City of Corona
Staff Report
400 S. Vicentia Ave.
Corona, CA 92882
File #: 22-0167
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 03/02/2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
SUBJECT:
Conditional Use Permit 2021-0003 to allow for a 1,103 square-foot liquor store within an existing commercial building located at 490 N. Main Street, Suite 103, in the Commercial Retail designation of the North Main Street Specific Plan.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Conditional Use Permit 2021-0003 (CUP2021-0003) is an application by Ryan Morrissey of Happiest Ours Wine and Spirits to establish a 1,103 square-foot liquor store within an existing commercial building located at 490 N. Main Street, Suite 103. The business will hold on-site tasting events, but all alcohol sales are for off-site consumption. The intent of the Commercial Retail designation of the North Main Street Specific Plan is to attract a mix of general uses that service both residents and businesses. The proposed use is compatible with other commercial eating and drinking establishments located within the center.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Take no action, thereby affirming the Planning and Housing Commission’s action granting CUP2021-0003, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval.
OR
b. Set the item for review at a subsequent meeting.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
CUP2021-0003 is an application to establish a liquor store within an existing multi-tenant commercial building located at 490 N. Main Street. The zoning of the property is Commercial Retail (CR) of the North Main Street Specific Plan (SP99-01), which allows for various commercial uses such as retail and eating and drinking establishments. The Specific Plan permits liquor stores within the CR City of Corona Page 1 of 3 Printed on 2/23/2022
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File #: 22-0167
and eating and drinking establishments. The Specific Plan permits liquor stores within the CR designation with the approval of a conditional use permit.
The proposed liquor store would be located within the Metro at Main mixed-use center, which was constructed between 2014 through 2017. The Metro at Main mixed-use center is an urban lifestyle center that includes a mix of residential lofts and ground floor commercial service uses.
ANALYSIS:
The applicant of CUP2021-0003 proposes to establish a liquor store that would sell a select inventory of alcoholic beverages that includes artisanal wine, distilled spirits, and beer from local, regional, and national producers. The store will also sell cocktail recipes, garnishes, mixers, glassware, barware, and other accompaniments that are used for cocktails. Instructional tastings and demonstrations will also be offered at the store.
The store intends to operate under two license types from the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control:
· Type 21, which allows for sale of beer, wine, and distilled spirits for off-site consumption, and · Type 86, which allows for instructional tasting for beer, wine, and distilled spirits at off-sale licensed establishment. This license has a set limit on the quantity and number of tastings that may be offered to consumers.
The applicant’s proposed operating hours are 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM daily.
The proposed floor plan consists of product display cases near the front of the store along with a wall of refrigerators for product storage on one side and a built-in wine and spirit storage on the opposite wall. The interior layout provides a 94 square-foot tasting area with two tables, eight chairs, and a mobile bar where product demonstrations and tasting will take place.
The building that will house the proposed business is situated near the northerly border of the Metro and Main center. It is surrounded to the west, south, and east by other commercial tenants that are within the same center. The businesses consist of eating establishments, retail, and general services.
Also located to the south are residential lofts, which are part of the urban lifestyle mixed-use development. Located to the north on the other side of Rincon Street are a residential apartment complex and an auto repair and service business. The proposed use will integrate with the other commercial uses in the center.
Access and Parking
The mixed-use center has three points of vehicle access from the surrounding streets. One driveway is located on Rincon Street, near the subject building. A second driveway is located near Main Street, and a third driveway is located on Harrison Street. The driveways are shared among the residential and commercial tenants within the center.
The center currently has 876 parking spaces on-site, which are also shared among the residential and commercial tenants. The center’s compliance with the municipal code’s parking requirements was originally reviewed through the original precise plan process (PP12-005). The proposed liquor store is a commercial retail use and does not change the parking ratio already established for the City of Corona Page 2 of 3 Printed on 2/23/2022
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File #: 22-0167
store is a commercial retail use and does not change the parking ratio already established for the center.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The applicant paid the application processing fees of $6,985 to cover the cost of the Conditional Use Permit.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
Per Section 15301 of the State Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Section 3.21 of the City’s Local CEQA Guidelines, a Notice of Exemption has been prepared for the project because the project qualifies as a Class 1 (Existing Facilities) categorical exemption. The project consists of establishing a liquor store within an existing commercial building, no expansion to the existing commercial building is proposed with this project. Approval of this project will only establish the right to operate a liquor store within an existing commercial building.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of February 7, 2022, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Woody/Alexander) and carried unanimously, that the Planning and Housing Commission approve Resolution No. 2580 granting CUP2021-0003, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval. The minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting are included as Exhibit 4.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Locational and zoning map
2. Exhibit 2 - Site plan for CUP2021-0003
3. Exhibit 3 - Planning and Housing Commission Staff Report
4. Exhibit 4 - Draft minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of February 7, 2022
City of Corona Page 3 of 3 Printed on 2/23/2022
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