Item 178/2025
Final
City of Garden Grove
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
To:
Lisa L. Kim From: Niki Wetzel
Dept:
City Manager Dept: Community Development
Date: 8/26/2025
Subject: Adoption of Resolutions for approval of General Plan Amendment No. GPA-002- 2025 to establish Subareas A and B within the Industrial/Commercial Mixed Use (IC) land use designation and establish a maximum 0.55 floor area ratio for industrial uses within Subarea B; Adoption of a Negative Declaration for the Project; and, approval of Site Plan No. SP-159-2025 to facilitate the development of the Harbinger Motor Mezzanine Project located at 12821 Knott Street, Garden Grove. (Action Item)
OBJECTIVE
To transmit a recommendation from the Planning Commission to the City Council to take the following actions: (i) adopt a Negative Declaration for the project; (ii) approve General Plan Amendment No. GPA-002-2025; and (iii) approve Site Plan No. SP-159-2025. The proposed General Plan Amendment would designate “Subarea A” and “Subarea B” within the existing IC (Industrial / Commercial Mixed Use) land use designation. The General Plan Amendment would also increase the maximum allowable floor area ratio from 0.50 to 0.55 f or industrial uses only on five (5) parcels within “Subarea B,” located at 12777, 12821, 12832, and 12881 Knott Street. The rest of the properties within the IC land use designation would be designated as “Subarea A,” and would not be affected by the General Plan Amendment. The proposed Site Plan approval would permit the development of a n approximately 10,368 square-foot interior mezzanine addition to an existing industrial building located at 12821 Knott Street, and would increase the floor area ratio on this site to 0.53.
BACKGROUND
The proposed project would include the construction of a mezzanine office space within an existing industrial building operating as Harbinger Motors, Inc. The Harbinger Motors property currently has a General Plan Land Use designation of Industrial/Commercial Mixed Use (IC) and is zoned Planned Unit Development No. PUD-104-70 (Rev. 2019). The property abuts R-1 (Single-Family Residential) zoned properties to the west. To the north, south, and east, across Knott Street, the subject site is adjacent to various Planned Unit Development zones.
Item 178/2025
The subject item was originally scheduled for a Planning Commission hearing on June 5 th, 2025. Staff uncovered some errors in the noticing, and re-noticed the item for the June 19th Planning Commission meeting. Additional noticing errors were discovered prior to the June 5th meeting, prompting Staff to recommend continuation of the item to a date uncertain.
Public notices were corrected, and the CEQA document was recirculated in anticipation of the July 17th Planning Commission meeting.
Prior to the meeting, three (3) public comment letters were received opposing the project.
During the hearing, two (2) speakers from the public, in addition to the project a pplicant, came forward to speak on the item. Members of the public expressed concerns with the manner in which the notices were prepared, parking for the subject project, and the manner in which building and lot sizes are calculated. By a vote of 4-0, with three (3) commissioners absent, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution Nos. 6117 -25, 6118-25, and 6119-25 recommending that the City Council adopt: (i) a Resolution approving General Plan Amendment No. A -002-2025; (ii) a Resolution approving Site Plan No. SP -159-2025 with attached Conditions of Approval; and (iii) a Resolution approving a Negative Declaration for the project.
The approval of Site Plan No. SP-159-2025, along with the related Conditions of Approval, is contingent upon City Council ’s adoption of the Negative Declaration for the project, and adoption of a Resolution approving General Plan Amendment No. GPA-002-2025.
DISCUSSION
General Plan Amendment No. GPA-002-2025:
To facilitate the project , the General Plan Amendment would establish two subareas (Subareas A and B) within the existing IC land use designation. Five (5) parcels along Knott Street, including the property on which the mezzanine addition is proposed, would be included within the new Subarea B, which would allow a maximum industrial floor area ratio (FAR) of
0.55. The maximum commercial FAR for these sites would remain at 0.50.
Subarea A would be comprised of all other parcels within the IC land use designation, and the maximum FAR for both commercial and industrial uses would remain unchanged at 0.50.
The General Plan Amendment would not authorize residential uses on any of the properties within the IC land use designation. A map of the proposed subareas, and a list of the properties assigned to each is provid ed below. A full discussion of the General Plan Amendment is found in the July 17, 2025 Planning Commission Staff Report (Attachment 5).
Item 178/2025
PROPOSED SUBAREA AND FAR BY PROPERTY
Subarea Assessor’s Parcel
Number
Address Industrial FAR Commercial FAR
Subarea A 09918162 14221 Euclid St 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918167 14241 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918168 14255 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918169 NO ADDRESS 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918170 14291 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918171 14275 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918172 14333 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918173 14329 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918174 14325 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918175 14321 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918176 NO ADDRESS 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918177 14341 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918178 14337 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918179 14349 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918180 14345 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918181 10862 Capital Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918182 14371 Euclid St 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918183 14331 Euclid St 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918184 10891 Forbes Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918185 10871 Forbes Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918186 10781 Forbes Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918187 NO ADDRESS 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918188 14235 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918189 14231 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Item 178/2025
Subarea A 09918214 10892 Forbes Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918215 10872 Forbes Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918216 10852 Forbes Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918217 10822 Forbes Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918222 14322 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918223 14321 Corporate Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918224 10891 Capital Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918225 10871 Capital Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918226 10851 Capital Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918227 10821 Capital Ave 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918228 14272 Commerce Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918229 14271 Corporate Dr 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 09918303 14241 Euclid St 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 21705201 12812 Valley View St 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 21705202 12842 Valley View St 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 23111101 12902 Haster St 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 23111102 13001 Garden Grove Blvd 0.50 0.50
Subarea A 23111103 13001 Garden Grove Blvd 0.50 0.50
Subarea B 21501207 12832 Knott St 0.55 0.50
Subarea B 21501208 12832 Knott St 0.55 0.50
Subarea B 21501301 12881 Knott St 0.55 0.50
Subarea B 21501401 12821 Knott St 0.55 0.50
Subarea B 21501402 12777 Knott St 0.55 0.50
Site Plan No. SP-159-2025:
The applicant proposes to construct an approximately 10,368 square feet of mezzanine office space within an existing industrial building. A full discussion of the Site Plan is found in the July 17, 2025 Planning Commi ssion Staff Report (Attachment 5 ). A summary is provided below:
The building is the headquarters of Harbinger Motors, Inc. Harbinger Motors specializes in the manufacturing of electric vehicle chassis for delivery vehicles. The applicant proposes to construct a mezzanine office space within the existing building, increasing the onsite FAR to 0.53.
The proposed mezzanine would be wholly inside the existing building, and would not increase the height, footprint, or otherwise enlarge the building beyond its existing volume.
The proposed mezzanine would add windows to the existing bu ilding, but otherwise would leave the exterior architecture of the building intact. The site would continue to be accessed via two (2) driveways along Knott Street. There are no changes to on- or off-site vehicle or pedestrian circulation. With the additi on of the mezzanine, 184 parking spaces would be required. The existing parking lot would continue to provide 198 spaces, exceeding the requirement. There are no proposed changes to the onsite landscaping, or other associated site improvements.
Environmental Review:
In conjunction with the proposed Project, the City (through an environmental consultant) has prepared an Initial Study report and Negative Declaration (“IS/ND”) in accordance with the Item 178/2025
California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) analysing the potential environmental impacts of the proposed residential condominium project. In accordance with CEQA Gu idelines, the City made the IS/ND available for public review and comment prior to the meeting from May 15, 2025 to June 4, 2025. Due to errors d iscovered after the IS/ND was published, the document was revised and recirculated for public review and comment from June 26, 2025 to July 16, 2025, in accordance with CEQA guidelines
The IS/ND concludes that the proposed Project will have no, or a less than significant, impact on all relevan t environmental factors . The Planning Commission has adopted a Resolution recommending that the Garden Grove City Council adopt a Negative Declaration for the Project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
None.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council:
Conduct a Public Hearing;
Adopt a Resolution adopting a Negative Declaration for the Project;
Adopt a Resolution approving General Plan Amendment No. GPA-002-2025; and
Adopt a Resolution approving Site Plan No. SP-159-2025, subject to the recommended Conditions of Approval.
ATTACHMENT(S)
1. Attachment 1: Draft City Council Resolution for the adoption of a Negative Declaration
2. Attachment 2: Initial Study/Negative Declaration
3. Attachment 3: Draft City Council Resolution for the adoption of General Plan Amendment No. GPA-002-2025 with General Plan Land Use Element Text and Map Exhibits
4. Attachment 4: Draft City Council Resolution for the adoption of Site Plan No. SP -159- 2025, with Conditions of Approval
5. Attachment 5: Planning Commission Staff Report dated July 17, 2025, with associated Resolutions and Minute Excerpt
6. Attachment 6: Project Plans