ORDINANCE NO. 3368
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CORONA,
CALIFORNIA, APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE
DOS LAGOS SPECIFIC PLAN (SP-99-03) TO AMEND THE
SIGN REGULATIONS IN SECTION 4.3.6(A)(1) AND (2) TO
INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE DIGITAL DISPLAY AREA
OF PERMITTED FREEWAY-ORIENTED PYLON SIGNS
AND MONUMENT SIGNS FOR COMMERCIAL CENTERS
20 ACRES IN SIZE OR LARGER (SPA2022-0008).
WHEREAS, on March 20, 2023, the Planning and Housing Commission of the City of Corona (“Planning Commission”) recommended that the City Council of the City of Corona (“City Council”) approve SPA2022-0008, an amendment to Section 4.3.6(A)(1)(2) (Signage Standards (C) and (EC) of the Dos Lagos Specific Plan (SP-99-03) to increase the size of the digital display area of permitted freeway-oriented pylon signs and monument signs for commercial centers that are 20 acres in size or larger (the “Amendment”); and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission based its recommendation to adopt the Amendment on the findings set forth below and a determination that there is no possibility that the Amendment will have a significant effect on the environment and, thus, is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act; and WHEREAS, on April 19, 2023, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing at which all persons wishing to testify in connection with the Amendment were heard and the Amendment was comprehensively reviewed.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORONA
DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. CEQA Findings. As the decision-making body for the Amendment, the City Council has reviewed and considered the entire record for the Amendment, including all written and oral evidence presented to the City Council. Based upon the facts and information in the entire record, including all written and oral evidence presented to the City Council, the City Council finds that this action is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15301 of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that minor alterations of existing public or private structures involving negligible or no expansion of use beyond that existing at the time of the CEQA determination is exempt from CEQA. This action involves a minor amendment to the sign regulations in the Dos Lagos Specific Plan, which will allow the only commercial center that is 20 acres or larger in size to moderately increase the size of their existing freeway-oriented pylon signs and existing monument signs as a means of achieving greater visibility and tenant identification and the amendment involves a negligible expansion of uses that are already permitted by the Dos Lagos Specific Plan. Additionally, the City Council finds that this action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines 2 for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This Ordinance is solely a specific plan text revision to amend the sign regulations related to signage at commercial centers of 20 acres or more and there is no possibility that adopting this Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no further environmental analysis is required.
SECTION 2. Zoning Findings. Pursuant to Sections 17.53.090 and
17.53.100 of the Corona Municipal Code, and based on the entire record before the City Council, including all written and oral evidence presented to the City Council, the City Council hereby makes and adopts the following findings:
A. SPA2022-0008 systematically implements and is consistent with the General Plan for the following reasons:
(i) This Amendment is consistent with General Plan Land Use Policy LU-5.9 in that it will require adherence and implementation of the design and development guidelines in the Dos Lagos Specific Plan.
(ii) This Amendment is consistent with General Plan Land Use Policy ED-4.5 because it will promote reinvestment in The Shops at Dos Lagos retail center by providing signage that is necessary for the retail center. The enhanced visibility of the signage is intended to attract customers to support and help sustain the shopping center and appeal to new retail uses that will serve adjacent neighborhoods and contribute to the overall vitality of the center.
B. SPA2022-0008 provides for development of a comprehensively planned project that is superior to development otherwise allowed under the conventional zoning classifications for the following reason:
(i) This Amendment provides development criteria for commercial center signage to ensure compatibility with other development and/or structures within and adjacent to the center.
C. SPA2022-0008 provides for the construction, improvement, or extension of transportation facilities, public utilities and public services required by the long-term needs of the project and/or other area residents, and complements the orderly development of the City beyond the project’s boundaries for the following reason:
(i) This Amendment is a specific plan text change to the sign regulations for commercial centers that are 20 acres or larger and does not affect the infrastructure that is planned, constructed or required as part of the Dos Lagos Specific Plan. 3 D. SPA2022-0008 provides for the appropriate orientation and relationship between land uses within and adjacent to the Subject Property for the following reasons:
(i) This Amendment permits commercial center signage for regional commercial centers in a manner that is compatible in scale to other regional commercial centers that have visibility and frontage along the City’s freeway corridors.
SECTION 3. Approval of the Amendment (SPA2022-0008). The Amendment to the Dos Lagos Specific Plan (SP-99-03) (SPA2022-0008) is hereby approved. The text of the Dos Lagos Specific Plan (SP-99-03) is hereby amended as shown in Exhibit “A” attached to this Ordinance and incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 4. Custodian of Records.The documents and materials that constitute the record of proceedings on which these findings are based are located at City Hall for the City of Corona, located at 400 S. Vicentia Avenue, Corona, California. Joanne Coletta, Planning and Development Director, is the custodian of the record of proceedings.
SECTION 5. Effective Date of Ordinance. The Mayor shall sign this Ordinance and the City Clerk shall attest thereto and shall within fifteen (15) days of its adoption cause it, or a summary of it, to be published in a general circulation newspaper in the City of Corona.
This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 3
rd day of May, 2023.
______________________________________
Mayor of the City of Corona, California
ATTEST:
___________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
4 CERTIFICATION
I, Sylvia Edwards, City Clerk of the City of Corona, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was regularly introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Corona, California duly held on the 19th day of April, 2023 and thereafter at a regular meeting held on the 3
rd day of May, 2023, it was duly passed and adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAINED:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Corona, California, this 3
rd day of May, 2023.
_________________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
[SEAL]
5 EXHIBIT “A”
AMENDMENT TO THE
TEXT OF THE
DOS LAGOS SPECIFIC PLAN (SP-99-03)
Sections 4.3.6(A)(1) and 4.3.6(A)(2) of the Dos Lagos Specific Plan (SP-99-03) are hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
Section 4.3.6 Signage Standards (C) and (EC)
A. Major Commercial Center Identification Signs (For centers 20 acres in size or larger):
1. Freeway Oriented Signs: Freeway oriented signs for commercial centers are allowed in the following manner.
a. Centers located adjacent to the freeway are allowed to have up to three freeway oriented pylon signs. The pylons signs shall not exceed a height of 60 feet, and a maximum copy face area of 750 square feet.
The pylon signs shall be limited to a maximum eleven (11) static copy tenant spaces on each sign. An electronic sign display is allowed on any of the freeway oriented pylons signs provided that the electronic display area shall not exceed 672 square feet in digital copy face area and in no case shall the entire sign exceed 750 square feet in copy face area.
b. Centers located adjacent to the freeway are allowed to have up to eight (8) freeway oriented monument signs. The monument signs shall be limited to four (4) tenant spaces. The total copy sign area shall not exceed 225 square feet and shall not exceed a height of 17 feet. c. All freeway signs shall be of high quality having attractive architecture.
2. 2. Monument Signs: Monument signs for commercial centers are allowed in the following manner.
a. Project identification monument signs are allowed at every driveway opening to the commercial center. These signs may advertise tenants and the name of the center. The ultimate locations of the monument signs shall be approved through the project’s sign program. b. All monument signs shall be located outside of the visibility triangle for driveways and streets. Monument signs located along Temescal Canyon 6 Road shall have a minimum unobstructed visibility triangle of not less than 20 feet on each side.
c. Monument signs shall not exceed an overall height of 10 feet. d. Monument signs, not including the architecture features and base, shall not exceed an overall copy area of 175 square feet. The copy area can be static copy and/or electronic message centers.