January 21, 2016 PC Agenda Packet
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Solano County 675 Texas Street Fairfield, California 94533 www.solanocounty.com Agenda - Final Thursday, January 21, 2016 7:00 PM Board of Supervisors Chambers Planning Commission Planning Commission Agenda - Final January 21, 2016 Any person wishing to address any item listed on the Agenda may do so by submitting a Speaker Card to the Clerk before the Commission considers the specific item. Cards are available at the entrance to the meeting chambers. Please limit your comments to five (5) minutes. For items not listed on the Agenda, please see “Items From the Public”. All actions of the Solano County Planning Commission can be appealed to the Board of Supervisors in writing within 10 days of the decision to be appealed. The fee for appeal is $150. Any person wishing to review the application(s) and accompanying information may do so at the Solano County Department of Resource Management, Planning Division, 675 Texas Street, Suite 5500, Fairfield, CA. Non-confidential materials related to an item on this Agenda submitted to the Commission after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection during normal business hours and on our website at www.solanocounty.com under Departments, Resource Management, Boards and Commissions. The County of Solano does not discriminate against persons with disabilities and is an accessible facility. If you wish to attend this meeting and you will require assistance in order to participate, please contact Kristine Letterman, Department of Resource Management at (707) 784-6765 at least 24 hours in advance of the event to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. AGENDA CALL TO ORDER SALUTE TO THE FLAG ROLL CALL APPROVAL OF AGENDA APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES PC 16-002 Minutes of December 3, 2015 Attachments: minutes ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC: This is your opportunity to address the Commission on a matter not heard on the Agenda, but it must be within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Commission. Please submit a Speaker Card before the first speaker is called and limit your comments to five Solano County Page 2 Printed on 1/14/2016 Planning Commission Agenda - Final January 21, 2016 minutes. Items from the public will be taken under consideration without discussion by the Commission and may be referred to staff. REGULAR CALENDAR 1 PC 16-001 Public hearing and adopt a resolution approving Minor Revision No. 2 to Use Permit and Marsh Development Permit (U-90-29/MD-90-05 MR 2) allowing Solano Land Trust to conduct habitat restoration and special events at Rush Ranch; and adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Plan for the project. The property is located at 3521 Grizzly Island Road, Suisun City, CA 94585 (Project Planner: Nedzlene Ferrario) Attachments: Exhibit A - Draft ISMND Part 1 Exhibit A - Draft ISMND Part 2 Exhibit A - Draft ISMND Part 3 Exhibit A - Draft ISMND Part 4 Appendix D to Exhibit A_Wildlife Hazard Assessment_FINAL Exhibit B - Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Plan Exhibit C - Comment Letters and Responses Part 1 Exhibit C - Comment Letters and Responses Part 2 Exhibit C - Comment Letters and Responses Part 3 Exhibit D - Resolution Exhibit E - Location Map ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REPORTS ADJOURN To the Planning Commission meeting of February 4, 2016 at 7:00 P.M., Board Chambers, 675 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA Solano County Page 3 Printed on 1/14/2016 675 Texas Street Solano County Fairfield, California 94533 www.solanocounty.com Agenda Submittal Agenda #: Status: PC Minutes Type: PC-Document Department: Planning Commission File #: PC 16-002 Contact: Agenda date: 1/21/2016 Final action: Title: Minutes of December 3, 2015 Governing body: District: Attachments: minutes Date Ver. Action By Action Result MINUTES OF THE SOLANO COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION Meeting of December 3, 2015 The regular meeting of the Solano County Planning Commission was held in the Solano County Administration Center, Board of Supervisors' Chambers (1st floor), 675 Texas Street, Fairfield, California. PRESENT: Commissioners Cayler, Walker, Hollingsworth, Castellblanch, and Chairperson Rhoads-Poston EXCUSED: None STAFF PRESENT: Mike Yankovich, Planning Program Manager; Jim Laughlin, Deputy County Counsel; and Kristine Letterman, Planning Commission Clerk Chairperson Rhoads-Poston called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. with a salute to the flag. Roll call was taken and a quorum was present. Approval of the Agenda The Agenda was approved with no additions or deletions. Item Nos. 1, 2 & 3 The minutes of the regular meetings of September 17, November 5, and November 19, 2015 were approved as prepared. Items from the Public: There was no one from the public wishing to speak. Regular Calendar Item 4. PUBLIC HEARING to consider Minor Revision No. 2 to Use Permit No. U-90-29 and Marsh Development Permit No. MD-90-05 of Solano Land Trust to allow habitat restoration, facility improvements and site utilization for Rush Ranch located at 3521 Grizzly Island Road, Suisun City, in an “A-SM-160” Suisun Marsh Agricultural and “MP” Marsh Protection Zoning District, APN’s: 0046-140-040, 050, 060, 070; 0046-150-010, 030; 0046-160-080. The Planning Commission will also be considering adoption of a Mitigated Negative Declaration of Environmental Impact as recommended by the Solano County Department of Resource Management. (Project Planner: Nedzlene Ferrario) This item was continued to the regular meeting of January 21, 2016. Mr. Yankovich noted that the Negative Declaration of Environmental Impact prepared for this project was being recirculated for public review. The document includes additional biological content. Minutes of the Solano County Planning Commission Meeting of December 3, 2015 Item 5. PUBLIC HEARING to consider Use Permit Application No. U-15-04 of SolAgra Corporation to operate an agricultural research facility regarding the feasibility of growing crops beneath solar arrays in the “A-80” Exclusive Agricultural Zoning District. The project is located on Ryer Island at 4338 State Highway 84, APN: 0042-240-120 The Planning Commission will also be considering adoption of a Negative Declaration of Environmental Impact as recommended by the Solano County Department of Resource Management. (Project Planner: Nedzlene Ferrario) Nedzlene Ferrario gave the commission a brief overview of the staff report. The property is located at the south side of Highway 220, approximately 350 feet east of Highway 84, on Ryer Island. On the west end of the property is a pear orchard. The project site is flat, without trees and bare. Elkhorn Slough is located 1.27 miles east of the subject parcel. Marshes, wetlands, vernal pools or riparian vegetation do not exist on the project site. SolAgra proposes to conduct agricultural research regarding the feasibility and economic viability of growing crops under solar arrays on Ryer Island. The electrical power production will be utilized on adjacent property by Reclamation District 501. A Negative Declaration was prepared for the project and circulated. Public comment period closed November 24, 2015. No potentially significant adverse environmental impacts were identified. Staff recommended approval of the project. The applicant, Barry Sgarella, provided a detailed presentation explaining the method that would be used for farming and which crops would be grown such as hops and alfalfa. He described the dimensions and specifications of the panels and equipment as well as the daily process. He spoke to the test project that was grown at U.C. Davis and its success. Chairperson Rhoads-Poston opened the public hearing. Russ Lester, spoke on behalf of the Ag Advisory Committee. He commented that the committee has worked with SolAgra for a number of years on the solar ordinance that was recently adopted by the county, and he voiced his appreciation for the support SolAgra provided in that process. He noted that the Board of Supervisors gave direction that they did not want ag land converted into solar or ag production lost, and so that was a goal to achieve in the ordinance, as well as including the possibility of research. Mr. Lester stated that the committee supports staff’s recommendation for approval of the project. He said that while they support this they know it will take time to determine whether it will meet the goals set. He said they strongly support the condition with regard to the requirement of a bond in the event the project does not perform so that the land is returned back to ag production and to its original condition. Mr. Lester said the committee would be interested in being involved with this project as it moves forward to monitor the viability of the program. Since there were no further speakers, Chairperson Rhoads-Poston closed the public hearing. Commissioner Hollingsworth commented that recently the county went through the process of updating the Travis Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. He noted that Colonel Gary Gottschall from Travis AFB was in the audience this evening. Mr. Hollingsworth 2 Minutes of the Solano County Planning Commission Meeting of December 3, 2015 asked if Colonel Gottschall could provide Travis’ view on the project. Colonel Gottschall, Deputy Director of Operations at the 60th Operations Group, stated that his group is involved in running the flying operations at Travis to assess these types of matters. Col. Gottschall stated that Mr. Sgarella engaged with the Base when this project was still in the concept stage to try to design in mitigation to flying operations. Col. Gottschall commented that the concern with solar is with glint and glare and he noted that there is a universal standard tool the Federal Aviation Administration uses for assessing these types of projects. He said that they introduced that tool to Mr. Sgarella as a part of the process to make sure that this was not going to be a blinding mirror flashing into the traffic control tower and aircraft maneuvering to land.