HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-11-18; Planning Commission; Resolution 65481 PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 6548
2 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE
CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING
ADOPTION OF A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT TO
4 ADOPT THE UPDATE OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT FOR
THE 2005-2010 HOUSING CYCLE AS REQUIRED BY THE
5 CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT CODE.
CASE NAME: 2005-2010 HOUSING ELEMENT
6 CASE NO.: GPA 03-02
7
with the City of Carlsbad to adopt a General Plan Amendment for the Draft 2005-2010 Housing
WHEREAS, the City of Carlsbad, "Applicant," has filed a verified application
8
9 Element ("Draft Housing Element"), a document that affects properties throughout Carlsbad; and
10
WHEREAS, the Draft Housing Element is an update to the Housing Element
11
adopted in 2000 for the 1999-2005 Housing Cycle; and
12
WHEREAS, the Housing Commission did on January 8 and February 12, 2009,
14 hold noticed public meetings to consider said request; and
15 WHEREAS, at said meetings, upon hearing and considering all testimony and
16 arguments, analyzing the information submitted by staff, and considering any written comments
17 received, the Housing Commission considered all factors relating to the Draft Housing Element
1 O
and recommended approval of the General Plan Amendment to the Planning Commission and
19 City Council; and
20
WHEREAS, subsequent to the Housing Commission hearings, staff prepared
21
minor revisions to the Draft 2005-2010 Housing Element to (1) delete text and figures
22
regarding the La Costa Town Square project, which was approved by City Council in23
24 August 2009 without the residential and mixed use high density components indentified in
25 the Draft Housing Element; (2) add additional shopping center sites with high density,
26 mixed use potential to Table 3-7 and related text; (3) revise text, tables and figures as
27 necessary to reflect the above revisions; and (4) amend Section 4 to clarify the ability of
no/-° water and sewer providers to serve the City's remaining Regional Housing Needs
1 Assessment and to add to the Quarry Creek environmental constraints discussion that
o remediation of groundwater is occurring; and
3 WHEREAS, these minor revisions, which maintain the City's ability to meet
4
its RHNA obligations for lower income housing, also maintain project consistency with the
5
General Plan, Growth Management Program, Local Coastal Program, and State Housing
6
Element law; the minor revisions are attached to this resolution as Exhibit A; and
7
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission did on November 18, 2009, hold a duly
o
9 noticed public hearing as prescribed by law to consider said request; and
10 WHEREAS, at said public hearing, upon hearing and considering all testimony
11 and arguments, analyzing the information submitted by staff, and considering any written
12 comments received, the Planning Commission considered all factors relating to the General Plan
Amendment.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Planning
15
Commission as follows:
16
17 A) That the foregoing recitations are true and correct.
18 B) That based on the evidence presented at the public hearing, the Planning
Commission RECOMMENDS APPROVAL of the DRAFT 2005-2010
19 HOUSING ELEMENT (dated December 2008) - GPA 03-02, including the
2Q minor text revisions shown on attached Exhibit A, based on the following
findings:
Findings:
22
1. The General Plan Amendment is necessary to ensure the General Plan Housing
23 Element is consistent with state housing law as found in the California Government
Code, commencing with Section 65580.
24
2. Through its strategies and programs, the General Plan Amendment to the Housing
Element ensures the city will continue to provide all required and necessary
~,. affordable housing programs, policies and regulations to successfully meet a priority
of Government Code Section 65580(a), which states "the availability of housing is of
27 vital statewide importance, and the early attainment of decent housing and a suitable
00
PC RESO NO. 6548 -2-
1 living environment for every Californian, including farmworkers, is a priority of the
highest order."
,, 3. The General Plan Amendment incorporates Housing Element programs,
particularly Program 2.1, that require land use designation and minimum density
4 changes necessary to comply with growth projections as determined by the State
Department of Housing and Community Development and as allocated by the San
5 Diego Association of Governments through the Regional Housing Needs Assessment
(RHNA) process.
6
4. The General Plan Amendment is consistent with the applicable elements of the
' General Plan in that (1) it complies with the location criteria for medium and higher
density, multi-family uses and overall Land Use Element Residential Objective B.I,
which states "to achieve a variety of safe, attractive housing in all economic
9 segments throughout the City;" (2) it does not conflict with the objectives and
policies of other elements that have bearing on or are impacted by residential land
10 uses, such as the Circulation Element, Parks and Recreation Element, and Public
Safety Element, including compliance with safety measures in place to protect
11 residents from potential aircraft operation hazards; (3) the General Plan
Amendment does not allow residential encroachment into open space areas,
12 consistent with the Conservation and Open Space Element, and; (4) it does not
propose housing in areas where people would be exposed to harmful noise since, as
consistent with the Noise Element, negative impacts from transportation sources can
j4 be mitigated through design and building sound insulation.
15 5. The General Plan Amendment is consistent with the City's Local Coastal Program
in that none of the proposed policies or programs allow for degradation of
16 agricultural or scenic resources, encroachment into environmentally sensitive areas,
restriction of coastal access, or creation of geologic instability or erosion. The
17 proposed updates to the Housing Element also contain programs intending to
preserve and/or replace affordable housing within the Coastal Zone, as required by
state law.
19 6. The General Plan Amendment is consistent with the City's Growth Management
20 Program in that (1) unit yields that could be realized from implementation of
Housing Element programs do not exceed the Growth Management dwelling unit
21 cap for any of the four quadrants; (2) programs do not conflict with Growth
Management threshold standards to ensure public facilities and services keep pace
22 with development; and (3) the Housing Element is consistent with a purpose and
intent of the Growth Management Program, which is to provide quality housing
opportunities for all economic segments of the community and to balance the
24 housing needs of the region against the public service needs of Carlsbad's residents
and available fiscal and environmental resources.
25 7. The minor revisions to the Draft Housing Element as shown in Exhibit A attached
26 to this resolution maintain compliance with the findings herein as they do not
conflict with any of the requirements or policies of the land use documents identified
27 or with state housing law.
28
PC RESO NO. 6548 -3-
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Planning
Commission of the City of Carlsbad, California, held on November 18, 2009, by the following
vote, to wit:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Commissioners Baker, L'Heureux, Nygaard, Schumacher, and
Chairperson Montgomery
Commissioners Dominguez and Douglas
M.
CARLSBAD PLANN
ATTEST:
'erson
ION
DON NEU
Planning Director
PCRESONO. 6548 -4-
Exhibit A to Planning Commission Resolution 6548
Draft 2005-2010 Housing Element (GPA 03-02)
Draft 2005-2010 Housing Element -
Proposed Minor Text Changes
(Proposed deletions shown strikeout and
proposed additions shown double underlined)
Resources Available
units per acre. Additionally, the proposed Barrio Area is identified as a RH site
because of the high density land use proposed there; it may, however, receive a
different high density land use designation than RH.
Table 3-4
Existing and Proposed High Density Residential (RH) Sites
Property APN Acres Density Number of
Units1
Vacant Residential Sites currently designated RH
Robertson Ranch
Unentitled Land
Subtotal
Portions of 168-050-47, 208-
010-36
Various (see Appendix C)
22
12
20-22.3
du/ac2
20 du/ac3
4652
237
702
Vacant Residential Sites proposed to be designated RH
Bridges at Aviara
Affordable Housing
Component4
Subtotal
Portions of 215-050-44 and
47 2.6 25 65
65
Vacant Non-Residential Sites proposed to be designated RH
Ponto4
Quarry Creek4
Subtotal
Other
Underutilized RH Sites
Proposed Barrio Area4
Subtotal
Total
-m nfin ° 1
216-140-17
Portions of 167-040-21
Various (see Appendix D)
Various (See Appendix G)
fi n
6.4
15
0.26
14
in HI \/-\r
20" du/ac
20-du/ac
20 du/ac3
28 du/ac
1 ">n
128
300
54842S
8
256
264
±&?9iA52
Notes:1 Number of units does not always reflect acreage multiplied by density because of rounding and other
factors.
2 General Plan Amendment (GPA) and Master Plan approved to allow the densities and number of units
shown. Number of units includes 78 high-density, lower income units under construction (Glen Ridge) as of
October 2008. These units are not reflected in Table 3-2.3 City commits to process a GPA to increase minimum density to 20 du/ac on these sites (New Program).4 More information about these projects is provided below.
Source: City of Carlsbad, December 2008
Table 3-5
Approved Multi-Family Projects on Small Sites
Project
Ayoub Triplex
Ocean Breeze Condos
Acacia Estates
Tamarack Beach Lofts
La Vercia
Site Size
(in acres)
0.19
0.31
0.32
0.22
0.41
Units
3
5
4
4
5
Density
15.8 du/ac
16.0 du/ac
12.5 du/ac
18.0 du/ac
12.2 du/ac
Approval .
Date
2000
2002
2005
2006
1998
City of Carlsbad
2005-2010 Housing Element 3-9
Resources Available
Specific Sites Proposed to be Designated RH
Rve-Fpur different sites are proposed for redesignation to RH. For three of them,
the City would propose the redesignation; the other two aresjte_would__be
developerHQitiated applications. Details of each follow:
1. Bridges at Aviara Affordable Housing Component: A developer has
filed applications, including a zone change and general plan amendment, to
redesignate and develop and preserve approximately 60 vacant acres in
the Southwest Quadrant. The proposed project would feature 428
condominiums for senior residents and 65 apartments units on a proposed
2.6-acre site. Occupancy of the 65 apartments would be restricted to lower
income families. Much of the property would be set aside as open space
to preserve natural habitat. Current zoning for the affected acreage is L-C
(Limited Control) and R-l (One-family Residential). Current general plan is
RLM (Residential Low Medium Density) and OS (Open Space).
2-7— La Costa Town Square; A developer initiated application, the Lo Costa
Town Square project, located in the Southeast Quadrant/ features a largo
shopping center and office development, a mixed use component, and
single and multi family residential. Part of the proposal would redesignato
six acres of property from Q (Office) to RH- and construct-. 120 multi-family
units on the property at the proposed minimum density for vacant RH sites
of 20 units per acre. — Current zoning of the property, P-C (Planned
Community), would not change. The draft environmental impact report for
La Costa Town Square is expected to be publicly released in early 2000
with public hearings later that year.
Ponto is the name given to a 130-acre area located near
Carlsbad State Beach in the southwestern part of the City. Ponto also falls
within the South Carlsbad Coastal Redevelopment Area. The Ponto
Beachfront Village Vision Plan is intended to provide guidance for the
development of a 50-acre portion of Ponto. This Vision Plan, approved by
the City in 2007, designates approximately 6.4 vacant acres for high
density residential. This property has a current zoning of P-C and a
combination general plan designation of U-A/T-R/C (Unplanned
Area/Travel-Recreation/Commercial). Per the Vision Plan, the City would
amend the general plan to designate the property RH. The environmental
impact report for the Ponto Beachfront'Village Vision Plan has been certified
by the City, although the report is the subject of litigation regarding
financial contributions towards off-site improvements.
4."lt==Quarry Creek: The site of the former South Coast Materials Quarry
that ceased mining operations in 1995, Quarry Creek is an approximately
100-acre parcel bisected by Buena Vista Creek and bordered by
commercial and residential uses, the 78 Freeway, and open space. The
majority of the property is vacant; some buildings from the quarry
City of Carlsbad
3-10 2005-2010 Housing Element
Resources Available
operation remain, and recycling of used concrete and asphalt materials
continues on a temporary basis on site. The site is undergoing soil
remediation and reclamation planning as required by the State Surface
Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) and a draft environmental impact
report on the reclamation plan was released for public review in September
2008. Quarry Creek, which is located in the Northeast Quadrant, has a
current zoning of R-l-10,000 (One family residential, minimum 10,000-
square-foot lot size) and M (Manufacturing) and general plan designations
of RLM (Residential Low Medium Density) and OS (Open Space). The City
proposes to redesignate a portion of the property to RH with an appropriate
zoning. The City also proposes to redesignate another portion of the
property to RMH (see Table 3-9). Quarry Creek is unique in that it is part of
the only area in the City without a Local Facilities Management Plan; this
plan must be adopted before any development may occur. A developer
has filed an application to initiate the master planning of Quarry Creek in a
manner consistent with the City's residential land use and density
objectives for the property.
Barrio Area: The Barrio is an approximately 100-acre
urbanized area in the City's Northwest Quadrant originally developed by
Hispanic immigrants in the 1920s. Mostly developed, the Barrio Area is
west of Interstate 5, east of the railroad tracks and. south of the Village
Redevelopment Area.. Roughly at the center of the 'Barrio Area are the
recently expanded Pine Avenue Park, Chase Field, and the City's newly
remodeled senior center. Along with these open space and community
uses, existing land uses include medium and lower density residential and
higher density, multi-family uses. A few Barrio properties are developed
with neighborhood commercial uses, and the area is well served by
churches and a multitude of services in the adjacent Village Redevelopment
Area.
While ideally located next to major transportation, shopping and recreation
(including Carlsbad State Beach less than one mile to the west), the Barrio
Area has a significant number of older, underutilized properties with high
absentee ownership. Of the nearly 320 properties in the Barrio Area, over
25 percent have structures at least 55 years of age, 60 percent are
absentee-owned, and 55 percent of the properties have improvement
values less than their land values. Similar to many older neighborhoods,
the Barrio has been transitioning from predominantly family owned
occupancy to non-owner occupancy. Consequently, many older and
substandard buildings exist in the area, and many properties are not being
adequately maintained.
Though property values in the Barrio Area remain high, the neighborhood
could benefit from additional investment in property improvements. Since
2000, the City has made a number of substantial public improvements in
the area, including utility undergrounding, storm drain and street
improvements, and the previously mentioned park and senior center
City of Carlsbad
2005-2010 Housing Element 3-11
Resources Available
Whether as a stand-alone or combined document, the master or specific
plan would establish a new or unique land use designation that permits
high densities in excess of the current RH land use designation, which
permits a maximum of 23 units per acre. However, since RH is the City's
only current high density land use designation, it used to designate the
proposed high density for the Barrio Area as well.
RH Mixed Use Sites
The City's satisfaction of its RHNA also relies upon existing and proposed "mixed
use" sites. For purposes of this Housing Element, mixed use describes properties
where both commercial and residential uses either are permitted or proposed on
the same or adjacent sites. Mixed use may be "horizontal," with different uses
located on adjoining sites, or it may be "vertical," with residences, for example,
located above shops in a multi-story building. Table 3-6 lists residential
potential in the City's planned mixed use and existing redevelopment areas
where lower income housing also may be feasible.
Table 3-6
Existing and Proposed RH Mixed Use Sites
Property APN Acres Density Number
of Units1
Proposed Vacant Mixed Use Sites
Commercial Mixed Use
Ponto2
Portion of 223 060 32
Portion of 216-140-18
x.u
^upprox;
2.8
(approx)
M /A\\f r\
20 du/ac
14
28
Proposed Shopping Center Mixed Use Sites
Various (see Table 3-7)2 Various Various 20 du/ac 3^7525
Existing Village Mixed Use Sites (underutilized and vacant)
Village Redevelopment Area2 Various (see Appendix F) 71.5 18 and 28
du/ac3
875
Proposed Barrio Area (primarily underutilized)
Barrio Area2
Total
Various (see Appendix G)5 28 du/ac3 45
*r33Q:L4
Z3
Notes:1 Number of units does not always reflect acreage multiplied by density because of rounding, planned mixed use
developments, and other factors. Number of units also reflects deductions for any existing units.2 More information about these projects is provided in the text below.3 The City commits to adopting a policy to establish the minimum densities shown.. Only 50% of the potential
yield for both Village and proposed Barrio Area Mixed Use sites is considered. For the Village, only 1.7 acres of
the total acres shown are vacant.
Source: City of Carlsbad, August 2007 and March 2008
Proposed Vacant Mixed Use Sites
City of Carlsbad
2005-2010 Housing Element 3-13
Resources Available
±r-Lo Costa Town Square; This developer proposed project also features a
mixed use component with 14 muiti family residential units in oddition to
its proposed RH component discussed above. These 14 units arc proposed
as inclusionary units for satisfying the single family residential component
of the project. These units will be affordable to lower income households.
Also discussed above, the draft Ponto Beachfront Village Vision
Plan prepared by the City designates an approximate six acre area as a
mixed use center where residential would be permitted in a vertical or
horizontal arrangement. The City commits to the development of 28
dwelling units on the site at a density of 20 units per acre. This property
has a current zoning of P-C and a combination general plan designation of
U-A/T-R/C/OS (Unplanned Area/Travel-Recreation/Commercial/Open
Space). This designation would be changed to an appropriate mixed use
designation that facilitates high density development.
Proposed Shopping Center Mixed Use Sites
Carlsbad recognizes the increasing pressure on cities to encourage smart growth
developments; that is, developments which recognize the importance of
sustainability and balance social, economic, and environmental needs through the
development of mixed use commercial and high density residential projects. The
City is also aware that it has a finite supply of raw land. Fbr these reasons,
Carlsbad sees its many shopping center sites as potential locations for high
density housing. As potential mixed-use sites, they would comply with General
Plan objectives for medium and high density uses calling for close-in, convenient
shopping for the City residents and proximity to transportation corridors and
employment areas.
Currently, outside the Village Redevelopment Area, residential uses above the
ground floor of a multi-story commercial building are conditionally permitted in
the zones applied to shopping centers (i.e., C-l [Neighborhood Commercial], C-2
[General Commercial], and C-L .[Local Shopping Center]). Recognizing the
potential for residential mixed with existing or redeveloped commercial uses, this
Housing Element includes a new program to develop new standards to permit by
right multi-family housing in the City's commercial zones at a minimum density of
20 du/acre.
While residential development would not be mandatory upon any shopping center
development or redevelopment proposal, the City believes the shopping centers
identified in Table 3-7 have the potential to initiate mixed use development
within this Housing Element cycle. The City has identified these centers as
potential mixed-use sites for various reasons, including functional obsolescence
due to small supermarket and/or property size and poor vehicular circulation;
underutilization of property; undeveloped property: and City ownership of
surrounding property. One of these centers, Plaza Camino Real, has already been
the subject of redevelopment discussions between the City and mall owners.
City of Carlsbad
3-14 2005-2010 Housing Element
Resources Available
Plaza Camino Real, a regional mall along Highway 78 developed in the late 1960s,
is entirely surrounded by parking on property owned by the City of Carlsbad.
The dwelling unit yield projected for the shopping centers is based on only 25
percent of each center's acreage redeveloping with residential uses at 20 units
per acre. This assumption recognizes that not all shopping centers will propose
mixed-use; for those that do, the 25 percent limitation also recognizes the
importance of maintaining sites for commercial uses in the City.
(Table 3-7 identifies only select shopping centers; the proposed program to allow
mixed uses at shopping centers would apply to all shopping centers and shopping
center sites in Carlsbad.)
Table 3-7
Shopping Centers with High Density, Mixed Use Potential
Use
Von's Center
Von's Center
Country Store
Plaza Camino
Real
.SunD.yXr.eek
.CundfivelQued}
North County
Plaza
Total
Location
Interstate 5
and
Tamarack
El Camino
Real and La
Costa -Ave
El Camino
Real
El Camino
Real and
Marron Rd.
El Camino
Real a ad
L..QIie_ge....Diy_d
Marron Rd
and
Jefferson St
Quadrant
Northwest
Southeast
Northwest
Northwest
Northeast
Northwest
APN
206-050-16
- 20
216-124-
11, 13, 15,-
16, and 17
207-101-24
156-301-
06, 10, and
11; 156-
302-14 and
24
209-090-11
156-301-16
Acres -
5
8
5
57
(parking
lot only)
1.7,6
12
(excludes
creek)
Existing
Zoning1
C-l
'-. C-l-Q
C-2/C-2-
Q
C-2
C-L
C-2-O/OS
Existing
General
Plan2
L
L, L/OS
L
R
L
OS/R
Number
of
Units3
25
42
25
285
88
60
3ȣ25
Notes1 Zoning symbols are: C-l (Neighborhood Commercial); C-2 (General Commercial) C-L (Local Shopping Center);
O-S (Open Space); R-P (Residential Professional); Q (Qualified Development Overlay Zone).2 General Plan land use symbols are: L (Local Shopping Center); OS (Open Space); R (Regional Commercial).3 Number of units is based on 25% of site acreage multiplied by 20 du/ac.
Existing Underutilized and Vacant Mixed Use Sites in the Village
Based on current development trends, the City estimates that significant
residential development potential is located in the Village Redevelopment Area,
which encompasses the City's downtown and is located in the Northwest
Quadrant. Furthermore, the City is encouraging mixed use developments in its
downtown area. Residential development (at a density of up to 35 units per
acre) is currently permitted or provisionally permitted on nearly all of the
City of Carlsbad
2005-2010 Housing Element 3-15
Resources Available
Second Units
Furthermore, the City has experienced increased development of second units in
recent years. Between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2006, a total of 67
second dwelling units (or an annual average of 17 units) were built in the City.
The City estimates an additional 80 second units may be developed during the
remaining four years of the 2005-2010 planning period based on recent trends.
Pursuant to City regulations, second dwelling units, if rented, must be rented at
rates affordable to lower income households.
Adequacy of Sites Inventory in Meeting RHNA
Overall, the City has the capacity to accommodate 5,266-2 SCLadditiona I units on
existing and proposed, residentially designated land, mixed use projects and
redevelopment areas (Table 3-12). This capacity can potentially facilitate the
development of 3,0-3^028^1 owe r income, 577 moderate income, and 1,675 above
moderate income units based on economic feasibility as it relates to densities.
Combined, the City has land resources and programs (existing and proposed) to
accommodate the remaining RHNA of 3,566 units for lower and moderate income
households on properties designated for RH and RMH densities. Since the City
has more capacity than necessary to satisfy RHNA lower income demands, the
surplus can be applied to satisfy moderate income needs. As the RHNA for
above-moderate income housing has already been satisfied by residences
constructed through 2006, there is no remaining need to address for this income
group.
Table 3-12
Adequacy of Sites in Meeting Remaining RHNA
Sites
Residential Sites
Mixed Use Sites
Recently approved
Proposals with Affordable
Components1
Second Units
Total
RHNA Remaining
Difference
Lower
Income
±7579JL45J
•j 3301 473
16
80
3,044028
2,395
+649633
Moderate
Income
569
0
8
0
577
1,171
-594
Above
Moderate
Income
1,675
0
0
1,675
—
+ 1,675
Total
3,863203
1 OOQ1 A~J~3
-±fJJ J^tQA-X:
24
80
572665,280
3,566
+ 1,790214
'These projects, indentified in Table 3-11, are in addition to those found in tables 3-1 and 3-2 and
represent affordable housing approved since December 31, 2006.
Source: City of Carlsbad, May 2008.
The City's existing affordable housing program has been quite successful,
despite severe market constraints related to the high cost of residential land. As
shown in Table 2-15, Carlsbad property values are the second highest in the
County, well above the County median. As discussed previously, there is a
City of Carlsbad
2005-2010 Housing Element 3-25
Constraints and Mitigating Opportunities
Table 4-4
Dwelling Units Permitted on Vacant and Underutilized Residential
and Mixed Use Sites and Recently Approved Projects Based on Current
Growth Control Points
Property
Bridges at Aviara
La Costa Town Square (proposed
Ponto
Quarry Creek
Vacant Unentitled RH Land
Underutilized RH sites
Second Dwelling Units
Village Redevelopment Area
Commercial Mixed Use Ponto
Vacant Unentitled RMH Land
Underutilized RMH Land
Shopping Center Mixed Use
Proposed Barrio Area . .;" '
Recently Approved Projects with
Affordable Housing (Harding Street
Senior Project)1
Total
APN
Portions of 215-050-44 and 47
ITS nfin °1
216-140-17
Portions of 167-040-21
Various
Various
Various
Various
Portion of 223 060 32
Portion of 216-140-18
Various
Various
Various
Various
204-192-12
Dwelling Units
Permitted
22
e
0
165
224
68
0
0
9
0
91
96
0
70
6
742
Notes:
1 These projects are found in Table 3-11. Of the three projects identified in Table 3-11, only the Harding Street
Project is counted in this Table 4-4. For purposes of this Housing Element, all 15 affordable units in the Harding
Street project have been withdrawn from the Excess Dwelling Unit Bank. Overall, the project requires a 44 unit
bank withdrawal when also factoring in its market rate units.
The other two projects in Table 3-11, Lumiere and Roosevelt Street, do not require additional bank withdrawals.
The Lumiere project is part of the Village Redevelopment Area (already counted above) and the Roosevelt Street
project rehabilitates existing units and thus requires no units from the Excess Dwelling Unit Bank.
In addition to ensuring adequate units exist in the Excess Dwelling Unit Bank, it
is also necessary to verify that the identified sites do not cause the dwelling unit
caps of each quadrant to be exceeded. Table 4-5 provides this analysis to
demonstrate that quadrant caps will not be exceeded. In the "Identified Sites"
column, reported are the number of units that would be withdrawn from the
Excess Dwelling Unit Bank and that are in addition to any units already
permitted on the sites by existing General Plan designations and densities, as
identified in Table 4-4. As shown below, since per quadrant totals under
"Identified Sites" are fewer than the per quadrant totals under "Future Units,"
each quadrant has sufficient capacity to accommodate proposed Housing
Element programs, as indicated by the per quadrant totals under "Remaining
Future Units."
City of Carlsbad
2005-2010 Housing Element 4-13
Constraints and Mitigating Opportunities
Water Supply
Although Carlsbad and the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) do not
foresee short-term water supply problems, the City cannot guarantee the long-
term availability of an adequate water supply. Recent State law requires that
the local water purveyor prepare a water supply assessment for larger
subdivisions to ensure adequate long-term water supply for single-year and
multi-year drought conditions prior to issuance of a building permit. The City
also actively implements several water conservation programs and has an
extensive network for the collection, treatment, and circulation of recycled water
for non-potable uses throughout the City. In 2006, the City approved the
Carlsbad Seawater Desalination Plant. If approved by the Coastal Commission
and built, the desalination plant Would provide 100 percent of the potable water
needs of the Carlsbad Municipal Water District, which serves most of the city.
Mitigating Opportunities
Pursuant to State law, affordable housing projects should be given priority for
water and sewer services should supply or capacity becomes an issue.
The Carlsbad Municipal Water District (CMWD) serves approximately 75 percent
of the City, providing sewer service to the same area as the City of Carlsbad.
Both the City and CMWD have adequate capacity and facilities to serve the
portion of the City's remaining RHNA that is within their service areas^
approximately 3,400 units.r This equals approximately 3,200units, or the
majority of the City's 3,566 remaining RHNA units. Portions of the CMWD service
area are also sewered bv the Leucadia Wastewater District, an agency further
discussed below^
The portions of Carlsbad not served by CMWD or the City are located in the
southeastern part of Carlsbad, including the community known as "La Costa."
For much of this area, the Leucadia Wastewater District provides sewer service
and the Olivenhain Municipal and Vallecitos water districts provide water service.
None of the sites the City has identified to meet its RHNA are located in the
Vallecitos service area. However, no more than 490-350 of Carlsbad's remaining
RHNA are located within the Leucadia and Olivenhain districts. Both districts
have.jidlcatM_their,aMity to provide sewer and water services to the J1H.N.A
units within their respective service areas. Letters indicating the ability of the
districts to provide service arc pending.
Topography
Certain topographic conditions can limit the amount of developable land and
increase the cost of housing in Carlsbad. For safety and conservation purposes,
Carlsbad's Hillside Development Ordinance does not allow significant amounts of
grading without regulatory permits. In addition, land that has slopes over 40
percent is precluded from the density calculation. Development on slopes
greater than 25 percent but less than 40 percent is permitted at half the site's
base density. Thousands of acres of land in Carlsbad are constrained by
City of Carlsbad
2005-2010 Housing Element 4-39
^____ Constraints and Mitigating Opportunities
in developed areas .and are not expected to be heavily constrained by
steep slopes and habitat or require significant environmental review.
3. Underutilized Sites ~ These are properties with existing RMH or RH
General Plan designations and potential for more intense development.
They are all less than one acre in size, located near the coast, and in
developed areas. There are likely no significant environmental constraints
associated with these parcels.
4. Proposed Barrio Area and Existing Village Redevelopment Area - These
two areas have the potential to provide a significant amount of housing
to meet the City's remaining RHNA. Located adjacent to each other and
west of Interstate 5, the Barrio and Village areas are in urbanized,
developed areas and lack significant topography and sensitive vegetation.
Impacts associated with density increases already approved for the
Village Redevelopment Area and considered in this Housing Element have
been analyzed in an adopted environmental document. As individual
projects are proposed, they will go through separate environmental
review although this review is not expected to be significant.
The proposed Barrio Area plan will require environmental review, which
will likely focus on potential impacts associated with,urban development,
such as traffic, aesthetics, land use, an'd public facilities. Adoption of the
planning an'd environmental documents for the proposed Barrio Area may
extend to 2010, but is expected to be completed before July 2010.
5. Bridges at Aviara Affordable Housing Component - Part of a large
proposed senior project, this high density project is located on
undeveloped lands in the City's Coastal Zone. Potential environmental
constraints include those associated with slopes, sensitive habitat, and
land use. The project site is on land currently designated for low density
development. The project will be analyzed for compliance with the City's
Habitat Management Plan and Local Coastal Program, among other
documents. Environmental impacts will be considered in the
environmental document prepared for the whole Bridges at Aviara project.
Processing of the environmental document may extend through 2009.
6.La Costa Town Square This project is subject to qn EIR that is scheduled
for release as a draft docefment in 2008. The RH-portion-ef this project is
already graded; the com memo I mixed use—portion is- on undeveloped
property with topographic and vegetation constraint, among others. It is
expected that the project and its EIR can bo approved in 2009.
TrfL-^ Ponto - The Ponto area features a proposed RH site and a
proposed commercial mixed use site. The RH and mixed use sites and
land uses are already identified and analyzed in an approved vision plan
and EIR certified by the City Council; however, zoning and General Plan
amendments are necessary to put in place correct land use designations,
City of Carlsbad
2005-2010 Housing Element 4-41
Constraints and Mitigating Opportunities
and the EIR is the subject of litigation regarding financial contributions
towards off-site improvements. Provided litigation is resolved without
revisions to the EIR, development consistent with the vision plan should
not require additional significant environmental review.
8r7. Quarry Creek - A former mining operation, Quarry Creek is a
largely disturbed, approximately 100-acre property that also features
significant habitat areas. The property is subject to reclamation as
required by the state Surface Mining and Reclamation Act. The
reclamation plan and accompanying EIR are in preparation and the draft
EIR was released for public review in September 2008. Based on earlier
agreements, the City of Oceanside, not Carlsbad, is responsible for
preparation and approval of the reclamation plan and EIR. An additional,
five-acre portion of the former mine is in Oceanside and is not part of the
site considered by this Housing Element.
Additional environmental review will be required for the land use
designations the City proposes for this site; this review may include
another EIR. Furthermore, site reclamation must be permitted and must
occur before Quarry Creek is ready for residential or other development.
Reclamation includes restoration of Buena Vista Creek, which bisects the
site, and remediation of soilsjyad^gjrjQUQdjyatej:, a process which is well
underway. •.._"-
City of Carlsbad
4-42 2005-2010 Housing Element