The City of Yucaipa is galloping toward an intensive round of development, a profile of applications pending before the 54,254-population city’s community development/planning department shows.
Fully 42 commercial/industrial/institutional projects, ones of relatively minor scope to one involving a light industrial logistics facility of more than two million square feet under roof located on site larger than 300 acres are either proposed, have been approved, are under construction or were recently completed.
The city is undergoing an even more substantial transformation in terms of residential development, one that is likely to see its population double or close to double in the next 20 years.
The Freeway Corridor Specific Plan, approved in 2008 just before the massive economic downturn that became known as the great recession which resulted in dramatic changes to the retail and commercial industry, was intended to provide a development blueprint for the largest undeveloped area in Yucaipa, extending to both commercial and residential uses. Before adjustments were made to the Freeway Corridor Specific Plan as part of a Yucaipa General Plan adopted in 2016 which resulted in the modification to the City’s Hillside Overlay District requirements, roughly 2,400 housing units, give or take a few hundred were anticipated to eventually built in the freeway corridor. Assuming four people to a household that was the norm in the late 1990s and very early 2000s and the average of six people or more to a household that is a more recent trend, Yucaipa should see a boost in its population of something between 9,600 residents to 14,400 residents through the build-out of a limited area around the freeway alone.
In addition, the Oak Glen Creek Specific Plan calls for the eventual development of a 47.7-acre residential district and plans for the College Village Overlay District encourage the development of a range of housing, including at least 418 residential units.
There are 53 applications relating to residential uses either under consideration, approved, under construction or close to completion at present. While 16 of those are minor projects involving remodels and expansions, changes to fence and wall heights, modifications to existing homes, constructing a detached or attached garage, building a shed, adding an oversized structure to a property or a single accessory dwelling unit being built to augment an existing residential unit, 37 of those projects are more substantial and some are significantly large.
Among the commercial/industrial projects is one undertaken by Chicago Capital Funds, LLC, which now has under construction a storage facility at 33063 Yucaipa Boulevard with accessory recreational vehicle storage on the site.
The city planning division is now reviewing Pacific Industrial’s application for the Pacific Oaks Commerce Center, a proposed development of a light industrial logistics facility consisting of two concrete tilt-up buildings totaling approximately 2,054,801 square feet on an approximate 312.91 gross acres of land located at 32335 Live Oak Canyon Road within the Freeway Corridor Specific Plan Area. For approval to be granted, Pacific Industrial will need to obtain a conditional use permit and tentative map ratification.
Transwestern Development has site preparation in progress to begin construction of the Brookfield Commerce Center, an approximately 363,000-square foot tilt-up concrete warehouse and office project, located on 19.32 acres at the corner of 7th Place and County Line Lane within the regional commercial land use district of the Freeway Corridor Specific Plan Area. A conditional use permit was given for the project, which further required architectural review.
SG Opal, Inc has obtained approval of its plan to proceed with the Oak Glen Road Hotel and Fuel Station Project. A conditional use permit has been granted and a development agreement is in place for the phased development of a commercial center that includes a fuel station with a 9,000 square foot building to house a convenience store, quick service restaurant, and office space. Featured will be a fuel canopy under which will be 16 fuel dispensers and an express carwash, and a 66-room hotel with a rooftop bar and restaurant. 49,630- square foot
A series of projects to fit within Vantage One’s commercial center located on the southwest corner of Yucaipa Boulevard and 18th Street. One is a restaurant pad at 31607 Yucaipa Boulevard. Another is a Mobile Gas Station at 31429 Yucaipa Boulevard. A third is a Chipotle drive-thru pad at 31495 Yucaipa Boulevard. Another is a Jack-in-the-Box at 31500 Yucaipa Boulevard. Other approved uses include an Ono Hawaiian, Panera Bread, Quick Quack Car Wash, and a Dutch Bros Coffee kiosk.
Electronic messaging billboards are to be completed at 13500 Calimesa Boulevard, 31103 Outer Highway 10 and 31547 Outer Highway 10.
An Arby’s Drive Thru has been approved for 33281 Yucaipa Boulevard.
The city has given a approval by means of a conditional use permit and architectural review passage for the construction of a self-storage facility, including four (4) one-story buildings and 781 individual units, that would yield a total of 122,150 square feet of storage space at 31875 Dunlap Boulevard. The business’s name is to be Alpine Storage.
A Jack-In-The-Box application for 34504 Yucaipa Boulevard is under review and will be considered by the planning commission on April 19, 2023.
Sabbah Development, LLC was given approval on its conditional use permit application for a phased commercial complex that would include a 4,988 square foot gas station, a 4,335 square foot convenience store, a 2,866 square foot drive-thru car wash, a 2,105 drive-thru restaurant, and a 5,000 square foot office and retail building at 32598 Oak Glen Road. The project required architectural review.
The city is reviewing an application for a conditional use permit for a retail commercial truck dealership at 31497 Outer Highway 10 S.
A Taco Bell has been approved at 31522 Yucaipa Boulevard.
Dr. Fadi Batar has obtained approval to more than double the size of his existing 1,280-square foot dental office at 34895 Yucaipa Boulevard with a 1,663 square foot addition.
An entity known simply as Sorenson is seeking approval of the Sorenson Building, to be located at 17th & Dunlap Boulevard. Sorenson is seeking a conditional use permit for the construction of a phased manufacturing facility with the first phase consisting of a 25,548 sf structure and the second phase consisting of the remaining 33,652 square feet for a total footprint of 59,200 square feet.
A 2,899-square foot Raising Cane’s restaurant with 1,360 square feet of outdoor patio area and associated parking lot, landscaping and signage has been approved for the southeast corner of Yucaipa Boulevard and 12th Street.
A 9,300 square-foot multiple tenant general commercial facility at 12154 6th Street has been approved.
With regard to residential projects in the city, in addition to the 16 minor alterations that include the building an accessory dwelling unit – also known as a granny flat – wing additions, addition of carports, garages, storage sheds, recreational vehicle covers, a small horse barn, awnings and structure enlargements, a 52-unit residential senior project proposed by John Nejad consisting of four two-story residential buildings, a club house, barbecue area and community garden has been approved for construction at 34567 Wildwood Canyon Road. The 22,854 square feet under roof on this 6.27 acre site project are to entail very small living quarters, with 18 439.5 square feet one-bedroom units and 32 two-bedroom units and two additional one bedroom units, along with a 1,070 square foot clubhouse. The average space of the units will be 858.42 square feet.
The city is engaged in a renewal of prior entitlements and reconfirming the conditional use permit for Century Community’s gated community consisting of 57 detached condos on 7.48 acres at Avenue H & 4th Street, to be known as Stonebrook Meadows.
Yucaipa 52, LLC & Premium Land Development have obtained approval for Serrano Estates, a planned development project that includes a preliminary development plan and tentative tract map and final development plan for 51 single family residential lots on parcels greater than 12,000 square feet and averaging over 20,000 square feet, of which 41 of the lots will be age restricted to those over 55, some lots being reserved for water quality basins, and a combined 12-acre area that is to include space for vineyards, and 13 acres of what the city has referred to as “permanent” open space, located on three existing parcels totaling 52 acres.
Under construction I Century Communities Willow Park, consisting of 33 detached condominiums on 5.47 Acres located at 12742 5th Street.
The city is reviewing Dan Gruner’s application to subdivide approximately 2.21 acres into three single-family lots with a minimum lot size of 20,000 square feet at 32568 Kentucky Street.
The city is reviewing Mohammed Khalifa’s application for the Wildwood Meadows apartment complex, to consist of 216 units on an undeveloped 9.20-acre parcel lot at the northwest comer of Avenue G and 6th Place. Khalifa is requesting the city grant him a general plan amendment to change the land use district from RM-I OM (Multiple Residential) to RM-24 (High Density Multiple Residential). That entails a land use compliance review.
The city is reviewing the Rockwell Land Company’s application of its proposed Starling Heights Specific Plan, a request for a tentative tract map for the proposed construction of a townhome residential development located at the northeast corner of 12th Street and Avenue E. The map would facilitate the project by merging four existing parcel lots totaling 14.78 acres, followed by subdividing the combined lots into 128 single unit parcels.
The city has approved Everett Homes, LLC’s conditional use permit for a 22 unit duplex project east of 4th Street and Nunnally Court on 2.72 acres for the construction of eleven duplexes, essentially multi-family apartment units, that each provide a footprint of 2,173 square feet.
Brenson Homes has been given planning commission approval for a 15-unit detached single-family condominium Project, and a tentative tract map for the one-lot subdivision for condominium purposes located on the 1.7 acre property east side of 4th street, south of Avenue E and north of Wildwood Canyon Road.
The city has approved Nova Homes and Premium Land Development’s privately gated 172-unit two-story multi-family Fallbrook Meadows apartment project on 8.39 acres between 3rd Street and 2nd Street, north of County Line Road, that includes an affordability provision that provided the developers a density bonus on four parcels totaling 8.39 acres.
The city is reviewing West Coast Entitlement Wang Subdivision, which calls for a general plan amendment to change the land use designation on four parcels totaling 14.05 acres from RS-20M (single residential, 20,000 square foot minimum lot sizes) to RS-72C (single residential, 7,200 square foot minimum lot sizes) and a tentative tract map to subdivide the properties into forty-nine single-family residential properties at 10555 Bryant Street.
The city has approved D&J Construction’s overture to subdivide a 2.17 acre-lot into four parcels with one remainder parcel at the southeast corner of Oak Glen Road and 10th Street
The city has approved RAMCAM Engineering’s proposal to construct a 16-unit, multi-family phased housing project which will allocate three (3) of the units as low-income affordable throughout the proposed development north of Avenue D and Poplar Street. City documents give no indication of the size of the lot or the unit sizes.
The city is considering Pristine Builders request to greatly intensify the land use in the area around 12419 13th Street by granting a zoning change on the surrounding property from RS-20M (Single-Residential, 20,000 square feet minimum lot size) and RM-10M (Multiple-Residential, 10,000 square foot minimum lot size) to RM-24 (High Density Multiple Residential, 24 dwelling units/acre), and granting a density bonus request to permit a 24.5% increase in density for agreeing to covenant 23 units as affordable, thereby allowing a 216-unit housing project across four (4) adjacent parcels. The city gives no indication of how large the lot sizes are. They are proximate to Dunlap elementary School.
The city has approved Hobbs Companies’ request for a conditional use permit to develop a 22-unit detached single-family condominium project and a tentative tract map for a one-lot subdivision for condominium purposes located on an approximate 2.85-acre property at 31711 Avenue E.
A 22-lot subdivision for single-family residences associated with Tract Map 17349 being undertaken by Pacific Horizon Builders is now under construction west of Bryan Street and south of Sunnyside Drive. There is no indication in the readily available city documentation as how large the lots are.
Premium Land Company and the Moss Family have gotten their proposal to construct “The Cottages” multiple-family project consisting of 144 units on 5.1 gross acres on 14th Street approved.
Mark Bouye has initiated construction on his “Apartments at 5th Street” project, which required a conditional use permit for the 17-unit complex at 13561 5th Street.
Western Heights has obtained approval for it s tentative map to subdivide an 8.57 acre parcel north of Marbeth Road, south of Tennessee Street, and east of Overcrest Drive into twelve 20,000-square foot minimum size single-family residential parcels
Levy Affiliated Holdings has obtained approval for three modular residential projects intended for senior citizens, defined as those who are 55-years-old or older. One is a 32-Unit modular senior project on the west side of 4th Street between Yucaipa Boulevard and Avenue E. It is under construction. Another 52 units, which are also age-restricted, have been approved for construction at 12845 3rd Street. Thirty more units are under construction at 34855 Avenue E.
A company with the moniker Neighborhood Improvement has obtained approval for an 18-unit senior citizen housing project at 12710 3rd Street. The company obtained a density bonus on the project. Either despite that or because of that the city has not made clear in its documentation what the acreage of the project is or the size of the units.
The city has given approval to Randy Citlau’s Riverwalk Senior Housing Project. Citlau sought and obtained a minor general plan amendment to change the land use designation of the property, located at 12836 3rd Street, from RM-72C (Multiple Residential) to RM-24 (High Density Multiple Residential), along with a density bonus agreement to qualify for a 25 percent increase in land density, to construct a 150-unit, three story, age-restricted senior housing complex for individuals who are 55 years and older. Citlau passed both a land use compliance review and an architectural review in getting the project approved. He was given two major variances to allow for a total of eighty percent of the 150-units to be 1-bedroom in lieu of 35 percent, and for one bedroom units to provide 76 square feet of private open space in lieu of the 150 square feet required for ground floor units and the one hundred 100 square feet required for above ground units.
Mark Bogh, whose family has considerable political pull in Yucaipa, was provided with a density bonus to allow a 100 percent increase in land density to establish the Bogh Senior Housing Project at 12301 3rd Street. Bogh obtained a conditional use permit for and passed architectural review on the project, which is now under construction.
Eagle Yucaipa 55 LLC has obtained approval on for an age-restricted 6-plex for individuals who are 62 years or older at the northeast corner of 5th Street and County Line Road. This project is considered an expansion of “The Villas.”
Yucaipa 55 LLC was given a density bonus for restricting the sale of the units to those who are 62 and older and was also given a variance to reduce the minimum sideyard setback requirement on a residentially-zoned parcel.
John Nejad has obtained go-ahead on two senior citizen housing projects, one 34-unit project at 12790 6th Street and another 16-unit project on the east side of 5th Street between Avenue H and county Line Road.
The 16-unit project is under construction while the 34-unit project is about to undergo site preparation. The city did not give acreage figures on the projects or unit sizes either.
With regard to its senior citizen residential projects, Yucaipa city officials come across as bashful when it comes to identifying the density of the projects or the size of the units.