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2.1 BACKGROUND AND SPECIFIC PLAN ORIGINATION
Brooktrails Township is an unincorporated Mendocino County community of approximately 6,000 parcels located immediately northwest of the City of Willits (see Figure 2-1, Regional Location Map, and Figure 2-2, Site Location Map). Brooktrails area property has historically been used for a wide range of land uses. In the 1880s, the Brooktrails Township area was occupied by the Northwestern Lumber Company. As logging operations were completed, the land was sold to the Diamond D Ranch and served as a dude ranch. In the 1960s a developer proposed to convert the lands into a planned development and began subdividing the land. The Brooktrails Company Ltd., of Beverly Hills and New York, acquired the land in 1967.
Ultimately, the land was subdivided into 6,605 lots ranging in size from one-sixth of an acre (7,260 square feet), to 230 acres. The development was intended to be primarily for second homes; it was conceived of as a "Vacation Village" resort. This "second home" intent is acknowledged in the Housing Element of the Mendocino County General Plan (page I-64), although it is not consistent with current fact, since most of the homes are occupied by year-around permanent residents.
Currently, Lake Emily and Lake Ada Rose at Brooktrails provide sufficient domestic water supply for 2,000 equivalent single-family dwelling units at Brooktrails. However, as currently subdivided, approximately 4,000 residential lots would not be supplied with water from existing sources. Over the past decade, the Brooktrails Township Community Services District (Township) has investigated ways to meet anticipated water needs for future growth. In 1981, the Township retained a consulting team to prepare an analysis of three alternative dam sites. Eight years later, the Township initiated preparation
figure-2.1-1 ... Regional Location Map
figure-2.1-2 ... Site Location Map
of the Willits Creek Reservoir Project Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Willits Creek Reservoir was a proposed 2,400 acre-foot impoundment, considered by the Township sufficient in size to allow buildout of the Township. The Draft EIR was completed and issued for agency and public review in July, 1991. However, through the review process, given existing environmental constraints of steepness of slope, slope stability, habitat, access and other community development issues, it became apparent that the size and cost of the reservoir would ultimately depend on how many residential units would, or could, actually be constructed within the Township.
Through the process of addressing comments on the scope and content of the EIR by various regulatory agencies and the public, the Brooktrails Township Community Services District (Township) Board of Directors recognized that a community plan was necessary to address Township development potential and land use and environmental concerns to allow for a better understanding of the costs and impacts associated with the proposed Willits Creek Reservoir project. Accordingly, after several years of effort, the Brooktrails Township obtained legislation by the State legislature through Assembly Bill No. 266, and Township voter approval (69%), authorizing the District to become the first special district in California to engage in land use planning decision-making. Mendocino County Ordinance No. 3829 adopted by the Board of Supervisors on August 18, 1992, established the Brooktrails Township Community Services District as the Brooktrails Area Planning Commission (planning authority granted by the State of California as delegated through Mendocino County), and noted it was the "function and duty" of the Planning Commission to prepare a Specific Plan pursuant to Section 65450 of the California Government Code and related General Plan amendments. The Specific Plan is the result of that legislation (does not include the Spring Creek and Sylvandale subdivisions).
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2.2 SPECIFIC PLAN PROJECT
A Specific Plan, as its name implies, is a definitive plan for the development of a specific area. The Brooktrails Township Specific Plan represents the culmination of a planning concept that first surfaced approximately four years ago, and is the result of a community planning effort conducted over approximately three years. The Specific Plan has been prepared in an attempt to address numerous issues and concerns with respect to Brooktrails Township which have arisen over the past few years, related primarily to the quality and character of new development, the sequencing of community facilities and infrastructure, environmental protection and enhancement, public safety, recreation and related issues.
Because the Township is in an unincorporated area of Mendocino County, the Specific Plan is intended to provide a bridge between the County's General Plan and future development within the Township in a more specific manner than is possible under the current Development Review Board procedures and community-wide zoning ordinance. The Specific Plan will also have implications for the financing and provision of, community services inclusive of utilities, roads, fire protection and other functions and activities.
The purpose of the Brooktrails Township Specific Plan is to serve as a comprehensive planning document for the Township as it continues to grow. It includes development goals and policies, land use regulations, a capital improvement program and an overview of financing measures.
The Specific Plan is not intended to be a rigid framework, but provides flexibility to respond to changes over time that are consistent with the Plan goals and policies. The Specific Plan may be updated at periodic intervals, for example every five years if warranted, to reflect changes in community standards, rate of Township growth, use of natural and man-made resources, and general community concerns regarding quality of life issues.
It should be noted that Brooktrails Township is an existing community. The Brooktrails subdivision is an existing subdivision that was created in the mid 1960s as described previously. Thus, the Specific Plan does not address a new community; rather, the Specific Plan addresses refinements to the existing subdivision as new information on growth and development of the Township has become available, and responds to changing physical conditions, community concerns and governmental regulations regarding Township growth and development.
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2.3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
At buildout, and as envisioned in the Specific Plan, the Brooktrails subdivision would contain 3,815 residential units (4,000 SFRs) supporting a resident population of 9,919 individuals. New commercial development to augment existing commercial land uses would be expected to occur on land zoned for commercial uses, consistent with the needs and requirements of the local population. The predominant land use would remain singly-family residential with 2,817 acres devoted to Public Facilities open space, inclusive of greenbelt, golf course, community center Fire Department and water supply/treatment (see Section 3.1.1, Land Use and Zoning for additional statistical information regarding Brooktrails Township). Various community services and infrastructure improvements and additions would be required to support the growing community as follows:
Water: Water supply is the most immediate constraint facing Brooktrails, with the existing system reaching capacity at around 2,000 equivalent units. Water infrastructure consists of the development of additional water sources including a new dam and 1,600 acre-foot reservoir, plus added storage and treatment facilities to augment existing storage and treatment facilities commensurate with the level of demand. The Township's internal water distribution network already exists so, beyond maintaining the existing system, no further expansions are anticipated other than noted herein.
Sewer: Sewer improvements to serve up to 4,000 units consist of one main from Brooktrails to the Willits Wastewater Treatment Plant constructed in two stages. The first stage, an external reach from the Brooktrails metering station to the Willits Wastewater Treatment Plant, will be required at 2,000 units. The second stage, an internal reach to the metering station, would be required at around 3,000 units of development. Additional internal sewer lines would be required for the few areas of the Specific Plan area that presently lack sewer service. These are local to individual benefit areas, and could be constructed and funded through assessments specific to these areas at such time as the appropriate petitions are submitted.
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Circulation: Two circulation projects are anticipated for the near future. The first project involves improvements to Sherwood Road, including shoulders, turn pockets, and signals. The second project is the second access route into the Township, established by the Brooktrails Board of Directors as the number one priority among infrastructure expansions. Accordingly, the second access route, connecting south from the Township to State Route 20, is assigned priority, and would be constructed as soon as the planning, engineering, and financing can be put in place.
Traffic volumes generated by development of 4,000 units would require a third access route into the Township. The Upcreek Route, connecting east to U.S. 101, is assumed to be the most likely alignment (see Section 3.1.2, Traffic and Circulation, for additional information regarding new access routes).
Fire: The Township plans to add one new fire station, including a fire engine and water tender, before reaching the 2,000 unit level of development. Development at 4,000 units would require a second additional station plus another engine and staff car. In addition to the two new fire stations noted above, the Brooktrails Township anticipates an additional station to serve development in the vicinity of the Ells Field Airport near the northeast quadrant of the Township, to be constructed in the near-term. Beyond serving areas of Brooktrails, the proposed Airport area station would provide back-up to the City of Willits and the Little Lake Fire District.
SCHEDULING
Historically, residential construction within the Township has varied from 15 to 100 units per year. For comparison purposes, buildout of the Specific Plan area would occur around the year 2039 if 60 units were constructed each year, or as late as 2083 if the development rate was 30 units per year. In any case, depending upon the rate of development, infrastructure projects for the Specific Plan area are expected to stretch well into the next century.
The second access route is required now for community safety, irrespective of the rate of Township development. Beyond the near-term circulation improvements, the next phase of major construction consisting of a new dam and 1,600 acre-foot reservoir at around 2,000 units is 10 to 20 years off. Though, in most cases, the new infrastructure needs are not immediate (excluding the second access route and Sherwood Road improvements), addressing the needed future infrastructure requirements now will allow time to review and establish the necessary engineering and financing programs to anticipate growing public service demands.
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2.4 RELATIONSHIP TO JURISDICTION AND PLANS
General
While the Specific Plan addresses Brooktrails proper, the area to be considered for planning purposes includes those lands within and adjacent to the Township that could reasonably be expected to be influenced by growth within the Township up to and including buildout. Therefore, the implications of potential growth within the Township as relates to unincorporated lands surrounding the Township and nearby City of Willits are considered in the Specific Plan, inclusive of traffic, utilities, public services and other subject areas.
Mendocino County
This Specific Plan is structured to implement the provisions of the Mendocino County General Plan by creating a bridge between broad based General Plan policies and specific social, physical and environmental characteristics of the Brooktrails Township. The Mendocino County General Plan was adopted by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, as revised, on April 26, 1993, and sets forth the general guidelines for orderly growth and development within unincorporated areas of Mendocino County. It also provides direction for zoning, subdivision regulations, intensity of development, land use and the design of public facilities.
The Brooktrails Township Specific Plan is a refinement of the basic development goals and policies of the General Plan. The Brooktrails Township Specific Plan establishes more detailed and specific goals and policies for development of the Township.
City of Willits
Brooktrails Township is located approximately one mile northwest of the City of Willits, a city with a population of 5,300 residents. The City of Willits is an incorporated area of about 2.8 square miles, and is recognized in the City's General Plan as a subregional commercial and industrial center, serving a market area of about 15,000 people. The City's location along the U.S. Highway 101 growth corridor suggests that Willits is increasingly linked to the growing San Francisco Bay Area, particularly with regard to the emerging employment center in and around the City of Santa Rosa in Sonoma County.
The City of Willits General Plan revision, adopted by the Willits City Council on August 12, 1992, stresses the creation of a self-sustaining community with a balance of jobs and housing, and the retention
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of a small town character which is reflected in the design of its residences, commercial buildings and public open space, in lieu of what could otherwise be perceived as a residential bedroom community. The Willits General Plan recognizes the presence of Brooktrails Township, and recognizes the potential for growth and an increased population base within the Township. Correspondingly, growth within Brooktrails Township under buildout conditions, would be expected to affect the City of Willits, particularly with respect to traffic increases, commercial/office space use, increased demands on utilities inclusive of sewage treatment. Correspondingly, the Brooktrails Township Specific Plan and EIR consider these potential impacts on the City of Willits resulting from growth within the Township, and contains features to mitigate these potential impacts.
2.5 REQUIRED APPROVALS
The Specific Plan EIR must be certified as complete and adequate under CEQA by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors prior to considering a General Plan amendment, rezoning and approving and adopting the Specific Plan. A General Plan amendment is needed to reflect the Specific Plan's greater level of specificity applying to the Township proper, while rezoning of specified commercial and multiple-residential unit parcels is called for in the Specific Plan. In addition, Mendocino County requires that a General Plan amendment application accompany any request for rezoning.
Approval and adoption of the Brooktrails Township Specific Plan by the Board of Supervisors is required prior to the Brooktrails Township Community Services District, instituting the goals and policies as set forth in the Specific Plan, inclusive of limiting development up to 4,000 residential units, providing new infrastructure of access roads, water reservoir and related water delivery facilities to support 4,000 dwelling units, and implementing the amended Site Development Standards as contained in the Specific Plan. In addition, as noted in the Introduction to this EIR, separate environmental review under CEQA will be required for major infrastructure improvements.
Infrastructure projects would need to comply with Mendocino County plans and specifications for roadway/utility design. A series of permits and approvals from public agencies would be required before these project could be constructed. Individual construction projects (i.e., new residential dwellings), proposed by individuals for construction within the Township would need to comply with the Township Site Development Standards; compliance would be through design review by the Township Architectural Review Commission and District Architect.
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The County of Mendocino would need to review and approve Tentative and Final Maps for individual development proposals in order to issue grading and construction permits. Any project that would propose disturbance to existing wetlands prior to site grading would require approvals from the California Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; there is no guarantee these approvals would be given if requested.
The rights to impound additional water with a new dam and reservoir would be required from the California Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights. In addition, approvals from the California Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams would be required in order to construct the proposed new dam.
The County of Mendocino will place the entire Specific Plan area within a Specific Plan (SP) overlay combining district to highlight the fact that a specific set of goals, policies, regulations and implementation programs apply to the Specific Plan area.
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