Land Use, Sustainability, and
Resilience Committee
TO: LAND USE, SUSTAINABILITY, AND RESILIENCE DATE: APRIL 10, 2023
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
FROM: COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WARD: 4
DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: REVIEW THE DIMINISHMENT OF AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE NO. 7 TO FACILITATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF A 96 -UNIT PLANNED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON AN APPROXIMATELY 18.92-ACRE PROJECT SITE
LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF LURIN AVENUE AND WOOD ROAD
ISSUE:
Review the diminishment of Agricultural Preserve No. 7 (Assessor Parcel Number 266 -130-023 and 266-130-024), to facilitate the construction of a 96-unit Planned Residential Development on an 18.9-acre project site located at the northeast corner of Lurin Avenue and Wood Road.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the Land Use, Sustainability, and Resilience Committee:
1. Review and direct staff to prepare a report regarding the Agricultural Preserve Diminishment for City Council’s determination; and
2. Recommend that the City Council approve a resolution to diminish Agricultur e Preserve No. 7.
BACKGROUND:
Legislative History
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965, commonly referred to as the Williamson Act, enables local governments to administer contracts with private landowners for the purpose of restricting specific parcels of land to agricultural uses. In return, landowners receive property tax assessments which are typically lower because the tax assessments are based upon agricultural uses as opposed to full potential market value.
An agricultural preserve is a defined area within which a city or county enters into contracts with landowners. Only land located within an agricultural preserve is eligible for a Williamson Act contract. Preserve s are regulated by rules and restrictions in an adopted resolution by the jurisdiction to ensure that the land is maintained for agricultural or open space use.
Agricultural Preserve No. 7 Diminishment ● Page 2
Local History
In 1983, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 14923 creating procedures for the establishment and administration of Agricultural Preserves pursuant to the Conservation Act of 1965. On August 8, 2000, the City Council approved Resolution No. 19740 (Attachment 1) revising the procedures and establishing an Agricultural Preserve Technical Advisory Committee (APTAC). The APTAC is comprised of the Land Use Committee (now the Land Use, Sustainability and Resiliency Committee) and the Planning Director (Community & Economic Development Director). The APTAC’s function is t o review each agricultural preserve application and /or diminishment and prepare a report regarding the application for the City Council.
Site Background and Project Description
The 18.92-acre project site is comprised of three contiguous parcels (APN Nos. 266-130-016, 266-130-024, and 266-130-023) located at the northeast corner of Wood Road and Lurin Avenue (Attachment 2).
On May 6, 2008, the property was annexed into the City as part of Annexation 107. The property was incorporated into the Orangecrest Specific Plan and the project site was located in Planning Area 107-B and 107-C, which assigned base zoning classifications of R-1-8500 and R-1-13000 Single Family Residential Zones to the properties (Attachment 3). The Orangecrest Specific Plan indicated parcels identified as APN 266-130-024, and 266 -130-023 would be restricted to agricultural uses until such time the Woodcrest Agricultural Preserve No. 7 is diminished, allowing the project site to be developed consistent with the parcels zoning designations (Attachment 4).
The project proposes to diminish the Agricultural Preserve No. 7 to facilitate the development of a Planned Residential Development consisting of 96 , detached, single-family residential units, a 61,909 square foot common open space area, and a 10-foot-wide multi-purpose recreational trail along Wood Road. (Attachment 5).
As a matter of information , properties identified as APN 266-130-023 and 266 -130-024 had a Williamson Act Contract, however, a notice of non-renewal for the Williamson Act Contract was filed in April 1982 (Instrument No. 7647) and through the non-renewal process the Williamson Act contract was removed from the properties nine -years later. The Property has been fallow since approximately 1993.
Benefit to the Community
Diminishment of Agricultural Preserve No. 7 will facilitate the development of housing on the site.
As expressed by the Governor of California and the State Legislature, California is facing a housing crisis with production being a priority. Available housing is of vital statewide and City importance. The Property is not classified as Important Farmland , is not devoted to agricultural uses, does not have an active land contract, and has been fallow since approximately 1993. The Property is, therefore, not fulfilling the objectives of the Land Conservation Act of 1965.
DISCUSSION:
A 12.8-acre portion (APN Nos. 266-130-024, and 266-130-023) of the 18.9-acre subject property is located within the Woodcrest Agricultural Preserve No. 7. The Orangecrest Specific Plan provides that once the Agriculture Preserve is diminished on the properties, the property can be developed consistent with the R -1-13000 and R -1-8500 Single-Family Residential Zone development standards. Development of the proposed 96-unit Planned Residential Development requires the diminishment of Agricultural Preserve No. 7 on 12.8-acres of the project site.
Agricultural Preserve No. 7 Diminishment ● Page 3
Assessor
Parcel
Number
Acreage
General Plan
Land Use
Designation
Zoning
Development
Standards Upon
diminishment of
Agricultural
Preserve
266-130-023 11.73
MDR – Medium
Density
Residential and
LDR – Low
Density
Residential
OSP-RA-SP –
Residential
Agricultural and
Specific Plan
(Orangecrest)
Overlay Zone
R-1-8500 Single-
Family Residential
Zone and R-1-
13000 Single
Family Residential
Zone
266-130-024 1.08
MDR – Medium
Density
Residential
OSP-RA-SP –
Residential
Agricultural and
Specific Plan
(Orangecrest)
Overlay Zone
R-1-8500 Single-
Family Residential
Zone
The total acreage of Agricultural Preserve No. 7 has diminished over time to less than 100 acres and the remaining parcels in Agricultural Preserve No. 7 are no longer contiguous as required by the Land Conservation Act of 1965 . Diminishment of the project parcels agricultural preserve would not significantly impact the preserve’s viability as a protected area because the subject parcels have not been used for agricultur al purposes since 1993. The residential project that is proposed to be developed on this site upon diminishment of the agricultural preserve complies with the Orangecrest Specific Plan and is consistent with the development pattern of the area.
Other Related Entitlements to be Reviewed by the Planning Commission
An environmental impact report (EIR) has been prepared for the proposed Planned Residential Development and will be considered by the Planning Commission on March 30, 2023 , with a recommendation to City Council. An update on the March 30, 2023 Planning Commission action will be provided during the April 10, 2023 Committee presentation.
Next Steps
The Land Use, Sustainability and Resilience Committee’s recommendation on the Agricultural Preserve Diminishment and the Planning Commission’s recommendation on the Planned Residential Development/EIR will be presented together at a future City Council meeting.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item contributes to Strategic Priority 2 - Community Well Being and Goal 2.1 - Facilitate the development of a quality and diverse housing supply that is available and affordable to a wide range of income levels.
This item aligns with each of the following Cross-Cutting Threads:
1. Community Trust –– The proposed project aligns with the Community Trust Cross-Cutting Thread as the associated development proposal and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for a 96-lot Planned Residential Development will be considered at the Planning Commission meetin g on March 30, 2023, and future City Council meeting. Notices for Agricultural Preserve No. 7 Diminishment ● Page 4
public hearings are sent to property owners within 300 feet of the project site.
2. Equity – Transitioning the Property out of its long-time unproductive status into a housing development benefits the community by increasing access to much needed housing units for Riverside residents.
3. Innovation –The Agricultural Preserve Diminishment on fallow agriculturally zoned land which has not been productive since 1993 provides for much needed housing units to meet the community’s needs for housing.
4. Fiscal Responsibility – All project costs are borne by the property owner, Coastal Commercial Properties. Removal of the property from an Agricultural Preserve enables the City to realize additional revenue from increased property taxes upon completion of the residential development project.
5. Sustainability & Resiliency – The proposed project will result in the development of vacant, unproductive land into new residential single-family houses that will meet the most up-to-date building Codes.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact related to this action, as all project costs are borne by the property owner, Coastal Commercial Properties. Removal of the property from an Agricultural Preserve enables the City to realize additional revenue from increased property taxes upon completion of the residential development project.
Prepared by: Jennifer Lilley, Community & Economic Development Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer
Approved by: Rafael Guzman, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 19740 – Agricultural Preserve Procedures
2. Location Map
3. Specific Plan Planning Areas Map
4. Agricultural Preserve Map
5. Site Plan
6. Legal Description
7. Presentation
1 RESOLUTION NO. 19740
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, REPEALING RESOLUTION NO. 14923 AND ALL AMENDMENTS
THERETO AND ESTABLISHING A NEW RESOLUTION ADOPTING RULES FOR
THE ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF AGRICULTURAL
PRESERVES PURSUANT TO THE CALIFORNIA LAND CONSERVATION ACT OF 1965 ( THE WILLIAMSON ACT)
2 3
4 5
6 WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Riverside, (" City") and its Department of 7 Planning desires to adopt rules for the establishment and administration of agricultural preserves 8 pursuant to the California Land Conservation Act of 1965 ( the Williamson Act) and which are 9 implemented by proper utilization of the established Agricultural Preserve Technical Advisory 10 Committee and the Planning Commission; and
11 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Riverside, 12 California, as follows:
13 Section 1 : All agricultural preserves shall be established and administered pursuant to the 14 California Land Conservation Act of 1965 ( The Williamson Act), Chapter 7 of Part 1 of Division I 15 of Title 5 of the California Government Code commencing with Section 51200, as now enacted or 16 hereafter amended and pursuant to the following rules which shall apply to all agricultural preserves 17 now or hereafter established.
18 Section 2 : Any land owner, land owner' s representativeor the City Council may make 19 application to establish, disestablish, enlarge or diminish an agricultural preserve. 20 Section 3 : Application to establish, disestablish, enlarge or diminish an agricultural 21 preserve shall be made on forms designated for such purpose by the Planning Director and shall be 22 submitted to the PlanningDepartment.
23 Section 4 : The fee fOf each agriculturalpreserve applicationshall be established by 24 resolution of the City Council.
25 Section 5 : There shall be an Agricultural Preserve Technical Advisory Committee which 26 shall be comprised of the Planning Director, or his or her designee and those persons appointed by 27 the City Council to serve as members of the City of Riverside' s Land Use Committee.
City Attorney' s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
909) 782- 5567
I The function of the Agricultural Preserve Technical Advisory Committee is to review 2 each agricultural preserve application and to prepare a report regarding the application for the City 3 Council.
4 Section 6 : After submission of a completeagricultural preserve application to the 5 Planning Department, the application shall be referred to the Technical Advisory Committee for 6 review and report followed by a public hearing before the City Council. When an environmental 7 assessment is required by the California Environmental Quality Act, the application shall also be 8 referred to the Planning Commission. Notice of the public hearing shall be provided as required by 9 the California Land Conservation Act of 1965 ( the Williamson Act) and the public hearing shall be 10 scheduled within 60 days after submittal of a complete application. 11 Section 7 : The Planning Director shall prepare a report for consideration by the City 12 Council at the public hearing. The report shall include the report of the Agricultural Preserve 13 Technical Advisory Committee and the report of the Planning Commission when required. 14 Section 8 : After the public hearing, the City Council may by resolution establish, 15 disestablish, enlarge or diminish an agricultural preserve. 16 Section 9 : All uses permitted in the Residential Agricultural Zone are hereby determined 17 to be agricultural and/ or compatible uses within an agricultural preserve. 18 Section 10 : An agricultural preserve shall consist of no less than 100 acres, provided, 19 however, that the City Council may establish agricultural preserves of less than 100 acres if it finds 20 that smaller preserves are necessary due to the unique characteristics of the agricultural enterprises 21 in the area and that the establishment of preserves of less than 100 acres is consistent with the 22 General Plan.
23 Section 11 : Land which located within an agricultural preserve and which meets the 24 requirementsof the California Land Conservation Act of 1965 ( the Williamson Act) is eligible to be 25 the subjectof a Land Conservation Contract between the landowner and the City of Riverside. 26 Application to enter into a contract with the City shall be made on forms designatedfor such 27 purpose by the Planning Director and shall be submitted to the Planning Department. The fee for a City Attorney' s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
909) 782- 5567
1 Land Conservation Contract application shall be established by resolution of the City Council. 2 Section 12 : Resolution No. 14923 and all amendments thereto are hereby repealed as of 3 the date of the adoption of this resolution.
Section 13 : The provisions of this resolution shall be operative on the date of its4 5 adoption.
6 7 this 8th
8 9
10 Attest:
11 12
13 14
15 16
17 18
19 20
21 22
23 24
25 26
27 ADOPTED by the City Council and signed by the Mayor and attested by the City Clerk day of August, 2000.
City Attorney' s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
909) 782- 5567
1 I, Colleen 1. Nicol, City Clerk ofthe City of Riverside, California, herebycertify that the 2 foregoing resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a meeting of the City Council 3 of said City at its meeting held on the 8th day of August, 2000 by the following 4 vote, to wit:
5 6
Ayes: Councilmembers Beaty, Moore, Kane, Adkison and Pearson. 7 8
9 Noes: None.
Absent: Councilmembers Defenbaugh and Thompson.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the 10 City of Riverside, California, this 8th day of August, 2000. 11 12
13 RES\ 00112603.JT
07/ 31/00
14 JET
15 16
17 18
19 20
21 22
23 24
25 26
27 City Attorney' s Office
3900 Main Street
Riverside, CA 92522
909) 782- 5567
MIDDLEFIELD
MEADOW SUNRIDGE
ALDERBROOK
WOOD
LOSAMIGOS
LURIN
KRAMERIA
NEWBRIDGE
ROCKRUN HEDGESTONEHEARTHSTONESUMMERSTONE
KENTFIELD
DARBY
HAMPSTEAD
CHERISH
OBSIDIAN
BRIDGEWATER
CALEDONIA
FRIAR
TROY
WHITING
SUNFLOWER
WEATHERVANE
MT CASA
DANT
MISS
ION RAN
CH
TURNBRIDGE
DOVING
NEWSOME
CHATFIELD
WOODCREST
N
Northeast corner of Lurin Avenue and Wood Road
Location Map
Project Site
Key
Project Site
0 520 1,040
Feet
LAS BRISAS
ALDERBROOK
CALEDONIA
LOSAMIGOS
WOOD
OBSIDIAN
COLE
REX
ROCKRUN
KRAMERIA
ESTANCIA
HEDGESTONEHEARTHSTONE
DARBY
HAMPSTEADKENTFIELD
SUNRIDGE
LEMONWOOD
STEPHANIE
CHERISH
LURIN
YELLOW
ROSE
MIDDLEFIELD
BRIDGEWATER
MEADO
W
FRIAR
LOST GROVE
TROY
ROSE
GARDEN
SUNFLOWER
WEATHERVANE
ORLEANS
TOTEM
MT CASA
SAGEBRUSH
TAROCCO
OAKTREE
DANT
GLENVILLE
NEWBRIDGE
LOS
COCHES
MISSION RANCH
EMANUEL
TURNBRIDGE
MARIPOSA
WHITING
MCDOWELL
DOVING
GRANGEHILL LOQ
UAT
NEWSOME
CHATFIELD
WOODCREST
N
Northeast corner of Lurin Avenue and Wood Road
Specific Plan Planning Areas Map
Key
R-1-13000
R-1-8500
Planning Area 107-B
Planning Area 107-C
0 690 1,380
Feet
CALEDONIA
KRAMERIA
COUNTRY
ROSE
LURIN
LOSAMIGOS
LAS
BRISAS
TOTEM
MIDDLEFIELD
MEADOW
WOOD
SUNRIDGEROCKRUN
ALDERBROOK
ESTANCIA
HEDGESTONEHEARTHSTONE
DARBY
HAMPSTEADKENTFIELD
CHERISH
RUBYRED
TAROCCOBRIDGEWATER
COLE
ESTRELLA HILLS
FRIAR
LOSTGROVE
TROY
ROSE
GARDEN
SUNFLOWER
WEATHERVANE
NEWBRIDGE
MT CASA
OAKTREE
DANT
MARIPOSA
MCDOWELL
WHIT
IN
G
OBSIDIAN
CHAVEZ PARSONS
LOS
COCHES
LOQUAT
MISSION RANCH
EMANUEL
TURNBRIDGE
DOVING
NEWSOME
CHATFIELD
WOODCREST
7 7
7 3 77
3 N
Northeast corner of Lurin Avenue and Wood Road
Agricultural Preserve Map
Project Site
Key
Project Site
0 690 1,380
Feet
Agricultural Preserve
3/28/2023
1 RiversideCA.gov
1 DIMINISHMENT OF
AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE NO. 7
Land Use, Sustainability and Resilience Committee
April 10, 2023
Community & Economic Development Department
RiversideCA.gov
2 BACKGROUND
Legislative History
• The California Land Conservation Act of 1965
• Agricultural Preserve
Local History
• 1983 Procedures adopted by City Council
• 2000 procedures revised establishing the Agricultural Preserve Technical Advisory Committee (APTAC)
1 2
3/28/2023
2 RiversideCA.gov
3 PROJECT LOCATION
RiversideCA.gov
4 ORANGECREST SPECIFIC PLAN PLANNING AREAS
3 4
3/28/2023
3 RiversideCA.gov
5 AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE NO. 7
RiversideCA.gov
6 SITE PLAN
5 6
3/28/2023
4 RiversideCA.gov
7 NEXT STEPS
Planning
Commission
• March 30, 2023
Land Use
Committee
•April 10, 2023
City Council
•Date TBD
RiversideCA.gov
8 Strategic Priority 2 – Community Well Being
Goal 2.1 – Facilitate the development of a quality and diverse housing supply that is available and affordable to a wide range of income levels.
Cross-Cutting Threads
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
7 8
3/28/2023
5 RiversideCA.gov
9 That the Land Use, Sustainability, and Resilience Committee:
1. Review and direct staff to prepare a report regarding the Agricultural Preserve Diminishment for City Council’s
determination; and
2. Recommend that the City Council approve a resolution to diminish Agriculture Preserve No. 7.
RECOMMENDATIONS
9