PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 11/6/2017
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Community Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
CZ17-002: Application to change the zone on 1.9 acres from R-1-7.2 (Single Family Residential, Minimum Lot Size 7,200 square feet) and 0.24 acres from R-2 (Low Density Multi-Family Residential) to R-3 (Multi-Family Residential) located on the east side of Buena Vista Avenue approximately 480 feet north of Bollero Place and north of State Route 91 (Applicant: Rowdy Williamson on behalf of Pete Nyiri).
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the Planning and Housing Commission recommend adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Plan and APPROVAL of CZ17-002 to the City Council, based on the findings contained in the staff report.
Body
PROJECT SITE SUMMARY
Area of Property: 2.14 acres
Existing Zoning: R-1-7.2 on 1.9 acres (Single Family Residential, Minimum Lot Size 7,200 square feet) and R-2 on 0.24 acres (Low Density Multi-Family Residential)
Proposed Zoning: R-3 (Multiple-Family Residential)
Existing General Plan: MDR (Medium Density Residential, 6-15 du/ac)
Proposed General Plan: HDR (High Density Residential, 15-36 du/ac)
Existing Land Use: 797 square foot single family residence
Proposed Land Use: Senior Apartments (64 units)
Surrounding Land Uses:
N: R-2 (Low Density Multi-Family Residential) - Multi-family residential.
E: R-2 - Single family and multi-family residential
S: R-3 (Multiple-Family Residential) - Multi-family Residential
W: R-1-7.2 (Single Family Residential) - Single family residential
BACKGROUND
The applicant is proposing to develop senior citizen apartment housing that would include 64 apartment units on the project site. The project site as currently designated on the General Plan Land Use Map is Medium Density Residential (MDR) allowing a maximum density of 15 dwelling units to the acre. To accommodate for-rent apartment housing for active senior citizens, the applicant is requesting to amend the General Plan to change the current designation of MDR to High Density Residential (HDR) on the project site. The HDR designation will allow up to 36 du/ac to accommodate the 64 apartments planned for the site. In addition to the amendment to the General Plan, the applicant is also requesting to change the zone of the property from R-1-7.2 and R-2 to the R-3 (Multiple Family Residential) zone to accommodate the proposed development. The project as proposed would result in a density of 29.9 du/ac.
The conceptual plan for the proposed senior residential project was discussed at the Infrastructure Committee meeting on May 4, 2016. At that time the project featured 56 apartments in one three-story building for middle income, active senior residents. Staff explained to the Committee senior citizen apartment housing is allowed in the R-3 (Multiple-Family Residential), zone with the approval of a conditional use permit. Given the property’s current zone is R-1-7.2 (Single Family Residential, Minimum Lot Size 7,200 square feet) and the property’s current General Plan designation is MDR (Medium Density Residential), the project would require a change of zone, General Plan amendment and a conditional use permit. The Committee had no objections to the project.
In August 2016, the applicant submitted a Development Plan Review (DPR16-023) application to the city for the pre-development review of the project. In June 2017, the applicant submitted applications for a change of zone (CZ17-002), General Plan Amendment (GPA17-001), and Conditional Use Permit (CUP17-004) to the city to officially proceed with the proposed development.
On March 2, 2017, the applicant had a community meet and greet to introduce the proposed senior living apartment project. The applicant mailed notices to properties within a 500-foot radius of the project site. Approximately ten families from the surrounding area attended the event. The applicant showed the residents the proposed site plan, floor plan and elevations, and answered questions regarding the number of units, the age restriction, and if the project would be an assisted living community, etc. Additionally, letters of support from two of the three adjacent properties to the west abutting the project site located at 153 and 155 N. Buena Vista Avenue and letters of support from two adjacent properties to the east located at 820 and 826 De Anza Circle are provided as Exhibit E.
For historical purposes, the project site currently contains a 797-square foot residence built in 1957. The residence will be demolished with the construction of the senior apartment project. The subject residence is not on any historic lists. Additionally, the applicant acquired a vacant 0.24-acre property adjacent to the northeast corner of the project site located at 205 N. Buena Vista Avenue and submitted a lot line adjustment (LLA17-004) to the Public Works Department to merge the acquired lot into the project site. The lot line adjustment would add an additional 0.24 acres to the project site for an overall lot area of 2.14 acres enabling the senior apartment project to accommodate 64 units instead of the initial 56 units discussed at the Infrastructure Committee.
PROPOSED CHANGE OF ZONE
CZ17-002 is a request by Rowdy Williamson on behalf of Pete Nyiri to change the zone on 1.9 acres from R-1-7.2 (Single Family Residential, Minimum Lot Size 7,200 square feet) and 0.24 acres from R-2 (Low Density Multi-Family Residential) to R-3 (Multi-Family Residential). The request is being sought at this time because the applicant is proposing to construct 64 apartments for active senior citizens on the project site. The R-3 zone allows senior citizen housing at a higher density with a conditional use permit.
The properties surrounding the project site have different zoning designations that include R-2 to the north and east, R-1-7.2 to the west and R-3 to the south. The project site is an in-fill site surrounded by existing developed properties and the existing housing in the immediate area includes single family and multiple family residential. As such, the proposed R-3 zone would remain compatible with the housing stock in the area.
CZ17-002 is accompanied by General Plan Amendment 17-001, which will correspondingly amend the General Plan designation on the project site from MDR to HDR.
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 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 effect on the environment. The Mitigated Negative Declaration is provided as Exhibit G.
FISCAL IMPACT
The applicant has paid all the required application processing fees.
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, staff has received four letters of support from the adjacent properties provided as Exhibit E.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The R-3 zone proposed on the subject site is compatible with the surrounding land uses. The property to the south is a multiple family residential community consisting of apartments in the R-3 zone. The properties to the east contain multiple family residential units and single family homes in the R-2 zone and the property to the north contains multi-family units in the R-2 zone. The properties directly west of the project site fronting Buena Vista Avenue are single family residential in the R-1-7.2 zone.
CZ17-002 is consistent with Goal 1 of the Housing Element of the General Plan as it promotes and maintains a balance of housing types and corresponding affordability levels to provide for the community’s needs for housing within all economic segments of the city, and Policy 1.3 as the amendment provides sites for residential development so that scarcity of land does not unduly increase the cost or decrease the availability of housing for all segments of the community. The amendment is also consistent with General Plan Policy 1.8.1 to promote the conservation of existing residential neighborhoods permitting the infill of housing that is compatible in density and scale with existing uses. Therefore, CZ17-002 is recommended for approval based on the following findings.
FINDINGS FOR APPROVAL OF CZ17-002
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 environmental assessment identified potentially significant effects on the environment, but:
a. The project applicant has agreed to mitigate the effects to a point where it is clear that no significant effect would occur, as detailed in the initial study.
b. There is no substantial evidence before the City that the revised project may have a significant environmental effect.
2. CZ17-002 is in conformity with the General Plan map and text for the following reasons:
a. The R-3 zone is consistent with the High Density Residential designation of the General Plan proposed by GPA17-001 which would allow a residential density of 36 dwelling units per acre. The R-3 zone is being proposed on the project site to enable the project site to be developed with apartments for senior citizen housing with a density of 29.9 du/ac.
b. CZ17-002 is consistent with Goal 1 of the Housing Element of the General Plan as it promotes and maintains a balance of housing types and corresponding affordability levels to provide for the community’s needs for housing within all economic segments of the city.
c. CZ17-002 is consistent with Policy 1.3 of the Housing Element of the General Plan as the R-3 zone provides sites for residential development so that scarcity of land does not unduly increase the cost or decrease the availability of housing for all segments of the community.
d. CZ17-002 is consistent with General Plan Policy 1.8.1 to promote the conservation of existing residential neighborhoods permitting the infill of housing that is compatible in density and scale with existing uses.
e. CZ17-002 is consistent with Policy 1.7.1 to accommodate the development of a diversity of residential housing types that meets the needs of and is affordable for Corona’s population in accordance with the Land Use Plan’s designations, applicable density standards and design and development policies and the adopted Housing Element
3. The subject property is suitable for the uses permitted in the R-3 Zone in terms of access, size of parcel, relationship to similar or related uses, for the following reasons:
a. The project site is located in an area that has existing single family and multiple family residential structures and existing public infrastructure such as water, sewer, electricity and street access.
b. The 2.14 acre project site is capable of supporting development under the R-3 zone as demonstrated by CUP17-004.
4. CZ17-002 is necessary and proper at this time, and is not likely to be detrimental to the adjacent properties for the following reasons:
a. The R-3 Zone proposed on the project site will not be detrimental to the adjacent properties because the surrounding zoning and land uses include single family and multiple family residential and future development would adhere to the development standards of the Corona Municipal Code to ensure orderly development of the site.
b. The R-3 Zone is necessary at this time because the zone would enable development proposed by CUP17-004 for senior citizen housing consisting of 64 apartments on the project site.
5. CZ17-002 is in the interest of the public health, safety, necessity, convenience and general welfare and in accordance with good zoning practice for the following reason:
a. CZ17-002 will facilitate orderly development of the project site as future development would be required to adhere to the development standards prescribed by the Corona Municipal Code and would enable vacant and underutilized property to have housing similar in nature to the existing single family and multiple family residential in the immediate and surrounding area.
PREPARED BY: LUPITA GARCIA, ASSISTANT PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: TERRI MANUEL, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS
1. Locational and Zoning Map
2. Exhibit A - Existing and Proposed zoning map amendment
3. Exhibit B - Existing and Proposed General Plan
4. Exhibit C - Applicant’s letter dated June 14, 2017
5. Exhibit D - Community flyer for project
6. Exhibit E - Correspondence in support of the project
7. Exhibit F - Legal description and plat of the change of zone project site
8. Exhibit G - Environmental documentation
Case Planner: Lupita Garcia (951) 736-2262