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02-02-1999 - Code Amendment #284 - Athletic Clubs & Gymnasiums - Parking Requirements - General Exemption• TO:, City Council City Manager FROM: Public Services Department Planning Division SUBJECT: CODE AMENDMENT NO.284 ATHLETIC CLUBS AND GYMNASIUMS PARKING REQUIREMENTS GENERAL EXEMPTION C«qf of ,rUest Covina ll7 a d error n um AGEl�MA ITEM NO.' A-1 DATE February 2, 1999 *PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER SUMMARY: This code amendment proposes to amend the City's zoning regulations to provide greater flexibility for establishing parking requirements. for gymnasiums, and health clubs. BACKGROUND Currently, the City has a minimum parking requirement for gymnasiums and:health clubs of 1 parking space for each 100 square feet of gross floor area. ,.In addition, the. Zoning Code does not allow for this requirement to be reduced through a variance_ procedure or. joint parking arrangements. With variations in the size and type of facilities provided by health clubs, experience has shown that a rigid and demanding parking requirement for health clubs may be too -restrictive. This code amendment is proposed to allow greater .flexibility in establishing the parking requirement for gymnasiums and health clubs. DISCUSSION In recent years, changes in the health club industry have resulted in a number of variations in the type and intensity of facilities provided. In particular, it is now common for athletic clubs to offer amenities such as swimming pools, and basketball and racquetball courts that require a considerable amount of floor space to accommodate. While the general principle continues to prevail that gymnasiums generate high parking demands during peak periods, there may be significant variations in the, parking demand based on floor area depending upon the particular nature and type of facilities provided. More specifically, athletic clubs that have more .specialized facilities such as basketball courts, etc., -are likely to generate a lesser parking demand based on the floor, area of the facility. As noted above, the City's current parking requirement for gymnasiums and health clubs is set at 1 parking space for each 100 square feet of gross floor area. Furthermore, the Zoning Code includes provisions that prevent the reduction of this parking requirement through a variance or a joint parking arrangement: This lack of flexibility in the current code has created some situations where more parking may be required for gymnasiums and health clubs than is actually necessary to meet the demand. Under the proposed code amendment, the basic parking requirement of 1 space for 100 square feet of floor area would be maintained: Beyond this, language would be added to the code to allow the basic requirement to be increased or decreased based on a site - specific parking study approved by the - Planning Commission. Also other existing language in the code would be deleted, that prohibits any reduction in parking below the established 'requirement. There are currently two situations that have shown an- opportunity to benefit by the proposed code amendment. The first is the World Gym located in the Design Center at the northeast corner of Hollenbeck Street and East Garvey Avenue`North. This site has consistently demonstrated the need for less parking than the 60 spaces that are allocated to it under the City's parking requirements. , This requirement has further constrained the ability. of the center management. to bring in tenants that have a higher parking . requirement. ZAMEMOLTR\james\GymParking\CA 284. CC report.doc - Code Amendment No. Gymnasium Parking • February 2, 1999 - Pa e�2 The second opportunity is a proposal by a major health club operator interested in establishing a facility in the former Barker Brother's building on West Covina Parkway.. This is proposed to be a large facility, likely with a swimming pool and a basketball court.:. If the basic requirement of one space per 100 square feet were applied, it would not be likely that the required amount of parking (approximately 370 spaces) could be provided. In this 'case, a parking study was prepared by a traffic, engineering consultant that analyzed. the actual parking demand of health clubs with similar operational characteristics to that being proposed. Based on.the study, the projected parking demand was determined to be 1 space per 146 square feet of floor area. This lower ratio would reduce the number of spaces required at the Barker Brothers site to 253 spaces, 'a number, that could reasonably be provided for the site. Commission.Discussion and Recommendation At its meeting of January 12, 1999, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend adoption of the proposed code amendment. No public testimony was presented either in favor and or in opposition to the ,project. In their discussion, the Planning _Commission agreed that the proposed changes to the. zoning code were beneficial for both the'City and for developers and operators of athletic clubs in -the City. Fiscal Impact ,. It is not anticipated that the proposed code amendment will result in a• significant fiscal - impact. The code amendment could make it easier for health clubs (or other businesses in multi -tenant centers that include health clubs) to locate in West Covina, which could have a positive impact on economic development within the City. RECOMMENDATION The Planning Commission and staff recommend that the City Council introduce the . following ordinance: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL -OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 26 (ZONING) OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR GYMNASIUMS AND ATHLETIC CLUBS (CODE AMENDMENT NO.284) es verance Plahpfng Assistant REVIEWED AND APPROVED f ey Collier lic Services Director .\VUPITER\PLANDATA\MEMOLTR\james\GymParking\CA 284 CC report.doc AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST C.OVINA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 26 (ZONING) OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED - TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR GYMNASIUMS AND ATHLETIC CLUBS (CODE AMENDMENT NO. 284) WHEREAS, the West Covina. Municipal' Code presently requires a parking ratio for gymnasiums and athletic clubs of 1 parking space for each 100 gross square feet of floor area; and WHEREAS, experience with operational gymnasiums and athletic clubs in the City of West. Covina and recent studies of athletic clubs elsewhere in California have shown that the actual parking demand for gymnasiums and health clubs may vary from the established standard; and WHEREAS, the City desires to maximize the economic use of commercial land in the City where such uses are consistent with neighboring uses and community character; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, upon giving the required notice,' did on the 12' day of January, 1999, conduct a duly advertised public hearing as prescribed by law, At which time the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 01-99-4532 recommending that the City Council adopt Code Amendment No. 284; and WHEREAS, the City Council considered evidence presented by the Planning Commission, Planning Division, and other interested parties at a duly advertised public hearing on the 2' day of February, 1999; and NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of West Covina hereby ordain as follows: SECTION NO. 1: Based on the evidence and'the findings set forth,, Code Amendment No. 284 is hereby. found to be consistent with the West Covina General Plan and the implementation thereof. SECTION NO. 2: Because this project keeps existing standards, allowing only that the Planning Commission might now consider professional evidence when .evaluating parking needs for athletic clubs, the project cannot have a significant impact on the environment and it is exempt from the provisions of the califomia Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA) as set forth in Section ' 15061 (b)(3) thereof. SECTION NO.3: The City Council of the City of West Covina hereby amends Chapter 26 (Zoning) .of the West Covina Municipal Code as follows: Section 26-685.26(d) Gymnasiums and Athletic Clubs (1) The ff4piff� parking requirement for a gymnasium or athletic club shall be one (1) parking space for each one hundred (100) square feet of gross floor area (see definition). This. requirement may be increased or decreased as determined by a parking study approved by the planning commission in conjunction with a conditional use permit. 0 • PLANNING COMMIS S I ON RESOLUTION NO.01-99-4532 A RESOLUTION OF .THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL THE APPROVAL OF CODE AMENDMENT NO. 284, AMENDING CERTAIN SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 26 (ZONING) OF THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR GYMNASIUMS AND HEALTH CLUBS CODE AMENDMENT NO.284 CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION APPLICANT: City of West Covina LOCATION: City-wide WHEREAS, the West Covina Municipal Code presently requires a parking ratio for gymnasiums and athletic clubs of 1 parking space for each 100 gross square feet of floor area; and WHEREAS, experience with operational gymnasiums and athletic clubs in the City of West Covina and recent studies of athletic clubs elsewhere in California have shown that the actual parking demand for gymnasiums and health clubs may vary from the established standard; and WHEREAS, requiring parking significantly in excess of actual demand serves to constrain the ability of commercial land owners to maximize the economic use of their properties; and WHEREAS, the City desires to maximize the economic use of commercial land in the City where such uses are consistent with neighboring uses and community character; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission, upon giving the required notice, did on the 12' day of January,1999, conduct a duly advertised public hearing as prescribed by law; and WHEREAS, it has been determined that because this project keeps existing standards, allowing only that the Planning Commission might now consider professional evidence when evaluating parking needs for athletic clubs, the project can not have a significant impact on the environment and it is exempt from the provisions of CEQA as set forth in Section 15061 (b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA). NOW THEREFORE, the Planning Commission of the City of West Covina does resolve as Mows: SECTION NO. 1: Based on the evidence and the findings set forth, Code Amendment No. 284 is hereby found to be consistent with the West Covina General Plan and the implementation thereof. SECTION NO. 2: Because this project keeps existing standards, allowing only that the Planning Commission might now consider professional evidence when evaluating parking needs for athletic clubs, the project can not have a significant impact on the environment and it is exempt from the provisions of CEQA as set forth in Section 15061 (b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA). SECTION NO. 3: The Planning Commission hereby recommends that the West Covina City Council approve Code Amendment No. 284 to amend Chapter 26 (Zoning) of the West Covina Municipal Code as follows: Z-WW0L1Ry-aS JMP= cineCA 284 PC mo.dw Resolution No. 01-99-4532 Code AmendmentNo. 284 Athletic Club Parking January 111999 - Page 2 . Section 26-685.26(d) Gymnasiums and AthRetic Clubs (1) . The Mkimm parking requirement for a gymnasium or athletic club shall be one (1) parking space for each one hundred (100) square feet of gross floor area (see definition). This requirement may be increased or decreased as determined by a parkins study approved by the planning commission in conjunction with a conditional use permit PIP M11M.- - - SECTION NO. 4: The Secretary is instructed to forward a copy of this Resolution to the City Council for its attention in the manner prescribed by law. I, HEREBY CERTIFY, that the foregoing Resolution was adopted by' the Planning Commission of the City of West Covina, at a regular meeting held on the 12' day of January,1999, by the following vote: AYES: Chairman Zeller, Commissioners Clayton, Reiner, Solinger, and Tarozzi. NOES: None. ABSENT: None. DATE: January 12,1999. rz(-0&t ell k-Zk . Robert M. Zeller, Cbikrhan Planning Commission K. McIsaac, Secretary Commission Z:%9M0LTRy-MT*-Pu16WA M PC r . &. t TO: Planning Commission AGENDA Item No. B-1 FROM: Public. Services Department Date: 1-12-99 Planning Division SUBJECT: CODE AMENDMENT NO.284 ATHLETIC CLUBS AND GYMNASIUMS/PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND USE MATRIX REFERENCES CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION BACKGROUND On November 10, 1998, upon the recommendation of staff, the Planning Commission initiated an amendment to the West Covina Municipal Code to allow greater flexibility in setting parking requirements for gymnasiums and athletic clubs. DISCUSSION As noted in the November 10, 1998. staff report (see attached), while many health clubs do demand high levels of parking, several situations have shown that the current Municipal Code (WCMC) parking requirements may be excessive for some situations. WCMC Section 26- 685.26(d) currently includes language specifically denying use of joint parking for athletic clubs and prohibiting any reduction in required parking from the set 1 space per 100 square feet (1:100) ratio. With these stipulations, it is not possible to reduce the parking requirements for gymnasiums and health clubs below the established 1:100 ratio under any circumstances, including through the approval of a variance. In recent years, however, changes in the health club industry have resulted in a number of variations in the type and intensity of facilities provided. In particular, it is now not uncommon for health club to offer amenities such as swimming pools, and basketball and racquetball courts that require a considerable amount of floor space to accommodate. While the general principle continues to prevail that health clubs generate high parking demands during peak periods, there may be significant variations in the parking demand based on floor area depending upon the particular nature and type of facilities provided. More specifically, health clubs that have more specialized facilities such as basketball courts, etc., are likely to generate a lesser parking demand based on the floor area of the facility. The proposed code amendment is intended to provide more flexibility to adjust the parking requirement for a particular gymnasium or health club should a parking study approved by the Planning Commission demonstrate that a higher or lower parking requirement is reasonable. There are currently two situations that have shown an opportunity to benefit by the proposed code amendment. These are discussed below. Design Center/World Gym World Gym, located in the Design Center at the northeast corner of Hollenbeck Street and East Garvey Avenue North, has been in operation since 1991. However, to the best knowledge of staff and the Design Center owner it has never actually used the 60 spaces allocated to it as required by the WCMC and Conditional Use Permit No. 418. Instead, the property owners have observed a peak parking demand of about 30 spaces, a figure staff believes is reasonable based on casual observation. Meanwhile, although a number of the tenant spaces in the Design Center continue to remain vacant, staff has been unable to permit occupancy by the kind of specialized tenants that could survive in its high-visibility/low-access environment. Many of the uses which have been proposed for the center, such as medical offices, a ballet school, a nickel arcade, and other uses, demand somewhat more parking than does a standard retail use. Under the proposed code amendment, it would be possible to reduce the parking requirement for World Gym should a formal parking study, demonstrating lower demand.than the current requirement be Code Amendment No. 284* • Healthclub Parking January 12, 1999 - Page 2 prepared and approved. Were this to occur, it would provide the Design Center with more flexibility to recruit new tenants with parking demands greater than retail to fill existing tenant spaces. Parking Analysis in Los Angeles & Orange Counties The second situation is a parking study prepared by Linscott, Law, and Greenspan (LLG) for a major athletic club operator interested in locating a gymnasium at the old Barker Brother's building on West Covina Parkway. Both the prospective applicant and the City recognized that elements in the floor design (full-size basketball court, swimming pool) indicated that the 1:100 parking requirement would likely overstate the true demand by some factor. Since the original building was approved with parking that was deficient even for retail use, the City's parking requirement for a health club of 370 parking spaces (for f 37,000 square feet of floor area) would be unobtainable even with a four level parking structure. Four operational sites (Santa Monica, Santee, Stockton, and Antioch) were surveyed, each .showing a peak parking demand occurring on Monday mornings and Friday evenings. With a ten -percent cushion built into the calculations, LLG calculated a true parking demand of approx. 1 space per 146 square feet (1:146), rather than the 1:100 presently required by the WCMC. This lower ratio would reduce the number of spaces required at the Barker Brothers site to 253 spaces, a reduction of 117 parking spaces. Conclusions Because gymnasiums and health clubs in general do demand large quantities of parking, staff proposes to keep the 1:100 ratio as the basic code standard. However, staff also proposes language allowing the Planning Commission to set a different parking demand, if and when warranted, based on evidence from a professional parking analysis conducted by consultants or staff. Additionally, staff proposes to delete most of the remainder of the current parking standards section to allow future consideration of joint parking with health clubs. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt a resolution recommending to the City Council adoption of an amendment to the West Covina Municipal Code allowing greater flexibility in setting parking requirements for gymnasiums and athletic clubs.. Severance na Assistant REVIEWED AND APPROVED: ZAMEMOLTR\jams\GymParking\CA 284 PC repomdoc i TO: Planning Commission AGENDA Item No. C-4 FROM: Planning Department Date: 11-10-98 SUBJECT: PARKING FOR GYMNASIUMS AND HEALTH CLUBS INITIATION OF AMENDMENT TO THE WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE BACKGROUND Since 1982, the West Covina Municipal Code (WCMC) has required a minimum parking ratio of 1 parking space for each 100 square feet of gross floor area for all health clubs and gymnasiums. In addition, the WCMC specifically does not permit any relaxation of the standards and prohibits any consideration of joint parking with other uses. These requirements, while appropriate in many cases, are more restrictive than in other jurisdictions and may overstate the parking demand at some establishments. Staff has recently encountered two situations regarding parking demand for gymnasiums and health clubs that have raised questions regarding the appropriateness of the City's current parking requirement for these facilities. The first situation involves the Design Center located at the northeast corner of Hollenbeck Avenue and East Garvey North. For some time, this center has had several vacant tenant spaces. Roger Dunn Golf, World Gym, and Expedex Paper are currently the only tenants in the center. A property management firm retained by the owner has been working with staff for some time to try to find viable tenants for the center, but the presence of World Gym severely constrains parking. Although field observation of the site indicates that World Gym's actual parking demand is relatively light, its conditional use permit sets the parking requirement for the use at 60 spaces. This parking requirement and the WCMC prohibitions on consideration of joint parking combine to eliminate the possibility of locating any specialized uses there that entail a higher parking standard. This has proven to be a substantial constraint to securing new tenants for the center. Were the Zoning Code to allow parking demand to. be set via a parking study, this could allow the parking requirement for World Gym to be lowered more in keeping with its actual demand. This, in turn, would provide more parking to be allocated to other potential uses that entail a higher parking standard. The second situation involves a prominent athletic club that has proposed conversion of the old Barker Brother's building on West Covina Parkway into a 42,000 square foot health club. A regulation -sized basketball court and swimming pool are included in the design. The inclusion of these amenities that entail the use of considerable floor space will most likely serve to substantially lower the overall parking demand for the facility based on its square footage. Again, however, the Zoning Code does not allow for a reduction from the set standard of 1 space per 100 square feet of floor area. Furthermore, the City Attorney has concluded that the wording of the Zoning Code parking regulations for health clubs does not allow for the possibility of processing a variance for parking, even if that new parking requirement is established empirically through the preparation of a parking study. In response to situations such as these, consideration should be given to amending the Zoning Code to permit the parking requirement for gymnasiums and health clubs to be established by a parking study where appropriate. Amended language, to the Zoning Code to accomplish this could be as follows; Initiation Of Code Amendment &s And Athletic Clubs November 10, 1998 - Page 2 0 (1) parking space for each one hundred (100) square feet of gross floor area (see definition). This requirement may be increased or decreased as determined by a professional parldng study approved by the Planning Commission. 2. Delete the remainder of Municipal Code Section 26-685.26(d) as follows: (2) Pas Humber- "q &@d PaEking srbased en studies aria : ,s.,+:ga fi,.ffir ffi—adab for- the ! Rissies-� RECONEVIENDATION Staff recommends that the Planning Commission initiate a code amendment to the West Covina Municipal Code. modifying minimum standards for parking at health clubs and gymnasiums. REVIEWED AND APPROVED: ZAMEMOLTRI ameslgymparking initiate.doc SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE affiliated with SGV Newspaper Group 1210 N. Azusa Canyon Road West Covina, CA 91790 STATE OF CALIFORNIA County of Los Angeles (Space below for use of County Clerk only) RECEIVED JAN 2 7 1999 CITY CLERK'S OFFICE CITY OF WEST COVINA PROOF OF. PUBLICATION (2015.5 C.C.P.) I am a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the county aforesaid; I am over the age of eighteen years, and not a party to or interested in the above-entited matter. I am the principal clerk of the printer of SAN GABRIEL VALLEY TRIBUNE, a newspaper of general circulation which has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation by the Superior Court of the County of Los Angeles, State of California, on the date of September 10, 1957, Case Number 684891. The notice,of which the annexed is a true printed copy, has been published in each regular and entired issue of said newspaper and not in any supplement thereof on the following dates, to wit: 1/22/99 I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed at West Covina, LA Co. California i 2 2 da of JANU Y 9 99 signature 5 Proof of Publication of