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Agenda Item 10.

Planning Commission

Meeting Date:

05/28/2019

Subject:

REQUEST

A Resolution of the Planning Commission of the City of Brea approving amendment to Conditional Use Permit No. CUP 92-12 and Precise Development No. PD 19-03: a request for improvements to the car wash located at 300 S Brea Boulevard, currently known as Gateway Auto Spa to become 5 N Go Express Car Wash located in the C-G (PD), General Commercial (Precise Development) Zone.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends the Planning Commission approve the draft Resolution approving Amendment to Conditional Use Permit No. CUP 92-12 and Precise Development No. PD 19-03 subject to the listed conditions.

BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION

The site is located at the southeast corner of Imperial Highway and Brea Boulevard, see Figure 1 – Vicinity Map. The property is zoned C-G (PD) General Commercial (Precise Development). The existing Gateway Auto Spa was entitled in 1992 under Conditional Use Permit No. CUP 92-12. The CUP allowed for a full-service hand car wash, gasoline sales and ancillary sales of coffee and auto accessories. Design Review No. DR 92-4 approved the construction of the two-story, 2,467 square foot building and improvements on the site including: the car wash tunnel, business office, customer/employee restrooms, outdoor customer waiting area, a utility room and storage area. The current building is 30 feet tall at its highest point and is primarily brick with a dome feature nearest the corner of the site. The business operations previously included employees to load cars into the wash tunnel, vacuum and clean the vehicles.
Figure 1

DISCUSSION
Amendment to Conditional Use Permit No. CUP 92-12 - The applicant is requesting to amend the existing Conditional Use Permit to remove gasoline sales, full–service car washing and the coffee and auto accessory sales. The new use would include an automated drive-thru car wash with self-serve vacuum stations. Automobile car wash uses are permitted subject to approval of a Conditional Use Permit. The project as proposed meets development standards for the zone including setbacks, lot coverage, parking and building height.

The main access to the site will continue to be from Brea Boulevard and Imperial Highway. Secondary access is from the adjacent alley. The alley access is proposed to be redesigned with the main alley entry/exit moved south of the current location and includes a 10-foot wide gate to replace the existing chained “by-pass” exit. Internal circulation has been designed to allow customers to use two lanes for payment and access to the car wash tunnel. Condition k requires an employee to be available at all times to facilitate customer circulation and staff has added a condition to ensure no queuing impacts Imperial Highway or Brea Boulevard.

The number and proximity to the adjacent residential uses, of the self-serve vacuum stations prompted the need for additional information related to noise attributed to the use. A noise study, see Attachment 8, was conducted and concluded the operational noise levels will not exceed the standards of the City’s Noise Ordinance. Staff has included Condition h requiring vacuum machines be turned off no later than 9:00 pm. Condition i requires an updated study after one year of operation to confirm noise levels are still within the standards.

Precise Development – The project is located in a Precise Development Overlay zone. The proposed renovation to the site includes extending the existing car wash tunnel to the south, and interior and exterior renovations to accommodate the new use and function of the business, see Attachment 7.
Figure 2 – Elevation

The proposed façade improvements are designed to reflect the drive-thru car wash use. Building materials include horizontal wood-like tiles, vertical planters, clear-story type windows below the roof and horizontal windows incorporated into the walls. The updated building is compatible with the variety of architectural styles and designs of surrounding one and two-story commercial and residential buildings. Specific colors, materials and details can be found on pages A3 and L1 of the plans in Attachment 7.

The project proposes to install and improve landscape planters on on the site, see Figure 3 below. New plantings will include 15 new Palo Verde trees with a California native drought-tolerant ground cover palette to include Huachuca Agave, Shaw Agave and Canyon Prince Wild Rye.

Figure 3

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

The proposed project as submitted is exempt from the requirement of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15303(c) of Title 14, Chapter 3, Article 19 of the California Code of Regulations.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED

Jennifer A. Lilley, AICP, City Planner
Prepared by: Christy Teague, AICP, Contract Planner

Attachments
1. Technical Background
2. Vicinity Map
3. Public Hearing Notice
4. Draft resolution
5. Resolution 92-59
6. Project Description
7. Project Plans
8. Noise Study