HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-025 CC Resolution RESOLUTION NO. 11-25
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF TEMECULA OPPOSING THE LIBERTY QUARRY
PROJECT PROPOSED WITHIN THE COUNTY OF
RIVERSIDE ADJACENT TO THE SOUTHERN
BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY OF TEMECULA
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TEMECULA DOES HEREBY RESOLVE
AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Procedural Findings. The City Council of the City of Temecula
does hereby find, declare and determine that:
A. Granite Construction Company seeks various approvals from the County
of Riverside to operate a quarry in a largely pristine and undisturbed area of Southwest
Riverside County, adjacent to the City of Temecula. The entitlements sought include a
Surface Mining Permit (SMP No. 213), Change of Zone (No. 7508) , from Rural
Residential (R-R) to Mineral Resources and Related Manufacturing. (M-R-A) for �110
acres, and a Noise Ordinance Exception (No. 00002). The proposed project site
encompasses 414 acres and is located within Riverside County adjacent to the
southern boundaries of the City of Temecula. ("Proposed Liberty Quarry Project")
B. On or about July 17, 2009, the County of Riverside released Draft
Environmental Impact Report No. 475 for the Proposed Liberty Quarry Project. ("Draft
EIR")
C. The City of Temecula reviewed the Proposed Liberty Quarry Project and
the Draft EIR.
D. On November 23, 2009, the City of Temecula submitted substantive
comments to the County of Riverside on the Proposed Liberty Quarry Project Draft EIR
detailing substantial defects, omissions, errors and inadequacies within the Draft EIR
and advised that the Draft EIR must be substantially revised and recirculated based
upon the various specific defects as well as its overall failure to comply with the
requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act.
E. On or about January 11, 2011, the Riverside County Planning Department
informed the City of Temecula of its decision not to recirculate the Liberty Quarry
Project Draft EIR and its intention to release responses to comments and the final EIR
document at least 10 days prior to a Planning Commission public hearing that is
scheduled for April 26, 2011.
Section 2. The City Council of the City of Temecula has considered the
Proposed Liberty Quarry Project and the Draft EIR and does hereby find, declare and
determine that:
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A. The County of Riverside has established development standards, zoning
districts, Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan requirements, land use regulations
and General Plan requirements that purposefully prohibit mineral extraction in locations
that are incompatible with the surroundings and therefore would prohibit the Proposed
Liberty Quarry Project, the Reduced Quarry Footprint Alternative, and Reduced Annual
Production Afternative identified in the Draft EIR, from being established at the
proposed project location:
B. The Proposed Liberty Quarry Project, the Reduced Quarry Footprint
Alternative, and the Reduced Annual Production Alternative evaluated in the Draft EIR
are all in a completely incompatible and inappropriate location and will negatively and
adversely impact the region by, among other things, substantially degrading air quality,
increasing traffic and transportation impacts, adversely impacting biological and cultural
resources, and negatively impacting the economy.
C. The Draft EIR is fundamentally misleading, incomplete, fails to discuss all
present and future aspects of the Proposed Liberty Quarry Project, fails to mitigate the
adverse impacts of the project, altogether ignores or omits negative impacts, provides
errors or miscalculations that deceive the reader as to the magnitude of the Project's
true negative impacts including, but not limited to the negative air quality and negative
traffic impacts to the region, and provides information that appears to be nothing more
than advocacy for the project rather than valid independent environmental analysis.
The EIR should not be relied upon by the County of Riverside to approve the proposed
Liberty Quarry Project.
Section 3. The City of Temecula hereby formally opposes the Liberty Quarry
Project and any quarry alternative at that particular project site including a Reduced
Footprint and Reduced Annual Production Alternatives as identified in the Draft EIR.
Section 4. The City of Temecula authorizes its Mayor, Council Members, City
Manager and his designees, to communicate the City's opposition to the Proposed
Liberty Quarry Project and EIR to all interested or concerned parties or persons
including but not limited to the County of Riverside, business groups, and citizens.
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PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of
Temecula this 8 day of March, 2011.
on Roberts, Mayor
ATTEST:
� Susan . Jone , MMC
rk
[SEAL]
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE ) ss
CITY OF TEMECULA )
I, Susan W. Jones, MMC, City Clerk of the City of Temecula, do hereby certify that
the foregoing Resolution No. 11-25 was duly and regularly adopted by the City Council of
the City of Temecula at a meeting thereof held on the 8 th day of March, 2011, by the
following vote:
AYES: 5 COUNCIL MEMBERS: Comerchero, Edwards, Naggar,
Washington, Roberts
NOES: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
ABSENT: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
ABSTAIN: 0 COUNCIL MEMBERS: None
Susan . Jones, MMC
City Clerk
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