Agenda Item
AGENDA STAFF REPORT
ASR Control 25-000190
MEETING DATE: 05/06/25
LEGAL ENTITY TAKING ACTION: Board of Supervisors
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DISTRICT(S): All Districts
SUBMITTING AGENCY/DEPARTMENT: OC Public Works (Approved) DEPARTMENT CONTACT PERSON(S): Justin Kirk (714) 667-1627 Cindy Salazar (714) 667-8870
SUBJECT: Adopt General Plan Amendment TGPA 24-03 - Transportation Element
CEO CONCUR County Counsel Review Clerk of the Board
Concur Approved Resolution to Form Public Hearing
3 Votes Board Majority
Budgeted: N/A Current Year Cost: N/A Annual Cost: N/A
Staffing Impact:No # of Positions: Sole Source: N/A Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A
Funding Source: N/A County Audit in last 3 years: N/A Levine Act Review Completed: N/A
Prior Board Action: 10/8/2024 #15, 1/12/2021 #44-45, 11/17/2020 #30, 2/25/2020 #17-18
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
1. Find that the proposed project is exempt from the provisions of the CEQA, Common Sense Exemption pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 (b)(3).
2. Conduct public hearing.
3. Consider the matter and adopt Resolution which will adopt General Plan Amendment TGPA 24-03 - Transportation Element.
SUMMARY:
Adoption of General Plan Amendment TGPA 24-03 - Transportation Element will reclassify roadway designation for Villa Park Road/Santiago Canyon Road to accurately reflect changing development and traffic patterns.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The County of Orange (County) Transportation Element identifies goals, objectives, policies and implementation programs that affect the transportation system. The Transportation Element contains policies on the development of the transportation facilities necessary to accommodate orderly growth within Attachment 6
the County, provides guidance for future planning efforts within the unincorporated area and ensures a balanced transportation system.
OC Public Works initiated a Master Plan of Arterial Highways (MPAH) amendment request with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) after evaluation of a Transportation Assessment (TA) (Fehr and Peers, March 2024, Attachment D). The MPAH depicts a Countywide roadway network intended to ensure coordinated transportation system development among local jurisdictions in the County. The TA compared the existing MPAH roadway designations for Villa Park Road/Santiago Canyon Road against proposed modifications to those roadway designations to conform the designations to reduced growth projections through the year 2045. Villa Park Road/Santiago Canyon Road between Hewes Street and Cannon Street is a four-lane Primary Arterial. The MPAH designates the roadway as a six-lane Major Arterial.
The proposed reclassification of the roadway segment is meant to support the County’s effort to improve traffic conditions and conform to changing traffic patterns and growth estimates. Over the last ten years, the population growth projections have indicated reduced future growth compared to previous years. As a result, some of the future planned roadway infrastructure to support the previously assumed higher population growth may no longer be necessary.
The TA analyzed future forecasts along Villa Park Road/Santiago Canyon Road and indicated that more capacity is needed between Hewes Street and Cannon Street to effectively serve future demand. However, the current Major Arterial designation does not fit within the existing right of way. The TA concluded that the roadway designation of a five lane Asymmetric Primary Arterial (three westbound lanes and two eastbound lanes) on Villa Park Road/Santiago Canyon Road between Hewes Street and Cannon Street will be sufficient to serve future traffic demand on the roadway, be the best use of the available right-of-way to increase capacity, meet operational goals of the County and limit impacts to adjacent properties. Further explanation of this review is detailed in Planning Commission Staff Report and Resolution No. 2025-03 (Attachment D). The five lane Asymmetric Primary Arterial roadway can fit within the existing 100-foot right-of-way.
Proposed Project:
The proposed General Plan Amendment TGPA 24-03 - Transportation Element (Amendment) includes the following revisions, including the Circulation Plan (Attachment C):
1. Reclassify the existing classification of Major Arterial (divided six-lane) to Asymmetric Primary Arterial (divided five-lane) for Villa Park Road/Santiago Canyon Road between Hewes Street and Cannon Street. The reclassification would provide three westbound lanes and two eastbound lanes and provide adequate right-of-way to accommodate a Class II bicycle lanes with three-foot painted buffers to improve traffic conditions on Villa Park Road/Santiago Canyon Road.
2. Include the definition of Asymmetric Lanes in the Transportation Element (Attachment B).
a. Asymmetric Lanes: Capacity augmentation may be needed that creates more lanes in one direction than the other (asymmetric lanes) along some Smart Streets, Principal, Major and/or Primary arterials.
The MPAH amendment request was conditionally approved by OCTA’s Regional Transportation Planning Committee on August 29, 2024, and by OCTA’s Board on September 9, 2024. OCTA’s conditional approval action remains conditional until OCTA receives documentation that the County has amended their General Plan and complies with the requirements of CEQA. OC Public Works recommends the Board adopt the Resolution to adopt the Amendment.
Attachment 6
Planning Commission (Commission) Action:
OC Public Works received authorization from the Commission on December 11, 2024, to initiate the Amendment, including the Circulation Plan. On February 26, 2025, the Commission held a public hearing, considered the Amendment and voted to adopt Commission Resolution No. 2025-03, which recommends adoption by the Board of Supervisors (Board) to update the County’s Transportation Element (Attachment D).
Prior Board actions related to the County’s Transportation Element are summarized in the table below.
Board Date Action
10/8/2024 Adopted General Plan Amendment T24-01 - County of Orange Transportation Element 1/12/2021 Adopted General Plan Amendment T20-02 - County of Orange Transportation Element Adopted General Plan Amendment T20-03 - County of Orange Transportation Element 11/17/2020 Adopted General Plan Amendment 20-01 Land Use, Transportation, Growth Management
2/25/2020 Adopted General Plan Amendment T19-01 - County of Orange Transportation Element Adopted General Plan Amendment T19-02 - County of Orange Transportation Element
Compliance with CEQA: The proposed Amendment is exempt (Common Sense Exemption) from the provisions of CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15061(b)(3) since there is no possibility that the revisions to the roadway designations may have a significant effect on the environment.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
N/A
STAFFING IMPACT:
N/A
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment A - Resolution
Attachment B - Resolution Exhibit A (Transportation Element) Attachment C - Resolution Exhibit B (Circulation Plan Map) Attachment D - Planning Commission Staff Report and Resolution No. 2025-03
Attachment 6