TO: PLANNING COMMISSION
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: DECEMBER 17, 2024
SUBJECT:
Title
TENTATIVE PARCEL MAP 84366, REQUEST TO MODIFY TWO PARCELS (APNS: 8308-025-004 & 8308-025-013), AND DEDICATE RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR CLAREMONT BOULEVARD AND RELATED TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT NINTH STREET AND CLAREMONT BOULEVARD. APPLICANT - CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE.
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SUMMARY
The applicant, Claremont McKenna College (CMC), is requesting approval of Tentative Parcel Map 84366 (TPM #84366) to modify two lots to align with current college ownership (Pitzer College north of Ninth Street and CMC south) and to dedicate street right-of-way for Claremont Boulevard in order to accommodate a new traffic signal, protected bike lanes, and sidewalks. The map also includes an easement for a future pedestrian tunnel linking the CMC campus to the proposed East Campus Sports Bowl. Both subject parcels currently have a General Plan designation of Institutional with an underlying zoning designation of Institutional Educational (IE). The current Los Angeles County Assessor’s Parcel Numbers for the properties are 8308-025-004 and 8308-025-013. In their current configuration, the properties have a combined gross area of 29.65 acres. The modified parcels will have a total net area of 25.92 acres. The difference, 3.73 acres, is being dedicated to the City of Claremont for use as public right-of-way.
The proposed map is consistent with the current alignment of the Claremont McKenna and Pitzer College campuses. The map is also consistent with the approved concept plan for Claremont Boulevard, which is intended to be reworked as a complete street - that is, one that provides for all modes of transportation, including autos, bicycles, and pedestrians. The proposed map is required as a condition of approval of CMC’s Robert Day Integrated Science Center, which is currently under construction near the northeast corner of proposed Parcel 2.
Staff is recommending that the Planning Commission find that the proposed map is appropriate and consistent with the General Plan and zoning land use designations and subdivision standards, and therefore approve TPM 84366, subject to conditions included in the draft resolution in Attachment A.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Planning Commission adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING TENTATIVE PARCEL MAP 84366, WHICH MODIFIES TWO PARCELS (APNS: 8308-025-004 & 8308-025-013), AND DEDICATES RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR CLAREMONT BOULEVARD AND A RELATED TRAFFIC SIGNAL AT NINTH STREET AND CLAREMONT BOULEVARD. APPLICANT - CLARMEONT MCKENNA COLLEGE.
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the staff recommendation, the following alternatives have been identified:
A. Continue the item for additional discussion and/or information.
B. Determine that the findings set forth in Section 17.050.070 of the Claremont Municipal Code cannot be met for approval of Tentative Parcel Map 84366 and continue the item to the commission’s next meeting for adoption of a denial resolution.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
All costs associated with reviewing the proposed tentative map will be borne by the applicant.
ANALYSIS
Background
CMC Master Plan
The CMC Master Plan was approved by the Claremont City Council in 2012 to provide a long-range guide for future improvements and expansion of the CMC campus over thirty years. The CMC Master Plan shows the boundaries of the CMC campus aligning with the revised lot lines contained in the Tentative Parcel Map (Attachment B). The CMC Master Plan also shows development near the southwest corner of the intersection of Claremont Boulevard and Ninth Street. A full EIR was prepared and certified by the City for the 2012 CMC Master Plan (State Clearing House (“SCH”) # 2011031050).
The City, including the Planning Commission, reviewed the CMC Master Plan and Draft EIR. Included in that review and approval was a plan for developing a large portion of the East Campus, which included 40 acres of CMC sports facilities that would then free up space on the main CMC campus for academic buildings and hundreds of new parking spaces on the perimeter of the campus. Access between the existing College campuses and the East Campus facilities was intended to occur primarily at Ninth Street. The Master Plan included plans for providing a traffic signal and stronger pedestrian facilities at this intersection, as well as bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Claremont Boulevard. An associated development agreement requires installation of the new traffic signal.
CMC Master Plan Amendment
On July 28, 2021, the Architectural Commission completed an advisory review of a request from CMC to amend the campus master plan to reallocate a portion of the building space entitled for locations along Ninth Street further east in order to accommodate construction of a larger science building near Claremont Boulevard. Staff approved the amendment to the CMC Master Plan (File #10-IMP01amd1) on September 30, 2021.
The Master Plan Amendment also included a revised concept plan for Claremont Boulevard. The revised concept for the street introduced protected bicycle lanes, extended curbs (bulb-outs), ladder-style crosswalks, and landscape parkways to further improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities along Claremont Boulevard. Those improvements necessitated wider right-of-way for Claremont Boulevard and additional pedestrian queuing space at the intersection of Ninth Street and Claremont Boulevard. The proposed Tentative Map has been designed to accommodate these improvements. The site plan for the Amended CMC Master Plan and amended plan for Claremont Boulevard are Attachments C & D.
CMC Robert Day Integrated Science Center
Another important purpose of this parcel map is to eliminate a conflict between the footprint of the new CMC Robert Day Integrated Science Center (“Science Center”) and an existing parcel line that did not align with the boundary of CMC’s land ownership. The Architectural Commission approved the construction of the 135,000-square-foot Science Center on May 11, 2022, and found the building to be consistent with the Claremont McKenna College Master Plan. A condition of approval for the Science Center requires CMC to create a parcel map to address the lot line issue, dedicate the land already occupied by Claremont Boulevard to the City, and dedicate additional right-of-way to the City to accommodate a recently approved complete streets plan for Claremont Boulevard. Excerpts from the approved plans for the Science Center are Attachment E.
The approved design of the Science Center anticipated that future parking for the site would be located in the East Campus Sports Bowl located just east of the building; across Claremont Boulevard. As plans for the Science Center and adjacent East Campus Sports Bowl were refined, CMC later requested approval of a subterranean tunnel to connect the Sports Bowl and its associated parking structure with the Claremont McKenna campus. The tunnel was proposed for a location south of the Science Center. The tunnel concept and an extensive redesign of the East Campus Sports Bowl were approved by the Architectural and Preservation Commission on January 24, 2024. Excerpts from the approved plans for the Revised East Campus Sports Bowl and associated tunnel are Attachment F.
Proposed Tentative Parcel Map 84366
The proposed tentative parcel map will move the southern boundary of Parcel A north to coincide with current ownership boundary of Pitzer College, which coincides with the center line of Ninth Street (a private street). Currently, this parcel includes land owned by CMC. The western boundary of Parcel B will then be moved to occupy the area vacated by the redrawing of Parcel A. Both parcels will then be modified by moving their eastern boundaries west to provide adequate right-of-way for Claremont Boulevard, including its new design as a complete street. The dedication for Claremont Boulevard includes full dedication to the City of what had been an easement for roadway purposes as well as additional right-of-way width to accommodate the bicycle lane and sidewalk improvements while maintaining two vehicular travel lanes in each direction. Finally, both new parcels (Parcels 1 & 2) are modified adjacent to the Ninth Street Intersection with Claremont Boulevard to provide the additional right-of-way space needed to accommodate a new traffic signal and pedestrian queuing areas at this intersection.
The Parcel map also includes six existing plottable easements for various purposes. The first, identified as (9) on the tentative map, relates to the use of Claremont Boulevard as a public roadway. This easement is being superseded by the full dedication described above. Existing easements (8), (10) & (11) are related to subterranean utilities that exist or will exist, on the site. Easement (7) allows for public street purposes to accommodate circulation and a fire lane on the western boundary of Parcel 2. Easement (12) allows ingress and easement across East Ninth Street, which is a private street owned in parts by Claremont McKenna and Pitzer Colleges.
There are three additional plottable easements being added to the map. The first [1] is a new 50-foot wide subsurface easement for a proposed tunnel linking the proposed east campus sports bowl and parking structure to the CMC campus. This easement is located approximately 360 feet south of Ninth Street. The second [2] denotes the area for traffic signal footings and pedestrian queuing at the intersection of Ninth Street and Claremont Boulevard. The third [3] denotes the limits of a proposed Golden State Water easement to provide for water facilities under both Ninth Street and Claremont Boulevard within the map area.
TPM 84366 also includes legal descriptions of the existing parcels, depictions of existing improvements within the map area, and verbal descriptions of three existing non-plottable easements related to flood control, ditches, a water pipeline, and electrical infrastructure.
Basis for Recommendation
City staff originally identified the need for this parcel map in order to align legal lot lines with land ownership between the two colleges, dedicate the street right-of-way necessary to accommodate Claremont Boulevard, and provide for new traffic signal infrastructure at the Ninth Street Intersection. Accordingly, a parcel map was required as a condition of approval when the Science Center was approved by the Architectural Commission on May 11, 2022. The parcel map is required to be approved and recorded prior to occupancy of the Science Center.
Section 17.050.070 of the Claremont Municipal Code (CMC) requires the Planning Commission to make eight findings in order to approve a Tentative Parcel Map. Staff believes that all of the necessary findings can be made for approval of the proposed map, as identified in the draft resolution (Attachment A). Staff further believes that the approval of the Tentative Parcel Map will bring the arrangement of parcels into compliance with CMC Title 17, the California Subdivision Map Act, and the California Building Code. In addition, the map serves to implement the previously-approved CMC Master Plan, the revised conceptual plan for Claremont Boulevard (Approved by the Traffic and Transportation Commission in July 2022), and the revised East Campus Concept Plan approved by the Architectural and Preservation Commission on July 24, 2024.
CEQA REVIEW
This parcel map is intended only to modify property lines to match existing use patterns with no corresponding change in use. No new development is entitled under this Parcel Map that is not already contemplated in either the Claremont McKenna College Master Plan or East Campus Project. Environmental Impact Reports were certified for both the Claremont McKenna College Master Plan FEIR (SCH#2011031050) and East Campus Project FEIR (SCH#2010021040), both of which this tentative parcel map is intended to implement.
When the concept plan for the East Campus was revised in July 2024 to include the proposed subterranean tunnel, a detailed analysis was completed and addendum was created to address the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) as it pertains to the proposed revisions to the original East Campus Conceptual Site Plan. The applicant worked with both the City of Upland and City of Claremont to determine the appropriate approach to analyze the changes. Ten separate technical studies were completed and reviewed by each City. This process resulted in a determination that an Addendum to the previously certified FEIR for the Project was appropriate.
An Addendum to the FEIR (SCH#2010021040) was prepared by Environmental Science Consultants (ESA) for the Cities of Upland and Claremont pursuant to CEQA (Title 14, Sections 15162 and 15164), which determined that the revised project consists of minor modifications to the previously approved Conceptual Site Plan that constitute minor changes as they do not modify the type of uses, increase density or intensity, create new or increased environmental impacts that cannot be mitigated, or result in health and safety violations. As analyzed in the Addendum, the proposed revised project will not result in any new or substantially more severe environmental impacts, and thus does not require a subsequent or supplemental EIR. Therefore, the City has determined that no additional environmental review is required at this time.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a paper copy, please contact Nhi Atienza at natienza@claremontca.gov.
On Thursday, December 5, 2024, the property was posted and written notices were mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the boundary of the subject property. A copy of this staff report has been mailed to the applicant and any other interested parties.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Brad Johnson Christopher Veirs
Community Development Director Principal Planner
Attachments:
A - Draft Planning Commission Resolution
B - TPM 84366
C - Amended Site Plan for CMC Master Plan.
D - Amended Claremont Boulevard Concept Plan
E - Excerpts from Approved Plans for the Science Center
F - Excerpts from the Revised East Campus Sports Bowl and Tunnel Concept Plans