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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 1997 1008 CC SPCMINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL Moorpark, California October 8, 1997 A Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Moorpark was held on October 8, 1997 in the Council Chambers of said City located at 799 Moorpark Avenue, Moorpark, California. 1. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Hunter called the meeting to order at 7 :08 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Councilmember Evans led the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL: Present: Councilmembers Evans, Perez, Teasley, Wozniak and Mayor Hunter. Staff Present: Steven Kueny, City Manager; Nelson Miller, Director of Community Development; Dirk Lovett, Assistant City Engineer; Captain Mike Lewis, Sheriff's Department; Deborah Traffenstedt, Principal Planner; John Whitman, Traffic Engineer; and Lillian Hare, City Clerk 4. PUBLIC HEARING A. Consider Continued Public Hearing for Hidden Creek Ranch Specific Plan Project (Specific Plan No. 8 /Specific Plan No. SP -93 -1, General Plan Amendment No. GPA -93 -1, and Zone Change No. ZC- 93 -3), Applicant: Hidden Creek Ranch Partners. Staff Recommendation: Accept public testimony and continue the public hearing to a scheduled special City Council meeting on October 22, 1997, for focused discussion of Specific Plan open space, clustering of development, and park related issues. Ms. Traffenstedt gave the staff report. Dana Privitt, Bon Terra Consulting, addressed the Council as the Environmental Impact Report consultant. She said the growth assumptions studied were for the years 2000 and 2015, with and without the project. In response to Mayor Hunter, Ms. Privitt pointed to the location on the map where the Lagoon freeway interchange would most likely be, if built. Joe Foust, of Austin -Foust Associates, addressed the Council regarding the level of service and traffic counts at the intersection of Collins Drive and Campus Park Drive. He indicated that peak hour turning movement counts were collected in January of 1997. He said the intersection was Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Page 2 October 8, 1997 operating with an intersection capacity utilization value of 92 percent, which is Level of Service E, during the a.m. peak hour. He said updated traffic counts were collected in August of 1997 after the signal operation was revised to conventional left turn phasing and after the fall semester resumed at Moorpark College. He indicated that the intersection is now operating at a Level of Service A during the a.m. and p.m. peak hours, which is 52 percent of capacity. Gary Austin, 959 South Coast Drive, Costa Mesa, addressed the Council and gave a brief presentation of the housing product for the project. He also indicated that the commercial area had been reduced from 29 acres to approximately 20 acres which would reduce traffic. He indicated that the retail location would evolve as there is need for it. In answer to Council question, Mr. Austin explained that student generation at build out would require two elementary schools, half a middle school and 20 percent of a high school. He said he envisioned the phase one park to be a community park for organized sports. In response to Councilmember Wozniak, Mr. Austin indicated that the project would provide all three sites for the school and build the first elementary school in phase one of the project, subject to Board of Education action. In response to Mayor Hunter, Mr. Austin said that regarding the timing of the commercial, it won't be built until there is a clear need. In response to Councilmember Evans, Mr. Austin explained the circulation of the main arterial and indicated that the Lagoon interchange had been dropped because of a variety of problems, including Caltrans' unwillingness to discuss this with the applicant. Mr. Austin said that Caltrans has a prior commitment to construct the Alamos interchange. In response to Mayor Hunter, Mr. Austin said that approximately four to six acres is the amount of land which will be used for the road through Happy Camp Canyon Park. Patrick Martin, 15155 -B Marquette Street, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. He said the economic impacts of the project will be negative. He asked the Council to call for a vote of the people regarding the project. Harvey Plaks, 4957 Mira Sol, addressed the Council in support of the project. Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Page 3 October 8, 1997 Lucy Migliore, 15523 Mallory Court, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. She indicated she was concerned with the level of service at the intersection of Collins Drive and Campus Park Drive. She expressed concern over traffic conditions in an emergency. She said she was concerned that the traffic would all route down Collins Drive. She also expressed concern about the freeway congestion on the 118/23 freeway. She said a separate on- ramp to the 118 is needed if the project goes forward. Maurice Lacour, 6890 North Auburn Circle, addressed the Council requesting that a westerly extension of Campus Park Drive not be utilized for the project. He said he is opposed to the project because of the increased noise and pollution it will bring. He said an alternate bypass road should be sited further north. Lisa Dragan, 15382 Braun Court, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. She indicated her belief that no road should be built through Happy Camp Park. Ralph Sinclair, 6440 North Berkeley Circle, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. He stated his opposition to using a westerly extension of Campus Park Drive as a secondary access to the project. He also asked the Council to consider the affect the project would have on the High Street /Spring Road intersection. Roseann Mikos, 14571 E. Cambridge Street, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. She stated that the project was not compatible with surrounding use which is mostly rural. Art Lenox, 15654 Harte Lane, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. He indicated that the site has contamination from oil exploration. He said a detailed assessment should be prepared of the contaminants on the property prior to any project approval. He also stated his concern that dust suppression measures in the EIR are unsatisfactory. He also expressed concerns regarding Valley Fever and indicated that a model should be constructed on how far Valley Fever spores can travel. He said from the Moorpark observatory oil staining can be seen. In response to Councilmember Evans, Ms. Privitt, said that a hazardous materials analysis has been completed. She said where the soil contains contaminants, the contaminants will be removed. She indicated there is a program in the EIR which addresses the mitigation measures and procedures for mitigating contamination. Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Page 4 October 8, 1997 Lori Rutter, 11611 Pinedale Road, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. Gerald Goldstein, 11932 Los Angeles Avenue, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. He expressed concerns about subsidence problems and the collapse of the freeway overpass on Collins Drive if there was an emergency. Alice Tsing, addressed the Council in opposition to the project because of traffic congestion on the 118/23 freeway. Gary Mussell, 15750 E. Los Angeles Avenue, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. He expressed concern that traffic flows towards Fillmore had not been analyzed. He also expressed concern regarding a major fire coming from the north without major north /south circulation in the project. He said the observatory at Moorpark College will be rendered ineffective by the additional lights in the project. He said the requirement for the applicant to provide only a building site for the high school was not sufficient. He expressed concern with the truck traffic, —' dirt and grime the nearby residents would, have to endure during construction of the project. Pamela Lormans, 15490 Mallory Court, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. She stated that the 118/23 freeway needs to widened prior to any project being built. She said an additional access to the freeway is needed and requested that the initial site access be provided away from the existing homes. Ralph Sherwood,4259 Canario Ct. addressed the Council in opposition to the project. Because of inappropriate language, he was requested to be seated. Tom Duck, 14663 Loyola, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. He expressed concerns about the cost of providing additional infrastructure about the phasing of the schools. He also said the additional shopping area created in the project will "kill" the downtown High Street commercial. Bill Otto, 4261 Heatherdale Court, addressed the Council in opposition to the project. He stated that the project was not economically viable. Tim Saivar, 15594 Mallory Court, requested that the Council put the project on the ballot for a vote of the residents. He expressed concern that Collins Drive near Benwood Drive is a "bottle neck" already. He requested that there be no connection to Collins Drive at the top as this would Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Page 5 October 8, 1997 provide an access for students to park in residential areas. AT THIS POINT in the meeting, a recess was declared. The time was 9:50 p.m. The Council reconvened at 10:07 p.m. Gary Austin addressed the Council in rebuttal to some of the comments from this and the prior meeting held on October 1. He said relative to growth, the General Plan update designated the project area as a specific plan area. He said based on the General Plan, the project would not constitute urban sprawl. Relative to oil contamination, he said the Messenger Investment Company has no mineral rights on the property. He said it was his understanding that Nuevo Torch bought the mineral rights from Unocal. He said he would provide the Council with a barrels per day production figure. He said the owner of the mineral rights has the responsibility to mitigate any contamination from oil exploration. He indicated that there was to be no project development on the area where there is oil exploration. Relative to air pollution, Mr. Austin said Ventura County Air Quality has improved in recent years even though the population of the County has increased. -- Relative to the existing zoning, he said the property is no longer in the Land Conservation Act. He said they had the right to go to the County and request rezoning which they are not doing. He indicated that other property owners in the specific plan area have not set up an account with the City from which development fees can be drawn. He said relative to putting the annexation and project approval to a vote of the people, the people make a decision every two years by electing new councilmembers. He indicated that some of the information provided by the Environmental Coalition is incorrect. Mayor Hunter stated that he had several questions he would like staff to answer for the next Council meeting. They are as follows: 1) He requested staff to provide the background and history on the City Council decision to disallow future westerly extension of Campus Park Drive. He asked that any policy decision be identified. 2) He requested staff to provide information on enrollment _. projections for Moorpark College and how college traffic affects the Collins Drive /Campus Park Drive intersection. He asked that the enrollment projections be done for 5, 10 and 15 years into the future. 3) He asked for information regarding the siting of the proposed Hidden Creek Drive through Happy Camp Park and its Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Page 6 October 8, 1997 impact in acreage and intrusion. He requested on the County's plan regarding roadway access t o Canyon Regional Park and the relationship of th e the residential neighborhood to the south. information Happy Camp roadway to 4) He requested information on how much grading is required on slopes greater than 20 percent and less than 20 percent. 5) He requested that an update on the status of the growth management quality of life thresholds be provided. 6) He requested more information on regional traffic issues related to State Routes 23 and 118 and information on how in depth the previous studies have been. 7) He requested for the November 12 meeting an update on existing oil wells, drilling rights and contamination. Councilmember Wozniak stated that the before and after traffic counts for the intersection for Collins Drive and Campus Park Drive don't seem correct. He asked for an explanation. He also asked that for the November 12 meeting the area where the oil wells are would be identified regarding any oil contamination clean up that has occurred in the past and whether there have been any major spills and Caltrans' future widening plans for State Route 118 and 23. Councilmember Teasley asked for an explanation of how the intersection level of service will still be "C" (72 percent) at the intersection of Campus Park Drive and Collins Drive after development of the project. She further asked for an explanation of the phasing schedule for Specific Plan No. 8 and how that will be consistent with the phasing of development and construction of arterial roadways within Specific Plan No. 2. She also asked for an explanation of the Fire Protection District's involvement in review of the Specific Plan and how residents will be evacuated in a timely manner during a disaster. Councilmember Perez requested information as to whether the Spring Road /High Street intersection will be impacted by the proposal to provide westerly access to the Hidden Creek Ranch Specific Plan from a Spring Road extension and roadway across lower Happy Camp Canyon Regional Park. He also requested an exhibit showing the different slope ranges (20 percent increase and decrease) for the area to be graded. He said additional substantiation of the need for and location of a connection to Collins Drive north of Moorpark College. Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Page 7 October 8, 1997 Councilmember Evans requested information regarding the County's position on the processing of the proposed project in the County and whether the applicant can go to the County and request approval if the project is denied by the City. He also requested information on why the interchange at Lagoon was dropped from the project description. He asked staff to identify the total vehicle trips at build out of the Specific Plan and the trips per phase. He also requested information regarding the historical effect on property values of increasing number of homes coming on the market. He requested what stop sign controls are proposed for major streets and when traffic would warrant the replacement of stop signs with signals. Mayor Hunter requested that staff research the recent court decision which involved litigation filed in response to a denial of a project because it was not in compliance with the guidelines of orderly development. Mayor Hunter also requested information on the deadlines for approval of the Specific Plan. Councilmember Perez requested that the School District provide a response to the City on the siting of the high school and the District's perspective of future enrollment. Councilmember Evans noted that he had reviewed the tapes of the last public hearing held on October 1. He indicated his belief that the Council can and will make a decision on the project. He further indicated that he believed the Council and in particular Councilmember Teasley, had been stepping down appropriately when there was a possible conflict of interest. He stated his belief that the development agreement for the project needs to be forth coming quickly. MOTION: Councilmember Evans moved and Councilmember Wozniak seconded a motion to continue this item to October 22; the public hearing to remain open. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. 5. ADJOURNMENT: Mayor Hunter adjourned the meeting./ The timg�s/10:45 p.m. ooPK atrick nter, Mayor ATTEST • • oP o � -�' Lillian Hare, City Clerk