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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Statement 1980/05/06 Item 10a,10b COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT Item 10, a & b Meeting Date 5/6/80 . Public hearing - Consideration of development plans for Rice Canyon Sectional ITEM TITLE: Planning Area and tentative subdivision map for Hidden Vista Village Resolution 100" - Approving plans for Rice Canyon Sectional Planning Area Resolution/ooS/-,q- Approving tentative subdivision map for Hidden Vista Village SUBMITTED BY: Director of Planning~ (4/5ths Vote: Yes No~) . A. BACKGROUND ~ 1. The applicnat has submitted a Sectional Planning Area plan for the development of the 419 acre Rice Canyon area of El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan located on the east side of 1-805 in the vicinity of the extension of East "H" Street. For the City Council's information, two 8~"xll" maps are enclosed to facilitate comparisons between the adopted plan for the Rice Canyon Specific Planning Area and the applicant's proposed development plan for the area. The text of the Specific Development Plan of El Rancho del Rey, as adopted by the Planning Commission and City Council, is also enclosed for the Council's information. 2. In addition to the Sectional Planning Area plan, a tentative map identified as Chula Vista Tract 80-15, Hidden Vista Village, has been filed which proposes to subdivide approximately 419 acres in the following manner: 329 single family lots ranging in size from 6,000 sq. ft. to 18,000 sq. ft. 4 condominium lots containing a total of 638 condominium units 2 major open space lots containing approximately 125 acres A 19 acre elementary school site (9 acres usable)* A 64 acre junior high school site (22 acres usable)* An 18 acre park site (6 acres usable)* ~ 30,000 sq. ft. fire station site A one acre park and ride facility for Cal Trans One lot of approximately 11 acres to be devoted to senior citizen and low and moderate income housing An 8 acre auto park site One 3 acre commercial recreation area One 20+ acre site devoted to retail commercial activities. *There are nearly 60 acres of natural open space proposed within these three sites. It should be noted that detailed precise plans will be filed at a later date for Planning Commission and City Council approval on all of the commercial, commercial/recre- ation development, and the senior citizen-low/moderate income housing area. 3. Environmental Impact Report EIR-79-8 was certified by the Planning Commission on October 10, 1979, and was included as an earlier item on the Council agenda together with the candidate CEQA findings and overriding considerations. B. RECOMMENDATION: 1. Adopt a resolution approving the development plan for the Rice Canyon Sectional Planning Area of El Rancho del Rey subject to the following conditions: a. The General Plan shall be amended at the next available General Plan hearings scheduled by the City to reflect the modif~cation to the Specific Plan. b. The developer shall be required to dedicate and/or construct Form A-113 (Rev. 11/79) J 0 ()(s/ all public Continued --.. EXHIBITS Agreement_____ Resolution~ Ordinance_____ Plat~ Notification List Other ~1emo Report ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT: Attached Submitted on Res. PCM-tJU-13 Res. PCS-80-15 Table of Condominium Summary Letter from C.V. School District Text of Specific Development Plan of El Rancho del Rey ^ "'~ Page 2, Item lO,a & B Meeting Date 5/6/80 facilities determined by the City Council to be necessary to serve the Rice Canyon Sectional Planning Area. 2. Adopt a resolution approving the tentative subdivision map for Chula Vista Tract 80-15, Hidden Vista Village, in accordance with Planning Commission Resolution PCS-80-15. C. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION On March 19, 1980, the Planning Commission, by a vote of 4-2 (with one member absent) recommended that the City Council approve the Rice Canyon Sectional Planning Area in accordance with Resolution PCM-80-13 and the tentative subdivision map in accordance with Resolution PCS-80-15. D. BRIEF DISCUSSION OF MAJOR POINTS 1. Number of dwell ing units. The applicant's plan proposes 827 dwelling units (329 single family lots and 498 condo- minium units) to be located on the north side of "H" Street. The adopted Specific Plan allows for a maximum of 839 units on the north side. The adopted Specific Plan has 50 acres designated for Retail and Recreation Commercial on the south side of "H" Street. The applicant's plan would reduce the commercial develop- ment by approximately 23 acres and in its place provide for 11 acres of senior and low/ moderate income housing. The remaining 12 acres would be devoted to condominium development. The total number of units proposed on the south side of "H" Street is 372 (232 for senior and low/moderate income, and 140 condominium units). The substitution of residential develop- ment for commercial development is more'fully explained in Section C. 1 and 2 of the attached report. 2. Land form alteration. Development of the project will have a major effect on the existing topography as approximately 3y, to 4y, million cubic yards of earth will be moved. The grading, however, is necessary for the extension of "H" Street and the implementation of the adopted Specific Plan previously approved by the City Council. Approximately 185 acres, or 45% of the 419 acre site, will' remain in natural open space in keeping with the adopted plan (see Section F of the attached report 'for complete information). 3. Extension of offsite improvements. The possible extension of offsite road improvements was discussed in detail in two areas. a. Lynwood Drive - The City's Fire Marshal, Police Chief and Planning Director all concurred that providing a road connection to Lynwood Drive from the proposed project would provide a valuable secondary route to Bonita Road and adjacent county developments for emergency service. Because of opposition raised by adjoining county residents and conditions of approval sought by the County Road Department, the City Engineer and Planning Director recommended that the connection not be made at this time. The Planning Commission concurred with that recommendation in favor of retaining a street reservation which could be utilized at some future time if the need arises (see Section B.2 of the attached report for complete i nforma ti on). b. "H" Street - The developer has offered to construct "H" Street through the full Continued )oorsl ---- Page 3, Item. 10 a' & b ~1eeting Date 5/6/80 length of his site varying the width between 6 and 8 lanes to include major turning lanes in the commercial area. The Director of Planning and City Engineer have determined that the number of units contemplated for this project warrants the extension of "H" Street approxi- mately 2500 feet to the east to provide for a second access route into the project. Failure to provi de for the extens i on of "H" Street coul d result in the project bei ng a gi ant cul-de- sac with only one access in or out. .---------------. -- -q- i--'" -, ,--- ..----- -.- r- - - ---- --. -. - ..-- - ---..--.-. '. '-- ~-- ~ I , - .., I i 4. School s. The adopted City Ordinance regarding a developer's obligation for school construction requires the school districts to either reach an equitable agreement with the developer or come forth with evidence of overcrowding ,to the City' Council. The Chula Vista Elementary District has reached an agreement involving the dedication and installation of temporary facilities for the elementary school site; however, negotiations between the Sweetwater Union High School District and the developer are still in progress (for further explanation see Section D of the attached report). 5. Fire Station. The developer. has offered to dedicate and develop a 30,000 sq. ft. fire station site, including the construction of a house and oversized garage to be used for this station. This proposal has been reviewed and accepted by the Director of Public Safety. 6. Encroachment into open space. The applicant's plan has several areas which encroach into the designated open space areas identified on the adopted Specific Plan. However, the total amount of open space retained in the applicant's plan (approximately 185 acres) coincides with the adopted plan. The most significant encroachment occurs along the south side of "H" Street in the area east of Ridgeback Road. This encroachment allows the applicant to develop the area with the same number of dwelling units' (140), however, at'a much lower density per acre (11 dwell- ing units vs. 18).' This utilization of a rather narrow designated open space area results in a move livable residential project. 7. Phasing. Although the applicant anticipates grading the project at one time, construction will occur in eight phases, tentatively scheduled to start in October of 1981 and extend for four to five years. (Refer to Section E, construction phasing schedule, in the attached report. ) 8. Senior and low/moderate income housing. The applicant has designated an eleven acre parcel on the south side of "H" Street, adjacent to the commercial center, for construction of 240-275 senior and low/moderate income housing units. The recommended conditions for the project require construction of those units concurrent with the construction of the retail commercial area and prior to the construction of more than 400 conventional ,dwelling units. (See phasing schedule in the attached report.) /oo&'/ Continued ,J" .- Page 4, Item 10 a & b Meeting Date 5/6/80 E. ANALYSIS 1. The encroachments into the open space will require an amendment to the El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan which in this instance constitutes the General Plan. The General Plan should therefore be amended at the next scheduled General Plan Amendment hearings. 2. Except for the encroachments into the open space areas the plan is in substantial conformnce with the adopted El Rancho del Rey plan. The development of a portion of the commercial areas with residential uses is authorized at a maximum density of 18 dwelling units per acre. (Reference paragraph G.3 on page 9 of the text of the Specific Development Plan of El Rancho del Rey.) While the proposed Section 8 housing would in itself exceed this density, the total residential development planned on the south side has a combined den- sity of 18 units per acre. 3. The transfer of density within a Sectional Planning Area may be authorized provided the transfer improves the spatial or functional relationships or increases the quality of the land use, circulation'or conservation. In this instance, the developer has chosen to utilize four basic dwelling types: single family detached, townhouses, garden apartments, and low rise apartments. Only two of these dwelling types are proposed on the north side of East "H" Street where the El Rancho del Rey plan has indicated four density classifications implying a variety of dwelling types. However, the table of translation (page 11 of the text of the Specific Development Plan of El Rancho del Rey) reflects the allowance of an over- lapping of dwelling types in the density classification, therefore, the proposed plan is in substantial conformance with the El Rancho del Rey plan. 4. The encroachment of the commercial use into a portion of the open space area adjacent to I-80S on the south side of East "H" Street is justifiable due to the alignment of "H" Street and the grading resulting therefrom which provides a level area which bears little relationship to 'the adjoining hillside open space area and a space that can better be incor- porated into the commercial development. The encroachment of the easterly residential development into the open space area along the south side of "H" Street permits the density of the garden apartments to be 11 dwellings per acre rather than 18 units. The expansion of residential development into the designated open space permits the site plan to open up internally, resulting in a 'more 'livable project with more usable space provided within the project. Further, retention of this area as open space would serve little purpose. It would simply be a narrow strip between the base of the hills to the south and "H" Street to the north which has little natural or scenic value. F. CONCLUSION The proposed Sectional Planning Area plan represents an acceptable refinement of the Rice Canyon port i on of the Specifi c Pl an for El Rancho del Rey. The plan addresses the open space, housing and transportation needs in a commendable fashion while making the shifts that inevitably result 'from more detailed engineering and layout studies than the Planning and Engineering Departments were able to do at the time of consideration of the overall plan for El Rancho del Rey. ~>~ ~~=< by t;18 City Cr:uncil of Chul::l Vista, Cc,iiiurnia loo~1 Dated ~/J'O , . -- ;,~ _'''''..1- Kt.;:)ULU I 1 VI'i J'iU. t"l.'YI-QU- I .:> ;J<JO-.- i(: ~ ,I - RESOLUTION OF THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL THE APPROVAL OF DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR THE RICE CANYON SECTIONAL PLANNING AREA OF EL RANCHO DEL REY SPECIFIC PLAN WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 1824, adopted by the City Council on August 15, 1978, adopted a new Specific Plan/General Development Plan for the P-C zone of El Rancho del Rey, and WHEREAS, a development plan for the Rice Canyon Sectional Planning Area of the El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan was filed with the Planning Department by Watt Industries San Diego, Inc., and WHEREAS, the City Planning Commission set the time and place for a public hearing to consider said development plan and notice of said hearing, with its purpose, was given by the publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the city at least ten days prior to the date of said hearing, and I '" WHEREAS, a hearing was held at said time and place, namely 7:00 p.m., February 27 and March 19, 1980, in the Council Chambers, Public Service Building, 276 Fourth Avenue, before the Planning Commission and said hearing was thereafter closed, and WHEREAS, on March 19, 1980 the Planning Commission adopted the Candidate CEQA findings relating to environmental impacts of the project as contained in EIR-79-8, certified by the Planning Commission on October 10, 1979. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS: 1. From facts presented to the Planning Commission, the Commission finds: a. The proposed sectional planning area plan is in conformity with the general development plan of the P-C zone, any adopted specific plans, and the Chula Vista general plan and its several elements: The proposed 827 dwelling units units on the north side of East "H" Street is within the allowable range of 499 to 839 units designated on the El Rancho del Rey Plan. The overall density of 18 dwelling units "i: per acre proposed on the south side of East "H" Street is also in conformance inasmuch as the text of the plan authorizes residential development to occur in the area designated as commercial on the , JOD'6f adopted plan. The encroachment of some of these units into the area designated as open space on the adopted plan is not in conformance with the adopted plan; however, it represents a reasonable use of that land which would otherwise have no great value for open space purposes as it is a narrow strip between "H" Street and the base it -1- of the hills. The use of that area for condominiums enables Section 8 housing to be provided adjacent to the shopping center. The Planning Commission determined the trade-off of this open space for 232 units of Section 8 housing is acceptable and recommends that the adopted plan be amended to reflect the applicant's proposed plan. b. The proposed sectional planning area plan would promote the orderly, sequentialized development of the involved sectional planning area: .The proposed development will be developed in a west to east manner as set forth by City Council policy. The plan provides for access to other areas subject to development. c. The proposed sectional planning area plan would not adversely affect adjacent land use, residential enjoyment, circulation, or environ- mental quality: Single family detached housing is proposed adjacent to the Lynwood Hills area. Since the plan is in general conformance with the adopted El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan it should not adversely affect the adjacent land uses. 2. The Planning Commission recommends to the City Council that the develop- ment plan for the Rice Canyon sectional planning area of El Rancho del Rey be approved subject to the following conditions: a. The General Plan shall be amended at the next available General Plan hearings scheduled by the city to reflect the modification to the Spec ifi c Pl an. b. The developer shall be required to dedicate and/or construct all public facilities determined by the City Council to be necessary to serve the Rice Canyon sectional planning area. 3. That this resolution be transmitted, along with the proposed development plan to the City Council, and a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the app 1 icant. PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, this 19th day of March, 1980 by the following vote, to-wit: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: Commissioners Stevenson, R. Johnson, Pressutti and G. Johnson Commissioners Williams and O'Neill Commissioner Smith a2j~/~ Chairman Pro Tempor ATTEST: .:?~~;'---Y'-' /n1 "~~-'L / Secretary / (j)<6/ - + WATT INDUSTRIES SAN DIEGO, INC. 3737 Camino Del Rio South Suite 309 San Diego. CA 92108 17141283-7271 April 24, 1980 Mayor Will T. Hyde City of Chula Vista P. O. Box 1087 Chula Vista, California 92012 Re: Hidden Vista Village ("H" Street) Chula Vista Tract No. 80-15 Dear Hayor Hyde: I want to repeat my appreciation for the courtesies you extended to Ray Watt and me during our April 14, 1980 meeting. We were certain that you were unaware of the extent of the obligations imposed upon our proposed project which are untypical of Chula Vista and the general spirit of cooperation which together we have enjoyed during our three years of creating the plans for this community. As we have discussed, there are many requirements which have been recommended by the Planning Commission as part of our subdivision requirements which are extraordinary in nature and in their respective financial implications to our specific project. As you will see by a brief description of the following items, we are faced with unusual financial burdens on this project which are not commensurate with obligations required of other subdivisions within the City of Chula Vista. 1) The Sweetwater Union High School District has requested the availability of an improved school site representing a total cost to us of $2,132,271. Under that district's current fee schedule, our total financial obligation under City policy would total $229,500 or an extraordinary expenditure by us of $1,902,771. 2) The Chu1a Vista City Elementary School District has imposed a requirement for us to provide an improved school site with a total cost to us of $694,055. In addition, school fees are required in the amount of $649,999, for a total COSt of $1,344,054. Under that district's current fee policy, our obligation would be $229,500. This represents an extraordinary expenditure by us of $1,114,554. OC-: <//30/80 .~ ~1f~ :JJ S',IJ ~: ~ - go CITY j:OUNCIL MEETING ( t7 1..- 1- 3. jO{)g:' / .~ .-- Mayor Will T. Hyde April 24, 1980 Page 2 3) We are required to extend a 15 inch sewer offsite to the north at an extraordinary cost to us of approximately $77,338. This sewer will serve other portions of the El Rancho Del Rey Specific Planning Area and a portion of the cost will possibly be recoverable at a later date. 4) We are being required to improve East "H" Street, a major highway, full width, through the property along with major drainage facilities representing an extraordinary cost to us. The estimated cost of completing these facilities within the limits of the Rice Canyon Specific Planning Area is $2,728,975. 5) We are required to complete, full width, improvements for Ridgeback Road, a residential collector, within the limits of the Rice Canyon Specific Planning Area. This road is primarily to provide access to the properties to the east of our project and represents an extra- ordinary cost to us of $381,237. In addition to the previously listed extraordinary expenditures, we are being asked to comply with two additional conditions that add considerable expense to the project. These conditions are as follows: i) We are being required to convert the existing 69 KV overhead electrical lines that presently run down Rice Canyon to under- ground facilities. The City of San Diego and numerous other municipalities do not require the undergrounding of these heavy facilities due to the tremendous expense and the facilities are permitted to remain overhead. The estimated cost to us to underground the 69 KV electrical within the limits of the Rice Canyon Specific Planning Area as presently required is $1,110,000. If these facilities were permitted to remain overhead and were relocated to a position south of the commercial and residential area on the south side of "H" Street, the cost of the relocation would be $262,000. Again, we are being asked to absorb extraordinary costs of $848,000 for construction that we feel has an acceptable alternative. 2) We are being required to construct a portion of "H" Street easterly of our project boundary to a future intersection with Paseo Del Rey. This construction would take place entirely outside of the Rice Canyon Specific Planning Area and in our opinion, is of absolutely no benefit to our project. In fact, in light of the Council's west to east development requirement for the El Rancho Del Rey plan, this construction should be required of the developer of the adjacent property. Again, we are being asked to absorb a cost of $1,158,802 for improvements which are not necessary for the implementation of our project. loo~1 '._.~"""'."~ ~"_ ~'ll"l.<., Mayor Will T. Hyde April 24, 1980 Page 3 As you can see by the foregoing list of items, our project is being asked to absorb a considerable amount of extraordinary costs in the implementation of the development plan which are atypical of requirements of other develop- ments within the City of Chula Vista. Discretionary requirements resulting in unnecessary expenditures not only mandate sales prices of residential units which become beyond the reach of the community, but make the provision of affordable housing, low-cost housing, and housing for the elderly economically infeasible. In an effort to attempt to reduce the impact of these extraordinary expendi- tures, we are requesting your assistance in seeking relief from two of these burdensome items by: 1) Deleting the requirement for the grading and improvement of East H Street outside the boundaries of the Rice Canyon Specific Planning Area. 2) Permitting the retention of the 69 KV electrical lines overhead and relocating same to a location behind the commercial and residential area on the south side of "HI! Street. We believe that the City Council's considerations in this regard will assist us in expeditiously attending to our construction scheduling, at least partially reduce the financial impact of the numerous atypical obligations imposed upon the developer, and enable us to develop a community which will be a functional, financial and aesthetic asset to the City of Chula Vista. \\ I would appreciate your consideration of the aforementioned and would welcome the opportunity to discuss the items contained in this letter in greater detail. At your convenience, I would welcome your response to the requests contained herein. Thank you in advance for your consideration and cooperation in this regard. Sincerely, WATT INDUSTRIES/SAN DIEGO, INC. Joseph D. Davis presiV JDD/cmg / Do?> f )O(P ~.r 3604 Bonita Rd. Chula Vista, Ca. 92010 April 29, 19S0 Honorable Mayor and City Council City,of Chula Vista P. O. Box lOS7 Chula Vista, Ca. 92010 Gentlemen: The purpose of this letter is to petition your support in obtaining access to my property from the Watts development. I own approximately st acres adjoining this project to the north. Since receiving this property from my mother in 1955 I have been land- locked and have made numerous attempts to gain legal access to it. I have written or phoned each succeeding owner of a small strip of land separating my parcel from Vista Coronado Dr. in Lynwood Hills. Each attempt proved futile. In February 1966 I attempted to go around this strip by writing to United Enterprises, the holding company of Otay Ranch, requesting access through them to Vista Coronado Drive. As a result of the subsequent correspondence with them I met with Mr. Pat Patrick, Property Manager of United Enterprises, in late 1967. He said he was sympathetic to my problem and would like to accommodate me how- ever certain negotations were going on at that time making it impossible for him to make a commitment. I received a phone call from him in October 1968 informing me that the property in question had been sold to the Gersten Corporation. He said he had talked to them regarding my request for an easement and recommended that I contact a Mr. Pasquale of that company. My initial attempts to reach Mr. Pasquale by. phone or by letter were left unanswered, however, in answer to my letter dated October 20, 1976, I received a negative response to my. request. for an access. I have been to the planning department of the City'of Chula Vista several times over the subsequent years expressing my desire that any developer of that land be required to provide access to my property. I have now received notification from the Sweetwater Authority thatth~ are'considering a portion of my property as a site for an underground water tank; I have been advised by legal council that if I do not acquire legal access to my property by the time condemnation proceedings take place that its value will be greatly reducea.. Therefore, it is imperative that I acquire direct access as soon as possible. I believe I have been diligent over the past 16 years in attempting to acquire access to my property. I now respectively ask your help in this matter. If I am successful in acquiring access it is my intention,;to 1mmediatll~y commence a plan of development to present to the City of Chula Vista along witli~ail' application of annexation. iflgo._ P)tf/lV~~ ~ trI f?,r/lo~ tV: JM~-, ~Ld-r - '. -f} Ci ' Osf) /J~l~ teY /Jk,;,7 ~ /r /t:7 m lomr r , , " '. " " '" , . I will be present at your next public meeting on May 6th at which time the El Rancho del Rey development will be discussed and will be glad to respond to any questions you may wish to direct to me. Please see the attached four copies of letters that I believe to be especially pertinent to this matter. Respectively, ~ cr. ~!f Helen L. Bishop Attached: 1. Letter from C. R. Pasquale, Executive Vice President, The Gersten Companies, dated 10-20-76. 2. Letter from Patrick R. Patrick of United Enterprises, Inc. dated to-8-68 . ). Letter from Robert Newell, Secretary, United Enterprises, Inc. dated 6-21-67. 4. Letter to Robert Newell, Secretary, United Enterprises, Inc. dated 5-11-67. IOD'?/ 81:yM~<~~O(}!*~!!/tNTRACTORS {;;.'f:y:r,:::-WK,'>S"<<>.j.};j.'(i(~0"Ui.;t2\JA~XXK~"'j:tct::%~ . BEVERL'( HILLS, CALIFORNIA 90212 . PHONE (213) 272-0815. October 20, 1976 He. len L. Bishop 3604 Bonita Road Clmla Vista, California 92010 Dear Ms. Bishop: At.knowledgernent is made to your letter requesting casement. At the present time, we do not h.:lve refined development plans for this area; thl:.~refore, it is not possible for us to grant to you any type of easement. Sincerely, THE GERSTEN COMPANIES . .) () / /L /1-- i /{, .."c/--""C-( C " . (.'-'~ C. R. Pasquale ; Executive Vice resident CRP:mlf !ODg-f I I I- I I I ., .' ~ ," - , . UNITED ENTERPRISES, INC. 1007 FIFTH AVENUE SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92101 (714) 232-2008 October 8, 1968 .' , Mrs. Helen L. Bishop P. O. Box 416 Bonita, California 92002 Dear Mrs. Bishop: I am afraid that, in spite of the effortc tve have made over t.he past few years, it has not been possible for us t.o arrange the easement you requested for access to your own property. The main difficulties were physical in that it would have been quite a major engineering project to divert a roo.d to our ::>ide of the fence and refence it. An additional problem is the corridor that the City of Chula Vista annexed some years ago without our concurrence. Also, as you are aware, our negotiations with your neighbor, "hich looked so promising at one time, fell completely flat and put us right back where we started. You are aware, no doubt, th~t all our property in the Rice Canyon Area has recently been Gold and this includes the area you requested for an easement. vie h8ve advised the purchasers of your request VIi th the strong recommendation that you should be given some form of access to your own pro~ perty. .. PerGonally, I am very sorry ..,.;e wer'e not ;lblc to progresr; further with your request and I hope you understand our difficulties. As we were not involved in any lego.l or engineerinG fees your dcpo~~;it of $500. is re- turned' herewith. - Sincerel~ yours, '? "' /~d#-. ", . ,.... .; '- PHP:rbp '; f /()o~1 UNITED ENTERPRISES, INC. 233 BROADWAY NEW YORK. N. Y. 10007 June 21, 1967 Mrs. Helen L. Dishop P. O. Box 416 Bonita, California 92002 Dear Mrs. Bishop: I ackn01;ledgc receipt of your letter of Hay 31st enclosing check for $500.00 which was just received upon my return from a trip to Europe. Our Property }la.nager, "Iing Commander Patrick R. Patrick who is now here in New York will be back in California nc.."'<t \<eek and he \<ill get in touch with you at that time. Very truly yours, ~ Secretary RN:ab cc;PRP ~_' I ~0."1,.~ ~"'....,~.....==-.... .~..., .,,~'~ O>..<l~"'"'~-'~"'''''.)'''''''~'''~' .. ,h";;_ '~",~'~~'H::~"'/"""""",:",;::C,."f,",'~"i''''7''''''''''~~'''- ..,'''" .....~"""~,.<>'-.""'" ::,~,..l ,4'>~~'.I,,"''fo~ ~",,,,v~~\, ~ "~""'''~ "'.:,;;,~w.""""""~; \ ,,~.~""'. -er,:' "~,:>'':\'''''''''';':~i';~J.,.~~~,~ . .:"~ "',.'." ) 00?s( ~~ -- .'.-'-. ,,",.. P.0.Box-416 Boni ta, Calif. May 31, 1967 Nr. !lewell, Secretary-Treasurer Ulli ted Ir, terprisee, Inc. 23) Broadway New York, l~. Y. 10007 Dear Mr. Newell: I am writing in regards to ~ letters to you dated February 28, 1966 and !'larch 28, 1966, expressing my desire in obtaining an easement through a yortion of Otay Ranch land here in San Diego COtUlty. ~ince I did not receive a re?ly to my letters I contacted ~I. Schutte and he said a S500.00 deposit was required before you could have the D~tter looked into. As I am very interested in acqu.iring this easement I am enclosing a check in the amount of S5uO.OO, L1 the, :lOpe thst this ",ill expsdi te the n:a,tter. An early response to this request would be ~reatly appreciated. ~incerel;v, / /~~-:;'fJ ')l/;~r;' '.< -:':';,:j / (/) Mrs';' Helen 1,. Bishop 1'.0. Box 416 Bonita, Calif. 92002 '",' l~: /oo~ ( ---- ....,. I'\C,,)ULU I lU1I1 I'iU. C.U\-/ ;1-0-/"\ RESOLUTION OF THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION ADOPTING CEQA FINDINGS PURSUANT TO CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE SECTION 210Bl AND ADOFTTNG FINDINGS OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATION WHEREAS, EIR-78-2 on the El Ra~~ho del Rey Specific Plan was certified by the Planning Commission on February 22, 1978, and EIR-79-8 on the Rice Canyon Sectional Planning Are" of the il Rancho del Rey Specific Plan was certified by the Planning Commission on October 10, 1979, and WHEREAS, it is the policy of the State of California that no public agency shall approve a project fe,,. .rhid an environmental imr;ct report has been prepared in which signif;unt impacts have been identified, unless it is infeasible to avoid those impacts due to ,'lfcCific technica-j, sOdal,' economic ., ',' ~ or other considerations, and WHEREAS, Advance Planning and Research Associates, Inc. has prepared Candidate CEQA fi ndi r,gs of fact pursuant ,:0 the Ca 1 iforni a Envi ronmenta 1 Quality Act of 1970 and those findings hale heen reviewed by the Planning Department and recommended for adoption. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RES," \F_'I"" .. ::at in accordance with the attached Candidate CEQA findings: 1. The Planning Commis>;~i. naving reviewed and considered the information contained in EIR-78-2 and EIR-79-8, finds that the implementation of specific mitigation measures recommended in the final EIR-79-8 will avoid significant adverse environmental effects '~ the following areas: (Note - The number in parenthesis following each he3ding refers to the respective section number of the EIR.) , ~ . a. Geology (3.3) b. Soils (3.4) c. Dra i nage (3.6) d. Archaeology (3.8) e. Paleontology (EIR-78-2, Sec. 5.11 ) f. Transporta ti on (310) g. Noise, short t, 'T: ('1 1" \ '...... . , 2. The Planning Commission, havirg reviewed and considered the information ~: f !.; . contained in EIR-79-8, finds that the mitigation of the following impacts is ~: within the responsibility and jurisdiction of other public agencies: " a. Water Oualj : '/ - Regi ona 1 (3.7) b. Air Qualjty :3.12) )OO<(S{ c. Schools (3.16) " ''::'Io/;!'na - Rcni nnrll (1 711 \. 3. The Planning Cammissian, naving reviewed the 1ntarmat1an 1n tlK-/~-O, finds that there are specific ecancmic, sacial, and technical cansideratians which make infeasible the full mitigatian cf the follawing impacts as specified in the , attached supplemental Candidate CEQA Fi ndi ngs: a. Landfarm (3.2) b. Bialagy (3.9) c. Aesthetics (3.13) 4. The Planning Cammis31c1, h3ving reviewed the infarmatian in EIR-79-8, adapts the fallawing findings ,of ",overriding Cansideratians": " a. The praject will r~~ult in a mare campact urban farm and a resultant reductian in energy :arsumptian, air pallutants, and ii ,'eater ease in praviding urban servic~s. b. The pr,oject will pravide for an increase in the hausing stack in an area close to the center of metrapalitan San Diega. This increase will incluce housing for low and moderate incame families. This will be ,of social benefit t:J ..' conTnunity. c. The extension c, ,,' 'iO~ element of the city's traffic circulatian system (East "w' Street) will ,occur as a result ,of pr,oject implemen- I tation. d. The project will promate alternate farms ,of energy saving transpor- tation, such as car paaling d[O bus transpartatian with the installa- ' tian ,of a park-and-ride facility at the intersectian ,of 1-805 and East "~" Street. PASSED AND APPROVED 0Y THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION OF CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA this 19th day of March, 1980, by the fallawing vate, ta-wit: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: Cammissianers Stevens,on, R. Jahnson, Williams, Pressutti and G. Jahnsan Cammissi,oner O'Neill Commissianer Smith " a~~ Chalrman Pra Tempo! ATTEST: ~'!4:h-.,,/ /}J/.r.th-<'<c-' I Secretary , , .~~ j~ .~' ) rf.)'6) ". H.l\...,.J:. i__l\J.'41U!.~ i';o(.\:J !.L;J.'U1..u _':'J..!_~'..~l."J.J~1U r_E'. f~ "Hidden Vista Village" ErR 79-8 2ANDIDATE CEQA FINDINGS (Calif. ~~blic Resource Code Sec. 21081) (Calif. ~dmini8trative Code Sec. 15088-9) i " A. BACKGROUND It i.s t"p ~.,)"cy of the St.'.lte 0': California that Every public .."Jency, '.ncluc:u.g the City of Chula Vista, should not approve a proje"'[:, ; f it w0'l"lr1 result in a si.gnificant envirom',.,ntal impact .~,l": it is feasi.bl" to substantially lessen that eff'2ct. Only 'Nhc~ t: ere ',Le specific economic, social, or technical reasons ~hich m, it ~nf~~sible to ~itigate an impact, can a project with significant impact be approve). Therefore, when an EIR ~as been completed which identifies one or more significant environmental impact(s), one of the following findings must be made, 1. Changes or a' c' "rn..':~ve3 have been required of, or incorporated into the pr~ject, which mitigate or avoid the significant environme:1tal effects identified in the final EIR, or 2. Such changes or alte~natives are within the responsibility and jurisdiction a another public agency and not the agency making the finding. Such changes have been adopted by such other agency or can and should be adopted by such other agency, or 1 .;" ~ It: i' ~ ;~ ~ /6(j(fJ f .~ . . ,.: ", I';" , .11~ . k {t, ,'." .~ :f~ :;>.' i,ih 3. Specific economl.C, SOCl.d..L, UL "~u,,. considerations make infeasible full mitigation measures or project alternatives identified in the Linal EIR. The proposed project is located on the east side of Interstate 805 at the East H Street interchange. The L\!.9-acre parcel is entirely within the limits of the City of Chula Vista. The Rice Canyon Sectional Planning Area (SPA) plan proposeE a mixture of land uses including: 328 single-family dwellings, with lot sizes rap.ging from 6,000-18,000 square f2et; approxir"ately 275 combina':ion elderly housing and low ane mOderate-income (Section 8) fauli.ly multiple units; 638 condominiums. a 188,000 sq~are-foot commercial ~enter; a one-acre park and ride facility; a 6.5-acre paL:': site; 125 acres of open space; a fire station; a 9-acre elemEntary school site; and a 22- !acre junior high-school site. Tbe commercial center would include an 840-seat theater, 2 restaurants, 2 banks, 40,000 square feet of office space, and 8 retail stores, ranging from 5,400-32,000 square feet. As part of the project, East H street would be extended as a 6-1ane road from Interstate 805 to the southeastern corner of the project. B. EFFECTS FOUND TO BE INSIGNIFICANT The final EIR for the Rice Canyon SPA concluded that the project would not have any significant, adverse impacts in the ... following areas: 2 If)O~ ) lC ", 'I '.., ,'" r" '----~- ---- ~ -=------ - The project wOUld leave approxlmat:e.LY .LL" del <=:0 UIlU~:OLUl/Jeu JS natural open space and incorporate architectural and landscape designs which would lessen the project's impact on landform. The grading operation is expected to be balanced, if it occurs in one phase, as presently proposed by the applicant. Finding The impact of the project on landform would be significant, and only partially mitigable. It is infeasible to fully mitigate project-related impacts to landform modification to a level of insignificance while, at the same time, implementing the adopted land use objectives of the El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan, and provide for the extension of East H Street, in accordance with that plan. hlternative alignments of East H Street were considered, some with less impact to landform modification, however, public safety (fire and emergency vehicles) and traffic engineering concerns dictated a rejection of these alternative alignments as infeasible (reference: Rice Canyon Development/Conservation Guide, Sedway/Cooke Report, September 1977) . The adopted land use designations for the Rice Canyon SPA, as described by the El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan, will require public improvements (dedicated streets, water, sewer, park sites, elderly and moderate-income housing) that make economically infeasible the reduction of impacts to landform to a level of insignificance. 4 :1', , . 1". J 061{ r 2. Geologv (3.31 The geologic hazard associated with development of the property is limited to potential seismicity. The presence of inferred fault traces on the property, which would be associated with the La Nacion and Sweetwater Fault Zones, was suspected, and geotechnical investiga~ions w(~re performed. These inferred fault traces are not considered active, however, "they would present planes of weaknes:; along which minor, relative movements might occur in response to groL.I'..' shaking produced by a distant earthquake." (Shepardson Engineering Associates, February 1)80). The actual presence of fault zones has not been verified at this time, but will be further investig~t2d at the time of initiation of grading activities. Mitigation would include adherence to the foundation recommendations of the geotechnical studies, including review of preliminary and final grading designs prior to approval of final subdivision plans. In the event fault traces are found, they will be analyzed, with respect to their potential for activity, and the recommendations of the field -inspection by a qualified soils engineer geologist ~nd applicable legislative standards will be followed in final engineering and design techniques. Finding The seismic hazard on the subject property is potentially significant, but mitigable. 5 . , ;t, ~; 1(. iI / (JD~ r \ "- ',- 3. SOILS (3.4) According to the Shepardson Engineering Report (February 1980), a minor amount of expansive soil was found in the topsoil horizons of the river terrace materials and in the mudstone strata of the Ota.y F'o[ic1ation. Erosion character istics of the prevailing soils .Jill require that measures be taken to provide erosion protection for exposed slopes during and immediately after the grading of the site. Mitigation will Include the preparation of a detailed soils report identify.'.)>'., (,n-sit~. .3011 hazard", and containing specific engineering design to ~E~uce any soil-related hazards to an acceptable level. This re~0rt will be reviewed by the City Engineer a~d the issuance of a grading permit would be conditioned on L,corpor,,'ci.on of appropriate mitigation. A landscape plan will be prepared and submitted to the City, prior to issuance of a grading permit. This landscape plan will desar ibe the planting to occur immediately following grading to protect all bare surfaces from erosion and potential siltation of drainage basins. Finding The expansive soils and potential erosion hazards present on-site are potentially significant, but mitigable. 6 I ^ rv::/ I 4. DRAINAGE 13.6) The subject property drains into three basins; Glen Abbey, Bonita and Rice Canyon. Approximai,ely three-fourths of the project is located within the Rice Canyon Basin, therefore, this basin would be the most affected. The EIR estimates that the expected discharge from th,= pcoject would be 2070 cubic feet per second (cfs) after aevelopment. This discharge figure is approximately 24 percent greater than would naturally occur. Expected runoff is less than that which the "Fogg" Report predicts upon full development of R],ce Canyon, but greater than the capacity of the eyisting culverts which run beneath the 1- 80S/East H St r eet I:1t 2rch ange, whe re discharge from Rice Canyon is collected. The culverts beneath I-80S are designed to handle 1600 cfs, which appear to be inadequate to handle the 50- year flood potential for Rice Canyon; a 50-year flood is estimated to be 2100 cfs by the Fogg Report and 2070 by the EIR. The project's overall drainage system is being designed to convey ultimate runoff (50-year flood) off-site and downstream. Sedimentation of the culverts at the I-80S/East H Street interchange has been evident in the past and would be increased by the development of Rice Canyon. This situation will be avoided by the installation of sedimentation basins at the appropriate locations. 7 li)Cf6) The drainage control system for the proJect will be designed by the project ,?f,~inee':, prior to approval of final subdivision maps for the project. The system will be designed to prevent possible adverse effects upon public safety and general welfare. This drainage system design will be reviewed and approved by the City Engineer and easements dedicated as necessary. Finding The impact of the project on local drainage is potentially significant, but mitigable. 5. WATER OUALITY - REGIONAL (3.71 The incremental increases in liquid waste created by the project would further overload the metropolitan treatment facility at Point Lorna. This plant is operating at full capacity. This, and other projects, could result in decreased water quality in the vicinity of the ocean outfall. Finding The project may have a cumulatively significant effect on water quality near the Point Lorna facility and is not fully mitigable by this project. Such changes are within the responsibility and jurisdiction of other pUblic agencies, (specifically, the City of San Diego and Regional Water Quality Control Board), and outside the control of an individual project, or the City of Chula Vista. 8 j NJY: f 6. ARCHAEOLOGY/PALEONTOLOGY (3.81 The survey yielded eight prehistor ic finds, including: six shell scatters, one flake isolate located primarily on a major southwest-trending r~age, and one additional flake iS01ate on a northwest-trending ridge on the southern portion of che property. No artifacts or midden are believed to be associated with the shell scatters, and the two isolated flakes were the only artifac~s found during the survey. In addition to the prehistoric finds, a small area of paleontological fossils was also located. The proposed development woula have direct impact on the archaeological resources located on the subject property, as well as posing an indirect impact on SDI. 4776, 4677, and 4889, archaeological sites located or. surrounding properties. Grading of the ridges on the siee would destroy all but two of the archaeological sites. Ir::':u2sed human activity, e.g., hiking, off-road vehicle, exploration, etc., as a result of the development might cause disruption and/or destruction to identified archaeological sites on the subject property not directly impacted by grading or uses on adjacent properties. Mitigation will include a collection and micromapping program for surface material and limited excavation of those sit es suspect ed to have subsurface potential. In the event subsurface material is encountered, a preservation or salvage o - J hO<i I plan will be prepared and carried out. Control must also be exercised over the movement of grading equipment outside the boundaries of the property in order to protect any resources in those areas. Paleontological resources have been identified on-site, comprising the fossilized remains of molluscan shellfisn and marine mammals. A qualified paleontological researche~ shall be present during initial grading activities to monitor the operation and recover significant fossil resources. Finding The impact of the project on archaeological and paleontological resources is potentially significant, but mitigable. 7. BIOLOGY 13.9) , " The project site possesses several sensitive plants, important wildlife habitat, and a disturbed vernal pool. Sensitive plant species include Snake Cholla, Coast Barrel Cactus, San Diego Sunflower and Pygmy Spike-Moss. The steep- sided canyons on the property represent good wildlife habitat. The vernal pool has been largely disturbed during construction of the nearby aqueduct. Development of the property would destroy many of the sensitive plant populations, fill several of the canyons, and possibly further disturb the vernal pool. 10 , /I nV' I The estl.matea .1~:J acres ur u!:,~1l :::S.LJa\":~ .LUL;..LUUt;;:U ..LU l..Ul;:: project would preserve relatively large areas of natural vegetation and partially offset the loss of vegetation and habitat in the developed portions. Landscaping is expected to reflect natural vegetation and will, to a limited extent, serve as a substitute for original vegetation on the larger slopes. Finding The project would have significant and partially mitigable impacts on the biological resources present on the property. It 1S infeasible to reduce impacts to biology to an insignificant level without major modification and reduction of the scope of the project. The El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan provides for development of the Rice Canyon SPA as proposed by this project. Loss of habitat is unavoidable if the land uses (see discussion of Public Improvements, Part 1 - Landform) of the Rice Canyon SPA are to be implemented. However, the El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan did designate biological sensitivity/open-space areas of greatest importance, 125 acres of which would be preserved as part of the proposed action (Section III, C. Conservation of the text of the El Rancho del Rey Development Plan). 11 / DD~ ) , I 8. TRANSPORTATION (3.10) A circulation system has been designed for the Rice Canyon SPA which will adequately handle the expected traffic generated by the project; no ~c.Cl.ds presently exist on-site. This system has been designed 'en accordance with the El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan and includes the extension of East H Street from I- 805 to the eastern boundary of the SPA improved to a width of 6 lane~ Although the circulation pattern can accommodate the project traffic, the traffic analysis indicates that the six lane improvements for East H Street may be inadequate to carry the volume expected with ultimate development of the El Rancho del Rey. Dedication of right-of-way sufficient to provide for 2 additional lanes will be provided for future widening, as the need should arise. Findin9 Traffic impacts associated with the project are potentially significant, but mitigable. 9. NOISE - SHORT-TERM (3.lll Short-term noise impact s would be expe r ienced by sllr rounding residences. The grading operation is expected to occur at one time and will be extensive. The major mitigation measure against construction noise is the restriction of operators to "normal" working hours, precluding activities at night, or on weekends or 12 hol idays. No equipment should be used which does not meet applicable Federal, State and Local (City of Chula Vista) noise standa rds. Findin9 The short-term noise impacts created by the construction [~tivities are potentially significant, but mitigable. 10. AlE QUALITY (3.12) The project would incrementally add to the air pollution problems which exist an a local and regional scale as a result of construction, transportation, and energy use. The project, by itself, would not have a significant effect on air quality. Several mitigating factors are inherent in the proposed development. A park-and-ride facility is included in the commercial center. The proximity of shopping and schools to future residents would reduce the lengths of trips. Mass transit is expected to be available along the major streets. Findin9 The effect of the project on air quality is cumulatively significant and partially mitigable. Complete mitigation of the air quality impact is beyond the control of this project. It is a regional problem which is the responsibility of the APCD, State and Federal agencies. 13 r , "!: {1'\1'\<:;( I 11. AEsrHETICS (3.131 The proposed project would transform the presently vacant parcel into an urban development. A large portion of the natural vegetation and terrain would be altered. This land use change would affect the views of existing residences along the rim of Rice Canyon and from I-80S. Several of the cut-and-fill slopes are proposed to exceed 30 feet in height and would effect the present visual quality of the are~ As mitigation, the applicant will to preserve approximately 125 acres of natural open space. This open space is relatively contiguous, enhancing its overall mitigating value. In addition, the applicant will preparing a master conceptual landscape plan and has designed the project to minimize topographic alteration. The plan will describe the overall plantings which will take place over the developed portion of the property. This landscaping program will utilize native and adapted species which will blend with the natural vegetation. Permanent plantings and irrigation treatment for cut and fill slopes will be implemented in conjunction with overall rough grading operations, in accordance with the master conceptual landscape plan. The master plan will be reviewed prior to the issuance of any grading permits. Supplemental landscape plans for individual development phases will be required as further refinements of the master conceptual landscape plan. To the extent feasible, the overall design of the project has minimized grading and landform alteration to reduce aesthetic impacts. 14 )(j()f5/ Finding Aesthetic impacts are significant and partially mitigable by landscaping and the project design. It is infeasible to completely reduce aesthetic impacts to a level of insignificance while, at the same time, implementing the Rice Canyon SPA land use,objectives, as determined by the adopted El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan (see discussion in Part 1, Landform Section). 12. SCHOOLS (3.16) The project is expected to generate 500 elementary school- age children, 358 junior high school-age children and 240 senior high school-age children. The number of elementary-age children is equivalent to the capacity of an average size elementary school, while the junior high school-age children represent a quarter of ~he average capacity of a junior high school. Local school districts are already operating above their design capacities. The students generated by the Rice Canyon SPA would further crowd these facilitie~ I i ! The Rice Canyon SPA Plan currently designates land for an elementary school and junior high school, as required in the El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan. These sites could be graded by the developer', but no plans exist at this time for the construction of either school. 15 /OO<j! In order to reduce the impact of additional children, the developer will be required to contribute the necessary fees to the local school districts, or make alternative arrangements. Furthermore, the City of Chula Vista will require letters from the school district indicating that adequate educational facilities will be available. Findings The project would have significant impact on local school districts over both the short and long-term. The short-term impact can be mitigated through the dedication of land and payment of school fees. The long-term impact is a cumulative effect, which is the result of this and other developments creating the financial burden on schools by requiring permanent I ,. facilities, which cannot be completely financed with school fees. At the present time, the long-term impact is considered to be 'only partially mitigable; reduction of long-term impacts to a level of insignificance is beyond the control of an individual project or City, and is the responsibility of State decision- makers. These economic constraints make infeasible the reduction of overall long-term impacts to a level of insignificance. 13 . f..Ilill The only concern with regard to fire hazard is for the increased potential for brushfires in undeveloped areas within and adjacent to the proposed development caused by increased human activity. 16 ~ I ~o~1 , , ;~ Several measures are recommended to reduce the brushfire hazard. Greenbelts (fire breaks) should be maintained along the perimeter of developed areas and internal roadways. Off-road vehicular activity in undeveloped areas. should be strictly prohibited. Finding The increased brushfire hazard created by the project is potentially significant, but mitigable. 14. SEWAGE - REGIONAL 13.21) " The Point Lorna treatment plant is presently operating above capacity. The.3 million gallons per day expected to be produced by the project would incrementally burden these existing treatment facilities. Expansion of the Point Lorna facility may occur in the future through construction of a secondary treatment plant; however, the Metro System indicates this would occur no earlier than 1985. Finding The effect of the project upon regional sewage treatment facilities is cumulatively significant and not mitigable by the project. Such mitigation is the responsibility of the various public agencies (City of San Diego) involved in the sewage treatment and disposal proces~ 17 !OO~J 15. WATER 13.23) The project will create an increased demand on the County's domestic water supply. This supply is expected to decrease as Arizona claims a larger portion of its share of Colorado River water. The ultimate impact cannot be predicted, but each new 1 area serviced with domestic water could have a combined effect on future supply. Partial mitigation could be accomplished by the developer through the installation of water-conserving devices in the plumbing system and landscaping with drought-tolerant plants. A graywater reclamation system could be installed, but the economic feasibility of this alternative seems questionable. Findin9 The project could have a cumulatively significant and not mitigable impact on domestic water supply. Mitigation of this cumulative impact is not completely within the control of this . particular project and is the responsibility of Regional, State, 6 and Federal water agencies. 18 , I" . A !ODC[ , To: Lane F. Cole, City Manager Via: W. J. Robens, Development Services Administrator .~ From: D. J. Peterson, Director of Planning r!!f!i;) Subject: Report on Rice Canyon Sectional Planning Area Plan and tentative subdivision map This report is designed to accompany the A-113 on the Rice Canyon Sectional Planning Area Plan and tentative map being presented to Council on May 6. The A-113 high- lights the more important issues while this report discusses the project in more detail. A. SPECIFIC PLAN 1. Adopted Sectional Planning Area plan for Rice Canyon. The Rice Canyon Sectional Planning Area portion of the El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan contains approximately 419 gross acres, with 108 acres located south of East "H" Street and 311 acres to the north. The various land use elements of the adopted El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan are as follows: Land Use Acres (gross) Commercial 40 Commercial Recreation 10 Fire Station 1 Park 5 K-6 School 10 Junior High School 30 Open Space (north of "H" Street) 126 Open Space (south of "H" treet) 58 Dwell ing Unit Range Land Use Density Ran ge Acres Low-High Residential: 1-2 DU/acre 27 27 - 54 3-5 DU/acre 69 207-345 6-10 DU/acre 35 210-350 11-18 DU/acre 5 55-90 Total 416* 499-839 *This Sectional Planning Area plan has three additional acres not reflected on the El Rancho del Rey Plan (see paragraph 2 below). 2. Applicant's proposed Sectional Planning Area plan. , , -, The proposed Sectional Planning Area plan contains a gross acreage of 419 acres. Included in this figure are three acres of excess freeway right-of-way which are located outside of the Sectional Planning Area boundary. Approximately 101 gross acres are located on the south side of East "H" Street and 318 acres on the north side. The reason for the difference in the acreages on the north and south sides of East "H" Street from the El Rancho del Rey plan is due primarily to the proposed alignment of the street which has been shifted southerly on the proposed Sectional Planning Area plan. A total of 827 dwelling units are proposed on the north side of East "H" Street and 372 units on the south side (1,199 dwell ing units total). I ., .-~ /00<;;1 ! .. .\ Report on Rice Canyon development proposal Page 2 3. Comparison of plans. To facilitate the comparison of the proposed Sectional Planning Area plan with the adopted El Rancho del Rey plan, the following text divides the Sectional Planning Area into the area south of East "H" Street and the area to the north. Sou th a rea a. The area devoted to commercial use has been reduced by approximately 12 acres with the boundaries readjusted by encroaching into a designated open space area along the southwesterly boundary line adjacent to the 1-805 freeway. r b. As noted earlier in the rezoning request, approximately 3 acres of freeway right-of-way located at the southeast quadrant of 1-805 and East "H" Street have been included in the commercial area of the Sectional Planning Area. The south one acre is proposed to be used by Cal Trans for a park-and-ride operation, and the northerly two acres are to be part of an area used for auto related uses. c. Approximately 11 acres of the designated commercial and commercial/recrea- tion area are proposed for residential development as Section 8 housing, consisting of 232 dwelling units, or a density of 21 units per net acre. No specific develop.. ment plans have been submitted for this use at this time. d. Three acres of the designated commercial/recreation are proposed for tennis courts with a recreation building. e. Approximately 4 acres of the commercial/recreation and 8 acres of the open space designated along the southerly side of the road to the easterly Sectional Planning Area boundary (a total of 12 acres) are proposed for residential development consisting of 140 condominium units. The density of the project is 11.6 units per net acre. North area a. Two basic housing types are proposed as follows: Single family detached Condominiums Condominiums 329 units.. 75 acres 102 units.. 16 acres 396 units - 39 acres 4.4 DU/acre 6.4 DU/acre 10.1 DU/acre Total 827 units - 130 acres b. The plan proposes the encroachment of a port i on of the 27 s i n91 e farnny lots south of Ridgeback Road into the designated open space (Lot "E"). c. The open space along the northerly boundary has been made a part of the lot area of the schools and park, but the area is consistent with the acreage desig.. nated on the El Rancho del Rey plan. d. A fire station site (30,000 sq. ft.) is proposed in the general vicinity des i gnated on the El Rancho del Rey plan. ~ )Oo<:t { Report on Rice Canyon development proposal Page 3 e. An existing water tank has been incorporated into a three acre site proposed as additional open space. f. The al ignment of Ridgeback Road is consistent with the El Rancho del Rey p 1 an. g. The residential loop collector has been realigned and provides good access to the park and school sites. h. A street reservation adjacent to Lynwood Drive is proposed. A connection could be made in the future to assist in reducing fire response time and provide a secondary connector to the Bonita area. i. The plan provides for access to the developable properties to the north in the vicinity of the water tank site. General a. The shifting of open space areas will require an amendment to the adopted El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan. b. The proposed development plan constitutes a density transfer within the Sectional Planning Area as authorized under paragraph H.2 on page 10 or the text of the Specific Development Plan of El Rancho del Rey. c. "H" Street, 108' to 136' wide extending nearly one mile through the project, occupies approximately 14 acres. d. Approximately 40 acres of the Sectional Planning Area (10%) will be devoted to public streets. B. OFFSITE IMPROVE~1ENTS 1. "H" Street extended offsite. The matter of requiring the applicant to extend "H" Street easterly of his property a distance of 2500+ feet to the intersection with Paseo Del Rey has been studied by the Planning, Engineering and Fire Departments. While such a requirement is burdensome on the developer, it is justified in this case for the following reasons: o Without such an extension there fs only one way into and out of the subject development area--via "H" Street to 1-805 and Hilltop Drive. -A development of approximately 1200 dwelling units requires at least two good access route! for reasonable traffic circulation and emergency service. The presence of' the La Nacion fault system through this area could mean that the area would be isolated in the event of a major earthquaKe. The presence of a second ' street connection minimizes this danger of isolation. o The city staff has taken the position in El Rancho del Rey that each develop- ment in the area will benefit to some extent from the construction of "H" Street and that each area should therefore participate in the construction, cost. The area between the easterly property line of the subject property' and Paseo del Rey is designated as "open space" on the south side of "H" and as residential, 2-3 and 3-5 DU/acre, on the north side of "H" Street. JOO~/ Report on Rice Canyon development proposal Pa ge 4 Those areas will place a much smaller demand on "H" Street than will the 1200+ dwelling units and shopping center on the subject property, so it is appropriate that they should pay a smaller amount of the cost. It is possible that the subject property would have an obligation under a reimbursement district (fair share" formula to do more than extendinq "H" Street through the subject property. . ~.~- i o The extension would make possible a reduction in vehicle miles traveled with consonant savings in energy and a reduction in air pollution. o Should the extension not be provided, the subject development could exist for many years as a large cul-de-sac type of development connected to the remainder of the city by only one access road. If necessary, the city's eminent domain authority could and should be utilized to acquire the necessary right of way. 2. Connection to Lynwood Drive from the development. The desirability of providing a connection to Lynwood Drive was pursued to avoid requiring future residents of this area, as well as the county residents of th~ Lynwood Hills area, to utilize the I-80S freeway as the primary means of access , between the two areas. As pointed out in the environmental impact report the number' of trips generated from Hidden Vista Village would appear to be rather insignificantl based upon the calculations of the traffic consultant. There are, of course, sever'all factors which would likely influence the number of trips: (1) whether or not the I school districts go ahead with the construction of even temporary facilities on the i elementary and junior high school sites planned within the development; (2) the ' number of trips that would be generated to and from the regional shopping center planned in National City which will have a direct link to Lynwood Drive at Bonita Road. Both the Chula Vista Fire and Police Department have determined that a connectioh would be beneficial to their ability to serve the area, not necessarily in the i immediate future but in the overall long range plans for the area. Since Lynwood I Drive, as well as that portion of the road which would provide the necessary linkage:, is located in the county, the developer would be obligated to comply with any county' improvements imposed in conjunction with this connection. The county has supplied i the city staff with a copy of the conditions they feel are warranted by the develop-i ment, which include a substantial widening and increase of curve radiuses, which : would drastically change the existing character of Lynwood Drive and impact all of i the adjoining property owners from the point of connection down to Bonita Road. I The present pavement width is approximately 22 to 25 feet, which will accommodate two way traffic. The county has recommended that the road be widened to 36 feet, I which would provide for the same number of moving lanes with a parking area adjacent: to each lane. Therefore, the widening that the county'has suggested would not provic additional travel lanes, although the increased radiuses would provide for smoother i and safer traffic movement. jOO'g( , ----'- Report on Rice Canyon development proposal Page 5 After weighing the input from the residents of Lynwood Hills, as well as the requirements to be imposed by the county, the Director of Planning and City Engineer concluded that the connection should not be made at this time, opting for the developer to supply the city with a street reservation wi th the necessary bonding to complete the street improvements at some future date. This will allow the city to assess traffic movements in the area without the connection, while maintaining the ability to make the connection in the future based upon city and county needs. C. RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT 1. Single Family area. Approximately half of the single family lots are between .6,000 and 7,000 square feet in area, which represents a higher percentage of lots under 7,000 square feet than would be allowed under standard R-l zoning (30% would be allowed under standard zoning). This factor should be weighed in evaluating the benefits conferred by the city in this approval vs. the public facilities being required by the approva 1 . There are a few lots within the development which have a usable pad depth of less than 90 feet, therefore, it will be necessary to place conditions on the map establishing a .minimum pad size of 50'x90' to insure that all lots are develop- able under standard building practices. Although architectural plans have not been submitted and are not required for single family development, the smaller lot size typically dictates a higher percentage of two story units which can create a more crowded look in a subdivision. Therefore, it is recomendec: that corner lots be 1 irnited to one story construction and that a mixture of one and two story houses be provided on the smaller lots. The' mixture could be controlled through Planning Department monitoring at the building permit stage with a stipulation that a minimum of 20 per cent of the housing being developed on lots under 7,000 sq. ft. in area use a single story plan in addition to! those required on corner lots. ' The necessity of providing an overall fencing plan to address the issues of corner lots, rear lots which back up to public streets, and view lots which abut adjoining properties, has been discussed. We will require that an overall fencing plan be submitted addressing these areas, subject to the approval of the Planning De pa rtme n t. Certain lots which back up to public streets must have the rear portion of the lot deleted from the lot and dedicated to the city to allow the area to be main- tained as part of an open space district. Most of these lots will be adjusted at the top of the slope, however, a minimum distance of 10 feet must be maintained between the sidewalk and any proposed wall to be located in the rear property to provide for adequate landscaping. Final adjustment of these lot lines will be subject to Planning Department approval. At present Lot 193 has a usable pad width be deleted from the subdivision unless it can Planning Department that more usable pad area the adjoining lots. of 40 feet, therefore, this lot shall be shown to the satisfaction of the can be attained without affecting I ()O<J r Report on Rice Canyon development proposal Pa ge 6 In granting approval of the single family area the Planning Commission adopted standards requiring that the development adhere to the R-1-7 zoning regulations presently existing in the city zoning ordinance. 2. Condominium area. a. The condominium development is broken into two distinct condominium areas, one lying north of "H" Street and the other lying to the south. The largest concentration of condominiums lies north of "H" Street, involving some 498 units I located within three lots containing 55 acres, each somewhat self-contained by virtuei of topography and the internal circulation design. Approximately two-thirds of the units are planned as 3 bedroom and the remaining one-third as 2 bedroom. b. The parking is designed so that the units (all two story structures) located within the interior of the loop road system will each have a two car garage with guest parking provided in open bays. All of the units on the perimeter road system are a split level, 3 story design, with a one car garage and an additional space, as well as guest parking, provided in an open parking lot. All of the required guest parking will be confined on site, as opposed to using any of the public street system as allowed by ordinance. c. While there are presently some four different styles of architecture proposed, the applicant is planning to use one basic style of architecture for a given area, to create continuity in theme, rather than an indiscriminate mixture of the architectural styl es. Sl i des of the prospecti ve architecture wi 11 be presented i at the meeting for the Council's review. . i i d. The developer proposes to construct 140 condominium units on the south side of "H" Street with nearly three-fourths of those units to be 2 bedroom units. . This entire project will be of two story construction with the exception of clusters I of one story detached garages provided at the ratio of one space per unit with an r additional parking space and guest parking provided in an open parking bay. Parking I in this instance will be located primal"ily along "H" Street on the periphery of the I development. There will be ample room (20 feet) between the garage and the open : parking area adjacent to the sidewalk to provide effective landscape screening. D. SCHOOLS 1. The developer has shown an elementary school and a junior high school site at the northerly end of the project in conformance with the adopted El Rancho del Ray Specific Plan. Both the Chula Vista Elementary School District and the Sweet- I water Union High School District have adopted a fee schedule which requires develope0, to pay a specific dollar amount to provide for temporary school facilities. The I City adopted an ordinance over a year ago which allovls the school districts an ! opportunity to provide "clear and convincing evidence" of overcrowding within a I given school service area and to develop necessary equitable formulas which can then be used to require dedication of land and/or fees for temporary facilities. The Chula Vista Elementary School District is in the process of having county counsel draw up a final agreement whereby the developer will dedicate the school site and. provide certain temporary buildings or money to be used for same. The Sweetwater District has not reached an agreement as of this writing nor have they submitted any evidence of overcrowding. JOD'of Report on Rice Canyon development proposal Pa ge 7 2. Ordinance No. 1848, adopted by the City Council in January 1979, sets forth the procedure for the school districts to negotiate with the developer in taking all reasonable steps possible to alleviate overcrowding of school facilities. The ordinance provides that the city may require both the dedication of land and payment of fees to address the issue of overcrowding if the school districts present clear and convincing evidence of overcrowding together with an equitable fee schedule; based on the proposed development. The ordinance provides that the Planning Commission shall determine whether to request the dedication of land with development, or the payment of fees, or a combination of both. In discussing the matter further with the City Attorney, it was obvious that the Planning Commission was not in a position at the time they considered the project to make such a determination without specific input from the Sweetwater district. 3. Based on the projected student generation of approximately 500 elementary school children and nearly 600 junior high and high school students, there would appear to be a need for the sites, if not immediately at least in the future. The school districts are without capital improvement funds to construct new schools, therefore, the dedication of sites with portable facilities supplied through building fees appears to be the only short range solution. Long range solutions to the districts' problems need State legislative help. Both school districts were notified prior to action on this map by the City Council that evidence of overcrowd"iT1~ or completion of an equitable agreement between the district and the developer is required. E. PHASIr~G In accordance with the following construction phasing schedule, the development will be built in eight phases~ The first phase of construction is scheduled to begin in August, 1981, with the last phase scheduled in April, 1985. In addition to the standard street improvements planned to coincide with each phase, the developer Ivill be making the full improvements of "H" Street up to and including the intersection with K Street in the first phase. With the completion of the first three phases the developer will have built nearly 400 d\'lell ing units north of "H" Street and adjacent to K Street. Construc- tion \'Iill then commence on the neighborhood park. Phase IV, \'Ihich is scheduled to start in January, 1983, \'Iill involve the construction of the south side of "H" Street easterly of K Street. Development \'Ii 1 1 also begin on the proposed 20 acre commercial site as \'Iell as the "construction of the senior citizen and 10\'1 income housing area, tentatively planned for approxi- mately 232 units at this time. The northerly portion of "H" Street is not planned for installation until the last phase of building construction, scheduled for 1985. /O()~/ Report on Rice Canyon development proposal Page 8 Construction Phasing Schedule for Hidden Vista Village Proposed Phase Starting Date Type of Units Tota 1 Units I 10/1/81 77 detached single famil y 112 condominium 189 II 4/1/82 78 detached single famil y Auto Pa rk 78 III 10/1 /82 69 detached single family 60 condominium 129 IV 4/1/83 Reta i1 Commercial 34 detached single family 62 condominium 232 low/moderate housing 328 V 10/1/83 71 detached single fami 1y 140 condominium 2"\1 VI 4/1/84 112 condominium 112 VII 10/1/84 72 condominium n VIII 4/1/85 80 condominium 80 F. LAND FORM ALTERATION 1. While there is mass grading proposed for the development area (cut and fill estimated between 3~-4~ million cubic yards) approximately 44% of the 419 acres will remain in its natural state. Major topographic changes will occur with certain cut slopes reaching 50 feet in height, whereas fill slopes in the area of the schools could approach 100 feet in height. The shopping center area will be filled o.s much as 50 feet in some areas to bring the level of the commer'cia1 development just below the "H" Street elevation. The I-80S freeway w-ill be slightly above the rear portion of the shopping area, whereas, the condominiums on the north side of "H" Street will be elevated approximately 40 feet above. "H" Str~e'i:. , I 2. The Planning Department and the developer have worked together in designing i the manufactured slope banks along the north side of "H" Street adjacent to the . condominium development to provide a variation in the angle of the slopes in the retention of a canyon formation to provide visual relief from the standard 2:1 slope bank allowed by code. It is proposed that these slope banks would be maintained by the condominium home owners association. /009"1 '... Report on Rice Canyon development proposal Page 9 3. In several areas of the single family detached lots, both double frontage and single loaded lot developments create pads which back up to the dedicated public street thus creating the need to provide landscaping mainten- ance through the use of a maintenance district. Certain manufactured slopes which will receive very little public view, such as those areas lying northerly of the elementary school, junior high, and park site, will be maintained by the various jurisdictions developing those sites. 4. The real' slope areas of the single family detached homes would norma11y , be the maintenance responsibility of individual home owners; hO\'/ever, several of the, larger slopes in the single family areas, as well as the major slope in the proposed' condominium development lying along "H" Street and across the northerly boundary i of the condominiums, will offer such a high degree of visibility that it is recom- ' mended they be offered for dedication to the City. That offer would not be accepted at this point in time, but would be held in abeyance. The City Council will be asked to form an open space maintenance district over the entire 419 acres with assessments possible at any future date should the maintenance not be kept at an acceptable level. G. LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSING PROPOSAL The applicant is pursuing a program calling for the construction of between 240 and 275 senior citizen and low to moderate income family housing units to be located on the south side of "H" Street adjacent to the proposed shopping area. This proposal is in a very embryonic stage with only preliminary site plans submitted at this time. Assurance will need to be given suaranteeing the construc- tion of these units with phasing to correspond with the other residential develop- ments within the project. The proposal for 240 to 275 units would represent between 20 and 25 per cent of the total number of housing units proposed for this Sectional Planning Area. H. PARK REQUIREMENTS 1. .Under the city's adopted formula for park dedication, the developer is obligated to provide 322 square feet of developed park land for each of the single family dwelling units and 272 square feet of developed park land for each of the 638 condominium units. This brings the developer's obligation to 6.4 acres. The neighborhood park site as shown on the proposed subdivision map has a pad area of 5.8 acres with an additional 30,000 square feet of land being offered for the fire station site. The total for the park and firestation site meets the city require- ments for park land development. 2. In addition to the park land dedication ordinance, the city has a residen- tial construction tax fee which has been used for park development as well as i providing other necessary public facilities. The city has not required the payment! of such fees where the developer has been required to design and construct a "turn ; key" park in conjunction with his development, as recommended in this project. : I 3. The residential construction tax and park fees associated with the develop- : ment of approximately 232 low and moderate income units for this area would total , $100,000. At such time as specific plans are requested to develop this site, the developer will be obligated for those fees unless the City Council chooses to waive the fees to facilitate the development. / IOOgj Report on Rice Canyon development proposal Pa ge 10 I. STREET NAMES The applicant submitted a list of street names to the city which has been reviewed. Certain changes were recommended; .the following list of street names is recommended by the Planning Commission for approval to replace those designations on the tentative map: Street IIAII liB II l1CII 11011 HEll 11Ft! IIGII IIH11 IIJll IIKII ILL II "MII IIN1! Ilpl! ItQII IlRII liS II Horizon View Ronna Place Bay Lea f Dri ve Smoky Circle ,Wi ndrose Way, ~loon Vi ew Starwood Circle Tram Pl ace Combined witb "D" Street (Smoky Circle) Hidden Vista Lawn View Woodhouse Avenue Chantel Court Legate Court Lowevlood Place Beacon Pl ace Dawn Court Condo. Lots 331 332 (Adjacent to Ridgeback) 333 J. WATER Fossil Circle Rippwon Circle Cristi Circle The entire 419 acre project lies within the Otay Municipal Water District service area. The City has received corrspondence from the Water District indicating that a master plan for the necessary facility to serve this area was completed some time ago with financing to occur through the use of approved bond monies. The plan calls for the construction of a water tank approximately l~ miles to the east of the subject property, together with the construction of an 18" diameter water line extending from that tank along "H" Street to serve the property. In order to construct this required facility to provide water service for the development, Otay Municipal Hater District has asked that "H" Street be rough graded offsite from the tank to the easterly boundary of the development. Otay Water District has indicated that failure to meet these demands will result in the District's refusal to issue water service letters. The'developer is working with the Otay Land Company, O\'iners of the property to the east, as well as the Otay Water District and the Sweetwater l,ater Authority ,to resolve this problem. Grading will be prohibited and final maps \'lOuld not be allowed to be recorded until this issue is solved to the satisfaction of the City Engineer. As of this date the City has not received a letter from Otay Water District indicating they can and will provide water to this area. 10 () 8'/ ,.;"" Report on'Rice Canyon development proposal page 11 K. DRAINAGE/SILTATION There is a substantial amount of drainage calculated to flow through the Rice Canyon Basin--the 50 year flood estimated at nearly 2100 cfs. The developer is proposing to intercept the major drainage flow at the east end of the property and contain that flow in an underground pipe system following the alignment of "H" Street and extending westerly to connect with the present pipe system at I-80S and "H" Street. The basic internal drainage system of the project will be reviewed by the City Engineering Department and must conform to City standards There was considerable discussion at the Planning Commission hearings con- cerning the construction of'a debris and siltation basin to be located northeasterly of "H" Street, extending into Rice Canyon. The basin would be formed by the construction of "H" Street and is necessary to intercept the silt and debris before entering the underground drainage planned for extension to I-80S. The exact size and maintenance cost of the siltation basin will not be calculated until further soil analysis and grading computations are completed, therefore, the City Engineer will report to the City Council prior to action on the final map as to the significance of the size and maintenance costs associated with the siltation basin. L. CIRCULATION Major Circulation Routes. a. The primary street bisecting the project will be "H" Street, which is planned for six through lanes extending from I-80S to the easterly boundary of the project with a bike lane planned within both sides of the proposed travel way. Additional turn lanes are designed for the major intersection as well as'deceleration i and acceleration lanes adjacent to the shopping center entrance. ' b. Due to the elevated location of residential development on the north : side of "H" Street and the two major streets serving that area, sidewalks are planned: only on the south side of "H". This will tend to direct pedestrian flow coming from the north side of "H" to cross this major street at the proposed signalized inter- sections. , I easterly" c. Ridgeback Road which connects with "H" Street and extends to the boundaries of the development will be the primary road serving the La Canada Sect iona 1 Pl anni ng Area. The des i gn of the road wi 11 accommoda te four movi ng 1 anes of traffic in addition to a bike lane on either side. Parking will be prohibited on both Ridgeback Road and "H" Street within this development. d. The primary circulation system planned for the condominium development north of "H" Street \;ill be a series of private loop and cul-de-sac roads within each individual condominium development. The remaining detached single family residential area will be served by standard residential street designs. It should be noted that street F, adjacent to the open space, water tank, and elementary school site, will provide linkage to a vacant county area which could be developed in the future. /00 'f>/ . , Report on Rice Canyon development proposal Page 12 M. EQUESTRIAN TRAILS 1. At present the equestrians heading south from Bonita Road in the general vicinity of Hidden Vista Village area take a rather undefined route, entering an area west of the developed Lynwood Hills area and skirting the area to the south heading in an easterly direction over to the remaining area of the El Rancho del Rey ownership. The adopted El Rancho del Rey Specific Plan recognizes a north- south equestrian route which follows along the Otay Water District line located at the east end of the Hidden Vista Village development. That trail ultimately connects with Bonita Road to the north and the primary leg of Rice Canyon to the eas t. 2. The Planning Department met with representatives of the Sweetwater Valley Equestrian group in an attempt to resolve this additional east to west movement which is apparently taking place at the present time because the subject property is undeveloped. The developer is willing and the Planning Department has worked out a trail system which can feasibly be accommodated near the northerly boundaries of the junior high, park site, and elementary school, and along' the rear boundaries of a limited number of single family homes in the Hidden Vista project. This trail would terminate at the easterly end of Lynwood Drive and thus force the equestrians to use a portion of Lynwood Drive as the westerly linkage to this system, J DOg/