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Home My WebLink About19-50 - ResolutionRESOLUTION NO. 19-50 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE SPECIFIC PLAN FOR THE ETIWANDA HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD AND CONSERVATION PLAN, DRC2015-00751, AND MAKING FINDINGS IN SUPPORT THEREOF A. Recitals. 1. The City of Rancho Cucamonga (the "City") prepared the Etiwanda Heights Neighborhood and Conservation Plan (EHNCP) DRC2015-00751 as a specific plan (the "Specific Plan") to regulate development in an area comprising approximately 4,393 acres extending roughly from Haven Avenue easterly to the City's boundarywith Fontana, and from the northerly City limits to the San Bernardino National Forest boundary in the City's Sphere of Influence (the "Project Area"). 2. A copy of the Specific Plan is attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and is incorporated herein by this reference. The Project Area is more particularly described in Section 2.2 of the Specific Plan. 3. On July 24, 2019, the Planning Commission opened a duly noticed public hearing on the Specific Plan and continued the hearing to August 28, 2019. 4. On August 28, 2019, the Planning Commission re -opened the duly noticed public hearing on the Specific Plan and concluded the hearing on that date. 5. All legal prerequisites prior to the adoption of this Resolution have occurred. B. Resolution. 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. CEQA. The EHNCP, the Specific Plan, and their associated approvals (collectively, the "Project") have been environmentally reviewed pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the State CEQA Guidelines, and the City's Local CEQA Guidelines. The City prepared an initial study and, based on the information contained in the initial study, concluded that there was substantial evidence that the Project might have a significant environmental impact on several resources. Based upon the information contained in the initial study, the City prepared an El R for the Project in order to analyze the Project's potential impacts on the environment. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15025(c), the Planning Commission has reviewed and considered the EIR in both its draft and final forms. The Planning Commission, by separate resolution attached as Exhibit K to the Planning Commission staff report, which is incorporated herein by this reference, recommended that the City Council make the required CEQA findings, certify the EIR, adopt a statement of overriding considerations, and adopt a mitigation monitoring and reporting program. The documents and other materials that constitute the record on which this recommendation was made are located in the Planning Department and are in the custody of the Planning Director. PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 19-50 EHNCP SPECIFIC PLAN, DRC2015-00751 August 28, 2019 Page 2 3. Findings. Based upon all available evidence presented to the Planning Commission during the above -referenced public hearings on July 24, 2019 and August 28, 2019, including written and oral staff reports, together with public testimony, this Commission hereby specifically finds as follows: a. Much of the Project Area is currently within unincorporated San Bernardino County, with a small portion located within the City's limits. Specifically, 4,088 acres of the Project Area are located within the City's Sphere of Influence and 305 acres lie within the City. Approximately 3,494 acres of the Project Area, including portions within the City's Sphere of Influence, are governed by the Etiwanda North Specific Plan, adopted by the City in 1992. b. Development of the Project Area is currently governed by the San Bernardino County General Plan and zoning regulations, with various portions of the Project Area designated as Resource Conservation, Single Residential, Rural Living, Special Development Residential, Open Space, Institutional, and Floodway under the County General Plan. The portion of the Project Area currently within the City is regulated by the City's General Plan and the Etiwanda North Specific Plan. C. The Specific Plan is comprised of two planning areas: (1) the Rural/Conservation Area generally located north of the Day Creek Diversion Levee to the San Bernardino National Forest boundary and east from Haven Avenue to the City limits; and (2) the Neighborhood Area located south of the Day Creek Diversion Levee to the 210 Freeway and east from the Day Creek Channel past Milliken Avenue. d. The Rural/Conservation Area comprises approximately 3,603 acres within the Project Area and is subject to development standards and strategies intended to conserve and manage the areas as open space. Up to 100 residential units could be developed within the Rural/Conservation area under the proposed development standards, with a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program that would allow property owners to transfer development rights for up to 300 residential units from the Rural/Conservation area to the Neighborhood Area. The Planning Commission agrees with the Specific Plan's goal of preserving the foothills that comprise the Rural/Conservation Area as open space, along with the standards and strategies intended to achieve that goal, and recommend approval of the Specific Plan for that reason. e. The Neighborhood Area comprises approximately 790 acres within the Project Area and is subject to development standards intended to promote appropriate and well - designed residential, limited commercial, and recreational development. The Specific Plan permits up to 2,700 residential units in the Neighborhood Area, which may be expanded to 3,000 units depending on property owner participation in the TDR program. Among other amenities, the Neighborhood Area includes a trail network that builds upon the City's existing trail network as identified in the General Plan and Trail Implementation Plan. Development within the Neighborhood Area is intended to help generate funds to support open space conservation within the Rural/Conservation Area. The Planning Commission finds that the Neighborhood Area is well designed and planned and will help promote the Rural/Conservation Area as open space. The Planning Commission recommends approval of the Specific Plan for these reasons. f. The Planning Commission has independently reviewed the General Plan Consistency Analysis attached as Exhibit M to the Planning Commission staff report and included as Table 4.10-2 in the EIR. Based on this comprehensive consistency analysis, the Planning Commission finds that, subject to the City Council's approval of the related documents and PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 19-50 EHNCP SPECIFIC PLAN, DRC2015-00751 August 28, 2019 Page 3 approvals associated with the EHNCP (General Plan Amendment DRC2015-00749, Development Code Amendment DRC2019-00459, Zoning Map Amendment DRC2015-00752, Etiwanda North Specific Plan Amendment DRC 2015-00750, and Annexation DRC2015-00732), the Specific Plan is +ent with the policies and p�ovissions of the General Plan and will not conflict with any other �GnSiSici� V•J1 ii ia' v,i�. ,vviu,v specific plan. g. Approval of the Specific Plan would not be materially injurious or detrimental to adjacent properties. h. The findings set forth in this Resolution reflect the independent judgment of the Planning Commission. 4. Recommendation. 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 Specific Plan for the Etiwanda Heights Neighborhood and Conservation Plan, DRC2015- 00751, attached hereto as Exhibit "A." The Secretary to this Commission shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 28th DAY OF AUGUST 2019. PLANNING COM SION OF THE T CHO CUCAMONGA BY: Tony uglielmo, Chairman ATTEST: Matt Bur is, AICP, Secretary I, Matt Burris, 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 bythe Planning Commission of the City of Rancho Cucamonga, at a regular meeting of the Planning Commission held on the 28th day of August, 2019, by the following vote -to -wit: AYES: COMMISSIONERS: DOPP, GUGLIELMO, MUNOZ, OAXACA, WIMBERLY NOES: COMMISSIONERS: ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS: ABSTAIN: COMMISSIONERS: