Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAUGUST 31, 2004 @) . MINUTES . Arcadia City Planning Commission Tuesday, August 31, 2004 7:00 p.m. intbe Madia City Council Chambers PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE The Planning Commission of the City of Arcadia met a special session on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 at 7:00 p.m. in, the Arcadia Council Chambers of the City of Arcadia, at 240 W, Huntington Dr. with Chairman BaderiaD presiding, ROLL CALL: PRESENT: ABSENT: CommissionersHsu, Lucas, Olson, Wen, Baderian None OTHERS ATTENDING Assistant City ManagerlDeveloprnent Services Director Don Penman Community Development Administrator Donna Butler City Engineer, Phil Wray Planning Services Manager Corkran Nicholson Consultant, John Bitterly MOTION It was moved by Commissioner Wen, seconded by Commissioner Hsu to read all resolutionS by title only and waive reading the ,full body of the resolution, The motion passed by voice vote with no one dissenting. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM STAFF REGARDING AGENDA ITEMS None TIME RESERVED FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON NON-PUBLIC HEARING MATTERS (5 MINUTE LJMIT'PER PERSON) None 1. PUBLIC HEARING - Draft Eoviroomentall!npact Report To receive comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DElR) for the Highland Oaks Specific Plan (SP 2003-0(1) and Tentative Tract Map No, 51941. The staff report was presented. . . John Bitterly, Planning Consortium, said that the proposal is that the 83 acre parcel be subdivided into 70 acres of permanent open space, The remaining portion would be subdivided into 7-lots. The ElR considered the geology and soils, hydrology and flood control, land use and planning, air quality, aesthetics and view analysis. He went on to say that with regard to geology and soils seismicity thejmplementation of the proposed project would unavoidably expose people and property to significant ground shaking which is unavoidable anywhere in S, California, however, they found through'the mitigation measures as well as the study by the applicant that all other geological and seismic impacts can be mitigated to a less than significant level. But, there is still the unavoidable ground shaking, The project will substantially alter the southwest 13 acres and will change the hydrologic condition, Through various draining plans that need to be reviewed and approved by the City and other entities, they found that any impacts with regard to hydrology and flood control could be mitigated to a less than significant level. The site is relatively undisturbed open space and covered by vegetation and supports native wild life. The implementation of the proposed project could potentially impact sensitive specific species in the area as well as significant impacts to oak tree resources. Approximately 100 oak trees would be removed under the proposed project; including one 74" diameter oak tree, There are mitigation measures for the other impacts but the impacts to oak tree resources including the large oak tree remain a significant adverse impact of the project, Regarding land use and planning, the applicant has prepared a specific plan for the development of the particular parceL Some portions of the plan are nOt in compliance with the .zoning code or the general plan. But through the implementation of the plan it would be foundto be in compliance, Relative to short term noise and air quality impacts, Mr, Bitterly stated that in reviewing the ElR, one will notice that a great deal of earth will need to be moved to prepare for the project, In addition, because the grading of the site is not balanced, there will be a great deal of off site transport on local streets of earth materials, possibly taking up to four months to export, This will create noise impacts, not only on site but also on the exit route, This will also affect air quality in the construction phase. These are both unavoidable adverse impacts. With regard to tra1licand circulation he said that the,entry roadway is proposed to,have a 15-J8% grade going into the project off of Canyon Rd., which already has a 12-15% grade, The Fire Dept. has reviewed the project and found that the grade exceeds their standard of 12% and feels that this isa sigmficai1f-adverse impact relative to cirCulation and traffic. This same Impact also applies to pUblic Works Services, In terms of fire protection for the site, the Fire Dept. has indicated this is too steep of a roadway to access these future homes and the project. The implementation of the proposed project will significantly alter the views of the site. The General Plan has designated the area asa residential use but the Planning Commission and the City Council must determine whether or not the implementation. of this project would significantly impact views in the area, In response to a question by Commissioner Lucas regarding water services, Mr. Bitterly said they felt that all impacts could be mitigated toa less than significant level but to deliver proper fire, flows to the Atoadia City Planning Ccmmissioo 2 8/31/4 . . site from the adjacent tanks as well as within the existing system a loop system would have to be developed to deliver water to the site, The same was found in police protection services if the mitigation measures recommended are incorporated into the project. Under education, library and waste'services it has been found that all impacts could be mitigated to a less than significant level with the incorporation of the mitigation measures. The public hearing was opened. Jeff Bowen, President of the Highland Homeowners Association, is representing 860+ concerned residents, The Homeowners Association realizes that it would be their responsibility to review the design of the homes, but as homeOwners they are concerned about what will happen when all of the above mentioned issues have come into play. Two of the main concerns are the removal of approximately 4,000 truckloads of dirt, which will significantly impact the topography of the site, which in turn will affect the mud and water flow, The mass grading is a major issue, The second item of concern,is where will the wildlife go? Will they go back into the. mountains or will they come down to their neighborhoods? Without hesitation it is obvious that they will come down to w,here the food and water is endangering' our pets and families, Ralph Bicker, 101 White Oak DL, Chairman of the Highland Architectural Review Board did not think the subdivision should be approved. The removal of] 58 oak trees, many of which are mature specimen trees, would be a direct and gross violation of the intent and purpose of the ordinance. As Architectural Review Board Chairman they have requested substantial modifications to homes to save just one oak tree. Another concern is the 18% grade of the street, which is completely inconsistent with industry standards and will hamper access particularly for emergency vehicles. He felt that there should be a flattening of the roadway grade at the bulb of the cul-de-sac. This road would be much steeper than Canyon Rd., which is the steepest street in the City, To significantly flatten the grade of the proposed street to an acceptable slope, and still yield 7-lots on the property would significantly increase the height both of the cut and fill slopes as well as the amount of earth that would have to be moved and hauled off site from the area. For these reasons the plans as prepared are unacceptable to the Highland Homeowners Association, He went on to say that another issue is the grading and cut and fill of slopes, The amount of grading required, and the height of both the cuts and fills proposed to create this 7-lot subdivision far exceed any residential grading operation ever taken in the City. Excavating 151,000 cubic yards of cut material, filling 120,263 cubic yards of material and then hauling away the excess of 33,823 cubic yards through 4,000 huge dirt'wilding .trucks over 3 Yo months will have many negative' effects to their area, - These include the permanent scars on this natural steep hillside and the trucks that would travel the streets would present potential safety problems for pedestrians. In conclusion, Mr, Bicker said that any earth .moving operation of this magnitude that would haul this amount of excess material over the thinly paved local streets of Canyon Rd, and Elkins Ave. is unacceptable by the Homeowners Association. This developer or any other person wishing to do a project of this magnitude should post a cash or bond to be used in the case of any damage to city streets, Buzz Spellman, 1236 Oakglen Ave., was opposed to this project, He spoke of the geological aspects of the project, He was surprised that the maps and cross sections in the plan were not to scale. How can Arcadia City Planning Commission 3 813114 . . slope stability be determined if they are not to scale? He checked the credentials of the engineer who did this? Upon checking on the internet he found that Hank Jong, registered certified engineering geologist was disciplined by the geology board, The site is in the center of the Sierra Madre zone, They did not address rupturing of the ground in an adequate manner. Jeff Gowan, 2030 Canyon Rd., there is a risk to life and property that will result from this, The stability of natural hillsides is already known to be delicate and fragile, Despite all efforts, this large cut and fill effort will be less stable than the current hillside that it will replace. There is no amount of planiling or mitigation measures that will change that. This will increase the risk of slope failure, which will not be a.little mud down the road but a landslide, An undetected leaking pipe in 1999 resulted in the sliding of more than 17 acres into the ocean in Palos Verdes. That is about the same size of this development. This new area will undoubtedly be landscaped which makes,it that much easier to saturate the soil with either heavy rain or undetected pipe, The soil will come straight down Canyon Rd. and directly into his home, Who will insure the safety of the neighborhood while the 4,000 trucks are excavating and moving dirt? Before they approve this, can the Planning Commission say that they would put their house at the bottom of this cut and fill? TheDEIR does not address these issues, Bill Tedreck, 2127 Canyon Rd, said that his property is directly adjacent to the proposed development and the access road is just a few yards down from his yard, There is a.deer crossing sign in front of his property. He sees deer and other wildlife as well as mature oak trees in the subject area. He shared the concerns of his neighbors. He has experienced five separate incidents ofland slides in the past year but the fire a few years ago denuded the vegetation and he had to get earthmoving material off his driveway. He hated to think of the dangerous effect of what would happen when they begin to tamper with that hill, The City would be liable for any potential lawsuits. The road has a steep grade and the proposed road is even steeper. He could not see the logic behind developing this hiUside because of the potentialliabiIity and placing the homeowners below at risk. John Fee, 2152 Canyon Rd., said there are numerous issues with the project but.he will only address the access road, Canyon Rd, has a 10010 slope and that is difficult to walk or ride a bike, But, to begin this new street.at a 16%, transition to an 18% slope and back to 15% are in significant excess of the existing Canyon Rd, It would be very difficult to drive this slope for heavy vehicles such as trash trucks. A few years ago a .trash truck coming down Canyon lost control onto Elkins and caused quite a bit of damage, at. an area of a street which. only has a 5% slope, As these slopes get steeper the significance of exposure to.problems significantly increase. He could not see how trash trucks would get there, It would be very difficult for larger vehicles to maneuver on these streets during slipper conditions. The area now is a fire hazard: He was concerned that the proposal would create even:more'oh fire hazard in ,the" area. To get emergency vehicles such as a fire truck would be difficult and put the other homeowners in danger. Dan Novak, 2211 Canyon Rd., was concerned about protecting the scar. He was concerned that if the developer begins the project and cannot complete it for various reasons they would be stuck with that scar, lfthe lots don't sell fast, the developer may not be able to landscape and irrigate and they will be left with that affect, He felt they should maintain the standards, Jim McKeller, 2000 Oaks PI., asked what experience the developer had to develop this size of a project, He wondered if the developer was financially stable to handle a project of this magnitude or will the residents and the City be stuck with a half-cleveloped project? Arcadia City Planning Commission 4 8131/4 . . Wendy Yew, '2090 Vista, was afraid that after completion when she went into her backyard she would only see these large homes, She was concerned about the noise during construction, was concerned about fire hazards and the health risks during construction, Ifthere are more homes in the back of her home, she was afraid of the potential hazards, She was concerned about landslides and mud that would be inevitable. She did not know how this would affect her daily life when the development is complete, Tony Palmer, 2073 Carolwood Dr., concurred with all the comments. He was concerned about slippage of land. He thought the grade was steep and was concerned with what could happen with a heavily loaded truck traveling southbound which could potentially end up in his pool or worse yet his home. The grade of the hill is very steep. BUrton Zeldon, 2208 Highland Vista Dr" spoke about the wildlife, They have had a mountain lion and in the past couple of months bears in their back yard very close to their sliding glass door, Disturbing the preserve would make that problem worse. He wondered how the trash company would get there to pick up the trash, He did not think that the trucks could get there to service the area, Mary Jane Adams, 2116 Canyon Rd" said the area in question is the most heavily forested rim in Arcadia and is the refuge for a lot of wildlife, They see deer every day. In the past five years, there has been an increase of animals in.their neighborhood such as coyotes, fox, raccoon, skunks, opossums, deer and bear, She was very concerned if the area would be disturbed would have a severe affect on the wildlife. She was also concerned about trash trucks. Her home is in the steepest part ofthegrade and the trash trucks have a difficuhtime getting to her home and she wondered how they would get up to an even steeper street. She was heart broken that a developer would come down and willingly remove so many oak trees. Laurie Ritter, 2251 Highland Oaks, asked what would happen to the remaining parcel ofland? Ronald Gene, 2406 Carolwood Dr., was concerned with runaway trucks and the consequences, especially because he has a young child, The negative affect from this development far out weigh the positive, Chairman Baderian thanked everyone in attendance.. He said.that public hearings would be scheduled before both Planning ComIriission and City Council. The review period of this EIR is until September 24th, All concerns or comments should be turned in by that date. MOTION It was moved by Commissioner Olson, sec6nded by Commissioner Hsu to close the public hearing, The motion passed by voice vote with no one dissenting, Commissioner Olson thanked the audience for an orderly meeting. He was very appreciative that the same comments were not repeated. This is a unique property. The owner has the right to develop it. It should be developed within City standards and all homes must have Architectural Review Board approval, He was concerned about how many oak trees are to be removed which he thought was incredible, He Wllll concerned that it would take up to four months of heavy truck traffic in the area. Arcadia City Plamring Commission s 8131/4 . . The concerns raised about trucks losing control is one that there can be no mitigation measures, although, these are legitimate concerns. He did not think that they should go out of their way to grant modifications, unless it is a unique situation, which he did not think applied here. Commissioner Lucas said that this is a comprehensive document He appreciated the comments that were made. Their input should address the flaws, shortcomings, and strengths ofthe report because that really forms the decision that will follow including the development and determinations. He wondered if project alternatives have been considered in the document. He said that one alternative is that the lots could be developed with a road grade not to exceed 12%, It seems that there are variations in theme that have not be considered. He was encouraged by the amount of input, Chairman Baderian said that he drove the area and was also worried about the traffic circulation in the area. Visualizing large trucks and the various vehicles used for construction provides a question of safety in the neighborhood in terms of traffic circulation. He was concerned about removal of oak trees, which did not set well with him. Earthquakes cannot be predicted Dut anytime there is a major disruption in an area can increase the opportunity ofland shifting, which should be looked at closer, He was concerned with public safety and widths of the road, This is a very thorough process, He noted that future dates would beset for public hearings. Mr. Nicholson stated that there are forms for comments that could be pIcked up, MATTERS FROM CITY COUNCn. AND PLANNING COMMISSION Chairman Baderian indicated that he would notbe at the September 14th meeting. MATTERS FROM STAFF 1. CITY COUNCn. ACTIONS . 2. PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEMS Mr. Nicholson thanked Mr, Phil Wray, the City Engineer, who was present at the meeting. Ms, Butler summarized what would be coming to the Planning Conunission at their next meeting. ADJOURNMENT 8:00 p.m IslDonna Butler Secretary, Arcadia Planning Commission Arcadia. City Plmming Commission 6 8/31/4