PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 08/26/2024
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Planning & Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
CUP2024-0002: Conditional Use Permit for a 15,565-square-foot fire station and 9,044-square-foot apparatus building on 1.71 acres, located at 225 E. Harrison Street, in the Fire Station zone and Commercial Retail District of the North Main Street Specific Plan (Applicant: Tracy Martin, City of Corona Public Works Department, 400 S. Vicentia Avenue, Corona, CA 92882)
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the Planning and Housing Commission find the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15332 and adopt Resolution No. 2646 GRANTING CUP2024-0002, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval.
Body
PROJECT SITE SUMMARY:
Area of Property: 1.71 acres
Existing Zoning: Fire Station (FS) Zone and Commercial Retail (CR) District of the North Main Specific Plan
Existing General Plan: Fire Station (FS) and General Commercial (GC)
Existing Land Use: Fire Station
Proposed Land Use: Fire Station
Surrounding Zoning/Land Uses:
N: Commercial Retail (Affordable Housing Overlay) / Commercial
E: Business Park / Business Park
S: Mix Use (Affordable Housing Overlay) / Business Park
W: Commercial Retail (CR) / Public recreation facility (Circle City Center)
BACKGROUND
CUP2024-0002 is for the rebuild of Fire Station No. 2, which is located at 225 E. Harrison Street. The Public Works Department is the applicant and lead on the rebuild project. Fire Station No. 2 was originally built in 1961 and expanded in 1996. Currently, the building is 11,600 square feet and serves as the logistical hub for the Fire Department, housing the Battalion Headquarters, which includes a battalion chief, engine company, truck company and urban search and rescue. Fire Station No. 2 stores the Fire Department’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), tools, equipment and hoses. The station operates with a daily staffing level of nine personnel on a three-shift rotation, for a total of 27 full-time employees assigned to the station. Per the applicant, the station is anticipating growth in the next 2-5 years and plans to increase the daily staffing levels by two staff, for a total of 11 personnel present on a daily basis.
Due to the age and condition of the building and the city’s desire to be able to accommodate additional personnel at Fire Station No. 2, the city is proposing to rebuild a larger fire station at the same location. The rebuild also includes expanding the facility onto a portion of an adjoining 3.49-acre commercial property located at 391 N. Main Street. The commercial property is owned by Rexco, LLC and is developed with an office building and parking lot, and includes 0.67 acres of undeveloped land that is located directly to the north of Fire Station No. 2. The fire station has been utilizing this undeveloped area for the storage of equipment for a number of years and would now like to construct permanent facilities on this area. The city has entered into a 30-year lease agreement with Rexco to expand the fire station into the 0.67 acres. The agreement also grants the city the option to purchase the 0.67 acres from Rexco in the future.
The property at 225 E. Harrison Street has a zoning and General Plan designation of Fire Station. The 0.67-acre expansion area is zoned Commercial Retail and is within the boundaries of the North Main Street Specific Plan, and has a General Plan land use designation of General Commercial. Per Section 17.92.030 of the CMC, the fire station use requires approval of a condition use permit in any zone in the city, which is the purpose of CUP2024-0002.
The project is partially funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA. ARPA is federal funding source provided in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. ARPA funds are time-sensitive and must be fully encumbered by December 31, 2024 and fully expended by December 31, 2026. In order to meet these funding requirements and maintain operations during construction, the rebuild will be completed in three phases which are discussed in detail under the Project Description section of this report.
The project was initially reviewed by city staff on May 2, 2024 as DPR2024-0009. The applicant submitted the CUP application to the Planning and Development Department on June 6, 2024, which was reviewed by the Project and Environmental Review Committee on June 27, 2024. The project was subsequently cleared by the Committee for the August 26, 2024 Planning and Housing Commission meeting.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
CUP2024-0002 is an application to rebuild and expand the existing Fire Station No. 2. on a combined 1.71 acres. The rebuild includes a new 15,565-square-foot fire station, parking lot, 9,044-square-foot apparatus building, and 2,360-square-foot temporary building that will be utilized by the onsite personnel as temporary living quarters during the construction of the site.
Site Plan
The applicant has provided three site plans for the three phases of development. The site plans are attached as Exhibit 3. The following describes the activities that are planned within each phase of development.
Phase 1: Phase 1 includes the construction of the apparatus building, temporary living quarters, and 10 parking spaces at the rear of the site, which is located on the northern portion of the site. The temporary living quarters will allow the fire station to continue to operate during the construction of the site. The site has two existing driveways on Harrison Street which will be closed during construction. Therefore, temporary access to the apparatus building and temporary living quarters will be provided through an existing city-owned parking lot located immediately west of the project site. Approximately four parking spaces will be temporarily removed from the city owned parking lot to provide access to the site. Phase 1 is expected to start construction in the first quarter of 2025 and last for approximately two months.
Phase 2: Phase 2 includes the demolition of the existing fire station and grading of the pad for the new fire station building. Phase 2 is expected to start construction in the second quarter of 2025 and last approximately 18 months.
Phase 3: Phase 3 is the final phase and includes the construction of the fire station building and the remainder of the site, including the parking lot, landscaping, perimeter fencing and access from Harrison Street. The two existing driveways on Harrison Street will be reconstructed in their same general locations. Once the new fire station receives a certificate of occupancy, the temporary living quarters will be removed from the site. Phase 3 is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Per the CMC, fire stations are required to comply with the same property development standards that are applicable to the C-3 commercial zone. As shown on the Phase 3 site plan, the layout of the buildings complies with the minimum required yard setbacks which are summarized in Table 1 below.
Table 1 - Yard Setbacks
|
Perimeter |
Required Yard Setback |
Provided Yard Setback |
Complies? |
|
Front (Harrison St) |
10 feet |
10 feet |
Yes |
|
Side (West and East Perimeters) |
0 |
10 feet |
Yes |
|
Rear (North Perimeter) |
0 |
10.5 feet |
Yes |
The site proposes 25 parking spaces, of which 22 parking spaces will be for the onsite staff’s use and three parking spaces will be for visitors’ use. The 25 parking spaces are based on the needs of the fire station. The CMC does not have a parking requirement for fire stations.
The perimeter fencing is a six-foot high block wall with a plaster finish topped with a decorative cap which will be constructed along the west, east and north perimeters. Security metal gates are proposed for the east driveway, behind the visitors parking spaces. As proposed, the perimeter walls and gates comply with the CMC’s fencing codes in terms of height and materials.
Floor Plans
Attached as Exhibit 5 are the floor plans for the new fire station, apparatus building, and temporary living quarters. The new fire station contains personnel living quarters, captain offices, exercise room, kitchen and dining room, apparatus room, and miscellaneous storage and equipment rooms. The new apparatus building contains approximately 7,480 square feet of apparatus storage with the remaining 1,225 square feet of floor area dedicated to storage for PPE, equipment, and office space. The temporary living quarters contain sleeping and restroom quarters, a captain’s room, living room, dining area and kitchen.
Elevations
At the December 6, 2023 City Council meeting, Fire Chief Brian Young presented three architectural styles for the new Fire Station No. 2 building to the City Council for feedback. The City Council recommended Option “C” which has the same architecture that is proposed by this conditional use permit application (Exhibit 7). The new fire station building has a brick veneer façade with off-white and gray plaster, and tile roofing material. The front façade features a tower at the main entrance and arched openings for the apparatus bays. The non-vehicular portions of the building have hipped roofs which are designed to accommodate and screen rooftop mechanical units from street view. The apparatus storage building has painted metal walls accented with brick veneer to match the proposed fire station and a standing seam metal gable roof. The project is not subject to any particular established architectural theme.
The buildings have a height of 29 feet or less, which is below the CMC’s maximum allowable building height limit of 40 feet.
Landscaping
Attached as Exhibit 7 is the applicant’s landscape plan, which proposes approximately 14,367 square feet of landscaping throughout the site. The landscape plan includes four types of trees ranging in size from 24-inch to 36-inch box and a variety of shrubs which will be installed within the front yard, parking lot, and areas surrounding the buildings to soften the massing of the buildings and enhance the development’s aesthetics. All plant materials are drought tolerant and will be reviewed for full compliance with the City’s Landscape Ordinance in Chapter 17.70 of the Corona Municipal Code.
Signage
No signage details are provided with this conditional use permit application. A monument sign for the front yard is anticipated to be submitted as part of the applicant’s building permits and will be reviewed by the Planning and Development Department staff for compliance with the applicable code requirements.
Public Improvements
The public right-of-way along Harrison Street adjacent to the project site is currently improved with roadway paving, curb and gutter, sidewalk and a landscaped parkway. Street dedication or widening of the street is not required as part of the project. However, the applicant will need to install sewer and water laterals in the street to serve the site. Upon completion of the work, the applicant is required to repave the full width of the street (curb to curb) from the property’s westerly limits to the easterly limits. No other additional improvements in the public right-of-way are required of the applicant.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
Per Section 15332 of the State Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Section 3.28 of the city’s Local CEQA Guidelines, a Notice of Exemption has been prepared for the project because the project qualifies as a Class 32 (In-Fill Development Projects) categorical exemption. The project is consistent with the General Plan, zoning requirements, and would not result in any significant traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality impacts. Moreover, none of the exceptions to the categorical exemptions listed under Section 15300.2 of the State CEQA Guidelines apply, as the project will not result in a significant cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place over time or have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances or damage a scenic highway or scenic resources within a state scenic highway. The site is not located on a hazardous waste site and will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.
FISCAL IMPACT
The applicant has paid the applicable application processing fees for the project.
PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENTS
A 10-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 Planning and Development Department has not received any responses from the public regarding the proposed project.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The project has been analyzed for compliance with the Corona Municipal Code. As designed and conditioned, the project adheres to the development standards for the Fire Station zone with respect to yard setbacks, building height limit, perimeter fencing and landscaping. The new fire station has adequate parking as determined by the Fire Chief to meet the needs of the onsite staff and visitors, and adequate access is provided from Harrison Street. The massing and scale of the new fire station fits the neighborhood, which are comprised of a mix of commercial and residential buildings of varying heights and sizes. The architecture includes brick veneer, plaster and concrete tiles which are durable and commonly acceptable building materials.
The expansion of the fire station onto the property to the north is logical because it is adjacent to the existing site and is also located at the rear of the existing site. The expansion is also necessary for the construction of facilities to support the new fire station.
The rebuild of Fire Station No. 2 is necessary for public safety and consistent with the goals and policies related to providing adequate service level of fire protection and suppression services for all residents, visitors and businesses throughout the city.
Therefore, the Planning and Development Department recommends approval of CUP2024-0002 subject to the recommended conditions of approval in Exhibit 4 and based on the findings of approval below.
FINDINGS OF APPROVAL FOR CUP2024-0002
1. A preliminary exemption assessment has been conducted by the City of Corona and it has shown that this project does not require further environmental assessment because the project qualifies as a Class 32 (In-Fill Development Projects) categorical exemption per Section 15332 of the State Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Section 3.28 of the City’s Local CEQA Guidelines. The project is consistent with the General Plan, zoning requirements, and would not result in any significant traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality impacts. Moreover, none of the exceptions to the Categorical Exemptions listed under Section 15300.2 of the State CEQA Guidelines apply, as the project will not result in a significant cumulative impact of successive projects of the same type in the same place over time or have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances or damage a scenic highway or scenic resources within a state scenic highway. The site is not located on a hazardous waste site and will not cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource.
2. All the conditions necessary for granting a Conditional Use Permit as set forth in Section 17.92.110 of the Corona Municipal Code do exist in reference to CUP2024-0002 for the following reasons:
a. The proposed use will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, convenience and general welfare because the proposal involves replacing an existing fire station with the same use. The activities associated with the new fire station will be contained within the proposed buildings which will be developed per the development standards of the Corona Municipal Code. Furthermore, the proposal is in harmony with the various elements and objectives in the General Plan, as the proposal supports public safety.
b. The proposal including the expansion would not be detrimental to the other existing and permitted uses in the general area because the project is located on a fully improved property with adequate vehicular access from Harrison Street, which is a fully improved street. The project site is capable of accommodating the project, and there are no sensitive land uses located immediately adjacent to the project site. Furthermore, the expansion of the fire station use onto the adjacent property is not expected to be impactful to the surrounding developments because the expansion is negligible in size.
c. The project is subject to the Conditions of Approval in Exhibit 4, which are necessary and desirable for the purpose of protecting public health, safety, convenience, and general welfare of the public, in accordance with the intent and purpose of the city’s zoning regulations.
3. The proposal is consistent with the city’s Zoning Ordinance, Title 17 of the Corona Municipal Code, which permits the fire station use in any zone in the city with the approval of a conditional use permit. The project also complies with the development standards established by the Corona Municipal Code for the Fire Station zone.
PREPARED BY: BRENDAN DALDE, ASSISTANT PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: SANDRA VANIAN, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS
1. Resolution No. 2646
2. Locational and Zoning Map
3. Site Plan (Phase 1-3)
4. Conditions of Approval
5. Floor Plans
6. Elevations
7. Conceptual Landscape Plan
8. Applicant’s letter, dated June 06, 2024
9. Environmental Documentation
Case Planner: Brendan Dalde (951) 736-2262