MEETING DATE: November 17, 2022
APPLICATION NUMBER: SPC 21-136
PROJECT NAME: GBxManteca
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission take the following actions:
Adopt Resolutions 1614 and 1615 adopting a Mitigated Negative Declaration for GBxManteca and approving the Site Plan & Design Review Application for GBxManteca located at 2261 Operation Place (File No. SPC21-136).
Project InFORMATION
Applicant:
Lone Oak – Manteca, LLC
Property Owner:
Lone Oak – Manteca, LLC
Project Address:
2261 Operation Place (APN: 198-030-38)
General Plan Designation:
Light Industrial (LI)
Zoning:
Master Plan (MP)
Existing Use:
Industrial storage yard (Constructed but not operational) Proposed Use:
Beverage distribution warehouse
Parcel Size
16.02 acres
Adjacent Uses:
North: Master Plan basin
South: Undeveloped Master Plan land (zoned CG)
East: Light industrial use
West: SJ County land
Project Description
The proposed project is a Site Plan & Design Review application for the GBxManteca project, a 280,983 square-foot beverage distribution warehouse. The facility will have employee and visitor parking, 40 truck docks and 56 trailer stalls. A Mitigated Negative Declaration was prepared for this project. Figure 1 is the overall site plan for the proposed project. STAA trucks will take access off of Intermodal Way, and employees may enter the facility from Operation Place.
Figure 1: GBXManteca Site Place
PROJECT LOCATION
The project is located at 2261 Operation Place (APN: 198-030-38) on approximately 16.02 acres (see Figure 2 for vicinity map). The property is designated as Light Industrial (LI) in the General Plan and is zoned Master Plan (MP). The parcel is located within the established Northwest Airport Way Master Plan. The project site is surrounded by other Master Plan-zoned parcels with light industrial and general commercial designated land. The project is located directly to the west of the recently approved Pinnacle Commerce development, located at 2273 & 2229 North Airport Way, and the Crothall Laundry facility, located at 2365 North Airport Way. Figure 3 identifies the existing conditions of the site.
Figure 2: Project Location – GbxManteca
Figure 3: Existing Conditions
Project Background
The Northwest Airport Way Master Plan was adopted in 2010. The Northwest Airport Way Master Plan (MP) is a 300-acre industrial master planned-area, located in the northwest corner of the City, adjacent to the Union Pacific Lathrop Intermodal Terminal. The Master Plan’s stated purpose is to implement the goals, objectives, and policies of the Manteca General Plan as they relate to future development projects in the area bordering the Union Pacific Rail facility, including an intermodal facility with warehouse and distribution uses and other industrial uses. Specifically, the Master Plan includes approximately 248.3 acres of industrial uses, 18.1 acres of community commercial uses, and 33.9 acres of open space/drainage. The Master Plan further allows for approximately 4.7 million square feet of light industrial and community commercial uses, including approximately 3,177,521 square feet for the CenterPoint Intermodal Facility. This MP area was specifically envisioned to be home to larger industrial users.
The project site is the previously approved Container Yard II developed and owned by CenterPoint Properties. This project was going to be a new 486-position container yard on 16.12 acres with associated landscaping and improvements. The prior owner started construction on the site but did not finish and was never operational, which is why Figure 3 shows some improvements to the site.
ANALYSIS
The proposed Site Plan & Design Review application for GBxManteca has been analyzed with respect to conformance with:
Manteca General Plan
Manteca Zoning Ordinance
Manteca Climate Action Plan
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
GENERAL PLAN CONFORMANCE
The project site has a LI Light Industrial land use designation (Figure 4). The Light Industrial land use designation supports warehouse uses, making the beverage distribution facility an allowed use. The project also meets the requirements of the Floor Area Ratio (maximum 0.7) and Maximum Site Coverage (60%) listed in the LI section of the General Plan.
Figure 4: General Plan Land Use Designation Map. Project site outlined in red.
In addition to conforming to the Light Industrial Land use and buildable area requirements, the proposed project conforms to the General Plan goals and policies listed below.
The development of the Master Plan area is integral to achieving measured growth in Manteca. There are numerous General Plan goals and policies related to encouraging employment- generating and revenue-producing uses in the City. As the industrial sectors of town develop, these goals can be achieved.
Land Use Policy LU-P-32: The City shall continue to support full development of its existing industrial park.
Economic Development Policy ED-P-6: Expand job opportunities available in Manteca so that residents may choose to work locally instead of commuting.
Land Use Policy LU-P-30: The City shall promote, cooperate in, and assist in the maintenance and expansion of Manteca’s industrial sector employment development within the City of Manteca and in the south San Joaquin County area that will help reduce the home-to work commute distance for Manteca residents.
Land Use Policy LU-P-31: New employment centers that may include office, business professional, research and development, and light industrial or industrial development and shall be located in areas served by full City services or served by suitable facilities approved by the City. Employment centers should be located along major arterials with easy freeway access and with access from public transit, and accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians.
Analysis: Development of Manteca’s existing industrial area is an important goal of the General Plan. Industrial uses encourage economic growth and help achieve a jobs-housing balance in Manteca. Industrial uses are an integral part of the City and they will help the City continue to grow and develop in a responsible manner. This project is located within the Northwest Airport Way Master Plan, which is an existing industrial park located in the northwest part of the city. This Master Plan area was specifically envisioned to be home to larger industrial users. Its location in the city mirrors the location of Lathrop’s industrial area, signaling the area’s prime location to the railyard and freeways. By supporting those uses that are interested in locating near these conveniences, the City is promoting, cooperating, and assisting in the expansion of Manteca’s industrial sector employment. The distribution nature of the project is expected to provide a substantial number of new job opportunities in Manteca so that residents may choose to work locally instead of commuting. Further, because this area was envisioned to be an employment hub for the City, City services are available right now, which encourages growth in this area.
Circulation Implementation C-I-7: The City shall require new development to participate in the implementation of transportation improvements identified in the Major Street Master Plan. Participation could include the construction of roadways, improvements to roadways, payment into the PFF program, payment into other fee programs, or fair-share payments. In general, the infrastructure needs and methods of participation will be determined through an environmental impact report or transportation impact analysis.
Analysis: This project will pay a fair share toward improvements required to accommodate heavy vehicles, including increased pavement wear. The project will also be required to contribute PFIP and traffic impact fees prior to building permit issuance.
The General Plan encourages quality architecture and design, which at times can be difficult for industrial projects. However, the proposed project is held to very specific design standards due to the Northwest Airport Way Master Plan. The project supports the following General Plan goals and implementations related to design and visual interest:
Community Design Goal CD-2: Maintain a memorable City identity characterized by distinctive, high quality buildings and streetscapes.
Community Design Implementation CD-I-6. Adopt design guidelines for non-residential uses.
Noise Implementation N-I-4: Control noise at the source through use of insulation, berms, building design and orientation, buffer space, staggered operating hours and other techniques. Use noise barriers to attenuate noise to acceptable levels.
Community Design Policy CD-P-44: Provide minimal levels of street, parking, building, site and public area lighting to meet safety standards and provide direction.
Analysis: The proposed building exhibits high quality industrial architecture that is distinctive and visually interesting. The long expanse of the building is broken up vertically and horizontally by the thoughtful placement of a mix of different materials with different colors and textures. The mixture of materials include high-quality tilt-up concrete and details of aluminum composite panel metal finish and aluminum composite panel wood finish.
The design review process ensures that design features are included to reduce the noise impact of the project on surrounding uses. To ensure noise is controlled by way of various physical features, the applicant was required to locate the truck loading areas to the west of the building, so the building acts as a noise buffer. This use also has the advantage of being located to the west of the Crothall Laundry facility and Pinnacle Commerce buildings (not yet constructed), so those buildings will act as a noise buffer for GBxManteca. Ample landscaping will also be installed to screen the use.
This project is conditioned to meet the Zoning Code’s standards for adequate site lighting. A lighting plan will be reviewed prior to building permit issuance to ensure this project meets City standards, and provides minimal levels of street, parking, building, site, and public area lighting to meet safety standards and provide lighting direction.
The General Plan encourages a balanced circulation system for all modes of transportation. This project supports the following General Plan Circulation Goals and Policies:
Goal C-6. Maintain a safe transportation system for all modes.
Goal C-7. Accommodate truck and freight movements by developing city-wide truck routes and encouraging the development of freight and warehousing centers near existing rail lines and spurs.
Policy C-P-2: To the extent feasible, the City shall strive for a vehicular LOS of D or better at all streets and intersections… Policy C-P-3: At the discretion of City staff, certain locations may be allowed to fall below the City’s LOS standard under the following circumstances:
Where constructing facilities with enough capacity to provide LOS D is found to be unreasonably expensive.
Analysis: A Traffic Impact Analysis was conducted for this project and it was determined that the project will allow the surrounding road segments and intersections to continue to operate acceptably at an LOS of D or better, except for the intersection of Lathrop Road and Union Road under cumulative conditions (with our without the project). The project is conditioned to maintain a safe transportation system for all modes. Because the intersection of Lathrop Road and Union Road is already fully built-out and cannot be expanded, this project will pay its fair share for PFIP improvements to improve signal timing at that intersection to allow it to operate better under the geometric constraints. This will help bring the LOS from F to E for cumulative conditions, with and without the project. Also, this intersection will be evaluated as part of the 2023 PFIP Update, with the goal of improving this intersection’s LOS to a D.
Additionally, this project is conditioned to establish a STAA route through the CalTrans Terminal Access Program before STAA trucks can access this site.
ZONING CONFORMANCE
Northwest Airport Way Master Plan Zoning Designation
The project site is zoned MP as it is part of the Northwest Airport Way Master Plan (see Figure 5). The development standards and design standards are specific to the Master Plan document and are discussed below.
Figure 5: Zoning Map. Project site outlined in red. GBxManteca.
Mandatory Requirements
The MP area has mandatory requirements to help guide the development in the Plan area. These mandatory requirements are related to land use, setbacks, circulation, drainage, utilities, and site plan & design review requirements of the Master Plan.
Land Use
The Master Plan’s land use section contemplates the development of light industrial and warehouse uses along the Union Pacific Rail facility; retail/commercial uses at the northwest corner of Lathrop Road and Airport Way; and small scale light industrial uses along Airport Way frontage to provide a transition from the large scale industrial uses within the Plan Area to the residential uses existing and planned across Airport Way to the east. Light Industrial land uses include industrial storage and uses involving heavy trucks. As such, a beverage distribution warehouse use is an appropriate use for this location within the MP area.
Setbacks
The MP is mostly concerned with setbacks from Airport Way in order to minimize the impact of the industrial development on the residential uses west across Airport Way. The proposed project does not have any frontage on Airport Way. However, the building still maintains the required setbacks and landscape buffers as discussed below.
Circulation
The proposed circulation system is consistent with the existing MP area as well as the change to the MP area that requires the use of Intermodal Way for trucks. The proposed beverage distribution warehouse would operate as a distribution facility with administration, sales, and delivery activities that occur on site during staggered standard working days and hours while the warehousing has 3 shifts, 6 days per week. The site will be accessed via three driveways: One on Intermodal Way, one on Interconnect Drive, and one on Operation Place. Per the Conditions of Approval, trucks must use Intermodal Way to access the site. The Intermodal Way Extension is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by December 31, 2022. It is a critical objective of the City to keep trucks off of Airport Way, so this project will not be granted a Certificate of Occupancy (COO) until the Intermodal Way Extension is completed. Construction vehicles and regular automobiles will be allowed to use Airport Way.
Drainage
The project complies with the Plan’s drainage requirements as it has the appropriate system of drainage swales and detention basins as conditioned by the Engineering Department.
Utilities
The project is conditioned to comply with the water and sewer plan established for the MP area. The developer of the proposed project is responsible for constructing the improvements necessary to ensure the proposed project conforms to the utility plans of the MP area.
Design Review
The Design Standards are an important part of the MP. Industrial design can be stale and monotonous. In order to avoid this, the design guidelines set standards for massing, landscaping, and material.
The appearance of the building complies with the Master Plan requirements in that the long expanse of the building is broken up vertically and horizontally by the thoughtful placement of a mix of different materials with different colors and textures. The building will be approximately 280,983 square feet and 36’ tall with parapets extending to approximately 50 feet tall. The office portion of the building will be approximately 25,000 square feet. The office is located at the southeast corner of the building. The building’s architecture is a contemporary concrete-tilt up warehouse, accented with decorative materials for visual interest. The long expanse of the building is broken up vertically and horizontally by the thoughtful placement of a mix of different materials with different colors and textures. The accent materials are aluminum composite panel metal finish and aluminum composite panel wood finish. See Figures 6 through 8 for building elevation details. All truck loading docks are located on the west façade to better screen the industrial use from nearby residents. Employee and visitor parking is located on along the east and south facades. This placement separates regular automobiles from truck circulation and reduces the potential for circulation conflicts with trucks.
Figure 6: Color Legend - GBxManteca
Figure 7: Architectural Rendering - GBxManteca
Figure 8: Building Elevations – GbxManteca
The landscape design for this warehouse project will provide an aesthetically pleasing space for employees and customers that fits within the landscape framework of the surrounding area, as well as the requirements of the City and the Master Plan. Plant material has been selected that performs well in the special conditions of the Central Valley (Sunset Zones # 8 and 14). Low- and medium-water use trees, shrubs, and groundcover are proposed, and will be compliant with the City of Manteca’s Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). The applicant has used principles from Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), in that plants have been thoughtfully selected to create clear and secure view corridors to ensure safety of individuals entering and moving around the site. This project has twice as much landscaping as is required per the Master Plan (The Master Plan requires 10% site landscaping, and this project has 20.9% of its site landscaped). The landscape plan is shown below in figure 9.
Figure 9: Landscape Plan - GBxManteca
In addition to conforming to the Master Plan zoning requirements, the Commission must also be able to make the necessary findings to approve a Site Plan and Design Review application.
Site Plan and Design Review
The purpose of Site Plan and Design Review is to provide a process to promote excellence in site planning and design, to encourage harmonious appearance of buildings and the site, and to ensure that new and modified uses and development are sited in a way to limit impacts to the surrounding area. The approving authority for Site Plan and Design Review is the Planning Commission. When conducting a Site Plan and Design Review, the Commission shall consider the site layout, orientation and location of the buildings, signs, and other structures, open space, landscaping, and other features in relation to the physical characteristics, zoning, and land use of the site and surrounding properties. Further, the Commission shall consider the traffic, safety, and adequacy of off-street parking, circulation, and the availability of City services.
Taking all of these considerations under review, the Planning Commission, shall then make the following findings found in Section 17.10.060 of the Zoning Ordinance to either approve or conditionally approve a Site Plan and Design Review application:
The proposed project is consistent with the objectives of the General Plan, complies with applicable zoning regulations, Planned Development, Master Plan or Specific Plan provisions, Improvement Standards, and other applicable standards and regulations adopted by the City.
Analysis: The project is consistent with the General Plan land use designation of Light Industrial as discussed above. The proposed project is also consisted with the Master Plan zoning designation and Master Plan document as discussed above. Finally, the proposed project is also consistent with other noise, traffic, and air quality requirements established by both the City and the California Environmental Quality Act, as discussed in the IS/MND, in that it will comply with all required mitigation measures. It will also comply with all other applicable standards and regulations adopted by the City.
The proposed project will not create conflicts with vehicular, bicycle, or pedestrian transportation modes of circulation.
Analysis: As proposed and conditioned, this project will not create conflicts with vehicular, bicycle, or pedestrian transportation modes of circulation in that there are very specific routes planned for truck access, employee access, and pedestrian circulation so as to avoid user conflict.
The site layout (orientation and placement of buildings and parking areas), as well as the landscaping, lighting, and other development features, is compatible with and complements the existing surrounding environment and ultimate character of the area under the General Plan.
Analysis: The proposed project adheres to the Master Plan Master Requirements discussed above, which require specific site orientation of buildings and robust landscaping in order to ensure project compatibility with the Master Plan area and the adjacent surroundings.
The proposed architecture, including the character, scale, and quality of the design, relationship with the site and other buildings, building materials, colors, screening of exterior appurtenances, exterior lighting and signing, and similar elements, establishes a clear design concept and is compatible with the character of buildings on adjoining and nearby properties.
Analysis: As discussed above, the project was reviewed and conditioned to be compatible with the Northwest Airport Way Master Plan. The project meets the design standards of the Master Plan, has an appropriate character, scale, quality of design, building materials, colors, screening, and exterior lighting for a building of this nature. The architecture establishes a clear design concept and is compatible with industrial nature of the nearby buildings.
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN COMPLIANCE
On October 15, 2013, the Manteca City Council approved and adopted the Air Quality Element Update and Climate Action Plan in response to the passing of Assembly Bill AB32. The intent of this plan is to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions in both private and public sector development. The project complies with the following Climate Action Plan strategies:
CAP Strategy: Water Conservation (WC) WC-1: The City shall continue to implement water conservation measures to comply with the Model Water Efficient Landscape requirements that implement the Water Conservation in Landscaping Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 1881, Laird).
Analysis: This project is required to comply with the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, per Assembly Bill 1881.
Municipal Strategies - Urban Forestry (UF) UF-2: The City of Manteca will consider the following goals and actions when revising its urban forestry program:
Increase public and private tree plantings citywide
Use canopy trees along new major roadways and in new developments Analysis: This project will increase public and private tree plantings by planting many new trees at the project site. This includes installing landscape so tree spacing within perimeter planters along Operation Place, Operation Avenue, Interconnect Drive, and Intermodal Way are planted no farther apart on center than the mature diameter of the proposed species, in compliance with City code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An Initial Study with a Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS-MND) was prepared by De Novo Planning Group for the project and it was found that although the project could have a significant adverse effect on the environment, there will not be a significant adverse effect in this case because the project has incorporated specific provisions to reduce impacts to a less than significant level and/or the mitigation measures described herein have been added to the project. The comments received are included in the environmental document with a response to comments section. The link to this document is here:
https://www.ci.manteca.ca.us/CommunityDevelopment/Planning%20Division/Pages/Planning-Division-Documents.aspx It is important to note that the environmental impacts of this proposed development have also been fully analyzed in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under the certified Northwest Aiport Way Master Plan Final Environmental Impact Report (State Clearinghouse Number 2010022024). Further, several EIR Addendums and additional Mitigated Negative Declarations have been completed for projects within the Master Plan area identifying individual projects’ conformance to the overall Master Plan EIR. In the same vein, a Mitigated Negative Declaration was prepared in this case in order to properly mitigate specific impacts produced by this project. The list of mitigation measures are contained in the Conditions of Approval and the attached MMRP (Attachment 2a).
Traffic Impact Analysis:
As part of this project’s IS-MND, Fehr & Peers conducted a transportation impact analysis for the project. The analysis estimates that the project will generate approximately 662 total average daily trips, 530 of which will be employee vehicles and 132 will be trucks (California Legal and STAA). The 132 truck trips would use Intermodal Way to access the site.
The project’s Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) analysis determined that the project will result in a 1.3% decrease in VMT when compared to the city’s baseline, from 76.2 to 75.2 vehicles miles per employee. Therefore, the construction of the GBxManteca Project will improve the jobs to housing balance in the City of Manteca and provide an overall benefit in reducing VMT per employee, which decreases fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In order to have a less than significant impact relative to this CEQA topic, the GBxManteca Project will be required to have all trucks access the facility using Intermodal Way and only employee access will be allowed from Airport Way.
Traffic level of service was analyzed for the project to confirm compliance with the General Plan. For existing conditions (with the project and without the project), all twenty-six roadway segments and all 14 intersections studied would continue to operate at an acceptable Level of Service D or better. Under Cumulative No Project Conditions, traffic associated with land use growth in the City of the Manteca and City of Lathrop will contribute to the increase in traffic volumes along Lathrop Road. All road segments would continue to operate acceptably at a LOS of D or better under cumulative conditions, but the Union Road/Lathrop Road intersection would operate unacceptably at LOS F during both AM peak hour and PM peak hours even without the project. For Cumulative With Project conditions, the Union Road/Lathrop Road Intersection would continue to operate at a LOS of F.
Because this intersection is already fully built-out and cannot be expanded, improvements will include a new traffic signal controller and improved signal timings as part of PFIP improvements. This will help bring the LOS from F to E for both Cumulative Conditions, with and without the project. Also, this intersection will be evaluated as part of the 2023 PFIP Update, with the goal of improving this intersection’s LOS to a D.
The traffic analysis recommends the following traffic-related conditions of approval for the project and they are included in the project’s conditions of approval:
Traffic COA #1 – The developer shall pay for the total cost of construction of Interconnect Way between Intermodal Drive and Operation Place and require all truck traffic to use Intermodal Drive to access the GBxManteca Project.
Traffic COA #2 – The developer shall pay for the total cost of construction of Operation Place between Interconnect Drive and GBxManteca Project driveway and install an all-way stop controlled intersection at the Operation Place / Pinnacle Drive three-legged intersection.
Traffic COA #3 – The developer shall pay their fair share for improvements identified in the City of Manteca Public Facilities Implementation Plan (PFIP) by paying current fees as determined by the City of Manteca prior to issuance of building permits to improve intersections in the City of Manteca.
Traffic COA #4 – The developer shall pay their fair share of the SJCOG Regional Transportation Impact Fee (RTIF) by paying current fees as determined by the City of Manteca prior to issuance of building permits top improve the Roth Road Corridor in the City of Manteca, City of Lathrop, and San Joaquin County.
Traffic COA #5 – If intersection improvements were to occur at the Union Road/Lathrop Road intersection, the developer shall pay their fair share for improvements identified to accommodate the projected Cumulative No Project and Cumulative With project traffic volumes at this intersection during the AM and PM peak hour. Under Cumulative Plus Project Conditions, the GBxManteca Project contributes to 3 percent of the total intersection volume.
Acoustical Analysis
Design efforts have been made to mitigate potential noise impacts as much as possible, including conditioning the project to use Intermodal Way and keep trucks off of Airport Way, ensuring that all industrial activity will occur to the west of the building so the building can buffer noise for the residents to the east, and installing ample landscaping to further mitigate noise impacts. Also, as GBxManteca is located to the west of both Pinnacle Commerce and Crothall Laundry, these buildings also act as a noise buffer for GBxManteca.
A Noise Analysis was conducted by Saxelby Acoustics LLC as part of the project’s IS-MND. The IS-MND analyzed the potential impacts of noise, and concluded that the project is not anticipated to generate a substantial temporary or permanent increase in ambient noise levels in the vicinity of the project in excess of the applicable standards, and provided the project complies with the mitigation measures.
Report prepared by: Mallorie Fenrich, Associate Planner Attachments:
Attachment 2 - CEQA Resolution 1614
Attachment 2a - MMRP
Attachment 3 - Planning Commission Resolution 1615
Attachment 3a - Exhibit A – Approved Plan Set
Attachment 3b - Exhibit B – Conditions of Approval
Attachment 4 - PowerPoint Presentation
Reviewed by:
___/s/______________________________________ _ ___11/02/2022 Lea Simvoulakis, Acting Deputy Director Planning Date Approved by:
___/s/______________________________ ___11/03/2022____________ Chris Erias, Development Services Director Date
GBxManteca – SPC 21-136
ATTACHMENT 7
ATTACHMENT 7
City of Manteca Planning Commission
AGENDA REPORT