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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Statement 1987/07/28 Item 12a,c COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item 12a Meeting Date 7/28/87 ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing: GPA-87-1 - Consideration of an amendment to the Land Use Element of the General Plan designating approximately 150 acres, located on the westerly side of Otay Valley Road and south of the Otay River, from "Low Density Residential " to "Research & Limited Industrial " Resolution /.3///9-1 Approving GPA-87-1 for the designation of approximately 150 acres "Research & Limited Industrial " SUBMITTED BY: Director of Planning 6 REVIEWED BY: City Manager c� (4/5ths Vote: Yes No X ) The subject 150 acres of land is part of a 225 acre area recently annexed to the City of Chula Vista from the City of San Diego in September 1986. In February 1986, in anticipation of the annexation, the Chula Vista General Plan Land Use Element was amended by designating land use for the area to the south of the Otay River, between I-805 and the north-south course of Otay Valley Road (Heritage Road) . The land use included "Low & Medium Density Residential " and "Parks & Public Open Space" in approximately the same configuration as the land use designated on the City of San Diego' s "Otay Mesa Community Plan." (Please see Exhibit "A". ) ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The Planning Commission, on June 24, 1987, certified that the Environmental Impact Report, EIR-87-2, for the proposed project, was prepared in accordance with CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines. RECOMMENDATION: That Council approve GPA-87-1 . PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION: Approval of GPA-87-1 . DISCUSSION: City Planning Survey 1 . The applicant, the Otay Rio Business Park, requests an amendment to the General Plan which would change the land use designation of the westerly 150 acres of "Low Density Residential " (1 to 3 DU's/acre) adjacent to the north-south segment of Otay Valley Road to "Research & Limited Industrial ". This territory is situated between the toe of the north facing slopes of the Otay Valley and the 100 year floodplain line of the Otay River. (Please see Exhibit "B". ) An accompanying rezoning request, PCZ-87-11 , is a following agenda item. The approval of the proposed General Plan Amendment is prerequisite to the substantive consideration of the said rezoning request. Page 2, Item 12a Meeting Date-7/28/87 2. Existing Site Characteristics The subject territory is partially within the floodway and floodplain of the Otay River. The land has been used for agricultural purposes, and there are currently two single family dwellings on the property, which are proposed for removal upon development of site. 3. Adjacent General Plan Designations As indicated earlier, the subject 150 acres is designated "Low Density Residential " (1 to 3 dwelling units per acre). The adjacent designations are as follows: North: "Parks & Public Open Space (Otay River)" South: "Parks & Public Open Space and Medium Density Residential " (4-12 dwellings per acre) East: City of San Diego' s Otay Mesa Community Plan "Agriculture, Very Low Residential " (0-5 dwellings per acre) and Open Space West: "Low Density Residential " (1-3 dwellings per acre) and "Parks & Public Open Space" 4. Adjacent Zoning and Land Use The subject territory is zoned A-8 (Agricultural , 8 acres minimum) which is regarded as a holding zone. The zoning and land use classification of adjacent lands are embodied in the following table. North F-1 - Vacant South A-8 - Vacant (Slopes) East A-1 -10 (S.D. ) - Vacant West A-1 -10 (S.D. ) - Vacant DISCUSSION: Analysis 1 . The proposed redesignation would increase the Chula Vista Planning Area's potential industrial territory by about 150 acres, and would foster the expansion of the industrial complex which is currently developing within the successful Otay Valley Road Project Area. 2. The redesignation would also improve Chula Vista' s competitive position with respect to industrial development within the South Bay Subregion. This improvement could provide in-town employment opportunities for the rapidly-growing population of Chula Vista, and materially increase this municipality's tax revenues. Page 3, Item 12a Meeting Date-7T2T37B7 3. While the eventual industrialization of the lands in question will require the substantial improvement and widening of Otay Valley and Heritage Roads, the residential development of these lands could necessitate similar improvement and widening. 4. The proposed "Research & Limited Industrial " designation calls for the development of light and limited types of industrial land use. The adroit application of development controls, urban-design guidelines, buffering, and performance standards could assure the compatibility of these authorized industrial land uses with the proposed residential development of the City of San Diego's adjacent and adjoining territories. This application could also protect the City of Chula Vista's interest in the establishment of a regional open space preserve along the Otay River. Conclusion The proposed General Plan amendment could improve the economic, fiscal , and employment conditions of Chula Vista, without compromising the quality of its environment, or the order and amenity of its urban pattern. FISCAL IMPACT: None. WPC 4024P by h^ `n % Cc''nc,l of Chula Vista, California Dated 7- `� COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item i6, Meeting Date 7/28/87 ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing: PCS-87-6: Consideration of tentative subdivision map for Otay Rio Business Park, Chula Vista Tract 87-6 - - Otay Rio Business Park Resolution /3/73 Approving tentative subdivision map for Otay Rio Business Park, Chula Vista Tract 87-6 SUBMITTED BY: Planning Director,/ REVIEWED BY: City Manager, (4/5ths Vote: Yes No X ) The applicant has submitted a tentative subdivision map known as Otay Rio Business Park, Chula Vista Tract 87-6, in order to subdivide a 211 .3 acre parcel into 78 lots for limited industrial uses, 49 lots for residential uses, one lot for commercial uses servicing the industrial park, and 2 lots totaling 72.33 acres, as open space. The subdivision application has been filed in conjunction with an EIR, general plan amendment rezone and precise plan. RECOMMENDATION: Based on the findings contained in section E of this report, approve the tentative subdivision map for Otay Rio Business Park, Chula Vista Tract 87-6 subject to the following conditions: 1 . The developer shall be responsible for the construction of full public improvements for all streets shown on the Tentative Map within the Subdivision. Said improvements shall include but not be limited to: A.C. pavement, base, curb, gutter, sidewalk, sewer and water facilities, drainage facilities, street trees, street lights and signs. All improvements required for each unit shall be guaranteed prior to approval of any Final Subdivision maps for said unit. 2. In the event that residential unit 3 precedes development of the land adjacent to the southerly boundary of this project the developer shall guarantee adequate legal access to said unit prior to approval of Final Map. Access shall consist of access easements or street dedication sufficient to provide a paved roadway having a minimum width of 24 feet for 2 traffic lanes plus 5 foot paved shoulders for emergency parking. Said roadway shall be incorporated in the Subdivision Improvement Agreement for Unit 3 and shall include AC berms or redwood headers along both edges of pavement and adequate street lights to conform with lighting standards for urban areas. It should be noted that said location is within the City of San Diego and approval of the plans for this off-site street by that agency will be required. Page 2, Item /P-c, Meeting Date-7778/87 3. The developer shall be responsible for the payment of all direct and incidental costs for the provision and maintenance of sewage metering stations at all proposed connections to the San Diego Metropolitan Sewer System. 4. The developer shall grant easements for all off-site public storm drains prior to the approval of any of the Final Maps for units requiring said off-site systems. 5. Paved access shall be provided to all sewer manholes and to all public storm drain structures located within developable lots. Graded access shall be provided to all public storm drain structures. 6. The Engineering Geology and Soils Report to be submitted with the Improvement and Grading Plans shall contain specific recommendations regarding the following areas of concern: a) Slope stability of natural cut and fill slopes located in the southern part of the subdivision, specifically in residential areas of Units 2 and 3. b) Earth fill located at top of cut slope of lots 79 and 80. c) Existing dump fill near northeast corner of subdivision. d) Stability of cut slope in dam fill , material located at the toe of fill slope to the south of lot 84. 7. The developer shall obtain notarized letters of permission for all off-site grading work prior to issuance of grading permit for work requiring said off-site grading. 8. The developer shall provide access to the 27-inch sewer main as required by the City of San Diego. Access shall include, but not be limited to access easements and improved access roads. 9. The developer shall obtain permission from the City of San Diego for grading work within the San Diego sewer easement prior to approval of plans. 10. The developer shall submit a preliminary engineering study for the Otay Valley Road alignment to eliminate two substandard curves in the roadway, one adjacent to the easterly subdivision boundary, and one southerly of the subdivision. The study shall include horizontal and vertical alignments conforming to current County standards for a prime arterial and shall indicate the extent of grading which would be required to construct such a road. The property owners shall make an irrevocable offer of dedication for right-of-way within the subdivision boundary identified as necessary for installation of said roadway and shall grant slope easements as necessary. Page 3, Item Meeting Date 7/Z6/87 11 . Access rights to Otay Valley Road shall be relinquished from all lots abutting on Otay Valley Road. 12. The developer shall be responsible for the construction of the western portion of Otay Valley Road along the entire frontage of the boundary to current Chula Vista prime arterial standards. 13. The property owners shall waive the right to protest formation of a Street Improvement District for Otay Valley Road, and shall waive the right to protest formation of a Facilities Benefit Assessment District for facilities impacted by development of the subject property. 14. The developer shall enter into a development agreement to participate in a Facilities Benefit Assessment District. 15. The developer shall enter into a development agreement in which they and all subsequent owners shall be responsible for widening Otay Valley Road crossing over the Otay River and westerly to Nirvana Avenue at such time as the traffic volume immediately east of Nirvana reaches 7100 A.D.T. If traffic volumes exceed this value as determined by the City Engineer, no further building permits will be issued for the subject development until the above improvements are under construction. A permit may be required from the Army Corps of Engineers for said work. 16. The developer shall provide protection for any slopes, building pads, or buildings subject to being impacted by a 100-year flood. Said protection shall be in accordance with City, State and Federal standards. 17. The developer shall pay any impact fees to include, but not be limited to sewer, street, or general facilities impact fees, which may be imposed prior to approval of any Final Subdivision maps. 18. The developer shall submit for recordation of the final map in phases, the first phase to consist of lots 7-40 and 74-80. Succeeding phases shall not be recorded until such time as the alignment and widening of Otay Valley Road to four lanes and the widening of the bridge crossing the Otay River is guaranteed to the satisfaction of the City Engineer. 19. Lots 1 and 81 shall be dedicated to the City in fee title as open space with the recordation of the final map for Phase 2. The developer shall request the formation of an open space maintenance district, which shall include all of the lots in Phases 1 and 2, prior to the recordation of the final map for Phase 1 . The obligations of the open space maintenance district shall commence for Lot 1 upon recordation of the final map for Phase 2. The obligation as it relates to Lot 81 shall be governed by the agreement specified in Condition 14. Page 4, Item / Meeting Date 1/43 /87 20. The portion of the map within lot 1 identified as a Riparian area shall remain undisturbed and maintained in its natural state. A 100-foot landscape buffer shall be planted around the riparian area and shall consist of dense native species. The portion of lot 1 marked open space park shall be planted with native plant materials and shall extend from the Riparian Area to the property boundary of lot 62. 21 . Lot 2 shall be retained under an open space easement and shall be developed as a private, active use park for use by employees of the industrial park. Prior to recordation of the final map for this phase, a park plan shall be submitted for review and approval of the Director of Parks and Recreation, and Parks and Recreation Commission. Proposed grading on lot 2 shall be revised to eliminate the proposed 2:1 slopes and to instead provide a gradual incline into the Floodplain. Revised grading is subject to review and approval by the Department of Planning and Department of Engineering. Maintenance of the park shall be the responsibility of a property owners association. Prior to recordation of the Final Map, CC&R's for the property owners association shall be submitted for review and approval by the Planning Department. 22. Prior to issuance of a grading permit for the final phase of the map, a transplantation program to transfer barrel cactus existing on site to a location approved by the City Landscape Architect shall be implemented. Prior to issuance of a grading permit for any preceding phases of the map, confirmation shall be obtained by the project biologist, subject to approval by the Planning Department, that barrel cactus are not present within the areas to be graded. 23. The property boundaries of lots 11 through 18 and lot 80 adjacent to Otay Valley Road shall be graded in slopes not to exceed 3-1/2:1 in conjunction with placement of a 6-foot-high wall , berm or building construction to reduce ambient noise levels to 70 dBA or less for areas outside the building. That portion of the properties between the wall and the right-of-way, including the wall , shall be dedicated in fee title as open space and included in the proposed open space maintenance district. 24. Lot 81 shall be fenced and revegetated with native species to the satisfaction of the City Landscape Architect and shall be hydroseeded between the months of October and February. A master plan for revegetation with a phasing plan shall be submitted and is subject to review and approval by the City Landscape Architect as a condition of the agreement specified in Condition 4. 25. Delete lots 82 through 130 from the tentative map. Lots 82 through 125 may be incorporated in a single lot followed by one additional lot incorporating lots 126-130. Page 5, Item 0--c Meeting Date 7/28/87 26. A Permission to Grade letter shall be obtained from San Diego Gas and Electric for grading within the existing easement shown on the tentative map prior to recordation of the final map. 27. The developer shall provide natural gas on site prior to issuance of any building permits for phase 1 of the tentative map. 28. Fire hydrants shall be provided on site; 17 shall be installed with phase 1 , the location and type to be approved by the City Fire Marshal , and 19 hydrants to be installed with subsequent phases subject to approval by the City Fire Marshal . 29. Fire flow of 2,500 gpm shall be provided on site. All buildings shall be sprinkled to the satisfaction of the City Fire Marshal . 30. The developer shall retain a qualified paleontologist on site to monitor the original cutting of previously undisturbed formations to inspect cuts for contained fossils. In the event that well preserved fossils are discovered, the paleontologist shall be allowed to temporarily direct, divert, or halt grading to allow recovery of fossil remains in a timely manner. Fossil remains collected during the salvage program shall be cleaned, sorted and cataloged and, with the owner's permission, deposited in a scientific institution with paleontological collections such as the San Diego Natural History Museum. 31 . The developer shall retain a qualified historic resources monitor on site during excavation of the dump site used by the farmhouse structure. In the event historic resources are discovered, the monitor shall have the authority to temporarily direct, divert, or halt grading to allow recovery of historic resources in a timely manner. 32. A temporary wall or mesh fence shall be placed along the eastern site boundary adjacent to Otay Valley Road during construction of buildings. 33. The following note is to be placed on the Final Map: a. Property Owners agree that they will participate in funding those public facilities set forth in the City of San Diego Otay Mesa Public Facilities Financing Plan adopted by the City of San Diego on May 7, 1986. b. Said participation shall be accomplished by the payment to San Diego, prior to building permit issuance by Chula Vista, of those fees set forth in Table 3 of the Financing Plan. c. In the event that the City of San Diego adopts a Facilities Benefit Assessment District ( "FBA") pursuant to the Financing Plan, prior to Property Owners' payment of fees, Property Owners agree to pay said FBA fees in lieu of those fees. Page 6, Item Meeting Date 7/28/87 d. Property Owners will prepare and submit to San Diego, for signature by the City Manager, a letter indicating the proposed development of all or a portion of their properties and the amount of fees paid to San Diego for said development. BOARDS/COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION: The Planning Commission, at their meeting of June 24, 1987, voted to recommend approval of the tentative subdivision map subject to the conditions outlined in the Recommendation section of this report, with the exception of condition 19. The Commission voted to allow dedication and revegetation of open space lot 81 to be included in the final phase of the map rather than the second phase. Further discussion of this condition is included in the Analysis section of this report. DISCUSSION: TENTATIVE MAP The proposed tentative map is designed to develop a parcel of 211+ acres into a 79-lot industrial park located on the southern terrace of a portion of the Otay River Valley, with 49 single-family residential lots situated at the edge of the mesa overlooking the river valley. The residential lots would be separated from the industrial park by 66.3 acres of steep north facing slopes which separate the mesa from the river valley. The industrial park would contain 78 lots engaged in limited industrial uses, ranging in size from .90 to 2.85 acres each. One lot consisting of 4.45 acres would carry commercial uses serving the surrounding industrial park, and would be regulated through a Master CUP in conjunction with the precise plan. Since portions of the northwestern corner of the property lie within the 100-year floodplain and floodway and contain riparian habitat associated with the Otay River wetlands system, that area would be contained within one 5.52 acre lot and preserved as open space. The street network proposed on the map for the industrial park shows streets "A", "B" and "C" forming a loop with ingress and egress to Otay Valley Road. This loop is bisected at two points by streets "E" and "G". Access to interior lots 25-27 and 32-34 would be through cul-de-sac "F" which is extended south from street "A". By the same token, cul-de-sac "D" provides access to interior lots 47-50 and 53-56, and also extends southward from street "A". Street "A" would terminate in a knuckle which connects to street "C". However, the developer is requesting that a 72-foot street reservation to extend from the terminus of street "A" to the western boundary of the property in the event that the property adjacent to the western boundary of the industrial park develops at some point in the future and requires access through this project. Page 7, Item 12-a Meeting Date 7/28/87 The residential portion of the proposed subdivision would contain 49 lots with a minimum lot size of 6,000 square feet. Sole access to the residential lots would come from a proposed residential development in the preliminary planning stages within the jurisdiction of the City of San Diego. That project has not, however, received any formal approvals, and the street system and location of lots are subject to change, if the project is permitted to proceed. The north facing slopes contained within an open space lot would remain in a natural state except for grading necessary to provide a 30-foot-wide general utility and access easement. ANALYSIS The conditions of approval proposed by staff for the tentative subdivision map were developed to address unique constraints associated with the property, which include: 1 . lack of infrastructure to serve the site, and 2. environmental concerns associated with its location in the Otay River Valley. 1 . Lack of Infrastructure The question of the infrastructure required to serve the site, discussed in part in the Analysis portion of the staff report concerning the rezone request, centers around the timing provision of adequate roads, schools, and fire protection. The proposed project at buildout would generate approximately 15,216 ADT to Otay Valley Road which currently has a design ADT of 7,100, with two lanes. Otay Valley Road currently carries a traffic load of approximately 1400 ADT. Widening of Otay Valley Road to increase the capacity to accommodate the increases in traffic is contingent upon widening the bridge crossing the Otay River. The developer is currently a participant in an FBA formed by the City of San Diego which would widen the bridge to the ultimate capacity of Otay Valley Road; however, completion of the work is not anticipated until the year 2001 . Since the widening of the bridge is not anticipated for another 14 years, the conditions of approval (numbers 15 and 18) allow only the first phase of development to record a final map. The developer must also enter into a development agreement which places a cap halting issuance of building permits for the project site once the traffic crossing the bridge reaches 7100 ADT from any source, until widening of the bridge is complete. The development of Unit 1 of the industrial park will also involve difficulties in providing adequate fire protection, due to excessive response times required to reach the site. The City of San Diego Page 8, Item /9--c% Meeting Date 7/28/87 anticipates construction of a fire station near Brown Field to be completed in 1991 which could serve the project site under an existing automatic aid agreement with the City of Chula Vista. However, until such time as the fire station is completed, the City Fire Marshal is requiring all buildings in the industrial park to be fully sprinkled, as stated in Condition 29 of the Conditions of Approval . The residential portion of the project is included in Unit 3, the last phase of development. The developer has stated that the timing involved in implementing this phase would allow the residential development proposed for the property south of this project to complete their development. Staff is of the opinion, however, that the residential portion of the map should be deleted. The residential project south of this site has no formal approval for any lot configurations or street networks, so there is no basis for determining whether the residential portion of Otay Rio Business Park will actually fit any final development which might be approved by the City of San Diego. In conjunction with the uncertainty of development south of this site, school facilities are not in place in this area to accommodate students generated from residential developments, and firm plans and a timetable for providing those facilities have not been determined at this time. Accordingly, the requirement to delete proposed residential lots is included in Condition 25 of the proposed Conditions of Approval . 2. Environmental Constraints The location of the proposed industrial park places it between the Otay River, and the wetlands habitat associated with that, and the steep slopes separating the river valley from the mesa to the south of the project site. Each of these features must be contained in open space to mitigate adverse environmental impacts which would occur as a result of disturbances to these areas. The northwest corner of the subject property lies within the 100-year flood plain and the floodway. The biological analysis performed for the project identifies the area within the floodplain as a riparian woodland. Proposed mitigation identified in the EIR requires that the riparian woodland be preserved in open space, as shown on lot 1 of the tentative map. Conditions 19 and 20 of the conditions of approval also require the lot to be dedicated as open space and planted with a 100-foot landscape buffer consisting of dense riparian native species. In addition to retention of lot 1 as open space, staff is recommending that lot 2 be retained under an open space easement and maintained as an active use park by a property owner' s association. Retention of lot 2 for a park site provides a buffer for the riparian habitat along the east side, where the present proposal shows a 2:1 slope to create a building pad for industrial uses. Page 9, Item Meeting Date 7/28/87 Open space dedicated for riparian habitat and native plants in lot 1 are not designed to address the recreational needs of business park employees, but to preserve a portion of the existing wetlands system. The development of lot 2 as an active use private park would serve to address the need for passive and active recreational areas for business park employees who, due to the isolation of the project site have no recreational facilities for use nearby. The proposed requirement is included in condition 21 of the conditions of approval . The largest area proposed for dedication as open space within the project site is the 66.23 acre open space lot consisting of the steep north facing slopes separating the river valley from the mesa. The slopes are severely scarred from off-road vehicle activity. Staff is recommending that the slopes be revegetated prior to dedication to the City as open space, and fenced to protect any further degradation of the hillside. This is reflected in Condition 24. Because of the size of the open space lot and the amount of revegetation needed to restore the slopes, the applicant is requesting that revegetation and dedication of the slopes be delayed until the final phase of the project (Unit 3), when proposed development of the residential lots would occur. The Planning Commission, in response to the request, voted to allow lot 81 to be included in Unit 3 of the map. Staff is of the opinion, however, that if a delay in dedication and revegetation of lot 81 is permitted then it should be included in Unit 2 rather than the final phase of the project. The status of the residential lots in the Unit 3 is uncertain at this point due to their dependence upon residential development occurring south of the project site within the City of San Diego. If dedication and revegetation of lot 81 is included in the final phase, restoration could be delayed for several years. In the worst case, restoration may not occur at all if the map for this phase is never finaled. In summary, the conditions of approval proposed in conjunction with the tentative map serves to time the intensity of development with the steady provision of urban services and infrastructure to the general area as Otay Mesa develops. It also concentrates on the design of the development to provide sensitive treatment of the wetlands system occurring along the Otay River and the slopes occurring along the southern boundary of the River Valley. With incorporation of the conditions, it is appropriate to recommend approval of the tentative map. FINDING Pursuant to Section 66473.5 of the Subdivision Map Act, the tentative - subdivision map for Otay Rio Business Park, Chula Vista Tract 87-6, is found to be in conformance with the various elements of the City's General Plan based on the following: Page 10, Item / -t2 Meeting Date 878 1 . The site is physically suitable for the industrial development and the proposal conforms to all standards established by the City for such projects. 2. The design of the subdivision will not affect the existing improvements -- streets, sewers, etc. -- which have been designed to avoid any serious problems. 3. The project is in substantial conformance with the Chula Vista General Plan Elements as follows: a. Land Use - The industrial development is in conformance with the Industrial Development Principles outlined in the Land Use Element of the General Plan. b. Circulation - By phasing the project to time development with the provision of an adequate road system to accommodate traffic, the project complies with the Circulation Element of the General Plan. c. Housing - As conditioned the tentative map will not impose housing to the area prior to the provision of schools, parks, fire protection and roads to service those residences. d. Conservation - Preservation of biologically sensitive areas within the project site conforms to the Conservation Element of the General Plan. e. Park and Recreation, Open Space - The proposed project provides 66 acres of open space and a 2.11 acre private park in concert with these elements of the General Plan. f. Seismic Safety - The proposed project contains no known faults and thereby conforms to the Seismic Safety Element. g. Safety - The proposed project, in requiring additional fire safety measures to buildings to mitigate the effects of long fire response times, conforms to the Seismic Safety Element. h. Noise - Incorporation of a 6-foot wall or berm along the eastern property boundary serves to shield noise impacts in concert with the Noise Element of the General Plan. i . Scenic Highway - The project site is not located in proximity to a designated Scenic Highway. j . Bicycle Routes - The project site is not located adjacent to a designated bicycle route. k. Public Buildings - No public buildings are proposed for the project site. Page 11 , Item /- Meeting Date 7/28/87 4. Pursuant to Section 66412.2 of the Subdivision Map Act, the Commission certifies that it has considered the effect of this approval on the housing needs of the region and has balanced those needs against the public service needs of the residents of the City and the available fiscal and environmental resources. FISCAL IMPACT: Not applicable. WPC 4076P by the City Cmnc1l of Chula Vista, California Dated - S' , ,