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Home My WebLink About08/01/1989, 5 - POLICY FOR PROCESSING ANNEXATIONS (INITIATED AS GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS) DURING THE GENERAL PLAN UP - 4 p 1 - MEETING DATE: i1111111IIIJ$101I��I city Of Sap LUIS OBISPO August 1 1989 u uVUUIIII COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT �N"� FROM Randy Rossi, Interim Community Development Director BY: Glen Matteson, Associate Planner SUBJECT: Policy for processing annexations (initiated as general plan amendments) during the general plan update. CAO RECOMMENDATION Adopt resolution requiring public Bearings on-annexations occur no sooner than adoption of the. general plan update. DISCUSSION The city is updating the land-use, open-space, and circulation elements of its general plan. We are about half-way through a process that will probably take three years, from initiation in 1987 to adoption in 1990. The effort requires substantial time from staff, the Planning Commission, and the City Council. The city has received several proposals to amend the Land Use Element for areas outside the city. These requests involve specific plans or development plans for areas proposed to be annexed. More such requests may be received. Some citizens and councilmembers have questioned the wisdom of trying to process these changes --particularly those which would change open space designations to urban designations-- on schedules similar to typical development requests, while the general plan update effort is underway. SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS Adopting the recommended policy will have no impact on the environment and no significant impact on city finances. Following the recommended policy would help all involved best understand cumulative changes and it would help make the most efficient use of staff, commission, and council time. CONSEQUENCES OF NOT TAKING THE RECOMMENDED ACTION Staff thinks council endorsement of a new policy may be desirable, but it is not essential. Unless the council directs otherwise, staff will continue to process applications involving annexations as we have been. Even without a formal council policy directing so, some of the major annexation proposals are not expected to come to the council sooner than the Land Use Element update. m�i�►IWI�I@� �� city ®f San luis OBISp0 ONGs COUNCIL AGENOA REPORT Page 2 EVALUATION Status of seneral-plan update Following a public participation effort, in February staff published a discussion draft Land Use Element text. A draft map will soon be distributed. The Land Use Element will reaffirm or adjust areas designated to become urban or to be kept in rural or open-space uses. The Planning Commission is holding hearings this summer and fall to make recommendations to the City Council on policies which would be evaluated in an environmental impact report (EIR). Major issues include air quality and traffic impacts of the contemplated growth potential, the balance of jobs and housing, the ultimate boundaries of the city (where the greenbelt would begin), and the prospects for new water supplies adequate to support potential development. The EIR would be prepared in spring 1990, with adoption of the revised element anticipated for fall 1990. The open space element will refine the categories of open space and the means of protecting open land. Work on the open space element is underway. A draft should be complete by early next year. The first phase of the circulation update study is complete, and council has given direction for the second phase. The county is also updating its plan for the San Luis Obispo area, with adoption of revisions expected on about the same schedule as the city's plan update. The county has adopted a resolution similar to the suggested resolution, requiring its recently received amendment requests to be processed as part of the county general plan update for the San Luis Obispo area. Status of amendment reauests The attached table shows the status of the applications involving annexations which have been submitted to the city. Their locations are shown on the attached map. If the council decides to delay hearings on requests involving annexations, it may want to allow earlier hearings on the Irish Hills Golf Course and Homesites project. The city has previously told the county that the city would process the Irish Hills amendment request, which was filed in simultaneous applications to both agencies, in a timely manner. While this proposal has been revised since originally submitted, the original application was received in October 1986, before the general plan update was underway. Unless council directs otherwise, staff intends --before doing further environmental review work-- to bring to the council for conceptual review the major proposals involving annexations: Margarita; Obispo del Sur; La Lomita; Dalidio (if the applicant re-activates this request). 111111111//11 11 city of san tuts oBispo COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT C, Page 3 Environmental review process Even if the council favors considering an annexation application no sooner than the general plan update, environmental review could continue (at the option of the applicant). The EIR on the general plan update would focus on cumulative, citywide issues, while the project EIR's would focus on site-specific impacts. Also, if the applicant wishes, staff would bring to the council the Planning Commission's comments on the Margarita specific plan proposal, so the council could give direction on basic specific plan features before work begins for an EIR on that proposal. ALTERNATIVES The council may direct staff to process individual applications (1) as part of the general plan update, or (2) separately from the general plan update, at whatever pace workload, hearing schedules, and environmental review allow. The council can delay further environmental review, or allow environmental review to continue and delay only hearings for action on the proposals. The council may establish categories of amendment requests to be processed in different ways. The categories could be based on: = Location (inside/outside the city or inside/outside the adopted urban reserve line), area; Type of change (open space to urban use, or one urban use to another); Date received, or current processing status. Or, the council could simply indicate which of the listed applications should proceed separately. If the council wants to treat the Irish Hills proposal differently from others involving annexations, it could either be excluded by name or by using the date suggested by staff in the draft resolution. The council may continue action. OTHER DEPARTMENT COMMENTS The City Attorney concurs that deferring consideration of applications pending a general plan update is allowed. General plan amendment requests are legislative acts rather than "development applications," and therefore are not subject to the processing time limits of state law. �, I �I��ii►��icity of san tuffs osispo COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT J, Page 4 RECOMMENDATION If the council favors having hearings on amendment requests involving annexations no sooner than hearings on the Land Use Element update, adopt the attached resolution. If the council wants the Irish Hills project processing to continue ahead of the general plan update, the indicated cut-off date of January 1, 1987, would be added. Staff thinks this approach will allow the best understanding of cumulative changes and the most efficient use of staff, commission, and council time. If the council endorses this approach, proposed specific plans and development plans within potential annexation areas would not go before the Planning Commission or the City Council until they consider the Land Use Element update. If the council wants all further processing, including environmental review, to stop until the Land Use Element update in heard, the resolution should be changed accordingly. Attachments: Draft resolution Map Application list gm2.1: process I i RESOLUTION NO. (1989 Series) A RESOLUTION OF THE SAN LUIS OBISPO CITY COUNCIL CONCERNING PROCESSING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT REQUESTS WHEREAS, the council has initiated a comprehensive review and revision of the general plan land use, open space, and circulation elements, as provided in the city financial plan and work program; and WHEREAS, private applicants have submitted several requests for significant changes to the adopted Land Use Element; and WHEREAS, thorough evaluation of cumulative effects and efficient use of city staff time will be provided by including the individual amendment requests in the comprehensive revision; and WHEREAS, the council finds that establishing this policy is not a project for purposes of environmental review; and WHEREAS, the council on - held a public hearing to considered public testimony and the report and recommendation of staff; NOW, THEREFORE, the council resolves that requests to amend the general plan Land Use Element involving areas outside the city limits; or outside the adopted urban reserve line, will be considered at public hearings no sooner than hearings on the Land Use Element update: This policy will apply to all. pending applications (received after January 1, 1987,] and any applications which may be received before adoption of the Land Use Element update. On motion of , seconded by and on the following roll call vote: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted this - day of 1988. Mayor ATTEST: City Clerk �'� Resolution No. (1989 Series) Page 2 APPROVED: City A i�nistrative Officer City Attornev k Community Development Director gm2.1:process Montalbar' Nipomo-Dana A Treadwell Irish Hills Bishop /IN�Z - F— S tonLri dce Br1i ck ard Orcutt Creek Pre f umo .......... Padre Margarita .................. Obispo del Sur PENDING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT REQUESTS 0 S-�7 C C C u -p d C C C W L O Y y r pl LJ u L m L U L u w a L L M O �mr ` w u m Y 61 O 0C m m L 0 « u Y « « « •Y uu u u u u u 0 0 E K C a 0 C pC C C «m 0 •� m 0 0 0 100 m Np N U W Y 4 m 6 ® V 4 W m m « co zO1.•V 'd ��p0 g > g C <r 0. Pco co P P P P a co Pg r r U O OUC O � N 2 O -0j 0 m 0 C ►•1 S S i a m Q � m m m m •� m o o c L u �u FV M d 0 ap+ O L u « U m 40 1Up m m m L •C • Y L. L L L p 0 L L L �OEI Y A « C C C « w v v 7 9 O F, y ya j u w 00 0 + O V E E C E C E C C m m _ 0 13ty)m C C L C Y L C \ a m m 00 0 m mm m0 mm U 0 0 U m m m m M1. L L L L L L L L L m m L m u u u u u u u u 10 N u u M a 0 m 0 0 0 m 0 0 N m v A 0 •O N QN L O co Goo N N N M ' r P m F�•I N � M � — 0 z LPM ^ V O f.d ' ^ M N G. N w z . .. vCL o Q V Gp7 V fn N p. L. ^ 1 v C ,. O a .. a w c o v S w c m a o CL 0 y a pQ5 vC m Y v m v X am y [ lm .pc •► m up J m u 7 C Vl y o I m d o I .- a m o z [ l -U HEFTING AGENDA �— ITEM j LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF SAN LUIS OBISPO , CALIFORNIA POST OFFICE BOX 4210• SAN Luis OBlSPO, CALIFORNIA 93403 August 1, 1989 TO: The City Council , San Luis Obispo FROM: The League of Women Voters of San Luis -Obispo RE: Policy for processing annexations (initiated as General Plan amendments) during the General Plan update. For many years, the League of Women Voters has supported policies and actions that lead to planned and orderly growth and development. We had a member sit on the General Plan Update Ad Hoc Committee and several members who attended the citizen workshops. We also have been reviewing the General Plan Update Workbook and the several annexation .proposals. Based on our planning positions, we support the GAO's recommendation to adopt a resolution requiring that public hearings on annexations occur no sooner than adoption of the General Plan update. Our only difference with the staff is that, while they think the policy is desirable, but not essential , we think that it is a65olutely essential . Many of the long range issues being discussed will inevitably lead to significant changes in planning policies and standards. For instance, the City is considering a bus system to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. Expanding the bus system suggests- re-thinking planning and design requirements to answer such questions as; What basic street pattern allows the shortest home to work route ? We believe that the Updated General Plan should guide all future develop= ment, and ask that you approve the proposed policy. Thank you, aA� �. aAA.o k-wu Avis E. Austin, President *Denotes action by Lead Person League of Women Voters of Rndty: San Luis Obispo t0,Pwncil V�PAO Ie G ig• Et L0 EI VE �Tr JUL 3 i 1989 CI 7Y CLERK SAN LUIS OBISPO,CA