Chapter 14.41 — WHITNEY SITE OVERLAY DISTRICT

The purpose of the Whitney Site overlay district is to provide for specific standards to ensure preservation of the remainder of the Whitney Site for agricultural use through an agricultural easement and to provide for the establishment and maintenance of programs for sustainable agriculture in the Carpinteria Valley. Therefore, this overlay district establishes specific standards related to open field agriculture resource protection and mitigation.

(Ord. No. 703, § 2, 10-26-2015)

The provisions of this district shall apply only to the remainder portion of the original 8.95-acre Whitney Site (APN 001-070-012) not dedicated to public roadway purposes, as depicted in Figure 1* and shown on the city's official zoning maps.

(Ord. No. 703, § 2, 10-26-2015)

*Editor's note—Figure 1 was not included in the codification of this section and can be found on file in the office of the city clerk.

All applicable local coastal program policies and provisions shall apply to the Whitney Site Overlay District unless specifically modified by standards detailed in this section. Development of any portion of the Linden Avenue and Casitas Pass Road Interchanges and Via Real Extension on the Whitney Site shall comply with all of the following requirements:

1.

New development shall be sited and designed to avoid impacts to agricultural land. If there is no feasible alternative that can eliminate all impacts, then the alternative development location and design that would result in the fewest or least significant impacts shall be selected. Impacts to agricultural land that cannot be avoided through the implementation of siting and design alternatives shall be fully mitigated as outlined in this section. The portion of the parcel to be converted from agriculture to public roadway facility shall not exceed five acres, encompassing the southern portion of the parcel adjacent to US 101.

2.

In order to prevent conversion of the approximately four-acre remainder parcel out of agriculture, ownership of the property shall be transferred to the City of Carpinteria. The remainder parcel shall be restricted to agricultural uses including organic farming, community gardening or agriculture education. Transfer of the property from Caltrans to the city would occur at the conclusion of project construction, and in concert with the transfer of the completed Via Real roadway and right-of-way. An agricultural conservation easement shall be placed on the property prior to transfer of ownership of the remainder parcel to the city which will prohibit non-agricultural uses on the property in perpetuity. The holder of the agricultural conservation easement shall be a public resources agency or private land trust with agricultural resource preservation experience, acceptable to the City of Carpinteria. Portions of the parcel that lie within the Carpinteria Creek channel, associated environmentally sensitive habitat area (ESHA) or riparian corridor buffer shall be excluded from the agricultural conservation easement to protect environmentally sensitive resources from disturbance associated with agricultural activities.

3.

Mitigation shall be provided for the direct loss of agricultural land via implementation of an agriculture preservation program as set forth below. The developer shall contribute funds such that the City of Carpinteria can accomplish the following (at a minimum):

a.

Installation of physical infrastructure for community garden plots at three or more properties in various locations to permit convenient public access. The following properties have been identified to fulfill the above goals; in the event that it is determined to be infeasible to operate a community garden on one or more of the properties detailed in subsection (1) or (3) below, a substitute property(ies) may be enrolled.

(1)

Carpinteria Children's Project (formerly Main School campus of the Carpinteria Unified School District). Infrastructure and development may include:

(A)

Tilling to prepare planting area;

(B)

Grid layout for plots;

(C)

Perimeter fencing;

(D)

Water source for irrigation;

(E)

Small shed for tool/implement storage, not larger than twelve feet by twelve feet.

(2)

Four-acre Whitney Site remainder parcel. Infrastructure and development may include:

(A)

Tilling to prepare planting area within a portion of the site;

(B)

Grid layout for plots;

(C)

Preservation of a portion of the existing avocado orchard;

(D)

Split-rail or similar perimeter fencing on the east, west and south boundaries;

(E)

Water source for irrigation;

(F)

Small shed for tool/implement storage, not larger than twelve feet by twelve feet.

(3)

Fifth Street 0.62-acre city-owned parcel between Holly Avenue and Elm Avenue. Infrastructure and development may include:

(A)

Tilling to prepare planting area;

(B)

Grid layout for plots;

(C)

Split-rail or similar perimeter fencing;

(D)

Water source for irrigation;

(E)

Small shed for tool/implement storage, not larger than twelve feet by twelve feet.

b.

Construction of a solid, grout-filled, masonry wall, or an alternative wall of same or better noise attenuating value, approximately six to eight feet in height, on the northern boundary of the remainder Whitney Site (abutting APNs 001-252-001 through 001-252-010 and APN 001-253-006) shall be completed prior to opening a community garden on the property.

c.

Development of a uniform agreement or lease template for use of individual garden plots by members of the community.

d.

Drafting of an agreement(s) between the city and Carpinteria Unified School District (CUSD) for the Carpinteria Children's Project garden to be maintained and operated by the CUSD for children and families participating in onsite programs.

e.

Funding of one City of Carpinteria half-time staff position, for a period of five years from the date of final approval of the Linden Avenue — Casitas Pass Road and Via Real Extension project, to initiate the community garden system and to create a fee structure (participation fee or plot lease) to subsidize the continuation of this staff position. In the event funding from the fee structure for community garden participation is not adequate following the five-year subsidy period to sustain a half-time position for administration of the community garden system, the City of Carpinteria will do one or more of the following:

(1)

Either restructure the participation fees or commit to providing funds for the difference between participation revenues and the position costs;

(2)

Investigate administration of the community garden system by another agricultural education entity such as 4H or Future Farmers of America;

(3)

Pursue grant funding to perpetuate the program; or

(4)

Assume administration of the community garden system in perpetuity.

f.

Provide funding to CUSD for development of an adult education program to be delivered via offering workshops in plant cultivation at the community gardens and cooking with fresh garden produce (at the Carpinteria High School Culinary Kitchen). Once established, participation fees could fund perpetuation of the program.

g.

Provide funding to CUSD for development of grade-specific curriculum focusing on vegetable cultivation using on-campus gardens at each school facility in Grades 1—8. The lesson plans would increase knowledge and appreciation for fresh produce, supporting interest in both community gardening and the importance of local agriculture resources.

h.

Program administration and access for residents to at least one property enrolled in the community garden system shall be established within one year from approval of a coastal development permit for the Linden Avenue and Casitas Pass Road Interchanges and Via Real Extension. The Agriculture Preservation Program shall be substantially implemented within one year following completion of construction of the Linden Avenue and Casitas Pass Road Interchanges and Via Real Extension.

i.

To further offset the project-related direct loss of five acres of agricultural land within the City of Carpinteria, the city shall apply to the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) to remove two agricultural parcels which are currently included in the City's Sphere of Influence on Via Real (APN 001-080-033 and APN 001180-026). The application to LAFCO to remove these parcels from the Sphere of Influence shall be completed within one year from approval of a coastal development permit for the Linden Avenue and Casitas Pass Road Interchanges and Via Real Extension Improvements. Successful removal of the parcels from the sphere of influence shall be accomplished prior to completion of construction of the public roadway improvements.

(Ord. No. 703, § 2, 10-26-2015)