AGENDA REPORT
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 03/18/2020
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
City Council consideration of V2019-0002, a Variance from the development standards under Section D (Table III-3) of the Downtown Corona Revitalization Specific Plan to remove the 10-foot rear yard landscaped setback to accommodate parking spaces associated with the development of a 101,690 square foot industrial building on 4.80 acres located on the north side of Third Street and east of Grand Boulevard in the BP (Business Park) designation of the Downtown Corona Revitalization Specific Plan (SP98-01). (Applicant: Michael McKenna with EBS Realty Partners, LLC.)
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Take no action, thereby affirming the Planning and Housing Commission's action granting V2019-0002, 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
ANALYSIS:
The 4.80-acre project site is located on the north side of Third Street, approximately 300 feet east of Grand Boulevard. The site borders State Route 91 to the north. The site has a zoning of Business Park (BP) under the Downtown Corona Revitalization Specific Plan and a General Plan designation of Light Industrial (LI). The surrounding land uses are primarily industrial and residential which are located across Third Street to the south. The project site is being reviewed by companion application PP2019-0007 for the construction of a 101,690 square foot industrial building.
The applicant is requesting a variance to eliminate the 10-foot rear yard landscaped setback required by the BP designation. The 10-foot landscaped setback would be required along the project site’s north property line adjacent to a 40-foot high retaining wall constructed as part of the State Route 91 widening project. In lieu of the landscaping the applicant is proposing to stripe parking spaces within this area to meet the building’s required number of parking spaces.
The reason for the variance is due to a 26-foot wide easement in this area to accommodate an underground public storm drain. The Public Works Department has requested no landscaping above the easement. This is to ensure the area is accessible for repair should the City need to repair the storm drain in this area. Due to the angle of the rear yard property line, which narrows in depth towards the westerly property line, the applicant is not able to provide the 10-foot wide landscaping outside of the easement. Doing so would prevent the applicant from providing the required parking for the building. Therefore, the applicant is requesting a variance to eliminate the required 10-foot rear yard landscaped setback. This area is not visible to the general public and would only be visible to those that would occupy the building. No aesthetic impact to the community would occur as a result of this variance.
Other than the project’s rear yard landscaped setback, all other aspects of the project meet the development standard of the BP designation including access, circulation, and parking. In addition, the variance will not affect the surrounding properties as the project is capable of complying with all other development standards of the BP designation and the Corona Municipal Code.
COMMITTEE ACTION:
Not applicable
STRATEGIC PLAN:
Not applicable.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The applicant paid $4,297.00 in application processing fees for the Variance.
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 in conjunction with PM 37746 and PP2019-0007. 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 recommended for adoption.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of February 24, 2020, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Siqueland/Jones) and carried unanimously, that the Planning and Housing Commission adopt Resolution No. 2251 granting V2019-0002, 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, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
SUBMITTED BY: JACOB ELLIS, CITY MANAGER
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Locational and Zoning Map
2. Exhibit 2 - Site Plan for V2019-0002
3. Exhibit 3 - Planning and Housing Commission Staff Report
4. Exhibit 4 - Minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of February 24, 2020
APPLICANT INFORMATION
Michael McKenna, EBS Reality Partners, LLC., 1300 Bristol Street North, Suite 290, Newport Beach, CA 92660