RESOLUTION NO. 2025-015
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CORONA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING GPA2022-0004 AND
GPA2024-0002, AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY’S GENERAL
PLAN (CYCLE 2 OF THE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS
FOR 2025).
WHEREAS, on March 19, 2025, the City Council of the City of Corona (“City Council”) conducted a duly noticed public hearing and approved Resolution No. 2025-012 tentatively approving an amendment to the City’s General Plan to change the land use designation on 0.86 acres located on the east side of Promenade Avenue, approximately 170 feet north of East Sixth Street from General Commercial (GC) to Light Industrial (LI) (“GPA2022-0004”); and WHEREAS, on March 19, 2025 prior to its tentative approval of GPA2022-0004, the City Council approved a Mitigated Negative Declaration (“MND”) and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, which were prepared pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Section 21000 et seq.) ("CEQA"), the State CEQA Guidelines and the City of Corona Local CEQA Guidelines and which included an analysis of the environmental impacts of GPA2022-0004. The MND indicated that all potential environmental impacts from GPA2022-0004 were less than significant or could be mitigated to a less-than-significant level; and
WHEREAS, all persons wishing to testify in connection with GPA2022-0004 were heard during the public hearing on March 19, 2025 and GPA2022-0004 was comprehensively reviewed; and
WHEREAS, on March 19, 2025, the City Council conducted a duly noticed public hearing and approved Resolution No. 2025-014 tentatively approving an amendment to the City’s General Plan to: (1) revise the Citywide Roadway Plan within the Circulation Element to change in the roadway classification for a portion of West Ontario Avenue from “Major Arterial 4 Lane” to “Major Arterial 6 Lane” (“Circulation Element Amendment”); and (2) to revise the Public Safety Element to update the definition and description of the City’s adopted Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (“Public Safety Element Amendment”) (Circulation Element Amendment and Public Safety Element Amendment collectively referred to herein as “GPA2024-0002”); and WHEREAS, on March 19, 2025 prior to its tentative approval of GPA2024-0002, the City Council: (1) adopted an Addendum to the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Corona General Plan Technical Update (SCH # 2018081039) (“General Plan EIR”) prepared for the Circulation Element Amendment based upon a determination that the potential environmental impacts associated with the Circulation Element Amendment were adequately addressed in the General Plan EIR; and (2) determined that the Public Safety Element Amendment is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines because it simply makes legislative changes to the General Plan to make it consistent with state and federal law; and 2 WHEREAS, all persons wishing to testify in connection with GPA2024-0002 were heard during the public hearing on March 19, 2025 and GPA2024-0002 was comprehensively reviewed; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Government Code section 65358(b), a mandatory element of the City’s General Plan may be amended no more than four times per calendar year; and
WHEREAS, in compliance with Government Code section 65358(b), the City Council desires to approve GPA2022-0004 and GPA2024-0002 as part of Cycle 2 of the General Plan Amendments for 2025.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF CORONA, CALIFORNIA AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. CEQA Findings for GPA2022-0004. As the decision-making body for GPA2022-0004, the City Council has reviewed and considered the information contained in the MND, the initial study and the administrative records for GPA2022-0004, including all written and oral evidence provided during the comment period. Based upon the facts and information contained in the MND, the initial study and the administrative record, including all written and oral evidence presented to the City Council, the City Council finds that all environmental impacts of GPA2022-0004 are either less-than-significant or can be mitigated to a level of less-thansignificance pursuant to the mitigation measures outlined in the MND, the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, and the initial study.
SECTION 2. CEQA Findings for GPA2024-0002.
A. Circulation Element Amendment. The City Council has reviewed and considered the information contained in the Addendum and all written and oral evidence received and presented concerning the Circulation Element Amendment. Based on the entire record before it and all written and oral evidence received and presented, the City Council has determined that the Addendum constitutes an adequate, accurate, objective, and complete review of the Circulation Element Amendment and finds that no additional environmental review is required based on the reasons set forth below:
1. No substantial changes are proposed by the Circulation Element Amendment that will require major revisions of the General Plan EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects.
2. No substantial changes have occurred with respect to the circumstances under which the Circulation Element Amendment will be undertaken which will require major revisions to the General Plan EIR due to the involvement of new significant 3 environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects.
3. No new information of substantial importance has been found that shows any of the following:
a. The Circulation Element Amendment will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the General Plan EIR; b. Significant effects previously examined will be substantially more severe than shown in the General Plan EIR;
c. Mitigation measures previously found to be infeasible would in fact be feasible and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the Circulation Element Amendment; or
d. Mitigation measures which are considerably different from those analyzed in the General Plan EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment.
B. Public Safety Element Amendment. As the decision-making body for the Public Safety Element Amendment, the City Council finds that 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. The approval of the Public Safety Element Amendment simply makes legislative changes to the General Plan to make it consistent with state and federal law. As such, there is no possibility that the Public Safety Element Amendment will have a significant effect on the environment.
Therefore, no environmental analysis is required and the City Clerk is directed to file a Notice of Exemption with the County of Riverside.
SECTION 3. General Plan Amendment Findings for GPA2022-0004. Based on the entire record before the City Council, including all written and oral evidence presented to the City Council, the City Council hereby reaffirms and incorporates herein by reference the General Plan Amendment Findings for GPA2022-0004 as set forth in Resolution No. 2025-012.
SECTION 4. General Plan Amendment Findings for GPA2024-0002. Based on the entire record before the City Council, including all written and oral evidence presented to the City Council, the City Council hereby reaffirms and incorporates herein by reference the General Plan Amendment Findings for GPA2024-0002 as set forth in Resolution No. 2025-014. 4 SECTION 5. Approval of GPA2022-0004. GPA2022-0004 is hereby approved.
The City’s General Plan Land Use Map shall be amended as shown in Exhibit “A” attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 6. Approval of GPA2024-0002. GPA2024-0002 is hereby approved.
The City’s General Plan shall be amended as shown in Exhibit “B” and Exhibit “C” attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 7. Custodian of Records. The documents and materials that constitute the record of proceedings on which the findings set forth in this Resolution have been based are located at the City of Corona City Hall, 400 S. Vicentia Avenue, Corona, California 92882. The custodian for these records is Joanne Coletta, Planning and Development Director.
SECTION 8. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 19th day of March, 2025.
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 Resolution was regularly passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Corona, California, at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19th day of March 2025, 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 19th day of March, 2025.
City Clerk of the City of Corona, California
[SEAL]
6 EXHIBIT “A”
PROPOSED CHANGES TO LAND USE PLAN OF THE GENERAL PLAN
GPA2022-0004
(THE PROPOSED LAND USE PLAN IS ATTACHED BEHIND THIS PAGE)
AERIAL & LOCATIONAL MAP
CZ2022-0004 & GPA2022-0004
PROMENADE AVE NEAR SIXTH
STREET
Project Site
LI GI GI MU2
Land Use Legend:
GI - General Industrial
GC - General Commercial
LI - Light Industrial
MU2 - Mixed Use 2: Industrial
Commercial East Sixth Street
South Promenade
Avenue
County of Riverside
LI GC Proposed Land Use
GPA2022-0004 - East Sixth Street and South Promenade
Avenue
Seal of Approval
02/18/2025 Existing Proposed
Project Site
LI GI GI MU2
Land Use Legend:
GI - General Industrial
GC - General Commercial
LI - Light Industrial
MU2 - Mixed Use 2: Industrial
Commercial East Sixth Street
South Promenade
Avenue
County of Riverside
LI GC
Project Site
GC LI GI GI MU2
Land Use Legend:
GI - General Industrial
GC - General Commercial
LI - Light Industrial
MU2 - Mixed Use 2: Industrial
Commercial East Sixth Street
South Promenade
Avenue
County of Riverside
Existing
Land Use Legend:
GI - General Industrial
GC - General Commercial
LI - Light Industrial
MU2 - Mixed Use 2:
Industrial Commercial
Land Use Legend:
GI - General Industrial
GC - General Commercial
LI - Light Industrial
MU2 - Mixed Use 2:
Industrial Commercial
7 EXHIBIT “B”
PROPOSED CHANGES TO ROADWAY PLAN OF THE GENERAL PLAN
GPA2024-0002
(THE PROPOSED ROADWAY PLAN IS ATTACHED BEHIND THIS PAGE)
CIRCULATION
Figure CE-1
Roadway Plan
PlaceWorks
ADDENDUM TO THE CORONA GENERAL PLAN TECHNICAL UPDATE EIR FOR THE WEST ONTARIO AVENUE WIDENING PROJECT
CITY OF CORONA
Source: City of Corona 2019.
0 Scale (Miles)
1 15 15
Existing Proposed
BUTTERFIELD DR RINCON ST
RAILROAD ST
RAILROAD ST
N LINCOLN AVE
POMONA
RD
SMITH AVE
SIXTH
ST
RIVER RD
PARKRIDGE
AVE
PARKRIDGE
AVE
H I D D E N VALLEY PK WY
MAIN ST
S LINCOLN AVE
W ONTARIO
AVE
MAIN ST
W FOOTHILL
PKWY
UPPER DR
FULLERTON AVE
KELLOGG AVE
RIMPAU AVE
MAGNOLIA
AVE
MAIN ST
GRAND BLVD
GRAND BLVD
HIGHGROVE
ST
W FOOTHILL
PKWY
SERFAS CLUB DR
PACIFICA
VIA
TENTH ST
91 CALIFORNIA
15 71
CALIFORNIA
BUTTERFIELD DR RINCON ST
RAILROAD ST
RAILROAD ST
N LINCOLN AVE
POMONA
RD
SMITH AVE
SIXTH
ST
RIVER RD
PARKRIDGE
AVE
PARKRIDGE
AVE
H I D D E N VALLEY PK WY
MAIN ST
S LINCOLN AVE
W ONTARIO
AVE
MAIN ST
W FOOTHILL
PKWY
UPPER DR
FULLERTON AVE
KELLOGG AVE
RIMPAU AVE
MAGNOLIA
AVE
MAIN ST
GRAND BLVD
GRAND BLVD
HIGHGROVE
ST
W FOOTHILL
PKWY
SERFAS CLUB DR
PACIFICA
VIA
TENTH ST
91 CALIFORNIA
15 71
CALIFORNIA
Project Site
Figure 6 - Existing and Proposed Roadway Plan
15 CIRCULATION
Figure CE-1
Roadway Plan
Freeway
Major Arterial 6 Lane
Major Arterial 4 Lane
Mixed Use Boulevard 4
Lane Divided/Undivided
Secondary 4 Lane
Collector
Special Residential
City Boundary
Sphere of Influence Areas
Proposed
Project Boundary
15 CIRCULATION
Figure CE-1
Roadway Plan
Freeway
Major Arterial 6 Lane
Major Arterial 4 Lane
Mixed Use Boulevard 4
Lane Divided/Undivided
Secondary 4 Lane
Collector
Special Residential
City Boundary
Sphere of Influence Areas
Existing
Project Boundary
Project Site
8 EXHIBIT “C”
PROPOSED CHANGES TO TEXT OF THE GENERAL PLAN
GPA2024-0002
(THE PROPOSED TEXT CHANGE IS ATTACHED AS PAGES 1 -3 BEHIND THIS PAGE)
CORONA GENERAL PLAN 2020-2040 | PS-1
Public Safety
INTRODUCTION
Protecting public health and safety is a fundamental mission of the City of Corona.
While most people are familiar with the police and fire personnel who respond to emergencies, Corona engages in many less visible functions to protect people from natural and human-caused disasters. Building codes, ordinances, transportation route planning, and hazardous materials management efforts are all critical programs that protect property, life, and safety. Indeed, the City’s long-term vision cannot be fully achieved unless the public’s health and safety can be assured.
Like most California cities, Corona has an array of natural and human-caused hazards.
With the many waterways traversing the City, the risk of flooding is a concern. While the hillsides that surround the City offer scenic views, they are also subject to wildfires during summer weather or mudslides during storm events. Corona is also susceptible to earthquakes due to the fault zones crossing the city as well as geologic hazards associated with its topography and soil conditions. Activities associated with commerce and the City's transportation network all present safety hazards as well.
Consistent with its vision, the City of Corona’s efforts to protect the health and safety of the public and business community is guided by the following statement:
Corona is committed to protecting residents, businesses, and visitors from natural and human-induced hazards. The City is also committed to rebuilding from emergencies or disasters in a manner that efficiently and safety returns quality of life to Corona. Residents and visitors will feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods, and public places. Community and regional resources—public, private, and nonprofit—will work together to ensure the safety of all residents and to minimize the disruption caused by emergencies and disasters. By implementing appropriate protocols and programs, the City will become safer, more resilient, and prosperous in return.
For Corona to continue as a desirable place to live and work, the City must continue to comprehensively address the public health and safety needs of its residents, businesses, institutions, and visitors. To achieve the vision of the general plan, this public safety element therefore sets forth proactive and coordinated programs to protect against foreseeable natural and human-caused hazards. As the policies and actions are progressively implemented, the City will be increasingly less impacted by hazards, and in the process, become more self-reliant, sustainable, and prosperous.
PUBLIC SAFETY
PS-2 | CORONA GENERAL PLAN 2020-2040
Scope of Element
California State law, specifically the Government Code § 65302(1), requires that each city prepare and adopt a safety element for the protection of the community from any unreasonable risks associated with a wide variety of natural and manmade hazards. This legislation encompasses a wide range of safety hazards commonly found in communities, including climate change hazards. This element addresses:
» Natural Hazards. Natural hazards include a range of seismic and geologic hazards, flooding hazards, wildland and urban fire hazards, and severe weather, most of which are caused by inclement weather or natural events. » Human-Caused Hazards. These include air pollution, hazardous materials, and aviation hazards that are caused by human activities. Other transportation- and public safety hazards are addressed in other elements of the general plan. » Emergency Response and Preparedness. This refers to the range of procedures, methods, protocols, and staff the City of Corona uses to response and prepare for emergencies and disasters, respond to them, and recover from them.
This public safety element is intended to: 1) recognize the local hazards associated with Corona’s environment, and 2) identify methods to manage these risks and protect people, property, infrastructure, and structures from harm.
Related Plans
Corona’s public safety element is implemented by various strategic plans that protect the community from individual hazards. Some of these plans are provided by the City; others are provided by other organizations.
» Police Department Strategic Plan. The Corona Police Department prepares an annual police strategic plan that contains an assessment of safety in Corona, staffing and resource allocation, and sets short and long-range goals for the future.
The plan is also used evaluate outcomes and progress to meet department goals. » Fire Department Strategic Plan. The Corona Fire Department prepares an annual fire department strategic plan that sets short and long-range goals for its operations, training, and other safety outcomes. These outcomes are based on best practice, periodic organizational reviews, and city needs. » Emergency Operations Plan. Corona’s EOP is intended to address the City’s planned response to extraordinary emergency situations associated with natural disasters, technological incidents, and national security emergencies. The plan addresses potential large-scale disasters requiring unusual emergency response. » Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP). Corona’s LHMP identifies hazards and establishes a plan to prepare for emergencies and prevent or mitigate potential impacts. The City Council adopted its 2017 LHMP, and this general plan references and is consistent with the goals, policies, and programs specified therein. » The LHMP for the City of Corona planning area was developed in accordance with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (DMA 2000) and followed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 2011 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan guidance. The
PUBLIC SAFETY
CORONA GENERAL PLAN 2020-2040 | PS-3
LHMP incorporates a process where hazards are identified and profiled, the people and facilities at risk are analyzed, and mitigation actions are developed to reduce or eliminate risk. The implementation of these mitigation actions, which include both short-term and long-term strategies, involve planning, policy changes, programs, mitigation projects, and other activities. The County of Riverside Operational Area Multi-Jurisdictional LHMP can be found here. MJLHMP 8.7.23.pdf (rivcoready.org)
The next sections provide context for each safety hazard presented, followed by goals and policies to achieve the general plan vision.
SEISMIC AND GEOLOGIC HAZARDS
Corona’s location and underlying geology make it susceptible to seismic and geologic hazards. Corona is situated between two active fault zones—the Whittier-Elsinore Fault Zone and the San Jacinto Fault Zone. Other potentially active faults nearby include the San Jose, Cucamonga, Sierra Madre, Newport-Inglewood, and San Andreas. While the City has not experienced a major earthquake, it is prudent to plan for such to minimize potential damage to the community, injury, and loss of life. The primary seismic and geologic hazards in Corona are summarized below.
Seismic Hazards
Seismic activity has been known to cause ground displacement along a fault or within the general vicinity of a fault zone. Surface rupturing could damage or destroy infrastructure, pipelines, roads, and bridges. Much of the western portion of the city extending southeast through the SOI is within a fault zone. Two active surface faults— the Chino Fault and Glen Ivy segment of the Elsinore Fault—could produce earthquakes of 7M, causing surface ground ruptures. Areas with known surface rupture hazards are identified as Alquist Priolo Special Study Zones. Primary ground rupture can also be expected to spread out into secondary areas.
Ground shaking refers to the motion of the Earth’s surface from an earthquake. Ground shaking is responsible for the majority of damage from earthquakes and can damage or destroy buildings, structures, pipelines, and infrastructure. The intensity of shaking depends on the type of fault, distance to the epicenter, magnitude of the earthquake, and subsurface geology. The Elsinore Fault is the dominant active fault and is capable of producing a 6.8 to 7.0 M earthquake. The greatest severity of ground shaking would occur in central Corona, Temescal Valley, and northern Corona.
Liquefaction happens when strong ground shaking causes soils that are saturated with groundwater to lose strength and behave more like a liquid than a solid. Where liquefaction occurs, the ground may give way, causing damage or destroying structures, foundations, and infrastructure. Susceptibility to liquefaction depends on the strength and duration of ground shaking, soil characteristics, and depth to the groundwater. Loose, granular materials at depths of less than 50 feet, with silt or clay contents below 30 percent, and saturated by groundwater are most susceptible. Areas at moderate-to-high risk run the entire length of Corona in areas north of SR-91.