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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1994-06-14 - AGENDA REPORTS - APPEAL OF THE COLONY PROPOSALCONSENT CALENDAR City Manager ApprovaV lIeZl_ Lr V Item to be presenled by: Rich Henderson DATE: June 14, 1994 SUBJECT: Appeal of the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission approval of The Colony proposal (County Project No. 86-522) DEPARTMENT: Community Development BACKGROUND Staff reviewed the revised Draft Environmental Impact Report and design for The Colony project, and submitted a comment letter to the Regional Planning Commission on February 8, 1994. The concerns raised by the City were not adequately addressed or remedied by the County staff or the Regional Planning Commission during their proceedings. S.C.O.P.E,filed an appeal on the Regional Planning Commission's decision on the project which included certification of the Draft Environmental Impact Report, approval of the vesting tentative tract map, conditional use permit, oak tree permit, and recommended adoption of a sub -plan amendment and zone change. Subsequently, on May 24, 1994, the City Council decided that the potential impacts of The Colony project upon City services, facilities, and the environment necessitate expressing the City's concerns to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and directed staff to appeal the decision of the Regional Planning commission to the Board of Supervisors. Staff has prepared a letter forwarding the City's concerns with The Colony project to the Board of Supervisors. The City Council may wish to appoint a Council member to present the information to the Board of Supervisors when this item is scheduled for consideration. Appoint a member of the City Council to attend the August 4, 1994, appeal hearing and submit testimony on this project. DMW:MJC "-:,/ 122en�� City of Santa Clarita 23920 Valencia Blvd. Suite 300 City of Santa Clarita California 91355-2196 une 14, 1994 Phone (805) 259-2489 Fax (805) 259-8125 Yvonne Braithwaite Burke, Chairperson Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration 500 West Temple Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Subject: THE COLONY - COUNTY PROJECT NO. 86-522 (TTM 45023) APPEAL OF REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVAL Honorable Chairperson Burke, and Members of the Board: Thank you for considering our concerns regarding The Colony project. The City of Santa Clarita has reviewed the project and Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) as a responsible agency, and provided comments to the Regional Planning Commission in our letter of February 8, 1994. In our opinion, the environmental documentation prepared for The Colony is procedurally and technically inadequate, and does not comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as indicated in our letters of December 13, 1993, and February 8, 1994. Additionally, we are concerned with the project's potential impacts in the following areas: Land Use, Los Angeles County Development Monitoring System (DMS) compliance, Traffic, Biology, Air, Water, Noise, Public Safety, Population, Jobs/Housing balance, Aesthetics, Recreation, and Cultural Resources. Approval of this project would likely negate the individual and collective efforts of the City of Santa Clarita and Los Angeles County to implement comprehensive planning in the Santa Clarita Valley. This project was first submitted to the County in 1986, and the original Notice of Preparation (NOP) for the Draft EIR was circulated prior to the City's incorporation in 1987. However, because the review of this project has been delayed for a substantial period of time (approximately six to seven years), and because the project has been revised, we strongly believe that a new NOP should have been circulated for the revised Draft EIR. As a responsible agency and interested party under the California Environmental Quality Act, the City should have received a revised NOP or, at minimum, some other formal project notice and request for participation in the revision of the Draft EIR. Additionally, the City has repeatedly and consistently requested in writing that the Department of Community Development, Planning Division, be contacted by the County regarding any County project with the potential for significant impact to the City. The Colony project qualifies in this regard. We also feel that the project is not consistent with the County General Plan and that G) PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER The Colony - County Project No. 86-522 June 14, 1994 Page 2 any type of plan amendment to allow this project would be inappropriate because it will not accomplish the County's policies, goals, and objectives for the Santa Clarita Valley. Such an amendment would only facilitate this single development, and would ultimately exacerbate the currently overburdened infrastructure in the Santa Clarita Valley on an individual and cumulative basis. This would likely not be found to be in compliance with the County's Development Monitoring System. We had requested that the Regional Ptanning Commission consider these issues and require appropriate revisions to the Draft EIR and this project As proposed. We now request that the Board of Supervisors consider the minimal benefits of this project to the community relative to its impacts upon facilities, services, economics, and the environment. We respectfully request that the Board postpone any decision on this project and require that the EIR and supporting technical studies be up -dated to meet County standards and comply with CEQA requirements. The revised EIR should address those issues raised by the City, especially in the area of traffic and impacts to the Santa Clara River. Thank you again for your patience and consideration. Should you have any additional information or questions, please contact me at (805) 255-4309. Sincerely, George Pederson Mayor GP:MJC a�\�IonyMmjc cc: James E. Hard, Director of Planning Santa Clarita Organization for Preservation of the Environment Enclosures: December 13, 1993, letter to the Regional Planning Department; February 8, 1994, letter to the Regional Planning Commission;