Loading...
HomeMy Public PortalAbout07_7F_General Plan_2020 General Plan Annual ReportCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM D ATE: March 16, 2021 TO: The Honorable City Council FROM: Bryan Cook, City Manager Via: Scott Reimers, Community Development Director By: Hesty Liu, AICP, Associate Planner SUBJECT: MID-CENTURY GENERAL PLAN ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT FOR 2020 RECOMMENDATION: The City Council is requested to: 1.Receive the 2020 General Plan Annual Progress Report; 2.Approve the report; and 3.Direct staff to file the report with the Office of Planning and Research and the Department of Housing and Community Development. BACKGROUND: 1.On January 7, 2014, the City Council adopted the Housing Element of the General Plan. The updated Housing Element contains goals and strategies to facilitate housing development to meet the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). 2.On December 5, 2017, the City Council adopted the Mid-Century General Plan and Implementation Program. The Implementation Program along with Government Code 65400 requires that staff prepare an annual report to the Planning Commission and the City Council on the progress of implementing the General Plan. 3.Since the adoption of the Mid-Century General Plan, staff has prepared reports for 2018 and 2019. This is the third report and covers activities during 2020. Staff presented the report to the Planning Commission on February 23, 2021. The Planning Commission recommended that the City Council receive and approve the report. AGENDA ITEM 7.F. City Council March 16, 2021 Page 2 of 5 ANALYSIS : Government Code Section 65400 requires cities to prepare a General Plan Annual Progress Report which should include the following: 1. The City’s progress in implementing its General Plan; and 2. The status of new housing development especially with respect to meeting the number of units as assigned by RHNA. General Plan Implementation in 2020 An emphasis of the Mid-Century General Plan was to direct new growth into the Crossroads Specific Plan (CSP). In 2020, a mixed-use project at 5570 Rosemead Boulevard was approved and an apartment project at 5430 Rosemead Boulevard is in progress. The project at 5570 Rosemead, originally approved in 2019, subdivided the apartments into 73 condominiums. The tract map for this project has been approved, is now in the final map stage, and the applicant has also submitted for building plan check. The second project at 5430 Rosemead Boulevard is a 26-unit apartment building. After a few rounds of review, the applicant redesigned the project and increased the number of units from 24 to 26, and with at-grade instead of underground parking. The redesign will provide more housing units with a potentially reduced construction cost. Also noteworthy in the CSP was the establishment of a moratorium on tenant and land subdivisions and public food markets. The moratorium, established in January of 2020, was necessary to ensure that the uses and economic activity envisioned in the General Plan and the CSP come to fruition. The City Council initiated an amendment to the CSP. The process and the moratorium are expected to be completed in July of 2021. In compliance with new state accessory dwelling unit (ADU) law, staff prepared an urgency ordinance as an interim measure to guide the development of ADUs. A Zoning Code Amendment was later prepared for ADUs which provided additional regulations related to design standards. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) reviewed the ordinance and provided feedback. A revised ordinance will be brought back in 2021 based on HCD feedback. In 2020, staff applied for and received grants from the State under its Local Early Action Plan (LEAP) and Accelerating Housing Production (SB2) programs. The amount approved was $150,000 and $160,000, respectively. The two grants will fund the City’s update of the Housing Element and preparing multi-family objective design standards. To implement the General Plan and to conform with State law, the City also modified the CEQA thresholds of significance from level of service to vehicle miles traveled. In consultation with the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District (SGVMVCD) the City also updated its swimming pool maintenance ordinance. City Council March 16, 2021 Page 3 of 5 Housing Element Report 2020 After experiencing above-average housing activities between 2013 and 2015, the City started to see a shift from new multi-family and single-family housing to smaller projects such as house additions and accessory dwelling units (ADUs). In the past few years, the construction of ADUs remained at a pace of 40 to 50 units per year. This trend continued into 2020. Last year, staff approved 50 of the 62 ADU applications submitted and issued 28 permits for ADUs and 26 certificates of occupancy. ADU construction has become the main contributor to increasing affordable housing units in the City. Housing activities for new single-family houses continued to decline. In 2020, the City issued permits for a total of 17 single-family units in comparison with 36 units in 2019. Housing activities for multi-family units remained the same pace with permits issued for four units in 2020 as compared to five units in 2019. Table 1 below is a summary of housing activities in 2020. Table 1: 2020 Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy Breakdown Permits Issued Certificates of Occupancy Issued Category Total Permits Category Total Permits New Single-Family Developments 17 New Single-Family Developments 26 New Multi-Family Developments 4 New Multi-Family Developments 23 ADUs 28 ADUs 26 Total 49 Total 75 In terms of meeting the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), Table 2 summarizes the City’s 2020 performance. From the perspective of the total net units in the City’s RHNA allocation (i.e., 603 units), the City has accumulated 597 units thus far. This 8-year RHNA cycle ends in 2021, and staff is optimistic about adding an additional 6 units in 2021. However, producing affordable units remains a challenge. Of the 597 units, only 108 are affordable units, a number that is far below the 351 units in the RHNA allocation. With the start of the sixth cycle of the Housing Element, staff will be working closely with the Housing Element consultant to explore new policies or programs to encourage affordable units. For more information, please see Attachment “A” or see Table 2 for a summary. City Council March 16, 2021 Page 4 of 5 Table 2: 2020 RHNA Report (performance is in the highlighted column) COVID-19 Response The year 2020 was unique in that the COVID-19 pandemic became the focus of the City’s attention. In response to the pandemic, the City Council directed staff to develop a series of policies, program, and actions to assist in the economic recovery of the community. The following list is a summary of the tasks that staff has completed: • Created online building and planning application portals; • Developed workflow systems to review plans electronically; • Developed policies to grant time extensions for planning entitlements; • Made changes to the banner permit program by waiving the application fee, increased the number of banners that can be displayed, and extended the duration banners can be displayed; • Developed policies for temporary outdoor dining and other outdoor businesses, waived the application fee, and reviewed 25 applications for compliance; • Made changes to the business license program to clarify which “business by vehicle” companies needed background checks; and • Instituted a business license deferral and amnesty program. Attachment “B” includes an updated work plan for implementing the General Plan. CITY STRATEGIC GOALS: Approving the General Plan Annual Progress Report furthers the City Strategic Goals of Good Governance and Citizen Education and Communication. FISCAL IMPACT : Approval of this item will not have an impact on the Fiscal Year 2020-21 City budget. City Council March 16, 2021 Page 5 of 5 ATTACHMENTS: A. RHNA Reporting Summary Tables B. Updated General Plan Implementation Work Plan GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION WORK PLAN 2020 Strategy Near Term (0-5 yrs). Continuous Annual Mid-Long Term (5-10 +) Work Plan General Plan Monitoring System Establish a comprehensive development tracking system building on existing tools and procedures that incorporates reporting metrics to ensure consistency with the goals and policies of the Mid-Century General Plan (Mid-Century Plan). Among the metrics that should be incorporated into a comprehensive development tracking system are: • The number of entitled residential units and non-residential building square feet and, when permits are issued, adjustment of the remaining development capacity based on the limits specified by Policy LU 1.3. This should include a procedure to restore un-built capacity should the permitted project not be constructed. • Development impacts on critical issues such as traffic, air quality, community services, and infrastructure and assessment of these for consistency with the findings of the Mid-Century Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR). • Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction. • Number and pricing of constructed affordable housing units. • Balance of jobs and housing. • Number and types of created jobs and salaries. • Adequacy of community infrastructure and services (parks, police, fire, and other) to meet needs of Temple City residents. • Other metrics defined by the Plan’s policies and of importance to the City. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X x To be completed. Work Plan 2021 GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION WORK PLAN 2020 Strategy Near Term (0-5 yrs). Continuous Annual Mid-Long Term (5-10 +) Work Plan General Plan Development Capacity Establish a procedure for considering modification of the Mid-Century Plan’s development capacity on achieving 85 percent of the stipulated development capacity, based on data provided by the tracking system. This may involve conducting a study to determine if additional capacity could be accommodated without exceeding the thresholds and findings of significance described in the Mid- Century Plan EIR. If these are exceeded, an EIR may be prepared in accordance with CEQA to assess the impacts of projected additional development capacity and identify mitigation measures. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X To be completed. Work Plan 2022. Zoning Ordinance Upon adoption of the Mid-Century Plan, adopt a comprehensive update of the Zoning Code (Temple City Municipal Code, Title 9) incorporating revisions for consistency with the Plan. The updated Zoning will be prepared as a “hybrid code” combining both form-based and traditional Euclidean code principles and features as well as development standards and procedures. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X Completed in 2020 Specific Plans Upon adoption of the Mid-Century Plan, implement the Las Tunas/Rosemead Specific Plan and amend the Downtown Specific Plan for consistency with and to implement the Mid-Century Plan, as necessary. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X Completed. Will be amended from time to time as needed. GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION WORK PLAN 2020 Strategy Near Term (0-5 yrs). Continuous Annual Mid-Long Term (5-10 +) Work Plan Building and Construction Code Revisions Review and amend, where necessary, Building Regulations (Municipal Code, Title 7) to ensure consistency with the goals and policies of the Mid-Century Plan, including green construction techniques that may exceed state standards, mitigation of noise and other impacts for mixed-use buildings, and incentives for the adaptive reuse of existing structures in lieu of demolition. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X Completed in 2020. Inclusionary Housing Ordinance Consider implementation of an inclusionary housing policy to encourage the development of housing affordable to low and moderate income households as specified in the General Plan Housing Element (not part of the Mid-Century General Plan). Responsible Departments: • Community Development X This implementation measure will be considered as part of the Housing Element. Affordable Housing Code Compliance Continue to permit second dwelling units by right in R-1, R-2, and R-3 zones, as set forth in the City’s Zoning Code (Temple City Municipal Code, Chapter 9, Article M) and ensure that future zoning code updates will permit second dwelling units by right in residential zones, pursuant to AB 1866. Waive permit processing fees for second units that will be occupied exclusively by lower income persons. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X This implementation measure will be considered as part of the Housing Element. GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION WORK PLAN 2020 Strategy Near Term (0-5 yrs). Continuous Annual Mid-Long Term (5-10 +) Work Plan Public Streets Improvements Continue to implement public street improvements as appropriate, throughout the City, including commercial district and residential neighborhoods. The City should identify priority locations for improvements in consideration of needs, budget availability, and local support. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X In 2020, Las Tunas Drive was repaved. Street Improvements plan for 2021 will be considered as part of the budget process. Development Fees and Exactions Adopt impact fee schedule and update as necessary to provide revenue for required supporting public infrastructure, parks, and services, and mitigation of transportation impacts, such as impacts to air quality, GHG emissions, and traffic generated by new development. All fees should be reviewed periodically for their sufficiency in covering costs. Responsible Departments: • All City Departments X X This implementation measure will be considered as part of the Housing Element. Parks Funding Continue to investigate the feasibility of establishing a Quimby Act program to provide adequate park, recreation, and open space areas and facilities, consistent with the Mid-Century Plan and the needs of Temple City residents. Additionally, explore other innovative strategies that are reflective of the built-out nature of Temple City that provides park and open space areas that meet the needs of current and future residents. Responsible Departments: • Parks and Recreation X X This implementation measure will be considered as part of the Housing Element. GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION WORK PLAN 2020 Strategy Near Term (0-5 yrs). Continuous Annual Mid-Long Term (5-10 +) Work Plan Transportation Services and Management Maintain and expand the City’s curb-to-curb paratransit system and work with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) and other transit providers to investigate the feasibility of local transit alternatives for local residents, including students, as funding is available. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X Work Plan 2021-2022 Affordable Housing Entitlement Processing Analyze the effectiveness and efficiency of the entitlement process for affordable housing projects and modify as necessary to reduce barriers to the provision of a range of affordable housing options in Temple City. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X This implementation measure will be considered as part of the Housing Element. Housing Affordability Improvements Funding Evaluate funding sources and technical assistance for affordable housing programs and update as necessary to adequately provide for housing choices that are consistent with the goals and policies of the General Plan Housing Element and the Mid-Century Plan.. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X This implementation measure will be considered as part of the Housing Element. GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION WORK PLAN 2020 Strategy Near Term (0-5 yrs). Continuous Annual Mid-Long Term (5-10 +) Work Plan Subdivision Ordinance Review and amend the Subdivision Ordinance (Temple City Municipal Code, Title 9, Chapter 2) for consistency with the Mid-Century Plan’s Land Use Diagram, goals, and policies to approve and design street alignments, street grades and widths, drainage and sanitary facilities, lot size and configuration, traffic access, and other measures as may be necessary or convenient to insure consistency with, or implementation of, the Mid-Century Plan or any applicable specific plan. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X Work Plan 2021-2022 Design Standards and Guidelines Create citywide Design standards and guidelines that incorporate the Las Tunas/Rosemead and Downtown Specific Plan design standards and guidelines into one document, and include citywide guidelines that identify the City’s expectations for planning, designing, and reviewing projects and development proposals, related to building design and materials, and landscape guidelines requiring sustainable, drought-tolerant species. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X The City has completed the update of the Zoning Ordinance which includes the design standards for all commercial and residential zones. In 2021 and 2022, the City will develop Objective Design Standards for multiple family developments. GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION WORK PLAN 2020 Strategy Near Term (0-5 yrs). Continuous Annual Mid-Long Term (5-10 +) Work Plan Compliance with CEQA On submittal of an application for development, the City will determine whether the project qualifies as a “project” is “exempt” subject to CEQA’s criteria. If so, an Initial Study must be prepared to identify the environmental impacts of the project and determine whether the identified impacts are "significant". Based on its findings of "significance", the City prepares one of the following environmental review documents: • Negative Declaration if it finds no "significant" impacts; • Mitigated Negative Declaration if it finds "significant" impacts but revises the project to avoid or mitigate those significant impacts; or • Environmental Impact Report (EIR) if it finds "significant" impacts The Program EIR prepared for the Mid-Century Plan constitutes an “umbrella” document describing citywide impacts that may be used by subsequent projects found to be consistent with the Mid-Century Plan to tier from. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X This is a continuous effort. All projects submitted to the City will be reviewed in light of CEQA compliance. In 2020, the City modified the CEQA thresholds of significance from level of service to vehicle miles traveled General Plan Updates At least once every ten years conduct a comprehensive review and update of the Mid-Century Plan, including a review of the economic markets for commercial, industrial, and housing development; identify trends that impact or provide opportunities for the City; assess the Plan’s land use diagram, policies, and standards for their effectiveness in addressing these; evaluate traffic conditions and their correlation with land use development; and amend these where desired and necessary. As many of the General Plan’s implementation programs are dependent on available funding and evolve over time to reflect changing community needs, they should be reviewed and updated at least once each three years to assure their continuing relevancy. Responsible Departments: • Community Development X In 2020, the City initiated the update of the Housing Element for the six cycle. In 2021 and 2022, the City will continue and finish the update.