EXHIBIT 11-G

 

DRAFT

           MONTEREY PENINSULA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (MPWMD)

 

                           FINDINGS of APPROVAL of APPEAL

 

CONSIDER APPEAL OF HEARING OFFICER DETERMINATION RE: APPROVAL OF BARDIS WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM; APN 169-181-051

 

Adopted by MPWMD Board of Directors on March 21, 2005

 

Unless otherwise noted, all evidence is on file and available for public review at the District office, 5 Harris Court, Bldg. G, Monterey (Ryan Ranch)

 

 

It is hereby found and determined as follows:

 

1.         FINDING:            Applicant Christo Bardis is the owner of property at the intersection of Carmel Valley and Schulte Roads, Carmel Valley.  The existing parcel (APN 169-181-051) is 10.02 acres in size.   Applicant applied for a permit to create the Bardis Water Distribution System (WDS) for a well to provide both potable and non-potable water on existing parcel APN 169-181-051 as allowed by Monterey County zoning and health regulations.  The subject property is zoned LDR (Monterey County Code Section 21.14.030).

 

EVIDENCE:         Application #20040426BAR, site map and application materials dated April 26, 2004. 

 

2.         FINDING:            A well permit was issued by the Monterey County Health Department in February 2004.   The well was constructed on the subject property and tested in July 2004.

 

EVIDENCE:         Monterey County Health Department permit #04-06798; State DWR Well Completion Report #0900420.

 

3.         FINDING:            Based on a public hearing held on November 19, 2004, the MPWMD Staff  Hearing Officer, on November 24, 2004, approved the application to create the Bardis WDS subject to 20 conditions. 

 

EVIDENCE:         MPWMD WDS Permit #S04-03 and associated Final Conditions of Approval, Final Findings of Approval and CEQA Notice of Exemption, all dated November 24, 2004.  MPWMD Hearing Record for hearing held on November 19, 2004; MPWMD Order Following Hearing prepared by Hearing Officer on November 24, 2004.

 

4.         FINDING:            The applicant filed a timely appeal of the Hearing Officer’s determination in accordance with MPWMD Rule 22-A-2 and Rule 70.  The applicant agrees with the total production limit of 14.910 AFY, but requests a higher allotment than 0.444 AFY for the residential indoor and landscape irrigation uses.  Specifically, an amount of 0.50 AFY was requested for indoor uses only; alternatively, an amount of 0.70 AFY was requested for the combined residential indoor and landscape irrigation uses for the home.  The remaining amount would be designated for the agricultural use.

 

EVIDENCE:         December 20, 2004 Application for Appeal, including cover letter, application form, exhibits, check for $750, and Disclosure Statement.   MPWMD Rules and Regulations.

 

Rationale for Granting the Appeal

 

5.         FINDING:            Based on data provided in the application, applicable zoning regulations, previous County land use approvals, and previous litigation, 14.91 acre-feet per year (AFY) of water can legally be used on the subject parcel without further CEQA review.

 

EVIDENCE:         Application #20040426BAR and subsequent materials submitted to District as contained in application file.  Monterey County Superior Court Case No. M43343 (Save Our Carmel River v. County of Monterey, et al.), including Stipulation and Order re: Water Usage on Remainder Parcel [referred to herein as “Court Order and Stipulation”].

 

6.         FINDING:            The MPWMD is not bound by the Court Order and Stipulation, and is not compelled to set residential water use limits consistent with the 1994 Grice Report.  

 

EVIDENCE:         Monterey County Superior Court Case No. M43343 (Save Our Carmel River v. County of Monterey, et al.), including Stipulation and Order re: Water Usage on Remainder Parcel dated June 7, 2002.  Opinion of District General Counsel stated in January 27, 2005 appeal hearing materials.

 

7.         FINDING:            Condition No. 3 of Permit #S04-03 issued by the Hearing Officer set a system capacity (production limit) of 14.910 acre-feet per year (AFY) divided as follows:  0.444 AFY for residential uses, including landscape irrigation, and 14.466 AFY for agricultural irrigation.  The allocation of 0.444 AFY for residential use was based on strict concordance with the assumptions and conclusions of the 1994 Grice Engineering Report, which is referenced in paragraph 3-G of the Court Order.   The Grice Report made assumptions about average occupancy and water use per person that do not reflect today’s situation, and specifically do not reflect the individual proposal for the six-bathroom Bardis home as documented by permit drawings and water use estimates submitted to the Monterey County Planning and Building Inspection Department.   Based on the actual home proposal totaling 67.8 fixture units (equivalent to 0.678 AFY), a residential production limit of 0.7 AFY as part of Permit #S04-03 is considered reasonable.  The remaining 14.21 AFY would be the production limit for agricultural use.   

 

EVIDENCE:         Monterey County Superior Court Case No. M43343 (Save Our Carmel River v. County of Monterey, et al.), including Stipulation and Order re: Water Usage on Remainder Parcel dated June 7, 2002.  Hydrology Study and Nitrate Loading Assessment for the Mills College Property Minor Subdivision at Carmel Valley Road and Schulte Road, Carmel Valley, prepared by Grice Engineering, Inc., dated November 14, 1994.  MPWMD Residential Water Release and Water Permit Application Form for property at 27310 Schulte Road, Carmel Valley, along with detailed plan/elevation drawings supporting permit application to Monterey County Planning and Building Inspection Department for Bardis home (received by MPWMD from Planning Department on February 17, 2005). 

 

8.         FINDING:            The 1994 Grice Report is outdated as it includes text stating that the report findings “may be invalided wholly or partially by changes outside our control,” and the report “should not be relied upon after a period of three years.”  The report could not have predicted the specific needs of future owners of this 10-acre parcel, nor current water use estimates for fixtures contained in current MPWMD worksheets.

 

EVIDENCE:         Hydrology Study and Nitrate Loading Assessment for the Mills College Property Minor Subdivision at Carmel Valley Road and Schulte Road, Carmel Valley (page 14), prepared by Grice Engineering, Inc., dated November 14, 1994.  MPWMD Residential Water Release and Water Permit Application Form for property at 27310 Schulte Road, Carmel Valley, along with detailed plan/elevation drawings supporting permit application to Monterey County Planning and Building Inspection Department for Bardis home (received by MPWMD from Planning Department on February 17, 2005). 

 

9.         FINDING:            Four neighboring parcels involved in the original Mills College Subdivision received a Monterey County water allotment of 1.0 AFY per parcel.  The 0.7 AFY for residential use associated with MPWMD Permit #S04-03 is consistent with the amount of water allocated to adjacent homes.

 

EVIDENCE:         Monterey County Superior Court Case No. M43343 (Save Our Carmel River v. County of Monterey, et al.), including Stipulation and Order re: Water Usage on Remainder Parcel, dated June 7, 2002.  Hydrology Study and Nitrate Loading Assessment for the Mills College Property Minor Subdivision at Carmel Valley Road and Schulte Road, Carmel Valley, prepared by Grice Engineering, Inc., dated November 14, 1994.

 

10.       FINDING:            Denial of the appeal prevents the applicant from constructing the home planned on the 10-acre parcel.  The limit of 0.444 AFY for residential use with  landscape irrigation is inadequate for the home planned for this site.  The MPWMD Residential Water Release and Water Permit Application Form submitted for the proposed Bardis home, and verified by permit drawings, show an estimated use of 67.8 fixtures (0.678 AFY).  Thus, a limit of 0.7 AFY an appropriate potable water limit in Permit #S04-03.   

 

EVIDENCE:         MPWMD Rules and Regulations. MPWMD Residential Water Release and Water Permit Application Form for property at 27310 Schulte Road, Carmel Valley, along with detailed plan/elevation drawings supporting permit application to Monterey County Planning and Building Inspection Department for Bardis home (received by MPWMD from Planning Department on February 17, 2005). 

 

11.       FINDING:            Approval of the appeal would not result in significant adverse impacts to the environment that cannot be mitigated by conditions attached to the permit.  The system has been evaluated and conditioned to be consistent with previously approved land use approvals from Monterey County as well as CEQA litigation that set water maximum water use on the parcel.

 

EVIDENCE:         CEQA Notice of Exemption signed March ___, 2005, CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301 and 15303.  Revised MPWMD Permit #S04-03, Condition #3, setting water production limit at 14.91 AFY, consistent with Monterey County Superior Court Case No. M43343 (Save Our Carmel River v. County of Monterey, et al.), including Stipulation and Order re: Water Usage on Remainder Parcel (paragraph 3-A).

 

Compliance with CEQA

 

12.       FINDING:            In the review of this application, MPWMD has followed those guidelines adopted by the State of California and published in the California Administrative Code, Title 14, Section 15000 et seq.  Specifically, the MPWMD as a lead agency under CEQA for this action, determined that this action is Categorically Exempt under Category 1, Existing Facilities, and Category 3, New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures.

 

EVIDENCE:         CEQA and CEQA Guidelines, Sections 15301 and 15303.  Notice of Exemption for Bardis WDS revised MPWMD Permit #S04-03 dated March _, 2005.

 

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