For the Planning Commission Meeting of September 17, 2025
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Christina Taylor, Community Development Director
REVIEWED BY: Paul Gonzales, Community Development Manager
FROM: Daniel Casey, Principal Planner
Title
Conditional Development Permit No. 2023-0007, Precise Plan of Design No. 2023-0006, & Environmental Assessment Review No. 2023-0010: A request to allow the development and operation of a truck terminal facility consisting of a 172,445 square foot cross-dock truck terminal building, a 18,700 square foot fleet maintenance building, and associated paving, landscaping, fencing, lighting, and drainage improvements on approximately 45.7 acres of land (APN: 0258-141-18) located on the south side of Santa Ana Avenue approximately 1,800 feet east of Riverside Avenue within the Heavy Industrial (H-IND) land use district of the Agua Mansa Specific Plan. An Environmental Impact Report has been prepared for consideration in conjunction with Conditional Development Permit No. 2023-0007 and Precise Plan of Design No. 2023-0006, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Body
APPLICANT:
Crown Venture Holdings LLC, 12225 Stephens Road, Warren, MI 48089.
LOCATION:
The project site consists of one (1) parcel of land (APN: 0258-141-18) located on the south side of Santa Ana Avenue approximately 1,800 feet east of Riverside Avenue (Refer to the attached Location Map (Exhibit A)).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding General Plan Land Use Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
General Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa SP) |
|
North |
General Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa SP) |
|
East |
General Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa SP) |
|
South |
General Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa SP) |
|
West |
General Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa SP) |
Surrounding Zoning/Specific Plan Land Use Designations
|
Location |
Zoning |
|
Site |
Agua Mansa Specific Plan (Heavy Industrial (H-IND)) |
|
North |
Agua Mansa Specific Plan (Heavy Industrial (H-IND)) |
|
East |
Agua Mansa Specific Plan (Heavy Industrial (H-IND)) |
|
South |
Agua Mansa Specific Plan (Heavy Industrial (H-IND)) |
|
West |
Agua Mansa Specific Plan (Heavy Industrial (H-IND)) |
Site Characteristics
The project site is an asymmetrical-shaped area of land totaling approximately 45.7 acres in size with approximate dimensions of 2,200 feet (north-south) by 1,060 feet (east-west). The project site is bound on the north by Santa Ana Avenue, which is an established truck route that connects to Riverside Avenue to the west. The property is entirely vacant and sparsely covered by natural grasses and shrubs. Mining operations were historically conducted on the site, though mass grading has since been conducted on site to level the surface.
Surrounding Area
To the north of the project site, across Santa Ana Avenue, is a pallet yard, operated by Select Pallets, and to the east is an 82,000 square foot industrial warehouse building and Rialto Water Service’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. To the south is a landfill with a Southern California Edison (SCE) transmission line easement, and to the west are various industrial developments and operations, including Holliday Rock, a concrete mix supplier, and Ecology Auto Parts, auto-salvage and fleet maintenance operations.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal
Crown Venture Holdings LLC, the applicant, proposes to develop and operate a truck terminal facility on the project site. The truck terminal facility will consist of a 172,445 square foot cross-dock truck terminal building, an 18,700 square foot fleet maintenance building, and associated on-site and off-site paving, landscaping, fencing, lighting, and drainage improvements. The facility would be operated by Central Transport, which is a trucking company with existing locations in the City of Rialto. The existing locations within the City of Rialto will move from their current locations and be consolidated at the project site.
Entitlement Requirements
The following entitlements are required for the applicant’s proposal:
• Conditional Development Permit: The development and operation of a truck terminal within the H-IND land use district 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.
Site Design
As shown on the site plan (Exhibit B), the applicant proposes to construct a 172,445 square foot cross-dock truck terminal building on the east end of the project site and an 18,700 square foot fleet maintenance building approximately 320 feet west of the truck terminal building. The proposed truck terminal building will be setback approximately 70 feet from Santa Ana Avenue and the proposed fleet maintenance building will be setback approximately 960 feet from Santa Ana Avenue. The proposed layout includes truck parking areas on both the east and west sides of the truck terminal building, as well as a large truck court at the southwest corner of the site. The layout also includes a passenger vehicle parking area just north of the fleet maintenance building. The truck parking areas will accommodate the parking of up to 100 trucks and 679 trailers, while the passenger vehicle parking area will provide for the parking of up to 149 passenger vehicles.
Additional on-site improvements include paving, lighting, landscape planters throughout the site, a screen wall along Santa Ana Avenue, and an underground infiltration basin for runoff water quality treatment and retention. Off-site improvements will include new curb, gutter, sidewalk, and street paving along the frontage of Santa Ana Avenue.
Access
Two (2) driveways are proposed to be connected to Santa Ana Avenue for access - a thirty-two (32) foot wide driveway on the west end of the Santa Ana Avenue frontage will provide right-in/left-out access for trucks and passenger vehicles and a twenty-six (26) foot wide driveway on the east end of the Santa Ana Avenue frontage will provide access for emergency vehicles only. Entry into the project site from the west driveway will expand to two (2) lanes and will have a queuing distance of approximately 600 feet. The queuing distance provided will accommodate approximately twelve (12) complete truck/trailer setups to ensure trucks queue on-site and not onto Santa Ana Avenue.
Floor Plan – Truck Terminal Building
The floor plan for the proposed truck terminal building (Exhibit C) indicates that the building will consist of 5,890 square feet of office space and 166,555 square feet of storage/loading space. The east and west sides of the truck terminal building will each have 140 loading doors for a total of 280 loading doors on the building exterior. The office area will be located on the west middle of the building facing the passenger vehicle parking area. The applicant will place the main entrance to the building on the west side of the office area and secondary/emergency exits will be distributed amongst all four (4) sides of the building.
Floor Plan – Fleet Maintenance Building
The floor plan for the proposed fleet maintenance building (Exhibit D) indicates that the building will consist of 890 square feet of office space and 17,810 square feet of maintenance service space. The interior of the building will accommodate eight (8) service bays, equipment storage, and staff offices. The east side of the building will have seven (7) roll-up doors, and the west side of the building will have eight (8) roll-up doors, all of which will be used for vehicle entry and exit into the building. Additionally, the floor plan indicates that at 960 square foot canopy and three (3) fuel dispensers will be installed on the north side of the building for fueling of fleet vehicles only.
Architectural Design
As shown on the elevations (Exhibit E), the exterior of the building will be comprised of metal wall panels painted with various gray tones. The north side of the truck terminal building will feature an articulated mass with a contrasting color, three (3) foot depth, and a four (4) foot height variation to provide relief and visual interest. The height of the buildings will range from 22 feet to 29 feet from the finished grade level, with the highest point being the articulated mass on the north side of the truck terminal building. Additional architectural features include roofline treatments and glass.
Parking
The truck terminal facility will have 149 passenger vehicle parking spaces, including six (6) ADA accessible parking spaces. This quantity exceeds the minimum parking requirement as shown in the parking calculation chart below and as required by Table 13 (Off-Street Parking Requirements) of the Agua Mansa Specific Plan:
|
Type of Use |
Floor Area (square feet) |
Parking Ratio |
Number of spaces required |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Office
Storage/Loading |
6,780
|
1 / 300
|
23
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Floor area up to 10,000 square feet
Floor area 10,001 square feet or more
Maintenance |
10,000
156,555
17,810 |
1 / 1,000
1 / 2,000
1 / 500 |
10
79
36 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Required/Total Provided |
|
|
148/149 |
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the project is 23.6 percent. This includes a twenty-five (25) foot landscape setback along Santa Ana Avenue and 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 F).
Traffic
Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. prepared a Traffic Study (TS), dated April 2023, to assess the project’s potential impact on local streets and intersections (Exhibit G). The TS estimates that the project will generate approximately 951 actual daily vehicle trips (1,922 Passenger Car Equivalent (PCE) daily vehicle trips) with 56 trips in the AM peak hour and 124 trips in the PM peak hour. Trucks will constitute a maximum of 574 of the 951 daily vehicle trips.
The TS analyzed the following five (5) intersections in the project vicinity:
Two (2) of the intersections are anticipated to be impacted when the existing and project generated traffic volumes are combined with cumulative growth and ambient growth without any mitigation. The specific intersections are (1) Riverside Avenue & I-10 Eastbound Ramps and (2) Riverside Avenue & Slover Avenue. The TS recommends various improvements to mitigate potential cumulative traffic impacts to these intersections. The recommended improvements consist of the addition of a northbound right-turn lane at the Riverside Avenue & I-10 Eastbound Ramps intersection and the addition of third northbound and southbound through lanes at the Riverside Avenue and Slover Avenue intersection.
The City’s Traffic Impact Analysis Guidelines and Requirements, the project TS, and the City’s Traffic/Transportation Fee Study (April 2019) conclude that the payment of “fair-share” fees constitutes adequate mitigation to address the potential intersection deficiencies. Specifically, the applicant will be responsible for a fair share payment of $375.50 per projected Passenger Car Equivalent (PCE) vehicle trip, which equates to a total of $721,711. The fair-share fee will be required to be paid as part of the project’s Development Impact Fee payment, prior to the issuance of any building permits.
Voluntary Contributions
In conjunction with the development of the proposed truck terminal facility, the applicant proposes to voluntarily provide additional benefits to the City and the community at large. The proposed benefits include the following:
1. A voluntary one-time monetary contribution to the City of Rialto in the amount of $1,500,000 towards public facility needs.
2. The applicant will voluntarily repave the full width of Santa Ana Avenue between Riverside Avenue and east property line of the project site.
All voluntary contributions will be paid and completed prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy.
Economic Development Committee
The Economic Development Committee (EDC) reviewed the project on January 30, 2025. At its meeting, the EDC discussed the project and the voluntary contributions and directed staff and the applicant to proceed forward with the project and the required public hearings. The minutes from the January 30, 2025 EDC meeting are attached as Exhibit H.
Land Use Compatibility
The project is consistent with the H-IND land use district, the Agua Mansa Specific Plan, Chapter 18.61 (Design Guidelines) of the Rialto Municipal Code, and the surrounding industrial uses. The nearby area is designated for and completely developed with industrial uses, and as a result, there are no sensitive land uses adjacent to or near the project site. The development and operation of the proposed terminal facility will not significantly impact the surrounding area since measures, such as the installation of solid screen walls, expanded on-site truck queueing, and landscape buffering will reduce visual and traffic impacts to acceptable levels. 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 General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay. This designation requires the underlying Specific Plan to establish distinct land use designations within the Specific Plan itself. Figure 20 (Land Use Plan) of the Agua Mansa Specific Plan indicates that the land use designation for the project site is Heavy Industrial (H-IND). According to Table 8 (Permitted Uses) of the Agua Mansa Specific Plan, truck terminal facilities, such as the project, are consistent with the H-IND 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 2-22: 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:
Air Quality Emissions
According to Table 7 (Operational Emissions) of the Air Quality Assessment prepared by Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. for the project, the project will potentially generate up to 77.22 lbs./day of Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions during operations. The threshold set by South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for operational NOx emissions is 55 lbs./day. The project NOx emissions will exceed the threshold established by SCAQMD.
Several mitigation measures within the Air Quality Assessment are designed to reduce the operational NOx emissions, but these measures will not be sufficient to reduce the NOx emissions below the SCAQMD threshold, since neither the applicant nor the City have the regulatory authority to control tailpipe emissions. Therefore, the impact of the project’s NOx emissions is considered significant and unavoidable, resulting in the need to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
As indicated by Table 3 (Project Greenhouse Gas Emissions) of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Assessment prepared by Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc. for the project, the project will potentially generate Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions up to approximately 13,907.91 MTCO2e/yr (Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent Per Year). The threshold set by SCAQMD for all new development projects is 3,000 MTCO2e/yr. The project GHG emissions will exceed the threshold established by SCAQMD.
More than 91% of the project’s GHG emissions will be generated by mobile sources (vehicle traffic). There are no feasible mitigation measures that can substantively or materially reduce the project’s mobile source GHG emissions below the SCAQMD established threshold under current industry conditions. As such, the impact of the project’s GHG emissions is considered significant and unavoidable, resulting in the need to prepare an EIR for the project.
Vehicle Miles Travelled
In September 2013, the California legislature adopted Senate Bill 743, requiring all lead agencies to adopt Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) guidelines and thresholds by July 1, 2020 as the new measure for identifying transportation/traffic impacts for land use projects. Based on an evaluation of VMT in the VMT Analysis prepared by Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., the proposed project identified a significant impact as shown below:
|
Total VMT |
|
Countywide VMT Threshold (mpe) |
17.1 |
|
Project VMT (mpe) |
21.8 |
|
Percentage Exceeding Threshold |
21.6% |
|
Potentially Significant? |
Yes |
*”mpe” stands for “miles per employee”. The measurement identifies the average trip length from a point of origin to the project site.
Due to the significant VMT impact, the following mitigation measures were identified to reduce VMT from the project:
• Provide “end-of-trip” facilities (may include showers, locker rooms, etc.) that promote biking to work.
• Provide an information packet to future building occupants that provides information regarding the benefits of trip reduction programs and how such programs could be administered.
• Create a ridesharing incentive program for employees.
The efficacy of the mitigation measures to reduce the VMT impacts below thresholds cannot be assured, therefore the project’s VMT impact are considered significant and unavoidable, resulting in the need to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the project.
California Environmental Quality Act
The applicant engaged Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to prepare an EIR (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2023-0010) for the project in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The City of Rialto subsequently engaged EcoTierra Consulting to conduct a peer review of the Environmental Impact Report and all the related environmental documents. A Notice of Preparation (NOP) was distributed to the State Clearinghouse, as well as agencies, organizations, and persons considered likely to be interested in the project and the potential impacts. The NOP comment period occurred from December 8, 2023 to January 22, 2024. Three (3) comment letters were received during the comment period. The commenters included Mitchell M. Tsai Law Firm on behalf of the Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, the Native American Heritage Commission, and the State of California Department of Justice. Each of the letters received were subsequently addressed in the preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The completed DEIR concluded that the project would create unavoidable significant impacts to air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and transportation/traffic.
A Notice of Availability (NOA) and the DEIR were distributed and circulated for public review from August 26, 2024 to October 10, 2024. One (1) comment letter was received during the comment period, which was from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. prepared a response to the letter received. The response to the comment letter and the final Mitigation Monitoring & Reporting Program (MMRP) were input into the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). Planning staff determined that the Environmental Impact Report prepared for the project appropriately satisfies the requirements of CEQA. The DEIR and FEIR are attached to the agenda report (Exhibits I & J).
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 1,000 feet of the project site, as required by State law.
Southern California Edison Comment Letter
Southern California Edison (SCE) has an “at-large” easement on the project site that provides access to an existing SCE transmission line that runs through the property adjacent to the south of the project site. On September 9, 2025, SCE submitted a letter to the City of Rialto recommending certain conditions of approval be placed on the Project to, as they consider it, protect their easement rights. The letter does not raise any issues related to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review conducted for the project, and the recommended conditions are not pertinent to CEQA. The issues raised in the letter involve private property matters and the applicant and SCE are actively working together to address the issues. That said, the Draft Resolutions include a condition of approval allowing future modifications to the layout as needed for the applicant to accommodate SCE’s needs.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning Division recommends the Planning Commission:
1. Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit K) forwarding to the City Council a recommendation to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2023-0010) prepared for the project; and
2. Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit L) forwarding to the City Council a recommendation to approve Conditional Development Permit No. 2023-0007, based upon the findings and subject to the conditions therein; and
3. Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit M) forwarding to the City Council a recommendation to approve Precise Plan of Design No. 2023-0006, based upon the findings and subject to the conditions therein.