HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2016-C65RESOLUTION NO. 2016-C65
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AZUSA
ADDOPTING AN ADDENDUM TO THE DHAMMAKAYA INTERNATIONAL
MEDITATION CENTER ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (SCH 2014121060)
AND AN AMENDMENT TO THE DHAMMAKAYA INTERNATIONAL
MEDITATION CENTER SPECIFIC PLAN FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT
865 EAST MONROVIA PLACE, AZUSA, CALIFORNIA
WHEREAS, local governments are authorized by Government Code section 65450 et seq., to prepare
specific plans for the systematic implementation of the general plan; and
WHEREAS, the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center (DIMC) Specific Plan SP -8 ("Specific
Plan") was adopted and approved on the 21't day of September 2015 and became effective 30 days later on the
2151 day of October, 2015; and
WHEREAS, a Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR) (State Clearinghouse No. 2014121060)
was certified by the City prior to adoption of the DIMC Specific Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Specific Plan is a comprehensive guide to defining future improvements to, and use
of, the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center Property; providing the City more clarity in regulating
the phasing of physical improvements and the on-going use of the Property; and
WHEREAS, the Specific Plan implements the policies of the General Plan by providing an orderly,
functional and compatible land use pattern to guide the future growth and development of Azusa and its
planning area; ensuring that the type, amount, design, and pattern of all land uses throughout the City and
planning area serve to protect and enhance the character and image of Azusa as a desirable residential urban
community; and providing for an orderly pattern of future development and change throughout the City that
will be both compatible with and beneficial to existing land uses and which will provide residents with a
desirable urban environment in which to live, work, shop, and play; and
WHEREAS, the applicant is requesting to Amend the Specific Plan to permit site plan and design
modifications to the meditation building, Organizational Housing (dormitory buildings), and support
infrastructure and landscaping (together, "Specific Plan Amendment' or "proposed project'); and
WHEREAS, the proposed project includes the demolition of eight one-story Organizational Housing
structures. No changes to the MacNeil Mansion are proposed. The proposed project will include the
construction of an approximately 81,398 -square -foot Meditation Hall, eight one- and two-story Organizational
Housing buildings (to house up to 224 temporary guests and staff members), a 742 -square -foot
storage/workshop building, a 9,973 -square -foot stormwater detention/water quality basin, a fire access road,
277 parking spaces, landscaping, and a new formal garden; and
WHEREAS, the project will be implemented in stages, starting with site preparation and grading for
the entire site followed by the construction of the Meditation Hall. The remainder of the project will occur
over a period of up to ten years; and
Resolution No 2016-C65
DIMC SPA and Addendum
October 17, 2016
Page 2 of 10
WHEREAS, an amendment to the Specific Plan (SP -8) is required due to the text and exhibit
revisions proposed to the approved building locations, elevations, floor plans, grading, and circulation. These
amendments do not change the overall intent of the project or use; and
WHEREAS, no changes to the previously approved operational thresholds are proposed which
approved buildings to support ceremonies up to 700 attendees and provide Organizational Housing for 224
persons; and
WHEREAS, the Specific Plan Amendment contains all the necessary elements required by section
65451 of the Government Code, and the Specific Plan Amendment was referred to all affected public agencies
pursuant to sections 65453 and 65352 of the Government Code; and
WHEREAS, the Final EIR for the DIMC Specific Plan was prepared and certified pursuant to the
California Environmental Quality Act (Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq.) ("CEQA") and the State CEQA
Guidelines (Cal. Code Regs., § 15000 et seq.) and the Final EIR adequately addressed and mitigated to the
extent feasible, the potential environmental impacts associated with the Specific Plan; and
WHEREAS, the certified Final EIR was not legally challenged and thus is presumed valid in
accordance with Public Resources Code section 21167.2; and
WHEREAS, the City is the lead agency for purposes of the Specific Plan Amendment pursuant to
Public Resources Code section 21067; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to CEQA, when taking subsequent discretionary actions in furtherance of a
project for which a Final EIR has been certified, the lead agency may prepare an addendum to the previously
certified Final EIR if some changes or additions are necessary but none of the conditions described in State
CEQA Guidelines section 15162 calling for preparation of a subsequent EIR have occurred;
WHEREAS, based upon all the information in the administrative record, City staff determined that
none of the circumstances identified in Public Resources Code section 21166 and State CEQA Guidelines
section 15162 have occurred and therefore an Addendum to the Final EIR for the DIMC Specific Plan has
been prepared; and
WHEREAS, on September 15, 2016, the Planning Commission of the City of Azusa, held a duly
noticed public hearing on the application to amend the DIMC Specific Plan SP -8, its related Addendum to
Environmental Impact Report (SCH 2014121060), and its related Design Review DR -2016-12, to construct
an approximately 81,398 -square -foot Meditation Hall, eight one- and two-story Organizational Housing
buildings (to house up to 224 temporary guests and staff members), a 742 -square -foot storage/workshop
building, and on-site auxiliary improvements within the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center
Property, located at 865 East Monrovia Place; and
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Resolution No 2016-C65
DIMC SPA and Addendum
October 17, 2016
Page 3 of 10
WHEREAS, at that hearing, all persons wishing to testify in connection with the DIMC Specific Plan
SP -8 Amendment were heard and the application was fully studied, discussed and deliberated; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission after carefully considering all pertinent testimony and the staff
report offered in the case as presented at the public hearing, unanimously recommended the City Council
make findings pursuant to Public Resources Section 21166 and adopt the Dhammakaya International
Meditation Center Specific Plan SP -8 Amendment for the property located at 865 East Monrovia Place; and
WHEREAS, the City Council held a public hearing October 3, 2016, in the Civic Center Auditorium
located at 213 East Foothill Boulevard, Azusa, California. A notice of the time, place and purpose of the
aforesaid meeting was provided in accordance with CEQA and the Azusa Municipal Code. The
environmental documents for the Proposed Project comprising the Addendum, certified Final EIR, the
Findings and Facts in Support of Findings ("Findings"), staff report, and evidence, both written and oral, were
presented to and considered by the City Council at the scheduled hearing, as the decision-making body of the
lead agency, for certification as having been completed in compliance with the provisions of CEQA and State
and local guidelines implementing CEQA; and
WHEREAS, the proposed Addendum describes in detail the differences between the Amended DIMC
Specific Plan (proposed) and the 2015 DIMC Specific Plan as well as the differences in environmental
impacts and mitigation conclusions (Sections 2 and 3); and
WHEREAS, based upon the substantial evidence contained within the Addendum, the certified Final
EIR, and the whole of the administrative record, City staff has concluded that none of the conditions identified
in Public Resources Section 21166 and State CEQA Guidelines section 15162 have occurred. Therefore, no
subsequent environmental review is required, and an addendum is the appropriate environmental
documentation.
WHEREAS, as contained herein, the City has endeavored in good faith to set forth the basis for its
decision on the Proposed Project; and
WHEREAS, the mitigation measures identified in the EIR are feasible and reduce potential
environmental impacts to a less than significant level. The mitigation measures would be applied to the
Proposed Project through the Mitigation, Monitoring and Reporting Program; and
WHEREAS, all the requirements of CEQA, the State CEQA Guidelines, and the Local CEQA
Guidelines have been satisfied by the City in the FIR, which is sufficiently detailed so that all of the
potentially significant environmental effects of the Proposed Project have been adequately evaluated; and
WHEREAS, the EIR reflects the independent judgment of the City and is deemed adequate for
purposes of making decisions on the merits of the Proposed Project; and
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Resolution No 2016-C65
DIMC SPA and Addendum
October 17, 2016
Page 4 of 10
WHEREAS, all other legal prerequisites to the adoption of this Resolution have occurred.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AZUSA DOES HEREBY
RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. State CEQA
Guidelines section 15164 requires lead agencies to prepare an addendum to a previously certified EIR if some
changes or additions to the project are necessary, but none of the conditions requiring preparation of a
subsequent EIR are present. The City Council has reviewed and considered the certified Final EIR for the
DIMC Specific Plan, the proposed Addendum to the same, and the administrative record as a whole and finds
that those documents taken together contain a complete and accurate reporting of all of the environmental
impacts associated with the proposed Specific Plan Amendment. The City Council further finds that the
Addendum and administrative record have been completed in compliance with CEQA, the State CEQA
Guidelines, and the City's Local Guidelines. The City Council finds and determines that the Addendum
reflects the City's independent judgment.
SECTION 2: Findings Regarding Environmental Impacts. Based on the substantial evidence set
forth in the administrative record, including but not limited to the Addendum, the City Council finds that none
of the conditions under Public Resources Code section 21166 and State CEQA Guidelines section 15162
requiring subsequent environmental review have occurred because the proposed Specific Plan Amendment:
a) does not constitute substantial changes that would require major revisions of to the certified Final EIR
due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the
severity of previously identified significant effects; and
b) does not constitute substantial changes with respect to the circumstances under which the DIMC
Specific Plan was adopted that would require major revisions of the Final EIR due to the involvement
of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of the previously
identified significant effects; and
c) does not present new information of substantial importance that was not known and could not have
been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the Final EIR was certified, showing
any of the following: (i) that the DICM Specific Plan would have one or more significant effects not
discussed in the certified Final EIR; (ii) that significant effects previously examined would be
substantially more severe than shown in the Final EIR; (iii) that mitigation measures or alternatives
previously found not to be feasible would in fact be feasible and would substantially reduce one or
more significant effects, but the applicant declined to adopt such measures; or (iv) that mitigation
measures or alternatives considerably different from those previously analyzed would substantially
reduce one or more significant effects on the environment, but which the applicant declined to adopt.
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Resolution No 2016-C65
DIMC SPA and Addendum
October 17, 2016
Page 5 of 10
Based upon the above findings the City Council adopts and approves the Addendum
SECTION 3: Based on the entire record before the City Council and all written and oral evidence
presented to the City Council, the City Council finds the Specific Plan Amendment is consistent with the
General Plan of the City of Azusa and systematically implements the goals and policies of the General Plan in
the following ways:
A. That the proposed amendment is in the public interest and that there will be a community
benefit resulting from the amendment.
The proposed Dhammakaya International Meditation Center (DIMC) Specific Plan
Amendment will contribute to the following community benefit:
• Teach meditation to promote inner peace through the principals of Buddhism.
• Cultural and leaming opportunities that contribute to the quality of life for the Azusa
community.
• Move the "activity" center of the DIMC retreat (that currently occurs in the MacNeil
Mansion) to the central/southern portions of the Property, which would allow the
MacNeil Mansion and Organizational Housing to function as the very "quiet' area in
the northern part of the Property.
• Construct a new Meditation Hall large enough to accommodate DIMC's existing
ceremonies, and house all teaching and meditation programs inside a structure during
inclement weather and outside when the weather permits.
• Design the Meditation Hall to be compatible with the MacNeil Mansion by
incorporating certain key design aspects, such as the roof balustrade design and
material colors from the MacNeil Mansion into the Meditation Hall design.
• Construct new Organizational Housing to provide housing for guests and staff that
meet current earthquake standards and have updated plumbing, electrical, heating, and
cooling systems.
• Maintain the historic value of the MacNeil Mansion by siting the new Organization
Housing buildings behind the Mansion and, therefore, shielding the new housing from
view to the north.
• Enhance the lawn in front of the MacNeil Mansion to create more formal gardens in a
manner that celebrates the history and formality of the building, as well as maintain the
historic pool as a rose garden that provides a tribute to the original pool, located
southeast of the MacNeil Mansion.
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Resolution No 2016-C65
DIMC SPA and Addendum
October 17, 2016
Page 6 of 10
• Provide sufficient on-site parking to accommodate the largest ceremonies; encourage
participants to use public transportation, specifically the Gold Line, by providing a
shuttle service from the Citrus Avenue station to DIMC during events.
• Transplant as many qualified trees as possible and incorporate them into a robust
landscape plan that maintains and enhances the retreat setting and provides screening
from neighboring properties.
• Provide new water quality treatment and storm detention facilities that connect to City
and County storm drain facilities.
• Provide emergency access throughout the Property that meets current building and
safety codes
B. That the proposed amendment is consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan.
Pursuant to California Government Code Section 65454, a Specific Plan shall be consistent
with the local jurisdiction's General Plan. The DIMC Property has a land use designation of
Institutional/School, which allows for religious, meeting, school, and government land uses.
The following provides an assessment of consistency between the City's goals and objectives
of the current General Plan and the DIMC Specific Plan Amendment. The proposed Specific
Plan Amendment is consistent with and implementation of the General pertaining to Chapter
3: The Built Environment — Land Use Goals and Policies (Goal 1, Policies 1.1 and 1.2); Public
and Institutional Uses (Goal 7, Policies 7.1, 7.2, and 7.9); Linkage of Development with
Supporting Infrastructure and Public Services" (Goal 9, Policies 9.1 and 9.2); Land Use
Compatibility (Goal 10, Policy 10.2); Building and Property Maintenance (Goal 11, Policies
11.1, 11.3, and 11.7); Urban Form Vision Goals and Policies (Goal, Policy 1.1); Mobility
Goals and Policies (Goals 1 and 2, Policies 1.2, 1.3, and 2.2), Land Use Planning Support of
Mobility Goals (Goal 8, Policies 8.1 and 8.4), and Historic and Cultural Resources (Goals I
and 2, Policies 1.1 and 3.3); Chapter 5: Natural Environment — Geology Hazards Goals and
Policies (Goal 1, Policies 1.2 and 1.3); and Noise (Goal 1, Policy 1.1).
C. That the proposed Specific Plan will not conflict with the provisions of the zoning ordinance,
subdivision regulations, or any applicable specific plan.
This Specific Plan is a comprehensive guide to defining future improvements to, and use of,
the DIMC Property and meets all of the applicable provisions of the Development Code. The
dormitories onsite are classified as an Organizational Housing, which under Azusa Municipal
Code (AMC) is defined as "a residential lodging facility operated by a membership
organization for its members and not opens to the general public. Includes fraternity and
sorority houses, student dormitories, convents, monasteries, and religious residential retreats."
(Chapter 88.70 Definitions). The modifications to the DIMC Property will not change the
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Resolution No 2016-C65
DIMC SPA and Addendum
October 17, 2016
Page 7 of 10
current use of the Property, which has been operating consistently with the General Plan
designation for 17 years.
D. That the proposed Specific Plan will not adversely affect surrounding properties.
An Addendum to the Dhammakaya International Meditation Center Environmental Impact
Report (SCH 2014121060) with mitigation measures has been prepared. The mitigation
measures serve to prevent adverse impacts on surrounding sensitive land uses and service
systems. The document recommends the adoption of five mitigation measures to reduce the
potentially significant adverse effects to a less than significant level. In accordance with CEQA
Guidelines (Section 15164.d), the decision-making body needs only to consider the Addendum
along with the Final EIR prior to consideration of the project.
SECTION 4: Based on the aforementioned findings, the City Council does hereby adopt the
Dhammakaya International Meditation Center Specific Plan SP -8 Amendment, attached hereto and
incorporated herein as Exhibit A and the Addendum to Dhammakaya International Meditation Center
EIR attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit B.
SECTION 5: The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this resolution.
PASSED APPROVED and ADOPTED this 17"' day of October, 2016 by the following vote:
a
oseph Romero Rocha, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Resolution No 2016-C65
DIMC SPA and Addendum
October 17, 2016
Page 8 of 10
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss.
CITY OF AZUSA )
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution No. 2016-C65 was duly adopted by the
City Council of the City of Azusa at a regular meeting thereof, held on the 17th day of October,
2016 by the following vote of Council:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: GONZALES, CARRILLO, ALVAREZ, ROCHA
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: NONE
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: MACIAS
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
d1 —
Best B st & Krieger LP, Cjy Attorney
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Resolution No 2016-C65
DIMC SPA and Addendum
October 17, 2016
Page 9 of 10
DHAMMAKAYA INTERNATIONAL MEDITATION CENTER SPECIFIC PLAN (AS
PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED)
Under a separate cover
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Resolution No 2016-C65
DIMC SPA and Addendum
October 17, 2016
Page 10 of 10
Exhibit "B"
ADDENDUM TO DHAMMAKAYA INTERNATIONAL MEDITATION CENTER EIR
Under a separate cover
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