Discussion to continue on planned one and two story 46 unit complex
The City of Porterville’s Project Review Committee (PRC) discussed on Sept. 27 the proposal of a 46-unit, one- and two-story apartment complex located north of Henderson Avenue, east of North G Street on Sequoia Circle.
The city’s PRC provides developers and applicants with a preliminary meeting to evaluate proposed projects. The PRC consists of the zoning administrator, city planner, city engineer, chief building official and fire chief or their designees.
In order for construction on the apartment project to begin, Jenni Byers, the city’s community development director, said there needs to be a zone change from CG (General and Service Construction) to RM-3 (High Density Residential). Not only that, but Byers said there would also need to be an amendment to the city’s General Plan, which currently has the area designated as RM-2 (Medium Density Residential).
One of the incentives to conforming with the current RM-2 designation, Byers said, is that the agent of the project, Sunny Basra, wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of hiring someone to identify the significant environmental impacts of constructing the apartment complex and to avoid or mitigate those impacts, which would be required to be in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
“If we go to RM-2, that’s where we have a CEQA exemption because CEQA has a specific exemption for conformance with the General Plan,” Byers said.
Byers said the major downside if Basra were to alter his apartment project to meet the area’s current RM-2 designation is that he would have to reduce the number of units.
Byers noted, however, that Basra could keep his 46-unit apartment complex as is if he reserves a couple of the units for affordable housing in perpetuity.
“We’ve done it once,” Byers said, adding, “The affordable allows the same density as a RM3.”
Byers noted that another reason Basra may want to consider designating some of the units for affordable housing is because with his current apartment complex project he is 13 parking spaces shy of meeting the parking standard.
“One of the things you can also get in the affordable housing bonus is you can deduct parking stalls,” Byers said.
Byers noted that because California is facing a housing crisis, new laws are being formed, and believes that one of them may include language that would enable him to bypass CEQA.
“I think there’s eight laws going into effect January 1, 2018 just on housing,” Byers said.
Basra replied, “That is something we can work with.”
If new laws allow Basra to move forward with the RM-3 and the density as is without having to do an affordable housing density bonus, Byers said there is an option for him to do a minor conditional use permit for a parking reduction.
“You may be able to make the argument based on transit and based on the future trail, among other arguments,” Byers said, adding, “That is usually the argument we make with minor conditional use permits is that it could be served by that.”
Additionally, Byers said whenever a residential development is adjacent to a commercial development, block walls are required to separate the commercial use, which, in this case, would be along Olive Avenue. She noted that a wood fence would be acceptable everywhere else.
In terms of the city’s development ordinance, Byers said Basra’s apartment complex will have to have a residential character orientation towards the street.
“The way the code is, developments shall relate directly to the adjacent street and present a pedestrian-scaled entry with the residential character,” Byers said, adding, “It needs to look like a neighborhood and have that residential character.”
Byers said the same goes for landscaping.
“We may be asking for walkways to connect the units directly to the street from the front door or something that comes down because you are not going to want to do all grass,” she said.
Project Developer Mark Hillman said his plans are conceptual at this time.
“Grass is too expensive nowadays, so we are not sure what we are going to do with it yet, but it will be drought tolerant for sure,” Hillman said.
On the law enforcement side, Lt. Richard Standridge with the Porterville Police Department said he would recommend that Basra and Hillman have additional lighting in the parking lots. He said adding surveillance cameras wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
“That’s not a definite, that is up to you, but definite lighting,” Standridge said, adding
that additional lighting has curbed vandalism in the parking lots of other apartment buildings in the city.
In addition to a number of other potential modifications to satisfy the city’s fire department’s requirements, Battalion Chief Mitch Sandoval said one thing that will definitely be required in the apartment’s two-story units is a residential sprinkler design standard focused on low-rise residential occupancies, also known as National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13R.
The NFPA states that the standard’s intent is to provide a sprinkler system that aids in the control of residential fires and provides improved protection against injury and life loss in multifamily dwellings.
For the single-story units, Sandoval said a residential sprinkler design standard focused on one- and two-family dwellings and manufactured homes, also known as NFPA 13D, will be required.
According to the NFPA, the intent of the NFPA 13D is to provide an affordable sprinkler system in homes while maintaining a high level of life safety.
Sandoval noted that there will also need to be fire hydrants in the complex.
Javier Sanchez with the city’s engineering department said Basra and Hillman would also need to fill in the existing basin and install storm drain pipes down Sequoia and G. Street. He added that a certain percentage of runoff has to be contained on site, which he said can be accomplished through swales.
“It is through the state’s MS4 requirements and dealing with water quality,” Sanchez said. “One of those mandates, a few years back, is that the amount of runoff be reduced.”
In addition, Byers said Basra and Hillman will also have to go before city council and have a public hearing regarding their apartment complex proposal.
“We have a long process,” Basra said.