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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-08-13 - Minutes - HPC-PCHPC/PC Final Minutes Page 1 of 6 Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Commission Agenda August 13, 2025 Final Minutes Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 7:00 p.m. The regular joint meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Commission was held on August 13, 2025. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Morales at 7:00 p.m. A. Roll Call Planning Commission present: Chairman Morales, Vice Chairman Boling, Commissioner Dopp, Commissioner Daniels and Commissioner Diaz. Staff Present: Serita Young, Assistant City Attorney; Sean McPherson, Principal Planner; Sophia Serafin, Assistant Planner; Jared Knight, Assistant Planner; Elizabeth Thornhill, Executive Assistant. B. Public Communications Chairman Morales opened the public communications. Hearing no comments from the public, Chairman Morales closed the public communications. C. Consent Calendar C1. Consideration to adopt Regular Meeting Minutes of July 23, 2025. Vice Chairman Boling noted a correction in Section H – Adjournment, indicating that Commissioner Diaz should be replaced with Vice Chairman Boling, as Commissioner Diaz was absent. Motion: Moved by Commissioner Dopp; seconded by Vice Chairman Boling. Motion carried 3-2 with Commissioners Daniels and Diaz abstaining. Motion passes as amended. D. Public Hearings D1. CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT MODIFICATION – St. Elias Orthodox Church – A request to modify existing Conditional Use Permit 85-02 to allow for the use of an approved 7,900 square foot fellowship hall addition at an existing 15,710 square foot church on a 2.73-acre lot located within the Very Low (VL) Residential zone and Hillside and Equestrian Overlays, located at 5474 Haven Avenue; APN: 1074-281-20. The project qualifies as a Class 1 exemption under State CEQA Guidelines Section 15301 – Existing Facilities. (DRC2025-00135). Assistant Planner Serafin provided a PowerPoint presentation (copy on file). HPC/PC Final Minutes Page 2 of 6 Commissioner Daniels asked staff whether an analysis had been conducted regarding a potential increase in traffic. Assistant Planner Serafin responded that no traffic analysis was conducted because the project is categorically exempt from environmental review and no further analysis was required. Chairman Morales opened the public hearing. Applicant Alberre, St. Elias Church Board Member, spoke about their vision for the church and thanked Planner Serafin for all her help on the project. The following persons commented on the project: Kruger Kriston, Lorrie Atilano and Gastave Hue. Their concerns/comments included: • Traffic • Block view of the Foothills • Children’s safety related to traffic • Parking overflow onto the street • Requested parking signage indicating church parking is not permitted on the street For the record, comments cards were received during the meeting from the following individuals expressing support for the project: Mazen Saliba, Abdo Alberre, Autwan Kasih, Ibrahim Zakour, Basel Salhab, Fadel Samaan, Johnny Abdalnour, Hussam Dahi, Bassem Diab, Chassan Elmalih, Frank Salhab and Jamal Dahi. Applicant Alberre responded to the comments from the public and indicated they will work with the community members to minimize any impact to the neighborhood. Commissioner Dopp asked the applicant about when their busiest services would be that might result in overflow services. Applicant Alberre replied that it is during the major Holidays such as, Christmas, Easter, and Good Friday. Commissioner Dopp questioned if their main sanctuary is not used for other events, and it is only for religious services. Applicant Alberre confirmed. Commissioner Diaz mentioned that Hillside Church has a parking agreement with Chaffey College for overflow parking and asked whether they had considered a similar arrangement. Applicant Alberre replied that they will look into it if they see issues with overflow parking. Chairman Morales asked whether the number of parishioners would remain the same, with no additional traffic to come into the neighborhood. Applicant Alberre confirmed. Chairman Morales asked if someone from the Church could remind the parishioners to be cautious about overflow parking in the neighborhood, to be respectful, and to consider the safety of children. Applicant Alberre confirmed. HPC/PC Final Minutes Page 3 of 6 Chairman Morales asked whether neighbors could contact the church office if they had any issues or concerns. Applicant Alberre confirmed. Hearing no other comments from the public, Chairman Morales closed the public hearing. Commissioner Dopp encouraged the applicant to proactively engage with the community, especially during the holidays, and to conduct outreach prior to any significant events. Commissioner Daniels expressed traffic concerns but from what has been explained it does not seem that it will be a big issue. He mentioned for the neighbors if parking in the street becomes an issue, to first contact the church. If that does not work, the city has certain things they can do to restrict parking on the street during certain days. Vice Chairman Boling stated that, regarding events, he encouraged the applicant to coordinate with staff to identify any anticipated events that may require a Temporary Use Permit. Motion: Moved by Vice Chairman Boling; seconded by Commissioner Dopp to adopt Resolution 2025-024 approving Conditional Use Permit Modification DRC2025-00135. Motion carried unanimously, 5-0. D2. CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT - Tamara Tangherlini - A request to operate a large indoor fitness and sports facility in an existing 17,500 square foot warehouse space within the Neo- Industrial (NI) Zone, located at 9201 Charles Smith Avenue; APN: 0229-284-23. This project qualifies for a Class 1 categorical exemption under CEQA Guidelines section 15301 – Existing Facilities. (DRC2025-00101). Assistant Planner Knight provided a PowerPoint presentation (copy on file). Commissioner Diaz asked staff how the Path of Travel was determined, noting that it seemed likely attendees would park at 9208 Charles Smith Avenue and would not use the designated route. Assistant Planner Knight responded the applicant will be providing detailed instructions on the Path of Travel to customers. He said any illegal crossing will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Commissioner Daniels asked if the parking will be on the south side of the building. Assistant Planner Knight confirmed. Commissioner Daniels asked whether the city has experienced difficulties with parking at similar type of facilities. Principal Planner McPherson answered that there are other tenant spaces like this in the city, some have parking issues while others don’t. Commissioner Daniels asked whether any provisions are in place requiring a renegotiation of the parking agreement if the businesses were to change. HPC/PC Final Minutes Page 4 of 6 Principal Planner McPherson explained that any future modifications to the hours of operation for businesses would require modification to the shared parking agreement. Vice Chairman Boling asked if the parking agreement is between the tenants of both buildings. Assistant City Attorney Young stated that it was between the property owners. Chairman Morales asked about the rolling gate at 9208 Charles Smith Avenue and if it will be left open for customers to park there. Assistant Planner Knight confirmed. Chairman Morales asked staff why there are “No Parking” or ”No Stopping” signs on Charles Smith Avenue. Principal Planner McPherson explained that due to truck routes and the site’s location within a large industrial area, street parking is likely restricted because of the street’s limited width. Chairman Morales opened the public hearing. Applicant Tangherlini was present and available to answer questions. Chairman Morales asked whether the available parking during peak hours is based on the applicant’s current condition. Applicant Tangherlini responded that during peak hours, additional parking may be needed due to traffic flow, but the demand is not excessive. Vice Chairman Boling stated that one of the responsibilities of staff is to support economic development. He noted that it is always encouraging to see local businesses grow and expand within the city. He explained that economic development involves two key components: attracting new businesses and retaining existing ones, with an emphasis on helping them prosper and succeed. On the topic of business retention, Vice Chairman Boling expressed concern about potential business saturation within a specific industry. While noting that he is not an expert in the gymnastics field, he asked whether there are similar businesses near the proposed relocation site and whether their proximity could negatively impact existing businesses. Applicant Tangherlini replied no and indicated that this was their sixth location they looked at. Commissioner Daniels asked how big their current building is right now. Applicant Tangherlini responded that their current building is 7,600 square feet. Hearing no comments from the public, Chairman Morales closed the public hearing. Commissioner Dopp stated that the Conditional Use Permit aligns with the intended purpose of newly designated industrial zones, which is to allow for alternative uses and create synergy within these areas. He expressed support for the proposed use, noting that it brings positive activity to the zone from a zoning perspective. Regarding parking, he commented that if individuals choose to park on Charles Smith Avenue, jaywalking may occur, which is out of their control. He also expressed appreciation for the shared parking proposed. HPC/PC Final Minutes Page 5 of 6 Commissioner Diaz noted the potential for jaywalking and recommended that the applicant speak with parents, encourage them to drop off their children first and then find parking, particularly if they are running late. She expressed her support for the site and stated her belief that the business will be successful. Commissioner Daniels stated that his primary concern is parking; however, based on his familiarity with the existing business, he does not believe it will pose a significant issue. He emphasized the importance of informing parents where they can park if on-site parking is unavailable, considering the shared parking agreement and the way activities are staged; he expressed confidence that there will be adequate parking. Vice Chairman Boling noted that this is a relocation of an existing business and asked whether there have been any prior issues brought to the City’s attention, such as code enforcement, police, or fire department concerns at the current location. Principal Planner McPherson answered no. Vice Chairman Boling commended the applicant for taking proactive steps to address parking deficiencies resulting from the City’s parking requirements. He acknowledged the applicant’s efforts to work collaboratively with neighboring businesses, noting that such cooperation helps mitigate concerns, particularly given the industrial nature of the area. He expressed safety concerns regarding children crossing the street, emphasizing that industrial zones can be hazardous due to the presence of fast-moving large trucks and limited lines of sight. He added that the city is committed to supporting local businesses because business success creates the city’s success. Chairman Morales expressed that he is pleased the applicant is able to expand her business. He stated that relocating to a larger facility supports a safe and healthy community. He stated that parking does not appear to be a concern, as a reasonable solution has been reached. Motion: Moved by Commissioner Daniels Boling; seconded by Vice Chairman Boling to adopt Resolution 2025-023 to approve Conditional Use Permit DRC2025-00101. Motion carried unanimously, 5-0. E. Director Announcements Principal Planner McPherson announced that the next scheduled HPC/PC meeting will take place in the Council Chambers and expressed appreciation to the Commissioners for their patience. F. Commission Announcements Commissioner Daniels expressed frustration over the State’s Density Bonus Law and suggested that it would be beneficial that the Planning Commission consider drafting a letter to the City Council. If the Council finds merit in the letter, it could then be forwarded to the State Legislature, the League of California Cities, and potentially to surrounding cities. Commissioner Daniels distributed a draft letter he had written for review. He requested that the letter be placed on the next agenda for discussion regarding its merit and for potential edits by the Commissioners. He also noted that City Manager Gillison reviewed the letter. HPC/PC Final Minutes Page 6 of 6 Assistant City Attorney Young noted that the letter could be distributed at the same time as the agenda packet. However, she clarified that Commissioners would not be able to engage in discussion about the letter prior to the meeting. She said any significant edits to the letter would need to be completed before the meeting takes place. Commissioner Daniels stated that, based on his reading of state law, a developer utilizing the Density Bonus Law must provide justification for any requested waivers to the city. While he was unsure of the specific content of those justifications, he noted that the key issue is whether the City’s standards would physically preclude the development. He suggested that it would be helpful if those justifications could be forwarded to the Commission for review. He also shared that Planning Director Nakamura had proposed providing the Commission with an overview of the Density Bonus Law in the coming weeks, including how staff evaluates waiver requests. Commissioner Daniels expressed that such a presentation would help the Commission better understand the process and how staff reviews and assesses the waivers. H. Adjournment Motion: Moved by Vice Chairman Boling, seconded by Commissioner Diaz to adjourn the meeting. Hearing no objections, Chairman Morales adjourned the meeting at 8:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Elizabeth Thornhill, Executive Assistant Planning Department Approved: HPC/PC August 27, 2025 Meeting.