Planning commission recommends approval of Ridge Estates subdivision with traffic mitigation limit on El Margarita corridor

The Yuba City Planning Commission recommended city council approval of the Ridge Estates development, including an environmental assessment (mitigated negative declaration), a general plan amendment, rezoning and a plan development overlay. The project proposes 141 single-family lots on about 20.76 acres on the west side of El Margarita Road, at roughly 1,850 feet south of State Route 20.

Assistant Planner Andrew Darrill summarized the application and explained the proposed general plan amendment would change approximately 4–8 acres of office/office park land to medium-density residential to accommodate the subdivision. The project density presented to commissioners is 7.12 units per acre. The plan development modifies standards for lot coverage, setbacks and lot size to allow medium-density residential development. Project features include bulb-outs for street trees and traffic calming, a median at an interior entrance to prevent left turns, a pedestrian crossing with a refuge island, and half-width improvements to El Margarita Road with bike lanes, curb and gutter, planter strips, sidewalk and a masonry wall along the frontage.

A traffic study prepared for the project estimated about 1,300 vehicle trips per day from Ridge Estates and identified potential impacts at the El Margarita/SR 20 intersection. As mitigation, staff proposed and commissioners accepted a condition that would cap development along the El Margarita corridor at 80 single-family residences (or an equivalent mix of other development types as approved by the public works director) on a first-come, first-served basis between SR 20 and Franklin Road until the northern intersection is signalized or northbound left turns are limited. Condition 15 requires a fair-share analysis of the project's intersection impacts.

Staff recommended adoption of a mitigated negative declaration under CEQA; commissioners heard from the project representative, Sean Menard, who said the applicant worked with staff on conditions and anticipates the eventual signalization called for in the city's long-range traffic plan. Public comment during the hearing was limited and the commission's roll-call vote was unanimous in favor of the motion recommending council approval.

The commission's motion authorizes forwarding environmental assessment 25-01, general plan amendment 25-01, Rezone RZ 25-01 and Plan Development PD 21 to the city council and contingently approving the tentative subdivision map TSM 25-01, subject to the conditions and mitigation measures presented. The planning commission's recommendation does not itself change zoning or the general plan; final decisions rest with the city council.