PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 10/8/2018
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Community Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
PM 37334: A parcel map application to establish one lot on 4.98 acres in the A (Agricultural) Zone located on the north side of Foothill Parkway and west of State Street. (Applicant: PHX Architecture for Rudolfo & Maria Franco, 15990 N. Greenway-Hayden Loop, Suite C-100, Scottsdale, AZ 85260).
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 PM 37334 to the City Council, based on the findings contained in the staff report and subject to the conditions of approval.
Body
PROJECT SITE SUMMARY
Area of Property: 4.98 acres
Existing Zoning: Agricultural (A)
Existing General Plan: Estate Residential (ER)
Existing Land Use: Vacant (formerly contained a single-family home)
Proposed Land Use: Tennis center for recreational purposes
Surrounding Zoning / Land Uses: Residential
N: R-1A / Single-family homes
E: R-A-20000 (Riverside County Unincorporated)/ Single-family homes
S: Agricultural / Single-family homes
NW: ER-1 (Estate Residential 1) within the Cherokee Specific Plan (SP-90-03) / Single-family residential homes
SW: SFR (Single Family Residential) Designation within the Chase Ranch Specific Plan (SP-89-02) / Citrus orchards
BACKGROUND
The project site is 4.98 acres and located in a residential area near the intersection of Foothill Parkway and State Street. The site previously contained a single-family home which was demolished in 2006. An existing accessory building, tennis court, and concrete driveways remain on the southern portions of the site. The northern and eastern portions are vacant. Existing block walls are located along the site’s two street frontages.
The property owners and applicant of Parcel Map 37334 (PM 37334) are Rudolfo and Maria Franco, who are proposing to develop the site into a tennis center for recreational purposes. The parcel map is necessary in order to consolidate the site’s four existing parcels into one lot to accommodate the tennis center, which will have a 4,633 square foot recreation building, 686 square foot restroom/classroom building, 11 practice tennis courts, one grandstand tennis court for tournaments, and a parking lot.
The project site is zoned Agricultural which requires a conditional use permit for the establishment of commercial recreational facilities per Chapter 17.92 of the Corona Municipal Code. The applicant is processing the required conditional use permit under CUP17-003 which focuses on the proposed use, site plan, architectural, and details of the tennis center. The project also includes a variance application, V17-001, which is a request to reduce the site’s front yard setback along Foothill Parkway from 25 feet to zero in order to accommodate the development. All three applications are to be reviewed concurrently for approval.
The project was initially reviewed by staff as DPR16-027 and DPR17-007. It was also discussed at the Infrastructure Committee meeting held on August 3, 2016. The Committee raised concerns regarding the site’s capability to provide sufficient parking, particularly during tournament events (involving off-site/shuttle provisions discussed in detail under CUP17-003), and conducting neighborhood outreach due to the surrounding residential area. Overall, the Committee was receptive to the proposal, but emphasized the applicant’s need to reach out to adjoining neighbors.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
As shown in Exhibit A, Parcel Map 37334, the project site is currently comprised of four separate parcels ranging from 0.279 to 3.392 acres. PM 37334 proposes to consolidate the four parcels into one parcel totaling 4.98 acres in order to develop the site into the tennis center. The Agricultural Zone requires a minimum lot area of five acres. All the parcels combined will total 4.98 acres which is slightly less than five acres. However, the consolidation of the parcels would bring the size of the site into compliance with the Agricultural Zone when compared to the current individual parcels, which are less than five acres. The parcel also meets the minimum lot width and depth requirements of 250 feet and 300 feet, respectively, under the zone.
PM 37334 also proposes to create two lettered lots, which are shown on the map as Parcels A and B. Parcel A encompasses the easterly half of Foothill Parkway adjacent to the project site and will be dedicated for Foothill Parkway right-of-way purposes. Parcel B encompasses the western half of State Street and will be dedicated for State Street right-of-way purposes. Table 1 summarizes the proposed parcels.
TABLE 1
Proposed Lot Sizes
|
Parcel No. |
Lot Area |
Use |
|
1 |
4.98 acres |
Tennis Center |
|
A |
0.33 acres |
Street Dedication (Foothill Parkway |
|
B |
0.29 acres |
Street Dedication (State Street) |
ACCESS AND CIRCULATION
As shown on the applicant’s site plan attached as Exhibit C, access to the tennis center will be provided by two existing driveways on Foothill Parkway. The easterly driveway will operate as the main entrance and allow for ingress-only (right-in) driveway. No exiting will be permitted from this driveway. A new deceleration lane will be constructed in front of the driveway to allow vehicles to enter the site without impeding westbound traffic on Foothill Parkway. The westerly driveway on Foothill Parkway will operate as an egress-only (right-out) driveway. Vehicles will not be able to make left-turn movements from Foothill Parkway into the site as Foothill Parkway contains a raised center median in front of the project site.
An existing driveway on State Street will be utilized as a secondary access point for the tennis center. The driveway is designed as a one-way entry-only driveway and will be gated and accessible only to staff and a shuttle bus/van traveling from an off-site parking lot located at Santiago High School, which is located approximately 1,600 feet west of the site on Foothill Parkway. While the tennis center will have its own parking lot onsite, an agreement between the applicant and school will allow competitors and spectators attending tournaments at the tennis center be able to utilize the school’s parking lot on tournament days in the event overflow parking is needed. Tournament attendees would be shuttled from the school to the tennis center via California Avenue, Taber Street, and State Street where the shuttle would enter the site from the secondary driveway located on State Street. The applicant’s shuttle route is shown in Exhibit D. The shuttle will not be able take a direct route from the school to the project site via Foothill Parkway because Foothill Parkway presently contains a raised concrete median in front of the project site that would prevent left-turn movements into the project site.
The northern half-width of Foothill Parkway adjacent to the project site is constructed with curb and gutter, sidewalk, and a 21-foot wide landscape parkway. No additional public improvements are required. The west half of State Street adjacent to the project site is currently missing curb and gutter, sidewalk, and landscaped parkway. The applicant is required to construct the missing public improvements which includes completing the roadway paving and curb and gutter in addition to a landscaped parkway and sidewalk at an overall width of 12 feet.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Easements
The project site contains an existing 40-foot wide MWD (Metropolitan Water District) easement which traverses the site in an east-west direction. The easement is for the construction and maintenance of a MWD pipeline and is required to be protected in place. Access to the easement is currently provided by an existing driveway located on State Street. The access will be gated and accessible only by MWD personnel for maintenance and Corona Fire Department as a fire emergency access.
An eight-foot wide easement for pipeline and incidental purposes in favor of the City of Corona is located along the project site’s southerly perimeter. The proposed project will not affect the easement, which will be protected in place.
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 Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for the project are attached as Exhibit F.
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 newspaper and posted at the project site. As of the preparation of this report staff has received written response from a resident expressing concerns regarding the project’s potential parking impacts to the surrounding neighborhood (Exhibit H).
STAFF ANALYSIS
PM 37334 facilitates the development of a recreational tennis center on the project site. The use is permitted by a conditional use permit on the site which is being reviewed under CUP17-003. The proposed parcel map complies with the development standards prescribed by the Agricultural Zone in terms of minimum lot area, width and depth. The parcel is provided with adequate vehicular access from Foothill Parkway and State Street. The parcel map guarantees the construction of any missing public improvements on either street adjacent to the project site.
The project promotes General Plan policies 1.1.1, 1.1.2 and 1.1.3, which encourage Corona as being a community that contains various uses to support the diverse needs of Corona’s residents, enhance the City’s fiscal viability, and to minimize the need for Corona residents to travel to surrounding communities for recreational services. Therefore, based on the following findings and conditions of approval, PM 37334 is recommended for approval.
FINDINGS OF APPROVAL FOR PM 37334
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 environmental 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 B.
b. There is no substantial evidence before the City that the revised project may have a significant environmental effect.
2. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 66411.1 this division of land necessitates the inclusion of the Conditions of Approval in Exhibit B for the following reasons:
a. The guarantee of the construction of improvements for State Street is necessary for the public's safe access to and around the site.
b. The improvement of State Street is necessary for the orderly development of the surrounding areas because there is the potential that surrounding properties could be developed. Each site must contribute to the improvements so that further development would not be detrimental to the public.
3. None of the conditions provided in Section 66474 of the California Government Code exist for the following reasons:
a. The project site has a General Plan designation of Estate Residential; however, the proposed map is not designed or intended for residential use.
b. The design or improvement of the proposed parcel map is consistent with the subdivision standards prescribed by the Corona Municipal Code for the Agricultural Zone.
c. The site is suitable for the type of development proposed and offers adequate access from Foothill Parkway and State Street.
d. In the event the project site is not developed for a tennis center as proposed by the applicant, the site is physically suitable for the development of one dwelling unit which complies with the density proposed by the parcel map.
e. The design of the subdivision or the proposed improvements is not likely to cause substantial environmental damage or substantially injure fish or wildlife or their habitat because the project’s initial study has determined that potential environmental impacts are capable of being mitigated to less than significant levels.
f. The proposed subdivision will not result in adverse impact to public health, safety or general welfare because the project adheres to the development standards of the zone in which it is located promoting orderly development of the project site and the improvements associated with the project adhere to city standards.
g. The design of the subdivision or the type of improvements will not conflict with easements, acquired by the public at large, for access through or use of, property within the proposed subdivision because no such easements exist on the project site, or the easements are being protected in place or relocated elsewhere on the project site.
4. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 66464.6, the discharge of waste from the proposed subdivision into existing community sewers would not result in violation of existing requirements presented by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board pursuant to Division 7 (commencing with Section 13000) of the Water Code for the following reason:
a. The amount of discharge to be produced by the development does not exceed the limit established by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board as monitored by the City of Corona’s Department of Water and Power.
5. The proposal is in conformance with the standards of the Agricultural Zone for the following reasons:
a. The parcel has a lot width of over 400 feet and depth of over 500 feet, which meet the minimum required lot width of 250 feet and depth of 300 feet prescribed by the Corona Municipal Code for the Agricultural Zone.
b. The parcels being combined to create the single parcel associated with Parcel Map 37334 is 4.98 acres making the project site more consistent with the five-acre minimum lot area required by the Agricultural Zone
c. Sufficient vehicular access is provided from existing driveways located on Foothill Parkway and State Street.
PREPARED BY: SANDRA YANG, SENIOR PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: TERRI MANUEL, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS
1. Locational and Zoning Map
2. Exhibit A - Parcel Map 37334
3. Exhibit B - Conditions of Approval
4. Exhibit C - Site Plan
5. Exhibit D - Shuttle Route
6. Exhibit E - Applicant’s letter, dated May 17, 2017, describing PM 37334
7. Exhibit F - Environmental Documentation
8. Exhibit G - GIS Aerial Map
9. Exhibit H - Public Correspondence
Case Planner: Sandra Yang (951) 736-2434