ORDINANCE NO. 3375
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CORONA,
CALIFORNIA, APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE
NORTHEAST CORONA SPECIFIC PLAN (SP81-2) TO: (1)
AMEND SECTION 4.5.10(C) TO ALLOW UP TO SIX
TENANTS TO BE ADVERTISED ON A PARCEL
IDENTIFICATION SIGN; AND (2) AMEND SECTION
4.5.10(I) TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE
SIGN AREA AND SIGN HEIGHT AND ALLOW
ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CENTER ON FREEWAY
PYLON SIGNS AND TO ALLOW PYLON SIGNS UP TO A
HEIGHT OF 55 FEET WITHIN PLANNING AREA 7A IN
THE SUPPORT COMMERCIAL DISTRICT (SPA2022-
0006).
WHEREAS, on June 26, 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 SPA2022-0006, an amendment to Section 4.5.10 (Signs) of the Northeast Corona Specific Plan (SP81-2) to: (1) increase the maximum allowable sign area and sign height and to permit electronic message center on freeway pylon signs within Planning Area 7 in the Support Commercial District; and (2) allow up to six (6) tenants to be advertised on a parcel identification sign within the Support Commercial District; and WHEREAS, on July 21, 2023, the applicant requested to amend its application for SPA2022-0006 to also allow pylon signs within Planning Area 7A in the Support Commercial District up to a maximum height of 55 feet; and WHEREAS, on August 21, 2023, the Planning Commission considered SPA2022-0006 as amended and recommended that the City Council of the City of Corona (“City Council”) approve SPA2022-0006, an amendment to Section 4.5.10 (Signs) of the Northeast Corona Specific Plan (SP81-2) to: (1) increase the maximum allowable sign area and sign height and permit electronic message center on freeway pylon signs within Planning Area 7 in the Support Commercial District; (2) to allow pylon signs up to 55 feet in height within Planning Area 7 in the Support Commercial District; and (3) allow up to six (6) tenants to be advertised on a parcel identification sign within the Support Commercial District (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 2 WHEREAS, on September 20, 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 this Amendment, the City Council has reviewed and considered the information contained in the preliminary exemption assessment and the administrative records for this Amendment, including all written and oral evidence. Based upon the facts and information contained in the administrative record, including all written and oral evidence presented to the City Council, the City Council finds this action is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15301 of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that the minor alteration of existing public or private structures or facilities involving negligible or no expansion of existing or former use is exempt from CEQA. This action is a text amendment to the Northeast Corona Specific Plan that would allow minor alterations in the development standards for signage within an existing 4.4-acre commercial center and would involve negligible expansion of uses that are already authorized within the specific plan. Therefore, no 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. SPA2022-0006 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-5.1, which is intended to promote the revitalization of a commercial district in a manner that is distinguished by the physical design, image, effectiveness in nurturing community socialization and economic activity, and perception as valued places, in that the proposed sign regulations will facilitate an improvement and architectural enhancement to an existing commercial center.
(ii) This Amendment is consistent with General Plan Land Use Policy LU-5.9, which requires adherence and implementation of the design and development guidelines of specific plans, in that SPA2022-0006 will provide modified sign regulations to be implemented and adhered to within the Support Commercial District.
B. SPA2022-0006 provides for development of a comprehensively planned project that is superior to development otherwise allowed under the conventional zoning classifications for the following reason:
3 (i) This Amendment involves development criteria for commercial center signage that will ensure compatibility with existing development and/or structures within the center and will result in signage that is more appropriate for the center.
C. SPA2022-0006 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 involves an amendment to existing sign standards within the Northeast Corona Specific Plan for commercial center signage and does not affect the infrastructure that has been planned, constructed or required as part of the Northeast Corona Specific Plan.
D. SPA2022-0006 provides for the appropriate orientation and relationship between land uses within and adjacent to the Subject Property for the following reasons:
(i) This Amendment provides commercial center signage in a manner that is compatible in scale to other commercial centers having visibility and frontage along the City's freeway corridors
SECTION 3. Approval of the Amendment (SPA2022-0006). The Amendment to the Northeast Corona Specific Plan (SP81-2) (SPA2022-0006) is hereby approved. The text of the Northeast Corona Specific Plan (SP81-2) 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. 4 PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 4
th day of October, 2023.
______________________________________
Mayor of the City of Corona, California
ATTEST:
____________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
5 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 20th day of September 2023 and thereafter at a regular meeting held on the 4
th day of October, 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 4
th day of October, 2023.
____________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
[SEAL]
6 EXHIBIT “A”
AMENDMENT TO THE
TEXT OF THE
NORTHEAST CORONA SPECIFIC PLAN (SP81-2)
Subsection (C) of Section 4.5.10 (Signs) of the Northeast Corona Specific Plan (SP81-2) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
C. The maximum area of parcel identification sign shall be 100 square feet and may list up to six (6) tenants, except as specified below.
Subsection (I) of Section 4.5.10 (Signs) of the Northeast Corona Specific Plan (SP81-2) is hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:
I. The following signage is permitted in the SC District within those portions of Planning Area 7A located east of McKinley Street, south of the Riverside Freeway and north of Sampson Avenue: One (1) pylon center identification sign may be constructed along the Riverside Freeway frontage; the maximum height of the sign shall be seventy (70) feet and shall not exceed a maximum face area of 350 square feet. The sign area can be static copy and/or electronic message center. 2) A pylon sign allowed pursuant to CMC Chapter 17.74 shall not exceed a height of fifty-five (55) feet.