REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 03/01/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
General Plan Amendment 2022-0002 to amend the land use on various properties to allow certain residential land uses consistent with the General Plan Housing Element sites inventory and commensurate text changes to certain land use designations in the General Plan.
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to consider the approval of General Plan Amendment 2022-0002 (GPA2022-0002) to support the Housing Element Rezoning Program. The Housing Element Rezoning Program is a planning requirement that sets the path for the development of housing units in accordance with the City’s mandated regional housing need in the General Plan Housing Element. It does not guarantee that housing will be developed on all the properties identified on the housing sites inventory in the Housing Element. Future development on these properties and in most cases the redevelopment of these properties will be determined by market conditions. At the same time however, the City needs to maintain land that can support the development of residential units based on the regional housing need during the eight-year period of the current Housing Element, which is the reason for GPA2022-0002.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Certify the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report prepared for the City of Corona General Plan Housing Element Rezoning Program update project, adopt environmental findings and pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations, and adopt a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.
b. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-010 tentatively approving an amendment to the City’s General Plan to change the land use designation on various properties to allow certain residential land uses consistent with the Housing Element sites inventory as part of the Cycle 1 of General Plan Amendments for calendar year 2023.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The City Council adopted the General Plan Housing Element 2021-2029 on November 3, 2021. The Housing Element is a state mandated document that is required to be updated every eight years. On October 12, 2022, the California Department of Housing and Community Development approved the City’s Housing Element and found the document to be in compliance with State Housing Element Law (Government Code Article 10.6). The Housing Element requires the City to rezone and amend the General Plan land use of certain properties to meet its state mandated regional housing need.
The Housing Element 2021-2029 aligns with the State’s allocation of the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, commonly known as RHNA. The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Regional Council adopted the final RHNA allocation for the jurisdictions within its region at its meeting on March 4, 2021. The City of Corona was issued a final RHNA allocation of 6,088 housing units. The City is required to demonstrate the planning of these units based on each income category within the Housing Element for the next eight years.
Corona’s RHNA allocation in the low-income category is 2,792 units and in the moderate-income category is 1,096 units. Because the City’s availability of vacant, undeveloped properties has decreased over the years due to development, it is especially challenging to find properties suitable for higher density residential, which is crucial in planning enough sites to accommodate low- and moderate-income housing units. Sites suitable for low-income units must have a zoning and General Plan designation that allows a higher density of at least 30 dwelling units to the acre. Moderate income units also can be accounted for in the higher density but can be included in a medium density that allows up to 15 dwelling units to the acre.
Housing Program 7 of the Housing Element requires the City’s to identify adequate housing sites that could be developed with housing according to the income categories required by the City’s RHNA allocation. The City does have a lack of sites with a high density residential zoning available for the planning of low- and moderate-income units. Housing Program 7 requires the City to rezone certain properties so that enough sites are available for the potential development of high density residential that would support the planning of low- and moderate-income units.
GPA2022-0002 is part of the rezoning program described by Housing Program 7 of the Housing Element.
ANALYSIS:
The Housing Element Rezoning Program covers various properties located in the City. Due to the number of properties and the locations, the City grouped and separated the properties into 11 Zone Areas so that the areas can be easily identified. At the Planning and Housing Commission meeting on January 23, 2023, the properties identified in Zone Areas 4, 6, and 8 were removed and one parcel from Zone 1 was removed by the Commission with staff removing three additional parcels from Zone 1 after the meeting. Therefore, only the properties in Zone Areas 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 that are affected by GPA2022-0002 are being considered at this time. Zone Area 10 is not identified because the property does not require an amendment to the General Plan. To make up the shortfall of sites created by the removal of the properties in Zone Areas 1, 4, 6, and 8, staff will evaluate additional sites to include in the Housing Sites Inventory and process a subsequent amendment, if necessary.
The properties associated with GPA2022-0002 are identified in Exhibits 3 through 9 attached to this staff report. These exhibits include a map showing the location of the properties and a table identifying each property and the proposed change in land use. The following table summarizes the general location of the properties within each zone area.
Housing Element Rezoning Program Properties By Zone Area
|
Zone Area |
Number of Properties |
General Location |
|
Zone 1 (Four sites removed since the Planning Commission) |
30 |
West 6th Street, west of Lincoln Avenue, including Smith Street, Yorba Street and Sherman Avenue |
|
Zone 2 |
35 |
West 6th Street, east of Lincoln Avenue; West Grand Blvd. north of Sixth Street; Vicentia Street north of 6th Street; Railroad Street, east of Cota Street. |
|
Zone 3 |
1 |
Railroad Street, east of Lincoln Avenue |
|
Zone 4 (All sites removed by the Planning Commission) |
11 |
East side of South Main Street, south of 8th Street and 9th Street |
|
Zone 5 |
66 |
East side of North Main Street, south of Rincon Street, Harrison Street and East Grand Blvd.; east side of Joy Street north of 6th Street; north side of Quarry Street, east of E. Grand Blvd.; East 6th Street, east of Rimpau Avenue; Circle City Drive, east of Rimpau Avenue |
|
Zone 6 (All sites removed by the Planning Commission) |
3 |
South side of East 6th Street, west and east of El Camino Avenue |
|
Zone 7 |
1 |
South side of East 6th Street, east of Temescal Street |
|
Zone 8 (All sites removed by the Planning Commission) |
11 |
West side of Fullerton Avenue on Ford Street and Barth Street |
|
Zone 9 |
1 |
South side of Ontario Avenue, east of Oak Avenue |
|
Zone 11 |
1 |
Northwest corner of Chase Drive and California Avenue |
Zones 1, 2, and 5 represent the City’s historic commercial corridors on West and East 6th Street and North Main Street. Over the years, properties within the North Main Street corridor have been redeveloped to replace aging and declining shopping centers with new commercial uses and high density residential. Like North Main Street, aging commercial properties that exist along the West and East 6th Street commercial corridor have the potential to be redeveloped to include high density residential or commercial and residential mixed-use. These sites were also considered as part of the rezoning program because of the proximity to regional public transportation. The rezoning of these sites lend opportunity for these sites to be redeveloped with housing and mixed use supporting commercial and housing that can further support the planning of low- and moderate-income units near commercial centers and public transportation.
Proposed General Plan Amendment
Land Use Amendment
In certain places, the designation of properties is being amended to:
a) allow Mixed Use I commercial and residential development, where mixed-use may not be currently allowed,
b) change the land use designation from General Commercial to High Density Residential (15-36 du/ac),
c) change the land use designation from High Density Residential (15-36 du/ac) to Urban Density Residential (36-60 du/ac),
d) change the land use designation from Low Density Residential (3-6 du/ac) to Medium Density Residential (6-15 du/ac), and
e) change the land use designation from Light Industry to Mixed Use II commercial and industrial development.
Most of the properties are being amended to the Mixed-Use I designation to allow high density, multiple family residential. These properties would satisfy the zoning requirement for the planning of low- and moderate-income units. Other sites in the City also have been identified to be changed from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential. These sites were seen as having the potential for providing moderate-income housing units. The opportunity on some of these sites is discussed below.
Zone 9 and 11 Areas
The Department was contacted by Evangelical Friends Church located at 1220 W. Ontario Avenue (Zone 9 Area) and United Methodist Church of Corona located at 2880 California Avenue (Zone 11 Area) during the Housing Element process. Both congregations expressed interest in providing housing on the respective properties. Evangelical Friends Church is interested in providing housing for families that may not be able to afford market rate units and United Methodist Church is interested in providing housing for senior citizens. Both churches are small congregations and do not foresee the expansion of their existing congregations on the excess unused land.
The properties are being amended from Low Density Residential, 3 to 6 dwelling units per acre to Medium Density Residential, 6 to 15 dwelling units per acre. The Evangelical Friends Church located at 1220 W. Ontario Avenue is adjacent to another congregation to the west, a Southern California Edison Transformer Station to the east and single-family residences to the south. The United Methodist Church of Corona located at 2880 California Avenue is adjacent to a city park site to the west, a congregation to the north, and is across the street from Santiago High School and single-family residences to the south and east.
Text Amendment to General Plan Land Use Designations Table LU-1
The rezoning program described in Housing Element Program 7 requires the City to amend the General Plan Mixed Use I (MU I) and Mixed Use II (MU II) designations to allow 100% residential uses on sites zoned with an Affordable Housing Overlay. This provides more opportunity for affordable housing to be considered for development by not limiting residential development to a mixed-use development. The amendment will add language to the MU I and MU II descriptions to include:
Accommodates 100% residential use if affordable housing is provided pursuant to the requirements of the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO) Zone.
Density for 100% residential use: 45-60 du/adjusted gross acre.
The Urban Density Residential (UDR) designation accommodates residential development within a density range of 36-60 du/adj. gross acre. This amendment will add the following language to the UDR designation:
Density with an Affordable Housing Overlay Zone: 45-60 du/adj. gross acre.
The amendment increases the lowest end of the density range from 36 to 45 du/ac. The Affordable Housing Overlay zone is intended to promote higher density residential so that affordable housing units can be accommodated in a residential development that may also include market rate units. Additionally, the residential density range would be consistent with the density range proposed in the MU I and MU II designations if the development proposes affordable housing units.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
GPA2022-0002 is a City-initiated amendment; therefore, no fees were associated with this application.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
The City prepared a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Corona Housing Element Rezoning Program in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to evaluate potential environmental impacts associated with the implementation of the City of Corona General Plan Housing Element Rezoning Program Update Project. This document 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.). The Supplemental EIR adequately addresses impacts from minor changes to the Corona General Plan Technical Update 2020 Final EIR certified on June 3, 2020, by the City Council. As required by CEQA, the Supplemental EIR only contains information necessary to analyze the project modifications, changed circumstances, or new information that triggered the need for additional environmental review. The Supplemental EIR only contains the information necessary to make the previous EIR adequate for the project as revised. The Supplemental EIR indicated that the Housing Element Rezoning Program will not result in impacts not already identified in the Corona General Plan Technical Update 2020 Final EIR.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of January 23, 2023 the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Alexander/Sherman) and carried unanimously, that the Planning and Housing Commission recommend to the City Council the adoption of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Corona Housing Element Rezoning Program and APPROVAL of GPA2022-0002, with the sites identified in Zone Areas 4 and 8, and certain sites in Zone Area 1 being removed, based on the findings contained in the staff report, and adopt Resolution No. 2603 granting GPA2022-0002 as part of Cycle 1 of General Plan Amendments for 2023. The minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting are included as Exhibit 13.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Resolution No. 2023-010
2. Exhibit 2 - Proposed Text Amendment to the Land Use Element Table
3. Exhibit 3 - Zone 1 Area Land Use Amendments with Table
4. Exhibit 4 - Zone 2 Area Land Use Amendments with Table
5. Exhibit 5 - Zone 3 Area Land Use Amendments with Table
6. Exhibit 6 - Zone 5 Area Land Use Amendments with Table
7. Exhibit 7 - Zone 7 Area Land Use Amendments with Table
8. Exhibit 8 - Zone 9 Area Land Use Amendments with Table
9. Exhibit 9 - Zone 11 Area Land Use Amendments with Table
10. Exhibit 10 - Final Supplemental EIR available at www.CoronaCA.gov/GPUpdate <http://www.CoronaCA.gov/GPUpdate>
11. Exhibit 11 - Draft Supplemental EIR available at www.CoronaCA.gov/GPUpdate <http://www.CoronaCA.gov/GPUpdate>
12. Exhibit 12 - Planning and Housing Commission staff report
13. Exhibit 13 - Minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of January 23, 2023