HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5m. Initiation of Detachment on Slack Street, East of Grand Ave, for Vista Meadows Project Item 5m
Department: Community Development
Cost Center: 4008
For Agenda of: 6/4/2024
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Timmi Tway, Community Development Director
Prepared By: Callie Taylor, Associate Planner
SUBJECT: INITIATION OF DETACHMENT APPLICATION TO MODIFY CITY LIMIT
BOUNDARY ON SLACK STREET EAST OF GRAND AVE. TO
ACCOMMODATE CAL POLY FACULTY AND STAFF HOUSING
PROJECT, VISTA MEADOWS, AND OTHER CLEAN-UP AREAS AS
NEEDED TO CORRECT CAL POLY HISTORICAL BOUNDARY CROS
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize staff to proceed with processing a Detachment Application to modify the City
limit boundary on Slack Street east of Grand Avenue to accommodate a new Cal Poly
faculty and staff housing development known as Vista Meadows, as well as other City
limit clean-up areas as needed to correct historical boundary crossings around Cal Poly,
for future submittal to LAFCO after City process and required hearings.
REPORT-IN-BRIEF
Applications have been submitted by Cal Poly University (Cal Poly) requesting right-of-
way abandonment on Slack Street and a corresponding modification to the City limit line
in order to accommodate a faculty and staff housing project on the Cal Poly campus. Cal
Poly is planning to construct a 33-unit single-family housing development at the
northeasterly corner of Slack Street and Grand Avenue. The housing units would take
access from Slack Street with 14 individual driveways and two internal streets entering
the Cal Poly property from Slack Street.
The existing right-of-way on Slack Street is 70 feet in width; however, existing street
improvements are located on only the southern half of the right -of-way with approximately
22 feet of existing pavement and some intermittent sidewalks. Cal Poly is proposing to
improve the northern portion of the right-of-way to build out two travel lanes and a 5-foot
sidewalk with landscaped parkway on the north side to extend public improvements to a
minimum of 37-feet in width. Cal Poly is requesting that the City abandon the remaining
25 feet of right-of-way beyond the back of the northern sidewalk to allow development of
housing in this area.
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City boundary limits, which define the City’s jurisdictional area, currently coincide with the
location of the existing right-of-way boundary at the northern edge of Slack Street. A
modification to the City limit boundary is proposed in conjunction with the street
abandonment. Cal Poly proposes to construct residential units at this location, which
would cross the jurisdictional boundary if the boundary is not modified. A Detachment
application, which is the reverse of an Annexation, has been submitted by Cal Poly
University to modify the City limit boundary to coincide with the back of the new sidewalk
and proposed right-of-way edge on the northern side of Slack Street. The existing and
proposed right-of-way and City limits are shown in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1. Existing and Proposed right-of-way and City Limits on Slack Street
The City limit boundary is included in the General Plan, and therefore, applications to
modify the City limit are referred to City Council for initiation and early consideration prior
to staff processing the application, similar to a request to amend the City’s General Plan
(Municipal Code Section 17.130.020). If Council approves staff’s recommendation to
proceed with the Detachment application, staff would then process the a pplication
through the standard steps required for a Detachment, including subsequent public
hearings as outlined in this report.
POLICY CONTEXT
Why is this coming to City Council?
Amendments to the General Plan and/or City limits require orderly processing consistent
with the overall goals of the City’s planning program and requirements of California State
law. Municipal Code Section 17.130.020 specifies that if an application to amend the
General Plan is submitted, the Community Development Director shall have the authority,
prior to processing the application, to forward any such application to the City Council for
early policy consideration to allow Council to determine whether the proposed
amendment is consistent with overall policy direction in the General Plan. Council may
direct the Director to either process the application or reject the application as inconsistent
with overall General Plan policy direction.
Existing edge of right-of-way
and City limit boundary
Proposed edge of right-of-
way and City limit boundary
Existing edge of pavement
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On May 6, 2024, the City received an application from Cal Poly for a proposed
Detachment to modify the City limit boundary on Slack Street between Grand Avenue to
just past Henderson Avenue, which requires an amendment to the City limit boundary as
identified in the General Plan. The proposed City limit boundary would match the new
right-of-way location proposed with Cal Poly’s street abandonment application.
Staff is seeking City Council direction to proceed with the Detachment application. If
Council approves staff’s recommendation to proceed, staff would then process the
application through the standard steps required for a Detachment, as identified in
Municipal Code Chapter 2.44 and California Government Code Section 56654, including:
1) development review by City staff and surveyor, 2) Planning Commission public hearing
for recommendation, 3) City Council public hearing for consideration of a resolution of
intent, and 4) submittal to San Luis Obispo Local Agency Formation Commission
(LAFCO). The Government Code provides that LAFCO proceedings for detachment of
territory may be initiated by resolution of the affected local agency (Government Code
56654(a)). Thus, at a future public hearing, Council would consider adopting a resolution
supporting detachment and requesting LAFCO’s initiation of the process. The current
request for City Council initiation of the Detachment application does not
constitute approval of the request and only begins the required process for the
Detachment.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Cal Poly 2035 Campus Master Plan was initiated in 2019 and was approved by the
CSU Board of Trustees in May 2020 along with a Final Environmental Impact Report
(EIR). The Campus Master Plan is a long-range planning document that guides the
development and use of the University’s 1,321 -acre main campus. It addresses all
aspects of future physical development and land use on the campus to accommodate
growth in student enrollment and in fulfillment of Cal Poly’s academic mission, and
includes Guiding Principles which provide overarching direction, much like the City’s
General Plan Goals and Policies.
The Campus Master Plan that was approved in 2020 identified and envisioned
faculty/staff housing at the corner of Slack and Grand with up to 380 faculty/staff
residential units, within two large multi-family buildings, plus 7,000 square feet of retail
space, and approximately 525 parking spaces. The on -site buildings were intended to be
five stories (approximately 60 feet) in height, with little or no setback from the adjacent
streets. Last year, the housing development was substantially revised by Cal Poly and
reduced in density to address site constraints and other feasibility concerns, and in
consideration of the adjacent single-family residential uses across Slack Street within the
City of San Luis Obispo. The project is now proposed to provide 33 single -family two-
story homes with a community garden and other recreational amenities within a modified
project configuration that is approximately 8.5 acres in size.
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Item 5m
Addendum #1 to the Final Environmental Impact Report was prepared in February 2024
for the current Slack and Grand faculty/staff housing project, known as Vista Meadows,
and a Notice of Determination was filed. The complete environmental analysis, including
project plans and project description, and the complete 2035 Cal Poly Campus Master
Plan can be viewed on the Cal Poly website: https://afd.calpoly.edu/facilities/planning-
capital-projects/ceqa/
Cal Poly is located outside City limits within the County of San Luis Obispo. The City of
San Luis Obispo was a commenting agency on the Campus Master Plan and EIR, but
does not have jurisdiction over the university. The State of California is a superior a gency,
which acts as the lead agency for CEQA and issues its own permits through the State
architect for development on-site, rather than obtaining permits through the County of
San Luis Obispo.
While Cal Poly is located outside of City limits, the City of San Luis Obispo has jurisdiction
of Slack Street, which is a City right-of-way within City limit boundaries. In order to build
frontage improvements within the City right-of-way, Cal Poly must obtain an
encroachment permit from the City. Cal Poly is pro posing to construct 14 homes on the
Slack Street frontage at the lower portion of the property in order to minimize grading
uphill. Cal Poly has submitted a street abandonment application to the City to request
abandonment of approximately 25-feet of the right-of-way in order to construct the homes
at the proposed location. A modification to the City limit boundary is needed in order to
avoid having residential units that cross an existing jurisdictional boundary. Construction
of residential units at the proposed location would avoid heavily sloped areas of the site
to the north to minimize grading impacts, and would provide much needed faculty housing
on campus to meet the goals of both the Cal Poly’s Campus Master Plan and the City’s
General Plan. City street frontage on Slack Street would be improved to current standards
by Cal Poly as part of the housing development.
The City’s contracting surveyor and Cal Poly’s surveyor (RRM) have completed historical
research to confirm the location of the existing right-of-way and City limit boundary. Both
surveyors are in agreement that the City right-of-way and City limit line are co-located at
the northern edge of Slack Street, as identified on the 1887 Phillips Addition map which
subdivided the area. A 1948 City of San Luis Obispo Council Ordinance (#304) annexed
this area into the City, and specifically identifies the “northerly boundary line of Slack
Street being as shown and delineated on the map of the Phillips Addition as recor ded and
filed August 27, 1902, in Volume A, page 162 of San Luis Obispo County Records…”
Both surveyors have concluded that the City limit boundary and the existing City right-of-
way east of Grand Avenue is the northerly right -of-way line of Slack Street, as shown on
both B/MB/90 and A/MB/162, 35-feet north of the original centerline.
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Project Description
Site Data
Location Slack St. and Grand Ave.
Parcel Size 8.35 acres
General Plan
and Zoning
Outside City limits and right-
of-way
Site Condition Vacant, sloped
Surrounding
Uses
North: Cal Poly
South: R-1, single-family
East: County
West: Cal Poly
Cal Poly is planning to construct a 33-unit single-family housing development on the lower
portion of an 8.5-acre parcel at north easterly corner of Slack Street and Grand Avenue.
The units are proposed as two-story, detached 1,900 square foot residences with
supporting amenities for Cal Poly faculty and staff, including open space, a community
garden, trails, and other recreational features. Fourteen (14) of the proposed residences
are proposed to be constructed along the north side of Slack Street between Grand
Avenue and Henderson Avenue and would be accessed by individual driveways directly
from Slack Street. A 5-foot sidewalk and landscaped parkway would be constructed along
the northerly development frontage on Slack Street. Access to the remainder of the
residential development would be provided by two internal streets intersecting Slack
Street directly in line with City streets Henderson Avenue and Graves Avenue to the
south. Parking for residents would be entirely accommodated within the project site , with
parking for two cars per residence (66 in total) within the ground floor of each residence
with additional visitor parking provided in two surface parking lots along the extension of
Henderson Avenue. The conceptual development plan is provided in Figure 2 below.
The proposed Cal Poly faculty and staff housing development would be developed at a
density comparable to that of adjacent single-family housing located across Slack Street
within the City of San Luis Obispo to fit with the existing neighborhood context. The
proposed circulation network for the project site is intended to be compatible with existing
adjacent circulation patterns in the area and intended to minimize project-related
vehicular traffic on local residential streets, including Grand Avenue and Slack Street. The
project objectives, as identified by the University, are to promote and enhance faculty and
staff retention and recruitment by offering quality residential housing at attainable rates;
to strengthen the Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo community connection; and to reduce faculty
and staff commutes (i.e., vehicle miles traveled, or VMT), a ssociated greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions, and impacts on neighborhood traffic.
Cal Poly
Faculty Housing
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Figure 2. Vista Meadows, Cal Poly Faculty and Staff Housing Conceptual Development Plan
Slack Street is currently improved on only the southern half of the right -of-way, providing
access to residential lots within the City of San Luis Obispo with approximately 22-feet of
existing pavement and some intermittent sidewalks. The existing Slack Street right -of-
way is 70 feet in width, with the northern portion currently unimpro ved. Cal Poly is
proposing to improve the northern portion of the right-of-way to build out two 10-foot travel
lanes and a 5-foot sidewalk with 4-foot landscaped parkway, along with curb and gutter.
Existing on-street parking would remain on the south side of Slack Street. Overhead
utilities on the northerly frontage would be undergrounded with the public improvements.
Proposed public improvements for build-out of Slack Street are shown in Figure 3.
The City has received a street abandonment application f rom Cal Poly to request the City
to vacate 25 feet of the unimproved remaining right-of-way beyond the back of the
northern edge of sidewalk to allow development of housing in this area. The full 70 -foot
width of existing right-of-way is not needed for public improvements. Construction of
residential units is proposed here at the lower slope of the property in order to minimize
grading impacts at the top of the sloped Cal Poly property.
Figure 3. Proposed Frontage Improvements on Slack Street
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Item 5m
City limits, which define the City’s jurisdictional area, currently coincide with the location
of the existing right-of-way boundary at the northern edge of Slack Street. A modification
to the City limit boundary is proposed in conjunction with the street abandonme nt. Cal
Poly proposes to construct residential units at this location, which would cross the
jurisdictional boundary if the boundary is not modified. A Detachment application, which
is the reverse of an Annexation, has been submitted by Cal Poly University to modify the
City limit boundary by 25-feet to coincide with the proposed right-of-way location at the
back of the new sidewalk on the northern side of Slack Street. The existing and proposed
right-of-way and City limits are shown in Figure 1 above.
Frontage improvements and undergrounding of utilities, as well as the associated street
abandonment and modification to the City limit line, are proposed on Slack Street only in
the area directly fronting the new faculty and staff housing development. This is proposed
on Slack Street between Grand Avenue to just past Henderson Avenue. The remaining
120-feet of Slack Street past Henderson would remain as existing, with no proposed
changes to existing right-of-way or City limits beyond the Cal Poly development. The new
faculty housing project will be served by water and sewer provided by Cal Poly through
existing agreements with the City of San Luis Obispo and will utilize pipelines and
connections that will be extended through the campus.
Additional Areas for Boundary and Right-of-way Modification
City staff and Cal Poly have identified additional areas along the edge of Cal Poly as
candidates for clean-up to correct City limit boundary crossings and right-of-way
encroachments from past development. An area of Cal Poly off Hathway near Mott gym
is built within City limits but is owned by Cal Poly and previously developed with campus
improvements. This area is being considered for inclusion with the current Detachment
application to correct
historical boundary lines if
time and resources permit
processing with the current
application.
City staff has initiated
preliminary discussions with
LAFCO regarding the
Detachment application and
other potential boundary
clean-up areas. LAFCO staff
is supportive of the proposal
to process a Detachment
application to create
jurisdictional boundaries that
coincide with development
limits.
Figure 4. Additional City limit boundary for clean-up consideration; Slack Street and Hathway
Existing City limit boundary
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Item 5m
Consistency with Community Goals and General Plan Goal, Policies, and Programs
Staff has provided a preliminary analysis of the proposed amendment’s consistency with
the General Plan and the City’s Major City Goals. Additional analysis and consideration
would be included as part of a full project analysis if Council provides direction to staff to
move forward with processing the Detachment application.
2023-25 Major City Goals
Housing and Homelessness has been identified as one of the 2023-25 Major City Goals.
As such, the 2023-25 Financial plan includes efforts to support housing development.
One of the stated objectives of the Cal Poly Vista Meadows project is to prom ote and
enhance faculty and staff retention and recruitment by offering quality residential housing
at attainable rates. The construction of new staff housing on Cal Poly land helps to
implement and facilitate the City Council goal of providing housing to residents and
employees. By abandoning a portion of the unused right -of-way and modifying the City
limit line, the City can support construction of these housing units at the lower elevation
of the property, thereby minimizing environmental impacts of grading further up on the
hillside.
General Plan Goals, Policies and Programs
Land Use Element Policies 1.12.2, 2.6.1, and 2.6.5 and Housing Element Polices 8.3 and
8.6 are related to providing student and campus housing for Cal Poly.
Land Use Element Policy 1.12.2: Cal Poly. …The City shall encourage Cal Poly to
provide additional on-campus housing, enhanced transit service, and other
measures to minimize impacts of campus commuting and enrollment. Cal Poly
should actively engage the community during updates or amendments to the
Campus Master Plan and fully mitigate impacts to the City, including environmental
and quality of life impacts to nearby neighborhoods.
Land Use Element Policy 2.6.1. Cal Poly. The City shall encourage Cal Poly to
build housing on campus for all of its students, to the extent feasible. On-campus
housing should be expanded at least as fast as enrollment increases.
Consideration shall be given for housing for faculty and staff as student enrollment
increases.
Land Use Element Policy 2.6.4. Location. The City shall encourage the
development of housing likely to attract faculty, staff, and students to locate close
to Cal Poly. The City shall work with Cal Poly to facilitate faculty and staff owning
or renting housing in adjacent neighborhoods.
Housing Element Policy 8.3 Encourage Cal Poly University to continue to develop
on-campus student housing to meet existing and future needs and to lessen
pressure on City housing supply and transportation systems.
Housing Element Policy 8.6 Encourage Cal Poly University to develop and
maintain faculty and staff housing, consistent with the General Plan.
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Item 5m
The proposed Cal Poly applications for street abandonment and Detachment will facilitate
on-campus housing consistent with these goals listed above. The development will
include improvements to the adjacent City street, which will have a positive impact on the
adjacent neighborhood, improving walkability and vehicular safety in the area. Although
not counted toward meeting the City’s RHNA allocation because it is located just outside
City limits, housing developed by Cal Poly University on and adjacent to the campus on
State land will continue to help meet the City’s housing needs.
Next Steps
Staff is seeking City Council direction on whether to proceed with the Detachment
application. This early consideration referral to Council by the Community Development
Director is an opportunity for the Council to provide input on the proposed right -of-way
abandonment and City limit modification. If Council approves staff’s recommendation to
proceed with the Detachment application, staff would then process the application
through the standard steps required for a Detachment, including:
1.) Development review by City staff and surveyor
2.) Planning Commission public hearing for recommendation
3.) City Council public hearing for consideration of a resolution of intent
4.) Submittal to LAFCO
City Council initiation of the Detachment application does not constitute approval of the
request and only begins the required process for the Detachment.
Public Engagement
This item is on the Council Agenda for consideration of initiation of the application on
June 4, 2024, and staff has provided all required notifications. The public has an
opportunity to comment on this item at or before the meeting. Additional public hearings
and legal notices would be provided for Planning Commission and City Council meetings
as part of the process for consideration of the street abandonment and Detach ment
applications if the Council authorizes staff to proceed with processing the applications.
CONCURRENCE
This staff report was reviewed and approved by the Community Development
Department, Finance Department, City Attorney, and City Administration.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to the recommended action in
this report because the initiation action and Council referral for early consideration does
not constitute a “Project” under CEQA Guidelines Sec. 1537 8. If the application moves
forward, the project would be subject to the appropriate environmental review as required
per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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Item 5m
California State University is the lead agency for the environmental review of the
faculty/staff housing project. In May 2020, the California State University (CSU) Board of
Trustees San Luis Obispo certified an EIR for the 2035 Campus Master Plan (State
Clearinghouse No. 2016101003). Addendum #1 to the Final Environmental Impact Report
was prepared and approved by the California State University on February 14, 2024 for
the Slack and Grand faculty/staff housing project, and a Notice of Determination was filed.
The project plans, including proposed right-of-way improvements, were analyzed under
the EIR Addendum, which demonstrated in the substantive analysis that the proposed
revised project would not result in new significant impacts or a substantial increase in the
severity of significant impacts identified in the Campus Master Plan EIR. All applicable
mitigation measures identified in the Campus Master Plan EIR and included in the
adopted Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program are part of the project and are listed
in the EIR Addendum. The complete environmental analysis can be viewed on the Cal
Poly website: https://afd.calpoly.edu/facilities/planning-capital-projects/ceqa/
FISCAL IMPACT
Budgeted: N/A Budget Year: 2023-25
Funding Identified: N/A
Fiscal Analysis:
Funding
Sources
Total Budget
Available
Current
Funding
Request
Remaining
Balance
Annual
Ongoing
Cost
General Fund $0 $0 $0 $0
State
Federal
Fees
Other:
Total $0 $0 $0 $0
There will be no net fiscal impact related to initiating the proposed project. The applicant
is required to fund the review and processing of the proposed applications, including the
encroachment permit, street abandonment, and Detachment and any associated
analysis. The Detachment application is paid on a deposit basis, and City staff and
consultants log hours required to process the applications , including processing of any
future City limit modification through LAFCO.
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Item 5m
ALTERNATIVES
1. Direct staff to move forward with the proposed Detachment Application and
associated street abandonment, but with direction to staff and the applicant on
Council desired revisions to the proposed public improvements or City limit
location.
2. Direct staff to not move forward with the proposed Detachment application. This
alternative is not recommended as it would create residential units that cross a
jurisdictional boundary (City limit line) and thereby may prohibit the construction of
housing units at the proposed location in the area at the bottom of the hillside where
grading impacts can be minimized.
ATTACHMENTS
A - Conceptual Site Plan, Cal Poly Vista Meadows Faculty and Staff Housing
B - Legal Depiction of Area Proposed for Abandonment and City Limit Modification
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Ascent Introduction California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Slack and Grand Faculty/Staff Housing Project EIR Addendum 1-15Source: Produced by RRM Design Group in 2023; Adapted by Ascent, Inc. in 2023. Figure 1-7 Conceptual Site PlanPage 275 of 422
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EXHIBIT "A-1"
LEGAL DEPICTION
11/20/2023
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June 4, 2024
Cal Poly Application Initiation Request
Street Abandonment & Modification of City Limit Boundary
Cal Poly Housing Location
Vista Meadows Development Plan
Faculty and Staff Housing
•33 detached units
•Two access roads
on Slack Street
and 14 private
driveways
•CEQA and
permitting is
through California
State University
•Frontage improvements and
utilities undergrounding proposed
to end just past Henderson Ave.
•Remaining 120 feet of Slack street
proposed to remain as existing
Slack Street Frontage Improvements
Proposed Slack Street Typical Section
•City encroachment permit required for improvements in right-of-way
•Two 10-foot travel lanes
•5-foot sidewalk with 4-foot landscaped parkway
•Curb and gutter
•Existing on-street parking remains on the south side of Slack Street
•Overhead utilities undergrounded on the northerly frontage
•Resulting street width is 28 feet curb-to-curb
Existing and Proposed Right-of-way and City Limits on Slack Street
•Request to abandon
25 feet of
undeveloped right-of-
way behind the back
of new sidewalk
•Associated
Detachment
application to modify
City limit boundary to
coincide with new
right-of-way location
so that the new
housing does not
cross jurisdictional
boundary
Staff Recommendation
•Authorize staff to proceed with processing a Detachment application to modify the City limit
boundary on Slack Street east of Grand Avenue to accommodate a new Cal Poly faculty and
staff housing development
•Include additional area on Hathway to correct existing boundary crossings around Cal
Poly campus
•Detachment application would be processed concurrently with street abandonment
•Request for City to abandon 25 feet of right-of-way on Slack Street beyond back of new
sidewalk to allow construction of housing units in this location
Hathway City Limit Modification
•Existing development in this area
crosses jurisdictional boundary
•Not associated with housing
development
•Clean up of historical inconsistency only
Existing City Limit Boundary