New height standards that would allow buildings up to 70 feet tall in certain parts of Santa Maria, and a project that proposes buildings up to 60 feet tall at the city’s southwestern edge will wait two more weeks for City Council action.

The council Tuesday night continued the separate public hearings until Oct. 7 to allow city staff time to develop more options on allowable heights and areas where the height limit could be applied.

Although the items are not tied together, a change in the height ordinance is necessary for the proposed Lakeview Promenade project at the northwest corner of South Broadway (Highway 135) and Skyway Drive to move forward.

The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 110 E. Cook St.

The proposed city code amendment would allow a maximum height of 70 feet, from the current limit of 35 feet, for high density residential (R-3) zoning districts on lots 1 acre or larger. A limit of 45 feet would apply for lots less than an acre in size. New setback standards are also included.

For comparison, the seven-story Union Plaza Senior Apartments building, built in 1975, is 69 feet tall on a 2.3-acre site.

Plans for two pending projects in R-3 zoning — Lakeview Promenade and Santa Maria Village Senior Apartments — include buildings higher than 35 feet.

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Developer Greg Nester’s Lakeview Promenade proposal for the former Renfrow Airport Auto Center site includes 263 condominiums, 39,447 square feet of retail space, 13,933 square feet of restaurant space, a 250-seat movie theater and 13,799 square feet of spa/fitness/physical health-care space.

The residential portion is proposed for six buildings, and 78 of the 263 units are proposed as senior units. The buildings, which would include some residences above retail space, would have a maximum building height of 60 feet. There would be up to 966 residents.

A pair of streets on the property, Mercury Drive to the north and Auto Park Drive to the west, would be renamed Villa Drive and Lakeview Promenade Drive, respectively.

According to the traffic analysis in the environmental impact report, “no significant adverse traffic impact” would result after project buildout at nearby intersections. The analysis projects 5,491 vehicle trips and 446 p.m. peak hour trips.

One of the major proposed mitigation measures is a new stop light — paid for by the applicant — at the intersection of Skyway Drive and Autopark Drive, just west of the property. The light would be coordinated with the nearby stop light at Skyway and Broadway.

A flashing yellow light at the existing sidewalk at the Lakeview Road and Marvin Street intersection and a bus shelter and bus pull-out at Skyway Drive and Autopark Drive also will be paid for by the applicant.

Julian J. Ramos can be reached at 739-2219 or at jramos@santamariatimes.com.

September 18, 2008