To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Scott Hunsperger (707) 565-1908
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): First
Title:
Title
File No. LLA23-0001 Ramal Road Lot Line Adjustment, 23401 and 23500 Ramal Road, Sonoma
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution approving a Lot Line Adjustment between two parcels subject to Conditions of Approval and Land Conservation Act Contracts at 23401 and 23500 Ramal Road, Sonoma; APN’s 135-061-004 and 135-071-005. (First District)
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Executive Summary:
Staff has determined that the adjusted parcels are consistent with the County’s Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and the Land Conservation Act and recommends approval of the Lot Line Adjustment to adjust two contracted parcels, resulting in a 17.08-acre parcel (Lot A) and 19.64-acre parcel (Lot B), The purpose of the Lot Line Adjustment is to reconfigure legal parcel boundaries to align with existing county road and agricultural uses. Lot Line Adjustments on lands under a Land Conservation Contract require that the Board of Supervisors make findings of consistency with the Land Conservation Act requirements. The adjusted parcels meet the land use and density criteria of the General Plan and all of the required findings for Land Conservation Act Requirements.
Discussion:
Mahoney Family Partnership LP, et al. and Jeffrey Lapin, Trustee of Crop Lands Trust, et al. seek approval of a Lot Line Adjustment between two legal parcels (refer to Lot Line Adjustment Site Plan under Attachment 4). The legal parcels are under different ownership and are identified as APN’s 135-061-004 (Lot A) and 135-071-005 (Lot B). The current lot sizes are 16.59 acres (Lot A) and 20.13 acres (Lot B). The Lot Line Adjustment will result in increasing Lot A by 0.49 acres for a total of 17.08 acres in size, with Lot B being reduced in size to 19.54 acres. The purpose of the Lot Line Adjustment is to reconfigure legal parcel boundaries to align with existing county road and agricultural uses.
Site Characteristics:
The project site includes two contiguous parcels encompassing a total of 36.72 acres. The parcels are situated 3.2 miles southeast of the City of Sonoma. Lot A is a 20.13-acre parcel developed with an agricultural storage building and contains 13.58 acres planted in vineyard. and is subject to a Land Conservation Contract for prime agricultural land. Lot B is a 16.59-acre parcel that is subject to a Land Conservation Contract for non-prime agricultural land. Existing Lot B is developed with an agricultural storage building, a residence and septic system under construction, agricultural irrigation ponds, and contains 6.25 acres planted in vineyard. After the lot line adjustment, resulting Lot B will contain the same improvements with an additional 0.45 acres planted in vineyard totaling 6.7 acres.
Zoning for Lot A is LIA (Land Intensive Agriculture) B6 30-acre density with combining districts of Z (Accessory Dwelling Unit Exclusion), SR (Scenic Resources), VOH (Valley Oak Habitat), and LG/MTN (Taylor/Sonoma/Mayacamas Mountains Local Area Guidelines).
Zoning for Lot B is LIA (Land Intensive Agriculture) B6 60-acre density with combining districts of Z (Accessory Dwelling Unit Exclusion) and VOH (Valley Oak Habitat).
Land Conservation Act:
State regulations for Land Conservation Contracts and the Sonoma County Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones (Uniform Rules) require that the amount of land under contract after a Lot Line Adjustment remain the same as it was before the Lot Line Adjustment and that the adjusted parcels continue to meet all the requirements for a contract. The proposed Lot Line Adjustment will not result in a reduction of land under contract and Lots A and B will meet the requirements for a contract, as it will continue to be devoted to agriculture with at least 50% will be planted in vineyard and agricultural irrigation ponds that are used by the subject parcel and adjacent parcels under same ownership with existing Land Conservation Contracts. Staff has determined the Lot Line Adjustment can meet all of the required findings as described in the attached Resolution.
Lot A is currently under a Prime (Type I) Land Conservation Act Contract and Lot B is currently under a Non-Prime (Type II) Land Conservation Act Contract. To facilitate a Lot Line Adjustment, Government Code Section 51257 permits the contracting parties to rescind the existing contract and simultaneously enter into new contract(s) if the required findings can be made. A condition of approval requires that prior to recording the grant deeds for the adjusted parcels, the owners apply to rescind the existing Land Conservation Act contracts and replace them with new contracts for the reconfigured Lots A and B in accordance with the Uniform Rules.
Staff Recommendation:
Staff recommends the Board approve the request because all the state and local requirements for the Lot Line Adjustment can be met.
Prior Board Actions:
12/13/2011: Board approves the Sonoma County Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones (Resolution No. 11-0678).
07/31/2012: Board amends the Sonoma County Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones (Resolution No. 12-0379).
05/07/2013: Board amends the Sonoma County Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones (Resolution No. 13-0186).
12/20/2016: Board amends the Sonoma County Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones (Resolution No. 16-0485).
10/31/2017: Board amends the Sonoma County Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones (Resolution No. 17-0426).
11/07/2017: Board amends the Sonoma County Uniform Rules for Agricultural Preserves and Farmland Security Zones (Resolution No. 17-0438)
Fiscal Summary
N/A
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
None. The applicant pays for the costs of processing the application. There will be no new fiscal impacts as a result of this action.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
ATT 1: Draft Board of Supervisors Resolution
ATT 2: Conditions of Approval
ATT 3: Assessor’s Parcel Maps
ATT 4: Lot Line Adjustment Site Plan
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A