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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd. No. 2007-1207 ORDINANCE NO. 1207 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING SPECIFIC PLAN NO. 2006-01 WHEREAS, Vicki Mata, Trumark Companies, has filed an application with the City of Lake Elsinore requesting approval of Specific Plan No. 2006-01 for the project identified as the Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan (the "Project"). The 246.4-acre project site is located immediately adjacent to the existing southern boundary of the Canyon Hills Specific Plan and is bounded by Hemlock Street to the north, Pine Avenue to the east, and Crooked Arrow Drive and Crab Hollow Circle to the south and west (the "Project Site"). Cottonwood Creek flows through the northeast comer of the site adjacent to Cottonwood Canyon Road; and WHEREAS, on January 16,2007, the Planning Commission of the City of Lake Elsinore considered the proposed Specific Plan and recommended that the City Council of the City of Lake Elsinore approve the Specific Plan; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Lake Elsinore has been delegated with the responsibility of making decisions for approval of specific plans; and WHEREAS, public notice of the Project has been given, and the City Council has considered evidence presented by the Community Development Department and other interested parties, and the ErR, including that provided at a public hearing held with respect to this item on January 23,2007. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Prior to making a decision, the City Council has reviewed and analyzed Specific Plan No. 2006-01 pursuant to the Planning and Zoning Laws (Cal. Gov. Code 99 65000 et seq.) and Chapter 17.99 of the Lake Elsinore Municipal Code ("LEMC"). SECTION 2. That in accordance with State Planning and Zoning Laws and the Lake Elsinore Municipal Code, the City Council makes the following findings for the approval of Specific Plan No. 2006-01: - CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE NO. 1207 PAGE20F6 1. The location and design of the proposed development shall be consistent with the goals and policies of the City's General Plan and with any other applicable plan or policies adopted by the City. The Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan meets the City's specific plan criteria for content and required implementation of the General Plan established by Section 65450 et seq. of the California Government Code and Section 17.99 of the City of Lake Elsinore Municipal Code. The Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan has been prepared to provide the essential link between the City's General Plan policies and actual development within the Project Site. The Specific Plan provides for the orderly and efficient development of the Project Site in accordance with the City's General Plan programs, goals, policies, and implementation measures. The Specific Plan functions as a regulatory document and implements the City's General Plan through land use provisions, development regulations, and design guidelines. Accordingly, the proposed Specific Plan is in concurrence with the objectives of the General Plan and the purpose of the planning district in which the site is located. 2. The proposed location shall allow the development to be well- integrated with or adequately buffered from its surroundings, whichever may be the case. The Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan conforms to the topography of the Project Site and appears as an extension of the existing Canyon Hills development immediately to the north. The Project Site slopes downward from south to north and faces the Canyon Hills development; the northern portion of the Project Site lies at the same elevation as the Canyon Hills development and the existing infrastructure improvements (road, water, sewer and dry utilities) and community services (retail and service commercial, parks and schools) abut the Project Site to the north. The Specific Plan includes a 5.4 acre park in the northeast corner of the Project Site as a natural and aesthetically pleasing gateway feature for the Project Site. The Specific Plan includes 149.9 acres of open space to provide a natural appearing visual backdrop to the lower residential development area and the community of Canyon Hills. The proposed project is appropriate to the site and surrounding developments in that the project will construct single-family detached units in accordance with appropriate development and design standards contained in the Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan. The project creates interest and varying vistas as a person moves along any project street. The project also complements CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE NO. 1207 PAGE 3 OF 6 the quality of existing neighboring development and will continue to provide visually-pleasing design and architecture within the immediate area. 3. All vehicular traffic generated by the development, either in phased increments or at full build-out, is to be accommodated safely and without causing undue congestion upon adjoining streets. The proposed Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan has been reviewed as to its relation to the width and type of pavement needed to carry the type and quantity of traffic generated. The circulation concept in the Specific Plan consists of an internal street system supporting the land use allocations in the Specific Plan with connections to surrounding vehicular access streets and pedestrian linkages. The City has adequately evaluated the potential impacts associated with the proposed uses prior to its approval and has conditioned the project to be served by roads of adequate capacity and design standards to provide reasonable access by car, truck, transit, and bicycle (Conditions of Approval 54-58). The layout and design standards for streets in the Specific Plan allow the community to safely meet the circulation needs of the residents and users of the Project Site. 4. The Final Specific Plan shall identify a methodology(s) to allow land uses to be adequately serviced by existing or proposed public facilities and services. In appropriate circumstances, and as provided elsewhere by City Code, the City may require that suitable areas be reserved for schools, parks and pedestrian ways; or public open spaces shall be dedicated or reserved by private covenant for the common use of residents, establishments or operations in the development. The Final Specific Plan properly identifies methodologies to allow land uses to be adequately serviced by existing or proposed public facilities and services. The Final Specific Plan identifies necessary streets and circulation to support the proposed land use allocations. The Project is designed as an extension of the adjacent Canyon Hills community to the north. Water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, schools and other public facilities and services will be available from the City through the existing community of Canyon Hills north of the Project Site. In addition, the Specific Plan identifies a 5.4 acre park site for common use of the residents, approximately 126 acres of open space for dedication and preservation, and an additional 23.9 acres of open space. CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE NO. 1207 PAGE40F6 5. The overall design of the Specific Plan will produce an attractive, efficient and stable development. The proposed Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan has been designed in consideration of the size and shape of the property, thereby strengthening and enhancing the immediate residential area. The project, as proposed, will complement the quality of existing development and will create a visually pleasing, non-detractive relationship between the proposed and existing projects, in that the proposed use has been reviewed to ensure adequate provision of screening from the public rights-ofway or adjacent properties. The Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan conforms to the topography of the Project Site and appears as an extension of the existing Canyon Hills development immediately to the north, thereby facilitating the efficient provision of public services and facilities. The Specific Plan provides for the orderly and efficient development of the Project Site in accordance with the City's General Plan through land use provisions, development regulations, and design guidelines. The design guidelines in the Specific Plan establish the framework to achieve harmony and compatibility within residential neighborhoods, while promoting high quality architectural design. The Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan will not be detrimental to the health, safety, comfort or general welfare of the persons residing or working near the project area or within the City, nor will it be injurious to property or improvements in the project area or within the City. In addition, staff has substantiated that all applicable City Departments and Agencies have been afforded the opportunity for a thorough review of the Specific Plan and have incorporated all applicable comments and/or conditions related to installation and maintenance of landscaping, street dedications, regulations of points of vehicular ingress and egress and control of potential nuisances, so as to eliminate any negative impacts to the general health, safety, comfort, or general welfare of the surrounding neighborhood or the City. 6. In accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), impacts have been reduced to a level of non-significance, or in the case where impacts remain, a statement of overriding considerations must be adopted to justify the merits of project implementation. Environmental Impact Report No. 2006-02 ("EIR '') is adequate and prepared in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE NO. 1207 PAGE50F6 (CEQA) which analyzes environmental effects of the Specific Plan. The EIR states that most of the potentially significant environmental impacts have been reduced to a level of less than significant through implementation of project design features, standard conditions, and project-specific mitigation measures. Significant short- term air quality impacts and cumulative transportation impacts have been identified as unavoidable and significant, and a statement of overriding considerations has been prepared relative to those impacts. SECTION 3. Based upon the above findings, the Staff Report, conditions of approval and documentary and oral testimony presented, the City Council hereby approves Specific Plan No. 2006-01. SECTION 4. If any provision, clause, sentence or paragraph of this Ordinance or the application thereof to any person or circumstance shall be held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions of this Ordinance and are hereby declared to be severable. SECTION 5. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after the date of its final passage. The City Clerk shall certify as to adoption of this Ordinance and cause this Ordinance to be published and posted in the manner required by law. INTRODUCED AND APPROVED UPON FIRST READING this 23rd day of January 2007, upon the following roll call vote: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: BUCKLEY, HICKMAN, KELLEY, SCHIFFNER, MAGEE COUNCILMEMBERS: NONE NOES: ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: NONE ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBERS: NONE CITY COUNCIL ORDINANCE NO. 1207 PAGE 6 OF 6 PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED UPON SECOND READING this 13th day of February, 2007, upon the following roll call vote: NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: BUCKLEY, KELLEY, SCHIFFNER, MAGEE COUNCILMEMBERS: NONE AYES: ABSTAIN: COUNCILMEMBERS: NONE Robert Magee, May City of Lake E1sino e ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: