DATE: FEBRUARY 18, 2026
TO: CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION
FROM: ANDREA GILBERT, CITY PLANNER
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RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Planning Commission Resolution No. PC2026-002, approving PL25-0143 (Special Conditional Use Permit), based upon the findings and subject to the departmental conditions of approval.
BACKGROUND
On October 9, 2024, the City of Chino annexed 56.87 acres of land, known as the East End Annexation, from San Bernardino County. The annexation included the project site. The proposed temporary use was originally approved by San Bernardino County on March 9, 2021, and has been in continuous operation since that time. The applicant, Southwest Rebar, is now requesting approval of a temporary use permit to continue operations for a period of five years within the City of Chino. The project site is located at 3612 Philadelphia Street and is zoned Light Industrial (M1).
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
Southwest Rebar operates a rebar fabrication facility where rebar is cut and bent to meet specific project specifications and then transported to off-site construction locations. Business operations are currently located outdoors with no changes proposed to the operations. The site includes a permanent office building, a portable office building, and equipment used in the operations. The site is secured by a tubular steel fence along Philadelphia Street, which transitions to a chain link fence along the interior parking lot. A small parking lot is located outside the fenced area. The business operates Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is a total of 12 employees on-site on any given day. Since the business operations were originally approved as a temporary use by San Bernardino County, all conditions of approval placed by the County will remain and have been incorporated into the City’s conditions of approval. Additionally, the City has not received any complaints regarding the business since the property was annexed in 2024.
Per Section 20.12.020.C.2 of the Zoning Code, a temporary use may be permitted with a Special Conditional Use Permit, provided the use is compatible with the applicable zoning district and surrounding land uses. The proposed temporary use is compatible with the M1 zoning district, as the temporary use is classified as general manufacturing and processing, which is a permitted use in the M1 zone. The site is surrounded by existing industrial uses to the north, west, and south with planned industrial development to the east. The proposed temporary use permit would allow the business to continue to operate for a period of up to five years. To extend the use beyond five years, the applicant would be required to submit a time extension in accordance with Section 20.12.020.F of the Zoning Code. The time extension would then be required to be approved by the Planning Commission.
PUBLIC NOTICING
A 10-day notice was mailed to all property owners within a 300-foot radius of the project site. In addition, a notice was published in the Chino Champion on February 7, 2026, 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
In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to Guideline § 15301 - Existing Facilities, the project qualifies as being categorically exempt from CEQA and will have no significant impact on the environment. Furthermore, none of the exceptions to the categorical exemptions set forth in the CEQA Guidelines 15300.2, apply to this project.
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