(5)Regional Park Study Area - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

ITEM #5 CITY OF COLTON AGENDA REPORT FOR COUNCIL MEETING OF DECEMBER 4, 2007 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FROM: DAVID R. ZAMORA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF AN URGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLTON IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 65858 ENACTING FOR A PERIOD OF FORTY-FIVE (45) DAYS A MORATORIUM ON THE APPROVAL OF LAND USE ENTITLEMENTS AND PERMIT APPLICATIONS WITHIN THE REGIONAL PARK STUDY AREA DATE: November 27, 2007 BACKGROUND: The San Bernardino County Regional Park Project has been a County -led effort, in conjunction with the City of Colton and the Wildlands Conservancy, to locate in Colton the first new County Regional Park in over 20 years. The project has been delayed due to difficulties in obtaining the property necessary for the Park at its proposed location situated on approximately 100 acres of land north and west of the Santa Ana River, east of La Cadena Avenue, and south of Congress Street and 21 acres south of the Santa Ana River and west of La Cadena (APN 0275-192-06- 0000) ("Regional Park Study Area"). Current land uses in the Regional Park Study Area include Residential (R-1), Industrial Park (IP), and Open Space (OS). However, a vast majority of the Regional Park Study Area is currently zoned Open Space. While there are no pending development applications and no pending zone change requests for parcels located in the Regional Park Study Area, there have been several inquiries by developers expressing interest in developing property within the Regional Park Study Area. At the same time, the City of Colton continues to proceed in amending its current General Plan and Zoning Ordinance. Indeed, the City's Planning Consultants were recently authorized to proceed with Phase II of the General Plan development program. Of course, development of the new General Plan will necessarily study existing and proposed land uses in the entire City and the Regional Park Study Area in particular. Recently, concerns have been expressed about delays in the identification and implementation of the Regional Park. In fact, the City has communicated, on multiple occasions, with County elected officials and staff members to identify options on how to proceed. Given the uncertainties of the scope of the Regional Park and the City's current General Plan and Zoning efforts, the City Council requested that City staff prepare a moratorium ordinance to assure that the City has a mechanism in place to prevent the development of land uses that could be incompatible with the Regional Park. A proposed 45 -day moratorium ordinance preventing the issuance of land use entitlements and other permits in the Regional Park Study Area is attached. DISCUSSION / ANALYSIS: California Government Code, Section 65858 authorizes the City to adopt an interim urgency ordinance prohibiting any uses which may be in conflict with a contemplated General Plan,