PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 8/20/2018
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Community Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
CZ2018-0001: Application to change the zone on approximately 0.2 acres from MP (Mobile Home Park) to C-3 (General Commercial) located approximately 350 feet west of Lincoln Avenue, north of Sixth Street APN: 118-201-012 (Applicant: Fitschen Family Trust, 1203 W. Sixth Street Corona CA 92882).
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the Planning and Housing Commission recommend adoption of the Negative Declaration and APPROVAL of CZ2018-0001 to the City Council based on the findings contained in the staff report.
Body
PROJECT SITE SUMMARY
Area of Property: 0.2 acres
Existing Zoning: MP (Mobile Home Park)
Proposed Zoning: C-3 (General Commercial)
Existing General Plan: GC (General Commercial)
Existing Land Use: Vacant Commercial Building
Proposed Land Use: No development proposal
Surrounding Land Uses:
N: MP (Mobile Home Park)/Flamingo Mobile Home Park
E: C-3 (General Commercial)/Commercial development
S: C-3 (General Commercial)/Commercial development
W: C-3 (General Commercial)/Commercial development
BACKGROUND
The 0.2 acre site contains a 1,717 square foot vacant commercial building. The project site is bordered by a mobile home park to the north, commercial development to the east, south and west. The site is currently zoned MP (Mobile Home Park) but the underlying General Plan designation is General Commercial. The applicant also submitted accompanying application PM 37452 (PM2018-0001), to subdivide the single parcel into two parcels to separate the mobile home park from the commercial building. The mobile home park will remain in the MP (Mobile Home Park) Zone; however, with the parcelization of the site separating it from the mobile home park, the 0.2 acres accommodating the vacant commercial building can be re-zoned to establish consistency with the underlying General Plan which is General Commercial.
Currently, there is an open building enforcement case (BE2017-0020) against the subject property for a substandard building not approved for occupancy. The commercial building has been vacant since 2013. At this time, there is no development proposal for the commercial building, as the applicant intends to sell the newly created parcel for future development. Therefore, should new development be proposed on the site in the future, a Development Plan Review and Precise Plan will be required, and the building enforcement case will have been resolved.
PROPOSED CHANGE OF ZONE
CZ2018-0001 will change the zone on 0.2 acres from MP (Mobile Home Park) to C-3 (General Commercial). The request is being sought at this time because the applicant is processing a parcel map application, PM37452, which will correspondingly subdivide 8.81 acres into two parcels creating the subject 0.2 acres as its own parcel. The change of zone is consistent with the current zoning in the immediate area because the properties along Sixth Street are also zoned C-3. Although the existing commercial building on the subject 0.2 acres is part of the mobile home park and under the same ownership, the building is separated from the park and has its own separate access from Sixth Street. The existing building has no direct access to the mobile home park and the subject site is viewed as being on its own parcel given its physical location and appearance from Sixth Street.
The change of zone in conjunction with PM 37452 will allow the owner of the property to sell the 0.2 acres previously developed for commercial purposes to a proprietor interested in building and operating a commercial establishment on the property that is separate from the mobile home park.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
Per Section 15070 of the State Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Section 6.01 of the City’s Local Guidelines, a negative declaration was prepared for the project because the initial study showed that there is no substantial evidence in light of the whole record before the City that the project may have a significant effect on the environment. The negative declaration is provided as Exhibit D.
FISCAL IMPACT
The applicant has paid all the required application processing fees.
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. As of the preparation of this report, staff has received no comments in reference to CZ2018-0001.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The subject property directly fronts Sixth Street, a commercial corridor, and is surrounded on three sides by existing development. The site is currently zoned MP with a General Plan designation of General Commercial. CZ2018-0001 will re-zone the subject 0.2 acres appropriately to be consistent with the General Plan designation and the current character of the area.
Additionally, CZ2018-0001 will serve to implement General Plan goals and policies encouraging re-use of underutilized buildings in consideration of uses that serve the city’s residents and business community. The change of zone is also consistent with General Plan Policy 1.4.4 to pro-actively promote the adaptive re-use and infill of economically underutilized, obsolete, and dilapidated commercial and industrial sites within existing urbanized areas, in consideration of the uses, scale, and character of adjoining uses. Therefore, CZ2018-0001 is recommended for approval based on the following findings.
FINDINGS FOR APPROVAL OF CZ2018-0001
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 environmental assessment shows that there is no substantial evidence that the project may have a significant or potentially significant adverse effect on the environment. Therefore, a negative declaration was prepared for CZ2018-0001.
2. The proposed change of zone is in conformity with the General Plan map and text for the following reasons:
a. The C-3 zone is consistent with the General Commercial designation of the City’s General Plan. The C-3 zone is being proposed on the project site to enable the project site to be subdivided and sold for development in the future.
b. CZ2018-0001 is consistent with General Plan Policy 1.4.4 to encourage the re-use and infill of economically underutilized, obsolete, and dilapidated commercial and industrial sites in consideration of adjoining uses.
c. CZ2018-0001 is consistent with General Plan Policy 1.11.5 to promote reinvestment in declining shopping centers and districts, with an emphasis on new retail uses that serve adjacent neighborhoods and contribute to the overall vitality of the city.
3. The subject property is suitable for the uses permitted in the C-3 zone in terms of access, size of parcel, relationship to similar or related uses, for the following reasons:
a. The project site fronts the Sixth Street commercial corridor in an area that has existing commercial development and existing public infrastructure such as water, sewer, electricity and street access.
b. The 0.2 acre parcel proposed by accompanying application Parcel Map 37452 is capable of supporting development under the C-3 Zone.
4. The proposed change of zone is necessary and proper at this time, and is not likely to be detrimental to the adjacent property or residents for the following reasons:
a. The C-3 Zone proposed on the project site will not be detrimental to the adjacent properties because the adjacent zoning for the properties fronting Sixth Street in the immediate area are zoned C-3 and commercial land uses are developed in vicinity of the project site.
b. The C-3 Zone is necessary at this time because the change of zone would allow the 0.2 acres to function as its own parcel separate from the mobile home park and encourage redevelopment of the underutilized site.
5. The proposed change of zone is in the interest of the public health, safety, necessity, convenience and general welfare and in accordance with good zoning practice for the following reason:
a. CZ2018-0001 will facilitate future orderly development of the project site as any future development would be required to adhere to the development standards prescribed by Corona Municipal Code and would enable underutilized property to have commercial development similar in nature to the existing commercial development in the immediate and surrounding area.
PREPARED BY: LUPITA GARCIA, ASSISTANT PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: TERRI MANUEL, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS
1. Locational and Zoning Map
2. Exhibit A - Existing and Proposed zoning map amendment
3. Exhibit B - Applicant’s letter dated March 29, 2018
4. Exhibit C - Legal Description and plat of the change of zone project site
5. Exhibit D - Environmental Documentation
Case Planner: Lupita Garcia (951) 736-2293