City of Gonzales
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: October 20, 2025
FROM: Taven Kinison Brown, Community Development Director THROUGH: Carmen Gil, City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 2025-74 Amending the Mitigation Monitoring & Reporting Program for the Vista Lucia Project
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2025-74, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Amending the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Vista Lucia Project to Confirm Compliance with the Monterey County Local Area Formation Commission’s (“LAFCo”) Resolution No. 24-03 Amending LAFCo’s Policy for Preservation of Open Space and Agricultural Lands by Adding Policy Implementation Guidelines Regarding Agricultural Mitigation Actions for City Annexations of Farmland, and Related Policy Refinements.
BACKGROUND
The Vista Lucia Project involves the development of up to 3,498 residential units (both single and multifamily), two commercial/residential mixed-use centers, donation of a proposed elementary school site and provision of two additional educational sites, and 79 acres of recreational facilities including parks, play fields, trails, plazas, community gardens, and neighborhood squares.
The City Council approved the Vista Lucia Project on September 2, 2025 through adoption of:
• Resolution No. 2025-09, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Certifying the Vista Lucia Project Final Environmental Impact Report SCH#2020039056), Adoption of the Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program, and Adoption of CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations
AGENDA
ITEM
13 • Resolution No. 2025-10, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving an Amendment to the Gonzales General Plan (GPA 2025-02) and Approval of the Vista Lucia Specific Plan
• Resolution No. 2025-11, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving the Vista Lucia Blocks 1-8 Tentative Map (TM 2023-01) of 796 Building Lots Accommodating 1,247 Units and 49 Common Lots on a Project Site of 236.5± Acres Located East of Fanoe Road (Monterey County Assessor Parcel No. 223-031-027 & 024) • Resolution No. 2025-12, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving the Initiation of a 771 Acre Annexation Request with the Monterey County Local Agency Formation Commission
The City Council also adopted the following related ordinances on September 15, 2025:
• Ordinance No. 2025-148, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving the Pre-Zoning of the Vista Lucia Project Area to Zoning Districts as Designated in the Vista Lucia Specific Plan
• Ordinance No. 2025-149, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Approving a Development Agreement by and Between the City of Gonzales and Cielo Grande Ranch, LLC Relative to the Development Known as Vista Lucia
Together, these four resolutions and two ordinances are the “Project Approvals.” Following the City’s issuance of the Notice of Preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Vista Lucia Project on March 18, 2020, amendments thereto, and multiple comment periods ending in October 2021 (collectively, the “NOP”), the City’s environmental consultants began preparing the environmental impact report for the Project (the “EIR”). Thereafter, in February of 2024, LAFCo adopted Resolution No. 24-03 Amending LAFCo’s Policy for Preservation of Open-Space and Agricultural Lands by Adding Policy Implementation Guidelines Regarding Agricultural Mitigation Actions for City Annexations of Farmland, and Related Policy Refinements (“LAFCo Agricultural Implementation Guidelines”).
As noted above, the Project Approvals were adopted last month, including the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (“MMRP”) for the Project. During the Planning Commission’s and City Council’s hearings concerning Project Approvals, the City received both written and verbal comment from LAFCo representatives requesting that the City modify the Project’s EIR to require compliance with the LAFCo Agricultural Implementation Guidelines. City responded by noting that a provision in the Project Development Agreement required compliance with the LAFCo Guidelines and then by adding a new condition of approval to TM 2023-01 mandating Guideline compliance for this and all subsequent Project Maps.
REVIEW AND ANALYSIS
Mitigation Measure 5-1 requires the applicant to mitigate the impacts of converting 767 acres of Prime Farmland and Farmland of Statewide Importance by implementing one or a combination of the mitigation options included in the City’s farmland mitigation ordinance (“City Mitigation Ordinance”); Gonzales Municipal Code section 12.150). The EIR determined that compliance with the City Mitigation Ordinance, which requires the applicant to set aside conservation easements, purchase offsite conservation easements, purchase banked agricultural mitigation credits, pay in lieu fees, or implement other mitigation acceptable to the City, would reduce the impacts to farmland to a less than significant level.
At a recent preliminary meeting between LAFCo and City Staff concerning the City’s application for annexation of the Vista Lucia Project property into the City of Gonzales, LAFCo staff repeated their request to have the City take action to modify the environmental analysis of the Project to specially require compliance with the LAFCo Agricultural Implementation Guidelines. The LAFCo Guidelines are similar to the City Mitigation Ordinance in terms of allowable mitigation methods (e.g. conservation easements and deed restrictions, in lieu fees, or alternative mitigation acceptable to the County), but do not include the City’s mitigation exemptions for schools, trails, public parks, and land planned for low and very-low housing and have different timing requirements for mitigation compliance. Overall, the LAFCo Agricultural Implementation Guidelines are more restrictive than the City Mitigation Ordinance.
After due consideration, at this time the City and LAFCo desire to confirm that the Vista Lucia Project will comply with the LAFCo Agricultural Implementation Guidelines by amending the MMRP to refer to the Guidelines. Had the LAFCo Agricultural Implementation Guidelines existed at the time of the NOP, the City would have referred to it as part of the required mitigation. As a result of this action, there are no changes proposed to the EIR or the conclusions or analysis contained therein; instead, the amended MMRP simply reflects the fact that the Vista Lucia Project will comply with the stricter LAFCo Agricultural Implementation Guidelines rather than the City Mitigation Ordinance, as follows:
Mitigation Measure 5-1. The applicant shall mitigate the impacts of converting 767 acres of Prime Farmland and Farmland of Statewide Importance by implementing one or a combination of the mitigation options included in the LAFCo Agricultural Implementation Guidelines City’s farmland mitigation ordinance (Ordinance No.2023-136) as adopted by LAFCo Resolution No. 24-03. The applicant shall specify in writing to the City the mitigation option(s) to be implemented and comply with all applicable requirements of the LAFCo Agricultural Implementation Guidelines. The proposed mitigation option(s) are subject to review and approval by the City Council prior to its decision to approve the project. The mitigation option(s) shall be completely implemented by the applicant prior to City approving any activity resulting in interference with agricultural practices on the property subject to conversion. Mitigation shall not be required for planned uses that are except from mitigation requirements per Section
12.150.040(D) of the ordinance including schools, trails, public parks, and land planned for residential products that would be available to very low- and low-income residents. The City shall not issue any grading permit, building permit, or encroachment permit until mitigation has been completed.
ALTERNATIVES
Do not adopt Resolution No. 2025-74.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct cost to the City from the proposed action.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Adoption of Resolution No. 2025-74 amending the MMRP for the Vista Lucia Project is not a “project” pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378 because it is an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment. Moreover, the EIR for the Vista Lucia Project was certified on September 2, 2025 and amendment of the MMRP does not change any of the analysis or conclusions contained therein, nor does it result in new or more severe environmental impacts; indeed, since the LAFCo Agricultural Implementation Guidelines are stricter than the City’s Ordinance, compliance will result in fewer environmental impacts than previously anticipated.
CONCLUSION
It is recommended the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2025-74, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Amending the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Vista Lucia Project to Confirm Compliance with the Monterey County Local Area Formation Commission’s (“LAFCo”) Resolution No. 24-03 Amending LAFCo’s Policy for Preservation of Open Space and Agricultural Lands by Adding Policy Implementation Guidelines Regarding Agricultural Mitigation Actions for City Annexations of Farmland, and Related Policy Refinements.
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 2025-74