For the Planning Commission Meeting of July 29, 2020
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Karen Peterson, Community Development Manager
FROM: Edgar Gonzalez, Assistant Planner
Title
Conditional Development Permit No. 2019-0028: A request to establish vehicular drive-thru service in conjunction with a proposed 2,336 square foot restaurant building on 1.31. net acres of land (APNs: 0258-041-42 & -43) located on the west side of Riverside avenue approximately 200 feet south of Slover Avenue within the Heavy Industrial (H-IND) zone of the Agua Mansa Specific Plan. This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Precise Plan of Design No. 2019-0064: A request to allow the development of a 2,336 square foot restaurant with drive-thru service on 1.31 net acres of land (APNs: 0258-041-42 & -43) located on the west side of Riverside Avenue approximately 200 feet south of Slover Avenue within the Heavy Industrial (H-IND) zone of the Agua Mansa Specific Plan. This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Body
APPLICANT:
Rialto PDRC, LP, 425 S. San Gabriel Boulevard, #700, San Gabriel, CA 91776.
LOCATION:
The project site consists of two (2) parcels of land (APNs: 0258-041-42 & -43) located on the west side of Riverside Avenue approximately 200 feet south of Slover Avenue (Refer to the attached Location Map (Exhibit A)).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding General Plan Land Use Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa) SP |
|
North |
General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa) SP |
|
East |
General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa) SP |
|
South |
General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa) SP |
|
West |
General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa) SP |
Surrounding Zoning Designations
|
Location |
Zoning |
Existing Land Use |
|
Site |
Heavy Industrial (H-IND) |
Vacant Site |
|
North |
Heavy Industrial (H-IND) |
Gas Station |
|
East |
Heavy Industrial (H-IND) |
Petroleum Products Terminal |
|
South |
Heavy Industrial (H-IND) |
Multi-Tenant Industrial Building |
|
West |
Heavy Industrial (H-IND) |
Construction Equipment Supplier |
Site Characteristics
The project site is a relatively flat, rectangular-shaped piece of land comprised of two (2) parcels. Altogether, the parcels are 1.31 gross acres in size with approximate dimensions of 208 feet (east-west) by 275 feet (north-south). The project site is bound by Riverside Avenue to the east.
Surrounding Area
To the north of the project site is a Shell gas station with a Circle-K convenience market, and to the east, across Riverside Avenue, is a petroleum products terminal, known as the Kinder Morgan Colton Terminal. To the south is a multi-tenant industrial building approximately 12,500 square feet in size, and to the west is a construction equipment supplier located on approximately 2.16 acres of land. The zoning of the project site and all of the surrounding properties is Heavy Industrial (H-IND) within the Agua Mansa Specific Plan.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal
Rialto PDRC, LP, the applicant, submitted an application on February 21, 2018 for the development of a 5,393 square foot retail building and a 2,570 square foot restaurant building with drive-thru service called “Cowboy Burger”. A Conditional Development Permit for the proposed drive-thru restaurant use was approved on December 12, 2018 by the Planning Commission and the retail building and the drive-thru restaurant were approved through a Precise Plan of Design on February 27, 2019 by the Development Review Committee.
On November 7, 2019, the applicant submitted an application to revise the current site layout and replace the previously approved 5,393 square foot retail building with a 2,336 square foot restaurant with drive-thru service “Zendejas”. The applicant is the owner of both parcels and will develop both drive-thru restaurant buildings and lease them to the corresponding owner/s of the chain (Zendejas Restaurant and Cowboy Burger). The drive-thru restaurant “Cowboy Burger” has submitted construction plans to the Building Division and is currently under plan check review.
Entitlement Requirements
Per Section 18.66.040A(1) of the Rialto Municipal Code, the development of any restaurant building with drive-thru service within the H-IND zone is subject to the approval of a Conditional Development Permit (CDP). In addition, due to the impending elimination of the Development Review Committee on August 8, 2020, the approval of the Precise Plan of Design application has been deferred to the Planning Commission in conjunction with the CDP.
Site Design
According to the site plan (Exhibit B), the applicant will construct a 2,336 square foot restaurant with drive-thru service (Zendejas) at the west side of Riverside Avenue approximately 200 feet south of Slover Avenue. The drive-thru lane for the Zendejas Restaurant will wrap around the north and west sides of the building and provide stacking for approximately eight (8) vehicles. Together with the previously approved drive-thru restaurant, the proposed on-site improvements will also include seventy (70) new parking spaces spread throughout the project site, as well as landscape planters around the perimeter of the buildings and the project site. A new thirty-three (33) foot wide driveway connected directly to Riverside Avenue and a twenty-eight (28) foot drive-aisle connected to the gas station property to the north will provide access to the project site.
Floor Plans
The floor plan of the restaurant building (Exhibit C) indicates that the building will have a rectangular footprint with the exception of wall plane articulations around the building. The interior of the restaurant building will place the kitchen area in the west side of the building, the customer order/pick-up area in the center of the building and the dining area on the south side of the building with a combination of several booths and individual sitting areas with approximately 38 fixed seats. The main entrance is at the east side of the restaurant building and one (1) secondary/emergency exit on the north side of the building.
Architectural Design
The applicant proposes a wood frame construction with the incorporation of a stucco exterior finish, stone veneer accents, decorative cornices, and metal awnings around the building. The exterior building is 28 feet in height. Paint colors include a beige tone as the main wall color, cavern clay as the secondary color and arugula as an accent color, which is a dark green color (Exhibit D).
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the entire project is 22 percent, which exceeds the minimum required amount of 10.0 percent. This includes a minimum sixteen (16) foot deep landscape setback along Riverside Avenue as well as planters within the parking areas and around the perimeter of the site. As shown on the Planting Plan (Exhibit E), all of the landscape planters will feature a variety of trees spaced and an abundant amount of shrubs and groundcover.
Parking
The entire development will have seventy (70) parking spaces, including four (4) disabled parking spaces. The parking spaces provided exceeds the minimum parking requirement as shown in the parking calculation chart below and as required by Section 18.58.050I(2) of the Rialto Municipal Code, which requires one (1) parking space for every seventy-five (75) square feet of gross floor area dedicated to restaurant uses, minus three (3) parking spaces for each drive-thru lane:
|
Type of Use |
Floor Area (square feet) |
Parking Ratio |
Number of spaces required/provided |
|
Drive-Thru Restaurant (Cowboy Burger) - Entitled Drive-Thru Credit Drive-Thru Restaurant (Zendejas) - Proposed Drive-Thru Credit Total Required/Total Provided |
2,570 2,336 |
1 / 75 1 / 75 |
35 -3 32 -3 61/70 |
Drive-Thru Stacking / Queuing
The drive-thru lane for the proposed Zendejas Restaurant will wrap around the north and west sides of the building, providing stacking for approximately five (5) vehicles from the drive-thru entrance to the menu board/speaker and three (3) vehicles after the menu board/speaker to the pick-up window. The drive-thru lane exit will be located on the south side of the building.
Operational Characteristics
The restaurant will be called “Zendejas Restaurant”, specializing in Mexican food for take-out or dine-in. There will be approximately a maximum of five (5) employees at the restaurant at one time. The proposed hours of operation for the establishment are from 9:00 a.m. through 12:00 a.m. Monday through Sunday. No alcohol will be served at this location.
Land Use Compatibility
The project is consistent with the Heavy Industrial (H-IND) zone of the Agua Mansa Specific Plan and the surrounding industrial and commercial uses. There are no sensitive uses immediately adjacent to or nearby the project site. As such, the project will not negatively affect the surrounding area. The project will benefit the community and be an improvement to the surrounding area.
Fiscal Analysis
Prior to completion of the project, the applicant will pay plan check, permit, and development impact fees to the City. Additionally, the value of the new commercial development will increase the value of the land, which will result in increased property tax collection from the County of San Bernardino, of which the City will receive a portion. Retail sales tax generated by the restaurant building will also result in additional tax revenue distributed to the City. Furthermore, the project will generate approximately 20 to 25 jobs, increasing employment opportunities for City of Rialto residents.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
The project is consistent with the following goals of the Land Use Element and Economic Development Element of the Rialto General Plan:
Goal 2-16: Improve the architectural and design quality of development in Rialto.
Goal 2-22: Promote commercial and/or industrial development that is well designed, people-oriented, environmentally sustainable, sensitive to the needs of the visitor or resident, and functionally efficient for its purpose.
Goal 3-1: Strengthen and diversify the economic base and employment opportunities, and maintain a positive business climate.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
California Environmental Quality Act
The previous approval involving the drive-thru restaurant and the retail building was categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15332, In-Fill Development Projects. Class 32 allows for the exemption of a project that is less than 5.0 acres in size and surrounded by existing developments. As the proposed drive-thru restaurant will be replacing the existing retail building under the same site, the proposal remains exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15332, In-Fill Development Projects. The agenda report includes a completed Notice of Exemption form for the project (Exhibit F).
PUBLIC NOTICE:
The City mailed a public hearing notice for the proposed project to all property owners within 300 feet of the project site and published the public hearing notice in the San Bernardino Sun newspaper as required by State law.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning Division recommends that the Planning Commission:
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit G) to approve Conditional Development Permit No. 2019-0028 to allow the establishment of vehicular drive-thru service in conjunction with a proposed 2,336 square foot restaurant building, subject to the findings and conditions therein; and
-
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit H) to approve Precise Plan of Design No. 2019-0064 to allow the development of a 2,336 square foot restaurant building with drive-thru service, subject to the findings and conditions therein.
Attachments
Exhibit A - Location Map
Exhibit B - Site Plan
Exhibit C - Floor Plan
Exhibit D - Elevations
Exhibit E - Preliminary Landscape Plan
Exhibit F - Notice of Exemption
Exhibit G - CDP Resolution
Exhibit H - PPD Resolution