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Home My WebLink About2006-01-10 - AGENDA REPORTS - NEWHALL RANCH HIGH COUNTRY JPA (2)Agenda Item: _ CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT CONSENT CALENDAR City Manager Approval: Item to be presented by: DATE: January 10, 2006 SUBJECT: REVISION OF NEWHALL RANCH HIGH COUNTRY RECREATION AND CONSERVATION JOINT POWER AGREEMENT (JPA) DEPARTMENT: Parks, Recreation, and Community Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council approve the revised Newhall Ranch High Country Recreation and Conservation Authority Joint Powers Agreement (JPA). BACKGROUND In 1993, the City of Santa Clarita and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) entered into a joint powers agreement with the specific interest of open space acquisition and preservation of land in near proximity to these agencies. The joint powers agency was called the Santa Clarita Watershed and Recreation Conservation Authority (SCWRCA) and was vested with acquiring, conserving, and developing park land and open space in the Santa Clarita Valley. The JPA representatives consist of four board members, two appointed by the SMMC and two appointed by the City. The City Council has appointed the City Manager and the Director of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services as its representatives to SCWRCA. Since its inception, SCWRCA has worked closely with SMMC on a variety of open space projects including the purchase of the Rivendale Ranch, Santa Clarita Woodlands Park, Mentryville, and most recently on the acquisition of Whitney Canyon Park, the first joint property holding for the JPA. In 1998, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors required, as part of the approval of the Newhall Ranch project, that approximately 6,000 acres of open space within the project area be APP' i dedicated as open space and that "a method for insuring meaningful local participation in management of the property" be included. Subsequent to the Board action, the SCWRCA Board reviewed the County requirement and discussed amending the JPA to allow for additional members from the unincorporated areas to provide oversight of the management of the new open space. The SCWRCA Board heard this item on August 19, 1998, and approved adding additional members to reflect the Newhall High Country at such time as the land was transferred. Also, during the approvals for the Westridge project, an additional 140 acres of oak woodland was added to the scope of the unincorporated member's oversight. As the Newhall Ranch project moved forward toward final approvals and as the Westridge project began construction, staff from SMMC, the County, and the City began discussions on the JPA and the types of amendments necessary to the JPA to ensure this new open space was managed to expectations. During the initial discussions that began in 2003, the County of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation Department proposed an alternative to the expansion of SCWRCA. Primarily, the reasons to form a new JPA were technical and dealt with fiscal controls and procedural issues. As envisioned, the new JPA, titled the Newhall Ranch High Country Recreation and Conservation Authority (NRHCRCA), would be charged with management and conservation oversight of the open space dedication. Staffs from the County, the City, SMMC, and Newhall Land as the land owner agreed to the provisions of the JPA. In order to provide consistency with Santa Clarita Valley open space issues, the new JPA would incorporate the existing four board members of SCWRCA into its structure and combine them with four members appointed by the County. The membership make-up is more specifically defined in the attached Agreement (Attachment A). The parties intend that the two JPA's, (SCWRCA and NRHCWRCA) would meet concurrently or back to back to facilitate discussions. The new JPA would focus only on the Newhall Ranch and Westridge open space and would not vote on SCWRCA-related issues. On September 2, 2004, the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission considered this item and recommended that the City Council enter into the JPA with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the County of Los Angeles to oversee the Newhall High Country Open Space and Westridge. Subsequent to the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission action, on September 28, 2004, the City Council approved the JPA. Once approved, the JPA was forwarded to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for adoption. At the request of Supervisor Antonovich, several revisions were made to the agreement and all parties have now agreed to the attached document. Staff does not believe these changes are substantive. The main changes and revisions reflect Supervisor Antonovich's desire to make appointments to the JPA Board, rather than the entire Board of Supervisors, as the High Country is entirely within his district. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS Not support the JPA. Other action as determined by City Council. FISCAL DAPACT The new JPA commits the parties to not more than $1,000 each fiscal year, which is available in Account Number 7330-8014. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A - Proposed NRHCWRCA Agreement EXHIBIT A COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES OFFICE OF THE COUNTY COUNSEL V••1 BAS KENNETH MAMN MALL OF ADMINISTRATION $00 WEST TEMPLE STREET LOS ANGELES. CALIFORNIA 90012-2713 TELEPHONE (213) 9741921 LLOYD W. PELLMAN. COUNTY COUNSEL May 11, 1999 - TELECOPIER (213)617-7182 Syn. No. 23 3/23/99 The Honorable Board of Supervisors County of Los Angeles 383 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration 500 West Temple Street Los Angeles, California 90012 Dear Supervisors: VESTING TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NUMBER 45433(5) FIFTH SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT/ 3 -VOTE MATTER Your Board recently conducted an appeal hearing on the Planning Commission's approval of the above subdivision which is proposed in connection with the development of a mixed use project known as Westridge in the Newhall Zoned District. At the conclusion of the hearing your Board indicated an intent to approve the subdivision with revised conditions and instructed us to prepare the appropriate documents for your final approval. Attached are the necessary findings and conditions to implement your intended approval. Very truly yours, LLOYD W. PELLMAN County Counsel By �`��l/ •lir/��% (CHARD D. WEISS Principal Deputy County Counsel AP VEDA RELEASED: LLOY LLMAN County Counsel RDW:rw Attachments A:1TT454331TR required paving in addition to footings for walls and planters or other obstructions. 28 Constructor bond with the Department of Public Works for drivewa avin on I to flag lots of 15 feet on driveways serving 1 dwelling unit; 20 feet on driveways serving 2 dwelling units and on driveways serving a single dwelling unit and the distance from the street to the pad is 150,feet or more; and 24 feet on driveways serving 3 or more dwelling units. 29. Construct or bond with .the Department of Public Works for paving of 36 feet in width for the common driveway (Lot 882) serving Lots 330-334. 30. Include the open space area adjacent to "S" Street in Lot 882. 31. Dedicate to the County the right.to prohibit the construction of residential and other buildings and structures over the portions of Lots 723 through 729 that are within SEA 64. 32. Grant an easement for management of biological resources, public recreation and education to the entity that will manage the oak tree habitat over the portions of Lots 723-729 that are within SEA 64. LOT 835 (Recreation), LOT 836 (School), LOT 837 (Park), LOTS 838-846, (Golf Course), LOTS 847-870, 881-882 (Open Space) and LOT 880 (CLWA - reclaimed water tank site). 33. Dedicate residential construction rights over Lots 835, 837, 838-846, 847-879, 880 and 881-882. 34. Provide for the ownership and maintenance of the open space lots (with the exception of Lots 872 and 874) and recreation lot by the homeowners' association. 35. Offer to dedicate'Lots 872 and 874 to a Joint Powers Authodty,(JPA) consisting of the County of Los Angeles (4 members), the City of Santa Clarita (2 members), and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (2 members). Such 6 offer shall be made upon the earlier of the following events: 1) The completion of mitigation monitoring activities required under the project's Resource Management and Monitoring Plan; or 2) three years after conclusion of mass grading. Such dedication shall be consistent with the conditions of mass grading. Such dedication shall be consistent with the conditions of the conditional use permit (CUP No. 87-222(5)). 36. Permission is granted to adjust the lot line between Lots 870 and 872 in order to transfer the graded down-slope adjacent to tots 711 and 713 from Lot 872 to 870 to the satisfaction of the Department of Regional Planning. 37. Dedicate Lots 836 and 837 to a public agency and dedicate Lot 880 to a public agency or to a non-profit conservation organization to the satisfaction of the Department of Regional Planning. 38. 'Permission is ,granted to create additionalopen space lots to the satisfaction of the Department of Regional Planning, provided each such lot is numbered on the final map and a minimum of 15 feet of access is provided to each lot. 39. Process a lot line adjustment to include the off-site portion of Lot 836 prior to final map recordation; or by other acceptable means. 40. On Lot 838 (golf course clubhouse), show all driveways designated by the Fire Department as a fire lane on the final map, or on a plat to record as a separate instrument concurrently with the final map, and label each such driveway as a "Private Driveway -Fire Lane." 41. Any joint use agreement proposed between the school site (Lot 836) and the neighborhood park site (Lot 837) shall be to the satisfaction_ of the Director of Parks and Recreation. LOTS 730-738 (Apartment project for 523 dwelling units) 42: Construct or bond with the Department of Public Works for driveway paving, a minimum of 28 feet in width. 7 s � a 7 W .21 .2 Ng S N ... i. .. ti..a .. '�r5a 1?Fo.�.. apO�S O a