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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2 - Resolution No. 1989 - GP 17-01DATE: March 14, 2017 TO: Honorable Chairman and Planning Commission FROM: Philip A. Wray, Deputy Director of Development Services/City Engineer SUBJECT: GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY FINDING NO. GP 17-01 WITH A CATEGORICAL EXEMPTION UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) FOR THE SUMMARY VACATION OF AN EASEMENT FOR STREET AND HIGHWAY PURPOSES OVER LAND BOUNDED ON THE SOUTHWEST BY THE ARCADIA PAR-3 GOLF COURSE PROPERTY AND ON THE NORTHEAST BY DAINES DRIVE IN AN UNINCORPORATED AREA OF THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES Recommendation: Adopt Resolution No. 1989 and forward a recommendation to the City Council SUMMARY In 1940, the City of Arcadia received a grant of real property for what is now the Arcadia 3-Par Golf Course, along with an easement for “Street and Highway Purposes” connecting the Golf Course property to Daines Drive in the Unincorporated County of Los Angeles. The easement was apparently never used for access, and sometime after receiving the easement, the City obtained access to the Golf Course directly from Live Oak Avenue. The easement serves no purpose and is no longer necessary for its intended use. The vacation of the easement is consistent with the General Plan goals and policies and results in the most efficient and safe use of the land for public rights-of-way. It is recommended that the Planning Commission adopt the attached Resolution No. 1989 to find that the requested vacation is consistent with the City’s General Plan and forward a recommendation of approval to the City Council. Upon making a finding and a recommendation to the City Council, the Council will then be requested to summarily vacate the easement. BACKGROUND In December of 1940, the City of Arcadia received a grant of real property for what is now the Arcadia 3-Par Golf Course. Along with that grant, the City received an easement for “Street and highway purposes” connecting the Golf Course property to Daines Drive northeast of the Golf Course. The easement lies entirely within the Resolution No. 1989 – GP 17-01 Vacation of an Easement March 14, 2017 Page 2 of 3 Unincorporated County of Los Angeles. The property containing the easement was owned by the same owner as the golf course land, and was apparently granted as an access to the golf course property. Sometime after that, the City obtained a public access, connecting the property directly to Live Oak Avenue. That access is in use today. In April of 1946, Tract Map No. 13780 was recorded that subdivided the land underlying the City’s easement. The underlying land was subdivided into portions of four lots and a public street. The Mayor and the City Clerk of the City of Arcadia signed the map acknowledging the subdivision. No further documentation of the easement, or efforts to vacate the easement, were found. The easement appears to have been the shortest route to connect the golf course property to a public street (what is now Daines Drive). Although it may have been intended as a street access to the golf course, it is doubtful that it was ever improved and/or served that purpose because there is no evidence of a street. And, it would have had to cross the Santa Anita Wash. Since the time that Tract Map No. 13780 was recorded, it appears from aerial photographs that structures have been constructed over portions of the easement. The property at 3208 South Eighth Avenue is one of the four lots underlying the easement. The property owner recently approached the City with the request to vacate the easement because he would like to do some construction on his property, and the County will not permit any work until he has proof that the easement has been vacated. In accordance with Chapters 3 and 4 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Streets and Highways Code of the State of California, this request meets the provisions of a Summary Vacation because it has not been used or maintained for at least the last five (5) years and removal of the easement will not cut off any existing access. DISCUSSION The City’s Roadway Master Plan, and General Plan Figure CI-3, identify a network of important arterial and collector roadways and a network of local roads. Neither network extends beyond the City’s boundaries, nor do they show any connections to City facilities outside the City boundaries. There is no need to retain this access easement to the golf course because it is not physically accessible, and the golf course has direct access via Live Oak Avenue. Even if the easement was physically accessible, it would be less desirable as it requires intrusion through a residential neighborhood to the nearest arterial. The proposed vacation is consistent with the following goals and policies set forth in the City’s 2010 General Plan: Circulation and Infrastructure Element Goal Cl-1: An efficient roadway system that serves all of Arcadia, supports all transportation modes, and balances the roadway system with planned land uses. Resolution No. 1989 – GP 17-01 Vacation of an Easement March 14, 2017 Page 3 of 3 Policy Cl-1.1: Pursue enhancements to the roadway network consistent with the Figure CI-3, Master Plan of Roadway, and the Transportation Master Plan. Goal Cl-2: Maximize operational efficiency of the street system Policy Cl-2.1: Implement traffic management and traffic signal operations measures, where feasible, to: • Focus traffic onto arterial streets, and minimize intrusion into residential neighborhoods The requested vacation of an easement for street and highway purposes in the Unincorporated County of Los Angeles, as depicted by Exhibits “A” and “B” of the attached Planning Commission Resolution No. 1989, is consistent with the goals and policies of City’s General Plan, Circulation and Infrastructure Element. Following the Planning Commission’s finding of consistency with the General Plan, and making a recommendation to the City Council, the Council will then be requested to summarily vacate the easement. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS The proposed right-of-way vacation is Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to Section 15301(c) of the CEQA Guidelines, because these actions are for a legal transfer of ownership, which will result in negligible or no expansion of use. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Planning Commission adopt the attached Resolution No. 1989 to find that the requested vacation is consistent with the City’s General Plan and forward a recommendation of approval to the City Council. If any Planning Commissioner, or other interested party has any questions or comments regarding this matter prior to the March 14, 2017, meeting, please contact Phil Wray, Deputy Development Services Director/City Engineer by calling (626) 574-5488, or by e-mail at PWray@ArcadiaCA.gov. Approved: Attachment: Resolution No. 1989