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Home My WebLink AboutCD General Plan 2040 - Downtown Precise Plan PPTSan Rafael 2040 General Plan Update Downtown Precise Plan Environmental Impact Report TIA Guidelines Presentation to San Rafael City Council April 5, 2021 GENERAL PLAN 2040 Progress Report #6 2 •Status update on •General Plan 2040 •Downtown Precise Plan •Draft Environmental Impact Report •Overview of Transportation Impact Assessment (TIA) Guidelines •Timeline and Next Steps •Public Comment •Council Questions and Discussion GENERAL PLAN 2040 3 General Plan 2040 •Project started Jan 2018 •Chapters 1-9 published in October 2020 •Chapters 10-14 published in November 2020 •Council briefing on October 15, 2020 (Prog. Report #5) •Planning Commission hearings in October, November, and December GENERAL PLAN 2040 General Plan 2040 Highlights •Policy framework of GP 2020 largely carried forward •Greater climate and equity Focus •Streamlined Land Use Map categories •Increased housing emphasis, especially Downtown •Expanded policy framework for sea level rise, wildfire prevention, historic preservation, community services •Integrated recent plans (SAP, Bike/Ped, CCAP, LHMP, etc.) •Reorganized/ updated Neighborhoods Element •Re -focused transportation on reducing VMT 4 Key Issues Raised GENERAL PLAN 2040 •Should vs Shall •Tree preservation •Wetland conservation •PDA plan for Northgate area •Post -pandemic unknowns •Support for the arts •Metrics/ measurable outcomes •Advancing equity principles •Need for a clear economic vision, aligned with equity goals GENERAL PLAN 2040 Downtown Precise Plan •Funded by OBAG Grant, started in Jan 2019 •Draft Plan Published on December 21, 2020 •Plan includes new “Form Based Code” for Downtown •Planning Commission hearings on January 12 and 26, and February 9, 2021 6 GENERAL PLAN 2040 Downtown Precise Plan Highlights •Updated design vision for Downtown •Density and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) eliminated; building mass to be regulated by height •Heights increased in select locations •Bonus heights mapped •Historic resources inventoried and evaluated •Public space improvements, especially around SMART and along Fourth Street •Mobility improvements (diagrams/ street cross-sections) •Affordable housing and anti-displacement strategy •Objective design standards for new Downtown projects 7 Key Issues Raised GENERAL PLAN 2040 •Classification of historic resources •Historic preservation standards •Urban design improvements •Building heights •Calculation of density bonuses •Shared street concept on Fourth St. •Future of retail and office markets •Outreach to San Rafael Heritage •Outreach to Chamber of Commerce and BID •Webinars for Property Owners •Historic Context Statement •Preservation Webpage •Secondary review of preservation inventory findings by CEQA consultants 9 Supplemental Work on Historic Preservation GENERAL PLAN 2040 GENERAL PLAN 2040 Draft Environmental Impact Report •Published January 7, 2021 •60+ day comment period closed March 9, 2021 •Evaluates effects of new General Plan policies and forecasts on each topic area •Evaluates effects of new Downtown Precise Plan on each topic •Considers alternatives to the project (higher, lower growth scenarios) •Identifies impacts and mitigation measures •Significant and unavoidable impacts •Air quality •Cultural resources •Greenhouse gas emissions •Transportation 10 Key Issues Raised GENERAL PLAN 2040 •Findings of Downtown historic resource inventory •Sufficiency of policies protecting wetlands, trees, and creeks •Acknowledgment of additional species •Density bonus and height calculations •Consistency with Congestion Management Program •Stronger measures to mitigate GHG impacts •Rock quarry description 14 comment letters 6 oral comments GENERAL PLAN 2040 Next Steps •Responses to CEQA comments •Prepare Final EIR •Complete responses to General Plan/ Downtown Plan comments •Complete redlined version of General Plan 2040 showing proposed changes •Revise Downtown Plan and Form Based Code based on public comment •Return to Planning Commission in May 2021 for action •Council hearing(s) in June 2021 12 GENERAL PLAN 2040 Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) Guidelines 13 GENERAL PLAN 2040 FRAMEWORK OF TIA GUIDELINES 14 •SCOPE •Screening, Scale, Content, & Process •METHOD •Technical Approach for Multi-modal Assessment •THRESHOLDS •Basis for Determining Effects or Impacts •IMPROVEMENTS & MITIGATIONS •Types and Considerations TIA GUIDELINES GENERAL PLAN 2040 CONTEXT FOR TIA GUIDELINES 15 •Reflects changes in CEQA Guidelines due to SB 743 •Transition from LOS to VMT as CEQA transportation significance criteria as of 7/1/2020 •LOS=Level of Service VMT=Vehicle miles traveled •Retains LOS assessment as multimodal assessment tool •Consistency with City’s General Plan •Consistency with TAM’s Congestion Management Plan (CMP) •TAM=Transportation Authority of Marin •Non-CEQA assessment –improvements not mitigations •Acknowledges Future CEQA Changes •Future updates in guidance by OPR on this topic are assumed to be incorporated herein. •OPR=Governor’s Office of Planning and Research TIA GUIDELINES GENERAL PLAN 2040 CONTEXT FOR TIA GUIDELINES 16 •Project Types •Land Use Entitlements (under city control) •Land Use Activity (by other agencies, subject to city review) •Transportation Projects •Controversial Projects •Subsequent Phased Projects •Projects that were phased with no future plans •Projects that remain stagnant for more than 7 years •Each Project is Unique •The guidelines are not intended to be prescriptive •Not all criteria and analyses in the guidelines apply to every project •Consultation with City staff to confirm level and type of analysis TIA GUIDELINES GENERAL PLAN 2040 SCOPE 17 •3 Types of Transportation Studies Described •Increasing levels of analysis for larger/more complex projects •Local Traffic Assessments (LTA) •Site Plan Review •Site Access Analysis for all Modes (2-4 adjacent intersections) •Transportation Impact Analysis (non-CEQA) •Above LTA analysis plus City’s General Plan LOS Consistency Analysis •May require Marin County CMP LOS Consistency Analysis •Transportation Impact Analysis (CEQA) •Above analysis plus CEQA review TIA GUIDELINES GENERAL PLAN 2040 SCOPE 18 •TRIP GENERATION SCREENING •Informs level of transportation analysis required for projects •Builds on current trip-based screening •Most projects in San Rafael fall into Tier 1 or 2 •TIER 1: Less than 110 Daily Trips (Small Projects) •Staff level review of site plan and compatibility with network •TIER 2: 110 to 1,000 Daily Trips •Tier 2A (110-250 daily trips) –LTA •Tier 2B (250-1,000 daily trips) –TIA •TIER 3: More than 1,000 Daily Trips (or 100 peak trips) •TIA, CEQA Review, and Marin County CMP compliance required TIA GUIDELINES GENERAL PLAN 2040 19 SCOPING CHART •Flow chart for determining level of transportation analysis and initial VMT screening TIA GUIDELINES GENERAL PLAN 2040 20 METHOD •Flow chart for transportation analysis and documentation TIA GUIDELINES GENERAL PLAN 2040 CEQA THRESHOLDS 21 •VMT Assessment •Conflict with program, plan, ordinance or policy addressing the circulation system •Roadway System •Triggers need for a traffic signal at unsignalized intersection? •Causes vehicle queue spillback that affects pedestrian, bicycle, or transit facilities? •Transit System •Interferes with existing or planned transit facilities? •Active Transportation -Bicycle System and Pedestrian System •Disrupts existing facilities, interferes with planned facilities, or inconsistent with adopted plans/guidelines/standards? TIA GUIDELINES GENERAL PLAN 2040 VMT SCREENING 22 •TRANSIT PRIORITY AREAS (TPA) •½ mile walkshed around SMART stations (plus other criteria) •AFFORDABLE HOUSING •100% affordable, infill location •SMALL PROJECTS •Less than 110 daily trips •LOCALLY SERVING PUBLIC FACILITY •Police/fire stations, branch libraries, neighborhood schools •NEIGHBORHOOD-SERVING RETAIL PROJECT •LOCATION IN A LOW VMT AREA •Maps in TIA Guidelines based on current TAM model outputs for housing and employment uses TIA GUIDELINES GENERAL PLAN 2040 VMT THRESHOLDS 23 Table 1: VMT Impact Criteria for Land Use Projects under Baseline Conditions Project Type Significance Criteria Current Level Impact Threshold Residential A project exceeds existing regional home-based VMT per capita minus 15 percent. 13.4 Home-based VMT per Capita (Average) 11.4 Home-based VMT per Capita Office A project exceeds regional home-based work VMT per employee minus 15 percent. 16.9 Home-based work VMT per Employee (Average) 14.35 Home-based work VMT per Employee Retail Project Total VMT rate exceeds 15 percent below existing Regional average rate (per employee) Mixed-Use • Aggregate metric (VMT per service population) rate exceeds 15 percent below existing regional average rate • Each land use type evaluated individually against residential, office, and retail thresholds above Other Land Use Types City to develop ad hoc (i.e., project specific) VMT threshold Redevelopment If a redevelopment project leads to a net overall increase in VMT, based on evaluation of individual land uses, project exceeds respective thresholds above for applicable land-use types Land Use Plans • Aggregate metric (VMT per service population) exceeds 15 percent below regional average rate • Each land use type evaluated individually against residential, office, and retail thresholds above TIA GUIDELINES GENERAL PLAN 2040 Next Steps 24 TIA GUIDELINES •Review public comments •Meet with stakeholders as needed •Revise Guidelines •Updated Guidelines will accompany GP 2040 Thank You! www.sanrafael2040.org 25 GENERAL PLAN 2040 Supplemental slides 26 Comments Transportation Impact Analysis (TIA) Guidelines •Project Types –Controversial •Tier 2b Trip Generation Range •VMT Screening •Mixed-use Projects •Coordination with Other Jurisdictions •Trip Generation-Projects w/Trip Cap •Pass-by/Diverted Link caps •VMT Forecasts and TAM Model •Study Area –LOS D •VMT Boundary Method-why Marin County vs Region •VMT Impact Criteria •NB 101-580 Connector –EIR? GENERAL PLAN 2040 VMT SCREENING MAP –RESIDENTIAL USES 28 GENERAL PLAN 2040 VMT SCREENING MAP –EMPLOYMENT USES 29