PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 8/26/2024
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Planning and Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
PP2023-0009: Precise Plan to review the site plan, architecture, wall and fencing plan, landscaping and other features associated with 35 single family residential units proposed on 9.33 acres located on the east side of Garretson Avenue, approximately 530 feet south of Santana Way (APN: 120-020-022), in the R-1-20 and R-1-14.4 single family residential zones. (Applicant: Warmington Residential, 3090 Pullman Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626).
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the Planning and Housing Commission adopt Resolution No. 2643 GRANTING PP2023-0009 based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval.
Body
PROJECT SITE SUMMARY:
Area of Property: 9.33 acres
Existing Zoning: R-1-20 and R-1-14.4 (both Single Family Residential)
Existing General Plan: Estate Residential (ER), 1-3 du/ac
Existing Land Use: Vacant Land
Proposed Land Use: Single Family Housing Development
Surrounding Zoning/Land Uses:
N: R-1-14.4 (Single Family Residential) / Single Family Residential
E: R-1-7.2 (Single Family Residential) / Single Family Residential
S: R-1-20 (Single Family Residential) / Single Family Residential
W: R-1A (Single Family Residential) / Single Family Residential
BACKGROUND
The project site is a 9.33-acre vacant parcel that was previously used for agricultural purposes. The immediate surrounding land uses to the north, south, west and east are residential. The vacant site is surrounded by single family residential development to the north, east, south and west. (Exhibit 2).
The subject property is a split-zoned parcel, in that the western portion of the property which fronts Garretson Avenue is zoned R-1-20, and the remaining eastern portion of the property is zoned R-1-14.4. The R-1-20 zone requires a minimum lot area of 20,000 square feet for newly created lots. The R-1-14.4 zone requires a minimum lot area of 14,000 square feet. Both zones permit the development of single family residential housing.
The property has a land use designation of Estate Residential (ER) on the General Pla map and South Corona Community Facilities Plan (SCCFP). The ER designation under the General Plan permits 1-3 dwelling units per acre (du/ac). Under SCCFP, the ER designation has a more restrictive density limit of 1.47 du/ac.
Prior Approvals
The property’s current split-zone configuration was originally established by a zone change (CZ14-001) that was approved in 2015. At that time, the property was owned by the Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD). CZ14-001 also included the 4.67-acre parcel directly to the north, which was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Nelson at that time. On February 4, 2015, the zone change was approved in conjunction with Tentative Tract Map (TTM) 36764, which subdivided both properties into a total of 23 single family residential lots. The conditions of approval for TTM 36764 required the owners to record the tentative tract map within two years of receiving approval. However, the owners did not record the final map within the initial two years, and consequently, TTM 36764 expired on February 4, 2017, inadvertently leaving the subject property two different zones (“split zoning”). Eventually, the Nelsons and the CNUSD sold their properties to different parties, which do not have an interest in jointly developing the properties as initially intended in 2014.
The applicant of the current proposal, Warmington Residential, is in escrow with the current owner (Gardens of Peace, LLC) of the project site pending project approval.
Current Proposal
The project is a proposal to build 35 single family homes on the 9.33 acres. In order to implement the proposed housing development, the applicant is requesting concurrent approvals of two other applications, Tentative Tract Map (TTM) 38495 and Affordable Housing and Density Bonus (AHDB) 2023-0001. These requests are described further below.
1. TTM 38495: Tentative Tract Map to subdivide the 9.33 acres into 35 lots for single family residential purposes.
2. AHDB2023-0001: Density Bonus Housing Agreement for the residential development associated with PP2023-0009 and TTM 38495.
The project was initially reviewed by the Development Plan Review (DPR) Committee on September 1, 2022. On November 6, 2023, the applicant formally submitted the Precise Plan, Tentative Tract Map and Affordable Housing and Density Bonus applications in compliance with the Housing Accountability Act (HAA). All three applications were reviewed by the Project and Environmental Review Committee (PRC) on November 30, 2023. Missing and revised items were subsequently submitted, and the applications were deemed complete on July 24, 2024, and scheduled for the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of August 26, 2024.
State Density Bonus
The proposed single family residential development is a project under State Density Bonus Law (SDBL) [Government Code § 65915], which is a state mandated law that allows developers of eligible housing projects to receive increased density and/or other benefits by right to help the developer build the housing project at the density that the developer is seeking. The project qualifies as a project under the SDBL because the project has agreed to sell two of the single-family homes to qualifying very low-income households. Qualifying households are considered households that do not exceed the maximum allowable income limits for the very low-income category published by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The two single family homes reserved for very low-income buyers will be deed restricted to their level of affordability for a minimum term of 45 years.
Under the SDBL, the applicant is allowed to develop the site based on the greatest number of units allowed under the General Plan which is 3 du/ac and thus, the project is allowed to have 28 units (9.33 acres x 3 du/ac). The applicant is pursuing a 22.5 percent density bonus which allows the project to have an additional seven units. With the density bonus, the project is allowed to have a total of 35 units which results in a density of 3.75 du/ac. Under the SDBL, a 22.5 percent density bonus requires at least six percent (two units) of the 35 units to be restricted to very low-income households.
The applicant is applying for several waivers to reduce or modify certain development standards established by the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) to build the project at the density proposed. This is one of the benefits allowed by the State Density Bonus Law. The waivers are discussed under the Waiver of Development Standards section of this report.
The applicant is required to enter into a density bonus agreement with the city which is the mechanism that ensures the housing units remain affordable according to the density and waivers that are being granted by the city. The density bonus agreement requested by the applicant, AHDB2023-0001, is a separate application and outlines the requested waivers, identifies the affordable units, addresses covenant terms, annual reporting, and the terms of the agreement.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The project proposes to develop 9.33 acres into 35 single family residential units on 35 lots proposed by companion application TTM 38495. The lots range in size from 7,350 to 19,674 square feet. The project’s proposed density is three du/ac before the density bonus, and 3.75 du/ac with the additional seven units (density bonus). The following sections discuss the details of the project.
Site Plan
The project site is an infill property surrounded by half-acre residential parcels to the south, one-acre residential parcels to the west, a 4.5-acre residential parcel to the north, and 7,200 square foot residential parcels to the east. The site will be developed with an internal private street, taking access from Garretson Avenue. Five of the larger lots, ranging from 15,546 to 19,674 square feet and featuring one-story homes, are proposed along the southern portion of the project site to maintain compatibility with the existing half-acre lots located along CL Fleming Circle. The remaining 30 lots, ranging from 7,350 to 8,692 square feet, will be built with two-story homes. These lots are proposed within the interior of the site and along the eastern and northern property lines. A water quality basin is proposed for construction at the northwest corner of the site, adjacent to Garretson Avenue. The project’s site plan is provided as Exhibit 3.
Attached as Exhibit 5 is a map of the project showing the zoning delineation line of the two zonings with the plotting of the lots and homes. The applicant has plotted nine lots on the portion of the site zoned R-1-20 and the remaining 26 lots on the portion of the site zoned R-1-14.4. For the three lots that straddle over the zoning delineation line, staff is applying the development standards for the R-1-20 zone on these three lots because the R-1-20 zone is the more restrictive zoning of the two zones.
Staff has analyzed the applicant’s plotting of the homes on the lots for compliance with the minimum front, side, and rear yard setback requirements and maximum allowable lot coverage standards that are established by the CMC for the two zones. Several of the homes do not meet these standards. The standards including which homes are noncompliant are shown in Tables 3 and 4 under the Development Standards section of this report. The applicant is requesting several waivers of these standards through the project’s associated density bonus agreement (AHDB2023-0001).
Floor Plan
The unit mix includes three floor plans with a variety of architectural styles and reverse floor plans. Plan 1 features a multi-gen suite on the first floor with interior access from the main home, with an option for a formal dining room and guest suite. Plan 2 features a guest bedroom on the first floor with a multi-gen suite option with interior access from the main home. Plan 3 is the largest of the floor plans featuring 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and a den, with option for a multi-gen suite. None of the multi-gen suites are equipped with cooking ranges; therefore, they are not accessory dwelling units (ADU) because they do not meet the CMC’s definition for an ADU.
Plans 1 and 2 include a two-car garage, and Plan 3 includes a four-car garage with all parking spaces meeting the CMC’s residential parking standard of 9’ wide by 20’ deep per parking space.
Plans 1 and 2 feature a potential third “compact tandem parking space”. This spaces are 8.5’ wide by 17’ deep and 11’ wide by 17’-4” deep, respectively, which do not meet the CMC’s residential parking standard. Therefore, the compact tandem parking spaces shall not be considered a third parking space for the residence. A condition of approval has been placed on the project that requires the applicant to remove the wording “compact tandem parking space” from this area on the construction plans and to identify this area as storage space.
The floor plans are provided under Exhibit 6. Table 1 depicts the building types, sizes and unit mix.
TABLE 1: UNIT SUMMARY
Architectural Style
The project is proposing three different architectural styles: Cottage, Modern Prairie and Farmhouse. These three styles are intermixed within the development to provide visual interests and avoid identical homes side-by-side. Prominent architectural features of each style are provided on all homes, including earth tone colored exterior stucco walls with a variety of decorative stone veneers, brick, corbels, gable ends, and shutters. All homes also feature decorative concrete tile roofing with varying colors to blend with the homes’ exterior colors. Street elevations are particularly enhanced with the above-mentioned decorative elements and each home features a recessed entry alcove or porch. As proposed, the architectural styles meet the city’s Residential Development Design Guidelines.
The one-story homes range in height from 20.5 to 25 feet and the two-story homes range from 27 to 30 feet, measured from finish grade to top of the highest roof ridge. The building heights are within the zoning’s maximum allowable height limits of 25 feet for one-story homes and 30 feet for two-story homes. The proposed styles, building massing, and height are generally compatible with the existing homes within the surrounding neighborhoods in the vicinity. Colored elevations and are provided in Exhibit 7.
Landscaping
The Conceptual Landscape Plan includes 36-inch box street trees and new 20-foot brown trunk height Mexican Fan Palms to match the existing Mexican Fan Palms along Garretson Avenue. The plan also includes a variety of 24-inch box evergreen shade trees, with a mix of Olive, Tristania Laurina, Fern Pine and a variety of other decorative trees located throughout the perimeter project site and within the front yard of the proposed single family homes. Total landscaped areas within the project site are proposed at 71,950 square feet or 17.22% of the overall site.
The water quality detention basin is proposed underground at the northwestern edge of the site. This lot will function as a passive green space with a trellis pavilion and bar-b-que area located outside of the basin for the residents of the project. All new landscape materials proposed for the project are required to be California-friendly, and irrigation is required to be water efficient to meet the city’s landscape design guidelines for commercial projects. Formal landscape and irrigation plans will be subject to final review and approval by city staff. The Conceptual Landscape Plan is provided in Exhibit 9.
Perimeter Walls and Fencing
The Project includes an 8-foot-high decorative masonry wall along Garretson Avenue that is consistent with the Village 2 South Corona Theme Wall Design, featuring a smooth colored stucco wall with brick cap. A 6-foot high splitface masonry wall is proposed along the site’s northern, eastern and southern perimeters. Six-foot high splitface masonry walls are proposed within the interior lot lines and within public view. All walls include decorative concrete wall caps. Additionally, each home includes 5½ foot high tubular steel side yard gates. The project also features two community entry monument walls, approximately 2 feet in height, at the corner of both street entrances. The Wall and Fence Plan is provided in Exhibit 10.
Access and Circulation
Vehicular access to Lots 1 through 35 will be provided from a proposed internal private street that will take vehicular access from Garretson Avenue. The design of private residential streets is subject to City Standard No. 110 (Private Residential Street) which requires 36 feet of paved roadway width for one lane in each direction and 10 feet of parkway (five feet of landscaping and five feet of sidewalk) on both sides of the street for an overall right-of-way width of 56 feet. The applicant is requesting a waiver to eliminate the five-foot wide landscaped portion of the parkway on both sides of the street, resulting in only the sidewalk and roadway width for an overall right-of-way width of 46 feet.
The city typically does not permit on-street parking on a street that has a roadway width of 36 feet. The applicant is requesting a waiver under the associated TTM 38945 application to allow on-street parking along one side of the street. The Fire Department has reviewed the request and is allowing the waiver as the roadway would still be able to maintain 25 feet of unobstructed roadway width for fire access.
On-Site Utility and Drainage Improvements
Water and sewer service to the project site will be provided by the City of Corona. The project will connect to an 8-inch diameter water line and 8-inch diameter sewer line in the proposed private street located within a public utility easement within the project site. Development of the project will increase impervious surface coverage on the site and increase surface runoff. The project will install one underground detention and infiltration chamber that would capture, treat, and slow stormwater runoff before discharging into the city’s storm drain system. The chamber is proposed along the northern western end of the project site. The project will also install one biotreatment device in the right of way to treat water on Garretson Avenue.
The project would also install underground electric lines that would connect to existing infrastructure in Garretson Avenue. Electricity would be provided to the project by Southern California Edison (SCE).
Public Right-of-Way Improvements
Garretson Avenue is a modified local public street which is required to have an ultimate right-of-way width of 80 feet. No street dedication on the project site is required; however, the applicant is responsible for constructing the missing public improvements along the east half of Garretson Avenue adjacent to the project site. This includes constructing the missing paved roadway width, curb and gutter, and 20 feet of parkway width (16 feet of landscaped parkway with four feet of sidewalk).
The street improvements plans will require that the widening along the frontage of the project site tie into other adjoining properties along the south and north of the project site to ensure that the widening improvements are completed in a seamless manner.
The applicant is required to annex the 20 feet of parkway on Garretson Avenue along the project’s frontage into a Community Facilities District (CFD) to be maintained by the city.
WAIVER OF DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
The applicant is requesting the city’s approval of several waivers to reduce or modify the development standards of the CMC. This is allowed under the State Density Bonus Law, which allows a developer of an eligible housing project to request an unlimited number of waivers or modifications of development standards if those development standards would physically preclude the developer from constructing the project at the density that is permitted on the property. The following itemizes the waivers which the applicant is seeking for this project:
1. Reduction in Front Yard Setback [CMC § 17.11.100 (B)(1)]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the R-1-20 zone’s minimum 25 foot front yard setback requirement. The project proposes a front yard setback of 20 feet for Lot 1 and 15 feet for Lots 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 33 thru 35.
2. Reduction in Front Yard Setback [CMC § 17.20.100 (B)(1)]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the R-1-14.4 zone’s minimum 25 foot front yard setback requirement. The project proposes a front yard setback of 15 feet for Lots 6 thru 17, and 21 thru 33; and 20 feet for Lots 2 thru 4.
3. Reduction in Side Yard Setback [CMC § 17.11.100 (C)(1)]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the R-1-20 zone’s minimum 10 foot on one side yard setback requirement. The project proposes one side yard at 5 feet for Lots 21 and 34 and one side yard at 8 feet for Lots 17, 20 and 33.
4. Reduction in Side Yard Setback [CMC § 17.20.100 (C)(1)]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the R-1-14.4 zone’s minimum 10 foot on one side yard setback requirement. The project proposes one side yard at 5 feet for Lots 8, 21, 23, 27, 30 and 32; and 8 feet for Lots 6, 7, 9, 11-17, 22, 24-26, 28, 31 and 33.
5. Reduction in Corner Yard Setback [CMC § 17.11.100 (C)(2)]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the R-1-20 zone’s minimum 15 foot corner (siding on local street) side yard setback requirement. The project proposes 10 feet for Lots 19 and 35.
6. Reduction in Reverse Corner Lot Setback [CMC § 17.20.100 (C)(5)]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the R-1-14.4 zone’s minimum 25 foot reverse corner lot setback requirement. The project proposes a setback of 9.46 feet for Lot 28 and 18.54 feet for Lot 26.
7. Increase in Lot Area Coverage [CMC § 17.11.120]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the R-1-20 zone’s maximum 30 percent requirement for two-story buildings or structures. The project proposes a lot coverage area of up to 35 percent for Lots 18, 21, 33 and 34.
8. Increase in Lot Area Coverage [CMC § 17.20.120]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the R-1-14.4 zone’s maximum 30 percent requirement for two-story buildings or structures. The project proposes a lot coverage area of up to 35 percent for Lots 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16, 21, 23, 27, 30, 31, 32 and 33.
9. Reduction in Garage Setback [City’s Residential Design Guideline § 4.1.B.5.a]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the minimum 15 foot garage setback requirement from the front of the dwelling. The project proposes a garage setback of 2 feet from the front of the dwelling and to eliminate this requirement from Plans 2 and 2R, where the one-car garage extends past the front of the primary structure.
10. Reduction on the Plotting of Homes [City’s Residential Design Guideline § 4.2.B.8]
a. The project is requesting a waiver regarding the plotting of homes to avoid the placement of two, two-story elements directly adjacent to one another. The project proposes two, two-story elements be directly adjacent to one another and to not “flip” any plans for Lots 6 through 35.
11. Reduction in Right-of-Way Width for Private Residential Street [City Standard Plan Number 110]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the minimum 56 foot overall right-of-way width standard from private residential streets. The project proposes an overall right-of-way width of 46 feet, to include 36 feet of roadway width, measured from curb to curb, and a five-foot wide sidewalk (including a six-inch curb) on both sides of the street. The 36 feet of roadway width shall allow for on-street parking along one side of the street.
12. Reduction in Access Corridor Depth [CMC § 17.04.358]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the minimum 80 foot access corridor depth requirement for a flag lot. The project proposes an access corridor depth of 43 feet for Lot 10.
13. Reduction in Lot Width for Lots on Knuckles or Curved Streets [CMC § 16.08.020]
a. The project is requesting a waiver from the minimum 45 foot width requirement measured at the curb line between the property line prolongations for lots on knuckles or curved streets. The project proposes a lot width of 27.43 feet for Lot 5 and 30.56 feet for Lot 11.
TABLE 2: R-1-20 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
TABLE 3: R-1-14.4 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Justification for Waivers
Per State Density Bonus Law, the developer is required to provide written documentation to justify why the waivers are needed to construct the project. The applicant’s written justification is attached as Exhibit 12. The applicant provides the following reason for the waivers:
1. The current R-1-20 and R-1-14.4 single family residential zoning development standards would prevent the physical development of 35 single family homes, of which two (2) are reserved for very low income households on the project site at the proposed density. The 35 homes are necessary to balance the construction cost of the project. If the project had to adhere to the development standards required by both the R-1-20 and R-1-14.4 zones, the number of units for the project would need to be reduced, which would make the cost of the project unaffordable.
Additionally, waivers can be denied by the city if they will potentially result in a specific, adverse impact upon public health, safety, or the environment. [Gov. Code §65915(d)(1) and §65915(e)(1)]. However, the city is responsible for providing the preponderance of the evidence that would support the findings denying the requested waivers. The applicable city departments have reviewed the reduced or modified development standards that have been requested for this project and determined that they will not result in an adverse impact on the public’s health, safety or the environment.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The project is expected to generate approximately 330 average daily trips including 25 trips during the AM peak hour and 33 trips during the PM peak hour per the trip generation analysis prepared for the project by a licensed engineering consultant (TJW Engineering, Inc., dated December 19, 2024). The project trips are expected to have minimal impacts to the surrounding roadways. The trip generation analysis was reviewed and approved by the City Traffic Engineer.
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 MND, 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 recommended for adoption with applications AHDB2023-0001 and TTM 38495 (Exhibit 13).
FISCAL IMPACT
The applicant has paid the applicable application processing fees for the project.
PUBLIC NOTICE COMMENTS
A 20-day public notice was mailed to all property owners and occupants 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. As of the preparation of this report, no comments have been received from the public in response to the public notice.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The project is consistent with the intent of the R-1-20 and R-1-14.4 zones which is intended for single family residential development. The project has been reviewed against state law that allows affordable housing projects to receive waivers of certain development standards that would support the construction of these types of housing units. The applicable city departments have reviewed the waivers for this project and determined that they will not result in an adverse impact on the public’s health, safety or the environment because the project is entirely contained onsite and provides architectural qualities and landscaping consistent with other single family developments in the city.
The residential land use is compatible with the surrounding residential land uses. The project maintains compatibility with the existing neighborhoods by plotting the larger homes along the southern portion of the project site adjacent to the existing half-acre lots. The project’s density and scale of the homes including the architecture and perimeter walls are compatible with the existing surrounding residential developments.
Adequate circulation is provided to the individual lots within the project from a proposed private street via Garretson Avenue. All missing public improvements including sidewalks and roadways on Garretson Avenue adjacent to the project site will be constructed or guaranteed with the development of the project, ensuring safe pedestrian and vehicular access into and from the project.
The project’s density of 3 du/ac (before the density bonus) is consistent with the General Plan’s Estate Residential land use designation which accommodates single family residential development up to a maximum density of 3 du/ac. The project is also consistent with several goals and policies of the General Plan including, but not limited to, the following:
• Promoting and maintaining a balance of housing types and corresponding affordability levels to provide for the community's demands for housing within all economic segments of the city (Goal H-1).
• Supporting private sector for-profit organizations in their efforts to construct, acquire, and improve housing to provide access to affordable housing to lower and moderate-income households (Policy H-1.1).
• Provide sites for residential development so that scarcity of land does not unduly increase the cost or decrease the availability of housing for all segments of the community (Policy H-1.3).
• Promote the conservation of existing residential neighborhoods, permitting the infill of housing that is compatible in density and scale with existing uses, except where densities may be increased as depicted on the land use plan or as permitted by law (LU-8.1).
Therefore, the Planning and Development Department recommends approval of PP2023-0009 based on the findings of approval listed below and the recommended conditions of approval in Exhibit 4.
FINDINGS OF APPROVAL FOR PP2023-0009
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 13 and 4, respectively.
b. There is no substantial evidence before the City that the project may have a significant effect.
2. All the conditions necessary to granting a Precise Plan as set forth in Section 17.91 of the Corona Municipal Code do exist in reference to PP2023-0009 for the following reasons:
a. The project is a housing project that is consistent with California Government Code § 56915 (State Density Bonus Law). Although the project’s density of 3.75 du/ac exceeds the density limits allowed for the Estate Residential designation under the Corona General Plan and South Corona Community Facilities Plan, the project is considered consistent with the General Plan and a General Plan amendment is not required.
b. The project complies with applicable provisions of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC), and as allowed by the state density bonus law and the applicant’s companion density bonus agreement, certain waivers have been applied to certain development standards to support the development of two (2) affordable housing units on the project site.
c. The project has been reviewed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and all applicable requirements and procedures of such act have been followed and mitigation measures have been established to reduce the project’s impacts on the environment. As justified in Finding #1, a Mitigated Negative Declaration is recommended for adoption in compliance with CEQA as the initial study identifies potentially significant effects on the environment, however, 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.
d. The project’s design is contained entirely on the project site making the project site suitable for the proposed development in conjunction with the waiver of certain developed standards being applied to the project.
e. The architectural design of the project adheres to the city’s Residential Development Design Guidelines and consists of a variety of traditional architectural elements that feature concrete tile roofing, decorative stone veneers, brick, corbels, gable ends, shutters, window trimming, smooth plaster walls and overall wall reveals and trim. The architectural design is compatible with the character of the surrounding single family neighborhood.
3. The proposal is consistent with the General Plan for the following reasons:
a. PP2023-0009 is consistent with Goal LU-7 to have residential neighborhoods that contain a diversity of housing and supporting uses to meet the needs of Corona’s residents and that are designed to enhance livability and a high quality of life because the architectural style uses materials to enhance the visual appearance of the building along with varied rooflines and wall planes.
b. PP2023-0009 is consistent with Policy LU-7.10 requiring that fencing and walls in residential neighborhoods achieve high aesthetic and safety standards because the project proposes a combination of tubular steel fencing and solid block walls that complement the architectural design of the building.
c. PP2023-0009 is consistent with Policy LU-8.7 requiring that new single-family homes constructed in existing neighborhoods be designed to complement existing structures in their property setbacks, scale, building materials, and color palette, and exhibit a high quality of architectural design.
d. PP2023-0009 is consistent with Policy H-1.1 supporting private sector for-profit organizations in their efforts to construct, acquire, and improve housing to provide access to affordable housing to lower and moderate-income households because the project has been designed to support affordable housing units within four three-story buildings that includes outdoor amenities in a protected setting.
e. PP2023-0009 fulfils Policy LU-8.1 by conserving the existing residential neighborhoods with an infill housing development that is compatible in density and scale with the surrounding existing uses.
4. The proposal is consistent with R-1-20 and R-1-14.4 zones in that single family residential is a permitted land use, and, as allowed by the state density bonus law and the applicant’s companion density bonus agreement, certain waivers have been applied to certain development standards to support the development of two affordable housing units on the project site.
PREPARED BY: ROCIO LOPEZ, CONSULTING PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: SANDRA VANIAN, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS
1. Resolution No. 2643
2. Locational and Zoning Map
3. Site Plan
4. Conditions of Approval
5. Zone Delineation Exhibit
6. Floor Plans
7. Colored Elevations
8. Colors and Materials Board
9. Conceptual Landscape Plan
10. Wall and Fence Plan
11. Maintenance Plan
12. Applicant’s Waiver Request Letter, dated August 14, 2024
13. Environmental Documentation
Case Planner: Rocio Lopez (951) 736-2293