PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 07/08/2024
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Planning & Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
GPA2023-0004: Application to amend the Land Use Element of the General Plan amending the land use of 0.59 acres from High Density Residential to General Commercial located on the north side of Second Street, approximately 450 feet west of Buena Vista Avenue. (Applicant: Greens Development)
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RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the Planning and Housing Commission recommend adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration and the Mitigation Monitoring Plan and APPROVAL OF GPA2023-0004, based on the findings contained in the staff report and adopt Resolution 2640 granting GPA2023-0004 as part of Cycle 3 of General Plan Amendments for 2024.
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PROJECT SITE SUMMARY
Area of property: 0.59 acres
Existing General Plan: High Density Residential, 15-36 dwelling units per acre (HDR, 15-36 du/ac)
Proposed General Plan: General Commercial (GC)
Existing zoning: MP (Mobile Home Park)
Existing land use: Vacant
Proposed land use: Commercial
Surrounding land uses:
S: Second Street and vacant property.
N: State Route 91 Right-of-Way
E: Second Street Right-of-Way
W: Vacant property.
BACKGROUND
The project site was originally occupied with mobile homes but was eventually removed to accommodate the State Route 91 widening project. The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) was the agency responsible for the freeway widening project and purchased the property to accommodate the right-of-way needed for the extension of Second Street to Lincoln Avenue and the new freeway on-ramp design.
After the construction of the freeway widening, RCTC determined the project site to be excess surplus land and disposed of the property according to the state’s Surplus Land Act. The applicant purchased the 0.59-acre project site and the adjacent 0.81 acres to the west. The zoning and General Plan of the adjacent 0.81 acres are C3 and GC, respectively. The adjacent property was once part of the commercial shopping center to the south, which was bifurcated by the extension of Second Street to Lincoln Avenue. The applicant intends to combine both parcels and develop the property for commercial.
The General Plan designation of the 0.59 acres is HDR and the applicant is proposing to amend the General Plan to General Commercial (GC). The applicant is also requesting to change the zoning of the property from R3 (Multiple Family Residential) to the C3 (General Commercial) zone proposed by CZ2023-0006.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
The project site is located between the right-of-way for State Route 91 to the north and Second Street to the south. The General Plan of the site is HDR. GPA2023-0004 proposes to amend the General Plan land use to GC to be consistent with the adjacent parcel to the west. The proposed change to the GC designation in conjunction with CZ2023-0006, which will change the zoning for the site from R3 to the C3 zone, will allow the project site to be combined with the adjacent parcel and allow for commercial land uses.
California Housing Accountability Act
The state’s Housing Accountability Act (Government Code Section 65589.5) was amended in 2019 to include the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (Government Code Section 66300). The Housing Crisis Act of 2019 requires cities to maintain the residential capacity that existed at the time of adoption of the legislation to ensure a no net loss in the zoning for residential units. Cities are allowed to rezone and amend the General Plan of residential properties to a non-residential zone or less intense residential use only if the city concurrently rezones another parcel to make up for the shortfall in housing units lost under the previous zoning.
The applicant’s subsequent request proposed by CZ2023-0006 takes this into consideration. The project site along with 4.01 acres generally located at the southwest corner of Second Street and Buena Vista Avenue are both zoned Mobile Home Park (MP), which allows a maximum density of 8 du/ac. This density allows 5 residential units on the project site, and 32 residential units on the 4.01 acres. CZ2023-0006 proposes to change the zoning of the 4.01 acres to the R3 zone, which increases the maximum density to 36 du/ac. Minus the residential units already allowed by the MP zone on both properties, the R3 zone will allow an additional 107 residential units on the 4.01 acres. CZ2023-0006 satisfies the requirement under the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 because the rezoning will result in no net loss in residential units.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
Per Section 15070 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 was prepared for the project because 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 mitigation measures identified in the Mitigated Negative Declaration, 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 Mitigation Negative Declaration is being recommended for adoption (Exhibit 5).
FISCAL IMPACT
The applicant has paid the applicable application processing fees for the project.
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, the city has not received any inquiry from the public on the project.
STAFF ANALYSIS
GPA2023-0004 will establish a logical transition of the GC designation on the project site. The project site is a remnant parcel from the freeway widening project and is adjacent to a parcel containing the GC designation. The adjacent environment which consists of the freeway, and a commercial shopping center at the southeast corner of Lincoln Avenue and Second Street makes the GC designation a compatible land use for the area.
FINDINGS FOR THE APPROVAL OF GPA2023-0004
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 Conditions of Approval attached as Exhibit 4.
b. There is no substantial evidence before the City that the revised project may have a significant effect.
2. GPA2023-0004 is in the public interest and would not be detrimental to public health, safety and welfare for the following reason:
a. GPA2023-0004 will provide a logical transition of the GC designation, which exists on the adjacent parcel to the west, and establish compatibility with the commercial land uses in the immediate area and the freeway to the north.
3. GPA2023-0004 is internally consistent with the elements of the General Plan, including the goals and policies stated therein for the following reasons:
a. GPA2023-0004 is consistent with companion application CZ2023-0006 which proposes to change the zoning of the project site to C3 (General Commercial) to establish consistency with the GC designation of the General Plan because both classifications are intended for commercial land uses.
b. GPA2023-0004 is consistent with General Plan Policy LU-4.3 to allow for the development of vacant lands on the periphery of existing development that complements the scale and pattern of existing uses, and where it is logical and feasible to extend infrastructure because commercial land uses and public infrastructure exist in the vicinity of the project site.
PREPARED BY: SANDRA VANIAN, PLANNING MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS:
1. Resolution No. 2640
2. Locational
3. General Plan Amendment and Change of Zone Exhibit
4. Conditions of Approval
5. Environmental documentation