Title
PLN220122 - CASTROVILLE SELF STORAGE LLC
Public hearing to consider allowing construction of a 54,409 square foot mini-warehouse storage facility (9 single-story buildings) with a two-story mixed-use building (1,294 sq. ft. office on the first floor, 1,294 sq. ft. residential unit on the second floor) and associated site improvements. Colors and materials include light and dark gray and light green concrete and metal. Project requires up to 16,000 cubic yards of grading/imported fill.
Project Location: 10520 Tembladera Street, Castroville
Proposed CEQA action: Adopt an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines Section 15074
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that the Planning Commission adopt a resolution to:
1) Adopt an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (State Clearinghouse No. 2024100983) pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15074; and
2) Approve a Use Permit and Design Approval to allow construction of a 54,409 square foot mini-warehouse storage facility (9 single-story buildings) and a two-story mixed-use building consisting of a 1,294 square foot office on the first floor, a 1,294 square foot residential unit on the second floor, and associated site improvements. Colors and materials include light and dark gray and light green concrete and metal. Project requires up to 16,000 cubic yards of grading/imported fill; and
3) Adopt a Condition Compliance and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Plan.
The attached draft resolution includes findings and evidence for consideration (Exhibit B). Staff recommends approval subject to 25 conditions of approval including 4 mitigation measures.
PROJECT INFORMATION
Property Owner: Barbara French
APN: 030-156-004-000
Parcel Size: 3.03 acres
Zoning: Mixed-Use or “MU-C” and Resource Conservation or “RC”
Plan Area: Castroville Community Plan
Project Planner: Kayla Nelson, (831) 796-6408, nelsonk@countyofmonterey.gov
SUMMARY
The subject property is located at 10520 Tembladera Street in Castroville and is subject to the County of Monterey 2010 General Plan (GP), Catroville Community Plan (CCP), the North County Area Plan (NCAP), and regulations set forth in the Monterey County Zoning Ordinance (Title 21). The proposed project includes construction of a 54,409 square foot mini-warehouse storage facility in the form of 9 single story buildings with a two story mixed-use building consisting of a 1,294 square foot office on the first floor and a 1,294 square foot residential unit on the second floor. Project body colors and materials include light and dark gray and light green concrete and metal. The project sign is 32 square feet surface area flush-mounted on the top wall of the façade of the two story building consisting of 17-inch letters in LED-illuminated light green.
The Project application was reviewed by all required groups within the Housing and Community Development Department, the North County Fire Protection District, the Environmental Health Bureau, and the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office. These offices found that the project as designed and conditioned is in accordance with applicable design guidelines and development standards contained in the CCP and 2010 GPand NCAP Policies.The applicable guidelines, standards and policies are discussed in Exhibit A, Discussion.
DISCUSSION. See Exhibit A for the discussion section.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21083, and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Sections 15063(a) and 15063(b)(2), the County of Monterey as the Lead Agency completed an environmental review to determine if the project may have a significant effect on the enviornment. The County prepared an Initial Study and draft Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for this project (Exhibit E). The MND was filed with the County Clerk on October 22, 2024, and circulated for public review and comment from October 22 to November 21, 2024 (State Clearinghouse No. 2024100983).
The Initial Study and draft MND identified potentially significant impacts to biological and tribal cultural resources. Reporting by qualified professionals in the fields of biology and archaeological/cultural resources completed for the project site did not conclude biological resources or cultural resources were present on the site. However, these resources have the potential to be present. Therefore, staff has proposed Mitigation Measures (MM) to reduce the identified impacts to a less-than-significant level. MM BIO-1 through BIO-3 (Condition Nos. 21 through 23) would reduce the potentially significant impacts to sensitive amphibians and plant species including the California red-legged frog, California tiger salamander, the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, Congdon’s tarplant, Monterey spineflower, Seaside Bird’s Beak, and the Saline clover through implementation of pre-construction amphibian and plant surveys and installation of exclusionary/protective fencing by a qualified biologist. Additional mitigation is proposed in the form of restoration through a native riparian focus in the area as part of the landscape plan (Condition No. 7) and preservation through the establishment of a resource conservation easement over the freshwater marsh habitat of the Tembladero Slough which is already zoned RC (Condition No. 20). MM TCR-1 (Condition No. 24) addresses the potentially significant impact to unknown tribal cultural resources disturbed during construction by requiring monitoring of ground disturbing activities by a contracted Tribal Cultural Monitor.
During public review of the IS/MND, the County received comments from Caltrans District 5 and the Monterey Bay Air Resources District (MBARD) (Exhibit F). The comment letter from Caltrans shared that the Castroville Improvement Project will be under construction near the proposed project and that if any future work is completed in the State’s right-of-way it will require an encroachment permit from Caltrans. Also, the engineer requested underlying collision data from a Traffic Report which was a source for the Transportation section of the Initial Study/draft MND to be updated. Collision data was slightly inaccurate but was mentioned in the discussion section after more central arguments pertaining to VMT. It would not alter the conclusion of the MND to require an update to the Traffic Report, and the information is not central to the analysis of VMT. As a responsive edit, staff crossed out the sentence in tracked changes. The comment letter from MBARD recommended the project adhere with dust controls which are standard requirements for grading and construction permits from HCD-Building Services. County staff reviewed the comments received based on the specific circumstances of this project and determined that they do not alter the conclusions in the IS. Recirculation of the IS/MND was not warranted pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15073.5.a and b. One sentence on page 67 is shown struck out in the redline version of the IS/MND to address public comment through clarification (Exhibit G). It is this version of the IS/MND that staff requests the Planning Commission adopt. The MND concluded that the proposed mitigation measures and conditions of approval effectively address all project-related issues and will mitigate all potentially significant impacts to a less-than-significant level.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
The following agencies have reviewed the project, have comments, and/or have recommended conditions:
Agricultural Commissioner’s Office
Environmental Health Beauru
HCD-Engineering Services
HCD-Environmental Services
North County Fire Protection District
AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (AAC)
The project was referred to the AAC pursuant to 2010 General Plan Policy AG-1.2 because the neighboring parcels across the Tembladero Slough are in the Farmland zoning district. The project was agendized at the January 25, 2024 meeting. The committee members unanimously recommended continuing the project to a date uncertain to allow time for the circulation of the Initial Study by a vote of 9 yaes to 0 noes with 3 members absent. On October 24, 2024, the project returned to the AAC for their recommendation. Concerns were raised regarding potential flooding from the Tembladero Slough and the CCP plan for a linear park including a pedestrian trail along the the slough in the RC zoned side of the subject parcel. Staff and the applicant addressed these concerns by highlighting hydrology analysis of the site and the proposed installation of a stormwater drainage system to reduce flooding issues. Staff also stated that trail facilities are not allowable within the required agricultural buffer easement for this project. A motion to recommend support approval of the project with a condition to place a pedestrian trail on the urban side of the Tembladero Slough and off the adjacent farmland side failed by a vote of 3 yeas to 5 noes with 4 members absent. A second motion to recommend support approval of the project with a comment to the Planning Commision that if a trail is to be considered in the future, said trail shall be on the urban side of the slough was approved by a vote of 6 yeas to 2 noes with 4 members absent. The Agricultural Commissioner later clarified to HCD staff that a pedestrian trail is not feasible due to food safety and Title 21 regulations. The meeting minutes from October 24th will not be approved until the next AAC meeting in January 2025. Therefore, staff has summarized the actions to reflect the AAC recommendation and Agricultural Commissioner’s Office staff will be invited to attend the Planning Commission project hearing to give testimony as needed. January 25, 2024 meeting minutes are attached as Exhibit C.
LAND USE ADVISORY COMMITTEE (LUAC)
The project was referred to the Castroville LUAC for review. The LUAC reviewed the project at a duly noticed public meeting on November 7, 2023, and unanimously voted 3 ayes to 0 noes with 2 members absent to recommend approval of the project without changes (Exhibit D).
Prepared by: Kayla Nelson, Associate Planner, x6408
Reviewedby: Mary Israel, Supervising Planner
Approved by: Melanie Beretti, AICP, Chief of Planning
The following attachments are on file with HCD:
Exhibit A - Discussion
Exhibit B - Draft Resolution, including:
• Recommended Conditions of Approval
• Site Plan, Floor Plans, Elevations, Colors and Materials
Exhibit C - Agricultural Advisory Committee Minutes for January 25, 2024
Exhibit D - Castroville Land Use Advisory Committee Minutes for November 7, 2023
Exhibit E - Public Review Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND)
Exhibit F - CEQA Comments
Exhibit G - Redline Version of the IS/MND
Exhibit H - Vicinity Map
cc: Front Counter Copy; Agricultural Commissioners Office; North County Fire Protection District; Environmental Health Beauru; HCD-Environmental Services; HCD-Engineering Services; Kayla Nelson, Planner; Mary Israel, Supervising Planner; Barbara French, Property Owner; Monterey Land Group; The Open Monterey Project; LandWatch (Executive Director); Lozeau Drury LLP; Planning File PLN220122.