ARENA CALIFINO at EL CORAZON Development Plan (D19-00015); Conditional Use Permit (CUP19-00019) & Specific Plan Exceptions Description and Justification November 2020 (rev.) Introduction This application presents a Development Plan and Conditional Use Permit for the proposed development and operation of the arena Califino multi-purpose sports arena and events facility located within the El Corazon Specific Plan area (APN: 162-082-51 ptn). The arena will be a landmark facility for the City of Oceanside and is designed to provide for various sports, recreation, concert and event use opportunities for the community and region. The facility will also serve as the home of the San Diego Sockers professional arena soccer club. The arena is planned on a 5.24-acre site located within the Village Commercial area designated by the El Corazon Specific Plan. The arena Development Plan also incorporates conceptual plans for a parking lot (Consolidated Park 1 Parking / Joint Use Parking Lot) to be located on an approximate 7-acre lot directly west of the arena site within the El Corazon Parks and Recreation District. These plans show conceptual design elements for parking layout, landscape areas, vehicular access and circulation, and pedestrian circulation routes through the parking lot and along adjacent streets. The arena and related parking sites will be located within the eastern portion of the Specific Plan area north of the existing El Corazon Senior Center and the planned Aquatics Center. The site is located east of the existing SoCal Sports Complex soccer fields and parking area. This resubmittal package includes revised plans for the arena facility which allow for a phased build out of interior components and tenant spaces where certain spaces may be completed upon opening of the arena and others improved in the future as arena operations warrant. For example, concession spaces may be built out by the specific concession operator as appropriate. The exterior plaza area has also been amended to show additional lawn and patio space in lieu of previously proposed amphitheater seating, a stage structure, and various other hardscape elements. Background The El Corazon Specific Plan encompasses a 465-acre area located within central Oceanside, bounded by Mesa Drive on the north, Rancho del Oro Drive on the east, Oceanside Boulevard on the south, and El Camino Real on the west. Originally approved in 2009, the Specific Plan provides for the long-term development of a variety of park and recreation uses, habitat and open space, hotel, commercial, residential, public and semi-public land uses within prescribed planning districts. Commercial, office, hotel and residential/commercial mixed-use areas were also designated as part of the Specific Plan with the intention to generate funding that would help support operation and maintenance costs for the El Corazon Park area. Arena Califino Description and Justification at El Corazon Page 1 November 2020 A separate Specific Plan Amendment, Tentative Map and Development Plan application for El Corazon (Z17-00004, D18-00017 & T17-00004) encompasses the proposed arena site and was approved by the City Council on December 4, 2019. These entitlements adjust certain land use district areas and define development parcels within the Village Commercial and Oceanside Boulevard Commercial Districts. The El Corazon Specific Plan is also now amended to include the term “arenas” as permitted under the Commercial Recreation and Entertainment use definition. This term has been added for clarification purposes and to be consistent with the Allowable Uses by District Table identified in Figure 2-2 of the approved Specific Plan. In conjunction with the Development Plan & Tentative Map, amendments to the Specific Plan were also approved as necessary to address acreage adjustments for the various land use districts. Revisions to the Specific Plan Circulation component were approved, as well, to accommodate roadway location and street section revisions necessary to support the proposed project and future development. The Z17-00004, D18-00017 & T17-00004 application divides the project into several parcels, with major streets and infrastructure being provided by the Master Developer, to facilitate build out with a variety of commercial and residential uses consistent with the Specific Plan. The site has been designed to accommodate future development of a broad range of product types from multi- family buildings, small/medium/large retail, large office/manufacturing/warehouse users and sporting facilities such as an arena. The lot sizes and configurations have been designed to maintain flexibility in responding to the needs of the market as the project builds out, by providing lots which can easily be combined in a variety of configurations to accommodate larger users or can be developed with smaller uses. Project Description The proposed project includes applications for a Development Plan, Conditional Use Permit, and requested Exceptions to Development Standards (per Specific Plan Section 6.4) to address retaining wall designs and certain building setbacks. The project consists of an approximate 171,291 square-foot multi-purpose sports arena and events facility with ancillary amenity and support space within the arena building. The facility will also feature an approximate 36,000 square-foot outdoor plaza area located at the southwest corner of the site. The arena is design to host soccer, hockey, basketball, volleyball and other indoor sporting events. The facility can also be configured to host concerts, banquets, and tradeshows. Arena seating configurations will range from approximately 6,367 seats for sporting events – up to 7,922 seats for concerts. The arena site is located at the northwest corner of the Village Commercial District and will integrate well with the existing soccer fields complex and planned park areas to the west as designated by the Specific Plan, with the planned aquatics center and senior center in the Civic Services District to the south, and with the developing mixed-use residential/commercial uses located to the east within the Village Commercial District. The arena and plaza site will serve as Arena Califino Description and Justification at El Corazon Page 2 November 2020 an important activity node while providing critical connections and transitions between the planned park areas and the more intense commercial, civic, and mixed-use areas of El Corazon. The Consolidated Park 1 Parking / Joint Use Parking Lot proposed west of the arena will be located in the eastern portion of the Parks and Recreation District within the Park 1 area. The parking lot will provide a consolidated parking area to support Park 1 upon its eventual development. The Specific Plan calls for a minimum of 450 parking spaces to be developed in Park 1. The Consolidated Park 1 Parking / Joint Use Parking Lot would meet that requirement by providing the spaces to serve Park 1 uses. The Arena and the parking area will be located on two separate lots bisected by “CC” Street. The “CC” Street alignment and improvements, along with all other streets surrounding the Arena site, were approved by the City Council in December 2019 as part of Specific Plan Amendment (Z17- 00004), Tentative Map (T17-00004) and Development Plan (D18-00007). Arena Califino Description and Justification at El Corazon Page 3 November 2020 Development Plan The arena facility is oriented along a northeast-to-southwest alignment on the site with the front façade of the arena oriented to the northwest along “CC” Street (Park Loop Road). The Consolidated Park 1 Parking / Joint Use Parking Lot is planned on the west side of “CC” Street with conceptual designs for parking areas, access and circulation drives, landscape areas, and pedestrian walkways. The arena frontage features large pedestrian walkways and gathering spaces leading to the primary building entrances on the concourse level of the facility. The southwest edge of the arena forms a backdrop to the proposed plaza area providing additional building entrances and pedestrian walkways as part of the concourse level. The plaza area is located at the southwest corner of the site. The plaza is designed as a passive and active open space area (discussed below) providing pedestrian connections from the surrounding sidewalks up to the concourse level of the arena. A separate players’ entrance, service areas, a loading dock and other back of house facilities are designed at the northeast corner of the arena. The overall site development areas are comprised as follows: Site Development Schedule Surface Area (SF) Percent Coverage Overall Site Area Arena 228,356 SF / 5.24 AC 100% Arena Building Arena 97,658 SF 42.8% Footprint Paved Surface Arena 55,794 SF 24.4% Landscape / Arena 74,904 SF 32.8% Greenspace The overall arena structure is 171,291 square feet comprised of three separate levels as follows: Arena Square Footage Total Area: 171,291 SF Activity Multi-purpose event surface, team Event Level 51,444 SF locker rooms, loading, storage and facility support Main public entry, concessions, merchandise, restaurant, bar Concourse Level 78,914 SF space, ticketing, restrooms, support facilities Suites, mezzanine seating and Suite Level 40,933 SF facility support areas Arena Califino Description and Justification at El Corazon Page 4 November 2020 This project is located within the El Corazon Specific Plan’s Village Commercial (VC) and the Parks and Recreation (PR) Zone Districts which establish development standards and design guidelines that are applicable to the proposed project. The following table demonstrates project compliance with these standards as indicated: Arena Development Standards Summary Development & Design Standard Proposed Project (VC) Floor area ratio (FAR): 1.0 FAR maximum 0.75 FAR (VC) Setback - Arena building is set back 30’ – Park Loop Road 50’. Elevated pedestrian walkways / and concourse features are “CC” Street: 15 foot minimum positioned along the setback line. An exception is requested for a portion of an architectural projection to overhang the setback due to unique right-of-way configuration.