For the Planning Commission Meeting of May 6, 2026
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Christina Taylor, Community Development Director
REVIEWED BY: Daniel Casey, Community Development Manager
FROM: Daniel Rosas, Senior Planner
Title
Conditional Development Permit No. 2023-0024: A request to allow the development and operation of a 23,112 square-foot industrial warehouse building on approximately 1.41 acres of land (APN: 0254-091-13) located at the southwest corner of Valley Boulevard and Lilac Avenue within the Industrial Park (I-P) land use district of the Gateway Specific Plan. This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15332 (Class 32 - In-Fill Development Projects) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Precise Plan of Design No. 2023-0032: A request to allow the development of a 23,112 square foot industrial warehouse building with associated paving, landscaping, fencing, lighting, and drainage improvements on approximately 1.41 acres of land (APN: 0254-091-13) located at the southwest corner of Valley Boulevard and Lilac Avenue within the Industrial Park (I-P) land use district of the Gateway Specific Plan. This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15332 (Class 32 - In-Fill Development Projects) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Body
APPLICANT:
Magellan Value Partners,10877 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1407, Los Angeles, CA 90024
LOCATION:
The project site consists of one (1) parcel of land (APN: 0254-091-13) located on the southwest corner of Valley Boulevard and Lilac Avenue (Refer to the attached Location Map (Exhibit A)).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding General Plan Land Use Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
Business Park with a Specific Plan Overlay |
|
North |
General Commercial with a Specific Plan Overlay |
|
East |
Business Park with a Specific Plan Overlay |
|
South |
Business Park with a Specific Plan Overlay |
|
West |
Business Park with a Specific Plan Overlay |
Surrounding Zoning Designations & Specific Plan Land Use Designations
|
Location |
Zoning |
|
Site |
Industrial Park (I-P) / Gateway Specific Plan |
|
North |
Freeway Commercial (F-C) / Gateway Specific Plan |
|
East |
Industrial Park (I-P) / Gateway Specific Plan |
|
South |
Not A Part |
|
West |
Industrial Park (I-P) / Gateway Specific Plan |
Site Characteristics
The project site is a relatively flat, rectangular-shaped piece of land comprised of one (1) parcel approximately 1.41 acres in size with approximate dimensions of 207 feet (north-south) by 300 feet (east-west). The project site is bound by Valley Boulevard on the north and bound by Lilac Avenue on the east. The property is vacant and covered only by natural grasses and shrubs, except for an expanse of chain-link fence along the project frontage.
Surrounding Area
To the west of the project site is a vacant parcel of land. To the south of the project site is an existing 1,800 square foot upholstery shop occupied by R&E Upholstery. To the east of the project site, across Lilac Avenue, is an existing restaurant and hotel development. To the north of the project site, across Valley Boulevard, is a Colton Joint-Unified School site (Joe Baca Middle School).
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal
Magellan Value Partners (“Applicant”) proposes to construct a 23,112 square foot industrial warehouse building with associated paving, landscaping, fencing, lighting, and drainage improvements on the project site. There is no proposed tenant for the new building at this time, but the design of the building will accommodate various storage and distribution uses.
Entitlement Requirements
The following entitlements are required for the applicant’s proposal:
• Conditional Development Permit: The development and operation of an industrial warehouse use within the I-P zone requires Planning Commission approval of a Conditional Development Permit.
• Precise Plan of Design: The design of the development and the related site improvements (e.g. site design, building exterior, landscaping, etc.) requires Planning Commission approval of a Precise Plan of Design.
Site Design
According to the site plan (Exhibit B), the applicant will construct a 23,112 square foot industrial warehouse building in the northeast corner of the project site. The proposed layout includes thirty-four (34) foot deep landscape setbacks along both Valley Boulevard and Lilac Avenue street frontages, twenty-three (23) passenger vehicle parking spaces, asphalt drive-aisles on the south and west sides of the proposed building, and landscape planters along the south and west perimeter of the project site. Additionally, one thirty-four (34) foot wide driveway connected directly to Lilac Avenue will provide truck access to the site and one twenty-six (26) foot wide driveway connected directly to Valley Boulevard will provide vehicular access to the site.
Additional on-site improvements include pedestrian pathways, site lighting, concrete perimeter walls, and an underground infiltration basin for runoff water quality treatment and retention.
Floor Plan
The floor plan for the proposed building (Exhibit C) indicates that the building will consist of 20,862 square feet of warehouse space and 2,250 square feet of office space. The office space will occupy the northeast corner of the building with the main entrance facing Valley Boulevard. The truck court is located in the southwest corner of the site, furthest from the right-of-way and completely screened from public views. The building will have two (2) dock doors and one (1) grade level roll-up door.
Architectural Design
The proposed building will feature significant vertical and horizontal wall plane articulation in the form of projected masses and height variations on all four (4) sides of the building. As shown on the elevations (Exhibit D), the building height ranges from 33.5 feet to 35.5 feet from the finished floor level. The exterior of the building will be of concrete tilt-up wall construction painted with a palette of three (3) different colors - white, light gray, and dark gray. Additional architectural features of the building include metal brow accents, reveals, and glazing.
Parking
The development will have twenty-three (23) passenger vehicle parking spaces, including one (1) ADA accessible parking spaces. This quantity equals the minimum parking requirement as shown in the parking calculation chart below and as required by Chapter 18.58 (Off-Street Parking) of the Rialto Municipal Code:
|
Type of Use |
Floor Area (square feet) |
Parking Ratio |
Number of spaces required |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Office Ground floor Above ground floor Warehouse |
1,250 1,000 |
1 / 250 1 / 500 |
5 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Floor area up to 10,000 square feet Floor area 10,001 square feet or more |
10,000 10,862 |
1 / 1,000 1 / 2,000 |
10 6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Required/Total Provided |
|
|
23/23 |
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the project is 23 percent, which exceeds the minimum required amount of 10.0 percent. This includes thirty-four (34) foot wide landscape setbacks along both Valley Boulevard and Lilac Avenue street frontages, as well as planters around the perimeter of the project site. All the landscape planters will feature a variety of trees spaced every thirty (30) linear feet and an abundant number of shrubs and groundcover (Exhibit E).
Traffic
LSA Associates, Inc. prepared a Traffic Impact Analysis Scoping Agreement (TIASA), dated February 27, 2024, to assess the project’s potential impacts to local streets and intersections, as well as vehicle miles travelled (Exhibit F). The TIASA estimates that the project will generate approximately 65 actual daily vehicle trips with 5 trips in the AM peak hour and 5 trips in the PM peak hour. Trucks will constitute 26 of the 65 actual daily vehicle trips. The TIASA concluded that the project would generate a less than significant amount of traffic and would not create any significant adverse impacts to nearby intersections.
Land Use Compatibility
The project is consistent with the I-P zone, the regulations contained within Chapter 18.112 (Indoor Storage Uses) of the Rialto Municipal Code, and the industrial uses surrounding the project site. Additionally, the Draft Resolutions of Approval contain conditions of approval requiring that the project not exceed the traffic estimates contained within the TIASA, thereby ensuring that the project will not significantly impact local streets and intersections. The project will be a benefit to the community and an improvement to the surrounding area.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
The General Plan land use designation of the site is Business Park. According to Chapter 2 (Managing Our Land Supply) of the Rialto General Plan, light industrial warehouse uses, such as the project, are consistent with the Business Park land use designation. Furthermore, 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
A categorical exemption consistency memorandum (Exhibit G) has been prepared and the project qualifies as Categorically Exempt under Section 15332 (a-e) (Class 32: In-Fill Development Projects) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. The project is consistent with the Rialto General Plan and the I-P zoning designation of the Gateway Specific Plan, the project occurs on a site less than 5.0 acres in size that is substantially surrounded by development, the project site has no value as habitat for threatened or endangered species, the project will not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality, and the project site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services.
LSA Associates, Inc. prepared a Health Risk Assessment (Exhibit H) which finds that all health risk levels to nearby sensitive receptors from the project emissions of TACs would be well below the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) thresholds and therefore the project will not result in a significant impact. The HRA analyses included truck access to the site only from Lilac Avenue and travel to and from the site along Valley Boulevard from Riverside Avenue to the east avoiding the greatest number of sensitive receptors (e.g., residential uses, schools, hospitals, parks, etc.). Lastly, the Draft Resolutions of Approval contain conditions of approval that requires trucks to use the specific truck routing identified in the HRA and as shown in the attached truck route exhibit (Exhibit I).
PUBLIC NOTICE:
The City published a public hearing notice for proposed project in the San Bernardino Sun newspaper, posted copies of the public hearing notice outside the Council Chambers and the City Clerk’s Office, and mailed public hearing notices to all property owners within 1,000 feet of the project site, as required by State law.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning Division recommends that the Planning Commission:
1. Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit J) to approve Conditional Development Permit No. 2023-0024, based upon the findings and subject to the conditions therein; and
2. Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit K) to approve Precise Plan of Design No. 2023-0032, based upon the findings and subject to the conditions therein.