CITY OF SIGNAL HILL
STAFF REPORT
2175 Cherry Avenue • Signal
Hill, California 90755-3799
1/24/2023
AGENDA ITEM
TO:
HONORABLE MAYOR
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:
COLLEEN T. DOAN
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
SUBJECT:
2022 ANNUAL REVIEW OF CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS
Summary:
Annually, the Community Development Department conducts a review of properties with active Conditional Use Permits (CUPs). The CUP Annual Review is a tool to confirm compliance with CUP conditions of approval by performing site inspections to verify compliance, site maintenance, and operations. Staff will present the findings of the 2022 CUP Annual Review.
Recommendation:
Receive and file.
Fiscal Impact:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.
Strategic Plan Objective:
Goal 5: Ensure an enhanced quality of life for residents of the City.
Background:
City Council approved two new CUPs in 2021, which have been added to the 2022 CUP Annual Review inspection list:
· CUP 21-01 for retail sales of alcohol for off-site consumption at the Target store located at 950 E. 33rd Street; and
· CUP 21-02 for a new self-storage facility located at 3177 California Avenue.
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In 2022, there was one newly approved CUP:
· CUP 22-01 for an alcoholic beverage manufacturing establishment (microbrewery) with tasting room at 2698 St. Louis Avenue.
The Planning Commission reviewed the CUP Annual Review at its regular meeting on January 17, 2023.
Analysis:
Per Signal Hill Municipal Code Section 20.64.120, the City Council has the authority to revoke any CUP for noncompliance with the conditions set forth in the approved permit. Staff inspected all 54 active CUP sites and found all to be in substantial compliance with their approved conditions.
Although no revocations are recommended at this time, the attached CUP inspection matrix was prepared, which describes the status of each corrective action required and observations by staff during the 2022 annual inspection review for all 54 CUPs (Attachment A).
While no CUP revocations are recommended, it is worth noting that during the inspection of CUP 00- 05, for the self-storage facility located at 2901 E. Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), staff observed the following issues of concern:
· U-Haul rental trucks and trailers and miscellaneous vehicle storage parked behind the unsecured and open gate on the drive aisle extending from Ellys Avenue; · A U-Haul truck parked in a no parking zone on PCH in front of the self-storage business; and · Trash and debris throughout the property, concentrated at the rear of the building.
In addition, staff has received multiple and recurring complaints from adjacent residents regarding the drop-off and parking area for the U-Haul rental operations, which is part of the self-storage business, and unsecured access to the self-storage facility, as follows:
· Loitering;
· Unsecured entry to the facility;
· Nighttime access to the facility;
· Congregation of individuals; and
· Suspicious and illegal activities.
As a result, staff continues to meet with the self-storage owner and on-site management to develop and immediately implement new operational procedures and property oversight to address the issues of concern. Staff will be developing new conditions of approval for the facility and intends to bring a CUP amendment item forward to the Planning Commission and City Council at a separate public hearing. The amendment to the CUP is tentatively scheduled for the February 21, 2023, Planning Commission meeting and a subsequent City Council meeting.
At the January 17, 2023, Planning Commission meeting, the applicant reported that based on their communication with staff and the property inspection notes below, they have implemented the following security and oversight measures:
· Discontinued after-hours U-Haul drop offs;
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· Closed and locked gate to drive aisle off of Ellys Avenue; · Daily review from surveillance cameras and log entries; · Increased exterior lighting at rear of building; and
· Weekly removal of trash and debris.
Inspection Results
The annual review includes a total of 54 CUPs as follows:
Note: The newest CUP (CUP 22-01) approved in July of 2022, for Three Chiefs Brewing is not fully operational yet and only has a business license for warehousing pending completion of tenant improvements for full operations to commence. Therefore, it was not inspected this year and is not included in the count above, but should be by next year.
The results of the site inspections are stratified into two categories:
1. Compliance with conditions of approval; and
2. Overall property maintenance and operations including, but not limited to:
· landscaping
· building exterior paint, stucco, or siding
· parking
· signage
· graffiti
· trash
· cleanliness
· noise
· operational oversight
· other nuisances
There were no significant violations of the conditions of approval except for property maintenance CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 3 of 5 Printed on 1/20/2023
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There were no significant violations of the conditions of approval except for property maintenance requirements at the self-storage facility and, as noted in the inspection report matrix, concerns over queuing at the Costco gas facility.
The following updates for these businesses and for the long-term extension of the drill sites CUP are provided for Council information.
Costco Gas - 2200 E. Willow St. (CUP 13-01)
· In 2013, the Costco gas facility CUP was approved as an addition to an existing Costco store. · The location of the gas facility on the site was purposefully situated away from adjacent residential uses and the Costco parking area directly in front of the store. · As the gas facility attracted more customers, access to the detached Wells Fargo ATM machine located alongside the vehicle queuing area became very difficult. · More recently as gas prices rose, the vehicle queuing obstructed traffic circulation in the center, blocked existing parking, and at times backed up onto E. Willow Street, impacting the intersection of Cherry Avenue and E. Willow Street.
· Staff has worked with Costco, the commercial center management company, and the Wells Fargo to mitigate queuing problems. Staff requested a traffic, parking, and circulation study be conducted to support a re-design the queuing layout.
· In 2022, Costco suggested installation of three additional fuel dispenser units to improve capacity and reduce queuing issues.
· Costco has hired a transportation engineering firm (Kittelson & Associates Inc.) to collect data related to traffic, analyze improved parking area circulation options, verify the increased capacity derived from the requested additional fuel dispensers, and to propose an alternative queuing design.
· A Wells Fargo representative reports they intend to remove the detached ATM permanently. · Staff will continue to meet with all parties to develop a new queuing design and implement it temporarily as a test case.
· Prior to permanent installation of a new queuing design and additional fueling dispensers staff will bring an amendment to the CUP for both to Planning Commission and City Council.
Signal Hill Self-Storage - 2901 E. PCH (CUP 00-05)
· Staff continues to field complaints regarding the Self-Storage and U-Haul business, specifically regarding unknown individuals congregating in the rear areas where the U-Haul rental trucks are located. The site was inspected and the building itself was found to be in good condition; however, staff observed that the gate off Ellys Avenue was open, U-Haul trucks were parked behind the gate, and trash and debris was seen surrounding the U-Haul trucks.
· Staff will bring a recommendation to the Planning Commission and City Council to consider a CUP amendment at the February meetings. Amendment of the CUP would allow staff to recommend new conditions such as prohibiting nighttime U-Haul drop-offs, additional 24-hour security, resolution of noted issues of concern, and additional property maintenance, including regular trash and debris removal and regular rodent control services.
Three Chiefs Brewing - 2698 St. Louis Avenue (CUP 22-01) · On July 19th, 2022, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 863-07-19, recommending City Council approval of CUP 22-01. Three Chiefs Brewing consists of a CITY OF SIGNAL HILL Page 4 of 5 Printed on 1/20/2023
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recommending City Council approval of CUP 22-01. Three Chiefs Brewing consists of a warehouse of approximately 2,300 square feet. The leased space is approximately 1,500 square feet of which 1,400 square feet is the brewery/manufacturing area and approximately 100 square feet of tasting room area.
· It is important to note that Three Chiefs Brewing operates as a Contract Brewer in which most of the manufacturing is outsourced from other vendors off-site. Most of the operations completed on-site include blending of beers, ingredients, packaging of the ingredients, and general tasting room services limited to 12:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Wednesday - Sunday.
SHP Drill Sites (CUP 97-03)
· All seven drill sites were inspected on December 20, 2022. Landscaping, fencing, equipment, and stormwater protection measures were found to be in generally good condition with a few minor maintenance items which have been accomplished.
· In 2021, the City Council extended the CUP for a 2-year term until July 30, 2023, to allow the continued collaborative efforts for economic development and housing, and to complete the environmental document for a long-term extension of the drill sites CUP. Since that time, the following progress has been made:
Long-term Extension of the 7 Drill Sites CUP:
· Signal Hill Petroleum (SHP) is requesting a 20-year extension to its seven (7) Drill Sites CUP. · A Request for Proposals (RFP) was circulated, and a contract executed with a consultant, Catalyst Environmental Solutions (Catalyst) who has been meeting regularly with City staff and representatives from SHP to prepare the environmental analysis. · A project description, and all environmental technical studies have been completed and/or peer reviewed by Catalyst, and a draft Initial Study recommending a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) is under review by City staff.
· A scoping meeting for the PEIR is scheduled to take place on January 30, 2023. · An initial aggressive timeline was established to complete the environmental analysis, prepare the PEIR document, and bring an amended CUP extension to City Council for consideration by end of fiscal year 2023.
Conclusion
The CUP annual review ensures businesses and properties continue maintenance and operations in compliance with previously approved conditions of approval. Since CUPs run with the land, annual inspections are imperative as business ownerships change. Annual inspections also provide staff with an opportunity to address issues of concern and recommend amendments or revocation of the CUPs to the Planning Commission and City Council. Staff will continue to monitor CUP sites on an annual basis and on an as-needed basis if concerns or complaints are reported.
Approved:
_________________________
Carlo Tomaino
Attachment
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