BACKGROUND:
Tentative Tract 37124 (Tract) was approved by the City Planning Commission on March 15, 2017, for a three (3) lot residential subdivision consisting of 58 condominium units on vacant land at the northwest corner of Landau Boulevard and Verano Road. A vicinity sketch is attached.
This new Tract will be gated and served by private interior streets. The entire Tract’s nuisance and 100-year stormwater will drain directly east into the existing retention basin at the northwest corner of Landau Blvd. and Verona Road.
Additionally, the entire Tract will be annexed into the existing Rio Vista Master Homeowner’s Association (HOA), which maintains the retention basin cited above.
Staff has reviewed the proposed Supplemental Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) for the Tract and is satisfied that this document adequately provides for the maintenance of the Tract and the corresponding drainage/retention facilities.
When approved, this Tentative Tract Map was approved for an initial two (2) year period. The map was then extended by the Planning Commission, as allowed, for two one-year periods, at the Owner’s request. Subsequently, State Assembly Bill 1561, effective in September 2021, granted the Tentative Map a further extension to September 15, 2022. In October of 2022, the Planning Commission granted a third and final one-year extension, as allowed, of the Tentative Tract Map, thus making September 15, 2023, the Tentative Tract Map’s final expiration date.
DISCUSSION:
The NCP Verano, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, (Subdivider), has prepared a Final Map for the Tract and has executed a Subdivision Agreement (Agreement), covering the obligations to complete the required public and private street, water and sewer improvements. The Subdivider has also posted security in the form of an irrevocable standby letter of credit, guaranteeing the faithful performance of the Agreement, and payment for labor and materials, and has posted a cash bond for placement of survey monuments and lot corners.
This Subdivider of the Tract has started the annexation process to join the City’s Community Facilities District for services. Once the annexation process is complete, the lot buyers will be taxed annually for their proportionate share of the financial impact of the Tract for City services.
All conditions of the original Tentative Map have been met, and the Final Map meets the requirements of the State Subdivision Map Act and City codes.
The Final Map, Subdivision Agreement and securities were filed with the City for approval prior to the Tentative Tract Map final expiration date, but not in time to make a City Council meeting agenda prior to the Tentative Tract Map expiration date of September 15. However, the State Subdivision Map Act Sec. 66452.6(d) provides that “once a timely filing is made, subsequent actions of the local agency, including, but not limited to, processing, approving and recording, may lawfully occur after the date of expiration of the final map”. Thus, a timely filing of all the required Final Tract Map materials was made, therefore the Final Map approval may occur after the actual Tentative Map expiration date.
Staff therefore recommends the City Council approve Final Map No. 37124, accept the dedications as offered on the Final Map, and approve the execution of the attached Subdivision Agreement by the Mayor and City Clerk.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
When the Tentative Tract Map was approved, the Planning Commission approved a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for this Project.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval and recordation of the Final Map will allow for the construction of 58 new single family condominium residences.
Ordinarily, the construction and occupancy of single-family units would likely cause further fiscal constraints in the ability of the City of Cathedral City to meet the new expected demands for public services from the buyers/residents of this residential subdivision. This is because the City’s General Fund revenue expected from this Tract is not likely to offset the actual costs of providing this development with such services:
e.g., Fire, Paramedics, Police, and other services.
Since the development is now included in the City-wide Community Facilities District, it is expected that the special tax generated by the CFD will offset any financial impacts caused by these demands. Also, this development does not create any new public streets or infrastructure requiring City maintenance.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
GOAL C: FISCAL STABILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Objective: Cathedral City has economically prospered by facilitating the investment of private dollars in high quality development which benefits the community. We remain financially solvent by instituting prudent fiscal policies and transparent financial practices.