MEETING DATE:
SEPTEMBER 8, 2026
SUBJECT:
Title
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-9652 – APPEAL (AA26-0004) OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE RESOLUTION OF THE CITY MANAGER (ADM 26-5226), WHICH DETERMINED THE DRAFT MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION (ND26-007) FOR THE LANIKAI SENIOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TO BE INCOMPLETE AND UNABLE TO BE CIRCULATED.
Body
Recommendation
Recommendation
ADOPT a resolution denying the appeal and upholding the decision of the City Manager.
Body
Board or Commission Action
Not Applicable
Organization Of This Report
This report is organized into the following sections:
Executive Summary
Project Background
Legal Framework
Appeal Contentions, City Responses, and Effect on MND Readiness
Environmental Review
A. Executive Summary
Lanikai Management (“Applicant”) proposes 115 age-restricted senior apartments on approximately 3.96 acres at the northwest corner of East Mission Road and Woodward Street (Assessor Parcel Number 220-063-04-00) (“Project”).
The applicant prepared a draft IS/MND (Initial Study/ Mitigated Negative Declaration ND26-007 or “MND”). A draft version of the MND is included as Exhibit 10 of Attachment F. On July 2, 2026, the City Manager issued Administrative Decision ADM 2026-5226 determining that the MND is not presently adequate or complete to commence circulation. The applicant has appealed that decision to the City Council.
The question is whether the City, as the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) lead agency, must circulate as its proposed environmental document an MND that City staff, the City Engineer, the Planning Director, and the City Manager cannot presently support as an accurate and factually adequate analysis of the project.
The issue before the City Council is narrow and expressly related to MND circulation. The action contemplated is not to approve or deny the Project itself. It is important to note that:
A denial of the appeal simply requires the applicant to provide a complete and factually correc...
Click here for full text