PRECISE PLAN NO. 24-01
ZONE CHANGE NO. 24-01
MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION
APPLICANT: Boyd Sumner, Envision Motors
LOCATION: 1800 E. Garvey Avenue & 200 S. Azusa Avenue
REQUEST: The applicant is requesting the approval of a Precise Plan (PP) and Zone Change (ZC) to allow the construction of a new two-story 85,390 square foot dealership building. The project also includes a zone change to alter a portion of the project site currently zoned Neighborhood Commercial Mixed Use (NMU) to Service Commercial Mixed Use (SMU) within the Auto Plaza Overlay Zone.

The project site is located south of the Interstate 10 Freeway at the intersection of South Azusa Avenue and East Garvey Avenue South. The overall project site is composed of three (3) separate parcels totaling 154,286 square feet in area. The site is currently occupied by the Toyota car dealership and a Valero gasoline station. The existing structures on site and the parking lot will be demolished. The site is designated for commercial land use by the General Plan and is zoned Service Commercial Mixed Use (SMU) and Neighborhood Commercial Mixed Use (NMU).

 

ITEM	DESCRIPTION
ZONING AND GENERAL PLAN LAND USE DESIGNATION	Service Commercial Mixed Use (SMU) and Neighborhood Commercial Mixed Use (NMU) within the Auto Plaza Overlay Zone; Commercial
SURROUNDING ZONING AND LAND USES	North: Interstate 10 Freeway, Service Commercial Mixed Use (SMU); Commercial East: Service Commercial Mixed Use (SMU); Commercial South: Service Commercial Mixed Use (SMU); Commercial West: Neighborhood Commercial Mixed Use (NMU); Commercial
CURRENT DEVELOPMENT	Dealership Building
LEGAL NOTICE	Notice of the Public Hearing was mailed to all owners of properties within five hundred (500) feet of the subject site at least thirty (30) days in advance, as well as published in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Additionally, a notice of the Public Hearing was posted on the site.

The proposed scope of work includes the demolition of the existing Toyota dealership building and the existing Valero gas station, to accommodate the construction of a new two-story 85,390 square foot automobile dealership building for Mercedes-Benz of West Covina. The first floor will be 42,890 square feet, and will consist of a showroom, vehicle delivery rooms, offices, detail bays (used to clean/polish vehicles for display), and other facilities such as a customer lounge room, employee lunchrooms, offices, restrooms and storage rooms. The second floor will be 42,500 square feet with a second floor roof overhang of 8,920 square feet and will consist of a showroom, an employee lunchroom, conference rooms, offices, restrooms, and storage rooms.

The proposed construction complies with all setbacks, height, and building coverage requirements for the Service Commercial Mixed-Use Zone. The West Covina Municipal Code (WCMC) requires a minimum of a 5-foot front and rear setback for commercial properties abutting nonresidential uses. As noted in the table above, all immediate abutting properties are commercial. There are no minimum side setbacks for this property. As currently proposed, the building surpasses the minimum setbacks significantly. Additionally, the WCMC allows up to fifty (50) percent building coverage. The current building coverage, which includes the building footprint and the trash enclosure, is twenty-eight (28) percent, significantly less than the maximum permitted. The building is proposed to be 47'-10" which complies with the WCMC, as there is no maximum height for structures located at least one hundred (100) feet away from residential properties.

The table below summarizes how the project compares with the WCMC standards:
 

	PROPOSED	WCMC STANDARDS
LOT AREA	154,286 Square Feet	--------------------
BUILDING AREA First Floor Second Floor	Total: 85,390 Square Feet First Floor - 42,890 Square Feet Second Floor - 42,500 Square Feet	--------------------
HEIGHT	47'-10"	No Maximum Height
BUILDING COVERAGE	0.28 (52,130 Square Feet)	0.50 (77,143 Square Feet)
SETBACKS Front (East) Side (South) Side (North) Rear (West)	Front (East) - 35'-5" Side (South) - 214' Side (North) - 26'-3" Rear (West) - 26'-8"	Front (East) - 5 Feet Side (South) - No Minimum Side (North) - N/A Rear (West) - 5 Feet

Architecture
The architectural style of the overall building is modern. The building will primarily be made of large glass panels and gray accent walls. At the top portion, there will be a gray parapet wall to screen mechanical equipment from view.

 



Parking and Circulation
The site is accessible via four (4) separate driveways: one (1) driveway on South Azusa Avenue and three (3) driveways on E. Garvey Avenue South.

The WCMC requires a total of eighty-one (81) parking spaces for the proposed use based on a ratio of one (1) parking space for each one thousand (1,000) square feet of gross land area devoted to display of such use. 
 

	AREA	REQUIRED PARKING
Indoor Vehicle Display/Showroom	50,213 Square Feet	50.21
Outdoor Vehicle Display (Approx. 140 Spaces)	~30,000 Square Feet	30
TOTAL	80,213 Square Feet	81

There will be a total of ninety-one (91) off-site parking spaces: eighteen (18) standard electric vehicle parking spaces, forty-eight (48) standard employee parking spaces, five (5) ADA parking spaces (one of which will be EV), and twenty (20) standard customer parking spaces. 

DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES
The City adopted Development Impact Fees in December 2015. For this project, the applicant will be required to pay Development Impact Fees of $1.73 per square foot (or current fee). Based off the proposed square footage, the estimated cost for the development impact fee is $14,772.47.

ART IN PUBLIC PLACES
The proposed project is subject to the provisions of the Art in Public Places ordinance (WCMC Section 17-41). The applicant may elect to pay an in-lieu fee, or provide public art on site at a rate of 1% of the total project costs, excluding land.

Findings necessary for the approval of a Precise Plan are as follows:

a. The proposed development plans and the uses proposed are consistent with the General Plan and any applicable specific plan.

The project site is designated as "Commercial" in the City's General Plan and is consistent with the General Plan's goals. The subject property is located south of the Interstate 10 Freeway and is easily accessed via N. Azusa Avenue and E. Garvey Avenue South. The project site is adjacent to commercial properties to the North, East, and South and West.

b. The proposed development is consistent with adopted development standards for the zone and complies with all other applicable provisions of the Municipal Code.

The project proposal is to demolish the existing dealership building and gas station to allow for the construction of an 85,390 square two-story dealership building. The proposal complies with the requirements of the Service Commercial Mixed-Use (SMU) Zone and the Auto Plaza Overlay Zone.

c. Granting the permit would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, and welfare and would not unreasonably interfere with the use or enjoyment of property in the vicinity of the subject property.

The proposed project is surrounded by commercial uses, including other dealership properties. Therefore, granting the permit would not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, and welfare would not unreasonably interfere with the use or enjoyment of property in the vicinity of the subject property.

d. The site is physically suitable for the type, density and intensity of the development being proposed, including vehicle access and circulation.

The site will be physically suitable for the type, density and intensity of the development being proposed. The project site will be visible from the surrounding areas, which includes the Interstate 10 Freeway and commercial buildings. Vehicles would be able to access the project site via S. Azusa Avenue and E. Garvey Avenue South.

e. The architecture, site layout, location, shape, bulk, and physical characteristics of the proposed development are compatible with the existing and future land uses, and do not interfere with orderly development in the vicinity.

The architectural style of the building is modern. The building will primarily be composed of large glass panels. The use does not interfere with the orderly development in the vicinity.

The City's General Plan designates the subject property for Commercial Use. The project is consistent with the following General Plan policies:

Policy 2.1: Maintain and enhance the City's current tax base.
Policy 2.4: Building on and grow West Covina's regional appeal.

Based on the findings of the Initial Study, this project would not result in significant environmental impacts. Mitigation measures for biological resources, geology and soils, cultural resources, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, noise, transportation and tribal cultural resources will be required to reduce impacts to a less than significant level. Accordingly, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) will be adopted, pursuant to Section 21080(c) of the Public Resources Code. The project site is not included on any list of hazardous materials facilities, hazardous waste properties, or hazardous waste disposal sites enumerated under Section 65962.5 of the California Government Code (Cortese List).

In compliance with CEQA, the State CEQA Guidelines, an MND was prepared and will be considered prior to approval of the Project. The MND serves as a finding that the Project would not have a significant effect on the environment, with the incorporation of mitigation measures, as appropriate.

Based on the environmental analyses, with compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and/or the implementation of mitigation measures, the Project would have less than significant impacts on humans, as it relates to the following environmental issue areas: aesthetics, hydrology and water quality, noise, recreation, utilities and service systems, agriculture and forestry resources, greenhouse gas emissions, land use and planning, population and housing, transportation, wildfire, air quality, energy, mineral resources and public services.

The proposed Project’s impacts on the following issue areas would require the implementation of mitigation measures: biological resources, geology/soils, cultural resources, hazards and hazardous materials, and tribal cultural resources. All impacts would be avoided or reduced to less than significant levels after mitigation. Therefore, the proposed Project would not result in environmental effects that would cause substantial adverse effects on human beings, either directly or indirectly, with the implementation of mitigation measures. All impacts would be less than significant after mitigation.

A copy of the MND can be found on the City’s Planning Division web page at the following link: Environmental Documents

The MND includes a detailed discussion on all environmental issues related to the project including traffic and noise impacts and how any potential impacts were determined to be less than significant after mitigation.

The MND was circulated for public comment from October 30th through November 18th.  Comments were received from the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). A Response to Comments was prepared and is provided as Attachment No. 4.

Planning Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt Resolution No. 24-6154 recommending to the City Council certification of the MND, Resolution No. 24-6155 approving Precise Plan No. 24-01 and Resolution No. 24-6156 approving Zone Change No. 24-01.

Plans may be viewed at the West Covina City Hall Planning Division Counter, located at 1444 W. Garvey Avenue South, 2nd Floor - Room 208, West Covina, CA 91790.