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HomeMy WebLinkAboutrda min 2001/06/05 CC MINUTES OF AN ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND A REGULAR MEETING OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA June 5, 2001 4:00 p.m. An Adjourned Regular Meeting of the City Council and a Regular Meeting of the Redevelopment Agency of the City of Chula Vista were called to order at 4:58 p.m. in the Council Chambers, located in the Public Services Building, 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, California. ROLL CALL: PRESENT: Agency/Councilmembers: Padilla, Rindone, Salas and Chair/Mayor Horton ABSENT: Agency/Councilmembers: Davis (excused) ALSO PRESENT: Executive Director/City Manager Rowlands, Senior Assistant City Attorney Moore, City Clerk Bigelow CONSENT CALENDAR 1. ORDINANCE NO. 2836, ORDINANCE OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA PROHIBITING THE ESTABLISHMENT OR EXPANSION OF OUTDOOR STORAGE USES; AND TOLLING THE OPERATION OF EXISTING OUTDOOR STORAGE USES WITHIN THE REDEVELOPMENT AREAS (SECOND READING AND ADOPTION) The City's redevelopment project areas were formed in order to eliminate various conditions of blight. Currently, the land use policies that apply to the redevelopment project areas are inadequate to address the blighting influences of outdoor storage uses. The establishment of new outdoor storage uses, or the expansion of existing uses, in the redevelopment project areas could result in the further reduction of land that is available for redevelopment and hinder the implementation of the various redevelopmerit plans and the achievement of their goals and objectives. The ordinance had its first reading on May 29, 2001. (Community Development Director) Staff recommendation: Council place the ordinance on second reading for adoption. ACTION: Agency/Authofity/Councilmember Rindone moved to approve staffs recommendation and offered the Consent Calendar, heading read, text waived. The motion carried 4-0. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS There were none. PUBLIC HEARING 2. PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL LAND USE PERMIT TO ESTABLISH A MIXED USE OFFICE AND SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENCE) AT 217 LANDIS AVENUE The applicant requested a special land use penrot to allow a mixed use [office and a single-family residence] at 217 Landis Avenue, located within the Town Centre I Redevelopment Project Area. The proposed mixed use is permitted subject to the issuance of a special land use permit within the Central Commercial area of the Town Centre Redevelopment Plan and requires consideration by the Town Centre Project Area Committee and the Redevelopment Agency. The proposal is exempt from environmental review pursuant to the Califomia Environmental Quality Act, Section 15303 of the California Code of Regulations. (Community Development Director) Notice of the hearing was given in accordance with legal requirements, and the heating was held on the date and at the time specified in the notice. Chair/Mayor Horton opened the public hearing. There being no members of the public wishing to speak, Mayor Horton closed the hearing. ACTION: Agency/Authority/Councilmember Rindone offered Agency Resolution No. 1731, heading read, text waived: AGENCY RESOLUTION NO. 1731, RESOLUTION OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA GRANTING A SPECIAL LAND USE PERMIT, SUP #TC1-01-02, TO RAY JOHNSTON TO ESTABLISH A MIXED USE-OFFICE AND SINGLE- FAMILY RESIDENCE-AT 217 LANDIS AVENUE The motion carried 4-0. ACTION ITEMS 3. CONSIDERATION OF APPLICATION TO THE CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION FROM RAMCO, INC. REQUESTING APPROVAL OF AN EXPANSION OF ITS EXISTING ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATING FACILITY AT 3497 MAIN STREET- On September 26, 2000, the Council/Agency approved a Special Use Permit and an Owner Participation Agreement allowing for the development of a maximum 49 MW peak load electrical power generating facility at 3497 Main Street, located in the Southwest Redevelopment Area. RAMCO, Inc., the new owner of the power plant, proposes to expand the existing facility with a second phase, including the expansion of an additional 62 MW natural gas-fired combustion turbine generator. The applicant is processing these plans through the Califomia Energy Commission (CEC) pursuant to Governor Davis' 21-day emergency plant siting procedure. Under this process, the proposed expansion is exempt from CEQA review, and the CEC has full authority over the land use review process. (Community Development Director) Page 2 Council/RDA/Housing Authority Minutes 06/05/2001 ACTION ITEMS (Continued) Deputy Community Development Director Haynes summarized the proposed power plant expansion project, explaining the project's benefits, disadvantages, and recommended conditions. Special Operations Manager Meacham submitted a memorandum from the San Diego Air Pollution Control District listing the recent and proposed permits for power facilities in the region. He explained that 10 of the 27 sites were traditional power generating facilities. He also remarked that the South Bay Power Plant has generated substantial discussion, and he believed that the CEC was interested in generating power for California in the most effective, efficient, and environmentally sound manner. Chair/Mayor Horton stated that the City has done more than its fair share, and there is a need for environmental justice and to protect the quality of life in Chula Vista and neighboring communities. She stated that it was not the responsibility of the South Bay to provide all of the energy resources for the State. The peaker plants are not a long-term solution to the energy crisis, and a strong message should be sent to the decision makers that the facilities should not all be constructed in the South County area. Agency/Councilmember Salas opposed the proposed peaker plant expansion. She stated that the City acted in a responsible manner last September when the first peaker plant was approved. The Govemor has since declared an energy crisis, thereby taking away local control in terms of what can be built in the community. The City did its part earlier in an effort to be part of the solution to the problem, but the City is now being treated unfairly. She believed that there was more evidence of market manipulation than a supply problem, that the responsibility for the power shortage should be borne by all of Califomia, and that generated energy should be channeled into a grid to service the entire state. Steve Palma, 121 Orange Avenue, spoke against the expansion of the peaker plant, stating that the problems associated with emissions and sound were unacceptable to residents of the area. He urged the Council to keep the plant as it presently exists. William Claycomb, 409 Palm Avenue, Suite 100, Imperial Beach, representing Save Our Bay Inc., submitted a letter to Council objecting to the 62 megawatt peaker power plant. Holly Duncan, 3838 Mt. Blackburn Avenue, San Diego, stated that the power emitted from the plants serves not only California, but also the whole western grid, which incorporates 11 states. She expressed concern regarding pollution, stating that the energy crisis will become a major public health hazard, and there is a need to make certain that environmental standards are kept in place. She urged the Council to consider owning its own means of power generation, so that the community could be the decision makers for the type of generation to be used. Pepper Coffey, 1164 Coview Way, San Diego, expressed concern that once power plants are permitted and built, they could be run with diesel fuel in the event of a natural gas shortage. She stated that the purpose of peaker plants was to facilitate short-term emergencies, but the applicants are asking for 50-year permits. She added that the Environmental Protection Agency has assured South Bay citizens that they will be the beneficiaries of the power because it would be dissipated in the community before it ever reaches the western grid, but she expressed reservations as to the validity of the statement. Page 3 Council/RDAUHousing Authority Minutes 06/05/2001 ACTION ITEMS (Continued) Agency/Authority/Councilmember Padilla stated that the issue is very complex, the solutions are difficult, and he was disturbed that local community leaders have a limited ability to influence the situation. He explained that as a society, we have failed to find ways to incentivize and expand the market share of the energy production business and to diversify the industry with the use of different, newer and cleaner technologies that do not rely on the same resources. He asked Environmental Manager Meacham whether or not the City could expect more generation plants on the Otay Rim and whether the City has exhausted all potential courses of action. Mr. Meacham responded that the State's goal is to balance the location ofpeaker plants, and the City has made every attempt to file under every application and permit review in the South Bay, with the realization that environmental impacts do not recognize jurisdictional boundaries. Assistant City Attorney Googins stated that if the Council wishes to oppose the peaker plant and directs staff to communicate the Council's comments to the CEC, those comments would be framed in ways that would necessitate consideration by the CEC before making the findings required to approve the permit. Agency/Authority/Councilmember Padilla stated that the City needs to obtain some sort of contractual requirement regarding future applications in case there is another proliferation of applications that may impact the City or the region. Agency/Authority/Councilmember Rindone stated that under the temporary 21-day rules and regulations, the Council has lost its ability to provide guarantees and protections to the citizens, and the destruction of environmental laws and rules that protect the citizens is unacceptable. He stated that a second peaker plant would jeopardize the health of the citizens, and he encouraged the community to communicate its concerns to state decision makers. ACTION: Agency/Authority/Councilmember Rindone offered Resolution No. 2001-177, heading read, text waived. CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 2001-177 AND REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY RESOLUTION NO. 1733, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA AND THE CHULA VISTA REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY DIRECTING STAFF TO COMMUNICATE THE CITY'S POSITION AND CONCERNS REGARDING THE APPLICATION FROM RAMCO, INC. REQUESTING A 62 MW EXPANSION OF THEIR ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATING STATION AT 3497 MAIN STREET IN THE SOUTHWEST REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA The motion carded 4-0. OTHER BUSINESS 4. DIRECTOR'S REPORTS There were none. 5. CHAIR/MAYOR REPORTS There were none. 6. AGENCY/COUNCIL COMMENTS There were none. Page 4 CounciFRDA/Housing Authority Minutes 06/05/2001 CLOSED SESSION 7. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.8 Property: Assessor Parcel Nos. 568-270-03; 568-270-11 (approximately 2.85 acres located at the southeast comer of Fourth Avenue and F Street) Negotiating Parties: City Council / Redevelopment Agency (Sid Morris / Chris Salomone) and Chula Vista Center (Robert Caplan) Under Negotiations: Price and terms for acquisition No reportable action was taken. 8. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING EXISTING LITIGATION PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9(A) Agency vs. Rados Bros. [Case No. GIC734557-1] This item was not discussed. ADJOURNMENT At 7:00 p.m., Chair/Mayor Horton adjourned the meeting to the Regular Meeting of the Redevelopment Agency on June 12, 2001, at 6:00 p.m., immediately following the City Council meeting. Respectfully submitted, Susan Bigelow, CMC/AAE, City Clerk Page 5 CounciFRDA/Housing Authority Minutes 06/05/2001