File #: 21-0696    Version: 1 Name:
Type: Public Hearing Status: Passed
File created: 6/30/2021 In control: Planning and Housing Commission
On agenda: 7/12/2021 Final action: 7/12/2021
Title: CUP2020-0001: Conditional Use Permit application to establish 78 residential condominiums on 8.07 acres in the R-3 zone proposed by Change of Zone 2020-0002, located on the southwest side of Foothill Parkway at Chase Drive. (Applicant: Chris Bowen, GF Investments, Inc., 110 N. Lincoln Avenue, Suite 202, Corona, CA 92882)
Attachments: 1. Staff Report, 2. Exhibit 1 - Resolution No. 2573, 3. Exhibit 2 - Locational & Zoning Map, 4. Exhibit 3.A - Site Plan, 5. Exhibit 3.B - Conditions of Approval, 6. Exhibit 3.C - Preliminary Grading Plan, 7. Exhibit 3.D - Floor Plans, 8. Exhibit 3.E - Elevation Plans, 9. Exhibit 3.F - Renderings of Residential Buildings, 10. Exhibit 3.G - Landscaping, Fences and Walls, and Signage, 11. Exhibit 3.H - Retaining Wall Details, 12. Exhibit 3.I - Neighborhood Informational Meeting Flyer, 13. Exhibit 3.J - Applicant's letter, dated April 9, 2021, 14. Exhibit 4 - Environmental Documentation

PLANING AND HOUSING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT

 

 

 

DATE:                                          07/12/2021

 

TO:                                          Honorable Chair and Commissioners

                     

FROM:                                          Community Development Department

 

APPLICATION REQUEST:                     

Title

CUP2020-0001: Conditional Use Permit application to establish 78 residential condominiums on 8.07 acres in the R-3 zone proposed by Change of Zone 2020-0002, located on the southwest side of Foothill Parkway at Chase Drive. (Applicant: Chris Bowen, GF Investments, Inc., 110 N. Lincoln Avenue, Suite 202, Corona, CA 92882)

 

End

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Recommended action                     

That the Planning and Housing Commission adopt Resolution No. 2573 GRANTING CUP2020-0001, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval.

 

Body

PROJECT SITE SUMMARY

Area of Property: 8.07 acres

Existing Zoning: A (Agricultural)

Proposed Zoning:  R-3 (Multiple Family Residential)

Existing General Plan: Low Density Residential (3-6 du/ac)

Proposed General Plan:  Medium Density Residential (6-15 du/ac)

Existing Land Use: Vacant

Proposed Land Use: Multiple Family Residential

Surrounding Zoning/Land Uses:

N: R-1-7.2 zone (Single Family Residential)/undeveloped land

E: Foothill Parkway with R-1-7.2 and R-1-8.4 zones (Single Family Residential) located beyond

S:  Agricultural zone/commercial nursery and Open Space (OS) zone/open space land

W:  Agricultural zone/undeveloped land

 

BACKGROUND

 

Site History

The project site is part of the Skyline Village mixed-use project, which is comprised of two undeveloped parcels totaling 17.02 acres, which are located on the southwest side of Foothill Parkway at Chase Drive. The parcels were annexed into the City of Corona in 2018 with the Skyline Heights annexation and were given an A (Agricultural) zoning and a Low Density Residential (LDR) general plan designation. The Agricultural zone permits a variety of agricultural uses, and residential uses when ancillary to a primary agricultural use. The LDR general plan designation permits residential development to occur at a density ranging from 3 to 6 dwelling units per acre (du/ac). 

 

The project site is currently undeveloped and has an approximately 130-foot-high manufactured slope with terrace drains bordering Foothill Parkway to the east.  The site is bordered by undeveloped land to the north, west, and south.  A commercial nursery borders the site to the southwest and currently has vehicular access through the project site from Foothill Parkway. The Skyline Heights residential subdivision, TTM 36544, is located generally west of the project site.

 

Project Background

GF Investments is proposing to develop the project site for multiple family residential purposes in conjunction with a commercial center to the east on the adjoining parcel. The commercial center consists of 25,715 square feet of commercial retail, service and food space on the 8.95 acres. This plan is being reviewed separately under Precise Plan (PP) 2020-0005. The residential component, which is the reason for CUP2020-0001, consists of 78 attached condominium units on 8.07 acres.

 

The proposed project is associated with a General Plan Amendment (GPA2020-0003), Change of Zone (CZ2020-0002), and a Tentative Tract Map (TTM 36791). The General Plan Amendment and Change of Zone establish a general plan designation and zoning appropriate for the project’s proposed residential and commercial land uses. The General Plan Amendment changes the site’s existing General Plan designation from Low Density Residential (LDR, 3-6 du/ac) to Medium Density Residential (MDR, 6-15 du/ac) on 8.07 acres, and to General Commercial on 8.95 acres. The Change of Zone corresponds to the changes by GPA2020-0003 and proposes to change the site’s existing A (Agricultural) zone to R-3 (Multiple Family Residential) on 8.07 acres, and C-3 (General Commercial) on 8.95 acres.  TTM 36791 proposes to create two lots on the site to allow for each area of development to be contained within its own lot.

 

The project was initially reviewed by city staff as DPR2020-0003 and DPR2020-0008 in February and July 2020. The applicant formally submitted all five applications on October 2, 2020, including the tentative tract map.  The applications were reviewed by staff at the Project and Environmental Review Committee meeting on October 22, 2020 and determined to be incomplete. The applicant subsequently submitted the revised application materials and pending technical studies, with the applications being deemed complete on June 15, 2021, at which time the project was scheduled for a July 12, 2021 Planning and Housing Commission review.

 

Code Requirements

The R-3 zone requires a conditional use permit (CUP) for residential condominium developments.  CUPs are subject to the approval of the Planning and Housing Commission. 

 

The residential project proposed by CUP2020-0001 is subject to the condominium property development standards established in Chapter 17.82 of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC), as well as the R-3 zone’s development standards as established by CMC Chapter 17.24.

 

Infrastructure Committee and Community Meetings

The project was presented to the City Infrastructure Committee meeting on February 6, 2019.  At that time, the project was only a design concept, and showed commercial uses across the entire 17 acres site.  The uses included a three-story Class A office building, grocery store, farmers market, restaurants, retail and commercial service space, and a gas station. The plan also included outdoor space for events.  Issues that were discussed at the meeting included noise emitting from the outdoor events, glare from the gas station signage, and establishing a connectivity from the project site to nearby trails.  The Committee encouraged community outreach to be conducted with the Orchard Glen residences to the south of the project site and with the residences located in the Chase Drive area to the east.  Overall, the Committee was receptive to the concept, and the project received support from the members of the public who attended the meeting. 

 

The currently proposed commercial area does not include the original concept’s gas station.  As a result, the community concerns with the gas station and glare from the illumination of the station’s pylon signs is moot. All project identification signs as currently proposed will not produce glare because they are backlit. The conceptual signage plan is proposed as part of the Precise Plan application (PP2020-0005). 

 

With respect to trail connectively, the project is maintaining an existing trail access that is located along the northerly perimeter of the project site. TTM 36791 proposes to establish an easement over the portion of the trail that is within the project site for public use.

 

On November 11, 2020, the applicant conducted a community informational meeting through Zoom. The applicant sent flyers to properties located within a 1,000-foot radius from the project site.  Attached as Exhibit 3.I is a copy of the flyer.  Prior to this meeting, the applicant reached out to the public on social media websites, including Facebook and various trail websites, to obtain feedback on the project’s design and uses.  The applicant had also reached out to local businesses and business leaders for their input.

 

On December 2, 2020, the Infrastructure Committee was provided an update on changes that were made to the project by the applicant, including revisions to include 78 condominiums, and over 27,000 square feet of commercial and retail use, including a food hall and outdoor dining. The architecture for the commercial buildings had also been revised to reflect a style the applicant references as “mammoth rustic woods”.  The Committee expressed general support for the concept, while noting the importance of tying the project’s architecture in with the mining history of the surrounding area.

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

 

Site Plan

The site plan for the overall development is attached as Exhibit 3.A.  The residential area is located on the western half of the project site, occupying 8.07 acres.  The commercial center is on the eastern half, occupying the remaining 8.95 acres.  The primary access to the residential site is a private street that extends from Foothill Parkway through the center of the project’s commercial area.

 

The proposed residential project is a gated condominium development comprised of one-bedroom units on the ground floor, with three-bedroom units above. The condominiums are attached, forming either a 10- or 16-unit building.  The condominium buildings are oriented in either a north-south or east-west direction. A communal recreation building and pool are centrally located within the complex.  A small dog park and a children’s play area are located at the site’s west perimeter. Carports for residential parking and uncovered guest spaces are located along the north, south, and west perimeters.  Two-car garages are provided adjacent to the entrances to the three-bedroom units. A secondary fire access lane is located at the southeasterly corner of the complex.  The internal circulation consists of 28-foot-wide drive aisles that circulate the residential buildings. The drive aisles comply with the Fire Department’s minimum fire lane width requirement. 

 

Trash enclosures are placed at three different areas within the complex, which makes the trash enclosures more accessible to all residents living within the complex. The design of the trash enclosures must comply with city standards in terms of size and allowable construction materials.  The enclosures are also required to be topped with a cover, which ensures the waste bins are not visible from the upper floors of the residential buildings. The trash enclosures will be reviewed for compliance with all applicable code requirements during the plan check process.

 

The layout of the buildings complies with the applicable building setbacks and building separation requirements prescribed by the CMC for the R-3 zone and for condominium developments. The buildings cover approximately 14 percent of the residential site. This is well below the maximum allowable lot coverage established for the R-3 zone, which is 60 percent. 

 

Open space

The R-3 zone requires useable open space to be provided for multifamily residential developments based on a ratio of 200 square feet of open space per dwelling unit. With 78 units the proposed project must provide a minimum of 15,600 square feet of useable open space. The open space must be provided in the form of both common and private areas (e.g., patios or balconies).  The project proposes 70,008 square feet of total useable open space, which is well above the minimum space required. Out of this total amount, 50,232 square feet is provided as common areas. This includes a recreation building, pool, dog park, children’s active play area, a fire pit/lounge area, and open turf areas.  The remainder of the open space provided is the private open space attributed to each unit, including either 131 square feet patio or a 1,157 square feet rooftop terraces.

 

Conceptual landscape plans depicting the common areas are attached as Exhibit 3.G. The patios and rooftop terraces are depicted on the residential building floor plans in Exhibit 3.D.

 

Floor Plans

The project proposes two different unit floor plans. These are identified on the plans as the Main Unit and the Studio Unit.  There are 39 Main Units and 39 Studio Units.

 

The Main Unit is three stories, has three bedrooms, three baths, and a two-car garage.  The unit also includes access to a rooftop terrace for the resident’s private use.  The total living area is 2,347 square feet living, excluding the garage and rooftop terrace.  The entrance into the unit is located on the same side as the garage entrance.  A second access is provided from inside the garage.

 

The Studio Unit is a single-bedroom unit located on the ground floor behind the garage.  The Studio Unit has a living area of 659 square feet. Entrance into the Studio Unit is from an enclosed covered patio, which is located on the opposite side of the building from the Main Unit’s entrance.

 

Both floor plans exceed the R-3 zone’s minimum living area requirement of 600 square feet, and both units have washer and dryer hookups.

 

Architecture

The residential buildings have plaster with stone veneer and horizontal siding accent materials. Wood trim is used around the windows, along the roofline, and in a vertical direction between the 3-story units to provide a visual separation of the units. Pop-outs are incorporated into the facades at the second-floor bathrooms and staircase landings. The building’s roofline design is primarily flat due the rooftop terraces; however, the rooftops incorporate raised walls and glass railing along the perimeters of the terraces, which provides a visual break in the roofline design. The ground floor patios for the Studio Units are enclosed by 4-foot-high walls that are enhanced with horizontal siding and covered by steel seamed roofs that project from the buildings. The color palette is earth-toned. The use of different materials, horizontal and vertical elements, and projections provide a visually stimulating design for the buildings. Elevation plans and renderings for the residential buildings are attached as Exhibits 3.E and 3.F.

 

The buildings are 40 feet in height or less, which complies with the 40-foot building height limit that is established for the R-3 zone. The carports will have solar-mounted panels on the carport covers. 

 

The architecture for the commercial buildings is slightly more eclectic; however, both residential and commercial buildings utilize similar building materials including metal, timber, wood, and stone.  This allows both areas to maintain a cohesive look throughout the entire project site, while still allowing each area to stand on its own.  According to the applicant, the architecture is inspired by the surrounding area’s mining history, which influenced the combination of rustic with modern elements. Elevations for the commercial building are attached to the precise plan report.

 

Parking

Corona Municipal Code Chapter 17.76 (Off-Street Parking) establishes the parking requirements for multi-family residential developments, which is based on the number of bedrooms per unit.  The code requires covered parking (i.e., garage or carports) to be provided for residents and uncovered parking for guests.  The project is required to have a minimum of 172 parking spaces.  The project exceeds this requirement by providing a total of 191 parking spaces, which are distributed in the following manner:

 

                     78 garage spaces for residents;

                     79 carport spaces for residents; and

                     34 uncovered spaces for guests.

 

The project’s parking requirement is summarized in the table below.

 

                                                               Skyline Village Residential Parking

Number of Units

Number of Bedrooms

Parking Requirement

Parking Required

Parking Provided

39 (Main)

3 beds

2.5 covered spaces/unit

97.5 spaces

 

39 (Studio)

1 bed

1.5 covered spaces/unit

58.5 spaces

 

78 (All)

N/A

1 uncovered space/unit

15.6 spaces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Required Spaces

172 spaces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total Covered Spaces (garages and carports

 

157

 

 

Total Uncovered Spaces (guests)

 

34

 

 

Total Provided Spaces

 

191

 

Landscaping, Fences and Walls

The preliminary landscape plan for the project is attached as Exhibit 3.G. The plan consists of climate adaptive plant materials that require low to medium water usage.  The plant materials were chosen for multiple purposes, such as their ability to provide site wide coverage, slope stabilization, parking lot shade, and enhancements to the project entries. Maintenance and longevity of the plant materials were taken into consideration.  All landscape areas will conform to current City of Corona landscape design guidelines for commercial developments and the project’s Fuel Modification Plan, which has been reviewed by the Fire Department.

 

The project site contains a USGS blueline stream along the northern perimeter of the site. The blueline stream was identified by the project’s biological analysis prepared by Searl Biological Services (dated Dec. 17, 2020) as an ephemeral wash that receives and carries flow during storm events. The stream is considered “jurisdictional”, as such the applicant would need to obtain certain permits from the Army Corp of Engineers and California Department of Fish & Wildlife if development encroaches or disturbs the area of the blueline stream. The project proposes complete avoidance of the stream; therefore, no jurisdictional permits are required.  However, the project is proposing to create 2:1 slopes along the southern edge of the blueline stream. In order to avoid indirect impacts to the blueline stream, the project’s Mitigated Negative Declaration requires that temporary fencing be installed and maintained between the project development area and the blueline stream area during construction. In addition, landscaping for the 2:1 slopes and all areas adjacent to the stream shall avoid using certain invasive plant species. The list of plant species to avoid is identified under Appendix E of the biological analysis. The slopes and areas adjacent to the stream shall only be landscaped with native plant species. City staff will coordinate with the applicant’s biological consultant to ensure that these areas are appropriately landscaped.

 

Fencing will be constructed along the north, west, and east perimeters of the residential site. The entry into the residential site is located on the east perimeter and consists of steel framed gates flanked by columns with a limestone veneer finish. The fencing along both sides of the entry gates is a 6-foot high stucco block wall. The fencing along the west and north perimeters is a 6-foot high tubular steel fence.  A gated entrance at the north perimeter allows residents direct access to and from the trail on the north side of the tubular steel fence.

 

Signage

An entry monument sign is proposed at the entrance of the residential complex. The sign will be incorporated into a 42-inch high decorative block wall to be constructed at the entrance. The letters of the sign are corten steel, which matches the design and look of the signs that are proposed for the commercial development.  The sign is shown on the conceptual landscape plans, Exhibit 3.G.

 

Access and Public Improvements

The project site will have vehicular access from Foothill Parkway via a new 54-foot-wide private street that will be shared by both lots created by proposed TTM 37691. The access street bisects the commercial lot and terminates at the residential property. The residential property is gated with residents having remote controlled access into the property. The street is aligned with Chase Drive to create a four-way signalized intersection. The improvements for the street include 8-foot-wide raised center median with one westbound lane and one eastbound lane, curb and gutter, and a 5-foot wide sidewalk on both sides of the road.

 

Foothill Parkway is classified as a secondary 4-lane street per the General Plan. The section of Foothill Parkway adjacent to the project site has an overall right-of-way width ranging from 112 to 113 feet and is improved with 78 feet of paved roadway width.  The southwesterly side of the street adjacent to the site is improved with landscape parkway and a 10-foot-wide asphalt concrete sidewalk. The section of Foothill Parkway from the northerly limits of the project site to Chase Drive is required to be widened an additional two (2) feet to accommodate a new dedicated right-turn lane, which will allow for right turns from Foothill Parkway into the project entrance.

 

A 28-foot-wide emergency access road is proposed at the southeasterly corner of the site to provide a second point of access for the project. The road also provides access to the neighboring properties to the west and southwest, which are landlocked behind the project site. This secondary entrance road is off-site and located within an adjacent city-owned property that fronts Foothill Parkway. A portion of the entrance also encroaches into open space property that is maintained by the HOA of the Orchard Glen residential community located south of the project site. The recommended Conditions of Approval require the applicant to acquire the city-owned property or obtain an easement from the city for the off-site entrance, and to obtain an easement from the Orchard Glen HOA for the encroachment into their open space area.

 

Retaining Walls and Trail Access

To create level buildable pads the project requires the construction of two large geogrid reinforced retaining walls along the north and south perimeters of the site. The north wall extends from Foothill Parkway to the westerly limits of the project site, and ranges from approximately four (4) feet to thirty (30) feet in height. The south wall is located mostly within the residential lot, and ranges from approximately three (3) to twenty (20) feet in height. The exterior facade of the retaining walls is an earth-colored, segmented block that allows for vines to be planted into the wall to soften its appearance (Exhibit 3.H).

 

A 2:1 slope and a 12-foot-wide paved maintenance road are proposed at the base of the north retaining wall, from Foothill Parkway to the project’s west boundary line. The maintenance road provides access to the slopes and retaining wall for maintenance by the project’s homeowners association and/or property owners association.  The applicant is proposing to allow the road to be used as public trail access, and will be establishing through the tentative tract map process a public trail access easement. This is depicted as Easement F on the preliminary precise grade plan (Exhibit 3.C).

 

The project will provide a publicly accessible sidewalk along the exterior side of the gated residential site, which will connect the trail/maintenance road to the commercial center.  The sidewalk is intended to provide trail users a more direct and shorter route between the trail and the proposed commercial uses. This is depicted as Easement H on the preliminary precise grade plan.

 

The retaining walls, slopes, easements and maintenance road are shown on the preliminary grading plan, in Exhibit 3.C.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

An Initial Study (IS) prepared for the project identified that the project could result in potentially significant impacts to the environment in the areas of geology, biological resources, hazardous materials, cultural resources, and tribal cultural resources. However, the IS identified that all of the project’s potentially significant impacts are capable of being mitigated to less than significant. Therefore, per Section 15070 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines and Section 6.02 of the City’s Local Guidelines, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared for the project. 

 

Based on the measures in the project’s MND, there is no substantial evidence, in light of the whole record before the City, that the project would have a significant or potentially significant effect on the environment. The Mitigated Negative Declaration is recommended for adoption (Exhibit 4).

 

As stated previously, the project contains a USGS blueline stream along the northern perimeter of the site. The blueline stream is considered “jurisdictional”, and subject to certain permits from the Army Corp of Engineers and California Department of Fish & Wildlife if development encroaches into or disturbs the blueline stream. The design of the project avoids the blueline stream; therefore, no jurisdictional permits are required.

 

FISCAL IMPACT

The applicant has paid the applicable application processing fees for the project.

 

PUBLIC NOTICE AND COMMENTS

A 20-day public notice was mailed to all property owners within a 1,000-foot radius of the project site, as well as advertised in the Sentinel Weekly News and posted at the project site. It should be noted that the city’s public noticing radius requirement is 500 feet. However, the applicant elected to increase the noticing radius to a conservative 1,000 feet in order to include the nearest residential properties that are located beyond Foothill Parkway to the east of the project site, and in the Orchard Glen community located south of the project site.

 

As of the preparation of this report, the Community Development Department received a response from Mr. Bu Lee who is the owner of the three vacant properties that are landlocked behind the project site, to the west and southwest. Mr. Lee voiced his concerns regarding the access road the applicant is proposing to construct on the project site, to provide access from Foothill Parkway to Mr. Lee’s properties. As discussed in the EASEMENT section of the TTM 36791 staff report, the road is located along the southerly perimeter of the project site and provides access to Mr. Lee’s properties, to the adjacent nursery to the south, and serves as an emergency road for the project site.  The proposed road width ranges from 12 feet to 28 feet. The easterly portion of the road extending from Foothill Parkway to the commercial parking lot is 28 feet wide. The portion that extends to the nursery is 20 feet wide. From the nursery access point to Mr. Lee’s properties the road is 12 feet wide. Mr. Lee stated to staff that he would like the developer to provide him a wider road to accommodate two-way access.

 

STAFF ANALYSIS

As demonstrated by this report, the residential project is capable of complying with applicable codes and requirements in the Corona Municipal Code, including building setbacks, lot coverage, building height limitation, parking, landscaping, and fencing. The residential buildings have an architectural style that is rustic, with modern elements incorporated. The primary materials are plaster, stone, and wood, which are commonly used throughout the City, including the residential neighborhoods that are located nearby.  The Corona Municipal Code prescribes no specific architectural theme for the R-3 zone. The project will be enhanced by landscaping that has been selected for their functionality, longevity, and ability to adapt to Corona’s climate.

 

The residential buildings are proposed towards the rear portion of the project site and at the base of a steep slope.  The site is surrounded by undeveloped land and a commercial nursery. Although the buildings are 40 feet in height, their visibility would be minimized from Foothill Parkway by the commercial development that is proposed at the front portion of the project site. The project would not impact the nearby single family residential neighborhoods to the east or south in term of visual, noise, or lighting impacts because the project site is separated from these areas by distance, roadways, or hilly terrain and open space. Also, the project was analyzed for potential environmental impacts, and all potential impacts identified were determined to be mitigatable.

 

The project is consistent with multiple goals and policies established by the General Plan.  The project meets Land Use policy LU-5.9, which requires the project to adhere to the design and development guidelines established by the General Plan and Corona Municipal Code. This is demonstrated by the project plans attached to this report. The project is consistent with Land Use goal LU-7 and policy LU-7.1 by accommodating the development of additional housing with supporting commercial uses to meet the needs of Corona’s residents. The project also supports the preservation of trails, trail accessibility and connectivity under Parks and Recreation Goal PR-6, while avoiding impacts to natural habitats. 

 

Housing Crisis Act of 2019

SB 330 amended the Housing Accountability Act, which became effective on January 1, 2020. Per Government Code Section 66300, the lead agency (City) reviewing a housing project is prohibited from imposing or enforcing design standards on or after January 1, 2020 that are not objective design standards. The project as proposed by CUP2020-0001 meets the development standards for the R-3 zone as adopted by the City’s municipal code. The adopted development standards include building setbacks, building height, open space, parking, and lot coverage.

 

FINDINGS OF APPROVAL FOR CUP2020-0001

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 3.B.

 

b.                     There is no substantial evidence before the City that the revised project may have a significant effect.

 

2.                     All the conditions necessary for granting a Conditional Use Permit as set forth in Section 17.92.110 of the Corona Municipal Code do exist in reference to CUP2020-0001 for the following reason:

 

a.                     The proposal will not be detrimental to the public health, safety, convenience or general welfare, and will be in harmony with the various elements and objectives of the city’s General Plan because the project meets or exceeds the development standards that are applicable to the project in the Corona Municipal Code. The provide provides adequate access from Foothill Parkway, and all necessary public improvements will be constructed with this project.

 

3.                     The proposal is consistent with the General Plan for the following reasons:

 

a.                     The residential development proposed by CUP2020-0001 yields a density of 9.66 dwelling units per acre, which does not exceed the maximum allowable density of 15 dwelling units per acre permitted by the Medium Density Residential general plan designation.

 

b.                     The project supports Land Use Policy LU-5.9, which requires the project to adhere to the design and development guidelines established by the General Plan and Corona Municipal Code.

 

c.                     The project is consistent with Land Use Policy LU-7.3, which encourages the integration of land uses within residential neighborhoods that support and are complementary to their primary function as living environments, including but not limited to schools, parks, trails, community centers, community meeting facilities, and other comparable uses that provide supporting services.  The project is part of a mixed-use development that integrates two different land uses (residential and commercial) that support each other while also supporting trail activity.

 

d.                     The project supports Land Use Goal LU-7 and Policy LU-7.1 by accommodating the development of additional housing with supporting commercial uses to meet the needs of Corona’s residents. 

 

e.                     The project meets the design principles outlined under Land Use Policy LU-7.8 for new multifamily residential projects.

 

f.                     The project is consistent with Parks and Recreation Policies PR-6.2 and PR-6.3, by maintaining trail access into the Cleveland National Forest while avoiding impacts to natural habitats. 

 

4.                     The proposal is consistent with the R-3 zone for the following reasons:

 

a.                     The project complies with the property development standards that are established by the Corona Municipal Code for the R-3 zone, including building setbacks, building height limitation, parking, landscaping, and fencing requirements. 

 

PREPARED BY: SANDRA YANG, SENIOR PLANNER

 

REVIEWED BY: JAY EASTMAN, PLANNING MANAGER

 

SUBMITTED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

 

EXHIBITS:

1.                     Resolution No. 2573

2.                     Locational and Zoning map

3.A                     Site plan

3.B                     Conditions of Approval

3.C                     Preliminary Grading Plan

3.D                     Floor Plans

3.E                     Elevation Plans

3.F                     Renderings of Residential Buildings

3.G                     Landscaping, Fences and Walls, and Signage

3.H                     Retaining Wall Details

3.I                     Neighborhood Information Meeting Flyer

3.J                     Applicant’s letter, dated April 9, 2021

4.  Environmental documentation

 

Case Planner:  Sandra Yang, Senior Planner (915)736-2262