Planning Commission Study Session: Ellis Ave. Condos Project Review - May 14, 2019
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Planning Commission Study Session: Ellis Ave. Condos Project Review - May 14, 2019
The Huntington Beach Planning Commission held a study session on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at 5:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting focused on a preliminary review of Tentative Tract Map No. 18157 and Conditional Use Permit No. 17-042 for the Ellis Avenue Condos project located at 8041 Ellis Avenue. The regular meeting portion scheduled for 6:00 PM was cancelled. No public hearing was held and no formal action was taken on the project.
Consent Calendar
- Agenda Approval: The meeting agenda was approved unanimously by a voice vote (Commissioners: Garcia, Kalmick, Grant, Perkins, Mandic, Ray, Scandura). No other consent items were considered.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public signed up to speak during the study session or public comment period.
Discussion Items
- Project Review – Ellis Avenue Condos: The applicant (NBA) presented a proposal to demolish an existing liquor store, residence, and portion of a car wash to construct a four-story mixed-use building with 48 condominium residences (six one-bedroom and 42 two-bedroom units), 891 square feet of ground-floor commercial space, and three levels of subterranean parking. The project is located within the Beach Edinger Corridor Specific Plan (SP 14) and requires a Tentative Tract Map and Conditional Use Permit. Commissioners asked numerous technical questions, including:
- Traffic access: The driveway on Ellis Avenue will be right-in/right-out only; eastbound access will require U-turns at Patterson Lane or other intersections. No physical median is planned due to space constraints.
- Affordability: The applicant proposes five on-site affordable units (three moderate-income, two low-income) to meet the 4.8-unit requirement. No development agreement is required for for-sale units.
- Solar panel impacts on neighboring properties: Staff acknowledged potential shading but noted no current policy for compensation.
- Building massing and height: The building height is 46 feet to the highest tower element. The adjacent Elan project across Ellis ranges from four to six stories but was approved prior to 2015 SP 14 amendments.
- Fire access: The Fire Department reviewed plans; standpipes, a graphic enunciator, enhanced sprinklers, and upgraded smoke detectors will be included. Ladder pads for each unit were discussed.
- Trash management: The architect described a dual-chute system for trash and recycling, with maintenance to be handled by a homeowners association (HOA).
- Noise: No specific noise study for the nearby Jack in the Box was conducted; residents would be aware of existing uses.
- Soil and grading: The site slopes toward the rear; fill will be brought in to slope toward the front for stormwater management. The exact fill depth was not immediately available.
- Water metering: A master meter is planned, with submeters for individual units managed by the HOA.
- Pet amenities: Dog baggies will be provided; further pet facilities were requested.
- Commissioners requested additional information for the public hearing staff report, including a clearer site plan, comparison to similar projects in SP 14, traffic impact thresholds, and construction hour restrictions.
Key Outcomes
- No formal action was taken on the project; the study session was for informational and technical question purposes only.
- A public hearing for the project is tentatively scheduled for May 28, 2019.
- Staff will address commissioner requests for additional analysis and revised exhibits in the upcoming staff report.
- The study session adjourned at 5:46 PM. The next regular Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 28, 2019, at 6:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Okay, I'm calling this meeting to order. Uh let's see. I'm I'm a little bit unprepared. Uh I don't have my speech tonight, so we're gonna skip it. Yeah. Um what's that? Oh, that's okay. Um so roll call. Commissioner Scandura. Commissioner Ray. Here, Commissioner Grant. Here, Chair Garcia. Here, Commissioner Kalmick, Commissioner Perkins. Here, Commissioner Mandick. Here, and I should have said Vice Chair Grant, my apologies. We have a quorum. Okay, again, I have a motion for to approve the agenda, the agenda. So moved. Second. Okay, Grant and uh Mandic. Okay, all those in favor. Oops. I guess we have an electronic version of that. All eyes, motion carries. Okay, the next item is the project review. Oh, wait. Um I guess. Okay, we're gonna we're gonna do the project review uh 19508 tentative track map. Number, oh my gosh, 1815 conditional use permit. Number 17-042, Ellis Avenue Condos. Yes. Thank you, Chair Garcia. Uh sorry, I feel like I was interrupting you. Yeah, I was gonna ask if the if anybody had any disclosures. Okay. Does anybody have any disclosures? I don't know. You can dispense with the disclosures. Okay, we we will dispense with the disclosures. Okay. Um, I guess the staff report now. Uh thank you. Um, we'll have Nicole Obey, associate planner, give the staff report. And I did want to just introduce this item as this is a chance for the staff to introduce this uh development proposal to the planning commission. Um, we want to give you a uh pre-look at what's coming forward in a different public hearing, and we encourage any technical questions that you might have this evening, and if we can answer them, we will tonight. If not, we might need to report back when the item comes back for a public hearing. Um, but this is not the public hearing portion of the application, and we would just be doing the introduction and then the technical questions. So with that, I'd like to ask Nicole to give the staff presentation. Thank you. Uh good evening, Chair Garcia and Planning Commissioners.
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