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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission Resolution 2016-22 11/08/2016RESOLUTION 2016-22 CITY OF PETALUMA PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDING THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT A NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR THE LOMAS ANNEXATION PROJECT CONCERNING CERTAIN PROPERTIES ADJACENT TO PETALUMA BLVD SOUTH AND GENERALLY EAST OF MCNEAR AVENUE AND WEST OF US HIGHWAY 101 FILE NO: 07-ANX-0623 WHEREAS, South Petaluma Partners, L.C.C.. submitted an application to Pre -Zone a and Annex a total of nineteen parcels totaling approximately 17.20 acres outside of the City limits but within the Urban Growth Boundary, in a manner consistent with the General Plan Land Use Designation, being referred to locally as the Lomas project area ("Project Area"), as required by Condition No. 3(a) of Sonoma County Local Agency Formation Commission ("Sonoma County LAFCO") Resolution No. 2518; and WHEREAS, the Project is subject to the Petaluma General Plan 2025, adopted by the City on May 19, 2008; and, WHEREAS, in evaluating certain potential environmental effects of the Project in the Initial Study, including but not limited to effects of climate change, water supply, and traffic, the City relied on the Program EIR for the City of Petaluma General Plan 20205, certified on April 7, 2008 (General Plan EIR) with the adoption of Resolution No. 2008-058 N.C.S., which is incorporated herein by reference; and, WHEREAS, the General Plan EIR identified potentially significant environmental impacts and related mitigation measures and the City also adopted a Statement of Overriding Considerations for significant impacts that could not be avoided; and, WHEREAS, the City prepared an Initial Study for the proposed Project consistent with CEQA Guidelines §§15162 and 15163 and determined that a Negative Declaration was required in order to analyze the potential for new or additional significant environmental impacts of the Project beyond those identified in the General Plan EIR; and, WHEREAS, on or before October 6, 2016, the City's Notice of Intent to Adopt a Negative Declaration based on the Initial Study, providing for a 30 -day public comment period commencing October 6, 2016 and ending November 7, 2016 and a Notice of Public Hearing to be held on November 8, 2016 before the City of Petaluma Planning Commission, was published and mailed to all residents and property owners within 500 feet of the Project as well as all persons having requested special notice of said proceedings; and, WHEREAS, the Planning Commission considered the Project, the Negative Declaration, the supporting Initial Study, the staff report dated November 8, 2016 analyzing the Negative Declaration and the Project, and received and considered all written and oral public comments on environmental effects of the Project which were submitted up to and at the time of the public hearing; and WHEREAS, on November 8, 2016, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution No. 2016-_ and, in doing so, forwarded a recommendation that the City Council adopt the Negative Declaration; and WHEREAS, the Initial Study applies the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's (BAAQMD) California Environmental Quality Act - Air Quality Guidelines, May 2012, including the BAAQMD thresholds of significance adopted in June 2010. As lead agency under CEQA, the City of Petaluma has the discretion to rely upon the BAAQMD CEQA Guidelines and thresholds of significance since they include the best available scientific data and most conservative thresholds available for comparison of Planning Commission Resolution No. 2016-22 Page 1 the Project's emissions. Comparison of the Project's emissions against these thresholds provides a conservative assessment as the basis for a determination of significance; and, WHEREAS, pursuant to further analysis in the Initial Study, including evaluation using the BAAQMD CEQA Guidelines and thresholds of significance, the Project does not make a considerable contribution to a significant cumulative air quality or greenhouse gas emissions impact found to be significant and unavoidable in the General Plan 2025 EIR, because the Project's emissions are below significance thresholds identified; and, WHEREAS, the Negative Declaration reflects the City's independent judgment and analysis of the potential for environmental impacts from the Project; and, WHEREAS, the Negative Declaration, Initial Study and related Project and environmental documents, including the General Plan 2025 EIR and all documents incorporated herein by reference, are available for review in the Community Development Department at Petaluma City Hall, during normal business hours. The custodian of the documents and other materials which constitute the record of proceedings for the proposed project is the City of Petaluma Community Development Department, 1 1 English St. Petaluma, CA 94952; and WHEREAS, the Initial Study identifies no significant environmental effects to the environment would result from the Project. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Planning Commission as follows: A. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and incorporated herein by reference. B. Based on its review of the entire record herein, the Planning Commission makes the following findings: The annexation is, for the reasons discussed in the November 8, 2016 Planning Commission staff report, consistent with the following Petaluma General Plan policies: Policy 1-P-1 (Development Within UGB); Policy 1-P-2 (Efficient Land Use in UGB); Policy 1-P-12 (Underutilized Sites); Goal 1-G3 (Land Use: Well -Defined Boundary); Policy 1-P-29 (Development Within Urban Growth Boundary); Policy 1-P-30 (Services Within Urban Growth Boundary); and Policy 1-P-35 (Growth Within Urban Growth Boundary). 2. Pursuant to the analysis in the Initial Study, the Project does not make a cumulatively considerable contribution to the significant and unavoidable cumulative air, noise and/or traffic impacts identified in the General Plan 2025 EIR. C. Based on its review of the entire record herein, including the Negative Declaration, the Initial Study, all supporting, referenced and incorporated documents and all comments received, the Planning Commission finds that there is no substantial evidence that the Project will have a significant effect on the environment, that the Negative Declaration reflects the City's independent judgment and analysis, and that the Negative Declaration, Initial Study and supporting documents provide an adequate description of the impacts of the Project and comply with CEQA, the State CEQA Guidelines and the City of Petaluma Environmental Guidelines. Planning Commission Resolution No. 2016-22 Page 2 ADOPTED this 8th day of November, 2016, by the following vote: Commission Member Aye No Absent Abstain Councilmember King X Benedetti- Petnic X Chair Gomez X Lin X Vice Chair Marzo X Pierre X Wolpert X ATTEST: Hgdther Hines, C*mission Secretary APPROVED AS TO FORM: Planning Commission Resolution No. 2016-22 Page 3