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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-01-05 - AGENDA REPORTS - NORTH VALENCIA 2 SPECIFIC PLAN (2)INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Darcy and Councilmembers FROM: George A. Caravalho, City Manager DATE: January 5, 1999 SUBJECT: UPDATE ON PROCESSING OF THE NORTH VALENCIA 2 SPECIFIC PLAN AND ANNEXATION RECOMMENDED ACTION Receive and discuss. BACKGROUND In July 1998, the City Council entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Valencia Company to begin consideration of the North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan and the accompanying annexation of both the uninhabited North Valencia 2 and inhabited North Park areas to the City of Santa Clarita. In August 1998, the Valencia Company submitted an application for the proposed North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan, located on 598 acres north of Newhall Ranch Road, west of McBean Parkway and generally south and east of Copper Hill Drive and south of Decoro Road. The North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan proposes a mix of residential, non-residential, public facilities, a park and open space uses. Approximately 65 acres of the area is already developed. City entitlements are requested for the remaining area and include 1,900 residential units and 210,000 square feet of commercial uses. During the City's preliminary review of the North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan, it became apparent that two locations were under consideration by the Valencia Company and the William S. Hart Union School District for a joint junior high school/public park. Both of these locations are within the North Valencia No: 2 Specific Plan area, however, only one (the northwest corner of McBean Parkway and Newhall Ranch Road) was included in the specific plan that was submitted for City review. The alternative site being pursued by the school district is the northwest corner of McBean Parkway and Decoro Drive. The Valencia Company was given the option of postponing the processing of the Specific Plan until an ultimate decision has been reached on the school location, or processing the Specific Plan with two major land use alternatives. The Valencia Company has chosen to proceed with a draft specific plan that will contain both an A and B land use scenario, A 7� ' 4 ten -AL with the primary difference being the location of the junior high school and public park. Presently, the City is awaiting the re -submittal of the North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan that will address both A and B alternatives. Staff anticipates that the North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan will be ready for public review in late January -early February. Staff has taken the first step toward annexation which is prezoning the North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan area. In November 1998, the Planning Commission considered the prezone of 2,116 acres north of the City that includes the North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan area, the existing residential development in North Park and the development areas known as Decoro Highlands and West Creek. The Commission recommended approval of this prezone and it was forwarded for the City Council public hearing. On November 24, 1998, the City Council, at the request of the Valencia Company, continued this prezone request to January 26, 1999. The Valencia Company has indicated that they may withdraw the West Creek project area from the proposed prezone. While a portion of the Specific Plan area is located adjacent to the City, annexed alone, this area may form an illogical City boundary. To form a more logical boundary, the inhabited North Park area should annex to the City, as well. The proposed North Park annexation area is 460.9 acres located east of the proposed North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan area, north of the Northbridge annexation area. In December 1998, City staff provided a presentation to the North Park Homeowners Association about potential annexation to the City. To date, no North Park residents have submitted a petition to request annexation and the level of interest is unclear. Since this area is inhabited, a majority of the property owners must favor annexation if it is to annex. A fiscal impact analysis of both the North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan area annexation and the North Park area annexation has been completed and the results are included in the fiscal analysis section of this report. An environmental impact report (EIR) is presently under preparation. The Notice of Preparation (NOP) for this document was circulated during November 1998. Due to the holiday season, staff has extended the public review period to the end of December. At this time, NOP responses have been received from 20 agencies and several residents. To proceed with processing of the North Valencia No. 2 Specific Plan, staff proposes to begin the Planning Commission public hearings during the public review period for the Draft EIR, similar to the process followed for the first North Valencia Specific Plan. The first Planning Commission public hearing would be an overview of the DEIR and then subsequent meetings would follow to focus discussion on specific environmental topics including parks, trails, schools, the San Francisquito Creek Significant Ecological Area (SEA), river buffer, and the proposed land use and development standards. The purpose of holding the public hearings during the review period is to allow the Commission and the public to ask questions early in the review process and to ensure that all identified concerns are addressed in the Final EIR. It is anticipated that the Draft EIR will be ready for public review at the end of January -early February. FISCAL IMPACT A fiscal impact analysis has been prepared for the North Valencia 2 and North Park annexations. The fiscal impact analysis shows that both the North Valencia 2 and North Park annexations would be marginally positive for the City following a five-year project build out.