RESOLUTION NO. _____
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA TO ADOPT AN ADDENDUM TO THE GENERAL PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, FOR ADOPTION OF THE ZONING CODE UPDATE SCH # 2008092005
PLN23-XXXXX (Zoning Code Update, General Text Amendments, and Addendum to the General Plan EIR) WHEREAS, the City of Santa Clara (the “City”) is contemplating the adoption of the City’s Zoning Code Update, the first comprehensive update of the Code in over 50 years; and WHEREAS, the 2010-2035 General Plan is the City’s vision for future development; and WHEREAS, the General Plan also includes regulatory elements that channel and constrain development, including limitations on the amount of land area that can be dedicated to manufacturing uses within certain industrial designations; prohibitions on specific uses within industrial designations; and definitions that assist in regulating land use, including the definition of Floor Area Ratio (FAR), which describes the bulk of a building; and WHEREAS, under Government Code Section 65860, the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance of a jurisdiction are required to be consistent with each other; and WHEREAS, the City desires to remove the area limitation on manufacturing in the Low- and High-Intensity Office/R&D districts to allow for use mixes that reflect the current industrial office market, and are also reflective of the existing uses of buildings in North Santa Clara; and WHEREAS, new combinations of uses are being proposed, including manufacturing of medical devices and outpatient procedures involving those devices; and WHEREAS, the City wishes to clarify the definition of Floor Area Ratio to better regulate the bulk of a building by including the area of a building dedicated to parking and by not including the area of a building below grade in the calculation of FAR; and WHEREAS, the City held seven community meetings in 2018 and 2019 on the Zoning Code Update to solicit community feedback; received 500 responses to a community survey on the Zoning Code Update in 2019; and posted a copy of the draft code for public comment in 2022; WHEREAS, the City Council and Planning Commission held three joint study sessions on the Zoning Code Update in the summer and fall of 2019; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held study sessions on the Zoning Code Update on August 22, 2018, September 5, 2018, October 27, 2021, and September 20, 2023, and also held a study session specifically on parking and outdoor dining regulations on June 16, 2021; and WHEREAS, the City Council held a study session on the Zoning Code Update on August 22, 2023; and WHEREAS, on November 16, 2010, the City Council certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the 2010-2035 General Plan (the “General Plan EIR”); WHEREAS, the General Plan EIR included an analysis of the adoption of a zoning code that would be consistent with and implement the General Plan; WHEREAS, on November 29, 2016, November 13, 2018, March 22, 2022, and June 7, 2022, the City Council certified Environmental Impact Reports for the Lawrence Station Area Plan, the Tasman East Specific Plan, the Patrick Henry Drive Specific Plan, and the Freedom Circle Future Focus Area, respectively (collectively, the “Subsequent EIRs”); WHEREAS, the City prepared an Addendum that tiers off the General Plan EIR and Subsequent EIRs and analyzes the potential impacts of the proposed Zoning Code Update (the “Addendum to the General Plan EIR”); WHEREAS, on November 1, 2023, a joint notice of the public hearing for the November 15, 2023 Planning Commission and December 19th City Council meeting was published in the Weekly, a newspaper of general circulation in the City; WHEREAS, on November 15, 2023, the Planning Commission conducted a duly noticed public hearing to consider the Addendum to the General Plan EIR and recommend an action on the General Plan text amendments and the Zoning Code update, at the conclusion of which, the Planning Commission voted unanimously (7-0-0) to recommend that the City Council adopt the Addendum to the General Plan EIR; and WHEREAS, on December 19, 2023, the City Council conducted a duly noticed public hearing to consider the Addendum to the General Plan EIR, General Plan text amendments, and Zoning Code Update, at which time all interested persons were given an opportunity to give testimony and provide evidence in support of and in opposition to the proposed project; and WHEREAS, in considering the General Plan text amendments and the Zoning Code Update the City Council has reviewed and considered the potential environmental impacts and determined that the environmental effects of the proposed General Plan text amendments were consistent with 2010-2035 General Plan EIR and Subsequent EIRs, and that the proposed General Plan text amendments did not alter the conclusions of the adopted General Plan EIR and Subsequent EIRs.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA AS FOLLOWS:
1. That the City Council hereby finds that the above Recitals are true and correct and by this reference makes them a part hereof.
2. That the City Council hereby finds that the Addendum to the General Plan EIR has been completed in compliance with CEQA.
3. That the City Council hereby finds that the Addendum to the General Plan EIR has been presented to the Council, which reviewed and considered the information and analysis contained therein, and that the Addendum represents the independent judgment of the Council.
4. That the City Council hereby finds that the proposed General Plan Amendments do not involve substantial changes to the General Plan that would require major revisions to the General Plan EIR or Subsequent EIRs.
5. That the City Council hereby finds that there is no substantial change in circumstances as a result of modifications to the General Plan that would require major revisions to the General Plan EIR and Subsequent EIRs or cause new or substantially more severe significant impacts.
6. That the City Council hereby finds that there is no new information of substantial importance that identifies new or more intense significant impacts than those identified in the General Plan EIR and Subsequent EIRs.
7. Based on the findings set forth in this Resolution and the evidence in the City Staff Report, the City Council approves the Addendum to the General Plan EIR, in accordance with CEQA for the Project. //
//
//
//
8. Effective date. This resolution shall become effective immediately.
I HEREBY CERTIFY THE FOREGOING TO BE A TRUE COPY OF A RESOLUTION PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, AT A SPECIAL MEETING THEREOF HELD ON THE 19th DAY OF DECEMBER 2023, BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: COUNCILORS:
NOES: COUNCILORS:
ABSENT: COUNCILORS:
ABSTAINED: COUNCILORS:
ATTEST: ______________________________
NORA PIMENTEL, MMC
ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
CITY OF SANTA CLARA
Attachments incorporated by reference:
1. Addendum to the General Plan EIR for the Zoning Code Update Resolution/Zoning Code update addendum Page PAGE 1 of 4 Rev: 7/27/2023
Ordinance/*Insert brief description Page PAGE 1 of *
Rev: 03-09-10; Typed: *Insert date