Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2005 0921 CC REG ITEM 08EMOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT TO: Honorable City Council rrEM I. E - CITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA City Council Meeting Of ACTION: �ilz,•!d tL dwc,c o-, ad sf'/Da e7'0- �� '3y •. L/7-7. Zt_�- FROM: Barry K. Hogan, Community Development Direct Prepared By: Joseph Fiss, Principal Planner DATE: September 9, 2005 (CC Meeting of 9/21/05) SUBJECT: Consider General Plan Amendment Pre - Screening Application No. 2004 -04 to Convert 6.8 Acres from a General Commercial (C -2) Designation to Very High Density Residential (VH) and Floodway (FLDWY) Designations on the West Side of Spring Road, South of Los Angeles Avenue on the Application of Centex Homes BACKGROUND /DISCUSSION On July 29, 2004, Centex Homes filed General Plan Amendment (GPA) Pre - Screening Application No. 2004 -04. The application proposes a change in planned use from a General Commercial (C -2) Designation to Very High Density Residential (VH) and Floodway (FLDWY) to allow for the construction of forty -eight (48) attached duplex style housing units. The applicant subsequently acquired an adjacent infill property and amended the request to allow for the construction of sixty -six (66) units on 8.3 acres. The amended proposal was considered by the Affordable Housing /Community Development Committee (Councilmember Harper (standing in for Mayor Hunter) and Councilmember Mikos) on July 20, 2005, for a recommendation to the City Council. The Committee discussed the project, focusing on concerns related to housing affordability and site design. The Committee recommended that the City Council allow the filing of a General Plan Amendment application, and that a Development Agreement be required for the proposed project. Should the City Council allow the applicant to file a General Plan Amendment application, staff recommends that the applicant be required to submit a Zone Change application, Residential Planned Development Permit application, Tentative Tract Map application, and Development Agreement application for concurrent processing. This would add a level of certainty to \ \Mor _pri_sery \City Share \Community Development \DEV PMTS \G P A \Pre- Screening \2004 \ -04 Centex (Spring Road) \Agenda Rpts \050921 ccreport.doc 000171 Honorable City Council September 21, 2005 Page 2 the entitlement review process that would not occur if a General Plan Amendment application were processed separately. STAFF RECOMMENDATION 1. Open the public hearing, accept public testimony and close the public hearing; 2. Direct staff to accept a General Plan Amendment application, provided that all other necessary entitlement applications are filed concurrently; and 3. Appoint an Ad Hoc Committee for negotiation of the development agreement. Attachment: August 20, 2003, Affordable Housing /Community Development Committee Agenda Report \ \Mor _pri_sery \City Share \Community Development \DEV PMTS \G P A \Pre- Screening \2004 \ -04 Centex (Spring Road) \Agenda Rpts \050921 ccreport.doc 0001.'72 MOORPARK AFFORDABLE HOUSING /COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE AGENDA REPORT TO: Affordable Housing /Community Development Committee (Mayor Hunter and Councilmember Mikos) FROM: Barry K. Hogan, Community Development Dire Prepared By: Joseph Fiss, Principal Planner DATE: July 7, 2005 (Meeting of 7/20/2005) i SUBJECT: Consider General Plan Amendment Pre- Screening Application No. 2004 -04 to Convert 6.8 Acres from a General Commercial (C -2) Designation to Very High Density Residential (VH) and Floodway (FLDWY) Designations on the West Side of Spring Road, South of Los Angeles Avenue on the Application of Centex Homes BACKGROUND On July 29, 2004, Centex Homes filed General Plan Amendment (GPA) Pre - Screening Application No. 2004 -04. The application proposes a change in planned use from a General Commercial (C -2) Designation to Very High Density Residential (VH) and Floodway (FLDWY) to allow for the construction of forty -eight (48) attached duplex style housing units. The action of the Affordable Housing /Community Development Committee is to make a recommendation to the City Council on whether or not a General Plan Amendment application on this project should be accepted for processing, based on criteria established by Resolution No. 99 -1578. CC ATTACHMENT 0001'73 Affordable Housing /Community Development Committee July 20, 2005 Page 2 DISCUSSION Project Setting Existing Site Conditions: This 6.8 acre project site consists of a relatively flat parcel bordering Spring Road on the east and 'the Arroyo Simi on the south. The land is relatively level. It is currently used for recreational vehicle storage and construction offices. The approved Shea Homes project (Tract No. 5425) borders the site on the west, and existing commercial properties border the site on the north. Figure 1 shows a location map of the project site and Figure 2 is an aerial photograph of the project site and surrounding properties. Previous Applications: General Plan Amendment Pre - screening Pre - application No. 2000 -04 was previously submitted by LT Development, incorporating this site and Tract No. 5425 (Shea Homes) as portions of a larger project. This General Plan Pre - screening Pre - application was for a request to change the land use designation on 12.39 acres from General Commercial (C -2) to Very High Density Residential (VH) to develop 164 rental housing units. The Affordable Housing /Community Development Committee considered this application and forwarded it to the City Council for their consideration, with a recommendation by the Committee to allow the applicant to prepare a General Plan Amendment and authorize processing. The City Council considered the Pre - screening request and authorized the applicant to proceed with concurrent processing of the General Plan Amendment, Zone Change, Development Agreement and Residential Planned Development. This request was subsequently abandoned. \ \Mor_pri_serv\City Share \Community Development \DEV PMTS \G P A \Pre- Screening \2004 \- 04.Centex (Spring Road) \Agenda Rpts \050720 Report to MCDC.doc <) 00174 Figure 1 Location Map Showing Project Site Figure 2 VA,Mor priser-v\City Share\ Communi ty Development\DEV PMTS\IG P A\Pre-Screening\2964',-04 -e.-cex (Spring Road)\Agenda Rpts\050720 Report to AHCDC.doc 000175 Affordable Housing /Community Development Committee July 20, 2005 Page 4 General Plan /Zonin : Direction General Plan Zoning Land Use General Commercial Recreational Site Commercial Planned Vehicle (C -2) Development (CPD) Storage /Arroyo .. ........ ........ Simi General Commercial North Commercial Planned Commercial Uses ___ _...._._.....__......--- -__ - -- (C -2) _.._._......._.._..---.. .___._--- __..._..._.__...__..._ Development (CPD) .._.... Rural _.........._-....._ ..... _...__._.__._._._.__._..._._.......___ .................... -..__._.- ._......_......._............_ South Exclusive Low Density Residential ................ ......_._..__...-- ._..._......_ (RE) ._-_-_.._............. -.._ ....... .. .__._..._....____..._.... ... Residential (L) _._ General ._....._ ....... _ -- - - - -- .-_.-.- ............. Commercial ............. __........._...__.. East Commercial Planned Commercial Uses ...... __._._...._....__... __._...-- (._C-2_ > . _.........._ Development ....._..------ Residential ._...._ -- _....._....._...__..... _._........- -._ ... ............................_.._ ....... ._ ............ . ................__..._.._.._... West Planned Very High Density Approved Tract Development Residential (VH) 5425 (Shea Homes) (RPD) Evaluation Criteria Criteria most pertinent for approval or denial of this General Plan Amendment Pre - Screening are: • Conformity with Goals, Policies, and Implementation Strategies of the General Plan • Potential for Compatibility with Existing and Planned Uses in the Area • Facilitation of a Significant Contribution to the Provision of Affordable Housing • Conformity with Other City Council Policies • Potential to Provide Public Benefit General Plan Goals and Policies Goals and policies from the General Plan most pertinent to this project include: \ \Mor _pri_sery \City Share \Community Development \DEV PMTS \G P A \Pre- Screening \2004 \ -04 Centex (Spring Road) \Agenda Rpts \050720 Report to AHCDC.doc 0 00176 Affordable Housing/Community Development Committee July 20, 2005 Page 5 Land Use Element • Attain a balanced city growth pattern which includes a full mix of land uses. New development shall be orderly with respect to location, timing, and density, consistent with the provision of local public services and facilities, and compatible with the overall suburban rural community character. • Provide a variety of housing types and opportunities for all economic segments of the community. A mix of residential densities shall be provided which accommodate the housing needs of all members of the community. Residential projects shall include variation of product types, lot sizes, and designs where feasible. Inclusionary zoning shall be used where feasible to require that a percentage of new units are affordable to very low to moderate income households. • Develop new residential housing which is compatible with the character of existing neighborhoods and minimizes land use incompatibility. Infill development in existing residential neighborhoods shall be compatible with the scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood. • Provide for a variety of commercial facilities which serve community residents and meet regional needs. Commercial development should be located along major roadways in order to consolidate centers and provide pedestrian links to adjacent residential areas. • Promote the revitalization of the downtown commercial core. • Ensure that a full range of public facilities and services are provided to meet the needs of the community. • Achieve a well- balanced and diversified economy within the City which provides a variety of economic and employment opportunities. • Enhance the physical and visual image of the community. New development shall be compatible with the scale and visual character of the surrounding neighborhood. Housing Element • Provide residential sites through land use, zoning and Specific Plan designations to provide a range of housing opportunities. Identify adequate housing sites to \ \Mor _pri_sery \City Share \Community Development \DEV PMTS \G P A \Pre- Screening \2004 \ -04 Centex (Spring Road) \Agenda Rpts \050720 Report to AHCDC.doc 000:177 Affordable Housing/Community Development Committee July 20, 2005 Page 6 facilitate the 1998 -2005 Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) goals. Ensure residential sites have appropriate public services, facilities, circulation, and other needed infrastructure to support development. • Require, in aggregate, ten percent (100) of new units to be affordable to lower- income households. • Support infill development at suitable locations and provide, where appropriate, incentives to facilitate their development. Noise Element • Protect the public from adverse noise impacts. Incorporate noise considerations into planning decisions to prevent or minimize future land -use incompatibilities. Limit the impact of nuisance noise sources upon residential areas. Residential buildings should be located and oriented to minimize or eliminate a noise problem for a site adjacent to a highway. Circulation Element • New residential streets should be designed so as to discourage pass- through trips which do not begin nor end within the residential areas within the City of Moorpark. • New development projects shall mitigate off -site traffic impacts to the maximum extent feasible. • New development and redevelopment projects shall be required to include safe, separate, and convenient paths for bicycles and pedestrians so as to encourage these alternate forms of non - polluting transportation. Plans for bicycle and pedestrian facilities shall give priority to providing continuity and closing gaps in the bikeway and sidewalk network. • Adequate off - street parking shall be provided for new construction. ANALYSIS Commercial use of the project site consistent with the current General Plan designation is relatively limited. The project location is not a good location for retail development due to its limited visibility from Los Angeles Avenue as well as its \ \Mor _pri_sery \City Share \Community Development \DEV PMTS \G P A \Pre- Screening \2004 \ -04 Centex (Spring Road) \Agenda Rpts \050720 Report to AHCDC.doc 0 00:178 Affordable Housing /Community Development Committee July 20, 2005 Page 7 irregular shape. These limitations were confirmed in a Retail Market and Land Use Feasibility Study prepared for the City in 2004. Office use would only be viable for tenants that are not dependent on good street visibility. Given the existing development patterns around the project site, its use for residences appears to provide better development potential. The applicant has prepared a development scenario showing forty - eight (48) duplex style units on the site. This development scenario is provided for information on the likely scale and type of housing under the proposed General Plan Amendment, but does not represent a commitment to any particular design. Copies of this development scenario are attached under separate cover. The proposed housing type would be considered to be very - high density residential development under the General Plan, which allows for densities from seven (7) to fifteen (15) units per acre, or up to twenty (20) units per acre with an affordable housing program. This proposed General Plan Amendment, when accompanied by an appropriate development proposal, could further a number of the General Plan goals and policies stated above better "than commercial use of the site. At the density ranges contemplated, this project could be a source of additional affordable housing in the City. In order to ensure that a project involving a General Plan Amendment as proposed for this site furthers the General Plan goals without adverse impacts, it is recommended that a development agreement be required to be processed concurrently with the applications for a General Plan Amendment, Zone Change, Subdivision Map, Residential Planned Development Permit, and any other necessary entitlements. STAFF RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the Affordable Housing /Community Development Committee recommend that the City Council allow the filing of a General Plan Amendment application on this project, provided that all other necessary entitlement applications are filed concurrently. It is further recommended that a development agreement be required as part of the project proposal. Attachment (under separate cover): Development Plan \ \Mor _pri_sery \City Share \Community Development \DEV PMTS \G P A \Pre- Screening \2004 \ -04 Cen (Spring Road) \Agenda Rpts \050720 Report to AHCDC.doc 000179