Date: May 25, 2022
To: Marysville Planning and Historical Preservation Commission From: Kristina Heredia, Assistant Community Development Director Subject: Consideration of three separate applications for the F.M. Booth Project, for the property located at on the SE corner of C Street and 2nd Street. Consideration of a rezone from General Commercial (C-3) to Light Industrial (M-1), and a parking variance and Design Review for a proposed warehouse to be constructed.
Planning Department File Nos. ZOA22-01, V22-01 & DR22-09
1. Project Title: F.M. Booth Project
2. Project Owner Frank M. Booth, Inc.
3. Contact person and phone: Denis Cook – (530) 755-7701
4. Project sponsor’s name
and address:
Denis Cook
1486 Flinton Court, Thousand Oaks, CA, 91361
5. Project Location (APN):
6. Project Engineer:
APNs 010-284-022, 010-284-023, 010-284-025, 010-
284-026, 010-284-027, 010-284-029 & 010-284-030
N/A
7. General Plan Designation: Redevelopment Area
8. Present Use and Development Vacant Land
9. Surrounding Uses/Zoning General commercial uses in the General Commercial (C-3) zoning district and the F.M. Booth Industrial
Complex in the Light Industrial (M-1) zoning district
10. Access
11. Other public agencies whose
approval is required:
C Street
N/A
PURPOSE
The applicant, Frank M. Booth, has had their headquarters in downtown Marysville since 1912.
Through growth and expansion, the company now has “almost 100,000 sq. ft. of building space, Planning Department File Nos. ZOA22-01, V22-01 & DR22-09 May 25, 2022
Page | 2
and typically employs from 40-50 people out of this facility. 1 ” The applicant is proposing to
continue their expansion by constructing a new 27,500 square foot storage warehouse on vacant property adjacent to their industrial complex. This vacant property consists of seven separate parcels, five of which are owned by the applicant, and two of which are currently in the process of being purchased by the applicant from the City. These seven parcels are zoned General Commercial (C-3) and the applicant’s proposed warehouse is not permitted in a commercial zoning district. The rest of the F. M. Booth Industrial Complex is zoned Light Industrial (M-1), and their rezone request will allow the new development to align with the rest of the complex. The applicant has also applied for a Parking Variance to provide zero of-street parking spaces in lieu of the required fourteen2. Lastly, due to the location of the subject property within both the Historic Preservation Overlay Zoning District, and the Redevelopment Area, the proposed warehouse must go through a Design Review process.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Staff recommends that the Planning
Commission conduct a Public Hearing,
recommend approval of the rezone to City
Council, approve the Parking Variance, and
preliminarily approve the Design Review
for the new warehouse.
BACKGROUND
The properties to be rezoned and
developed are located at the SE corner of
C Street and 2nd Street. See Figure 1.
The applicant is also going through the
process to merge all seven parcels into one
large parcel. This parcel merger will eliminate the internal property lines, which will allow the warehouse to be constructed without the additional requirements needed when buildings cross property lines.
City records indicate that in 1983 this area of downtown Marysville was rezoned from Light Industrial to General Commercial3. See Figure 2. This was to allow commercial entities the ability to develop in this area of downtown. However, it does not appear that this anticipated commercial development occurred. Rather, the industrial land use in the area, F.M. Booth, grew and expanded. This rezone request back to Light Industrial would be consistent with how the 1 Attachment 1: Application
2 Section 18.60.030.38 Marysville Municipal Code.
3 City of Marysville Ordinance No. 993
Figure 1: Existing parcels to be merged
Planning Department File Nos. ZOA22-01, V22-01 & DR22-09 May 25, 2022
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area has
developed and
would allow
development to
occur on property
that has
historically been
vacant.
PROJECT DETAILS
In order for F.M.
Booth to expand
their operations
several actions
must occur. Two of
the parcels that
belong to the City must be purchased, and merged with the five owned by the applicant. The property must be rezoned from General Commercial to Light Industrial, and the design of the warehouse must go through Design Review. Lastly, a variance to the parking regulations needs to be considered, since the proposed design does not include an area for off-street parking.
ANALYSIS
General Plan Conformity
The City of Marysville’s General Plan, adopted in 1985, serves as the guiding land use document for the City. It is a living document meant to not only guide development, but to also grow and be amended as the City itself grows. For a rezone to be approved, it must be consistent with the General Plan.4
The subject properties are designated as “Redevelopment Area” in the General Plan (GP). This can be a confusing designation since “Redevelopment Area” is not technically a land use classification within the GP
5 . Rather, this designation was originally adopted between 1975 - 1979 as part of the Marysville Plaza Project (MPP), a series of documents intended to guide the implementation “of preferred activities and planning goals6” for downtown redevelopment.
Within the MPP, the Redevelopment Area consists of approximately 20 blocks of “intermixed land uses including residential, commercial, and industrial development. 7 ”
When the General Plan was adopted the MPP was added as a reference and a redevelopment element was added to the plan with a goal of improving the “social, economic and aesthetic 4 General Plan, General Policy One, Page 20
5 General Plan Consistency Matrix, Figure 7, Page 21
6 Marysville Plaza Project, Introduction
7 General Plan, Redevelopment Element, Page 82
Figure 2: Rezone Maps from 1983
Planning Department File Nos. ZOA22-01, V22-01 & DR22-09 May 25, 2022
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characteristics of the City through the revitalization of deteriorating areas8.” While the GP designation for the area is not Industrial, industrial development is addressed as part of the Redevelopment Area. Within the GP, there are three policies that relate to industrial land uses9. The third policy desires to “designate land for industrial uses sufficient to meet future city needs but limited to uses that will not negatively impact existing neighborhoods.” The applicant’s business is highlighted in the MPP as being a Special Designation due to the “number of jobs provided… [and] excellent quality of maintenance, this subsection is given a special designation for retention as a nonconforming land use; and in the event of destruction, the Agency will promote its reestablishment, including the petition for rezoning.10” It is substantial to note that back in 1979 the applicant was known as being a good entity within the downtown core of Marysville and its presence was highlighted within a reference guide for the General Plan.
As they have grown and expanded, the applicant has not had a negative impact on neither the environment, nor their neighbors. Furthermore, industrial land uses are mentioned in the General Plan and Marysville Plaza Project as being in the downtown area, and important businesses within the City. Therefore, Staff has determined that this rezone is in conformance with the General Plan.
Rezone (C-3 to M-1) (ZOA22-01)
The applicant is
proposing to rezone
approximately
28,176 square feet
(seven parcels) from
General Commercial
(C-3) to Light
Industrial (M-1). See
Figure 3. When the
Marysville Plaza
Project (MPP) was
adopted in 1979,
these seven parcels
were zoned M-1. In
1983, via Ordinance No. 993, these parcels and the surrounding area was rezoned from M-1 to C-3. The MPP had a goal to increase commercial development in the southern downtown area, and the rezone was a first step in that direction. However, this commercial development did not 8 General Plan Redevelopment Goal, Page 7
9 General Plan Polices for Industrial Land Uses, Page 3 10 Marysville Plaza Project, Special Designation No. 2, Page 41 Figure 3: Rezone Request – C-3 to M-1
Planning Department File Nos. ZOA22-01, V22-01 & DR22-09 May 25, 2022
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occur as anticipated. Rather, the main industrial entity in the area, F.M. Booth, has continued to develop and grow, with their last large expansion occurring in 2003. While industrial zoning is not ideal for a downtown area, the presence of F.M. Booth in their current location since 1912, and their special designation within the MPP, merits consideration. Even though this area of downtown Marysville has not flourished and developed as desired; F.M. Booth has. Allowing this rezone to bring the applicant’s property into the same zoning as the rest of their complex, and a return to the historic zoning of this property, would be in alignment with previously adopted City plans and policies.
Parking Variance Request (V22-01)
The applicant is requesting to provide zero off-street parking spaces for the proposed warehouse, in lieu of the fourteen that are typically required for a structure of this size.11 The applicant has stated that this warehouse will be for storage only, and no additional employees are anticipated to be hired. To justify
this request, the
applicant has stated
that the current
commercial zoning
would permit them to
only utilize on-street
parking12, and that
there is plenty of
available parking in
the area.
In order for a variance
to be approved, there
are specific criteria
that must be met13:
1. There are special circumstances applicable to the property or structure(s) including location, size, shape, surroundings, or topography or other conditions, so that the strict application of this title denies the property owner privileges enjoyed by other property owners in the vicinity or within the same zoning district. a. If the proposed warehouse was a permitted use in the current zoning of the property, no off-street parking would be required.
11 Marysville Municipal Code, Section 18.60.030.38
12 Marysville Municipal Code, Section 18.60.020
13 Marysville Municipal Code, Section 18.72.040.e & CA State Govt Code Section 65906 Picture 1: 3rd Street with Available On-Street Parking
Planning Department File Nos. ZOA22-01, V22-01 & DR22-09 May 25, 2022
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b. When the
applicant built
their last
storage
warehouse in
200314 they
were not
required to
provide offstreet parking.
2. Granting the variance
is necessary for the
preservation and
enjoyment of
substantial property
rights.
a. The applicant’s
business has
been at this
location for
over 100 years, and prior to the implementation of current zoning for the City. The applicant has received support for their presence and growth in documented City history.
b. There is no proposed increase in employment for the applicant, and the current parking situation (which is 100% on-street) could continue.
3. Granting the variance does not result in special privileges inconsistent with the limitations upon other properties in the vicinity or the same zone district as the property is located. a. The variance will allow the applicant to utilize on-street parking to meet their parking requirement, which would be the same utilization as other businesses in the area.
b. There is a plethora of available on-street parking in the immediate vicinity of the proposed development. See Pictures 1 & 2.
c. Additional parking regulations for industrial land uses permit the City to determine parking spaces based on occupant load15, which could potentially be set at zero.
4. Granting the variance does not allow a use or activity which is not otherwise authorized by the zone district within which the property is located. a. The warehouse will be a permitted use if the rezone to M-1 is approved.
5. Granting the variance will not be detrimental to the health, safety, peace, comfort or general welfare of persons residing or working in the vicinity or be detrimental to property or improvements in the vicinity or to the general welfare of the city. a. F.M. Booth has been at this current location since 1912 and has been noted as being a historically good neighbor to the surrounding area and City. Allowing their 14 Community Development Case Nos. DR03-03 & V03-01
15 Marysville Municipal Code, Section 18.60.030.45.E
Picture 2: 2nd Street with Available On-Street Parking
Planning Department File Nos. ZOA22-01, V22-01 & DR22-09 May 25, 2022
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expansion in conformance with their current employment and parking situation would not be detrimental to others since there is plenty of available on-street parking for residents and visitors of the downtown area to enjoy.
Design Review (DR22-09)
The applicant is proposing to construct a new storage warehouse on a vacant portion of their property. The warehouse will be approximately 27,500 square feet in size with a roof height of 28’8”. The first
requirement within
the City’s Design
Manual is that
property owners
“use construction
materials that
replicate the original
building.16” While
there is no “original
building” to replicate,
the new warehouse’s
renderings show it will
have a metal and
masonry façade that is
similar in color and
materials to the existing F.M. Booth
buildings. See Pictures 3 & 4. The
warehouse identified in Picture 4 was
constructed in 2003 and went through a
Design Review process as well (DR03-03).
The applicant is proposing to build their
new warehouse of the same materials
and same style to achieve a cohesive
aesthetic with the F.M. Booth Industrial
Complex.
The exterior elevations on the north, east
and west sides of the new warehouse will
have a 5’4” in height concrete and stone
masonry component, with the metal
façade starting where the masonry ends
and extending up to the roof eves, which start at 16’. Windows will be incorporated on the north 16 Design Review Manual, Requirement #1, Page 29
Picture 3: Proposed New Warehouse
Picture 4: Existing Warehouse
Planning Department File Nos. ZOA22-01, V22-01 & DR22-09 May 25, 2022
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and west elevations to provide natural light and break up the building’s expanses. Staff has not been provided with a south elevation, and though this will be adjacent to an existing structure on the adjoining property, is requesting that one be provided with color and material identified prior to final approval of the design. Staff is requesting permission from the Planning Commission to approve the south elevation at the staff level once received by the applicant.
Also, Staff has not received actual color samples of the metal and masonry facades, which is a requirement for final design review and approval. Staff is requesting that the Planning Commission approve the renderings shown in Attachment 2: Design Renderings, and to allow Staff to approve the actual colors of the metal and masonry when they are submitted. Staff is confident that the applicant will be constructing a quality structure that will match the rest of the existing structures and has no qualms regarding the final color selection to be provided by the applicant.
NOTICE
Notice of public hearing before the Planning Commission was published in the local paper on Saturday, May 14, 2022, sent to local districts and agencies, and all property owners within 300 feet of the subject site. At the time of this report writing, Staff has received no inquiries.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
The Class 32 “Infill Development” Categorical Exemption exempts the construction of infill development from CEQA review provided that the development is consistent with the zoning and General Plan designations, occurs within city limits, is served by public utilities, and doesn’t result in significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality and water quality17. Staff feels that this project, if fully approved, meets the requirements of this statutory exemption.
CONCLUSION
F. M. Booth is an industrial land use located in downtown Marysville. While not an ideal location for an industrial use, the applicant has been in their current location since 1912 and has continued to grow and expand while the surrounding area has remained stagnant. A rezone from Industrial to Commercial zoning was conducted in 1983 for the area in an attempt to spur commercial development, though it appears to have been unsuccessful. The applicant is now proposing to revert their portion of that 1983 rezone back to industrial so they may continue their development, and Staff is in support of this endeavor.
Staff also supports the parking variance since the applicant is proposing this warehouse for additional storage space, not for employment expansion. Staff has also been able to document the large quantity of available on-street parking in the vicinity, and has determined that no additional off-street parking is needed.
17 CEQA Exemption 15332.a-e
Planning Department File Nos. ZOA22-01, V22-01 & DR22-09 May 25, 2022
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Lastly, Staff is asking the Commission to preliminarily approve the Design Review and allow final approval of the paint and material colors, as well as the design of the south elevation, to be done at the staff level.
Therefore, Staff recommends that the Planning Commission conduct a Public Hearing, recommend approval of Rezone ZOA22-01 to City Council, approve Variance V22-01, and preliminarily approve Design Review DR22-09 for the new warehouse.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Application
2. Design Renderings