For the Planning Commission Meeting of [January 30, 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 Rosas, Assistant Planner
Title
Tentative Parcel Map No. 2018-0003: A request to consolidate twelve (12) parcels of land into one (1) parcel of land 11.48 acres in size to facilitate the development of a warehouse distribution building located on the northwest corner of the Alder Avenue and Baseline Road (APNs: 0240-201-10, -12 thru-15, -18, -38, -42, & -44 thru -47) within the Employment (EMP) zone of the Renaissance Specific Plan, and Conditional Development Permit No. 2018-0006: A request to allow up to a ten (10) percent increase in the permitted floor area ratio plus an additional 10,000 square feet of building, through the implementation of non-residential development incentives to facilitate the development of 255,173 square feet warehouse distribution building on the project site. A Mitigated Negative Declaration (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2018-0029) has been prepared for consideration in conjunction with the project.
Body
APPLICANT:
Pacific Industrial, LLC, 6272 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite E, Long Beach 90803.
LOCATION:
The project site consists of twelve (12) parcels of land (APNs: 0240-201-10, 12 thru-15, -18, -38, -42, & -44 thru -47) located at the northwest corner of Alder Avenue and Baseline Road (Refer to the attached Location Map (Exhibit A)).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding Land Use and Zoning
|
Location |
Existing Land Use |
Zoning |
|
Site |
Vacant Land |
Employment (EMP) w/Commercial Overlay |
|
North |
SFR |
Employment (EMP) |
|
East |
Industrial Warehouse |
Employment (EMP) |
|
South |
Fontana Water / SFR |
Not A Part (City of Fontana) |
|
West |
Former Auto Sales |
Employment (EMP) |
General Plan Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
Specific Plan |
|
North |
Specific Plan |
|
East |
Specific Plan |
|
South |
Not A Part |
|
West |
Specific Plan |
Site Characteristics
The project site is comprised of twelve (12) parcels. The project site is 11.48 net acres in size with overall dimensions of approximately 767 feet (east-west) by 674 feet (north-south). The project site is on the northwest corner of Alder Avenue and Baseline Road. To the north is a legal non-conforming residence. To the east, across Alder Avenue, is an industrial warehouse distribution facility. To the west is a former auto sales facility. To the south, across Baseline Road, is a Fontana Water District facility and single-family residences. The zoning of the project site and the properties to the north, east, and west is Employment (EMP) within the Renaissance Specific Plan. The property to the south of the subject site, across Baseline Road, is not a part of Rialto and is within the City of Fontana’s jurisdiction.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal & Site Design
Pacific Industrial, LLC proposes to consolidate twelve (12) parcels of land into one (1) parcel of land and to construct 255,173 square feet of warehouse building. There is currently no tenant for the new building, but its design accommodates a wide-range of distribution and/or warehouse uses. According to the applicant’s site plan and floor plan (Exhibit B & C), the building will consist of 9,000 square feet of office space and 246,173 square feet of warehouse space. Twenty-two (28) dock doors and a trailer yard will be located on the east side of the building. A fourteen (14) foot concrete screen wall will serve to screen views of the trailer yard.
Tentative Parcel Map
Per the proposed tentative parcel map (Exhibit D), the project site is 8.84 net acres in size with approximate dimensions of 602 feet (east-west) by 656 feet (north-south). Per Table 3-5 Development Standards of the Renaissance Specific Plan, the required minimum parcel size within the EMP (Employment) zone is twenty-two thousand five hundred (22,500) square feet for commercial uses. The proposed parcel greatly exceeds the required minimum size as shown in the chart below and as required by Table 3-5, Development Standards, of the Renaissance Specific Plan:.
|
Standard |
Required |
Proposed |
|
Min. Lot Size |
22,500 s.f. (0.52 ac) |
385,070 s.f. (8.84 ac) |
|
Min. Lot Width |
150 ft |
602 ft |
|
Min. Lot Depth |
150 ft |
656 ft |
Architectural Design
The exterior of the building will be of concrete tilt-up wall construction painted with a palette of four (4) different colors. The main wall panels will have a three-tone color scheme consisting of two tones of grey along the base and a white band along the roofline. The incorporation of three (3) foot deep projected wall panels provides building articulation along building wall planes visible from the public right-of-way and the installation of generous amounts of glazing at the building corners create a focal point. Other key features of the building include building height variations and panel reveal lines (Exhibit E).
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the entire project is 16.8 percent, which exceeds the minimum required amount of 10.0 percent. This includes a ten (10) foot wide landscape easement adjacent to the public right-of-way and a thirty (30) foot landscape setback along Alder Avenue as well as an eight (8) foot wide landscape easement adjacent to the public right-of-way and a thirty (30) foot landscape setback along Baseline Road. The landscape setbacks will feature undulating berms, twenty-four (24) inch box trees every thirty (30) feet, and an abundant amount of shrubs and ground cover, all in compliance with the Landscape Plant Palette of the Renaissance Specific Plan (Exhibit F).
Floor Area Ratio
Per Section 3 (Development Criteria), Table 3-5 of the Renaissance Specific Plan, the maximum allowable Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for an 11.48 net-acre project site within the EMP zone is 40.0 percent. The FAR for the proposed project is 51.0 percent, which exceeds the maximum allowable by 11.0 percent.
However, page 3-53 of Section 3 (Development Criteria) of the Renaissance Specific Plan contains provisions for incentives, or development standard bonuses, in exchange for desired development features. Incentives may provide an FAR bonus, setback reduction, parking reduction, etc., which are 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. 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 proposes to consolidate twelve (12) parcels of land into one (1) 11.48 net-acre parcel of land. As a result, the project will receive a 6.0 percent FAR bonus.
2. LEED Certification - Projects that achieve a LEED certification (or equivalent, measurable, and verifiable rating system) are eligible to receive an increase of up to 2 percent in floor area ratio. The applicant proposes to construct the facility in a manner to achieve LEED certification to receive a 2.0 percent FAR bonus.
3. 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 display of public art at the northeast corner of the project site, near the intersection of Baseline Road and Alder Avenue (Exhibit G). The inclusion of public art will provide a 2.0 percent FAR bonus.
4. Public Plaza - Projects adjacent to intersections that include a public plaza are eligible to receive an increase in floor area ratio. Projects are eligible to receive an increase of 2 square feet in floor area for every square foot of public plaza that exceeds a minimum area of 625 square feet (no dimension less than 25 feet) and is adjacent to and accessible from the public sidewalk. The applicant proposes a 5,625 square foot public plaza near the intersection of Alder Avenue and Baseline Road. As a result, the project will receive a 10,000 square foot increase in building area beyond the allowable FAR.
The addition of the four (4) development features results in a 10.0 percent bonus to the allowable FAR and an additional 10,000 square feet of building. As such, the maximum allowable Floor Area for the project is up to 260,025 square feet, which exceeds the proposed Floor Area.
Development Review Committee
The staff reviewed the proposed project and provided comments to the applicant related to the enhancement of building elevations, screening of truck court, and the incorporation of incentives for increased FAR bonus. The applicant revised to plans to incorporate the comments and staff recommends approval of the project. After Planning Commission consideration of the project, the Development Review Committee (DRC) will finalize of all Precise Plan of Design development-related conditions.
Land Use Compatibility
The project is consistent with the EMP zone proposed by the applicant. The proposed development is consistent with the new warehouse development to the east and the existing warehouse developments near the project site. The nearest sensitive use is a non-conforming single-family residence located to the north of the project site. The project is not expected to negatively impact any uses with the successful implementation of mitigations such as landscape buffering, the installation of solid screen walls, aesthetic building enhancements, and other traffic relates measures. Anticipation is that the project will benefit the community and an improvement to the surrounding area. Upon completion of the project, the vacant site will be enhanced aesthetically with a new structure and landscaping that complies with the City’s Design Guidelines and the Renaissance Specific Plan.
Access & Circulation
The development will have three (3) points of access - two (2) driveways connected directly to Baseline Road and one (1) driveway connected directly to Alder Avenue. The westerly Baseline Road and the Alder Avenue driveways are designated for both trucks and passenger vehicles while the easterly driveway on Baseline Road is for passenger vehicle access only. All of the driveways will be restricted to right in/right out only. The north side of Baseline Road and the west side of Alder Avenue are yet to be improved with curb, gutter and sidewalk, which will be required as a part of this project. The City will require half-width street improvements and payment of development impact fees related to traffic. All street improvements and “fair-share” payments, as established by the traffic study, must be paid and/or completed prior to occupancy.
Transportation Commission
Dudek prepared a traffic study for the project, dated July 2018, to assess potential impacts to local streets and intersections. The Transportation Commission reviewed and approved the traffic study on September 5, 2018. The project would generate 910 daily trips, 77 AM peak hour trips, and 82 PM peak hour trips. With the application of PCE factors to truck trips, a total of 1,526 daily Passenger Car Equivalent (PCE) trips are anticipated, with 132 (PCE) trips during the AM peak hour and 138 (PCE) trips during the PM peak hour. The traffic study determined that the project is responsible for “fair-share” payment towards a future traffic signal at the intersection of Tamarind Avenue and Baseline Road, as well as modifications to four (4) other analyzed intersections. Street improvements and 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.
Parking Calculations
The development will have one hundred thirty-eight (138) auto parking spaces and thirty-nine (39) truck trailer spaces. 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:
|
Type of Use |
Floor Area (square feet) |
Parking Ratio |
Number of spaces |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Office |
9,000 |
1 / 250 |
36 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Warehouse |
40,000 |
1 / 1,000 (up to 10,000) |
40 |
|
|
206,035 |
1 / 4,000 |
52 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Required |
|
|
128 |
|
Total Provided |
|
|
138 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Truck Yard |
N/A |
1 / Dock Door |
28 Trailer spaces |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Required |
|
|
28 Trailer spaces |
|
Total Provided |
|
|
39 Trailer spaces |
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 to prepare an Initial Study (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2018-0029) for the project in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Initial Study is an attachment to the agenda report (Exhibit H & I). Although the Initial Study indicates that the project could present a significant effect with respect to Air Quality, Cultural Resources, Noise, Transportation/Traffic, and Tribal Cultural Resources, any potential impacts will be mitigated to a level of insignificance through the implementation of the mitigation measures included within the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (Exhibit J). Based on the findings and recommended mitigation measures within the Initial Study, staff determined that the project would not have an adverse impact on the environment, provided that mitigation measures are implemented, and a Mitigated Negative Declaration was prepared.
Staff published a Notice of Intent to adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project in the San Bernardino Sun newspaper and mailed copies to all property owners within 300 feet of the project site. A mandatory twenty (20) day public comment period took place from December 21, 2018 to January 9, 2019. As such, planning staff determined that the Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared appropriately satisfies the requirement of CEQA. The City did receive one (1) public correspondence during the public comment period for the project from SCAQMD. Additional information was provided to ensure that the project would not have a significant impact on the environment. A formal response to comments was prepared and incorporated into the Final Mitigated Negative Declaration document.
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. Notification to tribes provided thirty (30) days, from October 23, 2018 and November 22, 2018 to request consultation on the proposed project. Two (2) tribes, The Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians-Kizh Nation (Kizh Nation) & The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (San Manuel), 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 place a certified Native American Monitor on-site during all ground disturbance activities. San Manuel Band of Mission Indians requested electronic copies of technical studies prepared for the project for their review. Due to the nature of the site conditions, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians expressed no concerns with the project and only recommended the incorporation of a condition of approval requiring the project to have an archaeological monitor on site during ground disturbance activities. The Draft Resolutions of Approval include a Condition of Approval requiring the applicant to coordinate with the Kizh Nation to allow access during all ground disturbance activities.
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:
It is recommended that the Planning Commission:
- Adopt a resolution (Exhibit K) approving adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2018-0029) 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 a resolution (Exhibit L) approving Tentative Parcel Map No. 2018-0003 to allow the consolidation of twelve (12) parcels of land into one (1) parcel of land for the proposed project subject to the findings and conditions therein.
-
- Adopt a resolution (Exhibit M) approving Conditional Development Permit No. 2018-0006 to allow an a ten (10) percent increase plus an additional 10,000 square feet of building in the permitted floor area ratio, through the implementation of non-residential development incentives, to facilitate the development of the proposed project subject to the findings and conditions therein; and