City of Gonzales
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: May 15, 2023
FROM: Taven Kinison Brown, Community Development Director THROUGH: Trevin W. Barber, City Manager
SUBJECT: Gloria Road Agricultural Cooler Annexation Project
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Gonzales City Council take the following actions:
• Receive the staff report;
• Open the public hearing;
• Close the public hearing; and
• Adopt Resolution No. 2023-15 “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Adopting the Gloria Road Agricultural Cooler Project Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2023030377) and Adopting the Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program (MMRP).”
• Adopt Resolution No. 2023-16 “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving Amendments to the City of Gonzales General Plan to Change Specific Land Use Designation and Waive the Requirement for a Specific Plan”. • Introduction and First Reading by Title Only of Ordinance No. 2023-137 “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving the Pre-zoning of the Gonzales Cooler Development Property to Industrial”
• Adopt Resolution No. 2023-17 “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving the Initiation of a 48.97-Acre Annexation Request for the Gloria Road Agricultural Cooler Project with the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)” AGENDA
ITEM
26 BACKGROUND
The Rianda property (APN: 223-032-019) is partially within the City limits of Gonzales and is included in its entirety in the 2010 Gonzales General Plan and was also included within the 2014 Sphere of Influence Expansion approved by LAFCO and is currently planned for both Highway Commercial and Neighborhood Residential as part of a designated Specific Plan Area. Rianda was formerly partnered with Puente del Monte Project Interests to develop a Specific Plan for integrated new neighborhoods according to the City’s General Plan. The Rianda Family Trust controlled 114 acres of the 585-acre project site. On or about April 2022 Rianda approached the City to process an application for an Agricultural Cooler on property owned by the Trust and executed a Reimbursement Agreement with the City of Gonzales to pursue a revised project separate from the planned Puente Del Monte project. The City then approved a contract with EMC for CEQA work and an agreement with Brent Slama Consulting to assist with planning services to facilitate the project entitlements and LAFCO processes. On January 12, 2023, the city received the updated Gonzales Cooler Development Project Description, and after review by internal departments and outside responsible public agencies, the project was determined to be considered complete by the City Planning Department on February 28, 2023.
The actions to be considered at the Public Hearing include the review of recommendations made by the Planning Commission to the City Council in order to take action on a number of items including certification of the Mitigated Negative Declaration under CEQA and adoption of a Mitigation Monitoring Program, a General Plan Amendment, Pre-Zoning by ordinance, and initiation of an application for annexation from the City to the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). In addition, in the context of these actions, the City Council will review the contingent approval of the Conditional Use Permit for the project by the Planning Commission to allow the eventual development and construction of the agricultural cooler and associated improvements upon annexation into the City of Gonzales.
Future actions that will be required beyond City Council pre-approval of the request include the submittal of the annexation request by the City of Gonzales, approval of the annexation request at a public hearing by LAFCO, compliance with Conditions of Approval, and Mitigation Measures and the applicant securing building permits through the plan check review process, leading to the construction of the facility.
PREVIOUS ACTION
On April 24, 2023, the Planning Commission held a noticed public hearing to consider recommendations to the City Council on the matter. After receiving the staff report and applicant presentation considering numerous questions on the matter, the Planning Commission voted 5-0 on five resolutions to recommend to the City Council adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Program under CEQA, approve Amendments to the General Plan to allow the project, recommended approval of prezoning, approved a Use Permit for the cooler contingent upon annexation, and recommended approval of the application for annexation to LAFCO. The Planning Commission Record including actions taken is included for the City Council to review as Attachment E.
REVIEW AND ANALYSIS
• Description
• CEQA Impacts
• General Plan Amendment
• Annexation
• Pre-zoning
• Project Zoning Conformance
• Key Conditions of Approval
Description
The proposed project description is included along with the report as Attachment G and includes the location of the project including all site plans, floor plans, and building elevations along with relevant maps and graphics indicating the annexation area, zoning, auxiliary uses, and other pertinent information related to the project. The proposed project to be ultimately built that requires all these necessary actions is an agricultural processing/cooler facility.
Location
The Rianda Family Partnership (Project Applicant) proposes the Gonzales Cooler agricultural support facility on 44.8 acres of its 103.54-acre property (APN 223-032-019) on the north side of Gloria Road as described in the application materials on file with the City (Cooler Project) and as shown on the site plan on file with the City (Project Site).
All sides of the project are currently surrounded by active agricultural uses. Potential future uses include Highway Commercial to the West, residential development to the northwest, and Specific Plan development to the east. South of the project is considered to be a permanent agricultural edge in accordance with the 2014 City/County Memorandum of Understanding.
Facility
The proposed project in Gonzales, as stated by the applicant, is a “313,800 square foot facility (243,800 square feet in base configuration with a 70,000 square foot future expansion) which will be planned on
44.8 acres of a 103.54-acre parcel. The facility will consist of approximately 210,000 square feet of raw product cold storage and processing lines where the produce will be cleaned, sized, packaged, and shipped, as well as approximately 33,800 square feet of office administration space and miscellaneous mechanical and storage rooms and shop areas.
As a necessary part of the packaging of the finished product, exterior storage of cardboard cartons will be required as part of the operation. The facility will utilize forklifts to move product in and around the facility on pallets. Ancillary improvements required as part of the facility shall include a check-in area when entering the site and fencing enclosing the entire perimeter of the facility as required by current food safety measures. Refrigeration equipment including ammonia engine rooms, condensing towers, and vacuum tubes will be utilized. Paved surfaces are required for truck traffic as well as fire department access and onsite parking for employees and visitors. Utility connections, landscaping, signage, lighting, trash enclosures, and a stormwater detention basin are all planned for this site to adhere to local and state requirements.”
Operations
As referenced in the project environmental document project description, “The facility will receive agricultural crops from nearby fields, where they will be cooled, processed and then shipped to customers.
The applicant is proposing the project in Gonzales because it is centrally located in the agricultural fields in the Salinas Valley where raw agricultural input crops are grown. The proposed project would replace the applicant’s existing agricultural processing/cooler facility now located in the City of Salinas agricultural-industrial corridor on Abbott Street. The existing facility would be closed, with those operations moved to the proposed Gonzales location. The scale/function of the existing operations in Salinas and the scale/functions of the proposed operations in Gonzales would be the same in terms of the number of processing lines and volume of product produce processed, number of and types/classifications of jobs, resource demand (e.g., water demand), etc.”
“During the peak season, the facility will employ approximately 436 residents over a 24-hour period and will see approximately 218 non-employee truck visits every 24 hours. During the off-season, the facility will employ approximately 80 employees per 24-hour period and will see approximately 3 non-employee truck visits per week. The facility also operates on a multiple shift schedule, so not all employees are on site at the same time. The most populous shift is the 5:00 AM- 2:00 PM shift during peak season, which generates 183 employee vehicle trips. The project’s proposed parking capacity is to accommodate the short period of time between shifts for smooth start-of-shift and end-of-shift transition.” General Project Information
Owner / Applicant: The Rianda Family Partnership
Property Address: 31958 Gloria Road Gonzales, CA 93926
Assessor Parcel Number: 223-032-019
General Plan Designation: Current: Neighborhood Residential / Proposed: Industrial Zoning District: Current: County Agricultural / Proposed: Industrial/Manufacturing CEQA Impacts
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that the lead agency (the City of Gonzales) first consider the environmental effects of a proposed project prior to approval of the project. The City retained EMC Planning to conduct the required environmental analysis under CEQA. On March 15, 2023, the Gloria Road Agricultural Cooler Project Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration was released for a 30-day public review, where interested governmental organizations and private parties could comment on the issues related to the project. The full document is provided with project application materials as Exhibit A to Resolution 2023-15. No environmental issues have been determined to be significant & unavoidable. Staff recommends that a Mitigated Negative Declaration be filed as conditioned by the proposed mitigation measures, and as such the project will not have a significant effect on the environment. The Initial Study covers many items, but the key issues covered and summarized are as follows:
Water
From the Initial Study document, “Water supply will be obtained from the City through its existing distribution system. However, there are no existing water mains available at the site. One of two potential alignments for an off-site main to connect the site to the existing system will be selected, along which a new main would be constructed as shown in Figure 12 of the Initial Study, Off-Site Water Distribution Main Location Options. One of the options shows the main extending west down Gloria Road, where it would be constructed under U.S. Highway 101 to the segment of existing Gloria Road and onwards to the point of interconnecting with the existing water system. It is assumed that a “jack and bore” construction method would be used to install the main under the highway. This method consists of using an auger to drill a horizontal borehole and to install piping within the bore as the boring progresses. The jack and bore system is commonly used to install pipelines under roads and railroad lines because it generally causes minimal disruption to the roadway/rail line and traffic/rail operations.
The second potential alignment is along the assumed plan line for extending the existing Herold Parkway through to Gloria Road from its existing terminus north and east of the project site. The proposed project would not trigger the need to construct the extension (of the Parkway); it would be constructed in the future once additional development occurs within the SOI. Consequently, if this optional water supply main location is selected, easements may be required from the owners of the properties through which the main would be constructed.”
In addition, the City commissioned a Water Supply Assessment to ensure that there is sufficient groundwater to handle this cooler project along with the anticipated residential development planned in Gonzales. The results of the study “demonstrates that sufficient groundwater physically exists in the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin to meet the needs of the Proposed Project, City, and other planned developments. Therefore, the proposed project would have a less-than-significant impact regarding the sufficiency of its water supply.”
Sewer/Stormwater
The project will require connection to the City wastewater system, which will then direct water to the City wastewater treatment plant. Per the narrative provided in the environmental document, “The applicant has estimated domestic (waste)water generation at an average of 5,750 gallons per day (gpd) based on the City’s 2019 Wastewater Master Plan generation rate of 1,000 gpd/per acre for light industrial uses. This equates to approximately 0.00575 million gallons per day (MGD). A wastewater main that connects to the City’s wastewater conveyance infrastructure system is located at Charolais Drive and Herold Parkway.
The applicant will be required to construct a tie-in from the site directly into this main.
Wastewater would be conveyed to the City’s existing municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWWTP), which is currently permitted to accept up to 1.3 MGD of wastewater, averaging over a month. The plant is currently operating at 1.1 MGD, leaving approximately 0.2 MGD per day of existing treatment capacity.
The City expects an increase in wastewater treatment demand over time, particularly as land within the SOI, including the project site, is developed. With an available capacity of 0.2 MGD and a projected demand of 0.00575 MGD, there is sufficient existing capacity at the MWWTP to serve the proposed project. Consequently, at this time, the proposed project would not result in the need to construct new wastewater treatment capacity improvements, the construction of which could result in environmental impacts.”
The project will generate approximately 85,000 gallons per day of collected process wastewater to be treated and reused. “After treating the wastewater onsite, the applicant proposes to pump, convey, store, and reuse the water for agricultural irrigation. A conveyance force main would extend onto the adjacent property on the east, which is owned by the applicant. From there, the main would turn south and cross under Gloria Road. An existing pipeline under the road would be used. The pipeline would extend onto the parcel of land on the south side of Gloria Road that is owned by the applicant, and discharge to a storage pond. The land is within unincorporated Monterey County and outside of the City’s SOI.
To store this water when monthly irrigation demand is lowest (and the required storage volume is highest), a lined, aerated storage pond 600 feet long, 300 feet wide and up to 15 feet deep with a capacity of about 42.7-acre feet (approximately 13.9 million gallons of water) must be constructed on the parcel south of Gloria Road. A portion of the proposed pond footprint incorporates an existing agricultural irrigation pond.”
As the aerated storage pond is land outside the City’s jurisdiction, the City will condition occupancy of the project upon completion of these improvements which will fall under the jurisdiction of Monterey County and the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board for permitting.
Transportation / Circulation
As part of the environmental review, the impacts on transportation were reviewed. “The applicant will be required to construct improvements along the project site frontage consistent with those standards. The applicant would be required to construct the north side of the section plus one travel lane and a shoulder on the south side of the centerline along the project frontage.
The existing two-lane road has about 24 feet of pavement and approximately 5-foot-wide shoulders on each side for a total width of about 34 feet (17 feet on each side of the centerline). The new cross section standards show an 81-foot improved road section. The applicant would be required to construct approximately 48 feet of new road section on the north side of the new centerline, such that an additional approximately 30-40 feet outside the existing shoulder along the project site frontage would be disturbed to construct the improvements. Interim improvements needed to “taper” the new north side improvements back to the existing paved road would also be needed to the west of the project site boundary. The segment of Gloria Road between the project site and U.S. Highway 101 would be improved to the full section standards as additional future development occurs within the SOI.
A transportation analysis was conducted for the proposed project. No improvements other than those proposed for Gloria Road were identified as necessary. The applicant will be required to pay traffic impact fees to fund the project contribution to offset demand for cumulative transportation improvements needed with future buildout of the SOI.”
Noise
The document addresses the potential impacts of noise created as a result of construction activities, truck trips on Gloria Road, and ultimate cooler operations. While impacts related to construction and trucks are considered less than significant along with any operational concerns to existing structures, the ongoing noise generated by the cooler project would have a significant future impact on residentially designated lands to the east, while lands to the north would be impacted by loading activities at night which would exceed established noise standards. Mitigation measures have been added that require noise attenuation on both the north and east sides of the property to address these issues and give the applicant choices to modify or screen noise-generating equipment, build noise attenuation walls at the property line upon future residential development, or modify hours of operation at the facility.
Hazardous Materials
The environmental document also covers in great detail the potential use of hazardous materials at the cooler site. These include materials such as ammonia, propane, lithium-ion batteries, diesel fuel, waste oil, battery acid, and cleaning solvents. Incidental cleaning and sanitation chemicals, including chlorine and citric acid, would be stored and used onsite to help meet food safety standards among others. “Anhydrous ammonia is the most fundamental hazardous material that will be used on the project site and given its potential to create risks to public health and safety, its potential effects were reviewed in greater detail. The proposed refrigeration system will use anhydrous ammonia as the coolant, which is typical for agricultural cooler projects in California. The system would be used for cold rooms, processing rooms, pressure cooler tunnels, chilled water generation, and glycol cooling. The refrigeration system must adhere to a range of local and state regulatory requirements to reduce the potential for accidental release during project operations. These regulatory programs include:
▪ Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA)’s Process Safety Management (29 CFR 1910.119 – PSM)
▪ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Risk Management Program (40 CFR Part 68 – RMP)
▪ California Accidental Release Prevention Program
All three programs require the applicant to conduct a Process Hazard Analysis to identify, assess the adequacy of engineering and administrative controls, quantify the risks associated with ammonia release, and develop recommendations to reduce the risk levels that are above acceptable levels. The Process Hazard Analysis process would involve the Gonzales Fire Department, Monterey County Health Department, contractors, refrigeration operators, the applicant, the project safety coordinator, and other stakeholders and would be conducted before ammonia is brought onsite.” Design features incorporated into the proposed ammonia system to minimize the risk of ammonia release and provide faster response should a release occur, include:
▪ Ammonia detection system;
▪ Refrigeration machinery room ventilation system;
▪ Emergency shut-down system;
▪ Diffusion tank and emergency control box (fire department box); and ▪ Industrial wastewater drain system.
Additional detail on ammonia and other potentially Hazardous Materials is located in the CEQA Document under Section 9, Hazards and Hazardous Materials.
Public Comment
At the close of the public comment period on April 13th, the city received four written comments. The comments are included in Exhibit C to Resolution 2023-15 along with City responses to the comments.
In summary, the comments and responses were as follows:
1. Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
2. Transportation Agency of Monterey County (TAMC)
3. California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
4. LandWatch Monterey County
LAFCO - LAFCO sought clarification of whether or not mitigation for converting farmland to nonagricultural use would be required for the project. Independent of this question, LAFCO stated that even though the City’s (then) draft agricultural mitigation ordinance exempts agricultural processing facilities and agricultural coolers from agricultural mitigation requirements, the City should expect that LAFCO will require such mitigation. LAFCO stated that a mitigation plan should be included in the annexation application to LAFCO. While the applicant is supportive of the City’s position on the matter, they have moved forward with a plan to formally offer agricultural mitigation for this project in anticipation of future LAFCO action.
TAMC - TAMC provided two comments that are germane to the content/analysis in the IS/MND: 1) inclusion of bicycle facilities on Gloria Road along the project frontage; and 2) the recommendation that electric vehicle charging stations be installed.
Regarding bicycle facilities, the ultimate planned Gloria Road cross-section includes bicycle and pedestrian facilities on Gloria Road. The IS includes a graphic showing this section. The applicant will be required to construct improvements along the project site frontage that are consistent with that crosssection. Regarding charging stations, the project includes 20 electric vehicle charging stations and 60 electric vehicle-ready parking spaces. Installing electric vehicle infrastructure is a regulatory requirement per the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards.
Caltrans - Caltrans recommended that the applicant develop a transportation demand management program to help reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT). Bicycle, pedestrian, and transit accessibility for project employees will be expanded in the future as land adjacent to the site is built out over time and connectivity improvements are made to support residential growth in those areas.
LandWatch - LandWatch commented that it could not find the proposed general plan amendment language in the IS/MND exempting the project from the requirement for a specific plan and suggests that the exception to the specific plan requirement be limited solely to the proposed project site. The City’s proposed general plan amendment language is addressed in the following section of this staff report.
General Plan Amendment to Industrial
The proposal to annex the property into the City Limits and construct the agricultural cooler will require a change to the Land Use Element in the 2010 Gonzales General Plan, as it currently has a designation of Neighborhood Residential, with an Industrial/Manufacturing land use designation immediately south of the Project Site across Gloria Road (See City General Plan Land Use Map, Pages II-25 and II-31). The Project Applicant is requesting that the City amend its General Plan to reflect an “Industrial/Manufacturing” land use designation on the 44.8 acre Project Site to allow the Gonzales Cooler agricultural support facility. State law permits up to four amendments to the General Plan a year.
The primary purpose of this designation is to define those areas that are appropriate for heavy industrial and manufacturing uses, the location of which may create land use conflicts with residential uses and schools. The emphasis is on agricultural services, but other types of industry compatible with the policies in the General Plan are encouraged. The designation permits industrial parks, light manufacturing, warehousing, wineries, auto and farm equipment sales or repair establishments, feed stores, lumberyards, construction supply companies, and similar and compatible uses. Compatible highway-serving uses like gas stations, restaurants, motels, and truck stops are permitted in this area. The maximum permitted Floor Area Ratio is 0.5. The designation has been applied to 469 acres of land in Gonzales, including 325 acres of land west of Highway 101 and 144 acres of land east of Highway 101. This designation is also used in the urban reserve area.
Current General Plan requirements for annexations to the City of Gonzales necessitate the prior approval of a Specific Plan for the area. However, in assessing this General Plan Amendment, it is important to note that Project Site is contiguous to the existing City limits and is for a single site-specific well-defined use. The Project is not creating a new residential neighborhood that would be developed under a Specific Plan, which Specific Plan would set forth orderly development of an entire neighborhood with associated public and community uses consistent with the approved Neighborhood Design Guidelines and Standards and Community Character policies. In this case, the Project Application sets forth the site-specific development standards and parameters with regard to the development of the Project Site. A specific plan would not be appropriate for this type of project nor is necessary given the single-use nature of the project with all the required infrastructure improvements to serve it built in a single phase. All conditions of approval, mitigation measures, on- and off-site infrastructure requirements, and exactions can be identified and considered through the typical Use Permit process, as has been done for other similar facilities present within the City Limits located in the Gonzales Industrial Park. The proposed language is written and included in Exhibit A to Resolution 2023-16 that “a Specific Plan is not required for the annexation of new site-specific, single-phase, non-residential uses contiguous to the City limits meeting the City’s development standards, subject to discretionary approval.” Specific Plans for all future residential projects and multi-phase commercial or industrial projects proposing annexation will continue to remain an important part of the Gonzales General Plan moving forward and for example, will still certainly be required for the proposed Vista Lucia and Puente del Monte projects.
In 2014 the City and County entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) regarding future annexation of property east of the City, and LAFCO adopted an updated Sphere of Influence (SOI) including the Project Site, which Agreement recognized the importance of the Industrial/Manufacturing land use designation, and its associated jobs south of Gloria Road, but also recognized the City’s desire to create an urban growth boundary south of Gloria Road.
The primary reasons to recommend the change in land use designation to Industrial/Manufacturing and support the City’s desire to annex the 44.8-acre Project Site into the City is to meet the City’s need to continue to create jobs, take advantage of the close proximity of the existing Industrial/Manufacturing land use designation immediately south of Gloria Road, and utilize the proximity of the Gloria Road/Highway 101 interchange. For these reasons, the proposed project meets a number of identified City objectives and policy commitments.
The specific proposed amendments to the Tables, Figures and Text are attached as Exhibit A to Resolution 2023-16 and cover the package of map changes, specific table changes, and all text changes within the document to ensure internal consistency in all cases. In addition, all amendments must be supported by findings that the amendment is in the public interest, consistent with the rest of the General Plan, and not detrimental to public health, safety, and welfare. Support for these changes with existing General Plan policies is indicated further in the report. These required findings are included in the supporting resolution under consideration. The result of the collective changes would have the following impacts:
1) Re-designation of the 44.8 Acres from Neighborhood Residential or Public/Quasi Public to Industrial/Manufacturing on all relevant General Plan maps. 2) Introduce language that removes the requirement for this project or like projects to be in a Specific Plan prior to annexation.
3) Change tables and text to reflect accurate acreages and job and residential projections because of the change.
The impact of the amendment to the land use designation would in effect decrease the size of the anticipated Puente Del Monte Specific Plan project that would come forward to the city and reduce the capacity for residential lands. However, given the other opportunities presented in the General Plan, sufficient capacity remains to accommodate residential growth during the General Plan horizon and the 6 th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) cycle between 2023-2031. In addition, this project will certainly result in amendments to the proposed Puente Del Monte Specific Plan to the east in the future that may reduce existing industrial acreage while increasing residential capacity to accommodate this project.
General Plan Objectives and Policies Supporting General Plan Amendment Support for the General Plan Amendment is contained in the following chapters and policies within the General Plan document:
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION:
“As the name implies, the plan is general in nature. It provides broad policies for development rather than site-specific instructions on where and how to build. The document is specific enough to guide growth but flexible enough to allow for adjustments at a site-specific level.” (pg. I-2) CHAPTER II: LAND USE
“The Gonzales 2010 General Plan adds approximately 4,280 acres of potentially developable land to the existing City of approximately 1,200 acres, which represent approximately more land than needed to accommodate urban development at rates projected by AMBAG.” (pg. II-16) [Amending the existing residential land use designation on the 44.8-acre Project Site to “Industrial/Manufacturing” does not impede the City’s ability to meet its AMBAG numbers]. “There is also a strong interest in attracting jobs, as well as housing, to the community. Because of its location and cheaper land prices, Gonzales is vulnerable to becoming a bedroom community for Salinas and the Monterey Peninsula. This would probably result in City expenses increasing faster than the local tax base and could strain local services. To be competitive in attracting business, Gonzales needs industrially and commercially designated land, as well as additional water and sewer capacity.” (pg. II-16 &17)
“Because the land supply exceeds projected growth demand, it is important that new development is phased and allowed only if contiguous with existing development or located within a new neighborhood developed under a Specific Plan that sets forth orderly development consistent with the approved Neighborhood Design Guidelines and Standards and Community Character policies” (pg. II-18).
“AMBAG also projects employment for cities and counties in the Monterey Bay Area. The number of jobs in the Gonzales area is projected by AMBAG to increase from approximately 1,063 in 2010 to 1,324 in 2035. This employment projection is at substantial variance from the projections of this General Plan; the 310 jobs that AMBAG says will be added over the course of 25 years does little more than account for the number of new jobs that would be created by the school district and the City to accommodate new development. A total of approximately 5,400 jobs could be accommodated by this General Plan at buildout if commercial and industrial designated land is utilized up to 80 percent.” (pg. II-19)
“Most of the City's near-term employment growth is anticipated in the industrial area west of Alta Street and north of Gonzales River Road. A variety of businesses are accommodated there, including both agriculturally related and non-agriculturally related enterprises. In the longer term, the north and south interchanges are envisioned as accommodating highway-oriented commercial uses, as well as industrial uses.” (pg. II-35)
Policy LU-1.1 Jobs/Housing Balance
Promote a balance between housing growth and job growth. Encourage the provision of housing at a pace that keeps up with job growth in the City.
Conversely, encourage the creation of jobs at a pace that keeps up with housing growth in the City (pg. II49) Implementing Action LU-1.1.1 – Land Use Assignments. Designate land that can support a mix of different housing types and a mix of different job types consistent with the land use assignments outlined in the section entitled: “Land Use Concept” above. (pg. II-49) Industrial Development
Goal LU-8: A larger and more diversified industrial base Policy LU-8.1: Reserve Land for Job Generation
Designate land in the vicinity of the north and south Highway 101 interchanges for commercial and industrial uses in order to accommodate the City’s long-term job needs. (pg. II-60) Implementing Action LU-8.1.1 – Maintain Highway Commercial and Industrial Designations at north and south Interchanges. Avoid amendments to the Land Use Diagram that would reduce the amount of highway commercial, business park, light industrial, and/or industrial/manufacturing land available in the vicinity of the north and south Highway 101 interchanges. (pg. II-60) Implementing Action LU-8.3.4 – Agricultural Industry. Utilize the Gonzales Redevelopment Agency and other resources to promote and support the expansion of existing agricultural industries within the City of Gonzales (pg. II-61)
CHAPTER III: CIRCULATION
Truck Traffic (and Parking) on Local Streets
“Most Gonzales industries depend on trucks to import and export produce and other goods. Trucks pose special concerns due to their size, weight, and noise. They accelerate slowly, use large amounts of road space, have wide turning radii, break down pavement due to their weight, and make more noise due to their larger engines and braking devices. In Gonzales, the presence of trucks on residential streets is a concern, particularly in the northwest part of town (where trucks may park for extended periods) and on Fifth Street, which is used by trucks coming from and going to Highway 101. This General Plan update addresses this problem by locating new industrial uses in the vicinity of Highway 101/Alta Street and Highway 101/Gloria Road Interchanges.” (pg. III-17)
CHAPTER IV: HOUSING
Table IV-21 shows housing potential by affordability category for the prototypical neighborhoods in the Sphere of Influence (SOI). These areas provide additional capacity in the future for residential development but are not needed to accommodate the City’s RHNA for this Housing Element planning period. (pg. IV-46)
CHAPTER VI: CONSERVATION AND OPEN SPACE
“Gonzales has also followed this approach, directing future development to the less productive soils east of the city, and included policies in this element that encourage growth that is either contiguous to the existing city or is located within a new neighborhood developed under a Specific Plan, which sets forth orderly development consistent with the approved Neighborhood Design Guidelines and Standards and Community Character policies.” (pg. VI -23)
Implementing Action COS-4.1.6 – Phased Development. Phase development in an orderly, contiguous manner to maintain a compact development pattern and avoid premature farmland conversion or interference with farm operations. New development should be either contiguous to the existing city or located within a new neighborhood developed under a Specific Plan, which sets forth orderly development consistent with the approved Neighborhood Design Guidelines and Standards and Community Character policies. (pg. VI-47)
Policy COS-4.2 – Permanent Agricultural Edge. Establish permanent agricultural edges in the vicinity of Associated Lane to the northwest, Gloria Road to the southeast, and Gonzales River Road to the west, to preserve adjoining agricultural activities. (pg. VI-47) CHAPTER VII – COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Implementing Action FS-1.1.4 – Support Economic Development. Place priority on public service and facility improvements that support the city's economic development goals, including the retention and expansion of business in Downtown Gonzales, the Gonzales Shopping Center, and the city’s existing industrial areas, and the development of new retail businesses and industrial uses at locations designated by the General Plan. (pg. VII-22)
CHAPTER XI: IMPLEMENTATION
C. Use and Amendment of the Plan:
“Once adopted, the General Plan does not remain static. State law permits up to four Plan amendments each year, but any number of changes can be included in each of the four amendments (Government Code Section 65358 (b)). Both the plan diagrams and the plan text may be amended. In the latter case, the city may determine that it is necessary to revise portions of the text to reflect changing circumstances or philosophies. Because the requirement for internal consistency is never relaxed, care must be taken to ensure that amendments maintain consistency with text and diagrams in all plan elements. Moreover, all amendments must be supported by findings that the amendment is in the public interest, consistent with the rest of the General Plan, and not detrimental to public health, safety, and welfare.” (pg. XI-9) In conclusion, for these reasons identified, staff recommends these changes to the Gonzales General Plan to accommodate the Gloria Road Agricultural Cooler project.
Tribal Consultation Requirements
SB 18, adopted in 2004 requires that the City of Gonzales refer the proposed action to California Native American tribes, as specified, prior to the adoption or amendment of a city’s general plan. The city shall provide opportunities for involvement and conduct consultations with California Native American tribes for the purpose of preserving specified places, features, and objects that are located within the city’s jurisdiction. AB 52 is also similar legislation that applies to CEQA documents which also applies in this case. The City initiated a formal request for consultation in December of 2022, however, no tribal responses were sent to the City of Gonzales regarding this project.
Annexation
Annexation is the formal process required to bring the property into the City. The project is within the Gonzales Sphere of Influence, and development of the property is consistent with the City/County MOA signed in 2014. It is important to note that the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) has the ultimate decision authority to consider and approve the annexation; however, the Planning Commission will be taking action to recommend that the City Council initiate the annexation application. Having the City as the applicant for the project carries greater weight with LAFCO and is an official determination that the City is on the record to want to assume the property into its city limits. All City project approvals must be contingent upon annexation approval by LAFCO.
As part of the requirements to submit to LAFCO, the application requires significant information to evaluate the proposal. These requirements are summarized here and should be considered in the Planning Commission’s recommendation to the City Council.
Plan For Services
A Plan for Providing Services is required in order for LAFCO to evaluate if the city can bring the necessary services to the annexation area. This includes the required upgrading of infrastructure, if necessary, and ensuring that these improvements can be financed and maintained over time. Items that LAFCO reviews include sewer service and capacity, fire protection and emergency medical services, water service, flood control, law enforcement, circulation, and parks and recreation. The draft Plan for Services is included as Exhibit B to Resolution 2023-17.
Ag Mitigation
LAFCO has an adopted policy for the Preservation of Open Space and Agricultural Lands. In addition, the City of Gonzales is currently in the process of adopting its own local Agricultural Mitigation Ordinance. The first reading of the Ordinance was held on April 3, 2023 and the ordinance was adopted by the City Council on April 17, 2023. Preservation is also addressed in the City/County MOA adopted in 2014. While the local ordinance will exempt value-added agricultural support uses such as coolers from agricultural mitigation requirements and is consistent with draft proposals for a County-wide ordinance on the topic, LAFCO has no such exemption policy for agricultural facilities and has submitted written correspondence to the City of Gonzales requesting mitigation consistent with adopted LAFCO policies. As a result of not wanting to prolong the LAFCO hearing process and in response to their comment letter, the applicant has proposed to voluntarily place an agricultural easement on 44.8 acres of lands that it owns south of Gloria Road on Parcel 257-021-021, to be used in the City’s efforts to create a Permanent Agricultural Edge along the south side of Gloria Road, which will ensure that urban uses are not extended beyond this boundary. This will be completed prior to the completion of the annexation to the City of Gonzales. Staff has reviewed the preliminary proposal and determines it meets the intent of the City ordinance, even when not applying any possible exception language.
This proposal also fully meets the requirements in the 2014 City/County MOA for annexations related to size, soil type, and location as identified in Section 6.3.1. The proposed offer of dedication, which is included in Attachment F, provides a full 1:1 mitigation with comparable soil types related to prime agricultural lands and lands of statewide significance and is located completely within the area on which the County and LAFCO desire to “establish a permanent agricultural edge for the purpose of maintaining a clearly defined north and south boundary between the urbanized incorporated areas of City and the agricultural areas within the unincorporated County.” For these reasons, it is intended that this proposal also meets the LAFCO adopted policy for the preservation of Open-Space and Agricultural Lands.
In addition, the action to annex the 44.8-acre cooler site into the City of Gonzales will result in a remainder of 33.78 acres of the existing parcel remaining in unincorporated Monterey County with agricultural zoning. After preliminary discussions with Monterey County LAFCO, it was determined that since the lands were expected to remain in agriculture until a Specific Plan would be considered in the future, it would be best to remain in the County.
Jobs/Housing Policies
LAFCO also looks at issues related to jobs/housing balance and wants to ensure that the project will meet regional goals. From the LAFCO policy, “Proposals must demonstrate through both quantitative and qualitative methods the relationship between the Proposal and the surplus or deficiency of local and county-wide housing supply and demand, and employment availability and creation. Additionally, the Proposal must demonstrate how its pattern of land use and transportation complements local and regional objectives and goals for the improvement of air quality and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and local vehicle miles traveled (VMT). These factors and their impacts, if any, shall be considered by the Commission in acting upon the Proposal.”
The proposed project would relocate current operations to a location that will be on average closer to the fields where the crops are harvested. It is anticipated that GHG and VMT will be reduced, and more jobs will be available in South County and Gonzales specifically, which needs additional employment, per the most recent AMBAG Regional Growth Forecast. Staff is of the opinion that this proposal meets LAFCO’s current policy requirements.
Fiscal Analysis
LAFCO also requires that the project evaluate the provision of government services to the area proposed to be annexed to ensure that the City has adequate capacity to provide such services. In anticipation of the project, the City contracted with Willdan Financial Services to perform a financial analysis of the multiple areas to be considered for annexation. The resulting document is the Gonzales Sphere of Influence Fiscal Impact Analysis. As it related to the Rianda cooler project, the analysis projects that the City will receive $72,664 in annual revenue with $46,146 in expenses, resulting in a surplus of $26,518 per year and is included as Attachment G. This is consistent with the general trend that job-generating land uses result in positive financial impacts to cities.
Pre-Zoning
As part of the action to consider the project and annex the property into the City of Gonzales, both the City and LAFCO require that an ordinance be adopted by the City Council indicating the “pre-zoning” for the area to be annexed. This pre-zoning designation would then be applied to the official zoning map of the City upon certification of the annexation and would take immediate effect.
The purpose of pre-zoning is for the City and LAFCO to determine the impact that would occur upon annexation of lands, the conversion of lands from their existing uses, and the potential impact of future development based on the zoning changes. Pre-zoning in this case to “Industrial” is necessary to conditionally approve the cooler use upon annexation, since it is the only zone under the Gonzales Municipal Code that will allow that type of use. As stated per the Municipal Code, “the intent of the industrial (I) district is to provide areas for general industrial, manufacturing, wholesale, and service uses needed by the city and region subject to regulation necessary to protect other nearby uses from hazards, noise, and other disturbances.”
Project Zoning Conformance with Industrial Standards
The proposed cooler project will need to be compliant with the Industrial Zoning Designation that would be applied to it upon annexation. These include typical items such as Lot Area, Floor Area Ratio, and Maximum Lot Coverage, in the following table.
Standard Requirement Project
Minimum Lot Area 10,000 square feet 1,951,488 SF (44.8 Acres) Floor Area Ratio 0.5 0.16
Maximum Lot Coverage 90% 0.16
Minimum Lot Width 50 Feet 1270 Feet
Maximum Height 50 Feet 39 Feet
Minimum Setbacks:
Front 20 Feet 183 Feet
Side 10 Feet 424 Feet & 504 Feet
Rear 10 Feet 233 Feet +
Parking Required 1 space / 1,000 square feet of
gross area (314 Spaces)
400 Vehicle / 55 Truck Parking
Loading Spaces 1 space / 20,000 square feet of
gross area (16 Spaces)
26 (+18 For Expansion)
Landscaping
The applicant has submitted a preliminary landscape plan, which is intended to improve the aesthetic appearance of the project frontage at Gloria Road and meet Municipal Code requirements. These landscape areas are specifically required between the area of Gloria Road and the parking lot. The minimum landscape area for industrial projects is 10% of the net lot area. In addition, there is a tree requirement of one tree for every four parking spaces. In addition, the applicant has stated that the plan is expected to use minimal water with native trees and grasses which will not need irrigation when mature.
As a new project over 2,500 square feet, the project is required to comply with the City’s state-mandated Water Efficiency Landscape Ordinance (WELO).
The Community Development Department, as a condition of approval, will approve the final landscaping plans to ensure consistency. Items to be addressed concern the allowed number of uninterrupted spaces, overall tree counts, and percentage of space given the exceedingly large size of the subject property.
Stormwater
Conformance with State stormwater requirements has become a significant part of planning projects in the last few years. Given the large amount of impervious surface proposed on the project site, the applicant is proposing an internal storm drain system that flows to a basin located on the western edge of the property. This linear basis along the property edge would then flow into a basin on the southwest corner of the property. As a condition of approval, the stormwater retention system will need to be properly sized and designed to meet all local and regional permitting requirements related to the City’s stormwater permit. The applicant has provided a Tier 4 Preliminary Stormwater Control Plan, which is included in the Project Description section for review.
Lighting
Significant lighting is required to illuminate all exterior areas of the site, including employee parking, entry-exist drives, the outdoor break area, the processing yard, and truck parking and loading areas. The applicant has prepared an exterior lighting schedule and a photometric plan showing fixture number, type and locations, and lighting intensity. All 56 planned lights would be placed on 20-foot standards.
Architectural Design Review
In addition to the zoning standards, the city of Gonzales has adopted "Industrial District Design Guidelines" by resolution in order to further protect the public health, safety and welfare and to contribute to a positive living and working environment within the city. The city’s intent is that the principles set forth in the "Industrial District Design Guidelines" shall be incorporated to the maximum feasible extent in all new development in the industrial zoning district.
The project elevations and building design have been included in the application package under Section 4.
The design of the building represents the modern agricultural industrial buildings typically found throughout the Salinas Valley, with additional attention paid to the office side of the property that faces the public views on Gloria Road.
Review of Key Conditions of Approval
As is standard with projects of this size and scope, there are a number of Conditions of Approval that are applicable to the project in order to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the community, and to ensure that certain items of interest to the community including key infrastructure are completed as a part of the project prior to the occupancy of the facility. The full list of Conditions of Approval is included with the Use Permit document, which is included in Attachment F. The Use Permit was approved by the Planning Commission on April 24, 2023, fully contingent upon annexation to the City of Gonzales. While many of these conditions are standard with all construction projects, there are a few that are specific to this project and are discussed in greater detail here, and the City Council needs to analyze the proposed use permit and conditions while considering the other approvals required to allow the project to occur.
COA #1 – Contingent on Annexation - It has been stated earlier, but all project approvals are ultimately contingent upon annexation approval by the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) and any condition that has a timing requirement will be based on the date annexation becomes official, not the date of project approval by the City Council.
COA #4 - California Code – Green Building Standards (CalGreen). Owners and/or successor-in-interest shall comply with all of the applicable non-residential mandatory measures contained in Chapter 5 of the 2022 California Code of Green Building Standards (‘CalGreen”); California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 11.
COA #5 – Greenhouse Gases - Prior to the issuance of building permits for the proposed project, the applicant shall prepare a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Plan. The GHG Reduction Plan shall demonstrate, with substantial evidence, that GHG emissions will be reduced to the year 2030 service population threshold of significance of 0.64 MT CO2e per year per service population. This would require that the project emissions of 1,960.4 MT CO2e per year be reduced by 1,678.60 MT CO2e per year to 281.80 MT CO2e per year.
The GHG Reduction Plan shall prioritize on-site GHG reduction design features and/or other projectspecific measures. One such on-site measure that shall be included is to meet the voluntary Tier 2 electric vehicle performance standards for non-residential development included in effect at the time a building permit is issued (currently the 2022 California Green Building Code). For projects with 201 or more parking spaces, 20 percent of the total must be electric vehicle capable spaces, and 25 percent of the electric vehicle capable spaces must include electric vehicle supply equipment.
In addition to one or more of the on-site project design/project-specific measures, the applicant may include in the Reduction Plan and take credit for GHG reductions resulting from making direct investments in off-site GHG reduction activities/programs in the vicinity. Examples of direct investments include building retrofit programs that pay for cool roofs, solar panels, solar water heaters, smart meters, energy efficient lighting energy efficient windows, and insulation. Other examples include financing programs for installing electric vehicle charging stations, electrifying school buses, and/or planting local urban forests.
COA #9 - Development Impact Fees. Owner/Applicant shall pay all Development Impact Fees as set forth in Chapter 1.48 of the Gonzales City Code at the time and in the manner set forth in the Code.
Impact fees may be subject to credits or a reimbursement agreement for facilities constructed by the applicant that are part of the impact fee program. Such fees are subject to an annual adjustment to reflect the percentage change in the construction cost index for San Francisco as of December 1 of the previous year as reported by "Engineering News-Record".
School Facilities Impact Fees payable to the Gonzales Unified School District (GUSD) and Regional Transportation Impact Fees payable to the Transportation Agency of Monterey County (TAMC) are due at the time of issuance of a building permit.
COA #11 - Outdoor Storage. - Outdoor storage of packaging materials including pallets of collapsed cardboard boxes, plastic bags, and other similar items used during the packaging processes may be stored on the site only within the areas designated for such storage on the approved Site Plan Permit. All such storage shall be maintained within the confines of a fenced yard. This area shall be kept in a clean and organized manner and any debris escaping from the enclosure onto other portions of the site or adjoining properties shall be promptly removed. The City shall reserve authority through this condition, to require the Owners and/or successor-in-interest to install tall landscape screening around the designated storage yard if usage of the yard is determined at any point in time to create adverse conditions for the adjoining properties.
COA #15 - Reimbursement of City Costs. - The Owner/Applicant shall reimburse the City of Gonzales for all engineering, inspection, legal, planning, and administrative expenses, included or to be incurred by the City in connection with the Project, including expenses incurred through the use of outside consultants and inspectors, where necessary, at the rates applicable at the time of billing.
COA #38 – Process Water – Monterey County and other regulatory agencies support the reuse of wash water to assist in reducing overall consumption. The applicant has proposed the enlargement of a basin on applicant-owned property south of Gloria Road. Since this property is not in the City or annexation area, a condition of approval will be placed on the project prohibiting occupancy of the cooler project until the City has received completed permits from the Owner/Applicant for project-related Industrial Wastewater Improvements from the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the County of Monterey Health Department consenting to and permitting the enlarged pond.
COA #46 – Gloria Road Improvements - The existing two-lane road has about 24 feet of pavement and approximately 5-foot-wide shoulders on each side for a total width of about 34 feet (17 feet on each side of the centerline). The new cross section standards show an 81-foot improved road section. The applicant would be required to construct approximately 48 feet of new road section on the north side of the new centerline, such that an additional approximately 30-40 feet outside the existing shoulder along the project site frontage would be disturbed to construct the improvements. Interim improvements needed to “taper” the new north side improvements back to the existing paved road would also be needed to the west of the project site boundary. In order to accommodate this expanded right-of-way, the applicant will be required to make the necessary dedication of land as they control the property on both sides of the current right-ofway.
COA #47 – Herold Parkway Dedication – The Owner/Applicant shall irrevocably offer to dedicate 80’ of right-of-way to the City of Gonzales for the future construction of the extension of Herold Parkway from the northern edge of the property to the future intersection of Gloria Road.
COA #56 - On-Site Landscaping. - At the time Improvement Plans are submitted, the Owner/Applicant shall submit a detailed landscape/irrigation plan and specifications for areas on-site for review and approval by the Director of Community Development and the Director of Public Works, providing details, per City standard of ground cover, shrubs, and trees proposed on-site and within parking areas (GCC §12.120.070(C) and §12.120.100 (B through F)). The landscape plan shall include a separate table for each calculation demonstrating compliance with required ratios or percentages of landscaping, site coverage, etc. Prior to the issuance of a Final Certificate of Occupancy, the Owner/Permittee shall cause the installation of all on-site landscaping and irrigation improvements.
COA #58 and #59 – Noise Attenuation –Noise levels would exceed City standards at a distance of about 750 feet from the activity area center, or approximately 350 feet beyond the eastern facility fence line.
Consequently, there is potential that if noise sensitive uses are planned within 350 feet of the eastern facility fence line, they could be exposed to noise levels that exceed City standards. A mitigation measure is required that would reduce this potential impact to less than significant. Options to address this include either, constructing a soundwall to a minimum height of 8.5‐feet, incorporate industrial types of sound attenuating enclosures, sound absorbing materials, or other appropriate localized sound attenuation measures to reduce noise levels at/near the individual processing equipment noise sources or redesign the project site plan to locate noise‐producing equipment further from the eastern property line (e.g., along the south side of the facility).
In addition to the eastern edge, the northern property edge exceeds limits during late evening hours when loading activities are scheduled to take place. Therefore, a condition will be required that the applicant either construct an 8.5-foot soundwall along the northern fence line (parcel boundary) or eliminate loading dock activities between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The condition to build soundwalls will take effect upon the construction of residential uses on the adjacent properties.
COA #60 – Hazardous Materials/Fire Safety. - Location and storage of combustible materials shall be in compliance with the Fire Code and shall be checked and approved by the Fire Marshal. All hazardous materials storage and disposal shall be accomplished in accordance with the Monterey County Health Department and applicable local, State, and federal agency guidelines and requirements and shall be subject to inspection by the Fire Marshal or Public Safety Director. Prior to the issuance of any temporary and/or Final Certificate of Occupancy for the entire Project, or a portion thereof:
a. Provide to the Fire Marshal for review and acceptance a copy of the Monterey County Health Department approved Hazardous Materials Management Plan (HMMP); b. Provide a Hazardous Material Inventory Statement (HMIS) for review and acceptance by the Fire Marshal;
c. Install Knox Box key access to any portions of the site that will be located behind locked gates and to the main access doorway of all buildings which may be necessary to access during emergencies in accordance with the requirements of the Fire Marshal. d. Install a fire sprinkler system throughout the building, including a Post Indicator Valve. Install an alarm and warning system in association with the fire sprinkler system per the requirements of the Public Safety Director and/or Fire Marshal.
e. Submit a plan for street numbering for review and approval by the Public Safety Director and/or Fire Marshal. All entrances from the street to the building shall be properly numbered so that the number may be readily seen from the street. Numerals shall be at least 4” and shall be of a highly contrasting color to the background (e.g., black numerals on a white background).
COA #63 - Diversion of Commercial Solid Waste (Recycling) - Prior to the issuance of a temporary and/or Final Certificate of Occupancy, the Owner/Applicant shall cause the preparation of a comprehensive recycling and waste management plan for the project site. The content and implementation measures of the Plan shall conform to guidelines promulgated by the City of Gonzales.
The plan shall include, but not be limited to, a program for implementing waste prevention activities and providing adequate containers for recyclable materials (e.g., paper, plastic, glass, metal, and cardboard).
Preparation of the Plan shall be coordinated with the City's Recycling Coordinator and reviewed and approved by the Coordinator and the Director of Community Development.
How Recommendation Supports the Vision
Gonzales will continue to be a safe, clean, family-friendly community, diverse in its heritage, and committed to working collaboratively to preserve and retain its small-town charm.
Explain: Annexation and construction of the Cooler project will provide additional employment opportunities, and promotes a sustainable agricultural industry while creating a southern agricultural edge for the city to ensure that it keeps its small-town character.
Explain how the Recommendation Directly Implements the Mission The City Council and Staff of the City of Gonzales will realize our Vision by providing the leadership, commitment, and resources necessary to provide excellent services that enhance the quality of life of our diverse community. X Yes ____ No____ N/A
Explain: The development of a strong industrial base will positively support the City’s General Fund on an annual basis, ensuring that the City can improve the quality of life services that are provided to the community.
City services will be delivered in a cost-effective, respectful and friendly manner to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents and the promotion of business, recreational, housing and employment opportunities in an environmentally sustainable manner. X Yes ____No ____ N/A Explain: See above.
Strong fiscal policies allow us to provide appropriate infrastructure for:
• Public Safety Yes No X N/A
• Housing Yes No X N/A
• Recreation Yes No X N/A
• Environment Yes No X N/A
• Education Yes No X N/A
ALTERNATIVES
The City Council is responsible under Section 12.12.060 of the City Code to hear and take recommendations from the Planning Commission on certain CEQA documents, general plan amendments, pre-zonings and annexations.
While staff is recommending full approval of the project as outlined in the staff report, should the City Council have any concerns it may take a number of alternative actions. - Approve the project with additional conditions of approval to address certain issues that arose at the public hearing or to address specific concerns about the project.
- Request additional information regarding the project prior to making a decision which would result in a continuation of the public hearing to a future date. - Denial of the project. Any action to deny the project would have to be supported by specific written findings outlining the reasons the proposed project would negatively impact the health, safety and welfare of the City and its residents.
BUDGET IMPACTS
According to the report completed by Willdan Financial Services related to the Rianda cooler project, it is projected that the City will receive $72,664 in annual revenue with $46,146 in expenses, resulting in a surplus of $26,518 per year. Additionally, the City would receive one-time revenues associated with permit fees and an anticipated $4,507,251 in one-time development impact fees (adjusted for any credits for identified improvements constructed by the applicant) upon full build-out of the project to offset the capital construction costs to accommodate future growth in the City of Gonzales.
CONCLUSION
The Gloria Road Agricultural Cooler Annexation Project represents an opportunity for Gonzales to expand its industrial capacity and continue in its support of the agricultural industry that has been such a significant part of the community since before incorporation. By allowing for the annexation and construction of the facility, along with the required conditions of approval, the project will positively support the General Fund, provide upgrades to Gloria Road, address other infrastructure needs in the City, and meet several City goals and policies outlined in the General Plan.
Therefore staff recommends full approval of the project and that the City Council take all the associated actions outlined in this staff report, including the following:
• Adopt Resolution No. 2023-15 “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Adopting the Gloria Road Agricultural Cooler Project Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2023030377) and Adopting the Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program (MMRP).”
• Adopt Resolution No. 2023-16 “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving Amendments to the City of Gonzales General Plan to Change Specific Land Use Designation and Waive the Requirement for a Specific Plan”. • Introduction and First Reading by Title Only of Ordinance No. 2023-137 “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving the Pre-zoning of the Gonzales Cooler Development Property to Industrial”
• Adopt Resolution No. 2023-17 “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving the Initiation of a 48.97-Acre Annexation Request for the Gloria Road Agricultural Cooler Project with the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)” Public Notice
The applicant’s request for the approval of the Cooler project and all related entitlements has been processed per the City's Zoning Ordinance requirements per Chapter 12.28 as follows: a) An application has been received and accepted by the City of Gonzales for processing; b) A Public Hearing Notice was published in the Salinas Valley Tribune on May 3, 2023; c) Public Hearing Notices were mailed to all property owners within 300'-0" of the site. A certification of mailing is on file at the Planning Department; d) Notice of the Hearing was placed on the City website and City social media pages and e) a public hearing was conducted by the City Council to consider the request on May 15, 2023 and members of the public were invited to comment and all comments were considered by the City Council prior to its decision on the request.
Attachments:
1. (A) Resolution No. 2023-15
2. (B) Resolution No. 2023-16
3. (C) Ordinance No. 2023-137
4. (D) Resolution No. 2023-17
5. (E) Planning Commission Actions on Resolutions - April 24, 2023
6. (F) Conditional Use Permit No. 2023-02
7. (G) Gonzales Cooler Development Project Description
8. (H) Agricultural Mitigation Exhibit
9. (I) Excerpt from Willdan Sphere of Influence Fiscal Impact Analysis