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PL24-0111 (Administrative Approval) & PL24-0112 (Special Conditional Use Permit)
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LOCATION MAP
PROJECT NO.: PL24-0111 (Administrative Approval) & PL24-0112 (Special Conditional Use Permit)
APPLICANT: Kaidence Group LLC for Starbucks
REQUEST: A request to construct a 2,262 square foot Starbucks coffee shop with a drive-thru on a .86-acre site located in the McCalla Center, in the CS (Commercial Service) zoning district.
LOCATION: East side of Central Avenue, north of Schaefer Avenue (APN: 1020-571-12)
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Adopt Planning Commission Resolution No. PC2025-007, approving PL24-0111 (Administrative Approval) and PL24-0112 (Special Conditional Use Permit) based upon the findings and subject to the departmental conditions of approval.
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SURROUNDING ZONING AND LAND USE:
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Existing Land Use |
General Plan |
Zoning District |
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Project Site - |
Vacant |
SC (Service Commercial) |
CS (Commercial Service) |
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North - |
Commercial |
SC (Service Commercial) |
CS (Commercial Service) |
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East - |
Commercial |
SC (Service Commercial) |
CS (Commercial Service) |
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South - |
Commercial |
SC (Service Commercial) |
CS (Commercial Service) |
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West - |
Commercial |
SC (Service Commercial) |
CS (Commercial Service) |
BACKGROUND
Starbucks is proposing to develop a new, 2,262-square-foot coffee shop with drive-thru service on a vacant lot located in the McCalla Center, located at 13691 Central Avenue. The McCalla center encompasses approximately 11 acres of land in the Commercial Services (CS) zoning district and was constructed in the late 1990’s. The center includes a variety of commercial and industrial uses, including offices, restaurants (including a Farmer Boys drive-thru), small retail shops, fitness studios, and small industrial warehouses. The subject .86-acre pad is the last remaining vacant parcel on the McCalla Center site.
Two oak trees previously existed on the site that made the site undevelopable. One oak tree was removed due to its deteriorating condition. Then in August of 2022, the Chino Planning Commission approved an amendment to the approved conditions of approval and environmental mitigation measures for the McCalla Center project to allow for the removal of the one remaining oak tree. As part of this approval, the owner of the McCalla center was conditioned to plant two additional 60-inch box trees at an off-site location or pay an in-lieu fee. The oak tree was removed in 2023 subject to compliance with the required mitigation.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
Site Plan and Landscaping
The project will include the construction of a 2,262-square-foot coffee shop building with a drive-thru. The Chino Municipal Code permits commercial structures up to 3,000 square feet with Administrative Approval (AA) in commercial zoning districts. The CS zoning district requires approval of a Special Conditional Use Permit (SCUP) for a restaurant with a drive-thru facility. The proposed building is located on the south side of the parcel with parking provided on the north and east sides of the building. Primary access to the site is provided from shared driveways on Central Avenue with secondary access provided from Schaefer Avenue. The design of the drive-thru includes dual drive-thru queuing lanes that narrow down to one lane at the point of order. The drive-thru lane wraps around three sides of the building to provide as much vehicle queuing room as possible.
The entrance to the Starbucks is located on the north side of the building, facing a parking area. An outdoor dining area is provided near the entrance and includes movable tables, chairs, and umbrellas for year-round use. Landscape coverage for the parcel is 22.9%, which exceeds the minimum landscape coverage requirement for the CS zoning district. The landscaping for the project site will consist of drought-tolerant trees, shrubs and groundcover with the majority concentrated around the building and the perimeter of the project site, especially along the Central Avenue frontage.
Project statistics are as follows:
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Item |
Proposed |
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Project Area - |
.86 acres |
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No. Lots - |
1 |
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Lot Area - |
36,721 square feet (net) |
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No. of Buildings - |
1 |
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Building Area - |
2,262 square feet |
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Lot Coverage - |
6.2% |
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Landscape Coverage - |
22.9% |
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Parking (proposed/required)- |
10 spaces required / 22 spaces provided |
Architecture
The building design and footprint are characteristic of a Starbucks coffee shop, designed with a modern contemporary architectural style that complements the surrounding commercial development. The building incorporates smooth, horizontal fiber cement plank siding painted with shades of alternating light and dark brown. Dark brown vertical board and bat siding, metal awnings wrapped around the building, and opaque window film glazing with black anodized trim are used to enhance the elevations. The building provides vertical and horizontal breaks to create movement, and to eliminate flat building wall planes. A full metal awning is provided over the pick-up window to provide cover to patrons.
Drive-Thru Queuing Analysis Study
A Traffic Impact Analysis with a drive-thru queuing study was conducted at three similar Starbucks locations in the Chino Valley area. Observations were studied for two typical weekdays and a Saturday, during roadway traffic peak and operational peak times to evaluate the adequacy of the drive-thru lane queuing capacity. Additionally, the adjacent Farmer Boy’s Drive-Thru was studied to determine if any conflicts between the two sites would be expected to occur. The analysis concluded that the peak queue is estimated to be 11 vehicles during the greatest peak 15-minute period. The proposed project’s drive-thru has been designed to accommodate 18 vehicles and is expected to accommodate the peak drive-thru queuing demand. The side-by-side ordering configuration will improve the service rate and reduce the number of vehicles queuing in the drive-thru since orders can be processed at a more efficient rate. In addition, the adjacent Farmer Boy’s drive-thru is expected to continue to operate at the same level as they do today without the Starbucks site creating any new conflicts.
The City Traffic Engineer has reviewed the traffic impact analysis with the drive-thru queuing study and has determined the site layout will adequately serve Starbucks’ daily operation without impacting the rest of the project site. To address any potential drive-thru queue issues, the applicant is required to submit a comprehensive traffic operations management plan that will identify traffic control, signage and an alternative temporary drive-thru queuing lane that will not impact the shopping center’s main drive aisles (Engineering’s Condition of Approval No. 2.2).
Public Noticing
A 10-day notice was mailed to all property owners and occupants within a 300-foot radius of the project site. In addition, a notice was published in the Chino Champion on April 26, 2025, and the City sent information out on the City’s social media platforms. In response to the public notice, no comments have been received. The notice exceeds legal noticing requirements.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per Section 15332 of the guidelines-Infill Development projects. The exemption applies to infill projects that are consistent with the General Plan and Zoning Requirements; are located on a project site of no more than 5 acres substantially surrounded by urban uses; are located on a site that has no value for habitat for endangered, rare or threatened species; will not result in significant effects relating to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality; and are located on a site that can be adequately served by utilities and public services. The proposed Project is located on 0.86 acres of vacant land and fully surrounded by existing development. Furthermore, none of the exceptions to the categorical exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines 15300.2, apply to this project.