CITY OF MENIFEE
SUBJECT: Ethanac Business Park
MEETING DATE: November 20, 2024
TO: Mayor and City Council
PREPARED BY: Fernando Herrera, Associate Planner
REVIEWED BY: Cheryl Kitzerow, Community Development Director APPROVED BY: Armando Villa, City Manager
APPLICANT: Core5 Industrial Partners LLC
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RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Adopt a resolution adopting a Mitigated Negative Declaration, based on the findings incorporated in the Initial Study and the conclusion that the project will not have a significant effect on the environment and direct staff to file a Notice of Determination; and
2. Adopt a resolution approving General Plan Amendment No. PLN23-0173, generally located east of Trumble Road, south of Ethanac Road, west of Sherman Road and north of McLaughlin Road; and
3. Adopt a resolution approving Plot Plan No. PLN23-0171, generally located east of Trumble Road, south of Ethanac Road, west of Sherman Road and north of McLaughlin Road; and
4. Introduce an ordinance approving Specific Plan Amendment No. PLN23-0175 and Zone Change No. PLN23-0174.
DISCUSSION
The following entitlement applications are associated with the proposed Project:
General Plan Amendment (GPA) No. PLN23-0173 proposes an amendment to the General Plan by changing the land use designation of Assessor Parcel Number (APN) 331-110-023 (1.16 acres) from Heavy Industrial (HI) to Specific Plan (SP), more specifically the Menifee North SP.
Specific Plan Amendment (SPA) No. PLN23-0175 proposes to change the boundary of the Menifee North SP by adding APN 331-110-023 (1.16 acres) and designating it as Planning Area 2 – Industrial.
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Zone Change (ZC) No. PLN23-0174 proposes to change APN 331-110-023 (1.16 acres) from HI to Menifee North SP.
Plot Plan (PP) No. PLN23-0171 proposes to construct a new approximately 264,710 square-foot warehouse consisting of 254,710 square feet of warehouse area and 10,000 square feet of office area on a 11.47-acre site along with associated improvements. The building proposes a maximum overall height of 41 feet and would include 32 dock doors.
Location
The Project site is located along Sherman Road, in the City of Menifee (City), County of Riverside, California, on APNs 331-110-023, -038, and -039. The Project is generally located in the northeastern portion of the City, approximately 0.37 miles to the east of Interstate 215 (I-215), east of Trumble Road, south of Ethanac Road, west of Sherman Road and north of McLaughlin Road.
Project Site
General Plan
The Project site currently has two General Plan land use designations. Parcel 331-110-023 is designated as HI which is intended for more intense industrial activities, such as manufacturing uses, that can generate significant impacts such as excessive noise, dust, and other nuisances, Parcels 331-110-038 and -039 are designated as SP, more specifically the Menifee North SP
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Planning Area 2 – Industrial. Surrounding Land Use designations and existing uses can be found below in Table 1 on the following page. As part of the Project approval, the development seeks to consolidate the General Plan designations to one under the Menifee North SP to create consistent development standards.
Existing General Plan Map Proposed General Plan Map
Zoning
The Project site also currently has two zoning designations. Parcel 331-110-023 is designated as HI which is intended for industrial uses and Parcels 331-110-038 and -039 are designated as SP, more specifically the Menifee North SP Planning Area 2 – Industrial. Although the existing zoning of the Project site allows for the development of industrial warehousing and distribution facilities, as part of the Project proposal a zone amendment will consolidate the designations under the Menifee North SP to create cohesive and consistent development standards.
Existing Zoning Map Proposed Zoning Map
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TABLE 1 – SURROUNDING LAND USES
Location Existing Land Use General Plan Land
Use Zoning Classification
North Industrial Land Use Specific Plan Menifee North SP East Vacant land Specific Plan Menifee North SP
South Vacant land Specific Plan Menifee North SP
West Vacant land, Industrial
Uses, Single-Family Homes Specific Plan / HI Menifee North SP / HI Background
At the October 23, 2024, Planning Commission meeting, the Commission voted unanimously to adopt Resolution Nos. PC24-644 and PC24-645, recommending the City Council adopt the Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND), and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), and approve all entitlements for the Project.
One person spoke in support of the Project from LiUNA. One person spoke on behalf of the City of Perris expressing concerns over the IS/MND and technical studies. In addition, the City received comment letters/emails during the public review period from the following:
•Southern California Gas
•Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District •Riverside Transportation Authority
•The City of Perris
Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the City is not required to respond to comments on IS/MNDs. However, staff reviewed each of the letters with the environmental consultant and felt it was appropriate to address the comments made by the City of Perris over the alleged inadequacy of the IS/MND and technical studies (comments from other agencies were standard items). Responses to the comment letter from the City of Perris are provided within the attachments of this staff report package.
Proposed Project
The Project applicant, Core5 Industrial Partners, LLC is proposing a Project that consists of an approximately 264,710 square-foot warehouse, of which 254,710 square feet will be warehouse area and 10,000 square feet is proposed to be office space on a 11.47-acre site. Building tenants are unknown at this time. The Project will also provide associated Project improvements as discussed below including but not limited to parking, landscaping, lighting, and offsite improvements. The Project site is currently utilized for storage purposes and appears to be predominantly vacant but highly disturbed. Warehousing/distribution is a permitted use in the existing (HI) and proposed (Menifee North SP Planning Area 2) General Plan and zoning land use designations with the approval of a Plot Plan.
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Proposed Site Plan
Circulation and Parking
Regional Project access would be from I-215 via Ethanac Road. Local access would be provided via two access points on Sherman Road. One is located on the northern portion of the site and the other on the southern portion which would be a shared driveway with the property to the south, a previously entitled project that had already been designed to accommodate this future access.
As a part of this improvement, a reciprocal access agreement will be required. The driveways would provide full access for both passenger vehicles and semitrucks. The City of Menifee
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Development Code outlines the parking requirements for the Project. As demonstrated in Table 2 and discussed below, the Project meets all the parking requirements.
A minimum of 168 passenger vehicle parking spaces are required, and 168 passenger vehicle parking spaces are being provided. Of the 168 parking spaces being provided, six will be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and 34 will be future electric vehicle (EV) compliant (or as determined by the current building code). Of these, two are both ADA and EV parking spots. Furthermore, the Project is required to provide a minimum of seven Class I or II bicycle parking spaces and will be conditioned to do so during the tenant improvements. There are 32 trailer parking stalls for the building. The Project is consistent with the Menifee North SP.
TABLE 2 – PARKING SUMMARY
Development Code Parking Requirements
Office: 1 per 250 square feet 40
Warehouse: 1 per 2,000 square feet 128
Required 168
Total Spaces Provided 168
Infrastructure Improvements
The Project Applicant would be responsible for the construction of public infrastructure improvements. Sherman Road would be improved along the Project frontage to a major roadway (four-lane) designation. The improvements will include frontage improvements along Sherman Road and the necessary offsite transitions. Turning movements on Sherman Road will be full access on both driveways. Additionally, a paved section of the street would be required from the northern property line of the Project to Ethanac Road. Improvements are also required to the intersection of Sherman Road and Ethanac Road for adequate turning movements for trucks into and out of the Project site.
The Project has also been conditioned to participate in a Road and Bridge Benefit District (RBBD) that will be established for the area in the future. The Applicant is required to pay the RBBD fees based on the designated land use and development areas prior to the issuance of a building permit.
Fair share cost participation would be required at multiple off-site intersections including I- 215/Ethanac Road southbound and northbound ramps, Trumble/Ethanac Road, and Sherman/Ethanac Road. Utility improvements would be constructed which include new water lines, recycled water lines, sewer, and storm drain lines.
Prior to this Project moving forward with development, Riverside County Flood Control Line A-21 Storm Drain improvements and connection to the storm drain line from the Project site must be installed. Anticipation is that these storm drain improvements shall be constructed by the adjacent (previously approved) industrial projects, however in the event where these improvements are not constructed, the responsibility falls on the developers of this Project.
Landscaping
Landscape standards for the Project are outlined in the City’s Development Code. Irrigated landscaped areas for the Project site would total approximately 58,864 square feet (11.6 percent of the site) and would be comprised of drought-tolerant shrubs and groundcover and evergreen and deciduous trees. This exceeds the development standard for the SP area which is ten City of Menifee City Council
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percent. The conceptual landscape plan includes trees at the perimeter, street frontages, parking areas, and adjacent to the building to soften the edges of the development and the proposed building. Larger sized (36” box) trees are proposed at all the Project entry driveways. In addition, the landscape and architectural plans feature site amenities that coordinate and compliment the proposed Project, including outdoor break areas, benches, tables, bike racks, lighting, and trash receptacles. Additionally, the applicant has proposed berm landscaping along the truck loading courts to further screen the loading areas.
Conceptual Landscape Plan
Screening
On Sherman Road an eight-foot tall decorative concrete wall on a six-foot landscaped berm would be constructed to screen all loading areas, trucks, and trailers from public view. The walls will be enhanced on the public street side on Sherman Road through the use of landscaping. As shown in the conceptual landscape plan, the intent is to provide landscape coverage with a variety of trees, shrubs and ground cover to soften the wall and to provide a more aesthetically pleasing street scene. Additionally the buildings are oriented to have the loading areas face away from adjacent residential homes to the west.
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Elevations
The buildings will feature enhanced architectural facades on all sides. Staff worked with the Project Applicant to ensure that the design features along the exterior elevations of the building break up the long building façade. A change in wall plane and exterior finish occurs at a minimum of every 50 feet, as does a change in the roofline to soften the visual appearance. The Project contains a variety of architectural treatments and elements to add depth and variety to the building as outlined in the Citywide Design Guidelines. There are complementing roof forms, colors, and materials. The various colors include different tones of beige, white, and gray. The Project is distinguished by the stone veneer that is on the wall sides that adds unique character typically not found in warehouses.
Elevations
Industrial Good Neighbor Policies
On March 2, 2022, the City Council adopted the Industrial Good Neighbor Policies. The focus of the policies can be summarized in three sections:
1. Minimize impacts to sensitve uses (residential, schools, parks, nursing homes, hospitals)
2. Protect public health, safety and welfare by regulating design, location and operations
3. Protect neighborhood character of adjacent residential communities When reviewing the proposed Project, the Industrial Good Neighbor Policies were referenced to ensure a compliant Project. Implemented policies include added landscape buffers, screen walls, improved building design, community outreach, increased building and loading dock setbacks, on-site truck queuing, on-site signage, and environmental mitigation measures.
Environmental Determination
The City of Menifee Community Development Department has determined the above Project will not have a significant effect on the environment with incorporation of standard conditions of approval and mitigation measures (as listed in the IS/MND) and has recommended adoption of the IS/MND. The 20-day public review period for the IS/MND occurred from September 25, 2024
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to October 14, 2024, during which time four comment letters were received from Riverside County Flood Control, Southern California Gas, Riverside Transportation Authority, and City of Perris. A MMRP was prepared and identifies all mitigation measures required for the Project.
The IS/MND, as well as all its technical appendices, can be accessed for review on the City website: https://www.cityofmenifee.us/325/Environmental-Notices-Documents.
Findings
Findings for the IS/MND, GPA No. PLN23-0173, SPA No. PLN23-0175, ZC No. PLN23-0174, and PP No. PLN23-0171 are included in the attached Resolutions.
Public Notice
The proposed Project was noticed on November 10, 2024 for the November 20, 2024 Planning Commission public hearing. A public notice was published in The Press Enterprise and notices were mailed to property owners and non-owner residents within an 800-foot radius of the Project site. The proper public notice was posted on-site, and in addition, all relevant public agencies and those requesting notification were notified of the public hearing.
STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVE
Thriving Economy
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact for this item.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Project Plans & Exhibits
2. Resolution – IS/MND
3. Exhibit A – IS/MND
4. Exhibit B - MMRP
5. Resolution – GPA
6. Exhibit B – GPA
7. Resolution – PP
8. Exhibit A - Conditions of Approval
9. Ordinance – SPA and ZC
10. Exhibit A – SPA
11. Exhibit B – ZC
12. Comment Letters received
13. Responses to City of Perris Comment Letter
14. Public Hearing Notice