For the Planning Commission Meeting of December 8, 2021
TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commissioners
APPROVAL: Sean M. Moore, AICP, Director of Community Development
FROM: Daniel Rosas, Associate Planner
Title
Conditional Development Permit No. 2021-0002: A request to allow the operation of drive-thru service in conjunction with a 2,400 square foot fast-food restaurant to be located at the southeast corner of Casmalia Street and Ayala Drive (APN: 1133-591-07) within the Freeway Incubator (F-I) land use district of the Renaissance Specific Plan. This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures) of the State CEQA Guidelines (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2021-0057).
Precise Plan of Design No. 2021-0002: A request to develop a 2,400 square foot fast-food restaurant building with drive-thru service and associated paving, landscaping, lighting, fencing, and drainage improvements located on the southeast corner of Casmalia Street and Ayla Drive (APN: 1133-591-07) within the Freeway Incubator (F-I) land use district of the Renaissance Specific Plan. This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures) of the State CEQA Guidelines (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2021-0057).
The above entitlements, together, are collectively referred to as “project” or “Project”.
Body
APPLICANT:
CDM Inc., 4740 Green River Road, Suite 108, Corona, CA 92880.
LOCATION:
The project site consists of one (1) parcel of land (APN: 1133-591-07) located at the southeast corner of Casmalia Street and Ayala Drive (Exhibit A).
BACKGROUND:
Surrounding General Plan Land Use Designations
|
Location |
General Plan Designation |
|
Site |
Specific Plan w/ Specific Plan Overlay |
|
North |
Residential 6 |
|
East |
Specific Plan w/ Specific Plan Overlay |
|
South |
Specific Plan w/ Specific Plan Overlay |
|
West |
Specific Plan w/ Specific Plan Overlay |
Surrounding Land Use District or Zoning Designations
|
Location |
Zoning |
|
Site |
Renaissance Specific Plan (Freeway Incubator (F-I)) |
|
North |
Single Family Residential (R-1B) |
|
East |
Renaissance Specific Plan (Freeway Incubator (F-I)) |
|
South |
Renaissance Specific Plan (Freeway Incubator (F-I)) |
|
West |
Renaissance Specific Plan (Freeway Incubator (F-I)) |
Site Characteristics
The project site is a relatively flat and rectangular-shaped piece of land comprised of one (1) parcel 0.64 acres in size with approximate average dimensions of 250 feet (east-west) by 132 feet (north-south). The site is currently developed with an existing single-family residence.
Surrounding Area
The project site is bound by Casmalia Street to the north and Ayala Drive to the west. To the north, across Casmalia Street, is an existing single-family residential tract. To the west, across Ayala Drive, is a gas station. To the east and south is a vacant parcel of land.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION:
Project Proposal
CDM Inc., the applicant, proposes to demolish the existing residential dwelling and redevelop the project site with the construction of a 2,400 square foot speculative fast-food restaurant with drive-thru service.
Entitlement Requirements
Per Table 3-2 (General Permitted Uses) of the Renaissance Specific Plan and Chapter 18.66 (Conditional Development Permits) of the Rialto Municipal Code, the operation of a drive-thru requires the approval of a Conditional Development Permit by the Planning Commission. Additionally, per Chapter 18.65 of the Rialto Municipal Code, a Precise Plan of Design approval is required to develop the project. The applicant has complied with these requirements and filed the applications on January 25, 2021.
Site Design
According to the site plan (Exhibit B), the applicant will construct a 2,400 square foot fast-food restaurant with drive-thru lane on the west portion of the parcel with the associated paving, lighting, landscaping, and other improvements such as facilities for Americans with Disability Act (ADA) access and trash service on the east portion of the project site.
The project site will be accessed via the one access (1) driveway on Casmalia Street located at the northeast corner of the site. A vehicle circulation drive aisle will loop the east portion of the project site providing access to parking as well as the drive-thru lane entrance. The proposed drive-thru lane circles the restaurant building has queuing for at least ten (10) cars.
The project also includes a pedestrian pathway to and from the public right-of-way, trash enclosure, landscape planters throughout the parking areas as well as the perimeter and site lighting throughout the project will also be required.
Access
The project site will be accessed via the driveway on Casmalia Street near the northeast corner of the project site. The project site has existing street improvements along both frontages that may need to be amended per the Renaissance Specific Plan such as existing curb, gutter, signalized intersection, etc. The Renaissance Specific Plan identifies a raised median for Casmalia Street so the proposed driveway will be restricted to right-in, right-out only access in the future.
Floor Plans
The proposed restaurant is a speculative development with no specified tenant that will occupy building. As such, the floor plan of the restaurant building (Exhibit C) shows limited interior improvements consisting of restroom layout, roof access, and electrical room. Although no seating or kitchen layout has been presented, the future tenant is required to submit Tenant Improvement (TI) plans to the Building Division for review and approval for permit. The building will have an articulated footprint due to the incorporation of the electrical room and non-habitable projected masses with varying depths from the main wall plane.
Architectural Design
As shown on the elevations for the drive-thru restaurant building (Exhibit D), the structure will have a contemporary architectural design that is consistent with the City’s Design Guidelines and the Renaissance Specific Plan in providing enhanced architecture and site design. This includes the incorporation of store front system, stone veneer, metal awnings, and exterior cement plaster in white and grey colors. The exterior height of the structure ranges from approximately nineteen (19) feet up to thirty (30) feet.
Landscaping
The landscape coverage for the project is 12 percent which complies with the requirements of Renaissance Specific Plan. This includes a 10-foot landscape easement and landscape setbacks along both Ayala Drive and Casmalia Street as well as additional landscape planters around the drive-through lane and in the parking area. As shown on the Planting Plan (Exhibit E), all of the landscape planters will feature a variety of trees and an abundant amount of shrubs and groundcover.
Parking
The proposed project will have twenty-three (23) auto stalls on-site, including 1 ADA accessible parking spaces. This quantity meets the minimum parking requirement as shown in the parking calculation chart below and as required by Renaissance Specific Plan:
|
Type of Use |
Floor Area (square feet) |
Parking Ratio |
Number of spaces |
|
Restaurant Non-Res. Incentive Program (Pedestrian Orientation) Total Required/Total Provided |
2,400 |
1/100 -5%(1.2) |
24 -1 23/23 |
Operations
Although the operator of the proposed drive-thru restaurant is unknown at this time, conditions of approval have been incorporated into the resolution to ensure that the future operator complies with the City requirements and regulations of the Renaissance Specific Plan. Although a twenty-four operation 24-hour operation is permitted, the property is subject to the city’s noise ordinance and conditions of approval have been incorporated to mitigate drive-thru speaker audio, light standard shields to prevent light flooding from the property, continuous hedge planting along the drive-thru lane to screen vehicle headlights from the public right-of-way. Other conditions of approval require the installation of a trash receptacle at exit of the drive-thru lane as well as, upon notification, the immediate remedy of excessive drive-thru queuing that affects the general circulation of traffic on-site.
Traffic
STC Traffic Inc., prepared a Traffic Impact Analysis Scoping Agreement (TIASA) 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 81 AM peak hours trips and 66 PM peak hour trips. The TIASA concluded that the project will generate an insignificant amount of traffic. However, the project traffic will contribute to an existing delay at the intersection of Ayala Drive and Casmalia Street, and in response the applicant will contribute a “fair-share” payment in the amount of approximately $30,000 towards future improvements at the intersection.
Land Use Compatibility
The project and its design are consistent with the Freeway Incubator (F-I) land use district of the Renaissance Specific Plan and the General Plan. The primary purpose of the Freeway Incubator land use district is to provide services to the motoring public and allows drive-thru restaurant use. The proposed project is required to install enhanced landscaping with berming and hedges to buffer the existing residences to the north. With successful implementation of the included conditions of approval, the project is not anticipated to have any negative impacts. The project will provide a benefit to the community by replacing an under-developed commercial property with new on-site improvements that will aesthetically enhance the site, improve economic activity and provide an alternative dining option in a convenient location.
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
This project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15303 (New construction or conversion of small Structures) (Environmental Assessment Review No. 2021-0057). Class 3 allows for the exemption of a project consisting of the new construction of a restaurant up to 2,500 square foot in floor area. A Notice of Exemption form is attached to this agenda report.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
The City mailed a public hearing notice for the proposed project to all property owners within 660 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 Conditional Development Permit No. 2021-0002 to allow the operation of drive-thru service in conjunction with a 2,400 square foot fast-food restaurant located at the southeast corner of Ayala Drive and Camalia Street (APN: 1133-591-07) within the Freeway Incubator (F-I) land use district of the Renaissance Specific Plan, subject to the findings and conditions therein; and
-
- Adopt the attached Resolution (Exhibit H) to approve Precise Plan of Design No. 2021-0002 to allow the development of a 2,400 square foot fast-food restaurant building with drive-thru service located at the southeast corner of Ayala Drive and Camalia Street (APN: 1133-591-07) within the Freeway Incubator (F-I) land use district of the Renaissance Specific Plan, subject to the findings and conditions therein.