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Home My WebLink About21-71 ResolutionRESOLUTION NO. 21-71 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CERTIFY AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND ADOPT A STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS AND A MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR A PROPOSED GENERAL PLAN UPDATE, INCLUDING THE 2021-2029 HOUSING ELEMENT, AND A CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, AND ADOPT THE PROPOSED GENERAL PLAN UPDATE, 2021-2029 HOUSING ELEMENT, AND CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, AND MAKING FINDINGS IN SUPPORT THEREOF A. Recitals. 1. Government Code Section 653000 requires the City of Rancho Cucamonga (the "City") to adopt and maintain a general plan that contains certain elements, describes the City's long-term goals for growth and development, and identifies policies and programs to achieve these goals. 2. Under State law and the Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Code, the Rancho Cucamonga Planning Commission (the "Planning Commission") is charged with reviewing updates and amendments to the Rancho Cucamonga General Plan (the "General Plan"), and making recommendations to the Rancho Cucamonga City Council (the "City Council"). 3. The last comprehensive update to the City's General Plan was adopted in 2010. 4. In 2020, the City began the process of comprehensively updating the General Plan, and, since that time, City officials, staff, and community members have been actively involved in the General Plan update process, referred to as PlanRC. 5. PlanRC is a comprehensive update to the City's General Plan, which serves to build on our success as a world -class community, to create an equitable, sustainable, and vibrant city, rich in opportunity for all to thrive. 6. The General Plan applies to lands within the City's jurisdictional limits and also certain lands outside the City's limits within its Sphere of Influence, which collectively comprise the City's Planning Area, covering a total of 31,627 gross acres (46.5 square miles). 7. Because in person engagement was limited due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the City engaged the community through a variety of digital platforms, including 72 virtual workshops, meetings, webinars, and pop -ups, and 17 online surveys netting input from over 2,300 community members and over 1 million digital impressions through various social media platform. 8. In conformance with Government Code Sections 65351 through 65352.5, the City has provided opportunities for public input and involvement in the PlanRC process, and provided opportunities for consultation to affected public agencies and California Native American Tribes. Exhibit D PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 21-71 PLANRC GENERAL PLAN UPDATE & CLIMATE ACTION PLAN November 10, 2021 Page 2 9. PlanRC includes the 2021-2019 Housing Element, which represents the City's effort to fulfill its requirements under State housing element law to meet the mandate that all cities and counties prepare a housing element as part of a comprehensive general plan to meet the plan for new housing growth mandated through the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, of which the City has been allocated 10,525 units for the 6th cycle housing element update period. 10. The City has prepared a Climate Action Plan ("CAP") as a companion to PIanRC to reduce the community's contributions to climate change grounded it the General Plan's core community values of health, equity, and stewardship, and to build on the broad climate change policies set forth in the PlanRC 2040. 11. Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") (Cal. Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq.), the City, as lead agency, has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Report ("Draft EIR") (SCH No. 2021050261) for the proposed PlanRC General Plan Update and Climate Action Plan (the "Project") to analyze all adverse environmental impacts of the Project. 12. On November 10, 2021, the Planning Commission conducted a duly noticed public hearing on the Project and concluded said hearing on that date. 13. All legal prerequisites prior to the adoption of this Resolution have occurred. NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby found, determined, and resolved by the Planning Commission of the City of Rancho Cucamonga as follows: 1. Recitals. The Commission hereby specifically finds that all of the facts set forth in the Recitals, Part A, of this Resolution are true and correct. 2. Findings for Recommendation on Environmental Impact Report. Based upon all evidence presented to this Commission during the above -referenced public hearing on November 10, 2021, including written and oral staff reports, together with public testimony, this Commission hereby specifically finds as follows in connection with the Project and EIR: a. The proposed Project was processed, including, but not limited to, all public notices, in the time and manner prescribed by State and local law, including CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines (14. Cal. Code Regs. § 15000 et seq.). b. The City determined that an EIR would be required forthe proposed Project and issued a Notice of Preparation (NOP) on May 10, 2021. The City distributed the NOP, identifying the scope of environmental issues, to numerous State, Federal, and local agencies and organizations on May 10, 2021, with comments requested by .tune 11, 2021, pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15082(a), 15103, and 15375. A total of six comment letters were received and are included in Appendix A of the Draft EIR. Relevant comments received in response to the NOP were incorporated into the Draft EIR. PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 21-71 PLAN RC GENERAL PLAN UPDATE & CLIMATE ACTION PLAN November 10, 2021 Page 3 C. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15082(c)(1), a public scoping meeting was held during the NOP review period on May 18, 2021, to solicit additional suggestions on the scope of the Draft EIR. Attendees were provided an opportunity to identify verbally or in writing the issues they felt should be addressed in the Draft EIR, and input from the public providing direction and scope of the EIR was received. d. Thereafter, a Draft EIR was prepared for the Project in accordance with CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines, including preparation and review, as applicable, of all necessary technical studies and reports in support of the Draft EIR. In accordance with CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines, the City analyzed the proposed Project's potential impacts on the environment, potential mitigation, and potential alternatives to the proposed Project. e. Upon completion of the Draft EIR in September 2021, the City initiated a public comment period by preparing and sending a Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft EIR to all interested persons, agencies, and organizations; the NOA also was published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. The City also filed a Notice of Completion (NOC) with the State Office of Planning and Research. The Draft EIR was made available for a 45-day public review period beginning September 10, 2021, and ending on October 5, 2021. f. Copies of the Draft EIR were sent to various public agencies, as well as to organizations and individuals requesting copies. In addition, copies of the documents have been available for public review and inspection at the Rancho Cucamonga City Hall and Archibald and Biane Libraries. The DEIR was also made available for download via the State Clearinghouse (CEQAnet) and the City's website: https://www.citvofrc.us/Genera[Plan. g. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15025(c), the Planning Commission has reviewed and considered the Draft EIR for the Project. h. The Planning Commission has considered the significant and unavoidable impacts of the Project. The Draft EIR complies with the requirements of CEQA. j. There are Project benefits that would outweigh any of the significant and unavoidable impacts identified in the EIR. 3. Findings for Recommendation of Approval of General Plan Update, 2021-2029 Housing Element, and Climate Action Plan. Based upon all available evidence presented to the Planning Commission during the above -referenced public hearing on November 10, 2021, including written and oral staff reports, together with public testimony, this Commission hereby specifically recommends that the City Council find as follows in connection with approval of the Project: a. The proposed General Plan Update and all of its elements, including the 2021-2029 Housing Element, and the proposed Climate Action Plan comprise a comprehensive, long range, internally consistent statement of the City's goals, policies, and actions related to the City's vision and community values. PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 21-71 PLANRC GENERAL PLAN UPDATE & CLIMATE ACTION PLAN November 10, 2021 Page 4 b. Based on the totality of the administrative record, the proposed General Plan Update, including the 2021-2029 Housing Element, and the proposed Climate Action Plan, will promote the public health, safety, and welfare of the City's residents by establishing goals, policies, and actions to guide the City's future growth and development within the City's Planning Area. 4. Recommendations. a. On the basis of the foregoing and all of the evidence in the administrative record before it, the Planning Commission hereby recommends that the City Council prepare and certify a Final EIR for the Project, adopt findings pursuant to CEQA, adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations, and adopt a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Project. b. On the basis of the foregoing and all of the evidence in the administrative record before it, the Planning Commission hereby recommends that the City Council adopt the proposed General Plan Update, including the 2021-2021 Housing Element, and the proposed Climate Action Plan, attached hereto as Exhibit "A." 5. The Secretary to this Commission shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 10T" DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2021. PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA 171 Francisco Oaxaca, Chairman ATTEST: J�UqI6�&� Anne McIntosh, AICP, Secrets PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 21-71 PLANRC GENERAL PLAN UPDATE & CLIMATE ACTION PLAN November 10, 2021 Page 5 I, Anne McIntosh, AICP, Secretary of the Planning Commission of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, do hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced, passed, and adopted by the Planning Commission of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, at a regular meeting of the Planning Commission held on the 10th day of November 2021, by the following vote -to -wit: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: GUGLIELMO, OAXACA, DOPP, WILLIAMS, MORALES NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: RECUSE: COMMISSIONERS: