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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1990-04-04 - AGENDA REPORTS - GENERAL PLAN UPDATE (2)0 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA • I N T E R O F F I C E M E M O R A N D U M TO: Mayor Darc nd Members of the City Council FROM: Ken Puls amp, Actin or of Community Developme DATE: March 29,'1990 SUBJECT: General Plan Update Staff is scheduled to present an update report concerning the General Plan at the City Council's April 4 meeting. A similar presentation will be made to the Planning Commission on April 3. The April 4 program agenda and this summary report are organized as follows: 1. Background 2. General Plan Elements 3. Land Use Map 4. Environmental Impact Report 5. Unified Development Ordinance and Zoning Map 6. Public Hearings, Notification and Adoption BACKGROUND After selection of a General Plan consultant and a 24 member citizen's General Plan Advisory Committee, the Committee began meeting in early 1989. The Committee has been meeting since that time on a regular basis, usually on the second and fourth' Wednesday of each month. Much information has been generated and much discussion has ensued regarding issues relevant to the City and planning area as a whole, goals and policies to set the future course of the City, background and technical materials, and the land use map. GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS Although only 7 general ,plan elements are required by law, the City Council directed that 6 additional optional elements be added to the program for the General Plan so that the City's first General Plan would be as comprehensive and progressive as possible. Santa Clarita's General Plan Elements are as follows: • Required Elements Land Use Housing Circulation Open Space Conservation Safety Noise u Optional Elements Public Facilities, Utilities and Services Community Design Economic Development and Community Revitalization Air Quality Parks and Recreation Human Resources Each General Plan Element, will include a background/ technical report, a goals and policies section, an implementation program, and maps, graphics and diagrams as appropriate to the subject. The status of these components, for all general plan elements, is as follows: 1. Background Report: The Background Report is currently being finalized. A bound copy of the Background Report for all elements should be available for the City Council, Planning Commission and public review later in April. 2. Goals and Policies: The Goals and Policies for the last General Plan Element were completed at the last GPAC meeting on March 28, 1990. If possible, a Goals and Policies notebook which reflects the Goals and Policies as drafted by'the GPAC will be distributed at the Planning Commission and City Council meetings,, or shortly thereafter. The GPAC, in recognition of the importance of the Goals and Policies for the City's first General Plan, have spent many long hours carefully crafting the precise wording of the Goals and Policies so that they will accurately reflect their vision for the City and Santa Clarita Valley as a whole. This was accomplished for each of the twelve General Plan Elements, with some topics such as Growth Management within the Land Use Element taking an entire evening meeting. In addition to expressing the official written policy of the City (once adopted), the articulation and consensus on the Goals and Policies provided direction to the planning consultant and the GPAC itself in order to formulate the Land Use Map. The one page attachment entitled "Land Use Planning Concepts" which was prepared by GPAC vice chairman Tom Sutton, summarizes the direction that the Goals and Policies provide for the formulation of the Land Use Map. The attached letter to the GPAC dated March 9, 1990 also summarizes the map related policies by major topic. 3. Implementation Program: Following the formulation of the Goals and Policies and as part of the Goals and Policies Section, implementing programs will be developed for the policies which have been identified. LAND USE MAP Since the last Planning Commission and City Council community meetings on the preliminary Land Use Map concepts in December, 1989, the General Plan Advisory Committee has been working to both complete the draft Goals and Policies and develop a consensus on the General Plan Land Use Map. The latest draft Land Use Map will be on display for the meetings on April 3 and April 4, 1990. Key features of the draft Land Use Map include a regional commercial center located in and around the Valencia Mall site; a river corridor throughout the City with commercial and higher densities clustered along the Soledad Canyon Road corridor; mixed uses along San Fernando Road; a specific plan overlay designation for the Bermite property; commercial uses on the east side of the Antelope Valley Freeway at Golden Valley Road and Via Princessa; a major industrial park area along Lost' Canyon Road southeast of the Antelope Valley Freeway; a mixture of residential uses with neighborhood serving commercial in the Northriver area; and greenbelts along the freeway edges. The portion of the planning area which covers the unincorporated County territory largely parallels the County's current General Plan, including the County staff proposed General Plan Amendments, with the exception of reduced densities north of the North River project above Copperhill Drive and the industrial park area along Lost Canyon Road southeast of the Antelope Valley Freeway. The proposed land use map which is developed by the GPAC will be subjected to substantial testing and refinement before formal recommendation to the Planning Commission and City Council. Circulation and infrastructure needs will be calculated and a computerized Development Monitoring System (DMS) will be designed to assess service capacities. The DMS can. also be subsequently used to assess the service capabilities on a project -by -project and cumulative basis. The DMS will include a Fiscal Planning System (FPS) component which will have the capability to assess the fiscal impacts of the Land Use Map as well as the individual, cumulative, and citywide impacts of projects on the infrastructure and services. Together, the DMS and FPS provide the City with the ability to analyze the service and fiscal impacts of the plan to achieve an efficient and fiscally balanced community. The draft Land Use Plan has been undergoing discussion and revision by the GPAC and has frequently been on display at meetings. As such, it is beginning to receive more public attention. In addition to comments by various individual land owners, the GPAC has been receiving substantial. comments on the plan in the areas of Pine Street/Railroad Canyon south of San Fernando Road and east of Hart Park, and by industrial property owners along the northern segment of Sierra Highway. The GPAC has requested City staff to prepare an area study for the northern Sierra Highway corridor, which is currently in preparation. The GPAC has recently directed the consultant to modify the General Plan Map in the Pine Street area to reflect an industrial designation. Other staff study areas include San Fernando Road southeast of downtown Newhall and a property on Soledad Canyon Road between Langside Avenue and Camp Plenty Road which is in the flood fringe. It is anticipated that staff will be asked to prepare additional studies of certain areas as the plan progresses through meetings and hearings- in order to provide additional information and assist in the resolution of perceived land use conflicts. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT The background report currently being finalized and the analysis of the preferred .Land Use Map and other alternative land.use scenarios will form the foundation for the preparation of the environmental impact report. The most recent schedule anticipates circulation of the draft environmental impact report in mid June. UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE AND ZONING MAP Michael Brandman Associates is beginning work on the Unified Development Ordinance for the City. The Unified Development Ordinance will consist of the Zoning Ordinance (administrative procedures, zoning district regulations, hillside provisions, signs, parking, etc.), Subdivision Ordinance and Grading Ordinance. The Unified Development Ordinance and Zoning Map will be the primary implementation tools for.the General Plan. HEARINGS. NOTIFICATION AND ADOPTION According to recently revised schedules for the General Plan program, public hearings are tentatively scheduled to commence in the latter part of June at the Planning Commission level. Following Planning Commission hearings, a recommendation would be sent to the City Council for Council hearings on the General Plan. A series of ongoing public hearings before both the Planning Commission and City Council can be anticipated due to the significance of the plan itself and expected public interest and comment. Public notification of the General Plan meetings and related information is an important component of the program to assure that the public has ample opportunity to participate in the process, leading to a successful and responsive General Plan for the Santa Clarita Valley. Minimum public notification procedures require that notice of the hearings be posted at the City Hall, at the Sheriff's Office and at the Post 'Office, in addition to a large public notice display advertisement in the newspaper. The City, of course, will give such other additional notice as it determines appropriate. Staff is currently studying options for additional notice which may include a suggestion for direct mailing to all property owners, including a map, summary of the General Plan and official public notification. Other options are also being explored. The various options and associated costs will be brought back"to City Council for determination at a later time. The Council may also wish to provide general direction on this subject to staff at the present time. The General Plan consultant, at least one representative from the GPAC and City staff will be presenting the update on the General Plan and will be available to answer any questions that the Planning Commission or City Council may have. KP/CT/lf Attachments LAND USE PLANNING CONCEPTS 1. Center River Park Spine Try to develop Santa Clara River: a. Greenbelts: • pedestrian • equestrian • waterways • golf courses b. Develop edges with: • high and medium density residential • commercial and employment centers • civic and public facilities 2. Keep Identities of Communities A. Express edges along natural topographic features and trail systems and define existing ridgelines and open space. B. Balance the communities: • design themes • housing types and commercial/employment centers adjacency • open space and parks C. Expression • Bermite plateau - separate communities because they can be started from scratch 3. Provide for: • University site • People mover system - Southern Pacific rail line • Multiple transportation mode • Cultural center • City park • City center • Business/Ind. Center (Golden Triangle) SR -126, Soledad Canyon Road, Sierra Hwy. • Keep open space along edges, i.e. highways • Equestrian/Trail systems • Airport 0 Regional shopping mall City of Santa Clarita LJ 23920 Valencia Blvd Suite 300 City of Santa Clarita California 91355 Phone (805) 259-2489 Fax (805) 259-8125 e • March 9, 1990 TO: General Plan Advisory Committee Member FROM: Chris Trinkley, Principal Planner RE: Goals and Policies for the Land Use Map To assist the GPAC in the development of the land use map on Saturday, March 10, 1990, I have reviewed the Goals and Policies that have been drafted and pulled out key physical and map related policies to serve as reminders and as a double check on our mapping efforts. I have organized these by major topic and have substantially abbreviated the policies to their main point or topic for simplicity and ease of reference. 1. GENERAL * Balanced mix of uses - commercial, industrial, residential, services, cultural, etc. 2. COMMERCIAL * Hierarchy of commercial city centers - neighborhood, community and regional. -Primary town center with mixed uses, town square and multi -modal transportation. -Secondary community centers with historical and/or community wide interests. -Neighborhood village/town center concept with nearby residential and pedestrian opportunities. * Mixed use and village centers throughout area with plazas and open space. * Visitor servicing near Magic Mountain. * Theme of entertainment, amusement and the arts. * Upgrade strip commercial on San Fernando Road and Lyons Avenue. 0 3. INDUSTRIAL * Commercial and industrial in all communities. * Industrial centers and commercial needed on east side. * Warehousing and distribution near major transportation. 4. RESIDENTIAL * Mix of housing types and densities in large scale residential developments. * Maintain availability of mobile home parks. * Higher density residential should be accessed from arterials not low density residential areas. * Higher density residential near regional and sub -regional centers and public transportation, services and recreational. * Encourage equestrian orientated housing in existing equestrian areas. * Maintain existing rural settings. 5. OTHER USES * Railroad right-of-way - reduce impact, eliminate blight, substitute landscaping. * Airport (small). * Reserve land for institutional and infrastructure. * Hospital on the east side. 6. TRANSPORTATION * Develop local and regional multi -modal transit facility near rail line, employment and major residential. * -Intercitytransportation (light rail, monorail, people movers, etc.) 7. SANTA CLARA RIVER * Preserve as natural * Major focal point integrating recreation, open space, trails, bike ways, green belt, etc. spa rai sem sch S. Y. S an ls, ons imum an ing t d TY ID lan ree den ods d s 8. PARKS AND TRAILS * Network parks and open ce with the community and region wide system of t ls. * Use public lands and ea ents as a multiple use for recreation. * Joint use of parks and ools. * Integrate historic site * Castaic Lake opportunit 9. OPEN SPACE * Use: Natural resources ignificant vegetation,'land forms, S.E.A.s, streams d floodways, fault zones, easements, unstable soi oak habitat, buffers, etc. 10. FOREST SERVICE * Interfacing considerati for fire protection, compatible uses and min parcel sizes. 11. R.IDGELINES/HILLSIDES * Retain major land forms d prohibit development on significant ridgelines. * Sensitive hillside grad * Keep hillside managemen esignation in unincorporated area. 12. ENTRANCE VAYS/IMAGE/COMMUNI ENTITY * Use scenic topography, dmarks, etc. to develop community image. * Green belts along the f ways. * Gateway design themes/i tification (City, communities, neighborho ). * Greenscape corridors an etbacks along major streets.