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PL24-0097 (Special Conditional Use Permit), PL24-0098 (Site Approval), and PL24-0120 (Special Conditional Use Permit)
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LOCATION MAP
PROJECT NO.: PL24-0097 (Special Conditional Use Permit), PL24-0098 (Site Approval), and PL24-0120 (Special Conditional Use Permit)
APPLICANT: Gateway Terminal LLC
REQUEST: A request for approval for the Chino Gateway Terminal Project located on approximately 7.35 acres of land within the Light Industrial (M1) zoning district. The project includes the following applications:
• PL24-0097 (Special Conditional Use Permit) - A request to allow an industrial building greater than 50,000 square feet in the M1 zoning district for warehousing, wholesaling and distribution use.
• PL24-0098 (Site Approval) - A request to construct a mixed-use project consisting of a 158,548 square foot industrial warehouse building, and a 3,540 square restaurant building with an outdoor dining area.
• PL24-0120 (Special Conditional Use Permit) - A request to allow restaurants in the M1 zoning district.
LOCATION: Southwest corner of Schaefer Avenue and Oaks Avenue (APNs: 1021-052-04, -06, -09 and -11)
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Adopt Planning Commission Resolution No. PC2025-012, approving PL24-0097 (Special Conditional Use Permit), PL24-0098 (Site Approval) and PL24-0120 (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 - |
Gateway Karis Church, Vacant |
Light Industrial (LI) |
Light Industrial (M1) |
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North - |
Single-Family Residential |
RD 4.5 (4.5 dwelling units/acre) |
RD 4.5 (4.5 dwelling units/acre) |
|
East - |
Industrial |
Light Industrial (LI) |
Light Industrial (M1) |
|
South - |
Industrial |
General Industrial (GI) |
General Industrial (M2) |
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West - |
Industrial |
Light Industrial (LI) |
Light Industrial (M1) |
BACKGROUND
Gateway Terminal LLC, the applicant, acquired the project site in 2020 through a land exchange agreement with Gateway Karis Church, the former property owner and current occupant with the intent to develop the site with a mixed-use project. The project consists of a mixed-use development which includes a 158,548 square foot industrial building and a 3,540 square foot food and beverage building with an outdoor dining area. As part of the agreement, the applicant is constructing a new 27,000 square foot church facility at The Campus in College Park, located north of Eucalyptus Avenue, west of Satterfield, south of Notre Dame Avenue, and east of Oaks Avenue. The Campus entitlements were approved on September 6, 2022, and construction is currently underway. Once the facility is complete, the church will relocate to the location in College Park.
ISSUES/ANALYSIS
Site Design
The proposed project consists of a mixed-use development which includes a 3,540 square foot food and beverage building with an outdoor dining area as well as a 158,548 square foot speculative industrial building. Each building will be located on a separate lot which will be established by a lot line adjustment processed through the Public Works Department.
The 3,540 square foot food and beverage building, located at the northeast corner of the project site along Schaefer Avenue, includes four tenant spaces, shared restrooms, storage areas, and an outdoor seating area. Each tenant space is designed to accommodate individual restaurant operators, with service provided at the counter and outdoor dining available to patrons. Parking is provided along the west and south sides of the building. The proposed food and beverage building is required to provide 36 parking spaces and provides a total of 40 parking spaces dedicated to the building.
The industrial building is primarily plotted behind the food and beverage building, with the office portion fronting Schaefer Avenue. The building has a total footprint of 153,548 square feet, comprised of 150,048 square feet of warehouse space, 3,500 square feet of office space and 5,000 square feet of mezzanine space above the office area. At the rear of the building, twenty dock high loading doors and 10 truck trailer parking spaces are located within a secured private yard area. The yard area is screened from public view by a 10-foot-high solid tilt-up wall and metal gate, designed to match the architectural style of the building. The proposed industrial building provides a total of 92 spaces, which meets the minimum parking requirements. Parking is provided along the west and south sides of the building, as well as within the secured yard area.
Each building has dedicated site access with one driveway from Schaefer Avenue and one from Oaks Avenue, allowing separate and efficient circulation for customers and industrial operations.
Project statistics are as follows:
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Item |
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Project Area |
7.35 acres |
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No. Lots |
2 |
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Lot Area |
Parcel 1 - 285,640 square feet Parcel 2 - 34,683 square feet |
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No. of Buildings |
2 |
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Building Area |
158,548 square feet (warehouse industrial) 3,520 square feet (food & beverage) |
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Lot Coverage (proposed/maximum) |
49% proposed/50% maximum |
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Floor Area Ratio (proposed/maximum) |
0.51 proposed /0.6 maximum |
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Landscape Coverage (proposed/required) |
10.2% proposed/10% required |
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Parking (proposed/required) |
132 parking spaces proposed/128 parking space required |
Landscaping
The project provides a landscape coverage of 10.2%, satisfying the minimum landscape coverage requirement of 10% for properties in the M1 zoning district. Drought tolerant landscape design is provided throughout the development that is comprised of trees, shrubs and groundcover, primarily concentrated along the Schaefer Avenue and Oaks Avenue street frontages. Additional landscape features are provided near the outdoor seating areas for the food and beverage building. In addition, an outdoor employee break area is proposed at the northwest corner of the project site, located in front of the industrial building. This area features enhanced landscaping, decorative paving, wall seating, steal planter boxes, and decorative hardscape and is designed to serve the industrial building.
Architecture
The food and beverage building is designed with a modern industrial architectural style that draws inspiration from cargo shipping containers. This design is achieved through the use of steel wall panels that replicate the appearance of shipping containers, complemented by flat steel panels, and metal screens to adequately screen roof top equipment. The outdoor dining area is enclosed by corrugated steel panels, steel planter boxes, and rebar fencing, and is enhanced by curved steel light fixtures that provide illumination and reinforce the industrial design theme. In addition, climbing plant material will be integrated into the outdoor seating area along the fence and light fixtures to add warmth and soften the industrial aesthetic.
The warehouse industrial building features a concrete tilt-up design with smooth painted finish varying in shades of gray. Steel wall panels, designed to mimic the appearance of shipping containers, along with flat steel panels, are primarily concentrated at the office area facing Schaefer Avenue. These steel elements complement the architectural style of the food and beverage building, creating a cohesive site design. In addition, horizontal and vertical reveals enhance the elevations with reflective glass in clear anodized aluminum frames, which is concentrated at the corners of the building, enhancing the office area, and at the center of the building facing Schaefer Avenue. Architectural articulation is further achieved through four-foot insets and offsets along the street frontages and at the office area. Breaks in the roofline are provided as well, primarily where the insets and offsets occur.
Special Conditional Use Permit
The applicant has applied for two Special Conditional Use Permits (SCUP), one to allow restaurant uses within the food and beverage building, and a second to permit the industrial building to exceed 50,000 square feet in size.
A SCUP is required to be approved by the Planning Commission to establish a restaurant use in the M1 zoning district. The proposed food and beverage building has been designed to accommodate up to four tenant spaces, which would all be covered under the SCUP. A license through the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) is not currently requested in conjunction with the food uses. In the future, if an ABC license is requested by a tenant, an Administrative Approval would be required.
The second SCUP being requested is to allow the industrial building to exceed 50,000 square feet in size. The size of the building is generally consistent with other industrial buildings located on the east side of Oaks Avenue, along Schaefer Avenue. These buildings are all located on larger lots and designed for a single-tenant user. The proposed building has been designed with loading doors on the southern side of the building to minimize impacts to the existing residential neighborhood on the north side of Schaefer Avenue. Additionally, Schaefer Avenue is designated as a City truck route. The proposed building is speculative, meaning that a tenant is not known at this time. Potential tenants would need to comply with the M1 zoning district, which allows for lighter industrial uses ranging from warehousing and distribution to light manufacturing.
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 July 5, 2025, and the City sent information out on the City’s social media platforms. A total of two freestanding signs were posted along each of the project’s street frontages with project information in accordance with Section 20.23.140.D.1 of the City’s Zoning Code. In response to the public notice, no comments have been received. The notice exceeds legal noticing requirements.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An Addendum to the City of Chino General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (SCH# 2008091064) for the Chino Gateway Terminal Project, dated June 2025, has been prepared for this project by LSA Associates, Inc. As outlined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15164, an Addendum is the appropriate environmental document if some changes or additions to the previously certified EIR are necessary, but the proposed project does not constitute new information and would not change the assumptions, analysis, conclusions, or mitigation measures of the EIR to a significant degree. The analysis concluded that the proposed project would not create any new significant impacts or impacts significantly different than those identified in the City of Chino’s General Plan EIR. In addition, the proposed project would not increase the severity of any previously identified significant impacts. Therefore, the proposed project is within the scope of the previous EIR.
Link to EIR Addendum: Environmental Documents | Chino, CA <https://www.cityofchino.org/591/Environmental-Documents>