HomeMy WebLinkAbout840 Cowan Road - Staff ReportP.C. �1/22/79
Item No. 1
MEMO T0: PLANNING COMMISSION �
FROM: ASSISTANT CITY PLANNER �
SUBJECT: DOLLAR RENT-A-CAR, 840 COWAN ROAD
A special permit for pollar Rent-A-Car to operate a car rental agency at 1815 Bayshore
Highway was approved by the Planning Corrmission January 23, 1978; ten conditions were
attached to the permit (a copy of the hearing minutes is attached for information).
In October, 1978 the City Attorney wrote to Doliar Rent-A-Car advising that complaints
about the operation of their agency had been received, and that they were in violation
of several of the conditions of the permit. Mr. William W�risten, Regional Manager
for pollar Rent-A-Car, acknowledged these violations in a November 6 letter to the
City, and asked that the special permit be amended and completion of Items 4, 5 and
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7 be extended for 12 months". This reques t was considered November 13, 1978 by the
Commission, and the January, 1978 permit was amended to defer the following three
conditions for a further 90 days:
Condition 4: "Ali employee vehicles shall be parked on site".
5: "Space shall be provided on proper�y for loading and unloading
of vehicles from auto transports"; and
7: "A car wash system shall be designed.and reconstructed to recycle
wash water to the satisfaction of the City Engineer"..
The attached December 4, 1978 letter from S. E. Rondon confirms that a building permit
has now been taken out ta satisfy Condition 7. However, most car rental agencies in
$urlingame have recent7y experienced considerable growth and car inventories have
increased. Dollar Rent-A-Car has found that 1815 Bayshore Highway is inadequa�e to
meet this new growth (the site area is only 39,200 SF, and provides affice space for
the company, custorrer "ready spots", wash and service bays, and car storage}. Two
solutions are being pursued: one, the company is negotiating with SF0 for a base at
the airport, where ZO-30 Do11ar Rent=A-Car employees would be assigned to customer
"ready spots" and the shuttle of vehicles�between the airport leasing office and
Burlingame service and storage areas; and iwo, Dollar Rent-A-Car is arquiring the six
lots which comprise 840 Cowan Road (110,560 SF) for a car storage area.
This special permit application is to use 1 acre of the 22 acre Cowan Road site, with
the remainder of the land vacant and unimproved until negotiations with SFO are
concluded and the precise future use of both 840 Cowan Road and 1815 Bayshore Highway
can be determined. S. E. Rondon's second letter (also dated December 4, 1978,
addressed to the Planning Commission) explains that this project would include
asphalt paving, fencing and landscaping (shown on George Meu & Associates "site plan"
date stamped 12/14/78). "Work wi17 be done immediately. This wi11 be used to park
rental ears as well as employee parking". If approved, these site improvements will
enable Dollar Rent-A-Car to be in compliance with Conditions 4 and 5 of their January,
1978 special.permit.
At staff's request, Mr. Rondon has also filed a second drawing showing a possible design
for the long term (5 years +} development of 840 Cowan Road. Ne notes that "this drawing
is on7y preliminary and meant to give the Planning Commission an idea what is needed if
plans for the future necessitate development.� Further development would be shou�rn in
formal plans and presented to the Planning Comnission for approval (at some future date)"
For the next year or two it is very unlikely that Dollar Rent-A-Car can be more precise
abaut their long term plans for either the Cowan Road or Bayshore Highway property.
-2- .
Copies of this application have been circulated to City departments. The Park Director
confirms that landscaping can be satisfactorily installPd in the 15' front setback
between the property line and proposed chain-link security fence. The January 18, 1979
memo from the Director of Public Works advises of severalconcerns with this project
and the existing access easement that crosses from Cowan Road to the City's storm
drainage pumping station a�t the back of the property.
Considering the recent problems that the City and Do11ar Rent-A-Car have experienced
because of congestion at 1815 Bayshore Highway, and the modest improvements that are
required to develop 840 Cowan Road as a vehicle storage area (improvements that could
be easily removed or amended to allow a different permanent use of this property), staff
recommends approval of this special permit. Recommended conditions for Commission
review at the public hearing are:
1. That the permit for the improvements and use of this property be approved
to Dollar Rent-A-Car of 5an Francisco, Inc. and be non-transferable.
2. That the use of 840 Cowan Road be consistent with the December 4, 1978
letter'from S. E. Rondon of Dollar Rent-A-Car, and any changes shall require
approval by the City.
3. That all site improvements (in�the one acre, pnase one portion of the site} be
in conformance with the site plan date stamped December 14, 1978. •
4. That prior to�the approval of a building permit, a landscape and irrigation
� plan be prepared to the satisfactian of th� City.
• 5. That the street light post shown adjacent to the entrance driveway be relocated
at the applicant's expense to a location satisfactory to the City.
6.� That no vehicles be parked or stored on the access easement between Cowan Road
and the City's storm drainage pumping station.
7. That all auto transports be loaded/unloaded on this property or 1815 Bayshore
Highway, and not use ihe pu,biic streets for this purpose.
8. That this permit be subject to review and possible amendment or cancellation
in three (3) years time. �
9. That any additional improvements to this site (beyond the one acre, phase one
portion of the property) shall require a new application, review and approval
by the City. �
�� �. ��
JRY/s John R.
1/18/79 Assistant City Planner
cc: Bill 4Jristen, Dollar Rent-A-Car
1815 Bayshore Highway, Burlingame
Steve Rondon, Dollar Rent-A-Car .
6141 West Century Blvd., Los Angeles
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To;
From;
PLANNING COMMISSION
Director of Public Works
January 18, 1979
Reference; Dollar Rent-a--Car application
for storage site a.t 840 Cowan Road
a
The property shown on the site plan dated December 1!+, 1978,
as an existing P G� E substation is in reality a City of
Burlingame storm drainage pumping station. The City has a
54 incY: storm drain runrning from Cowan Road to the pump
station beneath the area shown as existing access easement.
We are concerned that planned development not place any
irriprovements over this easement area except paving, and that
access by City vehicles be maintained at all times. The pro-
posed site plans shows the access to be paved, which will
greatly help our:access to this area. However, the proposed
35 foot by 100 foot pavec� area outside of the fencing appears
to be planned for on and off loading of vehicles. This
operation must be such that the access is not blocked to City
vehicles wishing to reach the pump station.
One further point is that if semi�truck and trailers are to
be brought in here, the existing street light post which is
immediately adjacent'to the existing driveway should be re-
located. Our experience has been that large vehicles of
this type could possibly damage the light post. The plan
also shows the proposed storm drainage to come out to Cowan
Road. It is possible that we might be able to discharge
the catch basin directly into the 54-inch storm drain within
the existing easement. .
i���."'�i�
RALPH E. KIRKUP
Director of Public Works
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