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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPC Res 98-38 - 1998-11-04 . f RESOLUTION NO. 98 - 38 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SEAL BEACH RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL DENIAL OF AN APPLICATION TO DEVELOP THE OLD RANCH GOLF COURSE WITH COMMERCIAL USES AND A RECONFIGURED GOLF COURSE (GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT 98-1; WNE CHANGE 98-1, TENTATIVE PARCEL MAP NO. 97-165; TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NO. 15767; AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT) THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF SEAL BEACH DOES HEREBY RESOLVE: Section 1. The Bixby Ranch Company ("Applicant") submitted an application for approval of General Plan Amendment 98-1; Zone Change 98-1, Tentative Parcel Map No 97-165, Tentative Tract Map No. 15767, and Development Agreement (collectively "application") with the City of Seal Beach. If approved, GPA Amendment 98-1 would amend the Use, Open Space/Conservation/Recreation, Bicycle Route, Housing, Circulation, and Noise Elements The Applicant seeks amendment to the General Plan to' decrease the amourrt of Recreation/Golf designated land on the subject propertY from 203 01 acres to 15800 acres, increase the amount of CommerCially designated land on the subject property from 15.3 acres to 33.07 acres; and to designate 218 31 acres of land as public land use designated land The project has five Development Areas, with the following uses proposed therein Development Area A - A retail commercial center is proposed for approximately 25 acres adjacent to and immediately east of Seal Beach Boulevard generally between Saint Cloud Drive and Rossmoor Way, Development Area B - A 51,350 square foot 104 room hotel, 88,000 square feet of semor care filciIities, including a 9O-unit assisted living facility, a 25-bed Alzheimer's care facility and a 45- bed skilled nursing facility; open space and two restaurants are proposed for a 13 57 acre area located adjacent to and south of Lampson Avenue and immediately east of Seal Beach Boulevard, DeveloDment Area C - To facilitate the proposed land uses noted above, the existing 117 acre Bixby Old Ranch Golf Course is proposed to be reconfigured and expanded to encompass a total of 158 acres; Development Area D - A 125,000 square foot (3,570-seat capacity) church is proposed for the fifteen-acre parcel located at the northwest comer of the project site area immediately north of the proposed commercial site. Develo.PJ11ent Area E - The existing Old Ranch Tennis Club facility located on 6 74 acres south of Lampson Avenue is proposed to be offered for dedication to the City for public recreation purposes Section 2. Pursuant to 14 Calif Code of Regs ~ 15025(a) and ~~ n C and ill of the City's Local CEQA Guidelines, staff prepared an Initial Study and a Draft Environmental Impact Report, which was circulated for public review and comment from to, in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmenta1 Quality Act and the City's Loca1 CEQA Guidelines. Upon completion of the public review period, the Planning Comrmssion at public hearings reviewed a Final Environmental Impact Report. C\My~PA9l1-l-1lIxby PC RaoodoolLWlll.o4.9ll ., PIt:mn,ng COffl1///8SJ"" Re.wlu""" 98-38 General Pion Ammdnumt 98-1 Baby Old I/DncIr Towne Center J'roject November 4, 1998 Section 3. A duly noticed public hearing was held before the Planning Commission on September 9, 1998 and continued to October 21, 1998 and to November 4, 1998 to consider the application At the public hearing, Applicant's consultants and representatives, including Applicant's legal counsel, and several other persons spoke in favor of the request Numerous residents spoke in opposition to the requests Section 4 The record of the hearings indicates the following: A The Bixby Old Ranch Towne Center proposal proposes commercial/retail, recreation, hotel, restaurant, senior care and institutional (church) uses as well as the expansion and renovation of the Bixby Old Ranch Golf Course, a public/private driving range, and the conversion to public use of the existing Bixby Old Ranch Tennis Club. Approximately 117 seres of the 218 3 I-acre project site is currently devoted to the existing Bixby Old Ranch Golf Course B. The subject property is comprised of four (4) parcels, compnsmg a total of approximately 212 acres Presently, approximately 197 acres is designated for "Golf Course" and approximately 15 seres for "Commercial - General" in the General Plan. The subject property is located on the easterly side of Seal Beach Boulevard between the 1-405 Freeway and the Los A1amitos Armed Forces Reserve Center. Approximately 13 56 acres is located adjacent to Seal Beach Boulevard, south of Lampson Avenue, with the remaining 199 acres located north of Lampson Avenue. C. The surrounding land uses and zoning are as follows NORTH: The "Rossmoor Highlands" subdivision in the City of Los A1amitos zoned residential (R-I), and the Los A1amitos Armed Forces Reserve Center, zoned Community Facilities (C-F) SOUTH. The 1-405 Freeway; and the Weapons Support Facility Seal Beach zoned Public Land Use/Recreation zone (pLUIR). WEST Seal Beach Boulevard; the Bixby Office Park and Rossmoor Center zoned C-2, and portions of the community of Ross moor zoned R-l across the boulevard from the project site. EAST: College Park East in the City of Seal Beach zoned Residential Low Density (RLD) Section 5. Based upon substantial evidence in the record of the Planning Commission hearings regarding the application, including the facts stated in this resolution, and in the environmental documentation prepared in conjunction with this project, and pursuant to ~~ 28-2600 and 28-2602 of the City's Code. the Planning Commission hereby finds that General Plan Amendments 97-1A and 97-1B will be detrimental to the short term and long term land use goals of the City of Seal Beach The Planning Commission further finds that approval of the subject applications will not promote the public health, safety and welfare Therefore, the Planning Commission finds that the requested amendments to the General Plan of the City of Seal Beach will not be in the public interest, and makes the following findings offact. A There is substantial evidence in the record, which indicates conclusively that approval of the application would have significant adverse impacts on the environment in the City of Seal Beach The EIR identifies five environmental impacts, which are significant, and unavoidable even after the imposition of all feasible mitigation measures In addition to the impacts on traffic and trees identified below, the project would convert 78 seres of prime agricultural land to commercial uses, thereby contributing to the urbanization of the area. According to the EIR, such an adverse impact is significant and unavoidable. Likewise, project operational emissions would have a significant, unavoidable adverse impact upon air quality. Yet another unavoidable, significant impact which cannot be mitigated to a level ofinsignificance is that the project would create an imbalance by providing new jobs but no new housing to house the new workers Approval of the application would therefore not be in the public interest, and would not promote the public health, safety and welfure in that the GPA9g.1-ilIxIly PCRao 2 \ ( PlannIng Commwlon Reso/utron 98-38 General Pion AmelIdmtmJ 98-1 Bvthy Old Ronch T_ CenIrlr Propel November 4, 1998 proposed project would seriously degrade the quality of the environment and the quality of life in the community. B. Existing traffic in the area is already congested Cumulative traffic impacts from other approved projects in the region will further exacerbate the situation. The additional traffic generated by the proposed project will only further intensifY those future demands A significant, unavoidable impact identified in the Environmenta1 Impact Report is the generation of increased traffic congestion to unacceptable levels at the intersections located at KateJJaILos A1amitos Boulevard and KateIIa/Bloomfield Street Both those intersections are outside the City limits, in the City of Los A1amitos. The City of Los A1amitos does not support the recommended mitigation measures C. The proposed project will expose future tenants, including but not limited to senior citizens housed at the proposed assisted care facility and guests at the proposed hotel, to potentially significant and objectionable levels of noise The ElR and testimony at the hearing indicates that, after mitigation measures are applied, portions of the proposed project will be exposed to cumulative noise from aircraft activities at the Los A1amitos Anned Forces Reserve Center combined with traffic noise from surrounding streets that will exceed an average noise level of 65 CNEL In addition single event noise occurrences generated by the Los A1amitos Anned Forces Reserve Center WIll periodically expose tenants to noise levels in excess of I 00 dB. Subjecting people to such levels of noise would not promote the public health, safety and welfare D. A significant, unavoidable impact identified in the Environmental Impact Report is the removal of a large number of eucalyptus trees The City generally disfitvors the removal of eucalyptus trees. E The proposed church use is not compatible with surrounding uses, both existing and proposed, and will generate unacceptable traffic and demands on parking F. The proposed location of the care facility would expose elderly patients to excessive noise and air pollution generated by vehicular traffic on two adjacent freeways and Seal Beach Boulevard G There is substantial evidence in the record that the area cannot support another commercial center across Seal Beach Boulevard from the existing Rossmoor Center R There is substantial evidence in the record that the project would create an adverse impact upon traffic circulation in the adjacent communities of Ross moor and Los A1amitos Section 6. Zone Change 98-1, Tentative Parcel Map No 97-165, Tentative Tract Map No. 15767, and the proposed Development Agreement are inconsistent with the current General Plan, and cannot be approved absent the proposed General Plan amendments Section 7. Based on the foregoing, the Planning Commission hereby recommends that the City Council deny the application for General Plan Amendment 98-1. The Planning Commission further recommends that the Council deny the application for approval of Zone Change 98-1, Tentative Parcel Map No. 97-165, Tentative Tract Map No 15767 and the subject Development Agreement. Each is inconsistent with the current General Plan and cannot be approved without the requested amendments to the General Plan PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Planning Commission of the City of Seal Beach at a meeting thereof held on the 4th day of November ,1998, by the following vote' GPA98-1-1lI>by pea... 3 " , 0" AYES' Commissioners NOES. Commissioners ABSENT: Commissioners Pltmnmg Commw.orr RaoIullorr No 98-38 Ge1reml Pltm Amendment 98-1 Buhy Old lItmch r_ Cenle J'roject November 4, 1998 Cutull, Hood and Chairman Brown Larson and Lyon None ~-~ Planning Commission 1_~..1I0I30/!I8 Bmn~ Planning Commission 4