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December 12, 2023
ITEM TITLE
Vacation of Street: Approve a Summary Vacation of a Portion of Lagoon Drive (F Street) West of Marina Parkway
Report Number: 23-0285
Location: Lagoon Drive (F Street) West of Marina Parkway Department: Economic Development
G.C. § 84308: No
Environmental Notice: The Project was adequately covered in a previously certified Final Environmental Impact Report UPD#83356-EIR-658; SCH NO. 2005081077 for the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan.
Recommended Action
Conduct a public hearing and adopt a resolution approving a summary vacation of a portion of Lagoon Drive (F Street) west of Marina Parkway.
SUMMARY
In preparation for the 2025 opening of the Gaylord Pacific, the City of Chula Vista has partnered with the Port to deliver public -serving amenities such as the Sweetwater Bicycle Path and Pedestrian Promenade, Sweetwater Park and Harbor Park. The City Council has previously taken action to close a portion of Lagoon Drive (F Street) west of Marina Parkway, i n pursuit of delivering these amenities , protecting natural resources and continuing to implement the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan and Bayfront Specific Plan. This report considers the permanent vacation of Lagoon Drive (F Street) west of Marina Parkway to continue pursuit of the aforementioned.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Director of Development Services has reviewed the proposed project for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the project was adequately covered in a previously certified Final Environmental Impact Report UPD#83356-EIR-658; SCH NO. 2005081077 for the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan. Thus, no additional environmental review is required.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
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Not applicable.
DISCUSSION
On January 24, 1985, the City Council approved the Bayfront Specific Plan via City Council Resolution No. 11903. On September 25, 2012, the City Council approved amendments to the Bayfront Specific Plan via Ordinance No. 3238 and City Council Resolution No. 2012-189. The amended Bayfront Specific Plan included the realignment of rights of way, including Lagoon Drive that is the subject of this action and included findings that the amended Bayfront Specific Plan was consistent with the City’s General Plan an d the California Coastal Act.
The City of Chula Vista and the Port have been working jointly for years on implementation of the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan (CVBMP), which was unanimously approved by the California Coastal Commission in 2012. The plan encompasses more than 535 acres of land and implementation been rapidly progressing.
Construction of the Gaylord Pacific is underway with an anticipated opening date in mid-2025. Together, the City and Port have been working on various projects to improve multi-modal public access to the Chula Vista Bayfront. In preparation for the 2025 opening of the Gaylord Pacific, the City of Chula Vista has partnered with the Port to deliver public -serving amenities such as the Sweetwater Bicycle Path and Pedestrian Promenade, Sweetwater Park and Harbor Park; as well as protect natural resources.
Lagoon Drive (F Street) west of Marina Parkway has been closed for many years. In order to deliver public- serving amenities, protect natural resources and continue to implement the CVBMP, it is necessary to vacate this portion of Lagoon Drive (F Street) west of Marina Parkway.
California Streets and Highways Code (SHC) section 8312 provides that a city may vacate all or part of a street, highway, or public service easement within the city in accordance with that code. Per Chula Vista Municipal Code (CVMC) section 12.40.010, the City has determined the public interest would be served by vacating Lagoon Drive (F Street) west of Marina Parkway to allow for bayfront development to proceed in conformance with the CVBMP and Bayfront Specific Plan and because the subject segment of Lago on Drive (F Street) is unnecessary for present or future public use as a street . Per CVMC section 12.40.010 and SHC section 8322, City staff published notice of the public hearing for the proposed street vacations for December 12, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Per SHC 8323, City staff also caused notices of the of the public hearing for the proposed street vacation to be posted at the required locations. Per SHC section 8347, all utilities having facilities within the streets to be vacated have been notified of the proposed vacations and the City and the utility companies have made arrangements to have those facilities relocated into the newly aligned streets, excepting therefrom Sweetwater Authority water lines and fire hydrants. SHC section 8340 allows a city to reserve and except out from the vacation an easement and other rights necessary to maintain, operate, replace, remove, or renew public utility facilities. Staff recommends reserving and excepting out from the proposed vacation a temporary easement for Sweetwater Authority as necessary for their existing water line and fire hydrants, which will remain in place until the facilities continuing status are determined.
City staff recommends vacation of the street identified herein subject to the reservations and exceptions needed for the relocation of the utilities. Approval of this action would approve the vacation, subject to the reservations and exceptions and would further the delivery of public-serving amenities and protect natural resources.
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DECISION-MAKER CONFLICT
Staff has reviewed the property holdings of the City Council members and has found no property holdings within 1,000 feet of the boundaries of the property which is the subject of this action. Consequently, this item does not present a disqualifying real p roperty-related financial conflict of interest under California Code of Regulations Title 2, section 18702.2(a)(7) or (8), for purposes of the Political Reform Act (Cal. Gov’t Code §87100, et seq.).
Staff is not independently aware, and has not been infor med by any City Council member, of any other fact that may constitute a basis for a decision-maker conflict of interest in this matter.
CURRENT-YEAR FISCAL IMPACT
There is no current year fiscal impact associated with th e vacating Lagoon Drive (F Street) w est of Marina Parkway.
ONGOING FISCAL IMPACT
There is no ongoing fiscal impact associated with th e vacating Lagoon Drive (F Street) west of Marina Parkway.
ATTACHMENTS
None
Staff Contact: Kevin Pointer, Principal Economic Development Specialist Eric Crockett, Deputy City Manager