Planning Commission Staff Report
Report Prepared by: Francisco Mendoza-Gonzalez, Acting Senior Planner, Development Services Department
Title
SUBJECT: Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map #1327 and Site Plan Review Permit #530 (“Royal Wood Villas”) for Redondo and Cardella, LLC, property owner. This application involves a request to subdivide a 5.46-acre portion of a 10.42-acre parcel into 75 single-family lots (with zero-lot line dwellings) ranging in size from 1,500 square feet to 2,275 square feet, generally located on the south side of Cardella Road, west of El Redondo Drive (extended), within Residential Planned Development (RP-D) #57, with a General Plan designation of Village Residential (VR). *PUBLIC HEARING*
ACTION: Approve/Disapprove/Modify
1) Environmental Review #23-34 (CEQA 15162 Findings)
2) Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map #1327
3) Site Plan Review Permit #530
SUMMARY
This item was originally heard by the Planning Commission during the Planning Commission meeting of December 20, 2023, but due to an error in the meeting start time in the Public Hearing Notice this item is being reheard.
The subject site is located south of Cardella Road, west of future extended El Redondo Drive. The applicant is requesting to subdivide a 5.46-acre portion of a 10.42-acre parcel into 75 small single-family lots with zero-lot line dwellings. Royal Wood Villas would be a gated community with private streets. The proposed single-family home lots range in size between 1,500 square feet and 2,275 square feet. The subject site is located within a Residential Planned Development (RP-D) #57 with a General Plan designation of Village Residential (VR). Because the proposal is located within a Residential Planned Development, a site plan review permit is required to assess the proposed site plan and development standards.
RECOMMENDATION
Planning staff recommends that the Planning Commission approve Environmental Review #23-34 (CEQA Section 15162 Findings) and Vesting Tentative Subdivision Map #1327 (“Royal Wood Villas”), Site Plan Review Permit #530 (including the adoption of the Draft Resolution) subject to the conditions in Exhibit A and the findings/considerations in Exhibit B of Draft Resolution #4126 at Attachment A of Planning Commission Staff Report #23-1069.
Body
DISCUSSION
Project Description
The 10.42-acre subject site is located in northwest Merced, at the southwest corner of Cardella Road and El Redondo Drive (extended) (Attachment B). The subject site is located within Residential Planned Development (RP-D) #57, with a General Plan designation of Village Residential (VR). Village Residential is generally intended for high density residential multi-family developments or high density residential single-family lots. The applicant is requesting to subdivide a 5.46-acre portion of a 10.42-acre lot into 75 small single-family lots (Attachment D) with the remainder portion of the lot merging with lots to the south to develop a subdivision that has already been entitled for 112 single-family homes (see Attachment J for Royal Wood Estates Subdivision - TSM #1316) and is also owned by the applicant. Royal Wood Villas would be a gated community with one driveway along El Redondo Drive (collector road) that connects the project site south to Yosemite Avenue (arterial road), and north to Cardella Road (arterial road). Emergency Vehicle Access for Fire engine access would be available along Cardella Road. The small lots would range in size generally between 1,500 square feet and 2,500 square feet, with the majority of the lots being approximately 1,500 square feet.
Per General Plan Section 3.3.3 - Summary of General Plan Land Use Designations, Village Residential designations should have a density between 7 and 30 dwelling units per acre with a designation-wide minimum average of 10 dwelling units per acre. This subdivision has a density of approximately 13.45 dwelling units per acre which is within the allowed density range for the Village Residential designation.
Surrounding uses are noted at Attachment B of PCSR #23-1069
|
Surrounding Land |
Existing Use of Land |
City Zoning Designation |
City General Plan Land Use Designation |
|
North |
Agricultural Use (across Cardella Road) |
Merced County Jurisdiction |
Low Density (LD) Residential |
|
South |
Undeveloped Parcel (TSM approved for single family-homes) |
Residential Planned Development (RP-D) #57 |
Village Residential (VR) |
|
East |
Undeveloped Parcel (across future El Redondo Drive) |
Planned Development (P-D) #50 |
Office Commercial (CO) |
|
West |
Undeveloped Parcel |
Low Density Residential (R-1-5) |
Low Density (LD) Residential |
Background
The subject site and surrounding area were annexed into the City in 2002 under the Fahrens Creek North Annexation. The subject site has been part of two development projects that have been approved by the City independently, but were processed simultaneously. In 2022, the Site Plan Review Committee approved a proposal for an apartment complex at this location (72 units on approximately 3.6 acres). The other project on the southern portion of the subject site is shown on Attachment J, and was approved with other parcels to the south as part of the Royal Wood Estates Subdivision (TSM #1316) with 112 single-family homes on approximately 13.43 acres, with a density of approximately 10 dwelling units per acre. The current property owner is requesting a new approval on this site for single-family lots (with zero-lot homes) instead of apartments that have already been entitled.
The property owner owns the lots to the south and would like to develop the Royal Wood Estates Subdivision in conjunction with the proposed Royal Wood Villas. In 2023, the Site Plan Review Committee approved an amendment to TSM #1316 to increase the project size for the Royal Wood Villas, and decrease the project size for the Royal Wood Estates. The northern property line for Royal Wood Estates was moved 50 feet south. With the changes in both project sizes, the proposals are still above the minimum density average of 10 dwelling units per acre required for Village Residential (VR) General Plan designations.
Findings/Considerations
Please refer to Exhibit B of the Draft Planning Commission Resolution at Attachment A of Planning Commission Staff Report #23-1069.
ATTACHMENTS
A) Draft Planning Commission Resolution
B) Location Map
C) Parcel Layout
D) Subdivision Map
E) Example Home Site Plan
F) Elevations
G) Proposed Development Standards
H) Section MMC 20.46.020 - Design Standards for Single-Family Dwellings and Mobile Homes
I) MMC 18.16.080 - Information Required (for Tentative Subdivision Maps)
J) TSM #1316 - Royal Wood (Entitled Project Adjacent South)
K) Mitigation Monitoring Table (from Annexation for Site)
L) Master List of Mitigation Measures (from Annexation for Site)
M) Environmental Review - CEQA 15162 Findings
N) Presentation
O) Public Comment
P) Public Comment