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DATE: |
December 10, 2025 |
01 |
SUBJECT
Title
GENERAL SERVICES - ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT A PORTION OF AN IRREVOCABLE OFFER OF DEDICATION FOR PUBLIC HIGHWAY (STATE ROUTE 78) IN THE RAMONA COMMUNITY PLAN AREA, AND REQUEST AUTHORITY TO QUITCLAIM THE ACCEPTED PORTION TO CALTRANS AND CEQA FINDING (VAC 2025-0015) (DISTRICT: 2)
Body
OVERVIEW
The Department of General Services (DGS) is processing a request from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to accept part of a long-standing Irrevocable Offer of Dedication (IOD) for a Public Highway. This IOD was made to the County of San Diego (County) in 1985 and covers a small piece of land near the intersection of State Highway 67 and State Highway 78 in Ramona. The portion of the dedicated property that Caltrans would like the County to accept consists of 244 square feet (0.006 acres), while the remaining portion of the dedicated property consists of 2,784 square feet (0.064 acres) (Remaining IOD).While the property was dedicated to the County, Caltrans has since built a sidewalk and an ADA pedestrian ramp on the portion of the property that Caltrans asked the County to accept and has been maintaining these facilities as a result. Caltrans is requesting that the County formally accept this 244 square feet so that the County can transfer it to the State using a quitclaim deed. This action removes the County from any implied ownership or liability for the sidewalk that Caltrans has owned and maintained.
Accepting the IOD will finalize the public's right to use the existing sidewalk and ramp along State Route 78 and formally transfer all responsibility and property rights from the County to the State.
Today’s request is for the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution to accept a portion of the IOD (attachment C, on file with the Clerk of the Board), authorize the Director of DGS, or designee (Director), to execute all documents necessary to formally transfer the accepted portion of IOD to Caltrans. Also authorize the Director to accept the Remaining IOD, or any portion thereof, and quitclaim any accepted portion of the Remaining IOD to Caltrans, if such actions are requested by Caltrans at a later date.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
1. Find the proposed partial acceptance and quitclaim of the Irrevocable Offer of Dedication (IOD) for public highway is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) because the proposed actions will not have a reasonably foreseeable direct or indirect effect on the environment; and therefore, this is not a project subject to CEQA as defined in section 15378.
2. Adopt a Resolution entitled: RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT A PORTION OF AN IRREVOCABLE OFFER OF DEDICATION FOR PUBLIC HIGHWAY (STATE ROUTE 78), IN THE RAMONA COMMUNITY PLAN AREA (VAC 2025-0015).
3. Direct the Clerk of the Board to record the adopted Resolution to Accept 2025-0015.
4. If the Board adopts the resolution, approve and authorize the Director of the Department of General Services, or designee, to execute a quitclaim deed, which will formally transfer any and all property rights the County may have in the portion of the accepted IOD to Caltrans.
5. Approve and authorize the Director of the Department of the Department of General Services, or designee, upon request from Caltrans, to accept any remaining portion of the IOD and transfer any and all property rights to Caltrans via a quitclaim deed.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The resolution to accept a portion of an Irrevocable Offer of Dedication (IOD) needed for public highway improvements will provide an overall public benefit by promoting access to safe reliable and inclusive transportation infrastructure. Sidewalks are essential facilities that connect residents to schools, workplaces and transit services. Acceptance of this IOD is in the public’s interest because it will formalize the public’s use of the existing pedestrian walk and ramp along this portion of State Highway 78, and formalize the transfer of property rights from County to the State.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Today’s proposed actions contribute to many of the County of San Diego’s Sustainability Goals: to provide just and equitable access to safe transit; to transition to a green and circular economy; and to protect health and wellbeing of residents.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this request are included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Operational Plan in the Department of General Services. If approved, this request will result in estimated costs of $3,500 to process the irrevocable offer of dedication acceptance and quitclaim. There will be no change in net General Fund costs and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
The State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) requested that the County of San Diego (County) Board of Supervisors (Board) accept a portion of an Irrevocable Offer of Dedication (IOD) for Public Highway, from grantor, Atlantic Richfield Company, including the right to extend drainage structures and excavation and embankment slopes beyond the accepted portion encumbering Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN) 281-263-24 and to then convey via quitclaim deed the accepted portion of the IOD to Caltrans.
The IOD and associated rights to be partially accepted were granted in the document recorded May 2, 1985, as Document No. 85-154562 of Official Records of San Diego County. The IOD was conditioned by the County in 1984 at the request of Caltrans when then owner of said APN applied for a Site Plan and received approval to construct the AM-PM Mini Market Facility that currently exists on the property. The County routinely conditions IODs on Caltrans’ behalf pursuant to California Government Code section 7050, which states that such irrevocable offers of dedication may be made with the consent of a county or city, and can be accepted by the Board at any time. The partial acceptance of the property interests described in Attachment C shall not be considered a rejection of the remaining portion of the existing IOD (Remaining IOD). The County retains the right to accept the Remaining IOD, in full or in part, at any time. At a future date, Caltrans may request that the County accept the Remaining IOD and quitclaim the accepted property interest to Caltrans. For this reason, staff is asking for the Board to authorize the Director of General Services, or designee, to accept the Remaining IOD, or any portion thereof, and quitclaim any of the Remaining IOD to Caltrans, if such actions are requested by Caltrans
The Department of Public Works and Planning & Development Services have determined that the portion of the IOD in question is not required for County use because the IOD was conditioned at the request of Caltrans for the purpose of expanding a State (Caltrans) highway. The portion of the IOD requested to be accepted is not County-maintained and not part of the General Plan Mobility Element. The portion of IOD to be accepted is occupied by an existing sidewalk and ADA pedestrian ramp that have been in use by the public and are maintained by Caltrans. If the portion of IOD is accepted by the Board, Caltrans has requested that said portion be transferred to them via quitclaim deed so the ownership, responsibilities, and liabilities, including maintenance, are clearly established and identified in a recorded public document.
Acceptance of this IOD will formalize the public’s use of the existing pedestrian walk and ramp along this portion of State Route 78 and formalize the transfer of property rights from County to the State.
ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
Find the proposed partial acceptance and quitclaim of the Irrevocable Offer of Dedication (IOD) for public highway is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines section 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) because the action would result in the partial acceptance and quitclaim of a public highway that is needed by the State of California (Caltrans) for public road purposes, and will not have a reasonably foreseeable direct or indirect effect on the environment and is therefore not a project subject to CEQA as defined in section 15378. Additionally, the portion of the IOD to be accepted and quitclaimed to Caltrans is already improved with a sidewalk and ADA ramp maintained by Caltrans and utilized by the public, therefore the action will have no direct or indirect effect on the environment.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
The proposed action supports the Community Safety Strategic Initiative in the County of San Diego’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan by formalizing the public’s right to use the existing pedestrian walk and ADA ramp along this portion of State Route 78. The proposed action will accept a portion of an IOD to formalize these existing public rights and allow for the transfer of those rights to Caltrans (State).
Respectfully submitted,
DAHVIA LYNCH
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
ATTACHMENT A - Location Map
ATTACHMENT B - Acceptance Exhibit
ATTACHMENT C - RESOLUTION TO ACCEPT A PORTION OF AN IRREVOCABLE OFFER OF DEDICATION FOR PUBLIC HIGHWAY (STATE ROUTE 78), IN THE RAMONA COMMUNITY PLAN AREA (VAC 2025-0015), including EXHIBITS “A” and “B”.