SR-400-008-02 (7)
.
.
1J4ItC \~
· t/tJ(}"'-{)(J1~P7-- V-e. e..-o.
C/ED: CPD: MA'{ 2 3 1989
COUNCIL MEETING: May 23, 1989 Santa Monica, California
TO: Mayor and city council
FROM: city Staff
SUBJECT: Supplemental Information to Item SA
INTRODUCTXOH
On May 2, 1989, the City Council directed staff to prepare an
ordinance that would place a moratorium on non-residential
development for a period of 10 and 1/2 months, pending a review
of citywide development pOlicies. In order to identify the scope
of work to be accomplished during this period, staff has prepared
the following outline of the work products, process, and
resources necessary for the development of a growth management
strategy. It is anticipated that a variety of amendments to the
Land Use and Circulation Elements (LUCE), Zoning Ordinance, and
other city policy documents will result in a growth management
strategy for Council consideration.
Work Products
As outlined below, the policy review would involve four major
work products, including a Background Data/Issues Report, a Goals
Report, an Alternatives paper, and a program and Policy Report.
The Background Data/Issues Report will present a ttsnapshotn
picture of the City's land uses and infrastructure (i.e., streets
and sewer capacity), documenting existing and approved square
- 1 -
.
.
.
.
footages and examining the ability of the City's infrastructure
to accommodate potential development under the existing Land Use
Element and Zoning ordinance. In addition, the Background Data
Report will examine fiscal implications associated with existing
and approved development as well as the relationship between
these revenues and the provision of City services.
The issues
analysis is intended to document community concerns about growth
and development.
The problems identified in the issues paper
will serve as a basis for the goals and policies to be considered
at the conclusion of this process.
The Goals Report is intended to link the background data and
issues to a set of broad statements about the purpose of a
program to manage growth. For example, if traffic congestion is
identified as a primary concern about growth, then managing
traffic would become a primary goal.
similarly, if loss of
fiscal revenue is identified as a concern about growth
management, then developing ways of controlling growth while
maintaining revenues might be a primary objective of a growth
management plan.
Workshops will be held with the Planning
commission and City council to approve the goals report.
Before deciding upon revisions to development policy, a range of
growth
management
alternatives
will
be
examined
in
an
Alternatives Paper.
Included in the Alternatives Paper will be
an environmental and fiscal assessment of each approach in order
to help formulate the development policies.
- 2 -
.
.
Once a strategy has been agreed upon, the specific policies and
programs to implement the plan must he set forth in a Policy and
Program Report. This report will state exactly how the Land Use,
Circulation, and Housing Elements, as well as the Zoning
Ordinance, will have to be amended in order to incorporate the
desired growth management strategy.
An Environmental Impact Report will be required to evaluate the
environmental effects of any growth strategy the City council
determines to pursue. Data from both the Background Data Report
and Alternatives Paper would serve as a foundation for this EIR.
Issues to be Examined
The issues to be examined as as part of a grow~h strategy are the
following:
o Review of commercial development standards such as heights
and FAR's
o New opportunities for residential development,
possible rezoning of areas currently designated
uses and creating new mixed use districts
o Criteria for site review
including
for other
o Methodology for calculating Levels of Service (LOS) at
intersections - and examining the definition of significance
for traffic impacts in EIR's
o Incentives for cultural and housing opportunities in the
city's downtown
o Incorporation of the Main street Ordinance update into the
- 3 -
.
.
recommendations for program and policy changes
o Further study of the proposed Commercial Allotment Program
Process
It is expected that at least nine public workshops will be held
to involve the citizens of Santa Monica in the preparation of the
Background Data/Issues Report, Goals Report, Alternatives Paper,
and Policy and Program Report. The workshops will be conducted
with the participation of the Planning Commission. Once the
Draft Pol icy and program Report and Draft ErR are complete,
public hearings will be scheduled before the Planning Commission
and City Council to review, revise, and act upon them.
- Timeline
As shown on the following page, the timeline for preparation of
draft policies and programs is projected to be 10 1/2 months,
starting on May 23, 1989 and finiShing in early April, 1990.
Environmental review and public hearings before the Planning
Commission and City Council would follow.
- 4 -
I
II
.
.
Timeline
Background Data/Issues
3 Public Workshops
preparation of Background Data/
Issues Report
Goals
1 Public Workshop
1 Planning commission workshop
III Alternatives
1 City Council Workshop
IV
3 Public Workshops
Preparation of Alternatives Paper
Policies/Programs
2 Public Workshops
Preparation of Program & Policy
Report
3 months
1 1/2 months
3 months
3 months
TOTAL 10 1/2 months
- 5 -
.
.
Resources and Costs
There are two categories of resources that are required for this
project, including in-house staff and consultants.
staff believes that by assigning in-house staff to prepare most
of the work products, the City can reduce costs and develop a
better end-product. Accordingly, it is proposed that two
full-time Planners be assigned to work exclusively on this
project. This would require hiring an additional as-needed
Associate Planner for the duration of the project. These
planners would be responsible for researching and writing the
Technical Data Report, Alternatives Paper, and Program and Policy
Report, and, with the assistance of outside consultants,
overseeing the workshop process. In addition, they would manage
any work performed by outside consultants. The planners would
also need the support of a half-time Staff Assistant III. The
cost of the added planner and staff assistant will be
approximately $52,000.
Although in-house staff would perform much of the work,
consultants would be needed to work on components of this project
which require expertise not available in-house. These would
include the following: l) Community participation specialists to
facilitate community workshops and help build consensus around
goals, policies, and programs; 2) Traffic consultants to prepare
traffic analyses associated with the Alternatives paper and EIR;
3) Economic consultants to evaluate the fiscal impacts of the
alternatives and recommended policies and programs; and,
- 6 -
.
.
4) Environmental consultants to prepare the EIR.
The proposed
1989-90 budget includes funds for the majority of these
consulting services.
Conclusion
The proposed work program, which involves numerous community
workshops and public hearings and includes four major work
products, is expected to take 10 1/2 months up to the development
of Draft policies and Programs, followed by another 10 months for
environmental review and public hearings. Given this timeline,
it is very important to adhere to the work scope outlined in this
report.
Recommendation
It is respectfully recommended that the City Council approve the
work program identified in this report and direct staff to
proceed immediately with implementing the work program.
Prepared by: Peggy Curran, CjED Director
Paul Berlant, Planning Director
Suzanne Frick, Principal Planner
John Read, Associate Planner
wjGMCCrptl
- 7 -