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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Statement 1984/10/30 Item 5a COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item 5A Meeting Date 10/30/84 ITEM TITLE: Consideration of Final EIR-84-5, Otay Valley Road General South Plan Amendment, Prezoning and Annexation Resolution "j2/2/ Certifying Final EIR-84-5 - Otay Valley Road South SUBMITTED BY: Director of Planning 62 (4/5ths Vote: Yes No x ) REVIEWED BY: City Manager This EIR was prepared under an agreement with PRC Engineering, Inc. , the project proponent, and the Environmental Review Coordinator (ERC) . The financing for the document was supplied by the City of Chula Vista's Redevelopment Agency through tax increment financing. The ERC issued the draft EIR for public review and comment on August 24, 1984. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the adequacy of the draft of this document on October 10, 1984. No verbal testimony was taken at that time, however, several written comments on the draft EIR were received. All of the written comments that were received in the review period on this document have been included in Section 11 of the final EIR along with a response to each comment. The discretionary acts which will be considered to implement the project include: a General Plan Amendment, prezoning of the property, and annexation to the City of Chula Vista. RECOMMENDATION: That Council concur with the Planning Commission action. BOARDS/COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION: The Planning Commission recommended that the Council certify that EIR-84-5 has been prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, the State CEQA Guidelines, and the Environmental Review Procedures of the City of Chula Vista and further, that the City Council is considering the information in that document as they consider the discretionary actions for the project. DISCUSSION: PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1 . The project is located to the east of I-805 and south of Otay Valley Road. The 241-acre property is bound on the south by lands under the jurisdiction of the City of San Diego and to the east by areas within the County of San Diego. Page 2, Item 5A Meeting Date 1O/3O/84 2. The 241-acre project is in the southern portion of the 771-acre Otay Valley Redevelopment Project. A final EIR for that Redevelopment Plan has been previously certified by the Chula Vista City Council and Redevelopment Agency. This EIR addresses only the 241-acre portion of the overall redevelopment project. 3. This proposal involves an amendment to the Chula Vista General Plan which would change the designation of the area north of the Otay River floodway to research and limited industrial and retain the area to the south of the floodway as parks and public open space. Prezoning of the area to be designated as research and industrial will be to the I-L-P zone (limited industrial subject to the approval of the precise plan) and the southern portion of the property within the flood plain would be prezoned F-1 which would preclude construction within the floodway area. The result in these changes would be the creation of 104 acres of limited industrially zoned area of which about 90 acres would be available for development, 23 acres would be necessary for the existing and widening of Otay Valley Road, and 114 acres would be within the open space floodway area. Section 2.4 of the EIR describes other projects in the project vicinity. 4. This project involves only a change in land use designations on the General Plan and prezoning of the property for annexation. No precise development plans are available at this time, however, when they do become available, additional environmental review will be required. Additionally, development plans and land uses will likely be reviewed by the Project Area Committee for the Redevelopment Plan, the City's Design Review Committee, and the Redevelopment Agency. IMPACT ANALYSIS SUMMARY 1 . Drainage/Flood Plain All the floodway and the southern portion of the flood plain of the Otay River are recommended for designation as parks or public open space with prezoning to the F-1 zone. Such a zone would ensure uses that would be incompatible with the floodway of the Otay River would not be permitted. Mitigation measures for the potential modification of the floodway should be developed when those precise plans are available. Increased runoff which could accompany the limited industrial development can be accommodated by a storm drain system which will also be a part of the final precise plans for development of the property. The significance of potential future modifications of the flood plain cannot be precisely determined until precise improvement plans are available. Any flood plain improvements will require future environmental review. Increased runoff if handled through appropriately designed storm drain facilities can be reduced to a level of insignificance. Page 3, Item 5A Meeting Date 1U/30/84 2. Water Quality Runoff from the project site currently contains agricultural pollutants such as fertilizers and pesticides as it enters the Otay River. In general , however, water quality in the Otay River is good. Biological surveys are conducted at the mouth of the Otay River jointly by the State Fish and Game Department and the State Water Research Board. The studies which test concentrations of heavy metals and pesticides show no evidence of pollutants. Fish originating in Bay waters near the mouth of the Otay River have been found to contain relatively high concentrates of PCB, the origin of which is not clear. Three industrial waste disposal sites are or were located in the vicinity of the project. Two are legal permitted operations subject to strict regulations. The third was an illegal use which was recently investigated and underwent cleanup. All these sites are now closely monitored by the Regional Water Quality Control Board, State Department of Water Resources and the County Department of Health Services Hazardous Waste Management Division. Water quality conditions including any illegal discharge of pollutants from eventual industrial operations will be monitored and controlled by these agencies. This control would eliminate the possibility of adverse industrial discharges into the Otay River and eventually the South San Diego Bay downstream. 3. Mobile Noise Source Increased traffic which will be generated by cumulative regional growth would significantly increase mobile noise in the project area. The project will contribute incrementally to this increase in future noise levels. Project noise would not adversely affect the proposed industrial development, but would have significant effects on existing residential areas adjacent to Otay Valley Road. Noise mitigation measures will be incorporated into the future design guidelines for the Otay Valley Road Redevelopment Area. 4. Aesthetics Eventual industrial development would permanently alter the existing visual environment of the project site from that of a scenic agricultural valley to that of an industrial park development. Careful site design and retention of the flood plain of the Otay River in parks and public open pace, as proposed, would help to reduce the adverse visual effects which could result from limited industrial development on the project site. 5. Transportation/Access The results of the traffic analysis indicate that the level of service of roads and intersections in the area would not be adversely affected by eventual development of the project site. Improvements to Otay Valley Road to Circulation Element Standards will be necessary when development occurs on the project site. Such improvements would accommodate projected traffic from cumulative development in the subregion. Page 4, Item 5A Meeting Date 1U/3U/84 6. Sewer Availability Under present conditions, sewer service availability represents a significant constraint to development. A 10-inch line located in Otay Valley Road, which would serve eventual industrial development on the project site, is currently estimated to be at 70 to 80 percent capacity. Improvements to this line could be required in conjunction with development of the property. On-site storage capacity which could permit discharge during off-peak periods could also be required. Sewer availability in the project area is under consideration on an areawide 1 evel by the appl i cabl e jurisdictions i n the project area and may be solvent through cooperative action. 7. Air Quality Increased traffic generated by cumulative regional growth would contribute to air quality degradation i n the San Diego region. The proposed project represents an incremental part of this growth. Implementation of the Revised Regional Air Quality Strategies (RAQ's) may reduce potential impacts on region-wide basis. CONCLUSION The final EIR identifies several potentially significant environmental impacts, such as mobile noise source, aesthetics, transportation, sewer availability and air quality. However, all of these effects can be mitigated to a level of insignificance. Because precise development plans for the property are not available at this time, a precise finding that there will be no significant environmental impact cannot be made in this document. When more precise development plans are presented to the Redevelopment Agency, additional environmental review will be required and a determination will be made at that time as to whether there will be any significant environmental impacts. FISCAL IMPACT: None. DR:fp WPC 1404P COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item 5B Meeting Date 10/30/84 ITEM TITLE: Consideration of "Candidate CEQA Findings" for the proposed Otay Valley Road South General Plan Amendment and Prezone/Rezone Resolution /// Adopting Findings relative to Section 21081 of the California Environmental Quality Act SUBMITTED BY: Director of Planning Vote: Yes No X ) REVIEWED BY: City Manager 141,0/ EIR-84-5 on this proposed project was considered as a previous agenda item. The policies of the State of California and the City of Chula Vista requiring these findings are described in the attached "Candidate CEQA Findings". The final EIR for this project concluded that there would be no significant impacts in the following areas and that no further mitigation measures need be identified: paleontology, socio-economic factors, schools, parks, recreation, open space, and solid waste disposal . RECOMMENDATION: Concur with the Planning Commission recommendation. BOARDS/COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION: The Planning Commission recommended that the City Council find that in accordance with the attached "CEQA" findings that: 1 . City Council having reviewed and considered the information contained in EIR-84-5, finds that measures have been incorporated into the project as identified in the final EIR can adequately mitigate impacts to: land use (3.1 ) , geology (3.2) , soils (3.3) , groundwater (3.4) , drainage pattern (3. 5) , land form alteration (3.6) , water quality (3.7) , mobile and stationary noise (3.8 and 3.9), biology (3.10), archaeology (3.11 ) , aethestics (3.12) , fire and police (3.13) , transportation (3.14) , sewer availability (3.15) , and air quality (3.16) . 2. The City Council finds that in accordance with the attached "Candidate CEQA Findings" and that although potential impacts of the project can be mitigated, there are specific economic, social , or other considerations which make infeasible project alternatives identified in the EIR (Section 6.0) . 3. City Council adopts the attached statement of overriding considerations which warrant approval of the project and therefore, override environmental considerations identified in EIR-84-5. Page 2, Item 5B Meeting Date 10/30/84 DISCUSSION: 1 . The conclusion of EIR-84-5 is that all potential environmental impacts of the project can be mitigated to a level of insignificance, although the 241-acre project will incrementally contribute to potentially significant cumulative impacts with respect to mobile noise, aesthetics, transportation, sewer availability and air quality (Section 4.0) . 2. Environmental impacts that would result from approval of the GPA and prezoning/rezoning are not anticipated to be significant. The anticipated cumulative impacts of full project implementation that ultimately would result from these and other actions would have a significant unavoidable cumulative impact and they should be balanced against overriding consi derations. FISCAL IMPACT: None WPC 1405P 4 q �j COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item 5C Meeting Date 10/30/84 ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing on GPA-84-3, Proposed redesignation of approximately 100 acres of territory, located on the southerly side of Otay Valley Road, opposite Brandywine Avenue, from Agriculture & Reserve and Parks & Public Open Space to Research & Limited Industrial , on the plan diagram of the Land Use Element of the Chula Vista General Plan Resolution ///(//3 Adopting the proposed General Plan Amendment, GPA-84-3 SUBMITTED BY: Director of Planning (4/5ths Vote: Yes No X ) REVIEWED BY: City Manager 4 iiv The City Council , at its meeting of November 15, 1983, voted unanimously to initiate a proposal to amend the Land Use Element of the General Plan by the redesignation of approximately 100 acres of territory, located on the southerly side of Otay Valley Road, opposite Brandywine Avenue, from "Agriculture & Reserve and Parks & Public Open Space" to "Research & Limited Industrial" on the said element's plan diagram. All of the territory in question is situated within the unincorporated territory of San Diego County, and within the boundaries of the Otay Valley Road Redevelopment Project Area. The annexation of the territory to the City of Chula Vista is now being processed. The prezoning of the subject lands to I-L-P (Limited Industrial-Precise Plan Modifying District) is proposed in a companion case. RECOMMENDATION: Concurrence with the following recommendations of the City Planning Commission. BOARDS/COMMISSIONS RECOMMENDATION: That Council approve the proposed General Plan Amendment, GPA-84-3, through the adoption of the attached resolution. DISCUSSION: BASIC INFORMATION 1 . Subject Property The subject lands are currently designated Agriculture & Reserve and Parks & Public Open Space on the plan diagram of the Land Use Element of the Chula Vista General Plan and are zoned C-37 (Heavy Commercial ) and A-72 Page 2, Item 5C Meeting Date 10/30/84 (General Agriculture) in the County. Much of the territory to the north of the 100-year flood plain is devoted to truck farming. The balance of the said territory is vacant. (For specific planning, zoning, and land-use allocations, please see Exhibit A and B. 2. Adjacent general plan designations (see Exhibit "A") . North: Research and Limited Industrial and General Industrial South: Parks and Public Open Space East: Agriculture and Reserve Open Space and Parks and Public Open Space West: Research and Limited Industrial and Parks and Public Open Space 3. Adjacent zoning and land use (see Exhibit "B"). North: I-L-P Light Industrial uses and vacant I-P Omar Rendering (operations ceased in June 1983) , SFD's (4) , Otay Industrial Park and vacant A-8 City of Chula Vista Animal Shelter South: A-72 Otay River Floodway (County) East: S-87 Vacant (County) West: C-37 Shell Oil Co. service station and vacant (County) I-L-P Pacific Bell Maintenance Yard (westerly portion thereof) E. ANALYSIS 1 . The proposed General Plan Amendment would add approximately 100 acres of territory to the Otay Valley Road Redevelopment Project area's industrial land-use inventory, and would thereby improve the economic potential of the Project Area, the Otay Valley, and the City of Chula Vista-at-large. While the said amendment would reduce the Planning Area's "Agriculture and Reserve Open Space" and, to a lesser extent its Parks and Public Open Space, the reductions would be small , and would not substantially compromise the municipality's interest in flood control , or its effort to maintain and promote its townscape quality. (The Chula Vista Planning Area contains more than 20-square miles or 12,800 acres of Agriculture and Reserve and other open space and the proposed amendment would reduce this inventory by less than one percent. ) Page 3, Item 5C Meeting Date 10/30/84 2. The General Plan Amendment under consideration would enable the City of Chula Vista and the Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency to foster, through joint private and public efforts, the development of a modern, well-designed industrial park in the Otay Valley, and to increase employment opportunities within the Planning Area. This development would be consistent with the growing interest of industrial land users to locate and relocate facilities in the South Bay. The South Bay, at present, has a critical shortage of modern industrial parks and sites. 3. The amendment in question would also enable the City and the Agency to better address the infrastructure needs of the Otay Valley, and to foster the extension of adequate public utilities and roads to the area. CONCLUSION The proposed General Plan Amendment would further the physical and economic growth of the Otay Valley, without substantially reducing its amenity or townscape-planning quality. The resultant reduction in the Planning Area's open space would be negligible and would not materially affect its flood-control capacity. FISCAL IMPACT: None. ECONOMIC IMPACT: Long-range benefits procured through the revitalization of the Otay Valley Road Redevelopment Project Area. WPC 1399P f A t <47574.- ow, 016