Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening, Planning Commission. The City of Oxnard has received an application for a Minor Special Use Permit, Planning and Zoning Number 25-520-01, for Bumblebee's preschool and childcare. Located at 527 West Wainimi Road, the application was submitted by Cecilia Valle. The project requests permit the operation of a childcare and preschool within an existing 8,640 square foot commercial tenant space on a .59 acre site located within the general commercial C2 zone. The proposed development includes both interior tenant improvements, as well as exterior improvements to the existing parking area and rear yard area, which includes resurfacing, restriping, and a new trash enclosure. Here we have a vicinity map of the project location, again, located at 527 West Wainini Road. As you can see, the project is located on the south end of the city. On this slide, we have an aerial image of the project location, which has been outlined in yellow for reference. Here we have a view from West Wainimi Road of the project site, which again has been outlined in yellow. Moving along, we have the general plan and zoning maps. The 2030 general plan land use designation for the site is commercial general, and its zoning designation is general commercial. On this slide, we have a table displaying the surrounding uses. As was mentioned in the previous slide, the project location has a general plan land use designation of commercial general and a zoning designation of general commercial. It is currently a vacant commercial tenant space. To the north of the site, The general plan land use designation is residential medium high with the zoning designation of high rise residential. Its current existing land use is that of multifamily residential apartments. To the south of the site, the general plan designation is industrial light with the zoning designation of light manufacturing plan development. It is currently a vacant industrial lot. To the east and west of the project site, the general plan land use designation is commercial general with the zoning designation of general commercial. Its existing land use on both east and west is currently occupied by commercial businesses. The 8,640 square foot commercial building is located within a .59 acre site located between Wainimi and Perkins Road. The project site is currently developed with a commercial building on the subject lot built prior to the entitlement process. Though there is no entitlement on file, records indicate that the site was developed on July 17, 1974 under building permit number 1078 to allow for the construction of a two-unit commercial building. Since then, there have been two special use permits associated with this site, the first being Special Use Permit No. 784, which was approved by the City of Oxnard Planning Commission on June 8, 1978, which allowed the facility to be used for outreach, college, and church services. On December 7, 2000, the City of Oxnard Planning Commission approved Special Use Permit PZ No. 00-500-100, which authorized the site to be used as an adult health care facility. Most recently, on June 16, 2023, the planning manager approved minor modification PZ number 23-140-14 to allow for the interior subdivision of the existing tenant space, which would create five new separate uses. None of the previously approved entitlements are currently active. On this slide, we have the site plan of the project location. As you can see, the commercial building is situated near the middle of the parcel. Along the front, we see a dedicated parking stalls for the project building, which is also part of a larger shared parking lot. The project parcel also has a rear private area, which was previously used as parking stalls but will now be replaced by a playground for the children, along with a loading area to the northeast of the parcel. Here we have a floor plan. of the preschool and childcare facility. On this slide, we have both the front and rear elevation of the project site. As you can see in the rear elevation, the trash enclosure improvements have been incorporated. Here we have the general plan consistency table. Consistency with the 2030 general plan is defined by the relationship between 2030 general plan policies and the proposed project. The three consistency classification levels are one, direct applicability to a proposed project or program. Two, related or indirect applicability to the proposed project or program. And three, no or distant applicability to the proposed project or program. Here we have the zoning consistency table. The proposed use is located within the general commercial C2 zone district. In accordance with the city code, the proposed use may be permitted with an approved special use permit. Applicable development standards of the general commercial zone have been compared with the proposed project as follows. For the general commercial development standards, the maximum height is 35 feet. The project currently complies with the height requirement. The front yard setback is 10 feet for a general commercial. the project more than complies with this requirement as well. The project has a side yard setback of five feet. However, no setback if it abuts another C2 zone lot, which in this case it does. Again, the project complies. Lastly, the rear yard setback is that of 10 feet if it abuts a public alley. The project currently has an existing rear setback that exceeds the 10 feet and thus complies with this requirement. Key conditions of approval include condition 40, which states a new trash enclosure for the proposed preschool and childcare and other uses within the property shall be constructed prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy or zone clearance. The construction of the trash enclosure must be in accordance with the City Council Ordinance 3007 and Oxnard City Code Section 19-180. Condition 41 states that the proposed preschool and childcare, Bumblebee's Preschool and Childcare, shall be limited to a total of 50 children and 10 staff members unless the permittee can demonstrate that they have sufficient parking to allow for more individuals during hours of operation. Furthermore, condition 42 states that the approval of special use permit PZ25-520-01 will only be valid if reciprocal access and parking are provided between the property owners for lots 17 through 27 of track 1283 and as listed in the shopping center's Declaration of Establishment of Conditions, Restrictions, and Reservations is maintained. If the recorded document Declaration of Establishment of Conditions, Restrictions, and Reservations is modified to exclude reciprocal access and parking between the above reference properties, A modification to PZ25-520-01 is required by the Planning and Environmental Services Manager and will need to be submitted for the use to justify parking requirements as required by the City's off-street parking code or a parking study. In accordance with Section 15301, Class 1 Existing Facilities of the State of California Environmental Quality Act guidelines, projects involving negligible or no expansion of use may be found to be exempt from the requirements of CEQA. This proposal includes a request for mid-operation of child care and preschool in addition to both exterior and interior tenant improvements, particularly as it relates to the maintenance, operation, and repair of the existing project site, which is consistent with the restoration of deteriorated facilities and other allowances by the Class 1 exemption. No exceptions to the exemptions section 15300.2 apply to defeat the exemption. Therefore, Staff has determined that there is no substantial evidence that the project will have a significant effect on the environment and recommends that the Planning Commission accept the notice of exemption. Staff recommends that the Planning Commission, A, find the project to be categorically exempt from environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act CEQA Guidelines Section 15301, Existing Facilities, and that it adopt Resolution 2026-XX, approving planning and zoning permit number 25-520-01, special use permit subject to certain findings and conditions. This concludes staff's presentation. Thank you.