PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 8/26/2019
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Community Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
PP2018-0005: A precise plan application to review the site plan and architecture of a 37,000 square foot LA Fitness health club and a 9,300 square foot commercial pad on five acres located north of west Sixth Street and east of Smith Avenue (1415 and 1435 W. Sixth Street) in the C-3 (General Community Commercial) zone. (Applicant: Greg Gill for Fitness International, LLC, 3161 Michelson Drive, Suite 600, Irvine, CA 92612).
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the Planning and Housing Commission adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Plan and adopt Resolution No. 2540 GRANTING PP2018-0005, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval.
Body
PROJECT SITE SUMMARY
Area of Property: 5 acres
Existing Zoning: C-3 (General Community Commercial)
Existing General Plan: GC (General Commercial)
Existing Land Use: Vacant lot
Proposed Land Use: Health Fitness Club
Surrounding Zoning/Land Uses:
N: R1-7.2 (Single Family Residential, minimum lot size 7,200 square feet/Single Family residences
E: C-3 (General Community Commercial)/Commercial developments
S: west Sixth Street and C-3 (General Community Commercial)/Commercial Center
W: C-3 (General Community Commercial)/ Commercial Center
BACKGROUND
The project site is 5 acres and currently undeveloped. The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment prepared for the project site by Salem Engineering Group, Inc. (April 19, 2018), provided historical aerial photographs from 1931, which showed the site being used for agricultural purposes along with several structures. In 1961, aerial photographs show several structures and possible motel buildings on the south and southeast portions of the project site. The eastern portion of the property appears to have residential structures and orchards. By 1975 the residential structures were demolished and by 1989 the motel structures were demolished. Since then the project site has remained undeveloped.
The proposed LA Fitness health club was reviewed by staff as DPR2018-0009 on May 10, 2018. The applicant was advised to do community outreach with the adjacent residential neighborhood to the north located on Pleasant View Avenue. On July 16, 2018, a letter was mailed to the six residential properties located adjacent to the project site (1416, 1420, 1424, 1428, 1432 and 1436 Pleasant View Avenue) to introduce the proposed LA Fitness health club. The letter included an aerial map, the landscape plan for the project and the building’s floor plan. Additionally, the letter discussed the construction of a new six-foot high CMU block wall along the shared property line of the project site and residential properties. The wall design along this property line will be a combination of retaining and freestanding block walls due to the slight difference in grade. The retaining wall portions range from zero to four feet high and the freestanding block wall be 6 feet high. Cross-sections and wall details were also included with the letter provided to the residences. On August 13, 2018, the applicant mailed letters to all properties within a 500-foot radius, introducing the project and welcoming any feedback. The applicant received one response via email, which was from the property owner at 1416 Pleasant View Avenue inquiring about the portion of the project site that abuts Pleasant View Avenue, which is the retention area infiltration system. Copies of the letters are attached as Exhibits J-K.
The precise plan application was submitted to the city on September 6, 2018 and reviewed by staff at the Project and Environmental Review Committee meeting on September 20, 2018. The Committee issued an application incomplete letter to the applicant indicating the items necessary to complete the application. The application was eventually determined to be complete in July 2019 and cleared for public hearing before Planning and Housing Commission on August 26, 2019.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Site Plan
The project site is comprised of two parcels that were created by a lot line adjustment that merged the previous four parcels on the project site into two. The larger parcel is 3.6 acres and contains the majority of the parking lot and the 37,000 square foot LA Fitness building (Pad A). The smaller parcel 1.4 acres and contains a portion of the parking lot and the future 9,300 square foot commercial pad (Pad B). The site will have reciprocal access and parking that will be shared among the tenants of the center.
The main entrance to the health club is located on the southerly side of the building. The building will be surrounded on all four sides by landscaping, sidewalk and parking spaces. The trash enclosure will be located behind the building on the northeasterly side. At this time, Pad B is anticipated to accommodate a building that can be divided into multiple tenant spaces. The final design of the building will be reviewed by staff in the future once the owner has a user or users for the building.
The C-3 zone requires a front yard setback of 10 feet and a landscape setback of 20 feet in areas adjacent to a residential zone. The LA Fitness health club building will be set back approximately 323 feet from the north (front) property line adjacent to west Sixth Street, 98 feet from the south (rear) property line adjacent to the existing residences, 90 feet from the east property line, and 92 feet from the west property line. Landscape setbacks are also provided at 10 feet along the front and side property lines, and 20 feet along the rear property line. Based on the site design, the project meets the setbacks required by the zone.
On the northeast corner of the property there is a 35’x107’ retention area infiltration system that abuts Pleasant View Avenue to the north. The area will consist of landscaping and hardscape and will capture additional runoff created by the proposed health club project. This area will be secured on all sides with a six-foot high wrought iron fence with an access gate provided from the project site. This area will be maintained in the same manner as the rest of the project site by the owner’s management company.
Floor Plan
The LA Fitness health club’s floor plan in shown in Exhibit C. The health club features a reception area, an office area, a kid’s club, men and women lockers, showers, and restrooms. The fitness areas consist of cardio, circuit, free weights, a high intensity/personal training room, an aerobics room, a cycling room, a basketball room, and a lap pool. The main entrance for all patrons and employees is located on the south side of the building.
Operating Hours
The health club’s operating hours will be from 4:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., Monday through Thursday, 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Fridays, and 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. LA Fitness also adjusts their hours accordingly based on the demand from their patrons and in some cases their locations may operate 24 hours. All operations and activities associated with the health club are done indoors.
Architecture
The building proposed for LA Fitness is a single-story structure with CMU splitface block throughout the majority of the building with a precision block accent stripe on the upmost portion of the building and on the bottom portion of the building. The building’s main entrance (south elevation) will incorporate the national prototype design for LA Fitness, including a large glazed opening at the main entrance, flanked by a vertical tower element finished in longboard aluminum siding in a brown color called Light National Walnut. The longboard siding is textured with powder coating that will provide long lasting high-quality design for many years with no painting or staining required. The upmost portion of the tower will contain a LA Fitness wall sign. An entry column will also be finished with longboard aluminum siding and will contain the LA Fitness logo.
The south elevation of the building will incorporate six openings with suspending eyebrows finished with a clear anodized aluminum with clear glazing. The sides (west and east elevations) of the building will contain CMU splitface columns to break-up the solid wall appearance. The rear (north elevation) of the building, which faces existing single-family residences will incorporate glass blocks to add visual interest and allow natural light into the building, while at the same time eliminating any views into the existing residential properties as the glass is not see-through. The roofline incorporates a raised building element with skylights to provide additional light into the building.
The colors for the building include various shades of grays with brown and tan accent colors. The height of the building is approximately 35’-5” high which is below the 40-foot height limit established by the C-3 zone. The C-3 zone does not prescribe a specific architectural theme for commercial buildings which allows the proposed building to have architectural variation provided there is compatibility among the color and materials with the commercial buildings in the area. The applicant’s elevations are shown in Exhibit D.
Access, Circulation And Parking
Access to the project site is taken from two proposed driveways on west Sixth Street. The driveways allow full turn movements in and out of the site because of the existing two-way left turn median lane on Sixth Street.
Sixth Street is classified as a four lane mixed-use boulevard on the City’s General Plan circulation map. Additionally, the street is fully improved with curb, gutter, parkway, and sidewalk and has an overall width of 80 feet. As part of the project, the applicant is responsible for repairing any curb, gutter, parkway, and sidewalk that needs repair. This typically includes grind and overlay half street plus ten along the property’s frontage.
Internal circulation is facilitated by several drive aisles located throughout the site, with the two primary drive aisles located on the south side of the property with access from Sixth Street. Additionally, Pads A and B have reciprocal ingress, egress, and parking rights over all the common areas which include the center’s driveways, drive aisles, and parking spaces. The shared use of the common areas is established under the center’s CCRs.
Per the Corona Municipal Code, the parking required for retail uses within a commercial center of five acres or more are allowed to use a ratio of one parking space for every 250 square feet of building area (1:250). The parking ratio for a health club is one parking space for every 150 square feet of building area (1:150) and parking for eating establishments is one parking space for every 100 square feet of building area (1:100). The proposed LA Fitness health club requires 247 parking spaces.
Although the future uses for Pad B are unknown the applicant is proposing parking to accommodate a mix of eating establishments and retail uses. Pad B includes 4,200 square feet for retail space and 5,100 square feet for eating establishments. The total parking for Pad B requires 68 parking spaces. Based on the combined uses proposed for the center at this time, a total of 315 parking spaces are required and provided. Table A depicts the parking requirements for the center.
Table A
Parking Summary
|
Use |
Square Footage |
Parking Ratio |
Parking Required |
Parking Provided |
|
Pad A |
|
LA Fitness |
37,000 |
1:150 |
247 |
-- |
|
Pad B |
|
Retail |
4,200 |
1:250 |
17 |
-- |
|
Restaurant |
5,100 |
1:100 |
51 |
-- |
|
Total Required and Provided |
315 |
315 |
Landscaping
The applicant will be landscaping Pad A and the portion of Pad B containing parking spaces. As shown in Exhibit F, the applicant’s landscape plan illustrates landscaping around the LA Fitness building, parking lot, and around the property’s north, east, west, and south perimeters, with the exception of the southwest corner which is the location for Pad B. Pad B will be covered in a hydroseed mix until the pad is ready to be developed. The retention infiltration area located on the northeast side of the property adjacent to Pleasant View Avenue, will contain filter fabric with crushed rock. The plant pallet features a variety of drought tolerant materials including six types of trees, flowering shrubs, and groundcover. The main entrance along Sixth Street will be enhanced with 24-inch box trees. The tree landscaping in the parking lot and along the remaining perimeters will include a combination of 24- and 36-inch box trees. Prior to the issuance of building permits for the project, the applicant’s landscape plans will be reviewed by the Community Development Department for compliance with the Corona Municipal Code and landscape design guidelines for commercial properties.
Fence And Walls
The applicant will construct a new six-foot high decorative block wall along the east and west perimeters. Along the north perimeter a combination retaining wall and freestanding block wall will be constructed. The height of the retaining wall ranges from zero to four feet and the freestanding block wall is 6 feet high. Because the existing residential properties are at a slightly lower grade elevation than the project site, the retaining wall is required in order to provide the residences a clean wall line along the property line. The block walls are required to be constructed of decorative block and be finished with an anti-graffiti coating. The standard requirement for the anti-graffiti coating is secured in the conditions of approval. Prior to the issuance of building permits for the project, the applicant shall submit separate fence and wall plans to the Building Division which will be reviewed by the Community Development Department for compliance with the Corona Municipal Code.
Signage
Exterior wall signs are conceptually shown on the south elevation of the building (Exhibits G1-G2). Wall signs are required to comply with the sign standards under Chapter 17.74 of the Corona Municipal Code in terms of allowable square footage, height, and location and will be reviewed under a separate permit by the Community Development Department prior to installation. No signage is shown on the north elevation facing the residential properties.
A freestanding pylon sign is also proposed at the front of the project site near Sixth Street. The overall height of the pylon sign will be 15 feet with a sign area of approximately 50 square feet per sign face. The post will have a stone veneer base and a decorative pole. A conceptual rendering of the proposed pylon sign is shown in Exhibit G3. The pylon sign is also required to comply with the sign standards under Chapter 17.74 of the Corona Municipal Code in terms of allowable square footage, height, and location and will be reviewed under a separate permit by the Community Development Department prior to installation.
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 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 (Exhibit I).
FISCAL IMPACT
The applicant paid $13,351.75 in application processing fees for the precise plan application.
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, the Community Development Department has not received any response from the public regarding the proposal.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The proposed project will result in the development of a 37,000 square foot LA Fitness health club and a 9,300 square foot future commercial building on Pad B that has been vacant and underutilized for the past 30 years. The proposed use is permitted in the C-3 zone. As demonstrated by the applicant’s plans the project is capable of complying with the development standards of the C-3 zone in terms of setbacks, parking, landscaping, and building height restrictions. The architecture and color scheme proposed for the building are compatible with the existing commercial uses in the surrounding area. The applicant is proposing to landscape the entire project site, which will further enhance the proposed commercial center.
Development of the proposed project would fulfill several General Plan policies including Policies 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3 and 1.11.1 which all encourage and emphasize having a community that contains a diversity of land uses that supports the needs of Corona’s residents and help maintain Corona as a self-sustaining city. The project also fulfills General Plan Policy 1.4.4 which encourages the adaptive re-use of economically underutilized commercial sites that are within existing urbanized areas. Therefore, PP2018-0005 is recommended for approval based on the following findings and conditions of approval attached as Exhibit B.
FINDINGS OF APPROVAL FOR PP2018-0005
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 initial study identifies potentially significant 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 effect.
2. All the conditions necessary to granting a Precise Plan as set forth in Section 17.91.070 of the corona Municipal Code do exist in reference to PP2018-0005 for the following reasons.
a. The proposal is consistent with the General Commercial land use designation of the General Plan because this land use is intended for a broad range of commercial uses, including health clubs.
b. The proposal complies with the development standards of the C-3 zone and other design standards governed by the Corona Municipal Code.
c. The proposal has been reviewed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and all applicable requirements and procedures of the act have been followed. As justified in Finding # 1, a Mitigated Negative Declaration is recommended for adoption as the initial study identifies potentially significant effects on the environment, but 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.
d. The site is of a sufficient size and configuration to accommodate the design and scale of proposed development, including buildings and elevations, landscaping, parking and other physical features of the proposal, as demonstrated in Exhibit A of this report.
e. The design, scale and layout of the proposed development will not unreasonably interfere with the use and enjoyment of neighboring existing or future developments, will not create traffic or pedestrian hazards, and will not otherwise have a negative impact on the aesthetics, health, safety or welfare of neighboring uses because the proposal complies with the City’s development standards for the C-3 zone and other applicable development standards governed by the Corona Municipal Code to ensure orderly development.
f. The architectural design of the proposed development is compatible with the character of the surrounding neighborhood, will enhance the visual character of the neighborhood by improving a vacant infill property, and will provide for harmonious, orderly and attractive development of the site.
g. The design of the proposed development will provide a desirable environment for its occupants and visiting public as well as its neighbors through good aesthetic use of materials, texture, and color that is aesthetically appealing and will retain a reasonably adequate level of maintenance. As shown by the applicant’s plans, the architecture of the building features construction materials that are commonly used in commercial buildings and are quality in nature. The color scheme is visibly appealing, and the proposed landscaping will enhance the overall look of the new commercial center.
3. The proposal is consistent with the General Plan for the following reasons:
a. PP2018-0005 conforms to General Plan Policies 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3 and 1.11.1 which all encourage and emphasize having a community that contains a diversity of land uses that supports the needs of Corona’s residents and help maintain corona as a self-sustaining city, because the C-3 zone provides more flexibly on the types of commercial land uses allowed on the property.
b. PP2018-0005 fulfills General Plan Policy 1.4.4 which encourages the adaptive re-use of economically underutilized commercial sites that are within existing urbanized areas because the C-3 zone will allow the site to be developed with commercial land uses based on market demands.
4. The proposal is consistent with the C-3 (General Community Commercial) Zone for the following reason:
a. The project is consistent with the C-3 zone because the proposed health club is a permitted use in the C-3 zone. The project is also capable of complying with the development standards of the C-3 zone in terms of building setbacks, building height, parking, and landscaping.
PREPARED BY: LUPITA GARCIA, ASSISTANT PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: SANDRA YANG, SENIOR PLANNER
SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS
1. Resolution No. 2540
2. Locational and Zoning Map
3. Exhibit A - Site Plan
4. Exhibit B - Conditions of Approval
5. Exhibit C - Floor Plan
6. Exhibit D - Colored Elevations
7. Exhibit E - Wall Elevations
8. Exhibit F - Colored Landscape Plan
9. Exhibit G1-G3 - Proposed Signage
10. Exhibit H - Applicant’s letter dated August 23, 2018, addressing criteria for Precise Plans
11. Exhibit I - Environmental Documentation
12. Exhibit J - Letter dated July 13, 2018 sent to six properties adjacent to project site along Pleasant View Avenue
13. Exhibit K - Letter dated August 8, 2018 sent to all properties within 500 feet
Case Planner: Lupita Garcia (951) 736-2293