Exhibit 2: Site Plan

As depicted in Exhibit 2 above, and Attachment 3, the Applicant proposes to relocate the existing drive access along La Habra Boulevard, which is currently gated by a six-foot tall chain link fence, from its current location to the southwest corner of the site. The subject property currently has four-foot tall chain link fences along the eastern and western boundaries of the site, and a six-foot tall chain link gate along the northern boundary, which the Applicant is proposing to remove. The Applicant proposes to construct six-foot tall CMU block walls along the eastern and western boundaries. Access off of La Habra Boulevard will be one-way, entrance only, which will be limited by a six-foot-tall, wrought iron, swing-open gate.  The proposed gate along the northern boundary will open inward for one-way vehicular traffic to exit onto the alley north of the site. Both gates will remain open during the hours of operation, 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, and locked at all other times. 

The site currently features a 978 square-foot, single-story building with a driveway along the eastern boundary. The Applicant is proposing to demolish 734 square feet of the existing structure, leaving 244 square feet to remain, and add an 835 square-foot first-floor expansion along the eastern side of the building. Additionally, a 421 square-foot expansion will be added as a second story, toward the rear of the site, above the ADA parking space, bringing the total square footage of the building to 1,500 square feet. As mentioned above, the General Plan would permit commercial development of the Project site with up to a 3,250-square-foot building. In addition, the second story has been designed so that it will not impede use of the parking spaces.

As noted above, the Applicant is proposing a one-way drive aisle on the western side of the property. The drive aisle would be separated from the adjacent residential property to the west by a 10-foot wide fully landscaped setback area and a six-foot-tall CMU block wall. The drive aisle will lead to six parking spaces, located on the northeastern side of the property, including one parking space that will be ADA-accessible. While there is no landscaped setback area proposed or required between the parking spaces or the building from the adjacent commercial property to the east, the properties will be separated by a proposed six-foot tall CMU block wall. The proposed trash enclosure will be located at the north end of the site where it can be accessed from the alley. As shown in Table 2 below, the proposed Project meets the LHMC parking requirements for a doctor's office.  The site is well-illuminated at the La Habra Boulevard frontage, the drive aisle, and the rear parking spaces. The lighting plan meets the LHMC requirement for an average of less than 0.5-foot candles at the La Habra Boulevard entrance and 0.0-foot candles along the residential uses to the north and west.

Table 2: Parking Requirements for Doctor’s/Dentist’s Office

Required Parking		Parking Provided
Per 1,000 SF	For 1,500 SF building
4 spaces	6 spaces	6 spaces (includes 1 ADA-accessible)

The proposed Project satisfies each of the development standards with regard to building setbacks, building height, lot coverage, and landscaping, as indicated in Table 3 below. 

Table 3: Development Standards

Development Standard	Required	Proposed
Front Setback (min)	10 ft	14 ft
Side Setback (min) adjacent to commercial	0 ft	0 ft
Side Setback (min) adjacent to residential	10 ft	26.5 ft
Rear Setback(min)	25 ft	48 ft
Landscaping (min)	7% (248 SF)	34% (1,206 SF)
Lot Coverage (max)	50% (3,250 SF)	23% (1,500 SF)
Building Height (max)	50 ft	25 ft

The Project was screened through the North Orange County Collaborative VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) Traffic Study Screening Tool. VMT measures the per capita number of car trips generated by a Project and the distance vehicles will travel to and from a project. The use of VMT for analyzing transportation impacts emphasizes the reduction in the number of vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled to encourage the development of jobs, housing and commercial uses in proximity to each other and near public transportation. According to the screening tool, the Project is located within a Transit Priority Area and within a Low VMT Generating Zone. Per the Office of Planning and Research (OPR), small projects can be screened from VMT analysis if it is determined that the daily net trips will be less than 110 trips. Based on the Project size, the net daily trips are expected to be 42 trips (45 trips anticipated – 3 trips existing) and the Project is not subject to a VMT analysis.

As depicted in Exhibit 3, below, and Attachment 4, the proposed Project's Conceptual Landscape Plan features a variety of evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, and ground cover well suited to the local climate. A Crape Myrtle tree will be placed along the La Habra Boulevard frontage, by the entrance to the building. African Fern Pine trees along with Foxtail Agave, Sunburst Spreading Lantana, and Blue Chalkstick shrubs will be placed in the landscape planter along the western boundary of the site. The landscape planters located along the northern boundary and in front of the ADA parking space contain Blue Gem Coast Rosemary groundcover and Blue Chalkstick shrubs as well. Pink Honeysuckle and Sunburst Spreading Lantana will be placed in the overhang area in front of the rest of the parking spaces. The Conceptual Landscape Plan was reviewed and found to be suitable for doctor's office building as proposed. However, the final plan will be required to give additional attention to complement the unique design character of the site, particularly along the drive aisle. Landscape conditions have been included as part of the conditions of approval. These include enhanced paving treatments and the use of decorative pottery or other structured methods of protecting plant materials. Exhibit 3: Landscape Plan



The underground stormwater infiltration basin for the development is located along the western boundary of the site, within the 10-foot-wide landscape planter. The conceptual Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP), which addresses the topography, stormwater collection basins, and proposed water drainage paths for the site, has been reviewed by the City’s Public Works Department. 

Exhibit 4: Elevations



As depicted in Exhibit 4, above, and Attachment 5, the Applicant has proposed a Spanish-influenced design with a variety of accents that include earth-tone stucco finishes, clay tile roofing, and arched design cues as envisioned in Section 18.44.060 (Design Guidelines for the La Habra Boulevard Specific Plan) of the LHMC. The southern elevation, along the La Habra Boulevard frontage, features stone veneer cladding along the bottom section of the building and cross-hatched wrought iron accent pieces along the second story. The western elevation of the building, along the proposed drive aisle, features recessed windows with arched design elements. Additional pop-out accents along the northern and eastern elevations of the building provide a varying perception of depth. The second story of the building, which is only located toward the rear of the site, is 25 feet in height at peak, well under the maximum building height of 50 feet, as permitted for commercial developments within the SP-1 Zone. The roof of the building is finished with brownish-red clay tile. The air-conditioning system will be mounted flush on the roof so it is not visible from the ground or public right-of-way. Lights on the property include building-mounted wrought-iron sconce-type lanterns. Per the Applicant's request, a condition of approval has been included to allow the installation of one “Series GKO ALG5” LED security light, comprised of precision cast aluminum with stainless steel hardware and powder coated with a black finish, on the north side of the building to provide security lighting for the parking area.

Exhibit 5: Floor Plan



The proposed 1,500-square-foot floor plan is shown above in Exhibit 5 and Attachment 6. The ground floor features the reception area and waiting room, two office rooms, two exam rooms, a lab room, a file room, two restrooms, and a staircase leading upstairs. The second floor features an employee lounge, an office room, a restroom, and two additional exam rooms.

ANALYSIS: 

Design Review (DRPH24-0003)
As outlined above, the proposed Project is subject to Design Review approval by the Planning Commission. Pursuant to LHMC Section 18.68.050 (Findings) of Chapter 18.68 (Design Review), prior to the approval of the Design Review, the Planning Commission must make the required findings listed below; following each finding is Staff's analysis of the proposed Project's ability to meet the required finding.

1. The proposed project is consistent with the City's General Plan.
The General Plan designates the Project site for Corridor Mixed-Use 2 land use, which allows for commercial developments of up to a 0.5 Floor-Area-Ratio (FAR), multi-unit residential development of up to 36 dwelling units per acre and mixed-use projects up to a 1.5 FAR. Based on the size of the Project site, the General Plan permits commercial development of up to a maximum floor area of 3,250 square feet; the Applicant is proposing a 1,500-square-foot commercial building. Although residential development of the site is permitted by the General Plan, the Project site is not identified in the Housing Element as a site required to meet the City’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation. Additionally, the Conservation/Natural Resources chapter of the General Plan (Chapter 6, Section A) does not identify the Project site as an area of biological sensitivity. Further, the Community Development chapter of the General Plan (Chapter 2, Section D) does not identify the site as an area of notable archaeological resources.

This Project implements policies LU 2.5 (Places Supporting the Quality of Life) by providing La Habra residents with access to healthcare locally, LU 3.2 (Places to Meet Daily Needs) by providing La Habra residents with access to a primary care physician within the community, LU 4.4 (Design Review) by ensuring the architecture of the building is consistent with the Spanish/Mediterranean design elements envisioned for the La Habra Boulevard Specific Plan, LU 5.5 (Revitalization of Obsolete and Underused Properties) by reusing a vacant and abandoned commercial building last operated in 2020, LU 11.1 (Diversity of Use) by utilization of a site as a doctor’s office adjacent to a legal, nonconforming single-unit residence on one side and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy on the other, LU 11.5 (Cohesive Development) by having Spanish/Mediterranean influenced design consistent with adjacent commercial developments along La Habra Boulevard, LU 11.6 (Enhanced Design Character) by having Taupe stucco, red clay tile roofs, and arched design elements, LU 11.7 (Architecture and Site Design) by having adequate drive aisle width for vehicular access to and from the property as well as adequate parking onsite, and LU 12.1 (Land Use Mix of the General Plan 2035) by permitted the development of a commercial use within the Corridor Mixed-Use 2 land use designation. Therefore, the proposed Project is consistent with the City’s General Plan.

2. The proposed project is consistent with the City's Zoning Ordinance.
The Project site is located within the La Habra Boulevard Specific Plan (SP-1 Zone) and the Mixed-Use (MX) Overlay Zone. The MX Overlay Zone implements the Corridor Mixed-Use 2 land use designation. Pursuant to La Habra Municipal Code (LHMC) section 18.54.040.A, the regulations set forth in Chapter 18.54 (Mixed-Use Overlay Zones (MX)) of the La Habra Municipal Code (LHMC) are in addition to the regulations set forth in the base zone, which in this case is the SP-1 Zone. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of the MX Overlay Zone and the provisions of the base zone, the provisions of the MX Overlay Zone prevail. If the MX Overlay Zone is silent in relation to any development standard, the development standard identified in the base zone (SP-1 Zone) prevails. Both the SP-1 Zone and the MX Overlay Zone identify a doctor’s office as a land use permitted by right. There are no conflicts between the provisions of the SP-1 Zone and the MX Overlay Zone for the proposed use or development standards applicable to the Project. The scope of work involves the partial demolition and expansion of an existing building last occupied by a printing and form distribution business in 2020. The proposed setbacks, onsite parking, landscaping, and building elevations are all consistent with the zoning standards and design guidelines for both the SP-1 Zone and the MX Overlay Zone. Therefore, the proposed Project is consistent with the City’s Zoning Ordinance.

3. The proposed project is in the best interest of the public health, safety, and welfare of the community.
The Zoning Ordinance and General Plan are tools to ensure that all projects achieve goals that promote the public health, safety, and welfare of the community. The proposed Project is located within the SP-1 Zone and MX Overlay Zone, and is consistent with the anticipated land use identified by the General Plan and permitted within the SP-1 Zone and MX Overlay Zone. Staff has determined that the Project’s design provides sufficient access for public safety personnel such as Fire and Police. The Project was also screened through the North Orange County Collaborative VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) Traffic Study Screening Tool. According to the screening tool, the Project is located within a Transit Priority Area and within a Low VMT Generating Zone. Per the Office of Planning and Research (OPR), small projects can be screened from VMT analysis if it is determined that the daily net trips will be less than 110 trips. Based on the Project size, the net daily trips are expected to be 42 trips (45 trips anticipated – 3 trips existing) and the Project is not subject to a VMT analysis. Therefore, the Project is in the best interest of the public health, safety, and welfare of the community.

4. For projects that are not subject to the objective design standards set forth in Chapter 18.09 of this title, the nature of the proposed land uses and the design is appropriate for the proposed location and compatible with the surrounding land uses and improvements.
The Project is located within the La Habra Boulevard Specific Plan (SP-1 Zone) and the Mixed-Use (MX) Overlay Zone. Pursuant to La Habra Municipal Code section 18.09.030.A, the objective design standards do not apply if the property is within a specific plan, overlay, and/or planned unit development that already implements design standards, in which case those standards prevail. Because the subject property is located within the La Habra Boulevard Specific Plan (SP-1) Zone, the objective design standards set forth in Chapter 18.09 of the La Habra Municipal Code do not apply. The MX Overlay Zone implements Corridor Mixed-Use 2 General Plan land use designation and permits commercial development of the Project site, as permitted by the General Plan. Additionally, the General Plan establishes goals and policies for the development of various projects in the City based on the particular land use designation. These goals are implemented through development standards in supporting documents such as Title 18 (Zoning) of the La Habra Municipal Code. In this case, the General Plan land use designation is Corridor Mixed-Use 2, which allows for commercial developments of up to 0.5 FAR. The proposed doctor’s office building is a total of 1,500 square feet while the lot size is 6,500 square feet. This equates to a Project FAR of 0.23. Further, the Project has been reviewed against the development standards and design guidelines for the SP-1 Zone and the MX Overlay Zone and satisfies the requirement for Spanish/Mediterranean architecture, arched accent pop outs, stone veneer cladding, wrought-iron accents, and red-clay s-tile roofing. Therefore, the nature of the proposed land use and design is appropriate for the proposed location and compatible with the surrounding land uses and improvements.

5. The project complies with all requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, or has been found to be exempt.
This Project was reviewed pursuant to the guidelines of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and determined to be categorically exempt under Section 15332, Class 32: “In-fill Development Projects” of the CEQA Guidelines in that the Project is consistent with the General Plan designation and all applicable General Plan policies, the Project site is less than five acres and surrounded by urban uses. The site currently features a 978 square-foot one-story building, constructed in 1920, that was last used by a printing and form distribution business in 2020. As a result, the Project site has no value as a habitat for rare or endangered fish or wildlife. The Project was screened through the North Orange County Collaborative VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) Traffic Study Screening Tool. According to the screening tool, the Project is located within a Transit Priority Area and within a Low VMT Generating Zone. Per the Office of Planning and Research (OPR), a small project can be screened from VMT analysis if it is determined that the daily net trips will be less than 110 trips. Based on the Project size, the net daily trips are expected to be 42 trips (45 trips anticipated – 3 trips existing). Therefore, the Project is not subject to a VMT analysis. Lastly, approval of the Project would not result in significant impacts to noise, air quality or water quality, as the Project is a commercial development proposed on a parcel zoned for mixed-use and located along a primary thoroughfare within the City. Because this Project involves an existing building, the restoration and expansion of the site can and will continue to be adequately served by all utilities and public services.

The Project is also not subject to any of the exceptions for exemption under Section 15300.2 of the CEQA Guidelines. The cumulative impact of this Project, and the approval of other projects like it in the vicinity, is not expected to have any significant environmental impact. The Project is not located along any state-designated scenic highway nor within any designated hazardous waste site. Staff does not expect any significant impacts or unusual circumstances related to the approval and construction of the Project. Therefore, the Project is categorically exempt from CEQA.