HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-07-17; Parks & Recreation Commission; ; 0717-2 GMP PARKS PERFORMANCE STANDARD AMENDMENTPARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION – STAFF REPORT
SR# 0717-2 INFO
MTG. DATE: 7/17/17 GMP PARKS PERFORMANCE STANDARD
AMENDMENT
ACTION
STAFF: FUNK
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive an informational report on the GMP Parks performance standard amendment.
ITEM EXPLANATION:
Introduction
The City of Carlsbad has prepared amendments to the General Plan and the Citywide Facilities and
Improvement Plan to amend the Growth Management (GMP) performance standard for parks, pursuant
to the General Plan lawsuit Settlement Agreement, dated March 14, 2017 between the City of Carlsbad
and North County Advocates.
The draft amendment has been posted on the city’s website. Staff presented the amendment at a public
hearing with the Planning Commission on June 7, 2017, which voted to recommend approval of the
amendment. Staff anticipates that the City Council will consider adopting the amendment at a public
hearing by beginning of September 2017.
Project description and background
On March 14, 2017 the City of Carlsbad entered into a Settlement Agreement with North County Advocates
to settle a lawsuit that challenged the city’s September 2015 certification of the General Plan Environmental
Impact Report and approval of the General Plan update and Climate Action Plan. Section 4.3.1 of the
Settlement Agreement specifies the following:
4.3.1 – Within six (6) months, the City shall present to the City Council for consideration and,
if approved by the City Council, amend the Growth Management Program (“GMP”) parks
performance standard adopted by the City Council in Resolution No. 97-434 on April 22, 1997,
to remove the 1,562 dwelling unit limit and to provide that the five-year timing requirement
for park construction shall commence on the date the City Council approves the GMP parks
performance standard amendment.
The parks performance standard is identified in the Citywide Facilities and Improvements Plan and the
General Plan Open Space, Conservation, and Recreation Element. The proposed amendments revise the
parks performance standard in each of those documents, pursuant to Section 4.3.1 of the Settlement
Agreement.
The Citywide Facilities and Improvements Plan (a component of the city’s Growth Management Program)
identifies performance standards for 11 public facilities, including parks; the purpose of these standards is
to ensure that adequate public facilities are provided concurrent with city growth. The existing parks
performance standard is as follows:
x
3.0 acres of Community Park or Special Use Area per 1,000 population within the Park District
must be scheduled for construction within a five year period, or prior to construction of 1,562
dwelling units within the Park District beginning at the time the need is first identified.
Per Section 4.3.1 of the Settlement Agreement, the parks performance standard is proposed to be amended
as follows:
3.0 acres of Community Park or Special Use Area per 1,000 population within the Park District
must be scheduled for construction within a five year period, or prior to construction of 1,562
dwelling units within the Park District beginning at the time the need is first identified. The
five year period shall not commence prior to [INSERT DATE OF CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF
GPA 2017-0002/OAJ 17-0004].
Section 4.3.1 was included in the Settlement Agreement due to concerns about linking the timing of
scheduling a park for construction to the construction 1,562 dwelling units, which now has the potential
to prevent the construction of needed park acres (see analysis below).
Analysis
The following analysis summarizes the existing park performance standard requirements, the purpose and
intent of the standard, and the potential problem related to the 1,562 dwelling unit requirement.
The existing parks performance standard (see above) requires minimum facility service level of three acres
of park land for every 1,000 residents within a “park district” (i.e., city quadrant), and if the population
grows and a deficit of park acreage in a quadrant is identified, a new park must be “scheduled for
construction” within the time frame of five years (timing requirement), or before construction of 1,562
dwelling units (dwelling unit requirement). Currently, the amount of park land in each quadrant complies
with the park performance standard; see Exhibit 2 for a park facility adequacy analysis.
The parks performance standard was established in 1986, and the original standard specified the five year
timing requirement, but not the dwelling unit requirement. The purpose of both the timing and dwelling
unit requirements is twofold: they commit the city to schedule a park for construction within a reasonable
timeframe, but they also allow enough time for population to grow so that it becomes financially efficient
to construct a park. As stated in the “Growth Management Plan – 10 Year Anniversary Report” (Agenda Bill
#14,129, dated April 8, 1997):
…The original intent [of the five year period] was for the facility [park] to be in operation
when the demand had reached a certain point, based on the amount of development that
has occurred. The parks performance standard, as an example, calls for 3 acres of park land
per 1,000 population. The amount of development that would produce 1,000 population is
approximately 432 new homes [based on the estimated persons per household in 1986].
However, it would not be financially efficient to construct a park in small increments for each
432 homes that is constructed. Instead, the five year period allows demand to accumulate
to the point that construction of a major phase of the park is warranted.
In 1986, it was anticipated that residential development after 1986 would average 1,250 dwellings per year.
If those dwellings were spread evenly across the city’s four quadrants, 312.5 dwellings per quadrant per
year were anticipated, which, over a five year period, would result in 1,562 dwellings per quadrant.
However, as stated in the Growth Management Plan – 10 Year Anniversary Report, the rate of growth after
1986 was 66% less than what was assumed when the parks standard was written. Therefore, in 1997, the
park performance standard was amended to clarify the intent of the five year period by adding the 1,562
dwelling unit requirement (which allows the demand for park land to accumulate to a point that
construction of a major phase of a park is warranted, which may take longer than five years depending on
the rate of growth).
It has been 30 years since the parks performance standard was established and the residential growth
assumptions that resulted in the 1,562 dwelling unit requirement. Now, in 2017, limited land remains for
future residential development. The table below shows the estimated future residential development in
each quadrant (the “unbuilt planned dwellings”), which demonstrates that in the southwest and southeast
quadrants the number of planned future dwellings is less than the 1,562 dwelling unit threshold of the parks
performance standard.
RESIDENTIAL DWELLING STATUS PER QUADRANT – AS OF MARCH 31, 2017
Northwest
Quadrant
Northeast
Quadrant
Southwest
Quadrant
Southeast
Quadrant
Existing Dwellings 12,370 6,202 10,141 16,352
Unbuilt Planned Dwellings1 2,867 2,738 1,504 590
Total Existing and Unbuilt
Planned Dwellings 15,237 8,940 11,645 16,942
Proposition E Quadrant Dwelling
Limit 15,370 9,042 12,859 17,328
1 Includes unbuilt approved projects, as well as vacant and underdeveloped property designated for residential use by the
General Plan (calculations based on Growth Management Control Point Density)
The 1,562 dwelling unit threshold continues to serve its original intent – to postpone the construction of
park land until sufficient demand accumulates to warrant it. However, it also now has the potential to
prevent the construction of needed park land. For example, as stated in Exhibit 2, a deficit of park acreage
has been identified for the southwest and southeast quadrants. In the southeast quadrant it is not feasible
to construct 1,562 dwellings to trigger the requirement to construct the park acres needed to meet the
standard for that quadrant. To prevent this potential scenario, the Settlement Agreement described above
requires that the 1,562 dwelling unit limit be removed from the park performance standard.
According to the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the requirement to schedule a park for construction
within five years of identifying the need for more park land will remain. However, as stated in the
Settlement Agreement, the five-year timing requirement will not commence until the date this amendment
is adopted by the City Council. This is specifically relevant to the southwest and southeast quadrants. As
stated in Exhibit 2, a need for more park acreage in those two quadrants was identified four years ago
(during FY 2012-13). This proposed amendment will re-set the five year period in which to schedule a park
for construction in those two quadrants. This is important because, with the removal of the 1,562 dwelling
unit threshold, there would only be one year remaining to schedule a park for construction in the southwest
and southeast quadrants. The proposed amendment will provide sufficient time to schedule a park for
construction and satisfy the park standard. See Exhibit 2 for more information about future parks planned
to meet park facility needs in all quadrants.
With the retention of the requirement to schedule a park for construction within five years of identifying
the need for more park land, the city will retain the ability to provide park facilities concurrent with city
growth as required by the Growth Management Plan, and it helps ensure that parkland is added to the
city inventory in a timely manner if a service level deficit is identified. Therefore, the proposed
amendment is consistent with the Growth Management Plan in that it does not conflict with the
performance standards that ensure public facilities and services keep pace with development; and it is
consistent with a purpose and intent of the plan. In addition, the proposed amendment does not conflict
with the other portions of the General Plan and Citywide Facilities and Improvements Plan that are not
proposed to be amended.
EXHIBITS:
1. Strikeout and Underline of the draft General Plan Amendment and Citywide Facilities and
Improvement Plan Amendment
2. FY 2015-16 Growth Management Plan Monitoring Report – Park facility adequacy analysis
EXHIBIT 1
GMP PARKS PERFORMANCE STANDARD AMENDMENT
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION – JULY 17, 2017
1
Strikeout and Underline of the draft General Plan Amendment and Citywide Facilities and
Improvement Plan Amendment
Amendments to the General Plan
1. The Parks section on page 4-9 of the General Plan Open Space, Conservation, and Recreation
Element is proposed to be amended as follows:
Parks
The Growth Management park facility standard is three acres of community parks or special use areas per
1,000 population within the park district. There are four park districts within Carlsbad, which correspond
to the city’s four quadrants. Parks and special use areas must be scheduled for construction within a five-
year period, or prior to construction of 1,562 dwelling units within the park district beginning at the time
the need is first identified, but beginning no sooner than [INSERT DATE OF CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF
GPA 2017-0002/OAJ 17-0004].1
The threshold for triggering the construction of a new park is as follows: once a deficit of park acreage in
a park district/quadrant is identified, a new park must be scheduled for construction within the time frame
of five years, or before the cumulative construction of 1,562 dwelling units, whichever occurs later.
According to City Council Resolution No. 97-435, “scheduled for construction” means that the
improvements have been designed, a park site has been selected, and a financing plan for construction of
the facility has been approved.
The city’s Growth Management Ordinance (Carlsbad Municipal Code Chapter 21.90) authorizes special
facility fees to pay for improvements or facilities that are related to new industrial development. Since
there is a substantial impact on existing recreation facilities from an increasing industrial employment
base, the city recognized a need to impose and implement a park mitigation fee for industrial
development. In November 1987, the City Council adopted its first park mitigation fee for the Zone 5
Local Facilities Management Plan. Additionally, a park mitigation fee was required as part of the Zone 13
and Zone 16 Local Facilities Management Plans. The purpose of this fee is to ensure adequate recreational
facilities to accommodate the demand created by the daily influx of the industrial work force and
population as industrial development grows.
Section 4.5 provides information regarding compliance with the park facility standard.
____________
1 Amended by City Council Resolution No. [INSERT RESOLUTION NUMBER] (GPA 2017-0002/OAJ 17-0004)
EXHIBIT 1
GMP PARKS PERFORMANCE STANDARD AMENDMENT
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION – JULY 17, 2017
2
Amendments to the Citywide Facilities and Improvement Plan
2. Page 14 of the Citywide Facilities and Improvement Plan is proposed to be amended as follows:
The type of adequacy and phasing analysis that is contained in the Citywide Plan for City Administrative
Facilities, Library and Wastewater Treatment Capacity is Similar to what will be expected for all the
remaining facilities addressed in the Local Facility Management Plans for each zone.
It should be emphasized regarding the maps in this section, that because of their scale they are for
illustrative purposes only. Larger descriptive maps have also been prepared, however, precise locations
of facilities should be determined from Master Facility Plans available in the department or agency
responsible for the facility. Also, because of the detail required, the maps for sewer, water and drainage
only illustrate future planned facilities or improvements.
Performance Standards for City Administrative Facilities, and Libraries, and Parks1
The Performance Standards for City Administrative Facilities, and Libraries Library, and Parks indicate that
improvements must be "scheduled for construction within a five year period or prior to construction of
6,250 dwelling units." This section is intended to provide further clarification regarding what these
Performance Standards mean and how they are to be applied.
In developing the Performance Standards contained in this plan, staff projected that an average of 1,250
dwelling units per year would be constructed after 1986. Therefore, for purposes of City Administrative
Facilities and Library the 'five year period" is intended to mean the amount of residential development
equal to 1,250 dwelling units per year for five years, or a total of 6,250 dwelling units. The counting years
or units begins at the point in time that the demand for the facility first exceeds the supply.
Because Parks are addressed on the basis of Park District which coincide with the four quadrants of the
City, it is assumed that the 1,250 dwelling units per year are spread equally among the four quadrants.
This yields 312.5 dwelling units per quadrant per year, which is rounded downward to 312 dwelling units.
Therefore, the 'five year period" for Parks is intended to means the amount of residential development
equal to 312 dwelling units per year for five years, or a total of 1,560 dwelling units within a Park District.
The counting years or units begins at the point in time that the demand for the facility first exceeds the
supply.
For all three of these facilities, the The phrase "scheduled for construction" means that the improvements
needed to meet the demand have been designed, that a site has been selected and has been acquired or
is being acquired, and that a financing plan for construction of the facility has been approved by the City
Council.
1 This section was included in the Citywide Facilities and Improvements Plan by an amendment approved 1 on April
22, 1997 by City Council Resolution No. 97-437 and amended by City Council Resolution No. [INSERT RESOLUTION
NUMBER].
EXHIBIT 1
GMP PARKS PERFORMANCE STANDARD AMENDMENT
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION – JULY 17, 2017
3
3. The Parks section on pages 32 to 36 of the Citywide Facilities and Improvement Plan is proposed
to be amended as follows:
a. Figure 11 is proposed to be deleted. Footnote 2 below will provide a reference to updated
information in the General Plan.
b. The parks performance standard at the top of page 33 is proposed to be amended as follows:
PARKS
PERFORMANCE STANDARD
Three acres of Community Park or Special Use Area per 1,000 population within the Park District must be
scheduled for construction within a five year period or prior to construction of 1,562 dwelling units within
the Park District, beginning at the time the need is first identified. The five year period shall not commence
prior to [INSERT DATE OF CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF GPA 2017-0002/OAJ 17-0004].
c. The remainder of the Parks section (pages 33 to 36) located below the performance standard
is proposed to be deleted and replaced with the following:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This performance standard was developed to address community park and special use areas together.
Combining the two provides greater flexibility for the city to address the park facility needs of each
quadrant as development occurs.
As stated in the performance standard, the phrase "scheduled for construction" means that the
improvements needed to meet the demand have been designed, that a site has been selected and has
been acquired or is being acquired, and that a financing plan for construction of the facility has been
approved by the City Council.
The performance standard states that “the five year period shall not commence prior to [INSERT DATE OF
CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF GPA 2017-0002/OAJ 17-0004];” this provision was added to the standard
pursuant to City Council approval of GPA 2017-0002/OAJ 17-0004 (City Council Resolution No. [INSERT
RESOLUTION NUMBER]), which implemented part of a settlement agreement that settled a lawsuit filed
on the 2015 General Plan update. At the time of this approval, the five year period shall commence for
the southwest and southeast quadrants, which do not have park acreage in excess of the standard.
BUILDOUT FACILITY ADEQUACY ANALYSIS
Based on the Fiscal Year 2015-16 Capital Improvement Program list of projects, Veteran’s Memorial Park
(91.5 acres, with 22.9 acres applied to each quadrant) is proposed to be constructed prior to buildout.
Construction of this community park would result in the projected park inventory for all city quadrants
exceeding the projected required acreage at buildout, as shown below:
EXHIBIT 1
GMP PARKS PERFORMANCE STANDARD AMENDMENT
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION – JULY 17, 2017
4
Quadrant Buildout
Population1
Projected required
acreage1
Current
Inventory2
Proposed park
acreage
Projected
Inventory
NW 37,904 113.7 105.2 22.9 128.1
NE 22,423 67.3 45.3 22.9 68.2
SW 27,795 83.4 70.2 22.9 93.1
SE 41,780 125.3 114.9 22.9 137.8
Total 129,901 389.7 335.6 91.5 427.2
1 Reflects the 2015 General Plan Update
2 For more detailed information about the current park inventory, see Table 4-4 in the General Plan. The location of the current
inventory of parks is included on Figure 4-3 of the General Plan.
The figures above for proposed park acreage do not include park projects listed in the CIP as “unfunded”
or “partially unfunded”: Zone 5 Business Park Recreational Facility (NW – 9.3 acres); Cannon Lake Park
(NW – 6.8 acres); or Robertson Ranch Park (NE – 11.2 acres). Should alternative funding mechanisms be
found, and these parks are built, the additional park acreage would further aid in meeting/exceeding the
Growth Management park performance standard.
EXHIBIT 2
GMP PARKS PERFORMANCE STANDARD AMENDMENT
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION – JULY 17, 2017
1
PARKS
A. Performance Standard
3.0 acres of Community Park or Special Use Area per 1,000 population within the Park District1
must be scheduled for construction within a five year period, or prior to construction of 1,562
dwelling units within the Park District beginning at the time the need is first identified.2
B. FY 2015-16 Facility Adequacy Analysis
To date, all quadrants are in compliance with the performance standard.
Quadrant Park acreage inventory existing Park acreage required by
Performance Standards
NW 105.2 89.7
NE 45.3 43.5
SW 70.2 76.8
SE 114.9 116.9
Total 335.6 327.0
Currently, the performance standard requirement for park acreage exceeds the inventory of
existing and scheduled park acreage except for the following two quadrants: SW and SE.
However, although short of the acreage required, these quadrants are not out of compliance with
the performance standard because neither the time frame nor dwelling unit thresholds have been
reached.2 The deficits in the SW and SE quadrants were identified in the FY 2012-13 GMP report,
and units are tracked from this point on by adding building permits for dwelling units finaled since
that time frame.
Quadrant Year deficit identified Units constructed since deficit identified
SW FY 2012-13 133
SE FY 2012-13 348
1 "Park District" = "quadrant". There are four park districts within the city, corresponding to the four quadrants.
2 The threshold for triggering the construction of a new park is as follows: Once a deficit of park acreage in a quadrant is identified,
a new park must be scheduled for construction within the time frame of five years, or before the cumulative construction of
1,562 dwelling units, whichever occurs later. According to City Council Resolution No. 97-435, “scheduled for construction”
means that the improvements have been designed, a park site has been selected, and a financing plan for construction of the
facility has been approved.
EXHIBIT 2
GMP PARKS PERFORMANCE STANDARD AMENDMENT
PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION – JULY 17, 2017
2
C. Buildout Facility Adequacy Analysis
Based on the current FY 2015-16 CIP list of projects, Veteran’s Memorial Park (91.5 acres, with
22.9 acres applied to each quadrant) is proposed to be constructed prior to buildout.
Construction of this community park would result in the projected park inventory for all city
quadrants exceeding the projected required acreage at buildout, as shown below:
Quadrant Buildout
Population3
Projected required
acreage3
Current
Inventory
Proposed park
acreage
Projected
Inventory
NW 37,904 113.7 105.2 22.9 128.1
NE 22,423 67.3 45.3 22.9 68.2
SW 27,795 83.4 70.2 22.9 93.1
SE 41,780 125.3 114.9 22.9 137.8
Total 129,901 389.7 335.6 91.5 427.2
Additional Parks Acreage
The figures above for proposed park acreage do not include park projects listed in the CIP as
“unfunded” or “partially unfunded”: Zone 5 Business Park Recreational Facility (NW – 9.3 acres);
Cannon Lake Park (NW – 6.8 acres); or Robertson Ranch Park (NE – 11.2 acres). Should alternative
funding mechanisms be found, and these parks are built, the additional parks acreage would
further aid in meeting/exceeding the Growth Management parks performance standard.
3 Reflects the 2015 General Plan Update