REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 03/01/2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
SUBJECT:
Title
General Plan Amendment 2022-0003 to change the General Plan land use designation of three parcels totaling 4.92 acres located at 212 and 216 N. Smith Avenue from Light Industrial (LI) to General Industrial (GI).
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to consider General Plan Amendment 2022-0003 (GPA2022-0003), which would amend the General Plan land use designation of three parcels totaling 4.92 acres from Light Industrial (LI) to General Industrial (GI). The properties are located at 212 and 216 N. Smith Avenue and zoned General Manufacturing (M-2). The amendment would make the General Plan consistent with the zoning of the properties.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council:
a. Adopt Resolution No. 2023-009 tentatively approving an amendment to the City’s General Plan to change the land use designation on 4.92 acres located at 212 and 216 N. Smith Avenue from Light Industrial (LI) to General Industrial (GI) as part of the Cycle 1 of General Plan Amendments for 2023.
b. Find that the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State Guidelines for CEQA.
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BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
GPA2022-0003 is a General Plan Amendment to change the General Plan land use designation of three adjoining parcels located at 212 and 216 N. Smith Avenue from Light Industrial (LI) to General Industrial (GI). Two of the properties related to 212 N. Smith Avenue (APNs 118-310-003 and 118-310-004) are developed with a building that was previously occupied by a paint and autobody business. The third property at 216 N. Smith Avenue (APN 118-310-002) is developed with a building that was previously occupied by a paving business.
The properties are being redeveloped to support the development of a new industrial building. The three parcels total 4.92 acres. The owner of these properties also owns an adjacent property to the north, at 220 N. Smith. The owner would like to consolidate the four parcels into a single 7.38-acre property, to support the redevelopment of the properties. The consolidation of the four parcels into a single parcel is an administrative process via a Lot Line Adjustment through the Development Services Division; and the future review of an industrial building is separate from this amendment.
ANALYSIS:
To consolidate the parcels into one, the Zoning and General Plan designation of the four parcels must be the same. All four parcels are zoned M-2 (General Manufacturing); however, the parcels at 212 and 216 N. Smith Avenue have a General Plan designation of Light Industrial (LI), and the parcel at 220 N. Smith has a General Plan designation of General Industrial (GI). In order to proceed with the development, a General Plan Amendment is necessary in order to make the General Plan land use designations consistent. Additionally, the amendment would be consistent with the zoning of the properties, which is M-2 (General Manufacturing).
The surrounding properties are also zoned for industrial with the properties to the north, west and south zoned M-2. The amendment would remain consistent with the development in the immediate area.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The applicant paid the application processing fees of $8,474.14 to cover the cost of the General Plan Amendment.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
A Notice of Exemption has been prepared for the project pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempted from CEQA when it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment (the “common sense” exemption). GPA2022-0003 is a common sense exemption because the intensity of uses allowed on-site does not change from what could be constructed today, as the existing zoning (M-2) remains unchanged, and the proposal simply creates consistency between the General Plan and Zoning. Any cumulative impacts resulting from the General Plan amendment would be negligible due to the insignificant size of the project site, which is only 4.92 acres.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At its meeting of January 23, 2023, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Alexander/Sherman) and carried unanimously, that the Planning and Housing Commission recommend approval of GPA2022-0003 to the City Council, based on the findings and conditions of approval contained in the staff report, find that the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA section 15061(b)(3), and adopt Resolution 2602 granting GPA2022-0003 as part of Cycle 1 of General Plan Amendments for 2023. The minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting are included as Exhibit 5.
PREPARED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Attachments:
1. Exhibit 1 - Resolution No. 2023-009
2. Exhibit 2 - Locational and zoning map
3. Exhibit 3 - Proposed Amendment
4. Exhibit 4 - Planning and Housing Commission staff report
5. Exhibit 5 - Minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting of January 23, 2023