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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Comm Reports/1985/08/28 AGENDA City Planning Commission Chula Vista, California Wednesday, August 28, 1985 - 6:00 p.m. Public Services Building STUDY SESSION (Conference Rooms 2 & 3 - 6:00 p.m.) 1. Discussion of Mello Roos Financing, Montgomery Annexation and General Revenue Status of the City Lyman Christopher, Director of Finance 2. Discussion of letter from Safety Commission re Ratio of Parking Spaces Required for Apartment Developments Chuck Glass, City Traffic Engineer and Staff REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING (City Council Chambers - 7:00 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE - SILENT PRAYER INTRODUCTORY REMARKS APPROVAL OF MINUTES - Meeting of July 24, 1985 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS 1. PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of tentative subdivision map for EastLake Lot 457, Chula Vista Tract 85-11, within the EastLake Planned Community - Lane/Kuhn Pacific Development Company ELECTION OF OFFICERS DIRECTOR'S REPORT COMMISSION COMMENTS ADJOURNMENT AT to the Regular Business Meeting of September 11, 1985 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers To: City Planning Commission From: George Krempl, Director of Planning~ Subject: Staff Report on Agenda Items for Planning Commission Meeting of August 28, 1985 1. PUBLIC HEARING Consideration of tentative subdivision map for EastLake Lot 457 Chula Vista Tract 85-11 - Lane/Kuhn Pacific Development Company A. BACKGROUND 1. The applicant has submitted a tentative subdivision map known as EastLake Lot 457, Chula Vista Tract 85-11 in order to subdivide 10.9 acres into 93 single family lots within the EastLake Planned Community. 2. EIR-81-3 EastLake Master Environmental Impact Report and EIR-84-1 EastLake I Sectional Planning Area SPA Plan have been prepared and address environmental impacts of the proposed project. B. RECOMMENDATION 1. Certify that EIR-81-3 and EIR-84-1 have been prepared in accordance with CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act of 1970) and that the Planning Commission has reviewed the information contained in each EIR prior to making a decision on the project. 2. Based on the findings contained in this report, adopt a motion recommending that the City Council approve the tentative subdivision map for EastLake Lot 457, Chula Vista Tract 85-11, subject to the following conditions: a. Development of the lots shall comply with the plan conditionally approved by the Design Review Committee (PCM-86-3). b. The development standards approved by the Design Review Committee (reference Exhibit "B" PCM-86-3) shall be recorded prior to the approval of a final map. c. Lots 1-25 and 35-45 shall relinquish access rights to the public streets at the rear of the lots. d. The southerly property line of Lot #33 shall be realigned so as to be perpendicular to the street. e. The developer shall dedicate to the City streets A, B, C, D, E and the short street connecting the Subdivision to "C" Street as shown on the Tentative Map for public use. City Planning Commission Agenda Items for Meeting of August 28, 1985 Page 2 f. The developer shall be responsible for the construction of full street improvements in all the streets shown on the Tentative Map within the Subdivision boundary. Said improvements shall include, but not be limited to: A. C. pavement, base, curb, gutter and sidewalk, sewer and water utilities, drainage facilities, street lights, signs, and fire hydrants. g. The developer shall be responsible for the construction of the sewer line connecting manhole 5 to manhole 12 on East "H" Street. 10' wide sewer easement over said line shall also be granted to the City on the Final Map. h. The developer shall grant adequate drainage easements for all offsite public drainage facilities, if not previously dedicated. i. All work within the public right-of-way shall be done in accordance with the Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction, the San Diego Area Regional Standard Drawings and the Design and Construction Standards of the City of Chula Vista. Lots shall be so graded as to drain to the street. Drainage shall not flow over slopes. k. The developer shall grant to the City street tree planting and maintenance easements along all applicable streets within the Subdivision. Said easements shall extend to a line 10 feet from the back of sidewalk. 1. The developer shall enter into an agreement with the City wherein developer agrees to the following: 1) Pay his fair share of the cost of public improvements to be provided under the "Public Financing Plan," Phasing Plan and Development Agreement as needed for access. 2) Not protest to the establishment of a Facilities Benefit Assessment District. Said District will allow the developer to anticipate future reimbursement by other benefitting parties. m. Prior to the issuance of any building permits for development within EastLake I, the following must occur: 1) The City's requirements for schools must be satisfied. 2) Needed off-site water improvements must be satisfied. 3) Off-site roadway needs, as identified in the Public Facility Financing Plan, must be guaranteed by a financial mechanism such as a Facilities Benefit Assessment or other appropriate financing technique. City Planning Commission Agenda Items for Meeting of August 28, 1985 Page 3 4) A purchasing agency concept to be implemented to finance the reserve fund discussed in the Development Agreement and Public Facilities Financing Plan. C. DISCUSSION Project Setting The project site is identified as a single family lot subdivision {R-7B within the EastLake Shores Neighborhood of EastLake I Planned Community) targeted for a density of l0 dwelling units per acre. The subject property is just under ll acres in size, is relatively level in area and is located southeasterly of 'H' Street and northwesterly of the proposed beach club and lake. The project is served by a public road system proposed with access from the main loop road serving the EastLake Shores area. Lower density single family is proposed for the area immediately to the southwest of the site with higher density residential development proposed across the loop road southeast of the subject property. Planned Community District Regulations Development standards for the property are contained in the EastLake I Planned Community District Regulations. Many of the standards for the site in question such as lot coverage and setbacks are listed as SP which means that the issues are to be addressed at the site plan level. In this regard the Design Review Committee on August 15, 1985, conditionally approved the site plan and elevations for the project, including a set of development standards which will be recorded along with the final subdivision map (refer to Exhibit B). Project Description The project involves the creation of 93 single family residential lots served by a bisected-loop street system (streets designated A, C, D and E on the Tentative Map would be named Westport Street, while Street B would be named Bridgeport Street). The rear yards of lots on three sides of the project would be exposed to public streets abutting the site. The lots range in size from 2,767 sq. ft. to 7,456 sq. ft. with an average lot size of over 3,000 sq. ft. {in conformance with the PC District Regulations). The project features four floor plans. Two of the plans are single story, two-bedroom units, ranging in square footage from 936 to 1,034; a third plan features a single story, three-bedroom unit or two-bedrooms and a study of 1262 sq.ft, and the fourth plan features a two-story three-bedroom unit of approximately 1371 sq. ft. The two-story plan is limited to 28 lots. Each of the dwellings will contain a two-car garage to meet the EastLake off-street parking requirements. Over half the driveways located within the project will be 20 feet or more in length, which will provide additional off-site parking; the remainder of the driveways are located approximately 9-1/2 ft. from edge of sidewalk to the garage door which will preclude parking in these areas. City Planning Commission Agenda Items for Meeting of August 28, 1985 Page 4 Because of the variation in lot size and the square footage variation in each of the units, lot coverage varies from a little over 20% to nearly 60%. The minimum rear yard setback is 5 ft., however, typically each of the lots ends up with an area of at least lO' x 40' which can be utilized for private open space. The minimum side yard on one side is 6 ft. with the opposite side being a zero side yard design, thus a solid wall with no window opening is provided on that side yard. The minimum front yard is set at 5 ft. which, with the public right-of-way sidewalk system, provides for a minimum of 9-1/2 ft. from the front of the house to the edge of the sidewalk. D. ANALYSIS The various building offsets that are provided in the house designs together with the limitation on the number of two-story units being provided within the development, will allow for a fairly pleasant street scene. Also a modest but adequate area of private usable open space will be provided on each lot. The combination of lot size, coupled with the proposed building development and the exposure of the rear yards in this development to three different public rights-of-way, however, requires a restricted building program for any future construction. As noted earlier, both lot coverage and setbacks are established with site plan review. As a result, a set of development standards has been proposed which would govern future building additions (refer to Exhibit B). These standards would, among other things, prohibit any room additions--providing only for limited open patio construction and a portable storage shed provided it is properly screened. The EastLake standards call for a solid theme wall design for the lots backing up to 'H' Street and the entry coming into the Shores area. The applicant has an option on the theme wall design facing the "H" Street and loop area, to use a combination solid wall and wrought iron to allow for views toward the beach club area, as well as minimizing the impact of the shorter rear yard areas within the individual lots {see standards attached). It is the applicant's intent to provide interior fencing to insure privacy within the individual lots with the proposed fencing to be finished off on the corner lots in a color scheme and height that would complement the proposed landscaping in that area. The DRC conditioned their approval on the requirement that a fencing plan be submitted for approval to review the aspects listed above. E. FINDINGS Pursuant to Section 66473.5 of the Subdivision Map Act, the tentative subdivision map for EastLake Lot 457, Chula Vista Tract 85-11, is found to be in conformance with the various elements of the City's General Plan based on the following: City Planning Commission Agenda Items for Meeting of August 28, 1985 Page 5 1. The site is physically suitable for the residential 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 EastLake SPA Plan designates the area for 5-15 dwelling units per acre. The project density of 8.5 dwelling units per acre is within this range. b. Circulation - The public streets proposed within the project meet the General Plan standards for residential streets. c. Housing The project will provide detached single family dwellings at the low end of the price range for this type of housing. d. Conservation The project is located on a site which has already been graded for development. e. Park and Recreation, Open Space - The project conforms to the EastLake SPA Plan which will result in the retention of over lO0 acres of natural open space and approximately 150 acres in total open space plus nearly 24 acres of park land. f. Seismic Safety - The closest identified fault in the area is the La Nacion Fault located over 2 miles to the west. g. Safety - The site will be within an acceptable response time of fire and police services. h. Noise - The units will be required to meet the requirements of the Uniform Building Code as regards to acceptable interior noise levels. i. Scenic Highway - The project will be required to establish a theme wall design for the lots backing up to the "H" Street scenic route. j. Bicycle Routes The streets within the project are not designated bike routes but will accommodate bicycles. k. Public Buildings - No public buildings are planned for the site. City Planning Commission Agenda Items for Meeting of August 28, 1985 Page 6 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. WPC 2114P SECTION I INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 PURPOSE This environmental document addresses the 3073-acre Janal Ranch property, located in an unincorporated area of the southern portion of San Diego County, approximately 7.5 miles east of downtown Chula Vista and 7 miles north of the U.S./Mexico border. The property is located in the County's Otay Subregional Planning Area but is also shown on the City of Chula Vista's General Plan Land Use Map. Although the site is generally considered to be within the City's Planning Area, the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) has not adopted a sphere of influence for Chula Vista. The applicant is proposing to amend the Land Use and Circulation Elements of - the Chula Vista General Plan to designate a mixture of residential, commer- cial, industrial, public and open space land uses. If the proposed project is approved, other elements of the General Plan would need to be updated where appropriate to maintain consistency. Additional actions included in the proj- ect proposal are prezoning of the property to PC (Planned Community) and '. annexation to the City of Chula Vista from the County of San Diego. This document is designed to serve as a Draft Master Environmental Impact ,:, Report (MEIR) for the proposed General Plan Amendment, prezoning and Gen- eral Development Plan (GDP) and annexation for the Planned Community of EastLake. The annexation will require approval by LAFCO and the Chula Vista City Council. Approval of the GPA, draft prezoning and GDP are also " required from the City Council. The objective of this report is to provide a ~.. base of information regarding the resources and constraints of the project site, and to discuss the environmental effects of the proposed actions, thus permit- ~-~ ting the City of Chula Vista to complete the Final EIR without additional major research effort. Both the annexation and the proposed land use designa- tion changes are analyzed, in conjunction with the general development plan associated with the prezoning. This document will serve as a master EIR to expedite the environment review of future specific developments within the project area by: 1) providing information the City can use to decide whether certain environmental effects are likely to occur and whether those effects · , would be significant; 2)providing a central source of information for use in preparing individual EIRs and/or negative declarations; and 3) identifying long- ~ range, areawide and cumulative impacts of individual developments proposed in the project area. As noted above, this Draft EIR is intended to serve as a Master EIR for the EastLake project. The Administrative Guidelines to CEQA provide in Section 15069.5: "(a) Where a large capital project will require a number of discretionary approvals from governmen- tal agencies and one of the approvals will occur more than two years before construction will begin, a staged EIR may be prepared covering the entire project in a general form. The staged EIR should evaluate the proposal in light of current and con- templated plans and produce an informed estimate of the environmental consequences of the entire project. The aspects of the project before the pub- lic agency for approval shall be discussed with a greater degree of specificity. (b) When a staged EIR has been prepared, a supple- ment to the EIR shall be prepared when a later approval is required for the project, and the infor- mation available at the time of the later approval would permit consideration of additional environ- mental impacts, mitigation measures, or reasonable alternatives to the project." As noted in Table 1-1, Sectional Area Plans, Tentative Maps, and Planned Unit Development must themselves be subjected to environmental review with respect to the resources and issues listed in Table 1-1 prior to any approval which may result in a significant effect on the environment. When subsequent environmental documents are prepared with respect to later discretionary approvals, further opportunity to recommend further mitigation measures and project alternatives. As provided for by the Administrative Guidelines to CEQA in Section 15002(f), where subsequent environmental review demonstrates that the project under consideration and its attendant approvals would cause a substantial adverse change in the environment, the lead agency must respond to such information by one or more of the following actions: "(1) Changing a proposed activity; "(2) Imposing conditions on the approval of the activity; "(3) Adopting plans or ordinances to control a broader class of activities to avoid the prob- lems; "(4) Choosing an alternative way of meeting the same need; "(5) Disapproving the project, or "(6) Finding that changes in, or alterations, the project are not feasible. "(7) Finding that the unavoidable, significant environmental damage is acceptable as pro- vided in Section 15089." Table 1-! SUMMAi~Y OF FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL RI~VIEW FOR EASTLAKE General Development Sectional Tentative Map/ Issue Plan Area Plan Precise Plan Land Use X X X Agricultural Resources X Transportatio~ and Circulation X X Sewer Services X X Water Availability X Schools X X Police Proteeti~ X Fire Protectim X X Energy X X (X) Parks and Recreation X X Other Utilities and Services X X Biological Resources X X (X) Visual Resources X X (X) Geology X X Soils X X (X) Groundwater X Drainage X X Mineral Resources X Water Quality X X (X) Air Quality X Socioeconomic Factors X X Archaeology/History X (X) Paleontology X X Noise X X (X) Key X - issue to be addressed (X) - issue to potentially be addressed blank - issue not to be addressed 3 This report is submitted to the City of Chula Vista in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act and EIR Guidelines, as amended Janu- ary 1, 1981. In des~ing the EastLake Planned Community, the applicant used a planning process which included environmental studies from the initial stages of the project. Subsequent to finalizing the General Development Plan for EastLake, an Environmental Data Base was prepared and submitted to the City of Chula Vista. This data base was used during preparation of the Environmental Con- straints Inventory for the project, and, in turn, this EIR. Future planning studies for EastLake wi]] include Sectional Area Plans, site plans and tentative maps. The topics for which environmental review may be necessary as these later plans are submitted are identified on Table 1-1. 1.2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Project Description The 3073-acre EastLake project site is located in the eastern portion of the Chula Vista Planning Area in an unincorporated portion of San Diego County. Upper and Lower Otay Lakes are adjacent to the eastern project boundary, and Otay Lakes Road traverses the site from west to east. The site's topography is gently rollings hills, and current land use is primarily agriculture (dry-farmed barley). The existing County land use designations are Intensive Agriculture over the majority of the site, and Very Low Density, non-urban residential uses for the remaining areas. The Chula Vista General Plan also designates the majority of the site for Agriculture and Reserve. The northwestern portion of the site is designated for Medium Density Residential uses. The EastLake project as proposed would be developed as a Planned Community including a mixture of residential, industrial, commercial, office, community educational and open space land uses. The applicant is requesting a prezune to Planned Community and adoption of a General Development Plan and phasing schedule to guide development of the site. To allow such development, a General Plan Amendment for the Land Use and Circulation Elements of the Chula Vista General Plan would be required. If the GPA and prezone are approved, a request for annexation to Chula Vista would be made to LAFCO. Environmental Analysis The environmental impacts of the proposed project are summarized below. More detailed discussions of impacts and mitigation measures for each issue are contained in Section III of this report. Land Use: The proposed changes in land use designations and ultimate devel- opment according to the General Development Plan were identified to have a significant impact on agricultural resources. This is discussed further in the following paragraph. Conflicts with surrounding land uses are not anticipated, except for the area adjacent to Otay Lakes Park. This potential impact can be mitigated through specific site design. Internal land uses would be compatible 4 and no significant impacts would occur. EastLake development would be a substantial change from City policy regarding land use designations for this area, and would vary from density assumptions used for Series V population projections. As a result of this change in policy, there could be secondary effects on traffic, community services and air quality as discussed below. Agricultural Resources: The majority of the project site contains soils suit- able for agricultural use which, due to location within the coastal climate, would be highly productive given imported water. The loss of the current dry farmed barley production is not considered significant but the loss of resources for the potential production of coastal dependent crops would be a significant adverse impact of project development. Transportation and Circulation: Traffic generated from development of the proposed project would represent an increase in total area trips of 16 to 18 percent. On a cumulative basis, this traffic would have a significant impact on the regional circulation system. Mitigation of the impact is possible with phased improvements to roadways and intersections constructed in con- junction with need. At the City's discretion, some of these improvements should be the responsibility of the developer, while other property owners and various public agencies would need to construct other links. The major road improvements which will be needed to avoid significant impacts include: · SR 125 between the project and SR 54 should be constructed as a four- lane prime arterial; eventual widening to six lanes with selected grade separations may be required. ® Otay Lakes Road should be extended south of Telegraph Canyon Road to an intersection with Orange Avenue; Orange Avenue should be extended from that point to the EastLake property. · Several roads (see Appendix C) presently designated as collectors will have to be reclassified as major arterials, including: Sweetwater Road (SR 54 - Bonita) Bonita Bridge Sweetwater Road (SR 54 - Bonita Bridge) Corral Canyon Road Brandywine Avenue · Bonita Road between 1-805 and the Bonita Bridge will need to be widened to a six-lane divided major artieral. If project development is phased with needed circulation improvements, poten- tial impacts would be reduced to insignificance. If improvements are not made, a significant adverse traffic impact would result. Sewer Services: Sewage generation from the EastLake project would be sub- stantially higher than that anticipated under current, lower density General Plan designations. Sewage disposal facilities do not currently exist onsite, and full development of the project would require extensive construction of both on and offsite lines or separate sewage treatment facilities. Such improve- ments would need to be phased with development to avoid significant impacts. 5 First phase construction would have some allotted capacity in the Telegraph Canyon trunk line, and pumping into existing lines over a short-term period is being requested by the applicant. If the extension of sewage lines is the option selecte4~for sewering the project site, there is a potential for contributing to growth inducement of adjacent parcels. Water Availability: Project development would require the construction of water distribution facilities onsite, which would be the responsibility of the developer. The Otay Water District has indicated an ability to supply water to the site. However, the loss of imported water from the Colorado River as a result of Arizona's withdrawal would have regional water supply implications. The project as proposed would represent an incremental impact on limited regional water supplies which could be significant on a cumulative basis. The use of reclaimed water for irrigation of open space and recreation areas as well as conservation measures would reduce the demand for imported water from the community. However, the problem of adequate supply must be solved on a regional scale. Schools: Students generated by project development would create a need for additional school facilities within the project area. The General Development Plan indicates school sites for 5 elementary, i junior and 1 senior high. Based on current generation rate and average school capacities, there may be a need for 2 additional elementary and 1 each junior and senior high schools within the community. The provision of adequate school facilities should be coordi- nated with the Districts and provided by the developer in conjunction with need to reduce potential impacts to insignificance. Police Protection: Initial emergency response time to development within EastLake would be below the preferred time. The addition of police staff and equipment to meet the demands of new development would eliminate the short-term impact which would occur during the initial phase of the project. FirewouldProtection: Significantfirst sho~t-termof impacts on the City's Fire Department occur during the phase development, until a new station is oper- ational in the project area. A second station may be necessary during later phases of project buildout. The developer would be responsible for providing a station site, and construction of the station structure as well as provision of the necessary apparatus and equipment may also be required to mitigate potentially significant impacts. Energy: Project development would result in an incremental increase in demand for energy. No unique or unusual demands for energy are anticipated to result from implementation of the project in this area due to the provision of a mixture of ]and uses which would help to reduce future residents travel distances. Conservation measures being considered for the development would further reduce energy demand and consumption. Parks and Recreation Facilities: The proposed General Development Plan for EastLake includes the provision of open space and park areas to serve future project residents. No adverse impacts related to parks would occur. Library Services: Project development would result in an incremental increase in demand for library services. Due to the size of the project and distance from the central library, a signifieant impact could occur .unless mitigation measure.s~re implemented. Those recommended by the City librarian include provision of temporary space for a branch library, purchase of books, funding of staff for 1 year and dedication of a site for a permanent branch library. Other Utilities and Services: Project development would incrementally increase the use of and demand for other services including solid waste dis- posal, telephone service, churches, hospital and paramedic serviees. No signif- icant impact to these services and facilities are anticipated. Biological Resources: The majority of the natural vegetation on the project site has been disturbed through agricultural cultivation. The proposed project design includes retention of almost all the remaining native vegetation onsite and associated sensitive species. No significant biological impacts are antici- pated as a result of project development, although there will be an incremen- tal reduction in the foraging area for raptors. Visual Resources: The proposed development of the EastLake Planned Com- munity would substantially alter the visual character of the site from its pas- toral appearance to an urbanized community. Specific grading and design features are not available at this time, but mitigation measures to minimize visual impacts are included in the proposed PC regulations. These address grading and architectural design, as well as visual considerations for projects adjacent to designated Scenic Highways. Site-specific visual impacts should be addressed during subsequent project review. Geology: The designation of land uses on the project site has generally been responsive to geologic eanditions except in several possible minor landslide areas. Potential impacts related to slope instability can be mitigated by remedial grading or use of fill to buttress and stabilize the landslides. Poten- tial seismic activity would be no 'greater at the site than elsewhere in southern California. Construction in accordance with the Uniform Building Code will minimize the effects of earthquake shaking. Prior to final project design, a detailed geologic investigation is required to be conducted to provide grading, foundation and construction recommendations. Soils: The project site contains areas with highly expansive soils. Unstable soils conditions can be mitigated to insignificance by following the recommen- dations of an engineering geologist. Groundwater: Development of the project site would not affect local or regional groundwater conditions in the project vicinity. Drainage: Development of the proposed project would increase runoff from the site, which would represent an incremental increase in the existing flood discharge of the Sweetwater and Otay Rivers. Several areas downstream are currently subject to flooding problems, and the project contribution to peak runoff could be significant on a cumulative basis. The portion of EastLake which is drained by Telegraph Canyon represents 14 percent of the total watershed. Development of this site with urban uses, rather than the assumed agricultural use, would result in an underestimation of the projected peak diseharge, and could impact drainage facilities. Develop- ment in the portion of the site drained by Long Canyon could also aggravate the existing drainage problem southeast of Bonita Road. Measures to control peak runoff discharge to pre-project levels and provide drainage improvements could mitigate potential drainage impacts. Mineral Resourees: No mineral deposits are known or expected onsite. Water Quality: Development of the site with urban uses would result in a change in the type of eontaminants contained in surface runoff and would decrease sediment loads of runoff. No significant impaet on water quality is anticipated from project implementation. The wastewater reclamation plant being considered for sewage treatment would involve the use of treated waste- water for irrigation. Disposal of the treated effluent may be restricted along the eastern margin of the property which drains into Otay Lakes by the RWQCB. No significant water quality impact would occur onsite or in down- stream areas. Air Quality: The proposed EastLake development would represent a signifi- cant increase in the planned growth levels within the Chula Vista Planning Area, with a resultant increase in pollutant emissions from mobile and station- ary sources. The impact of project implementation would be significant on a eumulative regionwide level due to the departure from planned growth within the air basin. Mitigation measures are available to reduce project-related emissions, but cannot mitigate the impact to insignificance. Soeioeconomies: Development of the proposed project would result in a redis- tribution of planned housing units and population within the Chula Vista Plan- ning Area. This would affect the rate and density of development in other portions of the Planning Area. Secondary impacts associated with growth of this property, and the potential induced growth on surrounding parcels are discussed individually and in Section IV. The proposed development would pro- vide additional employment o@portunities in the Chula Vista area. The fiscal analysis for the projeet indicated a net benefit to the City during all phases of the project. Archaeological/Historical Resources: Field investigation of the EastLake property identified three archaeological/historical sites and 14 artifact iso- lates. Future development of the project area would result in the loss or impairment of the cultural resources present onsite unless appropriate mitiga- tion measures are taken, including surface and subsurfaee testing. Paleontological Resources: There is a potential for paleontological resources to be present within the extreme southwestern portion of the project site. A more precise determination of the resource presence can be made through field examination of future soil and geotechnical borings or cut slopes during grading operations. Mitigation measures are available to avoid significant impacts to any paleontological resources onsite. Noise: Ambient noise levels in the project vicinity would increase as a result o--~ban development. Significant noise impacts would occur if residential uses were constructed within the 65 dB(A) CNEL contours adjacent to road- ways in the project area. Mitigation of noise impacts is possible through construction techniques or noise barriers. Specific noise impacts would need to be determined at the time of individual project review. Growth Inducement: The project as proposed would introduce an urban devel- opment into a currently rural setting, and would involve the extension of roads, sewage facilities, and community services. Development of EastLake could affect both the timing, type and location of growth of adjacent parcels and could encourage additional annexation requests. Although development of the project site is planned to be phased over a 20-year period, the project proposal is considered to have significant secondary impacts associated with growth inducement. If adjacent parcels were to develop at densities similar to EastLake, an overload of facilities such as roads, sewers and drainage struc- tures could result. Other secondary effects would be air quality and commu- nity service availability. SECTION I INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 PURPOS~ This environmental document addresses the proposed 1267.9-acre EastLake I Sectional Planning Area (SPA). Located in an area zoned as Planned Community (PC) by the City of Chula Vista on August 24, 1982, the project site is located approximately 7.5 miles east of downtown Chula Vista and 8 miles north of the United States/Mexico EastLake I is planned to be a functionally complete community within the City border. of Chula Vista, and the SPA Plan prepared by the applicant is a refinement and imple- mentation framework for the Planned Community Zoning (a copy of which is on file with the City of Chula Vista Planning Department). EastLake I is a phased development project and the SPA Plan projects development of 3683 homes over a period of 8 to 10 years. This document is designed to serve as a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the EastLake I Sectional Development Plan (EIR-84-1). A Master EIR was completed for the project in February of 1982, and the project received discretionary approvals frgm the City of Chula Vista for the requested General Plan Amendment, prezoning and General Development Plan, and annexation to the City of Chula Vista from the of San Diego. County EastLake I is the designation adopted for the current development area of EastLake. On August 24, 1982, the City'of Chula Vista adopted the EastLake Policy Plan for the entire 3073-acre community and the Planned Community Zoning for East- Lake I. Combined, these constitute the General Plan designation for the property. A provision of the Planned Community Zoning was that, prior to development, a SPA Plan would have to be approved for the planning area. This phase of project approvals, including the preparation of Sectional Development Plans and Tentative Tract Maps is now in process. The site-specific SPA and Tentative Maps are subject to environmental review and comprise the primary focus of this EIR. Discretionary action by the City of Chula Vista will include an amendment to the General Development Plan. Land use designations for the EastLake I SPA vary from the current General Development Plan in terms of distribution, but are in compliance with the intent of the Planned Community designations by type and density. 1-! The objective of this report is to provide an updated base of information regarding the resources and constraints of the project site, and to discuss the environ- mental effects of the proposed actions. This EIR, together with the Master EIR (EIR 81-03), provides an assessment of the probable short- and long-term cumulative impacts of the project and provides an evaluation of all feasible mitigation measures necessary to reduce or eliminate adverse impacts. It also analyzes all feasible alterna- tives to the project as proposed. Future discretionary action for EastLake I includes the preparation and envi- ronmental review of a Supplemental SPA Plan for EsstLake Greens and a Precise Plan for Village Center. The following Planned Community District Regulations adopted by the City of Chula Vista are applicable to the EastLake I project site and are used as guidelines for development of this EIR. The regulations are intended to: a. Provide for the orderly preplanning and long-term development of EastL~ke so that the entire community and subsequent extensions of planning areas will provide an environment of stable and desirable character; b. Give reasonable assurance that Sectional Development Plans prepared in accordance with an approved General Development Plan will be acceptable to the city; c. Enable the city to adopt measures providing for the development of the surrounding area compatible with the planned community zone; d. Enhance and implement the General Plan; e. Secure for the citizens of the city the social and economic advantages resulting from an orderly planned use of its land resources; f. Establish conditions which will anow land uses to exist in harmony within the community; g. Facilitate adequate provisions for community facilities, such as trans- portation, water, sewage, schools, parks and other public requirements; h. Provide flexibility in development standards and permit planned diver- sification in the location of land uses and structures; i. To recognize the inherent influence that economic conditions and con- sumer needs will have in the implementation of EastLake I and, j. Allow a diversity of uses, relationships and heights of buildings and open space in planned building groups while insuring substantial compliance with the spirit, intent, and provisions of the Municipal Code. (City of Chula Vista, 1982c.) 1-2 1.2 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS Project Deseription The 1267.9-acre EastLake I project site is located in the eastern portion of the City of Chula Vista. Telegraph Canyon Road and Otay Lakes Road bisect the site, which is comprised of a topography of gentle rolling hills dry-farmed for barley produc- tion. The existing City of Chula Vista General Plan designates the project site as the Planned Community of EastLake I (Amendment 1982). Development under the Planned Community (PC) designation requires the preparation of a Sectional Planning Area (SPA) Plan to guide the sequential implementation of the PC's General Develop- ment Plan. The EastLake I SPA Plan as proposed would be developed to include a mixture of residential, employment park, office, commercial, circulation, recreational, educa- tional and open space land uses as ~pecified in the General Development Plan. Two tentative maps, one for residential EastLake Hills and EastLake Shores, and one for EastLake Village Center and EastLake Business Center, are also proposed. The mixture of land uses provides for the development of a balanced community. Environmental Analysis The environmental impacts of the proposed project are summarized below. Mitigation measures as listed are required in order to reduce potential impacts to a level of insignificance. If not applied, significant impacts could be expected to occur. More detailed discussions of impacts and mitigation measures for each issue are con- tained in Section III and the associated Appendices of this report. Land Use: The land uses outlined in the proposed SPA Plan and Tentative Maps vary slightly from land use designations of the Planned Community Regulations and General Development Plan in terms of distribution. Types and density of land use remain the same, however. The project would allow a maximum of 3683 dwelling units within a total residential area of 619.9 acre~ (49 percent of the total site area). The remaining 51 percent of the site would be developed for a variety of non-residential land uses on 648 acres. Although acreage within the non-residential land use categories will vary somewhat from the General Development Plan designations, the SPA Plan complies with the intent of the Planned Community Regulations. Even though the employment park acreage is slightly higher than that designated on the General Devel- opment Plan, limitations in the Planned Community Regulations will control the scale of the structures. The SPA Plan's extensive design measures preserve the continuity of 1-3 a well-balanced community with a variety of land uses. No significant land use impacts are expected to occur with complete implementation of the SPA Plan. Transpj~rtation and Circulation: The Transportation and Circulation analysis indicates that a large number of streets in the East Chula Vista area will need to be constructed or widened to accommodate cumulative growth from projected area devel- opments. EastLake I, however, will not impact all of these streets. To evaluate which roads will be impacted, a special SANDAG model was used which separates EastLake I traffic from the rest of the study area. Results of this information indicated that EastLake I, along with existing traffic, will create the majority of traffic on the streets within the project and on SR125 between the project and San Miguel Road, and East "H" Street between the project and Otay Lakes Road. Caltrans has indicated that a four- lane intermediate configuration on SR125 is acceptable, with an ultimate configuration consisting of eight lanes, diamond interchanges and a truck lane upgrade from the Sweetwater River Valley. Several existing streets will need to be expanded and the proposed project traffic will also necessitate a minimum of two lanes for SR125 north of San Miguel Road, four lanes for SR125 between San Miguel Road and the southern project boundary, and a minimum of four lanes on Telegraph Canyon Road west of the project. Mitigation measures to reduce significant traffic impacts to a level of insig- nificance are provided in Section 3.2. Water Availability: In order to provide water to onsite development, the proj- ect site will be annexed to Otay Water District's Improvement District 22. Project development will require the construction of water distribution facilities both onsite and offsite. Financing of the facilities will be accomplished through the combined use of Improvement District annexation fees, OWD capacity charges, meter fees and use of a form of bond funding. The use of reclaimed water for irrigation of open space and recreation areas as well as conservation measures, are proposed as part of the project to ultimately reduce onsite water requirements. As indicated in the Planned Commu- nity Regulations, the developer will construct a dual water system in each phase of development, such that reclaimed water, when available and where its use is deter- mined to be feasible and practical, can be used for irrigation of open space, parks and common areas. Even though the project would incrementally increase regional water consumption, implementation of the SPA Plan would represent an insignificant impact to water availability. Sewer Services: Project development would require the construction of sew- age facilities as outlined in the Wastewater Master Plan to provide adequate service to 1-4 the project site. Furthermore, negotiations between the developer and the City of Chula Vista must be continued to ensure the timely provision of future sewer service. The location and capacity of the Long Canyon sewer has not yet been determined. Negotiations are currently underway between the applicant and the developer of Bonita Long Canyon Estates to settle this iSsue. A Supplemental EIR will be prepared for EastLake I which will address potential constraints associated with offsite improve- ments such as the Long Canyon sewer line. Development of EastLake I would incre- mentally reduce the capacity at the Point Loma Metro Sewer System. However, due to the large area served by the system and the comparatively small increase generated by EastLake I, the project will not represent a significant effect to sewer services. Educational Facilities: Students generated by project development would ere- ate a need for additional school facilities within the project area. Based on an Elemen- tary School Draft Master Plan prepared for EastLake I, two elementary school facilities are required. The site for one elementary school is proposed in the EastLake Hills neighborhood; the second site will be addressed by the Supplemental SPA Plan for East- Lake Greens neighborhood. Negotiations for a high school site at the south boundary of EastLake I (offsite) are currently underway with Sweetwater Union High School Dis- trict. The establishment of the high school would eliminate the potential incremental effect of EastLake I and other developments on educational facilities. The provision of the facilities outlined above would adequately serve students generated by EastLake I. Assuming that the schools will be developed in the established time frames and in accordance with need, the potential impacts to existing facilities would be reduced to a level of insignificance. Police Protection: An adverse though non-significant impact could occur to police protection services due to an increased demand in a service area currently oper- ating above the optimum response time. However, additional police staff is anticipated to be added with funds generated by EastLake and other similar developments, and no significant impacts would then occur. Fire Protection: Development of EastLake I would constitute an adverse impact initially, as existing facilities and personnel would be required to provide fire protection services to a larger geographical area and population. This short-term impact will ultimately be mitigated to a level of insignificance through the provision of an equipped fire station, which is the responsibility of the developer. Parks and Recreational Facilities: The proposed SPA Plan for EastLake I des- ignates 284.4 acres of open space and 47.8 acres of parkland (32.9 acres of neighborhood 1-5 parkland and 14.9 acres of community parkland) to serve future project residents. Three minor parks at approximately 0.5 acre each are proposed in the residential par- cels of EastLake ~)res. No adverse impacts related to parks would occur. Library Services: The proposed project would increase the demand for library facilities and represents an adverse impact. This impact would be eliminated through the provision of a temporary community-oriented library or bookmobile; and ultimately with the development of EastLake II, the construction of a separate library facility financed by any combination of Mello-Roos, State library funds, grants and/or specially earmarked City revenues, and acceptable to the Library Director of the Chula Vista Public Library. Ener~ Supply and Conservation: Adequate facilities will be available to transport gas and electricity to the project site. Since the continued availability of energy supplies cannot be assured, the SPA Plan has incorporated measures to reduce natural gas and electricity consumption and conserve fuel. Thus, the development of EastLake I would not adversely affect gas and electric facilities or the conservation of energy resources. Other Utilities and Services: Project development would incrementally increase the use of and demand for other services including solid waste disposal, tele- phone service, and hospital and ambulance services. No significant impact to these services and facilities are anticipated. Visual Resources: The proposed EastLake I development would change the appearance of the project site as the pastoral character of the existing landscape would be replaced by urban development. The project site has been designated in the Chula Vista General Plan for urban development, however, and the SPA Plan does not present a significant alteration to this commitment. To avoid potential visual impacts the project has incorporated extensive design measures including designation of open space and parks, providing a landscape plan with vis~fal buffer zones, landscape zones, a plant matrix, a street tree plan, trails plan, signage plan, fencing plan and a grading plan. The plan also seeks to maintain the intent of the Scenic Highways Element. No signif- icant visual impacts are expected to occur with complete implementation of the SPA Plan. Geology/Soils: Based on the preliminary geotechnical investigation of the project site, it has been determined that development is feasible from a geotechnical standpoint. There appear to be no significant geotechnical constraints onsite that cannot be mitigated by proper planning, design and sound construction practices. 1-6 Mitigation measures as outlined in the investigation and provided in the SPA Plan will reduce the potential impacts to a level of insignificance. Hydrology~/Drainage: The project site is located within five drainage basins that are tributary to the Sweetwater and Otay Rivers. Runoff volumes from the site will increase slightly for each of these basins while total sediment loads would be decreased after site development. In the Long Canyon basin, there are existing down- stream flooding conditions improvements are planned, proposed project for which The would avoid significant impacts to this basin by providing drainage improvements that reduce the peak flows from the property. In the Telegraph Canyon basin, the minor increase in surface runoff during a 50-year storm event would not have significant impacts once the planned downstream improvements are in place. In meetings con- ducted with the City of Chula Vista and the applicant, downstream improvements have been addressed. It was resolved that interim drainage facilities improvement on East- Lake I would include a retention basin in the Commercial Center area, in order that downstream flows would not increase beyond existing levels. Long-term drainage facil- ities improvements would be financed under a fee district to be instituted by the City of Chula Vista. The peak 50-year flows from the project site in the Proctor Valley basin would decrease after site development and no significant impacts would result. No adverse impacts would be associated with project development in the Salt Creek or Poggi Canyon basins, tributary to the Otay River. Air Quality: Air quality emissions resulting from project implementation would conform to the regional air quality management plan and the project would not impede the attainment of air quality standards within the San Diego air basin. East- Lake I includes several measures to reduce vehicle travel and the consumption of nat- ural gas and electricity. The corresponding decrease in air quality emissions is consid- ered a beneficial effect associated with project development. No adverse impacts are anticipated concerning air quality. Socioeconomic Factors: The proposed population for EastLake I SPA conforms to population statistics projected for the EastLake Planned Community and would not adversely affect socioeconomic factors. Proposed housing for the development meets and exceeds the requirements of the Planned Community Regulations and General Development Plan in providing low-and moderate-income housing and manufactured housing. No adverse impacts to housing are anticipated. The slight increase in employ- ment opportunity under the SPA Plan is considered a beneficial socioeconomic impact and no mitigation measures are necessary. 1-7 Fiscal Analysis: Based on the fiscal analysis prepared by Public Affairs Con- sultants, the EastLake I SPA Plan is estimated to provide net revenues which would result in a beneficial fiscal impact to the City of Chula Vista. No significant adverse impacts are anticipated concerning the fiscal issue. Noise: The noise analysis for EastLake I shows that nearly one-quarter to one- third of the site development could be potentially impacted by roadway noise levels above the City of Chula Vista's maximum residential limit of 65 dB CNEL. An even greater area would potentially be impacted by roadway noise levels of 57 dB CNEL. The area of potential noise impacts may be reduced considerably by the use of barriers (berms and wails) and sensitive land use setbacks from major roadways. However, both topography and the first "row" of development structures adjacent to a roadway will have the potential to reduce noise impacts without specific barrier construction or noise related property development setbacks. At the time of development in poten- tially noise impacted areas, site (and plan) specific noise studies must be performed to assess the actual noise environment and provide any engineering designs to mitigate or reduce potential adverse impacts. In addition to the use of barriers and setbacks for reducing outdoor noise impacts, sensitive indoor uses may be protected by the acous- tical engineering design of building exterior walls, windows, doors, roofs and ventilation systems. The noise impacts from the initial construction phases of the proposed project are expected to be minimal since the project is in a relatively unpopulated area with the exception of the residential area to the southwest of the project area. Construction of the major roadways and utilities services which will occur either with or without the development of EastLake Phase I may be exPected to cause Some impacts to existing residents. Since the proposed project area would not be 'built out" for a number of years, it can be expected that after initial stages of development, increasing numbers of "new" residents could be exposed to noise impacts from interim and final stages of construction. Therefore, the use of quiet equipment and good neighbor work schedules which would initialiy be important only in the area of existing residents, would in later stages be necessary throughout the project region. Biological Resources: The biological resources concentrated in the northern and northwestern portions of the project site have been placed in designated open space, retaining the majority of existing native vegetation and the inclusive sensitive species. As this habitat would be retained as natural, undisturbed open space, no signif- icant biological resource impacts would occur. 1-8 Archaeological Resources: Archaeological site CA-SDi-7179, composed of 5 loci, is located within the EastLake Business Center. A data recovery program has been conducted for Locus B of the site to mitigate adverse effects of the SDG&E Interconnection Project. The four remaining loci of the site would be impacted by EastLake I development. Mitigation measures involve a two-stage investigative data recovery program to avoid potential significant impacts of project development. Paleontological Resources: There is minimal potential for adverse impacts to significant paleontological resources on the project site. To ensure that significant and potentially unique fossils and paleontological resources are not destroyed without exam- ination and analysis, it is recommended that a qualified paleontologist monitor the initial grading activities in the Sweetwater Formation as it appears in the drainage walls. The mitigation measures presented would avoid potential adverse impacts to subsurface resources. Growth Inducement: The majority of the EastLake I project site is surrounded by land zoned for urban growth. The western and northwestern portions of the project site would be contiguous with existing or approved development zoned for low- to medium-density residential use. The southern and eastern portions of the project site would be contiguous with land zoned as "future urban." Approval of the EastLake I SPA would have some growth-inducing effects on the existing undeveloped land southwest and northeast of the project boundaries; and may encourage surrounding planned devel- opments to take place sooner than would otherwise occur without the project. Develop- ment of EastLake I as an urban community in an area projected for future urban growth does not present a significant adverse growth inducing impact and complies with the intent of the City of Chula Vista growth management plan. 1-9 EXHIBIT 'B' PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR THE COTTAGES AT EASTLAKE SHORES SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL: ZERO LOT LINE UNITS All lots proposed to be developed for zero lot line units (units with dwellings, garage structure, and walls constructed on side lot lines) shall be governed by the provisions of the EastLake ! Planned Community District Regulations (Section II.3, Section A, Land Use Group RP-13) excepted as specified below: 1. The provisions of Chapter II.3, section relating to lot area, lot coverage, and yard requirements shall be amended as follows: a. Lot Coverage: Except as noted for open patio's, lot coverage within the subdivision, including buildings, accessory buildings and structures, shall not cover more than the percentages listed on the attached chart. b. Lot Area: 3,000 square feet 30% under 3,000 square feet c. Lot Width: 52 feet d. Front Yard: 5 feet: A minimum front yard of 5 feet or 19.5 feet shall be maintained where driveways extend from such garages are approximately perpendicular to the front property line. e. Exterior Side Yard: 10 feet f. One Side Yard: 0 feet Opposite Side Yard: 6 feet g. Rear Yard: 5 feet: A minimum of one half of the width of the structure must maintain a minimum rear yard setback of 10 feet. 2. The applicant shall record covenants, conditions, restrictions, and easements to provide for drainage, roof or eave projections, access for purposes of maintenance, repair, or remodeling of lot line structures;compatibility of materials, textures, color, and related matters. Such deed restrictions and easements, which shall be recorded concurrently with the recordation of the subdivision map or maps creating designated zero lot line lots, shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Commission or, on appeal, the City Council. 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section II, no garage shall be converted for living purposes and shall be retained at all times for the purpose of parking motor vehicles. 4. Patio structures (covers) may be located within a rear yard area only; ~rovided that such structure is located no closer than three (3) feet from the rear lot line, and does not exceed one story in height. No other room additions (either single or two- story shall be allowed). 5. All patio structures shall be limited to the approved patio standards for the cottages on file with the City of Chula Vista. 6. Each lot shall be allowed one portable storage shed not to exceed 100 sq.ft, in area provided the shed is screened from view of any public street by combinations of walls and landscaping to the satisfaction of the City Planning Director. 7. All fencing must conform to Section II.6. Replacement of existing fencing shall be subject to approval of the Planning Commission or, on appeal, the City Council. Fencing shall be limited to the areas shown on the approved site plan on file with the City of Chula Vista. 8. All areas in front and exterior side yards (building to sidewalk) shall be limited to landscaping, excepting therefrom driveway areas shown on the approved site plan filed with the City of Chula Vista. 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