HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-08-26 - AGENDA REPORTS - AMEND GP HOUSING ELEMENT (2)Agenda Item: l
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
CONSENT CALENDAR City Manager Approval:
Item to be presented by: Kai Luoma
DATE: August 26, 2003
SUBJECT: REVISIONS TO THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED AMENDMENT
TO THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE
DEPARTMENT: Planning and Building Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council find that the proposed revisions are consistent with the previously adopted Negative
Declaration prepared for the project, review the revised General Plan Housing Element
Amendment, and direct staff to forward the revised Element to the HCD for compliance review.
BACKGROUND
The State of California requires each city and county to update the Housing Element of its
General Plan approximately every five years. To ensure compliance with State regulations, the
State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) must certify the Housing
Element. Certification is needed in order for the jurisdiction to be eligible for certain State
monies and other incentives.
The City submitted the original draft Housing Element in March 2001 to the HCD for initial
review. HCD completed their initial review and returned the draft document with comments on
May 24, 2001. The Element was amended and approved by the City Council in November of
2001 then forwarded to HCD for a second review. The amended Element was again returned by
HCD on February 14, 2002 with additional comments. Staff has again revised the document
pursuant to HCD's comments.
On August 5, 2003, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the City
Council direct staff to forward the revised Housing Element to the HCD for review.
ANALYSIS
The State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) review of the City's
November 2001 adopted Housing Element concludes that the City's Housing Element must be
revised to address the following:
• The Element must identify an adequate number of sites to address the City's share of
regional housing needs for all income levels, including lower income households; and
The Element must demonstrate a greater commitment from the City to several of the
programs contained in the Element to ensure fulfillment of housing element program
requirements.
The revised draft Element is located in the City Council reading file. Pertinent tables and figures
from the Element have been attached to this report. To allow the reader and HCD to determine
changes from the 2001 adopted Element, it has been formatted to identify the sections that have
been revised: new sections that have been added are underlined and those that have been deleted
are identified in the right margin. The following summarizes the revisions to the Element in
response to HCD's comments. If additional information is desired, the Planning Commission
staff report can also be found in the City Council reading file. Upon the direction of the City
Council, the revised draft Housing Element will be resubmitted to HCD for a 60 day review.
Once the City receives a letter of compliance on the revised draft Element, adoption hearings will
be conducted before the Planning Commission and City Council.
Element Revisions
Adequate sites to accommodate City's residential obligation
The primary focus of the Element revision is to update and expand the identification of sites to
address the City's regional housing need requirements for lower income households. As shown
in Table H-7 (Attachment 1 — page H-17 in Element), the Regional Housing Needs Assessment
(RHNA) prepared by the Southern California Association of Governments indicates a housing
need of 7,157 new units in the City between 1998 and 2005. To meet this obligation, the
residential sites inventory contained in Table 33 (Attachment 2 - Section VLA., pages H-61 to
H-64) has been comprehensively updated, and several new multi -family sites identified. A new
section has been added to the Element - "Strategies to Encourage Affordable Housing" (Section
VI.B., page H-65) - which sets forth several strategies to expand opportunities for development
of multi -family housing on sites identified in Table 33, and to facilitate development of
affordable housing in particular. The following new strategies are presented:
• Newhall Infill Sites Program (page H-65): Various neighborhoods within the Newhall
redevelopment area are currently zoned for multi -family development (Residential
Medium), yet are primarily developed with older, often under -maintained single-family
residences. In order to further encourage residential infill, the Housing Element identifies
a program to rezone these areas to Residential Medium High and establish an Infill
Overlay Zone to address barriers to development of these smaller parcels. The Infill
Overlay would offer a variety of development incentives, such as deferred development
fees, allowance for maximum zoned densities, reduced lot sizes, and reduced parking
where near transit. These general areas are depicted in Figure H-1 (Attachment 3) on
page H-67.
Re -designation of Key Sites to Multi-Fainily Development (page H-68): Several vacant sites
have been identified for re -designation to a higher density, as follows:
— The 60 -acre Golden Valley High School Site adjacent to Golden Valley High School
could accommodate up to 1,680 multi -family units under an RH designation;
The approximately 23 -acre Sikand Site adjacent to the Golden Valley High site could
accommodate up to 636 multi -family units if re -designated to RH;
The 30 -acre Riverside Site along Soledad Canyon Road near the old Saugus Speedway
could accommodate up to 250 units if re -designated from commercial to RMH; and
The Riverpark Development proposes 744 new apartment units.
• Mixed Use Overlay (page FI -69): In order to encourage residential/commercial mixed use
development along commercial corridors characterized by underutilized parcels and/or
under -performing commercial centers, the Element proposes a Mixed Use (MU) overlay
zone along Lyons Avenue, San Fernando Road in Newhall, and a portion of Soledad
Canyon Road in Canyon Country. A general depiction of these areas is included in
Figure H-2 (Attachment 4) on page H-71.
With the Element's expanded multi -family sites inventory for higher density residential
development, combined with these affordable housing strategies, the Housing Element now
demonstrates adequate residential sites to address its regional share of housing needs.
Section VI of the Housing Element identifies potential sites for rezoning in order to meet the
City's housing obligation. At this time, no measures are being taken to rezone these properties.
Each site designated for rezoning must go through the Rezone and/or General Plan Amendment
process, which includes neighbor outreach and notification, analysis of land use compatibility,
CEQA review, assurance of General Plan Consistency, and a public hearing before both the
Planning Commission and City Council. If during the review of draft Housing Element the City
Council finds any of these sites to be infeasible for rezoning, alternative sites that will
accommodate the City's housing obligation must be identified prior to adoption of the Element.
City's commitment to oal/policy implementation
The Housing Element programs section was comprehensively revised and updated to
demonstrate clear commitment to program implementation. Several new programs were added
under Goal I — Development of New Housing (page H-96) as implementation of the Affordable
Housing Strategies identified in the Land Inventory chapter. The following summarizes the most
significant program changes in the Element:
Id. Mixed Use Overlay - This program calls for establishing the Mixed Use Overlay
described previously and as identified in Figure H-2, and establishing implementing
zoning regulations and development standards by 2004.
le. Newhall Residential Infill Program — This program calls for adoption of the Infill
Incentives Overlay discussed previously and re -designation of identified Old
Newhall neighborhoods to RMH by year-end 2003. The program also encourages
integration of affordable units in the area through density bonuses, financial
assistance, and Redevelopment Agency assistance in site assembly.
If. Re -designation of key sites to RH — This program calls for the City to re -designate
the RMH portions of the Golden Valley high School site and adjacent Sikand site to
RH by mid -2004, and to work with property owners to provide a package of
incentives to facilitate inclusion of affordable units.
Ig. Emergency and Transitional Housing — The City is to work with the area's current
homeless service provider in identifying a site for a transitional housing facility, and
to provide land and/or funding assistance.
3b. Redevelopment Housing Funds — Updated projections of Redevelopment Agency
funds will allow the agency to provide financial assistance for the development of
affordable housing on higher density site identified in the Housing Element, such as
the infill sites in the Old Newhall Area.
3c. Affordable Housing Funding Sources — The City will actively pursue, or assist
developers in the pursuit of State, Federal, and private funding sources to assist in
the development of affordable housing.
3d. Density Bonuses — The City will continue to provide a 25% increase in allowable
density for affordable housing projects. Pursuant to State law, the Density Bonus
Ordinance will be revised to permit density bonuses "by right" and eliminate the
requirements of a fiscal impact analysis, preliminary approval, and project proximity
to specified services.
3e. First Time Homebuyer Program — The City will implement its new First Time
Homebuyer Program which assists low income households with buying a home.
Also in response to HCD, the "seniors only" Specialty Housing Zone originally proposed under
Program if has been eliminated, as it may be construed as discriminatory. The Element has
instead recommended incorporating flexible development standards for senior housing under the
revised Density Bonus ordinance (Program 3d. —page H-107) described below.
The State also cites concerns over certain provisions of the Density Bonus Ordinance which may
be in conflict with State law. Housing Element program 3d (Density Bonuses) now includes a
commitment to modify the City's density bonus ordinance to provide consistency with State law.
In addition to the content revisions discussed above, various minor revisions have been made as
well. These various revisions ensure consistency with the above-mentioned content revisions
throughout the document. Other revisions were made to format.
ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS
The City Council adopted the Negative Declaration prepared for the original Element update in
November 2001. The proposed revisions are consistent with the conclusions of the initial study.
Therefore, no additional environmental review is required.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION
The Planning Commission held a public hearing on August 5, 2003. After consideration of all
relevant materials and information presented to them, the Commission unanimously voted to
recommend that the City Council forward the Element to HCD for review.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS
Council may choose not to direct staff to forward the revised Element to the HCD for compliance
review
Other direction as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
The revisions to the Housing Element are necessary to identify goals and policies of the City and
the programs to be implemented to attain these goals and policies. At this time, no action is
being taken that will implement said goals and policies; therefore, no fiscal impact to the City is
anticipated as part of this project. Prior to the future implementation of the programs identified
in the Element, the fiscal impact of each program will be examined.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Table H-7
2. Table H-33
3. Figure H-1
4. Figure H-2
COUNCIL READING FILE
Revised Housing Element
Planning Commission Staff Report
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