DATE: 04/02/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning & Development Department
2025-80
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
RESOLUTION ORDERING THE SUMMARY VACATION OF TWO EASEMENTS TRAVERSING TRACT 37030 AND TRACT 37644 LOCATED SOUTH OF EAGLE GLEN PARKWAY AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 15 IN THE BEDFORD COMMUNITY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to adopt a resolution ordering the summary vacation of two public trail easements traversing Tract 37030 and Tract 37644. The public easements were originally established for trail purposes but are no longer necessary because of other trail improvements constructed within the development that align with the City’s Trails Master Plan. Additionally, the public trail easements to be vacated terminate at private streets with no through access. Therefore, the public trail easements may be summarily vacated pursuant to Streets & Highways Code Section 8333(a) and 8333(c).
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2025-018, ordering the summary vacation of the two public trail easements on Lots “C” and “F” of Tract 37030 and Lot “H" of Tract 37644.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Arantine Hills Holdings LP, a Delaware Limited Partnership, and the master developer of Bedford, established public trail easements on Lots “C” and “F” of Tract 37030 in 2017, and Lot “H” of Tract 37644 in 2020. The public trail easements begin at the northern boundary of Tract 37644 starting at Bedford Canyon Road/Eagle Glen Parkway, and travel along the western boundary of the tract. At the southern end of the tract, the trail splits with a portion of the trail branching off to the northeast and terminating at Olvida Street, which is a private street. The other portion of the trail continues into Tract 37030 proceeding in a southwesterly direction, and ultimately terminates at Adishian Way, which is a private street.
Additionally, approximately 1.57 acres have been dedicated to the City for public trail purposes along the Bedford Channel and along Bedford Canyon Road and Clementine Way. Tract Map 38572, which was approved by the City Council on April 4, 2024, will dedicate and construct an additional 0.83 acres of trail along the Bedford Channel. This will complete the public trail extending from Interstate 15 to the southerly boundary of the Bedford development and provide access to Bedford Motor Way and, ultimately, the Cleveland National Forest. This trail alignment is consistent with the alignment identified in the City’s Trails Master Map and is the preferred trail alignment throughout the development.
ANALYSIS:
Arantine Hills Holdings LP is requesting that the public trail easements on Lots “C” and “F” of Tract 37030 and Lot “H" of Tract 37644 be vacated because the now excess trail easements have limited access and dead end at private streets and do not connect to the public trail along the Bedford Channel. The alignment of the other public trails dedicated within the Bedford Community is consistent with the City’s Trails Master and will not be affected by the vacation of the easements and will remain intact.
California Streets & Highways Code Section 8333(c) authorizes the summary vacation of public service easements determined to be excess, so long as there are no other public facilities located within the area to be vacated. Adoption of Resolution No. 2025-018 would order the summary vacation of two public trail easements located on Lots “C” and “F” of Tract 37030 and Lot “H" of Tract 37644.
California Streets & Highways Code Section 8333(a) authorizes the summary vacation of public service easements that have not been used for the purpose for which they were dedicated or acquired for five consecutive years immediately preceding the proposed vacation. The public trail easements proposed to be vacated were granted in 2017 and 2020 and they have not been used for public trail purposes since that time.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The vacation of the easement will not have a financial impact.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. This action merely approves the vacation of public trail easements that are no longer required and there is no possibility that this action will have a significant effect on the environment.
Therefore, no further environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: MARIA MIRANDA, SENIOR ENGINEER
REVIEWED BY: JOANNE COLETTA, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Resolution No. 2025-018
2. Exhibit 2 – Location Map T37030
3. Exhibit 3 – Location Map T37644
4. Exhibit 4 – Easement Vacation Request Letter