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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-07-14 - AGENDA REPORTS - TRACT MAP 060258 MC 15-034 (2)Agenda Item: 17 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT PUBLIC HEARING CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: DATE: July 14, 2015 SUBJECT: A REVISION TO VESTING TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 060258 (MASTER CASE 0 15-034) FOR AN EXPANSION TO THE APPROVED YMCA, A NEW SENIOR CENTER, AND 154 AGE - RESTRICTED UNITS IN FIVE KNOLLS DEPARTMENT: Community Development PRESENTER: Patrick Leclair RECOMMENDED ACTION The City Council: 1. Conduct a public hearing for the revised Five Knolls project. 2. Adopt a resolution to: a. Adopt an addendum to the certified Keystone Final Environmental Impact Report; b. Adopt a new Statement of Overriding Considerations in accordance with the addendum prepared for the revised Five Knolls project; c. Approve Master Case 9 15-304 to revise Vesting Tentative Tract Map 060258, approve a Conditional Use Permit, and approve a Development Review for the construction of 154 age -restricted, single-family detached condominiums. a senior center, and an expansion to the previously approved YMCA on the project site, subject to the attached Conditions of Approval, and d. Direct staff to execute and record all necessary documents to release tile "public benefit" covenant from lot 129. BACKGROUND Original Keystone Project On April 25, 2006, the City Council approved Master Case 403-358 for the Keystone project. Entitlements associated with Master Case #03-358 included a Zone Change, General Plan Amendment, Vesting Tentative Tract Map (VTTM), Conditional Use Permit (CUP), and Oak Tree Permit to create 499 residential units, including 96 sing -le -family units, 223) single-family PPROVED Adepte-6,4JO Page I Packet Pg. 115 detached condominium units, 180 townhonie units, a parcel for the YMCA, and a parcel for the Williarn S. Hart Union High School District for a future junior high school site. Following the Keystone project approval, the William S. Hart Union High School District notified the City that the District Would not move forward with the acquisition of the future junior high school site, opting to focus on other facility needs throughout the District. Previous Project Revisions - Keystone to Five Knolls On April 16, 2013, the Planning Commission approved a revision to VTTM 060258 to change the layout of the residential units to the west and north of the proposed Golden Valley Road, along with a time extension to extend the life of the subdivision by four years. The approval also renamed the project Five Knolls. At that time, no changes were proposed to tile development of the YMCA or the school site on the south side of the proposed Golden Valley Road, identified as lots 127 and 128 on the revised VTTM.. On June 3, 2015, a Minor Use Permit (MUP) was approved for the import of up to 99,999 cubic yards of earth to the project site. During grading operations, there was a greater amount of soil shrinkage than originally anticipated, causing a shortage of earth. Import is under way, with an anticipated completion in September 2015. Final Map Recordation On October 28, 2014, the City Council approved the first phase of the revised Five Knolls tract map for recordation. As a part of that approval, a covenant was to be recorded on lots 127 and 128, requiring "components of community benefit (including by way of example, but without limitation, a school, or a recreation or community center or facility such as a YMCA)." This covenant was executed and recorded on December 2, 2014. On January 27, 2015, the City Council approved the second phase of the revised Five Knolls tract map for recordation. Construction Status The Five Knolls project is under construction. Five home builders, including Brookfield Homes. Christopher Homes, KB Homes, TriPointe, and Meritage Homes, are grading and beginning construction of their individual development areas. In addition, the extension of Golden Valley Road is nearing completion. with an anticipated opening date of early summer Prior to Certificates of Occupancy for any homes, Golden Valley Road must be completed. Model homes are anticipated to open beginning mid -summer and continue to open through fall. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Oil February 19, 2015, Ermine Street, LLC, submitted an application for development lots 127 and 128 of the Five Knolls project. The application included a revision to VTTM 060258 to allow for the creation of three lots (lots 127, 128, and 129) for the development of the following: Page 2 Packet Pg. 171i] 1. YMCA The Keystone project originally approved a CUP for a 30,000 square -foot YMCA facility on a dedicated 3.8 -acre parcel (lot 127). The proposed revision to the Five Knolls project includes a CUP to allow for a 9.000 square -foot expansion to the approved facility to allow for a YMCA facility of approximately 39,000 square feet. The YMCA will be responsible for construction of the facility.. 2. Senior Center The proposed revision to the Five Knolls project includes the creation of a new parcel (lot 128), along with a CUP, for a new senior center for the Santa Clarita Valley. The current Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center is located on Market Street in Newhall, and is under- sized to provide the needed services to the senior community. The applicant is proposing to dedicate 2.5 acres to the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center for the construction of a new 30,400 square -foot facility to accommodate the services they provide to the community. The Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center will be responsible for construction of the new facility. The City of Santa Clarita also has a new five year strategic plan called Santa Clarita 2020. It identifies the construction of a new Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center to enrich a growing and diverse community. 3. Age-restrieledCommunily T . he applicant is proposing to revise VTTM 060258 to create a new parcel of land (lot 129) for the condominium (air space) subdivision and construction of 154 age -restricted, single-family detached condominiums (age -restricted condom in i Luns). Lot 129 would include 17.2 acres and a density of 10.7 units per acre. The community is proposed as alley -loaded units in four, six, and eight -unit clusters. A recreation facility is proposed to provide a pool and community gathering space, along with pedestrian connections to the senior center, YMCA facilities, as well as the City's River Trail that runs west of the project site. Porking The project site is consistent with the parking requirements identified in the Unified Development Code (UDQ. The YMCA requires 248 parking stalls, while the senior center will require 143 parking stalls, for a total of 391 required parking stalls. The YMCA and senior center will provide parking on-site, and a reciprocal parking agreement will be recorded on each parcel allowing parking to be accessed by both the YMCA and the senior center. The applicant is providing 404 parking stalls for the YMCA and the senior center, providing a 13 -stall surplus over UDC -required parking on the project site. In order to ensure parking will be sufficient, the applicant had a parking demand analysis prepared by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. The parking analysis evaluated the current operations of the existing YMCA and senior center facilities to determine how the expanded facilities would likely operate. The analysis finds that the YMCA and senior center have peak hours at different times throughout the day, with a maximum parking demand of approximately 374 parking stalls at the peak of both users. Therefore, the 404 parking stalls provided for the Page 3 Pa YMCA and senior center exceed the * 'parking stalls required by the UDC, as well as the 374 parking stalls for the peak hours of each use. The UDC requires single-family detached condominium projects to provide a two -car garage for each unit, as well as guest parking stalls (I stall for every 2 units) evenly distributed throughout the development. Each proposed residential unit has a two -car garage, and the project site provides 82 guest parking stalls (in excess of the 77 UDC -required guest parking stalls) distributed throughout the project site. Architecture The proposed buildings were reviewed by the City's architectural design consultant, RRM Design Group. The architectural style lor the proposed senior center, YMCA buildings, as well as the proposed residences, is consistent with the City's Community Character and Design Guidelines. To ensure consistency with the approved architectural elevations, a condition of approval requires Architectural Design Review by the Director of Community Development and may require review by the Planning Commission for any changes to the approved elevations. Connininitly Benefit Prior to the recordation of the first phase of the revised Five Knolls Final Map, the City Council entered into an agreement with the developer to record a covenant requiring a community benefit on lots 127 and 128 of the Five Knolls VTTM 060258. In order to comply with the covenant, the applicant is proposing to revise the Five Knolls project to allow for an expansion to the previously approved YMCA, a new senior center, and 154 age -restricted condominiums. The applicant will dedicate land to both the YMCA and senior center for the future construction of their facilities. The 154 age -restricted condominiums will provide seniors with a housing alternative, as well as to create a synergy of land uses in close proximity to the proposed YMCA and senior center. Planning Commission Recommendation At the June 2, 2015, Planning Commission meeting, the Commission heard the staff presentation, applicant presentation, and public comment on the proposed project. Following discussion by the Commission, they voted 5-0 to recommend the City Council approve the proposed revisions associated with Master Case 4 15-034 with a revision to condition EN8 to specifically note the applicant shall comply with California law regarding water. ENVIRONMENTAL Certified h-EIR A Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was certified by the City Council in April 2006 for the Keystone project, Master Case #03-358, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The certified FEIR evaluated a project that consisted of 979 mixed residential units, including townhomes, apartments, and single-family units, a YMCA, City park, and ajunior high school facility for the William S. Hart Union High School District. The City Page 4 Packet Pg Council certified the FEIR, although they approved a reduced project of 499 residential units (96 single-family, 180 townhomes, and 223 apartment units). 2013 Addendum In 2013, the Planning Commission approved a revision to the Keystone project modifying the layout of the site plan for the development area north and west of Golden Valley Road. The approval renanied the project "Five Knolls" and modified the residential unit ruix to include 119 single-family lots, along with 380 single-family detached condominiums. The revisions were evaluated in accordance with CEQA to determine if there were any new environmental impacts as a result of the proposed revisions. The addendum determined the Five Knolls project was consistent with the oriainal Keystone approval and did not create impacts that required further Study. 2015 Haul Route Addendum The Keystone project was originally approved with grading of approximately 5.4 million cubic yards of earth, with approximately 1.8 million cubic yards of remedial grading work. The movement of the 7.2 million cubic yards of earth was originally anticipated to balance on-site and did not contemplate import or export of earth. During grading operations, it became apparent there was a greater amount of shrinkage than originally anticipated. To * balance the grading on the project site, an MUP was approved on June 3, 2015, to allow for the import up to 99�999 Cubic yards of earth. An addendum was prepared for the haul rOUte. analyzing the import of earth from two locations in the City of Los Angeles (approved for earth export) to the City of Santa Clarita. The addendum found that although the grading represents a fraction (0. 14%) of the total earth movement for the Five Knolls project, all potential impacts will be at a less than significant level. 2015 Addendionfor the Proposed Project An addendum to the certified Keystone FEIR has been prepared for the proposed revision to tile Five Knolls project consisting of 154 age -restricted condominiums, a new senior center, and an expansion to the previously approved YMCA. In accordance with CEQA, the revised Five Knolls picilect was compared to the originally approved Keystone project and the certified FEIR prepared for it. The addendum considered the changes to the project and found that the changes would not have additional impacts to the environment. The addendum compared each of the environmental topic areas under CEQA, including specifically: Water A Water Needs Assessment was prepared for the Keystone project, evaluating the project at 979 residential units, ajunior high school site, a YMCA, and a City park. That assessment determined adequate water was available for the Keystone project, including during drought years. The addendum prepared for the revised Five Knolls project considered tile build -out of the Five Knolls project with 653 residential units (499 approved units and 154 proposed units), the 39,000 square -foot YMCA, and 30,400 square -foot senior center. The revised Five Knolls project is anticipated to require less water than originally considered in the Water Page 5 Packet Pg 119 Needs Assessment prepared for the Keystone project. Subsequent to the approval of tire Keystone project in 2006, the Castaic Lake Water Agency (CLWA) adopted the 20 10 CLWA Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) to evaluate the water needs within the CLWA service area. The UWMP takes into account the existing facilities, as well as all of the approved development within the service area. Staff contacted the Santa Clarita Water Division (SCWD) and CLWA regarding water availability as it relates to the revised Five Knolls project and the current drought in California. The following is from the CLWA regarding water availability as it relates to the drought: CLWA, in cooperation with the local water retailers, has prepared a 2010 UWMP that documents the expected demands and supplies within its service area until the year 2050. The demand projections in the 2010 UWMP were based on the master plans of the four water retailers in the Santa Clarita Valley. These plans were conservative in that they assumed a growth rate consistent with past growth rates in both population and demand. They did not recognize constraints that were likely to occur due to land use planning, suitable land availability or economic conditions. As a check ofthe growth assumptions in the 2010 UWMP the build out population projections of the OVOV plan were compared to those of the 2010 UWMP. The 2010 UWMP were higher by approximately 132,000 persons and this is significantly higher in light that a small amount of the area included in the OVOV planning area is outside of the CLWA service area. The 2050 build out supplies were more than adequate to meet demands in that case with an assumed modest amount of conservation. Hence we conclude that supplies are sufficient to meet the demands of the build out of the OVOV plan as well. As long as a project is consistent with the land use designations in the OVOV plan, and the water demand of the project is consistent with the land use categories, CLWA and the local water retailers have an adequate supply to meet the demand. This adequate long-term Supply is distinct from the short term implications of the drought. The circumstances of the current drought are extraordinary in that the last seven of eight years have been classified as "drought" and the last two years [lave had record breaking dryness. We address this by the methods we document in the 2010 UWMP for dry -year scenarios including: 1) the careful management of grOLindwater supplies; 2) the use of stored water from previous years� supply; and 3) purchases of water from other sources outside of the Santa Clarita Valley. In addition, we need to ask residents to take action to use water efficiently to meet state conservation mandates and stretch our supplies to ensure they are adequate ifthe next few years will also be dry. With this good planning and customer efforts, our supplies in the immediate term are also sufficient to meet demand. A representative from CLWA will be present at the City Council meeting to'address questions regarding this project and water in the Santa Clarita Valley. Traffic The certified FEIR determined a total of 11 000 average daily trips (ADT) would be Page 6 Packet Pg generated by the 979 residential units, YMCA, City park, and junior high school site. The traffic study prepared for the project has determined the revised Five Knolls project would generate approximately 6,955 ADT. As a result of the reduced ADT, project -related traffic impacts to intersections in the City have been reduced and previous mitigation measures will not be required for six of the nine intersections in the certified Keystone FEIR. Mitigation will no longer be required for the following mitigation measures and intersections: a 0-6: Bouquet Canyon Road and Soleclad Canyon Road a 0-7: Bouquet Canyon Road and Newhall Ranch Road 0 0-8: Sierra Highway and Placerita Canyon Road 0 0-10: Whites Canyon Road and Soledad Canyon Road 0 0-11: Golden Valley Road and Via Princessa 0 0-13: Sierra Highway and SR14 South -Bound Ramps Of the three remaining intersections, one intersection has had all mitigation completed (0-9: Sierra Highway an ' d Golden Valley Road), and two will require. modifications to the mitigation measures as follows: 0-5: Valencia Boulevard and Magic Mountain Parkway will add a second westbound, lCft-tUrn lane, but will now remove the dedicated westbound, right - turn lane to accommodate the new left -turn lane. 0-12: Golden Valley Road and Newhall Ranch Road will construct the westbound, right -turn lane as a free-flow turn lane. The previous mitigation measure from the certified FEIR gave the City the option to require a second westbound, right -turn lane or to require the free-flow lane. Traffic staff has opted to require the free-flow lane. Therefore, the proposed revision to the Five Knolls project is anticipated to have a reduced impact to traffic than originally analyzed under the certified Keystone FEIR. Slatement of Overriding Considerations The certified FEIR for the Five Knolls project included a Statement of Overriding Considerations (SOC). As a result of the replacement of the school site with the proposed expanded YMCA, senior center, and 154 age -restricted, single-family detached condominiums, the City Council must inake revisions to the SOC to reflect these changes to the project. NOTICING All noticing required by law has been completed for this project including site posting, mailings, and legal advertisement in The Signal newspaper. ALTERNATIVE ACTION Other action as determined by the City Council. Page 7 Packet Pg FISCAL IMPACT There is no direct fiscal impact associated with this project. If developed, the applicant would be responsible for all applicable development impact fees to offset impacts on City infrastructure. On November 25, 2014, City Council committed $3,000,000 to support construction of a new Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center. ATTACHMENTS Public Notice Resolution Vicinity Map Architectural Plans Parking Demand Analysis Addendum to the Certified FEIR (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) Planning Commission Staff Report - 06/02/2015 (available in City Clerk's Reading File) Page 8 Packet Pg. 122