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PC20-491 RESOLUTION NO. PC 20-____ A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MENIFEE RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. 2016-287, WHICH AMENDS THE GENERAL PLAN LAND USE DESIGNATION OF 79.68 ACRES ON THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF BRIGGS ROAD AND OLD NEWPORT ROAD/ROCKPORT ROAD FROM AGRICULTURE (AG) TO SPECIFIC PLAN (SP) Whereas, on December 15, 2016, the applicant, the Abacherli Family Trust, filed a formal application with the City of Menifee for the approval of General Plan Amendment No. 2016-287 (“Project”) to amend the General Plan land use designation of 79.68 acres on the southwest corner of Briggs Road and Old Newport Road/Rockport Road (APNs 364-190-005 and -004) from Agriculture (AG) to Specific Plan (SP); and Whereas, the application for General Plan Amendment No. 2016-287 is being processed concurrently with Change of Zone No. 2016-288 to change the zoning classification of the site from Agriculture (AG) to Specific Plan (SP), Specific Plan No. 2016-286 to establish a Specific Plan on the property, and Tentative Tract Map No. 2016- 285 (TR 37131) to subdivide 79.68 acres into 305 residential lots; and, Whereas, on April 22, 2020, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing on General Plan Amendment No. 2016-287, considered all public testimony as well as all materials in the staff report and accompanying documents, which hearing was publicly noticed by a publication in the Press Enterprise, a newspaper of general circulation, an agenda posting, and notice to property owners within 500 feet of the Project boundaries and to the entire Tierra Shores residential neighborhood to the north as well as to persons requesting public notice; and NOW, THEREFORE, the Planning Commission of the City of Menifee resolves as follows: Section 1: Consistency with the General Plan. The amendment is consistent with the intent of the vision, goals and policies of the General Plan as a whole. Consistency with General Plan The current General Plan land use designation of the site is Agriculture AG with a zoning classification of Agriculture (AG) (formerly Heavy Agriculture – 10 Acre Minimum [A-2-10] prior to adoption of the City’s new Zoning Map), which permits heavy agricultural uses. The project includes a General Plan Amendment to change the land use from AG to Specific Plan, as well as a Change of Zone to modify the zoning from AG to Specific Plan. The Project proposes a suburban residential development which constitutes an appropriate transition from the agricultural uses and open space to the east in unincorporated Riverside County and the Wilderness Lakes RV Resort to the south, toward suburban residential uses to the north and west. The Project would be a continuation of the development pattern to the north and to the west, and represents a logical stopping point for suburban style development within the City. The Project is also proposing a zoning classification of Specific Plan (SP). The proposed non-agricultural General Plan Land Use designation and zoning classifications were not anticipated DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E 491 Page 2 of 9 General Plan Amendment No 2016-287 April 22, 2020 or analyzed in the General Plan EIR. The Project site is surrounded to the south, north and west by similar style residential and recreational development in terms of scale and intensity. The proposed General Plan Amendment to Specific Plan, and the associated Rockport Ranch Specific Plan would provide land uses, development standards and design guidelines that implement the goals and policies of the General Plan, including providing a range of homeownership opportunities, concentrating growth in strategic locations near transportation options, providing well-designed transitions between land uses, supporting multimodal transportation opportunities. The General Plan Amendment in conjunction with the associated Rockport Ranch Specific Plan will address community planning goals and design elements for residential and recreational uses. Two main residential land uses are proposed within the General Plan area: a courtyard residential product and larger traditional single-family homes. The pond areas in the southern portion of the Plan area will be reconfigured into a large lake area and utilized as storm water basins during rain events for flood protection of the site. Landscape design was carefully considered to buffer the area Plan area from land uses to the east while maintaining a sense of residential transition from the neighborhood to the west and the RV park to the south. Offsite improvements should help to connect existing neighborhoods with the Plan area. The project is compatible with surrounding land uses. In addition, the General Plan Amendment is consistent with the following City of Menifee General Plan policies: Land Use  Policy LU-1.1: Concentrate growth in strategic locations to help preserve rural areas, create place and identity, provide infrastructure efficiently, and foster the use of transit options. The General Plan Amendment area is adjacent to existing residential and recreational land uses along Old Newport Road and Briggs Road. Residential land uses are sited to the north and west. County agricultural land is located to the east across Briggs Road, and an RV park is located to the south. Therefore, the General Plan Amendment would concentrate growth in a strategic location, continue the residential development that is already existing immediately to the west and north to a logical edge (Briggs Road).  Policy LU-1.2: Provide a spectrum of housing types and price ranges that match the jobs in the city and make it possible for people to live and work in Menifee and maintain a high quality of life. The General Plan Amendment, which proposes to designate the project site as Specific Plan, in conjunction with the Specific Plan itself, allows for two main residential land uses within the General Plan area; a courtyard residential product and traditional single-family homes. DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E Page 3 of 9 General Plan Amendment No 2016-287 April 22, 2020 These uses include a variety of lot sizes, which offer choices for homebuyers in different income levels. The smaller courtyard residential product can accommodate new homebuyers in the lower end of economic spectrum, while lots ranging from 5,000 minimum sf to 7,000 minimum sf can accommodate a range of income levels. This mix of unit sizes and types diversifies the General Plan area and creates a sense of community, where people from all ends of the spectrum can afford to live in an attractive neighborhood. Therefore, the project provides a range of homeownership opportunities that allow potential residents to be able to afford to live and work in Menifee.  LU-1.6 Coordinate land use, infrastructure, and transportation planning and analysis with regional, county, and other local agencies to further regional and sub-regional goals for jobs-housing balance. The proposed General Plan Amendment facilitate new residential development that contributes to regional housing needs. However, the coordination necessary to meet this goal lies with the broader collaboration of the City of Menifee’s land use planning and coordination with regional agencies.  LU-1.7 Ensure neighborhood amenities and public facilities (natural open space areas, parks, libraries, schools, trails, etc.) are distributed equitably throughout the City. The proposed General Plan Amendment facilitates residential development that will contribute fees in compliance with the Quimby Act, the city’s park fee ordinance, and the City’s Development Impact Fee ordinance and will contribute school fees to Menifee Union School District and Perris Union High School District. The city can then use those fees to acquire and/or build public facilities throughout the city in compliance with this General Plan goal.  LU-3.2 Work with utility providers to increase service capacity as demand increases. Appropriate capacity is available for the project area. As part of the Community Development Department’s typical entitlement review process, the project was provided to and reviewed by the applicable utility purveyors. Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) provided a “will serve letter” dated March 12, 2018 for water and sewer services.  LU-3.4 Require that approval of new development be contingent upon the project’s ability to secure appropriate infrastructure services. Developers of the project area have secured service availability confirmation and agreed to offsite improvements for infrastructure services. Rockport Ranch will provide offsite improvements to Briggs Road, Old Newport Road, and Tres Lagos Drive. The project is also required to pay their fair share toward offsite improvements at the intersection of Menifee Road and Newport Road and the intersection of DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E Page 4 of 9 General Plan Amendment No 2016-287 April 22, 2020 Briggs Road and Holland Road. These payments would satisfy their fair share contribution to the city’s infrastructure improvements.  Policy C-1.2 Require development to mitigate its traffic impacts and achieve a peak hour Level of Service (LOS) D or better at intersections, except at constrained intersections at close proximity to the I-215 where LOS E may be permitted. The development will mitigate its traffic impacts as required by findings within the EIR prepared concurrently with the General Plan Amendment. Traffic related mitigation measures are included within the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, which is an attachment to the EIR resolution.  Policy C-1.3 Work with Caltrans, RCTC, and others to identify, fund, and implement needed improvements to roadways identified in the citywide roadway network. Developers of the project area provide offsite improvements to Briggs Road, Old Newport Road, and Tres Lagos Drive. The project is also required to pay their fair share toward offsite improvements at the intersection of Menifee Road and Newport Road and the intersection of Briggs Road and Holland Road.  Policy C-1.5 Minimize idling times and vehicle miles traveled to conserve resources, protect air quality, and limit greenhouse gas emissions. The General Plan Amendment area is close to Newport Road/Domenigoni Parkway and I-215. The proximity of both roadways will reduce the miles travelled and idle times for vehicle trips generated within the Amendment area. Additionally, fair-share contributions and/or mitigation requirements will be used to offset idling at key areas identified in the EIR.  Policy OSC-1.2 Require a minimum of 5 acres of public open space be provided for every 1,000 city residents. Developers of the Rockport Ranch Specific Plan will pay fees according to the City of Menifee’s Municipal Code and Quimby resolution setting the amount of Quimby Fees, or as subsequently amended thereafter.  Policy OSC-6.1 Protect both existing farms and sensitive uses around them as agricultural acres transition to more developed land uses. The proposed project is located on the site of a former operational dairy. The existing site is not located within an agricultural preserve, nor is the site under a Williamson Act contract. Exhibit OSC-5 of the City of Menifee General Plan, Open Space Element shows the existing agricultural land use as an infill site surrounded by residential and recreational land uses to the north, south, and west. The transition to DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E Page 5 of 9 General Plan Amendment No 2016-287 April 22, 2020 the proposed Specific Plan zoning, which includes residential and open space land uses will be a more appropriate use of the land and is consistent with the existing land uses to the north, south, and west. Therefore, the proposed transition to General Plan Amendment area for residential and open space land uses does not conflict with this policy.  Policy ED-3.1 Incorporate short-term and long-term economic and fiscal implications of proposed actions into decision making. Refer to response under Policy 3.3 below.  Policy ED-3.2 Establish a land use plan that is fiscally sustainable at buildout, because different land uses provide different fiscal balances (revenues in excess of the costs required to provide public facilities and services). Refer to response under Policy 3.3 below.  Policy ED-3.3 Utilize the following parameters on general plan amendments that are not part of a City-initiated comprehensive amendment or update: …The City may require a fiscal impact analysis and mitigation of any negative fiscal impacts for any requested general plan amendment uses. The change in land use proposed under this project required the completion of a Fiscal Impact Analysis (FIA). The FIA concluded that the annual recurring revenues to the City’s General Fund at project build-out would equal $362,875 compared to recurring fiscal costs of $310,933, a net benefit of approximately $51,942. However, based upon the City’s review of the FIA, the City determined there would be a shortfall of revenue. The FIA Review evaluated the cost per capita assuming a full building-out scenario and determined the proportionate share associated to the development of new residential properties. The report translates to ($479) for each newly developed detached single- family residential and ($354) per multi-family residential unit needed to mitigate future impacts. Given this net negative impact, the developer is required (per the Project’s Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and Conditions of Approval) to establish a funding mechanism, such as payment of an in-lieu fee, to mitigate its impact to the City’s General Fund. Consistency with Community Design Element. Although the Community Design Element section of the City of Menifee General Plan is optional, the Rockport Ranch General Plan Amendment is consistent with the Element. The Community Design Element seeks to establish a level of quality in the built environment for a visually pleasing living experience. It is for those reasons the Community Design Elements were crafted. Goals CD-1: Community Image, CD-2: Rural Design, CD-3: Design Quality, CD-4: Corridors and Scenic Resources, CD-5: Economic DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E Page 6 of 9 General Plan Amendment No 2016-287 April 22, 2020 Development Corridor Design, and CD-6: Community Design Features form the core vision of the look and feel for the City of Menifee. Design of the project area considered the past uses of the site and created a development with a distinct visual character. Architecture was selected for its unique and attractive facade and utilized several different home styles and types to give the neighborhood a varied appearance. Landscaped open spaces were designed to blend the architecture into the built community environment thereby creating a sense of place. Landscaped greenways were designed to give public roads a pleasant view as residents traverse through the Plan area. Consistency with Housing Element. Housing Element has identified sites within the General Plan Amendment area that meet the City’s affordable housing sites under the RHNA. Section 65863 of the Government Code prohibits cities from allowing their inventory of available sites to be insufficient to meet their remaining unmet RHNA share for lower and moderate-income housing. California Government Code Section 65863 requires cities to make certain findings that the remaining housing element sites can accommodate the RHNA requirements by income level. The Menifee Housing Element states that General Plan designations in the range of 20.1-24.0 dwelling units/acre can be used to meet the City’s Very Low- and Low-income requirement of 2,495 units. The City has designated a number of parcels with that residential density to both vacant land and under-utilized sites in Romoland towards meeting the Very Low and Low RHNA numbers for 2014-2021. All these parcels provide for a total 3,063 potential units thereby exceeding the RHNA criteria by 568 units. Implementation of the Project would not conflict with the City’s ability to meet the affordable housing requirements due to the extra capacity of potential sites in the City of Menifee. The Housing Element assumes no residential units on the Project site as it is zoned for Heavy Agriculture. The Project would develop 305 single-family residences and would not demolish existing housing. Thus, implementation of the Project would not conflict with the City’s ability to meet the affordable housing sites as identified in the Housing Element. The Project would be consistent with or otherwise would not conflict with any of the adopted Housing Goals. Additionally, the Project would provide 305 residential homes on lot sizes ranging from multifamily-type courtyard to 5,000 sf to 7,500 sf in size, which would assist the City in meeting its share of the Moderate and Above Moderate regional housing need. The mix of single-family homes and courtyard residential, with each type located in clusters of similar minimum lot sizes, equates to a Plan area total of Medium Density Residential (MDR), 2.1-5 dwelling units (DU)/acre. This Amendment must incorporate or otherwise not hinder the following Housing Element goals HE-1: Housing Diversity, HE-2: Neighborhood Quality, HE-3: Housing Assistance. To achieve these goals the development plan for Rockport Ranch will include a variety of unit styles, unit bedroom counts, home square footages, and lot sizes that offer a range of economic opportunities to potential home buyers. An assortment of single-family homes and single- DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E Page 7 of 9 General Plan Amendment No 2016-287 April 22, 2020 family courtyard homes are included in the Plan area to increase the homeownership opportunities for all income levels and to help satisfy the requirements included within the Housing Element. For these reasons, the General Plan Amendment is consistent with the City’s General Plan objectives, policies, and programs. Section 2: The General Plan Amendment prescribes reasonable controls and standards for affected land uses to ensure compatibility and integrity of those uses with other established uses. The Project site is bounded as follows: Old Newport Road and Tierra Shores single-family residential development to the north; Wilderness Lakes RV Resort to the south; The Lakes residential development to the west; and Briggs Road, Ramona Egg Ranch, and agricultural fields to the east. The proposed General Plan Amendment is compatible with the surrounding land uses. A General Plan Amendment and Change of Zone will be needed for the Project to be consistent with land use designations and zoning classifications. The Land Use Plan of the General Plan was designed to ensure compatibility of proposed land uses with other established uses. The project places residential uses adjacent to the existing residences and recreational uses surrounding the site. The lot sizes and development standards of the Specific Plan are consistent with surrounding existing residential developments. The height, colors, materials, and development fabric are consistent with the surrounding development to the north, west and, somewhat to the south. The Project will contrast with the rural agricultural uses to the east in terms of the development fabric. When placed in the context of the development to the north, west, and south, and utilizing Briggs Road as an “urban growth limit” of the City, the Project is appropriate in its location. The Project will provide enhanced landscaping along roads that border the Project, including Old Newport Road, Briggs Road, Tres Lagos Road, and Laguna Vista Drive, including new entryway monuments, masonry walls, and plants suited to local soils and climate. Trails in the Plan area have been designed to link the community to the adjacent streets outside of the General Plan area with two access points connecting to Briggs Road, one access point to Old Newport Road, and one access point to Tres Lagos Drive. In addition, the lighting plans will be reviewed to ensure shielding and acceptable light levels at these adjacent uses. The Land Use Plan of the General Plan was designed to ensure compatibility of proposed land uses with other established uses. The project places residential parcels adjacent to the existing residences surrounding the site. The lot sizes and development standards of the general plan area and incorporated into the tentative tract map design are consistent with surrounding existing residential developments. Therefore, the General Plan Amendment prescribes reasonable controls and standards for affected land uses to ensure compatibility and integrity of those uses with other established uses. while protecting environmentally sensitive land uses and species. DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E Page 8 of 9 General Plan Amendment No 2016-287 April 22, 2020 Section 3: The General Plan Amendment provides for the protection of the health, safety, and/or general welfare of the community. The Amendment will not result in conditions detrimental to the public health, safety, or general welfare as proposed. The associated entitlements have been reviewed and conditioned by the City of Menifee Community Development, Engineering, Building and Safety and Fire Departments to ensure that it will not create conditions materially detrimental to the surrounding uses. Conditions of approval for those concurrent entitlements include substantial landscaping, park, and other amenities to support the proposed residential component, roadway improvements, a network of Class II and III bike lanes/routes, fire infrastructure, and drainage improvements that will benefit the project site and surrounding areas. In addition, environmental impacts resulting from the implementation of the General Plan Amendment have been analyzed in the EIR. The EIR determined that potential impacts would all be less than significant with the necessary mitigation incorporated, except for significant and unavoidable impacts to Air Quality. A Statement of Overriding Considerations is included for the EIR stating that the impacts of the project are acceptable and outweighed by the benefits of the project. Except Air Quality, the proposed entitlements are not anticipated to create conditions materially detrimental to the public health, safety and general welfare or injurious to or incompatible with other properties or land uses in the project vicinity. Section 4: Compliance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). An EIR has been completed for the project and recommended for certification by the City Council pursuant to a separate Resolution. The General Plan Amendment is consistent with the EIR, which the Planning Commission has considered as part of its proceedings. In addition, environmental impacts resulting from the implementation of the Change of Zone have been analyzed in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR determined that potential impacts would all be less than significant with the necessary mitigation incorporated, except for significant and unavoidable impacts to Air Quality. A Statement of Overriding Considerations is included for the EIR stating that the impacts of the project are acceptable and outweighed by the benefits of the project. With the exception of the environmental category of Air Quality, the proposed entitlements are not anticipated to create conditions materially detrimental to the public health, safety and general welfare or injurious to or incompatible with other properties or land uses in the project vicinity. NOW THEREFORE, the Planning Commission of the City of Menifee hereby recommends to the City Council the following: 1. That the City Council determine that the “Findings” set out above are true and correct. DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E Page 9 of 9 General Plan Amendment No 2016-287 April 22, 2020 2. That the City Council finds that the facts presented within the public record and within the Planning Commission Resolution provide the basis to approve General Plan Amendment No. 2016-287, and that the Council approve said Amendment. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this the 22nd day of APRIL 2020. _________________________ Randy Madrid, Chairman Attest: _______________________________ Stephanie Roseen, Deputy City Clerk Approved as to form: ______________________________ Ajit Thind, Assistant City Attorney DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E LEGEND ROCKPORT RANCH - MENIFEE, CA GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT EXHIBIT PROPERTY BOUNDARY EXISTING RIGHT OF WAYGENERAL PLAN LAND USEDESIGNATION = OS-WA PORTION OF THE EAST HALF OF THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF SECTION 1, TOWNSHIP 6 SOUTH, RANGE 3 WEST, IN THE CITY OF MENIFEE, COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, SAN BERNARDINO BASE AND MERIDIAN EXCEL ENGINEERING 440 STATE PLACE ESCONDIDO, CA 92029 PHONE (760) 745-8118 FAX (760) 745-1890 364-190-004, 005 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE (PREVIOUSLY WAS AN OPERATING DAIRY FARM) THE ABACHERLI FAMILY TRUST 29875 NEWPORT ROAD MENIFEE, CA 92584 DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss CITY OF MENIFEE ) I, Stephanie Roseen, Deputy City Clerk of the City of Menifee, do hereby certify that the foregoing Planning Commission Resolution No. PC20- was duly adopted by the Planning Commission of the City of Menifee at a meeting thereof held on the 22 day of April 2020 by the following vote: Ayes: Noes: Absent: Abstain: _______________________________ Stephanie Roseen, CMC Deputy City Clerk DocuSign Envelope ID: 3FCEABF0-645A-4E66-91E0-15AC2EAB5C0E 491 Diederich, Karwin, Phillips, Thomas, Madrid None None None