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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1984-11-20; City Council; 7969; REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT HEARING DATE1 n . E3 w > 0 E a 2 .. z 0 5 a 2 0 z 3 0 0 4' / ClTWF CARLSBAD - AGENDeILL DEPT. I MTG. 11/20/84 AMENDMENT HEARING DATE. CITY A' DEPT. PLN CITY M RECOMMENDED ACTION: It is recommended that the City Council schedule March 5, 1985 an additional General Plan Amendment hearing date. ITEM EXPLANATION TD REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL GENERAL PLAN AB# 77 67 State law permits cities to amend their Land Use Element four times during the year. In Carlsbad, the City Council has two scheduled hearings, one in June and one in November. The other two are utilized at Council discretion. By letter, Rick Engineering representing First Darthron, and HCH Associates representing the developers of the Bressi Ranch property, have requested that the city schedule an additional general plan amendment hearing early in 1985. The next available scheduled hearing is set for the first Council meeting in June of 1985. Processing has not progressed far enough to schedule these item on the final general plan hearing of 1984. By setting a genera plan hearing on March 5, 1985, the applicants will avoid a 3 month delay. One additional item could also benefit if the Council elects to schedule a hearing in March. As the Council will recall, staff was directed to set to public hearing a general plan amendment for property on the north side of Agua Hedionda Lagoon near Snuc Harbor. The property owners are anxious to have this matter resolved and a March hearing would help expedite the matter. Staff is recommending that Council select March 5, 1985 for thi: hearing. If the Council does not feel an additional general plan hearing is necessary, the above items will automatically be scheduled fc the meeting in June of 1985. EXHI BITS 1. Letter from HCH Associates dated, June 22, 1984 2. Letter from Rick Engineering dated, October 19, 1984 I H~H G ASOGIA~~~> ENVIRONMENTAL PLANhING 9 ARCHITECTURE - EIUGINEERING 4877 Viewridge Avenue, San Diego, CA 92123-1667 9 (619) 278-5750 June 22, 1984 Mr. Paul Klukas City of Carl sbad Land Use Planning Office 1200 Elm Avenue Carlsbad, California 92008 Subject: Bressi Ranch General Plan Amendment Dear Paul : On behalf of our client, The Bressi Ranch, we are requesting a delay of The Bressi Ranch General Plan Amendment process. Further, we would like to be heard at the earliest opportunity in 1985. As you know, the reason for the delay is to allow us the opportunity to prepare a Master Plan and process it concurrently with the General Plan Amendment. We would appreciate a response from you as to the earliest scheduled GPA hearing in 1985 and the possibility of a non-scheduled hearing. Also, when should the Master Plan be submitted in order to be processed concurrently with the GPA? We would like to thank you, Mike Holzmiller and the other City staff members for being courteous and responsive during the past few months. Should you have any questions or coments about the project, please do not hesitate to contact me at your earliest convenience. Sincerely , HCH&A Job #0703D - -_ AGA/ pm 0703 D cc: Ms. Elizabeth Wiegand ,-- , i; 25 2 .. 32 .' ;2*- Q /'$ j." I ?..* ,' -.- u w Mr. Karl Samuelian i, i- Ii RECEIVED LAND USE I I-* 1 <-. 1 ._ -2 mlNGOFf 'C >.'" . . ,. :%?, ; 7 r ; < .. -_ :---/ 0 * RICK ENGINEERING COMPANY I &!"N"D"?iL":{"Gk\*?:: 3088 PI0 PIC0 DR. SUITE 202 CARLSBAD, CA 92008 P.O. BOX 1129 PHONE AREA CODE 619 729-4987 October 19, 1984 Mr. Michael Hol zmiller Planning Director 1200 Elm Avenue CITY OF CARLSBAD Carlsbad, California 92008 RE: CT 84-33 VISTA DE LA VALLE (J#9065A) Dear Michael : On behalf of our client, First Darthron Associates, we would lik to request that the City schedule a General Plan Amendment hear- ing in January/February 1985. Due to design problems identified by staff, this project was unable to proceed on the October/Wovember GPA hearings as scheduled. We are currently working with staff to revise the tentative map and anticipate it being completed by January 1985 or sooner. It is very important to our client to resolve the general plan issue as soon as possible. We would appreciate yo1 help in securing an earlier GPA hearing. If we can be of any assistance in this matter, please give us a call. Sincerely, John Brand JB:cp cc: Paul Klukas Art Harris John Mamaux I a w 5'l October 23, 1984 B B4 $ $ FROM: City ldanager p 8 6 8l 8 g 8 a, TO : CITY COUNCIL k THE CARLSBAD GENERAL PLAN The City Council on August 28, 1984 directed the City Manager to present a work program to revise the Land Use Element of the General Plan. This report is a response to that request. My recommendation is that the City Council authorize a a, % 0 3 three-phase program: -ti 5 3 a e d ;.tea Phase I - Preparation of a W and updated edition of the entire General Plan with an Executive Summary suitable for publishing and distribution.kI* c0-1 nl: Phase I1 - A public information program aimed at receiving citizen input on the goals, needs and adequacy of the city General Plan. Phase 111 - a comprehensive review and revision -!J Ei a, k 83 k-3 s-2 of the A TT-m Tl iQ BACKGROUND h 4Jl -4 Vd -d l8 *h 8Q development. a -6 %Z~~+ALY~~L~~,~~~+~,, appwPat.++C fi y i-ud ctry CouJC State law requires the city to have a comprehensive General Plan to guide the growth and development of the city. The General Plan is an adopted set of goals, objectives and policies which deal with various elements of the city's Required elements of the General Plan are: ?2 -2 l Land Use Circulation Housing ii 82 w Conservation 03 I Open Space M N Seismic Safety 0 I Noise d Scenic Highways Safety fig 8s 82 0 0 CITY COUNCIL October 23,19 84 Page 2 Carlsbad has adopted two additional elements making eleven elements in all. The two additional elements are: Parks and Recreation Public Facilities In order to implement the goals and policies of the General Plan the City Council has also adopted various ordinances, resolution and policies such as: Zoning Ordinance Subdivision Ordinance Sign Ordinance Environmental Ordinance Public Facilities Management System El Camino Real Scenic Corridor Plan Landscape Maintenance Standards Street Improvement Standards Grading Ordinance Specific and Master Plans All of these documents have been adopted and revised over time and are continuously undergoing review and revision as conditions change. Each week the Council and the Planning Commission meet to consider development projects. Each project is reviewed by staff and commission whose job it is to apply the policies and regulations set forth in the General Plan. As Council approves Master Plans and Specific Plans for developments, those documents become a part of the overall comprehensive plan for development of the city. The point being made is that city planning is a continuous process of review and adaptation which is never completely finished. The General Plan of the city is not a static document like a set of plans for a building. It is more like the Constitution which sets forth general principles which ar modified and interpreted to fit changing conditions. The problem of having a dynamic planning process in a rapidly growing city is that the policy documents can become outdated and do not accurately reflect the changing conditions of city growth and development. That may be the case in Carlsbad. ' e e CITY COUNCIL October 23, 1984 Page 3 PHASE I - UPDATE GENERAL PLAN The General Plan documents consist of 500 pages in a loose leaf binder. It costs a citizen $48.00 to purchase the entire General Plan package. The various elements were written between 1973 and 1984 by different staff persons, citizen committees and consultants. In 1978 the planning staff attempted to update and revise the General Plan and did in fact print a colored land use map and a set of major policy guidelines. for public distribution so that developers and others would have a handy reference to understand the General Plan. The document was never adopted by the Council but was used for a time as a guideline. A review of the printed documents in the General Plan clearly shows a need to rewrite and integrate the various elements into one comprehensive plan. The rewrite job involves updating the text to incorporate amendments and deleting obsolete and inconsistent sections within the different elements and presenting it in a form that citizens can understand. What is needed is a technical writer to "put it all together". The Council in fact approved a work program to do this rewrit job in 1983. It has not been done because the Research/ Analysis Group was assigned to other higher priority projects It is proposed that the rewrite job be made a top priority an assigned to Jim Hagaman, retained to assist Jim Hagaman in doing the rewrite and graphics for the project. The objective of the rewrite job (Phase I), is to bring together all of the elements of the General Plan so that they can be reviewed and used by the Council, the Planning Commiss developers and citizens. The finished products would be a loose leaf volume containing the details of the elements and an Executive Summary condensing the policy elements and maps into printed form for general public use. Phase I would star immediately and take about three months. This document was designed to be suitable It is also proposed that SANDAG be 0 C I TY COUNCIL October 23, 1984 Page 4 PHASE I1 - PUBLIC INPUT The General Plan is a complex set of policies and ordinances which are not easily understood, The public often tends to equate the General Plan with the zoning map. It would be desirable to explain to the public what a General Plan really is and to receive input from people who live here now as to what their desires and aspirations are about Carlsbad. When the current Land Use Element was adopted in 1973 there were 16,000 residents in the city. A study made in 1984 shows that development in the city over the past 10 years has very closely followed the densities and land uses projected in the 1973 plan. Based on that study we can say "Carlsbad city planning is on target". But we cannot be sure that the "target" still represents the goals of the present population How can we find out what the residents of Carlsbad want the city to be when it ''grows up"? a "balanced community" of 40 square miles and 160,000 population. The build-out density would be 3 dwelling units per acre and 4,000 people per square mile. The future city will have an industrial-commercia1 job center around the airport which will ultimately employ 40,000 people. The city will have regional and community shopping centers for residen and tourist related hotels, restaurants and recreational facilities for residents and visitors alike. The predominant impression of the future Carlsbad will be of an attractive residential community with rolling hills, tree lined avenues, commercial centers, industrial parks, lagoons, beaches and parks. It will be a desired and sought after place to live and work. Based on my experience as a City Manager in cities in the Los Angeles area, Palm Springs, Scottsdale, Arizona, I am confident that Carlsbad has a good General Plan and an excellent city planning process. If the General Plan is carried out Carlsbad will become a quality community. The problem is that Carlsbad is in a growth cycle now and residents are becoming concerned about the bulldozers and the traffic buildup and reduction of open space. They are wondering if our beautiful hills are going to be paved over with urban blight. These fears and concerns are real and th citizens need to hear how our General Plan is working. think we need to conduct a series of public information meeti to focus on the General Plan and the planning process. The General Plan projected So I e 0 CITY COUNCIL October 23, 1984 Page 5 It is suggested that Michael Holzmiller be asked to organize and carry out a public forum on the General Plan. At the forums throughout the city we would present graphics depictin the land use plan, parks and recreation plan, circulation pla open space plan, scenic corridor plan, public facilities management system and other elements of the General Plan. The purpose would be to explain what the General Plan is and how city planning works. In addition we would solicit input from citizens on their perceived problems and concerns. It is recommended that SANDAG be retained to assist in prepar graphics for these forums but that city staff conduct the meetings. Planning Commission and Council members should als be included in the public meetings. I would recommend that the Council also hire a facilitator who is skilled in conducting workshops to help staff to recei input from citizens. As part of this public input process Council might wish to consider public opinion polling to identify general citizen concerns about development. Staff would start immediately to prepare graphics for Phase 11. Public meetings would start in January and be completed in March. PHASE I11 - LAND USE REVIEW After Phase I and I1 are completed the information gathered would be presented to City Council with recommendations. Thi would consist of a report which includes the updated General Plan documents and a list of needs and problems uncovered during both Phase I and 11. Council would then prepare an agenda for a citizen committee review of the goals, policies and programs of the Land Use Element of the General Plan as well as other elements if deem appropriate. The Council at that point could appoint a citizens committee carry out the study. Another option would be to appoint the committee up front so that the members could take part in the public meeting and General Plan review process. a w CITY COUNCIL October 23, 1984 Page 6 Various methods could be used to select the committee members One proposal would be to have each Council member appoint three and the Council as a whole select representatives nominated by : Chamber of Commerce League of Women Voters Senior Citizens Association CARA School Board Mobile Home Association Realty Board Vi 1 lage Merchants CRMWD City Commissions LOCAL COASTAL PLAN One problem which should be mentioned is that the Council has also directed that the city consider assuming permit authorit for the Coastal Zone. This task will require a major comitm of staff work over the next year. Tom Hageman of RA/G will coordinate that effort but it will also require input from Land Use Planning. The result of adding these two major work efforts will reduce the amount of staff time available for development processing. Depending on how the program works out we may need to add sta in Land Use Planning or transfer personnel from RA/G, or authorize overtime, or contract assistance. If Council approves this program in concept I will develop a specific work program for Phase I and I1 and return to Counci on November 13, 1984 with budget and action items. v FRANK ALESHIRE City Manager FA:b b-' I, S/S/S4 jl) q At a meeting on June 16, 1984, The Carlsbad Unit of the Le That the Cbrlsb-d Unit urge the City to move forward w the review snd revision of the Land Use Element ad re items of the General Plan, with citizen p: rticipation. The General Plan is the first major component in the plinn process of a locd government. It should represent the nebrest approximation to a: consensua of dl that govermmentts citizens policy objectives. The plan itself has no legal effect, but it implemented by a wide variety of land use controls, the most cc: of which is zoning. Zoning must be consistent with the generd The League is not questioning whether Carlsbadl SI General . particularly the Land Use ZLement, has been well adhered to sin( 1974. The League is ancerned that no comprehensive revision 0: General Plan has been underteen xith meaningful citizen partic. for over ten years, Ne believe there is need to give citizens : in Cwlsbad in 1984 the opportunity to decide what should be thr course their city should take, We think the place to start is 7, what has been called the backbone element: the Lmd Use Elemen- of Momen Voters approved the following motion: The Leque's proposal is in line with the State's General Guidelines which state thet the entire General Plan, including basic policies, should be thoroughly reviewed at least every Ti gears md revised as necessary to reflect new andidions, locd attitudes, and political realities. The League understands that the city may hirive projects cur underway that will need to be completed before the staff chn be assigned to the project we propose, We think, however, vork on Land Use Element revision, with citizen participation, should b underway by Jan~arg 198se COUNCIL 8-28-84 Staff was directed to return within 30 days ACTION: with a report on how the suggestions from th League of Women Voters can be implemented.