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Time Set 9.
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| Planning Commission |
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| Information |
| SUBJECT |
| ZF #2019-0001: Request for a Tentative Parcel Map to divide an approximately 202.39-acre agriculturally zoned parcel into two separate parcels on the west side of Old River Road, approximately 3.5-miles north of the City of West Sacramento, APN 042-310-008. A Negative Declaration has been prepared and circulated for the project. (Applicant/Owner: Ross and Julie Peabody) (Planner: C. Tschudin) |
| SUMMARY |
| FILE # 2019-0001: Peabody Tentative Parcel Map |
APPLICANT:
Ross Peabody
20040 Old River Road
West Sacramento, CA 95691 |
OWNER:
Same |
| LOCATION:
20040 Old River Road, West Sacramento, CA 95691
(APN: 042-310-008)
GENERAL PLAN: Agriculture (AG)
ZONING: Agricultural Intensive (A-N)
SUPERVISORIAL DISTRICT: Supervisor Sandy (3rd District) |
SOILS:
Sycamore silty clay loam (Ss)
Tyndall very fine sandy loam (Tb)
FLOOD ZONE: AE
FIRE SEVERITY ZONE:
Moderate, Non-Wildland/Non-Urban
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| ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: Negative Declaration |
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| RECOMMENDED ACTION |
That the Planning Commission:
- Hold a public hearing;
- Adopt the Negative Declaration as the appropriate level of environmental review in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Guidelines (Attachment C);
- Adopt the proposed Findings (Attachment D); and
- Approve Tentative Parcel Map #5175 in accordance with the Conditions of Approval (Attachment E).
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| REASONS FOR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS/BACKGROUND |
Background/Project Description
The parcel has historically been used for agriculture and has been a part of the Yolo County Williamson Act program since April of 1970. Currently, the majority of the parcel, approximately 185.0-acres, is planted in row-crops and cultivated using traditional farming practices. There is an approximately 16.5-acre section located on the northwest corner of the parcel devoted to producing organically grown crops.
The project site contains soils identified as prime farmland, and the proposed parcel split would not remove any agricultural land from producing crops. The intent of the proposed parcel map is to divide the approximately 202.39-acre parcel into two separate 101.19-acre parcels so that the conventional farming and organic farming operations are located on different parcels. There is no development proposed with Tentative Parcel Map #5175.
The project site is accessed from Old River Road. The parcel shares an access road with two additional parcels that are not involved in the proposed parcel split (APNs 042-310-006 and -007), and crosses the Yolo Shortline Railroad. There are a number of existing structures on site, including an approximately 4,000 SF residence, a 3,500 SF barn, and a hoop-house. While not affected by the proposed tentative map, APN 042-310-007 is an approximately one-half acre parcel that is entirely surrounded by the project parcel and contains an approximately 3,000 SF residence.
There is one domestic well that serves all three parcels, which is located near the entrance to the project site (see Att. A). The project’s conditions of approval require the applicant to provide a utility easement to each of the parcels served by the well. Another condition requires the applicant to produce a joint-well maintenance agreement between all parcels. All three of the parcels have separate onsite septic tanks and leach lines, and the proposed parcel map would not result in any changes to these conditions.
Although no new development is proposed with the tentative map, approval of the parcel map would allow for the future construction of an additional home site that includes one farm dwelling and one ancillary dwelling on ‘Parcel 1’. ‘Parcel 2’ would be still be allowed one ancillary dwelling, in addition to the existing primary farm dwelling. The County allows one single-family dwelling and one ancillary dwelling per legal parcel for home site development in agricultural areas to support family farming operations, and assumes each home site, including amenities, will occupy approximately 2.5 acres.
The project is subject to the Yolo County Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Communities Conservation Plan (HCP/NCCP), which is a 50-year regional plan to protect endangered species and natural resources in the County. The HCP/NCCP identifies agricultural land cover as providing habitat for certain special status species, and therefore requires applicants to mitigate for that loss upon approval of a tentative map to subdivide an agriculturally-zoned parcel greater than 80 acres. As described above, it is assumed that each footprint associated with a new agricultural home site is 2.5 acres. The applicant may satisfy the mitigation requirement in one of three ways. The applicant may pay a land cover fee for the loss of 2.5-acres, purchase 2.5-acres of mitigation credit from a Yolo Habitat Conservancy-approved mitigation bank, or dedicate land in lieu of paying the per acre fee by putting land under a conservation easement.
Analysis
The intent of the policies in the 2030 Countywide General Plan is to preserve agriculture by preventing the division of agricultural land for reasons not related to agriculture. The applicant explains that the purpose of the parcel map is to expand the organic farming operations, which are managed separately from the row crop operations. This proposed expansion supports policies in the Agricultural and Economic Development Element aimed at allowing small organic farmers to keep pace with demand. The organic farm supplies local restaurants with produce, and allowing the division to facilitate the expansion supports other policies in the Agricultural Element aimed at encouraging a farm-to-market local preference and value-added crops.
The intent of maintaining large minimum parcel sizes in the General Plan and Zoning Regulations is to preclude the division of agricultural land for residential and non-agricultural reasons that could otherwise render the property infeasible for productive farming. As described above, the creation of an additional agricultural parcel would allow for new residential development, to support on site farming operations which will be subject to the siting requirements of Yolo County Code Sec. 8-2.402, Siting Development Standards for New Homes in Agricultural Zones. Primary residences are encouraged to be located within the front portion of the legal parcel to minimize impacts to natural features and agricultural operations, and ancillary homes are required to be clustered adjacent to primary residences for the same purpose of minimizing impacts to agricultural operations.
The applicant has contemplated placing a conservation easement over the project site that would accomplish two things: permanently protect the agricultural resource and mitigate for the future loss of habitat due to home site development. The General Plan encourages staff to facilitate partnerships between agricultural operations and habitat conservation efforts to create mutually beneficial outcomes (Policy AG-2.8). Establishing a habitat easement over the project site would support this policy. However, the project recommendation will not change should the applicant decide to pay the per acre fee or purchase 2.5-acres of credit from an established mitigation bank, since the overall intent of the project would continue to support productive agriculture.
Staff supports approval of the tentative map because the project supports diversification of local crop production and small organic farmers, and encourages a stronger farm-to market presence.
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| COLLABORATIONS |
| A request for comments was circulated from February 5 to February 28, 2019. No comments were received regarding the proposed parcel map. The Initial Study/Negative Declaration prepared for the project was circulated for a 20-day public review from May 20, 2019, to July 9, 2019. No significant comments were received. |
| APPEALS |
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.
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