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SR-03-12-2013-8A - 400-001-11City Council Meeting: March 12, 2013 Agenda Item: L To: Mayor and City Council From: David Martin, Director of Planning and Community Development Subject: Draft Bergamot Area Plan Recommended Action Staff recommends that the City Council: 1. Review and comment on the goals, policies and strategies in the Draft Bergamot Area Plan 2. Direct staff to proceed with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, and return with a final draft Plan and CEQA documentation for Council approval. Executive Summary The Draft Bergamot Area Plan is a community -based planning document that provides guidance on transitioning the former industrial lands into an arts- focused mixed -use pedestrian- oriented neighborhood. The Plan is both a visionary document describing the desired uses and activities of this new Santa Monica neighborhood called for in the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE), and a regulatory tool governing development by establishing a distinct set of standards and guidelines that will apply to projects — both private and public — wishing to develop, remodel, or adaptively reuse. The Plan provides policies and strategies to both conserve and shape the cultural, economic, and urban design characteristics of this emerging area. Unique standards and district -wide requirements prescribe the envelope for new development that is less than the adopted LUCE maximums, which assures scale and compatibility, while still providing opportunities for open space and other community benefits. The planning process has placed an emphasis on valuing the innovative characteristics of the creative sector cluster that has colonized the former industrial district, providing them with new services, better public amenities and an infrastructure that aids in the creation of a new community space. At the same time, the Plan looks to the near future, when transit opens up new opportunities that will inevitably lead to new demands. The transit - oriented focus of the Plan envisions a mix of uses, including housing at all affordability levels, and community - serving new businesses that are open in both the daytime and evenings, and which serve all those who find themselves in the area, including residents outside the Plan boundaries within walking and biking distance of new activities, and services. 1 This unique vision has consequently produced a distinct framework of innovative measures that are handcrafted specifically for the Bergamot Plan area and its context. A few of the Plan's noteworthy innovations are: • Conservation Strategies: the Plan introduces two new land use "conservation" districts that preserve key assets, like the Art Center, that not only represent the history of the area, but which also serve as creative incubator spaces for emerging businesses, non - profits and arts organizations. • Art and Culture Linkages: policies, programs, and physical improvements that highlight the role of creative sector uses and culturally enriching activities, and which provide support for arts throughout the district without stifling creativity. • Flexibility for Creative Design: development standards that are rigid enough to ensure human -scale buildings and transitions to adjacent residential neighborhoods, but flexible enough to allow for architectural expression so that the Plan area builds upon the creativity for which the area is already known. • Streets for Everyone: the Plan includes 10 new streets and 15 new pedestrian and bicycle pathways that are designed to create a multi -modal network for cars, bikes and pedestrians that is enhanced with landscaping and tree canopy, storm water features, and street furnishings to ensure an active and interesting street life. • Context -Based Parking: a phased parking strategy that includes shared parking and reduced parking requirements, as well as higher standards for bike parking, carshare and carpool spaces. • Economic Sustainability: City- sponsored events and activities to help launch existing businesses and institutions, like Santa Monica College, into a cohesive community, so that they can use the Plan's tools to provide complementary programs to fund improvements, grow and nurture new jobs, provide affordable housing choices for employees, and foster stability for the City's "creative cluster." The planning process has included substantial outreach to a wide variety of businesses, arts organizations and non - profits, schools and institutions and residents. This effort has shaped the Plan's perspective into a model of local sustainability that addresses long- standing community concerns regarding traffic and congestion, protections for the surrounding neighborhoods, local jobs, housing affordability, parking and access to new uses and services that are desired by nearby residents, employees and visitors to the area. Following Council direction, CEQA review will be initiated, with the final Plan and CEQA clearance to be presented to both the Planning Commission and Council in late spring /early summer of this year. 2 Background The Bergamot Area Plan was initiated immediately following adoption of the LUCE, in which it is identified as a priority planning effort (LUCE Goal D2.2) to help transition 140 acres of former industrial land into a walkable, sustainable and innovative mixed - use neighborhood. At the heart of the district is the Olympic Blvd /26th Street Expo Light Rail station and Bergamot Art Center, which are the transportation and cultural catalysts for the district. In 2016, the Exposition Light Rail station and associated Regional Bike Path will open at Bergamot Station, serving over 3,400 transit riders and hundreds of cyclists daily, altering the commuting patterns of thousands of area workers and residents. Recognizing the critical need for transit in this area, and the potential value of a well- integrated station in encouraging ridership and reducing congestion, as well as economic development, on December 13, 2011, the Council invested an additional $6.7 million in Bergamot Station access improvements in the form of enhanced platform and access areas. Over the past two years, the planning effort has been shaped by local community involvement, benefiting from large numbers of participants in stakeholder interviews, focus groups, online surveys and community workshops including: 1) Bergamot Transit Village Workshop (February 17, 2011): the desired characteristics of a vibrant urban transit village, including pedestrian- orientation, human - scale, accessible and a center of community life. 3 2) The Creative Economy Workshop (July 13, 2011): identification of desired uses and spaces to enhance the creative and cultural arts throughout the planning area. 3) Bergamot Art Center Workshop (December 7, 2011): charting a course for the continued vitality of the Art Center through enhancements that protect art spaces while integrating with Expo. 4) Community Benefits Workshop (February 7, 2012): input on community benefits elements, prioritization of community needs, and details of character and implementation. 5) Designing the Districts Workshop (April 23, 2012): urban form concepts and street hierarchy to incorporate desired uses, identify open space, and create a unified district. Throughout the discussions, the residents, business owners, artists, cyclists, pedestrian advocates, schools, developers, and other stakeholders have advocated for a context - based approach that recognizes the ability for density, design, transit strategies and desired land uses to come together in a sustainable and replicable model that reduces car trips, stimulates walking and biking, provides affordable options for housing, and creates new jobs. The City Council (June 14, 2011, and June 12, 2012) and Planning Commission (May 16, 2012 and December 12, 2012) have held public hearings and provided significant input into the planning process, shaping the concepts and strategies over the last two years. The Commission reviewed the full draft Plan on February 13 2013 and on February 20 2013 (see Planning Commission Recommendations below). Throughout the planning period, the project's website www.bergamotijlan.net has provided a consistent opportunity for public information sharing. The Bergamot Area Plan was selected by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to receive a highly- competitive Sustainable Communities Community Challenge Grant in 2010, which has largely funded this planning effort. This grant program advances the urban sustainability goals achieved by integrating land use and transportation planning to reduce vehicle trips and greenhouse gas emissions. HUD's "Partnership for Sustainable Communities" showcases visionary and leading planning efforts around the country that provide replicable models for sustainable neighborhoods. 0 Discussion Encompassing the LUCE Bergamot Transit Village and Mixed -Use Creative land use designations, the Bergamot Area Plan constitutes an urban design, land use and circulation framework for creating a "complete neighborhood" that takes its cue from the existing arts and creative sector restaurant provide missing services as well as activity and gathering places. The importance of the Bergamot Area Plan for the community is clearly stated in the introduction to the Plan: As Santa Monica's Land Use and Circulation Element makes clear, almost all of the city's land area — 96 %, to be exact — should be conserved and land use changes in the city should be directed to commercial and industrial land that comprises only 4% of the land area, including the land within the Bergamot Plan area. In order for Santa Monica to achieve the goals for sustainability and prosperity contained in the LUCE, areas such as the Bergamot Plan area cannot merely change. They must be guided and nurtured to function in a completely different and much more sustainable way. The Plan's intrinsically sustainable approach connects jobs and housing to transit, and forges new walking and biking paths to reduce vehicle trips. It fills gaps in local services and amenities, and introduces the urban forest into a former industrial area. Active transportation fosters more enduring community health, and provides opportunities to reduce reliance on the automobile and the associated costs to households. The Bergamot Area Plan looks toward the future, incorporating the best thinking about complete, secure and healthy communities. With careful implementation and monitoring, the City can strive to achieve reductions in per capita greenhouse gas 11 emissions and vehicle miles traveled, while improving quality of life at the individual and community level. Innovations of the draft Bergamot Area Plan Since the initiation of the project, an overarching goal has been to create an enduring and balanced "complete neighborhood" that builds upon the area's rich history and character, while providing the opportunity for creativity and art to flourish amidst a backdrop of well- designed streets and open spaces, human - scaled buildings and a supportive community of residents, employees and local businesses. This unique vision has consequently produced a distinct framework of innovative measures that are handcrafted specifically for the Bergamot Plan area and its context. A few of the Plan's noteworthy innovations are: • Conservation Strategies: including two new land use "conservation" districts that preserve key assets, like the Art Center, that not only represent the history of the area, but which also serve as creative incubator spaces for emerging businesses, non - profits and arts organizations. Specific standards limit the height and floor area ratio (FAR) in some areas, like the Creative Sector Conservation District to maintain building scale and provide transitions to residential areas in the Mid -City neighborhood. • Art and Culture Linkages: policies, programs, and physical improvements that highlight the role of creative sector uses and culturally enriching activities, and which provide support for arts throughout the district without stifling creativity. • Flexibility for Creative Design: development standards that are rigid enough to ensure human -scale buildings and transitions to adjacent residential neighborhoods, but flexible 6 enough to allow for architectural expression so that the Plan area builds upon creativity that the area is already known for. • Streets for Everyone: new street types and landscaping that are designed to respond directly to the type of activity that is planned for each block, and which service the needs of pedestrians, bikes and cars. The Plan includes 10 new streets and 15 new pedestrian and bicycle pathways. Existing streets will see sidewalk improvements, including a complete and sorely needed pedestrian network on Olympic Boulevard. Street standards and guidelines describe precise dimensions and landscaping requirements. • Context -Based Parking: a phased parking strategy that is entirely handcrafted for the Bergamot Plan area that includes shared parking and reduced parking requirements, as well as higher standards for bike parking, carshare and carpool spaces. The Plan includes triggers that activate new standards as Expo and other catalytic events begin to transform the area. • Economic Sustainability: City- sponsored events and activities to help launch existing businesses and institutions, like Santa Monica College, into a cohesive community, so that they can use the Plan's tools to provide complementary programs to fund improvements, grow and nurture new jobs, provide affordable housing choices for employees, and foster stability for the City's "creative cluster." Addressing Community Concerns for a New Neighborhood That Benefits Everyone Throughout the process of developing the Bergamot Area Plan, and indeed throughout the creation of the LUCE, the community has raised key issues about neighborhood compatibility, parking and congestion, and the potential impacts. The community that works within the Plan area expressed concerns about continuing affordability and space availability for businesses as the area grows and the need for local amenities to serve their daily needs. Acknowledging the responsibility to address these concerns through careful land use, transportation and infrastructure planning, the Plan has been designed to balance the introduction of new uses, buildings and streets with strategies to optimize benefits for both existing and future residents and workers within the Plan area and adjacent neighborhoods, and for the City as a whole. For example: • Preserving Neighborhood Scale and Avoiding Impacts on Neighbors: Development standards and associated guidelines prescribe the envelope for new development or adaptive reuse which is less than the adopted LUCE maximums in order to ensure that the built environment respects the scale of nearby residential areas and creates an urban form that provides open space, 7 interesting and appropriately - scaled pedestrian streetwalls, and visually exciting architecture. • Parking Protections for the Neighborhoods: Residents in new housing built in the Plan area will not receive permits to park in adjacent Residential Preferential Permit Parking districts. • Parking to Serve Needs but not Encourage Trips: The Plan takes a "right- sized" parking approach that recognizes that too much parking may attract unwanted and unnecessary trips that will further congest the area's streets. Accordingly, the Plan balances the introduction of new housing and jobs with a parking ratio reflective of a transit - served district and an active parking management strategy that ensures that sufficient parking is available to meet future demand without incentivizing additional vehicle trips. This parking approach will provide adequate parking supply for the activities within the Bergamot Plan, as well as providing shared parking for visitors and nearby residents. • Cut - Through Traffic and Congestion: New streets in the Plan area are designed to be slow and serve a variety of modes including pedestrians and bicycles. The off - setting of the extension of Pennsylvania Avenue is designed to discourage cut - through trips on this new street and encourage people making regional auto trips to stay on the major corridors and freeway system. The strengthened Transportation Demand Management program has the potential to dramatically reduce the number of peak hour trips from infiltrating the area by encouraging many existing and future employees to use the Expo light rail or ride on new bike paths as a means to get to work. • Local Jobs and Skills Training: Policies encourage stronger connections between creative businesses and existing programs or institutions, such as Santa Monica College Academy of Entertainment and Technology, through internship programs and educational outreach. The addition of new creative and retail uses also provide opportunities for the local workforce to fill. 0 • Maintaining Creative Character and Affordability: Design guidelines describe the desired look and use of materials for the Plan area, which is consistent with the existing fabric of brick and metal buildings. Restrictions on floor plate sizes, lot aggregation, and floor area ratios .create the conditions for smaller, more affordable spaces for incubators and start ups in some areas of the district, while community benefit priorities for small -scale creative spaces and artist studios will introduce these uses in other areas like the Bergamot Transit Village. • Access to Services that Enhance Quality of Life and Reduce Driving: A refined retail strategy encourages neighborhood serving uses to activate key streets and focal points within the Plan area. New streets /pathways and streetscapes on existing streets will facilitate walking as a desired means of conducting errands, as well as strolling for recreation. Outline of the Plan The Draft Bergamot Area Plan is available on -line, both as a single document and in chapters that download more quickly. The Plan is designed to be easy to read, with graphic illustrations, examples and highlighted strategies and policies throughout. The following summarizes the Plan's eight chapters. The bullet points highlight the community concerns that arose during the planning process to note chapters where these concerns have been addressed within the Plan: 1. Introduction: An overview of the Plan document, its relationship to the LUCE and a summary of the community process. • Transparency of process and faithfulness to LUCE vision. 2. Setting the Stage: An overview of the area's history, background on its current assets, and condition of the area in terms of land uses, urban form, mobility, parking and economics. • Understanding district history and character to build upon the existing 3. Vision & Guiding Principles: A description of the Plan area today followed by an inspiration of the Bergamot Plan area twenty years in the future. The chapter concludes with Guiding Principles. • Establishing principles for the Plan that reflect creativity and innovation, scale and conservation, and connectivity M 4. Core Components A. Urban Form, Open Space and I Street Network: This section l ; describes how the existing conditions in the Plan area can be transformed through street design,i� that creates public gathering places and pedestrian orientation that pulls people onto the streets to enjoy the neighborhood. Street �® types are defined and assigned to each street in the district. The primary organizing concept of a Pedestrian Priority Corridor along Nebraska Avenue is explained. An additional concept outlined is orientation of buildings as a frame for their open space, with that open space oriented toward the public realm. • Creating a variety of open spaces connected through walkable streets • Creating opportunities for public art • Creating a district "main street' that connects pedestrians and cyclists between the station and Nebraska Avenue in the Mixed Use Creative District. • Ensuring that new activity does not negatively impact surrounding residential neighborhoods B. Land Use: This section describes the four land use districts and two overlays in the Plan area including the Conservation — Creative Sector, and Conservation — Art Center districts. This chapter describes the permitted uses and their distribution throughout the area, and provides goals and policies to implement the core values of the community. • Providing opportunities for creative architecture that creates points of interest • Ensuring that projects on the edge of the district transition smoothly to protect and be compatible with surrounding residential neighborhoods • Clarifying priorities for community benefits that are specific to the Plan area and 111111 evaluating proposals based on providing these priority benefits • Establishing the Bergamot art center as the cultural base in the Plan area from which arts and culture are infused throughout the district • Accommodating development without losing the district's character • Considering whether LUCE density /intensity levels could be adjusted and still feasibly provide community benefits C. Circulation and Mobility: This section defines the sustainable transportation approach to streets and parking management, and strategies for achieving circulation that works for pedestrians, automobiles, bicycles, delivery vehicles and others moving through the district. • Providing crosswalks and sidewalks along Olympic Boulevard to get to the Expo Station and other key destinations. • Providing protections for existing surrounding residential neighborhoods from cut - through traffic and parking spillover • Limiting the impact of new development on traffic congestion • Balancing pedestrian and cyclist needs for street space while ensuring that vehicles can get through • Being creative in the approach to parking so that there are enough parking spaces, yet it is still more attractive to take transit, bike or walk to work • Managing resources so parking spaces are well utilized • Introducing meaningful, district -based transportation demand management that helps people take advantage of transit options and reduce trips. 5 • Preserving and enhancing the Bergamot art center as the center of arts and culture for the city. • Protecting the "fragile ecosystem" of arts and creative industries that have colonized the area • Providing new opportunities for growth of the creative industries • Providing live -work opportunities in the district E. Economic Sustainabilitv: This section outlines a five - component strategy for a locally sustainable and vibrant economy that also benefits local residents. It builds on the strengths of the existing creative sector businesses and harnesses the opportunities that transit and a mixed -use neighborhood will bring. • Making it possible to open new businesses that provide services and goods that area workers need within walking distance • Providing affordable housing opportunities in the new neighborhood • Creating job opportunities for current population near the Plan area • Finding appropriate sources of funding for improvements called for in the Plan F. Utility Infrastructure: This section summarizes the utility assessments that were conducted. The chapter documents why most utilities are sufficient, with the exception of sewers, which will likely require some expansion as development occurs, and the fiber optics network. • Analyzing whether the existing infrastructure can support the transition of the area from industrial to mixed -use with residential uses ueyelopment Stanaards and Land Use Regulations: This chapter outlines height limits, floor area ratios, open space requirements, and street- 1 based frontage standards. There is,E flexibility to address the desire for 1,1F innovation and architectural creativity. M i For consistency with the revised Zoning Ordinance, the Bergamot development standards anticipate I .. ". utilizing the administrative provisions relating to elements such as definitions, measurements, and typical review process requirements. The chapter also includes requirements and guidelines for pedestrian improvements such as new streets, wide sidewalks, plazas, and seating areas, as well as standards for shared parking, ground -floor uses and design elements 12 that "activate" the street, such as locating buildings adjacent to the sidewalk, transparent storefronts, easily identifiable pedestrian entries, and stoops. • Making it possible to open new businesses that provide services and goods that area workers need within walking distance • Considering whether LUCE density /intensity levels could be adjusted and still feasibly provide community benefits • Clarifying priorities for community benefits that are specific to the Plan area and evaluating proposals based on providing these priority benefits • Creating a variety of open spaces connected through walkable streets • Creating processes for truly creative architecture and signage so that innovation is not precluded by standards that are generally established to avoid blocky, unarticulated building design. 6. Design Guidelines: The Design Guidelines are part of a regulatory structure designed to create some architectural flexibility to encourage innovation. They are intended to support design that creates visual interest and engagement, and which is human - scaled, and respectful of adjacent neighborhood residential uses. • Providing examples and illustrations that help the design community understand the community's expectations. 7. Street Guidelines and Standards: This chapter presents detailed standards and guidelines for new streets and renovations of existing streets, including specific cross sections and differentiation between complete, flexible and shared streets. • Creating a variety of open spaces connected through walkable streets • Ensuring that the City has a clear blueprint for designing and constructing the streets that pull the area together 8. Implementation: This chapter provides a phased approach to implementation and outlines funding strategies for different types of improvements to guide the next steps toward achieving the vision of the Bergamot Area Plan. • Ensuring that new development makes significant contributions toward the items that the community has prioritized • Setting priorities in order to target initial catalytic projects and make best use of the City's investments and efforts • Ensuring that there is a monitoring structure to guide oversight over the area's transition in accordance with the Plan's goals 13 The Draft Plan addresses the above concerns articulated by the community through policies, strategies, specific standards, design guidelines and an implementation 11 roadmap" that guides the next steps following Plan adoption. Planning Commission Recommendations The Planning Commission held two hearings to review the full draft Plan on February 13, 2013, and on February 20, 2013. Commission discussions covered a multitude of topics including the mix of residential and non - residential uses; open space, reduced floor area ratios (FAR); affordability for both housing and employment spaces; transportation demand management and parking; proposed development standards and design flexibility; pedestrian and bicycle improvements and proposed new street types; and implementation methods. In general, Commissioners expressed support for the Plan's vision and direction and acknowledged the inclusivity of the process that had been conducted to incorporate community values into the context of a transit - oriented planning document. The Commission agreed that the draft Plan advances the LUCE vision for the districts and the policy to direct development pressure toward compact transit - served areas and conserve residential zones in Santa Monica. The Commission recognized the existing and future desirability of the area particularly with the arrival of Expo Light Rail in 2016; as well as the challenges posed by traffic congestion and the need to vastly improve the network of limited streets and narrow or missing sidewalks, and a built form that is purpose -built to serve automobile access. The Commission encouraged the need for creative policies, design strategies, programs, regulations and metrics to create more sustainable buildings and streets, and maximize vehicle trip reduction. The following summarizes the Commissioners' comments and recommendations: • Mix of Uses: Commissioners strongly supported including policies and measures to increase housing opportunities in the Bergamot Area Plan. However, at the same time, some voiced support for reevaluating the land use mix or clustering uses to allow more commercial uses in the Bergamot Transit Village, possibly beyond the established (new land use) target of 60% commercial and 40% residential, as a way to capture greater ridership numbers from the planned Expo light rail line. The Plan's strategy to initially concentrate 14 retail in designated "retail priority" areas was also supported, although some commissions expressed interest in wanting to expand them throughout the district immediately. • Open Space: Commissioners supported the Plan's approach to open space requirements in most projects to create an integrated green network, but expressed the need for additional active recreation spaces. The Commission asked staff to consider the possibility of establishing a requirement or designing a program that might effectively fund the creation of a larger City -owned park, or significant expansion and upgrading of Stewart Park. • Housing and Affordability: Several Commissioners expressed that more work could be done to create incentives or requirements for housing that is 1) affordable to lower income residents, 2) affordable to the area's workforce, and 3) of a variety of sizes and types that could accommodate individuals and larger households. Some Commissioners supported smaller units in the transit area, but emphasized that the design should be flexible to allow for reconfigured living spaces in the future if lifestyle demands or trends changed. The Commission also supported a concept of first marketing new housing opportunities that arise in the Bergamot Plan area to local employees. • Transportation Demand Management: Commissioners concurred on the need for a strong TDM program in the Bergamot Plan area, and requested that implementation of the Area Plan focus on the creation of the Transportation Management Association as quickly as possible. There was a general emphasis that this was a very high implementation priority and that the plan should incorporate all feasible vehicle trip reduction strategies. • Parking: Commissioners all stated their support for the overall parking strategy that seeks to actively manage the parking inventory and utilize pricing to discourage driving while encouraging transit use and biking. While supporting a minimum daily cost for parking, some felt that the proposed $5 "floor" was too low, and that the Plan should instead describe criteria and performance standards for parking management. There was concern about ensuring that new parking resources do not become attractive as Park and Ride facilities for Westside commuters, and addressing the design issues needed to make shared parking accessible to multiple users. • Biking and Walking: The Area Plan's emphasis on biking and walking was strongly supported, and recognized as one of the key activating elements for the district. Some members of the Commission felt that the Plan could prioritize these modes even more through stronger requirements for facilities such as bike parking, a Bike Center, and more landscaping for pedestrians. • Street Types and other Connections: Commissioners supported the variety of crosswalks, street types and standards, and creation of public space, 15 landscaping /urban forest, and gathering spaces to foster the social life of the district. A few Commissioners were interested in refining standards for on- street parking, and active uses along the flexible street type. • Building Form & Design Standards: The Plan's overall approach to building form that steps away from adjacent or nearby residential was supported, as was the concept of allowing flexibility in a limited number of Development Standards, such as frontage or height modulation, to promote creativity and architectural expression. • Implementation: The Commission recognized that implementation of the Bergamot Area Plan would require ongoing and active stewardship over the life of the Plan (2030) in order to manage the area's transition. This acknowledgement included the direction that community benefits and other funding mechanisms, like Assessment Districts, must be combined with public investment as a means to realize a "complete neighborhood" and that the City should reinvest the value generated by the area's transformation back into the many programs and infrastructure needs outlined in the Plan. • Arts /Culture: Commissioners generally supported the Plan's approach but provided few specific comments. Many concerns were voiced about the importance of successfully implementing the community's concept for the Bergamot Art Center. There was broad agreement on the importance of integrating creativity and arts focus throughout the document. ® Conservation Districts: General support was voiced for these new subareas and the goal of preserving their individual character. There was some support expressed for higher intensity to be allowed in the Bergamot Art Center Conservation District because of its proximity to the Expo station. Next Steps Following Council direction, staff will conduct environmental review for the Bergamot Area Plan in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). It is anticipated that the environmental review for the Area Plan will tier off the LUCE Final EIR as permitted under CEQA Section 15152 and 15168. The LUCE Final EIR, which was certified in June 2010, analyzed the environmental impacts of reasonable and foreseeable growth that would occur in the City, including the Bergamot Plan area, through the year 2030. As part of the environmental review, staff will prepare an Initial Study to determine whether the policies, strategies, and development standards of the Bergamot Area Plan are within the scope of the LUCE. Staff will also 16 determine whether the environmental effects of the Area Plan have been adequately covered in the LUCE Final EIR. If it is determined that the Area Plan would have effects that were not adequately addressed in the LUCE Final EIR, subsequent environmental documentation will be prepared. Upon adoption of the Bergamot Area Plan, future projects within the Bergamot Plan area will be subject to their own environmental review on a case by case basis in accordance with CEQA. If necessary, these future projects will prepare their own CEQA documentation to analyze project- specific environmental effects that have not been analyzed in previous EIRs. During the next two months, Staff will present the draft Bergamot Plan and respond to questions at meetings of the City's Boards and Commissions, and various neighborhood, business and community groups. Prior to returning to Council for adoption this summer, the Plan will be presented to the Planning Commission for a formal recommendation. Financial Impacts & Budget Actions There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the recommended action. Prepared by: Peter D. James, Senior Planner Elizabeth Bar-El, AICP, Senior Planner Approved: David Martin, Director Planning and Community Development Department Attachments: Forwarded to Council: Rod Gould City Manager A. Draft Bergamot Area Plan February 2013 17 Item k, Marc 12 0 A hard copy of this document is also d available at Office. Oversized attachment available for review in the City Clerk's Office