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Home My WebLink About1999-11-09 - AGENDA REPORTS - GP UPDATE NOISE AIR QUALITY (2)PUBLIC HEARING DATE: SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT: AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be presented November 9, 1999 Laura Stotler AMENDMENTS TO UPDATE THE GENERAL PLAN NOISE ELEMENT AND AIR QUALITY ELEMENT. Planning and Building Services RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive staff presentation, open the public hearing, receive public testimony, close the public hearing, discuss and approve resolutions to adopt the negative declarations and to amend the Noise and Air Quality Elements. BACKGROUND In June 1991, the City adopted its first General Plan. Later that year the Noise Element was amended to include a Noise Contour map for the City. In 1997, the City Council modified the City's Master Plan of Arterial Highways. Changes to the Circulation Element prompted a review of the City's Noise Element and Air Quality Element. The proposed amendments to the Noise and Air Quality Elements reflect the adopted circulation network using current data. Minor changes are also proposed to the goals and policies section of these elements following input from staff, interested citizens and public agencies at a community meeting held on July 28, 1999. ANALYSIS The Noise Element is one of the state -required elements of the General Plan. The purpose of a Noise Element is to cover those issues and sources of noise relevant to the local planning area. The draft Noise Element amendment includes a new Existing Noise Contours map (Exhibit N3), an updated Future Noise Contours map (Exhibit N4), an updated Roadway Traffic Noise analysis (Table NI), and an updated Inventory of Existing and Proposed Sensitive Receptors with Potential Noise Impacts based on Future Noise (Table N2). Sensitive noise receptors generally include residential uses, hospitals, daycare centers, schools, parks, sensitive habitat areas, golf courses, and cemeteries. Staff, the public, and the Planning Commission suggested minor text and policy modifications. The noise studies prepared for the Noise Element show that traffic generated noise is the predominant noise source within the Santa Clarita Valley. Table Nl shows the existing Noise Contour Exhibits, both existing and future, based on traffic noise models. The distances for noise contours shown in Table Nl are measured from centerline and do not take into account topography or other site characteristics. These exhibits are required by state law and indicate where noise may be a factor to consider in development. In addition to the freeways, the areas with the greatest noise impacts are along those major and secondary highways with the greatest traffic volumes including Soledad Canyon Road, San Fernando Road, Seco Canyon Road, McBean Parkway and Bouquet Canyon Road. Table N2 identifies noise sensitive receptors the roadway corridors where noise levels are anticipated to be above 60 CNEL (a 24-hour average noise level). These are areas were noise mitigation may be warranted for new development. Unacceptable noise levels for sensitive uses (above 70 CNEL) may exist along the I-5 and SR -14 freeway corridors and along portions of Soledad Canyon Road between Sierra Highway and Bouquet Canyon Road (within approximately 80 to 90 feet from the centerline), and portions of Bouquet Canyon Road between Valencia Blvd and Haskell Canyon Road (within approximately 90 feet from the centerline. These are areas where noise mitigation would be required. The Air Quality Element is an optional element and is not required by, State Planning law. The amendment includes updating the air quality charts to reflect standards and pollutant levels in Santa Clarita for ozone, PM10, and Carbon Monoxide. The amendment also includes a new Projection of Future Air Quality Under the 1998 AQMP (Exhibit AQ10). Many changes to the Air Quality goals and policies were proposed by citizens and the Planning Commission during the review process. Concerns raised by the Commission included indoor air quality and the desire for federal and state agencies to identify realistic, attainable air quality goals. Strikeout drafts of the Noise and Air Quality Elements as modified by the Planning Commission are attached to this report. Negative Declarations were prepared for this project and are available for review in the reading file. The Noise Element amendment and Air Quality amendment are consistent with the City's General Plan and Unified Development Code. The amendments update policies and new text and exhibits reflect changes in the adopted Circulation Element. Implementation measures for each of these elements are identified. These General Plan implementation measures will be considered in the future as separate items. Initial Studies, Negative Declarations, and background informational reports have been prepared for each amendment and are located in the Council reading file. The City's consultant, Rincon Consultants, prepared the noise projections and the air quality exhibits and will be available at the hearing to answer questions regarding the preparation of these exhibits. FISCAL IMPACT The amendments of the Noise Element and Air Quality Element are not anticipated to have a fiscal impact. ATTACHMENTS Resolution to Adopt the Negative Declaration for the Noise Element Amendment Resolution to Adopt the Noise Element Amendment Resolution to Adopt the Negative Declaration for Air Quality Element Amendment Resolution to Adopt the Air Quality Element Amendment Summary of Changes COUNCIL READING FILE Strike -out Draft Noise Element Amendment Strike -out Draft Air Quality Amendment Initial Study and Negative Declaration for the Noise Element Amendment Initial Study and Negative Declaration for the Air Quality Element Amendment Background Informational Reports for Noise and Air Quality Element Amendments S: \ pbs \ advance \ne1em\N&AQAR1 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING UPDATES TO THE AIR QUALITY . .. AND NOISE GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS FOR THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: Separate Public Hearings will be held by the Planning Commission and the City Council on' this matter and associated potential environmental impacts, if any, at, the following times an4 location: Planning Commission Hearing DATE: TIME AT OR AFTER: October 5, 1999 City Council Hearing November 9,1999 7:00 p.m. City Council Chambers 23920 Valencia Boulevard First Floor Santa Clarita, CA 9155 6:30 p.m. City Council Chambers 23920 Valencia Boulevard First Floor Santa Clarita, CA 91355 PROJECT LOCATION: Citywide " APPLICATION: MC 99-190, General Plan Amendment 99-002 (Air Quality) MC 99-137, General Plan Amendment 99-001 (Noise) PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The City is proposing an amendment to the Air Quality & Noise General Plan Elements to update the existing planning goals and policies. The Air Quality & Noise amendments will involve pro- grammatic -level updates applied to existing and future develop- ments. within the City of Santa Clarita General Plan Planning Area, PROJECT PROPONENT. City of Santa Clarita A DRAFT NEGATIVE DECLARATION has been prepared for this proposed project and is .available for public review beginning at 4;00 p.m. on September 9, 1999 at: City Hall Department of Planning and Building Services 23920 Valencia boulevard, Ste. 302. Santa Clarita, CA 91355, Proponents, opponents, and any interested persons may appear and be heard on this matter during the public hearing. Further information may be obtained by contacting Laura Stotler or Enrique Diaz at the Planning and Building Service Department, Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Suite 302, Santa Clarita, California. Phone No: (661) 255-4330. If you wish to challenge the action taken on this matter in court; you may be limited to rais- ing only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearings described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clarita.at, or prior to, the public hearings. SUMMARY OF CHANGES The Air Quality & Noise Element Amendments were included in their entirety with the City Council's reading file. The following is a summary of the proposed changes: Air Quality updates • Identification chart of Federal and State Ambient Air Quality Standards (Exhibit AQ4). • Ambient Air Quality Summary for the Santa Clarita Air Quality Monitoring Station (Table AQ1). • Exhibits for the Maximum Annual One -Hour Average and Days Exceeding the State One -Hour Standard for ozone (Exhibits AQ5 and AQ6). • Exhibits for the Maximum 24-hour Average Concentration and Calculated Days Exceeding the State 24 -Hour Standard for PM10 (Exhibits AQ7 and AQ8). • Exhibit for Maximum One -Hour Average Concentration for Santa Clarita for Carbon Monoxide (Exhibit AQ10). • Projection of Future Air Quality Under the 1998 AQMP (Exhibit AQ10). • Updates to the Goals, Policies and Implementation section of the element including recommendations suggested by staff, general public and the Planning Commission. Noise Element updates • Existing Noise Contour Map (Exhibit N3) & Future Noise Contour Map (Exhibit N4) update. • Roadway Traffic Noise Analysis (Table NI) updated showing the existing and projected levels and CNEL contour distances from roadway centerlines. • Inventory of Existing and Proposed Sensitive Receptors with Potential Noise Impacts based on Future Noise (Table N2). • Updates to the Goals, Policies and Implementation section of the element including recommendations suggested by staff, general public and the Planning Commission. JJL: VB: edj S: \ pbs \ advance \ nelem \ keypoint NOTICE OF CONTINUED PUBLIC BEARING CITY OF SANTA CLARITA CITY COUNCIL NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita, at its regular meeting held November 9, 1999, continued a public hearing on. 15. AMENDMENTS TO UPDATE THE GENERAL PLAN NOISE ELEMENT AND AIR QUALITY ELEMENT — In June 1991, the City adopted its first General Plan. The proposed amendments to the Noise and Air Quality Elements reflect the adopted circulation network using current data. Minor changes are also proposed to the goals and policies section of these elements following input from staff, interested citizens and public agencies at a community meeting held on July 28, 1999. to February 8, 2000. The continued public hearing will be held at or after 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber at 23920 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita, California. Dated this 16th day of November, 1999. VA SHARON L. DAWSON, CITY CLERK STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS AFFIDAVIT OF POSTING CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) SHARON L. DAWSON, being first duly sworn, deposes and says that she is the duly appointed and qualified City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita and that on November 16, 1999, she caused the above notice to be posted at the door of the Council Chamber located at 23920 Valencia Blvd., Santa Clarita, California. SHARON L. DAWSON, CITY CLERK Santa Clarita, California -contph