PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 2/12/2024
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Planning and Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
CFPA2023-0001: Community Facilities Plan Amendment to the South Corona Community Facilities Plan to change the land use designation of 5.15 acres from Commercial (C) to Senior Citizen Residential (SCR) for property located at 430 W. Foothill Parkway (APN: 114-070-020, 114-070-021 and 114-070-022). (Applicant: O & I Development, 3 Park Plaza, Suite 1920, Irvine, CA 92614).
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the Planning and Housing Commission recommend adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration with Mitigation Monitoring Plan and APPROVAL OF CFPA2023-0001 to the City Council, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval.
Body
PROJECT SITE SUMMARY
Area of Property: 5.15 acres
Existing Zoning: C (Commercial) within the Mountain Gate Specific Plan (SP-89-01) and the South Corona Community Facilities Plan (SCCFP)
Existing General Plan: General Commercial
Existing Land Use: Vacant Land
Proposed Land Use: Senior Assisted Living Facility
Surrounding Zoning/Land Uses:
N: R-1-9.6 (Single Family Residential) / Single Family Residential
E: C (Commercial) / Commercial Shopping Center
S: P (Park) / Mountain Gate Community Park
W: P (Park) / Corona Heritage Park and Museum
BACKGROUND
Applicant’s Request
O & I Development (Applicant) has submitted a Community Facilities Plan Amendment (CFPA2023-0001) to the South Corona CFP to change the land use designation of 5.15 acres located at 430 W. Foothill Parkway from Commercial (C) to Senior Citizen Residential (SCR).
The applicant manages a portfolio of communities under the Oakmont Senior Living and Ivy Living brands. Oakmont is an owner, operator and developer of senior housing. Oakmont currently serves over 8,000 seniors across approximately 90 communities in California, Hawaii, and Nevada.
The applicant has submitted the following applications in connection with this proposed Community Facilities Plan Amendment (CFPA2023-0001):
1. GPA2023-0002: General Plan Amendment to change the land use designation of the project site from General Commercial (GC) to High Density Residential (HDR: 15-36 du/ac, and up to 75 du/ac for senior units).
2. SPA2023-0004: Specific Plan Amendment to the Mountain Gate Specific Plan (SP-89-01) to change the land use category of the project site from Commercial (C) to a new Senior Citizen Residential (SCR) category with corresponding development standards.
3. PP2023-0006: Precise Plan to review the site plan, architecture, landscaping and design features of an assisted senior living facility consisting of 107 units.
Details associated with the abovementioned applications are provided under separate staff reports for the Planning and Housing Commission’s consideration.
Project Site
The subject property is comprised of three vacant parcels located to the immediate west of the existing Albertsons commercial shopping center. On July 15, 1998, the City Council approved Precise Plan 97-6 (PP97-06) for the development of a 153,000-square-foot commercial shopping center consisting of 9 buildings on a total of 15 acres, which included the three parcels associated with the project site. The three subject parcels were intended to be developed as the second phase of the shopping center; however, the market has not supported additional commercial uses on the remaining five acres. Over the years, the property has been considered for other uses such as a tire shop and townhouses. However, those uses were not considered the best use for the property. The applicant will be processing a lot line adjustment to not only merge the three parcels required for the development of the entire property but also to remove a portion of the shopping center’s parking lot from the project site.
The project site is an infill property surrounded by existing single family residential development to the north of Foothill Parkway and to the southwest of the site; commercial development to the immediate east; Mountain Gate Park to the south and the Corona Heritage Park and Museum to the immediate west (Exhibit 1). The applicant proposes to develop a two-story senior assisted living facility consisting of 107 units within a 109,551 square-foot building. The project proposes a density of 20.7 dwelling units per acre (du/ac), which is within the density range of 15 to 36 du/ac, and below the maximum density of 75 du/ac for senior housing allowed by the General Plan HDR land use designation.
The project was initially reviewed by the Development Plan Review (DPR) Committee on June 15, 2023. The applicant formally submitted the Community Facilities Plan Amendment (CFPA) and the abovementioned applications to the city on August 16, 2023. The applications were reviewed by the Project and Environmental Review Committee (PRC) on September 7, 2023. Missing and revised items were subsequently submitted, and the applications were deemed complete on January 16, 2024, and scheduled for the Planning and Housing Commission meeting on February 12, 2024.
CODE REQUIREMENTS
The authority for amendment of Specific Plans is embodied in Section 65453 of the California Government Code, Corona Municipal Code Chapter 17.53 and the South Corona Community Facilities Plan, Section 3.9.4.7.
An amendment to the Community Facilities Plan may be accomplished by ordinance of the City Council, based upon the criteria outlined in Chapter 17.53 of the Corona Municipal Code. The Planning & Housing Commission is required by California law to review the Community Facilities Plan Amendment, and to make a recommendation to the City Council. To recommend approval, the Commission must have an affirmative vote by no less than three (3) of its members.
PROPOSED COMMUNITY FACILITIES PLAN AMENDMENT
The South Corona Communities Facilities Plan (SCCFP) is a comprehensive master specific plan for South Corona. This plan constitutes a foundational land use, infrastructure and community design framework for all of South Corona, of which the subject site is a part.
CFPA2023-0001 proposes to change the land use designation of 5.15 acres from Commercial (C) to Senior Citizen Residential (SCR), within Village 4 of the SCCFP. The proposed land use map change is provided in Exhibit 2 and commensurate text changes to the tables and graphics in the SCCFP is provided in Exhibit 3. Deleted text is shown in red with a strikethrough; and added text is shown in blue and underlined.
DEPARTMENTAL, AGENCY AND PUBLIC COMMENTS
Staff circulated this application to internal Departments and Departmental Divisions, as well as external agencies, allowing each entity the opportunity to review the application and determine any impacts of the proposed application relative to their services. Comments from these agencies have been considered and incorporated into the CFPA2023-0001 Conditions of Approval, provided in Exhibit 4.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
Per Section 15070(b) of the State Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Section 6.02 of the City’s Local Guidelines, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared for the project since the Initial Study identified that the project’s potentially significant effects to the environment are capable of being mitigated to less than significant. Therefore, based on the project’s mitigation measures and mitigation monitoring and reporting program identified in the Mitigated Negative Declaration, there is no substantial evidence, in light of the whole record before the City, that the project may have a significant or potentially significant effect on the environment. The Mitigated Negative Declaration is therefore recommended for adoption (Exhibit 6).
FISCAL IMPACT
The applicant has paid the applicable application processing fees for CFPA2023-0001.
PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENTS
A 20-day public notice was mailed to all property owners within a 500-foot radius of the project site, as well as advertised in the Sentinel Weekly News and posted at the project site. Additionally, the MND was electronically sent to the State Clearinghouse (SCH#2024010527). As of the preparation of this report, staff has not received any comments on the project in response to the public notice.
STAFF ANALYSIS
CFPA2023-0001 meets the criteria for amendments specified in the South Corona Community Facilities Plan, including consistency with the city’s General Plan and Mountain Gate Specific Plan, as amended. CFPA2023-0001 is also consistent with the SCR land use category and target density along with compatibility with the Village 4 concept outlined within the SCCFP.
The SCR land use designation is appropriate for the site because it provides an appropriate transition between the single-family neighborhoods located to the north and southwest, the park sites to the west and south, and the commercial land uses to the immediate east of the subject site. The use adds diversity to the range of housing products available in South Corona, and adequate infrastructure exists to accommodate development under the SCR land use.
The Planning and Development Department, therefore, recommends approval of CFPA2023-0001 based on the findings of approval listed below and the recommended conditions of approval in Exhibit 4.
FINDINGS OF APPROVAL FOR CFPA2023-0001
1. An initial study (environmental assessment) has been conducted by the City of Corona so as to evaluate the potential for adverse environmental impacts. The initial study identifies potentially significant effects on the environment, but:
a. The project applicant has agreed to revise the project to avoid these significant effects or to mitigate the effects to a point where it is clear that no significant effects would occur, as reflected in the Mitigation and Monitoring Program within the Mitigated Negative Declaration and within the Conditions of Approval attached as Exhibits 4 and 6, respectively.
b. There is no substantial evidence before the City that the revised project may have a significant effect on the environment.
2. The proposed amendment is consistent with the granting criteria found in Section 3.9.4.7 of the South Corona Community Facilities Plan for approval of CFP amendments for the following reasons:
a. CFPA2023-001 is consistent with the City of Corona General Plan because the SCR land use designation is consistent with the High Density Residential (HDR) land use designation of the General Plan as amended by GPA2023-0002 because this land use is intended for a high density residential within a residential density range of 15 to 36 du/ac, and up to 75 du/ac for senior citizen housing and the SCR designation allows a maximum density of 40.5 du/ac.
b. CFPA2023-0001 is consistent with the intent of the Community Facilities Plan in that the SCR designation is already listed as one of the land use concepts within the SCCFP Villages 1, 2 and 3. The SCR land use designation maintains the maximum density of 40.5 du/ac allowed by the South Corona CFP.
c. CFPA2023-0001 is consistent with the village concept because the project site is located in the Mountain Gate Specific Plan and the architectural design guidelines for residential development are being carried forward to ensure the diversity and quality of architecture in the residential neighborhoods, and the development standards for the SCR designation provide for adequate building setbacks and on-site landscaping to enhance the onsite design of future development.
d. Adequate circulation to and from and within the area is maintained because access to the project site will continue to come from West Foothill Parkway, a four-lane secondary arterial street.
e. CFPA2023-0001 does not change the public services and infrastructure already provided to the area because urban land uses already exist adjacent to and around the project site and the CFP land use plan shows that the development of the project site is imminent.
f. The public and private open space system is neither disrupted nor depleted because the project site is not designated for open space and will not remove parkland already developed within the CFP.
g. CFPA2023-0001 preserves the financial feasibility of the SCCFP since any future development facilitated by the proposed amendment is subject to development impact fees which provide for the cost of public services and infrastructure.
3. The criteria necessary in recommending approval of a specific plan amendment as set forth in Section 17.53.090 of the Corona Municipal Code do exist in reference to CFPA2023-0001 for the following reasons:
a. The plan systematically implements and is consistent with the General Plan because the amendment implements Land Use Policy LU-7.1 as it accommodates the development of a diversity of residential housing types that meet the needs of Corona’s population in accordance with the Land Use Plan’s designations, applicable density standards and design and development policies.
b. The Plan provides for the development of a comprehensively planned project because residential land uses of various densities are allowed by the CFP and the amendment is consistent with the SCR land use that already exists in the Plan.
c. The Plan provides for the construction, improvement, or extension of transportation facilities, public utilities and public services required by the long-term needs of the project and complements the orderly development of the City beyond the project's boundaries because future development is required to adhere to the development standards of the zoning on the project site and other development standards required by the Corona Municipal Code, as applicable.
d. The Plan provides for the appropriate orientation and relationship between land use within and adjacent to the project because the SCR designation proposed by the amendment specifically supports senior housing in an area that includes other residential uses, parks and commercial services and development according to the SCR designation will be solely contained on the project site.
PREPARED BY: ROCIO LOPEZ, CONSULTING PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: EVA CHOI, SENIOR PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: SANDRA VANIAN, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS
1. Locational and Zoning Map
2. Proposed Map Changes to SCCFP
3. Proposed Specific Plan Amendment
4. Conditions of Approval
5. Applicant’s letter dated January 4, 2024
6. Environmental Documentation
Case Planner: Rocio Lopez (951) 736-2293