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Home My WebLink About4.5 - 1319 Schaefer Ranch General Plan Amendment Study Page 1 of 4 STAFF REPORT CITY COUNCIL DATE: February 21, 2017 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Christopher L. Foss, City Manager SUBJECT: Schaefer Ranch General Plan Amendment Study Initiation Request Prepared by: Martha Battaglia, Associate Planner EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will consider a request by Discovery Builders, to initiate a General Plan Amendment Study for approximately 0.35 acres of area located west of the cul -de-sac terminus of Ridgeline Place adjacent to a vacant, single-family lot located at 7931 Ridgeline Place. The Study would evaluate a proposal to change the existing Open Space Land Use designation to Single-Family Residential. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the Resolution Approving the Initiation of a General Plan Amendment Study to Evaluate a Proposal to Change the Land Use Designation of Approximately 0.35 Acres Located West of the Cul-De-Sac Terminus of Ridgeline Place within the Schaefer Ranch Development From Open Space to Single-Family Residential. FINANCIAL IMPACT: No financial impact to the City. All costs associated with preparing the General Plan Amendment Study, if authorized by the City Council, would be borne by the Project Proponent. DESCRIPTION: Background Schaefer Ranch is an area of approximately 500 acres located generally at the westerly boundary of the city limits north of the Interstate 580 and south of unincorporated Alameda County, near the intersection of Schaefer Ranch Road and Dublin Boulevard (see the vicinity map below). Schaefer Ranch is generally bounded by hillside open space to the north, east and west, some of which has been dedicated to the East Bay Regional Parks District or placed in permanent conservation easements. Page 2 of 4 Planning for the Schaefer Ranch project area was initially addressed in the Western Extended Planning Area Amendment to the General Plan adopted in 1992 and annexation to the City in 1996. The original Schaefer Ranch project approvals included a General Plan Amendment and Planned Development Zoning which anticipated 474 Single-Family homes, open space, and infrastructure. Master Vesting Tentative Tract Map 6765 was approved on August 11, 1998 for 446 units of detached Single -Family homes. Later that year, a Development Agreement was approved, which was later amended in 2006. The residential area was laid out in four neighborhoods along with hillside slope/open space, recreation areas (both active & and passive), open space trail system, roadway systems, drainage systems, water tanks, and detention basins. The area has gone through a series of amendments and refinements since the initial approvals. In 2006, a Planned Development Zoning Stage 2 Development Plan and Site Development Review (PA 06-031) were approved including the layout and site plan for the four neighborhoods consistent with the land use and zoning for “Residential Estates” and “Residential Single-Family” with fewer units than allowed by the original approvals. In 2008, portions of Schaefer Ranch located south of Dublin Boulevard wer e amended, revising the development regulations and reconfiguring the subdivision resulting in 406 units for all of Schaefer Ranch. Subsequently in 2016, Schaefer Ranch Unit 3, located at the western terminus of Dublin Boulevard, was amended to replace 6 e state lots with 18 single-family detached homes resulting in 418 homes for all of Schaefer Ranch. The map below shows the site plan for Schaefer Ranch. Schaefer Ranch Site Plan Current Request On January 16, 2017, the City received a letter from Discovery Builders (Attachment 1) requesting consideration of a change to the General Plan Land Use designation of Page 3 of 4 approximately 0.35 acres located within Schaefer Ranch (Study Area). The proposed Study Area currently is designated as Open Space and owned by the Schaefer Ranch Geologic Hazard Abatement District (GHAD). The Study Area is located west of the cul-de-sac terminus of Ridgeline Place adjacent to a vacant, single -family lot (Lot 70) at 7931 Ridgeline Place as shown on the map below. Discovery Builde rs would like to acquire this area and combine that property with the adjacent vacant Lot 70 located at 7931 Ridgeline Place. Lot 70 is planned to continue to have only one single -family home. ANALYSIS: The City requires that the property owner sign the application forms associated with development applications. Discovery Builders requested that the GHAD Board of Directors, as the property owner, authorize the filing of such applications with the City of Dublin. On February 7, 2017, the Schaefer Ranch GHAD authorized the filing of applications with the City of Dublin and authorized GHAD staff to work on studying the proposed property acquisition. It is the City Council's policy to initiate all General Plan Amendment studies prior to accepting an application and beginning work on such a request. Any development resulting from the proposed land use amendment would require the following additional entitlements: Planned Development Zoning amendment; Site Development Review; and Lot Line Adjustment. If the City Council initiates a General Plan Amendment Study, Staff will: 1. Examine if the proposed land use designation is appropriate for the site; 2. Evaluate any associated environmental impacts from the land use change and prepare the appropriate environmental documents; 3. Perform any additional studies that may be required; and Page 4 of 4 4. Prepare an analysis for consideration by the Planning Commission and the City Council. When the Study is complete, Staff will present the Planning Commission with the proposed General Plan land use amendments and related entitlements, for recommendation to the City Council. The City Council then can take action on the General Plan Amendment request. Staff has prepared a draft Resolution approving initiation of a General Plan Amendment Study (Attachment 2). ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: The General Plan Amendment Study initiation request has been reviewed in accordance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and was found to be Categorically Exempt under Section 15306, Class 6 of the State CEQA Guidelines (Information Collection). NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: A notice regarding the GHAD authorization to proceed with the application request was provided to all property owners and tenant s within 300’ of the project site, and to the interested parties list. The Staff Report for that item outlined the next steps in the process, including the City Council consideration to initiate the General Plan Amendment Study. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Letter from Project Proponent 2. Resolution Approving the Initiation of a General Plan Amendment Study January 16, 2017 Mr. Luke Sims Community Development Director 100 Civic Plaza Dublin, CA 94568 4061 Port Chicago Highway, Suite H Concord, California 94520 (925) 682 -6419 Fax (925) 689 -7741 Subject: Schaefer Ranch Tract 6765, General Plan Amendment Request Dear Mr. Sims, Schaefer Ranch Holdings, LLC dba Discovery Builders Inc., is requesting authorization from the City Council to initiate a General Plan Amendment Study for the Schaefer Ranch Development The proposed General Plan Amendment would change the land use designation of 0.349 acres (15,233 SF) of Open Space to Single Family Residential. The Open Space area includes portions of Parcel I (APN 941 - 2832 -26) and Parcel U (APN 941 - 2832 -37) adjacent to the vacant lot at 7931 Ridgeline Place (APN 941 - 2834 -034, Lot 70 of Tract 6765). The resulting residential density would be within the established range under the General Plan and will be a mutually beneficial completion to the vacant Lot 70 area of the existing neighborhood. We look forward to working with you on this request. Please do not hesitate to contact -ne at (925) 603 -2602 if you need any additional information. Sincerely, Noelle Ortland Discovery Builders, Inc. Attachments: Existing and Proposed General Plan Amendment Land Use Designation Map (2 sheets) RESOLUTION NO. XX – 17 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN * * * * * * * * * APPROVING THE INITIATION OF A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT STUDY TO EVALUATE A PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THE LAND USE DESIGNATION OF APPROXIMATELY 0.35 ACRES LOCATED WEST OF THE CUL-DE-SAC TERMINUMS OF RIDGELINE PLACE WITHIN THE SCHAEFER RANCH DEVELOPMENT FROM OPEN SPACE TO SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL WHEREAS, the City has received a request from Schaefer Ranch Holdings LLC represented by Discovery Builders (“Project Proponent”) to initiate a General Plan Amendment Study to change the land use designation of approximately 0.35 acres ("Study Area") within the Schaefer Ranch project area; and WHEREAS, Schaefer Ranch is located within the Western Extended Planning Area of the General Plan north of Interstate 580 and Schaefer Ranch Road, including the wester ly terminus of Dublin Boulevard; and WHEREAS, the Study Area is located west of the cul-de-sac terminus of Ridgeline Place and includes portions of Parcel I and Parcel U a djacent to the vacant lot at 7931 Ridgeline Place; and WHEREAS, the land use in the Study Area is designated as Open Space and owned by the Schaefer Ranch Geologic Hazard Abatement District (GHAD); and WHEREAS, the Project Proponent would like to acquire the Study Area from the Schaefer Ranch GHAD and combine that property with the adjacent vacant lot located at 7931 Ridgeline Place; and WHEREAS, on February 7, 2017, the Schaefer Ranch GHAD authorized the filing of applications with the City of Dublin and authorized staff to work on studying the proposed property acquisition; and WHEREAS, the General Plan Amendment Study initiation request has been reviewed in accordance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and was found to be Categorically Exempt under Section 15306, Class 6 of the State CEQA Guidelines; and WHEREAS, a Staff Report was submitted outlining the issues surrounding the General Plan Amendment Study initiation request; and WHEREAS, the City Council did hear and consider all such reports, recommendations, and testimony hereinabove set forth. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Dublin does hereby approve the initiation of a General Plan Amendment Study to change the lan d use designation of the Study Area as requested above. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Dublin on this 21st day of February 2017 by the following vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ____________________________ Mayor ATTEST: ________________________ City Clerk