REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
To:Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From:Jason Simpson, City Manager
Prepared by:Damaris Abraham, Community Development Director Date:May 14, 2024
Subject:Notice of Decision – Planning Commission Approval of Planning Application No. 2020-92 (Riverside & Lincoln Commercial) Proposing to Establish a New Commercial Center with Six (6) Buildings (approximately 51,101 Sq. Ft. in Total) on an approximately 6.36-acre Site Located at the Southwest Corner of Lincoln Street and Riverside Drive
Applicant:Ilan Golcheh, Golcheh Group
Recommendation
Receive and File the Notice of Decision for Planning Application No. PA 2020-92, approved by the Planning Commission on April 16, 2024.
Background
On April 13, 2021, the City Council adopted and approved the following applications for the Riverside/Lincoln Commercial Project which was to establish a new commercial center with six new buildings on an approximately 6.36-acre parcel:
•Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND; ER 2020-05; SCH No. 2021010316); •General Plan Amendment (GPA) No. 2020-02 to change the land use designation from Residential Mixed Use (RMU) to General Commercial (GC); •Zone Change (ZC) No. 2020-01 to change the zone from Residential Mixed Use (RMU) to General Commercial (GC);
•Tentative Parcel Map (TPM) No. 37958 to subdivide the 6.36‐acre parcel into four parcels ranging in size from 0.93 acres to 2.88 acres;
•Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 2020-09 to allow a gas station use with a convenience store including beer and wine sales (Type 20), drive-through restaurant, self-storage facility, and self-serve carwash; and
•Commercial Design Review (CDR) No. 2020-08 to construct six new commercial buildings totaling 51,101 square feet (sq. ft.) with 221 parking spaces, landscaping, and related site improvements.
PA 2020-92 (CUP 2023-16 and CDR 2023-06)
1 1
6 1
The subject property is currently vacant and is located at the southwest corner of Lincoln Street and Riverside Drive. The project encompasses Assessor Parcel Numbers (APNs) 379-111-017, 018, 019, and 020 (Previous APN: 379-111-014).
On March 3, 2022, Parcel Map No. 37958 was finalized and recorded. However, on April 13, 2023, the CUP and CDR applications expired.
As such, on January 17, 2024, the applicant submitted a new CUP (CUP No. 2023-16) and CDR applications (CDR No. 2023-06) with the same configuration and layout as the original applications previously reviewed and approved by City Council which includes the following:
•4,291 sq. ft. canopy for a new gas station with 16 fueling stations; •4,650 sq. ft. convenience store with a concurrent beer and wine sales (Type 20); •38,016 sq. ft. self-storage facility with three new buildings; •4,456 sq. ft. drive-through restaurant;
•3,979 sq. ft. self-serve carwash; and
•221 parking stalls, landscaping, and related site improvements.
On April 16, 2024, the Planning Commission reviewed the new CUP and CDR applications and voted 4-1 to take the following actions:
1. Found that pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15162, the project would not have a significant effect on the environment and no new environmental documentation is necessary because all potentially significant effects have been adequately analyzed in a previously adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration (ER 2020-05) (SCH No. 2021010316);
2. Adopted A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, FINDING THAT PLANNING APPLICATION NO 2020-92 (CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO. 2023-16 AND COMMERCIAL DESIGN REVIEW NO. 2023-06) IS CONSISTENT WITH THE WESTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTY MULTIPLE SPECIES HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN (MSHCP);
3. Adopted A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO. 2023-16 TO ESTABLISH A GASOLINE DISPENSING STATION WITH A 4,291 SQUARE FOOT CANOPY, BEER AND WINE SALES (TYPE 20), SELF-STORAGE FACILITY (THREE (3) BUILDINGS 38,016 SQUARE FEET IN TOTAL), 3,979 SQUARE FOOT SELF-SERVE CARWASH, AND 4,456 SQUARE FOOT DRIVE-THRU RESTAURANT LOCATED AT APNS: 379‐111-017, 018, 019, AND 020; and
PA 2020-92 (CUP 2023-16 and CDR 2023-06)
1 1
6 1
4. Adopted A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING COMMERCIAL DESIGN REVIEW NO. 2023-06 FOR BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A 4,650 SQ. FT. CONVENIENCE STORE, 4,291 SQ. FT. CANOPY, 38,016 SQ. FT. SELF‐STORAGE FACILITY, 3,979 SQ.
FT. SELF-SERVE CARWASH, 4,456 SQ. FT. DRIVE‐THRU RESTAURANT, AND RELATED SITE IMPROVEMENTS LOCATED AT APNS: 379‐111-017, 018, 019, AND 020.
Discussion
The Planning Commission heard the project at its regular meeting on April 16, 2024. No members of the public attended the meeting in person, but the Planning Commission accepted thirteen (13) written public comments in opposition to the project before the April 16, 2024 hearing date. The Planning Commission discussed the concerns and issues raised in the written public comments which include over-saturation of gas stations, convenience stores, and car washes, as well as the potential impacts of increased activity of unhoused individuals, and the negative impact on parking on Lincoln Street. The Planning Commission voted 4-1 to approve the project.
The Planning Division has received four (4) additional written comments in opposition of the project since the April 16, 2024, Planning Commission hearing, bringing the total to seventeen (17) written comments in opposition to the project. All written comments received are included to this staff report as Attachment 2.
The Planning Commission’s decision is final, and no action by the City Council is required unless the City Council, by majority vote, elects to review and reconsider the Planning Commission’s decision by ordering the matter set for a future noticed public hearing according to Section
17.410.110.F of the Lake Elsinore Municipal Code (LEMC), or the applicant or an interested person files a complete appeal application within 15 days of this notice appearing on the City Council’s Agenda.
Fiscal Impact
The time and costs related to processing this application have been covered by fees paid for by the applicant. No General Fund budgets have been allocated or used in the processing of this application.
Attachments
Attachment 1 – Planning Commission Staff Report
Attachment 2 – Public Comments