For the Planning Commission Meeting of September 30, 2020
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Karen Peterson, Community Development Manager
FROM: Daniel Casey, Senior Planner
Title
Tentative Parcel Map No. 2020-0002 (TPM 20204): A request to allow the consolidation of six (6) parcels of land (APNs: 0131-011-29, -30, -31, -32, -33, & -34) into one (1) 3.45 net acre parcel of land. The project site is located at the northeast corner of Merrill Avenue and Yucca Avenue within the Light Industrial (M-1) zone. This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Conditional Development Permit No. 2020-0003: A request to allow the development and operation of a 36,500 square foot industrial storage warehouse/distribution center building on 3.51 gross acres (3.45 net acres) of land (APNs: 0131-011-29, -30, -31, -32, -33, & -34) located at the northeast corner of Merrill Avenue and Yucca Avenue within the Light Industrial (M-1) zone. This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Precise Plan of Design No. 2020-0004: A request to allow the development of a 36,500 square foot industrial storage warehouse/distribution center building on 3.51 gross acres (3.45 net acres) of land (APNs: 0131-011-29, -30, -31, -32, -33, & -34) located at the northeast corner of Merrill Avenue and Yucca Avenue within the Light Industrial (M-1) zone. This project is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Body
APPLICANT:
DP Yucca, LLC, 1430 S. Eastman Avenue, Commerce, CA 90023.
LOCATION:
The project site consists of six (6) parcels of land (APNs: 0131-011-29, -30, -31, -32, -33, & -34) located at the northeast corner of Merrill Avenue and Yucca Avenue (Refer to the attached Location Map (Exhibit A)).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding General Plan Land Use Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
Light Industrial |
|
North |
Light Industrial |
|
East |
Light Industrial |
|
South |
Residential 6 |
|
West |
Light Industrial |
Surrounding Zoning Designations
|
Location |
Zoning |
|
Site |
Light Industrial (M-1) |
|
North |
Light Industrial (M-1) |
|
East |
Light Industrial (M-1) |
|
South |
Single-Family Residential (R-1C) |
|
West |
Light Industrial (M-1) |
Site Characteristics
The project site is a relatively flat, rectangular-shaped piece of land comprised of six (6) parcels. Altogether, the project site is 3.51 gross acres in size with approximate dimensions of 615 feet (north-south) by 240 feet (east-west). The project site is bound on the south by Merrill Avenue and on the west by Yucca Avenue. The property is vacant and the surface is heavily disturbed due to prior truck and trailer movements and storage that occurred on site for long periods of time.
Surrounding Area
To the north of the project site is an approximately 57,000 square foot industrial building occupied by Plant Prefab, a pre-fabricated home manufacturer, and to the east is both a San Bernardino County Flood Control Channel and a 258,857 square foot industrial warehouse building occupied by DeVilbiss HealthCare, a healthcare supply distributor. To the south, across Merrill Avenue, is a single-family residential subdivision built in 1981, and to the west, across Yucca Avenue, are four (4) small industrial buildings ranging in size from 6,000 square feet to 12,000 square that are occupied by various businesses.
Community Compliance Action
Since at least 1995, the project site had been utilized for the unlicensed storage of trucks, trailers, and modular buildings, as evidenced by the attached Location Map (Exhibit A). Over the last twenty-five (25) years the City’s Community Compliance Division had taken various actions to achieve compliance on the project site only for the unlicensed activity to reoccur. The latest Community Compliance action on the project site occurred in 2019. In the aftermath, the property owners of the project site at that time opted to cease the unlicensed activity and sell the project site to the applicant.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal
DP Yucca, LLC, the applicant, proposes to consolidate six (6) parcels of land into one (1) 3.45 net acre parcel of land, and then construct a 36,500 square foot industrial storage warehouse/distribution center building on the new parcel. There is no proposed tenant for the new building at this time, but the design of the building will accommodate various of warehouse uses.
Entitlement Requirements
Per Section 17.16.040 of the Rialto Municipal Code, the proposed consolidation of land requires Planning Commission approval of a Tentative Parcel Map, per Section 18.66.030CC of the Rialto Municipal Code, the proposed development of an industrial storage warehouse/distribution center building requires Planning Commission approval of a Conditional Development Permit, and per Section 18.65.010 of the Rialto Municipal Code, the development of the proposed industrial storage warehouse/distribution center building and the associated improvements requires Planning Commission approval of a Precise Plan of Design.
Warehouse Moratorium
On February 11, 2020, the City Council adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 1634 establishing a 45-day moratorium on the establishment, expansion, and modification of warehouses, distribution centers, and related uses that are located adjacent to, or across a street or intersection from existing residential and educational uses within the entire City, excluding the Renaissance Specific Plan. On March 24, 2020 the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1636, extending the moratorium by ten (10) months and fifteen (15) days. Though the project site is located across the street from existing residential uses, the project applications were filed on January 30, 2020, before the adoption of Urgency Ordinance No. 1634, and therefore the project is exempt from the moratorium.
Parcel Map
According to the tentative parcel map (Exhibit B), the applicant will consolidate six (6) parcels of land into one (1) 3.45 net acre parcel of land. According to Chapter 18.38 (M-1 Zone) of the Rialto Municipal Code, the M-1 zone does not require a minimum lot size for a new parcel.
Site Design
According to the site plan (Exhibit C), the applicant will construct a 36,500 square foot industrial warehouse building on the west side of the project site. The proposed layout includes a truck court on the east side of the building and passenger vehicle parking areas along the north and south sides of the building. The truck court will accommodate a maximum of twenty-three (23) trucks and trailers, while the passenger vehicle parking areas will provide for the parking of up to forty-three (43) passenger vehicles.
A new forty (40) foot wide driveway connected directly to Yucca Avenue at the north end of the project frontage will provide right-in/left-out access for both trucks and passenger vehicles, and a second twenty-six (26) foot wide driveway connected directly to Yucca Avenue near the south end of the project frontage will provide full access movements for passenger vehicles only.
Other proposed on-site improvements include paving, lighting, landscape planters throughout the site, concrete screen walls, and an underground infiltration basin under the south passenger vehicle parking area for runoff water quality treatment.
Floor Plan
The floor plan for the proposed building (Exhibit D) indicates that the building will consist of 4,000 square feet of office space and 32,500 square feet of warehouse space. The office space will occupy the southwest corner of the building, with 2,000 square feet on the ground floor and another 2,000 square feet up above on a second-floor mezzanine. The east side of the building will have twenty-three (23) dock high loading doors and one (1) grade level roll-up doors. The applicant will place the main entrance to the building on the south side of the office space at the southwest corner of the building, along with seven (7) secondary/emergency exits distributed amongst the north, east, and west 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 four (4) sides of each building. As shown on the elevations (Exhibit E), the building height ranges from 31.5 feet to 38 feet from the finished floor level, with the highest point being the southwest corner of the building. The exterior of the building will be of concrete tilt-up wall construction painted with a palette of four (4) different colors - white and various gray tones. Other architectural features of the building include reveals, metal brow accents, composite wood siding, and glazing.
Parking
The development will have 43 auto-parking spaces, including two (2) ADA accessible parking spaces. This quantity exceeds the minimum parking requirement as shown in the parking calculation chart below and as required by Chapter 18.58 (Off-Street Parking) of the Rialto Municipal Code, 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 10,000 square feet, and one (1) parking space for every 2,000 square feet of warehouse space gross floor area beyond 10,000 square feet:
|
Type of Use |
Floor Area (square feet) |
Parking Ratio |
Number of spaces required |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Office Warehouse |
4,000 |
1 / 250 |
16 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Floor area up to 10,000 square feet Floor area 10,001 square feet or more |
10,000 22,500 |
1 / 1,000 1 / 2,000 |
10 12 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Required/Total Provided |
|
|
38/43 |
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the project is 14.5 percent, which exceeds the minimum required amount of 10.0 percent. This includes seventeen (17) foot-wide landscape planters along Merrill Avenue and Yucca Avenue, as well as planters around the perimeter of the building and 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).
Floor Area Ratio
Per Chapter 2 (Managing Our Land Supply) of the Rialto General Plan, the maximum allowable Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for parcels within the Light Industrial land use designation is 100.0 percent. The FAR proposed for the project is 24.3 percent, which is well within the allowable limit.
Traffic
Urban Crossroads, Inc. prepared a Traffic Impact Analysis Scoping Agreement (TIASA), dated April 20, 2020, to assess the project’s potential impacts to local streets and intersections (Exhibit G). The TIASA estimates that the project will generate up to approximately 134 actual daily vehicle trips (228 PCE daily vehicle trips) with 12 trips in the AM peak hour and 12 trips in the PM peak hour. Trucks will constitute up to 56 of the 134 actual daily vehicle trips. According to Exhibit 4 of the TIASA, 100% of the inbound and outbound truck trips will access the site from the Merrill Avenue west of the project site. This segment of Merrill Avenue is a four (4) lane Secondary Arterial Highway with existing industrial developments along the north side of the street from the project site to Cedar Avenue and beyond.
The TIASA concluded that the project will generate an insignificant amount of traffic, and all nearby intersections and roadway segments will operate at an acceptable Level of Service (LOS) under all conditions. The nearby intersections and roadway segments do not require any improvements in order to maintain an acceptable LOS, and therefore the project will not be responsible for the payment of “fair-share” fees.
The project will construct half-width street improvements along the entire project frontages of Merrill Avenue and Yucca Avenue. Additionally, the applicant will pay development impact fees related to traffic. All street improvements and development impact fee payments must be paid and/or completed prior to final inspection and occupancy.
Land Use Compatibility
The project is consistent with the Light Industrial (M-1) zone, the design guidelines contained within Chapter 18.61 (Design Guidelines) of the Rialto Municipal Code, and the industrial uses to the north, east, and west of the project site. The nearest sensitive uses are the single-family residences located to the south of the project site, across Merrill Avenue. The development and operation of proposed storage warehouse/distribution center will not significantly impact the residents to the south since measures, such as the installation of solid screen walls and landscape buffering will both noise and visual impacts to acceptable levels. Additionally, the Draft Resolutions of Approval contain conditions of approval requiring that the project does not exceed the traffic estimates contained within the TIASA, thereby ensuring that the project will not significantly impact local streets and intersections. The project will be a benefit to the community and an improvement to the surrounding area.
Fiscal Analysis
Prior to completion of the project, the applicant and the property owner/developer pay plan check, permit, and development impact fees to the City. Additionally, the project will generate annual recurring revenues to the City General Fund in the form of property taxes, utility taxes, and business license taxes. Furthermore, the project will generate approximately 25 to 35 jobs, increasing employment opportunities for City of Rialto residents. 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.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
The General Plan land use designation of the site is Light Industrial. According to Chapter 2 (Managing Our Land Supply) of the Rialto General Plan, industrial storage warehouse/distribution center uses, such as the project, are consistent with the Light Industrial 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.
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:
The project is categorically exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The project qualifies as a Class 32 exemption under CEQA Guidelines Section 15332 - In-Fill Development Projects - as the project is consistent with the Rialto General Plan and the Light Industrial (M-1) zoning designation, the project occurs on a site less than 5.0 acres in size that is substantially surrounded by development, the project site has no value as habitat for threatened or endangered species, the project will not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality, and the project site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services.
FirstCarbon Solutions prepared an Air Quality, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Energy Analysis Report (Exhibit H) and a Noise Impact Analysis Report (Exhibit I) for the project. These reports provide evidence that the project will not exceed any threshold or standard required by either the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) or the Rialto General Plan, and therefore the project will not result in a significant impact as it relates to air quality or noise. As previously mentioned, the project’s TIASA, prepared by Urban Crossroads, Inc., provides evidence that the project will not result in a significant impact as it relates to traffic. Lastly, the Draft Resolutions of Approval contain conditions of approval that require City approval of a project-specific Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) prior to the issuance of a grading permit, in order to ensure that the project will not will not result in a significant impact to water quality.
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, City Clerk’s Office, and Grace Vargas Senior Center, and mailed public hearing notices to all property owners within 300 feet of the project site, as required by State law.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning Division recommends that the Planning Commission:
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit J) to approval Tentative Parcel Map No. 2020-0002 to allow the consolidation of six (6) parcels of land (APNs: 0131-011-29, -30, -31, -32, -33, & -34) into one (1) 3.45 net acre parcel of land, subject to the findings and conditions therein; and
-
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit K) to approve Conditional Development Permit No. 2020-0003 to allow the development and operation of a 36,500 square foot industrial storage warehouse/distribution center building on 3.51 gross acres (3.45 net acres) of land (APNs: 0131-011-29, -30, -31, -32, -33, & -34), subject to the findings and conditions therein.
-
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit L) to approve Precise Plan of Design No. 2020-0004 to allow the development of a 36,500 square foot industrial storage warehouse/distribution center building on 3.51 gross acres (3.45 net acres) of land (APNs: 0131-011-29, -30, -31, -32, -33, & -34), subject to the findings and conditions therein.