To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Cecily Condon, Project Review Manager, (707) 565-1958
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): First
Title:
Title
1:50 P.M. - PLP21-0014 Glen Ellen Inn Use Permit Modifications and Zone Change
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
To Conduct a Public Hearing to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve the Use Permit Modification, General Plan Amendment and Zone Change from Limited Commercial to Recreation and Visitor Serving Use on the 0.22 acre parcel for the expansion of the existing hotel and bar located at 13670 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen as recommended by the Planning Commission. (First District)
end
Executive Summary:
The applicant proposes to replace the existing restaurant with two new units and add an additional unit to building D of the existing seven-unit hotel on the approximately half-acre site. The martini bar located in the main building fronting Arnold Drive would be maintained.
Portions of the site are currently zoned Recreational and Visitor Serving Commercial and Limited Commercial. The project includes a rezone and General Plan Amendment for consistent application of the Recreation and Visitor Serving Use designation to allow the hotel use on the whole site while retaining the existing hotel bar. The rezone and General Plan Amendment would be applied to the approximately 0.22 acre parcel fronting Arnold Drive. The timeframe for the required construction is not expected to require more than two years from the date of approval. The majority of the project site is previously disturbed. The undisturbed area adjacent to the creek is not included in the proposed project and will remain undisturbed. Construction includes interior modifications to the restaurant area to be replaced by two lodging units, and a building addition to add a new unit to building D in place of a portion of the existing parking lot, patio, and landscape area. On August 25, 2022 the Planning Commission heard the project and unanimously voted to recommend the Board of Supervisors approve the project.
Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors approve the following:
A. A General Plan Amendment of the 0.22 acre parcel from Limited Commercial to Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial,
B. Rezone of the 0.22 acre parcel from Limited Commercial to Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial,
C. Use Permit modification to add 3 units to the existing hotel and bar, and
D. The Mitigated Negative Declaration.
Discussion:
Project Description:
The applicant proposes to replace an existing 880 sq. ft. restaurant with two new lodging units of 460 sq. ft. average and add a third lodging unit to the existing lodge (building D) bringing the total hotel units from seven to ten on the approximately half-acre property. The hotel currently includes a martini bar, which is 150± sq. ft. in area which would remain open to the public. The only two-story building on-site is the “main building” at the corner of Arnold Drive and O’Donnell Lane. The upper floor of the main building is at the level of Arnold Drive and contains the restaurant to be converted, bar, and lobby area. The lower floor contains office and storage area. The rest of the eastern side of the property is various open space in the form of patio and deck area. There are four other buildings on-site, which account for the current seven units of the hotel, are all within the western parcel already designated as Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial. There is a variety of trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants across the walkways on the property to be maintained.
Portions of the site are currently zoned Recreational and Visitor Serving Commercial and Limited Commercial. The project includes a rezoning and General Plan Amendment to allow for conversion of the restaurant to lodging on the eastern parcel of the site and will accommodate future plans to merge the parcels.
Proposed Buildings and Uses: The hotel expansion consists of two components, the addition of one lodging unit to the existing lodge and conversion of the existing restaurant to two new lodging units, while retaining the existing bar.
Improvements: New construction includes a 503 sq. ft. lodging unit addition to Building “D” to be placed over a portion of the existing parking lot. A new 230 sq. ft. hardscape area, fence, accessible concrete path, and bike racks which will replace a portion of the parking area around the middle of the project site. The existing ADA-compliant parking space located at the front on Arnold Drive will be relocated 25± feet south to make space for an adequate bus stop circulation path and accommodate future circulation improvements. The conversion of the existing restaurant area into two more lodging units will not result in an expansion of the building footprint.
Employees: There will be 1 employee for the inn and 1 for the martini bar during operation hours.
Hours of Operation: Both the lobby and lounge area will be open daily from 3 to 10:00 p.m.
Parking: There will be a total of 15 parking spaces: 3 ADA, 6 standard, and 6 compact.
Design Style: The project consists of the addition of three units to the existing inn. The required construction will follow the design of the existing buildings on-site, on both architectural elements and colors. The existing buildings are cottage-style, a mix of Craftsman and Mediterranean architectural styles, which is consistent with the Glen Ellen town design guidelines. The buildings are covered with a warm yellow stucco, details in white and dark reds. Some stone bricks accentuate corners and edges on the buildings, and a couple of stone planters front Arnold Drive. The buildings use vegetation in the form of trees, shrubs, and flowers to complement their style.
Access: All access and egress for vehicles will be from O’Donnell Lane at the southern side of the property. The site also has one ADA parking spot adjacent to Arnold Drive, which will be relocated from its current position 25± feet to the south to accommodate a bus stop. The relocated parking spot will remain adjacent to the property with appropriate path of travel. The main pedestrian entrance for the public is fronting Arnold Drive.
Surrounding Uses:
The project site is located within downtown Glen Ellen 0.2± miles west of the Sonoma Valley Regional Park. The site is within the Sonoma Valley Urban Service Area. The site is served by Valley of the Moon Water District and sewer is provided by Sonoma County Water Agency. The Glen Ellen Inn is bordered to the west by Calabazas Creek, to the north by residential uses, to the south across O’Donnell Lane by a restaurant, and to the east across Arnold Drive by various shops and commercial uses.
|
Direction |
Land Uses |
|
North |
Single-family residential homes |
|
South |
O’Donnell Lane, restaurant |
|
East |
Arnold Drive, various commercial |
|
West |
Calabazas Creek, single-family residential homes |
Permit History:
The table below summarizes key project milestones and events.
|
Date |
Project Event/Milestone |
|
06/17/2021 |
Application Submittal |
|
06/25/2021 |
First referral to agencies |
|
06/25/2021 |
Tribal Consultation Invitations sent per AB-52 |
|
07/07/2021 |
Second referral to agencies |
|
07/28/2021 |
Sonoma Valley Citizen Advisory Committee - Unanimous Approval |
|
07/25/2021 |
Tribal Consultation (AB-52) Closed |
|
09/10/2021 |
Permit Sonoma and TPW site visit |
|
03/15/2022 |
Tribal Consultation Invitations sent per SB-18 |
|
07/07/2022 |
Tribal Consultation (SB-18) Closed |
|
07/21/2022 |
Notice of Planning Commission Hearing was posted on the project site, a 300-foot notice was mailed, and a legal notice was posted in the Press Democrat |
|
08/22/2022 |
Mitigated Negative Declaration Comment Period Closed |
|
08/25/2022 |
Planning Commission Recommendation |
|
12/13/2022 |
Board of Supervisors Hearing |
General Plan consistency:
The project is consistent with the policies and objectives of the Land Use Element because it complements the existing conforming uses on-site and provides for the needs of visitors and travelers at a scale compatible with the surrounding community. The project proposes the expansion of an existing 7-unit inn to 10 units total, which is well below the 200-unit limit in urban service areas. The project requires a General Plan Amendment for the conversion of the restaurant space to two lodging units. The project is consistent with the following goals, policies, objectives and redesignation criteria of the General Plan.
Per the redesignation criteria identified in the Commercial Use Policy of the Land Use Element, amendments to add the Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial designation must meet all of the following:
(1) The proposed amendment must be consistent with General Plan Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Land Use Element pertaining to protection of agricultural lands,
There is no agricultural land within the vicinity of the site that would be affected.
(2) Potential uses of the site are compatible with adjacent uses and the character of the area,
The inn has been legally operating for over 20 years and the design will remain in conformance with the area character.
(3) The amendment avoids a detrimental concentration of agricultural support, visitor serving, and recreational uses as defined in Policies AR-5g and AR-6f of the Agricultural Resources Element,
There is no agricultural operation that would be affected.
(4) In the event that the amendment is proposed on land designated RRD, LIA, LEA, or DA the primary use will generate Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) that is eligible for County appropriation for affordable housing,
The amendment is proposed on land designated Limited Commercial (LC).
(5) The site shall not be located on land under a Williamson Act or Super-Williamson Act contract,
The site is not under a Williamson Act contract.
(6) Traffic generated by potential use of the site can be accommodated within the Level of Service objectives and road standards of the Circulation and Transit Element,
The project is expected to produce a lower traffic than the existing operations on site.
(7) The amendment would not result in the loss of affordable housing or conflict with Goals, Objectives, and Policies of the Housing Element, and
No housing will be lost as result of this project.
(8) Potential uses of the site would be compatible with nearby agricultural operations and would not occur on land that is either used for agriculture or is Class I, II, III, or IV (USDA) Soils. An amendment could be considered on agricultural land with Class V, VI, VII, or VIII (USDA) Soils.
The project site is classified Urban and Built-Up Land.
The project is consistent with the General Plan designation criteria for Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial uses and the local area design guidelines. The area specific policies for Sonoma Valley suggest that the Limited Commercial land use is preferred for new uses within the Glen Ellen area, however this project recognizes the existing use of the project site and is fully consistent with the required criteria of the below policy. Approximately half of the 0.5 acre project site is currently zoned and designated as Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial. The minor expansion of the hotel and bar, totaling 10 rooms are a compatible scale with the surrounding community. Additionally, the parcels are proposed to be merged at a later date.
Policy LU-20i: Use the "Limited Commercial" and "Limited Commercial - Traffic Sensitive" categories for commercial lands in communities with urban services, including Boyes Hot Springs/El Verano/Agua Caliente, Glen Ellen and Kenwood. Require that new uses meet the following criteria:
1. The size, scale, and intensity of the use is consistent and compatible with the character of the local community,
The small scale hotel and bar are compatible with the surrounding community. Fourteen public comments have been received in support of the project and no public comments have been received in opposition.
2. Capacities of public services are adequate to accommodate the use and maintain an acceptable level of service,
The project is within the Urban Service Area and will continue to receive public services with no impact on level of service from the providers.
3. Design and siting are compatible with the scenic qualities and local area development guidelines of the local area, and
The project is compatible with the local area development guidelines. All construction and design is consistent with the existing site development, utilizing the same colors, materials, and style of the existing structures to be modified. No increase in building height is proposed.
4. Siting of structures is compatible with planned infrastructure improvements such as roadway widening and under grounding of public utilities.
The project includes relocation of the existing ADA compliant parking space on Arnold Drive approximately 25 ft south to accommodate a planned bus stop.
Finally, expansion of the hotel would generate additional Transient Occupancy Tax (“TOT”), in conformance with Policy HE-4i which encourages to “Strive to increase opportunities for recreational and visitor-serving uses, thus increasing County Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) revenues.”
Zoning Consistency:
The project proposes to rezone the eastern 0.22 acre parcel of the site from Limited Commercial (LC) to Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial (K) zoning. The purpose of the K District is to implement provisions of the General Plan Land Use Element which allows lodging with a use permit.
Development Standard s:
The proposed project is consistent with the development standards of the Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial zoning district, as shown in the zoning table provided in the above project description.
The removal of the restaurant and leaving the ‘martini bar’ area open to the public is allowed with a use permit which fits within the “Bar, tavern, nightclub” retail use per Zoning Code Section 26-26-030. The 150 sq. ft. bar would operate daily from 3 to 10:00 p.m. daily and is not expected to generate any significant impacts on the vicinity due to its small size and consistency with the recent use of the site. Furthermore, no events are proposed with this application.
The project meets the minimum vehicle parking standards, which will be entirely contained on-site, per the architectural plan set.
Combining Zones:
Three combining zones would remain on the site including Floodplain, Riparian Corridor and Local Guidelines. The project complies with the requirements of these combining districts by not encroaching into the riparian buffer along Calabazas Creek, which also includes the designated floodplain. The project includes limited exterior changes, and the proposed construction is consistent with Local Guidelines.
Environmental Review:
Pursuant to Section 15071 of the State CEQA Guidelines, an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration was prepared for the proposal. Staff determined that the proposed use would not have an adverse impact on the environment with the incorporation of mitigation measures for the following areas:
Air Quality: The project, once established, is not expected to have a significant impact on air quality. The construction of the improvements required to accommodate the project would have a less than significant impact with the incorporation of dust control measures as mitigation.
Geology and Soils: Due to the danger of strong seismic events and liquefaction levels at this site, a standard mitigation measure will ensure strict engineering standards located in the Building Code are followed.
Noise: The proposed project would not result in an increase in existing noise levels upon establishment; however, noise levels may increase during the required construction. Mitigation measures are required to minimize the temporary noise impacts, including hours of construction and applied techniques.
Transportation: The proposed use is expected to generate less traffic then the existing uses on site; however, there could be a potential for hazards during the required construction due to equipment staging or blockage of areas for work. A mitigation measure will require the applicant to ensure safety through the use of best management practices.
Tribal Cultural Resources: Mitigation measures and conditions of approval are incorporated into the project to avoid any significant impact on tribal cultural resources as result of construction for this project.
The comment period for the circulated Mitigated Negative Declaration closed on August 22, 2022 and no agency comments were received.
Public Comment:
Fourteen public comments have been received in support of the proposed project. No public comments opposing the project have been received.
Planning Commission Recommendation:
On August 25, 2022 the Planning Commission unanimously voted to adopt a resolution recommending that the Board of Supervisors adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration and approve the Use Permit Modification, General Plan Amendment and Zone Change from Limited Commercial the Recreation and Visitor Serving Use on the 0.22 acre parcel.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the Board of Supervisors adopt a resolution approving the following:
A. A General Plan Amendment of the 0.22 acre parcel from Limited Commercial to Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial,
B. Rezone of the 0.22 acre parcel from Limited Commercial to Recreation and Visitor Serving Commercial,
C. A Use Permit modification to add 3 units to the existing hotel and bar, and
D. Approval of the Mitigated Negative Declaration.
Strategic Plan:
N/A
Prior Board Actions:
N/A
Fiscal Summary
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Att 1 PLP21-0014 Land Use Map
Att 2 PLP21-0014 Zoning Map
Att 3 PLP21-0014 Vicinity Map
Att 4 PLP21-0014 Architectural Plans
Att 5 PLP21-0014 Proposal Statement
Att 6 PLP21-0014 Mitigated Negative Declaration
Att 7 PLP21-0014 Planning Commission Resolution
Att 8 PLP21-0014 Draft Board of Supervisors Resolution
Att 9 PLP21-0014 Exhibit A Draft Conditions
Att 10 PLP21-0014 Exhibit B Draft Ordinance
Att 11 PLP21-0014 Staff Presentation
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A