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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet 10/27/1988 i • GEORGIA RAMIREZ DEPUTY CITY CLERK A G E N D A JOINT CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING Thursday - October 27 , 1988 7 :00 p.m. - 9 :00 p.m. Rotunda Room (Fourth Floor) Administration Building Atascadero, CA PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL GENERAL PLAN UPDATE: 1 . Minutes of September 29, 1988 Joint Meeting 2 . Policy direction discussion a. Commercial land use encouragement of "nodes" over strip development, ERA recommendations, re-evaluation of number and character of commercial zoning designations, e.g. , neighborhood centers, community centers, office areas, and tourist designations . b. 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) C. Circulation Element road classification system, trails, bikeways, routes-to-school implementation. . .paper roads, assessment districts d. Other (civic center, appearance standards, etc . ) e. Parks and Recreation Parks and Recreation Commission draft plan Project "wish list"/fiscal constraints f. Implementation (financing, targeting development objectives, etc) . PUBLIC COMMENT NEXT JOINT MEETING ADJOURNMENT ���� AGENDA � DATE ?/0 ITEM .. ATASCADERO CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES - SPECIAL MEETING SEPTEMBER 29, 1988 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: Councilmembers Dexter, Shiers, Lilley, Mackey and Mayor Borgeson Commissioners Tobey, Luna, Highland, Brasher, Lopez- Balbontin, Waage and Chairman Lochridge Staff Present: Ray Windsor, City Mgr. ; Henry Engen, Commun. Devel. Director; Steve Decamp, Sr. Planner GENERAL PLAN UPDATE Mayor Borgeson noted that the purpose of this meeting was to review the status of the General Plan and to have policy dir-. ection and discussion for the guidance of staff and preparation of the updated Gen. Plan. 1. Work-to-date report - Engen Henry Engen provided background of work to-date in updating the City' s 1980 Gen. Plan. , which actually began in the mid-19701s . In 1985 base mapping for the program was completed. Phase I was done in 1986-87 and reviewed community goals and inventoried existing land use in the City, together with related physical data bearing on updating the plan, including topography, natural constraints, existing lot sizes, existing land use, existing zoning, etc . Phase II of the Gen. Plan was undertaken in fiscal year 187/88 and included the preparation of a draft Parks and Recreation Element, completion of the Economic Research Assoc. (E .R.A. ) Economic Base Analysis and the holding of community forums in each quadrant of the City to elicit comments from the public. With a new Council and five new members appointed to the Planning Commission, it' s timely to arrive at consensus for direction to staff on updating the Gen. Plan. There is one important engi- neering study that' s under way which will make recommendations on a sewer master plan, together with the optimum location for the 1 Urban Services Line, now that the sanitary district is being dissolved. 2. Policy direction discussion a. General - population holding capacity - urban reserve line' s extent Mr. Engen reported that the Gen. Plan currently indicates holding capacity of approx. 34 ,000 people. Gen. Plan Update determined that, under present zoning, capacity is approx. 32,800, after density changes in multi-family zones were completed. The ques- tion was posed whether Council would support this approximate "population goal" in the new Gen. Plan, recognizing that the follow up on various land-use goals for residential, commercial, parks & recreation, etc. , will affect that number and will be a matter of re-evaluation. Councilman Shiers indicated support for low end of the range. Councilman Lilley advised of the need to have a comprehensive approach which recognizes the legal re- quirements for balanced housing goals and the City' s need to not bankrupt the City and meeting our service needs. Extent of the City' s Urban Reserve Line (URL) wasdiscussed, which stops at the Salinas River and the Templeton sphere of in- fluence line. Councilwoman Mackey indicated support for holding the URL at the Salinas River. Mayor Borgeson then opened the meeting for public comment. Terril Graham stated that overdevelopment would be the threat to , being able to adequately provide for services and that the State housing mandates conflict with local objectives . T.A. Collins urged adherance to the goals and guidelines of the existing Gen. Plan. He stated that we should be resolute in opposing amendments which are ill-advised and conflict with rural principles, which he simply expressed as "a country-like atmos- phere" . Our current lot size minimums are adequate. Robert Nimmo questioned preoccupation with the build-out figures, noting the plan should go with today' s values and that we can' t really determine holding capacity, given the actions of future City Councils , recognition that the Eagle Ranch will someday be a part of the City, etc . John McNeil spoke to Carmel ' s long-determined efforts to control their growth, noting that so should the City of Atascadero. He felt that the cost of service to large lots was much less than high-density development. He agreed that the business sector provided for the success of Carmel . 2 Dorothy McNeil spoke in opposition to 10, 000 sq. ft. lots, feeling that larger lots with no sewers and less traffic were preferable. Maggie Rice, Chamber of Commerce, referenced 1986 support of the 10,000 sq. ft. lot minimum lots and indicated that the Chamber' s position has not changed to provide for a middle density choice. George Luna questioned whether there would be support for a housing authority per the 1983 General Plan. George Highland questioned the concept of affordable housing, when $440 per month for a small apartment is more than half of the minimum wage earner' s salary. He cited land cost as the major cost. Splitting of a one acre lot into two one-half acres does not reduce the price of a lot in half. Mayor Borgeson agreed and expressed the opinion that planned unit developments would not either. Councilman Lilley said that the 1979 vote for incorporation affirmed the desire to preserve large lots and low density, but it needs to be done in a legal, effective and economically viable way, since residences don' t pay their own way. b. Residential land use single-family areas : Mayor Borgeson noted that the 1986 City Council turned down 10, 000 sq. ft. lots . Councilwoman Mackey indicated they would be OK in multi-family zones . Sarah Gronstrand complained that the meeting had been poorly advertised. She observed that the economic base study indicated that we were over-built for commercial; she thought that argu- ments in favor of residential projects promising affordable housing were a case of "the big lie" . She was concerned that the number of police calls on the south side of Atascadero suggest that it would become a slum. Chairman Lochridge responded that events combined to provide for short notice and that all of the participants had just received the discussion guide for tonight' s meeting, which is a working meeting and will be one of several that will cover the subject. With regard to the population holding capacity question, he supported smaller population at this time . He noted that, at the recent growth management con- ference in San Luis Obispo, out-of-County participants indicated that they wish they had our problem of having a rural environment to protect. 'He leaned toward the smaller population capacity in the high twenties or early thirty-thousands for today. Mayor Borgeson expressed the desire to slow down the extent to which the General Plan is being changed. 3 George Highland recounted that the holding capacity of the City had been 42,000 and was changed to 34 , 000, which was somewhat an artificial figure, because other uses will pre-empt some housing. The issue should be people-per-acre; 16 dwellings per acre could result in 30 people, while four 10,000 sq. ft. lots in an acre might be 16 people. There followed discussion of affordable housing in other cities, the mix of modest with the more expensive homes in Atascadero and the declining role of the Federal Govt. in assuring affordable housing. Condominium conversions were noted as a possible threat to affordable housing, once Federal requirements have been met on past affordable housing construction. Mr. Engen recited the history of the 10, 000 sq. ft. lot question, which the City' s current Housing Element indicates should be con- sidered. It was brought through the hearing process, recommen- dations made for selected geographical areas for 10, 000 sq. ft. lots and was denied by the City Council . Subsequently, the prior Planning Commission, in its goals review, directed staff to re- consider the desireability of 10,000 sq. ft. lots . This matter is on the Council ' s joint meeting agenda to see if it' s really a desire to pursue that study again; if not, staff could save the time of "beating a dead horse" . Consensus of the Council was to not pursue 10,000 sq. ft. lots , except possibly as an alternative to multi-family zoning. Ray Windsor indicated that, with respect to affordable housing, his experience in Escondido was that, even with city land and improvements provided free, affordable housing still requires subsidies to work. The alternative was exclusionary zoning, which passed the cost of providing for a certain percentage of affordable homes on to the buyers of other dwelling units in the development. Councilman Shiers concurred, noting that it' s a nation-wide problem of economics that a locality can' t control . Mr. Ferrar, Villa Margarita, referenced the agenda indication of "mobile home encouragement" for multi-family areas and supported the concept. Discussion followed relative to Govt. Code sections encouraging affordable housing and not penalizing them by fees or ordinances in addition to a potential for modular housing. Dorothy McNeil indicated that a problem occurs over sales of mobile home parks, which results in higher rents being charged which forces people out. Mr. Engen advised that the mobile home parks are generally around 8 units per acre, and they are allowable in multi-family zones . In County days , there were specific key "T" trailer zoning areas . 4 George Highland reminded that the Zoning Ordinance had been modified to allow for mobile home placement on single-family lots . Robert Prophet, Palma Ave. , stated that he was a realtor wit- nessing an overwhelming number of people moving here from Southern California. Normal prices are in six figures, and there is a real need for affordable housing. George Luna referenced the E .R.A. report' s recommendation that surplus commercial zoning be considered for multi-family zoning, and Councilwoman Mackey indicated that the Council had opposed that recommendation. Commissioner Luna thought that perhaps 10,000 sq. ft. lots would be a good alternative. Discussion then centered on the Urban Service Line/Urban Reserve Line limits . Consensus was not to extend the URL and to be con- servative on looking at any USL changes . I There was general concurrence in the concept that, if there are septic problem areas outside the USL which need sewer service for health rea- sons , exceptions for service might be made provided that the neighborhood character is not changed by changing the zoning to smaller urban lot sizes Flag lot standards were discussed, _Councilman Dexter indicating a preference and encouragement for streets to serve such areas. Mr. Engen advised that it would be appropriate that, where the City knows it wants a local street, to designate it on the Circu- lation Element, whereupon it can be required if any lot splits are requested in such an area. There was consensus that the concern over flag lots is not only aesthetic but primarily a matter of proper police and fire access . Pros and cons of granny housing were discussed, and the history of this having once been rejected by the City Council . Possibi- lities included requiring an annual permit to maintain the right to have a granny house vs . acknowledging that they' re almost impossible to administer. Possibly, they could be allowed with- out conditions other than standard requirements , including minimum lot size. Consensus was that the subject should be evaluated as part of the Gen. Plan Update. MAYOR BORGESON DECLARED A BREAK AT 9 : 20 P .M. MEETING RECONVENED AT 9 :40 P.M. Mayor Borgeson noted that completion of the agenda will require a subsequent study session and that much of tonight' s agenda will have to be carried over. Ray Windsor suggested that the Council and Commission may want to have the BIA, Chamber of Commerce and other interested groups invited for discussion on commercial land . use. He spoke to 5 Mammoth Lakes ' General Plan process, which included 26 public hearings before the Planning Commission, 3 before the City Coun- cil and, despite extensive advertising on TV, with radio and newspapers, total attendance was in the neighborhood of 200 persons . Mayor Borgeson indicated that she wanted to review incentives, signage and reduction of parking requirements in the BIA area. Discussion ensued regarding the importance of the core area development, the need for a plan and priorities, for the financing of improvements in the downtown and the desireability of commencing a pilot parking program in the downtown. Ray Windsor indicated, with respect to the question of redevelopment, this is a policy decision; there have been places where there have been abuses and legislation has been tightened up on this plan implementation - tool. He noted that redevelopment offered opportunities for public/private cooperation and should be explored. Community Development Block Grant funding potential was dis- cussed, with it being noted that it' s difficult to qualify without creating jobs . Chairman Lochridge stated there was a need to pursue a comprehen- sive plan for the downtown- and to relieve the area of penalties such as the excessive bridge fee. Mr. Prophet advised that the BIA had been pursuing development of a parking lot next to Wil-Mar Disposal on Traffic Way. Mr. Windsor advised that the bridge fee will be spoken to at the next meeting and he recognized that it is a burden on the down- town. Councilman Lilley indicated there is a need for a set of compre- hensive downtown policies and questioned whether bigger signs meant better business . He stated that the downtown won' t compete with shopping centers but will be comprised of different kinds of businesses . Development of such a plan should not preclude tem- porary solutions such as more efficient use of alleyways . Commissioner Lopez-Balbontin noted the commitment needed by the owners including fix-up/clean-up activities . Bob Smith, Fresno Ave. , recited the history of his seeking larger signage for Century 21 at El Paseo Plaza. Mr. Engen advised that the property is covered by a use permit which limits the signage to 60 sq. ft: Increasing signage requires a use permit. Procedures for obtaining signage exceptions were reviewed, with consensus being that the downtown merited distinctive signage 6 standards which could, theoretically, be administered at the staff level . There was consensus on the need to try and establish a unified theme for the downtown area. Commissioner Waage said that signs are not the downtown' s biggest problem and that bigger signs aren' t going to help. There was discussion of the need for parking, providing attrac- tions within the downtown, more incentives, eliminating non- conforming uses from the downtown, enticing desireable uses and working on business promotion. MEETING ADJOURNED AT 10: 40 P.M. Another meeting will be sched- uled in the near future to complete the agenda review. MINUTES PREPARED BY: HENRY ENGEr, Commu ity Development Director HE/cw APPROVED BY COUNCIL AS WRITTEN 10-11-88 7