Photo by Sarah Bennett
Despite several disapproving parties, city council approved a modification for a renovation plan on 2010 East Ocean Boulevard last week. The current complex is the Beach Plaza Hotel, a 40 room hotel that sits on the south side of Ocean Blvd. at Cherry Ave. The new modification calls for a four-story, 33-unit residential complex with 72 hotel rooms, including valet parking, and a restaurant and lounge.
Appellant groups cite concerns of parking, indicating that the densely populated area is already congested, and increasing the size of the hotel will be a detriment to all. However, the plan that the council and the Planning Commission approved was a modification of an earlier entitlement that addressed these issues.
In 2007, the Planning Commission approved the owner’s plan to create a four-story, 56-unit complex with 40 hotel rooms on the same plot. Noting economic downturns, The Beach Plaza hotel never went through with the procedures, but maintained the entitlements to this plan. This modification changes the ratio of residential units and hotel units, and a net change of only nine total units to the plan.
“We analyzed the modification to the entitlements which really changed the unit mix. In essence it kept the uses the same, but modified the number of units for residential and hotel,” said city staff speaking at last week’s meeting.
{loadposition latestnews}The Planning Commission noted that this new change was not necessary to require an additional traffic study from the one created in 2007. “In our rules and regulations we have certain threshold for when to do a certain traffic study. This project did not meet the threshold,” said David Roseman, City Traffic Engineer. “The added trips were below the minimum threshold. Hotels and condos do not generate as many trips as most people think they do. A hotel and condo generates less than one trip per unit during peak hours. Whether it’s a hotel or a condo, they are similar enough.”
However there will be modifications to the signal lights at the intersections of 15th Place and Ocean Blvd., as well as adding a protected left turn from Ocean Blvd. into the new hotel. “When we looked at it, 20% of the accidents are entering or leaving the hotel. The purpose of the new traffic signal is to prevent blockage and increase pedestrian access. We can improve over the existing condition as well as being able to operate the traffic more efficiently,” said Roseman.
Ultimately the city council sided with City staff and approved the modification to the current entitlements. In the modification there are specific conditions that specifically relate to the submission of the valet parking procedure to the traffic engineer and a formalized acceptance of the plans.
“In essence it does require that there is a discussion and approval by the city traffic engineer regarding the signaling at the intersections. The modification to the units do not contribute complications to the original plan,” said Bodek.
“Taking all that into consideration… With all the technical adjustments, we can make the intersection run better than it does today,” Roseman added.
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