Ballot Measure Pertaining to the City of Watsonville's Urban Limit Line ("City Measure")
Summary
SCH Number
2022070150
Public Agency
City of Watsonville
Document Title
Ballot Measure Pertaining to the City of Watsonville's Urban Limit Line ("City Measure")
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
7/8/2022
Document Description
In response to a citizen initiative placed on the November 8, 2022, ballot, the City Council decided to call for an election and place an alternative measure on the November 8, 2022, ballot that would amend the 2005 General Plan to extend the expiration date of the City’s existing Urban Limit Line (ULL) until 2040, but allow the City Council to amend the location of the ULL in the future to allow development that is consistent with certain findings if it chooses to do so as part of the next General Plan update process and only after first subjecting any such change in the ULL to community input and environmental review under CEQA (Resolution 143-22).
Contact Information
Name
Matthew Alexander Orbach
Agency Name
CIty of Watsonville
Job Title
Principal Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Watsonville
Counties
Santa Cruz
Regions
Citywide, Countywide
Zip
95076
Other Location Info
Citywide
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
PRC § 21065, 14 Cal.Code Regs § 15378(a); 14 Cal.Code Regs §15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The City Measure is not a “project” under CEQA (PRC § 21065 and CEQA Guidelines § 15378(a)) as the City Measure is not a “project” that may cause a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment. In addition, even if the City Measure were considered to be a “project”, it would be exempt under the “common sense” exception (CEQA Guidelines § 15061(b)(3)) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that this action may have a significant effect on the environment. The City measure does not propose or permit any new development, nor does it increase or change in any way the land use, density, or development regulations applicable to any property. If approved by the voters, the City Measure will only extend the expiration date of current limitations on growth already in place as part of the existing Urban Limit Line. Any additional action by the City that may be taken pursuant to the authority the City Measure affords the City Council regarding the potential to amend the location of the Urban Limit Line is speculative and uncertain and will require subsequent discretionary actions that would be analyzed in compliance with CEQA before the City takes any such additional action and approves any related project.
County Clerk
Santa Cruz
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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