Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - October 21, 1992 (53)CITY OF LODI COUNCIL COMMUNICATION AGENDA TITLE: Request for Oversizing of Sewer Line South of Harney Lane (Kjeldsen-Sinnock Report) MEETING DATE: October 21, 1992 PREPARED BY: City Attorney RECOMMENDED ACTION: Council consideration and direction. BACKGROUND: At the October 7, 1992 meeting, the City Council was asked by owners of property south of Harney Lane to allow oversizing of a sewer line presently planned to serve the Century Meadows project. The oversizing would provide capacity for (among other things) the property now designated "Planned Residential Reserve" in the General Plan. Discussions occurred on a number of points, including whether the proposal could be viewed as a change in the development policies contained in the General Plan, and whether environmental clearance would be required. A number of related questions also came up which still have not been answered, such as the actual cost of the oversizing and how much redesign of planned infrastructure would be necessary if this is approved. Some of these points are discussed in the memo from Public Works Director Jack Ronsko (Attachment A) The proposal was also considered by the Planning Commission at its meeting of October 12, 1992. A recommendation to the City Council was adopted by a 3 - 2 vote to postpone consideration of this matter until the next General Plan update (see Planning Commission report). Since the last meeting, I have remained in contact with the attorney for the landowners and legal research has continued. While the search has not turned up a completely dispositive answer, I still believe the most cautious approach would be to prepare an environmental impact report. The proponents in good faith feel a negative declaration would be sufficient and are prepared to pay the City's legal cosus if the decision is challenged (see letter of October 5, 1992 from attorney Steven Herum, Attachment B). This is predominantly a question of policy. If the Council desires to move forwazd on the request, it is possible the action could be challenged. If that occurs, the critical questions would then include: 1. Is this really a change to the General Plan requiring the formalities of a General Plan amendment? APPROVED__ THOMAS A. PETERS' wawa 4 Request for Oversizing of Sewer Line South of Harney Lane (Kjeldsen-Sinnock Report) , Date: October 21, 1992 Page Two 2. Can the project be accanplished by a negative declaration or would a full EIR be required? Practical considerations would also hays to be addressed including a determination of what, if any, redesign of existing plans for infrastructure would be necessary and how the question of reimbursement would be handled. We still do not know whether the proposed oversizing could be accomplished concurrently with the present construction plans without undue delay. If the Council wishes to move forward on this proposal, it is recommended that an agreement with the proponents first be executed addressing these and any other concerns. FUNDING: Unknown. Respectfully submitted, Bob McNatt City Attorney Attachments A and B BM/Vc Note-. Exhibit C is the Planning Camiission Report of October 12, 1992 attached SEW8R.2/TXTA.01V CITY OF LODI -- r COUNCIL COMMUNICAMON AGENDA TTILE. Sanitary Sewer Service Request South of Harney Lane, Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR) to Lower Sacramento Road MEETING DATE: September 22, 1992 PREPARED BY: Public Woks Director RECOMMENDED ACTION: Discussion and appropriate direction. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The mv General Plan and Growth Management Plan, which provide for two percent population growth, established three priority areas for residential development. (Commercial and industrial development is not governed by the Growth Management Plan.) These priority areas did not include any land south of Hamey Lane. This land was all designated "Planned Residential Reserve" (PRR) in the General Plan. The Genera: Plan calls for these areas to remain agricultural until they are redesignated with a General Plan amendment, presumably after theyyear 2007. The PRR designation assumed sane mix of nonresidential development would be included. During the hearings, sane of the property owners south of Harmev Lane, adjacent to Uest Lane (South Hutchins -Street), requested that the City consider sewer service to their property. The Council directed staff to do so, although m time frame or funding was discussed. In subsequent discussion with one of theproperty owners, Carl Fink, staff indicated the appropriate time to do the study would be prior to the next General Plan update, or possibly sooner if construction of improvements in the area south of Century Boulevard would affect their property. In any event, staff would need Council direction cn which property is tc be served in order to do a study. On November 6, 1991, the Council heard a formal request from various property owners in the area. The Council told the owners they were free to have a study done if they wished to do so, The Owners contracted with Kjeldsen Sinnock & Associates of Stockton to do the study which was submitted to the City in August 1992 (Exhibit A). The study considered service to 302 acres south ofHarney Lane, from the SPRR tracks to Loves Sacramento Road (see Figure 3.1, page 20). Two alternate 1 i ft station sites were considered (Alternates 3 and 4) and compared to the same sites serving only the area north of Harney Lane (Alternates 1 and 2) • Alternate 1 i s generalT the same as the existing Master Plan. ('he consultants recommended a change in the service area in which staff only partially concurs. However, for the purposes of this discussion, the difference i s minor.) APPROVED. THOMAS A. PETERSON CSEWERRQ.1/TXTW.02M (CO.COM) September 16, 1992 r Sanitary Sewer Service Req. .,t South of Harney Lane, Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR) to Lower Sacramento Road September 22, 1992 Page 2 Staff has reviewed this study and, except for some relatively minor technical considerations (pipe and pump sites), agrees that the recommended design can work to serve the larger service area. This is not to say that their recommended plan is not without some questions and problems, some of which must be answered immediately. They are: 1) The plan calls for a 21 -inch gravity sewer in Mills Avenue, extending south from Century Boulevard. This would presumably be built as the area develops. However, this land already has conditionally approved tentative maps which do not include this requirement. Utility plans have been done for these projects and, unless the owners are willing to change their plans, the City may have a difficult time requiring the change. The question o f who w i l l pay f o r the oversize I i n e (approximately $46,000) must also be answered. 2) The plan calls for a larger lift station and gravity sewers in Harney Lane. These lines w i I I be up to 25 feet deep which w i l l require nearly a I I the Harney Lane right of way to construct. The additional cost of ravity lines i n Harney Lane and larger I i ft station i s roughly 9166,000 above the cost of the present plan. This additional cost must be borne by someone as the area north of Harney Lane develops (Exhibit B). Aside from these technical issues, the other effects of deciding on this request need to be conside►ed. This decision could be construed as committing the City to the area to be developed in the next phase of the General Plan. A_ presently adopted, the General Plan identifies the area bounded by Harney Lane, Highway 99, Armstrong Road, and one-fourth mile west of Lower Sacramento Road as Planned Residential Reserve. No specific subarea was identified as having priority. The major sewer necessary to serve this area is shown on Exhibit C. This sewer runs east -west, well south of Harney Lane. As an interim solution to extending the sewer to the outfall line west of Lower Sacramento Road, a lift station would purrp sewage north to Century Boulevard, depending on which area develops first. Unless the proponents were willing to pay all the additional "up front" costs, the City would have to change the Master Plan and General Plan in order to require other developers to build these facilities as they develop and be reimbursed later as land south of Harney Lane develops. Designating this 302 acres for development would also require a redesign of the drainage system for the area south of Harney Lane. RECOMMENDATION At this point, staff is unable to ma;:E a recommendation. In general, we feel the issue of development south of Harney Lane should be deferred until a full General Plan update when all the issues, alternatives and environmental impacts can be properly addressed with full public input. CSEWERRQ.1/TXTW.02M (CO.COM) September 16. 1992 Sanitary Sewer Service Re st-auth of Harney Lane, Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR) to Lower Sacramento Road September 22, 1992 Page 3 FUNDING: To be determined. >41 . Oack Ronsko ublr Works Director Prepared by Richard C. Prima, Jr., Assistant City Engineer 4LR/RCP/lm Attachments (Exhibits B and C; Exhibit A bound separately) cc: Community Development Director City Attorney Car? Fink Fel ix Costa Jeryl Fry William T. Beckman Vera Perrin Charles Beckman Kjeldsen Sinnock Exhibit cap file in City Cork's CEfice. CSEWERRQ.1/TXT1J.02M (CO.COM) September 16, 1992 Exhibit B of 312 219 2 Council crnmunication South todi Sanitary Sewer Analysis Notes: 1 Costs per Nolte Development Impact Fee Study. CNR updated to July 1992 2 Costs per Kjoldsen•Sinnock Study. July 1992 S Firrt phase of lift station estimated by City at 90% of total cost 4 Ex. Mester Plan & All. 1 resumed to br equivalent at average cost of 0351,000, FINK SS.XLS 1 Existing Master Plan Alt. 1 Alt. 2 Alt. 3 Alt. 4 Alt 4-1 Ait. 4-2 Area served: 292 acres 244 acres 546 acres 244 acres 302 acres North of North of Harney Ln. North of Harney Ln. North of South of Harney Ln. (Alt. 1 &2) plus 302 Harney Ln. Harney Ln. acres south of Harney r Lift Sta. Location: Lower Sac. Lower Sac. Mills Ave. Lower Sac, Mills Ave. Mills Ave. @Harney N/Harney @ Harney @'Harney @ Harney @ Harney Lift Sta. Cost: $280,000 $285,000 $298,000 $478,000 $433,000 $390.000 $43.000 Oversize Main Cost: $67,000 570,000 $92,000 $227,000 421 1,000 8127.000 $84,000 2 Total Cost: $341,000 $355,000 $390,OOC $ 705,000 $644,000 2 $517,000 4127,000 Cost above Ex. Plan/Alt. 1 4 to develop area north 939,000 $166,000 Harney: ^` Cost per acre: $1,200 $1,50 $1,60 $1,30 41,200 82.100 $400 `' Notes: 1 Costs per Nolte Development Impact Fee Study. CNR updated to July 1992 2 Costs per Kjoldsen•Sinnock Study. July 1992 S Firrt phase of lift station estimated by City at 90% of total cost 4 Ex. Mester Plan & All. 1 resumed to br equivalent at average cost of 0351,000, FINK SS.XLS 1 De'. 11111:1 Neumiller tic Beardslee rOU"DED AS _ .. A PROrESSIONAL CORPORATION ASAI r• Z NCUM-LLEM ATTORNRl R A N D COUNSSI.OREi JAr4UANr IYO] FIFTH FLOOR WATERFRONT OFFICE TOWER II 509 WEST WESER AVENUE STOCKTON. CALIFORNIA 95203 October 5, 1992 VIA FACS IMITIE Mr. Bob McNatt City Attorney City of Lodi 221 West Pine Street Lodi, California 95241 Re: Fry, Fink and Costa Dear Mr. McNatt : OCT 0 6 1992 City Attomey's 000 MAILING ADDRESS ""0' �O sloe-Tol. cALlro"' osro �s� i[ LE r`•iON[ 'POO. ASA-A?00 rAl Oro., 040-40.0 This letter will serve to confirm our conversation of Friday, October 2, 1992, regarding the City's concerns over compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act as it pertains to the oversizing of the Mi'l.ls Avenue sewer line. During our discussion, I confirmed this office's position that the oversizing of the line can be accomplished through the use of a Negative Declaration, as opposed to an Environmental Impact Report. I believe both the Antioch and Heninger cases are distinguishable factually from the present case, and that our situation is more akin to that presented in the Plan For Arcadia case which we discussed on Friday. While we have agreed that this matter is not absolutely free of doubt, (and so few CEQA matters ever are) this office has enough confidence in its position that we would make the following offer of indemnification to the City. "The property owners south of Barney. Lane (Fry, Fink, Costa, Perrin, Beckman) will indemnify, defend, and hold harmless, the City of Lodi from and against any and all liability or actions accruing as a result of the City's decision to install an oversized sewer line into the extension of Mills Avenue, where such action or proceeding arises out of ttie City's approval of a Negative Declaration for said sewer line installation." I would also like to clarify a statement made in our September 29 letter to the City Council. In our letter, we offered to pay the cost of oversizing the sewer line, provided the City could establish an Area of Benefit or other such district to reimburse my clients at a later date. My �fc Mr. Bob McNatt October 5, 1992 Page -2- clients recognize that the establishment of an Area of Benefit or other assessment district is a process which requires both notice and consent of affected property owners. My clients are willing to assume the risk that an Area of Benefit or,other assessment district might never be formed to allow them to recoup the upfront costs of oversizing the sewer line. Our only request would be that the City agree to use its best efforts to establish the Area of Benefit. In addition, my clients understand and agree that should the Council agree to the installation of the larger sewer line on Mills Avenue, there is no guarantee that (1) their property will bt, approved for development, or ('2) that if approved, their property would benefit from the use of the line. I trust this letter has been sufficient to clarify and elaborate on our position in this matter. I would appreciate it if you would convey this letter, or such summary hereof as you deem appropriate, to the City Council at the meeting on October 7. Thank you for your continued cooperation in this matter. Very truly y urs STEVEN A. HERUM Attorney at Law SAH/ch of d CITY OF LODI (Mm AGENDA TITLE: Planning Commission Report of October 12, 1992 NVI FENG DATE: October 21, 1992 PREPARED BY: Community Development Director RECOMAENDED ACTION: AGENDA ITEM F.XRTRTT r MUNICATION a. Recommended that the issue of development south of Harney Lane be deferred until a future General Plan update when all the issues, alternatives and environmental impacts can be properly addressed with full public imput. b, c, d & e Information only. 1b action required. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The following actions were taken at the last regular Planning Commission meeting of October 12, 1992. h Conditionally approved the request of Terry Piazza, Baumbach and Piazza Inc. on behalf of Irvin Bender for a lot line adjustment between 705, 709, 715 and 121 Camellia Court in an area zoned R-2, Single -Family Residential . C. Ccntinued consideration of the request of G Archer for a use pernoi t for a temporary office trailer at 247 Commerce Street in an ares zoned M-2, Heavy Industrial until October 26, 1992 because no one was present to represent the applicant. d. Conditionally approved the request of Ford Construction Company. Inc. for a use permit for a temporary office trailer at 50b North Cluff Avenue in an area zoned M-2, Heavy Industrial. e. Reaffirmed its previous position and required that the reversed frontages fences along Century Boulevard and South Stockton Street in Bangs Ranch Subdivision be grape stake with slumpstone pilaster and base and that the developer deposit with the City for fence maintenance the diffei-ence between that fence and masonry fence. FUNDING : None required. kodxnunity Development Director APPROVED THOMAS A PETERSON City Mnnnger IL foCYCf.A D.DOr CC -1