City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: DECEMBER 20, 2022 FROM: COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARD: 2
DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: PLANNING CASE PR-2020-000519 – GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT, SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT, ZONING CODE MAP AMENDMENT, VARIANCE, GRADING EXCEPTION, AND DESIGN REVIEW – PROPOSAL BY YONG NAM OF OZI ALESSANDRO, LLC, TO FACILITATE CONSTRUCTION OF A 115,526 SQUARE FOOT WAREHOUSE – LOCATED AT 2610 E. ALESSANDRO BOULEVARD, SITUATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF ALESSANDRO BOULEVARD AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 215 ISSUE:
A proposal by Yong Nam of OZI Alessandro, LLC consisting of a General Plan Amendment, Specific Plan Amendment, Zoning Code Map Amendment, Variance, Grading Exception, and Design Review to facilitate the construction of a 115,526 square foot warehouse on 8.82 acres located at 2610 E. Alessandro Boulevard, situated on the north side of Alessandro Boulevard and east of Interstate 215.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Determine that the project information provided in the Addendum will not result in significant effects on the environment and is therefore consistent with the adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program prepared for Planning Cases P14-0841, P14-0842, P14-0843, P14-0844, P14-0846, and P14-0847, and adopt the Addendum and Mitigation and Monitoring Reporting Program; Approve PR-2020-000519 General Plan Amendment, Specific Plan Amendment, Zoning Code Map Amendment, Variance, Grading Exception, and Design Review based on the findings summarized in the Planning Commission staff report and attached, and subject to the recommended conditions; Adopt the attached Resolution to amend the General Plan 2025 land use designation of approximately 8.82 acres of land from C – Commercial to B/OP – Business/Office Park; Adopt the attached Resolution to amend the Sycamore Canyon Business Park Specific Plan to change the land use subarea of the project site from Industrial Support to Industrial and a minor text modification to Table 1 to adjust the industrial land gross acreage; and Introduce and subsequently adopt the attached Ordinance to amend the Zone of approximately 8.82 acres from CR-SP – Commercial Retail and Specific Plan (Sycamore Canyon Business Park) Overlay Zones to BMP-SP – Business and Manufacturing Park and Specific Plan (Sycamore Canyon Business Park) Overlay Zones.
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
On October 27, 2022, the City Planning Commission recommended approval of Planning Case PR-2020-000519, a request for a General Plan Amendment, Specific Plan Amendment, Zoning Code Map Amendment, Variance, Grading Exception, and Design Review to facilitate the construction of 115,526 square foot warehouse, by a vote of 5 ayes and 0 noes (Attachments 4, 5, and 6).
BACKGROUND:
The project site consists of three contiguous vacant parcels totaling 8.82 acres. Surrounding land uses include an industrial business park to the north, a gas station and vacant land (across Alessandro Boulevard) to the south, single-family residential and commercial uses to the east, and warehouses to the west (across Interstate 215).As a matter of information, on January 26, 2016, the City Council approved a General Plan Amendment, Specific Plan Amendment, Zoning Code Map Amendment, Conditional Use Permits, and Design Review (Planning Cases P14-0841, P14-0842, P14-0843, P14-0844, P14-0846, and P14-0847) to facilitate development of the project site with a warehouse, a vehicle fuel station for diesel trucks, three new commercial buildings, and a relocation of an existing vehicle wash facility. The project, however, was not constructed. Through the entitlement process in 2016, it appears that the General Plan land use designation of the north parcel of the project site was erroneously amended from B/OP – Business/Office Park to C – Commercial. The General Plan land use designation of the southern parcels were intentionally amended from B/OP – Business/Office Park to C – Commercial. Likewise, it appears that the north parcel of the project site was erroneously rezoned from BMP – Business and Manufacturing Park Zone to CR – Commercial Retail Zone. The zone of the southern parcels were intentionally rezoned from BMP – Business and Manufacturing Park Zone to CR – Commercial Retail Zone.
Concurrent with this request, a Lot Line Adjustment for the adjacent parcel to the east (APN: 263-100-022) is being processed by the Public Works Department (GP-2021-03094) to allow for the future relocation of the existing vehicle wash facility located immediately east of the project site.
For additional background, please refer to the October 27, 2022, City Planning Commission staff report, recommended conditions of approval, and minutes (Attachments 4, 5, and 6).
DISCUSSION:
Project Description
The applicant is requesting approval of entitlements to facilitate construction of a 115,526 square foot warehouse. The warehouse consists of 6,400 square feet of office space and 109,126 square feet of warehouse area. A loading area consisting of 16 dock doors are proposed on the west side of the building. The project will be served by 136 parking spaces for vehicles and 34 parking spaces for trucks and trailers.
Access to the project site will be provided via an existing reciprocal access easement from Alessandro Boulevard, shared with the gas station located immediately east of the project site. Trucks traveling east on Alessandro Boulevard, from Interstate 215, will enter the site by making a left at the signalized intersection into the gas station, and will travel west, through the gas station, to the project site.
The project proposed to demolish the existing vehicle wash facility, located immediately east of the project site, as it will block access to the project 35-foot-wide drive aisle. The future relocation of the vehicle wash facility and any site modifications of the existing gas station development will be reviewed under separate entitlements.
As part of this project, the Sycamore Canyon Business Park Specific Plan is proposed to be amended as follows:
Table 1 – Land Use Distribution Summary: Update the gross acres of the Industrial land use subarea to reflect addition of 8.82 acres (the project site) and reduction of the acres of the Industrial Support land use subarea by 8.82 acres; and Figure 5 – Land Use Map: Update the project site to reflect the proposed Industrial land use subarea.
Required Entitlements
Implementation of this proposed project requires:
General Plan Amendment: To amend the land use designation of 8.82 acres from C – Commercial to B/OP – Business/Office Park. As a matter of information, in reviewing the project, staff noted a discrepancy between the acreage provided in the General Plan Amendment Resolution (R-22951) versus the listed assessor parcel numbers (Planning Case P14-0841). In order to rectify the discrepancy, this project proposes a General Plan Amendment to change the land use designation of all subject parcels; Specific Plan Amendment: To amend the Sycamore Canyon Business Park Specific Plan to change the land use subarea of the project site from Industrial Support to Industrial, and a minor text modification to Table 1 to adjust the industrial land gross acreage; Zoning Code Amendment: To change the zone of the project site from CR-SP – Commercial Retail and Specific Plan (Sycamore Canyon Business Park) Overlay Zones to BMP-SP – Business and Manufacturing Park and Specific Plan (Sycamore Canyon Business Park) Overlay Zones; Variance: To allow solid masonry walls up to 16 feet, 6 inches in height, where 12-foot high solid walls are permitted for screening purposes by the Sycamore Canyon Business Park Specific Plan; Grading Exception: To allow retaining walls up to 10 feet, 10 inches in height when not visible from the public right-of-way, where the Grading Code allows a maximum of 6 feet in height; and Design Review: Site design and building elevations.
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission recommended approval of the project, with a condition of approval requiring that staff work with the applicant on ingress and egress to the property prior to the City Council hearing. The condition of approval was recommended, in order to address the following concerns:
The proposed ingress/egress route of the trucks traveling eastbound along Alessandro Boulevard; and That the ingress through the gas station did not provide for a safe passage of truck traffic, as the truck traffic encroached in the opposite lanes to make the required turning movements.
Staff has worked closely with the applicant on the ingress and egress of trucks to the property. Access to the project site will be provided via an existing reciprocal access easement from Alessandro Boulevard, shared with the gas station located immediately east of the project site. The applicant proposes to make the following improvements within the gas station property to allow for the controlled ingress of trucks to the subject property (Attachment 7):
Provide “Keep Clear” pavement markings at the signalized intersection, to prevent vehicles from blocking truck access; Provide a raised curb median with directional signage to separate truck and vehicle traffic; Reduce the existing landscape planter within the gas station property to 30 feet in width to allow for a designated one-way truck lane; Designate a one-way truck lane, 20 feet in width, with the use of white raised pavement markers (botts dots); and Designate a 30-foot separation between the truck lane and the existing vehicle gas pumps.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
The proposed project supports Strategic Priority 3 – Economic Opportunity, and Goal 3.3 – Cultivate a business climate that welcomes entrepreneurship and investment.
This item aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – The proposed project requires public hearings by the Planning Commission and City Council. Additionally, public comment is encouraged throughout the process through the 15-day public noticing period and at public hearings.
Equity – The proposed project will provide employment opportunities available to all residents.
Fiscal Responsibility – The proposed project applicant will be responsible for all fiscal aspects of the project.
Innovation – The proposed project is well-designed and sensitive to the existing wetland pond located immediately adjacent to the Interstate 215 on-ramp.
Sustainability and Resiliency – The proposed project will be required to follow all requirements related to water collection, recycling, and conservation.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action since all project costs are borne by the applicant.
Prepared by: Chris Christopoulos, Acting Director, Community & Economic Development Department Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer Approved by: Rafael Guzman, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Resolution Amending the General Plan 2025
Resolution Amending the Sycamore Canyon Business Park Specific Plan Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Map
City Planning Commission Report – October 27, 2022
City Planning Commission Recommended Conditions – October 27, 2022 City Planning Commission Minutes – October 27, 2022
Revised Truck Circulation Plan
Revised Recommended Conditions of Approval
Presentation
PR-2020-000519 ● Page 2