PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT
SUBMITTED TO: Planning Commission
SUBMITTED BY: Jennifer Villasenor, Director of Community Development
PREPARED BY: Joanna Cortez, Principal Planner
SUBJECT:
title
APPEAL OF THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR’S APPROVAL OF CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO. 24-011/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION NO. 24-002 (REDONDO CIRCLE INDUSTRIAL PROJECT)
REQUEST:
CUP: To remove an existing lumber yard and all associated site improvements and construct two industrial warehouse buildings, approximately 40 ft. high, totaling 185,912 sq. ft., with each building containing two office/mezzanine floor units and a truck loading dock on an approximately 9.59-acre site. MND: To analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with the project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
LOCATION:
7600 Redondo Circle, 92648 (at the terminus of Redondo Cir.)
body
APPLICANT:
Matthew Biggs, 7600 Redondo Circle, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PROPERTY
OWNER:
Triple H Properties, 7600 Redondo Circle, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
In considering this request, the Planning Commission may either uphold the Zoning Administrator’s decision (with or without modifications) or take an alternative action.
ZONING ADMINISTRATOR ACTION:
recommendation
A) Approve Mitigated Negative Declaration No. 24-002 with suggested findings and mitigation measures; and
B) Approve Conditional Use Permit No. 24-011 with suggested findings and conditions of approval (Attachment No. 1)
end
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
A) Do not make the suggested findings, which will result in a mandatory denial per Section 241.10(C) of the Huntington Beach Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance (HBZSO); or
B) Continue Conditional Use Permit No. 24-011 and Mitigated Negative Declaration No. 24-002 and direct staff accordingly.
PROJECT PROPOSAL:
The project includes the following requests:
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 24-011 - To remove the existing lumberyard and all associated site improvements and construct two industrial warehouse buildings, approximately 40 ft. high, one at 98,360 sq ft. and the other at 87,552 sq. ft. Each building is proposed with two office/mezzanine floor units and truck loading dock on an approximately 9.59-acre site (Attachment No. 2).
Mitigated Negative Declaration No. 24-002 - To analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with the project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The project site is a previously developed lot currently occupied by an existing lumberyard, Reliable Wholesale Lumber, which was established in 1975. The current business operations include outdoor storage of lumber with train delivery services as the site is adjacent to an existing railroad along the west side of the property. All existing train delivery services will cease with the demolition of the lumberyard.
Zoning Administrator Action:
A public hearing before the Zoning Administrator (ZA) was held on March 4, 2026. Prior to the hearing, staff received comments during the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) comment period in addition to two emails opposing the project and one email with general information. During the hearing, speakers cited concerns related to noise, pollution, lighting and quality of life, neglected landscaping, traffic, and the height of the proposed buildings. The ZA explained how the suggested conditions would address their concerns such as limiting site access to Redondo Circle and away from the residential streets, and other restrictions on lighting, truck idling and truck circulation at night. The ZA further explained the height complied with the code requirements of the base zoning district and the project had larger building setbacks at the rear property line abutting residential properties. Finally, the ZA stated the new use would bring the site’s industrial uses indoors and was conditioned to keep operations inside. While the ZA agreed with staff’s findings, an additional condition was incorporated to update perimeter landscaping along the eastern and western property lines in compliance with the HBZSO. With these modifications, the ZA approved the project with staff’s suggested findings and modified conditions of approval (Attachment No. 1).
Appeal:
On March 9, 2026, Councilmember Burns appealed the project citing the wall height seemed low for this development. In addition, an appeal was filed March 12, 2026, by Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility (SAFER) citing that the MND was deficient and that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) should be prepared and circulated to ensure compliance with CEQA. (Attachment No. 5)
Wall Height
Per Section 230.88 of the Huntington Beach Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance (HBZSO), a minimum six-foot-high wall between residential and non-residential uses is required. Additionally, up to a nine-foot-high wall may be permitted for industrial uses around the rear and side yard not abutting residential uses. A supplemental noise assessment was done to address concerns related specifically to truck operations. The results of that assessment confirmed the project’s building design and layout have been designed to minimize potential noise and visual impacts and further mitigation was not necessary to comply with the City’s Noise Ordinance; however, the project is conditioned to add a nine-foot high perimeter wall to further ensure the surrounding uses are buffered from the site’s operations. According to the noise assessment, noise levels associated with the proposed industrial use will not exceed the standards permitted at the residential property lines.
Mitigated Negative Declaration
Prior to action on the proposed project by the Zoning Administrator, a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was prepared by a third-party environmental consultant. The environmental analysis in the document provides substantial evidence that the proposed project properly qualifies for an MND under CEQA Guidelines and the proposed project would have no impact or less than significant impacts in the following environmental areas: Aesthetics, Agriculture and Forestry Resources, Energy, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Hydrology and Water Quality, Land Use and Planning, Mineral Resources, Population and Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Transportation, Utilities and Service Systems, and Wildfire. The Project has the potential to have significant impacts on the following topics unless the recommended mitigation measures described herein are incorporated into the Project: Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology and Soils, Noise, and Tribal Cultural Resources. According to the State CEQA Guidelines, it is appropriate to prepare an IS/MND for the proposed Project because, after incorporation of the recommended mitigation measures, potentially significant environmental impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels.
ISSUES AND ANALYSIS:
Subject Property And Surrounding General Plan Designations, Zoning And Land Uses:
|
LOCATION |
GENERAL PLAN |
ZONING |
LAND USE |
|
Subject Property: |
I (Industrial) |
IL (Industrial Limited) |
Industrial |
|
North of Subject Property: |
I |
IL |
Industrial |
|
East of Subject Property (across Parkview Lane): |
I/RH(30 du/ac) (Residential High Density 30 dwelling units per acre)/OS-P (Open Space-Park) |
IL/RH(Residential High Density)/OS-PR (Open Space-Park Recreation) |
Industrial, Multi-Family Residential, and Park |
|
South of Subject Property (across Taylor Drive): |
RL (Residential Low Density) |
RL (Residential Low Density) |
Single-Family Residential |
|
West of Subject Property: |
P (Public), PS (RT) (Public Semi-Public with underlying Research and Technology) and RT |
IL and RT (Research and Technology) |
Railroad Right of Way, Religious Assembly and Industrial |
General Plan Conformance:
The proposed development is consistent with the Land Use Element designation of I (Industrial) on the subject property and the following General Plan goals and policies:
A. Land Use Element
Goal LU-1: New commercial, industrial, and residential development is coordinated to ensure that the land use pattern is consistent with the overall goals and needs of the community.
Policy LU-1-D: Ensure that new development projects are of compatible proportion, scale, and character to complement adjoining uses.
Policy - LU-13C: Support development of new commercial and industrial projects and retrofits of existing buildings.
The new warehouse buildings will be compatible and architecturally complimentary to the surrounding industrial land uses in that the buildings are of similar height and character as comparable new industrial development. The proposed project is located within an established industrial area and incorporates contemporary architectural treatments that result in quality new buildings. The project location, size of the new buildings, and adequate quantity of on-site parking will allow industrial businesses to occupy the tenant spaces, providing opportunities for both new businesses to be established and existing businesses to remain in the City. The layout of the proposed warehouses, along with the conditions for additional landscaping and taller block walls, will allow for the development of an industrial site that is more compatible and therefore less impacting on the residential uses to the south and east.
B. Circulation Element
Goal - CIRC-1a: The circulation system supports existing, approved, and planned land uses while maintaining a desired level of service and capacity on streets and at critical intersections.
The project will utilize two existing public driveways, minimizing disruptions to existing circulation patterns around the project site. The project is located at the terminus of Redondo Circle and the nearest major arterials are Talbert Avenue and Gothard Street, which support the industrial uses in this area. The project is conditioned to use Redondo Circle as the primary means of ingress and egress, which is consistent with the existing lumber yard and surrounding industrial uses.
Zoning Compliance:
Conditional Use Permit
Presently, the project area is developed with a lumberyard with outdoor storage and operations. It also includes train delivery services using the adjacent railroad right of way as part of the site operations. The site is mostly paved with landscaping primarily around the perimeter. A combination of block walls and wood fencing surrounds the existing lumber yard.
The request to construct the two industrial buildings within the IL (Industrial Limited) zoning designation is subject to a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) pursuant to Chapter 212 of the HBZSO.
Development Standards Access and Circulation
The project complies with the IL zoning requirements including setbacks, building height, minimum landscape, and parking requirements as detailed in the table below:
|
DEVELOPMENT STANDARD |
REQUIRED |
PROPOSED |
|
MIN. SETBACKS FRONT (Redondo Circle) SIDES: (Parkview Lane (east) Railroad Right of Way (west)) REAR (Taylor Dr./SFDs) |
10 ft. 15 ft. 15 ft. |
82.5 ft. 47 ft.(east) 45 ft. (west) 42.5 - 73 ft. |
|
MAX. HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS |
40 ft. |
40 ft. |
|
MAX. FLOOR AREA RATIO |
.75 |
.44 |
|
MIN. LANDSCAPING |
8% |
9.7% |
|
MIN. PARKING REQUIRMENT |
Warehouse Buildings 185,912 SF.= 1/1,000 sf. = 186 spaces |
Total: 192 spaces |
The request to replace the lumber yard with two new warehouse buildings will benefit the residential uses in the vicinity by removing outdoor operations and conditioning future uses to operate within an industrial structure. In addition to removing outdoor operations, the proposed project will cease train operations as future tenants will no longer need the train for deliveries. The project will utilize two existing driveways along Redondo Circle away from residential uses, minimizing changes to established circulation patterns. The site is located at the end of Redondo Circle, with access to major arterials including Talbert Avenue and Gothard Street, which serve the surrounding industrial area. Redondo Circle will remain the primary point of access to the site, consistent with both the former lumber yard operations and neighboring industrial uses. Conditions have been added to limit the rear gate along Taylor Drive for emergency vehicle access only. Similar industrial uses surround the proposed project, and the proposed contemporary architecture provides high-quality modern design within the surrounding industrial district. Additionally, new perimeter and interior site landscaping are proposed. The overall height of the buildings is approximately 40 ft., which is similar in height with the surrounding industrial buildings. The conditioned additional landscaping and taller walls along the south and eastern property lines in conjunction with the orientation of the buildings provide an adequate buffer of approximately 70 feet from the nearest building to the nearest residential property to the south. The arrangement of structures, parking and circulation areas exceed the quality that has been set by the existing development by incorporating more than the minimum required parking spaces and building setbacks.
Urban Design Guidelines Conformance:
The proposed project is located within an established industrial area and incorporates contemporary architectural treatments that result in quality new buildings. The layout of the proposed warehouses, along with the conditions for additional landscaping and taller block walls, will allow for the development of an industrial site that is more compatible and therefore less impacting on the residential uses to the south and east.
Environmental Status:
Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration No. 24-002 was made available for a 20-day public review period from November 6, 2025 to December 1, 2025. The City received six comments. The comments, as well as staff’s responses to comments, are included in Attachment No. 3.
Prior to any action on the project, it is necessary for the Planning Commission to review and act on Mitigated Negative Declaration No. 24-002. Staff, in its initial study of the project, is recommending that the proposed mitigated negative declaration be approved with findings.
Other Departments Concerns and Requirements:
Public Works, Building, Fire, and Planning staff reviewed the proposed project and identified code requirements applicable to the project. (Attachment No. 8)
Public Notification:
Legal notice was published in the Huntington Beach Wave on Thursday, April 16, 2026, and notices were sent to property owners of record within a 500 ft. radius of the subject property, individuals/organizations requesting notification (Community Development Department’s Notification Matrix), and applicant.
Application Processing Dates:
|
DATE OF COMPLETE APPLICATION: |
MANDATORY PROCESSING DATE(S): |
|
November 8, 2025 with a 90-day extension on January 3, 2026. |
Not applicable to appealed items. |
After several continuances requested by the applicant, the project was acted on by the ZA on March 4, 2026.
SUMMARY:
The Planning Commission may approve the proposed project based upon the following:
• Eliminates outdoor operations and replaces them with two new warehouse buildings with indoor operations
• Eliminates train delivery services to the area
• Consistent with the site’s General Plan land use and zoning designations
• Compatible with surrounding industrial uses
• Project incorporates contemporary architectural elements that will result in attractive, well-designed buildings, while still maintaining additional operational buffers/treatments to protect nearby sensitive uses
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Suggested findings and conditions of approval
2. Plans received and dated December 9, 2025
3. Mitigated Negative Declaration No. 24-002
4. Supplemental Noise Analysis dated February 25, 2026
5. Appeal Letters
6. Zoning Administrator Notice of Action dated March 4, 2026
7. Minutes from March 4, 2026, Zoning Administrator Meeting
8. Code Requirements
9. Vicinity Map