PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 11/6/2017
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Community Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
GPA17-001: An application to amend the General Plan Land Use Map on 2.14 acres from MDR (Medium Density Residential, 6-15 du/ac) to HDR (High Density Residential, 15-36 du/ac) 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 the Mitigation Monitoring Plan and APPROVAL OF GPA17-001, based on the findings contained in the staff report and adopt Resolution No. 2505 granting GPA17-001 as part of Cycle 2 of General Plan Amendments for 2017.
Body
PROJECT SITE SUMMARY
Area of property: 2.14 acres
Existing General Plan: MDR (Medium Density Residential)
Proposed General Plan: HDR (High Density Residential)
Existing zoning: R-1-7.2 (Single Family Residential, Minimum Lot Size 7,200 square feet) and R-2 (Low Density Multi-Family Residential)
Existing land use: 797 square foot residential structure
Proposed land use: Senior Apartments (64 units)
Surrounding General Plan and land uses:
N: MDR (Medium Density Residential) - Existing multi-family residential
E: MDR - Existing single family and multi-family residential
S: HDR (High Density Residential) - Existing multi-family residential
W: MDR - Existing 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. 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 D.
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 AMENDMENT
GPA17-001 is a request by Rowdy Williamson on behalf of Pete Nyiri to change the existing General Plan Land Use designation on 2.14 acres from MDR (Medium Density Residential, 6-15 du/ac) to HDR (High Density Residential, 15-36 du/ac). The project site is located on the east side of Buena Vista Avenue approximately 480 feet north of Bollero Place and north of the State Route 91 overpass.
Although the majority of the surrounding properties are designated MDR on the General Plan, the HDR designation exists on the property directly south of the project site. 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 HDR designation would remain compatible with the housing stock in the area.
GPA17-001 is also accompanied by Change of Zone 17-002, which will correspondingly change the zone of the project site from R-1-7.2 (1.9 acres) and R-2 (0.24 acres) to the R-3 zone.
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 E.
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 adjacent residents (Exhibit D).
STAFF ANALYSIS
The HDR designation 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 HDR designation. The properties to the east contain multiple family residential units and single family homes in the MDR designation and the property to the north contains multi-family units in the MDR designation. The properties directly west of the project site fronting Buena Vista Avenue are single family residential.
GPA17-001 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, GPA17-001 is recommended for approval based on the following findings.
FINDINGS FOR THE APPROVAL OF GPA17-001
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 identifies 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 project may have a significant environmental effect.
2. GPA17-001 is internally consistent with the elements of the General Plan, including the goals and policies stated therein for the following reasons:
a. The amendment 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.
b. The amendment is consistent with Policy 1.3 of the Housing Element of the General Plan 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.
c. The amendment 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.
d. The amendment 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.
PREPARED BY: LUPITA GARCIA, ASSISTANT PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: TERRI MANUEL, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS
1. Resolution No. 2505
2. Locational and Zoning Map
3. Exhibit A - Existing and Proposed General Plan Designations
4. Exhibit B - Applicant’s letter dated June 14, 2017
5. Exhibit C - Community flyer for project
6. Exhibit D - Correspondence in support of the project
7. Exhibit E - Environmental Documentation
8. Exhibit F - Aerial Exhibit
Case Planner: Lupita Garcia (951) 736-2262