HomeMy WebLinkAboutD-2 Staff Report - TOD Specific Plan AmendmentSCHEDULED ITEM/PUBLIC HEARING
D-2
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
VIA: SERGIO GONZALEZ, CITY MANAGER
FROM: KURT CHISTIANSEN, FAICP, ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
DIRECTOR
DATE: JULY 16, 2018
SUBJECT: FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE FOR A SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT (SPA-
2018-01) AMENDING THE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT SPECIFIC
PLAN.
BACKGROUND:
On November 2, 2015, the City Council approved the Transit Oriented Development Specific Plan,
Final Environmental Impact Report, and associated zone change. On June 19, 2017, the City Council
approved the first amendment to the Transit Oriented Development Specific Plan. The Specific Plan is
being amended to reflect recent changes in the downtown area.
On May 30, 2018 and June 13, 2018, the City of Azusa Planning Commission conducted a duly noticed
public hearing and unanimously recommended to the City Council approval of Specific Plan
Amendment No. SPA-2018-01. This action approves for first reading by title only an ordinance
amending the TOD Specific Plan.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council take the following actions:
1) Open the Public Hearing, receive public testimony, close the Public Hearing; and
2) Adopt Specific Plan Amendment No. SPA-2018-01; and
3) Introduce First reading of Ordinance No. 2018-02: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AZUSA, CALIFORNIA AMENDING THE TOD
SPECIFIC PLAN.
APPROVED
CITY COUNCIL
7/16/2018
Specific Plan Amendment No. SPA-2018-01
City Council Meeting – July 16, 2018
Page 2 of 6
ANALYSIS:
On September 10, 2012, City staff submitted an application to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Agency (Metro) for Round 3 of its Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Planning Grant
Program. The TOD Planning Grant Program is designed to spur the adoption of local land use
regulations that create a regulatory environmental supportive of TOD in Los Angeles County, as well as
pre-regulatory planning efforts that can lead to the adoption of such local land use regulations. The
Planning Grant Program was open to municipalities with land use regulatory control over property
within 0.25 mile of designated transit corridors. In February 2013, Metro awarded the City a $653,000
grant to develop a specific Plan and to promote TOD around the Azusa Downtown God Line Station and
Azusa Pacific University (APU)/Citrus College Station. The Azusa TOD Specific Plan Area
encompasses 350 acres located in the central portion of the City of Azusa and is bounded by 9th Street
to the north, Angeleno Avenue to the west, 5th and 6th Streets to the south, and Citrus Avenue to the
east.
The Specific Plan also supports regional goals and is consistent with the Southern California Association
of Governments (SCAG) Compass Blueprint Program principles of enhancing mobility, livability,
prosperity, and sustainability in Southern California communities. Additionally, the Specific Plan
advances the objectives of AB32 and helps implement SB375 by encouraging compact, mixed use
districts that locate housing, jobs, recreation, and other daily needs within close proximity.
The planning effort for the TOD Specific Plan started in early 2014 with the formation of a planning
team to guide the planning process and development of the Specific Plan’s vision and objectives.
Several public meetings, focus groups, and study sessions were conducted to gather ideas and identify
issues concerning the future planning of Azusa in relation to the Specific Plan area. This collaborative
effort was a success and much information was collected. These ideas became the foundation for many
of the recommendations contained within the Specific Plan. On November 2, 2015, the City Council
approved the specific plan, Final Environmental Impact Report, and associated zone change.
Copies of the Specific Plan and Final Environmental Impact report (FEIR) are available on the City’s
website at www.ci.azusa.ca.us; at the Azusa City Hall, Community Development Department, 213 E.
Foothill Blvd, Azusa CA; and at the Azusa City Library, 729 N. Dalton Avenue, CA during regular
business hours, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The list below provides an overview of all the proposed revisions:
Recommended Specific Plan Amendments Summary (Attachment D)
1. Entire Document
• Revise date on page footers to May 2018
2. Cover/TOC
• Add ‘Amended on Month Date, 2018’ on Cover Page
• Add ‘Amended by: Ordinance No. 2018-02’ on Title Page
3. Residential Open Space
• Gold Line and Downtown Districts (pg. 2-17, 2-27)
Revised text and associated graphic for Residential Private Open Space as follows:
Specific Plan Amendment No. SPA-2018-01
City Council Meeting – July 16, 2018
Page 3 of 6
A. Private open space for single use projects shall be provided at a minimum of 100 sf per unit
with a minimum dimension of 6’ in any direction.
B. Private open space for mixed-use projects shall be provided at a minimum of 60 sf per unit
with a minimum dimension of 6’ in any direction.
Revised text and associated graphic for Residential Common Open Space as follows:
A. Common open space for single use projects shall be provided at a minimum of 25 sf per unit
with a minimum of 10’ in any direction.
B. Common open space for mixed-use projects shall be provided at a minimum of 65 sf per unit
with a minimum of 10’ in any direction.
• Downtown Expansion Districts (pg. 2-41)
Revised text and associated graphic for Residential Private Open Space as follows:
A. Private open space for single use projects shall be provided at a minimum of 125 sf per unit
with a minimum dimension of 6’ in any direction.
B. Private open space for mixed-use projects shall be provided at a minimum of 60 sf per unit
with a minimum dimension of 6’ in any direction.
Revised text and associated graphic for Residential Common Open Space as follows:
A. Common open space for single use projects shall be provided at a minimum of 25 sf per unit
with a minimum of 10’ in any direction.
B. Common open space for mixed-use projects shall be provided at a minimum of 90 sf per unit
with a minimum of 10’ in any direction.
4. Parking Space Size for Mixed-Use Projects (pg. 2-11)
Added text regarding parking stall dimensions as follows:
• Where a mixed-use project is proposed in any District, minimum parking stall dimensions shall
be 9’ x 18’.
5. Dwelling Unit Minimum Floor Area (pg. 2-6)
Added text regarding dwelling unit minimum floor area as follows:
• 2.2.4 Dwelling Unit Minimum Floor Area
The following dwelling unit minimum floor area shall apply to mixed-use projects within the
Specific Plan Area.
Dwelling Unit Minimum Floor Area
Mixed-Use Projects
Studio 500 sf
1-Bedroom 600 sf
2-Bedroom 725 sf
> 3-Bedroom 875 sf
6. Added 2.2.4 Dwelling Unit Minimum Floor Area to Section 2 TOC
Specific Plan Amendment No. SPA-2018-01
City Council Meeting – July 16, 2018
Page 4 of 6
7. Renumbered Previous Sections 2.2.4 and 2.2.5 (pg. 2-7 & 2-8)
Previous Sections 2.2.4 and 2.2.5 were renumbered as follows:
• 2.2.5 Mixed-Use Development and Good Neighbor/Buffer Standards
• 2.2.6 Parking Management Strategies and Standards
8. Renumbered Previous Sections 2.2.4 and 2.2.5 throughout the document
• 2.2.4 renumbered to 2.2.5
• 2.2.5 renumbered to 2.2.6
The Specific Plan Amendment provides consistent changes with the previous approved zones. Several
sections were included to provide clarity on parking stall dimensions, private and common open space
requirements, and minimum dwelling unit floor area.
NOTICING:
A legal notice of the public hearing was published in the legal advertisement section of San Gabriel
Valley Tribune newspaper on July 6, 2018. This notice was posted in three public places and posted on
the City’s website at www.ci.azusa.ca.us. As of the date of this Staff Report, no public correspondence
has been received.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
On November 2, 2015, the City Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report
(SCH#2015021018) (FEIR) for the Specific Plan pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act
(Pub. Resources Code, §§ 21000 et seq.) and the State CEQA Guidelines (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, §§
15000 et seq.) As described above, the City is considering making certain minor modifications to the
Specific Plan, each of which was analyzed in the FEIR.
State CEQA Guidelines §15162 provide that when an EIR has been certified for a project, no subsequent
EIR shall be prepared for that project unless the lead agency determines, on the basis of substantial
evidence, one or more of the following:
• Substantial changes are proposed in the project that would require major revision to the previous
EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the
severity of previously identified significant effects; or
• Substantial changes occur with respect to the circumstances under which the project is undertaken
which would require major revisions of the previous EIR due to the involvement of new significant
effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; or
• New information of substantial importance shows that the project would have one or more
significant effects not discussed in the previous EIR, or that significant effects previously examined
would be substantially more severe, or 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 City Council declined to adopt them, or mitigation measures or alternatives that are
different from those included in the previous EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant
effects on the environment but the City Council declined to adopt them.
Specific Plan Amendment No. SPA-2018-01
City Council Meeting – July 16, 2018
Page 5 of 6
Section 15006 of the State CEQA Guidelines expressly encourages public agencies to reduce delay and
paperwork associated with implementation of CEQA by using previously prepared environmental
documents when those previously prepared documents adequately address potential impacts of the
proposed project.
Here, because the City is not considering making any substantive changes to the Specific Plan, it can be
seen with certainty that: (1) there will be no new significant impacts or more severe significant impacts
than were previously disclosed in the EIR; (2) there have been no changes in the circumstances under
which the Specific Plan was approved and the EIR certified such that previously undisclosed impacts
will occur; and (3) no new information has come to light that was not known and could not have been
known at the time the EIR was certified showing that previously undisclosed impacts will occur. In
light of the standards for subsequent environmental review outlined in CEQA and the State CEQA
Guidelines, no subsequent review is required here, and no changes to the previously certified EIR are
necessary pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21166 and State CEQA Guidelines sections 15162
and 15164.
FINDING OF FACTS:
In accordance with Section 88.51.070.D of the Azusa Development Code, it is found that the project
would not unreasonably interfere with the use or enjoyment of property in the vicinity, and would not
adversely affect the public peace, health, safety or general welfare. The City Council may adopt the
Specific Plan Amendment based on the following findings:
1. That the proposed amendment is consistent with the goals, policies, and objectives of the general
plan, any applicable specific plan, development agreement; and
The proposed Specific Plan Amendment is in the public interest and will benefit the community with
consistent language with the Azusa Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Specific Plan. The
Specific Plan Amendment revises sections of the TOD Specific Plan to provide standards consistent
with current development patterns.
The proposed Specific Plan Amendment is consistent with the goals, policies, and objectives of the
current General Plan in that it encourages a balanced approach to meeting housing and employment
needs that include maintaining and enhancing the quality of mixed uses in the districts zones. The
TOD Specific Plan is consistent with other land use goals and policies of the General Plan, and
maintains specific goals and policies that are aimed at maintaining and improving Azusa’s
established downtown.
There are no development agreements with this amendment.
2. That a proposed zone change will not adversely affect surrounding properties.
A zone change was adopted by the City Council on November 2, 2015. The Specific Plan
amendment will provide revisions to the adopted TOD Specific Plan. The change will not adversely
affect surrounding properties but provide consistency with already approved businesses and uses.
Specific Plan Amendment No. SPA-2018-01
City Council Meeting – July 16, 2018
Page 6 of 6
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City is requesting the amendments and all associated entitlements costs be waived.
Prepared by: Reviewed by:
Manuel Muñoz Kurt Christiansen, FAICP
Associate Planner Economic and Community Development Director
Fiscal Reviewed by: Reviewed and Approved by:
Talika M. Johnson Sergio Gonzalez
Director of Finance City Manager
Attachments:
Attachment 1 -
Attachment 2 -
Attachment 3 -
Attachment 4 -
Draft Ordinance No. 2018-02
Map of TOD Specific Plan Area
Specific Plan Redline Edits
TOD Specific Plan
*Due to volume of pages Attachments 3 & 4 are available on City website for review)
*
*
ORDINANCE NO. 2018-02
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF AZUSA, CALIFORNIA AMENDING THE TOD
SPECIFIC PLAN AND MAKING CEQA FINDINGS
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted the TOD Specific Plan and associated
Zone Change at a regular meeting on November 2, 2015; and
WHEREAS, the original approval of the TOD Specific Plan and Zone Change
was considered a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”),
and an accompanying Final Environmental Impact Report (SCH#2015021018) was
certified for the project by the City Council on November 2, 2015; and
WHEREAS, preparation of additional environmental documentation is not
necessary for the City to act on the amendments to the TOD Specific Plan because
there are no substantial changes to the TOD Specific Plan, substantial changes to the
circumstances under which the TOD Specific Plan would be undertaken, or new
information of substantial importance related to these minor modifications to the TOD
Specific Plan that would result in new significant environmental effects or a substantial
increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects; and,
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Azusa, after giving notice
thereof as required by law, held a public hearing on May 30, 2018 for a City-initiated
amendment to the TOD Specific Plan (Specific Plan Amendment No. SPA-2018-01);
and
WHEREAS, all other legal prerequisites to the adoption of this Ordinance have
occurred.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AZUSA,
CALIFORNIA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The above recitals are true and correct
and are incorporated herein by this reference.
SECTION 2. CEQA Compliance. Based on all of the evidence in the
administrative record, including all oral and written testimony presented, the City
Council of the City of Azusa hereby finds that preparation of a subsequent or
supplemental EIR or any other CEQA document is not required under California Public
Resources Code section 21166 and State CEQA Guidelines section 15162 because the
amendment to the TOD Specific Plan:
1.Does not constitute a substantial change to the project that will require
major revisions of the EIR due to the involvement of new significant
Attachment 1
environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously
identified significant effects;
2. Does not constitute a substantial change with respect to the
circumstances under which the project is administered that will require
major revisions of the EIR due to the involvement of new significant
environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of the
previously identified significant effects; and
3. Does not involve 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 EIR was certified that shows any of the following:
(a) the offer of dedication will have one or more significant effects not
discussed in the EIR; (b) significant effects previously examined will be
substantially more severe than shown in the EIR; (c) mitigation measures
or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would in fact be feasible
and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the
project, but the City Council declined to adopt such measures; or (d)
mitigation measures or alternatives considerably different from those
analyzed in the EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant
effects on the environment, but which the City Council declined to adopt.
SECTION 3. The TOD Specific Plan is hereby revised as shown on Exhibit “A” –
Redline Specific Plan:
SECTION 4. Custodian of Records. The documents and materials that constitute
the record of proceedings on which this Ordinance is based are located at the City
Clerk’s office located at 213 E. Foothill Blvd., Azusa, CA 917025. The custodian of
these records is the City Clerk.
SECTION 5. Severability. If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this
Ordinance or the application thereof to any entity, person or circumstance is held for
any reason to be invalid or unconstitutional, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall
not affect other provisions or applications of this Ordinance which can be given effect
without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this
Ordinance are severable. The City Council of the City of Azusa hereby declares that it
would have adopted this Ordinance and each section, sentence, clause or phrase
thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more section, subsections, sentences,
clauses or phrases be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 6. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall become effective thirty (30)
days following its adoption.
SECTION 7. Publication. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this
Ordinance. Not later than fifteen (15) days following the passage of this Ordinance, the
Ordinance, or a summary thereof, along with the names of the City Council members
voting for and against the Ordinance, shall be published in a newspaper of general
circulation in the City of Azusa.
SECTION 8. Notice of Determination. The City Council hereby directs staff to
prepare, execute, and file a notice of determination with the Los Angeles County Clerk
within five working days after second reading of the TOD Specific Plan Amendment
Ordinance.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Azusa,
California, at a regular meeting of the City Council held on the ____ day of
___________________, 20___, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
City of Azusa
________________________________
Joseph R. Rocha, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________________
Jeffrey Cornejo, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
BEST BEST & KRIEGER LLP
_______________________________
Marco Martinez, City Attorney
CERTIFICATION
I, Jeffrey Cornejo, City Clerk of the City of Azusa, do hereby certify that the
foregoing Ordinance No. ____ is the actual Ordinance No. ____ that was introduced at
a regular meeting of said City Council on the _____ day of _______________, 20___
and was finally passed and adopted not less than five (5) days thereafter on the ____
day of _____________, 20___ by the following vote to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
______________________________
Jeffrey Cornejo, City Clerk
Goldline & BNSF Railway8th StAT & SF RailwayAlameda Ave
Dalton Ave
Soldano Ave
Pasadena Ave
10th StFoothill BlvdFoothill BlvdAzusa Ave
San Gabriel Ave
10th StAngeleno Ave
Sunset Ave
Orange Ave
Enid Ave
9th StOrange Ave
Lemon Ave
Sunset Ave
Angeleno Ave
6th StSan Gabriel Ave
Azusa Ave6th StSoldano Ave
Pasadena Ave
CerritosAveAlosta Ave5th StCitrus AveFoothill BlvdAzusaPacificUniversityCitrusCollegeTHE PROMENADEFoothill Vista Mobile Home ParkAzusa Light & WaterCVS PharmacyAT&TVerizonPost OfficeLindley-ScottHouseTargetParkPalm St APUHousingPublicLibrarySeniorCenterCitrusCrossingCitrus Ave
Alameda Ave
Dalton AvePackingHouse9th StToCanyonFromCanyon&&&&McKeever Ave Crescent Dr5th StAzusa Veterans Wy Foothill BlvdAREA OFNO CHANGEAREA OFNO CHANGEAREA OFNO CHANGEAtlantisGardensAREA OFNO CHANGEAzusa PacificUniversityRosedaleSpecific Plan AreaSt Francis ofRome SchoolVeteran'sFreedomParkCityHallSlausonParkLeeElementarySlausonMiddleSchoolDaltonElementaryAzusa DowntownStationAPU/Citrus College StationSOURCE AND REFERENCE DATABASE MAP FEATURESTOD General Plan/Development Code Update and Specific PlanSpecific Plan BoundaryCity BoundaryParcel BoundaryTransit SiteCITY OF AZUSASpecific Plan Districts05001,000250FeetµImage from EIR Report - TAHA Inc. 03.22.13Gold Line DistrictDowntown DistrictDowntown Expansion DistrictDate: 5/4/2015Notes and Sources: 1) Base data from the City of Azusa GIS Dept. 2) Aerial photo from the City of Azusa GIS Dept - 2010 3) Aerial photo of Target area from Google Earth - 04.2013No ChangeRoute 66 DistrictTransition DistrictCivic District