II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Transcription

1 II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION This description has been prepared in accordance with Section of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. The proposed, known as the Area 9 Specific Plan, provides detailed guidelines for the future development of 890 acres, in the western area of the City. The is envisioned to be a major employment center for the City and would accommodate industrial uses, office-professional complexes and research and development parks, as well as limited, strategically located commercial and residential uses and associated infrastructure. A. PROJECT APPLICANT REPRESENTATIVE Area 9 Landowners Group c/o Urban Planning Concepts 2624 Airpark Drive Santa Maria, CA B. PROJECT LOCATION Area 9 is located at the western edge of the, and is generally defined as the properties bordered by Betteravia Road to the south, the Santa Maria Valley Railroad tracks to the north, Black Road to the west and A Street to the east. The site is approximately 9 miles from the Pacific Ocean and approximately 3 miles west of Highway 101. The Specific Plan area encompasses approximately 890 acres. A regional map and location and boundary map of the Specific Plan area are shown in Figures II-1 and II-2, respectively. C. PROJECT BACKGROUND In 1993, the Santa Barbara Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) expanded the City of Santa Maria s Sphere of Influence to include approximately 3,000 acres of land. In one of the sphere study areas labeled Area 9, the Sphere of Influence was extended west to Black Road, south of the Santa Maria Railroad tracks, and north of Betteravia Road. In 2003, approximately 931 acres of territory, including Area 9, was annexed into the. At the time of the annexation, the prezoning of the property was a combination of Open Space and Industrial. Most of the industrial zoned land was included in the agricultural overlay zone, which permits agricultural operations and agriculturally related industrial uses. An Initial Study was prepared for the northern and eastern portions of the plan area (Area 9A), and a Notice of Preparation of a Draft EIR was released in July Since that time, the study area has been expanded to include the southwest portion of the plan area (Area 9B), in addition to Area 9A. The Notice of Preparation (NOP), Initial Study, and comment letters are included as Appendix A to this EIR. II-1

2 Nipomo Cuyama R iver Santa Maria River Guadalupe Santa Maria ^_ Betteravia 101 UV 1 Orcutt Casmalia Cuyama River Garey Sisquoc River San A ntonio Creek Los Alamos Santa Ynez River Vandenberg Village Mission Hills Lompoc Los Olivos Buellton Santa Ynez Solvang 101 Sudden Miles ^_ Project Location ± P A C I F SAN LUIS OBISPO CO. KERN CO. 5 I C O C E A N Santa Maria ^_ SANTA BARBARA CO. Project Location Miles VENTURA CO. Santa Barbara San Buena Sources: U.S. Bureau of the Census Tiger 2000 data and ESRI, Regional Location Figure II-1

3 Skyw ay D r. StowellRd. Legend City_Boundary Project Boundary Hwy 166/Main Street County of Santa Barbara City of Santa Maria Black Rd Stowell Rd Area 9 A St. Blosser Hwy 135/Broadway Br oad w ay County of Santa Barbara Black Rd. Mahoney Rd. Santa Maria Public Airport Betteravia Road Skyway Drive Santa Maria Way U.S. Hwy 101 Br adley R d. County of Santa Barbara / Base map source:, Location and Boundary Map Figure II-2

4 D. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT S CHARACTERISTICS 1. Technical Characteristics The proposed land use plan of the Specific Plan includes a mix of industrial and professionally focused land uses, as well as a mixed use component that would allow residential development. The majority of the site would be designated for manufacturing or industrial use. The northern portion of the Specific Plan area would remain focused on agricultural industry transitioning to lighter industrial, commercial professional office and general commercial uses to the east. The plan proposes much of the area between A Street and E Street as a section for professional office complexes and research and development parks to accommodate the growth and variety of new industries in the area. In addition, the includes up to 550 residential units, strategically located between A Street and future E Street, north of Carmen Lane within Light Industrial and Commercial Office Space land use designations. These residential units are proposed to be configured as a vertically integrated mixed use, suitably designed and developed to minimize land use conflicts and not detract from the basic objective of the City to establish a substantial employment base for the community. Proposed land uses are shown in Figure II-3. Proposed Specific Plan zoning designations are shown in Figure II-4. Existing parcels within the Proposed Specific Plan area are shown in Figure II-5. As described in the State of California Governor s Office of Planning and Research The Planner s Guide to Specific Plans (January 2001), specific plans function as versatile tools for implementing general plans. They systematically implement the general plan for all or part of the area under its scope in any of three ways: 1) by acting as statements of planning policy that refine the general plan policies applicable to a defined area, 2) by directly regulating land use, and/or 3) by bringing together detailed policies and regulations into a focused development scheme. Although charter cities, such as the, are exempt from the specific plan statutes contained in Government Code , once a charter city adopts a specific plan, the city must make findings of consistency between the specific plan and any proposed tentative subdivision map before the subdivision can be approved. Table II-1 summarizes the proposed acreages of land uses and potential buildout within the Specific Plan area. The Specific Plan includes an exception to Chapter 15 of Title 12 of the Municipal Code for the M-1 zone to permit through the Conditional Use Permit process the following additional uses: business or professional offices; scientific research and experimental development laboratories and related research offices; financial centers; employee serving restaurants and retail commercial uses; and oil wells and oil production facilities. As proposed by the applicant, the Specific Plan also includes an exception to Chapter 10 of Title 12 of the Municipal Code for the CPO zone district to permit through the Conditional Use Permit process the following additional uses: engineering and industrial design facilities; scientific design and research labs; data processing centers; private colleges and learning facilities; and employee serving restaurants and retail commercial uses. All development within the Area 9 Specific Plan would be required to obtain a Planned Development Permit. II-4

5 A STREET (AC) (AC) /NTS Base map source: Urban Planning Concepts, 2009, and Bethel Engineering, Proposed Land Use Map Figure II-3

6 A STREET (AC) (AC) /NTS Base map source: Urban Planning Concepts, 2009, and Bethel Engineering, Proposed Specific Plan Zoning Map Figure II-4

7 LA BREA AV STOWELL RD Project Boundary Parcels Included in the Area 9 Specific Plan Project Boundary BLACK RD BATTLES RD ± Feet BETHEL LN A ST W CARMEN LN W BETTERAVIA RD Base map source: Map images copyright 2010 ESRI and its licensors. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Additional map data provided by the County of Santa Barbara, Existing Assessor Parcels Figure II-5

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9 Table II-1. Summary of Proposed Area 9 Land Uses and Potential Buildout Land Use Approximate Acreage Potential Buildout Square Feet/Units Heavy Commercial Manufacturing (HCM) ,000 s.f. Heavy Commercial Manufacturing Agriculture (HCM/AG) ,570,000 s.f. General Industrial (GI) ,117,000 s.f. Light Industrial (LI) ,837,000 s.f. Commercial Professional Office (CPO) ,831,000 s.f. Community Commercial (CC) ,000 s.f. Conservation Open Space (COS) 54.8 N/A Right of Way 67.7 N/A Mixed Use Residential residential units Total million square feet/550 units s.f. = square feet. Square footage assume a maximum 0.40 Floor Area Ratio. 2. Economic Characteristics The phasing of development within the Specific Plan area would be in response to economic forces and financing capabilities of those who might process future development plans. Thus, no detailed phasing plan has been included in the Specific Plan. Instead, it is assumed that development would occur in accordance with what is allowed under the General Plan, modified by the standards included in the Specific Plan. For the purposes of this EIR, development of the Specific Plan is anticipated to begin in Environmental Characteristics Ultimate buildout of the Specific Plan will represent full replacement of the currently agricultural site with urban uses, including agricultural heavy commercial manufacturing uses (HCM/AG). Some of the northern properties would remain focused on agricultural industry transitioning to lighter industrial, commercial professional office, and general commercial uses to the east. Buildout could result in up to 11.3 million square feet of industrial space, 2.1 million square feet of commercial space and 550 residential units. A variety of regional environmental permitting agencies and adopted plans, including but not limited to the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District s Clean Air Plan, Santa Barbara County Association of Governments Regional Growth Forecast , Regional Transportation Plan and Congestion Management Program rely on buildout ions for programs and policies to identify and reduce environmental impacts for the region. 4. Supporting Public Service and Facilities a. Circulation. The proposed circulation plan would utilize the surrounding external roadways (Stowell Road, A Street, Betteravia Road, and Black Road), and would extend the City s existing arterial and collector street system for internal circulation through the Specific Plan area. An amendment to the General Plan Circulation Element would be required to delete the planned segment of F Street from Mahoney Road to Stowell Road, and to narrow the segment of Black Road from Main Street/Highway 166 to Mahoney Road and the segment of E Street from Betteravia Road II-9

10 to Stowell Road. The provision of a modified secondary arterial along Black Road, Battles Road, A street and E Street provides for a high volume of traffic and safe turning movements, while eliminating the need for the high maintenance landscape medians. b. Water Supply. The City currently provides a mix of groundwater and State water to customers throughout Santa Maria. The Area 9 Specific Plan area would receive the same mix of water through the City s existing infrastructure. All waterlines between the Specific Plan area and City water sources are within existing rights-of-way. The addition of supply lines through the planning area would provide water to all proposed development within Area 9. c. Sewer/Wastewater. Sewage collection and treatment for Area 9 would be provided by the, through the City s wastewater treatment plant on Black Road, northwest of the site. d. Solid Waste Disposal. The Specific Plan proposes that -generated solid waste would be taken to the Santa Maria Landfill that is operated by the City of Santa Maria, approximately six miles northeast of the site. Upon the closure of the Santa Maria Regional Landfill in approximately 2018, the Integrated Waste Management Facility would serve the Area 9 Specific Plan Area. e. Stormwater/drainage. The Specific Plan proposes the construction of multiple retention/retardation basins to retain, as well as retard, the storm water flows from the proposed development, and to prevent downstream impacts. f. Parks and Recreation. A total of 58 acres of retention basins are proposed within the Specific Plan area. The landscaped retention basins would serve a dual use of retarding water flow and provide potential sites for active or passive recreation. E. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES SOUGHT BY THE PROPOSED PROJECT State CEQA Guidelines Section (b) requires that the EIR Project Description include a statement of objectives sought by the proposed. The City s objectives for the Area 9 Specific Plan, which implement specified General Plan policies, are as follows: The primary objective of the is to create substantial high-paying employment opportunities while providing transportation and circulation improvements that satisfy the City s level of service standards. Economic Development 1. Establish an industrial and commercial park that enhances economic development and strengthens the economy of the City by creating substantial high-paying employment opportunities. [Consistent with GP Land Use Goals L.U.10, L.U.11] 2. Improve the regional jobs to housing balance by providing substantial opportunities for local employment, and thereby reduce the average length of commute vehicle II-10

11 trips and associated vehicle air contaminant emissions. [Consistent with GP Land Use Goals L.U.11 and Resource Management Goal-2] Land Use Compatibility 3. Future development within the Specific Plan area should be compatible with existing and future adjacent residential development and agricultural operations in an effort to maintain the integrity of those land uses. [Consistent with GP Land Use Goals L.U.5 and Goal L.U.5d] 4. Provide a compatible and safe mix of industrial and commercial land uses. [Consistent with GP Land Use Goals L.U.1 and L.U.7] 5. Provide an opportunity to consider the incorporation of vertically integrated residential units within a portion of the study area. Inclusion of a residential component could meet the objectives of the City s mixed use ordinance. [Consistent with Chapter 12-49, Santa Maria Municipal Code] Transportation/Infrastructure 6. Encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation within the Specific Plan area by providing various transit links within the City, including bicycle routes, pedestrian pathways and public transit routes. [Consistent with GP Circulation Goal C.1, Land Use Policy L.U.7 and Bikeway Master Plan] 7. Provide essential infrastructure as needed to meet the demands of industrial, commercial and residential development. [Consistent with GP Land Use Objective L.U.2b and Circulation Policy C-5.a] 8. Coordinate with the Santa Barbara County Airport Land Use Commission to comply with regulations of the Airport Approach Zone, as adopted in the Santa Barbara County Airport Land Use Plan (1993). [Consistent with GP Land Use Goals L.U.1 and L.U.7] 9. Provide transportation and circulation improvements that satisfy City level of service criteria on all roadways and at all signalized intersections. [Consistent with GP Circulation Policy C.1.a and Policy C.4.b] Environment 10. Promote the use of Best Management Practices and Best Available Control Technologies to reduce construction and operational environmental impacts. [Consistent with GP Resource Management Policy R-11 and Goal-7] 11. Provide replacement natural resources by compensating for any losses that occur as a result of implementation of the Specific Plan. [Consistent with GP Resource Management Goal-3 and Goal-7] 12. Minimize the public s exposure to potential hazards associated with operational and abandoned oil facilities and hazardous materials. [Consistent with GP Safety Goal 5 and Goal 9] 13. Minimize conversion of agricultural lands by locating urban development within an area designated for urban use. [Consistent with GP Land Use Goal LU-6b and Implementation Program LU.2-4] II-11

12 F. INTENDED USES OF THE EIR Table II-2 below includes a list of agencies and permits and approvals known, or assumed to be required for one or more components of the proposed Specific Plan, as required by State CEQA Guidelines Section 15124(d). This list was derived from responses received by the City on the Notice of Preparation. Other approvals may be required as individual future s are proposed for the Specific Plan area. Table II-2. List of Agencies and Anticipated Permits and Approvals Required to Implement the Area 9 Specific Plan Agency California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) District 3 California Public Utilities Commission, Rail Crossings Engineering Section (RCES) California Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB), Central Coast Region California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District Santa Barbara County Fire Department/ Hazardous Materials California Department of Fish and Game California Department of Transportation, District 5 Santa Barbara County Airport Land Use Commission Santa Barbara County Flood Control District Santa Maria Public Airport District US Fish and Wildlife Service Related Environmental Review and/or Consultation Requirements Amendment to the General Plan, adoption of Specific Plan, various development permits including Tentative Subdivision maps, Conditional Use Permits; Approval and installation of transportation infrastructure and facilities, transit services, and public facility infrastructure (water, sewer, and solid waste) Permitting for Abandonment/Re-Abandonment of Wells Approval of Santa Maria Valley Railroad (SMVRR) Crossings; G088-B Request for Authority to Modify an At-Grade Crossing Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP), National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase 2 Municipal Stormwater Permit, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), Construction Storm Water General Permit, Waste Discharge Requirements Remediation of Existing and Past Soil Contamination due to Oil Production or Agriculture Stationary source Authority to Construct (ATC), Permit to Operate (PTO) Remediation of Existing and Past Soil Contamination due to Oil Production Protection of, and/or mitigation for, resources such as vernal pools and California Tiger Salamander. Possible California Endangered Species Act (CESA) Permit Review for traffic related impacts Review of Project Components in Airport Approach Zone; Possible Impacts to the Santa Maria Airport Land Use Plan Review for flood related impacts Possible Impacts to Operations of the Santa Maria Airport Protection of, and/or mitigation for, resources such as vernal pools and California Tiger Salamander CEQA Review Role Lead Agency for the Responsible Agency for the Responsible Agency for the Responsible Agency for the Responsible Agency for the Responsible Agency for the Responsible Agency for the Trustee Agency for the Commenting agency on the Draft EIR Commenting agency on the Draft EIR Commenting agency on the Draft EIR Commenting agency on the Draft EIR Commenting agency on the Draft EIR II-12