Report Prepared by: Francisco Mendoza-Gonzalez, Senior Planner, Development Services Department
Title
SUBJECT: Adoption of a Resolution Approving Final Map #5408 for the Large Lot Mapping of Bellevue Ranch North Villages 21 - 36, for 35 Lots, Generally Located North of Bellevue Road, West of G Street
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers adopting a Resolution approving of a Final Map #5408 for 35 large lots, generally located north of Bellevue Road, West of G Street.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion approving Resolution 2024-59, a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Merced, California, Approving the Bellevue Ranch North Villages 21 - 36 (Final Map#5408).
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve the request as recommended by staff; or,
2. Deny the request; or,
3. Approve, subject to modifications as conditioned by Council; or
4. Refer back to staff for reconsideration of specific items (specific items to be addressed in City Council motion); or,
5. Continue to a future City Council meeting (date and time to be specified in City Council motion).
AUTHORITY
Chapter 24 of Title 18, Subdivisions, of the Merced Municipal Code (MMC) deals with final maps. Section 18.24.120 gives the City Council authority to approve the final map and agreements as long as it is consistent with the Tentative Map.
DISCUSSION
The proposed large-lot subdivision (Bellevue Ranch North Villages 21-36, also referred to as Bellevue Ranch Phases 3 and 4), is generally located on the north side of Bellevue Road, approximately 1,200 feet west of G Street (Attachment 1). The Large Lot Mapping of Bellevue Ranch Phases 3 and 4 (Final Map #5408) would subdivide four parcels totaling approximately 520-acres into 35 large lots (Attachment 2). The large lots will be subsequently subdivided into smaller lots for the development of various subdivisions. All improvements would be installed with the subsequent small lot subdivision phases.
The Tentative Subdivision Map (TSM #1280) for this final map was originally approved by the Planning Commission on February 8, 2006. Due to the subsequent economic downturn, the State of California granted several automatic extensions to tentative subdivision maps. On October 13, 2022, the Stie Plan Review Committee approved the modifications to TSM #1280. Modifications to the map were requested due to biological constraints within the map area found by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These biologically sensitive areas and adjacent buffer areas (75-foot avoidance areas from edge of wetlands) reduced the number of residential units that could be constructed from approximately 3,270 units to approximately 1,814 units. This resulted in modifications to street alignments and lot configurations originally approved for VTSM #1280. The approval for these modifications, along with Findings and conditions, can be found at Attachment 4 (Site Plan Resolution #503).
The owner/developer, Bellevue Merced, LLC, has substantially complied with the approved tentative map for this site (Tentative Map #1280/Site Plan Resolution #503), and has complied with the Conditions of Approval listed in Site Plan Review #503 (Attachment 4). The owner/developer has submitted an application for a final map approval in compliance with the Subdivision Map Act and City Subdivision Ordinance. It is now appropriate to approve the Final Map at Attachment 2. Since the public improvements will be installed with future subdivisions of the large lots, no Subdivision Agreement is required for improvements.
City Council Action
The proposed Final Subdivision Map substantially complies with the approved Tentative Map for this site (TSM #1280) and with modifications approved by the Site Plan Review Committee (SP #503). Therefore, the City Council should adopt the Resolution found at Attachment 6 approving Final Map #5408 for the Large Lot Mapping of Bellevue Ranch North Villages 21 - 36.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Location Map
2. Final Subdivision Map #5408
3. Modified Tentative Subdivision Map #1280
4. Site Plan Review Resolution #503
5. Subdivision Agreement
6. Resolution 2024-59