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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991-08-13 - AGENDA REPORTS - RPT GP GROWTH MGMT (2)4' AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be presented y: NEW BUSINESS George A. Caravalho DATE: August 13, 1991 SUBJECT: Preliminary Report on Implementation of the General Plan with Recommendations for.Further Study and Possible Development of an Ordinance for the City's Growth Management Strategy DEPARTMENT: City Manager BACKGROUND Upon adoption of the General Plan on June 25, 1991, the City Council expressed their intent to further receive the Planning Commission's recommendations on an implementation program for the 12 elements of the plan. This implementation program systematically recommends further City actions to be taken in the short term and the long term to achieve the goals and objectives of the General Plan. The implementation program will be integrated with the City's adopted strategic plan,. adopted economic development strategic plan, and adopted capital improvement program. The Planning Commission has held two meetings in developing. the program and will hold at least two more and one public hearing before transmittal totheCouncil. Growth management has previously been a priority item identified by the City Council. In October 1990, the Community Development Department produced a comprehensive Growth Management Report that analyzed other cities experiences and identified several methods of growth management. Upon receipt of this report in late 1990 in a special study session, the City Council directed that each of these measures be further reviewed by the Planning Commission in the context of the General Plan, and that a growth management strategy be developed within the General Plan. The Council further directed the measures reviewed be expanded to include development in the County's territory and that population projections be evaluated in the context of the 1990 Federal Census results. The newly adopted General Plan includes strong policy direction for growth management in Santa Clarita as a result of the above direction. A summary of this policy is attached. The General Plan recognizes that in all policy areas, further implementation is necessary in order to implement and follow through on General Plan commitments. n 'D In ilT ppa 1100 YED Agenda [ielll Given the priority for growth management and the amount of attention the Planning Commission and City Council have spent towards developing General Plan policy, staff feels it may be. appropriate to further prioritize the implementation ordinances and City procedures that complement the adopted General Plan growth management strategy. The following course of action is recommended: 1. Designate preparation of a Citywide growth management ordinance as a priority implementation item of the'General Plan. 2. Direct staff to hold several community wide meetings to provide information and growth management and the alternatives available in an ordinance over the nest 30 days. 3. Direct staff to report back to the City'Council at the second meeting in September 1991 with the results of the community meetings and recommendations for further action. 4. Direct the Planning Commission to continue their work on the General Plan Implementation Program, their work on the City's first ridgeline preservation ordinance and the City's first zoning ordinance, and to make their recommendations to the Council no later than November 1991. RECOMMENDATION Accept the above status report and give direction to the staff and Planning Commission to proceed in developing ordinances, including a Citywide growth management ordinance, and report back to the City Council at the second meeting in September. Attachment: General Plan Implementation CITY OF SANTA CLARITA p GENERAL PLAN ADOPTED JUNE 25, 1991 GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION As the blueprint for all future development in the City of Santa Clarita, the most important phase of the life of the General Plan will be its initial and continued implementation. 'Me -City recognizes this importance and is committed to implementing each and every goal and policy set forth within this Plan. The General Plan, as set forth in this document, is complete, sufficient, and in all aspects conforms to statutory and common law requirements. However, the City desires to go beyond the implementation measures described in this document. Specifically, the City is committed to draft and adopt an Implementation Program, which will be set forth in a separate document and will not be part of the General Plan. It is intended that the Implementation Program will provide a list of specific implementations, consistent with the General Plan, setting forth projects, programs, proposed ordinances and guidelines for development, as well as priorities and schedules for the consideration and adoption of these subsequent acts_ Further, the City is committed to include the public in the drafting, consideration and adoption of the Implementation Program. Adoption of the General Plan includes a commitment to implement the elements. Of primary importance to managing growth of the Valley is: • Preparation of a Growth Management and Monitoring Program (including w computerized traffic modelling), to determine if infrastructure improvements are being made on a timely basis to accommodate development and to determine if the amount of development is within General Plan projections. • Review of every development proposal for individual and cumulative impacts and for consistency with the General Plan goals and objectives. • Review on an annual basis of the amount of residential units approved and the availability of infrastructure, as an audit to determine if adjustments should be made to development projections. • Preparation and adoption of a hillside developmentand ridgeline preservation ordinance and a Citywide zoning ordinance that is environmentally sensitive. • A commitment to work with the County of Los Angeles to recognize the City's General Plan. City of Santa Clarita SIB/07200002./ f-4 4/30/91 .•, CITY OF SANTA CLARITA' ..•_,••• GENERAL PLAN ADOPTED JUNE 25, 1991 GROWI'II MANAGEMENT The General Plan is the City's official policy on growth management. Embodied within each element of the General Plan are limitations on growth and provisions for preservation of the quality of life in the Valley. Although the planning horizon is to the year 2010, a significant statement in the General Plan is that development shall occur only after sufficient infrastructure is in place or constructed concurrently. Managing growth is vital to ensuring orderly development and a commitment to a comprehensive implementation program with a monitoring program is an integral part of this commitment. Highlights of the City's Growth Management Plan include: Monitoring of Development and Infrastructure and "Pay As You Go" In light of past deficiencies and in an effort to monitor, manage, and move towards a more positive infrastructure position, a commitment is made within the Plan to a program of ongoing monitoring of progress and provision of infrastructure, before or as development occurs. This "pay as you go" approach is of primary importance to meet Plan goals. Midpoint Density An important aspect of managing growth is a commitment to zone private land in accordance with the General Plan assumptions, and to lower expectations as to what use property can be put. The Plan establishes average midpoint density as the criteria for future zoning. Higher densities in the Valley Center may be allowed provided that certain community benefits, resources, and amenities are contributed consistent with the achievement of the overall concept. Jobs/Housing Balance Jobs/housing balance is the ratiq of jobs to dwelling units. A balance of jobs and housing is the goal so that the people who live in the community can also work in the community. The City's General Plan projects that there will eventually be more jobs than housing units within the Valley. This is beneficial to the City in that it will give the City revenues to maintain and improve the City of Santa Clatita SJB/07200002.1 1-5 4/30/91