SU0013380 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Item No. 2 PC: 4-9-92 GP-89-11 Page 4 PHASING: The Mountain House new community is proposed to be constructed in four or more phases, with buildout occurring around 2010. The phasing plan is very preliminary and will change at the Specific Plan stage. The first phase will develop the northcentral portion of the site and include a small percentage of the town center. The majority of the first phase will be single-family detached residences. The second phase will include some additional town center development and much of the area north of Byron Road and adjacent to Old River. One or both of the golf courses would be constructed in the second phase. The third phase develops the south central portion of the community, with a significant business park component included. The last phase develops those portions of the site not currently under the control of the proponent, which includes all of the area south of Grant Line Road and approximately 200 acres north of Byron Road. SUBSEQUENT PLANS: If this new town General Plan Amendment is approved, submittal of subsequent detailed plans will be required before any specific development applications are processed. Subsequent plans will include a Public Services and Facilities Plan,which details specific engineering details for all proposed infrastructure communitywide. A Public Financing Plan will accompany this document and will be prepared in cooperation with the County Administrator's Office. Lastly, a Specific Plan will be prepared for the first phase of development,which will include a detailed land use layout, development standards, and specific zoning provisions. It is likely that the General Plan will need to be changed as more detailed phasing is done. It is anticipated that these plans would be approved concurrently, but if not, the Services and Facilities Plan would be required to be approved first. LAND USE AGRICULTURAL ISSUES: The Mountain House new community is located in an area that is primarily agriculture. Although there are approximately 30 scattered residences and two dairies (which is also an agricultural use), 4270 acres of the 4667-acre total are devoted to agricultural enterprises. Seventy-seven percent of the site has been designated Prime Farmland by the State Farmland Mapping Program. To qualify as Prime Farmland, the farmland must meet several criteria, including, but not limited to, a dependable water supply, the ability to hold a specific soil temperature range, retention of an acid-alkali balance, availability of an adequate water table, allowance of a minimum rooting depth, a condition of infrequent flooding, and specific permeability. At the time the EIR was prepared, 1040 acres were in alfalfa, 2700 acres were in other irrigated crops, 160 acres were in irrigated pasture, and 370 acres were in non-irrigated pasture. The project proponent has stated that there are significant limitations to agricultural productivity on this site, including the inability to plant any 'bloom' crops, since the prevailing winds prohibit effective pollination, and the presence of marginal soils (despite its Prime Farmland designation). The proponent also feels that better prime soils are located more proximate to the City of Tracy.