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Home My WebLink About05/19/1998, C14 - SPECIFIC PLAN FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE MORROS council M..,,�o.,. rfay 19 , 1998 CA AgcnoA RepoRt Tie.Y..h., ei ail I T Y OF SAN LUIS OBISPO FROM: PPaul LeSage, Director of Parks and Recreation SUBJECT: SPECIFIC PLAN FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE MORROS CAO RECOMMENDATION By motion, endorse the development of a Specific Plan for the preservation of the Morros, to be completed by staff of the San Luis Obispo County Planning Department. DISCUSSION Background Since early 1995, the Morros Advisory Committee has been meeting to discuss methods of protecting the Morros. The Committee is composed of land owners, environmentalists, government agencies representatives, scientific members, business representatives, and two individuals from the County Parks and Recreation Commission. Staff support has been provided by the County Planning Department and the County Parks Division, the lead agency on the project. The Parks and Recreation Director has represented the City through this process. More recently, the City's Natural Resources Manager has also been involved. Due to wide divergence of views on the Advisory Committee, the work of the group has been long and somewhat delicate. After an initial period of trust building, the Committee began an intensive in-depth study of the Morros as they exist today. This involved dividing the study area into sub sections, usually with one of the peaks defining the boundaries. Each area was studied by three sub committees who considered agricultural, environmental, and public-interest issues. From these groups, a listing of specific issues was developed. Examples of the issues include: agricultural viability, public access, grazing practices, minimum lot sizes, development within the study area, and environmental protection. The full committee has been reviewing these issues and developing solutions for the past year. Again, considering the diverse make up of the group, it has been a time-consuming process. However, since everyone has the same ultimate goal, the preservation of the Morros, consensus has been reached on a number of issues. The latest work effort is a DRAFT TOPICS PAPER FOR THE MORROS PLANNING AREA, (May 4, 1998, revision) a copy of which is available in the Council's reading file. The process has reached the point where the work of the Committee needs to be placed into an effective format. The recommendation of County staff is to have the Planning Department write a Specific Plan that incorporates the issues that have been addressed by the Committee. This action will require the approval of the Board of Supervisors. County staff will seek this permission on June 2, 1998. The work of the group has been remarkably consistent with the City's Open Space Element of the General Plan. In fact, the two recent acquisitions, Maino and Bunnell, meet guidelines that are likely to be in any document developed by the Committee. L/'/f/-/ Council Agenda Report-Specific Plan for the Preservation of the Morros Page 2 It is in the best interest of the City to support a Morros Specific Plan, as a significant portion of the study area is within the City Greenbelt. As it is in the City's Open Space Element, a key preservation strategy for the Morros is the retention of a viable agricultural industry. The proposed Morros Specific Plan supports access to certain public lands for passive recreational activities. Environmental protection will be addressed throughout the document. The proposed plan has the potential to provide tools for the preservation of the Morros, without taking away any of the rights of those who own property there. Additionally, legislation proposed at the State level will provide tax credits for the establishment of conservation easements. In order to be eligible for the credit, properties must be covered by an identified specific plan. A Morros Specific Plan would meet that criteria. Potentially then, a land owner could receive a direct State income tax credit by establishing a conservation easement within the Morros area. At this point, the Committee has gone about as far as it can go. If the Board of Supervisors chooses not to authorize a Specific Plan, the Committee will likely disband. That would be very unfortunate. A significant amount of good work has taken place. If the Board authorizes the plan, it should be completed in about one year. The Committee will review and approve the staff work as well as shepherd the plan through the various County Agencies and Commissions that are required to comment on the plan before it returns to the Board. CONCURRENCES The Morros Advisory Committee, by a concurrence of its members, recommends this action to the Board of Supervisors. The City's Parks and Recreation Commission supports the work of the Morros Committee, and the preservation of the study area. County Planning staff is willing to prepare the Specific Plan document. The Natural Resources Manager supports the development of a Morros Specific Plan, as it will aid the City in achieving its Green Belt goals. FISCAL IMPACT To date, the City has contributed $14,000 to the work of the Morros Advisory Committee. That funding has been used to support the mapping of the Morros through the Cal Poly Landscape Architecture Department's Geographic Information Systems. Any further City financial participation would be purely voluntary. ATTACHMENT 1. Map showing the portion of the Morros Study Area that is within the City Green Belt. CAOMORROSPLAN DOC A copy of the DRAFT TOPICS PAPER FOR THE MORROS PLANNING AREA is available in the Council's Reading file. 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