Rialto planning commission recommends council approve two-warehouse project at Valley and Willow

The Rialto Planning Commission on April 15 voted unanimously to recommend the City Council approve a package of land-use changes and permits to allow two warehouse buildings on a 6.02-acre site at the northeast corner of Valley Boulevard and Willow.

Daniel Rosa, speaking for planning staff, told the commission the master case (2022-0034) would change the site’s general-plan designation to Business Park, amend the Gateway Specific Plan to Industrial Park, reconfigure three parcels into two, and authorize a conditional development permit and precise plan design. The two proposed tilt-up concrete warehouse buildings measure 46,758 square feet and 73,210 square feet, respectively, for a combined 119,968 square feet; staff said the buildings are intended for storage and distribution uses compatible with surrounding industrial areas.

“Staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt the attached resolutions … forwarding a recommendation to the City Council for approving the general plan amendment, specific plan amendment, conditional development permit and PPD as stated herein with the associated MND,” Rosa said. He told commissioners the project site is about 6.02 acres, is partly developed with an existing industrial building, and that proposed site work would provide about 111 parking spaces, four driveways (reconstructing three existing), and an underground basin for water-quality treatment. Landscape coverage is proposed at about 19.6 percent, above the 10 percent minimum under the city guidelines.

Rosa summarized the environmental review: a scoping agreement and initial study prepared by Dudek, a mitigated negative declaration with a 30-day public comment period held Feb. 11–Mar. 12, and a transportation analysis estimating about 152 net new daily trips that would not lower intersection levels of service. Staff said it received two comment letters during the MND period — from the Department of Toxic Substances Control and San Bernardino County Public Works — and that responses were incorporated into the final document.

A commissioner asked whether the 32-foot driveway shown onto Valley Boulevard was intended for semi-truck access. Rosa answered the cross-hatched connection on the plan is for fire access only and said the Valley driveway is designed for passenger vehicles; trucks will not use that access.

Brian Bargeman, general partner with Investment Building Group and the project applicant, told the commission his firm has worked in the region for decades and intends a “first-class” redevelopment. “We have been in business for 45 years,” Bargeman said, adding that some tenants represented by his broker have expressed interest though there are no executed leases at this time.

Chair Story called for public comment; no members of the public requested to speak. On a subsequent motion, commissioners voted 6–0 to adopt the staff recommendation and forward the general plan amendment (2022-00001), specific plan amendment (2022-00002), conditional development permit (2022-00019), precise plan design (2022-00031), and associated mitigated negative declaration (2022-00033) to the City Council for final action.

Staff said the next Planning Commission meeting is set for May 6 and the item will proceed through the Council process per the city’s schedule.