RES 91013 - Laserfiche WebLink

Ruby Hill It is not completely clear to what extent the Concept Plan would influence the proposed 1,300 acre Ruby Hill project. The ratio of cultivable to non-cultivable lands on the site suggest that the present proposal would need to be redesigned so that more of the 600 acres of cultivable lands within the project were undeveloped. However, the Plan provides for additional cultivable land to developed if an equal amount of land elsewhere in the Study Area is preserved in agricultural use through the purchase of conservation easements. If Ruby Hill chose this option, additional cultivable land could be developed. Approximately 675 acres of the site are considered conditionally developable at a gross density of one unit per acre. Therefore, the site could potentially contain approximately 820 homes (675 + 120 representing 20% of cultivable lands + 24 on remaining cultivable land), assuming no use of the cultivable land credit provision. This holding capacity is similar to Signature Properties~ latest proposal of 850 homes on the site. However, the site plan would need to be revised so that the golf course and housing was largely contained on the conditionally developable lands, and the vineyard lands expanded from roughly 300 acres to 480 acres. The project would also require substantial mitigation fees to be paid to the Agricultural Trust. Another aspect that would have to be considered is that the Concept Plan states Pleasanton would have the first opportunity to process development applications within its Sphere, which includes approximately 40% of the Ruby Hill site. Mitigation Fees The purpose of the mitigation fees is to discourage conversion of cultivable land to non-agricultural use and provide a source of money to fund the Agricultural Land Trust. The amount of the fees is based on the amount and agricultural value of the land displaced. The legal rationale for the fee is similar to that for the Low Income Housing Fee recently adopted by the City. For every unit built which displaces the potential for viticultural use, a fee must be paid to rectify the loss of agricultural land. The fee varies according to density and the usefulness of the land for agriculture. For example, land in the gateway which is zoned up to 4 units per acre has a fee equal to 25% of the fee for land in conditionally developable land which is zoned at 1 unit per acre. The basis for the fee assumes that all land potentially can be converted to agricultural use, an assumption verified by the viticultural experts. A premium is placed on existing cultivable land to discourage loss of this resource. While the Concept Plan permits up to 20% of cultivable land within a particular project site to be developed as part of a larger project, the fee is set at $30,000 per unit within SR:91:30 -9-