Council approves Northpointe at Regency Park entitlements and authorizes sewer repayment

The Los Banos City Council voted unanimously Dec. 3 to advance the Northpointe at Regency Park development, adopting an addendum to the Villaburano area plan environmental-impact report and approving land-use entitlements that clear the way for a 114-acre subdivision.

The council approved four resolutions: adoption of the CEQA addendum (Res. 7,029), a general-plan amendment and rezoning (Res. 7,030), approval of the final development plan (Res. 7,031) and authorization for the city manager to execute a reimbursement agreement for sewer-main replacement with Stonefield Homes, Inc. (Res. 7,032). The reimbursement agreement limits the city’s obligation to eligible costs not to exceed $1,400,000, staff said.

Planning Director Stacy told the council the project includes 543 single-family lots, approximately 4.23 acres of multifamily land, six open-space parcels, a one-acre site set aside for an east-side fire station, pedestrian and bike trail connections to the San Luis Canal and new roads and utilities. “We reviewed air quality, biology, noise and traffic and determined no new significant environmental effects were identified,” Stacy said.

Jeff Roberts, representing Stonefield Homes, said the developer concurs with staff’s recommended conditions and the Planning Commission’s unanimous recommendation. “Stacy made it very easy for you this evening,” Roberts said, adding that the reimbursement agreement allows Stonefield to move forward with construction while ensuring the city’s required standards for the sewer work.

Staff said one segment of aging 24‑inch sewer trunk line that traverses the project will be replaced and upsized to 36 inches; the developer will construct the replacement within the project boundary and the city will reimburse eligible costs up to the stated cap. Staff also said the project will contribute 14% of the construction cost for a controlled intersection identified in the traffic study in addition to paying the city’s transportation impact fee.

Councilmembers asked about the timing and function of the proposed fire station, street widths and long-term traffic impacts. Staff said the one-acre parcel is being irrevocably offered to the city with the first final map and that local streets in the plan are 52 feet curb-to-curb — four feet wider than the previous standard — to accommodate emergency vehicles and on-street parking. Traffic modeling by the applicant and a peer review by the city’s consultant showed a projected level of service D at a key intersection, acceptable under the city’s general-plan thresholds.

The council approved the resolutions by voice vote. Staff said the developer will proceed with conditions of approval and that the vesting tentative map becomes active only after the council’s final-development-plan approval.

What comes next: staff will finalize the recorded agreements and monitor implementation of the project conditions and the sewer-replacement reimbursement process.