Report to Mayor and City Council
Tuesday, February 07, 2017
Special Orders of the Day
SUBJECT:
Title
PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 17-1608 TO APPROVE ZONE CHANGE NO. 171-14 TO CHANGE ZONE FROM MH-D (MANUFACTURING, HEAVY, DESIGN OVERLAY) TO ML-D (MANUFACTURING, LIGHT, DESIGN OVERLAY) FOR APN 7315-007-903, AND CONSIDER ROSOLUTION NO. 17-02 APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. 94-14 CHANGING THE LAND USE DESIGNATION FROM BUSINESS PARK TO LIGHT INDUSTRIAL FOR APN 7315-007-903, AND A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2254 E. 223RD STREET (CITY COUNCIL)
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I. SUMMARY
On January 24, 2017, the Planning Commission recommended approval of Zone Change No. 171-14 to change the zoning for the property from MH-D to ML-D and General Plan Amendment No. 94-14 changing the Land Use Designation from Business Park to Light Industrial, Exhibits 1 and 2. The Planning Commission also approved the construction of two concrete tilt-up buildings totaling 120,486-square-feet (43,592 square-foot Building 1 and 76,894-square-foot Building 2) on 5.5 acres and Tentative Parcel Map No. 73915 creating two separate parcels (Parcel 1: 2-acres and Parcel 2: 3.5 acres). This change will make the proposed ML-D zoning for the property consistent with the proposed General Plan Land Use designation of Light Industrial upon City Council approval as required by state law.
II. RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
1. OPEN the public hearing, TAKE public testimony, and CLOSE the public hearing.
2. WAIVE further reading and INTRODUCE Ordinance No. 17-1608, entitled “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF CARSON, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING ZONE CHANGE NO. 171-14 TO CHANGE ZONE FROM MH-D (MANUFACTURING, HEAVY, DESIGN OVERLAY) TO ML-D (MANUFACTURING, LIGHT, DESIGN OVERLAY) ON 5.5 ACRES FOR APN 7315-007-903 AND MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2254 E. 223RD STREET.”
3. WAIVE further reading and ADOPT Resolution No. 17-02, “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CARSON, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. 94-14 CHANGING LAND USE DESIGNATION FROM BUSINESS PARK TO LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ON 5.5 ACRES FOR APN 7315-007-903 AND MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT 2254 E. 223RD STREET.”
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III. ALTERNATIVES
TAKE another action the City Council deems appropriate.
IV. BACKGROUND
The applicant has entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with the Carson Successor Agency and is proposing Design Overlay Review No. 1542-14 to construct two new buildings totaling 120,486-square-feet; Tentative Parcel Map No. 73915 to subdivide one existing parcel into two separate parcels: General Plan Amendment No. 94-14 to change the General Plan land use designation from Business Park to Light Industrial; and Zone Change Case No. 171-14 to change the zone from MH-D (Manufacturing, Heavy, Design Overlay) to ML-D (Manufacturing, Light, Design Overlay), shown in Exhibits 3, 4, and 5.
There are no specific tenants identified at this time. The project is considered a speculative project.
The project site is a remnant portion of a former oil refinery and was previously occupied by the Stauffer Chemical Company as a polyvinyl chloride plant. The plant was deactivated in 1982 and the site buildings, chemical storage tanks and processing equipment were removed. There has not been any storage of hazardous waste materials at the site since 1982. The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and Stauffer entered into a “consent order” on June 27, 1994 to investigate and remediate contamination at the site which resulted in:
• Approval of a Remedial Action Plan for the soil operable unit by DTSC on June 25, 1997;
• Operation of a vapor liquid extraction (VLE) system in December 1998;
• Approval of a Remedial Action Plan for the groundwater operable unit by DTSC on May 17, 2011;
• Demolition of the VLE system, which began in November 2011 and was completed in January 2012;
• Conducting quarterly groundwater monitoring by Stauffer and reporting to DTSC;
Filing of a “land use covenant” for soil and groundwater with the Los Angeles
County Recorder’s Office on September 4, 2013;
• Clean-up of soil and groundwater contamination with DTSC oversight;
• Requiring Stauffer Chemical Company to continue submitting quarterly groundwater monitoring report and treatment system progress reports for DTSC review.
The groundwater impacted by the previous contamination is not used for potable use. The project site will be serviced by the California Water Service Company which derives its supply from local groundwater wells and imported water through the Metropolitan Water District.
General Plan Land Use Amendment
Historically, the designation of the site had been Heavy Industrial. In 2004, with the adoption of the General Plan, the land use designation for the project site was changed to Business Park. This designation was placed on the site and its immediate surroundings to provide a buffer between heavy industrial uses to the south (Tesoro Refinery) and the auto dealerships on the north side of 223rd Street. However, the City has never adopted a zoning designation to implement the Business Park Designation. Therefore, the applicant is proposing to change the land use designation to Light Industrial.
In order to uphold the intent of the General Plan, staff has ensured this transition in land use is preserved with the proposed design of the buildings. First, instead of one large building, two smaller buildings are proposed (Building 1: 43,592-square-feet and Building 2: 76,894-square-feet). The proposed size of the buildings discourages large users with heavy emphasis in truck traffic to move into the buildings. Second, the architecture of the building visible from 223rd Street resembles an office building. In addition, the automobile-oriented uses (i.e. the parking lot) are visible from the street, while the more intense uses (truck loading areas) are located to the back and screened from the street.
Zone Change
State Planning Law requires consistency between zoning and the City’s General Plan Land Use Designation. The subject site’s existing Zoning is MH-D (Manufacturing, Heavy, Design Overlay). The proposed General Plan land use designation is Light Industrial. In order to comply with the zoning and general plan land use consistency requirements, the applicant has filed Zone Change No. 171-14 to change zone from MH-D to ML-D (Manufacturing, Light, Design Overlay).
V. FISCAL IMPACT
No impact on the General Fund.
VI. EXHIBITS
1. PC Staff Report and Resolution from January 24, 2017. (pgs. 5-28)
2. PC Disposition from January 24, 2017. (pgs. 29-30)
3. Draft Ordinance No. 17-1608 to approve the zone change. (pgs. 31-32)
4. Draft Resolution 17-002 to approve the general plan amendment. (pgs. 33-35)
5. Development plans/Tentative Parcel Map No. 73915. (pgs. 36-49)
Prepared by: Zak Gonzalez II, Associate Planner