Calistoga Municipal Code Art. IV PD 2003-1 (Palisades Resort And Spa)

This planned development district shall regulate development of a 25.86-acre parcel of land (APN 011-050-034) generally located on the south side of Silverado Trail between Brannan Street and Rosedale Road, as shown on the Zoning Map of the City of Calistoga, California, dated November 18, 2003. This planned development district is important to the community, as it is a large parcel located at a key entrance to the community, and in an area of outstanding natural beauty containing creeks and mature trees. This planned development district is also located adjacent to Mt. Washington, and to Calistoga Springs and Chateau Calistoga Mobile Home Parks where significant views of the Palisades mountain range exist across the parcel.

To encourage high quality development and conservation of significant natural resources, future development of this planned development district shall implement the General Plan policies relating to the site. Development shall be sensitive to the rural scale of the subject parcel and its surroundings to include, but not be limited to, preserving natural vegetation and trees, protecting scenic vistas from adjoining property, providing sufficient setbacks from creeks, maintaining on-site drainage and minimizing grading. Development shall also be clustered so as to avoid deleterious impacts on adjacent land uses, particularly the mobile home parks, to include the careful placement of mixed land uses, equipment that generates noise, lighting, landscaping, and building location. Architectural design shall generally be low-scale, consistent with the rural traditions of the area and the Silverado Trail gateway to Calistoga, and adequate landscaping shall be provided to blend the natural and built elements of this parcel.

Unless otherwise provided below, all proposed land uses and development in this planned development district shall require a use permit and shall be in conformance with the regulations provided in this section.

(Ord. 597 § 2, 2003)

A. Uses permitted in this planned development district are shown as follows and shall require a use permit:

1. Visitor accommodations such as a hotel, motel or inn, including recreational uses, administrative offices, conference facilities, and similar related ancillary services that are subordinate to the primary transient use of the parcel;

2. Spa facilities including mineral baths, massage, and similar related services for guests of an on-site visitor accommodation or for the general public;

3. Retail that is subordinate to the primary visitor accommodation and/or spa facilities on the site;

4. Restaurant, including a bar, provided the premises are licensed by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the sale of alcoholic beverages is subordinate to food service on the site;

5. Multiple-family residential; provided, that the housing is for lower-income households. The R-3 district development standards shall apply for all housing in this planned development, as contained in Chapter 17.19 CMC;

6. Uses determined by the Planning Commission to be similar in nature, as provided in the procedures in Chapter 17.03 CMC.

B. Allowed Accessory Uses. Accessory buildings and uses that are clearly incidental and subordinate to the primary use, such as a storage shed, laundry room, or similar building; provided, that no accessory use shall be established or constructed prior to the construction of a main building, or on a lot separate from the main building. Minimum setbacks for accessory buildings and structures shall comply with the standards provided in Chapter 17.38 CMC, except that no accessory building or structure shall be located in the required front setback or within 60 feet from Silverado Trail or 20 feet from Brannan Street.

C. Prohibited Uses. Uses not specified in subsections (A) and (B) of this section are prohibited.

(Ord. 597 § 2, 2003)

Development standards in Planned Development District – PD 2003-1 are as follows:

A. Height limit of buildings and structures shall not exceed 30 feet, unless otherwise provided in Chapter 17.38 CMC.

B. Minimum lot area shall be 25.86 acres. The minimum lot area may be reduced commensurate with the amount of land dedicated for the development of affordable housing to lower-income households, but in no case shall the lot area be less than approximately two acres.

C. Minimum setbacks shall be as follows, unless otherwise provided in this section:

1. Front yard (Silverado Trail): 60 feet;

2. Street side yard (Brannan Street): 20 feet;

3. Interior side yard: 10 feet, except that structures exceeding 15 feet in height shall not have an interior side yard setback less than one-half the height of the building. In no case shall a side yard be less than 10 feet or required to be more than 20 feet;

4. Rear yard: 20 feet.

D. Maximum coverage of a lot by all buildings or structures, including accessory structures, shall be 25 percent.

E. Parking Requirements.

1. On-site parking, loading and circulation shall comply with the standards contained in Chapter 17.36 CMC.

2. On-site parking may project into the required front yard setback, but in no case shall be located within 20 feet from the property line adjacent to Silverado Trail. Where on-site parking is located between 20 and 60 feet from Silverado Trail, the parking shall be sufficiently screened from view from the public right-of-way.

F. Fence, Hedges and Walls Requirements. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, the location and design of fences, hedges and walls shall be consistent with the standards contained in Chapter 17.52 CMC.

(Ord. 597 § 2, 2003)

Design review shall be required for all buildings or structures requiring a use permit, subject to the following guidelines:

A. Accessory buildings or structures 220 square feet or larger in size shall require design review;

B. Buildings and structures shall be designed to reflect the traditional low-rise rural character of the Silverado Trail gateway to the community to include, but not be limited to, grouping development to enhance the use of open space and protect natural resources, reducing the visibility of buildings and parking areas with landscaped berms or similar methods, implementing low- to moderate-pitched roofs, and using natural building materials and colors that blend into the surroundings;

C. Maintain existing significant views of the Palisades mountain range and Mt. Washington for adjoining property;

D. Protect natural resources, including minimizing changes in grade and resulting adverse changes in drainage patterns, retaining on-site drainage where practicable, protecting existing healthy trees, and providing setbacks from watercourses to protect sensitive biological resources;

E. Provide landscaping that complements the existing tree canopy within the riparian corridor on the site, including primarily native vegetation that will achieve the natural character of the open space at this gateway to the community along Silverado Trail;

F. Limit exterior lighting to prevent glare and preserve the traditional low levels of illumination in the area;

G. Consider the effect of development on the access to natural sunlight and privacy for adjoining properties;

H. The visual prominence of fences and walls shall be minimized by using materials and landscaping that blend with the natural environment. Except where provided in Chapter 17.52 CMC, fences and walls shall generally not exceed 4.5 feet in height within any required setback. Landscaped berms may exceed 4.5 feet in height as measured from natural grade to the top of mature landscaping; provided, that the landscaped berms are intended to screen on-site parking and provide a human scale avoiding an unnatural or dominating appearance;

I. Comply with the design guidelines established in Chapter 17.06 CMC.

(Ord. 597 § 2, 2003)