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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-02-2014 PH1 Johnsont IS 0 COUNCIL MEETING: ITEM NO.: 1H I Community Development 919 palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 -3218 805.781.7170 SIOG ty,artj Date: November 24, 2014 To: Mayor and City Council Via: Katie Lichtig, City Manager I From: Derek Johnson, Community Development Director Prepared by: Kim Murry, Deputy Director, Community Development Subject: Airport Compatible Open Space (ACOS) and the LUCE update ITCEIVEOF DEC 0 12014 r7 L FY CLERK A question was raised whether the City's Airport Compatible Open Space Plan comports with the Johnson Aviation Airport Compatibility Report prepared for the Land Use and Circulation Element update. The short answer is "yes" with more details provided below. What is Airport Compatible Open Space (ACOS)? ACOS areas are open space resources that increase airport safety by providing open areas for pilots to use in emergency situations. The City has an ACOS Plan that was approved by the Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) on April 20, 2005, which locates suitable ACOS areas within the City.. By maintaining ACOS areas as open space and restricting development to reduce obstructions and /or more intense concentrations of people, the City is able to qualify for increased density in the urban areas. For example, the area within the Broad Street Area Plan is able to be considered for 12 units /acre residential density instead of the 6 units /acre allowed under Airport Land Use Plan Safety Zone 2 because the City has an ACOS Plan endorsed by the Airport Land Use Commission. Where is the ACOS Plan found? The ACOS plan was endorsed by the City Council and approved in the Airport Land Use Plan by the ALUC in 2005. However, the document is not part of the City's Zoning Ordinance or General Plan. Instead, development proposals on lands impacted by ACOS areas must take the Airport Compatible Open Space Plan into account when formulating plans. A link to the document may be found here: http:// www. slocity .org /communitvdevelopment /download /ACOS.pdf There were six ACOS areas identified (with status shown in parentheses): 1. Brughelli Ranch (an easement has been acquired to preserve open space consistent with what is specified in the ACOS); 2. Laguna Lake Park (City owned and is preserved as open space as part of the Laguna Lake Natural Reserve Conservation Plan); 3. Dalidio — Now referred to as San Luis Ranch (will have to address open area requirement with future development); ACOS Areas Memorandum 4. Orcutt Area (No suitable area due to topography, transmission lines and other constraints. OASP includes policy to pursue open space easements in areas bordering the URL near the airport; the OASP was found by the ALUC to be consistent with the Airport Land Use Plan); 5. Margarita Area (MASP has area identified in ACOS that is also shown in MASP as open space area not to be developed); and 6. Airport Areas 1 & 2 (The recent update to the Airport Area Specific Plan (AASP) included relocating the two reserve areas on the Chevron property to be more aligned with the main runway; taking down the berm and walls of the tank remnant off of the end of the runway; and recording a conservation easement for approximately 250 acres of land. These efforts will secure the most sensitive land within the airport area in perpetuity for the protection of the airport in addition to other open space goals. In addition, development within the AASP is subject to an open space in -lieu fee to secure conservation easements over lands near the airport area outside of the Chevron property and URL.) city of san Luis Gnuspo Akpod Ca ps#ON Op.. 6V WNt Ow'vNW MM 4 +g�F Area (4) Areas (5 and 6) How does the ACOS impact the LUCE update? The ALUC's finding of inconsistency of the LUCE referral does not change the endorsement of the ACOS by the ALUC, which occurred in 2005. Despite the ALUC determination, the LUCE update includes a proposed Airport Overlay Zone (AOZ) which, in addition to other airport safety and noise provisions, codifies the Airport Compatible Open Space (ACOS) Plan to reflect the ACOS areas approved by the ALUC. Proposed section 17.57.090 of the AOZ also includes a requirement to seek additional open land areas as part of discretionary land use approvals for projects within the ALUP boundaries, further enhancing airport safety. Additional language has been incorporated into the AOZ to reference ALUP direction for size, orientation and topography for future ACOS areas to ensure new areas comply with ALUP requirements. 2 ACOS Areas Memorandum One of the areas subject to a future specific plan, San Luis Ranch, has an identified ACOS area ( #3 above) endorsed by the ALUC, which will need to be incorporated in the development proposal referred to the ALUC for subsequent review. While not identified in the ACOS Plan, the Avila Ranch property contains agricultural buffer areas along Buckley Road and along the eastern border of the property that can also serve as airport compatible open space. In addition, draft Land Use Element Policy 8.3.2.6 requires that 50% of the site be dedicated as open space /agriculture and this amount can be reduced to 33% through in lieu fees or offsite dedication consistent with the requirements of the AASP, which was previously found consistent by the ALUC. The LUCE contains a third new development area - the Madonna at Los Osos Valley Road property. While this area will include a significant amount of open space, the site is primarily in ALUP Safety Zone 2 and is comprised of steep hillsides, unsuitable for a designated ACOS area. Please contact Kim Murry, Community Development, at 781 -7274 or via email at kmurry @slocity.org with any questions.