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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1976-05-19; Planning Commission; ; APPROVAL OF A MASTER PLAN FOR VARIOUS LAND USES ON 4026 ACRES IN SOUTHEAST CARLSBAD, ' . • TO: FROM: CITY OF CARLSBAD PLANNING DEPARTMENT • CASE.: STAFF REPORT May 12, 1976 PLANNING COMMISSION PLANNING DEPARTMENT MP-149(A) APPLICANT: LA COSTA LAND CO. CITY OF CARLSBAD (ESTATES NORTH AND VALE AREAS) REQUEST: Approval of a Master Plan for Various Land Uses on 4026 acres in Southeast Carlsbad. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that MP-174 be APPROVED because of the following findings and subject to the following conditions: FINDINGS: 1) General Plan Consistency: The proposed Master Plan amendment is consistent with the General Plan because: a) Residential densities and locations, and the locations of commercial, park and open space uses are consis- tent with those of the Land Use Element; b) The Circulation System proposed conforms in location and design with the Circulation Element; c) Other programs and policies have been included in the proposed Master Plan ~hich implement the other elements of the General Plan and policies contained therein. These include: 1) Sign program; 2) A Parks Program and Parks Improvement Program; 3) Phasing Program; 4) Geotechnical Safety Program. • • 2) Environmental Protection: The proposed Master Plan Amendment has complied with the requfrements of the Carlsbad Environmental Protection Ordinance because: a) An Environmental Impact Report, EIR-307, has been certified by the City Council in connection with a General Plan Amendment for the project area on April 27, 1976; b) The project entails no new environmental impacts not considered in that EIR; c) The project does not significantly differ from that considered in that EIR: and d) The mitigation measures for Environmental Impacts identified by EIR-307 have been incorporated as conditions of the amended Master Plan. 3) Public Facilities: The proposed Master Plan Amendment conforms with the City's Public Facilities Policy because: a) All public facility service agencies have indicated their ability to provide services concurrent with needs generated by the Master Plan. b) The phasing plan of the project will allow the City to program capital improvements to provide public facilities as needed to serve the anticipated service demands. CONDITIONS: 1) The approval is granted for the land described in the application and any attachments thereto. Development within said land shall occur in conformance with the exhibits, plans, objectives and policies included in the Master Plan document submitted labeled Exhibit A, dated May 15, 1976. 2) Following final adoption by the City Council of a revised Planned Community Zone (ZCA-80), no subdivision map, site development plan, or other application within the amended Master Plan area shall be accented• by the Secretary of the Planning,Commission until it can be determined that the appli- cation is consistent with the provisions of the Planned Community Ordinance. If appropriate, the applicant shall apply for an amendment and the City will hold necessary hearings on an Amendment to the Master Plan to insure conformance with the revised P-C Zone. -2- • • 3) The submittal of supplements to EIR-307 shall be required with applications for any development within the project area. These supplements shall contain the following: -Detail soil and geologic investigations; -Detailed archeological investigations; -Detailed biological surveys; --Mitigation measures and alternatives for all impacts wh"ich may affect significant resources; -Discussions of impacts attributable to the development which have not been adequately addressed in EIR-307. 4) The original Master Plan for La Costa (Ordinance 9322) and the Kratter Master Plan (MP-128; CC Resolution 3183) shall become void concurrent with the effective date of the·Master Plan. 5) Approval of this Master Plan indicates acceptance by the City Council of a general scheme of development for the property. It does not guarantee that individual developments within the Master Plan boundary will be approved. Individual developments will be evaluated in accord with Municipal Ordinances and Policies in force at the time of plan submittal. Approval and construction of an individual development under this Master Plan will not vest any development rights in the balance of the Master Plan area. Existing Zoning: Subject Property: P-C North: East: South: West: Existing Land Use: P-C and A-3(8) (County) PRO, R-1, M, LC & E-1-A (County) A-1(8), LC (County); P-C (City) A-1-8, E-1-A, C (CountY.)· P-C, R-1-7500 and C-1 (CityJ Subject Property: Vacant, with some abandoned dry ... .fa r.mi ng and marginal grazing North: Vacant and agriculture East: Vacant, agriculture and Minimal urban uses South: Vacant and agriculture West: Batiquitos Lagoon, vacant and agriculture -3- • • PAST HISTORY AND RELATED CASES: The Rancho La Costa area began developing within San Diego County's jurisdiction in 1965. Approximately 4100 acres of La Costa's properties were annexed to the City of Carlsbad on May 2, 1972 (Annexation E-212; City Council Resolution 1997). The property was zoned P-C and a Master Plan approved concurrent with the annexation (Ordinance No. 9322). The Master Plan map was subsequently revised and adopted as a Master Plan amendment January 15, 1974 (Ordinance No. 9376). Three subsequent annexations to the City added land which is included within the proposed Master Plan Amendment: -El Camino Glens Annexation, E-2.15, August 8, 1973 436 acres north of Olivenhain Road, by Council Resolution 3185; -Bressi Ranch (portion) -Annexation, E-2.16, August 7, 1973 -717 acres between Alga Road and Palomar Airport Road, by Council ResQlution 3184. {Also known as the Kratter Property.) -La Costa Northeast Annexation, E-219, March 19, 1974 -182 acres west of Rancho Santa Fe Road, by Ordinance 1167. The El Camino Glens and La Costa Northeast annexations had not received previous Master Plan approvals. A oortion of the Bressi Ranch annexation was granted Master Plan approval at the time of annexation (MP-128, the 11 Kratter Property"; Council Resolution 3183). Environmental Impact Information: An Environmental Impact Report (EIR-307) was prepared for both the Master Plan Amend- ment and the General Plan Amendment. The City Council certi- fied the EIR April 27, 1976, in connection with the General Plan Amendment. Mitigation Measures: EIR-307 recommended that the following measures be included in approving the Master Plan to mitigate identified environmental impacts: 1) All construction in the project area shall occur during normal daytime working hours. 2) To reduce the impacts of grading, groundwater pollu- tion and siltation of the San Marcos Canyon-Batiquitos Lagoon Watercourse, the following development practices shall be observed: a) Grading shall be limited to the minimum areas necessary to accomplish the development permitted by the Master Plan. Where grading impacts are found to be exces- sive for the intensity of development planned/permitted, alternative project designs or less intensive uses shall be considered. -4- • • b) Vegetation-clearing operations shall be made no more than two weeks in advance of grading. c) No grading shall occur during the months of November through March, except when special measures can be taken to control siltation. This shall be met to the satis- faction of the City Engineer. d) Drainage facilities shall be made no more than two weeks in advance of grading. e) All graded surfaces shall be watered and rolled to form a compacted cap of soil of optimum density. f) Surfaces shall be graded to direct runoff toward planned drainages and, wherever possible, away from cut-and- fill slopes. g) Ground cover shall be planted on all slopes upon completion of any grading activities. This ground cover shall be irrigated to the satisfaction of the City Engineer and Parks and Recreation Director. h Durino construction. Citv Buildina and Enaineerina Insoectors shall attempt to ensure that all waste chemicals (especially paints, fuels and lubricants) are properly contained and transported off-site where they can be recycled or destroyed. 3) All utilities, including provisions for cable tele- vision shall be placed underground. 4) all riparian habitat areas as identified in the EIR, within the Master Plan, shall remain in a natural state as open space. In recognition of the San Marcos Canyon Agreement between the City and La Costa Land Company, the developer shall submit a plan for protection of the natural environment in the Canyon prior to approval of individual developments adja- cent to San Marcos Canyon. This plan shall include, where necessary, provisions for limiting access to the Canyon and shall be subject to the review and approval of the Planning Director and Parks and Recreation Director. 5) Native landscaping shall be used wherever possible in the project area. 6) All major cultural, commercial and recreational facilities shall accommodate public bus systems in their design. -5- • • 7) All future developments within the Master Plan area shall utilize wherever possible the following energy-saving techniques, such as: a) Architectural design which reduces window and door openings, and takes advantage of winter sun and summer shade; b) Insulation for all structures according to State standards; c) Solar heating for both space and water heating; d) Landscaping using deciduous trees (to shade in summer and allow sunlight in winter) and windbreaks. 8) Prior to approval of specific developments within the project area, the applicant shall submit EIR supplements for Planning Commission and City Council review.These supplements shall contain the following: a) Detailed soil and geologic investigations; b) Detailed archeological investigations; c) Detailed biological surveys; d) Mitigation measures and alternatives for all areas which have significant resources; e) A discussion of impacts attributable to the individual developments which have not been adequately assessed in the Master Plan EIR. 9) Future developments within the Master Plan area shall maximize open areas based on the following criteria: a) All riparian habitats as defined in the EIR shall be preserved. b) All areas with significant numbers of rare plant species shall be preserved. c) All archaeological or historic areas which cannot be satisfactorily salvaged shall be covered or preserved as open space. d) All areas with excessive slopes and extremely unstable soil conditions (as identified in detailed soil and geologic investigations) shall be preserved as open space. -6- • • Prior Compliance: Section 19.04. 130 of the Environmental Protection Ordinance provides that a project may comply with the Ordinance's requirements if an earlier EIR has been certi- fied, provided that: -There are no new environmental impacts involved. -There are no substantial changes in the project itself. -The EIR is considered by the approving authority for consideration prior to action on the project. Since the EIR was actually prepared for the Master Plan Amendment as well as the General Plan Amendment, ~nd since the mitigation measures recommended have been incorporated into the Master Plan, the Planning Director has determined the re- qufrements of the Environmental Protectfon Ordfnance have been satisfied through prior compliance. General Plan Information: The City Counci 1 approved GPA-38 May 4, 1976. This General Plan Amendment amended both the Land use and Circulation Elements for the La Costa area. The proposed Master Plan Amendment complies with these elements as they have been amended. In addition, the Master Plan in- cludes objectives and policies implementing the objectives and policies of the Geologic and Seismic Safety, Noise, Parks and Recreation, Open Space/Conservation Elements. Public Facilities: The Master Plan includes a section pro- jecting Public Facility demands, and noting the service districts to supply them. All service districts have notified the City that the demands the Master Plan projects for their services are within their projected capabilities. Incidental Information: A small portion of the existing La Costa Community between Alga Road and La Costa Avenue is within the Coastal Permit Zone. Major Pl.anni~g Consid~~ations: -Is the amended Master Plan an acceptable extension of the existing La Costa Community? -Does the amended Master Plan implement the General Plan? -Does the amended Master Plan conform to the planning process expected of the revised P-C Zone? -7- -~--::-~----- DISCUSSION: Development of the Amended Master Plan: Amendment of the la Costa Master Plan was caused by three factors: the adoption of the City's new General Plan; changes in the market- ing plans of the applicant; and the applicant's acquisition of additional land. Because of the large area of land involved, and its potential for trend-setting throughout the City, The City Planning Staff worked closely for a period of 10 months with the applicant on organizing a Master Plan which would: -Provide programs and policies which directly implement the General Plan as development occurs; -Define the responsibilities of all parties in areas where there has been confusion in the past; -Present these programs, policies and responsibilities and the applicant's development proposal -in a readily accessible and comprehensive manner. Organization of the Amended Master Plan: The amended Master Plan does not apply to the existing resort community, which is not within the existing P-C Zone. The amended Master Plan applies only to the lands zoned Planned Community. The applicant originally excluded the Vale and Estates North Subdivisions from the proposal. To retain continuity in the City/La Costa planning effort, the City Staff has included the two areas in the amended Master Plan. The amended Master Plan has been written as a text, divided into the following sections: Conceptualized Communities: Introduces La Costa's plans for three new communities. Design Concepts: Describes the design programs proposed for all communities. Land Use: Describes in detail the housing, commercial, 1nst1tutional and recreation land uses proposed and their phasing. Geologic and Seismic Safety, Noise: Contains policies imple- menting the two General Plan Elements for La Costa. Circulation: Describes the circulation program proposed for the area, and contains policies implementing the General Plan Element for La Costa. -8- • Parks ·and •Ooen ,Space: Describes the Parks & Open Space pro- gram proposed for the area, and contains policies implementing the General Plan elements for La Costa. Includes the major provisions of a proposed Parks agreement. Public Facilities: Includes projections of demand by phase, usable in the City's capital improvements program. The amended Master Plan has been developed as a Specific Plan (State definition). As such, its content may be changed in the course of receiving approval (as opposed to conditioning). Staff recommends, as discussed in the text's introduction, that an annual informal review be conducted by City Staff of the Master Plan's progress, and that a formal, public review be conducted every three years. This should ensure that MP-174 does not become out-of-date and an exercise -but a viable, working planning document. As the Master Plan is amended, individual pages and sections can then be changed and inserted in the text, keeping the document up-to-date. Relationship of the Amended Master Plan to the Existing La Costa Community: Ideally, a development proposal should be evaluated for its relationship to surrounding development, and for the relationship of uses and systems within it. The City evaluated the relationship of the applicant's proposal to neighboring areas in approving the General Plan amendment. It should now evaluate how well the three communities pro- posed 'work' with each other and with the existing La Costa Community. As outlined in the text, La Costa Land Co. proposes to broaden its housing markets by developing housing appealing to a broader range of socio-economic groups. While La Costa North will essentially serve as an extension of the existing high value resort community, the Northeast and Far South will serve more diverse socio-economic markets. The Northeast and Far South areas will include rural-type developments, moderate- priced neighborhoods and neighborhoods designed for family living. The Far South will also include a community core of well-integrated commercial, professional and public support services. The chart on page 19 of the text compares the ultimate devel- opment of these three communities with the ultimate development of the existing community. For the Commission's information, the 1975 Special Census contained the following information on La Costa as it existed in April of that year: -9- 'i rotal·# TABLE la VACANCY RATES A EXISTING CORE, LA COSTWIIIIIJ Total "True"a of units Total Vacant Units VacantUnits lfemafnae r of Housino Tvoe La Costa Carlsbad Remainder Remainder _:_=~~r-~~~~~-...JL~a~C.Q.O~s !_!t a~o0'.f~C !!a r~l[js~b~a d_,. La Cost a of Carls bad Single-Family 278 (23%)b ~001 ( 51 %.) 106 (38%)c 303 (8%) 56 (20%)d 153 (4%) 2-4 units 224 (18%) 1116 (14%) 195 (87%) 199 (18%) 3g (17%) 126 (11%) 5+ uni ts 725 (59%) 1891 (24%) 653 (90%) 488 (26%) 60 (S%) 387 (20%) Other Total 764 (10%) 1227 7772 954 (78%) 990 (13%) a)"True" vacancies are defined as units for sale or rent. b) Percentages of the Total#. of Units. c) Percentages of the Total# of Units of that type. d) l'ercentages of the Total # of Units of that type. Cost Categor,t No Response Ot;ier Arrangementa Rent, less than $70 itent, $71-125 Rent, $126-200 Rent, $201+ Rent, Subtotal Mortgate, less thao $150 Mortgate, $151-200. Mortgage, $201-300 Mortgage, $301+ Mortgage, Subtotal Rejected Total Table lb Housing Prices Existing Core La Costa La Costa {% of Total} 54 (20% 44 (16%) 23 ( 9%} . 23 ( 9%) 4 ( l %) 4 ( 1 %) 15 ( 107 {40%} 130 (48%) 19 ( 7%) 270 . 155 (13%) 666 (9%) ----~";'"""""--- Remainder, City of Carlsbad (% of Total} 1194 (18%) 1145 (17%) 85 ( 1 %) 219 ( 3%) 1210 (18%) 512 ( 8%) 2126 (31%) 298 ( 4%) 407 (. 6%0 · 552 ( 8%) 639 ( 9%) 1896 (28%) 535 ( 8%) 6796 alncludes homes with mortgages paid off and live-in help. Staff feels that the location of land uses in the Master Plan has been accomplished by recognizing the topography and soils of the area. Open space buffers and circulation systems have also been used to give definition to individual neighborhoods. The city will, of course, have to carefully review individual devel- opments as they are proposed to ensure that the general guid- ance of the Master Plan is carried out. -10- ., ~-~ • • The Council and the Commission should also recognize that adoption of the proposed Master Plan will void the approved La Costa Master Plan (CC Ordinance 9322) and the Kratter Master Plan (MP-128; CC Resolution 3183). MP-128 included the same basic arrangement of residences surrounding an extension of the golf course. Adoption of the La Costa Master Plan will ensure a continuity of programs and policies between that area and the remainder of La Costa. Master Plan Relationship to the Parks Agreement: The Parks discussion in the amended Master Plan summarizes the permanent parks agreement between the applicant and the City of Carlsbad. The new parks agreement deletes four parks shown in the original revised Master Plan and relocates the El Camino Glens Parksite. The four parks deleted are replaced by the La Costa North, Canyon, Fuerte, Alga Hills, and Stage Coach Parks shown on the Exhibit on page 35 of the text. Vale Park is retained in its present location. Master Plan Implementation of General Plan: Apart from con- formity of La Costa's development proposal with the Land Use and Circulation maps, the Master Plan includes programs ad- dressing General Plan policies: -Sign Program (pg. 9), addresses the general and quality of site design guidelines of the Land Use Element (pages 33-34, 40). -Parks Program & Parks Improvement Program (pg. 34) - address,-es the policies of the Parks and Recreation Element (pages 15-17). -Phasing Program (pages 19-22; 39-40), addresses the policies of the Public Facilities Element. -Geotechnical Safety Policy (pg. 26) -addresses the policies of the Geologic and Seismic Safety Element (page 10). These programs have been carried to differing levels of speci- ficity, depending on how well the problems they attempt to solve can be foreseen at this time. The Commission and Council should evaluate the need for existing programs which can be improved at this stage, and whether any additional General Plan policies or programs can or should be addressed at this time. The proposed programs and other policies are included to clarify the responsibilities of all parties in areas where there may have been problems in the past. These areas include park dedication, open space maintenance, private recreation amenities, -11- • • • and pedestrian/bikeway paths. The Council and Commission should evaluate how the Master Plan deals with these issues in terms of the City's experience with past La Costa develop- ment programs. The Master Plan and the P-C Zone Revision: Revision of the P-C Zone was initiated by Council action in the middle of Staff work on the La Costa Master Plan amendment. Staff has attemp- ted to make the Master Plan text conform with the requirements of the new P-C Zone as it has been drafted to date. Staff strongly recommends that approval of the Master Plan be condi- tioned to include a potential amendment following adoption of the new P-C Zone, to bring the Master Plan into complete conformance with the provisions of the new P-C Zone. Staff suggests that the Commission and Council look at the proposed Master Plan amendment text as a prototype for the new P-C Zone --Does it say and do the things the City wants it to? AM:cpl (4/30/76) ATTACHMENTS: Master Plan Document, Exhibit A, dtd. 5/15/76 Appendix A to Master Plan, dtd. 5/15/76 -12- $ 0 4000' f I I I I SCALE· MAP DRAWN BY CITY OF CARLSBAD PLANNING DEPT FROM DATA PROVIDED BY RECON OF 5620 FRIARS RD. SAN DIEGO FOR THE LA COSTA LAND CO.