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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 112988 ��REMi *(APPROVED, WITH AMENDMENTS, 12/13/88, INCLUDING THE ATTACHED EXHIBIT "A") ATASCADERO CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES - SPECIAL MEETING NOVEMBER 29, 1488 The joint meeting of the City Council/Planning Commission was called to order at 7:00 p .m. by Mayor Borgeson, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Present : Council members Dexter , Shiers, Lilley, and Mayor Borgeson Commissioners Luna, Highland, Lopez Balbontin, Waage, Brasher- , Tobey and Chairperson Lochridge Absent : Councilwoman Mackey Staff Present : Henry Engen, Community Development Director ; Paul Sensibaugh , Public Works Director ; Mike Hicks , Fire Chief; Bud McHale, Police Chief; and Mark Joseph , Administrative Services Director . ** Mayor Borgeson stated that in view of the large turnout of people -for the subject of Highway 41 and upon consultation with the City Attorney and City Manager- she announced that it was appropriate to have a public hearing on this matter and that this meeting had not been noticed for that purpose. Moreover , such hearing "should have all the members of the City Council in attendance. Since the purpose of this meeting was to continue discussion by the Council and Planning Commission to give staff direction for updating the General Plan it would be appropriate to not hear testimony on Highway 41 but to set a special public hearing for that purpose. Mr . Austin Carlton, CalTrans representative, noted that individuals can still submit written comments to Cal Trans on the matter of Highway 41 and this should be done by December 1st . In response to questions he offered that he thought it would be possible to extend the public comment time period. The Mayor then declared a 15 minute recess. The meeting was reconvened at 7:30 p .m. Public Hearing was set -for Wednesday, December 14th at 7:00 p .m. at a location to be determined . 3E NOTE: This meeting was continued to 12/14/88, in part, because of room capacity regulations. (See Minutes of 12/13/88, p.2-3 ,for approval of this notation and amendments to these minutes.) -1- 1 . Policy direction discussion a. Industrial land use acreage extent and location, north vs south E1 Camino Real . Access to Traffic Way and Sycamore industrial park areas. Craftsman Park idea (ERA) Henry Engen reviewed the existing General Plan policies in regard to industrial land use policies and he noted that currently there are 56 acres of land in industrial use and the plan provides for 162 acres ultimately. Existing locations for industry were discussed and it was noted that in addition to industrial and industrial park designations that commercial park and service commercial zoning catagories allow for industrial land uses. The purposes for districts were reviewed and was noted that site development standards called for in zoning are substandard in comparison to goals identified in the General Plan. Recommendations of the Economic Research Associates analysis relative to industrial land were summarized and recommended no increase in industrial land use unless a unique opportunity was presented . Engen noted that there had been pressures on the industrial land use on south El Camino between Curbaril and Santa Rosa from industrial to service commercial . This should be evaluated in the General Plan update. Under discussion it should be noted that the Traffic Way/Ferro Caril industrial area has major access problems and that the craftsman park idea might be implemented on the north El Camino Real . It was acknowledged and recognized that the problem with the with the current incubator industries is that they out grow the land areas that are designated for them. The consensus was that the present criteria for industrial areas is confusing and needs to be simplified and clarified . The feasibility of modern technology parks was discussed and the observation was made there is a need to encourage and nurture those activities which have proven successful here. The idea of a craftsman park was supported but there is a need to define exactly the character of that concept . One suggested candidate location was the Santa Barbara/El Camino Real area. The City ' s lack of accessible flat land for industry was acknowledged as being a deterrent to providing more land for local job creating manufacturing activities. Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo are more suite for job centers notwithstanding the push for creating jobs where people live. -2- It was acknowledged that there is intense competition for quality development by communities across the state and there is a need in Atascadero to focus on desired pragmatic way. An economic round table or economic development committee could assist in targeting appropriate firms. Development of a downtown master plan could provide direction for proper uses in that area. Candidates for appropriate craftsman park activities included hand made furniture, iron works, etc . There was a consesnus that Idler ' s providied a good case study of a successful iron works, etc . There was consensus that Idler ' s service commercial type business that should be encouraged . It was also the consensus that in order to have adequate industrial land the zoning ordinance needs to be strengthened . At this time Mayor Borgeson asked for public comment . Jerry Bond , 4840 El Verano , complimented George Highland , Bob Lilley, Mike Tobey and Ken Waage for good points that they had made in prior discussion. Maggie Rice of the Chamber of Commerce has worked very hard to secure light industrial groups for this area. She is trying to do a very good job and it is very hard . The major tax base comes from retail sales to support the city other than property taxes. We cannot attract people like May Co. , Penneys, Sears for large clothing stores in this area. We do have some very good stores that bring in taxes such as DeCou' s, Grisanti ' s, Pacific Home Improvement , Rileys, etc . People that are looking to come in for industries or stores look at what the population base is to buy merchandise from their stores and if it will pay them to put a store in for the amount of sales that they will have. If _there isn ' t enough of retail sales for them, they won ' t come to Atascadero . James Herman, 4545 Sycamore, commented on the per capita tax . All of the towns that have better per capita tax than Atascadero , their major thing is tourism. The only one that doesn ' t is Grover City, they don ' t have a big tourist base. Atascadero is missing the ball here, this is San Luis Obispo County and that is what we are famous for and thesearethe type of industries and businesses we need to attract to our city. As far as the Arts and Crafts Park we need it in a downtown location so that everybody can benefit from it . This will bring in the tourists and hopefully they will use some of our other retail stores in the area. We can make it attractive and use some the commercial land we have off of Traffic Way and put in some green belts in, trees and low visibility 'industrial parks behind it where the people can actually manufacture the merchandise they will be selling . What we also need inthistown is stricter zoning in the -3- landscaping that is being put in or lack thereof. Driving down E1 Camino Real doesn ' t exactly make you feel like you are in a real nice rural area. Pete Boonesar , 5212 Magdelana, said he agreed with Councilman Lilley that if we are starting incubator industries here in Atascadero and they grow and they are forced to leave the area because the City isn' t cooperating or allowing them to grow here, when a perspective business looks to locate here, they probably talk to businesses in this area and found out that the cooperation isn ' t here, why should they make an investment here and not be able to grow and prosper here, so then they look somewhere else. This should be addressed . I Jerry Frederick , who lives on Santa Barbara Rd . , commented that approximately two years ago the City paid for a survey. This survey was sent out to the public for public input . Many of those were returned and showed exactly what the public wanted . It showed where they shopped and that the only thing they bought in Atascadero was their groceries and their gasoline. The rest of it was spent in San Luis Obispo , Santa Maria, etc . The survey showed they needed a shopping center , recreation trailer park , all of which are excellent tax base type of businesses . We need high paying tax base businesses. Up and down our highway we have plenty of property available, we have lots of people who want to do a lot of things, but we do not have the open arms of the Council or the Planning Commission in order to get it . There is always somebody who doesn ' t like the fence, the parking , etc . He feels that the people making the decisions for the city are either retired or they are a government employee being subsidized by the public , so consequently any decision that they make to turn down anything that would be good for the tax base, doesn ' t affect them in the least . Let ' s get some cooperation. Eric Michielssen, 5500 Agila, complimented Councilman Shiers on good comments he had made. His association with Cal Poly could be fruitful for the city. His observation that we have a lot of highly trained technical people at Cal Poly that are going to school and would like to stay in the area is a good observation. Our areas offer affordable housing compared to other areas in the state that they could re- locate to . What we don' t have is an industrial park area which would attract this type of industries. We need to be more attractive to these businesses. The number one thing they are looking for is location. The areas we have zoned industrial right now are light industrial are just not good locations. They do not have the intra structure that will allow them to be developed . To put in the type of park that ' Councilman Shiers talked about that would attract these Cal Poly trained technocrats is right along the highway. We -4- have land at the south end of town that is fairly level , that has sewers and utilities near by that could be developed nicely. Barbara Rieter presented council and commission with copies of a suggestion she has for a craftsman village and a Colony Sports Village. She stated that $25-$30,000 money has been given to the Tourist Bureau and Chamber of Commerce this past year and asked what do we get in return for that investment . We do not have a contract with them stating what we will receive for this money. The ERA report indicates that tourists do not come to Atascadero, they stop in San Luis Obispo or in Paso Robles . Where does our money go as far as the Tourist Bureau is concerned? She stopped in at the Sari Luis Obispo Tourist Bureau one day and asked about Atascadero She was told they didn ' t have any information, it was "up stairs We need to investigate how our money is spent , are we getting our moneys worth . Buz Hinkley who lives on San Gregorio Rd . spoke representing the property that is to be developed at Santa; Rosa on the west side of the freeway on Portola. The developers of that property have requested that he approach not only the City Council but the Planning Commission and the staff of the City of Atascadero to inquire as to their input as to the design, the kinds of uses that the City would Tike to see. They would like all of the input that can be given, or that the City can give to him, or to them, or to the design people in that center in order to make something that the city and the staff would be proud of and would be comfortable with . This project is in the very beginning stages of development and he asked that any of the members of the Planning Commission or City Council , or staff would give to him any input they may have. Robert McNeal , 4830 EI Verano , stated that we have an infra structure problem. When you get on the roads and pull off to the industrial areas, what do you drive on? You have to get there via Curbaril , Traffic Way, Capistrano , or El Camino Real . You examine those roads in regards to how you can take a truck on them. You have to consider the problems of getting in, the problems getting out . If we want to attract business we need to do something to provide access to the facilities that are available including zoning them so they can be used and they can develop and grow. If not , we need to make a decision right now whether we really do want to remain a rural community or do we want to draw in those industries and maybe compromise a little bit . At this time, Mayor Borgeson closed' to public comment . -5- OTY COUNCIL MINUTES - 11/29/880 EXHIBIT "A", P. 2 Mayor Borgeson: . . . .The council comments on a meeting date for the next public hearing, I am going to throw out the date of Dec . 14 which is on a Wednesday at 7pm. . . For now, tentatively set up for Dec . 14th 7pm, . . . I will ask those of the people that came in with petitions to state their name and present their petitions to the City Clerk either at this time or if you wish you can keep these petitions and bring them to the meeting at the 14th. Whatever you wish. Anne Marie Kirkpatrick: Mayor Borgeson, my name is Anne Marie Kirkpatrick. I live at 6291 Monterey Court in Atascadero. We have decided in light of the information we received tonight about the public hearing to continue gathering signatures and we will submit the petitions to the City Council at the public hearing, and on the assurance of CalTrans that they are extending the time to receive input from us we are also holding on to the petitions for CalTrans but we would like to have a date certain from them so that we don' t run into problems . Mayor Borgeson: Will you speak to that to clarify that once again? Austin Carlton: Well , as I previously said that that . . .we would extend the time limit to include the public hearing, so, that will not be a problem. Mayor Borgeson: ®k, so at least until after the 14th, at this time of the tentative date. Thank you. Is there anyone else that has a petition?