For the Planning Commission Meeting of April 28, 2021
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Alexander Hamilton, Interim Community Development Director
FROM: Daniel Rosas, Associate Planner
Title
Conditional Development Permit No. 2019-0014: A request to allow the operation of an outdoor storage yard for truck and trailer parking on 3.3 acres of vacant land (APN: 0258-121-51) located on the west side of Riverside Avenue approximately 280 feet north of Industrial Drive within the Heavy Industrial (H-IND) zone of the Agua Mansa Specific Plan. A Mitigated Negative Declaration (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2019-0048) has been prepared for the project and all of its components, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Precise Plan of Design No. 2019-0036: A request to allow the development of an outdoor storage yard for additional truck trailer parking on 3.3 acres of vacant land (APN: 0258-121-51) located on the west side of Riverside Avenue approximately 280 feet north of Industrial Drive within the Heavy Industrial (H-IND) zone of the Agua Mansa Specific Plan. A Mitigated Negative Declaration (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2019-0048) has been prepared for the project and all of its components, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Body
APPLICANT:
Crown Enterprises, Inc., 12225 Stephens, Warren, MI 48089.
LOCATION:
The project site consists of one (1) parcel of land (APN: 0258-121-51) located on the west side of Riverside Avenue approximately 280 feet north of Industrial Drive (Location Map - Exhibit A).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding General Plan Land Use Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa SP) |
|
North |
General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa SP) |
|
East |
General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa SP) |
|
South |
General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa SP) |
|
West |
General Industrial with a Specific Plan Overlay (Agua Mansa SP) |
Surrounding Zoning Designations
|
Location |
Zoning |
|
Site |
Heavy Industrial (H-IND) |
|
North |
Heavy Industrial (H-IND) |
|
East |
Heavy Industrial (H-IND) |
|
South |
Heavy Industrial (H-IND) |
|
West |
Heavy Industrial (M-IND) |
Project Site
The project site is a relatively flat, rectangular-shaped piece of land comprised of one (1) parcel. The project site is approximately 3.3 acres in size and is currently vacant and undeveloped.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal
Crown Enterprises, Inc., the applicant, proposes to develop an outdoor storage yard for additional truck trailer parking on 3.3 acres of vacant land. The project will provide 99 truck trailer parking spaces to be used in conjunction with the existing truck terminal located at 2765 South Riverside Avenue.
Entitlement Requirements
Per Chapter 18.66 of the Rialto Municipal Code, the outdoor storage of truck trailers requires the approval of a Conditional Development Permit by the Planning Commission. Per Chapter 18.65 of the Rialto Municipal Code, the development and expansion of a truck terminal requires the approval of Precise Plan of Design application. The applicant complied with this requirement and filed a Conditional Development Permit application and a Precise Plan of Design application.
Site Design
According to the site plan (Exhibit B), the applicant will provide 99 parking spaces dedicated for truck and trailer parking on the site. The project site will incorporate block construction to secure the property and adequately screen the truck trailers from public view. A decorative screen wall with 2-foot square pilasters at 25 feet on center will be provided along the street frontage. The parking spaces and circulation drive aisle areas will be fully paved with concrete and a 10-foot-wide landscape planter is provided along the perimeter. Proposed aboveground stormwater retention ponds will be located in the northwest and southwest corners of the project site to address water quality management. Additionally, the applicant will provide an abundant amount of shrubs, groundcover and trees within the front landscape setback. Lastly, the project will include additional right-of-way dedication and the installation of ultimate street improvements on Riverside Avenue to connect to the existing improvements of the adjacent properties to the north and south.
Access
Ingress and egress for the site will come from one (1) centrally locate driveway connected to Riverside Avenue. The proposed driveway has a width of thirty-seven (37) feet that will allow right-in and right-out access to Riverside Avenue. A one-hundred and ten (110) foot-wide drive aisle will accommodate on-site circulation as well as fire department turn-around requirements.
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the entire project is 15 percent, which exceeds the minimum 10 percent required. As shown on the preliminary landscape plan (Exhibit C), all of the landscape planters will feature a variety of trees and abundant amounts of shrubs and groundcovers.
Land Use Compatibility
The project and its design are consistent with the Heavy Industrial (H-IND) zone of the Agua Mansa Specific Plan and the Design Guidelines contained within Chapter 18.61 of the Rialto Municipal Code. There are no sensitive uses immediately adjacent to or nearby the project site. As such, the project will not negatively affect the surrounding area. The project will aesthetically enhance the appearance of the area and will benefit the community through the installation of street improvements.
Transportation Commission
Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., prepared a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA), dated December 2020, to assess the project’s potential impacts to local streets and intersections (Exhibit D).
The TIA estimates that the project will generate approximately 850 PCE daily vehicle trips with 78 trips in the AM peak hour and 67 trips in the PM peak hour. According to Figure 7A of the TIA, 50% of the truck trips will come from the distribution facility across Riverside Avenue, and 50% will come from the I-10 Freeway. As Riverside Avenue is planned to include a raised median and restrict left-turn movements in the future, the traffic impact study analyzed a right-in and right-out only scenario (Scenario B) and accounted for additional intersection trips for the modified trip assignments as shown in Figure 7C.
Existing Conditions
The TIA analyzed seven (7) intersections on Riverside Avenue at the I-10 Freeway, Slover Avenue, Santa Ana Avenue, Industrial Drive, and Jurupa Avenue as well as the project entrance. The TIA documents that portions of Riverside Avenue are already operating beyond their capacity with two of the intersections at LOS F in the AM peak hour and five intersections at LOS F in the PM peak hour. In addition, the roadway segment from Santa Ana Avenue to the project driveway currently operates at LOS F.
Cumulative Plus Project Conditions
When ambient and cumulative growth are combined with the existing and project generated traffic volumes, the project will increase the delay at three intersections (Riverside Avenue and I-10 Eastbound Ramps, Riverside Avenue and Slover Avenue, and Riverside Avenue and Santa Ana Avenue). The TIA recommends various improvements to mitigate the project delay for each these intersections, including:
• Riverside Avenue at I-10 Eastbound Ramps: Add a fourth northbound right-turn lane from Slover Avenue to the I-10 Westbound Ramps;
• Riverside Avenue at Slover Avenue: Add a third north and southbound through lane; and,.
• Riverside Avenue at Santa Ana Avenue: Add a third north and southbound lane.
These improvements are envisioned as part of the Riverside Avenue widening project and would more than offset the project-related incremental delays. These improvements would also improve the functioning on the segment between Santa Ana Avenue and the project driveway. The TIA concluded that the payment of “fair share” fees for the recommended improvements constitutes adequate mitigation. The applicant will be responsible for fair share payments in the amount of $319,175. The Transportation Commission reviewed and approved the TIA on March 4, 2020. In its decision, the Transportation Commission agreed with the findings and recommended “fair-share” mitigation in the TIA. All street improvements, “fair-share” payments, and development impact fee payments, must be paid and/or completed prior to issuance of building permits.
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 2-22: 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 2-23: Minimize the visual impact of parking lots
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:
California Environmental Quality Act
The applicant engaged Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to prepare an Initial Study (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2019-0048) for the project in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 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 (Exhibit E). Although the Mitigated Negative Declaration identified potential impacts related to biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, and transportation resources, any of these impacts will be reduced to a level of insignificance subject to the imposition of the recommended mitigation contained within the project’s Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) (Exhibit F).
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 February 16, 2021 and ended on March 7, 2021. The Planning Division did not receive any comments during the comment period.
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 to request consultation on the proposed project. The Gabrieleño Band of Mission Indians-Kizh Nation (Kizh Nation), initially requested formal consultation during the period. After the consultation, the tribe forward a list of mitigations that were incorporated into the final MND, requiring the applicant to coordinate with the Kizh Nation to allow access to the site during all ground disturbance activities. San Manuel Band of Mission Indians did not request a formal consultation, but reached out to the Planning Division and provided mitigations that were also incorporated into the final MND, requiring the applicant to coordinate with San Manuel to allow access to the 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 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 G) 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 H) to approve Conditional Development Permit No. 2019-0014 allowing the establishment and operation of an outdoor storage yard for truck and trailer parking on 3.3 acres of vacant land (APN: 0258-121-51) located on the west side of Riverside Avenue approximately 280 feet north of Industrial Drive, subject to the findings and conditions therein; and
-
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit I) to approve Precise Plan of Design No. 2019-0036 to allow the development of an outdoor storage yard for additional truck trailer parking on 3.3 acres of vacant land (APN: 0258-121-51) located on the west side of Riverside Avenue approximately 280 feet north of Industrial Drive, subject to the findings and conditions therein.