For the Planning Commission Meeting of January 9, 2019
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Robb Steel, Assistant CA/Development Services Director
REVIEWED BY: Gina M. Gibson-Williams, Planning Manager
FROM: Daniel Casey, Senior Planner
Title
Tentative Parcel Map No. 2018-0007 (TPM 19981): A request to allow the consolidation of six (6) parcels of land (APNs: 0240-181-22, -26, -27, -30, -34 & -35) into one (1) 7.55 net acre parcel of land. The project site is located at the northwest corner of Base Line Road and Tamarind Avenue within the Employment (EMP) zone of the Renaissance Specific Plan. This project includes a Mitigated Negative Declaration (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2018-0084) for consideration in conjunction with the project.
Conditional Development Permit No. 2018-0031: A request to allow up to an eight (8) percent increase in the permitted floor area ratio through the implementation of non-residential development incentives, as it relates to a proposal to develop a 156,500 square foot industrial warehouse building on 8.01 gross acres (7.55 net acres) of land (APNs: 0240-181-22, -26, -27, -30, -34 & -35) located at the northwest corner of Base Line Road and Tamarind Avenue within the Employment (EMP) zone of the Renaissance Specific Plan. This project includes a Mitigated Negative Declaration (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2018-0084) for consideration in conjunction with the project.
Body
APPLICANT:
Oakmont Industrial Group, 3520 Piedmont Road, Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30305.
LOCATION:
The project site consists of six (6) parcels of land located at the northwest corner of Base Line Road and Tamarind Avenue (APNs: 0240-181-22, -26, -27, -30, -34 & -35) (Refer to the attached Location Map (Exhibit A)).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding Land Use and Zoning
|
Location |
Existing Land Use |
Zoning |
|
Site |
Vacant Land / Single-Family Residences |
Employment (EMP) |
|
North |
Industrial Warehouse Building |
Planned Industrial Development (I-PID) |
|
East |
Vacant Land / Water Plant |
Employment (EMP) |
|
South |
Single-Family Residences |
City of Fontana |
|
West |
Church |
Employment (EMP) |
General Plan Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
Specific Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Renaissance SP) |
|
North |
Business Park with a Specific Plan Overlay (Rialto Airport SP) |
|
East |
Specific Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Renaissance SP) |
|
South |
City of Fontana |
|
West |
Specific Plan with a Specific Plan Overlay (Renaissance SP) |
Site Characteristics
The project site is a relatively flat, square-shaped piece of land comprised of six (6) parcels. Altogether, the project site is 8.01 gross acres in size with approximate dimensions of 580 feet (east-west) by 600 feet (north-south). The project site is bound on the south by Base Line Road and on the east by Tamarind Avenue. The property is mostly undeveloped, with the exception of four (4) legal non-conforming single-family residences on four (4) smaller parcels. The applicant will demolish these structures and any accessory structures prior to commencing construction on the project site.
Surrounding Area
To the north of the project site is a 677,225 square foot industrial warehouse building on 29.5 acres of land, and to the east, across Tamarind Avenue, is the Fontana Water Plant F56 on approximately 3.84 acres of land, most of which is vacant. To the south, across Base Line Road, is tract of single-family residences developed in 1989, and to the west is a church on 0.95 acres of land. The zoning of the project site and the properties to the east and west is Employment (EMP) within the Renaissance Specific Plan, the zoning of the property to the north is Planned Industrial Development (I-PID) within the Rialto Airport Specific Plan, and the properties to the south are within the City of Fontana.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal
Oakmont Industrial Group, the applicant, proposes to consolidate six (6) parcels of land into one (1) 7.55 net acre parcel of land and then construct a 156,500 square foot warehouse building on the project site. There is no proposed tenant for the new building at this time, but the design of the building will accommodate a wide-range of warehouse uses.
Parcel Map
According to the tentative parcel map (Exhibit B), the applicant will consolidate six (6) parcels of land into one (1) 7.55 net acre parcel of land. The size of the proposed parcel greatly exceeds the minimum parcel size of 22,500 square feet required by Table 3-5 (Development Standards - Business and Commercial Uses) of the Renaissance Specific Plan.
Site Design
According to the site plan (Exhibit C), the applicant will construct the building in the center of the project site, though slightly closer to the northeast corner of the project site’s boundary. The proposed layout will place the truck court on the west side of the building and the passenger vehicle parking areas on the south and west sides of the building. A new forty (40) foot wide driveway connected directly to Base Line Road at the west end of the project frontage will provide right-in/right-out access for both trucks and passenger vehicles, a second thirty (30) foot wide driveway connected directly to Base Line Road closer to the east end of the project frontage will provide right-in/right-out access for passenger vehicles only, and a third (30) foot wide driveway connected directly to Tamarind Avenue near the north end of the project frontage will provide full access for trucks only. Other proposed on-site improvements include paving, lighting, landscape planters throughout the site, screen walls around the truck court, and an underground infiltration basin for runoff water quality treatment.
Floor Plan
The floor plan (Exhibit D) indicates that the building will consist of 5,000 square feet of office space and 151,500 square feet of warehouse space. The office space will potentially occupy either one or both the southeast and southwest corners of the building, with all of the office space located on the ground floor. The west side of the building will have eighteen (18) dock high loading doors and two (2) grade level roll-up doors. The applicant will place the main entrances to the building on the south side of the office space at the southeast corner of the building and on the west side of the office space at the southwest corner of the building, along with eighteen (18) secondary/emergency exits distributed amongst all four (4) sides of the building.
Architectural Design
The proposed building will feature significant vertical and horizontal wall plane articulation in the form of projected wall panels and panel height variations on all the sides of the building that are visible from the public right-of-way. As shown on the elevations (Exhibit E), the building height ranges from thirty-seven and one-half (37.5) feet to forty-two (42) feet from the finished floor level, with the highest point being the southeast corner of the building. 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. Other architectural features of the building include panel reveals, metal brow accents, and blue reflective glazing.
Parking
The development will have 88 auto-parking spaces, including four (4) disabled access parking spaces. This quantity equals 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 250 square feet of office space gross floor area, one (1) parking space for every 1,000 square feet of warehouse space gross floor area up to 40,000 square feet, and one (1) parking space for every 4,000 square feet of warehouse space gross floor area beyond 40,000 square feet:
|
Type of Use |
Floor Area (square feet) |
Parking Ratio |
Number of spaces required |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Office Warehouse |
5,000 |
1 / 250 |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Floor area up to 40,000 square feet |
40,000 |
1 / 1,000 |
40 |
|
Floor area 40,001 square feet or more |
111,500 |
1 / 4,000 |
28 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Required/Total Provided |
|
|
88/88 |
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the project is 15.1 percent, which exceeds the minimum required amount of 10.0 percent. This includes thirty (30) foot landscape setbacks and eight (8) foot landscape easements along both Base Line Road and Tamarind Avenue, as well as planters around the perimeter of the building and the project site. All of the landscape planters will feature a variety of trees spaced every thirty (30) linear feet and an abundant amount of shrubs and groundcover (Exhibit F).
Fiscal Analysis
Prior to completion of the project, the applicant will be required to pay plan check, permit, and development impact fees to the City. The applicant will pay approximately $1,283,000 for those one-time fees, as shown in the chart below:
|
Fee |
Capital |
Operating |
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Development Impact Fees |
$1,100,000 |
- |
$1,100,000 |
|
Building Plan Check / Permit Fees |
- |
$47,000 |
$47,000 |
|
Planning Fees |
- |
$11,000 |
$11,000 |
|
Engineering Plan Check / Permit Fees |
- |
$125,000 |
$125,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
One Time Fee Revenues |
$1,100,000 |
$183,000 |
$1,283,000 |
Additionally, the project will generate approximately $27,825 in annual recurring revenues to the City General Fund. The applicant will pay increased property taxes, business license taxes, and utility taxes on a recurring basis.
|
Revenue Source |
Estimated First Year Revenue |
|
|
|
|
Property Taxes |
$9,400 |
|
Utility Taxes |
$10,600 |
|
Business License Tax |
$7,825 |
|
|
|
|
Total Annual Revenues |
$27,825 |
Furthermore, the project will generate approximately 75 to 85 jobs with a warehouse use tenant. Not only will the project provide additional employment opportunities for City of Rialto residents, but it will also result in result in employees spending their discretionary income as they frequent local restaurants, gas stations, and other local businesses.
Floor Area Ratio
Per Section 3 (Development Criteria), Table 3-5 of the Renaissance Specific Plan the maximum allowable Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for a 7.55 net-acre project site within the EMP zone is 40.0 percent. The FAR for the proposed project is 47.6 percent, which exceeds the maximum allowable by 7.6 percent.
However, page 3-45 of Section 3 (Development Criteria) of the Renaissance Specific Plan contains provisions for incentives, or development standard bonuses, in exchange for desired development features. The incentives may provide an FAR bonus, setback reduction, parking reduction, etc., and may be awarded through a Conditional Development Permit on a case-by-case basis. As written, the Renaissance Specific Plan indicates that the City may only award two (2) incentives per project, and that the same incentive may not be awarded twice for the same project. However, the Renaissance Specific Plan gives the City the discretion to work with a developer and allow additional development incentives beyond two (2) and use the same incentive without limit. Thus, the applicant proposes to incorporate four (4) development features into their project to obtain the desired FAR. The following is a list of each proposed development feature and a discussion of each:
1. Lot Consolidation - Projects that consolidate lots into parcels that exceed five (5) acres are eligible to receive an increase of 1.0 percent in floor area ratio for every acre over five (5) acres. The applicant will consolidate six (6) parcels of land into one (1) 7.55 net-acre parcel of land under Tentative Parcel Map No. 2018-0007. As a result, the project will receive a 2.0 percent FAR bonus.
2. Public Art - Projects that provide permanent, outdoor art that is viewable by the public from the public sidewalk are eligible to receive an increase of 2.0 percent in floor area ratio. The applicant proposes to install a decorative concrete pillar featuring vertical and horizontal metal accents near the public sidewalk at the intersection of Base Line Road and Tamarind Avenue (Exhibit G). The inclusion of public art will provide a 2.0 percent FAR bonus.
3. Landmark Intersection Features - Projects that are adjacent to intersections of arterial or collector roadways and that provide features such as a unique corner building treatment, entries or monuments, fountain, or other similar features are eligible to receive an increase of up to 2.0 percent in floor area ratio. The project site is adjacent to the intersection of Base Line Road (arterial) and Tamarind Avenue (collector). The proposed building will contain significant horizontal and vertical wall plane articulation, metal accents, and a generous amount of glass at the southeast corner of the building, thereby providing a unique feature at the intersection of Base Line Road and Tamarind Avenue. In addition, the proposed public art will also contribute towards this incentive. All of the landmark intersection features together will provide a 2.0 percent FAR bonus.
4. Employee Plaza - Projects that incorporate an outdoor employee plaza, to serve as break/lunch/meeting area, are eligible to receive an increase of 2.0 percent in floor area ratio. The project plans include a 625 square foot employee plaza to the west of the building, which contains a decorative overhead trellis and outdoor seating. The inclusion of the employee plaza will provide a 2.0 percent FAR bonus.
The addition of the four (4) development features results in an 8.0 percent bonus to the allowable FAR. As such, the maximum allowable FAR for the project is now 48.0 percent, which is exceeds the proposed FAR.
Transportation Commission
Urban Crossroads, Inc. prepared a traffic study for the project, dated August 8, 2018, to assess the projects potential impacts to local streets and intersections. The Transportation Commission reviewed and approved the traffic study on October 3, 2018. A total of 935 daily Passenger Car Equivalent (PCE) trips are anticipated, with 83 AM peak hour trips and 88 PM peak hour trips. The traffic study determined that the project is responsible for a “fair-share” payment of $115,428 towards the installation of a future traffic signal at the intersection of Base Line Road and Tamarind Avenue and other roadway improvements at other various intersections near the project site.
The construction of half-width street improvements along the project frontages and the payment of development impact fees related to traffic are also required. All street improvements and “fair-share” payments, as established by the traffic study, must be paid and/or completed prior to occupancy.
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 applicant engaged Dudek, Inc. to prepare an Initial Study (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2018-0084) for the project in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Initial Study is attached to the agenda report (Exhibit H). Based on the findings and recommended mitigation within the Initial Study, staff determined that the project will not have an adverse impact on the environment and prepared a Mitigated Negative Declaration. The Planning Division published a Notice of Intent to adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project in the San Bernardino Sun newspaper, and mailed notices to all property owners within 300 feet of the project site. A twenty (20) day public comment period for the Mitigated Negative Declaration began on November 25, 2018 and ended on December 14, 2018. The Planning Division received one (1) comment letter during this period from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).
On December 13, 2018, the Planning Division received a letter from Lijin Sun, Program Supervisor with SCAQMD (Exhibit I). The letter requested clarification on the numbers and types of heavy duty construction vehicles to be used during the construction of the project. The applicant submitted a response to the Planning Division on December 19, 2018 (Exhibit J), which clarified the types of the heavy duty construction vehicles the applicant will use during construction and established a limit on the number of heavy duty construction vehicles the applicant will use during construction. The Planning Division forwarded a copy of the response to the SCAQMD on December 19, 2018. The SCAQMD did not provide any further comment upon receiving the response.
Native American Tribal Consultation (Assembly Bill 52)
In accordance with California Assembly Bill 52, the Planning Division mailed notices to six (6) Native American tribes informing them of the project and allowing them to request consultation on the project. The Planning Division provided each tribe thirty (30) days, from October 15, 2018 to November 13, 2018, to request consultation on the proposed project. One (1) tribe, The Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians-Kizh Nation (Kizh Nation), requested formal consultation during the period. Planning staff conducted formal consultation with Chairman Andrew Teutimez-Salas and Matt Teutimez of the Kizh Nation on October 24, 2018. The topics discussed included a basic background of the project and the anticipated construction activities. During the consultation, Chairman Teutimez-Salas requested the ability to allow a certified Native American Monitor on-site during all ground disturbance activities. The Draft Resolution of Approval includes a Condition of Approval requiring the applicant to coordinate with the Kizh Nation to allow access to the project site during all ground disturbance activities.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
The City mailed a public hearing notice for the proposed project to all property owners within 300 feet of the project site, posted a copy of the public hearing notice on 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:
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit K) to approve the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the proposed project and authorize staff to file a Notice of Determination with the Clerk of the Board of San Bernardino County; and
-
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit L) to approval Tentative Parcel Map No. 2018-0007 to allow the consolidation of six (6) parcels of land (APNs: 0240-181-22, -26, -27, -30, -34 & -35) into one (1) 7.55 net-acre parcel of land, subject to the findings and conditions therein; and
-
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit M) to approve Conditional Development Permit No. 2018-0043 to allow up to a ten (10) percent increase in the permitted floor area ratio through the implementation of five (5) non-residential development incentives, as it relates to a proposal to develop a 99,999 square foot warehouse building, subject to the findings and conditions therein.