Agenda Item: 1
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
PUBLIC HEARINGS
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: December 12, 2023
SUBJECT: REVISION TO THE SAND CANYON PLAZA MIXED USE PROJECT (MASTER CASE 14-077) REGARDING THE TIMING OF
CONSTRUCTION OF COMMERCIAL IMPROVEMENTS
DEPARTMENT: Community Development
PRESENTER: David Peterson
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Conduct the public hearing, and receive staff report and presentation.
2. Adopt a resolution approving Master Case 23-182, consisting of Minor Use Permit 23-030 and Development Review 23-023, to modify Condition of Approval PL4 for the Sand Canyon Village Mixed Use Project.
BACKGROUND
The Sand Canyon Plaza Mixed Use Project
The Sand Canyon Plaza Mixed Use Project (Master Case 14-077), commonly known as the Sand Canyon Village Mixed Use Project, was approved by the City Council on September 12, 2017 (Resolution Nos. 17-79 and 17-80).
The project includes a total of 580 residential units and a commercial pad on 87 acres.
Improvements are spread over five individual Planning Areas (PAs) including:
• Planning Area 1 (PA-1): A commercial pad that originally included 60,000 square feet of retail/commercial space as well as an 85,000 square-foot senior living facility. This planning area was subsequently modified by Planning Commission approval to include 45,000 square feet of retail/commercial space and a 147,000 square-foot assisted living facility (Master Case 20-046);
• Planning Area 2 (PA-2): 324 apartment and townhome units;
• Planning Area 3 (PA-3): 137 townhome units; and
• Planning Areas 4 & 5 (PA-4 and PA-5): A total of 119 single-family detached condominiums.
The project site is currently being graded by the permittee, and PA-1, PA-2, PA-4, and PA-5 are undergoing plan checks with the Building & Safety Division. No vertical construction of structures has commenced to date.
Previous Modification to Conditions of Approval
On May 20, 2022, at the request of the permittee, the City Council approved a modification to the conditions of approval for the project (Master Case 22-055 Resolution 22-20). As originally approved, Condition of Approval PL4 required the commercial and assisted living portions of the project in PA-1 to be constructed before the City issued certificates of occupancy for more than 50 percent of the approved residential units in order to ensure a mixed-use project would be built on the project site. The original condition read as follows:
PL4. The applicant shall construct the commercial portion of the mixed-use project prior to occupancy of the 290th residential unit unless otherwise approved by the Director of Community Development.
At the May 20, 2022, meeting the condition was amended to change the timing for completion of commercial improvements in PA-1, but did not change any other elements of the project. The current condition reads as follows:
PL4. Prior to the 324th occupancy, the applicant agrees to complete rough-grading of the entire site, consistent with the grading plans, and complete Phase 1 of the project as shown on Exhibit A. Completion of Phase 1 includes:
1) The shell construction (floors, walls, roof) of the commercial anchor building and its associated site improvements (parking, landscape, utilities, etc.); 2) Common area landscape in Phase 1, including the frontage on Sand Canyon Road and Soledad Canyon Road;
3) The corner monument sign/water feature; and
4) The updated LMD sign.
Newly Proposed Modification
Given various setbacks during the grading process, the permittee requested an additional change to PL4. Similar to the previous modification, this change would impact the timing for the completion of commercial improvements in PA-1 but would not change any other elements of the project. A proposed justification for the request was provided by the permittee and is attached. The proposed language for PL4 is as follows:
PL4. Prior to the 324th occupancy, the applicant agrees to complete rough grading of the entire site, consistent with the grading plans, and complete Phase 1 of the project as shown on Exhibit A. Completion of Phase 1 includes:
1) Certification of pads for both the commercial retail center and the assisted
living facility, as well as the start of construction on the commercial retail center including the issuance of building permits and foundation inspection for the retail anchor building;
2) Common area landscape in Phase 1, including the frontage of Sand Canyon Road and Soledad Canyon Road;
3) The corner monument sign/water feature; and
4) The updated LMD sign.
Proposed Entitlements
The proposed revision to condition PL4 requires action by the City Council on the following entitlements:
Minor Use Permit
The project requires the approval of a Minor Use Permit (MUP) to modify the original approval for the project. In accordance with Santa Clarita Municipal Code (SCMC) Section 17.09.020, minor modifications to a conditionally approved project are subject to the approval of an MUP.
Development Review
In accordance with SCMC 17.23.120, all commercial and residential developments are subject to the approval of a Development Review.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An Environmental Impact Report was certified by the City Council for the original project on September 12, 2017, by Resolution Nos. 17-79 and 17-80. As set forth in those resolutions, the FEIR fully analyzes the environmental impacts of the Project for purposes of CEQA. The proposed modification does not trigger the need for additional environmental review.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other actions as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. The applicant would be required to pay various development impact fees including, but not limited to, Bridge and Thoroughfare fees, Transit Impact fees, and Library Impact fees.
ATTACHMENTS
Public Hearing Notice
Resolution
Proposed Justification Statement (Attachment A)