For the Planning Commission Meeting of August 5, 2026
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Christina Taylor, Community Development Director
REVIEWED BY: Daniel Casey, Community Development Manager
FROM: Jason Costa, Associate Planner
Title
Variance No. 26-0001: A request to allow a variance from Section 18.30.030C(1) of the Rialto Municipal Code to reduce the minimum required building setback from 50 feet to 5.75 feet, as it relates to a proposal to develop a 3,593 square foot automated car wash building on 0.99 acres of land (APN: 0127-251-19 & Portion of APN: 0127-251-12) located on the north side of Baseline Road approximately 250 feet east of Riverside Avenue within the Community Shopping Center (C-1A) zone. This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Conditional Development Permit No. 26-0001: A request to allow the development and operation of a 3,593 square foot automated car wash building on 0.99 acres of land (APN: 0127-251-19 & Portion of APN: 0127-251-12) located on the north side of Baseline Road approximately 250 feet east of Riverside Avenue within the Community Shopping Center (C-1A) zone. This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Precise Plan of Design No. 26-0001: A request to allow the development of a 3,593 square foot automated car wash building and associated improvements including canopies, vacuum enclosures, an employee station building, a trash enclosure, paving, lighting, landscaping, and drainage improvements on 0.99 acres of land (APN: 0127-251-19 & Portion of APN: 0127-251-12) located on the north side of Baseline Road approximately 250 feet east of Riverside Avenue within the Community Shopping Center (C-1A) zone. This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The above entitlements, together, are collectively referred to as “project” or “Project”.
Body
APPLICANT:
Quick Quack Car Wash Holdings, LLC, 6030 West Oaks Boulevard, Suite 300 Rocklin CA, 95765.
LOCATION:
The project site consists of 0.99 acres of land (APN: 0127-251-19 & Portion of 0127-251-12) located on the north side of Baseline Road approximately 250 feet east of Riverside Avenue within the existing North Rialto Center shopping center (Refer to the attached Location Map (Exhibit A)).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding General Plan Land Use Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
Community Commercial (CC) |
|
North |
Community Commercial (CC) |
|
East |
Community Commercial (CC) |
|
South |
Community Commercial (CC) |
|
West |
Community Commercial (CC) |
Surrounding Land Use District or Zoning Designations
|
Location |
Zoning |
|
Site |
Community Shopping Center (C-1A) |
|
North |
Community Shopping Center (C-1A) |
|
East |
Community Shopping Center (C-1A) |
|
South |
Community Shopping Center (C-1A) |
|
West |
Community Shopping Center (C-1A) |
Site Characteristics
The project site is along the south edge of the existing North Rialto Center shopping center. The project site is relatively flat, square-shaped piece of land totaling 0.99 acres in size with approximate average dimensions of 215 feet (east-west) by 200 feet (north-south). The project site is bound on the south by an existing segment of Baseline Road. The property was previously developed with an approximately 6,000 square foot bank, formerly occupied by Bank of America.
Surrounding Area
The properties to the North, east, and west are C-1A zoned parcels in the same shopping center. The shopping center includes Stater Brothers, T-Mobile, Dollar Tree, Tam’s Burgers, and Walgreen’s Pharmacy. The parcels to the south (across East Baseline Road) are also zoned C-1A and are part of a shopping center that includes Asia Buffet, a vacant Big Lots building, Tacos Gavilan, and Dutch Brothers drive-thru coffee shop.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal
Quick Quack Car Wash Holdings, LLC (“Applicant”) proposes to adjust the lot lines between the two (2) parcels that are part of the project site, demolish the existing bank building on the project site, and then construct a new 3,593 square-foot automated car wash building in its place. Additional proposed improvements include a 250 square foot employee station (“QB Building”), a 196 square-foot trash enclosure, 244 square-foot vacuum enclosure, 385 square-foot pay station canopy, 1,447 square-foot canopy, a 1,691 square-foot canopy, paving, landscaping, lighting, and drainage improvements.
Entitlement Requirements
The following entitlements are required for the applicant’s proposal:
• Lot Line Adjustment: The adjustment of parcel lines between two (2) parcels of land requires the approval of a Lot Line Adjustment application.
• Conditional Development Permit: The development and operation of a car wash within the C-1A zone requires the approval of a Conditional Development Permit.
• Precise Plan of Design: The design of the development and the related site improvements (e.g. building exterior, landscaping, etc.) requires the approval of a Precise Plan of Design.
Lot Line Adjustment
The applicant filed Lot Line Adjustment No. 26-0001 to facilitate the adjustment of the parcel lines between the two (2) parcels that are part of the project site. The Lot Line Adjustment will create one (1) 3.94-acre parcel of land and one (1) 0.99-acre parcel of land, which the latter will contain the proposed car wash. According to Chapter 18.30 (C-1A Community Shopping Center Zone) of the Rialto Municipal Code, the C-1A zone does not require a minimum lot size for a new parcel. Lot Line Adjustment No. 26-0001 does not require Planning Commission action. The Engineering Division will process Lot Line Adjustment No. 26-0001 upon completion of the entitlement process for the applicant’s Conditional Development Permit and Precise Plan of Design applications.
Site Design
According to the site plan (Exhibit B), the applicant will construct a 3,593 square foot automated car wash building on the south portion of the project site approximately 5.75 feet from the property line along Baseline Road. In the center of the site, there will be drive aisle with two (2) standard parking stalls, one (1) ADA stall, seventeen (17) designated vacuum station stalls, and one (1) ADA vacuum station stall.
The main carwash queuing lane will wrap around the north and east sides of the project site and enter on the east side of the car building. The queuing lane will accommodate approximately twelve (12) vehicles from the entrance to the pay canopy and approximately eight (8) cars between the pay station and the carwash tunnel.
The project also includes pedestrian pathways, a trash enclosure, canopies over the vacuum stalls, site lighting, and landscape planters throughout the parking areas and around the perimeter of the project site itself.
Access
Seven (7) existing driveways that provide access to the North Rialto Center shopping center will provide access to the new car wash - four (4) existing driveways connected to Baseline Road and three (3) existing driveways connected to Riverside Avenue. Existing drive-aisles within the North Rialto Center shopping center will then provide various vehicular access paths that will lead to the car wash within the shopping center. No new driveways are proposed as part of the project.
Floor Plans
As shown on the floor plan (Exhibit C), the interior of the car wash building will consist of a 103 feet long car wash tunnel in an approximately 2,344 square foot car wash bay, an approximately 495 square foot equipment room, an approximately 120 square foot electrical room, and an approximately 240 square foot employee lounge/restroom area. The car wash building will have an articulated footprint due to the incorporation of projected masses with varying depths from one (1) to three (3) feet 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 Chapter 18.61 of the Rialto Municipal Code (Design Guidelines) in providing enhanced architecture and site design. This includes the incorporation of stone veneer, plaster finish, earth-tone colors, cornice roofline treatment, and varied roof heights. The exterior heights across all structures will range from nine feet - eight inches (9’-8”) feet up to twenty-nine (29’-0”) feet.
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the entire project is 27.7 percent, which exceeds the minimum required amount of 10.0 percent. This includes the landscape setback along Baseline Road as well as all planter proposed throughout the interior and perimeter of the project site. As shown on the Planting Plan (Exhibit E), all of the landscape planters will feature a variety of low and moderate water use trees and an abundant amount of low water use shrubs and groundcover.
Parking
The project will have three (3) auto-parking spaces, including one (1) ADA accessible parking space, in addition to eighteen (18) designated vacuum station stalls. This quantity exceeds the minimum parking requirement as shown in the parking calculation chart below and as set forth by Chapter 18.58 of the Rialto Municipal Code (Off-Street Parking):
|
Type of Use |
Floor Area (square feet) |
Parking Ratio |
Number of spaces required/provided |
|
QB Building Tunnel and mechanical equipment Total Required/Total Provided |
250 3,593 |
1 / 250 N/A |
1 0 1/3 |
Operations
The proposed car wash will operate from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days per week. The car wash will employ approximately 15 people with two or three employees per shift on site to facilitate the movement of traffic, greet and interact with customers, and keep the facility clean. Quick Quack is a membership-based model with payments billed monthly. For non-members the employees will collect payment in cash or credit card payments. The vacuums are self-serve. Each vehicle is washed with approximately 22 gallons of fresh water and 50 gallons of reclaimed water from previous use. The recycled water is filtered through an osmosis system with unused water returned to the sewer system. Quick Quack uses bio-degradable liquid soap products for the wash process. No chemicals, gasoline, diesel, or other petroleum products will be sold at the carwash.
Traffic
Armen Hovanessian Transportation Consulting, Inc. prepared a Traffic Impact Study (TIS), dated May 22, 2026, to assess the project’s potential impacts to local streets and intersections, as well as vehicle miles travelled (Exhibit F). The TIS estimates that the project will generate approximately 348 daily vehicle trips with 33 trips in the AM peak hour and 36 trips in the PM peak hour. The TIS concluded that the project would generate an insignificant amount of traffic, and all nearby intersections and roadway segments will continue to operate at their current Level of Service (LOS) with the project.
Variance
Section 18.30.030C(1) of the Rialto Municipal Code requires a minimum building setback of fifty (50) feet from any public street ultimate right-of-way. However, as previously mentioned, the applicant proposes a 5.75-foot setback from the ultimate right-of-way along Baseline Road. To address the building setback deficiency the applicant filed a Variance application with the Planning Division.
The existing bank building on the project site is setback approximately three (3) feet from the ultimate right-of-way along Baseline Road. As a result, the proposed car wash building will be setback an additional 2.75 feet further than the existing bank building. Additionally, each development at the four (4) corners of the intersection of Baseline Road and Riverside Avenue were granted variances to encroach within the fifty (50) foot setback. Most recently in July 2013, the Planning Commission approved Variance No. 700 allowing a five (5) foot building setback for the Tacos Gavilan directly across Baseline Road.
Furthermore, strict compliance of the fifty (50) foot building setback requirement along Baseline Road would impact the existing parking lot and traffic circulation within the North Rialto Center shopping center and would require major modifications to the layout of the shopping center to accommodate any development on the project site.
The variance request will maintain consistency with the existing commercial developments in the surrounding area and will preserve the integrity of the layout of the existing North Rialto Center shopping center. Therefore, the Planning Division recommends approval of the variance request. However, the following findings from Section 18.64.020 of the Rialto Municipal Code must be made prior to Planning Commission approval of Variance No. 26-0001:
1. That there are exceptional circumstances or conditions applicable to the property involved, or to the intended use of the property, that do not apply generally to the property or class of use in the same vicinity or district.
The project site is within an existing shopping center that was constructed several decades ago. The shopping center contains physical improvements, such as paving for drive-aisles and parking rows, that are used by all properties and businesses within the existing shopping center. Strict enforcement of the building setback would require major modification to the shopping center layout, which would impact the businesses and properties within the shopping center and possibly impose a parking deficiency on those businesses and properties.
Additionally, the existing bank building on the project site that is proposed to be demolished is setback closer to the ultimate right-of-way along Baseline Road than the proposed car wash building.
2. That such variance is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of a substantial property right of the applicant as possessed by other property owners in the same vicinity and district.
Each development at the four (4) corners of the nearby intersection of Baseline Road and Riverside Avenue were granted variances to encroach within the fifty (50) foot setback. Most recently in July 2013, the Planning Commission approved Variance No. 700 allowing a five (5) foot building setback for the Tacos Gavilan directly across Baseline Road. The project site and the developments at the four (4) corners of the nearby intersection of Baseline Road and Riverside Avenue are within the same C-1A zoning district.
Additionally, the existing bank building on the project site is setback approximately three (3) feet from the ultimate right-of-way along Baseline Road and the applicant proposes a larger setback of 5.75 feet from the ultimate right-of-way along Baseline Road.
3. That the granting of such variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to the property or improvements in such vicinity and district in which the property is located.
Granting this variance would facilitate the development of a car wash where nearby residents and visitors can clean their vehicles in a convenient and easily accessible location. Armen Hovanessian Transportation Consulting, Inc. prepared a Traffic Impact Study for the project that concluded that the proposed car wash building location will not create any hazardous line-of-sight conditions for vehicles exiting the North Rialto Center shopping center onto Baseline Road.
4. That the granting of such variance will not adversely affect the master plan.
Granting the variance will facilitate the demolition of the existing vacant bank building and permit the development of a new car wash facility. This is in keeping with General Plan Land Use Element Goal 2-22, which requires the City to “Promote commercial and/or industrial development planned that is well designed, people-oriented, environmentally sustainable, sensitive to the needs of the visitor or resident, and functionally efficient for its purpose” and General Plan Economic Development Element Goal 3-1, which requires the City to “Strengthen and diversify the economic base and employment opportunities and maintain a positive business climate”. Other than the variance for the setback, the carwash conforms to all other aspects of Chapter 18.30 (C-1A Community Shopping Center Zone) of the Rialto Municipal Code.
As demonstrated above, all the required findings necessary for granting the variance can be made in a positive manner.
Land Use Compatibility
The project is consistent with the C-1A zone, the design criteria within Chapter 18.61 (Design Guidelines) of the Rialto Municipal Code, and the Community Commercial General Plan land use designation, except for the proposed building setback along Baseline Road, which will be remedied with the approval of Variance No. 26-0001. There are no sensitive uses surrounding the project site, and as a result the project is not anticipated to negatively impact any of the surrounding uses. The project will provide a benefit to the community and be an improvement to the surrounding area.
The Draft Resolution for Conditional Development Permit No. 26-0001 also includes conditions of approval restricting the hours of operation for the car wash and requiring signage and enforcement prohibiting loud music on-site.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
The General Plan land use designation of the site is Community Commercial. According to Chapter 2 (Managing Our Land Supply) of the Rialto General Plan, commercial service uses, such as car washes, are consistent with the Community Commercial 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.
Policy 2-16.3: Discourage architectural monotony.
Policy 2-16.6: Require architectural treatments on all façades facing rights-of-way, public streets, and alleys, including windows doors, architectural details, and landscape treatment.
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.
Policy 2-22.8: Insist that full architectural treatments and details be provided on all facades visible to the street of development projects.
Goal 3-1: Strengthen and diversify the economic base and employment opportunities and maintain a positive business climate.
Policy 3-1.2: Encourage a variety of businesses to locate in Rialto, including retail, high technology, professional services, clean industries, logistics-based businesses, and restaurants/entertainment uses to promote the development of a diversified local economy.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
California Environmental Quality Act
The project is categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15303, New Constructure or Conversion of Small Structures (Environmental Assessment Review No. 26-0001). Class 3 allows for the exemption of a project consisting of the construction of commercial structures not exceeding 10,000 square feet in floor area. The project involves the construction of a 3,593 square foot automated car wash structure and accessory structures, thereby qualifying the project for a Class 3 exemption. A Notice of Exemption form is attached to agenda report (Exhibit G).
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 mailed public hearing notices to all property owners within 660 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 H) to approve Variance No. 26-0001, based upon the findings and subject to the conditions therein; and
2. Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit I) to approve Conditional Development Permit No. 26-0001, based upon the findings and subject to the conditions therein; and
3. Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit J) to approve Precise Plan of Design No. 26-0001, based upon the findings and subject to the conditions therein.