ZF #2021-0014: Consider amendments to Tentative Subdivision Map No. 4691, Conditions of Approval, and associated Development Agreement for the Story Residential Subdivision located in the town of Esparto (APN 049-250-009), previously approved by the Yolo County Board of Supervisors in 2007. The amended Tentative Map would divide a 17.25-acre parcel zoned for low density residential uses to allow construction of 76 residential lots. At least 16 attached dwelling units would be restricted for sale to low- and moderate-income buyers to satisfy County Inclusionary Housing Ordinance requirements. The Story Project site is also proposed to be rezoned to remove Planned Development No. 61 Overlay Zone.  An Addendum to the previously adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2007012125) for the Story Residential Subdivision has been prepared. (Applicant: Raul Melendez) (Owner: Story Esparto, LLC) (Planner: JD Trebec)
 

FILE # 2021-0014: Story Subdivision Amendments
APPLICANT: Raul Melendez	OWNER: Esparto Story, LLC.
LOCATION:Southeast corner of County Roads 87 and 20X in the town of Esparto. (APN: 049-250-009) GENERAL PLAN: Residential Low (RL) ZONING: Low Density Residential (R-L)/Planned Development No. 61 (PD-61) Overlay SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT: Angel Barajas (5th District)	SOILS: Farmland of Local Importance (TaA-Tehama loam, Ca-Capay silty clay) FLOOD ZONE: A,X FIRE SEVERITY ZONE: Urban Unzoned, Non-Wildland/Non-Urban
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: Addendum to a Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH#2007012125)

That the Planning Commission conduct a public hearing and consider a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to:
 

The proposed amendments to the previously approved Story Residential Project would achieve a number of benefits for the community of Esparto and the County. First and foremost, the proposed amendments would bring the Project closer to fruition and provide additional housing to help alleviate some of the demand for affordable housing in Esparto and surrounding unincorporated communities of the County, and would further County Strategic Plan goals to support the rural economy.  The Project implements several General Plan policies, including policies recently adopted in the updated Housing Element that call for a mix of varying housing types to accommodate the needs of all income levels. The applicant has agreed to a number of community benefits in the amended Development Agreement including the provision of for-sale inclusionary housing, a community park and trails, and other services and amenities.

Background

On October 23, 2007, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors approved the Story Residential Project consisting of Tentative Subdivision Map (TSM) No. 4691, Planned Development No. 61 (PD-61) Overlay Zone, and Development Agreement. The Project is located on approximately 17.25 acres of land in northern Esparto at the southeast corner of the intersection County Road 20X and County Road 87. Access is provided via Durst Place to County Road 20X and via Winters Street, which runs from County Road 20X through to Woodland Avenue to the south. The parcel is designated as Residential Low (RL) in the 2030 Countywide General Plan and zoned Low Density Residential / Planned Development No. 61 Overlay (R-L/PD-61). The approved Tentative Subdivision Map (TSM #4691) consists of 78 single-family residential lots, a tot lot, a stormwater detention basin, extension of utilities, and dedication of right-of-way and public land.

Original approval of the Development Agreement set an initial 10-year term for the Project and identified developer obligations, including a donation of $125,000 to Yolo Avenue street improvements, visitability requirements for homes, and construction of the Alpha Street bridge and extension. 

The Board of Supervisors approved amendments to the Development Agreement in 2017, 2019, and 2021, to extend the expiration date of the agreement. Currently, the Development Agreement and Tentative Map are set to expire December 31, 2023.

Project Description

A Final Map has not yet been prepared for the Project and the property and associated entitlements (approvals) were bought by a new developer in 2021. The new developer has proposed to make changes to the previously approved Project to create, among other things, an agricultural buffer along the eastern boundary. Details regarding proposed map amendments are described below, under the Analysis section of this staff report.

Infrastructure improvements remain the responsibility of the applicant. No public financing is proposed. The applicant will be responsible for costs associated with the infrastructure until the public improvements are accepted by the County and the Esparto Community Services District (ECSD), which would provide sewer, public water, and lighting services.

The Conditions of Approval have been updated to improve organization and amended to reflect items that are no longer applicable to the Project or that have been completed. A redline version showing the proposed changes to the Conditions of Approval is located in Attachment H for reference.

Addendum to the Mitigated Negative Declaration

The adopted Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) has been reviewed in light of the proposed amendments to the Project and staff has concluded that the circumstances and impacts identified in the MND remain substantively unchanged. This conclusion is supported by the finding that the proposed amendments do not raise any new issues and do not substantially increase the level of impacts previously identified in the MND. However, circumstances have changed with respect to at least one of the mitigation measures in that it addresses potential impacts that no longer exist or have since been found to be less than significant and/or counterproductive to County and State goals.

Mitigation measure (MM) 6 requires a fair share payment toward an Alpha Street bridge and extension. In 2018, an updated traffic study was conducted for the town of Esparto that included the Story Project and considered the safety improvements to Yolo Avenue.  The updated study concludes that an Alpha Street bridge/extension is no longer necessary. Additionally, the study revealed that a road extension would likely increase vehicle traffic through Esparto's residential areas which is contrary to County and community goals for improving circulation in Esparto.

Pursuant to Section 15164 of the CEQA Guidelines, an Addendum to the MND has been prepared for the proposed changes to the Tentative Map, Conditions of Approval, and Development Agreement. The Addendum shall be attached to the existing Mitigated Negative Declaration (SCH #2007012125) and is included as Attachment B.

Removal of Planned Development No. 61 Overlay Zone

Another proposed change to the Project is the removal of the PD-61 Overlay Zone. In particular, the PD-61 Overlay Zone for the Story Residential Subdivision specifies house models that were owned by the previous developer, includes outdated code references and permit requirements, and identifies minimum residential size requirements that conflict with recently enacted State laws. Additional details are addressed in the Analysis section of this staff report.

Development Agreement

The Story Development Agreement is proposed to be updated to reflect changes that have occurred since the Project was originally approved in 2007. In addition to a request to extend the Agreement term until 2029, the following table addresses the current developer obligations and any changes proposed for the DA:
 

Current DA Obligation	Proposed Changes	Reason
A. Revitilization Contribution: A contribution of $125,000 to the New Seasons Community Development Corporation to revitalize downtown	No Change	--
B. Traffic Mitigation: Contribution to Alpha Street extension and bridge	Remove	More recent traffic studies find this bridge unnecessary and undesired.
C. Visitability: Various accessibility features required or offered at no additional charge	No Change	--

 
Analysis

The intent of the proposed amendments to the approved Story Tentative Subdivision Map is to provide an agricultural buffer along the eastern edge of the subdivision in response to recent modifications to reduce Esparto's growth boundary in the 2019 Esparto Community Plan update which redesignated an adjacent parcel from Rural Residential to Agriculture. To help offset the loss of five lots resulting from the proposed agricultural buffer, four lots would be added internally to the subdivision including two lots on the parcel formerly dedicated as the tot lot. This park area would be moved to the eastern edge of the subdivision near the open space for the agricultural buffer. 

To comply with past requests by the Planning Commission to meet ‘missing middle’ affordable housing needs, the applicant proposes to include 16 two- or three-bedroom condominium units within five fourplex or townhome groupings within the subdivision which is consistent with the County's Inclusionary Housing Ordinance requirements. The 16 for-sale homes would be deed restricted to be affordable with eight units priced for moderate income buyers and eight units priced for low-income buyers.

A multi-use path network has been added along the eastern and northern boundary of the project site with a future connection at the northeast corner to a trail designated in the Cache Creek Parkway Plan. These minor changes would not affect the detention basin, which remains the same size and at the same location.

As mentioned above, staff proposes to remove the Planned Development No. 61 (PD-61) Overlay Zone from the project site rather than amend it. The project site would remain zoned as Low Density Residential (R-L). The focus of PD-61 is on housing models offered by the previous developer and setbacks and minimum residential area requirements that conflict with current County and State laws. Therefore, staff recommends the PD-61 Overlay Zone be eliminated to provide the developer more flexibility in achieving housing opportunities for the Esparto community. The underlying R-L zoning more than adequately provides for community desires. The proposed Ordinance to remove the PD-61 Overlay is included as Attachment F.

The Conditions of Approval have been reorganized for clarity and some conditions updated or removed to reflect completion or changing circumstances since the original approval of the Tentative Map. The updated Conditions are included as Attachment E. Conditions proposed for removal include:

• #18 (LAFCO annexation),
• #28 and #65 (Alpha Street Improvement Plans),
• #30 (Barricades for incomplete roads),
• #39 (references to the defunct Madison/Esparto Regional Community Service Area),
• portions of #s40-49 (PD-61 requirements specific to the former developer or are now required by building code), and
• #57 (Parks fee that is no longer required). 

A redline version of the proposed changes to the Conditions of Approval are included as Attachment H for reference.

The Esparto Citizens Advisory Committee (ECAC) voted 5-0 to recommend approving amendments to the project at their regular meeting on February 15, 2022. Among the items discussed were the removal of the Alpha Street extension from the Development Agreement and what sort of design requirements would be applied to the new homes. Although there was some concern about increased traffic to Yolo Avenue, the committee members agreed that a diversion up Alpha Street was not desirable. The ECAC requested that the developer be asked to consider side-by-side townhomes rather than stacked fourplexes and the developer is amenable to that approach. Additionally, the ECAC wished to ensure that the homes were built to conform to the design guidelines presented in the 2019 Esparto Community Plan and the County Residential Design Guidelines. These concerns and recommendations are addressed in Conditions of Approval #40 through #43. 
 

A Request for Comments was distributed to agencies and interested parties during the application review process. Staff worked closely with the Esparto Community Services District and the County Public Works Division. Yolo County Housing and the Esparto Citizens Advisory Committee provided input on inclusionary housing options. Planning Staff worked with County Counsel to update the Development Agreement and Addendum to the MND. Courtesy Notices were distributed to property owners within 300 feet of the project parcel and no responses were received.

Any person who is dissatisfied with the decisions of this Planning Commission may appeal to the Board of Supervisors by filing with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors within fifteen (15) days from the date of the action. A written notice of appeal specifying the grounds for appeal and an appeal fee immediately payable to the Clerk of the Board must be submitted at the time of filing. The Board of Supervisors may sustain, modify, or overrule this decision.