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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-06-27 - AGENDA REPORTS - BILLBOARDS IN MTA ROW (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR City Manager Approval 00'� Item to be presented by: M k a arone/ DATE: June 27, 2000 SUBJECT: ADDITIONAL BILLBOARDS WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITYS RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Engineering Services MECOMMENDED ACTION City Council adopt a resolution in opposition to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration for automated public toilets and advertising along portions of State Route 14 (SR -14) and Interstate 5 (1-5). BAQK—GROUND In November 1999, the MTA Board authorized a contract with Omni Outdoor/STI (Omni/STI) to install, operate, and maintain automated public toilets and outdoor advertising structures. In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), an Initial Study and Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) was prepared for the proposed project to determine the environmental impact of installing approximately 64 structures throughout Los Angeles County. Although 118 potential sites were analyzed, a maximum of 64 structures, 10 public toilets, 10 kiosks, and 54 billboards will be selected for development at this time. As proposed, the 10 public toilets and 10 advertising kiosks would be located at Metro Red Line stations throughout the City of Los Angeles, while the 54 billboards would be located throughout Los Angeles County. The billboards would be placed in the MTA!s railroad rights - and Omni/STI, the 10 public toilets would be installed and maintained for Aff of -way directly adjacent to freeways or major streets. As part of the contract between the A -year contract period. would receive over $7.9 million from Omni/STI over the initial 10 free, and the MTA The project's IS/MND analyzed the placement of two billboards just outside the City, where the MTA/Metrolink tracks cross under the SR -14. The environmental document also analyzed the placement of 11 billboards within the Newhall Pass, along 1-5 between the 1-210 and the SR -14 interchanges. The MTA released the IS/MND for public review between May 22, 2000 and June 12, 2000. Staff submitted the attached letter dated June 20, 2000, commenting on the IS/MND. The public comment period for the proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration was subsequently extended to June 30, 2000. Agenda Itelaulml ADDITIONAL BILLBOARDS June 27, 2000 – Page 2 WITHIN MTA RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY Staff believes that the proposed IS/MND does not adequately describe the project because there is no mention of the height of the proposed billboards and the map identifying the project is vague, with no street references. Staff also believes that the proposed IS/MND does not adequately analyze the aesthetic, biological, and geotechnical impacts of the 11 billboards proposed along the 1-5 just south of the Newhall Pass. The City's General Plan encompasses the 256 -square -mile Santa Clarita Planning Area, extending beyond the incorporated limits of the City of Santa CIarita and including the area proposed for billboards adjacent to SR -14 on the MTA right-of-way. The proposed MTA!s Automated Self -Cleaning Public Toilets and Advertising Media Campaign is inconsistent with the City's Community Design Element of the General Plan, which has several policies to discourage and eliminate billboards as follows: Policy 8.2 states that the City shall "work with appropriate state, federal, and county agencies to prohibit billboards along freeway frontages and designated scenic highways"; Policy 8.4 states that it is the City's Policy to "prohibit new billboards in the City and encourage the elimination of existing billboards Citywide." Given the City's previous effort to remove billboards throughout the valley and staffs concerns with the adequacy of the MTA environmental document, staff believes that the proposed resolution summarizes the City's opposition to the placement of the Proposed billboards in the Santa Clarita Valley and the Newhall Pass. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS 1. Do not approve the proposed resolution. 2. Other action as determined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact to the City associated with this item. AT—TACHMENTS Resolution Letter to MTA dated June 12, 2000 Proposed Billboard Location Map AJN:MY:dis Cilk-t�WHboa,ds.d. City of Santa Clarita 23920 Valencia Blvd. Phone Suite 300 Santa Clarita (661) 259-2489 Califomia 91355-2196 Fax (661) 259-8125 Website: www.santa-cladta.com June 12, 2000 Metropolitan Transportation Authority James Sowell, Manager of Environmental Compliance Mail Stop: 99-18-7 One Gateway Plaza Los Angeles, CA 90012-2932 Re: Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration for the County of Los Angeles MTA Automated Self -Cleaning Public Toilets and Advertising Media Program. Dear MTA: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration for the County of Los Angeles MTA Automated Self -Cleaning Public Toilets and Advertising Media Program. The City of Santa CIarita has several concerns with the adequacy of this Mitigated Negative Declaration and requests that the timehne for public comments be extended. The City's concerns are outlined as follows: 1) Proposed Billboards B02 and B03 are located in the Santa Clarita. Valley, directly adjacent to the City of Santa Clarita, within the area covered by the City of Santa Clarita General Plan. Initial Study Site Survey Forras Pages 2, 3 and 4 include a description of each potential billboard site, map and site photos. No streets or existing developments are shown on the map to guide the public in locating the areas proposed for signage. The location shown is vague and the City is unable to locate the exact site where billboards are proposed. The summary of adjacent land uses neglects to mention that there are multi -family residential uses directly adjacent to the proposed billboard area west of SR -14 (B02) and the Fair Oaks Ranch is under development in the proposed billboard area east of SR -14 (1303). 2) The project description does not adequately describe the proposed billboards. How large are these proposed billboards? How tall will the billboards be? How will the billboards be oriented? The issue of visual blight is a significant one for the Santa Clarita Valley, particularly along the freeway corridor in the locations shown for billboards B02 and B03 because of the proximity to residential uses and the raised location of the freeway in that area. The visual impacts analysis provided on pages 2 and 3 of the Initial Study Site Survey Forms only addresses the visual impacts of billboards along is , PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER MTA June 12, 2000 Page 2 the freeway, not the Potentially significant visual impact of billboards upon eidsting and approved, yet unbuilt, residential uses. Since the railroad right-of-way is substantially below the level of the freeway in the locations shown for billboards B02 and B02, those billboards would have to have substantial height in order to be visible to freeway drivers. The residential units in that area are also located at elevations below the level of the freeway. Construction of tall signs, signs well above the ma2dmum 35 -foot height limit for outdoor advertising signage in the City of Santa Clarita, would be necessary in order to allow for freeway orientation. It appears that the MTA proposal would allow signage to loom over adjacent residential uses, creating a significant visual impact uncharacteristic of other signage allowable in the City. Further, the City's Unified Development Code only allows billboards within a billboard overlay zone. These may only be located in industrial or commercially zoned are as. The proposed site for signs B02 and B03 are located in areas designated by the City and by the County of Los Angeles as residential. Under the City's zoning code, the proposed billboards would be prohibited in the locations proposed. Further, the City's outdoor advertising ordinance notes that a sign shall not be located within a 1,000 - foot radius of any residential zone. The proposed sign locations B02 and B03 are both located with 1,000 feet of residential uses, both eldsting and approved, yet undeveloped. Therefore, signage in locations B02 and B03 would not be consistent with either residential setback or height limits for signage in Santa Clarita. 3) The Visual Impact section on pages 2 and 3 of the Initial Study Site Survey Forms states 'The predominant feature in this area is the CA -14 Freeway. A billboard structure would not change the character of the freeway corridor. The open space and natural areas to the north and east are so broad and prominent that a billboard structure would not create a significant obstruction. Visual impacts would be less than significant." The City of Santa CIarita objects to this statement and holds that the visual impacts from billboards would be significant in this general location, particularly because of the scenic natural vistas offered in this area. Various City documents demonstrate the City's opposition to the visual blight caused by billboards, Particularly along freeway corridors on the SR - 14 and 1-5 that serve as the gateways to the City of Santa Clarita. The City's General Plan Community Design Element has several policies to discourage and eliminate billboards. Policy 8.2 states that the City shall "work with appropriate state, federal, and county agencies to prohibit billboards along freeway frontages and designated scenic highways." MTA June 12, 2000 Page 3 Policy 8.4 clearly states that it is the City's Policy to "prohibit new billboards in the City and encourage the elimination of existing billboards CitYwide." Billboards in locations B02, B03, D04, B05, B06, B07, B08, B09, BIO, BOII and B012 would be located would be located along areas considered by the City of Santa Clarita to be gateways into the Santa Clarita. Valley. Additionally, the Initial Study neglects to mention that the County of Los Angeles is presently studying the area east of SR -14 encompassing the proposed billboard areas B02 and B03 for inclusion as a "Significant Ecological Area (SEA). The SEA designation recognizes this site for its natural resource value, including aesthetic value, which would be destroyed with the addition of billboards. Therefore, given above concerns, the City of Santa Clarita requests that the addition of a mitigation measure under Section I. Aesthetics a. to read "To avoid placing a visibly incompatible element within the field of view of a significant ecological area and within a gateway corridor identified by the City of Santa Clarita, billboard sites B02, B03, B04, B05, B06, B07, B08, B09, B010, B011, and B012 shall be eliminated from the list of potential billboard locations, Please con��me at (O�W-4330 if you have any questions. AICP ing and Building Services Enclosures cc: Vince Bertoni, Planning Manager Mark Yamarone, Transportation Funding Coordinator Laura Stotler, Associate Planner S: \ pbs \ advance \ stotler \ MTAsignl krz biD N .04 m cl