City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Meeting Date: 06/23/14 Item Number: A-1
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: (1) Adoption of a Resolution Declaring its Intention
to Initiate a Specific Plan for the Culver City Portion of the Inglewood Oil Field; and
(2) Approval of an Amendment to the Existing Professional Services Agreement
with Aspen Environmental Group for the Environmental Review, Analysis and
Document Preparation Required by the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) for an Additional Not-To-Exceed Amount of $350,000.
Contact Person/Dept.: Sherry
Jordan/Community Development; and
Heather Baker/City Attorney
Phone Number: 310-253-5746; 310-253-
5660
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: _______________
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas – City Council (06/17/14); (Email)
Ongoing Topics – Inglewood Oil Field and Sustainability and Environmental Issues (incl.
Oil Drilling/Fracking) (06/05/14 and 06/17/14); (E-Mail) Freeport McMoran (06/05/14 and
06/19/14); (US Mail) Persons owning property in proposed Specific Plan area (06/05/14);
(Publication) Culver City News (06/05/14, 06/12/15 and 06/19/14); Posted on City’s
Inglewood Oil Field webpage (06/05/14)
Department Approval:
Carol Schwab (06/16/14)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (06/16/14)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (06/17/14)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (06/17/14)
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council (1) adopt a Resolution declaring its intention to
initiate a Specific Plan for the Culver City portion of the Inglewood Oil Field; and (2)
approve an amendment to the existing professional services agreement with Aspen
Environmental Group for the environmental review, analysis, and document
preparation required by the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) for an
additional not-to-exceed amount of $350,000.
BACKGROUND:
Approximately 100 acres of the current active Inglewood Oil Field is located within
Culver City’s jurisdiction. In October of 2008, Los Angeles County adopted the
Baldwin Hills Community Standards District (the “County CSD”) establishing
regulations for oil and gas production activities in the remaining approximately 900
acres of the Inglewood Oil Field within the unincorporated area of the County known
as Baldwin Hills and certified the related Environmental Impact Report (the “County
EIR”).
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Existing regulations for the Culver City portion of the Inglewood Oil Field (the “Oil
Field”) were last updated in 2003. Since that time, there has been new information
relating to oil drilling impacts and technological developments. During this period,
the City Council, Culver City residents, and the surrounding community have
expressed significant concerns regarding, and an increased interest in, oil and gas
operations in the Oil Field. Particularly, a significant area of concern is the uncertain
impacts on the public health and safety and the environment which may occur as a
result of oil and gas operations in the Oil Field.
In April 2013, the City released to the public the Discussion Draft Regulations
Relating to Oil Drilling Operations in the Inglewood Oil Field (the “Discussion Draft”)
for review and comment. Staff is recommending the Discussion Draft regulations be
included as part of a Specific Plan, as discussed further below, encompassing the
area of the active Oil Field within the jurisdiction of Culver City (Attachment 1 –
Active Oil Field Map). The Discussion Draft is available on the City’s website at:
https://www.culvercity.org/inglewoodoilfield/DiscussionDraft.aspx
Since the release of the Discussion Draft, City staff has been compiling public
comments received in an effort to prepare responses and revisions to that Draft.
Should the City Council adopt the proposed resolution this evening, staff anticipates
releasing a Draft Specific Plan in the Fall of 2014.
DISCUSSION:
Specific Plan
A Specific Plan is a tool that can be used to implement the City’s General Plan. A
Specific Plan is a comprehensive planning and zoning document for a defined
geographical area. It provides the flexibility to establish site-specific zoning
regulations tailored to the type and intensity of uses in a specific location. In the
case of the Oil Field, a Specific Plan is particularly suitable because the type of use
(oil field operations) requires specialized regulations that differ from those applicable
to typical commercial and industrial uses. Additionally, the geographic location is
limited to a specific area within the City.
Following adoption of a Specific Plan, all subsequent subdivisions, development,
public works projects, and zoning regulations that relate to the Specific Plan area
must be consistent with the Specific Plan. The adoption of a Specific Plan does not
vest any development with any rights or approvals, and Specific Plans may be
amended by the City Council as necessary.
The active Oil Field is located within the Southeastern Sub-Area of the General Plan
and in the Focused Special Study area known as the Blair Hills/Baldwin Hills Area.
A Focused Special Study area is an area that has been identified as having special
needs or conditions that would benefit from detailed investigations which may City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
address issues such as allowable land use patterns, design standards, zoning and
other property development standards. They may include detailed regulations,
conditions, programs and proposed designations supplemental to the General Plan,
including infrastructure requirements, resource conservation and implementation
measures, and identify potential changes in land use that may be appropriate to
meet future needs.
The development of a Specific Plan for the active Oil Field is consistent with the
goals and intent of the Blair Hills/Baldwin Hills Focused Special Study area.
Moreover, since oil and gas production is such a specialized land use, a Specific
Plan would be appropriate and useful to further address the special needs and
conditions of Blair Hills/Baldwin Hills Focused Special Study area.
Chapter 17.570 of the Culver City Municipal Code (“CCMC”) provides procedures for
preparing, processing, reviewing, adopting, and amending a Specific Plan. A draft
Specific Plan must be processed in the same manner as required for General Plans
by the CCMC and State law (Government Code Sections 65350, et seq.), which
includes public hearings before the Planning Commission and the City Council and
multiple opportunities for public review and comment. Prior to beginning the Specific
Plan process, the City Council must adopt a Resolution of Intention authorizing the
initiation of a Specific Plan for the Oil Field (Attachment 2). The adoption of the
Resolution of Intention is the first step in the process for the preparation and
processing of a proposed Specific Plan. The substance of the Discussion Draft
regulations will not be considered at this time. If the City Council adopts the
Resolution to initiate the preparation of the Specific Plan, the Discussion Draft
regulations for the Oil Field will be converted into a Specific Plan format, which will
be released to the public for review and comment. The tentative project timeline for
the Specific Plan process is included as Attachment 3.
Environmental Review
A Specific Plan is subject to environmental review in compliance with CEQA. The
City has an existing contract with Aspen Environmental Group (“Aspen”) to assist in
the preparation of an Initial Study and/or other environmental documents pertaining
to the preparation and adoption of the City’s revised oil and gas drilling regulations.
Aspen has been assisting the City since 2008 with the review of the County’s CSD
and County EIR, review of the multiple County CSD and State agencies’ plans and
studies, creation of the Discussion Draft, and other services in relation to the Oil
Field. Due to the technical nature of oil drilling, the history and large volume of
information already reviewed, and its ability to analyze the complex environmental
issues that arise with oil and gas production, staff proposed to continue to work with
Aspen in creating the Specific Plan and environmental review in compliance with
CEQA should the City Council initiate a Specific Plan.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
In order to cover the cost of moving forward with the environmental review of a
Specific Plan, an amendment increasing the amount of Aspen’s existing professional
service agreement is necessary. Staff recommends the City Council approve an
amendment for an additional not-to-exceed amount of $350,000.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
It is estimated that the cost of adopting a Specific Plan and related environmental
documents (assuming an Environmental Impact Report is required) would be
$350,000. State law (Government Code Section 64556) allows for the City to
impose a specific plan fee upon persons seeking governmental approvals which are
required to be consistent with the Specific Plan. The fees must be established so
that, in the aggregate, the estimated fees do not exceed the cost of preparation,
adoption, and administration of the Specific Plan. While this would result in the City
recovering the cost of adopting and administering the Specific Plan, the length of
time for recuperation of such costs would be dependent on when approvals would
be requested which is difficult to determine at this time.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Active Oil Field Map
2. Proposed Resolution
3. Tentative Project Timeline
MOTION:
That the City Council:
1. Adopt a Resolution declaring its intention to initiate a Specific Plan for the Culver
City portion of the Inglewood Oil Field; and,
2. Approve an amendment to the existing professional services agreement with
Aspen Environmental Group for the environmental review, analysis and
document preparation required by the California Environmental Quality Act in an
additional not-to-exceed amount of $350,000.