REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Travis Hopkins, City Manager
VIA: Jennifer Villasenor, Director of Community Development
PREPARED BY: Joanna Cortez, Principal Planner
Subject:
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Adopt Resolution No. 2025-74 approving General Plan Amendment (GPA) No. 20-001; Approve for introduction Ordinance No. 4345 approving Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) No. 20-002; and adopt Resolution No. 2025-73 approving Environmental Assessment No. 21-001 (Addendum No. 2 to the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report No. 89-1) (Goldenwest/Garfield Commercial)
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Statement of Issue:
Transmitted for City Council’s consideration is General Plan Amendment No. 20-001 and Zoning Text Amendment No. 20-002, an applicant-initiated request to amend the land use designation and zoning classification on a vacant site located at 19026 Goldenwest Street from Industrial-Specific Plan Overlay (I-sp) to Commercial Neighborhood-Specific Plan Overlay (CN-sp) and Industrial (I) to Commercial (C), respectively. This request also includes Environmental Assessment No. 21-001, which is Addendum No. 2 to the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan EIR No. 89-1 to analyze the potential environmental impacts of these amendments. The requested amendments are proposed to allow for development of a carwash and service station on the site. The associated development entitlements (Conditional Use Permit No. 19-021 and Tentative Parcel Map No. 21-103) were approved by the Planning Commission on November 20, 2025, and not a part of the requested City Council actions. The Planning Commission and staff recommend approval of the request.
Financial Impact:
Not applicable
Recommended Action:
recommendation
A) Approve Environmental Assessment No. 21-001 (Addendum No. 2 to the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) No. 89-1; Attachment No. 5) as adequate and complete in accordance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and adopt City Council Resolution No. 2025-73, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Adopting Addendum No. 2 to the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report No. 89-1 for the Goldenwest/Garfield Commercial Project” (Attachment No. 4);
B) Approve General Plan Amendment No. 20-001 and adopt Resolution No. 2025-74, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Approving General Plan Amendment No. 20-001” (Attachment No. 2); and
C) Approve Zoning Text Amendment No. 20-002 and approve for introduction Ordinance No. 4345, “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Amending the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan to Rezone the Real Property Located at 19026 Goldenwest Street from Industrial (I) to Commercial (C) (Zoning Text Amendment No. 20-002)” (Attachment No. 3).
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Alternative Action(s):
The City Council may make the following alternative motions:
1. Do not approve General Plan Amendment No. 20-001/Zoning Text Amendment No. 20-002/Environmental Assessment No. 21-001.
2. Continue General Plan Amendment No. 20-001/Zoning Text Amendment No. 20-002/Environmental Assessment No. 21-001 and direct staff accordingly.
Analysis:
A. PROJECT PROPOSAL:
Applicant: Eric Fitzer and Robert Cole, Sustainability Engineering Group, 5240 N. 16th St. Phoenix, AZ, 85016
Property Owner: Garfield Goldenwest LLC, 19026 Goldenwest St., Huntington Beach, CA 92648
The project includes the following requests:
Environmental Assessment No. 21-001 - Preparation of Addendum No. 2 to the Holly-Seacliff
Specific Plan EIR No. 89-1 to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project
General Plan Amendment (GPA) No. 20-001 - To amend the land use designation from Industrial-Specific Plan Overlay (I-sp) to Commercial Neighborhood-Specific Plan Overlay (CN-sp)
Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) No. 20-002 - To amend the existing zoning designation within the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan (SP9) from Industrial (I) to Commercial (C)
The proposed Addendum, GPA, and ZTA are prerequisites to allow the applicant to redevelop the approximately 1.54 gross-acre vacant site with commercial development.
B. BACKGROUND:
The proposed commercial project includes Tentative Parcel Map (TPM) No. 21-103 to consolidate eight lots into a 1.32 net acre site comprised of two parcels and Conditional Use Permit (CUP) No. 19-021 to construct a service station consisting of two canopies at an overall height of 19 ft., 14 pumps, a 233 sq. ft. payment kiosk at 13 ft. in height and a 3,588 sq. ft. drive-thru carwash at an overall height of 30 ft. with six vacuum stalls on a vacant site with a grade differential of more than three feet (Attachment Nos. 10 & 11).
C. PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING AND RECOMMENDATION:
On November 20, 2025, the Planning Commission held a public hearing to consider the proposed project. The applicant, Eric Fitzer and the car wash operator, Vance Shannon were present and spoke about the project. A member of the public also shared comments during the public hearing related to health, lighting, and the environment of the project. Finally, staff also received late communication from the business to the south (19062 Goldenwest St.) with concerns that the new car wash building would block visibility of their monument sign (Attachment No. 13). After discussing the project, the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the GPA, ZTA, and the Addendum and voted to approve the TPM and CUP. The Planning Commission modified the TPM and CUP conditions of approval to add signage to prohibit overnight parking (Attachment No. 12). The Planning Commission’s action on the TPM and CUP are final because no appeal was filed.
Planning Commission Action on November 20, 2025:
A motion was made by Commissioner Goldberg, seconded by Commissioner Babineau, to recommend to the City Council approval of GPA No. 20-001, ZTA No. 20-002, EA No. 21-001 and to approve TPM No. 21-103 and CUP No. 19-021 with findings and modified conditions carried out by the following vote:
AYES: 7
NOES: 0
ABSTAIN: 0
ABSENT: 0
MOTION PASSED
D. STAFF ANALYSIS:
The staff report from the November 20, 2025 Planning Commission hearing (Attachment No. 6) provides a more detailed description and comprehensive analysis of the proposed project including the GPA, ZTA, and Addendum requests before the City Council, as well as the TPM and CUP that were approved by the Planning Commission. In summary, staff recommends approval of the GPA, ZTA, and Addendum No. 2 to the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan based on the following:
• Environmental Assessment No. 21-001 (Addendum No. 2 to the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan EIR for the Goldenwest/Garfield Commercial Project) is adequate and complete in that it has identified all potential environmental impacts associated with the project.
• Environmental Assessment No. 21-001 (Addendum No. 2 to the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan EIR for the Goldenwest/Garfield Commercial Project) demonstrates that the project will not have new or substantially more severe environmental impacts that were not disclosed in the certified Final EIR for the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan and will not require the preparation of a Subsequent or Supplemental EIR.
• Environmental Assessment No. 21-001 (Addendum No. 2 to the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan EIR for the Goldenwest/Garfield Commercial Project) was prepared in compliance with the CEQA Guidelines.
• The GPA and ZTA are consistent with the General Plan and its goals and policies.
• The GPA and ZTA are consistent with surrounding area.
• The project will improve an existing vacant site with commercial development consistent with other uses in the vicinity.
• The development of a commercial use on the subject property would result in less potential impacts to nearby residences than an industrial use.
Environmental Status:
Choose an item.
The City certified Program Environmental Impact Report No. 89-1 for the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan in 1990, which evaluated environmental impacts associated with development approved as part of the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan. The Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan identified the subject property as Industrial (I) land use and the EIR evaluated environmental impacts associated with up to 103,963 sq. ft. of industrial uses on the property. The EIR provides the environmental setting and analysis to serve as the first-tier CEQA document for the proposed project. An addendum to the EIR was prepared to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project.
Although the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan considered the impacts of industrial development on the subject property, the result of the addendum was that a commercial use (such as the proposed project) would result in a less intense project than what was evaluated under the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan EIR, and therefore would not result in new significant impacts or an increase in the severity of a previously identified impact in the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan EIR. In addition, the project includes several project design features and will be required to comply with City standards and existing mitigation measures outlined in the EIR to ensure that development of the proposed project and approval of the GPA, ZTA, TPM, and CUP would not result in an action that requires further evaluation pursuant to CEQA (Attachment No. 5)
Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal 1 - Economic Development, Strategy A - Develop an updated economic development strategy to ensure business retention, local investments and job growth.
The proposed amendment will result in the development of a vacant site with commercial uses that will provide employment opportunities for the area.
Attachment(s):
1. Suggested Findings for Zoning Text Amendment No. 20-002
2. City Council Resolution No. 2025-74, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Approving General Plan Amendment No. 20-001”
3. City Council Ordinance No. 4345, “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Amending the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan to Rezone the Real Property Located at 19026 Goldenwest Street from Industrial (I) to Commercial (C) (Zoning Text Amendment No. 20-002)”
4. City Council Resolution No. 2025-73, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach Adopting Addendum No. 2 to the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report No. 89-1 for the Goldenwest/Garfield Commercial Project”
5. Addendum No. 2 to the certified Final EIR for the Holly-Seacliff Specific Plan EIR can be found here: <https://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/business_detail_T9_R514.php>
6. November 20, 2025 Planning Commission Staff Report
7. Project Narrative received and dated September 30, 2025
8. Existing & Proposed General Plan Land Use Designation Maps
9. Revised Specific Plan/ZTA No. 20-002 Legislative Draft
10. Project Plans received and dated September 30, 2025 (For Reference Only)
11. Tentative Parcel Map No. 21-103 received and dated September 30, 2025 (For Reference Only)
12. Planning Commission Notice of Action dated November 21, 2025
13. Public Comment Received November 20, 2025
14. PowerPoint Presentation