Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina Bay Tower Renovation

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina Bay Tower Renovation

The proposed project would involve renovations at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina Bay Tower (Bay Tower Project) by SSD Holdings, LLC, in the city of San Diego, California. Project would involve interior renovations of approximately 237,695 square feet (sf) of an existing hotel facility, consisting of existing guest rooms, public areas such as lobbies, corridors, meeting spaces, ballrooms and restroom facilities, and the restaurant and club lounge. Exterior renovations would consist of like-for-like improvements to the porte-cochere, a new accessible path connecting the entry of the hotel to the public sidewalk east of the porte-cochere, and the refreshment of existing landscape areas. The proposed project would also include the rehabilitation of the existing pool and event lawn areas. Work to specifically complete the proposed project is outlined below: Guest Rooms Proposed guest room improvements would include interior renovations to approximately 348 existing bathrooms and sleeping areas, including replacement or improvement of: • Showers; • Doors; • Lighting; • Furnishings, fixtures, and finishes; • Associated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work; • ADA and hearing-impaired fixtures in select rooms; and • Balcony guardrail modifications for code compliance. All interior improvements and renovations would remain within the footprint of the existing hotel rooms and would not result in the addition of guest rooms. Public Areas Proposed improvements to public areas such as: • Corridors; • Lobbies; • Meeting spaces; • Fitness area; • Ballrooms; and • Public restrooms Proposed improvements would include replacement or improvement of: • Lighting; • Handrails; • Flooring; • Furnishings, fixtures, and finishes; and • Associated audio/visual, electrical, and plumbing improvements All interior improvements and renovations would remain within the footprint of the existing public areas and would not result in the addition of capacity. Restaurant and Club Lounge Proposed improvements to the restaurant and club lounge (excluding the kitchen) would include replacement or improvement of: • Lighting; • Handrails; • Flooring; • Furnishings, fixtures, and finishes; and • Associated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing improvements Other renovations would include: • Relocating the restaurant bar within the existing restaurant area to enhance bay views and overall guest experience; • Incorporating an enhanced coffee grab-and-go option; and • Reducing the overall interior space of the restaurant to accommodate an adjoining Bonvoy Club Lounge space. All interior improvements and renovations would remain within the footprint of the existing restaurant and would not result in the addition of capacity of the restaurant space. Hotel Entry and Porte-Cochere Proposed improvements to the hotel entry and porte-cochere would include: • Refreshment of existing finishes; • Like-for-like replacement of existing lighting; • Installation of new accessible path from the porte-cochere to the public sidewalk; and • Removal and replacement of existing landscaping along the accessible path. Additionally, the new accessibility path would result in the addition of two (2) new pedestrian curb ramps within the parking area. Drainage patterns and points of compliance would remain the same as the existing condition. Improvements would not result in impacts to parking spaces and would not result in the addition of capacity of the hotel facility. Pool and Event Lawn Proposed improvements to the pool and event lawn areas, which are located on the west side of the hotel, would consist of the following: • New furniture, fixtures, and equipment; • Refreshment of existing landscaping; • Replacement of existing artificial turf; • Replacement of existing fencing that would not exceed the existing fence height; • Installation of new fencing along the north side of the event lawn that would not exceed the existing fence height; • Replacement of light fixtures; • Replacement of the existing pool snack structure; o Replacement of existing 210 sf structure, with a new 260 sf structure in the same location o Placement of new footings, without change to existing foundational pad o Connection of plumbing to existing plumbing lines • Application of new finishes to existing cabana structures; • Resurfacing of the existing pool deck; • Installation of a new ADA ramp connecting the event lawn and pool areas; • Replacement of the existing wedding ceremony backdrop with one of the same size; • Replacement of the existing arbor between the pool and event lawn areas with one of substantially the same shape and size; The proposed scope of the pool and event lawn area improvements would not involve the expansion of the existing spaces or event capacity, and would be limited to the existing footprint. The proposed renovations are anticipated to begin in Summer 2025 and would be carried out in two (2) phases over the course of approximately one (1) year. The first phase would consist of the proposed renovations and improvements to the pool and event lawn areas, which are anticipated to take approximately 12 weeks to complete. The second phase would consist of the remaining proposed interior and hotel entry renovations, which are anticipated to take approximately nine (9) months to complete. The estimated duration of construction is attributed to the limited number of construction crew members that are able to be onsite at any given time due to limited capacity in existing elevators. The laydown area for the first phase of work would utilize approximately 34 parking spaces within the parking lot immediately south of the pool and event lawn areas. The laydown area for the second phase of work would utilize approximately 120 parking spaces within the leasehold. As the hotel would not be operable during this phase of work, it is not anticipated that use of hotel parking for laydown area would impact the surrounding inventory of public parking. Due to its nature and limited scope, construction of the proposed project would generate a minor number of vehicle trips and would require limited use of equipment. Exterior improvements associated with the first phase of work are anticipated to require minimal use of a back-hoe tractor, and no other large or special equipment. Minimal truck trips associated with the removal of debris and transportation of materials are anticipated to be generated for this phase of work. Interior improvements associated with the second phase of work are anticipated to require use of box trucks, dump trucks, waste bin haulers, semi-trucks, and flatbed trucks associated with the removal of debris and transportation of materials. The April 2018 Technical Advisory on Evaluating Transportation Impacts in CEQA (Advisory) prepared by the former State of California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, outlines how utilizing Vehicle Miles Travelled to evaluate transportation impacts under CEQA helps implement Senate Bill 32, a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction bill. The advisory asserts that projects that generate or attract fewer than 110 trips per day generally may be assumed to cause a less-than-significant transportation impact. As the project is anticipated to generate approximately 500 truck trips over the 9-month work period, or approximately 3-4 truck trips per day, it is not anticipated to cause a significant transportation impact. Furthermore, the hotel will not be in operation during the duration of construction, offsetting the increase in construction worker trips and truck trips with the substantial decrease of daily personal vehicle trips from hotel visitors and workers. Lastly, the proposed project would not result in a change in size, capacity, or operations of the hotel facility from that which is currently existing. Therefore, the Project would not result in impacts related to air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation and traffic. Furthermore, the Applicant would be responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding construction demolition debris, hazards and hazardous materials, and stormwater.

San Diego

San Diego

Southern California

San Diego