The applicant is seeking re-approval of Tentative Parcel Map #5217 to divide two duplex lots into four individual lots.  Approval of the project would provide additional housing options for the community of Esparto. It furthers County General Plan policies by expanding the available mix of housing types by providing ownership opportunities for individual small attached homes, which are underrepresented in the County. The Planning Commission originally approved the Tentative Parcel Map (Attachment B) on December 9, 2021, with edits to the Conditions of Approval (COAs) discussed below. A Parcel Map was not recorded within two years of the date of approval by the Planning Commission; therefore, the Tentative Parcel Map expired. The applicant does not propose any new changes to the Tentative Parcel Map that was previously approved by the Planning Commission. 

BACKGROUND

The two neighboring rental duplexes, located at 26253/26259 and 26261/26267 Woodland Avenue in the town of Esparto, were permitted and constructed in 2007. Both parcels are 50 feet wide and 150 feet long, or 0.17 acre in size, with frontage on Woodland Avenue and an alley in the back. The duplexes were constructed front to back with the rear unit having access from the alley. The lots have a General Plan land use designation of Residential Medium (RM) and are zoned Medium Density Residential (R-M), as are all the properties facing Woodland Avenue on the block (Attachment A). Residences on the north side of Woodland Avenue and across the alley to the south of the project lots are designated Residential Low (RL) and zoned Low Density Residential (R-L). The lots are served with public water and wastewater by the Esparto Community Service District. There are separate water and wastewater lines for each unit that run along the shared property boundary from the alley. The permitted structures meet all required setbacks, which are five feet for the side yards, twenty feet for the front yard and fifteen for the rear yard.

ANALYSIS

The proposed project is to divide two adjacent duplex lots into four individual lots by separating out approximately 0.085 of an acre for each 1,700-square foot home to allow individual sale. Generally, creating a new lot for the rear units would be inconsistent with Policy CC-4.18 of the Land Use and Community Character Element of the 2030 Countywide General Plan, which states that "Within community areas, houses shall front on the street." However, as noted above, the layout of the duplexes was approved in 2007, prior to adoption of the Countywide General Plan, which placed the entrances of the rear units on the alleyway without direct access to Woodland Avenue. The proposed tentative map would remedy this current inconsistency by creating a six-foot wide concrete walkway with an overlaying access easement to the rear units so that the two rear units have direct pedestrian access to Woodland Avenue. Easements would also be provided over the rear lots to allow the front lots to access water and sewer lines that run along the shared boundary of the current lots from the alley. Finally, the proposed map would designate additional parking for each rear unit to mitigate parked vehicles encroaching into the alley.

The project is consistent with the Yolo County 2030 Countywide General Plan by providing four small, attached homes for individual sale, a rare type of for-sale housing for the unincoporated County, and by bringing the property into alignment with Policy CC-4.18 that requires housing to have street frontage. The proposed project has been determined to be exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") per Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines, also known as the 'common sense' rule, which exempts projects from CEQA "[w]here it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment." There is no possibility of environmental effects because there would be no physical changes as a result of the proposed project, including no increase in the number of residences and no expansion or change in use. A Notice of Exemption has been prepared (Attachment C).

Previously, the Planning Commission revised Condition of Approval (COA) #3 upon approval of the tentative map in 2021 to require confirmation of the easement documentation by the County prior to recording the Parcel Map and added new COA #8 to note there is a zero-foot setback from the property line between the dwelling units of each duplex. Staff proposes new language to COA #4 to specify construction and maintenance responsibilities for the concrete walkway. Otherwise, the proposed action is consistent with the Planning Commission's 2021 approval (Attachment E).

Any person who is dissatisfied with the decisions of this Planning Commission may appeal to the Board of Supervisors by filing a notice of appeal with the Clerk of the Board within fifteen (15) days from the date of the action. A Planning Commission Appeal Form and appeal fee immediately payable to “County of Yolo” must be submitted at the time of filing. The Board of Supervisors may sustain, modify or overrule this decision. The Planning Commission Appeal Form can be accessed at the following link: https://www.yolocounty.org/government/board-of-supervisors/clerk-of-the-board/planning-commission-appeal