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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-07-10 - AGENDA REPORTS - MC00-205 TTM53114 MCGRATH (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT Vince Bertoni City Manager Approval Item to be presented by: PUBLIC HEARING DATE: July 10, 2001 SUBJECT: MASTER CASE 00-205, TENTATIVE TRACT MAP 53114, MCGRATH SCHOOL SITE AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF VALLE DEL ORO AND DOCKWEILER DRIVE DEPARTMENT: Planning and Building Services RECOMMENDED ACTION The City Council receive staff presentation, open the public hearing, receive public testimony, close the public hearing, discuss and adopt the Planning Commission recommendation to adopt a Resolution adopting the mitigated negative declaration, and approving General Plan Amendment 00-002, Tentative Tract Map 53114, Minor Use Permit 00-011, Oak Tree Permit 00-028, and Hillside Review 00-001, introduce an Ordinance approving Zone Change 00-002, and pass to second reading on August 28, 2001. BACKROUND On May 19, 2000, an application to subdivide 55 acres of land located on the southwest corner of Valle del Oro and Dockweiler Drive was filed by the applicant, EZ Access LLC, with the City of Santa Clarita's Planning & Building Services Department. However, the application was not deemed complete until April 3, 2001 due to lack of information such as an oak tree report, traffic study, and proposed treatment for Newhall Creek. On March 28, 2001, the applicant submitted a revised traffic study, environmental analysis discussing the oil wells once operated on the site, an oak tree report, and a brief description of treatment to Newhall Creek. The City's Oak Tree Specialist reviewed the oak tree report and verified that the report complied with the requirements of the City's Oak Tree Ordinance. As stated earlier, because these materials were not submitted with the formal submittal on May 19, 2000, the application was not deemed complete until April 3, 2001. The Planning Commission had an introduction to the project on January 19, 2001, and on June 5, 2001, the application was reviewed by the Planning Commission. ANALYSIS The 55 -acre project site is comprised of three parcels within the City of Santa Clarita. The project site is vacant, with the exception of two water tanks on the eastern portion of the Adc f3d:61 -qS- Agenda item: site. The western portion of the site, adjacent to Newhall Creek and Phase I of EZ Access Self - Storage, is flat. The western boundary line is adjacent to the existing EZ Access Self - Storage and this area is designated CC (Community Commercial) by the General Plan and Zoning Map. To the east is a possible future alignment of Dockweiler Drive and the Primary Ridgeline identified in the City's Ridgeline Preservation Map. Newhall County Water District owns a small lot on this portion of the site, and the two existing water tanks are located adjacent to this parcel on an easement. The central portion of the site is relatively flat. High pressure gas lines run in an east/west direction in this area of the site, depicted as Lot 60 on the attached site plan. The southern boundary line of the site is adjacent to the existing multi -family homes and Valle del Oro. The applicant is proposing to grade a 9.8 -acre pad for the school site. Michael J. McGrath public elementary school would be located on this area, along with the primary access point for the development. Oak Trees There are 113 California Live Oaks on the property, and approximately 96 scrub oaks on the site. Of the total 209 trees on the site, six of the trees have been identified as Heritage Oak trees, as defined in the City's Oak Tree Ordinance. All of the Heritage Oak Trees will remain on the site with the proposed development. There will be impacts (removal or encroachment) to 125 trees on the site. The oak tree report submitted by the applicant on March 28, 2001 states the location, health and valuation of the trees. The report also states mitigation for the impact and removal of the trees, referred to in the Mitigation Monitoring portion of the environmental review prepared for the project. The mitigation report states that all trees removed must be replaced on-site based on the valuation of the removed trees. Newhall Creek This portion of the creek is currently in a natural state. With the proposed development, staff encouraged the applicant to install a treatment to the creek that is environmentally sensitive and aesthetically pleasing, such as buried bank stabilization. Yet, the selected treatment to the creek must be accepted by Los Angeles County for their maintenance. After review of the application, staff has required the applicant install a soft bottom treatment acceptable to Los Angeles County Flood Control, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Fish and Game. It is anticipated that Los Angeles County will accept a treatment to the creek, currently utilized south of the site (upstream), such as concrete sides with a soft bottom. This type of treatment would provide a narrow creek with fewer disturbances to the school site, the oak trees along the creek and the proposed trail along the creek. The public elementary school site is located to the east of Newhall Creek. Newhall School District's preferred size of an elementary school site is 12 acres. The proposed school site is 9.8 acres, smaller than the preferred size. A treatment to Newhall Creek that included widening the Creek would impact the size of the school site. There are eight oak trees along the creek. The applicant is not proposing to remove these trees. Due to natural erosion, and the location of the trees, the trees would be severely impacted, if the creek were not channelized. As depicted on the site plan, the applicant is proposing to install the channelization, and proposed trail, around the oaks to further lessen the impact to the oaks. The applicant would be required to install a 20 -foot -wide trail along the eastern portion of Newhall Creek. A treatment to the creek that required the creek be widened, in -lieu of the concrete sides, would lessen the width of the trail. This trail would also be used and accepted by Los Angeles County for access to the Creek. The County would not accept an access easement of this type that is less than 20' wide, thus the City would be responsible for the maintenance of the trail/easement. Circulation /Access A single access point would connect the proposed development to Valle del Oro, which currently serves the existing multi -family development adjacent to the project site. As a mitigation for the traffic impacts the applicant would be required to install a median on 'D' Street, along the frontage of the elementary school. The applicant would also be required to install sidewalks, landscaped parkways, and driveways that could accommodate access onto and off of the elementary school site. The design of the access would also eliminate U-turns and as a result, there would be minimal impacts to access to the proposed development and neighboring properties. At a meeting with staff, the Newhall School District and the applicant, the issue regarding access from the school onto 'D' Street was resolved. All parties agreed that it would not be appropriate if the entrance to the school site was closed during school hours, so circulation for that area would not be hindered. During that meeting, staff, the Newhall School District and the applicant agreed to enter into an agreement that the school provide a designated area for a drop-off and pick-up zone on-site. This would be effective unless, in the future, it is agreed to by the City, that the on-site circulation is not necessary. A written agreement, to this effect, is being formalized and will be executed between the City and the Newhall School District prior to building permit. An Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration were prepared and circulated for public review May 7, 2001. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION On June 5, 2001, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution PO1-20, recommending approval to the City Council of Master Case 00.205 consisting of, Minor Use Permit 00-011, Oak Tree Permit 00-028, Hillside Review 00-001, Tentative Tract Map 53114, and the Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration prepared for the proposal to develop 53 single-family units, expand an existing self -storage facility and develop a public elementary school site on 53 acres of land. Currently the parcel is zoned RL (Residential Low), PE (Private Education), and CC (Community Commercial). The applicant, EZ Access Company LLC, applied for the Zone Change and General Plan Amendment to rezone the property RS (Residential Suburban), and expand the boundaries of the CC zone. The General Plan and zoning designations are consistent, therefore, a General Plan Amendment is necessary. At the Planning Commission hearing, the applicant withdrew Conditional Use Permit 00- 013 to cluster the proposed residences on the northern portion of the site. The applicant had redesigned the property, and clustering the homes utilizing lots sizes smaller than that permitted in the RS (Residential Suburban) zone, was no longer necessary in the design of the project. The Planning Commission has recommended that the City Council consider allocating the Bridge and Thoroughfare fees collected for this project towards acquisition of the portion of Dockweiler Drive located north of the project site that may be included in a possible future alignment of Dockweiler Drive. As staff stated at the June 5, 2001 Planning Commission hearing, the applicant has been credited Bridge and Thoroughfare Fees for another project in the City (Golden Valley Road/Santa Clarita Business Park). It is likely those credits will be used for the Bridge and Thoroughfare Fees required for this project, therefore, no Bridge and Thoroughfares Fees will be paid for this project. The proposal for review complies with the conditions of approval attached to Planning Commission Resolution 01-20, with the exception of condition TE3. This condition requires that the applicant pay $100,000.00 for the cost of traffic calming measures that the City will install in the area adjacent to the project site. The Planning Commission heard testimony from the applicant and staff regarding this condition and recommended the condition not be modified or removed from the conditions of approval for this project. The applicant would like to bring this issue to the Council for consideration to remove it from the conditions of approval for the project. The Planning Commission requested two conditions of approval be added to the Resolution recommending approval of the project. The Commission recommended a condition that would require a covenant be recorded notifying all new home owners single-family homes, that Dockweiler Drive has been designated as a Major Highway, and is proposed to be extended in the future. The other condition is that the school pad and all required infrastructure be complete prior to construction of the proposed single-family homes. These conditions have been added to the conditions of approval, known as "Exhibit A" attached to the Resolution recommending approval this project. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS 1. Council may choose not to adopt Resolution and Ordinance and not pass to second reading on August 28, 2001. 2. Other direction as determined by the City Council FISCAL IMPACT Residential projects are not revenue generating, therefore, there would be costs to the City's General Fund to provide services as a result of the approval of 53 homes. Site Plans (Residential Development, the School, and Self -Storage) Resolution for Hillside Review, Oak Tree Permit, Tentative Tract Map, Minor Use Permit Ordinance COUNCIL READING FILE Planning Commission Resolution PO1-20 Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration s:\pbs\aimee\53114\ccrpt CITY OF SANTA CLARITA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: A public hearing will be held by the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita in the City Hall Council Chambers, 23920 Valencia Boulevard, First Floor, on the 10th day of July, 2001 at or after 6:00 pm to consider Master Case 00-205Tentative Tract Map 53114; Zone Change 00-002; General Plan Amendment 00-002; Oak Tree Permit 00-028; Minor Use Permit 00-011, Hillside Development Review 00-001. The project is located west of Dockweiler Drive, east of San Fernando Road and north of Valle del Oro. A Mitigated Negative Declaration has been prepared for the project and is available for public review at the City of Santa Clarita Planning and Building Services Counter. The project proponent is EZ Access Company LLC Proponents, opponents and any interested persons may appear and be heard on this matter at that time. Further information may be obtained by contacting Project Planner, Aimee Gerstenberger at (661) 255-4330. If you wish to challenge this action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council at or prior to the public hearing. Dated: June 6 2001 Sharon L Dawson, CMC City Clerk Publish Date: June 19, 2001 s: /pb s/aurae a/53114/ccnotice. doc