Staff Report
200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
Suite 162
Anaheim, CA 92805
Tel: (714) 765-5139
Fax: (714) 765-5280
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ITEM NO. 2
PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT
City of Anaheim
PLANNING AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT
DATE: APRIL 24, 2023
SUBJECT: DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION NO. 2019-00014
LOCATION: 1000 – 1004 South State College Boulevard
APPLICANT/PROPERTY OWNER: The applicant is Kate Curtin representing the
property owner Anaheim United Methodist Church.
REQUEST: The applicant requests approval to amend a conditional use permit approved
for a church and Day Care Center to construct a new 2,046-square foot day care building
with two outdoor play areas.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Planning Commission determine
that a Class 3 – New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures Categorical
Exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources
Code, Sections 21000-21189.57) as set forth in Sections 15303 and 15300.2 of the State
CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, Sections 15000 -
15387) is the appropriate environmental documentation for this request; and adopt the
attached resolution approving Development Application No. 2019-00014 and amending
Conditional Use Permit No. 1993.
BACKGROUND: The subject property is 4.78-acres and developed with several
buildings, including a 10,816-square foot sanctuary building for Anaheim United
Methodist Church. Three existing buildings are currently used for administrative and child
Day Care uses. The child Day Care operation operates within a 5,352-square foot building
located south of the sanctuary. The property is in the "T" Transitional Zone and designated
for Low-Medium Residential land uses in the General Plan. Surrounding land uses include
multi-family residential to the east and north across Wagner Avenue, single-family
residential to the south, and Boysen Park across State College Boulevard to the west.
In 1970, the Planning Commission approved Conditional Use Permit No. 1193 to permit
a church and related facilities. In 1979, the Planning Commission approved Conditional
Use Permit No. 1993 to permit a child Day Care center on the existing church property.
In 2011 the Planning Commission approved an amendment to Conditional Use Permit
No. 1993 to permit a new monument sign with an electronic readerboard display in
conjunction with the church facility.
PROPOSAL: The applicant is requesting to amend the existing conditional use permit
to expand the child Day Care use to add a new 2,046 square foot building and two outdoor
play areas totaling approximately 3,500 square feet. The applicant proposes to construct
Development Application No. 2019-00014
April 24, 2023
Page 2 of 5
the new single-story building to the south of the site with the two play areas located to the east of
the building.
Exterior site improvements are also proposed to improve and enhance the parking lot located
between the two Day Care buildings and a crosswalk is proposed to connect the existing buildings
with the proposed new day care structure. New landscaping would be installed around the
improved areas.
This request also includes a modification to the hours of operation and to allow an increase in the
number of children permitted in the existing conditional use permit. The existing conditional use
permit allows the Day Care facility to operate between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm. The proposed hours
would be between 6:30 am to 9:00 pm. The existing maximum number of students is 111. With
the new building and the increase in available area, the applicant proposes up to 160 students.
SITE PLAN
Development Application No. 2019-00014
April 24, 2023
Page 3 of 5
FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS:
Conditional Use Permit: Before the Planning Commission may approve a conditional use permit,
it must make a finding of fact that the evidence presented shows that all of the following conditions
exist:
1) That the proposed use is properly one for which a minor conditional use permit or a
conditional use permit is authorized by this code;
2) That the proposed use will not adversely affect the adjoining land uses, or the growth and
development of the area in which it is proposed to be located;
3) That the size and shape of the site proposed for the use is adequate to allow the full
development of the proposed use, in a manner not detrimental to either the particular area
or health and safety;
4) That the traffic generated by the proposed use will not impose an undue burden upon the
streets and highways designed and improved to carry the traffic in the area; and
5) That the granting of the minor conditional use permit or conditional use permit under the
conditions imposed, if any, will not be detrimental to the health and safety of the citizens
of the City of Anaheim.
Conditional Use Permit: The Zoning Code permits Day Care Centers in the Transitional Zone
subject to approval of a conditional use permit. The proposed request would not adversely affect
the adjoining land uses or development of the area as the site currently operates as a Day Care use
and has done so since 1979. The size and shape of the property is adequate to accommodate the
proposed construction of the new child Day Care building and play area, and the property would
provide adequate parking spaces to accommodate both the church and Day Care use as both uses
operate on alternate schedules as discussed below. Designated loading and unloading spaces
would be provided through the improvements to the parking lot. Conditions of approval are
included in the draft resolution to ensure that the expansion of the Day Care use would be properly
maintained and operated. The granting of the amendment to the conditional use permit for the use
under the conditions imposed would not be detrimental to the health and safety of the citizens of
the City of Anaheim as the Day Care Center is a licensed facility by the State of California and
would continue to operate within the guidelines by the Health and Safety Code for operating a
Day Care Center.
Parking Requirements: The site is developed with surface parking accessible from State College
Boulevard and Wagner Avenue. The applicant is proposing improvements to the parking lot layout
for a more efficient loading and unloading area for the Day Care. Additionally, the Public Works
Traffic and Transportation Division required the driveway approaches on State College to meet
City Standards for a 30-foot throat distance to the first parking space from the right-of-way. As a
result of this redesign, the available parking spaces would be reduced from 185 spaces to 167
spaces. The Code requires 44 parking spaces for the proposed Day Care Center. Additionally a
total of 10 parking spaces for loading and unloading would be dedicated and distributed evenly
between the existing Day Care building and the proposed Day Care building.
Development Application No. 2019-00014
April 24, 2023
Page 4 of 5
The Code allows for Shared Parking Arrangements when multiple uses on-site have different peak
periods of parking demand or differing hours of operation. The church would continue to use the
parking lots on the weekends and Wednesday evenings, and no changes are proposed to the current
church operation. The applicant provided a parking analysis for the church indicating an average
weekly church attendance of 110 people, with a peak of 160 attendees on special events and
holidays. Based on this analysis the proposed 167 parking spaces are sufficient to serve the parking
demand for the church. Staff reviewed the Trip Generation Memorandum and the hours of
operation for the church and Day Care uses and determined that the traffic generated by the
proposed uses would not impose an undue burden upon the streets and highways or would be less
than significant. Based on the proposed hours of operation, the expansion of the Day Care use
would not result in an impact on the demand for on-site parking as the church operation and the
Day Care use would have alternating schedules.
PROPOSED PARKING LOT IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Noise Study: The closest point of the proposed new building and play area is located 19 feet 8
inches away from the south property line and residential uses. To determine that the noise
generated from the new outdoor play area would not exceed the permitted sound pressure levels,
a noise study was performed on December 13, 2022 adjacent to the existing outdoor play area for
the Day Care facility. The noise study was performed between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm during a
weekday when the children were present and playing in the outdoor play area. The noise level
recorded for the outdoor play area reached a maximum of 58.8 decibels. A noise recording for
ambient noise was also performed on September 28, 2022, for a period of 24 hours to document
the ambient noise levels at the nearest residences to the south. The ambient noise level reached a
maximum of 54.7 decibels. The noise level readings for the outdoor play area did not exceed the
maximum 60 decibel level permitted by Code. Additionally, the noise study determined that the
six-foot high block wall separating the proposed Day Care use and the residential properties would
provide a reduction in sound pressure levels by approximately 10 decibels.
Development Application No. 2019-00014
April 24, 2023
Page 5 of 5
Environmental Impact Analysis: The Project qualifies for a Class 3 – New Construction or
Conversion of Small Structures Categorical Exemption under the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) (Public Resources Code, Sections 21000-21189.57) as set forth in Sections
15303 and 15300.2 of the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14,
Chapter 3, Sections 15000-15387). Class 3 consists of the construction and location of a limited
number of new small structures or facilities. In urbanized areas, this exemption applies for up to
four commercial buildings that comprise a total of 10,000 square feet. The proposed project is for
a 2,046-square foot Day Care building and two outdoor play areas. Pursuant to Section 15300.2
(c) and 15303 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, and as further described in this
staff report, there are no unusual circumstances in respect to the proposed project for which staff
would anticipate a significant effect on the environment and, therefore, the proposed project would
be categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA.
CONCLUSION: Staff believes that the amendment to Conditional Use Permit No. 1993 to allow
the expansion of the Day Care facility by constructing a new 2,046 square foot building and
approximately 3,500 square feet of play area would be compatible with the existing uses in the
surrounding area. Additionally, the proposed new construction and outdoor play area are located
approximately 20 feet from the nearest residential property to the south. The proposed parking lot
improvements would enhance the site and facilitate loading and unloading of children for the Day
Care. The proposed use would be consistent with the applicable zoning standards and the General
Plan land use designation for the property, and the project is designed and conditioned to ensure
that the expansion of the Day Care Center would not impact surrounding properties. Based on the
analysis included in this report and the findings in the draft resolution, staff recommends that the
Planning Commission approve this request.
Prepared by, Submitted by,
Ivan Orozco Scott Koehm, AICP
Associate Planner Principal Planner
Attachments:
1. Draft Conditional Use Permit Resolution
2. Project Description and Operational Letter
3. Project Plans
4. Noise Study
5. Church Parking Analysis
6. Aerial and Vicinity Maps