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 2022-0001 to change the General Plan land use designation of two parcels totaling 4.95 acres, located at 220 and 224 N. Sherman Avenue, from General Industrial to Light Industrial.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to consider General Plan Amendment 2022-0001 (GPA2022-0001), which would amend the General Plan land use designation on two parcels totaling 4.95 acres from General Industrial (GI) to Light Industrial (LI). The properties are located at 220 and 224 N. Sherman Avenue and zoned Light Manufacturing (M-1). 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. 2023-0008 tentatively approving an amendment to the City’s General Plan to change the land use designation on 4.95 acres located at 220 and 224 N. Sherman Avenue from General Industrial (GI) to Light Industrial (LI) as part of the Cycle 1 of General Plan Amendments for calendar year 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:
GPA2022-0001 is a General Plan Amendment to change the General Plan land use designation of two adjoining parcels, located at 220 and 224 N. Sherman Avenue (APNs 118-330-015 and 118-330-016), from General Industrial (GI) to Light Industrial (LI). The properties were previously used as a contractor’s storage yard. The properties are being redeveloped to support the development of a new industrial building. The two parcels total 4.95 acres. The owner of these properties also owns two adjacent parcels to the south, at 180 and 200 N. Sherman Avenue. The owner would like to consolidate the four parcels into a single 14.82-acre property, to support the redevelopment of the properties. The consolidation of the four properties is an administrative process via a Lot Line Adjustment conducted by 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 classification and General Plan designation of the four parcels must be the same. All four parcels are zoned M-1 (Light Manufacturing); however, the project site at 220 and 224 N. Sherman have a General Plan designation of General Industrial (GI), and the two southern parcels at 180 and 200 N. Sherman have a General Plan designation of Light Industrial (LI). GPA2022-0001 proposes to change the 220 and 224 N. Sherman properties to LI, to be the same as 180 and 200 N. Sherman Avenue. Additionally, the amendment would be consistent with the zoning of the property, which is M-1 (Light Manufacturing).
The surrounding properties are also zoned for industrial with the properties to the south, east and west zoned M-1. The amendment would remain consistent with the development in the immediate area.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The applicant paid the application processing fees of $8,425.34 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). GPA2022-0001 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-1) remains unchanged, and the proposal simply creates consistency between the General Plan and zoning.
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 (Sherman/Alexander) and carried unanimously, that the Planning and Housing Commission recommend approval of GPA2022-0001 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 Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), and adopt Resolution 2601 granting GPA2022-0001 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. 2023-008
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