DATE: 01/21/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
PARCEL MAP 38981 TO MERGE 13 LOTS WITH 0.87 ACRES OF PUBLIC RIGHT-OFWAY TO CREATE ONE LOT TOTALING 4.70 ACRES FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, GENERALLY LOCATED AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER AREA OF W.
SIXTH STREET AND S. MAIN STREET
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve Parcel Map 38981 (PM 38981) to merge 13 existing lots and approximately 0.87 acres of public right-of-way within W. Fifth and W.
Fourth Streets into one lot totaling 4.70 acres. The merger would create a lot sufficient in size to accommodate the development of a new Northgate Gonzalez Market and remodel of an existing commercial building. The site is located on the north side of W. Sixth Street, between Belle Avenue and N. Main Street. The applicant is Northgate Gonzalez Market.
At its December 8th, 2025 meeting, the Planning and Housing Commission recommended approval of PM 38981 to the City Council.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council approve Parcel Map 38981 based on the findings and conditions as approval as recommended by the Planning and Housing Commission.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The project site is comprised of 13 lots and segments of W. Fourth and W. Fifth Streets, which are located in Downtown, within the Downtown Revitalization Specific Plan (DRSP). Two of the 13 lots within the project site contain existing commercial buildings (strip retail building and a former Citizens bank). The retail building will be demolished by the applicant. The remaining 11 lots are vacant. The project site does not include the corner property at 203 W. Sixth Street, which was formerly occupied by Hunny’s Café and Caremore Medical.
PM 38981 proposes to merge the 13 lots and approximately 0.87 acres of public right-ofway within W. Fifth and W. Fourth Streets, which are proposed to be vacated, into one lot totaling 4.70 acres. The merger would create a lot sufficient in size to accommodate the development of a new 40,000-square-foot Northgate Gonzalez Market and remodel of an existing 6,930-square-foot commercial building formerly occupied by Citizens Bank. A precise plan (PP2024-0001) is being processed for the review of the buildings on the project site.
Additionally, a general plan amendment (GPA2024-0003) and specific plan amendment (SPA2024-0003) are being processed to change the general plan land use designation and zoning of two of the properties within the project site to Mixed Use Downtown (MUD) and Downtown (D) to match the general plan designation and zoning of the other 11 other properties which are already designated MUD and D. The MUD designation and D zoning are also being established over the 0.87 acres of public right-of-way. The existing lots, rights-of-way, and existing and proposed zoning are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1: Existing Lots
APN Address Existing
Zoning/GP
Proposed
Zoning/GP per
GPA2024-0003 and
SPA2024-0003
117-103-026 323 S. Belle SF/LDR D/MUD
117-103-027 322 S. Washburn GB/GC D/MUD
117-142-006 413 S. Belle D/MUD No Change
117-142-007 417 S. Belle D/MUD No Change
117-142-008 421 S. Belle D/MUD No Change
117-142-009 215 W. Fifth D/MUD No Change
117-142-015 401 S. Belle D/MUD No Change
117-142-016 N/A D/MUD No Change
117-142-017 410 S. Main D/MUD No Change
117-142-018 407 S. Belle D/MUD No Change
117-142-019 411 S. Belle D/MUD No Change
117-142-020 450 S. Main D/MUD No Change
117-144-017 225 W. Sixth D/MUD No Change
N/A ROW – Fourth St None D/MUD
N/A ROW – Fifth St None D/MUD
ANALYSIS:
Lot 1 of PM 38981 is 4.70 net acres. Although the parcel map exhibit shows the net acreage as 4.88, subsequent discussions with the applicant’s consultant clarified the net acreage to be 4.70. The 0.87 acres of right-of-way will be vacated through a separate process prior to the recordation of the parcel map. The DRSP prescribes no minimum lot area, width of depth requirement for the creation of new lots within the Downtown zoning.
Table 2 summarizes proposed Parcel 1 of PM 38981.
Table 2: PM 38981
Parcel No. Use Gross Area Net Area
Parcel 1 Commercial 5.68 acres1 4.70 acres
1. Gross acreage includes land that will be dedicated to the adjacent streets for public right-of-way purposes.
The parcel map's recordation will grant the City easements for access and maintenance of public sewer and water lines, as well as emergency access. Additionally, a public access easement at the northwest part of the site will connect the existing public alley north of the project site to W. Fourth Street.
Public Right-of-Way Improvements
As part of the development of the project site, the applicant is required to dedicate and/or construct the necessary and missing public improvements adjacent to the project site as described in the following:
W. Sixth Street.
No public improvements are required to W. Sixth Street, however, the project site’s south perimeter along W. Sixth Street requires an additional eight (8) feet of street dedication.
N. Main Street.
A fifteen (15) feet street dedication and corresponding street widening are required along the portion of Main Street adjacent to the project site. This widening is necessary to accommodate public right-of-way improvements on the west half of Main Street, including parkway landscaping, sidewalk, street trees and curb and gutter. The widening also provides sufficient width to restripe the southbound lanes to include:
Two (2) 12-foot wide through-lanes;
One (1) 12-foot wide left-turn pocket for vehicles entering the North Corona Mall entrance; and
One (1) 12-foot wide right-turn pocket for vehicles entering the project site.
In addition, the applicant is required to install a new traffic signal at the project’s primary entrance on Main Street.
S. Belle Avenue.
The City will vacate six (6) feet of right-of-way along the site’s west perimeter adjacent to S. Belle Avenue, adding square footage to the project’s parking area. The project is required to construct public right-of-way improvements consisting of new street trees along S. Belle Avenue adjacent to the project site, while the existing sidewalk, curb and gutter along Belle Avenue will remain.
Parcel Map 38981 is a necessary and strategic component in facilitating the redevelopment of infill properties. The parcel map creates one lot that is capable of accommodating the applicant’s proposed commercial project, as demonstrated by the site plan on sheet 2 of Exhibit 2. The orderly development of the project site including all required public improvements is secured through the conditions of approval that apply to this parcel map. The parcel map supports the overall revitalization of the area.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of December 8, 2025, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Alexander/Siqueland) and carried with Commissioner Vernon absent that the Planning and Housing Commission recommend approval of PM 38981 to the City Council, 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.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The applicant paid the application processing fees of $8,576 to cover the cost of the Parcel Map.
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. The MND is recommended for adoption with GPA2024-0003.
Commenting Agencies
The MND was submitted to the State Clearinghouse (SCH #2025110646). The Planning and Development Department received comment letters from the following reviewing agencies in response to the MND:
California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
The DTSC comment letter, dated November 25, 2025, was received during the 20-day CEQA public review period. DTSC recommended that all structures proposed for demolition be surveyed for the presence of lead-based paints products, mercury, asbestos containing materials, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) caulk in accordance with California environmental regulations and policies. DTSC further recommended that all import soil and fill materials be tested to ensure chemicals of concern meet the screening levels outlined in DTSC’s Preliminary Endangerment Assessment (PEA) Guidance Manual. In response to these recommendations, City staff added Public Works Condition #25 to the Conditions of Approval for Precise Plan PP2024-0001. Condition #25 requires compliance with DTSC’s recommendations during the permitting phase of project development.
The Caltrans comment letter, dated December 11, 2025, was received after the close of the 20-day CEQA public review period and following review of the project by the Planning and Housing Commission at its December 8, 2025 meeting. The City Traffic Engineer and the applicant’s traffic engineer, LL&G, reviewed the comments and determined that they do not identify any new or significant transportation-related impacts and do not alter the conclusions or outcome of the MND. Accordingly, LL&G prepared a response letter to Caltrans, dated December 23, 2025, addressing the Caltrans comments.
The comment letters, along with the response letter prepared by LL&G, are included as public correspondence in the Planning and Housing Commission Staff Report packet in Exhibit 3.
PREPARED BY: ROCIO LOPEZ, SENIOR PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: SANDRA VANIAN, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: JUSTIN TUCKER, ACTING PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
DIRECTOR / ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Locational and zoning map
2. Exhibit 2 – Parcel Map 38981
3. Exhibit 3 – Planning and Housing Commission Staff Report
4. Exhibit 4 – Draft Minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of December 8, 2025