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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-05-25 - AGENDA REPORTS - ADOPT GP HOUSING UPDATE (2)Agenda Item: _=00 CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT PUBLIC HEARING City Manager Approval: Item to be presented by: DATE: May 25, 2004 SUBJECT: ADOPTION OF GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE DEPARTMENT: Planning and Building Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council conduct a Public Hearing and find that the proposed update to the General Plan Housing Element is consistent with the previously adopted Negative Declaration prepared for the project, review the General Plan Housing Element update, and adopt the Housing Element update. 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, such as funds made available under Proposition 46, the Housing and Emergency Shelter Trust Fund Act of 2002, and other incentives. The City submitted the original draft 2000-2005 Housing Element in March 2001 to 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 adopted 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 again revised the document pursuant to HCD's comments. On August 26, 2003, after reviewing the draft Element, the City Council voted unanimously to direct staff to forward the revised Element to the HCD for review. Pursuant to the Council's direction, staff submitted the revised element to HCD on November 7, 2003. In a letter dated January 8, 2004, HCD concludes that the revised element will be in full compliance with State law once it is adopted by the City Council and submitted to HCD. ANALYSIS The State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) review of the City's draft 2000-2005 Housing Element update concluded that the City's draft Housing Element adequately addresses statutory requirements previously identified by HCD and will be in frill compliance with State law once adopted and submitted to the HCD for final certification. The draft Element in its final format is located in the City Clerk's reading file. The Agenda Report from the Council's August 26, 2003 hearing and an underlined /strikeout version which identifies the latest revisions can also be found in the reading file. Element Revisions Several revisions have been made to the Element in response to the comments provided by HCD in the letters dated May 24, 2001 and February 14, 2002. Additional discussion, clarifications, and analysis have been added in several areas. The additional analysis has resulted in the addition or revision of various goals and programs. As a result, several subsequent actions will be required in order to implement many of these revise goal and programs. Most of these actions will require Council approval. Below is a brief summary of the areas that have been revised and a summary of some of the future actions that will be required: These primary areas of the element that have been revised include: • Adequate sites to accommodate City's residential obligation • City's commitment to goal/policy implementation • Analysis of governmental constraints • Public Participation In addition to the content revisions identified 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. As stated, future Council action will be required in order to implement many of the programs identified in the update. These actions include: • Development of new housing — several policies and programs have been either added or revised under Goal 1, which seeks to provide opportunities for the production of housing to meet the needs of all income groups. These policies also ensure that adequate sites are available to meet the City's regional obligation to provide housing. It is anticipated that the programs below, in combination with programs to encourage affordable housing, will result in the production of affordable housing. These policies and programs include: • Program 1.d. — Mixed Use Overlay To encourage the development of residential/commercial mixed use development, this program calls for the creation of a mixed use overlay zone along portions of Lyons Avenue, San Fernando Road, and Soledad Canyon Road. • Pro¢ram I.e — Newhall Residential Infill Program To encourage the redevelopment and development of residential units in portions of Newhall, this program calls for the upzoning of those areas in Newhall depicted in Figure H-1 of the Element. • Pro rg am Lf. — Re -designation of Key Sites to RH To encourage high-density new housing, two large sites, a 60 -acre site adjacent to Golden Valley High School and an abutting 22 acre site, are to be upzoned to RH. • Program Lz — Emergency and Transitional Housine This program calls for the City's assistance with funding and in locating a site for a transitional housing facility. • Affordable Housing — to encourage the development of affordable housing, the following programs are included: • Program 3.b. — Redevelopment Housing Funds This program requires that the portion of the tax increment from the redevelopment area that has been set aside for housing support affordable housing development on sites identified in the Land Inventory, including the sites identified in the Newhall Residential Infill Program and Mixed Use overlay zone. • ProQram 3.d. — Density Bonus This program requires that the UDC be amended to allow density bonuses "by right" and not contingent on locational criteria, as currently required. • Program 3.,Q. — Inclusionary Housing This program requires that the City conduct a feasibility study on adopting an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and adopt an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance as appropriate. 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. ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS Council may choose not to adopt the Housing Element Update. 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 Resolution