CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
PLANNING COMMISSION STUDY SESSION
ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT NO. 2016-002
(ELLIS GOLDENWEST SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT –
EQUESTRIAN TRAIL REALIGNMENT)
August 23, 2016
SUMMARY
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Location: 6741 Shire Circle, 92648 (terminus of Shire Circle, between Ellis Avenue and Shire
Circle – encyclopedia lots/Open Space Corridor) (Attachment No. 1)
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Proposed Project: Zoning Text Amendment (ZTA) No. 16-002 is a request by Courtney Dubar and
the City of Huntington Beach to amend the alignment of the equestrian trails in the Ellis-Goldenwest
Specific Plan (SP7). ZTA No. 16-002 would amend Exhibit 8 and Appendix B (Attachment No. 2)
of the specific plan to show realigned equestrian trails within an approximately 4.5-acre mostly
undeveloped area off Ellis Avenue, across from Central Park, consisting primarily of assembled
encyclopedia lots. The City of Huntington Beach owns four remnant encyclopedia lots within the
subject area and the remaining lots are privately owned by the property owner at 6741 Shire Circle
(Attachment No. 3).
The realignment of the equestrian trails is proposed to ensure continuous trail access on the property
with the existing and future trail network in the Ellis-Goldenwest Specific Plan area. The existing
equestrian trail alignment depicted in the specific plan for the subject area travels through private
property with no dedicated easements or public access. In addition, the realignment would facilitate
a future land swap between the co-applicant and the City to exchange the City’s four lots within the
subject area for seven encyclopedia lots owned by the co-applicant north of Ellis Avenue within
Central Park.
ZTA No. 16-002 also includes a minor clean up reflecting the Community Development Department
name change. No changes to existing development standards or permitted uses are proposed.
Existing equestrian trails
The current equestrian trail alignment shows a continuous trail from the northwest corner of the
subject area along the northern perimeter parallel to Ellis Avenue and then continuing south along
the eastern perimeter of the property where it joins the trail system off the subject area. There are
also two trails that run east/west across the subject area from connecting trails west of the property at
the terminus of the Hitchingpost Circle cul-de-sac (northerly east/west trail) and Corral Circle culde-sac (southerly east/west trail). A short diagonal trail that connects the trail along Ellis Avenue to
the northerly east/west trail is also shown.
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(16SR30 Ellis Goldenwest Specific Plan Amendment)
PC Study Session – 08/23/16
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(16SR30 Ellis Goldenwest Specific Plan Amendment)
Proposed equestrian trails
The proposed equestrian trail alignment would realign the southerly east/west trail, which presently
connects to the trail at the terminus of Corral Circle, so that it travels north along the western
perimeter of the property and connects to the trail along Ellis Avenue. The northerly east/west trail
and the short diagonal trail would be deleted. No changes to trails outside of the subject property are
proposed.
As part of the Zoning Text Amendment, staff will be recreating Exhibit 8 and the trail exhibit in
appendix B to make the figures more legible to the reader.
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(16SR30 Ellis Goldenwest Specific Plan Amendment)
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Background: The historic plat map of the subject area prior to adoption of the specific plan consists
of rows of approximately 25-foot wide encyclopedia lots fronting onto lettered lots traversing
east/west across the subject site depicting future streets. When the specific plan was adopted, the
east/west equestrian trails aligned with where the future streets would be developed. However,
presently, the subject area consists of an assemblage of the encyclopedia lots owned by the coapplicant, with the exception of the four City-owned encyclopedia lots fronting Ellis Avenue. The
proposed equestrian trail realignment would also facilitate resolution of long standing code
enforcement issues between the City and co-applicant, which resulted from unpermitted development
in the subject area including fencing to enclose the privately owned area where the existing east/west
equestrian trails are shown in the specific plan to prevent trespassing.
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CEQA: ZTA No. 16-002 is categorically exempt pursuant to City Council Resolution No. 4501,
Class 20, which supplements the California Environmental Quality Act.
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Issues: The primary issue for the Planning Commission to consider is whether the proposed trail
alignment would continue to accommodate equestrian activities consistent with the original purpose
of the specific plan.
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The Planning Commission public hearing is tentatively scheduled for September 13, 2016.
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Attachments:
1. Map of subject area
2. Existing Ellis-Goldenwest Specific Plan equestrian trail exhibits
3. Map of ownership within subject area
PC Study Session – 08/23/16
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(16SR30 Ellis Goldenwest Specific Plan Amendment)