SP 1999-036 La Quinta Corporate Center (2011) - Amendment 4 - La Quinta Valley Plazar
P.O. Box 1504
LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA 92247-1504
78-495 CALLS TAMPICO (760) 777-7000
LA QUINTA, CALIFORNIA 92253 FAX (760) 777-7101
April 12, 2011
Dr. Dal Tibb, M.D.
51880 Via Roblada
La Quinta, CA 92253
SUBJECT: LA QUINTA VALLEY PLAZA — MEDICAL TENANT PROPOSAL
ALTERNATIVE PARKING METHODOLOGY
Dear Dr. Tibb:
The City of La Quinta Planning Department has received and analyzed your request
to establish medical office use within Building 5 of the La Quinta Valley Plaza
commercial center. Although the original development proposal did not address
medical office tenants, the specific plan for this property (Specific Plan #99-036)
identifies medical use as a permitted use. As a result, the Planning Department
required a parking study be prepared to analyze potential parking impacts
associated with allowing medical office use within Building 5.
Per the "Shared Parking Study" prepared by Carl Walker, Inc., submitted to our
department on March 29, 2011, it has been determined that a sufficient amount of
parking spaces currently exist at the La Quinta Valley Plaza to accommodate the
proposed medical use. As a result, it has been determined that medical use within
Building 5 (up to 16,000 square feet) of the La Quinta Valley Plaza is in substantial
conformance with Specific Plan #99-036 and thus is permitted as proposed. A
copy of the determination and supporting documentation is attached.
Should you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to
contact mat -(7-60) 777-7125.
Planning Director
Enclosure
C: Building & Safety Department
Neil Kleine
Taf 4 4 Qah&
MEMORANDUM
TO: Administrative File for Specific Plan 99-036
FROM: Les Johnson,. Planning Director
DATE: April 7, 2011
RE: ALTERNATIVE PARKING METHODOLOGY- LA QUINTA VALLEY
PLAZA — SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE
Background
The La Quinta Valley Plaza is located at the northwest corner of Highway 111
and Dune Palms Road, and consists of six freestanding commercial buildings
surrounding a common parking lot. La Quinta Valley Plaza is _part of Specific
Plan 99-036, which was originally approved by the City Council on September
7, 1999 and approved amendments by City Council on June 4, 2002, and
March 4, 2003.: The Planning Director, using the Specific Plan guidelines listed
in the City's General Plan, also approved Amendment 3 to the Specific Plan on
July 9, 2007, for the allowance of medical uses greater than 2,000 square feet
within the Specific Plan area.
In early 2011, the Planning Department received a request for a medical office
to locate in Building 5 of La Quinta Valley Plaza (former ice rink). Though the
proposed medical use is permitted, the original Site Development Permit did not
account for medical uses at the Plaza and did not calculate parking based on the
zoning code's medical parking requirements. On March 29, 2011, Car/ Walker,
Inc., a parking consultant, submitted a shared parking study on behalf of the
potential medical tenant at La Quinta Valley Plaza.
Request
Dr. Sam Lin has requested to locate his medical practice to Building 5 of La
Quinta Valley Plaza. The medical use would occupy approximately 26% of the
leasable space at the Plaza. The original Site Development Permit for La Quinta
Valley Plaza did not account for medical uses or medical parking requirements;
therefore, Dr. Lin is requesting acceptance of the submitted parking study.
Parking Study
The parking study analyzed the Plaza's parking requirements based on the City's
zoning code, and compared the requirements to the Urban Land Institutes (ULO
Shared Parking, and the Institute of Traffic Engineers' (ITE) Parking Generation,
3rd edition. Based on the submitted "Shared Parking Study", the peak parking
demand at the Plaza, including the proposed medical use, is 247. The Plaza
currently has 258 parking stalls.
Analysis
Per the City of La Quinta's General Plan, Land Use Element Goal 1, Policy 4,
Program 4.2, the Planning Director can determine substantial .conformance in a
Specific Plan, and waive the need for a Specific Plan amendment when no new
land use is proposed.
Section 9.150.050B "Alternative Methods" of the La Quinta Municipal Code
(L.Q.M.C), permits the use of alternative parking methodologies to calculate a
developments parking requirement. Specifically, this section of code references
the use of ULI's shared parking methodology. The alternative methodology must
show "to the satisfaction of the city decision-making authority" that the City's
parking requirement does not apply. In this case, the decision-making authority
is the Planning Director.
Conclusion
The "Shared Parking Study" submitted by Carl Walker, Inc. identifies that
sufficient parking will exist to allow Building 5 (16,000 square_ feet in size) of
the La Quinta Valley Plaza to be occupied by medical office use. Therefore, it
has been concluded in accordance with La Quinta General Plan Land Use
.Element Goal 1, Policy 4, Program 4.2, that substantial conformance has been
met allowing up to 16,000 square feet of the La Quinta Valley Plaza to be
utilized as mAical office use.
1Lj&)
es-Joson bate -1
Planning Director
Attachment
1. Carl Walker "Shared Parking Study"