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HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/25/2025MINUTES OF THE CITY OF DIAMOND BAR REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION November 25, 2025 1. CALL TO ORDER: C/Barlas called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. in the Windmill Community Room, 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: VC/Worthington ROLL CALL: Mehta, Torres, V/C Worthington, C/Barlas ABSENT: Rawlings STAFF PRESENT: Greg Gubman, Community Development Director, Grace Lee, Planning Manager, Mayuko Nakajima, Senior Planner; Arlene Laviera, Administrative Coordinator; and James H. Eggart, Assistant City Attorney Commissioner Rawlings arrived at 6:33 p.m. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Mr. Huang, resident who resides on Trigger Lane, expressed concerns with an on -going notice of violation from the City. C/Barlas suggested Mr. Huang contact City Hall during normal business hours. 3. CONSENT CALENDAR: 3.1 MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING — October 14, 2025. Rawlings moved, and VC/Worthington seconded to approve consent calendar. Motion carried 4-0-0-1 by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: 4 COMMISSIONERS: Mehta, Rawlings, Torres, V/C Worthington NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSTAIN: 1 COMMISSIONERS: Barlas ABSENT: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None 4. , OLD BUSINESS: 5. NEW BUSINESS: 6. PUBLIC HEARING: 6.1 Walnut Valley Unified School District Electronic Billboard Project No. PL2024-40: Under the authority of DBCC Sections 22.70, 22.58, 22.48, and 22.62, the property owner, Walnut Valley Unified School District, and applicant, Evergreen Media LLC, are requesting November 25, 2025 PAGE 2 PLANNING COMMISSION the following entitlement approvals for the installation and operation of a 97-foot-high, dual - faced digital LED billboard on a six -acre developed lot: • Development Code Amendment (DCA) to Title 22 (Development Code) of DBCC to allow billboards and to establish standards for billboards, in the Light Industry (1) zone, subject to the approval of a Conditional Use Permit, Development Review, and a Development Agreement. The Development Code sections to be amended include 22.10.030, 22.36.080, 22.36.120, and 22.80.020; • Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to authorize a billboard in the Light Industry (1) zone, consistent with the Development Code Amendment; • Development Review (DR) to assess the visual design elements of the proposed billboard; and • Development Agreement (DA) between the City and WVUSD governing operation and community benefits for the proposed digital billboard. The subject property is zoned Light Industry with an underlying General Plan land use designation of School (S). PROJECT ADDRESS: 880 South Lemon Avenue, Diamond Bar, CA 91789 (APN: 8760- 015-901) APPLICANT: Evergreen Media LLC, 9021 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA, 90069 PROPERTY OWNER: Walnut Valley Unified School District, 880 South Lemon Avenue, Diamond Bar, CA 91789 Environmental Assessment: This Project has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Based on that assessment, the City prepared an Initial Study and filed a Notice of Intent to Adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Project with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and the Los Angeles County Clerk on September 19, 2025 (see Exhibit A of Attachment A). The notice was published in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune on September 22, 2025. A notice display board was posted at the site on September 22, 2025, and a copy of the notice was posted at the City's designated community posting sites. The notice was also mailed to property owners within a 700-foot radius of the subject property on September 22, 2025. Pursuant to CEQA Section 15105, a 30-day public review period for the MND began on September 22, 2025 and ended October 21, 2025. The Initial Study is a preliminary analysis to determine whether or not a Negative Declaration, Mitigation Negative Declaration, or Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is needed for a project. If the Initial Study concludes that the proposed Project will not significantly affect the November 25, 2025 PAGE 3 PLANNING COMMISSION environment, a Negative Declaration may be prepared. If there are potential impacts from the proposed Project that can be mitigated to a level of less than significant, a Mitigated Negative Declaration may be prepared. The Initial Study concluded that the Project will not significantly affect the environment through the incorporation of six mitigation measures. An MND is a written document that describes the reasons that the Project will not have a significant effect on the environment by properly conditioning the Project ("mitigation measures") to make the Project acceptable. It is used. to guide and assist the City staff, Planning Commission, City Council, and the public in the consideration and evaluation of potential environmental impacts that may result from the Project and must be considered by the Commission prior to recommending approval of the Project. The MND for the Project documents reasons to support the findings that the Project would not have any potentially significant impacts on the environment with the proposed mitigation measures which are contained with the Mitigation Monitoring and Report Program (MMRP) prepared as part of the MND. The purpose of the MMRP is to ensure compliance with the mitigation measures, address site -specific conditions for the Project, and also identifies timing and responsibility for monitoring each measure and is attached to the Resolution recommending adoption of the MND (Exhibit B of Attachment A). The Project is conditioned to include these mitigation measures as part of the Project approval. During the public review period, the City received three comments on the draft IS/MND from the following agencies/person: 1. California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC): Recommends that if the project uses California Department of Education (CDE) funds, it complies with CDE and DTSC site review requirements, and regardless of funding, investigate potential contamination, test for hazardous materials during demolition, and ensure all imported soil is clean and contaminant -free per state regulations. 2. California Department of Transportation (Caltrans): Commented that the proposed billboard may be located along a designated Landscape Freeway where new outdoor advertising is prohibited, and that any work or materials transported within the State Highway right-of-way would require the appropriate Caltrans permits. 3. William Moore: Expressed concern that the billboard's ownership by an out -of -area company (Evergreen Media from West Hollywood) could allow nonlocal entities to control advertising content, questioning whether Diamond. Bar or Walnut residents would have any say in,what is displayed. Cultural Resources Assembly Bill 52 — Tribal Consultation: AB52 requires notification/request for tribal consultation for projects. AB52 applies to projects subject to CEQA. The City sent notices to three Tribes that have sent written consultation requests, informing them of the opportunity to request consultation on June 13, 2025. Those three Tribes are the Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians (Kizh _Nation), Gabrieleno Tongva San November 25, 2025 PAGE 4 PLANNING COMMISSION Gabriel Band of Mission Indians, and the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians. On June 24, 2025, the City received a letter from the Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians (Kizh Nation), indicating that the Project lies in an area where the ancestral territories of the Kizh (Kitc) Gabrieleno villages adjoined and overlapped. In accordance with the request by the tribe, mitigation measures were added requiring the applicant to retain a culturally -affiliated Native American monitor to observe earthmoving activities for the purpose of identifying the potential presence of any significant historic or prehistoric cultural resources. Recommended Action: Adopt the attached Resolution (Attachment A) recommending that the City Council adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. Adopt the attached Resolution (Attachment B) recommending that the City Council approve Development Code Amendment No. PL2024-40 based on the findings of Diamond Bar City Code (DBCC) Section 22.70. Adopt the attached Resolution (Attachment C) recommending that the City Council adopt Development Agreement No. 2026-01 between the City and District, based on the findings of DBCC Section 22.62 and included as Exhibit A thereto. Adopt the attached Resolution (Attachment D) recommending that the City Council approve Conditional Use Permit and Development Review Planning Case No. PL2024-40, based on the findings of DBCC Sections 22.58 and 22.48, subject to conditions. AP/Lopez presented the staff report. C/Barlas opened the public hearing. The following provided public comments: Leila Abou-Taleb, Walnut Valley Unified School District. Board President Andy Goodman, Evergreen Outdoor Angie, resident Cindy Tam, resident Torres moved, and VC Worthington seconded to adopt Resolution Nos. 2025-18, 2025-19, 2025-20 and 2025-21 recommending approval of all exhibits to the City Council for PL 2024- 40 Walnut Valley Unified School District (WVUSD) Electronic Billboard Project No. PL2024- 40, subject to the conditions of approval. Motion carried 5-0 by the following Roll Call vote: November 25, 2025 PAGE 5 PLANNING COMMISSION AYES: 5 COMMISSIONERS: Torres, Worthington, Rawlings, Mehta, Barlas NOES: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSTAIN: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None ABSENT: 0 COMMISSIONERS: None 7. PLANNING COMMISSION COMMENTS/INFORMATION ITEMS: C/Barlas announced her retirement from the Planning Commission. Commissioners commended staff for well written report and presentation. 8. STAFF COMMENTS/INFORMATIONAL ITEMS: CDD/Gubman informed the Planning Commission that both meetings in December are canceled. 9. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE EVENTS: As noted in the agenda. 10. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business before the Planning Commission, C/Barlas adjourned the Regular Planning Commission meeting at 7:21 p.m. The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this 10th day of February, 2026. Attest: Respectfully Submitted, Greg Gubman, Community Development Director (,Ar Vq i A- 5 ails Barlas, Chairperson