For the Planning Commission Meeting of June 30, 2021
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Karen Peterson, Community Development Manager
FROM: Daniel Casey, Senior Planner
Title
Conditional Development Permit No. 2021-0001: A request to allow the development and operation of a 40,164 square foot two-story climate-controlled indoor self-storage facility on 0.76 gross acres of land (APN: 0131-031-58) located on the east side of Riverside Avenue approximately 725 feet south of Rialto Avenue within the Support Commercial (S-C) zone of the Central Area Specific Plan. This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects) of the State CEQA Guidelines.
Precise Plan of Design No. 2021-0001: A request to allow the development of a 40,164 square foot two-story climate-controlled indoor self-storage building with associated paving, landscaping, lighting, and drainage improvements on 0.76 acres of land (APN: 0131-031-58) located on the east side of Riverside Avenue approximately 725 feet south of Rialto Avenue within the Support Commercial (S-C) zone of the Central Area Specific Plan. This project is categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15332 (In-Fill Development Projects) of the State CEQA Guidelines.
The above entitlements, together, are collectively referred to as “project” or “Project”.
Body
APPLICANT:
SREF 2020, LLC, 1300 Bristol Street North, Suite 100, Newport Beach, CA 92660.
LOCATION:
The project site consists of one (1) parcel of land (APN: 0131-031-58) located on the east side of Riverside Avenue approximately 725 feet south of Rialto Avenue (Refer to the attached Location Map (Exhibit A)).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding Land Use and Zoning
|
Location |
Existing Land Use |
Zoning |
|
Site |
Vacant |
Support Commercial (S-C) |
|
North |
Auto Upholstery Shop |
Core Commercial (C-C) |
|
East |
Self-Storage Facility |
Urban Services (U-S) |
|
South |
Self-Storage Facility |
Support Commercial (S-C) |
|
West |
Commercial Shopping Center |
Support Commercial (S-C) |
General Plan Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
Downtown Mixed-Use |
|
North |
Downtown Mixed-Use |
|
East |
Residential 21 |
|
South |
Downtown Mixed-Use |
|
West |
Downtown Mixed-Use |
Site Characteristics
The project site consists of one (1) parcel of land that is relatively flat and generally square in shape. The parcel is 0.76 acres in size with approximate dimensions of 180 feet (north-south) by 180 feet (east-west). The project site is bound on the north by the BNSF/Metrolink railroad and on the west by Riverside Avenue. The property is vacant and covered by natural grasses and shrubs, except for existing curb, gutter, sidewalk, and a twelve (12) foot wide strip of landscaping along the Riverside Avenue frontage.
Surrounding Area
To the north of the project site, across the BNSF/Metrolink railroad, is a 10,000 square foot commercial building occupied by J&J Auto Fabrics, and to the east is an existing self-storage facility occupied by Extra Space Storage. To the south is the office structure and auto-parking lot for the existing Extra Space Storage self-storage facility, and to the west, across Riverside Avenue, is a commercial center consisting of three (3) buildings totaling approximately 16,040 square feet in size.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal
SREF 2020, LLC, the applicant, proposes to develop and operate a 40,164 square foot two-story climate-controlled indoor self-storage facility on the project site. The project will operate as a component of the existing Extra Space Storage self-storage facility located adjacent to the east and south of the project site.
Entitlement Requirements
The following entitlements are required for the applicant’s proposal:
• Conditional Development Permit: Per Section 18.66.030X of the Rialto Municipal Code, the establishment of a self-storage facility requires the approval of a Conditional Development Permit.
• Precise Plan of Design: Per Section 18.65.010 of the Rialto Municipal Code, the design of the development and the related site improvements (e.g. building exterior, landscaping, etc.) requires the approval of a Precise Plan of Design.
Site Design
According to the site plan (Exhibit B), the applicant will construct a 40,164 square foot two-story climate-controlled indoor self-storage building on the east end of the project site adjacent to an existing self-storage facility. The proposed layout includes a new parking area consisting of three (3) parking spaces and two (2) loading spaces on the south side of the building and new landscape planters on the north side of the building and along the Riverside Avenue frontage on the west side of the project site.
An existing twenty-six (26) foot wide driveway connected directly to Riverside Avenue at the south end of the project frontage will provide vehicular access to the project site. This driveway will serve as a shared driveway for both the new development and the existing self-storage facility to the east. A Reciprocal Access Easement (Instrument No. 2005-0897718), recorded on December 1, 2005, memorialized the shared use of the driveway by both the project site and the existing self-storage facility to the east.
Other proposed on-site improvements include paving, lighting, landscape planters elsewhere throughout the site, and an underground stormwater infiltration system.
Floor Plan
According to the floor plan (Exhibit C), the project will consist of two (2) floors of storage area. The first floor will contain approximately 202 individual self-storage units over 20,233 square feet, and the second floor will contain approximately 207 individual self-storage units over 19,930 square feet. Individual self-storage units will range in size from five (5) foot by five (5) foot (25 square feet) up to ten (10) foot by twenty (20) foot (200 square feet). The applicant will place the main entrance to the building on the south side of the building along with three (3) emergency exits distributed amongst the north and south sides of the building.
Architectural Design
As shown on the elevations (Exhibit D), the applicant proposes a building with an architectural design consistent with the existing self-storage facility adjacent to the east. This primarily includes a precision block exterior painted a light gray tone and with a split-face block wainscot painted a dark gray tone. Additional architectural features include wall plane projections on the north and west sides of the building, metal accent siding, cement plaster accents, metal roofline trim, reveals, metal accent banding, metal canopies, and glass display areas. Lastly, the exterior building height will range from 26 feet up to 28.5 feet from the finished floor level.
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the project is 14.9 percent, which exceeds the minimum required amount of 10.0 percent. This includes a landscape setback along Riverside Avenue, as well as planters on the north and south sides of the proposed building. 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 E).
Parking
The existing self-storage facility and the new climate-controlled indoor self-storage component will have ten (10) auto-parking spaces, including (2) ADA accessible parking spaces. This quantity exceeds the minimum parking requirement as shown in the parking calculation chart below and as required by Section 18.58.050I(11) of the Rialto Municipal Code, which requires two (2) customer parking spaces and one (1) employee parking space per self-storage facility:
|
Type of Use |
Parking Ratio |
Number of spaces required |
|
Self-Storage Facility Total Required/Total Provided Total “Over-parked” |
3 per facility |
3 3/10 +7 |
Operations
The Project will offer monthly rentals of self-storage units with a wide range of sizes and options, including climate-controlled units that help maintain temperature and humidity to protect personal items from outdoor weather conditions. Items typically stored within the self-storage units include, but are not limited to, furniture, mattresses, clothing, files/documents, seasonal items, artwork, electronics, antiques, etc. Loading and unloading activities will occur via the main entrance on the south side of the building to and from the customer parking area on the south of the building. The existing leasing office for the existing self-storage facility will be utilized for the new indoor storage component of Extra Space Storage’s operation. Office hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, while customers will have access to their storage units from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. seven (7) days a week. Additionally, Extra Space Storage’s existing self-storage facility generates a point-of-sale through the sales of boxes, tape, packaging materials, bubble wrap, dolly rentals, stamps, envelopes, and other miscellaneous office supplies, and the point-of-sale will increase upon development of the new climate-controlled indoor self-storage component.
Land Use Compatibility
The project is consistent with the S-C zone and the design criteria contained within the Central Area Specific Plan and Chapter 18.61 (Design Guidelines) of the Rialto Municipal Code. The project site is surrounded by existing commercial developments including an existing self-storage facility, which the project will operate in conjunction with. Upon approval of the Conditional Development Permit, the project will be subject to a Planning Commission review within six (6) months from the date of approval to ensure compliance with all Conditions of Approval, and to ensure that the establishment has not become a nuisance. Thereafter, the establishment will be subject to annual review.
Economic Development Committee
The Economic Development Committee (EDC) reviewed the project on August 12, 2020. At its meeting, the EDC expressed general support for the project and directed the applicant to file the necessary applications.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY:
The General Plan land use designation of the site is Downtown Mixed-Use. According to Chapter 2 (Managing Our Land Supply) of the Rialto General Plan, commercial service uses, such as a climate-controlled indoor self-storage facility, are consistent with the Downtown Mixed-Use 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:
California Environmental Quality Act
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.
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 F). The TIASA estimates that the project will generate up to approximately 74 daily vehicle trips with 6 trips in the AM peak hour and 8 trips in the PM peak hour. 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 to maintain an acceptable LOS. Therefore, the project will not be responsible for the payment of “fair-share” fees for any specific roadway improvement, though the project will still be responsible for the payment of development impact fees related to traffic prior to the issuance of any building as is the case with any new development.
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 1,000 feet of the project site.
RECOMMENDATION:
The Planning Division recommends that the Planning Commission:
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit G) to approve Conditional Development Permit No. 2021-0001 the allow the development and operation of a 40,164 square foot climate-controlled indoor self-storage facility on 0.76 gross acres of land (APN: 0131-031-58) located on the east side of Riverside Avenue approximately 725 feet south of Rialto Avenue, subject to the findings and conditions therein; and
-
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit H) to approve Precise Plan of Design No. 2021-0001 to allow the development of a 40,164 square foot two-story climate-controlled indoor self-storage building with associated paving, landscaping, lighting, and drainage improvements on 0.76 acres of land (APN: 0131-031-58) located on the east side of Riverside Avenue approximately 725 feet south of Rialto Avenue, subject to the findings and conditions therein.