REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 08/07/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
DEFERRAL OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MISSING PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS ON RAILROAD STREET ADJACENT TO ASSESSOR PARCEL NUMBER 117-031-040 LOCATED AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF VICENTIA AVENUE AND RAILROAD STREET (APN 117-031-040) (APPLICANT: AMER MAKKAWI)
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to consider deferring the construction of the missing public street improvements on Railroad Street adjacent to Assessor Parcel Number 117-031-040 (APN 117-031-040), generally located at the southeast corner of Vicentia Avenue and Railroad Street. The applicant is proposing to subdivide the subject property into two parcels to facilitate the development of two single-family homes. According to Section 15.48.020 of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC), the development requires the construction of missing public improvements adjacent to the subject property. The applicant is required to widen Railroad Street to its ultimate width on the south side adjacent to the subject property. Per CMC Section 15.48.030, the applicant is requesting that the requirement to widen the street be deferred until the City can widen the street in this area. The applicant will pay the City a fair share of the cost of the construction of the required public improvements.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Defer the requirement from CMC Section 15.48.020 requiring the construction of the street widening and related improvements on Railroad Street located adjacent to APN 117-031-040 located at the southeast corner of Vicentia Avenue and Railroad Street and require the applicant to pay the City a fair share of the cost of the construction of the public improvement.
b. Authorize an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $20,400 within the General Fund 110 to a newly created Capital Improvement Project titled, “Railroad Street Improvements.”
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The project site is 0.49 acres located at the southeast corner of Vicentia Avenue and Railroad Street. The site is vacant, and the applicant is proposing an urban lot split to subdivide the property into two parcels and construct two new single-family houses. The zoning of the project site is R-1-7.2 which permits single-family residential. The applicant intends to construct all missing public improvements on Vicentia Avenue adjacent to the subject property and dedicate 14 feet of right-of-way on the street side of Railroad Street to allow the City to construct the street improvements to its ultimate width in the future.
According to CMC Section 15.48.020, the construction of a new structure requires the construction of missing public improvements adjacent to the subject property. Public improvements include, but are not limited to street widening, curb, gutter, sidewalk, driveway approaches, streetlights, and fire hydrants. The estimated cost is $30,504 for the widening of Railroad Street and related improvements including asphalt, curb, gutter, and sidewalk. This cost is required to be paid by the applicant.
Railroad Street is currently classified as a secondary four lane arterial, improved with curb, gutter, sidewalk, and streetlights. However, the classification of Railroad Street has changed since its creation. This is evident in the nearby locations on Railroad Street, which contain three different roadway widths within a three-block section. The block of Railroad Street between Vicentia Avenue and Cota Street, which includes the location of the subject property, contains the necessary right-of-way width in the middle of the block fronting only two homes out of seven. If the applicant were to widen and construct the missing public improvements on Railroad Street adjacent to the subject property, the street width would transition from wide, to narrow, and back to wide within a 500-foot segment. Railroad Street is also identified as a Transportation Uniform Mitigation Fee (TUMF) facility by the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) and is eligible for TUMF funding. As such, the City would have the ability to use TUMF funds on the Railroad Street improvements.
The applicant submitted a request to the City on June 16, 2024, requesting that the City Council grant a deferral from constructing the missing public improvements on Railroad Street along the subject property’s frontage. The applicant has indicated that the inconsistent right-of-way width will continue to the east and west beyond the boundary of the subject site. The applicant will pay the City the estimated cost of the public improvements on Railroad Street that can be used when the City improves this segment of Railroad Street. Currently, Railroad Street is paved with curb, gutter, and parkway, which includes the sidewalk on the south side of the street adjacent to the subject property and beyond. As such, improvements are in place to support vehicular and pedestrian circulation.
ANALYSIS:
CMC Section 15.48.020 requires the construction of public improvements when a property is developed or when building additions of 650 square feet or greater are made thereto. However, CMC Section 15.48.030 allows the City Council to grant a waiver or deferral of this requirement if specific findings are made.
Staff has determined that the findings exist for the City Council to grant a deferral from the requirement in CMC Section 15.48.020 requiring the construction of the missing public improvements on Railroad Street adjacent to the subject property and have the applicant pay to the City the cost of the construction of the public improvements for the following reasons:
a) The construction of the missing public improvements would not be congruent with the existing street improvements and would create further inconsistencies with the appearance and width of Railroad Street.
b) Since the subject property is a corner lot, requiring the construction of the street widening along the street side of Railroad Street could potentially pose a safety hazard for cars turning right at the intersection of Railroad Street and Vicentia Avenue onto the eastbound lane of Railroad Street due to the short transition between different street widths.
Because Railroad Street is a TUMF facility, the applicant is requesting that credit in the amount of the required TUMF for the subject property be applied toward the overall cost of the construction for the public improvements on Railroad Street. The current TUMF for a single-family residence is $10,104 per unit. Staff has determined that the credit should be applied toward the cost of construction of the public improvements. The amount the applicant would pay to the City is approximately $20,400.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The applicant has paid the required processing fee for this deferral in the amount of $830. Additionally, the applicant’s fair share cost of the construction of the public improvement on Railroad Street in the amount of $20,400 will be collected in the future.
Approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation and estimated revenue increase in the amount of $20,400 within the General Fund 110 to a newly created Capital Improvement Project titled, “Railroad Street Improvements.”
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a Project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies to only Projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. There is no possibility that this action on granting a deferral according to CMC Section 15.48.030 for the construction of the public improvements will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: CASSIDY JONES, ASSOCIATE ENGINEER
REVIEWED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Location Map
2. Exhibit 2 - Right-of-Way and Curb Line on Railroad Street
3. Exhibit 3 - Letter and pictures from the applicant requesting a waiver from CMC Section 15.48.020