ORDINANCE NO. 3393
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CORONA,
CALIFORNIA, APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO
SECTION 4.3 OF THE NORTH MAIN STREET DISTRICT
SPECIFIC PLAN (SP99-01) TO PERMIT BUILDING
MATERIAL SALES WITH INDOOR AND OUTDOOR
STORAGE IN THE TRANSIT COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
(SPA2023-0006).
WHEREAS, on March 25, 2024, 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 SPA2023-0006 to amend Section 4.3 of the North Main Street District Specific Plan (SP99-01) to permit building material sales with indoor and outdoor storage in the Transit Commercial District (the “Amendment”); and WHEREAS, Ganahl Lumber Company (“Applicant”) currently owns a building material sales company at 100 W. Blaine Street and owns and utilizes the adjacent property to the immediate west at 299 N. Sheridan Street as well as the property located across the BNSF railroad to the south at 201 Depot Drive as yards for outdoor storage of lumber; and WHEREAS, Applicant wishes to expand its building materials operation and intends to purchase an adjoining 1.09-acre property at 150 Depot Drive which is governed by the North Main Street District Specific Plan and is zoned as Transit Commercial; and WHEREAS, Applicant has been operating at its current location since 1991 when the properties were originally zoned M-1 (Light Manufacturing); and WHEREAS, in 2000, the City Council adopted the North Main Street District Specific Plan which rezoned the Applicant’s properties, the property at 150 Depot Drive, and the nearby properties on the west and east sides of Main Street, between Blaine Street and Grand Boulevard, to Transit Commercial which prohibited building material sales with indoor or outdoor storage; however, Applicant was allowed to continue to operate at the site as a nonconforming use since the use existed before the adoption of the North Main Street District Specific Plan; and
WHEREAS, Applicant has a thriving business with no plans to relocate; the Applicant’s property is situated behind another building from Grand Boulevard with limited visibility from surrounding developments making the property ideal for storage of materials; and is an extension of a use that already exists in the area; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission based its recommendation to adopt the Amendment on the findings set forth below; and
2 WHEREAS, on May 15, 2024, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing, which was continued from April 17, 2024 and May 1, 2024 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. This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption 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 action would allow building material sales with indoor and outdoor storage in the Transit Commercial District, which is already allowed as a nonconforming use on certain property in the Transit Commercial District, and there is no possibility that adopting this Ordinance will have a significant effect on the environment. 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, Chapter 6 of the North Main Street District Specific Plan, 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. SPA2023-0006 systematically implements and is consistent with the General Plan for the following reason:
(i) This Amendment is consistent with Land Use Policy LU-11.1 because it encourages a comprehensive range of commercial uses that serve the needs of Corona residents and businesses, as well as regional customer demands. SPA2023-0006 is a text revision that will provide an avenue for future building material retail establishments to expand their storage capacity to meet the needs of local and regional customer demands.
B. SPA2023-0006 provides for development of a comprehensively planned project that is superior to development otherwise allowed under the conventional zoning classifications for the following reason:
(i) The Amendment permits building material retail establishments in the Transit Commercial District District by right, which will result in a comprehensive development with retail services near transit corridors with minimal impacts.
C. SPA2023-0006 provides for the construction, improvement, or extension of transportation facilities, public utilities and public services required by the long-term needs of 3 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) The Amendment is solely a text amendment that expands the permitted uses in the Transit Commercial District of the North Main Street District Specific Plan and does not affect the infrastructure that has been planned, constructed, or required as part of the specific plan.
D. SPA2023-0006 provides for the appropriate orientation and relationship between land uses within and adjacent to the project for the following reason:
(i) The Amendment proposes building material sales and storage as a land use in the Transit Commercial District, which is compatible with the existing commercial uses in the immediate area, as this use currently exists in the Transit Commercial District and the other properties located on the east side of Main Street are already developed for transit-oriented uses, including the Metrolink station and parking structure and the bus transfer station.
SECTION 3. Approval of the Amendment (SPA2023-0006). The Amendment to the North Main Street District Specific Plan (SPA2023-0006) is hereby approved. The Land Use Plan of the North Main Street District Specific Plan (SP99-01) is hereby amended as shown in Exhibit “A-1” attached to this Ordinance and incorporated herein by reference. The text and exhibits of the North Main Street District Specific Plan (SP99-01) are hereby amended as shown in Exhibit “A-2” 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. 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 newspaper of general circulation, published and circulated in the City of Corona. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 5
th day of June, 2024.
______________________________________
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 the 15th day of May, 2024, and thereafter at a regular meeting held on the 5
th day of June, 2024, it was duly passed and adopted by the following vote of the Council:
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 5
th day of June, 2024.
_____________________________________
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
[SEAL]
5 SUMMARY
On June 5, 2024, the Corona City Council will consider adopting an ordinance to approve an amendment to the North Main Street District Specific Plan (SP99-01) to permit building material sales with indoor and outdoor storage in the Transit Commercial (TC) District.
A certified copy of the full text of this proposed ordinance is posted in the City Clerk’s office.
The City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers in the Corona City Hall, located at 400 South Vicentia Avenue. The City Clerk’s office is located in City Hall near the Council Chambers.
6 EXHIBIT A
AMENDMENT TO THE
LAND USE PLAN OF THE
NORTH MAIN STREET DISTRICT SPECIFIC PLAN
(SEE ATTACHED PAGE BEHIND THIS PAGE)
(SPA2023-0006)
4.3 PERMITTED LAND USES IN EACH DISTRCIT
The following table sets forth the uses permitted in each district within the North Main Street Specific Plan area:
TABLE 3—PERMITTED USES
P=Permitted Use
C=Conditional Use Permit
MCUP=Minor Conditional Use Permit
X=Not Permitted
A=Accessory Use
S=Special Use
T=Temporary Use
AHO13=Affordable Housing Overlay
District13
LAND USE CR TR TC BP BPO I SFC UDR MU
RETAIL COMMERCIAL USES
Building material sales (indoor storage
only)
P P X P X X X X X X
Building material sales (outdoor storage
only)
X X X11
P
X X X X X X
TABLE 3 NOTES:
……
11Ganahl Lumber is permitted to continue its current operation as a pre-existing non-conforming use.