2. The amendment proposed appears to have no material effect on the community or the General Plan;
The Amendment will not have a material affect on the community or General Plan. The request is simply to accurately document the Environmentally Sensitive Habitat (ESH) on the Sandpiper Golf Course as reflected in the professional biological analysis.
3. The amendment proposed provides additional public benefit to the community as compared to the existing land use designation or policy; The Amendment is beneficial in that Figure 4-1 will more accurately reflect the ESH within the City including areas that do and do not contain ESH. The resulting Figure 4-1 will be based on the most up to date factual information available.
4. Public facilities appear to be available to serve the affected site, or their provision will be addressed as a component of the amendment process; or The availability of public facilities is not germane to this particular request. However, the property is served by Goleta Water District and there is a pending agreement for Goleta West Sanitary District to provide sanitary service.
5. The amendment proposed is required under other rules or regulations.
As mentioned in Factor #1, Policy CE1-5 requires that the City must modify Figure 4-1 at their next General Plan/Coastal Plan Amendment when it is in possession of substantial evidence that the figure is inaccurate with respect to identifying ESH boundaries on the property. ***
As discussed in our GPA Justification, t he proposed revision to Figure 4.1 of the Conservation Element is being made in order to provide the updated and correct information about the Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas associated with Devereux Creek, which traverses the Sandpiper golf course. The golf course was established in 1972 replacing oil fields that previously operated on the property. During grading operations, only a small portion of the onsite trees and drainage were retained (see historic aerial) even at Devereaux. Sections of the creek were piped under the course. The golf course has exist ed in generally the same configuration since the time of inception, with no changes around Devereux Creek (see approved and existing course plans).
It is well known that ESHA boundaries in the Goleta General Plan were imported from County documents when the City incorporated. Because it was impractical to field survey all ESHA in the County, the County often used aerial photography to determine field boundaries for ESHA. Knowing that these ESHA boundaries were not precise, the County included language in their ordinance to allow for variations to the ESHA boundaries based on field surveys. The ESHA boundaries imported by the City for this portion of D evereaux Creek were drawn inaccurately , likely based on the 288
Sandpiper Golf Club
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aforementioned “broad brush” aerial estimation. In fact, it was also shown that mapped ESHA to the east of the project site on Devereaux Creek was also improperly drawn and the City of Goleta has previously corrected figure 4-1 to reflect that information.
The applicant has engaged a team of professional biologists to survey the golf course in preparation for the application to remodel the golf course. In the course of their biological assessment, it was determined that certain areas marked ESHA on figure 4 -1 do not qualify as ESHA and in fact have not been ESHA since at least 1972 when the golf course was constructed. Accompanying this request is a n Biological Resources Assessment from Dudek & Associates as well as a specific memorandum detailing their findings regarding the request to revise figure 4-1 and also including a revised Figure.
This amendment is in the public interest as it will result in an ESHA map that accurately represents this part of Goleta. ESHA boundaries and the corresponding protections should be based on the best available science and other evidence. This is the standard that the City of Goleta upholds regardless of the nature or location of a project.
Correspondingly, it is in the public interest for the City to correct Figure 4 -1 of the Conservation Element when presented with sufficient evidence that documents a mapping error.
The revised memorandum from Dudek dated October 26, 2023 supplements their August 2023 Biological Resources Assessment and specifically outlines the survey methods in Section 2, including vegetation mapping, native grassland mapping and aquatic resources delineation. Section 3 of the memorandum identifies the various ESH areas on or near the site including coast live oak woodland, coastal sage scrub, needlegrass, beach, riparian habitats, coastal wetlands. rare plant habitats wild life habitats (e.g., monarch and raptor roosting) and identifies the differences between Figure 4-1 and the field observations from the Dudek biologists.
These differences are graphically depicted in Attachment A of the memorandum on figures 2, 3 and 4. Figure 4 in the Dudek memorandum provides an overlay depicting the difference between areas identified as ESHA by Figure 4- 1 from the General Plan and those areas identified in the biological study. The recommended changes include reductions and some increases of ESH within Devereaux Creek, new purple needlegrass ESHA and various other changes.
Please feel free to contact me by phone at (805) 966-2758 x111 or by email at [email protected] if you have any questions or if clarifications are needed.
Sincerely,
SUZANNE ELLEDGE
PLANNING & PERMITTING SERVICES, INC.
Steve Welton, AICP
Principal Planner
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Attachment 8:
CEQA Notice of Exemption
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NOTICE OF EXEMPTION (NOE)
1 To: Office of Planning and Research From: City of Goleta P.O. Box 3044, 1400 Tenth St. Rm. 212 130 Cremona Drive, Suite B Sacramento, CA 95812-3044 Goleta, CA 93117
Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
County of Santa Barbara
105 E. Anapamu Street, Room 407
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Subject: Filing of Notice of Exemption
Project Title: Consideration of Initiation of a General Plan Amendment at 7925 Hollister Avenue; APN 079-210-059; Case No. 22-0002-GPA
Project Applicant: Sandpiper-Golf Trust
Project Location (Address and APN): 7925 Hollister Avenue; APN 079-210-059
Description of Nature, Purpose and Beneficiaries of Project:
The General Plan Amendment Initiation request is to study the proposed removal of the following ESHA designations from Figure CE 4-1 and Figure OS 3.5, consisting of the following:
Removal of ESHA designations adjacent to Devereux Creek in areas where the creek is contained within a pipe.
Removal of the golf course pond as designated ESHA.
Removal of the special-status species designation (California Red-Legged Frog) adjacent to the golf course pond.
Additionally, the GPA initiation request is to study proposed additions of ESHA to Figure 4-1 and Figure OS 3.5, consisting of the following:
Adding purple needle grass to the southeast corner of the parcel as ESHA. Adding Santa Barbara honeysuckle at the southeast property line as ESHA. Adding sage scrub adjacent to Devereux creek as ESHA. Adding three special-status species designations (raptor nests) adjacent to Devereux creek.
Adding wooly seablite and cliff malacthrix within sage scrub in various locations as ESHA. Adding black walnut to ESHA within Bell’s Canyon.
Adding a coastal wetland in the middle of site adjacent to the ocean as ESHA.
The first step in that process is a GPA initiation that would authorize staff to process a GPA to update Figure CE 4 -1 and Figure OS 3.5 . Once initiated, the GPA , the associated project, and any related environmental document are prepared and cons idered by the Planning Commission and a recommendation is made to the City Council via resolution. The City Council takes final action at a public hearing.
Name of Public Agency Approving the Project: City of Goleta
Name of Person or Agency Carrying Out the Project: City of Goleta 291
NOTICE OF EXEMPTION (NOE)
2 Exempt Status: (check one)
Ministerial (§15268)
Declared Emergency (§15269 (a))
Emergency Project (§15269 (b) (c))
Categorical Exemption: (Insert Type(s) and Section Number(s)) Statutory Exemption: (§21083.3; CEQA Guidelines, §15183) Other: CEQA Guidelines, §15060(c)(3); §15378(b)(5); §15061(b)(3)
Reason(s) why the project is exempt:
The initiation is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) purs uant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines bec ause the activity is not a “project” as defined in Section 15378(b)(5) as an organizational or administrative activity by government that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment.
The initiation is also exempt from CEQA pu rsuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because the activity is covered by the general rule which exempts activities that can be seen with certainty to have no possibility for causing a significant effect on the environment.
City of Goleta Contact Person:
Peter Imhof Director, Planning & Environmental Review Date
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Attachment 9:
Staff PowerPoint Presentation
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Consideration of General
Plan Amendment
Initiation
Case No. 22-000-GPA
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
City Council Meeting
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2April 16, 2024, City Council Meeting
7925 Hollister Avenue (APN 079-210-059)
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April 16, 2024, City Council Meeting 3
Allows for early public input
Provides staff direction to process the GPA request for further
study
In all cases, initiation does not mean or imply that a requested
amendment will eventually be approved
Purpose of General Plan Amendment
Initiations
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4April 16, 2024, City Council Meeting
General Plan Amendment Request
The GPA initiation request is to study the proposed removal and
addition of ESHA designations and Special-Status
Species Designations from Figure CE 4-1 and Figure OS 3.5 within the City General Plan.
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5April 16, 2024, City Council Meeting
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6April 16, 2024, City Council Meeting
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7April 16, 2024, City Council Meeting
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8April 16, 2024, City Council Meeting
General Plan Amendment Request (Con’t)
The GPA initiation request is to study the proposed removal of the following
ESHA designations from Figure CE 4-1 and Figure OS 3.5, consisting of the following:
Removal of ESHA designations adjacent to Devereux Creek in areas
where the creek is contained within a pipe.
Removal of the golf course pond as designated ESHA.
Removal of the special-status species designation (California Red- Legged
Frog) adjacent to the golf course pond.
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9April 16, 2024, City Council Meeting
General Plan Amendment Request (Con’t)
The GPA initiation request is to study proposed additions of ESHA to Figure 4-1 and Figure
OS 3.5, consisting of the following:
Adding purple needle grass to the southeast corner of the parcel as ESHA. Adding Santa Barbara honeysuckle at the southeast property line as ESHA. Adding sage scrub adjacent to Devereux creek as ESHA. Adding three special-status species designations (raptor nests) adjacent to Devereux creek.
Adding wooly seablite and cliff malacthrix within sage scrub in various locations as ESHA.
Adding black walnut to ESHA within Bell’s Canyon.
Adding a coastal wetland in the middle of site adjacent to the ocean as ESHA. 302
10April 16, 2024, City Council Meeting
303
Initiation Factors
1. The amendment proposed appears to be consistent with the Guiding Principles and Goals of the General Plan.
2. The amendment proposed appears to have no material effect on the community or the General Plan
or Specific Plan.
3. The amendment proposed provides additional public benefit to the community as compared to the existing
land use designation or policy.
4. Public facilities appear to be available to serve the affected site, or their provisions will be addressed
as a component of the amendment process.
5. The amendment proposed is required under other rules or regulations. 11April 16, 2024, Special City Council Meeting
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Recommendation
Adopt Resolution No. 24-___, entitled “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Goleta, California, Initiating the Processing of An Applicant-Requested General Plan Amendment to update Figure CE 4-1 and Figure OS 3.5 within the General Plan/Coastal Land Use Plan related to the resources located at 7925 Hollister Avenue (APN 079-210-059).
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Questions/Comments
13April 16, 2024, Special City Council Meeting
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