Planning commission declines to forward Miraval 2 PUD to council; asks staff to return with open‑space and parking mitigations

The Soledad Planning Commission voted against forwarding a recommendation of approval for the Miraval 2 planned unit development and vesting tentative map (PUD‑23001; TM‑23002) and instead directed staff to work with the applicant to address open‑space and parking shortfalls and return to the commission.

Staff presented the Miraval 2 proposal as a planned development on a 4.05‑acre parcel on the east side of Orchard Lane and Cedar Lane in an R‑3 residential high‑density zone (APN 02‑522‑037). The application proposes a total of 61 units: 37 small‑lot single‑family ownership units and 24 multifamily rental units in three buildings. Staff said the site density would be 12–22 units per acre and that the project sits within the area annexed as part of an earlier Summerfield annexation; staff also stated CEQA requirements were satisfied by the annexation and that the site could qualify for an exemption under CEQA guidelines Section 15332 because it is under 5 acres.

Senior planner Adena Moore described the deviations the applicant requested: reduced front, side and rear setbacks on a portion of the lots; reduced dedicated parkland (a roughly 2,000‑square‑foot shortfall in the dedicated park area compared with the plan calculation); and reduced on‑site parking for multifamily units. Moore told commissioners the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance requires 20% of units be affordable and that the project’s required inclusionary total is 12 units (6% very low, 6% low and 8% moderate income tiers). Moore said the developer’s proposal…