PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 03/25/2024
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Planning & Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
GPA2023-0005: General Plan Amendment to the Land Use Element and Housing Element to update the City’s Housing Sites Inventory of the Housing Element for Planning Period 2021-2029. (Applicant: City of Corona)
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RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the Planning and Housing Commission recommend APPROVAL OF GPA2023-0005, based on the findings contained in the staff report and the Addendum to the Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Corona Housing Element Rezoning Program certified on March 1, 2023, and adopt Resolution No. 2629 granting GPA2023-0005 as part of Cycle 2 of General Plan Amendments for 2024.
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BACKGROUND
General Plan Housing Element 2021-2029
The City’s 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element Update was adopted by the City Council on November 3, 2021 and the Final Housing Element Update was approved by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on October 12, 2022.
The City’s total Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) assigned for the Housing Element during Planning Period 2021-2029 is 6,088 units with 2,792 units allocated to low-income housing units and 1,096 units allocated to moderate-income housing units. The remaining 2,200 housing units are allocated to above-moderate income housing units.
According to Program 7 of the Housing Element, the city is required to rezone properties that would accommodate the planning of low and moderate income housing units. The zoning for low income housing units shall be high density residential with a density of at least 30 dwelling units to the acre (du/ac). The City’s Housing Element Update included an inventory of properties (“sites”) that would need to be rezoned to high density residential or an Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) zone to allow for the planning of potential housing units that would be suitable for low- and moderate-income units based on the City’s RHNA allocation. The deadline to complete the rezoning associated with the Housing Sites Inventory in the Housing Element is October 12, 2024 for the city’s Housing Element to remain compliant with state law.
Rezoning Program Phase One
The AHO zone was adopted by the City in March 2023 and is regulated by Corona Municipal Code Chapter 17.31. The AHO zone established by-right development standards for affordable housing projects and requires at least 20 percent of the total residential units within a housing development to be set aside for lower income units. The density of the AHO zone is based on the General Plan, which will allow a density range between 36 to 60 du/ac. The AHO zone allows mixed-use development consisting of commercial and residential if 51 percent of the floor area is devoted to residential, and 100 percent residential development, which can include mixed-income housing units consisting of low, moderate and above-moderate income units.
The AHO zone covers properties that are currently developed with non-residential land uses. The overlay allows property owners the option to redevelop under the property's existing zoning standards or the AHO zoning standards.
A portion of the rezoning program was completed in March 2023 and changed the zoning on 126 sites in the City, which increased the residential density on the sites to support the planning of low and moderate income housing units. During the initial review process for the rezoning program, 32 housing sites originally identified to be rezoned on the housing sites inventory in the Housing Element were removed, creating a shortfall of housing sites for at least 632 low income housing units.
Rezoning Program Phase Two
The second phase of the rezoning program proposes to rezone 24 sites to make up for the shortfall of the low income housing sites that were removed from the Housing Element during the first phase of the rezoning program. This is being accomplished by CZ2023-0007, which covers four parcels, and Specific Plan Amendment 2023-0008 (SPA2023-0008), which covers 20 parcels. The 24 sites will accommodate at least 463 low income units and 13 moderate income units using a realistic capacity. The Housing Element Sites Inventory initially had a buffer of 210 units for lower and moderate incomes to accommodate a shortfall in housing units should a housing site not be developed for lower income units. To make up for the shortfall of housing units due to the previously identified sites being removed, surplus units were used to fix the shortfall of housing units for low income in addition to the sites being added by CZ2023-0007 and SPA2023-0008. Eight sites originally included in the first phase located on East Grand and Victoria Avenue were removed during the public hearing process but are being included again in this second phase at the request of certain residents. These sites are part of SPA2023-0008.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
The following sections describe the amendments proposed by General Plan Amendment 2023-0005 (GPA2023-0005).
Land Use Element
Table LU-1 describes the land use designations in the General Plan. The description of the General Commercial (GC) designation is being amended to include residential associated with the city’s Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) zone as a general land use. The AHO zone allows solely residential or mixed use which includes commercial and residential if 51% of the floor area is residential. Both types of development require 20% of the total residential units to be set aside for low income. The proposed residential density in the GC designation is 36 to 60 dwelling units per acre (du/ac).
The Land Use Map is being amended to change 1.33 acres from GC to High Density Residential. The 1.33 acres includes eight parcels located on East Grand Boulevard and Victoria Avenue. The parcels were included in the initial housing sites inventory but were removed during the public hearing for the rezoning. The parcels are being added back to the rezoning program at the request of certain property owners.
The parcels were originally zoned for high density residential and contain existing single family homes. The adoption of the Downtown Revitalization Specific Plan in 1998 changed the zoning and General Plan on the properties to Gateway Business and General Commercial, respectively. The residential structures continue to exist today. Therefore, it was appropriate to rezone the properties residential and promote the opportunity for higher density development near the city’s Metrolink Station and bus depot transfer station.
Housing Element
Figures 18 and 19 are being amended to include the updated housing sites to fix the shortfall of housing sites required to meet the city’s RHNA for low income and moderate income housing units. The housing sites that were removed during the initial rezoning program have also been removed. Figure 18 identifies the sites that have been rezoned to a higher density and Figure 19 identifies the sites that have been rezoned to include the AHO zone.
The corresponding tables for Figures 18 and 19 in Appendix B of the Housing Element are also being amended to include the updated housing sites. Figure 18 represents the renumbering of the housing sites due to certain housing sites being removed during the initial rezoning. Figure 19 represents the renumbering of housing sites due to certain sites being removed and includes the new housing sites that make up for the shortfall in housing sites. The new sites are identified as 92 through 106 on the Affordable Housing Overlay Zone Site Inventory Table for Figure 19.
The amendment to the Housing Element is consistent with Housing Program 8, which is to monitor housing sites to ensure a no net loss in providing sites for residential.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The City prepared an Addendum to the Supplement Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Corona Housing Element Rezoning Program, certified on March 1, 2023. Per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), an addendum to a previously-certified EIR can be prepared if some changes or additions are necessary to the prior EIR, but none of the conditions calling for preparation of a subsequent or supplemental EIR have occurred (CEQA Guidelines §§15162, 15163, 15164). The City has determined that none of the conditions listed in §§15162, 15163, 15164 apply and that an Addendum to the Supplemental EIR (SCH No. 2022060732) for the Corona General Plan Housing Element Rezoning Program Update, certified by the City Council on March 1, 2023, and related entitlements, fully complies with CEQA, as described in the CEQA Guidelines. This Addendum is prepared in conformance with CEQA (California PRC Section 21000, et seq.) and the CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations [CCR], Title 14, Section 15000, et seq.).
FISCAL IMPACT
This is a city-initiated application, and no application fees are associated with the processing of GPA2023-0005.
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. As of the preparation of this report, no inquiries have been received regarding the General Plan Amendment.
STAFF ANALYSIS
GPA2023-0005 is consistent with Program 8 in the City’s Housing Element, which requires the city to maintain its housing sites inventory and ensure a no net loss in residential sites. The amended Housing Sites Inventory in the Housing Element reflects the housing sites associated with the rezoning, which demonstrates compliance with the city’s RHNA allocation for low and moderate income housing units.
FINDINGS FOR THE APPROVAL OF GPA2023-0005
1. The City prepared an Addendum to the Supplement Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Corona Housing Element Rezoning Program, certified on March 1, 2023. Per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), an addendum to a previously-certified EIR can be prepared if some changes or additions are necessary to the prior EIR, but none of the conditions calling for preparation of a subsequent or supplemental EIR have occurred (CEQA Guidelines §§15162, 15163, 15164). The City has determined that none of the conditions listed in §§15162, 15163, 15164 apply and that an Addendum to the Supplemental EIR (SCH No. 2022060732) for the Corona General Plan Housing Element Rezoning Program Update, certified by the City Council on March 1, 2023, and related entitlements, fully complies with CEQA, as described in the CEQA Guidelines. This Addendum is prepared in conformance with CEQA (California PRC Section 21000, et seq.) and the CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations [CCR], Title 14, Section 15000, et seq.).
2. GPA2023-0005 is in the public interest and would not be detrimental to public health, safety and welfare for the following reasons:
a. The amendment provides updated information to the Housing Element related to the monitoring of designated housing sites to ensure compliance with the city’s RHNA allocation for planning period 2021-2029, which is required by state law.
b. The text revision to the land use designation table establishes consistency with the city’s zoning to plan for the development of affordable housing units in accordance with the Housing Element.
3. GPA2023-0005 is internally consistent with the elements of the General Plan, including the goals and policies stated therein for the following reasons:
a. Policy H-1.3 because it provides sites for residential development, including sites for affordable housing so that the scarcity of land does not unduly increase the cost or decrease the availability of housing for all economic segments of the community.
b. Housing Program 8 of the General Plan Housing Element requires the City to maintain its housing sites inventory to ensure a no net loss in housing sites and to maintain sites to accommodate the city’s RHNA allocation during the Housing Element’s eight-year planning cycle (Year 2021-2029).
SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS:
1. Resolution No. 2629.
2. Text amendment to Table LU-1 of the General Plan.
3. Updated Figure 18 of the Housing Element.
4. Updated Figure 19 of the Housing Element.
5. Rezone Parcels Inventory Table for Figure 18 Table (Appendix B of Housing Element).
6. Affordable Housing Overlay Zone Site Inventory Table for Figure 19 (Appendix B of Housing Element).
7. Land use amendment from GC to HDR.
8. Environmental documentation.
Case Planner: Joanne Coletta, Planning & Development Director (951) 736-2262