ORDINANCE NO. 2025-148
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GONZALES
APPROVING THE PRE-ZONING OF THE VISTA LUCIA SPECIFIC PLAN PROJECT
AREA TO ZONING DISTRICTS AS DESIGNATED IN THE VISTA LUCIA SPECIFIC PLAN
WHEREAS, the adopted City of Gonzales 2010 General Plan defines and designates certain lands for urban growth and development within areas designated by the General Plan; and WHEREAS, the City of Gonzales and the County of Monterey developed, adopted, and signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in 2014, incorporated herein by reference, to cooperate on common planning, growth, and development issues; and WHEREAS, the MOA established planning principles for both parties to promote logical and orderly development, to direct development away from the best agricultural lands, to stay within the urban growth boundary established by the City’s General Plan and the MOA, and to provide compact urban form development through the use of specific plans; and WHEREAS, the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission (“LAFCo”) is the agency with jurisdiction over Sphere of Influence (SOI) amendments and reorganizations of boundaries within Monterey County; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Gonzales conducted a noticed public hearing on March 10th, 2025 and recommended to the City Council that the City proceed to apply to LAFCo for reorganization, including annexation of approximately 771 acres of property (“Subject Property”) to the city, which requires that the City of Gonzales pre-zone the subject property; and
WHEREAS, on September 2nd, 2025, the City Council conducted a noticed public hearing to consider initiating the pre-zoning of the property, and considered the staff report and oral report for this item; and
WHEREAS, notice of the public hearing on this resolution was given and published in the manner required by law and by the City of Gonzales, and the public hearing on this resolution was held on September 2nd, 2025 before the City Council; and WHEREAS, the City of Gonzales complied with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), and considered and certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the City of Gonzales 2010 General Plan, the 2014 General Plan EIR Sphere of Influence Expansion Addendum and the City Council has reviewed and taken action to adopt the Final Environmental Impact Report for the proposed Vista Lucia Project; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Gonzales as follows:
ORDINANCE No. 2025-148
SECTION 1. Findings for Adoption of Pre-zoning and Amendment of the Zoning Map The City Council hereby makes the following findings concerning the pre-zoning of property and amendment to City zoning map proposed by Cielo Grande Ranch, LLC pursuant to Gonzales City Code Section 12.44- Amendments:
1. That the proposed pre-zoning is consistent with the general plan.
The City General Plan designation for the project site is currently Neighborhood Residential and the project area is identified as a specific plan area in the General Plan. As part of the proposed development, the request includes a concurrent General Plan Amendment to amend the site to Vista Lucia Specific Plan, to support development of the Project as allowed in the Gonzales City Code. All other existing sections of the Gonzales General Plan support the development of the Vista Lucia project and annexation in the City, and therefore the proposed pre-zoning is consistent with the General Plan.
The zoning standards and regulations within this site shall be those found in the adopted Vista Lucia Specific Plan, dated December, 2024, and attached to this Ordinance by reference as Exhibit A. Future Specific Plan Amendments to this plan may be made in accordance with Section 6.2.1 of the Vista Lucia Specific Plan and Section 12.44 of the Gonzales City Code.
2. That the proposed zoning and/or amendment will be beneficial to and not detrimental to the public health, safety, or welfare.
Pre-zoning the Project site to the zoning designations as determined in the Vista Lucia Specific Plan is consistent with the amended General Plan’s vision for the project site. The proposed prezoning district will be beneficial to the public health, safety, and welfare by allowing the Vista Lucia Project to be established on the Project site with appropriate conditions to ensure the public health, safety and welfare of the community and ensure compatibility with existing and proposed development on surrounding properties, including proximity to agricultural resources and as the project is proposed incorporates numerous elements and mitigation measures which will advance public health, safety, and welfare.
SECTION 2. Adoption of Pre-zoning and Amendment of the Zoning Map.
Based on the findings set forth in the preceding section, the City Council ordains that the official pre-zone adopted for Assessor’s Parcel Number 223-031-024, -025 and -027 containing approximately 771 acres located east of Fanoe Road shall be the Vista Lucia-Specific Plan (“VLSP”) with Zoning Districts as outlined in Section 2 of the Specific Plan and further amends the Zoning Map as referred to in Section 12.56.030 of the Gonzales City Code and depicted on Exhibit B attached hereto and by reference incorporated herein. The City Council finds that the Vista Lucia Specific Plan contains modifications of standards contained in the Gonzales City Code that are applicable within and only within the Vista Lucia Specific Plan boundaries.
SECTION 3. Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
The City Council has adopted a Final Environmental Impact Report, which evaluated the impacts of implementation of this ordinance, including the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program and CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Consideration.
SECTION 4. Effective Date.
This ordinance shall be in full force and effective 30 days after its adoption and shall be published and posted as required by law.
1. The City Council finds and takes action to amend designate the subject property “VL-SP” (Vista Lucia-Specific Plan), as written in Section 2.2 of the Vista Lucia Specific Plan and illustrated on the map in Exhibit B, in Pre-zoning the land within the plan area, and adopted the CEQA and Project Findings, incorporated herein by reference.
2. The City Council finds that pre-zoning of the subject properties becomes officially effective upon LAFCO’s action of final certification of the annexation of the properties to the City of Gonzales.
This Ordinance was introduced and first read by the City Council of the City of Gonzales at a regular meeting on the 2nd of September 2025, thereafter; adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council on the ___ day of ________, 2025, by the following vote:
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
______________________________
Jose L. Rios, The Honorable Mayor
ATTEST:
___________________________________
Mary Villegas, Deputy City Clerk
Exhibit A: Prezoning Map
See the following link: https://gonzalesca.gov/node/673