To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Vincent Smith, Community Development Director
Prepared By: Michael Allen, Senior Planner
TITLE:
Title
Embassy Suites Addition
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
(1) Approve the first reading and introduction of an ordinance approving a Planned Development Overlay district (PD-38) establishing the development standards for the Embassy Suites Addition located at 1075 California Boulevard and 2420 First Street and determining that the actions authorized by this ordinance are exempt from the requirements of CEQA (APN: 002-200-001 & 002-141-002); and (2) adopt a resolution approving a Use Permit and Design Review Permit for the Embassy Suites Addition and determining that the actions authorized by this resolution are exempt from the requirements of CEQA.
Body
DISCUSSION:
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Applicant, Mani NVR Napa (DE), requests approval of a Design Review Permit, Use Permit and Planned Development Overlay to construct a new detached 53,720 square foot, 4 story, 54 room hotel addition on the Embassy Suites hotel site. The 54-hotel room addition includes a 1,520 square foot restaurant, a 4,290 square foot open air terrace and a 1,270 square foot lounge. The Applicant also proposes stacked parking to accommodate the parking intensification from the additional rooms. The Planned Development Overlay is requested to accommodate the increased height needed for the rooftop pool’s accessory uses.
The project includes the following applications:
1. Planned Development Overlay for an increased maximum building height.
2. Design Review Permit for a new non-residential structure.
3. Use Permit to authorize a detached 54-room hotel expansion.
PROJECT CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
The Embassy Suites Hotel is on the northwest corner of California Boulevard and First Street adjacent to Highway 29 and First Street at the gateway to the downtown area. Surrounding uses include Highway 29 to the west, a mix of residential, commercial and tourist commercial to the south, single family residential to the east. Napa Creek is located directly north of the project site. Across the creek further to the north is a vacant parcel which has been approved for a residential condominium project and older single-family residences. In 1984, the existing hotel (then called the Granada Royale II) was approved by Use Permit UP83-172. The hotel contains 211 rooms, a 2,255-square foot restaurant, and a 7,940 square feet conference facility. In 2001, a 33,500-square foot hotel addition containing 36 rooms was approved by Use Permit UP01-138. This building addition was to be built on the same location as the currently proposed addition using a similar triangular design. However, the project was never constructed and that use permit expired. Recently, a 4,045-square foot addition to the conference facility was approved by Administrative Permit (PL18-0013); however the hotel addition project proposes parking improvements that conflict with the conference facility addition. Therefore, if the project is approved, the project approvals will supersede the previously approved conference facility addition permit as indicated in Condition 3 of the draft resolution. In addition to the existing 211 room hotel, the remainder of the property is landscaped with lawn and trees including a parking lot.
ANALYSIS
GENERAL PLAN
The property is located within the TC-484, Tourist Commercial which provides for tourist oriented commercial retail and services such as destination-resort hotels, motels, and their recreational amenities such as spas and conference centers. The existing use of the site as a hotel, conference center and restaurant provide lodging, spa services and conference facilities for tourists as well as for Napa residents and their families. The proposed new building containing 54 rooms is consistent with the existing development in the area. The proposal is consistent with the General Plan and the Tourist Commercial designation and following goals:
General Plan Goal LU-5 encourages attractive, well-located commercial development to serve the needs of Napa residents, workers and visitors. The hotel addition makes efficient use of the vacant, triangular portion of the hotel site. It proposes additional lodging facilities to an existing hotel at a conveniently accessed site from Highway 29, and within close proximity to the Downtown area. The new building is of a high-quality design and adds parking to meet additional requirements. The proposal complies with the goal of the General Plan.
Economic Development Policy ED-4.1 states the City shall continue to promote the city of Napa as a visitor destination and to develop stronger links to regional and national tourist markets. The proposal involves additional rooms in support of the goal and provides additional lodging for visitors.
Economic Development Policy ED-4.4 encourages projects that promote and facilitate hotel development within the city limits and states that the City’s hotel development strategy shall encompass a variety of lodging types to meet the needs of the diverse visitor market attracted to the Napa Valley by specifically promoting hotel development that includes meeting facilities for small conferences. The project as proposed complies with the policy as it proposes new lodging on an existing hotel site and provides additional rooms and amenities. The existing hotel contains meeting facilities and further complies with the policy.
ZONING
The property is located within the Tourist Commercial (CT) District which provides for uses oriented toward tourists and other visitors to the community. The district encourages hotels and motels and their related amenities and recreational facilities. This district also includes community and visitor-serving retail commercial, entertainment, restaurants, service stations and similar compatible uses. The existing hotel was approved by a Use Permit (UP83-172) in 1984. The proposed hotel addition is consistent with the CT district’s intent of providing visitor accommodations. Similarly, because the proposed addition would increase the original number of rooms approved in the original Use Permit, a Use Permit is required for the expansion. The proposal is also consistent with the property development standards of the CT Zoning District with the exception of the height, as illustrated in the table found in the zoning analysis of the Planning Commission staff report (ATTACHMENT 3). The Applicant requests a Planned Development Overlay District to allow for a greater height than that allowed by the development standards.
With the exception of the height, the proposal complies with the CT development standards. It should be noted that the primary hotel structure is 36 feet, 6 inches which is 3 feet, 6 inches below the CT maximum height. Only the rooftop pools’ ancillary service areas (restrooms, food, and beverage service area) totaling 336 square feet, exceed the maximum height by 7 feet, 6 inches. The request for a Planned Development Overlay district is further discussed in the “Planned Development Overlay” section of this report.
USE PERMIT
Pursuant to NMC Section 17.10.020, hotels are a conditionally permitted land use subject to final approval of a Use Permit by the City Council. Use Permits are required for land uses that may be suitable only in specific locations or require special consideration in their design, operation, or layout to ensure compatibility with surrounding uses.
The CT Zoning District provides for uses oriented toward tourists and other visitors to the community. The existing hotel and the proposed addition comply with the underlying zoning goals of the district. The existing hotel was granted a Use Permit (UP83-172) in 1984 and the hotel has operated at this location ever since. The current proposal includes a 54-room building addition to the existing hotel. As conditioned, the proposed expansion would be a suitable use on the existing hotel site. The project has also been reviewed for compatibility with the roundabout improvements that are near completion for the Highway 29/California Boulevard/First and Second Street intersections.
HOTEL POLICIES
The City Council established Hotel Policies in May 2008. Below are the Applicants’ responses to how the project complies with these policies:
1. A priority should be placed on the development of full-service and resort hotels downtown because of the ancillary and complementary benefits to other downtown uses and activities. This does not preclude the full range of additional lodging products in appropriate locations throughout the city.
The Embassy Suites Napa is considered by many to be one of Napa’s landmark hotels. Conveniently located at the gateway to the City and its downtown, the Embassy Suites Napa has been an essential part of Napa’s tourist industry for over 33 years. The Embassy Suites Napa is a full-service, resort hotel, providing banquet and group meeting amenities and services, an indoor and outdoor pool, business services and full-service restaurant and bar offerings, in addition to the new roof deck as an additional guest amenity. The Embassy Suites Napa is frequently used by the community for group meetings.
2. Limited service hotels with meeting room space and close proximity to surrounding support services would be considered desirable. Bed and breakfasts and small inns as infill projects would be encouraged as indicated in the General Plan.
The Embassy Suites Napa is a full service hotel, which will have 265 guest rooms after the addition of the 54 new guest rooms, with 6,968 square foot of banquet and meeting space on the first floor, an additional 1,930 square feet banquet space on the hotel atrium, and an additional 1,000 square feet of space on the third floor. The Embassy Suites Hotel offers a full complement of support services including a business center featuring printing, mailing and fax services during normal business hours, and an audiovisual center for guests needs.
3. New hotel projects should provide a minimum of 15-100 square feet of contiguous meeting room space per guest room depending on the type of hotel and location to facilitate and expand the group meeting demand.
After the addition, The Embassy Suites Napa will have a total of 9,370 square feet of banquet and meeting room space, which represents 38.21 square feet per guest room.
4. Hotel applicants/developers should demonstrate how they will pursue mass transport activities that reduce traffic congestion such as shuttle services, linkages with other hotels, use of the trolley or like public transit options, for guests and employees, particularly for group-oriented hotels.
Embassy Suites Napa is an active member of the Napa Valley Forward program sponsored by Metropolitan Transportation Commission in conjunction with Napa Valley Vintners, Napa Board of Supervisors, and Visit Napa Valley. There are currently 20+ team members enrolled in the program that kicked off January 2020. In addition, the hotel participates in the Bay Area 511 program offering commuter benefits through payroll deductions.
5. Hotel applicants/developers should demonstrate how they will link with the Napa Valley College Hospitality Institute and Hospitality and Tourism Management Program, and/or provide in-house hospitality and employment training programs that will provide a career ladder and stable employment sector.
Embassy Suites Napa is an active participant on the Workforce Alliance of the North Bay. We are represented as a board member on the local and regional workforce board. This Joint Powers Agency is responsible for the policy making and implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs and services administered in Lake, Marin and Napa counties via their respective America’s Job Centers of California (AJCCs). Embassy Suites Napa has been actively involved with the Napa Hospitality Partnership since its inception. Our HR Director is a co-chair for the Napa HIP. This local organization consists of lodging and restaurants representatives, with support of community partners such as Napa Valley College and Visit Napa Valley to collaborate and invest in the future of the hospitality industry through education. Embassy Suites Napa collaborates with Napa County Health and Human Services in the OJT (On the Job Training) program. Currently the hotel has two team members from this program.
6. Hotel projects should demonstrate how they will meet sustainability (green) practices as determined by LEED standards or future green ordinances or initiatives that may be adopted by the City.
Since the writing of this ordinance, LEED standards and Green measures have become a requirement of the Napa and California building code. Embassy Suites Napa is a two-time winner of the JD Fullner Recycling Leadership Award. They have received numerous recognitions over the past five years for efforts in waste reduction and local recycling. The hotel is an active participant in Hilton’s Clean the World program, collecting used bottles of shampoo and soap bars for recycling. The hotel informs their meeting planners of Clean the World’s Hygiene Kit assembly as a group event for consideration. The hotel prioritizes its social and environmental impact through Hilton’s Light Stay program to minimize waste, water and carbon usage.
7. Hotel applications should demonstrate as part of the application process a commitment to advancing cultural arts by providing a public art component visible and accessible to the public, particularly for hotels located downtown. Hotel projects in the pipeline may be subject to a future "art in public places'' ordinance, pending adoption by City Council in 2008.
Embassy Suites Napa proudly displays a sculpture from area artist Ben Bullock adjacent their front drive. The hotel also displays an exhibit from Artists for Orphans organization highlighting Shona Sculptures exclusive to Zimbabwe. The General Manager is the current board president to the Napa Tourism Improvement District (TID). The TID provides seed dollars for artistic events such as the newly established Napa Lighted Art Festival. The proposed new 54-Room Addition project will be required to comply with the City’s Public Art Ordinance.
8. Hotel applicants should provide a report or study that provides a comprehensive overview regarding hotel employment. The report or study should be prepared by an independent consultant and include, at a minimum, the following information: the number of employees the hotel would employ, full-time vs. part-time, position titles, wage rates by position, and types of benefits; the anticipated breakdown of employees residing inside or outside the County of Napa, and the rationale for breakdown; and any programs or policies the applicant or operator will implement in the area of employee housing and congestion management. The City Council has requested this employment information to measure any economic, housing and transportation impacts the hotel would create. The chart in Section IV.E of the Planning Commission staff report (Attachment 3) lists the anticipated additional job positions to service the hotel expansion.
Embassy Suites Napa anticipates that the addition of the 54 new guest rooms will generate a net increase of full and part-time employees of approximately 12 new hires. The hotel does not have any plan to provide or supplement employee housing. The new hires will be offered the same commuter benefits and encouraged to use public transportation and ride share services.
Based on the above information and analysis, Staff concluded that the Planning Commission could find that the project is consistent with the hotel policy and has been appropriately designed and conditioned to ensure compliance with General Plan policies and property development standards and will not result in adverse impacts to adjacent properties or to the general health, safety, and welfare of the community. As discussed below, the Commission agreed with Staff’s analysis and recommended approval of the project. With approval of a Use Permit, the Project would be in compliance with the provisions of the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance.
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY
NMC Section 17.10.030 establishes property development standards which allow for a maximum height of 40 feet. The plans propose an overall height of 47 feet 6 inches. The Applicant requests a Planned Development Overlay to allow for an increase of 7 foot 6 inches in the maximum height permitted by the base district. NMC Chapter 17.42 allows for Planned Developments associated with an individual development approval with City Council approval. The purpose of the Planned Development Overlay District (NMC Chapter 17.42) is to encourage high quality, innovative and creative development design, and possibilities for varied or mixed uses consistent with the General Plan, by allowing flexibility in underlying zoning standards. Variations in development regulations such as setbacks, yards, height limitations, street standards, parking and loading, landscaping, open space and lot area are allowed with a PD Ordinance. At 36.5 feet, the height of the hotel building is actually below the district height maximum. However, the improvements needed to support the rooftop wading pool entailing restrooms and service area for food and beverage service cannot be accommodated under the current 40-foot height limit. The elevator shaft is excluded from the maximum height per NMC Section 17.52.220 which excludes roof structures for the housing of elevators and other roof equipment.
In order for the City Council to approve the :PD overlay with an individual development approval, the following findings must be made:
1. The development is superior overall to a similar project designed to meet the standards of this title and of the underlying district in which it is located; and
The Planning Commission found that the hotel addition provides a design that is unique and contains a combination of quality forms and materials. The inclusion of the rooftop wading pool adds to the amenities that are anticipated from a resort style hotel. This feature is similar to the rooftop pool and supporting services found at the Archer Hotel in the Downtown.
2. Any variations from the standards of this title and the district in which the development is located are justified by the high quality design of the proposed development when taken together as a whole; and
The increased height which only applies to less than 400 square feet of conditioned space on the rooftop represents a small fraction of the overall building. This small variation is justified given the high quality architectural design of the building as well as the inclusion of a “living wall.” The portion of the building that exceeds the maximum height will be wrapped with a foliage “green” skin which will soften the rooftop appurtenances.
3. Each phase (if any) of the development, as well as the development as a whole, can exist as an independent unit capable of creating an environment of sustained desirability and stability; and
The hotel addition is a stand-alone building that will be constructed in one phase. It could operate independently, even if the main hotel was not directly adjacent on the same site.
4. The proposed development is planned in coordination and compatible with the existing and planned uses in the surrounding area; and
The hotel addition has been designed to coordinate with the existing hotel which has been in existence at this site for more than 30 years. The addition will be as compatible with the California Boulevard neighborhood as the existing hotel has been.
5. The proposed structure(s) and/or use(s) are consistent with the General Plan and any applicable specific plan or other adopted plan; and
The property is located within the TC-484, Tourist Commercial General Plan designation which provides for tourist oriented commercial retail and services such as destination-resort hotels, motels, and their recreational amenities such as spas and conference centers. The hotel addition as well as the existing use of the site as a hotel, conference center and restaurant providing lodging, spa services and conference facilities are consistent with the Tourist Commercial General Plan designation.
6. Any conditions stipulated as necessary in the public interest have been imposed; and
The project plans and associated application submittal materials have been reviewed by the responsible City departments and agencies. All Department/Division’s responses have been included in the recommended Conditions of Approval. All applicable project conditions have been incorporated in the recommended Conditions of Approval for the project.
7. The proposed structure(s) and/or use(s) will not be detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare of the community.
Adequate public services exist to support this project and no nuisances or other detrimental effects to the surrounding properties, neighboring areas, or the community as a whole have been identified. The project has been reviewed by all City reviewing Departments and has been conditioned to ensure the structure and its use will not be detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare.
DESIGN REVIEW
NMC Sections 17.10.050 and 17.62.050 require a Design Review Permit for new non-residential structures. Consistent with this requirement, the Applicant has submitted architectural plans for the development. See Planning Commission staff report (Attachment 3) for a detailed Design Review analysis.
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on February 6, 2020. The Commission heard a report from Staff, followed by a presentation by the Applicant team. There were no members of the public that spoke during public comment. The Commission asked several questions regarding the project’s landscaping, pedestrian connection between the existing building and the proposed building, and whether public art would be proposed. The Commission expressed appreciation for the building’s architecture and indicated they thought it was an attractive, high quality design.
The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the project.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
If the project is approved and constructed, Staff anticipates that it could bring in additional General Fund Transient Occupancy Tax revenue for the City of approximately $0.35 million dollars annually.
CEQA:
City staff recommends that the City Council determine that the potential environmental effects of the Recommended Action are exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with Section 15332 (Categorical Exemptions: Class 32) of the CEQA Guidelines, which exempts in-fill development projects that are consistent with the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance; that occur within City limits and are on sites no more than 5 acres in size; that are on sites with no value as habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species; that would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality; and that can be adequately served by existing utilities, and that the exceptions to categorical exemptions identified in Section 15300.2 of the CEQA Guidelines are inapplicable because the land is in an urbanized area with no environmentally sensitive habitats or species of concern on the property, there has been no successive effort to intensify land uses in the area, and no unusual circumstances exist that would pose a reasonable possibility of having a significant effect on the environment. Based on this analysis, no significant environmental effects would result from this project and the exemption is appropriate.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Draft Ordinance approving a Planned Development Overlay with EXS A & B
EX A - Embassy Suites Hotel Addition Planned Development District (PD-38) April 7, 2020
EX B - Embassy Suites Planned Development Overlay (PD-38)
ATCH 2 - Draft Resolution approving a Use Permit and Design Review Permit
EX A - NapaSan Letter dated July 6, 2018
ATCH 3 - Planning Commission Staff Report (attachments removed to avoid duplication), communications and minutes excerpts
ATCH 4 - Project Plans
ATCH 5 - Traffic and Parking Analysis
NOTIFICATION:
Notice of the scheduled public hearing was provided on April 10, 2020 by US Postal Service to all property owners within a 500-foot radius of the subject property. Notice of the public hearing was also published in the Napa Valley Register on April 10, 2020 and provided to people previously requesting notice on the matter at the same time notice was provided to the newspaper for publication. The Applicant was also provided a copy of this report and the associated attachments in advance of the public hearing on the project.