Executive Summary:
The Pine Inn has recently begun exploring the possibility of moving eight (8) of their existing hotel rooms across the street to their current guest parking lot location at the northeast corner of Monte Verde Street and 6th Avenue. For this to occur, the parking lot's zoning would need to be changed, which would also require amendments to the City’s General Plan and Local Coastal Plan. In an effort to get feedback on the City’s appetite to rezone this property, the applicant is requesting early policy-level feedback from the Council. Essentially, the Council is being asked if the concept has a ‘red light’ or ‘green light’ to proceed through the complicated public process of General Plan and Local Coastal Plan amendments and rezoning of the property.
Background/Summary:
The 49-room Pine Inn Hotel is located at the northeast corner of Ocean Avenue and Monte Verde Street in the Central Commercial (CC) Zoning District. Parking for hotel employees and guests is provided on a separate parcel located at the northeast corner of Monte Verde Street and 6th Avenue in the Single-Family Residential (R-1) Zoning District. Land uses surrounding the parking lot include the First Murphy House and park to the east, the First Church of Christ Scientist to the north, the Tally Ho Inn to the southwest, and single-family residences to the west/northwest. The Pine Inn Hotel is located to the south of the parking lot. The Pine Inn parking lot is 8,000 square feet in size. It was established in 1960 and contains 21 parking spaces for guests and employees of the hotel.
Zoning History
In 1957, an effort to rezone the site from R-1 to C-1 was undertaken but unsuccessful. On January 25, 1960, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 10 C.S. (Attachment 1), rezoning the property to R-1-P-3 and allowing commercial parking lots as a conditionally permitted use. On January 20, 1960, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 417 (Attachment 2), approving the construction of the parking lot, which has been in continuous use since that time.
By 1995, the zoning was referred to simply as R-1. The zoning code continued to allow parking lots a conditionally permitted use provided they existed before 1 January 1988 and were part of an adjacent commercial use.
Proposed Project
The Pine Inn is requesting initiation of a General Plan and Local Coastal Plan Amendment to change the General Plan land use designation from Single Family Residential to Multi Family Residential to facilitate the relocation of eight hotel rooms from the Pine Inn Hotel site to the parking lot site while preserving existing parking for overnight guests of the hotel. There would be no net increase in the number of hotel rooms and no net reduction in the number of existing parking spaces. The applicant proposes one of the eight hotel units to be occupied as on-site employee housing, similar to a manager’s unit but not necessarily limited to a hotel manager. The project would also require rezoning to a Community Plan (CP) District with an underlying Multi-Family Residential (R-4) zoning designation.
Because a General Plan and Local Coastal Plan amendment requires staff resources beyond what is typical for the construction of a new building, and because rezoning of this site involves complicated policy considerations, staff and the applicant are seeking early direction from the City Council on this request. If the City Council is not interested in amending the General Plan and Local Coastal Plan at this time, it would be better to know that now, before a considerable amount of staff time and resources, as well as expense by the applicant, is devoted to the project. In other words, the Council is being requested to provide ‘red light’ or ‘green light’ feedback on the overall concept of a General Plan and Local Coastal Plan Amendment to facilitate the transfer of hotel rooms to the parking lot.
The applicant’s request letter is included in Attachment 3. A project description and conceptual renderings are included in Attachment 4. The applicant will be in attendance at the meeting to answer any questions the Council may have.
General Plan/Local Coastal Plan Amendment, Rezoning
The Single-Family Residential land use allows residential densities of 2-11 units per acre and overnight accommodations currently operating under a use permit. Above-ground building intensity is limited to a floor area ratio of 45 percent with at least 45 percent open space. The R-1 single-family zoning district is consistent with the General Plan Land Use of Single-Family Residential. Hotels and Motels are prohibited in the R-1 district unless established prior to January 1, 1967, and/or authorized by a use permit issued between 1967 and 1990.
The Multi-Family Residential land use allows residential densities of up to 33 units per acre; densities of up to 44 units per acre are allowed when affordable housing is provided. Existing hotel and motel uses are allowed and may be reconstructed. Maximum building intensity is limited to a floor area ratio of 80 to 90 percent with at least 45 percent open space. The R-4 multi-family zoning district is consistent with the General Plan Land Use of Multi-Family Residential. Hotels and Motels are allowed with the approval of a use permit in the R-4 district.
Community Plan Districts and Specific Plans
The Carmel Municipal Code allows the establishment of Community Plan Districts and Specific Plans for defined planning areas within the City. The Community Plan District sets forth the permitted and conditional uses within the District, which must also be consistent with the General Plan land use designation. The District can also establish development regulations (i.e., building height, setbacks, floor area, parking, etc.) specific to the District. Examples of existing Community Plan Districts include Trevvett Court, Forest Cottages, Block 45, Larson Field, and Carmel Plaza.