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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/20/1988, 2 - AIRPORT AREA CONCEPT PLAN IIIN�Iy'II�IIIII Il� MEETING DATE' All �I SIU city of san lues osispo 9-20-88 NMI -0 COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ITEM Nu FROM: Michael Multari, Community Development Director SUBJECT: Airport Area Concept Plan CAO RECOMMENDATION: Take public testimony and forward the comments of the Planning Commission and the Council to the Planning Team for response and possible refinement of the Concept Plan. BACKGROUND On September 12, the City Council held a study session on the Concept Land Use Plan and Planning Principles for the Airport Area. At that session, Councilmembers raised the following points: 1. The specific plan should consider options for the Transfer of Development Rights in certain areas such as prime agricultural lands and portions of the Garcia Ranch property. The purpose of the TDR's would be to allow some development to occur off-site (or on-site in clusters) while retaining the area in a lower intensity use (like agriculture or recreation). 2. The specific plan needs to address not only how much housing is being produced relative to jobs created, but also the affordability of housing. Methods for ensuring some significant amount of "modest" cost housing needs to be spelled out. (The Council would like to explicitly affirm at a separate study session, a policy favoring inclusion of more affordable housing as part of the expansion area planning in the general plan update.) Useful data would be estimates of the numbers of jobs likely to be created under different scenarios and the likely wages those employees would earn. This would help estimate whether new housing is actually going to be affordable to the people employed here. 3. The plan should be clear about its timeframe or "planning horizon"; it needs to be long-term, not just to the year 2000. 4. The city and county should have a clear picture of, and agreement on, the various steps in planning for this entire area. A suggested approach would be as follows: a. Prepare an "interim" Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as soon as possible; this MOU would set development standards within the Airport Specific Plan Area to be used while the specific plan is being prepared and would limit agricultural conversions or general plan amendments and subdivisions in the Edna Valley until both the Airport Plan and a more comprehensive plan for the Edna Valley are complete (the latter would probably be part of the County's update of the San Luis Area Land Use Element/Land Use Ordinance). This interim MOU could also prohibit development which might not be compatible with the airport area specific plan while the plan is being finalized. b. Approve a concept plan and planning principles (both City Council and Board of Supervisors) and complete formal Specific Plan and EIR with alternatives. c. Prepare long-term MOU governing uses in the urban reserve and protection of rural character outside that line; creation of the "greenbelt" or "community separators" concept. — °1N���H��IIIII�U1►1III1 city of San Luis OBlspo COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Page 2 d. Adopt a comprehensive plan for the Edna Valley. 5. The concept plan should consider creating a new overlay or "umbrella" zone indicating greenbelt designations and encompassing agriculture, open space and recreation. 6. The county should review its standards for septic systems in this area and make sure that future development under the county, using on site systems, will not result in any damage to the groundwater. It should be pointed out that complete responses to some of these points are probably beyond the scope of a "concept plan" and should be addressed in the specific plan and EIR. Still, the Planning Team can try to develop preliminary responses, as best as we practically can at this time. The Ccuncil also asked that city staff meet with county staff to discuss the best approach for relaying Council concerns about proceeding with the "interim" MOU as soon as possible; we'll report to you on this meeting on the 20th. The Planning Team has not had a chance yet to respond to the various comments received by the Airport Land Use Commission and City and County Planning Commissions. We think it would be beneficial to do so. Of particular interest are the comments on the following: 1. Reconsideration of stronger protections for prime agricultural lands and other areas designated for agriculture. 2. Reconsideration of the location and density of housing relative to airport concerns (and the implication of reducing the residential component on the jobs/housing balance). 3. Consideration of stronger measures in the principles to assure no urban development occurs outside the specific plan area in the Edna Valley. (Similar to the Council's concerns expressed above.) 4. Review of the principles to make sure community sewer and water systems under county jurisdictions would not significantly discourage eventual annexation to the city. Staff recommends that the Council review our summary of the issues raised at the study session, modifying them or adding to them if necessary. Then, the Council should refer these and the comments of the various commissions, to the Planning Team for response and possible refinement of the concept plan and planning principles. This will then return to the Council and to the Board of Supervisors for final action. After the concept plan and principles are approved, work on the formal Specific Plan and EIR, with alternatives, will begin.