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Therefore, Councilmember Olson voiced support of the project and made a motion to find the project <br /> would not have a significant effect on the environment and Adopt Resolution adopting the Negative <br /> Declaration, find that the General Plan land use amendment is consistent with the goals and policies of <br /> the General Plan, and adopt a Resolution approving a General Plan Amendment to change the land <br /> use designation of an approximately 4.23 acre portion of the 6.22 acre site from Community Facilities <br /> Other Public and Institutional to Medium Density Residential, with conditions on page 2 of the staff <br /> report. <br /> The motion died for lack of a second. <br /> Councilmember Narum said many audience members have sent emails and made phone calls. Her <br /> question is the benefit to the community if the rezoning is approved, given that more homes are not <br /> needed to satisfy the City's current RHNA cycle. She referred to the adjoining neighborhood. In 2006 <br /> there was an approval for over 80,000 square feet of building for the church which included a 900 seat <br /> sanctuary, 380 parking spaces, and it was clearly intended to be a religious campus. People that <br /> moved to the community, in doing their due diligence, would have seen this and they could either <br /> choose to accept it or not move to their residence. She asked how this decision would change the <br /> impacts on the Ironwood community, specifically relating to traffic and water. <br /> From information the Council received, it is clear that what is being proposed is less impact on the <br /> neighborhood in terms of traffic in the a.m. peak, in the p.m. peak and on Sunday peak hour, as well as <br /> water. One of the things eye-opening to her has been when approvals are granted they run with the <br /> land and not with the owner of the land. Therefore, if the church sells this, they sell these approvals and <br /> somebody can come in and build what has been approved. She concluded that the impact to the <br /> adjacent community is actually favorable in terms of traffic and water because the majority of emails <br /> have expressed support of the residential development. <br /> Her next question in going beyond the adjacent neighborhood is how it affects the rest of the <br /> community. Clearly, she thinks most everybody would agree that the area around Santa Rita and Valley <br /> at the peak a.m. periods and evening peak periods, the traffic is terrible. If the Council approves what is <br /> proposed, traffic levels indicate it will be better than having the church site being built out. So to her, <br /> this is a benefit to the community, as well as a benefit using less water. The City has worked <br /> extensively on drought-tolerant landscaping and technologies in appliances, as well as exploring uses <br /> of grey water and incorporating those into the houses. She struggles with the questions that have been <br /> raised by former Mayor Pico and others on using the remaining Public and Institutionally zoned land, <br /> but she also knows that when talking to commercial brokers, they say trends indicate that churches are <br /> locating in business parks, are renting multi-purpose rooms at schools on Sunday which provides <br /> income to the District, and the public might need to adjust its thinking a bit about the Public and <br /> Institutional zoning, given there is land. There are 9 to10 acres at Valley Trails which is empty. This is a <br /> larger parcel than this and she thinks she can get there and approve the 25 homes. She would want <br /> some changes to what staff recommends. <br /> She supports the rezoning and agreed with the Mayor that the Council needs to use its growth <br /> management and limit so many houses in 2016 and 2017 to alleviate drought issues. She is also <br /> concerned with the one condition in the memo about the building permit versus tenant improvement on <br /> the school, and she wants to be sure the added parking at the Gardens is legally documented. <br /> MOTION: It was m/s by Narum/Olson to find the project would not have a significant effect on the <br /> environment and Adopt Resolution adopting the Negative Declaration, find that the General Plan land <br /> use amendment is consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan, and adopt a Resolution <br /> approving a General Plan Amendment to change the land use designation of an approximately 4.23 <br /> acre portion of the 6.22 acre site from Community Facilities Other Public and Institutional to Medium <br /> Density Residential, and modifying Condition No. 15 in the memorandum dated October 6th to clarify it <br /> refers to tenant improvement and not a building permit; and that the City will allocate 7 growth <br /> City Council Minutes Page 17 of 28 October 6, 2015 <br />