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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-03-04; Planning Commission; ; DI 98-01 - INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR LANDSCAPE MASTER PLANThe City of CARLSBAD Planning Department A REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION P.C. AGENDA OF: March 4, 1998 ItemNo. ® Application complete date: January 2, 1998 Project Planner: Brian Hunter Project Engineer: Steve Jantz SUBJECT: DI 98-01 -INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN - Request for comments on the Interstate 5 Corridor Landscape Master Plan. I. RECOMMENDATION No formal action is required. Commission comments and any public comments will be forwarded to the 1-5 Corridor Landscape Advisory Committee and then to Council. II. INTRODUCTION Staff is requesting input from the Planning Commission on the draft 1-5 Corridor Landscape Master Plan document. . The City Council has authorized staff to solicit comments regarding this Master Plan from the Planning Commission as well as the Arts Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission and the public. This discussion item will include a staff overview presentation of the 1-5 Corridor Landscape Master Plan document and associated renderings. Similar presentations have been made before the other commissions and the Master Plan document and rendering boards have been displayed at the libraries for public review and comment. Staff and the 1-5 Committee will review the comments from the Planning Commission and other City commissions and provide recommended revisions to the Council for their consideration and direction for the completion of the final version of the Master Plan. III. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND In 1996, City staff was authorized to prepare a landscaping concept plan for the Interstate 5 corridor throughout the Carlsbad city limits, a distance of approximately 6.5 miles. This direction began as a result of an effort to landscape the recently completed improvements to the Palomar Airport Road interchange. During the review of that project, staff realized the need to establish a corridor theme along the I-5 route because of near term improvements to both the Poinsettia Lane and La Costa A venue interchanges. Staff recommended that a landscape treatment program be established along the entire I-5 corridor in order to succinctly tie each interchange and the stretch of freeway in-between in a cohesive, theme-based approach. The theme would be designed in such a way as to emphasize the coastal nature and historical aspects of the City. To assist in the development of the Landscape Master Plan, the Council appointed an ad-hoc committee, entitled the I-5 Corridor Landscape Advisory Committee, to assist in the development of the theme based approach. The Committee consists of one Council member, two 0 DI 98-01 -INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN March 4, 1998 Pa e2 Planning Commissioners, two Arts Commissioners, two members of the business community and two citizens at large. This Committee was formally appointed by resolution at the May 14, 1996 Council meeting. The first task of the Committee was the selection of a consulting firm, including an artist, for the development of the Master Plan document. After the review of proposals from interested firms including an oral interview process, the firm of Kawasaki, Theilacker, Ueno and Associates (KTU+A) was chosen. Based on the comments received from the Committee, in addition to public input from four community workshops, the consultant team developed several alternative conceptual design approaches for the I-5 corridor. The lagoons were identified as key features unique to Carlsbad, with locations at the northern and southern ends, and one near the middle of the City. The overall proposed art and landscape theme for the corridor, uses the lagoons to link Carlsbad's history with its future by using contemporary and historical art icons and images to accent a corridor landscape concept. Landscape plantings that simulate the aquatic plants of the lagoons are proposed to be used to carry the natural theme throughout the corridor. The Master Plan also proposes a phasing plan emphasizing landscape improvements first with art structures to follow as funding becomes available. The I-5 Advisory Committee determined that landscape improvement should have the highest priority for funding since much of the southern portion of the corridor is currently lacking adequate landscape planting. Additionally, the northern portion of the corridor is in need of landscape maintenance and clean up only. The proposed art and landscape improvements identified in the Master Plan for the entire corridor is estimated at $3.6 million. As part of the adoption of the 1996-97 Capital Improvement Program, the Council appropriated $125,000 for the completion of the I-5 Corridor Landscape Master Plan. There is currently no funding available for the implementation of any identified I-5 Corridor Landscape Master Plan enhancement project. However, the I-5 Landscape Master Plan would be the vehicle for the identification of appropriate landscape enhancement projects which could be implemented as a part of anticipated freeway improvement projects, such as the construction of HOV lanes adjacent to the median of the freeway. In that the I-5 Corridor Landscape Master Plan is however, not an ordinance, the City has no authority to require or condition the implementation of identified landscape improvements through project review. No projects are being proposed as part of this action. However, if the Council desires, specific projects could be included in future Capital Improvement Programs and authorized as part of the annual budgetary process. IV. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Planning Director has determined that the I-5 Corridor Landscape Master Plan will not have a significant impact on the environment and therefore has issued a Negative Declaration on January 26, 1998. The environmental analysis (EIA Part II) concluded that this Landscape _Master Plan will not result in any physical, biological or human impacts. Future implementation r -, DI 98-01 -INTERSTATE 5 CORRIDOR LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN March 4, 1998 Pae 3 of the projects described within the Master Plan will be subject to project-specific environmental review. Therefore, no significant environmental impacts are anticipated to occur. There were no letters of comment received during the public review period for this Negative Declaration. ATTACHMENTS: 1. City of Carlsbad Interstate 5 Corridor Master Plan, dated September 1997, on file in the Public Works Department. BH:nm