TO: Chair and Members of the Planning Commission
THRU: Hayden Beckman, Planning Manager
FROM: Arlen Beck, Associate Planner
1. Subject
title
Public Hearing to consider a request to establish an alternate parking rate and construct an addition to an existing commercial building for the site located at 1012 N. Tustin Street and a finding of CEQA Exemption (CUP25-0010).
body
2. Summary
The applicant is proposing an 834 square-foot building addition, exterior façade improvements, interior remodel, new landscaping, and a revised parking lot layout and striping to accommodate a new veterinary hospital within an existing commercial building located at 1012 N. Tustin Street. The project also includes a request to establish an alternate parking rate for the two existing uses at the site.
3. Recommended Action
recommendation
1. Conduct and close the Public Hearing.
2. Adopt Planning Commission Resolution No. PC 01-26, approving Conditional Use Permit No. 25-0010 and Minor Site Plan Review No. 1181, for an 834 square-foot addition, exterior façade improvements, interior remodel, new landscaping, and a revised parking lot layout and striping to accommodate a new veterinary hospital within an existing commercial building, and to establish an alternate parking rate for the two existing uses at the site located at 1012-1016 N. Tustin Street.
3. Find the request categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in accordance with Section 15301 of the State CEQA Guidelines.
end
4. project background
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Property Information |
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Applicant |
Dominic To |
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Property Owner |
JADS, LLC |
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Property Location |
1012 N. Tustin Street |
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Existing General Plan Land Use Element Designation |
General Commercial (GC) |
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Existing Zoning Classification |
Limited Business (C1) |
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Old Towne |
No |
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Site Size |
21,248 sq. ft. |
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Circulation |
The subject site is located on the west side of N. Tustin Street and is developed with two standalone commercial buildings. Access to the two buildings is by a shared driveway at the center of the lot from N. Tustin Street. The parking lot is located at the rear of the property at the end of the shared driveway. |
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Existing Conditions |
The 0.49-acre project site has an existing vacant 3,951 square foot commercial building, and a 2,173 square foot commercial building that is currently occupied by a used sporting goods retail store. Photographs of the existing site are provided in Attachment 5. |
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Surrounding Land Uses and Zoning |
North: Limited Business (C1) - Multi-tenant retail shopping center with a mix of office, and personal service uses. |
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South: Limited Business (C1) - Dentist Clinic and Professional Offices building. |
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East: Limited Business (C1) - Across N. Tustin Street - Medical office building and a professional office building. |
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West: Multiple-Family Residential with Single Story Overlay (R3 (A)) - Multi-family duplex and triplex residential. |
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Previous Applications/Entitlements |
None. |
5. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The applicant proposes to establish a veterinary animal hospital offering a full range of veterinary services. Hours of operation are proposed from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., seven days per week, with up to 10 employees. Grooming and boarding services are not proposed, although animals recovering from surgery may remain overnight as part of medical care.
The project includes an 834-square-foot addition to the existing vacant commercial building, requiring compliance with current development standards, including off-street parking. Because the proposed veterinary use requires more parking than the former beauty salon use, the project includes a request for an alternate parking rate to address on-site parking constraints, and a revised parking layout. The second building on the site will continue to operate as a retail use.
6. PROJECT analysis
The project includes coordinated exterior façade upgrades to both buildings to enhance visual consistency across the site. Aside from minimum number of off-street parking spaces required, the project complies with all applicable development standards.
Alternate Parking Rate:
Table 1 below outlines the minimum required number of off-street parking spaces required by the Orange Municipal Code based on the size of the building and use of that space.
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Table 1. Parking Requirements for site per Orange Municipal Code Section 17.34.060(B) |
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Land Use |
Parking Ratio |
Gross Floor Area |
Parking Requirement |
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Veterinary clinic/hospital |
5 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
4,790 sq. ft. |
24 spaces |
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General Retail |
4 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. GFA |
2,173 sq. ft. |
9 spaces |
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Total Parking Required Per OMC 17.34.060(B) |
33 spaces |
The proposed parking lot has a capacity of 24 spaces, resulting in a deficiency of 9 spaces in comparison with City’s code requirement. However, the proposed parking lot cannot physically accommodate 33 off-street parking spaces. Per OMC §17.34.100, any nonresidential use may provide a parking demand study via the conditional use permit process to justify an alternate parking rate. The applicant has prepared a parking study identifying that empirical parking demand based on the actual operation of the uses on the site shows only 22 off-street parking spaces are needed, as outlined in Table 2 below.
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Table 2. Empirical Parking Demand |
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Land Use |
Empirical Parking Demand Per Actual Operations |
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OC Sports Equipment |
8 spaces |
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Veterinary Hospital |
14 spaces |
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Total Parking Demand |
22 spaces |
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Parking Capacity |
24 spaces |
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Parking Redundancy |
+2 spaces |
With the empirical parking redundancy of two spaces, parking demands for the existing tenants and proposed operations of the subject veterinary hospital are expected to be adequately accommodated by on-site parking and no overflow to public roadways is anticipated. A more detailed analysis and methods are provided in the parking analysis prepared by K2 Traffic Engineering, Inc., provided as Attachment 6 to this staff report.
It is noted that, due to convenience and easy access, a number of customers may choose to park at the north side of the building, which belongs to the adjacent retail plaza. To address that likelihood, a condition of approval has been included in the Planning Commission Resolution requiring that on-site signage be clearly posted at the subject building to inform customers of parking availability at the rear of the building and discourage unauthorized parking on adjacent properties.
7. AUTHORIZING GUIDELINES
Orange Municipal Code (OMC) Section 17.08.020 B.2.a. authorizes the Planning Commission to review and take final action on applications for Conditional Use Permits and Minor Site Plan Review. Footnote (b) of Table 17.08.020 of the OMC - Reviewing Bodies - states that when more than one type of application is filed for a single project, the application requiring the highest level of approval shall dictate the review process for the entire group of applications. The Planning Commission is the highest level approving body for these applications.
8. public notice
Notice was provided to owners and tenants within 300 feet of the project and posted at the project site on or before January 8, 2026.
9. environmental review
The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per State CEQA Guidelines 15301 (Class 1 - Existing Facilities) because the project consists of an 834 square-foot addition, exterior façade improvements, interior remodel, new landscaping, and a revised parking lot layout and striping to accommodate a new veterinary hospital within an existing commercial building, and to establish an alternate parking rate for the existing uses at the site. There is no environmental public review required for a Categorical Exemption.
10. ADVISORY BOARD ACTION
Staff Review Committee:
The Staff Review Committee reviewed the project on October 31, 2024, and recommended approval.
11. ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment 1 Planning Commission Resolution No. PC 01-26
• Attachment 2 Vicinity Map
• Attachment 3 Project Plans
• Attachment 4 Applicant Business Narrative/Justification Letter
• Attachment 5 Site Photos
• Attachment 6 Parking Analysis