HomeMy WebLinkAbout101-Staff Report.pdf
SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: October 5, 2011 AGENDA ITEM:
DEPARTMENT: Community Development CITY MANAGER: Dave Anderson
PREPARED BY: Jonathan Wittwer, Asst. City Atty. DIRECTOR: Chris Riordan, AICP
SUBJECT: Adopt Resolution for Application to LAFCO to amend City of Saratoga Urban
Service Area Boundary
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Adopt Resolution for Application to LAFCO to amend City of Saratoga Urban Service Area
boundary (Attachment 1).
REPORT SUMMARY:
There are portions of the Garrod Trust lands proposed for annexation which are outside the
City’s Urban Service Area. The City needs LAFCO approval to amend its Urban Service Area
boundary to add those lands, even though all Garrod Trust lands are with the City’s Sphere of
Influence.
In light of nearly half of the 120-acre Garrod Trust lands already being inside the City boundary,
and more than half being inside the City’s Urban Service Area boundary, the most reasonable
approach is to request LAFCO approval to amend the City’s Urban Service Area Boundary to
include the remaining area of 54.04 acres located at 22600 Mt. Eden Rd. (APNs 503-11-
006/08/09, 503-74-001/002/003/004). The property proposed to be added to the City’s USA
boundary is shown on the map which is Attachment 2. Six of the seven parcels comprising the
54.04 acres proposed for inclusion inside the City’s Urban Service Area boundary are owned by
the Garrod and Cooper Families (the “Garrod Trust”) as part of a larger site of 120 acres
containing the Cooper-Garrod Winery and Garrod Farms Commercial Equestrian Center (the
“Winery/Equestrian Facility” or the “Facility”) and the remaining parcel (APN 503-11-006) was
formerly part of the Facility. The 120 acres on which the Facility is located is bisected by the
City/County jurisdictional line, with 51 acres being located in the City and 68 acres being
located in the unincorporated area of the County of Santa Clara. Some actual buildings are
bisected by the City/County boundary line.
LAFCO has established filing requirements applications to amend a City’s boundaries for an
Urban Service Area (Attachment 3). The Community Development Department has completed a
draft LAFCO Application to amend the Urban Service Area Boundary to include 54.04 acres of
the Garrod Trust lands currently outside the City’s Urban Service Area Boundary (Attachment
4).
Page 1 of 2
Page 2 of 2
The Application to LAFCO to Amend the City of Saratoga Urban Service Area Boundary is part
of a proposed Garrod Trust annexation and is entitled to be given an exemption from CEQA
because the lands are already developed and no physical change to the environment is proposed.
FISCAL IMPACTS: Given that the subject site is already provided with some basic urban
services and no expansion of those services is contemplated (or necessary) for the continued
economic agricultural uses of the property, there are no foreseen fiscal impacts.
All fees for the LAFCO application will be deposited by Garrod Trust.
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED ACTION: The Garrod
Trust Annexation will not be able to proceed as proposed.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION: N/A
FOLLOW UP ACTION: File Application to LAFCO to Amend City’s Urban Services Area
Boundary.
ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT: Pursuant to Government Code
54954.2, this item was properly posted as a City Council agenda item and was included in the
packet made available on the City’s website in advance of the meeting.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution for Application to LAFCO to Amend City of Saratoga Urban Service Area
Boundary
2. Map showing area proposed to be added to Saratoga Urban Service Area Boundary
3. LAFCO Filing Requirements for Urban Service Area (USA) Amendments
4. Draft Application to LAFCO to Amend City of Saratoga Urban Service Area Boundary
5. Indemnification Agreement by Garrod Trust to City