PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 9/9/2019
TO: Honorable Chair and Commissioners
FROM: Community Development Department
APPLICATION REQUEST:
Title
SPA2019-0003: Amendment to the Downtown Revitalization Specific Plan (SP98-01) to amend the Land Use Table to include additional entertainment, retail and eating and drinking establishments to encourage the redevelopment and reuse of underutilized properties in the downtown area generally located on Sixth Street within the Grand Boulevard circle. (Applicant: City of Corona).
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the Planning and Housing Commission recommend APPROVAL of SPA2019-0003 to the City Council, based on the findings contained in the staff report.
Body
BACKGROUND
The City of Corona Housing Authority entered into a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) with LAB Holdings on May 17, 2017, to redevelop the Corona Mall properties owned by the city’s Housing Authority. The Corona Mall contains multiple buildings owned by different parties. Throughout the years, the city’s former Redevelopment Agency started to acquire properties/buildings in the Corona Mall with the hope of partnering with a developer to redevelop the mall. The Agency was successful in acquiring 17 properties within the Corona Mall, however approximately 20 properties remained owned by others. When the Redevelopment Agency was dissolved as a result of legislation enacted by the state governor in 2011 to eliminate Redevelopment Agencies in the state of California, the Corona Housing Authority acquired the properties from the Agency. The former Housing Authority properties are now under the ownership of LAB Holdings.
Since the establishment of the DDA, the LAB has acquired one additional property and continues to look for opportunities to acquire additional properties within the Corona Mall. LAB proposes to reuse the existing buildings they own and occupy them with small independent businesses. LAB stands for Little American Businesses and engages with independent, self-made businesses to create a unique market place that includes small retailers, artists, culinary, micro-breweries and distilleries, performing arts and entertainment. The LAB has done several redevelopment projects in southern California that include the Anaheim Packing House and the Lab Anti-Mall and The Camp in Costa Mesa. The idea for the Corona Mall is to bring the same concept used in Costa Mesa to the City of Corona.
To allow the types of tenants normally found in other establishments owned by the LAB an amendment to the land use table of the Downtown Revitalization Specific Plan is required because certain land uses are not currently mentioned in the plan. Also, the LAB manages their own property and tenants operate in accordance with their lease agreement. Since the LAB will be the property manager for their Corona Mall properties, some uses in the specific plan are being streamlined through the permit process to encourage certain uses to be established more quickly. In most cases, the LAB will be the applicant for any land use permits instead of their actual tenant.
The reuse of the Corona Mall properties owned by the LAB will be done in two phases. Phase 1 entails the reuse of the buildings owned by the LAB in the South Corona Mall with the North Corona Mall being Phase 2. The LAB owns more properties in the north mall than compared to the south mall. The improvements required for the south mall only includes the buildings owned by the LAB because there is no common outdoor plaza on the south side. Therefore, the LAB is moving quickly with the buildings in the south mall and is processing plans for interior tenant improvements and storefront changes (storefront windows and door replacements, signage and planter boxes and vine planting on building walls) through the building division. The north mall requires more work because the improvements to the north side includes the buildings and the common outdoor plaza. The north mall is currently maintained through a Business Improvement District (BID) which will expire in June 2020. The LAB is currently exploring maintenance mechanism options for the north mall properties.
PROPOSED SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT
SPA2019-0003 involves an amendment to Table III-2, Permitted Land Use Matrix, of the Downtown Revitalization Specific Plan (SP98-01). The entire table and the redlined version of the changes being made are shown in Exhibit A. The following table, Table 1, is a modified version of the land use matrix and shows only the land uses affected by this amendment. Some uses are already allowed but are being modified to include additional options. For example, the specific plan already allows micro craft breweries, but the amendment expands that use to now include craft beer tasting and/or tap room without the on-site brewing. This additional land use would allow various craft brews from surrounding areas to be served at one location even though their brewing operations are done at another location. Currently, the definition of a craft brewery requires a tasting room to be in conjunction with the on-site brewing. The amendment will now provide both options.
The amendment also adds micro distillery and winery. A definition for this use is being added to the Corona Municipal Code, Chapter 17.04 - Definitions, which will allow on-site production in small batches similar to micro craft brewery. A tasting room would also be allowed as part of the operation.
The specific plan already allows for restaurants and other eating establishments such as delicatessen. The amendment adds bakeries to clarify the use is allowed like a delicatessen. Coffee house is also being added as part of the amendment. Staff normally considers this use similar to a restaurant, but coffee houses have a tendency to have limited food service and therefore separating the use provides better clarity. The LAB also wanted the ability to have a coffee house with on-site roasting, therefore that use was included as well. Because coffee houses are heavily used in the morning during peak commute times and need to meet the demand of customers wanting quick service, the amendment also adds coffee house with a drive-through service as a conditional use permit.
The LAB is requesting that restaurants with live entertainment also be allowed. This will allow them to promote restaurants with performing musicians suitable to the environment. Outdoor entertainment is also being added to accommodate art festivals, live music, and other similar type uses in the outdoor plaza area. Outdoor entertainment would require the approval of a minor conditional use permit. Indoor recreational entertainment such as bowling, billiard and other similar uses are being added with the approval of a minor conditional use permit.
Community service facilities and meeting halls are allowed by conditional use permit in the Downtown zone. The LAB is requesting that multi-use venues be added to this category in order to promote meeting spaces for corporate events or special engagements. The LAB also requested the use be allowed by right as opposed to requiring a CUP since the use would be inside the building. Staff is proposing to allow the use by minor conditional use permit which is reviewed by the Board of Zoning Adjustment. The minor CUP still allows the city to have discretionary review over the use but is more streamlined than the major CUP process.
Like community service facilities, live entertainment is being added to theater which is allowed by conditional use permit in the Downtown zone. The LAB requested that live entertainment be added to clarify the theater is not just a movie theater. The request is also to have it approved as a minor conditional use permit as opposed to a major conditional use permit.
A new land use defined as artisan market place is being added to allow various vendors, retailers and food uses within a communal space. The communal space would be very similar to the environment at the Anaheim Packing House where all the small independent business share space and seating within a common setting. A definition for artisan market place is being added to the Corona Municipal Code, Chapter 17.04 - Definitions.
Other minor changes not listed above are shown in Table 1. The table also shows which zoning designations allow each use. The following defines the land use acronyms shown in the table.
D - Downtown
GB - Gateway Business
TC - Transitional Commercial
GC - General Commercial
BP - Business Park
CS - Community Services
RO - Residential Office
SF - Single Family
MF - Multiple Family
OS - Open Space
Table 1 - Land Use Table (Redlined Changes)
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
Per Section 15061(b)(3) of the State Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a Notice of Exemption has been prepared for the project because Section 15061(b)(3) states that a project is exempted from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This amendment solely involves text revisions to an existing specific plan that already accommodates a variety of commercial uses. The zoning designations established in the specific plan are not affected by this amendment, therefore, the land uses anticipated on these properties will not impact the current environment. Therefore, there is no possibility that this activity will have a significant effect on the environment. The Notice of Exemption is attached as Exhibit E.
FISCAL IMPACT
No fees are associated with this application, as the amendment is an application by the city.
PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENTS
A 10-day public notice was advertised in the Sentinel Weekly News and posted on the city’s website. No correspondence was submitted as of the preparation of the staff report.
STAFF ANALYSIS
The specific plan amendment meets the intent of the Downtown Revitalization Specific Plan and the land use and economic goal of creating a revitalized Downtown that serves as the community’s central focus, contains a balanced range of land uses, and contributes to the overall well being of the City of Corona. The policies established in the specific plan to meet this goal include: a) attracting local and visitor populations to Downtown Corona by providing a variety of businesses, cultural, entertainment and other uses which appeal to all ages (Policy 1.B.4 of SP98-01), b) promoting a land use mix that creates synergy by concentrating business types that serve Corona residents in appropriate locations (Policy 1.B.7) and c) developing and implementing a pedestrian-oriented land use plan for Sixth Street which considers and/or accommodates….small shops, cultural arts, restaurants and similar uses (Policy 1.B.15). The land uses being introduced as part of this amendment are consistent with the policies described in the specific plan as the various land uses are intended to attract patrons to the Downtown and preserve the small scale setting not commonly found in modern retail centers. The goal is to also have these land uses bring continued activity to the Downtown in the evenings and weekends.
The amendment is also consistent with the General Plan goal and policies specifically established for the Downtown. The amendment promotes the reuse of existing buildings within the Downtown, which is mostly the area containing the Corona Mall, by allowing uses that are conducive for the downtown and therefore encourages the enhancement of Downtown Corona as the centerpiece of community identity, activity, culture and governance, whose physical development nurtures pedestrian activity (Goal 1.17). The land uses described in the amendment are consistent with Policy 1.17.1 because they include the development of retail, restaurant, entertainment, cultural and similar uses in accordance the specific plan’s land use plan.
FINDINGS OF APPROVAL FOR SPA2019-0003
1. A preliminary exemption assessment has been conducted by the City of Corona and it has shown that this project does not require further environmental assessment because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. This amendment solely involves text revisions to an existing specific plan that already accommodates a variety of commercial uses. The zoning designations established in the specific plan are not affected by this amendment, therefore, the land uses anticipated on these properties will not impact the current environment. Therefore, there is no possibility that this activity will have a significant effect on the environment.
2. The plan systematically implements and is consistent with the General Plan for the following reasons:
a) The amendment promotes the reuse of existing buildings within the Downtown, which is mostly the area containing the Corona Mall, by allowing land uses that are conducive for downtown properties and therefore encourages the enhancement of Downtown Corona as the centerpiece of community identity, activity, culture and governance, whose physical development nurtures pedestrian activity (Goal 1.17).
b) The land uses described in the amendment are consistent with Policy 1.17.1 because they include the development of retail, restaurant, entertainment, cultural and similar uses in accordance the specific plan’s land use plan.
3. The proposed amendment is consistent with the goals, policies and planning concepts of the Downtown Revitalization Specific Plan for the following reasons:
a) The land uses being added to the specific plan are intended to attract new businesses and promote small scale independent businesses in order to create a revitalized Downtown that serves as the community’s central focus, contains a balanced range of land uses, and contributes to the overall well being of the City of Corona (Goal 2.a)
b). The land uses being introduced as part of this amendment are intended to attract patrons to the Downtown and preserve the small scale setting which is consistent with specific plan policies to: a) attract local and visitor populations to Downtown Corona by providing a variety of businesses, cultural, entertainment and other uses which appeal to all ages (Policy 1.B.4 of SP98-01), b) promote a land use mix that creates synergy by concentrating business types that serve Corona residents in appropriate locations (Policy 1.B.7) and c) develop and implement a pedestrian-oriented land use plan for Sixth Street which considers and/or accommodates….small shops, cultural arts, restaurants and similar uses (Policy 1.B.15).
4. The Plan provides for the development of a comprehensively planned project that is superior to development otherwise allowed under the conventional zoning classifications for the following reason:
a) The amendment continues to establish unique land uses that promote the downtown and helps to create an identity for the city as a place to visit.
5. The Plan provides for the construction, improvement, or extension of transportation facilities, public utilities and public services required by the long-term needs of the project and/or other area residents, and complements the orderly development of the City beyond the project's boundaries for the following reason:
a) The amendment works within the existing zoning boundaries established by the specific plan and does not change the physical setting of the environment.
6. The Plan provides for the appropriate orientation and relationship between land use within and adjacent to the project for the following reason:
a) The amendment builds upon the land uses currently allowed in the specific plan with specific emphasis on the properties in the Downtown zone which is located along Sixth Street in proximity to other properties that are allowed similar land uses.
PREPARED & SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
EXHIBITS
1. Locational and Zoning Map
2. Exhibit A - Proposed Amendment
3. Exhibit B - The LAB marketing for S. Corona Mall.
4. Exhibit C - Press release on Corona Mall Redevelopment dated June 5, 2018.
5. Exhibit D - Press release on Corona Mall Redevelopment dated February 8, 2019.
6. Exhibit E - Environmental documentation.