Agenda Item
City Council
Item #: 6.2. 9/13/2022 File #: 22-0508
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Rob Houston, City Manager
FROM: Susan Galvan, Assistant City Manager
1. SUBJECT
Sully Miller Site Update.
2. SUMMARY
To provide the City Council with a brief recap of the discussion from the July 12, 2022, City Council meeting and a list of possible options for achieving a path for passive/active recreational use of the Sully Miller site.
3. RECOMMENDED ACTION
Receive and file.
4. FISCAL IMPACT
None
5. STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
3. Enhance and Promote Quality of Life in the Community b. Deliver high quality and safe recreational, social, environmental, educational, and cultural services
6. DISCUSSION AND BACKGROUND
A. The Property
The Sully Miller site (the “site”)is located at 6145 E. Santiago Canyon Road and consists of approximately 109 acres of privately owned land. The site is subject to a convergence of land use policies that encompass the City’s2010 General Plan and Zoning Code. For the purpose of this report, staff is not including the Mara Brandman Arena Site or the approximately 15.4 acres of land that is designated and zoned as residential (north of Santiago Creek, adjacent to Mabury Avenue).
See Attachment A for a map of the site. The City’sGeneral Plan currently designates the remaining site as:
1. Resource Area consisting of approximately 77.3 acres that lie primarily on the south side of Santiago Creek; and
2. Open Space consisting of approximately 16.5 acres, that includes the narrow strip of land running through the site from east to west and roughly following the boundaries of Santiago City of Orange Printed on 9/8/2022Page 1 of 2
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Item #: 6.2. 9/13/2022 File #: 22-0508
Creek.
In the City’sZoning Code, the above-mentioned site is currently zoned as Sand and Gravel use. For reference purposes, Attachment B illustrates allowed uses for Sand and Gravel and Open Space.
B. Meeting Discussions
At their July 12, 2022 City Council meeting, staff provided a status update on the Sully Miller property.
Current activity on portions of the site containing sand and gravel operation have been suspended while the property owner addresses enforcement issues with the LEA and State Water Board. While resolution of the enforcement issues may allow operations to resume at a later date, it is widely regarded that the site is uniquely situated and offers numerous opportunities for recreational uses.
During the discussion, public comment and City Council input made it clear that the desire or vision for future use of the property allow for potential passive/active recreational uses. The comments and discussion concluded without clear direction on a pathway to achieve the desired uses.
At the August 9, 2022 meeting, the City Council requested a follow up report identifying options and pathways for recreational uses on the site.
C. Options
Should the City Council wish to further explore passive/active recreational uses on the site, staff has identified potential options for achieving this goal. The following options include:
1. Private use
Development of the site by a non-public agency for private and/or public recreational use.
2. Public use
The City (or any public agency) can seek funding for site acquisition. Possible funding sources including reserved and/or unreserved General Fund, seeking potential grant funding, obtaining funding support from County, State, and/or Federal representatives for parkland and open space, and/or issuing bonds for the purchase. In addition to the acquisition cost, staff could also explore available funding for the development and ongoing maintenance of the site and any programs associated with a long-term plan.
3. Public/Private partnership for use
City would seek interested parties for passive/active uses. Similar to the Public option however, funding and programming of the site would be shared by both entities.
While the above-mentioned options do not take into account analysis of the fiscal impact of each course of action, staff would return at a later date with its findings and impacts associated with the desired direction of the City Council.
7. ATTACHMENTS
· A - Map of Sully Miller Site
· B - Land Use Table - Sand and Gravel and Open Space
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