PROPOSED PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The proposed Project proposes the future development of 13 single-family detached dwelling units on numbered lots on a 5.1-acre site within the Coto de Caza community. Lots range between approximately 11,985 to 20,411 square feet in size. No architectural plans have been submitted. The Project consists of the following:
- Specific Plan Amendment to establish a low-density residential use.
- A transfer of 13 dwelling unit allocations from PA 2 to PA 5.1.
- Use Permit to allow perimeter walls and fencing to exceed six feet in height.
- Tentative Tract Map (TTM) 17866 to subdivide a 5.1-acre site within Coto de Caza into 13 numbered lots and five lettered lots for a private street (Lot A) and landscaped areas (Lot B, C, D, and E).
The Project site is in the Coto de Caza Specific Plan, within PA 21 which is designated for Community Center/Commercial Uses. The Specific Plan Amendment would result in the creation of a new Planning Area (PA 5.1) to encompass the 5.1-acre Project site currently located within PA 21.
PROJECT LOCATION: The Project site is located at 23432 Vista del Verde in the unincorporated community of Coto de Caza, California. The site is currently vacant and was formerly developed with the Merryhill School on 2.9 acres, which closed in 2008. The remaining 2.2-acre portion of the site was developed with equestrian facilities associated with the neighboring Coto Equestrian Preserve (formerly the Coto Equestrian Center). The site is irregular in shape and bound by equestrian use (Coto Equestrian Preserve) to the north and northeast, medium-density residential use to the west across Vista Del Verde and east across Via Pajaro, and commercial use (former Maxwell stables and General Store) to the south and southeast respectively.
NEXT STEP:
COTO PLANNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CPAC) on November 8, 2023.
Documents can be found on the following website:
https://ocds.ocpublicworks.com/service-areas/oc-development-services/planning-development/hearings-meetings/advisory-committees-1
LOT LINE ADJUSTMENT: Lot Line Adjustment (LLA) 2015-018 was approved and recorded on January 13, 2017, which created the project site onto one legal parcel.
LLA 2015-018
INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION (IS/MND):
Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) PA160056 was prepared to study the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project. The document was posted for a 30-day public review period from December 8, 2022, to January 17, 2023. An extension to the public review period was granted, which ended on February 3, 2023.
The IS/MND was also circulated to the California State Clearinghouse and assigned file number SCH# 2022120161.
Five comment letters were received from public agencies and eleven interested parties during the public review period. Minor edits to Mitigation Measure BIO-1 to adequately address potential impacts to nesting birds on site and Mitigation Measure BIO-2 to precisely determine the presence or absence of a bat maternity roost have been incorporated. These changes are generally minor changes that do not constitute significant new information, change the conclusions of the environmental analysis, or require recirculation of the document (State California Environmental Quality Act [CEQA] Guidelines Section 15073.5). Comments were raised regarding wildfire risk. As noted in the IS/MND, incorporation of County Standard Conditions FPR01 (Fire Hydrants), FPR02 (Water Availability), FPR07, Fire Hazard Mitigation), FPR08 (Fuel Modification), FPR10 (Combustible Construction Letter), and FPR11 (Hazardous Materials) would result in less than significant impacts related to exacerbating wildfire risks. In addition, adherence to the California Fire Code requirements, OCFA standards, and County Standard Conditions would ensure that on-site wildfire risk is minimized.
None of the comments presents substantial evidence of a fair argument that the proposed project may have a significant impact on the environment.
Contact Information
Arturo Cervantes, Senior Planner
OC Development Services/Planning
601 N. Ross Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Arturo.Cervantes@ocpw.ocgov.com
