Agenda Item
Planning Commission
Item #: 5.1. 9/19/2022 File #: 22-0507
TO: Chair and Members of the Planning Commission
THRU: Anna Pehoushek, Assistant Community Development Director FROM: Tiffany Chhan, Assistant Planner
1. SUBJECT
Public Hearing: Zone Change No. 1305-21, Conditional Use Permit No. 3154-21, Design Review Committee No. 5060-21, and Minor Site Plan Review No. 1074-21, Rapids Express Carwash
2. SUMMARY
The applicant proposes to demolish an existing standalone restaurant at a 1.109 acre lot and to construct a new 13,860 square foot automatic carwash facility and associated vacuum areas. As part of the project, a Zone Change is requested from the existing zoning designation of Commercial Recreation (C-R) to Urban Mixed Use (UMU) to establish consistency with the City’sGeneral Plan designation.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. Adopt Planning Commission Resolution No. 24-22 entitled:
A Resolution of the Planning Commission of the City of Orange recommending City Council approval of Zone Change No. 1305-21 and adoption of an ordinance rezoning the property located at 1325 West Katella Avenue to Urban Mixed Use to establish consistency between the Urban Mixed General Plan land use designations and zoning classification in accordance with state law.
2. Adopt Planning Commission Resolution No. 16-22 entitled:
A Resolution of the Planning Commission of the City of Orange recommending City Council approval of Conditional Use Permit No. 3154-21, Design Review Committee No. 5060-21, and Minor Site Plan Review No. 1074-21 for the construction of a new 13,860 square foot automatic drive through express carwash facility with associated vacuum stalls and related site improvements located at 1325 West Katella Avenue.
4. AUTHORIZING GUIDELINES
Orange Municipal Code (OMC) Section 17.08.020, 17.10.020.B.2, 17.10.030.C, and 17.13.030 authorizes the Planning Commission to review and take action on the subject application. OMC Table
17.08.020 - Reviewing Bodies states that when more than one type of application is filed for a single project, the application requiring the highest level of approval shall dictate the review process for the entire group of applications. Therefore, the Planning Commission is acting as a recommending body to the City Council on all of the applications for the project.
5. PROJECT BACKGROUND
City of Orange Printed on 9/15/2022Page 1 of 7
powered by Legistar™
Item #: 5.1. 9/19/2022 File #: 22-0507
Applicant: Rapids Express Inc. (Geoff Von Der Ahe)
Property Owner Gladys E. Prothero and Family, LLC
Property Location 1325 West Katella Avenue
Existing General Plan
Land Use Element
Designation
Urban Mixed Use (UMU)
Existing Zoning
Classification
Commercial Recreation (C-R)
Old Towne No
Specific Plan/PC No
Site Size 1.109 acres
Circulation The project is located at the northeast corner of Katella Avenue and Main Street. The City’s Master Plan of Streets and Highways classifies the intersection of Katella Avenue and Main Street as a Critical Intersection. Katella Avenue is also classified as a Major Arterial (6 lanes divided) with an ultimate right of way width of 120 feet and Main Street as a Primary Arterial (4 lanes divided) with an ultimate right of way width of 100 feet. The site has access from both the Katella Avenue side and the Main Street side, with the Main Street entrance near the entry point of the queue lanes.
Existing Conditions The existing site is currently developed with a single story, standalone vacant Katella Grill restaurant and associated parking lot accessible from both Katella Avenue and Main Street.
Surrounding Land Uses
and Zoning
The subject site is located due east of the Stadium
Promenade and the surrounding area is part of a
commercial and mixed-use corridor running along Katella Avenue which divides a bordering industrial district both to the north and to the south. The project site is bordered to the west by commercial restaurants, to the south by the Mazda of Orange, and to the east and north by warehouse and general industrial uses.
Previous
Applications/Entitlements
The existing restaurant was built in 1975. In 1996,
Conditional Use Permit No. 2157-96 was granted by the
Planning Commission for the onsite sales of beer and wine in conjunction with a restaurant.
6. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
History
The general area of this project has gone through multiple general plan and zone changes over the City of Orange Printed on 9/15/2022Page 2 of 7
powered by Legistar™
Item #: 5.1. 9/19/2022 File #: 22-0507
The general area of this project has gone through multiple general plan and zone changes over the last 30 years which have subsequently placed this area within a transitional period. Until the early 1990s, the subject site had been zoned as Industrial Manufacturing (M-2), then the area had been zoned as Commercial Recreation (C-R). As part of the General Plan Update in 2010, this site and the surrounding area had a General Plan change to Urban Mixed Use (UMIX). In 2020, the properties along Katella Avenue extending from the Santa Ana River to Main Street underwent a zone change to Urban Mixed Use (UMU). Although this specific project site remained as C-R, the underlying General Plan Designation is UMIX. Due to these changes, development in this area is shifting from industrial to mixed use and the design of this area is in flux.
Current Application
The applicant proposes to demolish the existing standalone restaurant and redevelop the site with an express carwash facility and associated vacuum stalls. The carwash building is composed of three areas: 1) a tower control office, 2) a carwash tunnel and equipment room, and 3) a tower for storage and equipment. The vacuum areas will have fabric canopies with incorporated vacuum hoses. The proposed building has a long shape to house the tunnel component of the carwash facility. The applicant has also designed a large queuing area three lanes wide, each with a pay station, that will be partially screened by three canopies extending towards the property line and landscaping along western property line. As part of the project, a Zone Change from C-R to UMU is requested to establish consistency with the City’s General Plan. The UMU zoning is needed for project implementation as car washes are conditionally permitted uses under that zoning, while they are not an allowable use under the existing CR zoning.
UMU Development Standards
Required/Permitted Proposed Code Section
Building Height 45 feet 32 feet and 1 inch 17.19.120
Stories 3 stories 1 story 17.19.120
Fence height No requirement to
have a fence when
not adjacent to
residential uses 42
inches in front yard
setback (first 10’) 6
feet in all other
areas
No fence or wall
proposed,
however a low
sign wall is
proposed within
the corner
landscape area.
17.12.070
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
(non-residential)
Minimum 1.5
Maximum 3.0
0.28 FAR 17.19.120
Landscaping (non-
residential)
· Front - 10 feet max
· Street Side - 10
feet max · Interior
side and rear yards -
0 feet or, when
adjacent to
perpendicular
parking, 5 feet ·
Parking area
screening from a
public street
minimum 10 feet
wide and maintained
at 36 inches high,
minimum 5 gallon ·
Trash Enclosures
requires to be
screened from view
on three sides by a
six foot high
masonry wall and a
view obscuring self
latching gate. ·
Trees provided at a
rate of 1 tree for
each 30 lineal feet of
landscaped area,
minimum of half of
which must be 24
inch box and half
must be minimum of
15 gallon containers,
9 trees required ·
Interior surface
parking lot, trees
provided at a rate of
1 tree for every 4
parking spaces
located in planters
with a minimum
width of 5 feet,
minimum size of 24
inch box. 8 trees
required
· 49 feet and 1.5
inches · 1 foot and
7 inches · 5 feet
· 30 feet wide ·
Trash and
equipment
enclosures fully
screened by a 6
foot masonry wall
and view
obscuring gates ·
10 trees proposed,
minimum of 36
inch box · 23
trees proposed,
minimum of 10
foot planters and
all trees minimum
size of 36 inch box
· 17.19.120 ·
17.19.120 ·
17.19.120 ·
17.19.120 ·
17.19.190 ·
17.19.160.C(1) ·
17.19.160.C(3)(b)
Lot frontage Not specified for
existing lots
167 feet 17.19.130
Lot depth Not Specified for
existing lots
257 feet 17.19.130
Parking (non-
residential)
2.5 vacuum
bays/wipe down
bays per every 20
feet of car wash
tunnel, plus 3
spaces per 1,000 SF
of GFA not including
tunnel 21 spaces
required
31 spaces
provided
Table 17.34.060.B
Setback, Front 10 feet max 49 feet and 1.5
inches
17.19.120
Setback, Rear 0 feet 63 feet 17.19.120
Setback, Street Side 10 feet max 1 foot and 7
inches
17.19.120
Setback, Side Interior 0 feet 96 feet and 10
inches
17.19.120
City of Orange Printed on 9/15/2022Page 3 of 7
powered by Legistar™
Item #: 5.1. 9/19/2022 File #: 22-0507
Required/Permitted Proposed Code Section
Building Height 45 feet 32 feet and 1 inch 17.19.120
Stories 3 stories 1 story 17.19.120
Fence height No requirement to
have a fence when
not adjacent to
residential uses 42
inches in front yard
setback (first 10’) 6
feet in all other
areas
No fence or wall
proposed,
however a low
sign wall is
proposed within
the corner
landscape area.
17.12.070
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
(non-residential)
Minimum 1.5
Maximum 3.0
0.28 FAR 17.19.120
Landscaping (non-
residential)
· Front - 10 feet max
· Street Side - 10
feet max · Interior
side and rear yards -
0 feet or, when
adjacent to
perpendicular
parking, 5 feet ·
Parking area
screening from a
public street
minimum 10 feet
wide and maintained
at 36 inches high,
minimum 5 gallon ·
Trash Enclosures
requires to be
screened from view
on three sides by a
six foot high
masonry wall and a
view obscuring self
latching gate. ·
Trees provided at a
rate of 1 tree for
each 30 lineal feet of
landscaped area,
minimum of half of
which must be 24
inch box and half
must be minimum of
15 gallon containers,
9 trees required ·
Interior surface
parking lot, trees
provided at a rate of
1 tree for every 4
parking spaces
located in planters
with a minimum
width of 5 feet,
minimum size of 24
inch box. 8 trees
required
· 49 feet and 1.5
inches · 1 foot and
7 inches · 5 feet
· 30 feet wide ·
Trash and
equipment
enclosures fully
screened by a 6
foot masonry wall
and view
obscuring gates ·
10 trees proposed,
minimum of 36
inch box · 23
trees proposed,
minimum of 10
foot planters and
all trees minimum
size of 36 inch box
· 17.19.120 ·
17.19.120 ·
17.19.120 ·
17.19.120 ·
17.19.190 ·
17.19.160.C(1) ·
17.19.160.C(3)(b)
Lot frontage Not specified for
existing lots
167 feet 17.19.130
Lot depth Not Specified for
existing lots
257 feet 17.19.130
Parking (non-
residential)
2.5 vacuum
bays/wipe down
bays per every 20
feet of car wash
tunnel, plus 3
spaces per 1,000 SF
of GFA not including
tunnel 21 spaces
required
31 spaces
provided
Table 17.34.060.B
Setback, Front 10 feet max 49 feet and 1.5
inches
17.19.120
Setback, Rear 0 feet 63 feet 17.19.120
Setback, Street Side 10 feet max 1 foot and 7
inches
17.19.120
Setback, Side Interior 0 feet 96 feet and 10
inches
17.19.120
City of Orange Printed on 9/15/2022Page 4 of 7
powered by Legistar™
Item #: 5.1. 9/19/2022 File #: 22-0507
Required/Permitted Proposed Code Section
Building Height 45 feet 32 feet and 1 inch 17.19.120
Stories 3 stories 1 story 17.19.120
Fence height No requirement to
have a fence when
not adjacent to
residential uses 42
inches in front yard
setback (first 10’) 6
feet in all other
areas
No fence or wall
proposed,
however a low
sign wall is
proposed within
the corner
landscape area.
17.12.070
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
(non-residential)
Minimum 1.5
Maximum 3.0
0.28 FAR 17.19.120
Landscaping (non-
residential)
· Front - 10 feet max
· Street Side - 10
feet max · Interior
side and rear yards -
0 feet or, when
adjacent to
perpendicular
parking, 5 feet ·
Parking area
screening from a
public street
minimum 10 feet
wide and maintained
at 36 inches high,
minimum 5 gallon ·
Trash Enclosures
requires to be
screened from view
on three sides by a
six foot high
masonry wall and a
view obscuring self
latching gate. ·
Trees provided at a
rate of 1 tree for
each 30 lineal feet of
landscaped area,
minimum of half of
which must be 24
inch box and half
must be minimum of
15 gallon containers,
9 trees required ·
Interior surface
parking lot, trees
provided at a rate of
1 tree for every 4
parking spaces
located in planters
with a minimum
width of 5 feet,
minimum size of 24
inch box. 8 trees
required
· 49 feet and 1.5
inches · 1 foot and
7 inches · 5 feet
· 30 feet wide ·
Trash and
equipment
enclosures fully
screened by a 6
foot masonry wall
and view
obscuring gates ·
10 trees proposed,
minimum of 36
inch box · 23
trees proposed,
minimum of 10
foot planters and
all trees minimum
size of 36 inch box
· 17.19.120 ·
17.19.120 ·
17.19.120 ·
17.19.120 ·
17.19.190 ·
17.19.160.C(1) ·
17.19.160.C(3)(b)
Lot frontage Not specified for
existing lots
167 feet 17.19.130
Lot depth Not Specified for
existing lots
257 feet 17.19.130
Parking (non-
residential)
2.5 vacuum
bays/wipe down
bays per every 20
feet of car wash
tunnel, plus 3
spaces per 1,000 SF
of GFA not including
tunnel 21 spaces
required
31 spaces
provided
Table 17.34.060.B
Setback, Front 10 feet max 49 feet and 1.5
inches
17.19.120
Setback, Rear 0 feet 63 feet 17.19.120
Setback, Street Side 10 feet max 1 foot and 7
inches
17.19.120
Setback, Side Interior 0 feet 96 feet and 10
inches
17.19.120
7. ANALYSIS AND STATEMENT OF THE ISSUES
Issue 1: Compatibility with the Surrounding Developments The proposed project is located within the Katella Avenue Corridor, a focus area identified in the City’sGeneral Plan. This focus area functions as a solid commercial district for the City. The subject site is located at the northeast corner of Katella Avenue and Main Street within a commercial and mixed-use corridor due east of the Stadium Promenade. Adjacent uses include a sit-down restaurant, a gas station, Mazda of Orange, the Orange County Badminton Club, and general industrial uses for warehousing. The general area has gone through multiple general plan and zone changes over the last 30 years which have subsequently placed this area within a transitional period. The Katella Avenue Corridor focus area is an evolving mixed-use corridor. Due to the regional attractions in nearby Anaheim and the surrounding industrial core of Orange, development in the Katella Avenue Corridor focus area is experiencing a shift from industrial to more mixed use and commercial uses. A carwash facility at the major intersection of Katella Avenue and Main Street is compatible with the established area and may support nearby regional attractions by increasing the frequency of local visitors.
Issue 2: Drive Through Circulation and Queuing
There are two driveways that allow for both ingress and egress from the site. The Main Street entrance is nearest the entry into the three queuing lanes along the western side of the property, and a driveway along Katella Avenue is located near the vacuum stalls. A queuing survey conducted by the applicant shows the maximum amount of waiting cars at similar carwash facilities within Orange County to be fifteen vehicles. On average, similar carwash facilities will have about seven to eight vehicles in the queuing lanes. The proposed queue lanes can easily accommodate twenty vehicles City of Orange Printed on 9/15/2022Page 5 of 7
powered by Legistar™
Item #: 5.1. 9/19/2022 File #: 22-0507
vehicles in the queuing lanes. The proposed queue lanes can easily accommodate twenty vehicles between the entrance of the stacking lanes and the pay stations. Additional vehicles would be able to stack prior to entry into the carwash tunnel and a contingency plan is provided in the event of overflow. Each queue lane has a pay station where customers would select their carwash options before merging into a single lane to enter the carwash tunnel. Upon exiting the tunnel, customers would proceed to find an empty vacuum stall, or they would be able to exit the carwash facility.
Further analysis of the provided Vehicle Access, Circulation, and Queuing Study (provided as Attachment 6 to this report) supports the finding that the proposed stacking capacity is greater than general demand across multiple similar carwash facilities throughout the county.
Issue 3: Floor Area Ratio
The required Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for this subject property is between a minimum of 1.5 and a maximum of 3. This is a much higher FAR than is required in other zoning districts. In other zoning districts, the FAR is a maximum number without a required minimum. The intent of this minimum, along with the high maximum, is to support the development of a mixed use district with an urbanized higher intensity character, with pedestrian orientation and an integrated mix of uses. The proposed FAR for the project is 0.28, which is higher than the current FAR for the Katella Grill (0.12 FAR), but less than the stated UMU minimum. Without a multiple story building, it would be difficult for any project to reach the minimum as required by the OMC; however, the proposed project is supporting the UMU zoning district by more than doubling the current FAR. In addition, the extension of the canopies towards Main Street and the proposed height creates a building massing effect of a street level design, conforming with the UMU development standards. The proposed project brings the currently legal non-conforming FAR into closer conformance with the General Plan minimum.
Issue 4: Front Yard Setback
The required front yard setback and the required street side setback for the subject property is a maximum of 10 feet. The street side setback is proposed at 1 foot and 7 inches and the front yard setback is proposed to be 49 feet and 1.5 inches. The street side setback is within the required maximum setback; whereas the front yard setback is greater than the maximum allowed. In most zoning districts, the setback requirement is a minimum rather than a maximum. The zoning along Katella Avenue east of the project site remains as Commercial Recreation (C-R) and much of the existing construction was built when the zoning for these properties was industrial. In the initial submittal to the City, the applicant had originally proposed the building closer to the Katella Avenue street frontage, however during the Staff Review Committee review process, the Fire Department made comments regarding the building length which have caused the applicant to push the building further back from the front property line. In view of the existing surroundings which have undergone general plan and zone changes enacted by the City and due to the California Fire Code requirements, staff considers the proposed setback of 49 feet and 1.5 inches to be consistent with the neighboring developments and conforming with the allowances of the OMC.
8. PUBLIC NOTICE
On September 8, 2022, the City sent a Public Hearing Notice to a total of 47 property owners/tenants within a 400-foot radius of the project site and persons specifically requesting notice. A notice was published in the Orange County Register newspaper on September 8, 2022. The project site has been posted in three locations with the notification on that same date.
9. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Final Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) No. 1815-09 for the Comprehensive General Plan Update was certified on March 9, 2010 and prepared in accordance with the California Environmental City of Orange Printed on 9/15/2022Page 6 of 7
powered by Legistar™
Item #: 5.1. 9/19/2022 File #: 22-0507
Update was certified on March 9, 2010 and prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act. The proposed change in zoning is within the scope of the previously approved General Plan and is adequately described in the previously certified General Plan Program EIR for purposes of CEQA.
Categorical Exemption: The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the CEQA per State CEQA Guidelines 15332 (Class 32 - In-fill Development Projects) because the project site is less than five acres; the project site has no value as habitat for endangered, rare, or threatened species; the approval of the project would not result in any significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality; and the site can be adequately served by all required utilities and public services. No public review is required.
10. ADVISORY BOARD ACTION
Staff Review Committee:
The Staff Review Committee reviewed the project on December 15, 2021, April 13, 2022, and on May 25, 2022, and recommended approval of the project to the Design Review Committee and the Planning Commission. On July 20, 2022, the Staff Review Committee reviewed a revised application and found that the revised plans substantially conformed to the plans reviewed on May 25, 2022, and upheld the recommended approval of the project to the Design Review Committee and the Planning Commission.
Design Review Committee:
The Design Review Committee reviewed the subject proposal at the July 7, 2022; and August 17, 2022 meetings and recommended approval of the project to the Planning Commission.
11. ATTACHMENTS
· Attachment 1: Planning Commission Resolution No. 16-22 for Conditional Use Permit No. 3154-21, Design Review Committee No. 5060-21, and Minor Site Plan Review No. 1074-21 · Attachment 2: Planning Commission Resolution No. 24-22 for Zone Change No. 1305-21 (including the draft Ordinance and Zoning Map Exhibits A and B) · Attachment 3: Vicinity Map
· Attachment 4: Architectural, Preliminary Civil, Renderings, and Landscape Plans date stamped August 23, 2022
· Attachment 5: Applicant Letter of Justification and Explanation · Attachment 6: Vehicle Access, Circulation, and Queuing Study · Attachment 7: Site Photographs
City of Orange Printed on 9/15/2022Page 7 of 7
powered by Legistar™