HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/07/1996, 1 - SAN LUIS OBISPO AREA PLAN: PRESENTATION BY COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF OF COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR UPDATING THE COUNTY'S SAN LUIS OBISPO AREA PLAN. THE PRESENTATION WILL HIGHLIGHT DIFF council
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CITY O F SAN LUIS O B I S P O
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FROM: Arnold B. JonCommunity Development Director
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SUBJECT: SAN LUIS OBISPO AREA PLAN: Presentation by County Planning Department
staff of County Planning Commission recommendations to the Board of Supervisors
for updating the County's San Luis Obispo Area Plan. The presentation will highlight
differences between the Commission's recommendations, and various adopted City
General Plan policies and guidelines. It is anticipated that Council will transmit an
alternative set of recommendations to the Board for consideration at their Area Plan
hearings are scheduled to begin November 8.
DISCUSSION
• Early in the week of November 4 City staff will provide Council with a
brief set of written comments in anticipation of the study session.
• 2 copies of the County Planning Commission recommended Area Plan will
be available in the Council reading file.
• At the study session, County Planning staff will provide oral and written
comments focusing on the differences between the recommended County
plan and adopted City plans. The presentation will address these matters in
more detail than the attached copy of the County staff report to the Board
of Supervisors which includes these issues in a more general manner.
K SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND BUILDING
ALEX HINDS
DIRECTOR
BRYCE TINGLE
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
ELLEN
TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ENVIRONMENTAL COORD NA OLR
BARNEY MCCAY
FROM: DANA LILLEY, SENIOR PLANNER CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIALNORMA SALISBURY
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES OFFICER
VIA: ALEX HINDS, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND BUILDING
SUBJECT: SAN LUIS OBISPO AREA PLAN UPDATE
GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT G870010
DATE: NOVEMBER 8, 1996
SUMMARY
The San Luis Obispo Area Plan covers the unincorporated areas in the Los Osos, Chorro and
Edna valleys from Cuesta College to the north to Lopez Drive to the south. The Planning
Commission held public hearings on the plan from August 19, 1996 through October 24, 1996,
prior to recommending a revised plan to your Board.
RECOMMENDATION
The Planning Commission recommends approval of the San Luis Obispo Area Plan as set forth
in Exhibits G871000X:A (Area Plan Text) and G871000X:B (Official Maps), certification of the
Final Environmental Impact Report (Exhibit G871000X:C), and adoption of CEQA Required
Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations (Exhibit G871000X:D). Staff recommends
that today your Board receive a brief staff summary and slide show, receive public testimony, and
continue the hearing to November 12, 1996.
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DISCUSSION
I. List of Exhibits (General Plan Amend G871000X)
A. Planning Commission recommended San Luis Obispo Area Plan text
B. Planning Commission recommended San Luis Obispo Area Plan maps
CoUNN GOvERNvIENr Cwm • SAN Luis Onwo • CmmRNA 93408 • (805) 781-5600 FAx (805) 781-1242 OR 5624
November 8, 1996 Board of Supervisors
Page 2 San Luis Obispo Area Plan update
C. Public Hearing Final Environmental Impact Report:
1. Draft EIR
2. Final EIR response to comments and change pages
3. Additional information document
D. CEQA required Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations
E. Planning Commission record: minutes, staff reports, correspondence
F. Fiscal impact analysis
The Public Review Process
Work on the update of the San Luis Obispo Area Plan began in January of 1989, although much
had already been accomplished by then toward reaching consensus on the appropriate patterns of
land use in the airport area. A number of studies had been prepared for a specific plan for the
airport area, and many public workshops and hearings were conducted. A concept land use plan
was prepared and reviewed by all involved parties, and that plan became the basis for both the city
and county Land Use Element updates. Additionally, issues were identified for the greater
planning area through a widely advertised public workshop conducted by the county and through
city surveys (since the city is the major community of the planning area). In 1990, a study session
was held with the county Planning Commission.
A public review draft of the plan was published on January 29, 1993. That draft plan was
reviewed by the Edna Area Group, an advisory committee covering the southern half of the
planning area. The northern portions of the planning area are covered by the Morros Plan
Committee.
The plan was then revised in response to input from the draft environmental impact report, the
City of San Luis Obispo, the airport area property owners and the Edna Area Advisory Group.
The resulting public hearing draft was made available for the public on July 12, 1996. The
Planning Commission conducted public hearings on the San Luis Obispo Area Plan from August
19, 1996 through October 24, 1996, for a total of nine hearings. The Planning Commission made
extensive changes to the plan, both in text and land use category maps, and the Planning
Commission Recommended Draft Plan has been published for your Board and the public to
review.
The plan and associated documents (exhibits A through F) are being provided to your Board in
a three-ring binder. These documents are also on file with the County Clerk, and are available
for review in the Planning and Building Department. Copies of the Planning Commission
Recommended Draft Plan have also been distributed to the public library at the comer of Osos
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Board of Supervisors November 8, 1996
San Luis Obispo Area Plan update Page 3
and Palm Streets, the city, the Edna Area Group, and the Agricultural Task Force.
A. The Existing San Luis Obispo Area Plan
The San Luis Obispo Area Plan establishes the distribution and intensity of land uses and addresses
circulation issues. The planning area covers more than 63,000 acres surrounding the city of San
Luis Obispo, including more than 2,000 acres within the San Luis Obispo urban reserve, and 950
acres within the Los Ranchos/Edna village area. Under the existing plan, approximately 18 percent
of potential commercial development, and 50 percent of residential development, has already occurred.
• The rural area provides agricultural uses and home sites near the city, as well as sites for
major institutions such as the California Mens Colony and Cuesta College. Scenic landmarks
such as the Morros and Cuesta Ridge converge around the city.
• The urban area includes the core of the campus of California Polytechnic State University
on the north of the city, the "airport area" south of the city, and agricultural land along
Highway 101 and Los Osos Valley Road.
• The Los Ranchos/Edna village area contains the Rolling Hills subdivisions, the San Luis
Obispo Golf and Country Club, and the Edna townsite. The specific plan is a detailed version
of the area plan that covers the village area, and it is also being reviewed in this process.
Land Use Categories. At the heart of the area plan are the maps that designate different land use
categories. The existing rural area plan has almost 49,900 acres in the Agriculture category, and
other acreages as shown in Figure 1.
November 8, 1996 Board of Supervisors
Page 4 San Luis Obispo Area Plan update
Figure 1: Existing Rural Area
Land Use Category Acreage
(Note: Agriculture=49,900 acres)
Public Facilities �-5-x.'`;44 '.wh'1}=^ /a=; r t..' :n.:r .•q'<;%dC'. - ',1 `3.675
163
Residential Suburban
Residential Rural +,�..,s„,;,;,576
700
RecrestlonI'r:T1JZ.]"'''Sa•^=a'i.`'f
''{ ttj1a,ti'y'C'4.S•.i' �'a ' .. L�' M ` :Rural Lands lar .
..:5924
345
Open Space-
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 6000 6000
Acres
Each land use category is allocated specific types of uses by Table O, Allowable Uses, in Framework
for Planning, part I of the Land Use Element. Uses may also be limited further by the area plan
in Chapter 7, Planning Area Standards.
The San Luis Obispo urban area includes 893 acres within the Industrial land use category near
the County Airport, McChesney Field. Other land use categories within the urban area are as
shown in Figure 2. Very little land is designated for retail or service commercial businesses, in
recognition that the city's Land Use Element discourages intensive uses until properties were annexed
and provided with city urban services. The Residential Single Family category designates 1,041
acres as a reserve that the city's Land Use Element identified for urban expansion to a mix of land
uses. This category reflects the city's policy of interim open space uses such as agriculture, by
being limited to a 10-acre parcel size for new land divisions in the planning area standards chapter.
Board of Supervisors November 8, 1996
San Luis Obispo Area Plan update Page 5
Figure 2: Existing Urban Area
Land Use Category Acreage
(Note:Industrial=893 acres)
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-160
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O 100 200 300 LOO 500 000
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Airport Area Specific Plan preparation. When the San Luis Obispo Area Plan was adopted in
1980, a commitment was made to work with property owners to prepare a specific plan for the
airport area south of San Luis Obispo. After several studies were completed, and intensive consensus-
building discussions were held between the city, county and owners' representatives, a concept
plan was instead prepared that was later utilized for the area plan update. Further work on an .
infrastructure study and financial implementation is currently under consideration by the City of
San Luis Obispo.
Area Plan Update
During 1984 to 1989, work on an airport area specific plan was underway with consultants preparing
studies and a concept plan being formed with propery owner representatives and city staff.
The area plan update was initiated in 1989 with a data collection and issues identification phase.
A public workshop was held, from which the following general issues were identified by attendees,
which are stated as goals:
1. Set the level of potential development under the general plan according to the carrying capacity
of available resources, with particular emphasis on water and air quality.
2. Establish a "greenbelt" of agricultural and open space areas around the city of San Luis
Obispo.
November 8, 1996 Board of Supervisors
Page 6 San Luis Obispo Area Plan update
3. Do not permit any new major employment generators outside of the Airport Area Specific
Plan.
4. Promote affordable housing in the area.
5. Preserve agriculture in the area, by: (a) transferring development potential into the city
or appropriate locations of clustered rural home sites, (b)buffering agricultural operations
from residential and commercial uses,(c)giving agriculture the highest priority for groundwater
supplies, (d)consider public purchase and lease-back to farmers on some prime agricultural
lands.
6. Allow more rural homesite parcels ranging in size from 1 to 10 acres, by using density
transitions outside the urban area, and transferring density from nearby agricultural lands.
7. Provide for the long-term viability of the airport.
8. Seek additional imported water for new development while giving priority for use of
groundwater to agriculture.
9. Determine the impacts of industrial and commercial land uses,and of the Cold Canyon Landfill,
on groundwater quality.
10. Improve the transportation system around the city, so people do not have to travel through
it (unless they want to).
11. State rules and procedures clearly and apply them consistently.
12. Implement consistent enforcement of county general plan policies.
C. The Public Review Draft Plan
The initial public review draft plan was published in January 1993 after several years of simultaneously
developing a concept plan for the airport area with the property owners and the City of San Luis
Obispo. The concept plan was included almost entirely in the draft plan, which reduced the scope
of preparing a specific plan to other issues, such as detailed design policies, infrastructure planning
and financial implementation.
Approaches. The following approaches formed the public review draft plan in response to public
input and the airport area concept plan:
• Community separation with rural or low density residential land.
Restraint on several property owner requests for expanding urban development or
for pockets of rural residential development.
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Board of Supervisors November 8, 1996
San Luis Obispo Area Plan update Page 7
Expanded measures to protect the visual quality of the rural area, similar to the Salinas
River Area Plan update.
• Central economic place of San Luis Obispo within the county.
Recognize the airport area south of San Luis Obispo as a focal point for economic
growth.
Allow more uses in the airport area than the existing area plan.
Set a limit allowing development up to 35 percent of each site in the airport area
to minimize cumulative impacts before annexation.
Establish a time flame of 20 years for the city to annex.the area(5 years in the airport
area), or at that time seek to provide urban services in the unincorporated area.
• Environmental constraints to major economic and residential growth.
- Recognize that the Edna Valley groundwater supply may be close to or in an overdraft
condition, and restrain a proliferation of small community water systems.
- Recognize that the air basin is very limited, and seek to minimize future increased
in commuting by encouraging the city to provide affordable housing growth to match
job growth in the urban area.
- Restrain property owner requests for recreational and residential development within
the rural area to existing smaller lot areas.
- Reduce the total Industrial land in the airport area by redesignating a large area to
Recreation for a future golf course.
Draft Plan Proposals. The primary proposal was to replace 464 acres of the Industrial category
with the Commercial Service category for general business support uses and more formal business
parks. This was consistent with stated preferences of both city and owners' representatives. On
part of the Unocal tank farm property, the Recreation category.replaced 398 acres of Industrial
category. Other proposals in the urban area were intended to designate land uses consistently with
the city's 1977 Land Use Element or with the draft cityLand Use Element.
The land use categories of the public review draft plan would allow extensive new development,
particularly within the urban area. Build-out was projected to occur after 2020, except that in
the Los Ranchos/Edna village, build-out could occur as soon as 2000.
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November 8, 1996 Board of Supervisors
Page 8 San Luis Obispo Area Plan update
D. The Environmental Impact Report
The county retained an environmental consultant(Fugro West, Inc.) to prepare a draft Environmental
Impact Report (EIR). The Draft EIR considered the potential environmental impacts associated
with build-out of the "public review" draft plan. The Draft EIR evaluated plan alternatives, which
included the existing plan as one alternative, and the property owner requests as another alternative.
E. The Planning Commission Recommended Draft Plan
A revised "public hearing draft" area plan was published on July 12, 1996, to respond to new
city plans and public input. Since the publication of the public review draft plan in December
1993, public continents were received(including the recommendations of the Edna Valley Advisory
Council), a draft environmental impact report (DEIR) was prepared and circulated, and the City
of San Luis Obispo adopted new Open Space, Noise, Land Use and Circulation Elements. Most
public comments and the city's plan policies appeared to support the public review draft area plan.
The Planning Commission conducted nine public hearings, considered staff reports, the Draft EIR,
city comments, and public input, and adopted a resolution recommending that your Board adopt
the plan as revised by the Commission. The Planning Commission made a number of changes
in the plan's text and maps, including expansions of the urban reserve line south of the city to
accommodate an additional 207 acres of Industrial and Commercial Service category land. The
Planning Commission also revised the draft plan and the Los Ranchos/Edna Village Specific Plan
to include additional land in the Residential Suburban(13 acres) and Residential Rural (293 acres)
categories. The Planning Commission also revised the draft plan to delete a proposed change from
Agriculture to Residential Rural for about 180 acres of land between Rolling Hills and the Evbans
Tract, and to delete another proposed change in the Los Ranchos/Edna Village Specific Plan that
would have reduced the minimum parcel size for parcels-on Lewis Lane from 10 acres to 5 acres.
Approaches. The Planning Commission Recommended Draft Plan incorporates the following
approaches, in addition to those of the public review draft plan:
• Include the Draft EIR recommendations. Where applicable,the recommended mitigation
measures and plan alternatives have been included within the hearing draft plan.
• Include the 1994 San Luis Obispo Land Use Element. The city changed its general plan
Land Use Element in 1994, utilizing the airport area concept plan and adding major new
areas for retail commercial and multi family development on Madonna and Los Osos Valley
Roads. While the county hearing draft plan designates most areas to correspond with the
city plan, the plan further recommends that these areas realize their planned development
after they are annexed and during the interim, remain in agricultural uses. A cooperative
greenbelt program with the county is recommended for the rural area.
• Recognize the uncertain quantity and quality of the groundwater basin. The state
Department of Water Resources is concluding its preparation of a groundwater basin study,
which is pending release this fall.
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Board of Supervisors November 8, 1996
San Luis Obispo Area Plan update Page 9
• Interim policies for the airport area. The draft plan describes a proposed policy to encourage
city annexation of the airport area during a period of up to five years. One criticism of
the u sfing area plan is that it is overly restrictive in the airport area, discouraging well-paying
service commercial and high-tech businesses. During this 5-year period, the area would
be allowed to develop these types of uses, although more intensive uses would need larger
sites than low-impact uses. If annexation does not occur within five years or earlier, the
plan proposes that the county consider two options:
1. Provide unincorporated urban services through one or more districts, or
2. Reduce the allowed intensity and/or range of uses in response to environmental
and housing constraints.
Draft Plan Proposals. Land use categories are "fine-tuned" in this draft, as follows:
• Business park areas are added along Broad Street between Tank Farm Road and the County
Airport.
• Industrial category area are retained in part of the Unocal tank farm property to provide
additional land for space-extensive uses such as storage yards.
• Boundariesare adjusted to reflect the city's 1994 Land Use Element and the DEIR, such
as east of Prado Road, and along Broad Street north of Tank Farm Road.
• Commercial Retail replaces the Residential Single Family category along Los Osos Valley
Road on the Madonna property, reflecting the city's plan, but it is deleted from the Dalidio
property, which is recommended for the Agriculture category.
• Residential Rural proposals are canceled in the rural area on Righetti Road and on Highway
1 at California Mens Colony.
Environmental Revjew of the Draft Plan
An "additional information" document was determined necessary to supplement the draft EIR for
some of the changes proposed in the public hearing draft plan that were not previously considered.
As with the draft EIR, this document was circulated for public comment. The EIR indicates that
buildout of the plan as proposed will result in potentially significant and unavoidable impacts, as
specified in Exhibit C. Accordingly, Exhibit D contains CEQA required Findings and a Statement
of Overriding Considerations.
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November 8, 1996 Board of Supervisors
Page 10 San Luis Obispo Area Plan update
Fiscal Impact Study
A computer-based fiscal impact analysis of the plan indicates that annexation of the airport area
to the city is in the county interest, since the county costs of providing services to this area appear
to exceed the revenues generated. A brief report on the analysis is provided with the plan as Exhibit
F.
Slo\W 10896.rpt
K", 7NG AGENDA
DA1't -W-7-A4ITEM #=
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
MEMORANDUM
November 7, 1996
TO: John Dunn, CAe-0:� �
FROM: Arnold Jonas, Community Development Directo
VIA: John Mandeville, Long Range Planning Manag V
BY: Glen Matteson, Associate Planner
SUBJECT: City and County policies concerning Cal Poly
The policies excerpted below are provided in response to a request by Council member Williams,
with reference to the County's San Luis Obispo Area Plan Update, Planning Commission
Recommended Plan, pages 4-28 and 4-29 (Item 1 on the November 7 agenda).
City of S.L-O. Housing Elemen
Policy 1.30.4
The City will seek to minimize growth of housing demand from Cal Poly University expansion,
and from other governmental institution expansion.
Program 1.30.9
Advocate the establishment of a linkage between enrollment growth and the expansion of campus
housing programs at Cal Poly University and Cuesta College to reduce pressure on the City's
housing supply.
City ofS.L.O. and Use Element
Policy 1.12.2
The City favors Cal Poly's approved master plan enrollment targets. These targets should not be
changed in a way that would exceed campus and community resources. The City favors additional
on-campus housing, enhanced transit service, and other measures to minimize impacts of campus
commuting and enrollment.
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MEETING. AGENDA
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO "�OUt•1ClL �•�Ji1iR
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FROM: Arnold B. Jonas Community Development Director G�-'x'1 +�ATTORNEY �w DIR
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Prepared By: Glen Matteson, Associate Planner -WCLERxroR,(1 p ppuCE CHP
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SUBJECT: County's San Luis Obispo Area Plan Update ❑F READ FILE F&II .L DIR
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CAO RECOMMENDATION
Receive a presentation from County staff. Identify any issues which should be addressed in
communications to the Board of Supervisors, including inconsistencies with the City's General
Plan, and direct staff to prepare a letter for the Mayor's signature.
DISCUSSION
This meeting is an opportunity for Council to receive a presentation from County staff, to become
reacquainted with the main issues of mutual concern in the San Luis Obispo planning area, and
to provide comments and direction. Copies of the latest draft County plan were placed in the
Council reading file when they became available last week. A brief transmittal report, with an
attached copy of the County staff report to the Board of Supervisors, was distributed November
4.
Separate general plans adopted by the City and by the County cover the San Luis Obispo area.
While each plan outlines land uses for the entire area, each agency's land use authority applies
only within its jurisdiction. Consistent plans are basic to achieving common visions of open space
protection, urban form, housing availability and affordability, and economic development. The
City and the County have worked on updates of their land use and circulation plans during the late
1980's and early 1990's. The City adopted its update in 1994. The County's draft update has
been considered by the County Planning Commission, which recommended a draft at the end of
October. Hearings by the Board of Supervisors aA scheduled to start November.8.
The City's General Plan should be an important factor in adopting the County's Area Plan Update,
because the City's plan contains the goals and policies of the incorporated area which is home to
about three-quarters of the people who live within the boundaries of the County's Area Plan.
The City's adopted General Plan says consistent City and County general plans should be adopted
and maintained. City staff have been in communication with the County staff and Planning
Commission as the County's update was prepared and considered at public hearings. At times,
the draft updates were very similar, though some differences always existed. Many of City staff's
suggestions have been reflected in the latest County draft.
The remaining major differences between the City plan and County plan concern the Airport Area.
Council Agenda Report - County Area Plan Update
Page 2
The plan recommended by the County Planning Commission would:
• Allow a wide range of uses before annexation, including the full range of office uses.
(The City's plan says additional urban-intensity uses should be developed only after
annexation, and offices in particular should be focused in certain parts of the city.)
• Allow water and sewer service to be provided by special districts or companies, including
package treatment plants for nonresidential uses. (The City's plan favors on-site services
until City services are provided following annexation.)
• Change the designation from Agriculture to Industrial or to Commercial Service for three
areas outside the City's urban reserve line (attached map). (A key consideration in
revising the City's plan to support annexation of the Airport Area was prevention of
further encroachment into agricultural and open space areas in the greenbelt.)
ALTERNATIVES
Council action is appropriate, but not required. Any action to change the City's plan would begin
with Council initiating an amendment, which would have to be considered by the City's Planning
Commission before returning to the Council for a hearing.
FISCAL EMPACT
There are no fiscal impacts associated with the recommended action.
Attachment
Airport Area vicinity map
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COUNTY AREA PLAN UPDATE .
COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED DRAFT
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-""-' INCONSISTENCIES WITH CITY OF S.L.O. GENERAL PLAN
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