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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2020 0708 CCPC SPC ITEM 05A SUPPLEMENTAL MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL JOINT MEETING SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA REPORT TO: Honorable City Council and Planning Commission FROM: Karen Vaughn, Community Development Director BY: Douglas Spondello, Planning Manager DATE: 07/08/2020 Special Joint Meeting SUBJECT: Presentation Regarding the Draft Hitch Ranch Specific Plan (Specific Plan No. 1) and Associated Development CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED Subsequent to the preparation of the staff report, the following correspondence was received from members of the public. Attachment Item: 5.A. SUPPLEMENTAL From:Planning To:"Michele Berry"; Planning Cc:Ky Spangler Subject:RE: Hitch Ranch Date:Wednesday, July 08, 2020 8:24:46 AM From: Michele Berry Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2020 9:36 PM To: Planning Subject: Hitch Ranch Kindly revert to the original plan of 415 residences and create a buffer to our semi-rural community. We have asked for this repeatedly, please do honor the request. Michele and Sean Morony Gabbert Road From:Jennifer Diamond To:City Council & City Manager Subject:Hitch Ranch Project Date:Wednesday, July 08, 2020 9:20:03 AM To Whom it may concern, I have been a homeowner at Gabbert Road since 1998. I move here to enjoy the quite, rural lifestyle with my horses. I am appalled at the purposed changed density of the Hitch Ranch Project! Originally I was told it would be 415 residential units, with a buffer where it butts up to the Gabbert properties, which are currently zoned at 5 acre parcels. I now see that the project has been changed to 755 residential units. This is unacceptable to me and does not fit with the ambiance of our neighborhood. I hope you will re consider the original purposed plan of 415 residential units, with a buffer next to the existing larger properties. I could live with that. Thank you for your consideration and please feel free to call me with any questions. Jennifer Diamond Gabbert Road From:D Miller To:Moorpark Subject:Draft Hitch Ranch Specific Plan Date:Wednesday, July 08, 2020 12:02:14 PM Attachments:July 8 2020 Letter to Moorpark.pdf I appreciate the chance to participate in tonight’s meeting but due to my husband’s illness, I cannot even watch through Zoom or call in. Please include my attached letter, which, with titles and name, address, etc. is 499 words. Thank you. Doris Miller Sent from Mail for Windows 10 July 8, 2020 To: Members of the Moorpark City Council and Moorpark Planning Commission Re: Draft Hitch Ranch Specific Plan 1 The residents of Gabbert Canyon have gone through multiple “battles” to preserve the lifestyles that we value so highly. These will continue as long as there is a parcel of land left to subdivide into ever smaller pieces. For example, a current online ad for an ~88 acre parcel of land owned by A-B Properties, encourages a buyer to pick up the prescreening package approved by the City Council in 2010, and “pursue much higher values for the next building cycle”. On the other side of Gabbert Canyon is the Rasmussen development project and now comes Hitch Ranch and with these proposals come many changes to our area. Achieving key planning goals of “being sensitive to existing land uses” and maintaining “neighborhood compatibility” would be very difficult because of three main issues. 1. A huge increase from the original project of 415 residential units to 755 units increases all the negative results of development such as air pollution, water use, increased traffic, loss of wildlife corridors, and altered topography. 2. A lack of a genuine buffer area next to the existing Gabbert Canyon properties. The homes proposed in the westerly section of the project are very large but sit on lots smaller than one-sixth of an acre. The lifestyles of potential buyers are unlikely to be similar to ours and could lead to problems. Lawsuits from “Coming to the Nuisance” have been historically common and successful. 3. The terminus of North Hills Parkway and High Street onto Gabbert Road near the railroad tracks. In the event of a wildfire, a train derailment, a possible hazardous chemical spill, or other myriad disaster possibilities, the residents of Gabbert Canyon would have to line up and “take a number” to exit to safety or to enter to help family or evacuate our animals. Of special concern are increasingly frequent wildfires that no longer recognize a “fire season” but can happen any time for multiple reasons including electrical transmission line problems, equipment sparks, careless smokers, or illegal fireworks. I know that developers are in the business to sell units and that their profits are maximized when they have more units to sell. However, please continue to work with the developer to reduce the number of units, increase the lot sizes of homes near our Gabbert Canyon homes (possibly consider equestrian lots), and find another way to divert through traffic to Los Angeles Avenue without impacting Gabbert Road. I realize there is a huge need in California for more affordable and low-cost housing. Siting higher density homes near the city core seems reasonable. Leaving land as open space in the western end of the project and providing a mix of trails provides residents with a touch of the natural which is good for all of us. These are the parts of the project I commend. Sincerely, Doris Miller Gabbert Rd. From:Planning To:Ky Spangler; Karen Vaughn Subject:FW: Hitch Ranch Specific Plan Date:Wednesday, July 08, 2020 3:12:07 PM From: toby wilhelm ] Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2020 2:28 PM To: Planning Subject: Hitch Ranch Specific Plan Dear Mr.Spondello and Council Members, I have lived in Moorpark for 38 years. I moved here from thousand Oaks where I was born and raised. Our main reason for choosing our neighborhood in Moorpark was the farm friendly atmosphere. Our home in Thousand Oaks was horse zoned but not horse friendly. I did my due diligence and researched before purchasing my lot. It is 3.2 acres and butts up to the Hitch Project. At the time of our purchase we checked the zoning on the land next to us and it was zoned agricultural (10 or 40 acres). I have invested 38 years and all of my savings as a nurse in building this home and property that I treasure.A lifetime of creating this amazing homestead would be destroyed by allowing this development. When Moorpark became a city and a specific plan was being planned the people in my neighborhood were fighting hard to keep some agricultural area in our city and were lied to by the then city council that making a change to the specific plan was not going to change the zoning. well we all know how that turned out. It is not that I am against growth, Moorpark did not even have a supermarket when we moved here, we shopped at Spencers. Traffic flow is a definite problem in this city and a lot of this has to due with the fact that we have a major rail system running through the middle of town and only limited crossing adding 755 more homes will significantly magnify our existing problems. I have had to evacuate my family and livestock twice due to fires in our town and have concerns about how it will work out with the added people trying to evacuate the Hitch Project on Gabbert Road. We know the fires in this area travel SW across the city so everyone will be using the only road out of our canyon at the same time. I ask you please consider the lifestyle of the people that already live here. Moorpark could use property that embraces our roots with larger lots where people can grow their own vegetables and raise livestock peacefully. Thank you for your time. Warmest regards, Barbara Wareham From:Makenzie Rasmussen To:Moorpark Subject:Hitch Ranch Comments Date:Wednesday, July 08, 2020 4:46:32 PM Good Evening Mayor Parvin & Council Members, I am in favor of the Hitch Ranch project moving forward. The state of CA is in need of more housing and this project will be a great addition to the City of Moorpark. We are an adjacent neighbor and are looking forward to seeing this project be developed. Please expedite the processing of this project as soon as possible. Thank you so much, -- Makenzie Rasmussen Project Manager & Sales Agent License #01948456