DATE: 09/18/2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
2024-35
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
PRECISE PLAN 2023-0009 REVIEWING THE SITE PLAN, ARCHITECTURE, AND OTHER FEATURES ASSOCIATED WITH 35 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNITS ON 9.33 ACRES LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF GARRETSON AVENUE, APPROXIMATELY 530 FEET SOUTH OF SANTANA WAY IN THE R-1-20 AND R-1-
14.4 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONES (APN: 120-020-022) (APPLICANT:
WARMINGTON RESIDENTIAL)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to affirm the decision by the Planning and Housing Commission in granting Precise Plan 2024-0009 (PP2024-0009) for the site plan, architecture, and other physical features associated with the construction of 35 single family residential units on 9.33 acres. The zoning of the project site is R-1-20 and R-1-
14.4, which is intended for single family residential development. The development is a mixed-income project consisting of 33 market rate units and two very low-income units associated with Affordable Housing Density Bonus Agreement 2023-0001 (AHDB2023- 0001).
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Take no action, thereby affirming the Planning and Housing Commission’s action granting PP2023-0009, based on the finding contained in the staff report and conditions of approval.
OR
b. Set the item for review at a subsequent meeting.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The project site is a 9.33-acre vacant parcel that was previously used for agricultural purposes. The subject property is a split-zoned parcel, in that the western portion of the property which fronts Garretson Avenue is zoned R-1-20, and the remaining eastern portion of the property is zoned R-1-14.4. The R-1-20 zone requires a minimum lot area of 20,000 square feet for newly created lots. The R-1-14.4 zone requires a minimum lot area of 14,000 square feet. Both zones permit the development of single-family residential housing.
The property has a land use designation of Estate Residential (ER) on the General Plan map and South Corona Community Facilities Plan (SCCFP). The ER designation of the General Plan permits 1-3 dwelling units per acre (du/ac).
PP2023-0009 is associated with Tentative Tract Map 38495 (TTM 38495) and Affordable Housing Density Bonus Agreement 2023-0001 (AHDB 2023-0001). TTM 38495 proposes to subdivide the site into 35 single family residential lots. AHDB2023-0001 accommodates the development of two very low-income units within the project in exchange for an increase in the maximum residential density and the waiver of certain development standards.
The Planning and Housing Commission at its meeting on August 26, 2024, approved PP2023-0009.
ANALYSIS:
Per TTM 38495, the lot sizes for the project range from 7,350 to 19,674 square feet. The project site is an infill property surrounded by half-acre residential parcels to the south, one-acre residential parcels to the west, a 4.5-acre residential parcel to the north, and 7,200 square foot residential parcels to the east. The site will be developed with an internal private street, taking access from Garretson Avenue. Five of the larger lots, ranging from 15,546 to 19,674 square feet and featuring one-story homes, are proposed along the southern portion of the project site to maintain compatibility with the existing half-acre lots located along CL Fleming Circle. The remaining 30 lots, ranging from 7,350 to 8,692 square feet, will be built with two-story homes. These lots are proposed within the interior of the site and along the eastern and northern property lines. A water quality basin is proposed for construction at the northwest corner of the site, adjacent to Garretson Avenue.
The applicant has plotted nine lots on the portion of the site zoned R-1-20 and the remaining 26 lots on the portion of the site zoned R-1-14.4. For the three lots that straddle over the zoning delineation line, staff is applying the development standards for the R-1- 20 zone on these three lots because the R-1-20 zone is the more restrictive zoning of the two zones. Per AHDB 2023-0001, the applicant is proposing the waiver of certain development standards, which is summarized in the following tables.
TABLE 1: R-1-20 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Standard Required Proposed Meets CMC Waiver
Lot Area 20,000 SF
minimum
19,674 SF for Lot 1; and 7,350 to
8,583 for Lots 17-21 and 33-35
No Yes
Lot Width 100 feet
minimum
70 to 75 feet for Lots 17-21 and 33-35 No Yes
Lot Depth 150 feet
minimum
110.36 feet for Lot 1;
105 feet for Lots 17-18 and 33-35;
and to 110 feet for Lots 19-21
No Yes
Building Height:
1-story 25 feet
maximum
24 feet Yes No
2-story 30 feet
maximum
27 to 30 feet Yes No
Setbacks:
Front Yard 25 feet
minimum
20 feet for Lot 1; and
15 feet for Lots 17-21 and Lots 33-35
No Yes
Side Yard 15 feet one side
and 10 feet
other side
(minimum)
15 feet or more on one side and 5 feet
on the other side for Lots 21 and 34
15 feet or more on one side and 8 feet on
the other side for Lots 17, 20 and 33
No
No
Yes
Yes
Street Side Yard
(Corner Lot)
15 feet
minimum
10 feet for Lots 19 and 35 No Yes
Street Side
Yard
(Reverse
Corner Lot)
25 feet
minimum
n/a n/a n/a
Rear
Yard
10 feet
minimum
23 to 33 feet for Lots 1-35 Yes No
Lot Coverage:
Single-story 35%
Maximum
25.88% Yes No
Two-story 30%
maximum
31.13% to 34.04% for Lots 18, 21,
33 & 34
No Yes
TABLE 2: R-1-14.4 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Standard Required Proposed Meets CMC Waiver
Lot Area 14,400 SF
minimum
7,350 to 12,091.91 SF for Lots 6 thru 16
and 22 thru 32
No Yes
Lot Width 90 feet
minimum
70 to 80.7 feet for Lots 6-16 and 22-32 No Yes
Lot Depth 100 feet
minimum
105 to 128 feet Yes No
Building Height:
1-story 25 feet
minimum
20.5 to 25 feet Yes No
2-story 30 feet
minimum
27 to 30 feet Yes No
Setbacks:
Front Yard 25 feet
minimum
16 feet for Lots 6 and 8; 15 feet for Lots
7, 9, 11-16, 22-27 and 29-32; and 20
feet for Lots 2-4
No Yes
Side Yard 15 feet one
side and 10
feet other side
(minimum)
15 feet or more on one side yard and 5
feet on the other side yard for Lots 8, 23,
27, 30 and 32;
15 feet or more on one side yard and 8
feet on the other side yard for Lots 6, 7, 9,
11-16, 22, 24-26 and 31
No
No
Yes
Yes
Street Side Yard
(Corner Lot)
15 feet minimum n/a n/a n/a
Street Side Yard
(Reverse Corner Lot)
25 feet minimum 8.34 feet for Lot 28; and
18.54 feet for Lot 26
No Yes
Rear Yard 10 feet
minimum
23-36 feet Yes No
Lot Coverage:
Single-story 40%
maximum
n/a n/a n/a
Two-story 30%
maximum
30.14% to 34.04% for Lots 7, 8, 9, 12, 14,
16, 23, 27, 30, 31, and 32
No Yes
Floor Plan
The unit mix includes three floor plans with a variety of architectural styles and reverse floor plans. Plan 1 features a multi-gen suite on the first floor with interior access from the main home, with an option for a formal dining room and guest suite. Plan 2 features a guest bedroom on the first floor with a multi-gen suite option with interior access from the main home. Plan 3 is the largest of the floor plans featuring 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and a den, with option for a multi-gen suite. None of the multi-gen suites are equipped with cooking ranges; therefore, the suites are not accessory dwelling units (ADU) because they do not meet the CMC’s definition for an ADU.
Plans 1 and 2 include a two-car garage, and Plan 3 includes a four-car garage with all parking spaces meeting the CMC’s residential parking standard of 9’ wide by 20’ deep per parking space. Plans 1 and 2 feature a potential third “compact tandem parking space”. Depending on the plan type, the size of this space is 8.5’ wide by 17’ deep, or 11’ wide by 17’-4” deep.
Table 1 depicts the building types, sizes and unit mix.
TABLE 3: UNIT SUMMARY
Architectural Style
The project is proposing three different architectural styles: Cottage, Modern Prairie and Farmhouse. These three styles are intermixed within the development. Prominent architectural features of each style are provided on all homes, including earth tone colored exterior stucco walls with a variety of decorative stone veneers, brick, corbels, gable ends, and shutters. All homes also feature decorative concrete tile roofing with varying colors to blend with the homes’ exterior colors. Street elevations are particularly enhanced with the above-mentioned decorative elements and each home features a recessed entry alcove or porch. As proposed, the architectural styles meet the City’s Residential Development Design Guidelines.
The one-story homes range in height from 20.5 to 25 feet and the two-story homes range from 27 to 30 feet, measured from finish grade to top of the highest roof ridge. The building heights are within the zoning’s maximum allowable height limits of 25 feet for one-story homes and 30 feet for two-story homes. The proposed styles, building massing, and height are generally compatible with the existing homes within the surrounding neighborhoods in the vicinity.
Landscaping
The conceptual landscape plan includes 36-inch box street trees and new 20-foot brown trunk height Mexican Fan Palms to match the existing Mexican Fan Palms along Garretson Avenue. The four existing mature palm trees on Garretson Avenue adjacent to the project site will be replanted into the new parkway upon the completion of the street improvements. The applicant agreed to preserve and replant the existing palm trees adjacent to the project site on Garretson Avenue, which is added as a condition of approval for the project.
The water quality detention basin is proposed underground at the northwestern edge of the site. This lot will function as a passive green space with a trellis pavilion and bar-bque area located outside of the basin for the residents of the project. All new landscape materials proposed for the project are required to be California-friendly, and irrigation is required to be water efficient to meet the City’s landscape design guidelines for commercial projects. Formal landscape and irrigation plans will be subject to final review and approval by City staff.
Perimeter Walls and Fencing
The project includes an 8-foot-high decorative masonry wall along Garretson Avenue that is consistent with the Village 2 South Corona Theme Wall Design, featuring a smooth colored stucco wall with brick cap. A 6-foot high splitface masonry wall is proposed along the site’s northern, eastern and southern perimeters. Six-foot high splitface masonry walls are proposed within the interior lot lines and within public view. All walls include decorative concrete wall caps. Additionally, each home includes 5.5-foot-high tubular steel side yard gates. The project also features two community entry monument walls, approximately two feet in height, at the corner of both street entrances.
Access and Circulation
Vehicular access to Lots 1 through 35 will be provided from a proposed internal private street that will take vehicular access from Garretson Avenue. The design of the private residential street is subject to City Standard No. 110 (Private Residential Street) which requires 36 feet of paved roadway width and 10 feet of parkway (five feet of landscaping and five feet of sidewalk) on both sides of the street for an overall right-of-way width of 56 feet. Per AHDB 2023-0001, the parkway width of the street is being reduced to five feet on each side of the street to accommodate only the sidewalk, reducing the overall rightof-way to 46 feet.
The paved roadway width of 36 feet will allow on-street parking on one side of the street, leaving a 28-foot wide vehicular travel lane. The Fire Department has reviewed the street plan and has approved the vehicular access.
Summary Analysis
The project is consistent with the intent of the R-1-20 and R-1-14.4 zones which is intended for single family residential development. The project has been reviewed against state law that allows affordable housing projects to receive waivers of certain development standards that would support the construction of affordable housing units.
The applicable City departments have reviewed the waivers for this project and determined that they will not result in an adverse impact on the public’s health, safety, or the environment because the project is entirely contained onsite and provides architectural qualities, landscaping, fencing, and a private roadway width consistent with other single-family developments in the City.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The applicant paid the application processing fee of $11,762.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
Per Section 15070(b) of the State Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Section 6.02 of the City’s Local Guidelines, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared for the project since the Initial Study identified that the project’s potentially significant effects to the environment are capable of being mitigated to less than significant. Therefore, based on the project’s mitigation measures and mitigation monitoring and reporting program identified in the MND, there is no substantial evidence, in light of the whole record before the City, that the project may have a significant or potentially significant effect on the environment.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of August 26, 2024, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Siqueland/Longwell) and carried unanimously, with Vice Chair Vernon and Commissioner Alexander absent, that the Planning and Housing Commission adopt Resolution No. 2643 granting PP2023-0009, 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 AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Locational and zoning map
2. Exhibit 2 – Site plan for Precise Plan 2023-0009
3. Exhibit 3 – Planning and Housing Commission staff report
4. Exhibit 4 – Draft minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of August 26, 2024