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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-07-17; Planning Commission; Resolution 7280PLANNING COMMISSION RESOLUTION NO. 7280 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE OPEN SPACE, CONSERVATION, AND RECREATION ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN FOR THE CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAILS MASTER PLAN CASE NAME: CASE NO: CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAILS MASTER PLAN GPA 2017-0001 (PUB17Y-0008) WHEREAS, the City of Carlsbad, "Applicant," has filed a verified application with the City of Carlsbad for a General Plan Amendment to include by reference the City of Carlsbad Trails Master Plan in the Open Space, Conservation, and Recreation Element of the General Plan to ensure that the General Plan is consistent with the Trails Master Plan; and WHEREAS, said verified application constitutes a request for a General Plan Amendment as dated March 2017, attached hereto and on file in the Carlsbad Planning Division, CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAILS MASTER PLAN -GPA 2017-0001, as provided in Government Code Section 65350 et. seq. and Section 21.52.150 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code; and WHE,REAS, the Planning Commission did, on July 17, 2019, hold a duly noticed public hearing as prescribed by law to consider said request; and WHEREAS, at said public hearing, upon hearing and considering all testimony and arguments, if any, of all persons desiring to be heard, said Commission considered all factors relating to the General Plan Amendment. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Planning Commission of the City of Carlsbad, as follows: A) That the above recitations are true and correct. B) That based on the evidence presented at the public hearing, the Commission RECOMMENDS APPROVAL of GPA 2017-0001 -CITY OF CARLSBAD TRAILS MASTER PLAN, based on the following findings: Findings: 1. The proposed General Plan Amendment is necessary to update text, tables and figures in the General Plan Open Space, Conservation and Recreation (OSCR) Element to reflect the preparation of the City of Carlsbad Trails Master Plan as called for in OSCR Policy 4-P.40, and to ensure its effective implementation by incorporating it by reference into the General Plan. 2. The City of Carlsbad Trails Master Plan is consistent with the Land Use and Community Design; Mobility; Open Space, Conservation, and Recreation (as amended herein); and Arts, History, Culture, and Education Elements of the city's General Plan in that the proposed trails would provide: 1) improved enhancements along Carlsbad Boulevard and the Coastal Rail Trail; 2) public recreational access to beaches, lagoons and open space; and 3) trails to connect the city's open space network. 3. The Trails Master Plan would be consistent with Title 21 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code {CMC) in that the proposed trails would be located on property that have various zoning designations; however, most of the proposed trails would be located on property with a zoning designation of Open Space (O-S) or within the public rights-of-way, zones in which recreational trail use is generally compatible. However, the requirements for the zones, such as building height, yard setbacks, lot coverage, etc. are not relevant to trails. 4. Trail development in the coastal zone must comply with the coastal development permitting (CDP) regulations and the Local Coastal Program (LCP) policies. Each trail segment would be reviewed for consistency with the LCP and Coastal Act prior to issuance of a CDP. Furthermore, the Trails Master Plan is consistent with applicable LCP policies in that the plan proposes; 1) lagoon and bluff top public access ways; 2) implementation of soil erosion and drainage control measures; 3) and trails and public pathways located within the first 15 feet of a buffer or fuel modification zones. Table 6, of the IS/MND for the Trails Master Plan, as contained in Planning Commission Resolution No. 7279, discusses in more detail how the Trails Master Plan is consistent with the applicable policies of the LCP. 5. The Trails Master Plan is consistent with the City of Carlsbad Habitat Management Plan {HMP) in that for trail segments that may have sensitive habitat constraints: 1) a biological survey will be conducted to verify potential direct and indirect impacts to sensitive biological resources; 2) trail segments will be designed to avoid and minimize impacts to wildlife habitat and species of concern to the maximum extent practicable; 3) unavoidable impacts to sensitive natural communities will be mitigated in accordance with the mitigation ratios and requirements specified in Table 11 (page D-113) of the city's HMP; and 4) trails located within the coastal zone will comply with Coastal Zone Standards listed on pages D-114 through D-121 of the city's HMP. 6. The Trails Master Plan is consistent with the city's Growth Management Program in that it does not conflict with public facilities relationships, especially the relationship to the city's planned major circulation network; and is consistent with the purpose and intent of the Growth Management Program, which is to provide a balanced community with adequate commercial, industrial, recreational and open space areas to support the residential areas of the city. PC RESO NO. 7280 -2- PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Planning Commission of the City of Carlsbad, California, held on July 17, 2019, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Chair Luna, Commissioners Geidner, Lafferty, Merz, Meenes, and Stine NOES: ABSENT: Commissioner Anderson ABSTAIN: CARLSBAD PLANNING COMMISSION ATTEST: DON NEU City Planner PC RESO NO. 7280 -3- Draft City of Carlsbad Trails Master Plan General Plan Amendment (GPA 2017-0001) December 2018 The proposed General Plan Amendment is to amend the following segments of the City of Carlsbad’s Open Space, Conservation, and Recreation Element: x General Plan Section 4.6 – Trails and Greenway System Additional background information is included in this section; outdated information is deleted; and the Trails Master Plan is included by reference. x General Plan Figure 4-4 – Existing and Planned Future Recreational Trails The Figure is proposed to be deleted as Figure 5.1 depicting existing and proposed trails in the Trails Master Plan will superseded this Figure. x General Plan Table 4-8 – Existing Trails The table is proposed to be deleted as this information will be changing as new trails are constructed. x General Plan Policy 4-P.40 – Trails and Greenways This policy is proposed to be deleted and replaced with wording to update the Trails Master Plan as necessary. x General Plan Policy 4-P.41 - Trails and Greenways This policy is proposed to be added to implement the projects recommended in the Trails Master Plan. dd,DEdϮ Draft City of Carlsbad Trails Master Plan General Plan Amendment (GPA 2017-001) December 2018 As part of the draft City of Carlsbad Trails Master Plan, the following sections of the Carlsbad General Plan are proposed to be amended. General Plan Section 4.6 is proposed to be amended as follows: 4.6 Trails and Greenway System Trails and greenways offer community benefits as places for exercise and solitude, and also play a key role in physically connecting the community and creating a network of open spaces. The City of Carlsbad has been working for many years to develop and implement a comprehensive trails system. Beginning in 1990, residents recognized the natural beauty of the many open space areas and the city’s three large lagoons as desirable recreational and outdoor education opportunities. Over the years, several important planning documents consistently provided guidance during growth of the city to ensure that the unique natural resources were protected and yet available for enjoyment by residents and visitors to the City. In 1990, a Trails Feasibility Study laid the groundwork for planning trails in the city. The city’s Open Space and Conservation Resource Management Plan (1992) expanded upon the study and provided conceptual trail alignments used to plan the city’s trail network; this plan continues to be consulted for improvements to the city’s trail network. In 2001, the City Council approved the Citywide Trails Program Report, which outlined the future vision and immediate steps to be taken to implement what was commonly referred to as the Citywide Trails Plan. In 2017, the City Council approved the City of Carlsbad Trails Master Plan. The Trails Master Plan builds on the city’s previous trails planning efforts and provides a comprehensive planning document that guides development and maintenance of the city’s trail system. Currently there are approximately 38 miles of unpaved recreational trails located in a variety of open space areas of the city; current plans call for another 23 miles to be built in the future. Existing trails are listed in Table 4-8, and existing and planned future recreational trails are indicated on Figure 4-4. Carlsbad community members who participated in the Envision Carlsbad Phase 1 visioning process indicated that a major challenge to trails development and maintenance is the proper design and designation of trails by user group. Community members indicated that different user groups (walkers, bicyclists, equestrians) have different trail needs and that the network should provide different kinds of resources for each group. An important consideration for future trails development will be connectivity between off-road trails and major on-road pedestrian and bicycle routes, such that future improvements in the trail system also contribute to linkages between important sites (beaches, lagoons, schools, and others). Draft City of Carlsbad Trails Master Plan General Plan Amendment (GPA 2017-0001) Page 2 General Plan Figure 4-4: Existing Trails and Planned Future Recreational Trails is proposed to be deleted and other existing figures and references in the General Plan shall be renumbered accordingly. General Plan Table 4-8: Existing Trails is proposed to be deleted and other existing tables and references in the General Plan shall be renumbered accordingly. General Plan Policy 4-P.40 is proposed to be deleted and replaced as follows: 4-P.40 Prepare a comprehensive Trails Master Plan update, that expands the existing and planned 61- mile trail system, with the following objectives: x Connectivity between off-road trails and major on-road pedestrian and bicycle routes, such that future improvements in the trail system also contribute to linkages between important sites (beaches, lagoons, schools, commercial centers, master planned communities, and others) x Design and designate trails as multi-use to be accessible for all user groups, including walkers, bicyclists, and equestrians (as land use policy allows). Ensure that the network provides an appropriate amount of resources for each trail type or user group x Greenway and trail linkages from major recreational/open space areas to other land use areas or activities, including, but not limited to, residential neighborhoods, places of employment, parks, schools, libraries, and viewpoints x Linkages/multi-use trails connecting businesses and residential neighborhoods to the beaches 4-P.40 Update the City of Carlsbad Trails Master Plan as necessary to reflect changes in needs, opportunities and priorities. General Plan Policy 4-P.41 is proposed to be added as follows and the other existing policies in the General Plan shall be renumbered accordingly: 4-P.41 Implement the projects recommended in the City of Carlsbad Trails Master Plan through the city’s capital improvement program, private development conditions and other appropriate mechanisms.