To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Vincent Smith, Community Development Director
Prepared By: Michael Allen, Senior Planner
TITLE:
Title
Big Ranch Road Annexation
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
(1) Adopt a resolution authorizing City Staff to submit an application to the Local Agency Formation Commission to initiate proceedings for the annexation of the six properties at 2275, 2285, 2305, 2331 Big Ranch Road, 1130 Trower Avenue (only the portion within the RUL and south of the future Trower Avenue extension) and 1438 Rosewood Lane and determining that the actions authorized by this resolution were analyzed by a previously certified Environmental Impact Report; and
(2) Approve first reading and introduction of an ordinance amending Title 17 of the Napa Municipal Code to add a new Chapter 17.31 establishing a Master Plan Zone District (MP), amending the Zoning Map to Pre-Zone (APNs 038-240-005, 038-240-006, 038-240-014, 038-240-015, 038-240-020, 038-240-022, 038-240-023, 038-160-023, 038-160-024, 038-160-025, 038-160-026, 038-160-029), from single-family residential (RS-5, RS-7, RS-10, RS-20) to MP and determining that the action authorized were analyzed by a previously certified Environmental Impact Report.
Body
DISCUSSION:
On October 23, 2023, Theresa Van Winden-Staggs, (Applicant), the owner of the property at 2331 Big Ranch Road and representing the owners of the properties at 2275, 2285, 2305 Big Ranch Road, 1130 Trower Avenue (only portion within the Rural Urban Limit Line and south of the future Trower Avenue extension) and 1438 Rosewood Lane (APNs 038-240-022, 038-240-005, 038-240-023, 038-240-014, 038-160-029, respectively), totaling 51.5 acres shown in Attachments 4 & 5, submitted an application requesting annexation of the six (6) parcels. The subject parcels currently contain low density single family residential units, limited agricultural uses, and vacant/undeveloped land.
The subject area is located at the northeastern corner of the City of Napa within the Rural Urban Limit (“RUL”), on the west side of Big Ranch Road. It’s entirely within the City’s Sphere of Influence (“SOI”) and is adjacent to the existing City limits along a majority of the south and west sides of the annexation area (see General Plan Land Use Diagram, Attachment 6). For more than 30 years, these parcels have been pre-zoned with a Single-Family Residential zoning designation with varied minimum lot sizes from 5,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet (RS-5, RS-7, RS-10 & RS-20), see Attachment 7 for the existing pre-zoned designations. Properties that have been pre-zoned means they have been given a zoning designation in advance of their annexation into the City limits. Only properties that are within the City’s RUL and SOI which are expected to one day annex to the City are provided pre-zoning designations.
A. GENERAL PLAN
The subject parcels are located adjacent to the Vintage Neighborhood, one of twelve established neighborhoods as defined by the General Plan 2040. They are assigned the Medium Density Residential land use designation by the General Plan 2040, which was adopted in 2022 and prescribes a density range of 8 to 18 dwelling units per acre. Prior to that, the subject parcels had a Single-Family Residential land use designation under the General Plan. For more than 30 years, these parcels have been pre-zoned with a Single-Family Residential General Plan designation with densities varying from 0 - 2, 0-3, 3-6 & 3-4 units per acre. These pre-designations would normally become the General Plan land use designation upon annexation. However, with the adoption of General Plan 2040, which changed their General Plan land use designations from Single-Family Residential to Medium Density Residential, their pre-zoning designations became inconsistent with the General Plan, see zoning discussion below. In addition, the General Plan 2040 requires that a Master Plan (MP) zoning designation be applied to these parcels before they can be developed, which is explained below in the Zoning Amendment discussion.
B. ZONING AMENDMENT
For more than 30 years, the subject parcels (APNs: 038-240-005, 038-240-006, 038-240-014, 038-240-015, 038-240-020, 038-240-022, 038-240-023, 038-160-023, 038-160-024, 038-160-025, 038-160-026, 038-160-029) have been pre-zoned with a Single-Family Residential zoning designation with varied minimum lot sizes from 5,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet (RS-5, RS-7, RS-10 & RS-20), see Attachment 7 for the existing pre-zoned designations. These pre-zoned designations would normally become the zoning designation upon annexation. However, with the adoption of the General Plan 2040, which changed their General Plan land use designations from Single-Family Residential to Medium Density Residential, their pre-zoning designations became inconsistent with the General Plan. In addition, the General Plan 2040 requires that a Master Plan (MP) zoning designation be applied to these parcels before they can be developed, which is explained later in this report.
Under current County zoning, the subject parcels are designated Residential Country (RC) which provides for one dwelling unit per parcel. They also have a sub-designation of Urban Reserve (UR) that acknowledges the parcels are anticipated to annex to the City prior to any substantial residential development. Until annexed to the City, these parcels have practically no development potential since all but one (2305 Big Ranch Road), already contains a single dwelling unit. The parcel at 1130 Trower Avenue (Napa Valley Unified School District property) is only partially within the City’s RUL, so annexation would be only for the approximately 2-acre portion within the RUL and south of the future Trower Avenue extension to Big Ranch Road. The portion of this parcel north of Trower Avenue would remain within the County since it will be used for educational farming activities by the school (Vintage Farms). The property owners are seeking annexation with no development proposed at this time. Once annexed, the parcels would then have the potential for development.
But before any new development can occur on these parcels, General Plan Policy LUCD 24-1 requires that a master plan be prepared for the Big Ranch Road area, including the entire approximately 51.5 acres to be annexed as well as the remaining parcels not being annexed but that are within the Big Ranch Road area and the City’s SOI and RUL. The purpose of the future master plan will be to provide guidance for all future development by providing a street plan for a walkable, connected neighborhood, with easy access to the adjacent high school, stores, and amenities on Trancas Street as well as providing for the extension of Trower Avenue to Big Ranch Road. It must also encourage variations in densities and housing types, recognize the existing residential density in the surrounding neighborhood and promote a smooth visual transition to Medium Density development by incrementally increasing building heights and unit types.
As previously mentioned, the parcels are currently pre-zoned for Single-Family Residential designations. Napa Municipal Code Chapter 17.26 (Master Plan District, General) provides that a master plan zoning designation can be applied to properties in advance of the adoption of a property-specific master plan as an alert that a formal master plan will be required prior to any new development. Therefore, it’s recommended that the entire Big Ranch Road area, as defined by the General Plan 2040, be pre-zoned “Master Plan (MP).”
C. ANNEXATION
California Government Code (CGC) Section 56000, “the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000” (the “Act”) establishes procedures for local government changes of organization, including city incorporations and annexations. The unincorporated area that is within the City’s RUL and SOI contains 12 separate parcels. One of the parcels (1130 Trower Avenue; APN: 038-240-020) is owned by Napa Valley Unified School District and is intended for use by their Vintage Farm. Most of this parcel is outside the City’s RUL and therefore, can only seek annexation of the approximately 2 acres that is within the RUL and south of the future extension of Trower Avenue. Another parcel (2321 Big Ranch Road; APN: 038-240-006) is not proposed for annexation as the property owner has expressed no desire to annex. But this parcel’s exclusion from annexation would not create a new County Island since it would not be surrounded on all four sides by City property. However, the five other property owners that declined annexation (2295 Big Ranch Rd, 1382, 1383, 1390 & 1391 Rosewood Lane; APN’s: 038-240-015, 038-160-024, 038-160-025, 038-160-023 & 038-160-026) would create two County islands (as identified by red highlighted parcels in Attachment 8). Therefore, the annexation application as proposed would create two new islands: one consisting of the property at 2295 Big Ranch Road and another containing four properties: 1382, 1383, 1390 and 1391 Rosewood Lane.
Section 56744 together with Section 56375(m) of the Act prohibits a Local Agency Formation Commission from approving an annexation that creates new islands unless the Commission finds that (a) disapproval of the application would be detrimental to the orderly development of the community, and (b) that the island enclosed by the annexation is so located that it cannot reasonably be annexed to another city or incorporated as a new city.
In City Staff’s preliminary meetings with LAFCO Staff, LAFCO Staff indicated they would recommend that the LAFCO Commission make the necessary findings to approve the proposed application should the City determine that disapproval of the annexation due to the creation of new islands would be detrimental to the orderly development of the community. As the City is near full build-out with very little vacant residentially zoned land left within the City Limits, the inability to annex the approximately 60 acres of unincorporated land that is within the City’s SOI and RUL would be detrimental to the orderly development of the City. The annexation of the subject properties is vital to the City’s ability to comply with the State’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). The remaining unincorporated area that would be enclosed by the annexation is so located that it could not be reasonably annexed to another city and could not be incorporated as a new city. Therefore, the Planning Commission recommends the City Council adopt a resolution authorizing City Staff to submit an application requesting that LAFCO initiate annexation proceedings for the six (6) parcels located at 2275, 2285, 2305, 2331 Big Ranch Road, 1130 Trower Avenue (only the portion within the RUL and south of the future Trower Avenue extension) and at 1438 Rosewood Lane.
PLANNING COMMISSION
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on September 19, 2024. The Commission heard a report from Staff, followed by a presentation by the Applicant team. The Commission heard from fifteen (15) members of the public who spoke during public comment. Most of the speakers spoke in opposition to the annexation application expressing concerns related to an actual development application, such as negative traffic impacts of development, drainage issues and other environmental issues. One speaker indicated support for the annexation. Staff and the Commission explained that the application was only for annexation of the 51.5 acres and a pre-zone to a Master Plan District. It was explained that additional environmental review as well as traffic and drainage analysis would be conducted once a formal Master Plan and development application were pursued. There were several complaints regarding public noticing, all related to inconsistencies with the County Assessors Office from which the City requires applicant’s to obtain notification lists from a title company which are generated from the County Tax Roll.
The Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the City Council authorize staff to submit the application to LAFCO and that it adopt the Zoning Ordinance Amendment by a vote of 4-0-1 (one Commissioner was absent).
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
A minor increase in City revenues is anticipated due to property tax and paramedic fee reapportionment. A corresponding increase in City costs is anticipated due to the costs associated with servicing the single-family homes.
CEQA:
City staff recommends that the City Council determine that the potential environmental effects from the actions authorized by this resolution were adequately analyzed in that certain City of Napa General Plan Update Final EIR (SCH #2021010255) certified by the City Council on September 20, 2022 (the “2040 General Plan EIR”) and, pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 20183.3 and Sections 15183 and 15168 of the CEQA Guidelines, no additional environmental review is required for the Project because the Project is consistent with the development density and use characteristics established by the 2040 General Plan and there are no potentially significant environmental effects that (1) are peculiar to the Project or the Site, (2) were not analyzed as significant effects in the 2040 General Plan EIR, (3) are potentially significant off-site impacts and cumulative impacts which were not discussed in the 2040 General Plan EIR, or (4) are previously identified significant effects which, as a result of substantial new information which was not known at the time the 2040 General Plan EIR was certified, are determined to have a more severe adverse impact than discussed in the 2040 General Plan EIR. These findings are set forth in greater detail, accompanied by the substantial evidence in support thereof, in the Section 15183 Consistency Analysis prepared for this Project and included as Attachment 3.
Based on this analysis, there is no substantial change introduced by the project that involves new significant impacts; there are no substantial changes to the circumstances which the project is being undertaken that involves new significant impacts; and there is no new information of substantial importance that shows the project will have a significant effect. As no new effects could occur and no new mitigation measures are required for the project, the annexation is within the scope of the EIR for the City of Napa General Plan, and pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15168(c)(2), no new environmental document is required.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Resolution
ATCH 2 - Ordinance
ATCH 3 - CEQA Initial Study for Determination of Consistency (with the GPU EIR)
ATCH 4 - Location Map
ATCH 5 - Annexation Parcels
ATCH 6 - Rural Urban Limit Line - Sphere of Influence
ATCH 7 - Pre-Zones
ATCH 8 - Parcels Opposing Annexation
ATCH 9 - Planning Commission Staff Report
ATCH 10 - Public Correspondence
NOTIFICATION:
Notice that this application was received was provided by the City on January 24, 2024, and notice of the scheduled public hearing was provided on November 22, 2024 by US Postal Service to all property owners within a 500-foot radius of the subject property. Notice of the public hearing was also published in the Napa Valley Register on November 23, 2024 and provided to people previously requesting notice on the matter at the same time notice was provided to the newspaper for publication. The Applicant was also provided a copy of this report and the associated attachments in advance of the public hearing on the project.