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RESOLUTION NO. 19-51
A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING
APPROVAL OF DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENT DRC2019-
00459 IN CONNECTION WITH 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 boundary with Fontana, and from the northerly City limits to
the San Bernardino National Forest boundary in the City's Sphere of Influence (the "Project Area").
The Project Area is more particularly described in Section 2.2 of the. Specific Plan.
2. The City has caused to be prepared Development Code Amendment DRC2019-00459
(the "Development Code Amendment"), attached hereto as Exhibit "A" and incorporated herein by
this reference, in order to amend Section 17.114.020 of the Rancho Cucamonga Municipal Code to
add a description of the EHNCP Specific Plan as an official specific plan of the City, and make other
conforming changes. Upon approval of the Development Code Amendment, the EHNCP Specific
Plan will be codified in Section 17.114.020 in the same manner as other specific plans.
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 Development Code Amendment, 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 EIR 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
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PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 19-51
EHNCP DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENT DRC2019-00459
August 28, 2019
Page 2
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.
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 majority of the unincorporated Project Area is currently pre -zoned under
the Etiwanda North Specific Plan, which includes zoning designations for Utility Corridor, Flood
Control/Riparian, Resource Conservation, Very Low Residential Estate, Very Low Residential, Low
Residential, Hillside Residential Estate, Hillside Residential, Neighborhood Commercial, Fault Zone,
and Open Space. The remainder of the unincorporated Project Area in the City's Sphere of
Influence is not currently pre -zoned by the City. The Project Area located within the City's
boundaries is zoned Flood Control north of Banyan Street and Residential -Medium south of Banyan
Street.
d. The Specific Plan is comprised of two planning areas: (1) the
Rural/Conservation Area generally located north of the Day Creels 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. Each planning area is governed by a regulating
zone that carries specific regulatory requirements intended to implement the Specific Plan's vision.
e. 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. The Rural/Conservation Area consists of a single regulating
zone known as Rural, which is subdivided into the following sub -zones that correspond to existing
General Plan open space land use designations: (1) Hillside; (2) Conservation; (3) Open Space; and
(4) Flood Control. 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. Based
PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 19-51
EHNCP DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENT DRC2019-00459
August 28, 2019
Page 3
on these reasons, the Planning Commission recommends approval of the Development Code Map
Amendment in order to codify the Specific Plan as an official specific plan of the City.
f. 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 Neighborhood Area
consists of the following regulating zones: (1) Neighborhood Estate; (2) Neighborhood General 1;
Neighborhood General 2; (3) Shops and Restaurants; and (4) Central Greenway Overlay. 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 thatthe Neighborhood Area is
well designed and planned and will help promote the Rural/Conservation Area as open space.
Based on these reasons, the Planning Commission recommends approval of the Development
Code Map Amendment in order to codify the Specific Plan as an official specific plan of the City.
g. 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
approvals associated with the EHNCP (General Plan Amendment DRC2015-00749, Zoning Map
Amendment DRC2015-00752, Etiwanda North Specific Plan Amendment DRC 2015-00750, and
Annexation DRC2015-00732), the Zoning Map Amendment is consistentwith the goals, policies and
implementation programs of the General Plan and will not conflict with any specific plan applicable
to the Project Area.
h. Approval of the Zoning Map Amendment would not be materially injurious or
detrimental to adjacent properties.
L 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 Development Code Amendment DRC2019-00752, attached hereto as Exhibit "A."
5. The Secretary to this Commission shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution.
PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 19-51
EHNCP DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENT DRC2019-00459
August 28, 2019
Page 4
APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 28th DAY OF AUGUST 2019.
PLANNING COM ION O T C ANCHO CUCAMONGA
BY:
ony duglielmo, Chairman
ATTEST:
Matt Bur s, 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 by the
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:
NOES: COMMISSIONERS:
ABSENT: COMMISSIONERS:
ABSTAIN: COMMISSIONERS:
DOPP, GUGLIELMO, MUNOZ, OAXACA, WIMBERLY