REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
To:Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From:Jason Simpson, City Manager
Prepared by:Damaris Abraham, Community Development Director Date:April 9, 2024
Subject:Planning Application No. 2021-43 (Canyon Hills Estates) – A request to revise a previously approved Tentative Tract Map No. 34249 to subdivide the 81.32-acre portion into 133 single-family residential lots, three open space lots, two water quality basins, and one 5.82-acre park and the design and construction of 133 single-family homes and related site improvements located within the Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan
Applicant: Gregory Hohman, Tri Pointe Homes
Recommendation
1. Find that the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15182(c) (Residential Projects Implementing Specific Plans;
2. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING FINDINGS THAT PLANNING APPLICATION NO. 2021-43 (TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NO. 34249, REVISION NO. 1 AND RESIDENTIAL DESIGN REVIEW NO. 2022-06) IS CONSISTENT WITH THE WESTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTY MULTIPLE SPECIES HABITAT CONSERVATION PLAN (MSHCP);
3. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NO. 34249, REVISION NO. 1 FOR THE SUBDIVISION OF 81.32-ACRES INTO 133 SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL LOTS, THREE OPEN SPACE LOTS, TWO WATER QUALITY BASINS, AND ONE 5.82-ACRE PARK WITHIN THE CANYON HILLS ESTATES SPECIFIC PLAN LOCATED AT APNS 365- 230-005, 006, 009, 011, AND 012; and
4. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING RESIDENTIAL DESIGN REVIEW NO. 2022-06 PROVIDING BUILDING DESIGNS AND RELATED IMPROVEMENTS FOR 133 SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL UNITS FOR TENTATIVE TRACT NO. 34249, REVISION NO. 1 WITHIN THE PA 2021-43 (Canyon Hills Estates)
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CANYON HILLS ESTATES SPECIFIC PLAN LOCATED AT APNS 365-230-005, 006, 009, 011, AND 012.
Planning Commission Action
At the February 20, 2024, Planning Commission meeting, the Planning Commission accepted public oral and written testimony regarding this project. Two (2) people spoke in opposition to the project. Two (2) written comments in opposition to the project were also received and are included to this staff report as Attachment 10. The issues raised by the neighbors include increased traffic, secondary access, environmental impacts, and their views being impacted by this development.
Staff and the applicant have addressed these issues as follows:
•The project is located within the Canyon Hills Specific Plan which is intended to provide a planned residential development of appropriate density and scale which respects the existing topography and environmental sensitivity of the project site and surrounding land uses. •An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) has been certified for this project. Compliance with all the mitigation measures identified in the EIR will ensure that any potential issues regarding traffic, air quality, and biological and cultural resources will be adequately addressed. An environmental consistency analysis has also been completed to ensure that there are no new impacts. The scope of this project is significantly less than what was previously analyzed by the EIR (only 133 homes of the 302 homes previously entitled is currently proposed with this revision and would therefore have less traffic and environmental impacts). •This portion of the tentative map is proposing to utilize Canyon Hills Road and Cottonwood Canyon Road for primary and secondary access. Staff has reviewed and conditioned the tentative map to ensure that the project will provide primary and secondary access.
The Planning Commission recommended approval of the project with a 5-0 vote.
Project Location
The approximately 81.32-acre proposed project site is located in the northeast portion of the 246.41-acre Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan area. The project site is located south of Canyon Hills Road and west of Cottonwood Canyon Road. The site is currently vacant and disturbed open space with one residence located on the easterly portion of the property near Cottonwood Canyon Road. The project site encompasses Assessor Parcel Numbers (APNs) 365-230-005, 365-230- 006, 365-230-009, 365-230-011, and 365-230-012.
Background
On January 23, 2007, the City Council approved Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) No. 2006-04, General Plan Amendment (GPA) No. 2006-04, Specific Plan (SP) No. 2006-01, and Tentative Tract Map (TTM) No. 34249 for the subdivision of 246.41 acres into 302 single-family residential lots, 12 open space lots, one (1) public park, and two (2) tank sites.
PA 2021-43 (Canyon Hills Estates)
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On February 12, 2008, the City Council approved a two (2) year extension of time for TTM 34249 to January 23, 2011.
Between July 2008 and July 2013, the California Legislature adopted Assembly Bill 333, Assembly Bill 208, and Assembly Bill 116, all automatically extending the life of TTM 34249 for an additional six (6) years to January 23, 2017.
On March 14, 2017, the City Council approved a four-year extension of time for TTM 34249 to January 23, 2021.
Assembly Bill 1561, which became effective on September 28, 2020, automatically extended the life of TTM 34249 by 18 months to July 23, 2022.
On May 25, 2022, the City Council approved Development Agreement (DA) No. 2022-01 for the approximately 81.32-acre portion of TTM 34249 located on the northeastern corner of the larger approximately 246-acre property previously entitled for development. DA 2022-01 vested the development rights under TTM 34249 for a five (5) year term, requires the payment of a $5,500/unit Development Agreement Fee, and requires the developer to complete the design, improvement, and dedication of the 5.82-acre public park before the 100th building permit.
Environmental Setting
EXISTING
LAND USE GENERAL PLAN ZONING
Project
Site Vacant
Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan
(CHESP)
Single Family-1 and 2 (SF-1 & SF-
2) - CHESP
North Residential Canyon Hills Specific Plan (CHSP) Single Family 1 and 3 (SF1 and SF3) - CHSP
South Vacant Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan
(CHESP)
Single Family-1 (SF-1) and open
space - CHESP
East Residential Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan
(CHESP)
Single Family-1 (SF-1) and open
space - CHESP
West Residential City of Wildomar - Low Density
Residential
City of Wildomar - Rural Residential
Table 1: Environmental Setting
Project Description
The Canyon Hills Estates Project consists of applications for a Tentative Tract Map (TTM 34249R1) and a Residential Design Review (RDR 2022-06), which collectively are being processed under Planning Application No. 2021-43.
Tentative Tract Map No. 34249, Revision No. 1 proposes to develop the approximately 81.32- acre northeastern portion of the larger approximately 246.41-acre subdivision. Table 2 below provides lot summary information:
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LAND USE LOT NO. ACREAGE
Single Family Residential 1-133 21.92
Detention/Water Quality Basins 134-135 1.62
Park Site 136 5.82
Open Space A through C 42.30
Cottonwood Canyon Road - 1.66
Streets (Private and Public) A - F 8.00
TOTALS: 81.32
Table 2: TTM 34249 R1 Lot Summary
TTM 34249R1 proposes to subdivide the property to provide 133 single-family residential lots on
21.92 acres that range in size from 3,206 sq. ft. to 15,747 sq. ft. Lots 1 through 54 (located within Planning Area SF-2) would range in size from 3,206 sq. ft. to 8,674 sq. ft. with an average lot size of 4,400 sq. ft. Lots 55 through 133 (located within Planning Area SF-1) would range in size from 7,032 sq. ft. to 15,747 sq. ft. with an average lot size of 8,980 sq. ft.
TTM 34249R1 also proposes one (1) lot for recreation purposes on 5.82 acres at the northeastern corner of the site, two (2) lots for drainage basins on-site on a total of 1.62 acres, three (3) lots (Lots A through C) for open space on 42.30 acres, a total of six (6) streets on 8.00 acres (Streets A through F), and 1.66 acres for Cottonwood Canyon Road.
Residential Design Review No. 2022-06 proposes the design and construction of 133 single- family residences, preliminary plotting, conceptual wall and fence plan, conceptual landscaping, and related site improvements located in TTM 34249R1. The project proposes six (6) floor plans ranging in size from 2,314 sq. ft. to 4,225 sq. ft. and four (4) architectural styles (Santa Barbara, California Ranch, California Craftsman, and Napa). Below is a description of the various design components and features of the proposed project:
Floor Plans
The project includes six (6) different single-family detached plans, as specified below:
Arroyo Plan/Juniper Trail (SF-2):
•Plan 1: Two-story, 2,314 square-foot unit with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, porch, 2-car garage
•Plan 2: Two-story, 2,458 square-foot unit with 3 bedrooms (optional 4 th), optional loft and den, 3 bathrooms, 2-car garage
•Plan 3: Two-story, 2,751 square-foot unit with 4 bedrooms (optional 5 th), 2.5 bathrooms, 2-car garage
Echo Highland Plan/Canyon Glen (SF-1):
•Plan 1: One-story, 2,587 square-foot unit with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, patio, porch, 3-car garage
•Plan 2: Two-story, 2,833 square-foot unit with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, patio, porch, 3- car garage
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•Plan 3: Two-story, 3,456 square-foot unit with 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, patio, porch, 3- car garage
For the Arroyo Plan, Plan 1 will account for 18 units (33.3%); Plan 2 will account for 18 units (33.3%); Plan 3 will account for 18 units (33.3%).
For the Echo Highland Plan, Plan 1 will account for 24 units (30.4%); Plan 2 will account for 28 units (35.4%); Plan 3 will account for 27 units (34.2%).
Architecture and Treatments
The project would offer four (4) distinct architectural styles and treatments for each floor plan, including Santa Barbara, California Ranch, California Craftsman, and Napa. •The Santa Barbara elevations feature concrete “S” tile roofs, decorative shutters, vertical windows with wood trim, stucco finish and stucco arched entries. •The California Ranch elevations feature concrete flat tile roofs, decorative shutters, vertical windows with wooden trim, stucco siding and squared entries. •The California Craftsman elevations feature a concrete flat tile roof, stucco finish, covered porch at entry, tapered columns with square base at porches, and wood-like trim at windows.
•The Napa elevations feature a concrete “S” tile roof, decorative shutters on accent windows, covered porch at entry, and stone veneer accents.
For the Arroyo Plan, Elevation A (Santa Barbara) will account for 18 units 33.3%), Elevation B (California Ranch) will account for 18 units (33.3%), and Elevation C (California Craftsman) will account for 18 units (33.3%).
For the Echo Highland Plan, Elevation A (Santa Barbara) will account for 26 units (33%), and Elevations B (Napa) will account for 26 units (33%), and C (California Craftsman) will each account for 27 units (34%).
In addition, enhanced architectural treatments will be provided on elevations that are visible from public right-of-way.
Conceptual Wall and Fence Plan
Front returns will be six-foot split-face block walls. Combination 18” high block wall with 4’-6” tubular steel fence will be used to enhance views in appropriate locations. Interior fencing will be 6-foot-tall vinyl. A six-foot tubular steel fence will be provided around the community park and the detention basins.
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Landscaping
The proposed landscaping plan has been designed to complement the different architectural styles. The proposed landscaping has been adequately designed to meet all water efficiency standards.
Community Amenities
The project proposes to construct a 5.82-acre public park with a recreation center area that includes restroom facility, community swimming pool and spa, multi-use open turf area, and shade structure seating area with barbeque grill. The community park will include children’s tot-lot, play equipment, picnic table seating and shade structure. The park will also include a decomposed granite paving walking trail.
Site Access and Street Improvements.
TTM 34249R1 will utilize Canyon Hills Road for primary and secondary access/egress as approved by the Riverside County Fire Department for the 81.32-acre portion.
Cottonwood Canyon Road is required to be constructed with 48-feet of road section from curb to curb with a dedicated right of way of 70-feet.
Proposed Streets “A” and “D” through “F” are public streets. The project is required to construct full 40-foot street section on 60-feet of dedicated right of way for project site internal public streets.
Proposed Streets “B” and “C” are private streets. The project is required to construct a minimum 36-foot section with rolled curbs constructed on a 46-foot easement for internal private local streets.
Grading
Earthwork for the site is anticipated to require 742,831 cubic yards of cut, 685,847 cubic yards of fill, and 56,984 cubic yards of export. The park is anticipated to require 30,025 cubic yards of fill for a net export of 26,959 cubic yards.
Discussion
The project is located within the Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan (CHESP) and has a Land Use Designation of Single Family Residential-1 (SF-1), Single Family Residential-2 (SF-2), Park, and Open Space as shown in Figure 1 below.
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Figure 1: CHESP Land Use Designation
The SF-1 designation is intended for single family detached residential development with 2-4 Dwelling Units per Acre (D.U./Ac.). The proposed density for the SF-1 portion (79 units) of the project is 3.23 D.U./Ac.
The SF-2 designation is intended to accommodate single family detached residential development on compact lots up to a maximum density of 12 Dwelling Units per Acre (D.U./Ac.).
The proposed density for the SF-2 portion (54 units) of the project is 5.75 D.U./Ac.
The proposed project is consistent with the provisions of the CHESP. The CHESP was subject to a consistency finding with the General Plan prior to adoption. Therefore, the project is consistent with the General Plan. The revision to the tentative map also complies with Chapter 16.24 (Tentative Map) of the LEMC and the Subdivision Map Act.
Below are the relevant development standards applicable to the project as identified in Table 3a, SF-1 Residential Lot Development Standards of the CHESP:
Development Standard Required Proposed
Density (D.U./Ac.) 2-4 3.23
Lot Area Minimum (sq. ft.) 7,200 7,200
Minimum Lot Width – Interior (ft.) 60 60
Minimum Lot Width – Corner (ft.) 65 65
Minimum Lot Width – Cul-de-Sac (ft.) 36 36
Setbacks (ft.):
•Front (Living) 18 18
•Front (Garage Straight-in) 20 20
•Side 5 5
•Rear 18 18
Maximum Lot Coverage (%) 60 33.8
Maximum Building Height (ft.) 32 24
Parking 2 covered spaces/unit 2 garage parking spaces
Table 3: SF-1 Development Standards
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Below are the relevant development standards applicable to the project as identified in Table 3b, SF-2 Residential Lot Development Standards of the CHESP:
Development Standard Required Proposed
Density (D.U./Ac.) Up to 12 3.23
Lot Area Minimum (sq. ft.) 3,000 3,206
Minimum Lot Width – Interior (ft.) 35 35
Minimum Lot Width – Corner (ft.) 40 40
Minimum Lot Width – Cul-de-Sac (ft.) 30 30
Setbacks (ft.):
•Front (Living) 12 12
•Front (Garage Straight-in) 18 18
•Side 5 5
•Rear 5 5
Maximum Lot Coverage (%) 60 40.1
Maximum Building Height (ft.) 32 25’-8”
Parking 2 covered spaces/unit 2 garage parking spaces
Private Street Pavement Width (ft.) 36 36
Table 4: SF-2 Development Standards
Tentative Tract Map Analysis
Tentative Tract Map No. 34249, Revision No. 1 proposes to subdivide the 81.32-acre portion into 133 single-family residential lots, three open space lots, two water quality/detention basins, and one 5.82-acre park. The proposed subdivision meets the minimum lot area requirement and street frontage width of the CHESP. The tentative map also complies with Chapter 16.24 (Tentative Map) of the LEMC and the Subdivision Map Act. The project will be required to form a Homeowner’s Association (HOA) for reciprocal access easements, for parking spaces as well as for the maintenance of common areas.
Design Review
The architectural design of the proposed buildings conforms to the design guidelines outlined in Chapter 5 of the CHESP and the Residential Development Standards (Chapter 17.44) of the LEMC. The four (4) elevation styles will create a distinctive street scene within the project site and serve to avoid repetition.
The Design Review Committee that includes staff from Planning, Building and Safety, Fire, and Engineering have reviewed the proposed project, and have conditioned the project to ensure compliance with the approved specific plan and the related environmental document. The proposed plotting provides an appropriate mixture of plan and elevation types to ensure variety in the streetscape.
Environmental Determination
Staff recommends that the City Council find that the project is categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15182(c) (Residential Projects Pursuant to a Specific Plan). Where a public agency has prepared an EIR on a Specific PA 2021-43 (Canyon Hills Estates)
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Plan, a residential project undertaken pursuant to and in conformity with that specific plan is exempt from CEQA if the project meets the following requirements:
1.Eligibility. To qualify for this exemption the public agency must have prepared an EIR on a specific plan after January 1, 1980.
The City adopted the Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan (SP 2006-01) and Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) No. 2006-04 (SCH No. 2006051073) on January 23, 2007. The proposed project meets this requirement.
2.Scope. Residential projects covered by this section include but are not limited to land subdivisions, zoning changes, and residential planned unit development.
The project consists of an application for Revision No. 1 to TTM 34249 to subdivide the 81.32- acre site into 133 single-family lots ranging in size from 3,206 sq. ft. to 15,747 sq. ft., three (3) open space lots, two (2) water quality/detention basins, and one (1) 5.82-acre park. The project also includes Residential Design Review No. 2022-06 for the design and construction of 133 single-family residences, preliminary plotting, conceptual wall and fence plan, conceptual landscaping, and related site improvements. The proposed project is consistent with the Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan, Single Family Residential-1 (SF-1) and Single Family Residential-2 (SF-2) Land Use Designations.
3.Limitation. This section is subject to the limitation that a specific plan undergoes an event, such as, but not limited to: a substantial change to the proposed project is made that requires major revisions of the previous EIR; new circumstances under which the project is undertaken that will require major revisions to the previous EIR; or new information has been found resulting in new significant effects or increasing the severity of a significant effect that were not known at the time of the previous EIR. Should one or more of these events occur, this exemption shall not apply until the city or county which adopted the specific plan completes a subsequent EIR or supplement to a previous EIR.
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15162, the project would not have a significant effect on the environment and no new environmental documentation is necessary because all potentially significant effects have been adequately analyzed in a previously adopted Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) No. 2006-04 (SCH No. 2006051073) prepared for Canyon Hills Estates Specific Plan. A CEQA Exemption Study has been prepared for the project and is included as Attachment 5 to this report. All potentially significant effects have been avoided or mitigated pursuant to the EIR and none of the conditions described in Section 15162 have occurred. FEIR 2006-04 (SCH No. 2006051073) was adopted by the City Council on January 23, 2007.
MSHCP Consistency
The project is consistent with the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP). The project site is not located in a Criteria Cell and was not required PA 2021-43 (Canyon Hills Estates)
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to be processed through the Lake Elsinore Acquisition Process (LEAP) and Joint Project Review (JPR) processes. The project complies with all other applicable requirements of the MSHCP.
Public Notice
Notice of the hearing for this application has been published in the Press-Enterprise newspaper and mailed to property owners within 1,000 feet of the subject property. As of the writing of this report, two (2) written comments concerning this application have been received and are included as Attachment 10 to this staff report.
Fiscal Impact
The time and costs related to processing this application have been covered by application fees paid for by the applicant. No General Fund budgets have been allocated or used in the processing of this application. Project approval does not fiscally impact the City’s General Fund. Mitigation Measures to protect the City fiscally have already been included in the Conditions of Approval.
Attachments
Attachment 1 – MSHCP Resolution
Attachment 2 – TTM Resolution
Attachment 3 – RDR Resolution
Attachment 4 – Conditions of Approval
Attachment 5 – CEQA Consistency Analysis
Attachment 6 – GIS Exhibits
Attachment 7 – TTM 34249R1
Attachment 8 – Design Review Package
Attachment 9 – Public Notice Materials
Attachment 10 – Public Comments