HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-03-26 - AGENDA REPORTS - BOUQUET B&TDIST (2)PUBLIC HEARING
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
City Manager Approval
Item to be presented by
DATE: March 26, 2002
SUBJECT: AMENDMENT TO THE BOUQUET CANYON BRIDGE AND MAJOR
THOROUGHFARE CONSTRUCTION FEE DISTRICT
DEPARTMENT: Transportation & Engineering Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION
1. City Council conduct a public hearing.
2. At the conclusion of the public hearing, providing there is less than 50 percent written
protest from the represented area of benefit:
a. Adopt a resolution amending the adopted Bouquet Canyon Bridge and Major
Thoroughfare Construction Fee District.
b. Instruct the City Clerk to record a certified copy of the adopted resolution with the
County Recorder.
BACKGROUND
This item is a public hearing to consider amendments to the adopted Bouquet Canyon
Bridge and Major Thoroughfare Construction Fee District (District). The proposed
amendments are necessary to update the District to a full -improvement district. As a full -
improvement district, $158,620,860 will be collected to construct all of the highway system
improvements identified in the Circulation Elements of the City and County General Plans.
Improvements funded through the District include, but are not limited to, new and
improved roadways, bridges, intersections, and interchanges.
Updating the District will provide an equitable financing mechanism by which new
development within an identified area will share the costs of providing full -mitigation
transportation improvements. This type of funding district levies an assessment in
proportion to the estimated number of vehicle trips generated by the new development.
Based on transportation needs in the Santa Clarita Valley, and the limitations of other
funding sources, this funding method has been determined to be the best alternative to
provide needed transportation -related improvements. Because several of the improvements
included in the District are regionally significant, the District's fee calculation assumes that
the City and County will pursue grant funding for eligible regional improvements.
Agenda Item .sv
AMENDMENT TO THE BOUQUET CANYON BRIDGE AND MAJOR
THOROUGHFARE CONSTRUCTION FEE DISTRICT
March 26, 2002 - Page 2
The County of Los Angeles originally adopted the Bouquet Canyon Bridge and Major
Thoroughfare District in October 1985. After incorporation, the City adopted the District
on November 28, 1989. The current fee of $10,000 per Factored Development Unit (FDU)
was approved by the City Council on September 14, 1999.
This District update is different from previous fee revisions where the fee had been revised
due to changes in improvement costs and in the amount of proposed future development.
This update reanalyzes "build -out" development of the District and expands on the scope of
needed improvements. Instead of including only a very limited number of improvement
projects, the updated District proposes to fully improve all major roadways identified in the
City and County Circulation Elements, including intersections and interchanges. These
necessary transportation improvements within the District cost an estimated $158,620,860.
A development analysis indicates that an estimated 7,386 residential units, 420 commercial
land use acres, and 42 industrial land use acres are expected to be built within the
District's boundary.
The City's Transportation & Engineering Services staff has worked with Los Angeles
County's Department of Public Works staff, the consultant team, and several major
developers within the proposed Bouquet Canyon District to develop the technical data for
the proposed fee amendments. In October 2001, staff prepared a public participation plan
to update the District. The City Council approved the plan and directed staff to form a
B&T Update Technical Subcommittee comprised of representatives from the Santa Clarita
Valley's development community. The Technical Subcommittee met five times over the last
six months. Based on input from the committee, the data and funding assumptions
supporting the fee were refined and revised. Two public workshops were also held in
February 2002 to present the proposed fee update and to receive comments from the
affected property owners and interested community members.
The District analysis concluded that a fee increase is necessary to fully fund the necessary
transportation improvements. The proposed District fee is $14,200 per FDU. The proposed
fees for various land use types are shown in the table below.
Land Use Category
Proposed District Fee
(Cit and Count
Residential:
Single Family (per Unit
$14,200
Townhouse/Condo(per Unit
$11,360
Apartment(per Unit
$ 9,940
Non -Residential:
Commercial(per Gross Acre
$71,000
Industrial (per Gross Acre)
$42,600
In addition to the above proposed rates, a rate sheet for nontypical land uses, which
includes special cases such as senior housing, mobile homes, churches, and golf courses, has
been developed. Traffic impacts for each category were used to develop the rates.
AMENDMENT TO THE BOUQUET CANYON BRIDGE AND MAJOR
THOROUGHFARE CONSTRUCTION FEE DISTRICT
March 26, 2002 - Page 3
In April 2002, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider this
item. The Board adoption of the District's fee amendments will make the fee charged by
the County consistent with what is proposed to be adopted by the City.
Members of the Technical Subcommittee raised concerns regarding the financial impact
that the proposed fees would have on smaller development currently in the approval
process. To address this issue, staff is recommending that developers be given the option of
paying the existing fee rate or the proposed rate during the time period between the
effective date of the proposed fee and September 1, 2002 (assuming the effective date is
prior to September 1). This will allow projects in the later stages of design to move forward
as planned during this period. Developers paying the lower rate will receive credits based
on the existing rate structure.
Under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guideline 15378(b)(4), the
establishment of the District fee does not constitute a "project," and therefore does not in
itself create any environmental impact to be mitigated.
The public hearing has been properly noticed
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS
1. Reject the proposed amendments to the Bouquet Canyon Bridge and Major
Thoroughfare Construction Fee District.
2. Direct staff to prepare an alternate report utilizing changed or modified criteria to
amend the impact fee district.
3. Continue the Public Hearing on the proposed amendments to the Bouquet Canyon
Bridge and Major Thoroughfare Construction Fee District to a future meeting.
4. Other action as determined by the City Council
FISCAL IMPACT
Adopting the proposed fee will provide the funding necessary to construct the
transportation improvements needed to accommodate the traffic generated by new
development. However, if the City does not adopt the proposed amendments to the District
and continues to collect the originally adopted fee, there will be insufficient funds within
the District to fully improve all major roadways in the Bouquet Canyon District.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution Amending Bouquet Canyon Bridge and Major Thoroughfare Construction Fee
District
Bouquet Canyon Bridge and Thoroughfare District Map
Santa Clarita Valley B&T District Boundary Map
Report on Bouquet Canyon Bridge and Major Thoroughfare Construction Fee District,
March 2002 (available in City Clerk's reading file)
cou cil\B&T_UpdaW_Bouquetreao.doc
CITY OF SANTA CLARTTA
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN:
A public hearing will be held before the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita to consider the
proposed amendments to the Bouquet Canyon, Eastside and Via Princessa Bridge and Major
Thoroughfare (B&T) Construction Fee Districts. The proposed amendments are necessary to
update the districts to full improvement districts. As full improvement districts sufficient funds
will be collected to construct all of the highway system improvements identified in the
Circulation Elements of the City and County General Plans.
Since the County approved the Bouquet Canyon District in October 1985, the fee report has been
revised. The proposed fee rate is $14,200 per Factored Development Unit (FDU), an increase of
$4,200 per FDU. The establishment of the District, located in the City of Santa
Clarita/unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, sets a fee to be levied against future
subdivision and building permit activity for purposes of constructing bridge and highway
improvements. Existing developments are not subject to the fee. The Bouquet District is
generally bounded the Angeles National Forest on the north, the Valencia B&T District on the
west, the Santa Clara River on the south and the Eastside B&T District on the east.
Since the County approved the Eastside District in July 1987, the fee report has been revised.
The proposed fee rate is $14,700 per Factored Development Unit (FDU), an increase of $4,700
per FDU. The establishment of the District, located in the City of Santa Clarita/unincorporated
area of Los Angeles County, sets a fee to be levied against future subdivision and building
permit activity for purposes of constructing bridge and highway improvements. Existing
developments are not subject to the fee. The Eastside District is generally bounded by the
Angeles National Forest on the south, north and east and by the Bouquet Canyon and Via
Princessa B&T Districts on the west.
Since the City approved the Via Princessa District in November 1992, the fee report has been
revised. The proposed fee rate is $15,500 per Factored Development Unit (FDU), an increase of
$5,500 per FDU. The establishment of the District, located in the City of Santa Clarita, sets a fee
to be levied against future subdivision and building permit activity for purposes of constructing
bridge and highway improvements. Existing developments are not subject to the fee. The Via
Princessa District is generally bounded by Interstate 5 to the west, the Santa Clara River to the
north the Eastside B&T District to the east and the City limits on the south.
It has been determined that the district fee revision does not constitute a "project' as defined in
California Environmental Quality act (CEQA) guideline 15378(b)(4), in that the district fee
establishment is a financing mechanism which does not in itself create any impact on the
environment to be mitigated.
The hearing will be held in the City Council Chambers, 23920 Valencia Blvd., First Floor, Santa
Clarita, California, on March 26, 2002, at or after 6:00 p.m.
Proponents, opponents, and any interested persons may be heard on this matter at this time.
Further information may be obtained by contacting the Transportation & Engineering Services
Department, Mark Yamarone, (661) 255-4931.
If you wish to challenge the action taken on this matter 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 of Santa Clarita at or prior to the public hearing.
Dated: March 6, 2002
Sharon L. Dawson, CMC
City Clerk
Publish Date: March 11, 2002
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