MINUTES
City Council
Monday, June 17, 2024
Conf. Room A and B – Norco City Hall
2820 Clark Avenue, Norco, CA 92860
CALL TO ORDER 9:00 AM
ROLL CALL Kevin Bash, Mayor
Greg Newton, Mayor Pro Tem
Katherine Aleman, Council Member
Robin Grundmeyer, Council Member
Berwin Hanna, Council Member
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Bash
1. PUBLIC COMMENTS
There were no public comments at this time.
2. GENERAL PLAN WORKSHOP
2.A. 2050 General Plan Workshop/Study Session
Community Development Director Robles introduced the Consultant Team.
Consultants reviewed the General Plan information and community feedback.
City Council Members discussed the General Plan with the Consultants.
Mayor Bash called for a 5-minute break at 10:45 AM.
Mayor Bash readjourned the meeting at 10:50 AM.
Consultants answered questions and addressed concerns from City Council Members.
Mayor Bash called for a lunch break at 12:12 PM.
Mayor Bash readjourned the meeting at 12:32 PM.
City Council Members continued their discussion with the Consultants and provided direction for the Consultants to prepare a draft of the 2050 General City Council Minutes - June 17, 2024
Plan that is to be brought back for review at the beginning of the 2025 year.
City Council thanked Staff and the Consultants for their hard work.
Council Study Session Summary Report
City Council - Jun 17 2024 - Special Meeting - Minutes Attachment
3. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Bash adjourned the meeting at 2:43 PM.
_________________________________
Dana Roa, CMC
City Clerk
COUNCIL STUDY SESSION Summary Report
June 17, 2024 – www.vimeo.com/958044149
Purpose
The purpose of the study session was for the City Council to review and discuss community feedback to date, discuss points of consensus and areas of competing interests, discuss outstanding issues, and direct City staff and the consultant team regarding how to move forward with the writing of the General Plan and associated Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The General Plan is not aimed at changing anything fundamental to Norco; rather the overarching intent is to protect and enhance the City’s agricultural and equestrian lifestyle and to maintain fiscal sustainability to pay for the lifestyle residents enjoy, including trails and open space amenities. The primary opportunities for economic development are along the City’s commercial corridors, and the key areas of discussion focused on enhancement opportunities that are consistent with Norco’s small town, semi-rural character. While there are many clear points of consensus among community members, there remained some areas of competing interests, and the focus of Council discussion was on how best to balance the competing interests, economic realities, and values of the community.
Sixth Street
The City Council consensus was that Sixth Street
should be lightly enhanced by
• Continuing to support businesses that
accommodate the day-to-day needs of Norco
residents (especially feed stores and
equestrian-related shops) and that attract
visitors who appreciate Norco’s unique
character.
• Protecting Norco’s feed stores and
accommodating alternative providers, such as
co-ops or combines, in the event the feed
stores move to other cities.
• Not introducing sidewalks, but creating
walkable pockets that include simple,
inexpensive outdoor improvements, such as
improved landscaping and outdoor seating.
• Accommodating new commercial
development just east of the freeway near
Sierra Avenue and near the Sixth Street Gateway Sign.
• Continuing to adaptively reuse single-family houses as coffee shops, hair salons, bed & breakfasts, and other similar uses.
• Not introducing housing along Sixth Street, although consider allowing limited live-work above stores.
• Consider reverting commercially zoned parcels that contain single-family houses and that do not abut Sixth Street back to residential uses.
• Introducing architectural design standards to ensure new buildings look like “Norco” and reflect and complement the community’s distinct and authentic character – like many buildings right here in Norco and in pre-World War II American small-towns. • Consolidating driveways to reduce pavement crossing Sixth Street’s trails and improving vehicular safety.
• Locating parking behind or next to buildings and establishing requirement that easement(s) and/or an alley be provided on rear portion of parcels – especially narrow parcels – to ensure cars, delivery trucks, and pedestrians can pass between adjoining parcels. • Calming traffic speeds to make Sixth Street safer for equestrians, pedestrians, and cyclists that patronize Sixth Street businesses without diverting traffic through surrounding neighborhood streets. Strategies include introducing high-visibility crosswalks, crosswalks painted in patriotic colors and themes, stop signs, planting missing street trees, keeping the same number of lanes but narrowing their width, and introducing bike lanes.
North Hamner Gateway
The City Council consensus
regarding the development of the
North Hamner Gateway was:
• The North Hamner Gateway
is the most promising
location within Norco to
introduce a walkable, activity
center that provides shops,
dining, a sit-down restaurant,
and a boutique hotel.
• The hotel, which would
provide substantial revenue
via transit occupancy tax
(TOT), could include a
convention/meeting center. Extended stays over 30 days will be expressly prohibited. • To open up land for new development, Clark Field should be moved elsewhere within the city and the Caltrans commuter parking lot land swap should be finalized. • Existing, historic buildings should be preserved and adaptively reused, and their original facades should be uncovered and restored.
• New buildings should be inspired by pre-World Warr II small-town buildings that complement Norco’s unique character.
• Housing should not be allowed by right.
• Across Hamner Avenue, the historic Community Center building should be adaptively reused with revenue-generating businesses, such as a café or bistro business – a place parents can go while their kids are at practice in the Gym. A plaza should be introduced in front of the building and a community garden should be introduced behind the Community Center building next to Community Center Park.
Fourth Street & Hamner Avenue
The City Council consensus was that:
• A walkable, residential neighborhood should be introduced on the vacant parcels located near the intersection of Fourth Street and Hamner Avenue.
• Housing should prioritize seniors, but also cater to young members of the community, • The existing objective design standards should be amended to ensure new building designs reflect Norco’s character.
• New development should incorporate agricultural/animal-keeping amenities, such as community chicken coops and vegetable gardens. Additional amenities and services that support the senior lifestyle, including medical offices and a senior center, could also be included within or near the neighborhood.
Norconian Site
The City Council consensus was that:
• The Norconian site is Norco’s greatest challenge, but also Norco’s greatest opportunity. • The restoration of the historic hotel as the “Mission Inn of Norco” should be the number one priority. Ancillary buildings, such as the chapel and gym, should also be restored and take advantage of the site’s stunning views.
• Appropriate uses for the site include hotel, professional offices, business park, retail, open space, a nine-hole golf course, and “glamping.”
• Redevelopment of the site should complement Norco’s equestrian assets, including connecting to Norco’s extensive trail network and the Corydon staging area. • The reuse of the site, should it become available, should be guided by a Specific Plan.
Neighborhoods
The City Council consensus was that Norco’s
neighborhoods and animal-keeping lifestyle
should be enhanced by:
• Refining Norco’s existing property
maintenance standards to ensure
street-facing building facades and front
yards contribute to and do not detract
from Norco’s character – so Norco stays
“clean and rural.” This could include
establishing a program that enables
community groups to assist with yard clean-up or connecting residents with organizations that grow vegetables in resident back yards in exchange for helping keep front yard clean. • Updating Norco’s home-based business standards to clarify the types of businesses that are allowed on residential lots;to clarify requirements for the storage of construction vehicles and materials in back yards; to guide the number of daily customer visits to residential businesses; to establish guidelines for front yard business signage and agriculture stands; and to
streamline and – to the degree possible – reduce the cost of obtaining agricultural licenses and permits. This could include establishing a City program that enables the City to provide assistance and resources to help farmers navigate the process or to connect with organizations such as the EAT Center.
• Updating the City’s ADU standards to allow tiny homes on wheels to qualify as ADUs with the provision that all proposals undergo architectural review to ensure designs meet community standards.
Auto Mall and Gateway Specific Plans
The City Council directed that, as the Auto Mall and Gateway Specific Plan are updated or sunsetted, dealership owners should be apprised of any proposed use adjustments within proximity of their businesses.