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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-10-19; Planning Commission; Resolution 72071 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 PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 7207 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, CONFIRMING THE ITEMS STAFF WILL REVISE OR STUDY FOR POTENTIAL REVISION AS IT PREPARES THE THIRD DRAFT OF THE VILLAGE AND BARRIO MASTER PLAN. THE VILLAGE AND BARRIO MASTER PLAN WOULD REGULATE LAND USES FOR THE CITY'S DOWNTOWN VILLAGE AND ADJACENT BARRIO. CASE NAME: VILLAGE AND BARRIO MASTER PLAN CASE NO.: GPA 16-01/ZCA 16-01/ZC 16-01/MP 14-01/LCPA 14-01 WHEREAS, the City of Carlsbad is preparing a master plan for the Village and Barrio neighborhoods, which are described as: The area generally located west of Interstate 5 between Tamarack Avenue and Laguna Drive. The railroad corridor forms the west boundary of the Barrio. Garfield and Ocean Streets generally border the west boundary of the Village. Parts of both neighborhoods are in the Coastal Zone ("the Property"); and WHEREAS, the City released its first draft of the Village and Barrio Master Plan for public review in November 2015; and WHEREAS, based on public comments, including comments from the Planning Commission, the City released a second draft of the Master Plan for public review in April 2016; and WHEREAS, meetings before the Planning Commission were held on April 13, 2016, and July 13, 2016, to present information on the second draft of the Master Plan and receive public comment; and WHEREAS, at the April and July meetings, the Planning Commission took no action on the Master Plan as the only purpose of the meetings was to present information and take public comment on the document; and WHEREAS, in response to public comments on the second draft of the Master Plan since its release, including mail and email comments, the city has prepared Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof, which lists the items the city will revise or study for potential revision as it prepares the third draft of the Village and Barrio Master Plan; and 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 WHEREAS, as noted on Exhibit A, the list of items the city will revise or study for potential revision is not meant to completely identify all changes that may occur; other revisions will likely become apparent as items are studied, the Master Plan is revised, and additional public comment and other agency input is received; and WHEREAS, the Planning Commission did on October 19, 2016, hold a duly noticed public hearing as prescribed by law to consider said request; and WHEREAS, the staff report prepared for the October 19, 2016, meeting included attachments that listed or summarized the public comments received since release of the April2016 draft; while the attachments do not exhaustively list all public comments made, they do effectively identify at least the majority of concerns and opinions people have about the master plan; and WHEREAS, at said public hearing, upon hearing and considering all testimony and arguments, analyzing the information submitted by City staff, and considering any written and oral comments received, the Planning Commission considered all factors relating to the recommendation to confirm the items staff will revise or study for revision as it prepares the third draft of the Village and Barrio Master Plan. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Planning Commission of the City of Carlsbad as follows: A) B) That the foregoing recitations are true and correct. That based on the evidence presented at the public hearing, the Planning Commission hereby CONFIRMS the list of items contained in Exhibit A, which identifies those items staff will revise or study for potential revision as it prepares the third draft of the Village and Barrio Master Plan, based on the following finding that is supported by substantial evidence in the Record: Finding: 1. The Planning Commission of the City of Carlsbad does hereby find that Exhibit A identifies those items to revise or study for potential revision and reasonably captures the concerns expressed in public comments, including Planning Commissioner comments, made on the April 2016 draft of the Village and Barrio Master Plan. PC RESO NO. 7207 -2- 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 October 19, 2016, by the following vote, wit: AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: Chairperson Anderson, Commissioners Black, Goyarts, L'Heureux, Montgomery, and Siekmann None Commissioner Segall None ~s;6~W VELYN ANDERSON, Chairperson CARLSBAD PLANNING COMMISSION ATIEST: ~It DON NEU City Planner PC RESO NO. 7207 -3- Exhibit A to Planning Commission Resolution 7207 October 19, 2016 Note: This list is not meant to completely identify all changes that may occur; other revisions will likely become apparent as items are studied, the Master Plan is revised, and additional public comment and other agency input are received. A. Overall 1. Tone, content, and formatting-As an overall effort, staff will evaluate the plan's contents for redundancy, readability, ease of use, and tone. Ways the document can be streamlined and perhaps shortened overall (e.g., deleting sections on the charrette, economics and tactical urbanism and/or relocating them to the appendix) will be examined. Existing, adopted master or specific plans will be consulted to determine if a different format and wording style and means to present information should be considered. 2. Graphics -The April 2016 Master Plan draft has many renderings, pictures and maps. Consideration will be given to eliminate unnecessary graphics, partly to aid in the streamlining effort; for those proposed to remain, modified or be added, staff will seek to make them more appropriate to Carlsbad. 3. Vision and objectives-Staff will review the Master Plan's vision and objectives (Master Plan Part One and Section 4) in light of community comments and the Carlsbad Community Vision and make revisions as appropriate. Staff will also conduct an evaluation to ensure Master Plan components that flow from the vision and objectives, such as development standards (e.g., building height, setbacks) and design guidelines, are consistent with them. B. Development Standards, Design and Character 1. Development and use standards (Master Plan Part Two-the "Code")-In particular, this section of the plan will be targeted for streamlining and improved usability. Graphics will be revised and standards will be reviewed for appropriateness. 2. Transect Districts-The adopted Village Master Plan and Design Manual divides the Village into nine land use districts. The draft Village and Barrio Master Plan uses seven Transect Districts instead (see Section 6.2) as a means to provide standards for both neighborhoods. The Transect Districts can be confusing and their intent statements are not clear. Staff will examine the Transect Districts' effectiveness and may recommend modifications or replacement by a different method of providing standards across the proposed Master Plan area. As part of this evaluation, staff will also study refinements to the boundaries of the Master Plan. 3. Building height -Staff recommends eliminating the proposed height increase to 55-feet. Staff also will evaluate height limits and the maximum number of stories for each district. Further, consider the appropriateness of allowing architectural projections, such as towers, to exceed the maximum building height. 4. Community character-Most seem to agree that certain elements in the Village and Barrio bear maintaining: the less dense Barrio core, the Twin Inns at the northeast corner of Carlsbad Boulevard and Carlsbad Village Drive (location of Sun Diego and the Land and Water Company), State Street between Carlsbad Village Drive and Grand Avenue, and the very large trees along Grand Avenue. The overall walkability of the entire Master Plan area and small town feel are other desirable attributes. Many of these qualities are captured in the core values of the Carlsbad Community Vision (e.g., small town feel, community character and connectedness). As noted, staff will review the Master Plan's vision and objectives for consistency with the Community Vision and seek to develop guidelines and standards that follow suit. Exhibit A to Planning Commission Resolution 7207 October 19,2016 Page 2 5. Design Guidelines/Architecture-Staff will revisit Master Plan Part Three, Design Guidelines, as to structure, contents, and effectiveness. Examples, text, and graphics will be more Carlsbad- appropriate and responsive to the desired character of the Village and Barrio. An effort will be made to provide guidelines written and illustrated in "plain English." Staff will also study how the guidelines can have more "teeth" so they can effectively guide project design and assist the public, staff, and decision-makers in project evaluation and recommendation. Staff does not recommend establishing any particular style or theme (such as a Spanish theme in the Barrio) but does believe providing examples of community-supported architecture in the Village and Barrio would be worthwhile. It seems appropriate for the design guidelines to provide some regulation of exterior materials. Guidelines for building mass should be considered, such as setback requirements for upper building floors. Further, because buildings are in close proximity to the street, pedestrians, and other buildings, quality of design is important to ensure the planning area remains interesting and inviting. C. Streets, Parking and Circulation 1. Parking-Parking provisions are found throughout the Master Plan and particularly in the Vision and Code sections (Parts One and Two). Parking standards will be revised pending the completion of the Village, Barrio and Beach Area Parking Study. It is expected the parking study recommendations could impact many Master Plan provisions, particularly the strategies of the Mobility Plan (Section 2.7) and the parking ratios and parking in lieu fee standards (Section 6.4). 2. Parking structure-Evaluate a parking structure in the Village even if the parking study does not recommend one. 3. Street vacations-A policy on street vacations for the Village and Barrio areas will be considered. 4. Alleys-Improved development and design standards are recommended for alleys so that they too present a pleasant appearance in both the Barrio and Village. 5. Alternative Design Streets -The appropriateness of maintaining this designation, which affects some Village streets, will be considered. 6. Bike Plan-Many people commented on the desire for safer bicycling in the Village and Barrio, particularly in the form of bike paths separated from vehicle travel lanes. Staff will review the proposed master plan's contents and recommend changes and may seek the advice of a bicycle interest group. 7. Street lighting -Review the lighting plan, Master Plan Section 2.5.1.4, for adequacy and in consideration of capital improvement projects to improve pedestrian lighting along Carlsbad Boulevard and in the Barrio and street lighting throughout the Village and Barrio. 8. Traffic calming and pedestrian improvements-Continue to evaluate roundabouts, traffic circles, bulb-outs, crosswalks, and sidewalk and accessibility improvements as a way to improve circulation for all forms of mobility in the Village and Barrio; accordingly, staff will review Master Plan Sections 2.5 and 2.6 (and Section 2.6.4, Barrio Streets, in particular) for appropriateness. 9. Entry monuments-Consider improvements to entry features that welcome people to the Village. 10. Chestnut Avenue-A crossing of the railroad at Chestnut Avenue should move forward regardless of trenching. D. Land Use Exhibit A to Planning Commission Resolution 7207 October 19,2016 Page 3 1. Areas north of Grand Avenue-Staff will examine the appropriateness and adequacy of Master Plan standards and objectives for the areas generally north of Grand Avenue, particularly in the vicinity of the Army and Navy Academy and along Roosevelt Street eastward to Jefferson Street. 2. State Street-Between Carlsbad Village Drive and Grand Avenue, State Street is often cited as a wonderful example of downtown Carlsbad. North of Grand Avenue, State Street is benefitting from private investment but lacks the character that exists in the one block south of Grand Avenue. Focused planning to guide street design, public space and land uses along this street is recommended. 3. City hall-The Master Plan suggests a new city hall as a potential future use of city-owned property at Carlsbad Village Drive and Roosevelt Street (Section 2.4.2). A current City Council strategic policy goal is to plan for a new city hall. One objective of the goal is to evaluate potential city hall locations. Completion of this evaluation is expected in summer 2017. The Master Plan should be consistent with study results. 4. Curb cafes -Curb cafes were approved as part of a three year pilot program according to City Council Policy 78. The pilot program has expired and no new curb cafes can be permitted unless the program is renewed. The April 2016 Master Plan draft contains broad policy language that encourages the ongoing permitting of curb cafes and recommends expansion of the area in which the policy allowed them. Now that the Village, Barrio and Beach Area parking study is underway, study results should influence any Master Plan provision in this matter. 5. Railroad trenching-With release of a comprehensive study on railroad trenching this fall and subsequent review, the Master Plan may need amendment as appropriate. In addition, the Master Plan should emphasize covering as much of the trench as possible. 6. North County Transit District property-While trenching of the railroad tracks is an obvious factor, staff will look to better develop Master Plan standards for NCTD-owned properties in cooperation with the agency. It is expected that the Village, Barrio and Beach Area Parking study will also provide information on the status and future use of parking lots the city presently leases from NCTD. 7. Implementation Plan -Staff will draft an implementation plan for public improvements that identifies, in general terms, time frames, feasibility and constraints, potential costs, and funding sources. 8. Open space-The Master Plan recommends several open space opportunities, such as the Lincoln Street Plaza and the Grand Avenue Promenade. The Village and Barrio also benefit from three existing public parks and proximity to the beach. Staff will evaluate measures to incentivize developers to incorporate visible and attractive public spaces, particularly along a key corridor such as Carlsbad Village Drive. 9. Undergrounding utilities -A proposal to underground utilities can be constrained by available funding and other, already planned undergrounding projects. Also, undergrounding is commonly done in conjunction with a street improvement project. The feasibility and possible timeframes for undergrounding in the Village and Barrio are not known, but staff can conduct some basic research in this regard; potentially, undergrounding could be a component of the recommended implementation plan. 10. Preservation of a commercial"core"-Residences are permitted in all proposed Transect Districts (except the Civic District, which is applied to the railroad corridor and city parks), though the Master Plan cautions their use in areas where they could break up retail continuity. Furthermore, the current Village Master Plan and Design Manual requires the primary permitted land uses for Exhibit A to Planning Commission Resolution 7207 October 19, 2016 Page 4 all ground floor space in the Coastal Zone to be visitor serving commercial uses. Staff will study whether in some areas it may be appropriate to restrict residential uses to upper floors only (in a mixed use format) where a strong commercial street scene or retail continuity is desirable and will confirm with the Coastal Commission the extent of requirements for visitor serving commercial. 11. Mixed use projects-Buildings with a mix of uses would be permitted by the Master Plan. This may include a combination of different commercial uses, such as retail on the first floor and offices above, or a mix of residential and commercial uses. Staff will study what mix of uses is acceptable, including whether time-shares should be allowed in a mixed use project. 12. Grand Avenue Promenade-The master plan recommendation to convert a portion of this street into a public plaza should remain.