REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 10/19/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
Precise Plan 2022-0001 to review a proposed electric vehicle charging station with 52 charging spaces, an 8,000 square-foot market and 1,200 square-foot automated carwash, located at 1335 and 1341 W. Sixth Street in the C-3 (General Commercial) zone.
End
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the Council to affirm the Planning and Housing Commission’s action to approve Precise Plan 2022-0001 . The application is for the site design and architecture of an electric vehicle charging station containing 52 charging spaces, an 8,000 square-foot market, and a 1,200 square-foot automated carwash. The project site is located at 1335 and 1341 West Sixth Street in the C-3 zone, which allows the proposed use. The carwash does require the approval of a Conditional Use Permit, which is being reviewed separately by Conditional Use Permit 2022-0002. The project adheres to the development standards of the C-3 zone.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Take no action, thereby affirming the Planning and Housing Commission’s action granting PP2022-0001, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval.
OR
b. Set the item for review at a subsequent meeting.
Body
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The project site is comprised of 3 vacant parcels totaling approximately 2.42 acres, located on the north side of Sixth Street, approximately 450 feet west of Sherman Avenue. The applicant intends to consolidate the parcels into a single parcel through a lot line adjustment process. The parcels are zoned C-3 (General Commercial), which allows for various commercial uses including automobile-related services. The proposed market and electric vehicle charging stations are permitted by right in the C-3 zone. The carwash is allowed by a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), which is being reviewed separately by CUP2022-0002.
ANALYSIS:
The concept for the electric vehicle (EV) service station is to provide customers a full-service experience that includes EV charging, washing services, and grab-and-go food and/or beverages.
The applicant anticipates that most electric vehicles that come to the charging station can be charged in approximately 30 minutes, on average, while charging times for vans can range from approximately 30 to 60 minutes.
The anticipated hours of operation are the following:
• Charging spaces - Open 24 hours a day
• Market - Open 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• Carwash - Open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Since the charging spaces will be available 24 hours a day, the applicant is proposing to have night security on-site from 9:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m.
Site Plan
The EV charging station site is designed with the market located on the southern portion of the property, which is near Sixth Street. The market has a patio with outdoor seating on the west side, and a fenced dog run on the east side to accommodate customers with pets. A parking lot will be behind the market, which includes 27 standard non-EV charging parking spaces and 40 EV charging spaces for passenger vehicles. Canopies with roof-mounted photovoltaic panels are proposed over the standard parking and EV passenger vehicle stalls. The rear portion of the property, to the north, contains a fenced area for electrical and charging equipment, 7 employee parking spaces, a trash enclosure, a carwash tunnel, 3 “finishing” spaces for the car wash, and 12 EV charging spaces for delivery vans.
The project complies with the development standards for the C-3 zone, including setbacks, floor area ratio, and landscape coverage. The site is providing the 20-foot landscape setback along the north and northwest perimeters, as required for yards that abut residential zones. The code also requires carwash tunnels and detailing/finishing areas to be set back a minimum of 25 feet from residential zones. The carwash and finishing spaces proposed on the project site provide more than 25 feet of setback from the adjacent residential zones.
The applicant will construct a new six-foot high block wall along the site’s north perimeter adjacent to the residential properties. A six-foot high block wall will also be constructed along the northwest perimeter of the site adjacent to the vacant residential property. A six-foot high tubular steel fence will be constructed along the site’s west and east perimeters, which are adjacent to existing commercial developments.
Access
The project has one access point from Sixth Street via a 30-foot wide driveway. The entrance divides into two lanes - a self-serve lane and a valet lane that offers valet charging and washing services. The valet lane is designed to accommodate approximately eight vehicles, and allows customers to drop off their vehicles with the on-site staff. Customers that do not want valet service may go directly to a standard parking space, if visiting the market only, or directly into an available charging space to charge their vehicle. The carwash is not a self-service facility. Facility staff will manage the carwash tunnel for customers.
Architecture
The proposed structures have a modern and streamlined architectural design. The market has clear glass walls that are separated by a simple post and beam frame, which will be clad in a matte black Alucobond sheet metal. The building height is 20 feet. The carwash tunnel has the same metal panel material and minimal design as the market. The canopies over the parking spaces also match the market in style and material. There are no applicable design guidelines or architectural themes in the C-3 zone.
Parking
The project requires a total of 42 parking spaces per the parking requirements of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC). The project site provides a total of 89 parking spaces. This number includes 34 standard (non-electric) parking spaces, including customer and employee parking, 52 electric charging spaces, and 3 finishing spaces for the carwash.
Public Improvements
The applicant is required to dedicate five feet of the project’s frontage to the right-of-way along Sixth Street and construct all missing public improvements along the project frontage. This includes constructing the sidewalk to a width of 12 feet to meet current City standard, as the current sidewalk width is deficient. The two driveways will be replaced with a single 30-foot-wide driveway, which will allow for full-turn movements into and out of the project site.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The applicant paid the application processing fees of $16,311 to cover the cost of the Precise Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
Pursuant to Section 15332 of the State Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a Notice of Exemption has been prepared for the project because the project qualifies as a Class 32 (Infill Development Projects) categorical exemption under CEQA. The project is consistent with the General Plan and zoning requirements, and would not result in any significant traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality impacts.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of September 26, 2022, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Alexander/Meza) and carried unanimously, that the Planning and Housing Commission adopt Resolution No. 2592 granting PP2022-0001, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval. The minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting are included as Exhibit 4.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Locational and zoning map
2. Exhibit 2 - Site plan for PP2022-0001
3. Exhibit 3 - Planning and Housing Commission staff report
4. Exhibit 4 - Draft minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of September 26, 2022