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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06241997 - D6-D8 ra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Costa FROM: HARVEY E. BRAGDON CoU DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 11nty DATE: February 11, 1997 SUBJECT: Consideration of Oakley Old Town General Plan Amendment & Specific Plan SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) &BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Open the public hearing and receive testimony on the Oakley Old Town General Plan Amendment and the related Oakley Old Town Specific Plan concurrently. 2 . Close the public hearing and ADOPT the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan Amendment and APPROVE the Oakley Old Town General Plan Amendment subject to adoption of the second consolidated General Plan Amendment being adopted. 3 . Include the Oakley Old Town General Plan Amendment as part of the second consolidated General Plan Amendment for 1997 recommended by the East County Regional Planning Commission. FISCAL IMPACT Covered by Community Development and Redevelopment Agency budgets. BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS This project is in fulfillment of the County redevelopment program for the community of Oakley. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURES '�i RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S) : ACTION OF BOARD ON lnne 24 , 1997 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER X See attached Addendum VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS (ABSENT) ------ AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN _ AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact: Jim Cutler (335-1236) cc: Community Development Dept. ATTESTED June 24 , 1997 CAO PHIL BATCHELOR, CLERK OF THE County Counsel BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND Public Works COUPTY ADMINISTRATOR BY � , DEPUTY J:\aw\oakotjwc.bo ADDENDUM TO D.7 June 24, 1997 Agenda on June 3, 1997, the Board of Supervisors continued to this date the hearing on the recommendation of the Contra Costa County Planning Commission on the request of the County of Contra Costa to consider modification of the County General Plan policies for the Oakley Old Town General Plan Amendment, Oakley (County File #GP 0005-95); and on the request of the County of Contra Costa for the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan establishing policies, plans, and programs to revitalize the area. Included are roadway infrastructure improvements and realignment to State Route 4, other infrastructure improvements, creating a commercial core as a center of economic activity and major urban design activities, Oakley. (County File #SP 0003-95). Dennis Barry and Jim Cutler, Community Development Department, presented the staff report. The public hearing was opened, and the following people presented testimony: Brad Dozier, United Centro Properties, 305 N. El Dorado Street, Ste 301, Stockton; Curt Blomstrand, Capital Salvage, Inc., Oakley Hotel owner, 3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Ste 110, Lafayette; All persons desiring to speak having been heard, the public hearing was closed, and the Board considered the issues presented. IT IS BY THE BOARD ORDERED that staffs recommendations are APPROVED; Resolution No. 97/337 is ADOPTED relative to the Oakley Old Town General Plan Amendment and Specific Plan Amendment, with the General Plan amendment to be included in the second consolidated General Plan; decision on the design plan for the roadway realignment is DEFERRED until after June 1998, after election results are known regarding Oakley's incorporation, or until after the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) considers the feasibility of Oakley's incorporation; and any design review process for the roadway realignment is DIRECTED to include input from the Oakley Municipal Advisory Council (GMAC). 1 RESOLUTION NO. 19-1996 RESOLUTION OF THE EAST COUNTY REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE COUNTY OF CONTRA COSTA, STATE OF CALIFORNIA,RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE LAND USE ELEMENT OF THE COUNTY GENERAL PLAN, OAKLEY OLD TOWN GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT#95-0005 AND OAKLEY OLD TOWN SPECIFIC PLAN#95-0003,FOR THE OAKLEY AREA. WHEREAS,the County initiated a proposal to amend the Land Use Element of the County General Plan. The request is to change the Land Use Designation on 54 acres in the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan area; and WHEREAS, an Environmental Impact Report was prepared for the General Plan Amendment study area and Specific Plan; and WHEREAS, staff prepared a report recommending changes in the proposed General Plan amendment and Specific Plan for the area and circulated it to interested agencies, organizations and individuals; and WHEREAS, after notice was lawfully given, a public hearing was scheduled before the East County Regional Planning Commission on Monday, August 5, 1996, and continued to October 7, 1996; at which all persons interested might appear and be heard; and WHEREAS, after taking public testimony on the issue, the public hearing was closed; and THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the East County Regional Planning Commission accepts the Environmental Impact Report to be adequate to consider this amendment; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the proposed general plan amendment and a Oakley Old Town Specific Plan would help implement the Oakley Redevelopment Plan; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the East County Regional Planning Commission RECOMMENDS APPROVAL of the Oakley Old Town General Plan Amendment and Oakley Old Town Specific Plan to the Board of Supervisors; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the lands at the Northwest comer of Vintage Parkway and the realigned State Route 4 should be redesignated from Single Family Residential High Density and Commercial to Mixed Use and staff is directed to revise the General Plan and Specific Plan text accordingly; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all written and graphic material developed for and pertaining to these proceeding are made part of the record; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the East County Regional Planning Commission shall sign and attest the certified copy of this resolution and deliver the same to the Board of Supervisors, all in accordance with the provisions of State Planning Law. RESOLUTION NO. 19-1996 The instruction by the County Regional Planning Commission to prepare this resolution was given by motion of the Commission on Monday, October 7, 1996. AYES: Commissioners - Sobalvarro, Anderson, Nunn NOES: Commissioners- Wetzel ABSENT: Commissioners- Andrieu,Hanson, Wagner ABSTAIN: Commissioners- None I, Harvey E. Bragdon, Secretary of the East County Regional Planning Commission, hereby certify that the foregoing was duly called and approved on October 7, 1996. ATTEST: 'riey E. B a on, Secretary of the East County'Regional Planning Commission Contra Costa County, State of California BL-." a: Jim cutler Debbie Foley BUeasfco.res THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Adopted this Order on June 24. 1997 by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Rogers, Uilkema, Gerber, Canciamilla and DeSaulnier NOES: None ABSENT: None ABSTAIN: None RESOLUTION NO. 97/337 SUBJECT: In the Matter of the Oakley Old Town ) General Plan Amendment ) County File #GP95-0005 ) and the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan ) County File #SP95-0003 ) The Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County RESOLVES that: There is filed with the Board and its Clerk a copy of Resolution No. 19-1996 adopted by the East County Regional Planning Commission which discusses a General Plan Amendment in the Oakley Area (County File #GP96-0005) and Oakley Old Town Specific Plan (County File #SP95-0003). On Tuesday, February 11, 1997 and June 24, 1997, the Board held public hearings on said General Plan Amendment and Specific Plan discussed by the East County Regional Planning Commission (Resolution No. 14-1996). Notice of said hearing was duly given in the matter required by law. The Board, at the hearing, called for testimony and numerous speakers provided testimony. The Board closed the public hearing and APPROVED the General Plan Amendment and directed staff to include the Oakley Old Town General Plan Amendment into one of the consolidated General Plan Amendments as allowed by State Planning Law. Further, the Board ADOPTED the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan to be effective with the adoption of the consolidated general plan amendment. Additionally, the Board directed staff to defer implementation activities of the bypass road beyond the 35% level design work until either a decision has been reached by LAFCO on incorporation feasibility or an outcome on the June 1998 vote on incorporation is known and to follow the community preferences on siting a preferred location for a community center as outlined in a June 5, 1997 memo from the Director of Community Development. Contact: Jim Cutler, CDD (335-1236) 1 hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken Orig. Dept.: Community Development and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown. cc: Director of Community Development ATTESTED .Tttna 24 1997 Director of Public Works Phil Batchelor, Clerk of the Board CAOof Supervis rs nd unly Administrator County Counsel B Jim Kennedy Barbara S. rant, puty Clerk JWC:aw jAawbakley.res FIGURE 1 East County Regional Planning Commission Recommended Proposed General Plan Amendment _. � \ :why;•♦ ` . J:�,u1 , MU ;� OACO do D' 11 1 CO' AIN - �• • j' i i CO O • 1 CO 1 1 � i .J.�.- 1 i i 1 SH I - 1 • I t■ 4-14--y L 11 - [U — =-ALUL I --1•_- 1 1•_ 1 LEGEND SH Single Family Residential - High Density CO Commercial MU Mixed Use Agenda#_ OAKLEY GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT General Plan County File#GP-95-0005 and Specific Plan County File#SP-95-0003 I. INTRODUCTION The Contra Costa County Redevelopment Agency, as part of its effort to revitalize Oakley, has sponsored a General Plan review of Oakley Old Town area. This is coupled with the development of the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan which has been developed with community input. The Specific Plan's purpose is to add substantial County policy detail to what is needed for this revitalization effort. There is strong inter-relationship between this General Plan Amendment and the Specific Plan. The first part of this report will deal almost exclusively with General Plan policy issues. Both are addressed in this report. H. CEQA Due in part to the public controversy surrounding the Draft Specific Plan's alternative circulation alternatives, the County determined that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was required for this project. A Draft EIR was released on February 14th of 1996 and a public hearing was held in the Antioch community. The County Zoning Administrator on June 24,1996 has found that the Draft EIR, together with the Responses to Comments document,to be adequate and has recommended the Board of Supervisors to certify the Final EIR. A copy of the Final EIR will be provided to the Commission under separate cover. This staff report utilizes the EIR and is related to its findings and analysis. M. PROJECT BACKGROUND Downtown Oakley has gradually deteriorated with many empty buildings and vacant parcels, and many developed parcels are underutilized. A haphazard mix of land uses has sprung up along Main Street (SR4) and when coupled with the gradual deterioration of many of the structures, has served to reduce the economic and physical viability of the commercial and residential areas. Additionally, the increase in traffic, particularly the heavy volume of truck traffic on Main Street, further exacerbates a safety problem for pedestrians attempting to cross Main Street. The Board of Supervisors adopted a Redevelopment Plan for Oakley in 1989. The Redevelopment Plan was designed to provide a means to address and finance transportation improvements, upgrade community facilities and revitalize older residential and commercial areas. 2 In late 1992, the Contra Costa County Redevelopment Agency initiated formal discussion with the Oakley community regarding its downtown area, known as Old Town. Old Town Oakley represents an underutilized asset to the community and to East County. Oakley residents indicated they were sensitive to the unique character of Old Town. It was felt that preservation of Old Town's character, combined with the introduction of new compatible commercial and civic uses,with parks and landscaping, would enhance Old Town's identity. Developing such an identity is a challenge due to State Route 4 traffic, general traffic circulation problems, poor landscaping, vacant lots and inconsistent land uses. The catalyst for the Specific Plan was the County's plan to alter SR4 through the Oakley Old Town area. Because the SR4 improvements would impact both commercial and residential areas of Old Town,it became clear that addressing the SR4 problem should only be done as part of a comprehensive planning effort that would create a new vision for Old Town's role in the Oakley community. The Oakley Municipal Advisory Council (GMAC), augmented by periodic workshop sessions, identified the major alternative approaches that could be used to revitalize Old Town. Three planning alternatives were evaluated and presented in Oakley Planning Alternatives-Background and Alternatives Evaluation for the Old Town Oakley Specific Plan (April 1993). Driven by the need to expand the capacity of SR4 through Oakley, the three alternatives evaluated were as follows: Alternative A: Widen State Route 4 along its current route through Old Town and maintain strip commercial development; Alternative B: Separate State Route 4 into a one-way couplet, with eastbound traffic on Acme Street and westbound traffic on Main Street; create a commercial and civic center along Acme Street; and Alternative C. Relocate State Route 4 to an alternative route north of its present location and create an expanded commercial and civic center along Main Street. In November 1993, OMAC gave direction to prepare an Old Town Oakley Specific Plan using a relocated SR4(Alternative C)as the preferred vision. The Oakley Old Town Specific Plan was developed around the proposed highway realignment and presented in August 1994. In a September 1994 meeting, OMAC showed renewed interest in the widen-in-place alternative (Alternative A). Therefore, both the roadway realignment and widen-in place options that are focused upon in this report were fully documented in the EIR. 3 IV. PROJECT DESCRIPTION A. General Plan The County General Plan policy for Oakley was last reviewed in 1989. In the intervening years, several project specific amendments have been reviewed in the Oakley area, but none in the Oakley Old Town area. The County's adopted Circulation Element presently calls for one-way couplets to be built to serve Old Town. The proposed General Plan would delete this plan provision and substitute either a relocated northerly two-way alignment of State Route 4 (Alternative C)or cause the road to be widened in place (Alternative A). The 54 acre Old Town planning area would have minor Land Use Element changes made to it depending on which Circulation Element concept is selected. The Final EIR covers potential Land Use Element changes based on the differing circulation alternatives. The proposed Land Use Element Amendment covered in the DEIR is shown on Figure 1. B. Specific Plan The goals of the Draft Specific Plan are to enable Oakley's Old Town to function as a commercial and community center for the town while simultaneously accommo- dating regional traffic needs. Fifteen Draft Specific Plan goals are listed below: "Land Use 1. Establish Old Town as a focus of economic and community activity; 2. Maintain and enhance the existing residential neighborhoods adjacent to commercial areas; 3. Establish Main Street as a pedestrian-friendly commercial focal point; and 4. Assist the Oakley community in establishing a community focal point. Circulation and Parking 5. Provide safe and efficient vehicular movement by separating local from regional traffic and providing appropriate traffic controls throughout Old Town. 6. Develop Main Street as a pleasant and safe environment for pedestrian movement. Provide vehicular access along Main Street as well as convenient parking along its length which is conducive to Old Town's development as a commercial area. FIGURE 1 Proposed General Plan Amendment ML FaCO =.STATE ROUTE /: `�'' •.�` � '•\� , CO. --- AIN 5���: -•--'-- --.._.. .___'_ i- CO o CO is SH r- ;�r T- C r r r , .-I-- it �---- - , , Ir - __; i r IL - _ LEGEND CO - Commercial ML - Multi-Family Residential - Low Density SH - Single-Family Residential - High Density 5 7. Improve access to currently vacant and underutilized parcels in order to enhance opportunities for future development. 8. Provide public parking resources to support commercial development within Old Town, Public Infrastructure 9. Provide the necessary public infrastructure required to support future projected development in Old Town Oakley. 10. Coordinate all public infrastructure changes so that they occur efficiently and produce minimal disruption to public investments and private business activities. Community Development and Urban Desi= 11. Establish a strong visual image for Old Town as a commercial destination and community focal point. 12. Develop a strong pedestrian-friendly environment in Old Town. 13. Preserve and enhance the unique historical character of Old Town Oakley. 14. Stimulate property revitalization improvements and new construction in Old Town. 15. Establish a self-sustaining mechanism for future Old Town planning and improvements." Specific Plan Implementation and Actions A combination of regulatory actions, roadway improvements, infrastructure improvements, land acquisitions, and community identity projects will be required to implement the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan. Regulatory and Administrative actions needed to achieve the previously stated goals are shown on Table 1. V. PROJECT SETTING AND EXISTING CONDITIONS Oakley's downtown lies on a flat plain. Major vehicular access in the area is on Main Street. Oakley's historic Old Town structures are concentrated in an area bounded by O'Hara Avenue, the Santa Fe railroad tracks, Third Street and Ruby Street. The railroad and Main Street also form the northern boundary of a traditional north-south and east-west street grid that connects Old Town to areas to the south. Most of Oakley's oldest and historically interesting commercial and community buildings are contained in Old Town. TABLE 1 REGULATORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS TO EWPLEMENT THE OLD TOWN SPECIFIC PLAN Re¢ulatory Changes 1. Amend General Plan. Amend General Plan Map to be consistent with the Specific Plan (Figure 2-2). Changes to existing Land Use designations would be west of Vintage Parkway (SF to ML) and on the block bounded by Acme Street, Second Street, Ruby Street and O'Hara Avenue (PR to SLD). 2. Rezone Old Town properties within the Specific Plan Area to Planned Unit Development (P- 1). Properties within the area would be governed by the Development Standards provided in the Specific Plan. Roadway Improvements 3. Realign State Route 4 as a four-lane roadway between Gardenia Avenue and Third Street along a new right-of-way north of Main Street and extend Norcross Lane and O'Hara Avenue north to new intersections. Create a one-way couplet with Second Street northbound and O'Hara Avenue southbound between SR 4 and Las Dumas Avenue (Figure 2-3, Circulation and Parking Plan). 4. Reconstruct Main Street as a pedestrian-friendly, commercially oriented street. Redesignate Main Street as a two lane collector, as opposed to its current arterial designation. Infrastructure Improvements 5. Install new water distribution lines along the SR 4 realignment and along roadway segments between the new alignment and Main Street (Figure 2-4). 6. Install new sewer lines along the SR 4 realignment and for a segment on Main Street (Figure 2-4). 7. Underground electrical utility lines(Figure 2-5). Land Acquisition 8. Public Parking Lot - Purchase land between Main Street and realigned State Route 4 for a public parking lot to serve Old Town Parking District(Figure 2-3). 9. Community Center Site-Purchase land for a future Community Center. TABLE 1 (continued) Community Identity projects 10. Main Street Streetscape - Design and install sidewalks, landscaping, crosswalks, lighting, benches, and other street furniture and special fighting(Figure 2-6). 11 State Route 4 Landscaping - Install street trees and median landscaping between Gardenia and Third Street.. 12. Old Town Logo - develop a unique logo or logotype for use on Old Town signs and promotional materials. Old Town Initiatives 13. Old Town Business Association-Establish of a business association to represent the interests of Old Town property and business owners. 14. Business Improvement District-Creation of an assessment district for additional urban design improvements, parking and other on-going activities. 8 The study area for this EIR is larger than historical Old Town and is defined as the area within the proposed Specific Plan boundaries, which is centered around the Main Street/SR4 corridor. This includes the area north to the Santa Fe railroad tracks, west to the Claremont subdivision(approximately 650 feet west of Vintage Parkway), east to Third Street and south roughly to Ruby Street. (Figure 2). Land use and development patterns in the Oakley project area are dominated by commercial and residential use. Old Town can be divided into three basic land use areas: 1) along SR4 - Main Street is a long established pattern of strip commercial development oriented to traffic on SR4;2)the blocks along Acme Street, parallel to Main Street and one block south, form a transition zone with a combination of commercial residential and community uses; and 3) two blocks south of SR4 Ruby Street is the northern boundary of an old and established residential neighborhood. Commercial land uses line Main Street on both the north and south sides. These commercial uses include typical retail operations such as small restaurants, liquor stores, and antique stores as well as community-oriented services such as cleaners and hair care. Main Street also contains professional office space that includes chiropractors and insurance companies. The eastern end of the Main Street corridor (east of Norcross Lane) has a traditional town layout with small parcels fronting directly on Main Street. Each parcel usually contains a separate business. On the west end of the Main Street corridor is a more suburban style of development with stores set back from the roadway surrounded by large parking areas, such as Centro Mart and the Oakley Plaza, but the Main Street corridor is not exclusively commercial. There are still a number of single family residences along Main Street as well as community uses such as the YMCA and a preschool. Acme Street forms a transition zone between the highway commercial land uses along Main Street and the residential area to the south. Commercial uses are clustered along the north side of Acme Street and tend to be more light industrial than retail in nature, such as auto repair. As on Main Street, residential uses are intermixed with the commercial uses. The south side of Acme Street is primarily residential with the exception of one large, vacant lot at the comer of O'Hara Avenue which is used for RV storage. Acme Street also contains important community uses. The Baptist Church is located on Acme Street at O'Hara Street and the block south of Acme Street between O'Hara and Second Street contains the County Library, the Fire Station and the Sheriffs Department Delta Substation. Ruby Street, and the area to the south, consists of smaller traditional single-family residences surrounded by lawns and mature landscaping. There are a number of large and impressive trees in the area, some of which may qualify as heritage trees. The overall residential and commercial land use density is relatively low. This is especially true in the commercial areas because of the low, largely one-story structures and because much of the land is vacant. There are a number of vacant parcels within the project area. The . iuo Bio omni iii�� 1 I I II �� III I I I ILII III IIII (161 °•••❖••• Illi � II IIIII I IIuII��i III r . �►.I►�.. I I II IIII II IIII III '•'•'•••••••'•••••�•` IIIIIIIII�II�I��III�III ........... III 11 111 IIII 1111 11 II I III Ei�ll�,� res g t iil ��----gl�- ri^'ll.Il f r1i11Y I::1 III ( 'IIII lil.1 j�,l�ll 111 p.ni I11111..� Iliilr I! • .1:II► l►I;,►►I���►iillii 11�,.a111•�i►II��I II•'1�., I..� ..,, •Ai:t t 1 ! .:Ilia II of IIII ►Iii' �;ii i i'f t:.lE jiit 111111 , ►:ii ;_ tea- Illlull6lii liiiilllull < n••. ----- - .nl[Ulll::.i;:rjii --. � u.•' 111" �I ..111 ILI ii►IIN-111!!11111►111111 Igo:11111►��n�s ' jQli I �' •� �'IIIi0 Illi^:::I I:?:: 11 il��la�l► A�,m 11. Ilu lu.'1 li r;:►I is !I,II I, h.�� "- I � -..., � I�,[;�11 II 4r iitllllYfilllli��Iii:111D'LIl�iilIll-fill,ill 'IID, •III Ill l 1 r''1 :� i� iioo8 r. Ir�o�u(i 1� III ,I�� � I'..� 11::• � �_. r :.6i,{i ^�„�;1 (11��' : ���'�+�li ' ' � ■ : � €� (IIII IIS:: I l;Il:i;t !:❖•• �-� F„I • 1111It1 1111111 .. I :� •.❖. •rf_ • 1111111 IIII I]Illrlll:_'ll� ;�(�A I A1� ��`I I ' ;I a { a in+ill: I►!l lul a �yl�lllii,.{ la ililm4li 41I'A: 1•71I' 11 .:r1 li Irl I II 'll sl:r 1 b Ili:Rl:^.ill+{1111 iC ll. . Il.luil!�II iirTr ` IIIui1i Ir 111 lMi1�e: IN i nil :':;iillliiiiil u.j O � ao V UtJf A tNN -.� O 6 0 N a �• V. � i i p O Q v� 1: _ — N i � N ts7 E. CD CD --- . 'j = v z __ ------- —.r -- - N � f C1 O O O O OZ, b b0 M 0�0 N J -@, E •oo i O 1 �� yt� �•� O� e� ri - jy CQ C r�7.•r' �O A � aQQi' c .... N . �bO AtA/iA v \ Lph 11 largest (approximately six acres) lies along Main Street west of Norcross Lane. There are also a number of underutilized parcels; parcels that are only partially developed or difficult to access. For example, the land north of the parcels fronting on Main Street is difficult to access and is underdeveloped. In addition to vacant and underutilized parcels, there are a number of vacant stores along Main Street and Acme Street. Table 2 presents a summary of existing land use within the project area. The total developable area is approximately 47 acres, located on 10 different blocks. Thirty-two residential units are also included in the project area. Retail and other commercial uses (88,560 square feet) account for almost 75% of the non-residential space in the project area (120,840 square feet). Most of the structures in Oakley are older and in need of renovation or redevelopment. Some may qualify as historical resources(see Section 3.5 of the Draft EIR). However, many of the older structures are unreinforced masonry structures which may be prohibitively expensive to bring up to code. VI. EXISTING GENERAL PLAN The existing County General Plan Land Use Element for this area is shown on Figure 3. Most of the Old Town area is designated as Commercial, with small areas designated as Single- Family Residential High Density and Parks and Recreation. There are several General Plan Land Use policies which appear to relate to the Old Town Specific Plan;these are listed on Table 3. The Circulation Elements Roadway Network map (Figure 4) calls for one-way couplets to serve the Old town area. VII. ZONING The existing zoning is shown on Figure 5. Most of the Old Town area is zoned R-B (Retail Business),with small areas zoned D-1 (Two-Family Residential). Comparison of the existing General Plan map (Figure 3) with the Zoning map (Figure 5) show small areas of Zoning/General Plan inconsistencies. The Specific Plan calls for rezoning the site to P-1, Planned Unit District, to eliminate these inconsistencies. VII. STATE ROUTE 4 ALIGNMENT ALTERNATIVES State Route 4 between the freeway and Empire Avenue is a four-lane roadway with a two- way left turn lane. East of Empire Avenue(through Old Town), SR4 narrows to two lanes (plus a two-way left tum lane). Today this roadway is working at acceptable levels of service. As Section 3.2 Traffic and Circulation, in the DEIR, shows traffic volumes in the area due to general growth are expected to increase necessitating roadway improvements in the area. r = iIIIIIIIIIII � �ni i fl I�I� i i i �1�,��-�l�l�► , ,,, �! I�ir'I,i , Il�,llll�•n,t!II���III!!!�fill II � , • =+� 11I11M ;Ali.su toy'. !4 l,l 4li,,��iiii��' I II! __ ►-t' ia''. •i. Iii 111 i;li;i;ri;, l::`l, . y ,.Ii,i! n l Vii`iiit,{�� IlEl�llit �' n ,�_._�t111 III lIi ;::irttii III III u;lh ;iuu iitt�:i: iuilll 1-lullr�ii��� ��lif i�I�iii 11` inn1111i i�� ( il �► ""�- tI Illlli ` nnsi�l �II • pal 1 n�unl r ��� ,'I���Ih� nnuull irp( `• �=�! !I tta„u,yit u tiS • pry' 9tlnt I _ ,i r' r it j + i l:ybigg\o.Weyotiwc TABLE 3 GENERAL PLAN POLICIES RELEVANT TO OLD TOWN OAKLEY 3-55 Design guidelines for the Oakley area shall be made. The guidelines should include themes that will assist neighborhood commercial development to reflect the residential character for the surrounding area, existing commercial development to upgrade its appearance, and that will establish architectural and landscape continuity. The design policies for the area shall be adopted by the East County Regional Planning Commission (ECRPC) and confirmed by the Board of Supervisors. 3-56 Housing which accommodates the needs of fixed income persons, elderly persons, or both in and around the Old Town of Oakley shall be encouraged. 3-57 Higher residential densities around the Old Town of Oakley shall be encouraged. 3-58 Existing Old Town development currently lacking on-site parking shall be accommodated through developing a specific strategy for providing off-street parking. Such a strategy would include programs to incorporate public parking into any reuse, or development of abandoned railroad rights-of-way adjacent to the Old Town area, and building new sidewalks and bicycle paths. 3-59 Economic development and employment growth possibilities shall be expanded by preparing a comprehensive economic development strategy. Such a strategy may include joint ventures with the private sector and the County for the establishment of a redevelopment area. 3-65 Agriculture-related businesses to expand or relocate to Oakley shall be assisted. Land Use Policies 34 To encourage a development pattern that promotes the individuality and unique character of each community in the county. Land Use Policies 3-8 Infilling of already developed areas shall be encouraged. Proposals that would prematurely extend development into areas lacking requisite services, facilities and infrastructure shall be opposed. In accommodating new development, preference shall generally be given to vacant or under-used sites within urbanized areas, which have the necessary utilities installed with available remaining capacity, before undeveloped suburban lands are utilized. 3-16 Community appearance shall be upgraded by encouraging redevelopment, where appropriate, to replace inappropriate uses. 3-31 Commercial areas of appropriate size and location shall be provided to accommodate the needs of the present and anticipated population in each subregion or community of the County. FIGURE 4 Existing Circulation Plan �ti O d 0 o d 0 6 N 1" =4000' 4 ♦ 9 GYPPESS RD. 4 �'\ v % I. w Q ' \ LAUREL RD — a w Imo'' Z a Y i I I 1 I I 2 I ' LONE TREE WAV I I LEGEND Existing Collector Proposed Collector ,� I SUNSET RD Existing Arterial •� N Proposed Arterial , a Existing Freeway w r• • 4 Proposed Freeway •�� uuouannuui Expressway on Existing Road ■I I Proposed Expressway 4 1 1 2 BIndicates Number of Lanes I 1 BRENTWOOD R Indicates Number of Lanes Required for Right-of-Way Preservation ( 1 (Shown for unincorporated areas only) UR RD y _ q 1 s„ O 4� A C � C7 til a U Gi 1 t !tet•• .♦ 3 F i 1 11 4 a I _I I ' M vi 7 Il SI1 s" 36 S it S .... H ti . ..u: H'SS a �1�, �sP,�* t ,yg� 13 C / , • ( 1 at d � � { ! p w7 fl � OD m f�,t 3 16 The existing General Plan calls for one-way couplets to be built. This concept is not presently well received in the community. It was decided to utilize the EIR and Specific Plan process to determine the nature of improvements for State Route 4 in Oakley. Three main alternatives were studied. They are: Alternative A widen in place; Alternative B - one-way couplet; and Alternative C - relocate SR4 to an alternate route north of its present location. The Oakley Municipal Advisory Committee has endorsed Alternative C to relocate SR4 northerly. There are advantages and disadvantages to the alternatives which are described throughout the DEIR. The staff conclusion from that analysis is that the relocation of SR to a new northerly alignment will provide the basis for an enhanced redevelopment program for Old Town Oakley. By moving through traffic off Main Street and having it serve local travel, new opportunities for a desirable cohesive commercial area will exist. Presently the through road traffic serves to divide and diminish commercial value of the area. None of the roadway alternatives are totally free of impacts to some individual property owners. Staff feels this choice will lead to new opportunities as discussed in the Draft Specific Plan(which is written based on Alternative Q. RECOMMENDATION: Accept Alternative C to relocate SR4 northerly as the preferred alignment; amend the General Plan Circulation Element accordingly, X. OTHER PROPOSED GENERAL PLAN CHANGES Most of the existing General Plan Land Use plan map areas (Figure 2) would be retained based on either road alignment for the Specific Plan. There are, however, a few small areas of potential change. A. Lands North of SR4 and west of Vintage Parkway These lands are currently designated as Single-Family Residential High Density and Commercial. The proposed Land Use plan would utilize Vintage Parkway, north of SR4, as separation between Commercial development and the single family homes to the west. The DEIR on page 3.1-14 points out that under either roadway option that marketing studies estimates a potential for 303,000 square feet of commercial development at build-out (year 2010) and that this represents a 173% increase over existing conditions. The Draft Specific Plan would focus this commercial growth to the remaining commercial designated area. These lands would provide a critical higher 17 density residential component to the project area. On Table 2, policy 3-56 of the adopted General Plan specifically encourages"Higher residential densities around the Old Town of Oakley..." This redesignation would be in furtherance of that policy. The marketing study prepared for the Draft Specific Plan shows that there is extensive land designated for commercial development in Oakley. That study states that Old Town's commercial dominance may not survive if new development which challenges the Old Town area is allowed in accordance with the existing General Plan. The marketing study further indicates, as also shown in the DEIR on page 3.1-14, that there is a potential for 303,000 square feet of commercial development at build-out (year 2010) under either roadway option, which represents a 173% increase over existing conditions. The Draft Specific Plan would focus this commercial growth to the remaining commercial designated area within Old Town to strengthen its market potential. The marketing study also points out that Old Town presents a prime opportunity to retain diversity for the Oakley housing stock. These housing opportunities include introducing higher density units into Oakley to increase population densities necessary to support commercial activities and to insure that the supply of affordable housing is expanded. These lands would provide a critical higher density residential component to the project area. A Multiple-Family Residential Low Density designation allows a range of 7.3 to 11.9 units per acre. The NE designation would allow for approximately 133 units in this area(maximum). RECONDAENDATION: This area shown be redesignated to Multiple-Family Residential Low Density as suggested in the Draft Specific Plan. B. Lands on south side of Acme Street between Norcross and O'Hara Street. The Draft EIR on page 3.17 points out the Draft Specific Plan would maintain the Commercial designation in this area currently zoned D-1, which is an existing Zoning/ General Plan inconsistency. This is an established residential area that has resisted conversion to commercial use in spite of its existing commercial designation. Redesignation to Single-Family Residential High Density would help maintain this area at this time. There are other areas more appropriate for new development already designated for commercial use. RECOMMENDATION: Redesignate this area from Commercial to Single-Family Residential High Density. 18 C. Lands between Acme and Ruby and O'Hara and Second Street This area is publicly owned and currently houses the Oakley branch library and fire station. This area is currently inappropriately designated Parks and Recreation. Given its use, it should be redesignated as Pubic and Semi-Public. RECOMMENDATION: Redesignate this site as Public and Semi-Public. XI. OAKLEY OLD TOWN SPECIFIC PLAN Minor adjustments need to be made to this document as drafted to either eliminate errors or to be consistent with the General Plan recommendations suggested above, specifically; A. Relationship to Zoning Code On Page 1-3, it states that adoption of this Specific Plan will supersede the County Ordinance Code. This is inconsistent with other Specific Plan provisions calling for rezoning of the Specific Plan area to P-1, Planned Unit District. RECOMMENDATION: Delete the sentence which calls for superseding the County Zoning Code and replace it with wording which states "The Old Town Specific Plan area will be rezoned to P-1 planned unit district. " B. Land Use Districts On Page 2-10, it discusses Land Use District 4 -Neighborhood Commercial. The General Plan discussion calls for changing this area to Single-Family Residential High Density rather than Neighborhood Commercial. To be consistent, the text should re revised and Specific Plan Figure 2-2 should be modified to shift the small area north of Acme and west of O'Hara Avenue from Land Use District 4 to District 6. Modify the boundary of area 4 as described above and substitute this text for the existing text for Land Use District 4 to read "Single-Family Residential. This is a stable residential area that needs to be protected from the impacts of commercial development to the north. The infill of single-family homes and duplexes in the area is appropriate." RECOMMENDATION: Make the text changes described above and substitute the revised Figure 2-2. —r— O I 1 I i •� � - y 1 I 1 1 I CD ir m YARx n ! CD Lnm Pilo' r' r �,�• •�•,, LY AVtNuh L • N S �� f..... r ;` -t` • t THIRDSTREET n p y � o �'• ry A 00 C,cl a, o. = s � C s �y to @ y K L m ti s3 a p O R � q l'� 20 C. Figure 2.3 This figure needs to be modified to reflect Single-Residential High Density and Public and Semi-Public designations as discussed in the General Plan staff report. RECOMMENDATION: Modify Figure 2-3 to be consistent with the General Plan decisions described above. D. Development Standards Page 2-19 discusses the development standards for District 4 - Neighborhood Commercial. To be consistent with the discussion on General Plan Change and B above, this should be rewritten to read: "District 4 - Single-Family Residential This district consists primarily of small parcels which are vacant or contain single family home& Development standards for this district must conform to the duplex or single family use allowed by the Single Family Residential High Density General Plan designation." XII. GROWTH MANAGEMENT ISSUES This project adds detail to the County General Plan through the adoption of a specific plan and provides for improvements to the roadway and other public facilities to serve the revitalization effort in Oakley's Old Town. It will not cause an increase in traffic from existing general plan policies. XHL RECOMMEND TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS that: 1. The attached General Plan Amendment maps A and B be adopted; and 2. That the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan be adopted, including recommended amendments as found in this staff report. j.JbiggN0&WcY0t jwe ' f� =.STCO ML ts ATE ROUTE 4__ •.`,t`'•-:� f ,•`I t co._.. AI4:4 ° .T . .._...' -_..." ' CO o p�- ' _ 1 - 1_. I �IU 1 J .f-- J 1 tL i 1 1 i 1 I \ _ • � � __ __ 1 LIT 1 � 1 --__--- --'i--- __ LEGEND SH Single Family Residential -High Density ML Multiple Family Residential-Low Density CO Commercial PS Public/Semi-Public MAPA Staff Proposed General Plan Amendment MAP B Staff Proposed Roadway Network Plan Amendment 0 0 a 6 N 1• _4000, 41 A {p N > ♦ a CYPRESS RD. 4 / ♦ c W a '•♦\ n v ♦ W Q ' \ LAUREL RD > a z II ¢ 1 = II Q r V1 f N z v o ; o u 1 A Y I I 1 1 • � 1 _ — _1 — _ / 2 LONE TREE WAY 4 , / 1 LEGEND / ' 1 Existing Collector Proposed Collector , 1 SUNSET RD 1 Existing Arterial 1 0� • — Proposed Arterial > 1 ♦ N 1 n � Existing Freeway 1 1 J r••••4 Proposed Freeway nnnuwiwnu Expressway on Existing Road 1 1 ■10 1 Proposed Expressway 4 1 1 2 / 1 Indicates Number of Lanes 1 1 BRENTWOOD n q Indicates Number of Lanes Required �\ for Right-of-Way Preservation 1 1 (Shown for unincorporated areas only) uR RD 2 _ 4 1 s� Add to the General Plan text the following wording on Page 3-32: 'k. Mixed Use - Oakley Old Town The Oakley Old Town area is covered by a Specific Plan which defines the uses allowed in this area". ,p, I CONTRA COSTA COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMEJ IT EIVED 19� ATE: June 5, 1997 TO: Board of Supervisors _ CLERK E � FERVISORS FROM: Harvey E.Br gdon oss�+co. Director of Communi Development SUBJECT: OAKLEY SPECIFIC PLAN ADOPTION ALTERNATIVES I. OAKLEY OLD TOWN GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT AND SPECIFIC PLAN ADOPTION - CURRENT PROJECT STATUS The Board of Supervisors at the conclusion of the February 11, 1997 noticed hearing on these items, continued the public hearing until June 24, 1997, and requested staff to come in with a report on policy options which could be taken by the Board in acting on this matter. II. MAJOR PLANNING ISSUES There was a substantial range of issues which were considered in the development of the Specific Plan, most appear to have been resolved in the plan preparation process, the EIR mitigations or the East County Regional Planning Commission (ECRPC) hearing. A staff recommended minor change to the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan is noted in Section VII. below. The two main issues discussed at the ECRPC hearing, were: • whether the land use designation on the northwestern corner of the area should be commercial, multiple family residential, or single family residential; and, • which roadway alignment should be adopted. The ECRPC apparently resolved the first issued by recommending this area be placed in a Mixed Use General Plan designation. Staff has no indication that the other items continue to be controversial. As was Gear at the Board hearing, the major outstanding issue is one of road alignment and ultimately of the cost of construction. The ECRPC voted 3-1 to recommend Alternative C (the northern realignment) after hearing testimony. The Oakley Municipal Advisory Council (GMAC) also supported Alternative C. Oakley Specific Plan Adoption Alternatives June 5, 1997 Page 2 -------- IMP RANT. T1 It meds to be emphasized t t while some community members have q stioned the need fo a four-lane facility, all analysis and mogels have shown a four'- a facility is needed to serve regional traffic needs and to meet g h management requirements. Previous traffic studies conducted over the years have consistently identified the need to provide four travel lanes on State Route 4 through Oakley, and, although the State Route 4 Bypass EIR traffic study determined that traffic volume on State Route 4 through Oakley will be reduced approximately 20% by constructing the State Route 4 Bypass Project, it also indicates that travel demand will be such that four lanes would still be need on State Route 4 through Oakley. Therefore, each of the roadway alternatives considering State Route 4 consists of four travel lanes. Moreover, the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan Environmental Impact Report indicates that there is sufficient growth potential in the Oakley area that would increase travel demand on State Route 4 and this might cause a potential violation of the level of service standards in the future without construction of four lanes on State Route 4 through the downtown area. If found in violation of the level of service standards without providing for a program of corrective measures, the County's share of the Return-to Source Measure C 1988 Sales Tax Revenue could be withheld by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority. Additionally, staff is concerned that a delay could significantly limit the opportunities to improve State Route 4 as properties are developed within the alignment. Driven by the need to provide capacity for State Route 4 through Oakley and to revitalize the downtown area, three alternatives were evaluated: Alternative A: Widen State Route 4 along its current route through Old Town and maintain strip commercial development, Alternative B: Separate State Route 4 into a one-way couplet, with eastbound traffic on Acme Street and westbound traffic on Main Street; create a commercial and civic center along Acme Street; and Alternative C: Relocate State Route 4 to an alternative route north of its present location and create an expanded commercial and civic center along Main Street. Alternative B, the one-way couplet, is the current adopted General Plan policy but has received almost no support from anyone. It is for this reason that the remainder of this report focuses on concepts that may affect the road alignment decision. Oakley Specific Plan Adoption Alternatives June 5, 1997 Page 3 Ill. POTENTIAL OAKLEY INCORPORATION One option that has been raised is to defer adoption of the Specific Plan and related actions until a determination is reached on the incorporation of Oakley. Obviously, the Board could follow this course of action if it so chooses. This course of action would, of course, further delay the design and construction of any alignment alternatives considered for State Route 4 through Oakley. Discussions with LAFCO staff on the incorporation issue yielded the following thoughts: The incorporation proponents are in the process of signature gathering and have told LAFCO staff they would be submitted in June 1997. Once submitted, the County Clerk's office may need approximately a month to verify the signatures. The reports on financing are required from the State Board of Equalization, among others. LAFCO staff reports would be prepared and a public hearing would be conducted. If LAFCO approved a vote for incorporation, all material would need to be submitted to the Election Department by August for a November 1997 election. It is noted that much of this process is outside the timing or control of LAFCO and historically a decision to conduct an election for incorporation has taken several months of deliberation at LAFCO. While it is possible that a November 1997 election could occur, LAFCO staff anticipates that it would be difficult to meet this schedule based on previous incorporation considerations. The next available election date would be June 2, 1998. IV. CALTRANS INVOLVEMENT Since State Route 4 is a state-owned facility, Caltrans must approve any new improvements or facilities. Given time and staff limitations of Caltrans, they suggested the County proceed with the design and implementation of the facility. Provided the State design standards are incorporated and the Caltrans staff has reviewed relevant materials (e.g., EIR, project report and description, project design, etc.), Caltrans would accept the new road. V. NEED FOR EXPEDITIOUS DECISION There is always the possibility of litigation on issues when an Environmental Impact Report has been completed. One concern is that by unduly delaying a decision on the matter there could be changes in conditions or circumstances which would require supplementing, modifying, or recirculating the EIR. Already there have been concerns raised about the length of time necessary to make a decision on this matter. The County Counsel's Office will advise the Board of this specific matter in a separate memo. In addition, staff is concerned that a delay in deciding the roadway alignment question could complicate how right-of-way standards and dedication requirements should be applied toward current and future development applications in the Old Town area. The Oakley Specific Plan Adoption Alternatives June 5, 1997 Page 4 current standards and requirements are based on the couplet alignment, and, should selection of a preferred alignment be delayed, the County would have limited options to prevent development projects from encroaching within the alignment of either Alternative A or C. VI. POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION There are a range of choices which the Board could take, from approval of the items before the Board and direction to staff to proceed with all due haste, to freezing conditions until it is clear if a new city is to be incorporated. Among the choices are: A. DEFER DECISIONS The Board could continue this matter until a future date, after November 4, 1997, to see if incorporation is approved. It could either close or leave the public hearing open. Alternatively, the Board could defer action until August to see if this item was going to make the November ballot and take action with that knowledge in mind. Advantages: Defer the issue to see if a new municipal jurisdiction will be in place to make the decision. Disadvantages: Additional loss of time and deferral of all other actions which could have been resolved through the adoption of a specific plan. Standards applied to development applications would be based on a couplet alignment and some property owners, which are directly affected by the various roadway alignment alternatives, could face hardships if they chose to develop their property during this period due to the uncertainty about the ultimate roadway design and alignment. B. ADOPT INTERIM URGENCY ORDINANCE One option which has no constituency today would be to adopt an interim urgency ordinance (moratorium) to freeze development decisions in Old Town. Advantages: Deferral of most public and private development actions which would truly provide an opportunity for any roadway alignment to be chosen by a future City of Oakley. Disadvantages: Hardship to property owners and loss of momentum for a decision. Oakley Specific Plan Adoption Alternatives June 5, 1997 Page 5 C. ADOPT GENERAL PLAN DECISION ONLY As previously indicated, the adopted General Plan provides for the one-way couplet. This concept has had no public support throughout the process. By selecting either the widen-in-place option or the realignment configuration and adopting a land use plan map consistent with that decision, the current one-way couplet policy can be eliminated. This action would clarify County General Plan policy in the area. Advantages: Eliminate a General Plan policy currently out of favor in Oakley, clarifies County land use and transportation intent in the area, and provides a preferred roadway alignment for new development. Disadvantages: It does not deal with the other range of issues covered by adoption of the Specific Plan. D. ADOPT GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT AND SPECIFIC PLAN The purpose of a Specific Plan is to add detail to a jurisdiction's land use policies which are more detailed than usually found within a jurisdiction's General Plan. OMAC directed that a Specific Plan be prepared; to be funded out of the Redevelopment Agency's Oakley funds. To date, about $269,000 has been expended on preliminary engineering, planning and environmental studies based on this direction. Approval of the Specific Plan with Alternative C could proceed as recommended by ECRPC and GMAC. Approval of Specific Plan with Alternative A would only require a minor change in the land use plan map for the Mixed Use area. Adoption of the Specific Plan would allow these added policies to be put into place. Advantages: Support for OMAC funded and approved process. Disadvantages: It further strengthens County policy on which alignment to adopt. E. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROAD ALIGNMENT DECISION So far, only initial preliminary design work has been prepared on the road alignment alternatives. The next step would require more detailed design work (to 35% design level standards) for a preferred alignment which is needed to determine the alignment's right-of-way and for the subsequent right-of-way acquisition process. The design work would be prepared by the Public Works Department and would be financed by the Redevelopment Agency. This task is Oakley Specific Plan Adoption Alternatives June 5, 1997 Page 6 included in the Redevelopment Agency's current budget (no additional bonded indebtedness would be required), Public Works staff has estimated it would take about six to twelve months to complete the 35% level design work and cost approximately $100,000. The subsequent acquisition of all required right-of-way would require the Redevelopment Agency to incur additional bonded indebtedness. At present, the Agency could conservatively incur about $5.5 million in additional indebtedness. Most of the acquisition program could not proceed until the 35% level design work has been completed. The design work, along with other required reports, would then be sent to Caltrans for their review and approval. IMPORTANT. As a control point, the Board of Supervisors could give direction on how staff should proceed in implementing whatever policy decision is reached. The obvious choices are: The Board could direct staff to defer any further design work until a decision is reached by LAFCO or an outcome of a November 1997 vote to incorporate is known. This action would enable the Board to revisit the issue in August when it will be known that an election on incorporation will officially be scheduled for November 4, 1997. This action would minimally delay work by six to eight months. OR The Board could authorize Public Works staff to proceed with design work but defer right-of-way acquisition activities following the incorporation vote for November 4, 1997. This would keep the process moving but would limit expenses to design work until the jurisdictional decisions are more clearly in focus, and allow for further action to be determined once the incorporation issue is resolved. VB. OAKLEY OLD TOWN SPECIFIC PLAN CHANGE The proposed Specific Plan references developing a community center in the downtown area. At present, the Oakley community has identified a preferred site for a community center and other public facilities outside of both the downtown and redevelopment project area. On page 5-12, the Specific Plan discusses the Urban Design Plan for the community center. The site location discussion in the second paragraph makes reference to a Oakley Specific Plan Adoption Alternatives June 5, 1997 Page 7 preferred site for the community center. To be consistent with the community's present desires, staff recommends the text for the second paragraph, page 5-12 be modified to state: The preferred site for a downtown community center should be determined by the following criteria (in descending order of importance) as follows: • Size, shape and access are adequate to accommodate the needs of the community center and public plaza; • Direct frontage along Main Street; and • Pedestrian access to/from Main Street, the school at Norcross Lane, and the larger Old Town neighborhood." VIII. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Approve changes to the General Plan, as recommended by OMAC and ECRPC, which includes removal of the downtown couplet from the Circulation Element to be replaced with Alternative C -the Northern Realignment of State Route 4, but defer implementation activities on this roadway alignment (35% level design work) until either a decision has been reached by LAFCO on incorporation feasibility or an outcome on the November 4, 1997 vote on incorporation is known. Adopt the Oakley Old Town Specific Plan with modification in the text to match community preferences on siting a preferred location for the community center. JWC:aw/gms j:Wwbakley.mem cc: Victor J. Westman, County Counsel Val Alexeeff, Director of GMEDA Jeanne Maglio, Clerk of the Board Press Box TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ti FROM: Val Alexeeff, GMEDA Director DATE: June 24, 1997 SUBJECT: Status Report on Proposed Improvements to the Permit Process SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I. Recommended Action: A. ACCEPT the attached status report and detailed action items to implement process improvements for permit streamlining. B. APPROVE the Development Policy Approval Process as outlined in the attached report. C. AUTHORIZE staff to prepare and review draft modifications to home occupation ordinance regulations in accordance with the Development Policy Approval Process as follows: 1. Submit the draft changes to the Regional Planning Commissions (RPC) for comment, discussion or hearing (at their discretion), and to the Municipal Advisory Councils (MAC), and active Homeowner's Associations (HOA). 2. Set a hearing before the County Planning Commission to consider the proposed modifications, comments and recommendations from the RPC,MACS and HOAs. Identify and resolve key issues if necessary and make a recommendation to the Board. 3. Report to Board of Supervisors on the comments of the MACS and HOAs and the recommendation from the Planning Commission, and set date for hearing before the Board. Continued on Attachment: X SIGNATURE: II I RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE _APPROVE _OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON June 24, 1997 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED—OTHER X APPROVED Recommendations A and C as set forth above; and DEFERRED further consideration of Recomendation B until after the July 1, 1997, Board of Supervisors' Retreat. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT -------- ) AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: RMA:nov sd g:\engsvc\bo\permitbo I11Bf8by ClAlly fM!Ih16 b ttM1ISCfW COfI9Ct copyof Orig.Div: Public Works(E/S) OA IIIIAY�OI Contact Mitch Avalon(313-2231) M cc: CAO A County Counsel --- GMEDA Dcparhnents s in SUBJECT: Status Report on Proposed Improvements to the Permit Process DATE: June 24, 1997 PAGE 2 II. Fiscal Impact: Staff time expended and charged for any changes to the ordinance, and responses to calls and additional inquiry resulting from hearings on any home occupation modification. III. Reasons for Recommendation and Background: Examination of home occupation requirements is a part of the overall program for permit streamlining. The contemplated changes will allow home occupations,restricted by specific criteria, as a matter of right within residential zoning districts. This would affect such home occupations as accounting and telemarketing, where the activity is oriented to the computer and no activity exists outside of the home. The detailed background for the proposed changes to the home occupation ordinance provisions, along with other permit streamlining changes, is included in the attached report. IV, Consequences of Negative Action: There will be no follow up to the workshop on permit streamlining. �. 8 Permit Streamlining Background and Status of Proposed Improvements to the Permit Process June 24, 1997 I. Financial Impact: A. Financial Impact to County There have been and will continue to be initial costs associated with staff time needed to implement the permit streamlining improvements. Many of these improvements,however,are aimed at creating a long term savings through improved process efficiencies and reduced delay to applicant. B. Financial Impact to Applicant 1. Permit Streamlining: There are 61 improvements identified in the Permit Streamlining effort. Many of these improvements are intended to reduce the time involved in processing an application, increase coordination and communication between County Departments, improve accounting and billing to applicants, and improve the use of technology to increase process efficiencies. Many of these improvements will result in a cost savings to the applicant. 2. Repercussion of Applicant Process Deviation; When an applicant submits a development project to the County for processing, a fee is paid. This fee is based upon the cost to process a normal project with no deviations in the normal process. Some projects evolve into projects that are no longer"normal." For example, the applicant may decide to change the scope of the development half-way through the process or there is considerable neighborhood opposition to the project. When the applicant revises the development project due to neighborhood concerns or changes in the marketplace, the staff time to review the project increases. At the same time, when a project is overly complex or has considerable neighborhood opposition, then the Zoning Administrator or Planning Commission may request several continuances in their need to obtain as much information as possible to make an informed decision on the project. There have also been times where Planning Commissions have either not trusted the applicant's consultants or prefer to have an independent analysis, and have "directed" staff to prepare additional studies and reports. All of these activities add up to additional staff time and project expense resulting in greater overall costs to the applicant. II. Background: A. Permit Streamlining Workshop: On June 4, 1996, the Board held a workshop on permit streamlining. At the workshop staff reviewed the current permit process along with a conceptual layout of a streamlined process. Staff had also analyzed the zoning ordinance, in the context of streamlining the review of projects,to determine which review steps are required by State statute and which are the result of local ordinance or Board policy. B. Consultant Report: At the June 4, 1996, Board Workshop, staff included a Development Process Streamlining Report which was prepared by Pacific Mutual Consultants. The report compared the Contra Costa County process to State regulations and to current procedures in Tracy, Livermore and Sutter County. The report methodology allows comparison of the Contra Costa County process with any other jurisdiction in California for the various types of projects, such as zoning changes, specific plans, subdivisions, use permits, variances, building permits and CEQA review. The report listed 29 recommended system modifications. These recommended modifications have been incorporated in the process improvements described in this report. C. Process Improvements: At an August 6, 1996 workshop, the Board approved a conceptual outline of proposed changes to accomplish permit streamlining. The proposed improvements were grouped into four categories with a fifth category subsequently added due to the incorporation of the consultants recommendations: 1 V• a I. Application Acceptance Process: To achieve the highest quality of submittal materials and to allow as many decisions as possible at the time of application submittal. 2. Ordinance Changes: To revise the ordinance code to reduce the application processing time while maintaining the desired overview. 3. Application Tracking, Cost Accounting and Billing: To improve timeliness of billing, accounting automation and project tracking. 4. Staff Reports and Conditions of Approval: To improve the format of staff reports and conditions of approval to make them more user friendly and understandable, and distribute them to applicants and interested parties for review prior to the hearing. 5. General and Administrative: To improve general and administrative processes. D. Status Report: Since the Board workshop, staff has worked on completing many of the proposed improvements. The last section of this report lists all 61 of the recommended process improvements and provides a status of the work done to date and projected time of completion for the balance of the work to be done. E. Home Occupation: One of the specific recommendations for streamlining the permit process is to provide ministerial permitting authority for home occupation activities which meet certain baseline criteria. If an applicant wants a home occupation permit that exceeds the baseline criteria then the applicant would apply for a land use permit and go through the discretionary hearing process. M. Project Roles and Responsibilities: A. Project Compliance and Project Compatibility: Project processing has evolved over time in response to community needs, developer needs and State law. Upon examination of the land development process, it becomes clear that the review and compliance functions of staff have become intertwined with the evaluation and participation functions of community groups. Often parties involved in the process become confused about authority, procedure and role. Inherent to the proposed process changes is the intent to separate the compliance function performed by staff(that which is required by State law) from the evaluation of project compatibility which is performed by the community. It is proposed that the compliance aspects of project review are made as brief and well defined as possible, allowing whatever time is desired for addressing compatibility issues. This change will allow staff to maintain a higher level of accountability because of the clear delineation between the role of staff and the role of community groups. Also, by separating the compliance function from the compatibility function, time and costs associated with development application processing will be easier to predict. B. Project Coordination: The information technology currently in use includes components which are antiquated, limited in flexibility and adaptability and do not provide the interaction opportunities necessary for the three departments in GMEDA to maximize efficiencies in processing development applications. Staff is working on both the functional and technical requirements of a new system which will enable every aspect of a project to be processed and monitored throughout the life of the project. Until a fully integrated system is available, staff is engaged in a team approach to information integration, using the available automated systems together with manual methods to produce integrated reports and billings. IV. Development Policy Approval Process: A. Department Upgrades Versus Policy Changes: There are two types of improvements outlined in the Status Report section of this report; department upgrades and policy changes. Of the 61 proposed improvements, many are department upgrades of existing processes or equipment. Other proposed improvements are changes that require a policy decision. It is suggested that those improvements which are of a department upgrade type would be implemented at a staff level. Those changes, however, which require policy decisions would be implemented through a development 2 �. g policy approval process described below. The process provides for public input by any interested party. Of the 16 improvements proposed to be completed in Fiscal Year 97/98 (identified with an "H" in the Status Report section), six of those require policy changes. Those items are: I. Develop design standards and guidelines to clarify code requirements (l.d). 2. Promote small project approval at the Applicant and Permit Center(l.m). 3. Streamline processing of small lot building design and location(2.a). 4. Streamline processing of home occupation (2.e). 5. Adopt regulations clarifying roles of advisory committees (It should be noted that the issue of MAC protocol, which the Board has requested staff to review in its Board Order dated July 23, 1996, will be included in this effort to adopt regulations clarifying the roles of advisory committees) (5.b). 6. Eliminate requirement for Board of Supervisors' approval for release of improvement security (5.e). B. Development Policy Approval Process: The following process is proposed to be used for policy changes. The process is designed to gain Board direction in addition to gathering input from all interested parties. It is designed to keep the Board fully informed throughout the process, and to provide opportunities for input from interested parties and forums for resolution of issues as they arise. The process has four steps: Step l: Board Authorization: This first step is to gain authorization from the Board for staff to examine a policy change through the Development Policy Approval Process. For example, as part of this report, staff is requesting authorization to implement changes to the home occupation ordinance provisions. The authorization will allow staff to take proposed changes through the policy approval process. At this first step in the process, the Board may decide not to authorize staff to make changes to policy or may provide staff with any modifications or direction to the proposed policy changes. Step 2: Input from Interested Parties: In this step of the process all interested parties are identified and are given the opportunity to provide input to the contemplated policy changes. The policy change is placed on the agenda of the Regional Planning Commissions who can, at their discretion, either comment, discuss or hold a hearing on the proposed changes. All interested parties would be provided with the proposed policy changes and would have an opportunity to state their comments at the Regional Planning Commission meetings, or to submit comments in writing to staff for inclusion in the County Planning Commission packet. Any comments from the Regional Planning Commissions,MACS or other interested parties will be submitted and considered at a public hearing before the County Planning Commission. Key concerns will be identified at the hearings and resolution will be sought at that time. The County Planning Commission will consider the proposed policy changes and make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. For example, staff will submit the proposed home occupation ordinance changes to the Regional Planning Commissions, Municipal Advisory Councils, interested Homeowner's Associations, and neighborhood and community planning organizations for comment. Staff will subsequently schedule a hearing for the County Planning Commission. It is suggested that the final hearing be held before the County Planning Commission,because resolution of Countywide issues is best conducted in a single forum. Regional commissions may, however, hold hearings at their discretion to provide advisory recommendations to the County Planning Commission. 3 1�, g Step 3: Report to the Board: Staff will report the Planning Commissions recommendation to the Board,plus the status of the policy change and any unresolved issues identified in the community input process. The Board will then provide direction on the unresolved issues and set a public hearing before the Board for consideration and a decision on the policy change, if a hearing is deemed necessary. Step 4: Board Hearine: The Board will hold a hearing, if necessary, receive additional input , and then make a decision on the policy change. V. Status Report of Permit Streamlining Process Improvements: A. Completed Improvements: This sections describes the specific process improvements that have been completed since the last Board Workshop of August 6, 1996. It also describes some of the permit streamlining activities in which we have been involved over the last year. 1. Process Improvement Activities a. Meeting Business Needs 1) Staff now holds quarterly forums with members of the building, development, and engineering community to clarify processes, identify impediments and formulate strategies to simplify development processing. 2) Just two years ago, a quarter of the companies in California planned to leave because of the high cost of doing business. Today the State and Contra Costa County are reversing the trend by creating a more business friendly environment. In October, 1995 the Contra Costa Council commissioned a study of the economic vitality of Contra Costa County. The report identified six areas where improvement was needed. The report recommended realignment of the permitting process to make it more customer friendly. The Contra Costa Economic Partnership working with County staff addressed this recommendation by implementing the following new streamlining procedures in the permitting process: a) State of California Regional Permitting Center located in the County offices in Martinez offering one stop shopping for State required permits. b) Reduction and consolidation of local amendments to the Uniform Building Code (UBC) throughout Contra Costa County building inspection departments. Other streamlining efforts are currently under discussion by the Economic Partnership and staff with anticipation of restoring a business friendly atmosphere to Contra Costa County. b. Pursuing Excellence 1) The Permit Center staff attends monthly meetings to coordinate activities and share information. Public Works staff and planners discuss issues such as consistency in ordinance interpretation, clarity in conditions of approval and timing of staff reports. The Building Inspection counter staff and structural engineers meet with the Current Planning counter staff to improve coordination of activities, consistency in code interpretation, and customer service enhancements. 4 2) An integrated Floodplain Management Program team has been formed of staff from Community Development, Building Inspection, and Public Works. The team coordinates program administration and floodplain permit processing and has earned reduced insurance rates for citizens requiring flood insurance. 3) The Public Works Department recently completed an analysis of the process for placing items on the Board of Supervisor's Agenda. Their work resulted in reduced processing time and in a public information handout designed to explain simply and to demystify the process for the novice developer. 4) The Code Enforcement program is currently under critical review for improved efficiency in operation. Coordination meetings among Code Enforcement staff, Current Planning staff, and staff of the Redevelopment Agency are being held regularly. 2. Recommendations Completed The following is a list of the specific process improvements which were part of the Board Workshop on August 6, 1996 and have since been completed. Each is identified by the status list designation in parenthesis. a. Determine what information/maps are needed at the Application and Permit Center to enable preliminary conditions of approval to be prepared (Lc). Action: An inventory of the needed maps and information was performed at the Application and Permit Center. Staff was also interviewed to determine what information was needed. The maps and information was then assembled and placed at the Application and Permit Center. b. Install computers at the Application and Permit Center front counter. (Le). Action: Computers were installed at the Permit Center front counter during March 1997. C. Require photos of the site to be submitted with the application (1.g). Action: The application form at the Permit Center was modified to require photos to be submitted with the application. d. Provide customers with evaluation forms to receive feedback on our service delivery (1 j). Action: Evaluation forms and survey forms are now provided to our customers at the Application and Permit Center, Building Inspection (Housing Division Counter) and the Public Works Department Counter. e. Provide self service facilities (Lo). Action: There are self service facilities at the Application and Permit Center for customers to obtain development related information. f. Provide zoning maps and zoning indexes (l.p). Action: These documents are available to the public at the front counter at the Application and Permit Center. g. Transportation demand management (2.d). May 1997, County ordinance was changed to be consistent with new State Law. h. Prioritize work lists from Community Development Department to Public Works Department(3.b). Action: Staff from both departments jointly developed a format for a priority list that informs Public Works on which projects Community Development needs information. This list is updated every two weeks and allows more efficient use of staff time in both departments. 5 �• 6 i. Develop notices to applicant before expenditures reach 100% of fees (3.c). Action: Public Works and Community Development now share cost data on projects and notify applicants when charges reach 80% - 100%of the fees collected. This allows the applicant to estimate the amount of charges necessary to complete the project if the project is not complete. j. Update and regularly review all planning documents and tools (3.m). Action: There is currently a process of ongoing review of development related documents and forms. k. Identify project issues in staff reports (4.c). Action: Staff now identifies project issues during the 30 day comment period. This has been very helpful for applicants as they can identify costly factors associated with the project before preparing plans and detailed application work. These issues are carried forward into the project staff report. 1. Identify timing and sign off for Fire District requests (4.f). Action: The role of the Fire District's has been clarified. The Fire Districts sign off on plans at the Application and Permit Center. in. Distribute conditions of approval to interested parties prior to hearing (4.g). Action: The staff report and conditions of approval are distributed to all identified interested parties prior to the project hearing. n. Reduce length and complexity of staff reports (41). Action: Staff has reduced the length and complexity of staff reports. However, the reports still provide the information required and requested by the various hearing bodies of the planning agency. o. Use standard document format (4.j). Action: Our document format has been standardized. P. Fast track high-priority items (SA). Action: Both Community Development and Public Works have an accelerated review process that speeds up the review of applications at the request of the applicant. q. Color code plans (51). Action: This recommendation was considered, but not implemented because it would cause unnecessary applicant and County expense. B. Status Report: This section provides the detailed status of each recommended process improvement. These improvements are designed to accomplish permit streamlining. Those improvements that were recommended by Pacific Municipal Consultants are identified by (PMC) at the end of the recommendation. The status of the process improvements is shown as follows: C = Completed H=High priority to be completed in fiscal year 97/98 M=Medium priority to be completed in fiscal year 98/99 L=Low priority 1. Application acceptance process - To achieve the highest quality of submittal materials and to allow as many decisions as possible at the time of application acceptance. H a. Develop matrix of standard requirements for simple, straight forward projects. H b. Improve information access at the Application and Permit Center to enable preparation of preliminary Conditions of Approval. 6 4 C C. Determine what information/maps are needed at the Application and Permit Center to enable preliminary Conditions of Approval to be prepared(e.g., like N. Richmond P-1 maps). H d. Develop design standards and guidelines to clarify code requirements (e.g., creekside development). C e. Install computers at the Application and Permit Center front counter. M f. Develop threshold criteria of when certain requirements are needed (e.g., right of way, sound wall, frontage improvements, etc.). C g. Require photos of the site be submitted with the application. H h. Develop a list of required information to be submitted with development permit applications. H i. Develop a handout to advise applicants of the time limits to which the County must adhere when processing development applications. C j. Provide customers with evaluation forms to receive feedback on our service delivery. (PMC.2) M k. Provide customer with sample conditions of approval, sample plans, and process checklist. (PMC.3) M 1. Photograph project area during site check. (PMC.4) H in. Promote small project approval at the permit counter. (PMC.7) L n. Use development review process in place of the pre-application review process. (PMC.12) C o. Provide self-service facilities. (PMC.18) C P. Provide zoning maps and zoning indexes. (PMC.19) L q. Develop computerized library of documents. (PMC.20) 2. Ordinance Code changes -To revise the ordinance code to achieve the intended overview and project outcome without undo expense or delay. H a. Small lot building design and location- Limit design review process(current process can require six months). (PMC.5) L b. Off-street parking - Modify to allow for compact car dimensions and enhanced landscape standards (may reduce process time of commercial, industrial, multiple family projects by three months). M C. Child care- Modify the administration of the Ordinance to see that concerns are addressed early in the review of a project. C d. Transportation Demand Management - Recommend the ordinance be partly repealed due to change in State statute. H e. Home Occupation-Modify this provision in the code to allow for ministerial review where specified criteria are met. M f Commercial Radio and Television Transmitting Facilities-Modify ordinance requirements where certain characteristics are present (size, shape, height, etc.). Retain development permit requirements for other transmitting and receiving facilities to avoid negative siting effects. L g. Forestry-Recreation District (F-R), Water Recreation District (F-1), Light Agricultural District (A-1) - Rezone existing properties to districts that conform with the general plan. L h. General Agriculture District(A-2),Heavy Agriculture District(A-3),Limited Office District (0-1), Administrative Office District (A-0), Community Business District (C-B), Controlled Manufacturing District (C-M), Light Industrial District(L-1) - Zoning district provisions should be modified and clarified to meet need of contemporary land use. M i. Planned Unit District (P-1) -Expand the use of this district. L j. Agricultural Zoning Districts- Modify agricultural districts to allow for more agriculturally related uses as permitted uses. L k. Commercial Business Zoning Districts - Modify the structure of commercial zoning districts (R-B Retail Business District, N-B Neighborhood Business District, P-N-B Planned Neighborhood Business District, C General Commercial District, and C-B Community Business District)to better reflect the range of types and complexities of involved projects. Consider combined and simplified review of development plan and land use permit application reviews for less complex projects. 7 I/• d L 1. Light Industrial District (L-I) - Modify the provisions of the L-I Light Industrial District to provide clarity on land use permit requirements, and to allow consideration of identification sign meeting criteria without issuance of a land use permit. L in. Take-out Food Establishment Ordinance - Modify ordinance to change existing land use permit requirements to allow ministerial review for take out food establishment, but to retain bonding requirement for litter pick up. 3. Application tracking, administration, cost accounting and billing - To improve accounting automation and project tracking. H a. Coordinate project tracking with Community Development Department, Public Works Department, and the Application and Permit Center. C b. Prioritize work list from Community Development Department to Public Works Department (what project Community Development Department wants Public Works Department to work on). C C. Develop noticing to applicant before expenditures reach 100% of fees. H d. Implement joint Community Development Department/Public Works Department database for accurate billings and timekeeping. H e. Develop mission statements for each department. (PMC.1) L f. Develop service level goals/measures for each department. (PMC.1) L g. Computerize project logs. (PMC.6) L h. Use formal application process schedule. (PMC.11) M i. Develop an application listing and circulate to Building Inspection and Public Works. (PMC.13) L j. Cross train employees and circulate permit center employees. (PMC.14 & 15) L k. Minimize physical separation between departments. (PMC16) L 1. Install an automated phone system. (PMC.17) C in. Update and regularly review all planning documents and tools. (PMC.21) 4. Staff reports and conditions of approval - To improve the readability and clarity of staff reports and conditions of approval and to improve distribution to interested parties. H a. Clarify and simplify standard conditions of approval. M b. Group conditions in relation to project milestones. C C. Identify project issues in staff report. H d. Require applicant to indicate status of completion of each conditions of approval at each project milestone. H e. Add sign off space and date line to each condition of approval. C f Identify timing and sign off for fire district requests (e.g., hydrants). C g. Distribute conditions of approval to interested parties prior to hearing. C It. Reduce length and complexity of staff reports. (PMC.8) M i. Reduce length of time for receiving departmental comments to project referrals. (PMC.9) C j. Use standard document format. (PMC.10) 5. General and Administrative - To improve general and administrative processes. L a. Use Specific Plans. (PMC.22) H b. Adopt regulations clarifying the roles of advisory committees. (PMC.23) M C. Consolidate inspections departmentally. (PMC.24) C d. Fast track high priority items. (PMC.25) H C. Eliminate requirement for Board of Supervisor approval of release of improvement security. (PMC.26) M f. Relocate grading functions to the Public Works Department. (PMC.27) M g. Establish computer linkage between Permit Center and on-site inspectors. (PMC.28) C It. Color code plans. (PMC.29) 8 SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL ADVISEMENT FORM AGFNDADATE: OEM NO.: .08 Q` ADDITIONAL MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN THE MINUTES ❑ ITEM CONTINUED TO: ❑ ITEM DELETED ❑ PUBLIC COMMENT - NONE ❑ CONSIDERED CONSENT ITEMS PREVIOUSLY REMOVED - SEE SUMMARY FOR CHANGES; OTIIERWISE APPROVED AS LISTED ON THE AGENDA THIS SEMON FOR PLANNING HEW ONLY ❑ ADDITIONAL MATERIAL AVAILABLE IN FILE (NAME): SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL ADVISEME++T FORM AGENDA DATE: DIEM NO.: dg� C3 ADDITIONAL MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN THE MINUTES ❑ ITEM CONTINUED TO: ❑ ITEM DELETED 2 PUBLIC COMMENT - NONE ❑ CONSIDERED CONSENT ITEMS PREVIOUSLY REMOVED - SEE SUMMARY FOR CHANGES; OTHERWISE APPROVED AS LISTED ON THE AGENDA TM SECTION FOR PLANNING I uos ONLY ❑ ADDITIONAL MATERIAL AVAILABLE IN FILE (NAME):