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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 05131997 - D5 Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Costa FROM: HARVEY E. BRAGDON .^ County DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT T" DATE: May 13, 1997 SUBJECT: Seecon Request to Amend the General Plan - Bethel Island Area SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATIONS) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS The Board should approve ONE of the following three policy options, either: Approve the request of Seecon Financial and Construction Company, Inc. to initiate a General Plan Amendment study for the 89 acre Coronado Estates in the Bethel Island area. OR If the Board wished to authorize this request, it should consider authorizing a review of the entire policies for the "Off-Island Bonus area. " This will require consideration of how to finance the larger study. OR Deny the request of Seecon Financial and Construction Company, Inc. to initiate a General Plan Amendment study for the 89 acre Coronado Estates in the Bethel Island area. FISCAL IMPACT None if the General Plan Amendment request is denied. A plan amendment fee would be required if the study is authorized by the Board. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X _ YES SIGNATURE lat , RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD CO TEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE (S) : ACTION OF BOARD ON ft 13. 1997 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED x OTHER x Laurie Schuyler, 2950 Loma Vista Avenue, Concord, commented on the proposed amendment to the General Plan request. IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that the request of Seecon Financial and Construction Company, Inc. , to initiate a study of a General Plan Amendment in the Hotchkiss Tract area (Bethel Island) is APPROVED; and Community Development staff is DIRECTED to report back to the Board with a review of policies for the off-island bonus area. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: I.III,V, & IV NOES: I I AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. ATTESTED May 13, 1997 Contact: CDD PHIL BATCHELOR,CLERK OF THE BOARD OF cc: Jird Cutler - 335-1236 SUPERVISORSA D COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR CAO County Counsel Public Works BY DEPUTY Seecon Development (P_n_ Rnx 4113. Connord 94524) Seecon Request to Amend the General Plan - Bethel Island Area May 13, 1997 Page 2 BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS Dick Sestero, as agent for Seecon, has requested the Board of Supervisors to authorize staff to initiate a General Plan Amendment study for an 89-acre parcel located at the northeast corner of Sandmound and Bethel Island Roads just south of Bethel Island. A. ADOPTED GENERAL PLAN The adopted County General Plan currently designates approximately ten to twelve acres in a north-south orientation along Bethel Island Road as Local Commercial . The much larger remainder of the property east of Bethel Island Road currently has an Agricultural Lands designation. The purpose of the Agricultural Lands designation countywide is to preserve and protect lands, capable of and generally used for, the production of food. The maximum allowed density is one unit per five (5) acres. Major subdivisions are "discouraged" in the Agricultural Lands areas . There is an overlay plan category, the Off-Island Bonus Area, which modifies the Agricultural Lands designation. The General Plan states: A bonus density is identified in the off-island area of the Bethel Island planning area east of Jersey Island Road. The base density of this area is one dwelling unit per 5 acres. This density shall be increased through the bonus program if the applicant participates in one of the following programs: Recreational Projects. Residential projects which include a distinct, identifiable recreational character by including substantial recreational facilities shall be allowed a density of 1 . 0-2. 9 units per net acre. Recreational amenities may include marinas or launching areas off the project site on Sandmound or Rock Sloughs; a lake community, a sailing/boating club on a project lake, an equestrian facility, a tennis club or golf course. Purchase of Development Rights. The development rights for one acre increments of land in the County with an Agricultural Land designation may be purchased and dedicated to the County . to increase the base density up to ;,2 dwelling unit per net acre. Acquiring development rights in . one acre increments of land in the County with an Agricultural Core designation will increase the base density up to a maximum of 3 dwelling units per net acre. A program for acquisition of development rights shall be implemented by the Community Development Department. In addition among the text for the Bethel Island area there are policies which state: Seecon Request to Amend the General Plan - Bethel Island Area May 13, 1997 Page 3 3-79 Residential development on Agricultural Lands, to the extent permitted beyond 1 unit per parcel in the off-island area, shall be clustered, with development rights on the undeveloped land dedicated to the County. 3-80 A Protection Fee shall be imposed on each new residential unit in the Bethel Island Area to acquire development rights on Agricultural Lands, Open Space, or Wetland areas, or to provide financing for farmers to continue agricultural production. Priority for the acquisition of Open Space and Wetlands shall be given to the on-island areas. Additional funding sources shall be explored to supplement or replace the Protection Fee. 3-83 New development in the Bethel Island Area must comply with an improved financing plan and infra- structure improvements. B. REQUESTED GENERAL PLAN CHANGE SPECIFICS Seecon'.s specific request is to remove the site from the Off- Island Bonus Area and to grant an exception to policy 3-79 referenced above requiring clustering so they could build homes on six to eight acre lots . C. PLANNING CONCERNS The Off-Island Bonus Area was created to handle the unique problems associated with development potential in the Bethel Island area. With the adoption of the Bethel Island General Plan Amendment, the Board decided that new residential developments were inappropriate for Bethel Island proper due to flood hazard concerns. At the same time the Board created a unique approach to the off-island area by both placing the land in Agricultural Lands designation and with ancillary Off-Island Bonus Area. The Off-Island Bonus area allows a maximum of 3, 000 units to be built in that area. However, it also required financing plans to insure adequate public facilities and the payment of an Open Space acquisition fee. The clustering provisions were keyed to give the open space/agricultural feel to the area. The County Safety Element indicates this area is characterized by high liquefaction potential, is located on reclaimed delta lands, and most importantly is located within a 100-year flood hazard area. Construction in this area will need to be done in conformance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements , and conforming County ordinance code provisions. This means the Seecon construction style will be built on "stilt homes" to get the habitable levels above the flood level . One reason the Board encouraged clustering was so flood control levees could be pursued as part of development application approvals and to avoid this style of homes in this area. Seecon Request to Amend the General Plan - Bethel Island Area May 13, 1997 Page 4 D. IMPLICATIONS OF THIS REQUEST 1 . This could be perceived as a spot plan amendment which modifies the rules for only one parcel without relationship to the surrounding parcels . 2 . It does not provide a mechanism to provide an areawide flood hazard solution. 3 . If this amendment is approved, staff would anticipate that other requests would be received to delete lands from the Off-Island Bonus Area. 4 . Existing County policy calls for "discouraging" major subdivisions on Agricultural Lands. This raises questions on the approvability of the Seecon proposal even if the plan was amended as requested. 5. The major projects considered within the policies of the Off-Island Bonus Area have not moved ahead. The Cypress Lakes is approved but has no current activity and the Lesher request was withdrawn. There is one other project in the area which is inactive. This raises questions on the validity and workability of the Off- Island Bonus area policies . E. SUMMARY There appear to be three main options : • Grant the plan amendment study request as requested by Seecon. • Deny the plan amendment study request as a spot plan amendment. • Direct a complete review of the plan policies in the Off-Island Bonus Area. If this latter approach is taken, staff will need to report back to the Board on how such a study can be financed. J:\jbigg\seconjwc.bos