For the Planning Commission Meeting of January 10, 2018
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Robb Steel, Interim City Administrator
REVIEWED BY: Gina Gibson-Williams, Planning Manager
FROM: Shawnika Johnson, AICP
Principal Contract Planner
Gina Gibson-Williams, Planning Manager
Title
Environmental Assessment Review 2017-0076, Tentative Parcel Map 2017-0008, Conditional Development Permit 2017-0040, Variance 2017-0011: A request to merge five (5) lots into one 19.1 acre lot; construct an industrial land use within 300 feet of a public educational facility; increase the maximum allowable building height from 35 feet to 47 feet to facilitate the development of a 404,837 square foot industrial building (Master Case 2017-0076).
Body
BACKGROUND:
Applicant
Panattoni Development Company, Inc., 20411 SW Birch Street, Suite 200, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Location
The project is located on the south side of Valley Boulevard (APN(s): 0253-251-01, -02, -03, -04 and -07) between Spruce Avenue and Cactus Avenue, north of Interstate 10 Freeway. Currently, the site is vacant. Historically, a used car lot previously operated at the location.
Design Review Committee Review
The Design Review Committee will review the architectural design and site layout for the project. The building is 404,837 square feet with 5,000 square feet of office space. The concrete tilt-up design incorporates undulated rooflines, facades, painted bands, wall mounted lighting and glazed windows. The Resolution incorporates Conditions of Approval requiring the applicant to use a modern complimentary color palette to achieve aesthetic harmony with buildings in the surrounding area, and accentuate the architecture of the structure along all elevations of the building. The north elevation, which is visible from the public right-of-way (Valley Boulevard), features enhanced architecture (i.e. articulated building corners visible from Cactus Avenue and Spruce Avenue, reflective glazed windows. The proposed elevations will be aesthetically attractive and complimentary to the surrounding neighborhood.
Transportation Commission
• The Transportation Commission reviewed and approved the Traffic Impact Analysis on November 1, 2017. A copy of the Traffic Impact Analysis and the agenda report is appended to this report as item 17-908. The Transportation Commission imposed the following conditions: 1) installation of the traffic signal at Valley Boulevard and Spruce Avenue; 2) installation of EB right turn overlap at Valley Boulevard and Riverside Avenue 3) payment of fair share fees.
Existing and Surrounding Land Use and Zoning:
|
Location |
Existing Land Use |
Zoning |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site: |
Vacant/Commercial |
Gateway Specific Plan Industrial Park (I-P) Zone |
Business Park/ Specific Plan Overlay |
|
North: |
Vacant, Auto Sales, Residential, Ruth Grimes Elementary School and Joe Baca Middle School |
Gateway Specific Plan Freeway Commercial (F-C) Zone |
General Commercial |
|
East: |
Commercial |
Gateway Specific Plan Freeway Commercial (F-C) Zone |
Business Park/Specific Plan Overlay |
|
West: |
Commercial |
Gateway Specific Plan Freeway Commercial (F-C) Zone |
Light Industrial |
|
South: |
Interstate 10 Freeway/Union Pacific Railroad |
N/A |
N/A |
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
The applicant, Panattoni Development Company, Inc., requests Planning Commission approval of a 404,837-square foot tilt up industrial building with 5,000 square feet of office space on a 16.6 net acre property. The building is speculative; a tenant will purchase or lease the building at a future date. The property has a General Plan land use designation of Business Park/Specific Plan Overlay, which allows the proposed use.
Site Characteristics
According to the site plan, there are (4) driveway approaches, two (2) on Cactus, and two (2) on Spruce Avenues for passenger ingress and egress Truck/Trailer access. Truck loading and unloading will occur on the southerly portion of the development. An eight (8) foot high screen wall and metal gates on the west and eastern sides of the project to screen the proposed 49 dock doors from the public right-of-way. An eight (8) foot high wrought iron fence with eight (8) foot high pilasters and cypress trees will screen the dock doors and truck/trailers from public view, and create an aesthetically pleasing landscape along Interstate 10 Freeway one of the City’s most prominent thoroughfares.
|
Site Area |
19.1 gross acres (Approx.) |
|
Building Analysis |
|
Office |
5,000 square feet |
|
Warehouse |
399,837 square feet |
|
Total Area |
404,837 square feet |
The table below compares the proposed plan with the development standards of the Gateway Specific Plan:
|
Development Standard |
Regulatory Document |
Required |
Proposed |
Meets Code? |
|
Height |
Gateway Specific Plan |
35’ |
47” |
No |
|
Front Yard Setback |
Gateway Specific Plan |
25’ |
25’ |
Yes |
|
Rear Yard Setback |
C-2 Zone (RMC) |
0’ |
136’ |
Yes |
|
Side Yard Setback |
Gateway Specific Plan |
25’ |
25’ |
Yes |
|
Parking |
Gateway Specific Plan |
225 |
225 |
Yes |
|
Landscaping |
Gateway Specific Plan |
15% |
24.8% |
Yes |
Tentative Map
The project site is a rectangular shaped property consisting of five (5) parcels totaling approximately 19.1 gross acres in size with a street frontage of approximately 1,290 feet. The applicant submitted TPM No. 2017-0008 to merge five (5) lots into one 736,753 square foot lot. The overall dimensions of the project site will be 1,245 feet (lot width) by 620 feet (lot depth) as demonstrated on Exhibit B (Tentative Parcel Map 2017-0008). The IP zone does not specific a minimum lot area, depth, or width.
Variance
The applicant requests approval of VAR 2017-0011 to increase the maximum building height from 35 feet to 47 feet. The City adopted the Gateway Specific Plan over two decades ago and some of the standards may now be obsolete. Recently, developers constructed three warehouse buildings in the Renaissance Specific Plan at 47 feet. The Gateway Specific Plan restrictions prevent development of a facility that can be sold or leased competitively in the marketplace. The table below summarizes the building heights of recently completed buildings in Rialto and the surrounding communities:
Granting the height variance will not constitute a special privilege.
Conditional Development Permit
The site is located within 300 feet of Joe Baca Middle School. A school is a sensitive land use and, as such, compatibility with proposed and existing development is paramount to the public health and general welfare of the students and faculty. Pursuant to Gateway Specific Plan Section 18.35.020C, a Conditional Development Permit is required to allow an industrial use within 300 feet of a public educational facility. Joe Baca Middle School is located approximately 150 feet northeast of the project site.
The Resolution includes a condition of approval that requires equipment to be stored no higher than eight (8) feet, which is the same height of the proposed screen walls located on the east and west of the project site. The screen walls along with landscaping will screen 14’ high trailers from view along Spruce Avenue and Cactus Avenue.
Summary
The project is consistent with the Industrial Park (I-P) zone of the Gateway Specific Plan and the surrounding land uses with the exception of building height. The proposed site is adequate in size and shape to accommodate the use. The project site is adjacent to various land uses, residential, vacant land, commercial development, and public schools. Landscape buffering, the installation of solid screen walls, and complimentary color scheme will ensure that the development is compatible with the surrounding land uses. The proposed building will be an improvement to the surrounding area and will benefit the community by eliminating a vacant field.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
The project is consistent with the following goals of the Land Use 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.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
In accordance with Public Resources Code, Section 21080.3.1(d), the City of Rialto (the "City") notified tribal representatives of the project on November 13, 2017. One of the sovereign nations requested a meeting with the City but never responded to the City’s invitation to meet. The 30-day comment period has passed and the requirement to notify tribal organizations has been satisfied.
The City acting as Lead Agency reviewed the Initial Study (IS) prepared for this project pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Section 15070. Pursuant to Section 15060 of the CEQA, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) has been prepared. Based on the information in the IS and incorporation of mitigation measures as detailed in the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), the proposed project will not have a significant impact on the environment. Electronic copies of the environmental analysis are available for review in the Development Services Department, Planning Division and online at www.rialtoca.gov.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
The City mailed public hearing notices 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:
Based on the information in the staff report and subject to the attached Findings and the Conditions of Approval, staff recommends that the Planning Commission:
1) Adopt the attached Mitigated Negative Declaration and direct staff to file a Notice of Determination (Exhibit F);
2) Adopt a resolution (Exhibit G) to approve TPM 2017-0008;
3) Adopt a resolution (Exhibit H) to approve CDP 2017-0040; and,
4) Adopt a resolution (Exhibit I) to approve VAR 2017-0011.