REPORT TO SHASTA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

BOARD MEETING DATE:  June  12, 2018
CATEGORY:  Regular - Resource Management-8.

SUBJECT:

Zone Amendment 17-001 (Department of Public Works) – Shingletown Area

Supervisorial District No. :  3

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:  Richard W. Simon, AICP - Director of Resource Management - 225-5789

STAFF REPORT APPROVED BY:  Richard W. Simon, AICP - Director of Resource Management

RECOMMENDATION

Take the following actions regarding Zone Amendment 17-001, Department of Public Works (Shingletown area), which would rezone a 6.5-acre parcel, approximately 0.96 miles from where One Hundred A3 Road intersects with One Hundred A Road from Public Facilities (PF) zone district to Timberland (TL) zone district: (1) Conduct a public hearing; (2) Close the public hearing; (3) Find the project to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under the CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) as set forth in Planning Commission Resolution No. 2018-009; (4) make the rezoning findings as set forth in Planning Commission Resolution No. 2018-009; and (5) introduce, waive the reading of, and enact the ordinance to amend the Zoning Plan of the County of Shasta, identified in Zone Amendment 17-001.

SUMMARY

The project would rezone a 6.5-acre parcel in the Shingletown area to accommodate the sale of County-owned property to a private buyer.

DISCUSSION

On March 9, 2017, the Planning Commission reviewed the request for a General Plan Consistency Finding that would recognize the sale of a property as being consistent with the General Plan. The property was originally purchased by the County in 1959 to be used as a clear zone for Shingletown Airport. The airport operations ceased in 2003. The runway was removed and the airport was officially closed in 2009. The Planning Commission found the proposed sale of the property to be consistent with the General Plan.

The rezoning would facilitate the sale of the property to the adjacent private land owner. On May 10, 2018, the Planning Commission reviewed the rezoning request and recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve the Zone Amendment.

General Plan & Zoning - The property has a Timberland (T) General Plan land use designation and is in the Public Facilities (PF) zone district.  The property is located in the Eastern Forest Planning Area. 

Access & Services - The parcel is undeveloped and has limited access with no road improvements that extend to the property. The nearest access would be through a driveway from the adjacent, privately-owned prospective buyer’s lot extending westward towards One Hundred A3 Road. Land use patterns in the vicinity are largely timberlands and timber production with rural residential to the east.

Project Analysis – The proposed TL zone district would be consistent with, and a logical extension of, the TL zone on the adjoining property and larger area to the north. The proposed TL zone district is consistent with the existing Timber (T) General Plan land use designation. With no existing airport operations there is no need to maintain ownership of the property as it was originally intended for a clear zone to facilitate airport use.

Environmental Determination - This zone amendment is exempt from CEQA in conformance with Section 15061(b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines which states that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing significant effect on the environment. No development is proposed as part of the rezone and any use permitted by right in the TL district would not have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment.

Copies of the Planning Commission resolution and minutes are attached for reference.

ALTERNATIVES

The following alternatives are available: 1) Deny the rezoning request. This would create an inconsistency since the existing Public Facilities zone is incompatible with private ownership for private uses. 2) Provide direction to modify the proposed zone district boundaries or for the placement of the property within a different zone district. 3) Continue review of the application for additional information.

OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT

The Department of Public Works has proposed this zone amendment. County Counsel has approved the ordinance as to form. The County Administrative Office has reviewed this recommendation.

FINANCING

If approved, the rezone would facilitate sale of the property to the adjoining private land owner which would come before the Board of Supervisors at a later date for approval. The sale is expected to result in minor revenue to the County. Should the sale to the adjoining property owner not be approved, the rezone would facilitate other efforts to dispose of the surplus property