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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-11-08 - RESOLUTIONS - DOWNTOWN NEWHALL APPROVAL (2)RESOLUTION NO. 05-132 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING MASTER CASE 05-029 (SPECIFIC PLAN 05-001 AND GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT 05-001) FOR THE DOWNTOWN NEWHALL SPECIFIC PLAN PROJECT IN THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. FINDINGS OF FACT. The City Council does hereby make the following findings of fact: a. An application for Master Case 05-029, the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan, was filed by the project applicant, the City of Santa Clarita, on June 8, 2004. The entitlement requests (collectively, "Entitlements") included: i. Specific Plan 05-001 to reaffirm the vision of past plans for the Downtown Newhall area, to translate the vision to physical terms, and to provide ,^ specific tools and a high level of detail for implementation of physical improvements, including parking. ii. General Plan Amendment 05-001 to modify the existing General Plan land use designations to Specific Plan (SP) and to amend the Circulation Element to change San Fernando Road from a major highway to a local arterial and to change Railroad Avenue from a non Circulation Element road to a secondary highway. iii. Zone Change 05-001 to change the land use designations of the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan site from Residential Suburban, Community Commercial, Residential Moderate, Open Space, Industrial Commercial, and Residential Medium High to Specific Plan. iv. Unified Development Code Amendment to have this Specific Plan supersede the existing Downtown Newhall Special Standards District. V. The Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project site comprises some 536 acres and is approximately 50 blocks of developed areas generally bound by Newhall Creek to the east, 13th Street to the north, Newhall Avenue and William S. Hart Park to the west, and the intersection of Pine Street and San Fernando Road to the south. Resolution No. 05-132 Page 2 b. Build -out of the Specific Plan could take up to 20 to 25 years. With build -out, an increase of 712 residential units and an increase of 300,000 square feet of commercial buildings are anticipated. C. On June 25, 1991, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 91-98, adopting the General Plan of the City of Santa Clarita and certifying the Environmental Impact Report. The City's General Plan presently designates the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project site as Residential Suburban, Community Commercial, Residential Moderate, Open Space, Industrial Commercial and Residential Medium High. d. The majority of the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan site is flat and is developed with residential uses of varying densities and with a commercial corridor fronting San Fernando Road and Lyons Avenue. The project site includes the Janice H. Heidt Metrolink Station. In addition there are industrial, manufacturing and outdoor storage uses in the southwestern portion of the project site. e. In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA"), the City of Santa Clarita is the identified lead agency, and the City Council is the decision- making body, for the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project. The City's Planning Commission is a recommending body for the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project. The City of Santa Clarita prepared an Initial Study for the project, which determined that the project may have a significant effect on the environment and that an environmental impact report must be prepared. The Initial Study determined that the following areas must be addressed in the project Environmental Impact Report ("EIR"): air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, geology/soils/geotechnical, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology/water quality, land use/planning, noise, population/housing, public services, recreation, transportation/traffic and utilities/service systems. f. An initial Notice of Preparation ("NOP") for the Entitlements was circulated to affected agencies, pursuant to CEQA statutes and the CEQA Guidelines (Title 14, Cal. Code of Regs. §§ 15000 et seq.), for thirty days, beginning on February 2, 2005, and comments from agencies and the public were received in response. Agencies that received the NOP include, but are not limited to, the County of Los Angeles, Metrolink, California Department of Transportation, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Southern California Association of Governments, County of Los Angeles, SCOPE, law enforcement agencies, school districts, waste haulers, water agencies and transportation agencies serving the Santa Clarita Valley in accordance with the consultation requirements contained in the CEQA statutes and CEQA Guidelines. g. A scoping meeting was held at the City of Santa Clarita City Hall, on February 17, 2005, to obtain information from the public as to issues that should be addressed in the EIR. Notice of the scoping meeting was published in The Signal newspaper and in excess of 60 agencies, organizations, or persons were Resolution No. 05-132 Page 3 -- notified in advance. Three members of the public attended along with one member of the press. Issues raised were concerns regarding traffic, parking, road improvements, and preservation of historical locations. h. A Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project ("Draft EIR") was prepared and circulated for review and comment by affected governmental agencies and the public, all issues raised by the Initial Study, and by comments received on the NOP and the Revised NOP have been considered, in compliance with CEQA. The Notice of Availability/Notice of Completion for the Draft EIR was filed, posted, and advertised on June 20, 2005, with a public review period through August 3, 2005, in accordance with CEQA. Written comments received prior to and through August 5, 2005, were accepted for inclusion in the Final EIR Responses to Comments. i. The Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project was duly noticed in accordance with the noticing requirements for each of the Entitlements. The project was advertised in The Signal, through on-site posting 14 days prior to the hearing, and by direct first-class mail to property owners within the project area. j. The Planning Commission held duly -noticed public hearings on the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project on June 21, July 19, and August 30, 2005. These _ hearings were held at City Hall, 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Santa Clarita, at 7:00 p.m. The Planning Commission closed the public hearing on August 30, 2005. L On June 21, staff introduced this project to the Planning Commission and. described the Specific Plan's contents, goals and objectives. Staff also provided a brief overview of the DEIR contents and process. This meeting was continued to Tuesday, July 19. ii. On July 19, staff provided the Planning Commission with a detailed summary of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and with a presentation on the project's traffic study. The Planning Commission received public testimony and discussed project issues with staff. iii. On August 30, staff provided the Planning Commission with the Final EIR which included the Response to Comments and discussed Planning Commission and public issues/concerns. The Planning Commission closed the public hearing and adopted a resolution with recommendation of project approval to the City Council. k. The City Council held duly -noticed public meetings on the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project on September 13, October 25, and November 8, 2005. These hearings were held at City Hall, 23920 Valencia Boulevard, Santa Clarita, at 6:00 p.m. Resolution No. 05-132 Page 4 i. On September 13, 2005, this project was introduced to the City Council. At that meeting, the City Council opened the public hearing, received presentations from staff and the consultant, took testimony from the public, closed the public hearing, and directed staff to return to the Council meeting on October 25 with a resolution of project approval, a resolution to certify the Environmental Impact Report, adopt the Statement of Overriding Conditions and adopt the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and to introduce an ordinance to enact the zone change and the UDC amendment. ii. On October 25, 2005, the City Council continued this item as Unfinished Business to November 8, 2005. iii. On November 8, 2005, through three separate actions, the City Council: • Adopted a resolution approving the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan; • Adopted a resolution certifying the project's Environmental Impact Report which included a Statement of Overriding Conditions and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; and • Introduced an ordinance to enact the proposed zone change and UDC Amendment, and passed the ordinance to a second reading on November 22, 2005. The Final EIR, on file in the Planning Division and incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit `B," includes the Draft EIR, comments on the Draft EIR, responses to written comments on the Draft EIR and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program. The Final EIR was presented to the Council on September 13, 2005. On or before August 20, 2005, a copy of the responses to comments from the Final EIR was sent to each agency and individuals who submitted timely comments on the Draft EIR. The City Council has considered the Final EIR prepared for the project, as well as information provided in staff reports, the amended text of the Final EIR, and information presented in public testimony, including letters submitted to the Planning Commission and City Council following the close of the Draft EIR public comment period up to, and including, August 30, 2005, prior to approval of the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project. i. The Final EIR, Response to Comments, Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the project have been prepared and circulated in compliance with CEQA. ii. The Planning Commission recommended that the City Council adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations for those impacts of the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project that cannot be mitigated to less Resolution No. 05-132 Page 5 than significant levels, and has recommended certification of the Final EIR by Resolution No. P05-34, adopted August 30, 2005. iii. At its hearings on the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project, listed above, the City Council considered staff and consultant presentations, staff reports, information presented to the Council to assist its understanding of the project, the DEIR, and public comments, and public testimony on the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project and the Final EIR for the project. Based upon staff and consultant presentations, staff reports, public comments and testimony, the City Council finds that the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan will not adversely affect the health, peace, comfort, or welfare of persons residing in the area; nor will the project be materially detrimental to the use, enjoyment, or valuation of property in the vicinity of the project site; nor will the project jeopardize, endanger or otherwise constitute a menace to the public health, safety, or general welfare since the project is compatible with surrounding land uses. The project anticipates the extension of all utilities and services to the plan area as necessary. Currently, all required utilities and services are available at locations adjacent to and within the project site. iv. The location of the documents and other materials which constitute the record of proceeding upon which the decision of the City Council is based on the Master Case 05-029 project file within the Community Development Department and is in the custody of the Director of Community Development. in. Following approval of Zone Change 05-001 to Specific Plan (SP) the project is consistent with SP zoning designations on the project site. n. The Downtown Newhall Specific Plan EIR documents the project's consistency with the objectives of the Unified Development Code, the General Plan and development policies of the City of Santa Clarita. SECTION 2. GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT AND SPECIFIC PLAN FINDINGS. Based on the above findings of fact and recitals and the entire record, including, without limitation, the entire Downtown Newhall Specific Plan Project EJR, oral and written testimony and other evidence received at the public hearings held on the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan Project and the project EIR, reports and other transmittals from City staff to the City Council, and upon studies and investigations made by the City Council and on its behalf, the City Council finds as follows: a. Following approval of General Plan Amendment 05-001 to the Land Use Element Land Use Map, the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project is consistent with the General Plan Specific Plan (SP) designation for the project site and that the Resolution No. 05-132 Page 6 proposed change is consistent with the objectives of the Unified Development Code, the General Plan and development policies of the City. Furthermore, approval of General Plan Amendment 05-001, the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project is consistent with the City's Circulation Element of the General Plan as San Fernando Road will change its designation from a major highway to serve as a collector between two major highways and Railroad Avenue will change its designation from a non -Circulation Element road to a secondary highway as documented in the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan project EIR containing a detailed analysis documenting the project's consistency with the City's General Plan. b. The Downtown Newhall Specific Plan will establish the vision, objectives, policies, zoning, development standards and implementation measures for the project area and it will be consistent with the objectives of the Unified Development Code, the General Plan and development policies of the City of Santa Clarita. SECTION 3. The City Council hereby approves the following Entitlements requested under Master Case 05-029: Specific Plan 05-001 (to reaffirm the vision of past plans for the area, to translate the vision to physical terms and to provide specific tools and a high level of detail for implementation of physical improvements, including parking); General Plan Amendment 05-001 (to modify the existing General Plan land use designations to Specific Plan (SP) and to amend the Circulation Element to change San Fernando Road from a major highway to a local arterial and to change Railroad Avenue from a non Circulation Element road to a major highway). SECTION 4. The City Clerk shall certify the adoption of this Resolution and certify this record to be a full, complete, and correct copy of the action taken. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 81 day of November, 2005. MAYOR ATTEST: CITY CLERK Resolution No. 05-132 Page 7' -- STATE OF CALlFer+NIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss. CITY OF SANTA CLARTTA ) I, Sharon L. Dawson, CMC, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita at a regular meeting thereof, held on the 8`s day of November, 2005, by the following vote: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Kellar, Ferry, McLean, Smyth NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None DISQUALIFIED: COUNCILMEMBERS: Weste ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None t-91., CITY CLERK STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss. CITY OF SANTA CLARITA ) CERTIFICATION OF CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION I, Sharon L. Dawson, City Clerk of the City of Santa Clarita, do hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of the original Resolution No. 05-132, adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita, California on November 8, 2005, which is now on file in my office. Witness my hand and seal of the City of Santa Clarita, California, this _ day of 20_• Sharon L. Dawson, CMC City Clerk By Susan Coffman Deputy City Clerk