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ADOPT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE ZONING DESIGNATION FOR AN EXISTING COMMERCIAL BUILDING AT 1825 SOUTH EL DORADO STREET (APN 165-074-35) (APPLICATION NO. P19-0328)
recommended action
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council adopt an Ordinance amending the zoning designation for an existing, vacant commercial building at the southwest corner of South El Dorado Street and West 4th Street (APN 165-074-35) from Residential, Low Density to Commercial, General (CG), to allow rehabilitation and use of a currently underutilized property.
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Summary
The property owner proposes to rehabilitate an existing, vacant commercial building and construct related site improvements (e.g., parking lot, landscaping, fencing) at the southwest corner of South El Dorado Street and West 4th Street. The approximate 4,086 square foot building is two stories and would include commercial uses on the ground floor and one residential dwelling on the second floor. A new parking lot is proposed along the rear property line. A courtyard with landscaping and hardscape is placed at the street corner. No tenant has yet been identified.
Presently, the property has two zoning districts mapped, including Low Density, Residential (LDR) and Commercial, General (CG). To carry out the project, a Change of Zone is necessary to enable the commercial use across the site. Doing so will also bring the site’s zoning into conformance with the General Plan Land Map. Proposed exterior alterations will result in a functional and aesthetically pleasing commercial use at a presently underutilized property.
Approval of this recommendation will align the Zoning Map and General Plan Land Use Map as well as promote General Plan Policy LU-6.2 stating, “Prioritize development and redevelopment of vacant, underutilized, and blighted infill areas.”
DISCUSSION
Background
In December 2018, the City Council adopted the 2040 Stockton General Plan and, in doing so, made a substantial change in the policy framework for future development. The fundamental shift was from emphasizing growth in "outfill" areas at the periphery of the city to focusing new construction and redevelopment in existing "infill" neighborhoods. The subject site concerns an “infill neighborhood” (i.e., South Stockton).
The subject site consists of a mostly vacant parcel with an existing, vacant two-story commercial building (Attachment A - Location Map and Aerial Photo). The site is bounded as follows (Attachment B - Zoning Map and Attachment C - General Plan Land Use Map):
• North (across West 4th Street) by land zoned Commercial, General (CG) and Residential, Low Density (RL) including uses aligning with those districts.
• West by land zoned Residential, Low Density (RL) and a mixture of single-family and multi-family land buildings.
• South by land zoned Commercial, General (CG) and Residential, Low Density (RL) including uses aligning with those districts.
• East by land zoned Commercial, General (CG) and a wide variety of commercial uses common to the El Dorado Street corridor.
On June 25, 2020, the Planning Commission considered the project and, by a 6-0 vote (with Commissioner Warmsley absent), forwarded an approval recommendation to City Council for the Zoning Map Amendment. Additionally, the Commission approved a Design Review request, contingent upon approval of the Change of Zone (Attachment
D - Planning Commission Resolution 2020-06-25-0501-01). No public comments were received at or before the Planning Commission meeting on June 25, 2020.
Notice for the Council’s public hearing on this request was published in The Record on August 12, 2020, and mailed notice was sent to all property owners within a 300-foot radius at least ten days prior. As of the writing of this staff report, no written comments have been submitted.
Present Situation
Presently, the subject property has two zoning districts mapped, including Residential, Low Density (RL) and Commercial, General (CG). The property’s split zoning is the result of a prior lot merger involving three parcels (i.e., 20 W. 4th Street, 1825 S. El Dorado St., and 1809 S. El Dorado St.). The project includes a request to change the Residential, Low Density (RL) zoned portion of the site to Commercial, General (CG).
The RL zone designation is inconsistent with the site’s General Plan Land Use Map designation of Commercial. Additionally, the RL zone does not permit the proposed commercial use of the entire site. To carry out the project, a Change of Zone is necessary to enable the commercial use across the site. Pursuant to General Plan Table 2-1, the proposed CG Zone is compatible with the site’s Land Use Map designation of Commercial. It is also consistent with the zoning for applied to commercial properties along the stretch of the South El Dorado Street corridor.
The attached Proposed Ordinance includes all necessary findings for the Zoning Map Amendment.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The applicant paid the required fees to process the requested development application. There is no financial impact to the general fund based on this action.
Attachment A - Location Map and Aerial Photo
Attachment B - Zoning Map
Attachment C - General Plan Land Use Map
Attachment D - Planning Commission Resolution 2020-06-25-0501-01