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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Resolution 9395 (St. Vincents - Silviera Lands)RESOLUTION NO. 9395 A RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE ST. VINCENT'S/SILVEIRA LANDS This non-binding Resolution describes this City Council's thoughts and observations related to the St. Vincent's and Silveira properties, in response to recent recommendations put together by the St. Vincent's/ Silveira Advisory Committee. The resolution summarizes and acknowledges past and existing planning policies related to the site, and recent planning efforts, and identifies ideas this City Council believes should be considered when addressing this property in a future General Plan update. Background Recitals 1. The St. Vincent's/Silveira site has a lengthy planning history. Marin County planning policies since 1973 state urban development is to be concentrated in the "City -Centered Corridor": the site is in the City - Centered Corridor. In 1974, consistent with the County Plan identifying the site as a future development area, the County Board of Supervisors cancelled agricultural contracts on the two properties. 2. The City, County, and Marin Local Agency Formation Commission have for many years formally identified the St. Vincent's and Silveira site (except for a small area of St. Vincent's east of the railroad right of way) as being within the San Rafael's "Sphere of Influence" -- its probable ultimate physical boundary and service area. 3. The 1982 Marin Countywide Plan described St. Vincent's/ Silveira as a study area having major jobs and housing potential. From 1982-86, the County sponsored a joint County -City North San Rafael Policy Plan to develop consistent planning policies for the area. The plan was not adopted due to lack of funding for environmental review and concerns that information used in formulating the plan was no longer valid. The San Rafael General Plan was to further review St. Vincent's/ Silveira land uses. 4. St. Vincent's/ Silveira alternatives were discussed extensively during preparation of the City's 1988 General Plan. San Rafael is a major jobs center; the City decided it was important to emphasize housing opportunities here. City plan policies state that, prior to urban development, the site should be prezoned and annexed to the City. The City Plan also set detailed policies for the area: it described environmental concerns and identified potential for up to 2,100 units and 361,000 square feet of office and commercial development on portions of the site west of the railroad right of way. North of the former Honor Farm site, areas east of the rail line were designated "Agriculture/Recreation/Land Reserve" ORIGINAL ACK 5. In 1990, the City amended St. Vincent's/ Silveira plan policies to require a specific plan prior to approval of development applications, and to specify that an advisory committee assist in plan amendment. The City Council then appointed a 25 -member St. Vincent's/ Silveira Advisory Committee representing City and County neighborhood groups; Countywide housing, business, environmental and other organizations; the property owners, and City and County representatives to start work on plan preparation. The Committee spent three years 1991-94 studying site constraints and resources in detail, holding a nationwide land use competition to identify a wide range of future land use alternatives, and drafting their recommendations. 6. To avoid duplicating the Committee's detailed analysis and to not predetermine Committee recommendations, the 1994 Countywide General Plan established an interim "Urban and Conservation Reserve" land use designation for the area and provided additional policy direction. The Countywide Plan also included most of the St. Vincent's/Silveira lands east of the railroad right of way as within the County's Bayfront Conservation Zone, as it is diked historic bay marshland or tidal wetlands. 7. The St. Vincent's/Silveira Advisory Committee completed its June 15, 1994 draft General Plan Amendment Proposal, along with a minority opinion, for the St. Vincent's and Silveira properties. 8. An environmental impact report (EIR) is necessary prior to adoption of any General Plan Amendment for this area. Due to a lack of consensus recommendations and the high costs and potential duplication of effort in EIR preparation, the City wishes to incorporate this area's Plan Amendment EIR within the context of a future Citywide General Plan Amendment, expected to start in 1996. 9. The City recognizes there are citywide and Countywide issues related to the site, including but not limited to traffic, scenic impacts, Bayfront Conservation, and housing needs, and that processing a General Plan Amendment for this area is best accomplished through a continuing cooperative effort with the County, property owners and other interested parties. A. Adopted City and County Policies related to the City's Role: The City Council acknowledges and affirms the following City, County and Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) policies which remain in effect and relate to the City's responsibilities for the future of this area. r. 1. City, County and Marin LAFCO policies include the Silveira property and most of the St. Vincent's property in San Rafael's Planning Area and Sphere of Influence--i.e., its ultimate service area. 2. City and County policies also include St. Vincent's and Silveira east and west of the railroad right of way within the City's five year "urban service area". (Areas east of the RROW and north of the Honor Farm are suggested in the Countywide Plan to be removed from the "urban service area"). 3. City and County and LAFCo policies state that St. Vincent's/ Silveira lands should be annexed to the City prior to any urban development. 4. City and Countywide General Plans also call for a comprehensive plan or specific plan for the entire site before development approvals are issued. B. Adopted City and County Policies Related to the St. Vincent's/Silveira Site The Council further acknowledges and affirms the following City and Countywide General Plan policies which remain in effect and relate to the St. Vincent's/ Silveira site. 1. The City's Plan identifies portions of the site west of the railroad right of way for mixed uses with the emphasis on varied residential uses. The site is further identified as a "housing opportunity area", i.e., an area where a special effort will be made to provide affordable housing, important in a City and County with high housing costs and diminishing availability of developable land. 2. The Countywide Plan recognizes the site lies within the "City Centered Corridor" and can support mixed use development, including housing, particularly affordable housing, as well as campus office, neighborhood retail and agricultural activities. 3. The City and Countywide Plans identify several site concerns which must be addressed in any future site planning. They include: a. Preservation of hillside areas on St. Vincent's. b. Preservation of a minimum 230 foot+ wide Miller Creek corridor, and protection and enhancement of this corridor. (minimum 100' setback from top of each creek bank) c. Appropriate use of Bayfront Conservation lands. Countywide Bayfront Conservation policies recommend continuation of agriculture, wildlife habitat restoration and wastewater reclamation. These uses and protection of the bayfront environment are to take precedence over other uses. The City's existing policies for the Bayfront lands are compatible with this Countywide policy direction. ki d. Identification and preservation of wetlands. e. Identification and protection of archaeological resources as a first step in any subsequent planning. f. Preservation of trees including major native oak groves, specimen oaks and healthy and safe eucalyptus groves. g. Preservation of bayfront views. h. Acceptable noise impacts-- without soundwalls which would block view,, i. Consideration of odor impacts. j. Retention and integration of important St. Vincent's historic structures into future development plans k. Provision of adequate wildlife corridors. 4. In addition, City and Countywide General Plans state that: a. Transportation improvements identified in the Countywide Plan and City General Plan are to be provided in conjunction with development. b. Appropriate mitigation of environmental impacts should be identified through the environmental review process. c. A storm drainage plan must be developed as part of any subsequent plan. d. The site is to be planned as a whole. C. Additional Ideas by this Council for Consideration in a future General Plan Amendment 1. This City Council recognizes the detailed and innovative community- based process which has gone into preparation of the St. Vincent's/ Silveira Advisory Committee's report, and that there is much to support in these recommendations. Many of the Committee's recommendations refine or clarify current General Plan policies. We believe their work has satisfactorily fulfilled the Advisory Committee function required by SVS -1. Also in recognition of the Committee's extensive review and evaluation, we believe it is appropriate to evaluate both the Committee's majority and minority proposals as alternatives in a future environmental impact report regarding the site. 2. This Council recognizes that the St. Vincent's/Silveira site is important in meeting city and therefore also countywide housing needs, and that any development must be accomplished in a manner exceptionally sensitive to the site's natural and cultural resources and must also provide fairness to the property owners. This area should be a model neighborhood of the future, providing for community. 3. In furtherance of these overall principles, the Council believes the following Advisory Committee goals, policies and information from the June 14, 1994 Amendment Proposal are noteworthy and useful in addressing a future General Plan amendment: 4 a. Environmental maps and information which increase our understanding of the site. b. Environment, safety and open area design policies in the majority proposal which strengthen and elaborate on existing City General Plan policy direction: in particular, • Miller Creek protection policies 17 and 46; • the noise impacts policy 53 which prohibits sound walls next to' the freeway; • archaeological policy 45 to avoid and protect archaeological resources which concludes that a need exists for additional detailed archaeological study of the site in consultation with the Federated Coast Miwoks as a first step in preparing any subsequent plan; • Pacheco Ridge preservation policy 16; • Tidal wetlands and seasonal wetlands protection policies 18, 19 and implementing measure e; • The Agriculture and/or Bayfront lands policy 21 (except the last sentence) which describes uses consistent with the Countywide Plan Bayfront Conservation Zone. • Agricultural assistance policy 23; • Tidal wetland restoration policy 24; • Public access location and design policy 27; • Parks and open areas design policies 42 and 43; • Flood protection policy 50 and implementing measure a; • Emergency access policy 51; • The concept of a significant community view area. c. Use and design policies in the Committee's majority proposal which promote a very compact neighborhood with mixed uses around a central core and overall average medium residential densities within mapped development areas which provide • the ability to retain and protect most of the site open without urban development; • a walkable, interconnected design supportive of transit; • a broad range of housing opportunities, focusing on entry level housing types such as smaller lot single family, garage units, duplexes, townhomes, residential above retail and apartments described in policies 1 and 4, and with higher than required percentages of housing affordable to low and moderate income households as in policy 6; • relatively high homeownership for neighborhood stability as recommended in policy 7; • provision of limited local services and jobs, a school and parks within walking distance of most homes; • exclusion of low intensity, auto -oriented nonresidential uses as noted in policy 14; • focal uses and areas as described in policy 37 5 • scale and height typical of traditional villages; i.e., typically one to three story, and smaller scale buildings, with possible limited exceptions in a core area as suggested in policy 38. 4. This Council strongly supports retaining, upgrading and reuse of the St. Vincent's main "H" complex, including the chapel as a central focal point of any future proposal, and policy 34 which describes the need for any new development to be sensitive to and compatible with this complex. 5. This Council supports the strengthening of sustainable design principles in a General Plan Amendment for this area. Sustainable design concepts are described in part in policy 41 and Appendix K and in several of the land use competition submittals. 6. This Council supports at least one local street located for neighborhood use, not freeway diversions, to connect this area with the City and provide emergency access, and recognizes the need to address 101 circulation impacts. In accordance with Advisory Committee and environmental organization recommendations, and other actions which block McInnis Parkway north of St. Vincent's Drive, any future General Plan Amendment should delete a McInnis Parkway connection north of St. Vincent's Drive. Other circulation improvements would be identified as part of any master plan proposal and provided in conjunction with development in accordance with City policies. 7. This Council agrees that the majority proposal map attached as Exhibit A appears to identify the more suitable areas of the site for development,. and feels that future amendment proposals should limit any neighborhood development to these areas or less, particularly as noted below. 8. This Council suggests for future consideration, the following additional ideas to be considered in connection with any General Plan Amendment: a. We believe the historic baylands and immediately contiguous agricultural lands east of the railroad ROW should respect and be consistent with Countywide Bayfront Conservation designation and the current City land use designation. Retaining this land in such uses as agricultural, habitat and/or wastewater treatment use is consistent with Countywide Bayfront Conservation Zone and wetland protection policies; provides a significant buffer to identified wetland and pond habitats, and appropriately addresses flooding, geotechnical and odor concerns. b. This Council suggests that any future amendment consider providing nonresidential acreage to accommodate the nonresidential potential identified in the City's General Plan, and that their locations should C: strengthen the intents of providing a compact, mixed use neighborhood with the St. Vincent's complex as its core, and reducing visual impacts. The freeway -oriented nonresidential Areas L, M and N in the Advisory Committee's majority proposal do not appear to this Council to support these intents, although Area L and portions of M, in particular, may be appropriate for development. Consideration should be given instead to accommodating the limited nonresidential potential permitted by the City's General Plan in the general area of the St. Vincent's complex/future transitway and Area O. c. Consistent with wetland protection policies, we would recommend consideration be given to deleting the "Residential Reserve" in area E which is surrounded by wetland areas. d. Consistent with City and County policies to preserve hillsides for community separator and visual benefits, safety concerns and to protect and retain hillside character, any plan amendment proposal should seriously consider excluding the steep slopes and hilltop Area H shown on the Committee's majority proposal, and the steep side slopes and knoll encompassed by Area B from potential development areas. e. Consistent with County policies to provide adequate wildlife corridors, we recommend this topic receive scrutiny during environmental review and specifically review the need for such a corridor in area F. f. This Council would like to see the view across the Silveira property preserved open to the maximum extent possible and equitable to the property owner. Consistent with City and County policies regarding view protection, we recommend that the impact of potential development areas on the view corridor be evaluated further, and encourage consideration of a view area wider than that identified in the Committee's majority proposal. As suggested in the minority proposal, a transfer of development rights may be considered to achieve greater viewshed protection yet provide fairness to the property owner, in addition to other options. g. Consistent with City and County policies that the site be planned as a whole, and consistent with City policy and practice, when a future project is proposed which includes development areas and open areas, suggest that all planned open areas be retained in perpetuity, in exchange for development entitlements. h. Consistent with Countywide Plan Bayfront Conservation Zone use policies, and existing City land use designations, the area east of the railroad right of way and north of the Honor Farm site should be considered for deletion from the City's "urban service area". 7 L This Council understands that these considerations, if ever adopted as policy in combination with a proposal similar to that recommended by the Committee, would likely have the effect of reducing the development potential on the site (which the City's General Plan permits.) j. Appropriate mitigation of all environmental impacts of any proposed amendment will be further identified through the EIR process. D. Interim Actions Prior to a General Plan Amendment for this area, the Council shall: 1. Request that the Board of Supervisors extend its interim land use designation for the site until the City reconsiders land uses as part of a Citywide General Plan Amendment. 2. Continue to cooperate with other agencies on needed regional and areawide circulation measures; 3. Coordinate and cooperate with involved agencies and the property owners on other studies pertaining to this site ; and 4. Urge groups interested in purchasing all or portions of the site to use this interim time frame to pursue a purchase in cooperation with property owners, as well as other equitable solutions. I, Jeanne M. Leoncini, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, California, HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a Regular meeting of the City Council of said City held on the Nineteenth day of June, 1995, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Councilmembers: Cohen, Heller, Phillips, Zappetini & Mayor Boro NOES: Councilmembers: None ABSENT: Councilmembers: None p�M. LEON INI----------- JE C , City Clerk EXHIBIT A Open S p c _ © J smith Rath 5u9l3G`,,"d Adjustment Areas Other Study Areas SAI.::::'iiLe::� ::Ei:�p HCIOP�: a a ............. ....I Be St. vincent�s property X Agricultural an gaytront Lands ii r . -q a t (vo� N.O. Rad./ac.l d. - 1�+ �t3-15 duC�7 i ¢ d v �� \\^� ', Lt. IwUlnatJS E,:tlatM9 Oer��M � � Smith Ranch Road 8 f Resolution section C QReference Number included to Illustrate Areos discussed Not a pollcy map' in Resolution. enYs/ on: St. mnc Original iJIaP bas mm►ttee SilveiraAdvisoryUseecommendations 6194 LannUse d R