DATE: October 7, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
2026-057
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
ZONE TEXT AMENDMENT TO SECTION 17.98.030 OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO
GRANT ONE EXTENSION FOR SPECIAL USE PERMITS FOR TEMPORARY
STRUCTURES OR TRAILERS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to approve Zone Text Amendment 2026-0003 to amend Section 17.98.030 of the Zoning Ordinance to grant one extension up to 180 days within a calendar year for Special Use Permits approved for temporary placement of structures or trailers associated with permitted improvements to existing businesses.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Approve Zone Text Amendment 2026-0003, as recommended by the Planning and Housing Commission.
b. Introduce, by title only, and waive full reading of consideration of Ordinance No. 3434, first reading of an ordinance amending Section 17.98.030 of Chapter 17.98 of Title 17 (Zoning) of the Corona Municipal Code to authorize one 180-day extension for Special Use Permits issued for temporary structures or trailers associated with the remodel or expansion of commercial or industrial development (ZTA2026-0003).
BACKGROUND:
The remodel or expansion of an existing commercial or industrial building can take many months, resulting in a disruption of services or sales, and potential loss of revenue should the business close during construction. To facilitate continued interim operations, businesses frequently request a permit for a temporary onsite placement of structures (e.g., storage containers, trailers containing offices, sales area and/or restroom facilities).
Section 17.98.030(A)(1)(e) of the Zoning Ordinance requires that a Special Use Permit (SUP) be approved by the City’s Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) to allow the temporary onsite placement of structures for up to 180 days within a single calendar year. As an example, a local Kia dealership is presently undergoing demolition and reconstruction of its showroom and a remodel of its office, customer lounge, and service spaces. The dealership obtained an SUP to place several trailers onsite to serve as a temporary offices and customer areas, allowing them to continue sales and service during this time of construction.
Should construction activities extend longer than 180 days to complete, the City would benefit in having an ordinance in place that allows for the processing of reasonable SUP extensions. This ordinance aims to provide the framework that would allow for SUP extensions that would relieve businesses of additional interruptions to their operations, avoid undue cost to those businesses that would otherwise be compelled to remove trailers prior to completion of permitted remodels/expansion, and/or avoid the potential for Code Compliance enforcement actions.
The requested amendment, ZTA2026-0003, would amend Section 17.98.030 to allow the Planning and Development Director the discretionary authority to grant one extension to an approved SUP, for up to 180 additional days within a single calendar year. The proposed amendment would not allow for extensions to SUPs granted for other uses or activities listed in Section 17.98.030(A)(2), rather only for those related to temporary placement of structures, storage containers, or trailers, with the intent of facilitating continued operation of a business on commercial or industrial zoned property during a permitted remodel or expansion.
Finally, Sections 17.98.030(A)(1)(e) and 17.98.030(A)(2)(e) contain conflicting information, with the former section citing the maximum permissible time for placement of “temporary structures or trailers” to be 180 days in a calendar year (with approval of an SUP), and the latter stating the limit to be 90 days. The 90-day limit is likely a minor typo inadvertently included with original adoption of the ordinance. As the references are both conflicting and duplicative, staff accordingly proposes that Section 17.98.030(A)(1)(e) be revised to remove the 180-day limit and Section 17.98.030(A)(2)(e) revised to state the correct “180 days” limit for placement of temporary structures and trailers.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT:
Section 17.98.030 is amended as follows. Added text is shown in red underline; text to be removed is shown in bold and strike-through.
“17.98.030 Special use permits.
The Board of Zoning Adjustment shall hear and decide applications for special use permits as follows:
(A) Uses requiring a special use permit in any zone in the city: (A) Uses permitted with a special use permit. The following uses require a special use permit in any zone in the city:
1. An event requires a special use permit if all of the following criteria apply:
a. The event is temporary in nature and does not exceed 180 days in calendar year; and
b. The event is open to any sector of the general public, including, but not limited to, events that charge an entrance or admittance fee; and
c. The event is located outdoors or in a temporary structure, including tents and canopies, but excluding permanent facilities normally accommodating such events, such as a stadium; and
d. The event is held on private property; and
e. Temporary structures or trailers, including temporary storage containers in the commercial and industrial zones., for a maximum of 180 days in a calendar year.
2. Special events which require a special use permit include, but are not limited to, the following, unless specifically excepted under division (B) below:
a. Carnivals, fairs, circuses and rodeos;
b. Christmas tree sales lots, pumpkin patches, certified farmers markets and other seasonal outdoor sales;
c. Car, truck or other vehicle shows;
d. In the A zone only, temporary sales stands for the sale of agricultural produce by the owner of the land on which the produce is grown. The produce may be sold either on the land where grown or on another site within the A zone owned by the same owner and may only be sold while the produce is in-season locally, not to exceed 365 consecutive days; e. Temporary structures or trailers, including temporary storage containers in the commercial and industrial zones, for a maximum of 90 180 days in a calendar year;
f. Outdoor music, dance or rock festivals, subject to a festival permit pursuant to Chapter 5.30 of the Corona Municipal Code;
g. Outdoor display and sale merchandise within the parking lot of a property within a commercial land use district or an M-1, M-2, or M-4 Zones, provided the sale and display of merchandise is limited to products commonly sold by the commercial business or associated with the light industrial or business park use operating on the property;
h. Uses that meet the criteria set forth in this division (A) or are similar in nature and purpose, as determined by the Planning and Development Director. (B) Uses exempt from a special use permit. The following uses are exempt from the special use permit requirements but shall obtain a temporary use permit pursuant to §
17.99.030:
1. Outdoor display and sale of merchandise within a commercial land use district that is not located in a parking lot;
2. Grand opening events that do not involve outdoor activities in a parking lot;
3. The following uses are specifically exempt from the special use permit requirements, provided that said use complies with all other city codes and has permission of the property owner. The applicant shall obtain permits required by other city codes for:
a. Political gatherings;
b. Private social gatherings, weddings, reunions and the like that are not for commercial profit and do not disrupt the use or availability of public facilities;
c. Parades;
d. Sales trailers for residential tracts which shall obtain a model home permit;
e. Construction trailers when listed as a permitted use in the zone;
f. Uses listed in division (A) of this section in the following circumstances:
1. The property is owned or leased and controlled by a public agency; or
2. The event is sponsored by a non-profit, religious, charitable or educational organization or association and the following criteria are satisfied:
a. The event is located on property owned or leased by said organization where it conducts its regular scheduled meetings and activities pursuant to the zoning regulations; and
b. All proceeds of the event will be used solely for the purposes of said organization.
g. Garage sales on private residential property when conducted by a resident of the premises, excluding merchandise purchased for resale or obtained on consignment and subject to a garage sale permit pursuant to Chapter 5.44;
h. Garage or rummage sales conducted by a bona fide charitable, educational or cultural institution or organization, provided the proceeds from the sale are used directly for charitable, educational or cultural purposes. (C) Uses not permitted with a special use permit. A special permit shall not be issued to permit any of the following uses:
1. Swap meets;
2. Uses that involve the construction of permanent structures or facilities;
3. Transient commercial businesses, as defined in this title, except Christmas tree sales lots, pumpkin patches and other similar seasonal outdoor sales. (D) Criteria for granting special use permits. The Board of Zoning Adjustment may grant a special use permit under this chapter if it makes a finding from the evidence presented to it that the following five conditions exist in reference to the proposed use and property which is the subject matter of the application:
1. That the use applied for at the location set forth in the application is properly one for which a special use permit is authorized by this title, including a finding that the use is temporary in nature;
2. That the use is necessary or desirable for the community, is in harmony with the various elements or objectives of the General Plan and is not detrimental to existing uses or to uses specifically permitted in the zone in which the proposed use is to be located;
3. That the site for the intended use is adequate in size and shape to accommodate said use and all of the yards, setbacks and walls or fences, landscaping and other features are consistent with the zoning requirements for the site;
4. That the site for the proposed use relates properly to streets and highways which are designed and improved to carry the type and quantity of traffic generated or to be generated by the proposed use;
5. That the proposed use shall not block required parking spaces or drive aisles or any access designed for public safety.
(E) Renewal of special use permits. A special use permit may be renewed by the board of zoning adjustment Board of Zoning Adjustment for a new period of time within a subsequent calendar year, provided that the time limits in this chapter section are not exceeded and the site plan, conditions, and all circumstances, with the exception of dates, are identical to the original permit. The director of planning Planning and Development Director shall determine if an application is eligible for renewal, based on the above provisions and a finding that no health or safety concerns or code violations were caused by the original permit. A request for renewal shall be submitted in writing to the Planning Division at least seven calendar business days in advance of the proposed new period of effectiveness and shall include a fee, as established by the City Council., to defray the director's costs in reviewing the request.
(F) Extension of special use permits. Where a special use permit has been granted for placement of temporary structures, storage containers or trailers associated with the permitted remodel and/or expansion of commercial or industrial development, an applicant with a valid and active building permit may be granted one extension beyond the maximum time limit otherwise permitted by this section, for a period not to exceed 180 days within the same calendar year. A request for extension shall be submitted in writing to the Planning Division at least seven business days in advance of the initial expiration date for the special use permit and shall include a fee, as established by the City Council. The Planning and Development Director may approve the extension if he or she makes a determination that the following conditions exist:
1. A building permit for the associated remodel and/or expansion remains active;
2. Construction under the building permit is being diligently and continuously pursued;
3. Following consultation with other City departments, that no health or safety concerns or code violations were caused by the original permit; and
4. Granting the extension would comply with current law, standards and policies.
ANALYSIS:
Remodel and expansion projects for commercial or industrial developments can take many months to complete following issuance of a building permit, resulting in a potential loss of revenue should the business close during the whole of construction. The SUP review and approval process prescribed by Section 17.98.030 attempts to address this common challenge, but as written, does not prescribe an adequate time limit to accommodate the majority of projects. To facilitate continued interim operation during construction, the proposed zone text amendment would provide the Planning and Development Director the discretionary option to grant one extension up to 180 days within the same calendar year and thereby allow businesses undergoing permitted construction to avoid interruptions to their operation, undue cost should they otherwise be compelled to remove trailers prior to completion of construction, and/or the potential for Code Compliance enforcement action. Finally, proposed text revisions would remove inconsistent and redundant language, thereby making the requirements of the referenced code section clearer and more concise.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
ZTA2026-0003 is City-initiated; therefore, no application fees were paid for the processing of this application.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
Pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Section 3.06 of the City’s Local Guidelines for Implementing CEQA, a project is exempt if the activity is covered by the “commonsense” exemption which states that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. This action involves minor text changes to the Zoning Ordinance that would not in and of themselves result in a physical change to the environment, and accordingly there is no possibility that the amendment will have a significant effect on the environment.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of September 9, 2026, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Siqueland/Vernon), and carried unanimously, with Commissioners Longwell and Woody absent, that the Planning and Housing Commission recommend approval of ZTA2026-0003 to the City Council, with a revision that only one extension be granted to an applicable SUP and for a maximum of 180 days within a calendar year, based on the findings and conditions contained in the Staff Report. The minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting are included as Exhibit 3.
PREPARED BY: EVAN LANGAN, SENIOR PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: SANDRA VANIAN, PLANNING MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: JOEL BELDING, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Ordinance No. 3434
2. Exhibit 2 – Planning and Housing Commission Staff Report
3. Exhibit 3 – Minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission Meeting of September 9, 2026