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Community Development Services, Planning and Building Department, recommending the Board authorize a request submitted by Susan Simon of Simon Environmental Planning, on behalf of the Carl White Fair Trust, for a commercial floor area allocation of 975 square feet within the Meyers Community Plan Area at 3161 U.S. Highway 50 on Assessor’s Parcel Number 034-331-31, subject to the Conditions presented in the Staff Memorandum dated July 5, 2017. (Supervisorial District 5)
FUNDING: N/A
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Community Development Services, Planning and Building Department, recommending the Board authorize a request submitted by Susan Simon of Simon Environmental Planning, on behalf of the Carl White Fair Trust, for a commercial floor area allocation of 975 square feet within the Meyers Community Plan Area at 3161 U.S. Highway 50 on Assessor’s Parcel Number 034-331-31, subject to the Conditions presented in the Staff Memorandum dated July 5, 2017 (Attachment A).
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Meyers Community Plan (MCP), adopted by both El Dorado County and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), contains a Floor Area Ratio formula, the FAR formula, for the allocation of commercial floor area for new and expanded commercial projects. This permits the County to allocate up to 2,000 square feet for any individual project, with a requirement that the applicant provide matching commercial floor area acquired from other sources, including purchasing commercial floor area from a pool allocated by the TRPA or purchasing from the open market.
In 1997, TRPA allocated 15,400 square feet of commercial floor area to be monitored by the County. An additional 10,000 square feet was allocated in 1998. Less than 10,000 square feet of commercial floor area has been utilized in the Meyers area since the beginning of the program, leaving at least 15,000 square feet available.
The applicant, Carl Fair, is proposing new commercial development (975 square feet) involving a mixed use project with commercial offices on the first floor and one residential unit on the second floor. The project is located within the West Meyers Land Use District (MCP-3), a Priority 1 area for allocation of commercial floor area under Appendix C of the MCP. The residential unit, also proposed at 975 square feet, will require a separate request for a residential unit of use (or a single allocation plus a single development right) from the County prior to the building permit issuance.
The MCP requires the applicant to provide a 3 to 1 match of commercial floor area from anywhere outside of Yanks Station or West Meyers. When no matching commercial floor area can be provided, the MCP Priority 1 area permits the County to allocate up to 75 percent of the project’s floor area from the TRPA allotment for the match, with the remaining 25 percent coming as payment into an allocation fund used by the County for capital improvement projects in Meyers. The applicant is not providing a matching commercial floor area and has chosen to pay into the allocation fund the required 25 percent of the 975 square feet, equaling 243.75 square feet. At a $20 per square foot match rate, the fund payment amount will be $4,875.
ALTERNATIVES
1) Approve the request with additional changes to the Conditions;
2) Continue the item to a date certain for additional information and future action; or
3) Deny the request.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
TRPA
FINANCIAL IMPACT
N/A
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Roger Trout, Director
Planning and Building Department
Community Development Services