DATE: 09/03/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
2025-341
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
ZONE TEXT AMENDMENT 2025-0001 AMENDING TITLE 17, ZONING CODE, OF THE CORONA
MUNICIPAL CODE TO ESTABLISH REGULATIONS FOR FEATHER FLAGS AND AMEND THE
REVIEW PROCESS FOR PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD AND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT APPROVAL (APPLICANT: CITY OF CORONA) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve an ordinance to amend Chapter 17.74 of the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) to establish regulations for feather flags, and Chapter
17.100 of the CMC to establish a review process for projects that require an Architectural Review Board and Conditional Use Permit approval; and approve a resolution establishing a permit application fee for feather flags. The Planning and Housing Commission recommended approval of the request to the City Council.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Approve Zone Text Amendment 2025-0001, as recommended by the Planning and Housing Commission.
b. Introduce, by title only, and waive full reading of consideration of Ordinance No. 3420, first reading of an ordinance amending Sections 17.74.030, 17.74.080 and
17.100.020 of Title 17 (Zoning) of the Corona Municipal Code to establish regulations for feather flags and to amend the review process for projects requiring a Conditional Use Permit and Architectural Review Board approval (ZTA2025-0001). c. Adopt Resolution 2025-092, establishing a permit application fee for feather flags, and update the Citywide Master Fee Recovery Schedule to include the new application fee.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Feather Flags
At the City Council meeting on July 2, 2025, the City Council directed staff to establish regulations for feather flags and create a feather flag permit. A feather flag is a vertical banner attached to a single pole, temporarily staked into the ground. The banner is used as a means of advertising a product, business, or event. The City Council discussed limiting feather flags to five per property for a period not to exceed a total of 60 days in a calendar year and restricting the use to advertising special sales, events, or grand openings.
Architectural Review
The Architectural Review application described in CMC Chapter 17.100 applies to the site plan and architecture of new buildings and structures, or the addition to buildings and structures that front, side, or rear on Grand Boulevard. The architectural review process existed before the city established the Precise Plan application review process required by CMC Chapter 17.91, which is a site plan and architectural review for certain new residential developments, commercial developments, and developments located in specific plans.
Decisions on architectural review and precise plan applications are discretionary by the Planning and Housing Commission (Commission). Per CMC Section 17.100.010, the Commission functions as the Architectural Review Board when deciding on architectural review applications.
The objective findings that need to be made by the Commission for granting an architectural review and precise plan are similar. Projects are required to:
• Comply with the provisions of Title 17, Zoning Code, and other applicable provisions of the Corona Municipal Code and applicable specific plan, • Comply with objective development standards required by the zoning of the site, and • Comply with applicable design guidelines.
The precise plan process listed in CMC Section 17.91.020(A)(2) takes into consideration that a project may also require a conditional use permit (CUP). In that event, the precise plan yields to the CUP, provided that the CUP materials and findings also address the requirements of the precise plan. This would occur when a project involves the construction of a new building or physical changes to an existing developed property exceeding 30% of the site area or building elevations. This prevents redundant applications with the same material being covered for the same project.
The architectural review process in CMC Chapter 17.100 does not consider that a property subject to architectural review may require a CUP. Therefore, ZTA2025-0001 proposes to add text similar to the text provided in CMC Section 17.91.020 (A)(2) for the precise plan process, which would allow an architectural review to yield to a CUP should a project require both an architectural review and a CUP application.
ANALYSIS:
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
The amendment to the Sign Ordinance in Chapter 17.74 of the CMC is shown in Exhibit 1.
Sections 17.74.030 and 17.74.080 are proposed to be amended and would:
• Add a definition for feather flags.
• Establish a feather flag permit.
• Establish criteria for the use of feather flags on private property:
▪ Allowed for commercial, industrial and multiple dwelling rentals containing 50 or more units;
▪ Each property or commercial/business center is limited to five feather flags; ▪ The display of feather flags is limited to a total of 60 days in a calendar year; ▪ Feather flags shall be spaced no closer than 30 feet from another feather flag on the same property;
▪ The feather flag shall not augment existing signage for the business or premises and shall be limited to special events, promotions or grand openings;
▪ The feather flag shall be located entirely on-site and not within the public rightof-way; and ▪ The feather flag shall be maintained in good condition and is not torn or ragged.
The amendment to the Architectural Review Board Ordinance in Chapter 17.100 of the CMC is shown in Exhibit 1. The approval process for a project per Section 17.100.020 is proposed to be amended to include that in the event a major CUP is required according to the procedures in Chapter 17.92 in addition to the architectural review, only the CUP application need be filed, provided that the application materials and findings also address the requirements of this chapter.
PERMIT APPLICATION FEE
The feather flag permit is an over-the-counter permit. The permit fee was evaluated based on the review and processing time by staff. The proposed fee for the feather flag permit is $67.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
ZTA2025-0001 is a City-initiated amendment; therefore, no application fees were paid for the processing of this application.
Resolution 2025-092 will adopt a permit application fee of $67 for feather flags. The resolution shall take effect and be in full force on the date Ordinance No. 3420 becomes effective. Fees shall become effective 60 days after City Council’s approval (November 2, 2025). The establishment of the permit fee will not have a negative financial impact on the General Fund. In 2024, the city issued 29 temporary use permits for feather flags. The feather flag permit will be used instead of the temporary use permit, which is $67. The estimated revenue of establishing a feather flag permit is $1,943 but the revenue will depend on the number of permit applications submitted to the city.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE:
A public hearing notice 10 days in advance of the public hearing on ZTA2025-0001 and the proposed fee was advertised in the Sentinel Weekly and on the city’s website.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
Pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense 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 involves minor text changes to the Zoning Code regarding certain regulations for feather flags and the process for architectural review applications. This action involves no physical impact. As such, there is no possibility that the amendment to the city’s Zoning Code will have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, a notice of exemption was prepared.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of August 11, 2025, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Alexander/Vernon) and carried unanimously, with the added requirement that feather flags be spaced no closer than 30 feet from another feather flag, that the Planning and Housing Commission recommend approval of ZTA2025-0001 to the City Council, based on the findings and conditions contained in the Staff Report. 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 – Ordinance No. 3420
2. Exhibit 2 – Resolution 2025-092
3. Exhibit 3 – Planning and Housing Commission staff report
4. Exhibit 4 – Draft minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of August 11, 2025