the City’s parking regulations. The space leased by the school occupies a total of 1,712 square feet. Currently there are 11 parking spots on the property. Based on the square footage of the leased space, 11 parking spots are sufficient and more than meet current standards. Current standards are 1 space per 200 square feet, leaving two additional unused spaces. There is little if any concurrent usage during weekday school hours. The concurrent uses were addressed in an attachment to the initial application. The School is and was amenable to limiting the number of students on site during concurrent uses such that parking regulations are not violated. The school submitted sufficient information with the application, including sketches of the interior of the building and the parking, as requested by Planning Staff. Thereafter Planning Staff requested additional drawings to scale which were also prepared and submitted showing the potential for additional parking. As part of the submittal, the school provided a list of all known concurrent uses and demonstrated that parking was sufficient during most operating hours and expressed a willingness to agree to further restrictions during hours when parking was not sufficient. The May 9, 2017 Page 3 school also offered to reduce its overall classroom space if that would bring the school into compliance with the parking restrictions. It appears that all of this evidence and all of these offers were ignored, or at least not pursued by Planning Staff. Other illegal uses of the site are not relevant to this application and should not be the basis for its denial. The City has within its power to order that all other non-conforming uses be stopped and instead of exercising that power has erroneously punished the school when the school is trying to bring itself into compliance. There have been relatively minimal complaints over the long history of the school operation and the school serves a unique and valued service to the community. If the parking issues are non-compliant due to illegal uses by third parties, then the City should address those issues rather than penalize the school. There is, based on the forgoing, good cause for an appeal / hearing on this matter. Very truly yours, Charles S. Bronitsky CSB: CONCURRENT USE The total square footage used by the New Mozart School of Music is 1,712. At the requisite one parking space per 200 square feet, the total parking required is 9 spaces. There are 11 spaces onsite for parking. Concurrent use is generally not in conflict with the operation of the school. In instances where there is a conflict, the School will modify its schedule to avoid conflict so that it is not in violation of the parking requirement. The specific concurrent uses are as follows: Sunday Worship – 10am Sundays The School is closed on Sundays Sunday School – 10am Sundays The School is closed on Sundays After Church Coffee – 11am Sundays The School is closed on Sundays Adult Forum – 11:15am Sundays The School is closed on Sundays Faith Zone – 4:30 – 6:30 Thursdays The 2 extra spaces are adequate to address the additional parking needs of the Faith Zone Choir – 7:30 Thursdays The School will not hold group classes on Thursdays after 7:30 once current classes are concluded Open for Prayer and Meditation 11am – 1pm Monday – Friday The School commences instruction between 2pm and 3:30 pm on weekdays so there is no conflict Attachment F Project Plans Hardcopies of project plans are provided to Councilmembers. These plans are available to the public online and by visiting the Planning and Community Environmental Department on the 5th floor of City Hall at 250 Hamilton Avenue. Directions to review Project plans online: 1. Go to: https://paloalto.buildingeye.com/planning 2. Search for “305 California”; scan to Bryant and California Avenue and open record by clicking on the green dot 3. Review the record details and open the “more details” option 4. Use the “Records Info” drop down menu and select “Attachments” 5. Open the attachment named “2017-0417 Final Submitted Plans”