This project was reviewed pursuant to the guidelines of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and determined to be Categorically Exempt pursuant to Section 15301, Class 1: "Existing Facilities" of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines. 

A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LA HABRA APPROVING DESIGN REVIEW 21-04 FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE COSTCO GASOLINE FUELING STATION AT 103 NORTH BEACH BOULEVARD, MAKING THE APPROPRIATE FINDINGS, AS PER THE APPROVED PLANS AND SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS.

A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF LA HABRA APPROVING CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 21-02 FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE COSTCO GASOLINE FUELING STATION AT 103 NORTH BEACH BOULEVARD, MAKING THE APPROPRIATE FINDINGS, AS PER THE APPROVED PLANS AND SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS.

The Applicant, Costco Wholesale is requesting to expand the Costco gasoline fueling station by adding additional fuel dispensers. The property is located at the northwest corner of La Habra Boulevard and Beach Boulevard. The General Plan land use designation is Commercial Shopping Center 2. The property is zoned SP-1, La Habra Boulevard Specific Plan and designated Community Shopping Center 2 which is consistent with the General Plan.

The subject 14.49 acre property is developed with a 149,787 square foot Costco warehouse store and a self-service gasoline fueling station with eight, two-sided multi- fuel dispensers (16 fueling positions) located under a 3,840 square foot canopy. The gasoline fueling station is located at the southeast corner of the property with access from Beach Boulevard and La Habra Boulevard.

On December 10, 2018, the Planning Commission approved Design Review 18-11, Conditional Use Permit 18-16 and Modification 18-01 to expand and modify the hours of operation of the Costco gasoline fueling station. The project included the construction of three fuel dispensers for a total of 22 fueling positions and an expansion of the overhead canopy for a total canopy area of 6,304 square feet. A time extension was approved on December 9, 2019, to allow the project to remain active and provide the Applicant with additional time to continue with the preparation of the construction plans. However, the project expired on December 9, 2020, due to inactivity. Pursuant to the Municipal Code, a maximum of one time extension can be granted.

The project has been resubmitted with changes from the original 2018 project. The changes include: the addition of four fuel dispensers for a total of 24 fueling positions. The new dispensers will be constructed approximately 28 feet from the existing dispensers (measured from the center of the dispensers). The project also involves an expansion of the canopy for a total canopy area of approximately 8,000 square feet and modifications to the drive aisles and landscape planters located near the gasoline fueling station. The affected drive aisle is located northwesterly of the fueling station. A section of the two-way drive aisle will be modified to prohibit north-south customer vehicle traffic by reducing its width from approximately 33 feet wide down to 25 feet wide. The drive aisle will be labeled and stripped for fuel tanker truck access only.  The parking area located east of the modified drive aisle will include two new parking spaces. Also, further west of the modified drive aisle, a new 30-foot wide opening/drive aisle will be created with the removal of eight parking spaces to allow north-south vehicle traffic to enter the main parking lot area west of the service station. Overall a total of six (6) parking spaces will be removed.


The canopy expansion and additional multi-product fuel dispensers will be constructed to the west of the existing gasoline fueling station. The new dispensers will be approximately 28 feet from the existing dispensers allowing for a wider vehicle maneuvering area. The proposed expansion covers an area that is currently part of the vehicle queuing area. The gasoline fueling station will continue to facilitate a single direction circulation pattern with a full length bypass lane between each dispenser island. The canopy expansion will be architecturally compatible with the existing canopy structure and will include a metal wrapped canopy fascia with a cornice, a hip roof design with clay tiles. Also included are metal and masonry wrapped canopy columns. Overall, the materials and canopy colors will continue to match the warehouse building. The approved hours of operation for the gasoline fueling station are Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The fueling station will still include a service attendant during the operation of the facility.

The goal of the expansion project is to reduce vehicle queue wait times. A Trip Generation and Queuing report dated September 16, 2021, prepared by Kittelson & Associates concluded that the proposed expansion project will reduce peak queue wait times (weekday PM). The report analyzed six other Costco facilities, four in California and two in Oregon that experienced a substantial reduction in vehicle queues after an expansion. According to the data, the La Habra site recorded a maximum queue of 37 vehicles during the weekday PM peak period. Utilizing observed data from other Costco service station expansion projects and applying it to the La Habra site, a reduction of 24 vehicles can be expected. The data translates to a reduction of the observed maximum queue of 37 vehicles down to a queue of 13 vehicles during the weekday PM peak period. The analysis provides an analogy to that of a supermarket. The addition of more cashiers serves to process those waiting in line more efficiently and quickly.

The project is before the Planning Commission pursuant to La Habra Municipal Code (LHMC) Section 18.06.040.A which requires approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the operation of automobile service stations. In order to approve a Conditional Use Permit, all of the following findings must be met:

The requested Conditional Use Permit is supplemental to CUP 04-07 that was approved for the existing gasoline fueling station in 2004. The operational nature of the facility will remain the same. The project's purpose is to improve upon customer vehicle queuing with the construction of four (4) additional fuel dispensers and associated improvements. Based on the Trip Generation and Queuing report, the requested improvements will reduce vehicle wait times. The analysis is based on data obtained from other Costco gasoline service stations that have undergone an expansion similar to the proposed La Habra project. According to the report, a substantial reduction in maximum queues during the weekday PM peak period has been observed. On average, a reduction of 24 vehicles or a 65% reduction in the maximum queue is expected.

The gasoline fueling station is situated near a major commercial intersection with the surrounding properties all developed with commercial uses. The fueling station will continue to blend in with the surrounding area. The original CUP 04-07 required an attendant to monitor the gasoline fueling station during the hours of operation of the facility. That condition has been brought forward and included on the proposed CUP.  The continued use of an attendant onsite will help customers navigate through the facility in an orderly fashion. The attendant will also be available to assist customers and answer any questions should the need arise. A condition of approval limiting the hours of the fuel tanker truck deliveries has been included as an additional measure to alleviate onsite congestion during peak hours. Fuel tanker deliveries will be limited to morning hours prior to the opening of the Costco warehouse and late evening hours after the closure of the Costco warehouse and closure of the gasoline fueling station. The Costco warehouse operates Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The approved hours of the gasoline fueling station are Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Saturday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The hours of the fueling station will remain unchanged.

Based on the proposed modifications to the onsite drive aisles, two fuel tanker turning plans have been provided and included in the project plans and a Trip Generation and Queuing report. Both options utilize Beach Boulevard as the main entry and exit point. Option A is a direct route (plan sheet DD-4) has the tanker trucks maneuver south through the drive aisle labeled and stripped for fuel tanker truck access only (located northwest of the fueling area) towards the fuel delivery area. Option B is an alternate route (plan sheet DD-4A) has the tanker trucks maneuver westerly near the food court area and then southerly and then easterly along the southernmost drive aisle that aligns with the fuel delivery area/underground fuel tanks. There are two options available for fuel tanker trucks to maneuver onsite, depending on the volume of vehicles in the queuing area. It should be noted that a condition of approval has been included to limit fuel delivery hours to off-peak hours as an additional measure to alleviate onsite congestion. 

Similar to the 2018 gasoline expansion project (expired due to inactivity), the condition of approval regarding the vehicle driveway entrance on La Habra Boulevard near the gasoline fueling station has been carried forward and included in the resolutions. The condition provides six phased mitigation measures to address any potential safety concerns regarding vehicles queuing near the driveway entrance causing vehicles to back onto La Habra Boulevard. Once all the measures have been exhausted and the safety issue remains, the last phase requires the removal of the driveway entrance to be replaced with a new sidewalk and onsite landscaping.

The project is also before the Planning Commission pursuant to LHMC Section 18.44.050.F, which requires a Design Review for building additions to properties located within the La Habra Boulevard Specific Plan Zone (SP-1). For a Design Review, projects are subject to the requirements set forth in Chapter 18.68 Design Review of the LHMC. In order to approve a design plan, the following findings must be made:

The proposed project is consistent with the General Plan Land Use designation for this site, the La Habra Boulevard Specific plan, and the SP-1 development standards. The architectural design of the canopy is consistent with the other onsite improvements, thus maintaining conformity with the architectural requirements of the Specific Plan. The project also promotes the goals and policies of the General Plan. The project will continue to be subject to the original conditions of approval as adopted by the City Council. 

As indicated in the scope of the project, once approved, construction of the project will be completed in a single phase. Depending on construction sequencing, the existing fueling facility may remain open during construction. The minor parking lot modifications involve the removal of six parking spaces for a grand total of 731 onsite parking spaces. The property is only required to provide 602 spaces (600 for the warehouse + 2 spaces for the gasoline service station). The parking lot modifications also involve enlarging and creating new landscape planters within the parking lot increasing the total onsite parking lot landscape percentage to 9%. The Zoning Code only requires a minimum of 7%.

The subject property complies with all applicable development standards and architectural design guidelines.

No City resources/funding is required for this proposal.

The Applicant's proposal has been reviewed pursuant to the requirements of the City's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Permit, the Local Implementation Plan (LIP), and the Model Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP), Section 7.2. A Preliminary Water Quality Management Plan (WQMP) has been reviewed and approved for this project.

The property is designated Community Shopping Center which is characterized by a variety of commercial uses serving the larger citywide area as well as the immediate surrounding communities. The continued operation of the Costco gasoline fueling station is compatible with the land use designation.

The project implements Polices LU 2.2 Places to Shop, LU 3.2 Uses to Meet Daily Needs, LU 4.1 Development Compatibility, LU 4.4 Design Review, LU 11.2 Compact and Vital Commercial Development, and LU 11.7 Architectural and Site Design of the General Plan 2035.