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Home My WebLink About2003-02-11 - AGENDA REPORTS - GPA PREZONE WHITNEY CYN ANNEX (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be presented by: PUBLIC HEARING DATE: February 11, 2003 2 ?� Kai Luoma SUBJECT: LAND USE DESIGNATION CHANGE FOR THE WHITNEY CANYON ANNEXATION AREA, MASTER CASE 02-345, GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT 02-003, PREZONE 02-003 LOCATED EAST OF THE EASTERN TERMINUS OF SAN FERNANDO ROAD, EAST OF STATE ROUTE 14. DEPARTMENT: Planning and Building Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council conduct a Public Hearing and adopt a Resolution adopting the Negative Declaration and approving General Plan Amendment 02-003, and introduce an Ordinance approving Prezone 02-003, and pass to second reading an Ordinance entitled: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA TO APPROVE PREZONE NO. 02-003 (MASTER CASE 02-345) FOR THE WHITNEY CANYON ANNEXATION AREA LOCATED EAST OF THE EASTERN TERMINUS OF SAN FERNANDO ROAD, EAST OF STATE ROUTE 14, ADJACENT TO THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA BACKGROUND In July 1998, the City of Santa Clarita City Council considered and approved a request by a private developer to submit an application to the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) for the annexation and prezone (No. 98-001) of the site, known as Whitney Canyon Ranch (Ordinance 98-16). Approximately 373.5 acres were prezoned Residential Estate (RE), 163.5 acres as Open Space (OS), and the entire site was given a Mineral/Oil Conservation Area (MOCA) overlay designation. No development was approved as part of the request. No further action was taken to implement the annexation. On July 23, 2002, the Santa Clarita Watershed Recreation and Conservation Authority (SCWRCA), a joint powers authority between the City of Santa Clarita and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, closed escrow on the Whitney Canyon Ranch site. The project area, purchased to provide the public with more open space, consists of 545.27 acres of undeveloped property located adjacent to the City limits, east of the Antelope Valley Freeway, extending east at the terminus of San Fernando Road and into a portion of the Angeles National Forest. ' -7 Agenda Item: Ord i" a v,c,� Whitney Canyon (MCO2-245) February 11, 2003 Approval of a General Plan Amendment and Prezone would allow staff to submit an annexation application for the project area to the LAFCO for final approval. On January 21, 2003, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the Prezone and General Plan Amendment for the Whitney Canyon Annexation area by a unanimous vote. ANALYSIS Project Description The subject General Plan Amendment and Prezone propose to change the General Plan designation and alter the prezoning of the 545.27 acres purchased by the joint powers authority between the City and the Conservancy. Of the 545.27 acres, the eastern 382.27 acres will change from RE (Residential Estate) to OS (Open Space), retaining the MOCA (Mineral/Oil Conservation Area) overlay. The designation of the eastern 163 acres of the site, located within the Angeles National Forest, will remain OS (Open Space). Prezoning of the site will reflect the General Plan designations: the westerly 382 acres will be prezoned OS and will retain the MOCA overlay; the eastern 163 acres will be prezoned OS. The existing MOCA overlay zone currently applied to the eastern 163 acres is inconsistent with the General Plan designation and will be eliminated from the prezoning. No development is proposed with this land use designation change. General Plan / zoning The proposed Whitney Canyon Annexation area is located in the unincorporated area of the County of Los Angeles. The project site is presently designated Non -urban 2 (1.0 du/ac), Hillside Management and Angeles National Forest in the Los Angeles County Santa Clarita Valley Areawide Plan. The site is presently zoned Los Angeles County zone A-2-1 (Heavy Agricultural, 1 -acre minimum lot size), A-2-5 (Heavy Agricultural, 5 -acre minimum lot size), and W (Watershed Management). The City of Santa Clarita currently designates the area as RE (Residential Estate, 0.5 du/ac), OS (Open Space) and MOCA (Mineral/Oil Conservation Area) overlay. The site includes State Route 14 along the western edge and abuts vacant land and some commercial uses within City limits to the west. The unincorporated area to the south is currently undeveloped, but a landfill is proposed in the area. The areas to the north and east area also unincorporated and undeveloped. The City's General Plan text identifies Whitney Canyon as an important habitat and biological resource area within the text of the Open Space and Conservation Element (OS - 8). Additionally, the proposed project could be found to be consistent with the following goals and policies of the General Plan: L 2.13 Encourage the preservation of the Angeles National Forest and the Los Padres National Forest as an open space reserve close to the urban interface, and as an important wildlife habitat and corridor. (L-28) 0 Whitney Canyon (MCO2-245) February 11, 2003 L 7.6 Coordinate annexation activities with City growth management strategies. (L-34) H 1.2 Evaluate development proposals within the unincorporated portions of the planning area to ensure that development is consistent with both the City's and the County's land use plan. (H-59) ED 2.7 Seek a City Sphere of Influence consistent with the planning area of this General Plan. (ED -25) OS 4.11 Encourage open space linkage opportunities throughout the City and adjacent park and forest areas. (OS -29) OS 4.16 Seek park sites and open space areas having areas of natural scenic beauty which can be conserved and enjoyed by the public, as well as areas having recreational opportunities. (OS -29) (L- Land Use Element, H- Housing Element, ED- Economic Development and Community Revitalization Element, OS- Open Space and Conservation Element) The proposed prezoning to Open Space is consistent with the General Plan, as amended PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION The Planning Commission held a public hearing on January 21, 2003. After consideration of all relevant materials and information presented to them, including testimony made by one City resident, the Commission unanimously voted to recommend that the City Council approve the project. The recommendation for approval is attached to this report. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS Council may choose not to adopt Resolution and Ordinance and not pass to second reading on February 25, 2003. Other direction as determined by the City Council. FISCAL IMPACT No development is proposed as part of this request. The General Plan Amendment and Prezone will amend the land use designation of an area currently located in the unincorporated County. With the proposed land use designation and prezone changes, no fiscal impact to the City's budget is anticipated. ATTACHMENTS Resolution 7 Whitney Canyon (MCO2-245) February 11, 2003 Exhibit A - Map of Whitney Canyon Annexation General Plan Amendment and Prezone Area Exhibit B - Negative Declaration Ordinance Exhibit A - Map of Whitney Canyon Annexation General Plan Amendment and Prezone Area COUNCIL READING FILE Planning Commission Staff Report Planning Commission Resolution Initial Study JJL:VPB:KYL S:\PBS\ ANNEX\ Whitney \ Prezone \ CC prep \ CCAgendaReport.doc CITY OF SANTA CLARITA PLANNING & BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING APPLICATION: MASTER CASE NUMBER 02-345 (General Plan Amendment 02-003) (Prezone No. 02-003) (Annexation No. 02-003) PROJECT APPLICANT: City of Santa Clarita PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project is a General Plan Amendment and Prezone of approximately 545.27 undeveloped acres for annexation to the City of Santa Clarita. The City of Santa Clarita currently designates the site as RE (Residential Estate) and OS (Open Space). Each designation currently contains a MOCA (Mineral/Oil Conservation Area) overlay. The proposed General Plan Amendment will change the General Plan designation of the western 382.27 acres from RE (Residential Estate) to OS (Open Space), retaining the MOCA (Mineral/Oil Conservation Area) overlay. The designation of the eastern 163 acres of the site will remain OS (Open Space), however, the existing MOCA overlay of the 163 acres will be eliminated. PROJECT LOCATION: Generally located east of State Route 14, east of the eastern terminus of San Fernando Road, and adjacent to and outside the existing limits of the City of Santa Clarita in the unincorporated area of the County of Los Angeles. A DRAFT NEGATIVE DECLARATION has been prepared for this proposed project and is available for public review beginning at 12:00 p.m. on December 22, 2002. City Hall Planning & Building Services Department 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Suite 302 Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Hearings on this matter will be conducted on the following dates: Planning Commission DATE: January 21, 2003 TIME: 7:00 p.m. Ci Council DATE: February 11, 2003 TIME: 6:00 p.m. LOCATION: Council Chamber, City Hall 23920 Valencia Blvd., First Floor Santa Clarita, CA 91355 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 hearings described in this notice, or written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clarita at, or prior to, the public hearings. If you wish to have written comments included in the materials the Planning Commission receives prior to the public hearings, it must be submitted to the Planning & Building Services Department by 12:00 P.M. on Tuesday, January 21, 2003, for Planning Commission, or Monday February 3, 2003, for City Council. For further information regarding this proposal, you may contact the City of Santa Clarita, Department of Planning & Building Services, 23920 Valencia Blvd., Third Floor, Santa Clarita, CA 91355; Telephone: (661) 255-4330, Kai Luoma, Associate Planner. Vincent P. Berton, AICP Jeffrey Lambert, AICP Planning Manager Director of Planning & Building Services Posted: Santa Clarita City Hall Published: The Newhall Signal Los Angeles County Library, Valencia Branch December 22, 2002