For the Planning Commission Meeting of December 4, 2024
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Colby Cataldi, Director of Community Development
REVIEWED BY: Paul Gonzales, Community Development Manager
FROM: Daniel Rosas, Senior Planner
Title
Conditional Development Permit No. 2022-028 & Precise Plan of Design No. 2022-051: Proposed conversion of an existing coin operated carwash to a 3,953 square foot express carwash, with 10 vacuum stations and associate paving, lighting, and landscaping located at 1230 North Ayala Drive (APN: 0264-212-48) within General Commercial (G-C) land use district of the Renaissance Specific Plan. This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301 (Existing Facilities) of the State CEQA Guidelines (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2022-0052).
Body
APPLICANT:
ARA Danielian, 639 W Broadway, Glendale, CA 91204.
LOCATION:
The project site consists of one (1) parcel of land (APN: 0264-212-48) within a commercial retail center located on the northwest corner of Baseline Road and Ayala Drive (Exhibit A).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding General Plan Land Use Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
Specific Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Renaissance SP) |
|
North |
Specific Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Renaissance SP) |
|
East |
Specific Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Renaissance SP) |
|
South |
Specific Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Renaissance SP) |
|
West |
Specific Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Renaissance SP) |
Surrounding Land Use District or Zoning Designations
|
Location |
Zoning |
|
Site |
General Commercial (G-C) |
|
North |
Public Park |
|
East |
General Commercial (G-C) |
|
South |
General Commercial (G-C) |
|
West |
Employment (EMP) |
Site Characteristics
The project site is an irregularly shaped parcel totaling 0.99 acre in size with approximate dimensions 320 feet (east-west) by 143 feet (north-south). The site is currently developed with an existing coin-operated self-carwash with 12 vacuum stations, parking, and drive aisles located in a retail center.
Surrounding Area
The project site is bound by Ayala Drive to the east. To the north of the project site is approximately 21-acres of vacant land. To the west of the project site is an existing self-storage facility. To the south of the project site are two parcels within the same general commercial retail center.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal
ARA Danielian, the applicant, proposes to convert the existing coin-operated self-carwash to a 3,953 square foot automated express carwash building consisting of office, mechanical room, and carwash tunnel with 10 vacuum stations and associate paving, lighting, and landscaping.
Entitlement Requirements
Per Chapter 18.66 (Conditional Development Permits) of the Rialto Municipal Code and Per Table 3-2 (General Permitted Uses) of the Renaissance Specific Plan, the project within the G-C land use district requires the approval of a Conditional Development Permit by the Planning Commission. Additionally, per Chapter 18.65 of the Rialto Municipal Code, a Precise Plan of Design approval is required to develop the project. The applicant has complied with these requirements and filed both applications on July 5, 2022.
Site Design
According to the site plan (Exhibit B), the applicant will modify the existing carwash structure that is located on the south portion of the site. The proposed entry into the carwash queuing lane is along the north property line. In the center of the site, there will be drive aisle with three (3) standard parking stalls and ten (10) designated vacuum stations.
The main carwash queuing lane will be located on the west and north sides of the project site and will accommodate approximately twenty (20) vehicles before entering the express wash tunnel.
The project also includes a pedestrian pathway to and from the public right-of-way, trash enclosure, site lighting, and landscape planters throughout the parking areas and around the perimeter of the project site itself.
Access
Access to the project site will be maintained from Ayala Drive as well as through the existing retail center via reciprocal access and parking agreement. The northly driveway on Ayala Drive will be relocated further north to provide increased driveway separation and improve on-site circulation for the proposed express carwash. The south driveway is associated with a specific reciprocal access agreement for the adjacent parcels and will be protected in place. Driveways onto Ayala Drive are restricted to right-in/right-out only with a median in Ayala Drive. The project will fully dedicate and install street improvements as required by the Renaissance Specific Plan.
Floor Plans
The floor plan of the carwash building (Exhibit C) shows the interior will consist of a 565 square foot of retail, office and restroom, 561 square foot equipment area, 91 square foot electrical closet for vacuum equipment, and a one hundred eighteen (118) foot deep wash tunnel in a 2,641 square foot area. The building will have an articulated footprint due to the incorporation of both habitable and non-habitable projected masses with varying depths from the main wall plane.
Architectural Design
As shown on the elevations for the carwash building (Exhibit D), the structure will have a contemporary architectural design that is compatible with the goals of the Renaissance Specific Plan in providing enhanced architecture and site design. This includes the incorporation of stucco finishes, metal awning accents, stucco reveals, incorporation stone veneer generous amount of glazing, varying roof heights as well as varied roof forms.
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the entire project is 13.1 percent, which exceeds the minimum of 10.0 percent required by the Renaissance Specific Plan. This includes a twenty (20) foot deep landscape setback along Ayala Drive and planters within the parking areas and around the interior perimeter of the buildings and the site. As shown on the Planting Plan (Exhibit E), all of the landscape planters will feature a variety of trees and an abundant amount of shrubs and groundcover.
Parking
The project will have ten (10) designated vacuum stations and six (6) standard parking spaces inclusive of two (2) ADA accessible parking space. This quantity meets the minimum parking requirement as shown in the parking calculation chart below and as required by Table 3-6 (Parking Standards) of the Renaissance Specific Plan, which requires one (1) parking space for every two hundred and fifty (250) square feet of gross floor area dedicated to retail and office use:
Operations
The proposed car wash is not adjacent to any residential land use and therefore hours of operation will not be restricted. While the hours of operation may vary, the typical operation may be from Monday to Sunday, with hours spanning from 7:00am to 9:00pm. The facility will be gated at the entrance to the carwash tunnel and at the vacuum stations and will be locked upon closure so that no cars can drive through the site after hours. The facility is a self-service automated carwash that typically has two (2) to three (3) attendants on site to facilitate the movement of traffic, assist customers as needed and keep the facility clean. Payments will be facilitated by a self-service kiosk, the carwash itself will be fully automated and the vacuums are also self-serve.
Traffic
The applicant prepared a Traffic Scoping Agreement in coordination with the City of Rialto Public Works Department. The Public Works Department found that the project is exempt from the requirement of preparing a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) consistent with the requirements set by the approved City of Rialto Traffic Impact Analysis Report Guidelines and Requirements. There will be signage to ask customers to limit use of the vacuums for 15 minutes to keep traffic moving.
Land Use Compatibility
The project and its design are consistent with the General Commercial (G-C) land use district of the Renaissance Specific Plan and the General Plan. The G-C land use district conditionally allows a carwash such as the proposed project. There are no sensitive land uses adjacent to the proposed project site nor in the immediate vicinity. Lastly, the project is required to install landscape buffering along the property lines as well as throughout the site to screen items such as surface-mounted transformers, pedestals and meter cabinets, vehicle headlights, etc. to ensure that neighboring properties will not be negatively impacted. The project will provide a benefit to the community and an improvement to the surrounding area.
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 project is categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301, Existing Facilities Projects (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2022-0052). Class 1 allows for the exemption of a project that involves the alteration of an existing facility with negligible expansion beyond the existing development.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
The City mailed a public hearing notice for the proposed project to all property owners within 660 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:
1. Determine that the project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to Section No. 15301 Class 1 (Existing Facilities) of the California Environmental Quality Act, direct staff to file a Notice of Exemption; and,
2. Adopt the attached Resolutions Exhibit F and Exhibit G to approve Conditional Development Permit No. 2020-0028 and Precise Plan of Design No. 2022-0051, respectively to allow the development and operation of a 3,953 square foot express carwash, with 10 vacuum stations and associate paving, lighting, and landscaping located at 1230 North Ayala Drive (APN: 0264-212-48), subject to the findings and conditions therein.