HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-12-11 - Agenda Packet - Trails Advisory
DECEMBER 11, 2019
TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGENDA
RAINS ROOM
CITY HALL
10500 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE
Page 1 of 2
A. 6:00 P.M. –CALL TO ORDER
Roll Call: Francisco Oaxaca _____ Tom Tisler (Bicycle) _____
Tony Morales _____ Carol Douglass (Equestrian) _____
Bryan Dopp (Alternate) _____
Mike Smith (Staff Coordinator)_____
B. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS
This is the time and place for the general public to address the Trails Advisory Committee on
any item listed on the agenda. State law prohibits the Trails Advisory Committee from
addressing any issue not previously included on the Agenda. The Committee may receive
testimony and set the matter for a subsequent meeting.
Comments are to be limited to five minutes per individual or less, as deemed necessary by the
Staff Coordinator, depending upon the number of individual members of the audience. This is
a professional businessmeeting and courtesy and decorum are expected. Please refrain from
any debate between audience and speaker, making loud noises or engaging in any activity
which might be disruptive to the decorum of the meeting.
C. DISCUSSION ITEMS
C1. DESIGN REVIEW DRC2019-00502 – GCA LAND – A request to consider requirements to
construct trail improvements previously approved under Tentative Tract Map SUBTT18961,
related to site plan and architectural review of 6 single-family residence on SUBTT18961,
located at the northeast corner of Sapphire Street and Brittany Lane in the Very Low (VL)
District; APN: 1061-691-21, -22, -23, -24, -25, -26, -27.
E. IDENTIFICATION OF ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING
This is the time for the Trails Advisory Committee to identify the items they wish to discuss at
the next meeting. These items will not be discussed at this meeting, only identified for the next
meeting.
DECEMBER 11, 2019
TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AGENDA
RAINS ROOM
CITY HALL
10500 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE
Page 2 of 2
If you need special assistance or accommodations to participate in this meeting, please
contact the Planning Department at (909) 477-2750. Notification of 48 hours prior to the
meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility.
Listening devices are available for the hearing impaired.
G. ADJOURNMENT
I, Elizabeth Thornhill, Executive Assistant II of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, or my designee,
hereby certify that a true, accurate copy of the foregoing agenda was posted on Thursday,
December 05, 2019, seventy-two (72) hours prior to the meeting per Government Code
54954.2 at 10500 Civic Center Drive.
TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMMENTS
6:00 p.m. DAT TRAN December 11, 2019
DESIGN REVIEW DRC2019-00502 – GCA LAND – A request to consider requirements to
construct trail improvements previously approved under Tentative Tract Map SUBTT18961,
related to site plan and architectural review of 6 single-family residence on SUBTT18961, located
at the northeast corner of Sapphire Street and Brittany Lane in the Very Low (VL) District; APN:
1061-691-21, -22, -23, -24, -25, -26, -27.
Site Characteristics and Background:
The project site is a 4.75-acre site located at the northeast corner of Sapphire Street and Brittany
Lane. The site is within the Very Low (VL) Residential District. The site is surrounded to the north,
west and south by existing single-family residential homes which are also in the Very Low (VL)
District. The project site’s northern boundary is adjacent to an existing 15 foot wide equestrian
trail easement at the rear of the single-family homes. The project site’s east boundary is shared
with Floyd M. Stork Elementary School.
On January 28, 2015, the Planning Commission approved Tentative Tract Map SUBTT18961, for
the subdivision of the project site into 7 single-family lots. The site was a rectangular lot measuring
approximately 315 feet in width (from north to south), and 675 feet in length (from east to west),
owned by Mr. Romy Octa. At the time of the review and approval of SUBTT18961, the site was
improved with an existing single-family residence located at the northwest corner of the lot. After
approval of SUBTT18961, a rectangular lot measuring approximately 172 feet in width and 290
feet in length was created. This new lot, now referred to as Lot 1, contains the above-noted single-
family residence. Mr. Octa retained ownership of Lot 1. The remainder of the site, measuring
approximately 3.19 acres, was subdivided into 6 single-family residential lots and sold to a
developer for future development.
Approval of SUBTT18961 included conditions of approval requiring the installation of local feeder
trails prior to the recordation of the final map (Exhibit C). SUBTT18961 included a site plan
showing a 15 foot wide private equestrian trail easement and 4 foot wide drainage easement
along the north property line of Lot 1. The easement on Lot 1 connects to trail easements
dedicated along the rear of the other 6 lots to create a unified local trail network. Lot 1 is also the
only access point for the trail network onto Sapphire Street. Without Lot 1’s trail easement, the
other 6 lots’ trail easements would not be accessible from the public right-of -way.
One of the conditions of approval (Condition of Approval #10) on SUBTT18961 specified that the
design of the trail shall conform to Engineering Services Department Standard Drawing 1006-B
and 1007-B (Exhibit D). Standard Drawings 1006-B and 1007-B requires a 20 foot wide easement
at the entrance of local trail networks. The intent of the 20 foot wide easement is to provide
adequate width for equestrian vehicles (e.g. hay delivery vehicles) to access the trail. Standard
Drawings 1006-B and 1007-B also specified the exact design of local trail improvements, including
metal swing gates, split rail fencing and step-through posts at the entrance. Per Standard Drawing
1006-B and 1007-B, all lots on the project site are required to have the split rail fencing along the
length of the trail easement. Lot 1 is required to have the 20 foot easement, metal swing gates
and step-through posts at its entrance because it provides access to the other trail’s easements.
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TRAILS ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMMENTS
DESIGN REVIEW DRC2019-00502 – GCA LAND
December 11, 2019
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All conditions of approval were required to be fulfilled prior to recordation of the Final Map. The
Final Map was recorded on October 22, 2018 and included the 15 foot easement on all lots.
However, due to staff error, Condition of Approval #10 was never implemented prior to final
recordation. The Final Map did not include the 20 foot wide easement at the entrance of the trail.
Trail improvements were also not constructed prior to the recordation of the Final Map. As a result,
the trail is unimproved and does not conform to Standard Drawing 1006-B and 1007-B.
Analysis:
Staff discovered the error during review of the rough grading plans for the project site. The
applicant and current property owner, GCA Land, agreed to make the necessary trail
improvements as originally specified in the conditions of approval. The improvements would
include all trail and drainage improvements along the north side of Lot 1 (Exhibit E). The applicant
approached the property owner, Mr. Octa, and offered to pay for all trail improvements. A private
agreement was reached between the two parties on October 28, 2019. A signed and notarized
letter was submitted to staff, specifying that Mr. Octa granted the applicant permission to install
all required trail improvements (Exhibit F). As the original land owner, Mr. Octa would have been
required to construct the improvements prior to subdividing the site. With the agreement, the
requirement to pay for all trail and drainage improvements would become the responsibility of the
applicant.
After the project site was surveyed, Mr. Octa realized that the improvements in the 15 foot
easement would conflict with existing fruit-bearing persimmon trees planted on the site. There are
a total of 6 trees located in the easement. The trees are planted in a line, approximately along the
interior easement line, where the split rail fencing would be installed. Mr. Octa requested that the
applicant improve the trail without removing the trees and the parties reached an impasse. Staff
met with Mr. Octa onsite on November 26, 2019, to discuss the issue. Mr. Octa agreed to permit
the 20 foot easement, gate and trail access improvements at the front of the trail as required per
Standard Drawing 1006-B and 1007-B. He continued to request that trail improvements not impact
the trees. Staff reviewed the conditions and offers the following two options:
1. The City can approve modifications to the trail improvements to preserve the trees. The
entrance of the trail would be improved per the Standard Drawing 1006-B and 1007-B,
including the 20 foot easement and all improvements at the entrance of the trail. The split
rail fencing would extend the entire length of the trail, with breaks in the fencing to
accommodate the trees. The exterior easement line (along Lot 1’s northerly property line)
would have split rail fencing along the entire length. Grading of the trail, which includes
installation of decomposed granite as trail surface, would occur throughout the entire
length of the trail. In the portions of the trail adjacent to the trees, grading and trail surface
installation would be reduced to avoid damage to the root and base of the trees. Due to
slope conditions along the trail, some portions of the trail could be reduced to as much as
5 feet in width. These improvements in this option would be the responsibility of the
applicant proposing the construction of the 6 new homes. Lastly, in order to preserve the
trees, the 4 foot drainage easement along the 15 foot easement would need to be re-
routed deeper to the interior of Lot 1 or removed from the plans altogether. The drainage
easement is for the sole use of the property owner of Lot 1 and does not affect any other
drainage easements on the other lots. The proposed modifications would be permanent
until a future redevelopment of Lot 1. At a future date, a condition of approval could be
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DESIGN REVIEW DRC2019-00502 – GCA LAND
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placed on the development approval requiring the property owner bring the site into
conformance with the trail standards.
2. The decision could be made to leave the portion of the trail adjacent to the persimmon
trees unimproved until such time that the property owner of Lot 1 proposes to further
redevelop their property, at which time the final trail improvements could be conditioned
and implemented. Lot 1’s property owner would be the party responsible for this future
improvement. In this option, only the trail entrance and the trail to the east of the
persimmon trees would be immediately improved as it relates to the subject development
application to construct the 6 new residences.
A modification to the existing tract map would need to be submitted for either option. The tract
map would be required to show a 20 foot wide easement at the entrance of the site and an
alternative design to the drainage easement if it is rerouted.
Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends the Committee discuss the options outlined in the
staff report and provide a recommendation to the Planning Commission. The Committee may also
provide alternative recommendations than the two options outlined in this report. The Committee’s
recommendation will be presented to the Planning Commission as a condition of approval for
Design Review DRC2019-00502 related to the site plan and architectural review of 6 single-family
residences on the remaining lots.
Staff Planner: Dat Tran, Assistant Planner
EXHIBITS:
Exhibit A Site Plan Showing All Existing Approved Easements
Exhibit B Aerial Photo
Exhibit C SUBTT18961 Staff Report, Resolutions and Conditions of Approval
Exhibit D Engineering Services Department Standard Drawing 1006-B and 1007-B
Exhibit E Rough Grading Plans Showing Proposed Trail and Drainage Improvements
Exhibit F Signed Agreement with Mr. Romy Octa, Property Owner of Lot 1
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Exhibit A004
Exhibit B005
Exhibit C006
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Exhibit D031
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Exhibit E033
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Exhibit F035
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