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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 1312ORDINANCE NO. 1312 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC PLAN LOCATED ON 400 ACRES NORTH OF FRANK SINATRA DRIVE, SOUTH OF GERALD FORD DRIVE, EAST OF PORTOLA AVENUE AND WEST OF COOK STREET, PURSUANT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT PREPARED FOR THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE, THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC PLAN, AND THE ONE ELEVEN DEVELOPMENT CODE CASE NO: ZOA/CZ 16-262 WHEREAS, as part of the City of Palm Desert's (City) General Plan Update, the University Neighborhood Specific Plan was prepared to provide a vision, framework plan, and implementation strategies, for 400 acres in proximity to the University of California Riverside and California State University San Bernardino extension campuses; and WHEREAS, the University Neighborhood Specific Plan emphasizes pedestrian and bicycle connectivity throughout the Specific Plan area and to the adjoining university campuses; and WHEREAS, the University Neighborhood Specific Plan, by reference only as Exhibit "A" establishes flexible subdivision, street, and public frontage standards that emphasize strong building form and character, and provides a detailed architectural appendix on how to achieve these standards for properties shown in Exhibit "B" of this Ordinance; and WHEREAS, in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (Pub. Resources Code, §§ 21000 et seq.) ("CEQA") and the State CEQA Guidelines (Cal. Code Regs., §§ 15000 et seq.), the City has prepared and certified an Environmental Impact Report ("EIR") analyzing and disclosing the potentially significant environmental impacts of the City's General Plan Update, University Neighborhood Specific Plan, and One Eleven Development Code ("General Plan Update EIR"); the General Plan Update EIR reflects the independent judgment of the City of Palm Desert; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Palm Desert, California, did on the 191h day of October, hold a duly noticed public hearing and adopted Resolution 2863 recommending approval of the University Neighborhood Specific Plan to the City Council of the City of Palm Desert ("City Council"); and WHEREAS, in accordance with Palm Desert Municipal Code Chapter 25.60.060 "Public Hearing and Public Notice" and Chapter 25.78.080, "Specific Plans" the City Council did on the 10t day of November 2016, hold a duly noticed public hearing to consider the request by the City, for adoption of the University Neighborhood Specific Plan; and WHEREAS, at said public hearing, upon hearing and considering all testimony and arguments, if any, of all interested persons desiring to be heard, the City Council did make the following findings in support of approving the proposed Specific Plan: ORDINANCE NO. 1312 Findings for Approval: The specific plan is consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of the General Plan. The University Neighborhood Specific Plan initiates the Vision and Guiding Principles (Chapter 1) and the Land Use and Community Character Element (Chapter 3) of the General Plan. The General Plan provides five Guiding Principles as they relate to strengthening the City: 1) Human -scale design; 2) Create lively centers; 3) Streets for all; 4) Accessibility and connectivity, and 5) Quality open spaces. These Guiding Principles are applied to three specific focus areas, one of which includes the "University Area. " The focus of the University Area is to ensure that "lands around the universities are developed in a way that maximizes connectivity and accessibility", and that, in order to achieve this, that the City "prepare a University Neighborhood Specific Plan" to provide design guidance for neighborhood development in proximity to the universities. By preparing and adopting this specific plan that City has achieved a portion of the General Plan's Vision by creating a plan in proximity to the universities that emphasizes connectivity, a mix of housing choices, and provides design criteria and architectural guidance for block length, amenities, and architectural design. The General Plan Land Use and Community Character Element identifies the project area as an area for "higher intensity neighborhood development that features a variety of housing choices, walkable streets, and mixed uses." As proposed, the specific plan is consistent with the intent of the General Plan in that a mix of housing densities inclusive of single-family, multi -family, and mixed - use units are provided within the project area. More specifically, the specific plan accomplishes Goals 1, 2, and 3 of the Land Use and Community Character Element in that the specific plan focuses on complete neighborhood design, short block lengths, pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, a diversity of housing types, enhanced streetscapes, and human -scaled design. 2. The specific plan will not create conditions materially detrimental to the public health, safety, and general welfare. The specific plans goals, policies, and development standards for the subdivision and street designs have been reviewed by the Planning Department, Fire Department, and Public Works Department for consistency with the General Plan and emergency services. The lot sizes, street and utility improvements, circulation patterns, and drainage improvements meet all requirements of the General Plan. All existing perimeter streets, with the exception of a portion of Portola Avenue, conform to the General Plan's Circulation Element and minor striping and roadway dedication is needed to complete existing streets. Access to and from existing perimeter streets, and access to and from the new project street, are designed in accordance with the standards for emergency vehicle access and circulation. Further, the General Plan Update EIR considered potential impacts relating to noise, geological conditions, air quality, traffic and circulation, hazards and 2 ORDINANCE NO. 1312 hazardous materials, inter alia, and identified no impacts or circumstances that would result in conditions materially detrimental to public health and safety. 3. The specific plan is compatible with zoning on adjacent properties, and ensures development of desirable character that will be harmonious with surrounding properties. Existing detached single-family home development is present to the north and west of the Specific Plan boundaries and existing commercial, apartments, and University campuses are located to the east. The City's Desert Willow golf course is located to the south of the project boundaries. As proposed in the Specific Plan, the site layout, sub -planning areas, land use intensities and distribution of land uses are consistent with surrounding development. The Specific Plan proposes a mix of residential densities and land uses that are consistent with the multi -family and single-family development in the area. These development standards allow for increased building height and reduced setbacks to attract greater land use density with the planning areas. The proposed single-family home densities are similar to and compatible with surrounding single-family developments to the north and west. In addition, the location of the lower density single-family development along the project perimeters provides a buffer and transition to denser single-family and multi -family housing, and commercial uses in the middle of the project area. Open space is provided throughout the project area and along the project boundaries to the southwest to a much greater extent than that to the west. The location of the higher density residential uses is well suited as they are in close proximity to existing and future employment opportunities and recreational open space. The infrastructure, soils, and terrain serving the development will adequately support these densities, as further detailed in the General Plan EIR. 4. The specific plan is suitable and appropriate for the location, access, and topography for the development of the subject property. The 400 acres subjected to the University Neighborhood Specific Plan are suitable for the proposed development. No environmental issues were identified in the preparation and drafting of the General Plan EIR that would indicate that development in this area would be unsuitable. In addition, existing commercial and residential developments have successfully constructed similar types of development in the immediate vicinity. No obstacles to development of surrounding subdivisions were experienced and, due to the proximity and similarity of the proposed development, it's reasonable to conclude that the site is physically suitable for it. The property is suitable for the proposed development and mitigation measures identified in the General Plan EIR ensure that impacts to the surrounding areas are minimized. 5. The specific plan or amendment has been reviewed in compliance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act. The University Neighborhood Specific Plan was prepared in conjunction with the City's General Plan Update, and an EIR was prepared to consider, analyze, 3 ORDINANCE NO. 1312 identify, and disclose all potential impacts arising from the General Plan Update, the University Neighborhood Specific Plan, and the One Eleven Development Code. The General Plan EIR was prepared consistent with the mandates of CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines, and circulated for a 45-day public review and comment period. Comments from agencies, organizations, and individuals received during the public review and comment period were considered by the City and, consistent with CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines, responses to those comments have been prepared. The General Plan EIR concludes that significant and unavoidable impacts relating to greenhouse gas emissions, and Caltrans performance standards for freeway segments will occur, even after the incorporation of all feasible mitigation measures. The General Plan EIR also concludes that all other potential environmental impacts will be less than significant, either without or after the incorporation of, mitigation measures. In the future, as individual projects come forward for development within the University Neighborhood Specific Plan, additional environmental studies will need to be conducted to identify any endangered or sensitive species. In addition, the project will pay into the Coachella Valley Multi -Species Habitat Conservation fund for the development of raw land. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS: 1. That the above recitations are true and correct and constitute the findings of the City Council in this case. 2. That the City Council does hereby approve Ordinance approving the University Neighborhood Specific Plan (ZOA/CZ 16-262). PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California, at its regular meeting held on the 8th day of December 2016, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: JONATHAN, KELLY, NESTANDE, WEBER, and HARNIK NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE ABSTAIN: NONE , ' - tel: JAN C. HARNIK, MAYOR ATTEST: RA ELL D. KLASSE , CITY CLERK CITY OF PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA 12--t3-0-�(� 4 ORDINANCE NO. 1312 Exhibit "A" University Neighborhood Specific Plan