Agenda Item: 1
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
PUBLIC HEARINGS
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: August 22, 2023
SUBJECT: SHADOWBOX STUDIOS - MASTER CASE 21-109
DEPARTMENT: Community Development
PRESENTER: Erika Iverson
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Conduct the public hearing.
2. Adopt a resolution certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report (SCH No. 2022030762) prepared for the project and adopting the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, and making the appropriate findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
3. Adopt a resolution approving Master Case 21-109, including, Architectural Design Review 21-016; Conditional Use Permit 21-010; Development Review 21-012; General Plan Amendment 21-002; Hillside Development Review 21-001; Minor Use Permit 21-016; Oak Tree Permit (Class 4) 421-001; Ridgeline Alteration Permit 21-001; Zone Change 21-001; and Tentative Tract Map 83513, subject to the conditions of approval.
4. Introduce an ordinance entitled: “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING ZONE CHANGE 21-001 (MASTER CASE 21-109) TO AMEND THE CITY’S ZONING MAP AND CHANGE THE ZONING DESIGNATION OF ASSESSOR’S PARCEL NUMBERS 2834-002-046, 2834- 003-044, 2834-016-041, 2834-017-021, 2834-001-014, 2834-005-041, 2834-004-045, 2834- 014-043, AND 2834-015-021 FROM NON-URBAN 5 TO MIXED-USE
NEIGHBORHOOD, AND ESTABLISH THE JOBS CREATION OVERLAY ZONE ACROSS ASSESSOR’S PARCEL NUMBERS 2834-021-034, 2834-001-034, 2834-011- 021, 2834-010-043, 2834-008-039, 2834-001-015, 2834-006-041, 2834-007-045, 2834-013- 041, 2834-021-023, 2834-005-041, 2834-004-045, 2834-014-043, AND 2834-015-021;” waive reading of the text and consent to read by title only, as listed on the agenda, and pass to second reading.
BACKGROUND
The Shadowbox Studios Project (Project) is located at the northeast corner of Railroad Avenue and 13th Street in the community of Newhall, within the City of Santa Clarita (City). The Project site is approximately 93 acres of undeveloped land that has been cleared of a majority of its natural vegetation. The southern and central portions of the Project site are relatively flat land that has been disturbed and or cleared by past uses related to temporary parking for special events or filming in the area. The northern portion of the Project site is traversed by Placerita Creek and features a prominent ridgeline through its northeast corner. The Project site is bound to the south by 13th, Arch, and 12th Streets; commercial uses are located immediately south, fronting 13th, Arch, and 12th Streets, with single-family uses within Placerita Canyon just beyond. The Metro Rail Line is located immediately west with Railroad Avenue beyond. A mix of commercial uses and a mobile home park front Railroad Avenue in the vicinity of the Project site. A hillside maintained by a homeowner’s association (HOA) is located immediately to the north with single-family uses beyond. The east is bound by the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) right-of-way, with single-family uses along Alderbrook Drive beyond. The Project proposes to utilize an additional 11.4 acres of the MWD right-of-way immediately east, south of Placerita Creek, for additional parking and a plant nursery (subject to agreement with MWD).
INITIAL APPLICATION
The applicant, LA Railroad 93, LLC, has worked to refine the Project proposal over the past two and a half years, based on input from City staff through the One Stop review and formal entitlement application process, including community outreach as outlined below. On May 28, 2021, the applicant submitted a formal entitlement application for the development of a film and television studio facility consisting of approximately 1.3 million square feet of sound stages, a production support warehouse, a three-story office building, catering facilities, and a four-story (five parking levels) parking structure. The formal submittal reduced the number of sound stage buildings from the concept plan reviewed under the One Stop review, from 28 stages to 19, and eliminated all proposed sound stages from the north side of Placerita Creek. In addition, the architectural design concept was changed to contemporary Craftsman and Western Victorian styles intended to comply with the architectural character of the Newhall community as identified in the Community Character and Design Guidelines.
PUBLIC OUTREACH BY THE APPLICANT
The applicant began outreach efforts in October of 2020, hosting multiple meetings with homeowner groups, including the Placerita Canyon Property Owner’s Association, Placerita Canyon Corporation, Circle J Ranch Homeowner’s Association, as well as with individual residents in the Placerita Canyon throughout the entitlement review process. In addition, the applicant has met with The Master’s University, the Newhall School District, and a number of other organizations and businesses in the City. The applicant’s outreach efforts are demonstrated in the attached Applicant Community Outreach Summary.
GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING
The Project site has General Plan land use and zoning designations of Mixed-Use Neighborhood (MXN) and Non-Urban 5 (NU5) and is located within an area that is specifically identified in the
General Plan as the North Newhall Area (NNA). The General Plan establishes a limitation on the overall allowable floor area for non-residential development (excluding parking facilities) in the NNA to 450,000 square feet. In addition, the Project site is located within the Placerita Canyon Special Standards District (PCSSD) and the Planned Development Overlay zone.
As summarized in the table below, the surrounding land uses include a mix of commercial, residential, and the Metro Rail Line.
Summary of Surrounding Area
General Plan Zone Land Use
Project
Site
Existing Proposed Existing Proposed Proposed Shadowbox Studios Project
MXN;
NU5
MXN MXN;
NU5
MXN w/
JCOZ
North OS; UR3 OS; UR3 HOA owned slope/Single
Family uses beyond
South MXN; UR1 MXN; UR1 Commercial Uses; Single
Family uses beyond
East UR1; UR2; NU5 UR1; UR2; NU5 MWD Right-of-way; Single Family uses beyond
West PI; CC; SP PI; CC; SP Metro Rail Line; Commercial
and Residential uses along
Railroad Avenue
JCOZ=Jobs Creation Overlay Zone; OS=Open Space; UR=Urban Residential; PI=Public/Institutional; CC=Community Commercial; SP=Specific Plan; HOA=Homeowners Association; and MWD=Metropolitan Water District
The applicant is seeking approval of a General Plan Amendment and Zone Change that would establish a General Plan land use and zoning designation of MXN over the entirety of the Project site including the conversion of approximately 51.1 acres from NU5 to MXN, as well as a Zone Change to apply the Jobs Creation Overlay Zone (JCOZ) over the southerly 53.4-acre portion of the Project site (the area south of Placerita Creek) in order to permit the development of a full- service film and television studio campus.
The applicant is also seeking approval of a General Plan text amendment to the NNA of the Land Use Element to increase the maximum allowable commercial floor area by 1,135,000 square feet for a total of 1,585,000 square feet of commercial floor area in the General Plan for the NNA.
The applicant is also requesting a text amendment to clarify the height allowances specified in the NNA to reflect the inclusion of JCOZ overlay on the southerly portion of the Project site. The text amendments are provided in Exhibit B of the Project Resolution.
PROJECT SUMMARY
The applicant is seeking approvals for the development of a full-service film and television studio campus on the approximately 93-acre site. The Project would construct 19 soundstages, a three-story office building, a four-story (five parking levels) parking structure, a two-story warehouse support building, three catering buildings, a facilities mechanical building, as well as the construction of an all-weather bridge across Placerita Creek that would connect to a surface
parking lot on the north side of the creek. The Project also proposes to utilize the adjacent 11.4- acre MWD property along the eastern boundary of the Project site, south of Placerita Creek, to provide additional vehicle and trailer parking spaces. A plant nursery is also proposed along the entire length of this MWD parking area, adjacent to the alley behind the residences along Alderbrook Drive. Use of the MWD property is subject to approval by MWD and is not required for compliance with the UDC, but would support the operation of the studio campus, if approved. The development of the proposed Project would require several off-site improvements, which include railroad crossing improvements at 13th Street and improvements of the roadway alignments on 13th Street, Arch Street, Dockweiler Road, 12th Street, and Placerita Canyon Road prior to the first Certificate of Occupancy issued on the Project site. The Project would require approximately 400,000 cubic yards of cut and fill to be balanced across the site, alteration along the base of a General Plan designated significant ridgeline, and the removal or encroachment of 12 oak trees, 6 of which are heritage sized.
VEHICLE CIRCULATION AND OFFSITE IMPROVEMENTS
A Transportation Analysis (TA) was prepared for the Project and is the basis for determining any roadway improvements necessary to support the addition of Project traffic to the City’s circulation network. The proposed roadway improvements for the Project are further informed by the General Plan roadway improvement for the Dockweiler Drive extension, which, if approved, would extend Dockweiler Drive from its current terminus at Valle del Oro, and would connect to Arch Street and reconfigure the alignment of Placerita Canyon Road with Dockweiler Drive. The TA analyzed the Project both with and without the completion of the planned extension of Dockweiler Drive. The proposed street improvements for the Project would be required with or without the completion of the connection to Dockweiler Drive. The specific street improvements that would be required for the Project prior to the first Certificate of Occupancy include:
• Widening of the rail crossing at 13th Street and Railroad Avenue from two traffic lanes to five traffic lanes. In addition to the widening of the intersection, the railroad crossing would be upgraded to meet current safety standards, as directed by the California Public Utilities Commission;
• Widening of 13th Street from two traffic lanes to six traffic lanes, Arch Street from two traffic lanes to six traffic lanes, and 12th Street from two traffic lanes to three traffic lanes;
• Installation of a four-leg, signalized intersection at 13th Street and Arch Street; • Installation of a four-leg, signalized intersection at Arch Street and 12th Street; • Installation of a three-leg, half-signalized intersection of Placerita Canyon Road and Dockweiler Drive; and
• Requiring the 13th Street at-grade crossing to stage construction such that access to Placerita Canyon will remain open during construction.
If the Dockweiler Drive extension is not completed at the time of the Project, the following intersection improvement would be required in place of the three-leg intersection at Placerita Canyon Road and Dockweiler Drive:
• Extend Arch Street to Placerita Canyon Road and complete the two-leg intersection of
Placerita Canyon Road and Arch Street.
Lastly, Class I trails would be required along the Project frontage of 13th, Arch, and 12th Streets that would connect to future Class I trails along Railroad Avenue and to a future Class I trail connection from Dockweiler Drive to the Jan Heidt Metrolink Station.
Vehicle access to the studio campus is provided by way of two entry gates located at the proposed intersection of 13th Street and Arch Street. The primary entrance, Gate 1, is located at the north leg of the intersection and the secondary entrance, Gate 2, is located on the east leg of the intersection. Both gates are set back from the intersection and provide 2,100 linear feet of queuing on the Project site to ensure that Project related traffic can queue on-site and out of the public right-of-way. For context, assuming a 60-foot queue length for each 53-foot long truck, approximately 35 large trucks could be accommodated within the 2,100 feet of queuing at Gates 1 and 2 proposed with the project. An additional access gate, Gate 3, is located on 12th Street.
Gate 3 will only allow for Project related egress by way of a right-turn-only out onto 12th Street.
Gate 3 will provide emergency service ingress to the Project site.
The Project site will provide a total of 2,684 parking spaces throughout the studio campus, within a five-level parking structure (1,072 parking spaces), a surface parking lot north of Placerita Creek (1,157 parking spaces), and surface parking spaces provided throughout the studio campus (455 parking spaces). In addition, the applicant is proposing the use of the MWD right-of-way, immediately east of the Project site, for an additional 257 trailer parking spaces.
The parking within the MWD right-of-way would be in excess of code-required parking and is not required to support the Project operation.
PROPOSED ENTITLEMENTS
Implementation of the Project will require the approval of the following entitlements:
Architectural Design Review 21-016
An Architectural Design Review is required for the proposed architectural design to ensure that the proposed architecture complies with all of the provisions of Section 17.51.020 of the Unified Development Code (UDC) and General Plan, and to be consistent with the City’s Community Character and Design Guidelines.
Conditional Use Permit 21-010
A Conditional Use Permit is required for new development within the Planned Development Overlay zone in accordance with Section 17.38.060 of the UDC.
Development Review 21-012
A Development Review is required for the proposed physical design and layout, prior to the issuance of any building permit, for subdivision developments or commercial developments in accordance with Section 17.23.120 of the UDC.
General Plan Amendment 21-002
A General Plan Amendment (GPA) is required to change the land use designation of the NU5 portion of the Project site to MXN. In addition, the General Plan text of the Land Use Element
for the NNA, which includes the Project site, limits the overall floor area for nonresidential development; a GPA is required to amend this limitation. A General Plan text amendment is also requested in order to clarify the height regulations applicable to properties within the NNA.
Hillside Development Review 21-001
A Hillside Development Review is required for all development on slopes in excess of 10- percent average cross-slope or greater in accordance with Section 17.51.020 of the UDC.
Minor Use Permit 21-016
A Minor Use Permit is required to reduce the residential density below the minimum required density of the MXN zone in accordance with Section 17.35.020 of the UDC.
Oak Tree Permit (Class 4) 421-001
A Class 4 Oak Tree Permit is required for the encroachment and/or the removal of four or more oak trees in accordance with Section 17.51.040 of the UDC.
Ridgeline Alteration Permit 21-001
A Ridgeline Alteration Permit (RAP) is required to protect and/or restrict development on identified significant ridgelines with an approval by the City Council in accordance to Section
17.38.070 of the UDC. Ridgeline Preservation Overlay Zones establish 100-foot zones either horizontally, or vertically, on either side of an identified ridgeline.
Tentative Map 83513
A Tentative Map is required for the subdivision of more than four lots in accordance with the Subdivision Map Act and Section 17.25.110 of the UDC. The Project includes a request to merge and subdivide the Project site into five lots for the development of the studio campus.
Zone Change 21-001
A Zone Change is required to amend the City’s Zoning Map in order to designate the NU5 zoned portion of the Project site as MXN. In addition, a Zone Change is required in order to overlay the JCOZ on the southerly portion of the Project site (the portion south of Placerita Creek).
The hearing before the City Council is necessary based on the request for the Zone Change, GPA, and RAP associated with the proposed Project.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
The City selected Michael Baker, International, from a competitive bidding process to conduct the necessary CEQA review for the Project. On March 29, 2022, staff circulated the Notice of Preparation for the Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR) with a 30-day comment period that closed on April 28, 2022. A Scoping Meeting was held on April 21, 2022, with approximately 30 people in attendance. Topics of concern expressed at the Scoping Meeting included traffic, flood and drainage, preservation of Placerita Creek, and consistency with the PCSSD. The City prepared a Draft EIR for the Project that addressed all issues raised in comments received on the Notice of Preparation. The Draft EIR was circulated for review and comment by affected governmental agencies and the public, in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Specifically, the Notice of Availability/Notice of
Completion for the Draft EIR was filed, posted, and advertised on April 6, 2023, and the 45-day public review period ended on May 22, 2023, in accordance with CEQA. The Draft EIR includes an Environmental Impact Analysis for the following areas: aesthetics, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, energy consumption, geology and soils, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, noise, population and housing, public services, transportation/traffic, tribal cultural resources, utilities and service systems, and wildfire. The Draft EIR also includes a detailed Project Description, Project Alternatives, and Cumulative Impacts Analysis.
The Draft Final EIR was prepared for the Project after the review period had concluded. The Draft Final EIR includes the Draft EIR, comments and responses on the Draft EIR, Errata and Clarifications Section, and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP). A complete response to the comments submitted can be found in the Final EIR prepared for the Project.
Below is a summary of some of the responses to comments:
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) - CDFW provided a letter with comments and recommendations related to impacts on the Crotch’s bumble bee, mountain lion, Coastal California Gnatcatcher, streams and associated natural communities. The Draft EIR addresses the comments and provides mitigation measures to address the concerns raised. Discussion on the potential for Crotch’s bumble bee to occur on the Project site was added to the Draft EIR in response to comments. It is important to note, that the bumble bee was not listed as a potential candidate for special status at the time of the biological resource surveys and literature review was conducted, nor at the time the NOP was issued. The circulation of the NOP established the baseline conditions for the biological resources evaluation of this Project. Mitigation measures have been added to the EIR to address any impact to a less than significant level. Surveys are currently underway to confirm the absence of the bumble bee onsite. • Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) - LACFD provided a letter requesting corrections to the requirements for fire hydrants and fire flow, specifying the number of hydrants and required fire flow for the Project. Revisions to the Draft EIR were made to reflect the specification from LACFD. The changes do not result in a new or increased significant impact. Other comments from LACFD included routine design standards that will be verified during plan check.
• CREED LA – CREED LA provided comments on a number of topics in the Draft EIR analysis including biological resources, air quality and human health, transportation, and GHG emissions. Minor revisions were made to GHG Section of the Draft EIR in response to comments to ensure consistency in mobile emissions for the Project operations with the vehicle assumptions in the TA. The slight change in GHG emissions does not change the significance determination for the Project since the analysis is based on consistency with state and regional GHG reduction plans. • Placerita Canyon Property Owners’ Association (PCPOA) - PCPOA provided comments on a number of topics in the Draft EIR analysis including land use planning, population and housing, transportation, and GHG emissions. Clarifications to the roadway improvements were incorporated in the Draft EIR Project Description to outline the signals to be installed and specify that the rail crossing improvements included widening of the rail crossing. These clarifications do not provide new information that has not been previously analyzed. The roadway improvements have been shown on the proposed
tentative map that has been included in the technical appendices and analyzed in the Draft EIR. In addition, Table 17 of the TA was revised to add a column to specify the level of service impact at study intersections. This revision simply summarizes data, data that is already available in the technical report, in a table for ease of the reader. The data is not new, and the list of intersections in the table is unchanged.
Changes were incorporated into the Draft EIR to provide correction and clarification where appropriate in response to comments received. The information incorporated into the Draft EIR, outlined in the Errata and Clarifications Section of the Final EIR does not change the basic findings of the Draft EIR. The changes do not provide new significant information thus recirculation is not required.
The Draft Final EIR was made available in advance of the July 18, 2023, Planning Commission meeting as it was forwarded to the Planning Commission, forwarded to members of the public, posted on the City’s website, and placed in the City Clerk’s Office on July 6, 2023.
Letters were received in response to the Agenda Report for the Planning Commission hearing and Draft Final EIR on the Shadowbox Studios Project on July 18, 2023. These letters, which have been reviewed by staff, primarily contain the same comments that have been thoroughly and adequately addressed as part of the responses to comments included in the Draft Final EIR.
The preparation of the responses to comments and the Draft Final EIR fully comply with all requirements of CEQA and the CEQA Guidelines. Accordingly, these letters, received on the Draft Final EIR, are included as an attachment to the agenda report for consideration by the City Council.
The Final EIR comments and responses on the Draft EIR, Errata and Clarifications Section, and MMRP are included as an attachment to the agenda report. The Final EIR finds that all impacts associated with the proposed project, in conjunction with the mitigation measures, can be mitigated to a less than significant level, and no Statement of Overriding Considerations is required for this project.
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
The Planning Commission held four public meetings on the Project, closed the public hearing on July 18, 2023, and recommended approval of the Project and certification of the Final EIR by the City Council. The Planning Commission recommendation included revisions to the following Conditions of Approval for consideration by the City Council and have been incorporated into the Conditions of Approval for the Project. The underlined text below represents the additions to the Conditions, as recommended by the Planning Commission:
PL7. If permission is granted by MWD, the permittee may utilize 11.4 acres of the MWD property, immediately adjacent to the east, to provide excess parking and storage for plants associated with film and television studio use. All plant material must be maintained in good condition. Storage of empty pallets, plant containers, or dead plant material is prohibited. No other outdoor storage is permitted on the MWD property.
Cleaning and/or maintenance of vehicles is not permitted on the MWD property between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
PL8. The permittee may install a 12-foot tall perimeter fencing along the property line in conformance with the fencing plan on file with this application. The fencing along the west property line, facing Railroad Avenue must be staggered so that there is a minimum two-foot step back in the face wall, with step backs provided at a ratio of 150 feet to 50 feet. If the MWD property is not utilized for accessory parking, perimeter fencing must be installed to allow for landscaping to screen the wall between the Project site and MWD property.
PL11. The permittee must prepare and submit a site-specific Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) to the Director before the Building Official issues a Certificate of Occupancy. The EOP must include an evacuation plan for the studio campus and must include a training program for all security personnel and tenants of the studio campus to ensure preparedness in the event of an emergency. The EOP must identify opportunities that would allow for the studio facility and local residents to shelter in place, and must identify opportunities that would allow for the studio facility to access the MWD right- of-way to the northeast as a means of evacuation in an emergency. The permittee must install a vehicle gate at the northeast portion of the Project site that would allow access to the adjacent MWD right-of-way to the northeast in the event of an emergency.
TD4. The bus stop(s) must consist of a 10' x 25' concrete passenger waiting pad, placed behind the sidewalk and bike path, and relocate the existing bus stop furniture, including shelter, to the new location.
NOTICING
All notices required by law were completed which consisted of a legal advertisement in The Signal newspaper on August 1, 2023, and notification of the public hearing by mail to all property owners and occupants within a 1,000-foot radius of the Project site (1,445 notices). A sign was also posted at the Project site on August 8, 2023.
As of the writing of this agenda report and publication of the City Council Public Hearing Notice, staff has received 77 comment letters expressing support for the Project and no letters in opposition to the Project. These letters can be found in the City Clerk’s reading file. All letters and comments that were received during the Planning Commission meetings are included in the Planning Commission Staff Reports, located in the City Clerk’s reading file.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other actions as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Project would not have a negative fiscal impact on the City’s General Fund. The applicant would be required to pay various development impact fees, including, but not limited to, Bridge and Thoroughfare fees.
ATTACHMENTS
Public-Notice
Resolution - Project
Resolution - CEQA
Ordinance
Applicant Community Outreach Summary
Public Comment Letters (available in the City Clerk's Reading File) Comment Letters on Final EIR (available in the Clerk's Reading File) Plans and Elevations (available in the Clerk's Reading File) Tentative Map (available in the Clerk's Reading File)
Planning Commission Staff Report 4-18-2023 (available in the Clerk's Reading File) Planning Commission Staff Report 5-16-2023 (available in the Clerk's Reading File) Planning Commission Staff Report 6-20-2023 (available in the Clerk's Reading File) Planning Commission Staff Report 7-18-2023 (available in the Clerk's Reading File)