PCRES 1991-041PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION 91-041
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA,
ANNOUNCING FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDING
ADDING SECTION 9.92, AN OFFICE/MEDICAL
RELATED SERVICES (OMS) ZONE DISTRICT
TO THE LA QUINTA MUNICIPAL CODE, AND
AMENDMENT TO SECTION 9.160, OFF-STREET
PARKING STANDARDS.
CASE NO. ZOA 91-020
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of La
Quinta, did, on the 24th day of September 1991, hold a duly
noticed Public Hearing and continued Hearing on the 8th day of
October, 1991, to consider a City initiated Amendment to the
Municipal Code (Zoning Ordinance), providing a $ew
Medical/Office District to the Zoning Code and providing a
parking standard for medical facilities.
WHEREAS, said Text Amendment has complied with the
requirements of "California Environmental Quality Act of 1970"
(as amended), and adopted by City Council Resolution 83-68, in
that the Planning Director has determined after initial study
that the amendment will not have a significant adverse impact
on the environment and that a Negative Declaration should be
filed.
WHEREAS, at said public hearing and upon hearing
and considering all testimony and arguments of all interested
persons desiring to be heard, said Planning Commission did find
that the following facts exist to justify recommendation for
approval of said Text Amendment.
1. The Text Amendment to the Municipal Code is consistent
with the La Quinta General Plan.
2. Approval of the Amendment will not result in any
significant adverse environmental impacts.
The Amendment provides for more flexibility in property
development in the City in the future.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Planning
Commission of the City of La Quinta, California as
follows:
1. That the above recitations are true and correct and
constitute the findings of the Commission in this case;
RESOPC.023/CS -1-
2. That it does hereby confirm the conclusion of the
Environmental Assessment that the approval of this zoning
text amendment will not result in a significant adverse
impact on the environment, and that a Negative
Declaration is appropriate for filing;
3. That the Planning Commission does hereby recommend to the
City Council approval of Zoning Ordinance Amendment No.
91-020 as contained in Exhibit "A" & "B" attached hereto.
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED at a regular meeting
of the La Quinta Planning Commission, held on this 8th day of
October, 1991 by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Commissioners Mosher, Ladner, Ellson, Marrs,
Chairwoman Barrows
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
%� ��u 0 zJZS
KATIE BARROWS, Chairperson
City of La Quinta, California
ATTEST: /
JERRY/HERMAN, Planning Director
. City of La Quinta, California
RESOPC.023/CS -2-
PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION 91-041 EXHIBIT "A"
ZONE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT 91-020
SECTIONS:
9.92.010 Purpose
9.92.020 Permitted Uses
9.92.030 Conditional Uses
9.92.040 Non -Permitted Uses
9.92.050 Site Development Standards
OFFICE, MEDICAL & RELATED SERVICES (OMS)
9.92.010 Purpose:
This district
is intended to provide an environment desirable
for and conducive to
facilities which can be
and other similar types
center, downtown, etc.).
uses are permitted under
their compatibility
office/medical uses
development of medical or office
located adjacent to residential uses
of facilities (e.g. churches, civic'
In addition, certain other kinds of
conditions and standards which assure
with a general concentration of
as well as with different types of
residential districts which will adjoin this district. This
district will generally serve to provide a transition from, and
occur between, the commercial core and residential districts.
9.92.020 Permitted Uses:
Buildings, structures, or premises shall be used and buildings
and structures shall hereafter be erected, altered or enlarged
only for the following uses:
Business and Professional (Primary Use)
a. Business or medical college, limited to the
teaching of office or medical business practices
and medical skills.
b. Corporate headquarters, which may include transient
residential units only for employees on a site less
than 10 acres.
C. Office, professional, for: Accountant,
architect, chiropodist, chiropractor, dentist,
engineer, lawyer, minister, osteopath, physician,
surveyor, optometrist, veterinarian.
d. Office, semi-professional, for: Insurance
broker, public stenographer, real estate
broker, stockbroker, and other persons whc
operate or conduct offices which will not
require the stocking of goods for wholesale.
e. Laboratories: Medical, dental, blood bank.
f. Museum, library, post office.
g. Clinic
h. Out -patient medical services.
ORDPC.001/CS -1-
i. Hospital (less than 100 beds)
j. Municipal Uses
k. Governmental offices
1. Day-care or Preschool
All retail, services and food service shall be secondary to the
primary use of the property, as noted in Item 1 (a-1). The
Planning Commission shall have the authority to evaluate the
proposed uses and to ascertain whether they are compatible to
the primary use of the property.
2. Retail (Secondary Use)
a. Establishments primarily supplemental in character
to other permitted principal uses, such as:
Pharmacy, prosthetic devices and optical goods.
b. Blueprinting, printing, publishing or
photostating.
C. Drug Store
d. Candy Store
e. Book store
f. Florist
g. Stationery store
h. Gift Shop
3. Services (Secondary Use)
a. Banks, financial offices, lending institutions,
savings and loan associations, credit unions,
and stock brokerage firms.
b. Telephone answering service.
C. Temporary buildings for uses incidental to
construction work, which buildings shall be
removed upon completion or abandonment of the
construction work.
d. Travel agency
e. Barber or beauty shop
f. Fitness studio
4. Food Service (Secondary Use)
a. Cafeteria/restaurant which is incidental to the
operation of one of the above uses.
b. Ice cream store
9.92.030 Conditional Uses:
1. Church
2. Corporate headquarters which includes transient
residential units only for employees on a site greater than
10 acres.
3. Funeral home
4. Hospital - when larger than 100 beds
5. Research and development facilities (indoor research
only).
9RDPC.491/cs -2-
6. Restaurant or cafe (less than 5,000 square feet in size
which can have on -site alcoholic beverage sales but
cannot have live entertainment) which can have outdoor
seating. Drive-thru facilities will not be permitted.
7. Day Care or preschool for more than 150 children.
9.92.040 Non -permitted Uses:
Any use which is not prescribed above to be a permitted or
conditional use item shall be deemed to be not allowed by the
adoption of this Ordinance, and any use which is in this Zone
District prior to the adoption of this Code which does not meet
the minimum requirements of this section, shall be deemed Legal
Nonconforming and subject to the provisions of Chapter 9.152 of
the Zoning Code.
9.92.050 Site Development Standards:
A. Building Height - No building shall exceed 4 stories in
height above finish grade except for appurtenant structures
which do not increase the square footage of the facility.
Facilities which qualify for this exception are: chimneys,
architectural towers, transmission equipment integral to the
operation of the facility, etc. Mechanical penthouses are also
acceptable if the area of the penthouse does not exceed 10% of
the aggregate. All building heights greater than two stories
shall be approved by the Planning Commission on a case -by -case
basis.
B. Yards
a. Front - Projects which front a major, primary, or
secondary arterial street in the City shall have an
average landscape setback along the frontage of the
site of not less than 20 feet to any parking
structure or facility. All buildings shall be a
minimum of 50 feet from the property line and no
building shall exceed one story in height within
150 feet of the front property line unless approved
by the Planning Commission on a case -by -case basis.
Any project fronting a local street shall have
a front yard setback of 20 feet from either
parking facilities or building structures.
b. Street Side - A side yard of not less than 20
feet shall be maintained.
C. Side - A side yard of not less than 50 feet
from a building to the property line shall be
maintained where the side of the lot abuts a single
family residential district, or use.
A side yard of not less than 25 feet from a
building to the property line shall be
maintained for all other districts.
ORDPC.001/CS -3-
d. Rear - A rear yard of not less than 50 feet from a
building to the property line shall be maintained.
e. Special - In no case shall any yard setback be less
than five feet wide.
C. Setback adjustments
Setback adjustments may be made by the Planning & Development
Director for minor architectural appurtenances (balconies,
stairwells, trellises, eaves, chimneys, towers, etc.) which do
not involve square footage building increases by up to twenty
percent.
D. Distance between Buildings
There shall not be less than 10 feet between accessory
buildings and main buildings. The minimum distance between
main buildings shall be based on a ratio of 10 feet for each
building floor proposed (above ground structures only) for the
highest of the two buildings involved.
E. Lot Size
The minimum lot size shall be 5 acres, and all properties shall
have a minimum street frontage of not less than 600 feet and a
depth not less than 300 feet.
F. Walls and Screening
1. A decorative masonry perimeter wall of not less than 6
feet in overall height shall be constructed along all
interior or rear property lines which abut residentially
zoned properties.
2. All parking areas shall be screened from view from all
public streets by a wall, berm, or landscape hedge a
minimum of 42 inches in overall height.
3. All mechanical structures and appurtenances shall be
screened as approved by the Design Review Board.
4. All storage and refuse areas shall be screened by masonry
walls.
5. All operations and storage shall be conducted within a
completely enclosed building or within an area contained
by a wall or fence as determined by the Director of
Planning and Development.
G. Lot Access
All lots shall have frontage on and have vehicular access from
a dedicated public street unless a secondary means of permanent
vehicular access has been approved by the Planning Commission
either by Specific Plan approval or other legislative action.
ORDPC.001/CS -4-
H. Views into Buildings
Building clustering shall be encouraged and in no case should
the building mass along a parallel plane exceed 50 percent of
the width of the lot. Building massing greater than 50%, but
less than 70%, shall be approved by the Planning Commission on
a case -by -case basis.
I. Pedestrian Access and Shading
a. Covered walkways shall be provided and designed for
all ground floor building levels for each proposed
structure. The arcade shall be a minimum of seven
feet wide, and shading should be placed along all
areas of the building which provide primary entry
or exiting or are affected by mid -afternoon
sunshine. Canvas awnings will not be permitted to
be counted toward meeting this provision. Covered
walkways between building complexes should be
encouraged.
b. Bicycle parking facilities shall include provisions
for locking of bicycles, either in lockers or in
secure racks in which the bicycle frame and wheels
may be locked by the user. The racks shall be
placed in areas which are shaded by landscape or
building structures. One rack with a capacity for
six bicycles shall be installed for every 80
parking spaces. The facilities shall be placed
within 80 feet of an entry/exit to the building
complex.
C. Concrete walkways shall be designed internal to the
project so that pedestrian access is not hindered
by vehicular traffic movement. Walkways shall
connect buildings to parking and buildings to
off -site public transportation facilities which are
in the immediate area.
d. Fifty percent of the on -site parking spaces shall
be covered. Phasing of the required covered
structures will be permitted if approved by the
Planning Commission.
e. Decorative paving surfaces should be used to
distinguish pedestrian areas from vehicular areas
where necessary to reduce on -site conflicts, and
all main entries in the project shall include
textured concrete areas which promote architectural
identity and promote community pride.
ORDPC.001/CS -5-
J. Landscaping
At least 10 percent of parking lot area shall be
landscaped. One-third of the required landscaping area for
a parking lot for more than 50 cars shall be in planting
areas distributed throughout the lot other than on the
perimeter. The landscaped area shall contain street trees
and adequate sprinklers or other appropriate irrigation device,
as approved by the Planning Department. The other landscaping
provisions of the Off -Street Parking Code shall be maintained.
K. Signs
A master sign program shall follow the guidelines as prescribed
in Sign Ordinance (Chapter 9.212) and the Planning Commission
shall have final approval of all new projects.
Special Provisions: No internally illuminated signs will be
permitted. Freestanding signs can be internally lit if they
provide information which serves emergency personnel, however,
externally lighted signs shall be encouraged. All freestanding
signs should be monument type signs not exceeding 7 feet in
overall height as measured from the average street grade curb
height within 20 feet of the proposed sign location.
L. Off -Street Parking
The first parking space within a parking lot should be located
within 100 feet of any proposed building structure.
M. Parking Structures
The architectural character of above ground parking structures
shall be compatible with the surrounding area, and consistent
in design with the project within which they are contained. No
above ground structure shall be over 2-1/2 stories (32 feet).
Subterranean parking floors will not be counted in the 2-1/2
story height requirement. The parking garages should be
located behind proposed buildings so that they are not highly
visible from any scenic arterial and shall not exceed the
height of the building it serves.
N. Emergency Traffic Signal Project Access
All hospital projects shall be required to provide
emergency traffic signal(s) on or close to the project site
to assist public or private emergency personnel response
vehicles. The signal can either be private or public. If
a public signal is used, the signal shall be redesigned to
include an emergency frequency transmitter which will
override the traffic signal during a crisis situation. The
developer is required to design and install the necessary
hardware at their expense.
ORDPC.001/CS -6