HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning Commission 2017-05-23 Agenda PacketCALL TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AGENDA --.-
SAN RAFAEL PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
TUESDAY, May 23, 2017, 7:00 P.M.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 1400 FIFTH AVENUE
SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA
RECORDING OF MEMBERS PRESENT AND ABSENT
APPROVAL OR REVISION OF ORDER OF AGENDA ITEMS
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF MEETING PROCEDURES
URGENT COMMUNICATION
Anyone with an urgent communication on a topic not on the agenda may address the Commission at this time. Please
notify the Community Development Director in advance.
CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Minutes, March 14, 2017
PUBLIC HEARINGS
2. Presentation on City's Green and Sustainable Building Regulations. Project Number P17-00a. Project Planner:
Rafti Boloyan
3. Presentation and update for Preliminary Work Program for San Rafael General Plan 2040 Update; Case
Number(s): GPA16-001/P16-013. Project Planner: Rafti Boloyan
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION
ADJOURNMENT:
I. Next Meeting: June 13, 2017
II. I, Anne Derrick, hereby certify that on Friday, May 19 2017, I posted a notice of the May 23, 2017 Planning
Commission meeting on the City of San Rafael Agenda Board .
• Sign interpreters and assis/ive listening devices may be requested by calling 4151485-3085 (voice) or4151485~3198 (TOO) at {east 72 hours in
advance. Copies of documents are available in accessible formats upon request.
• Public transporiation to City Hall is available through Go/den Gate Transit, Line 20 or 23. Paralransit;s available by calling Whist/estop Wheels at
4151454-0964 .
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from wearing scented products.
Any records relatmg to an agenda item , receNed by a majority or more of the Agency Board less than 72 hours before the meeting, shaff be avaIlable for Inspection In the
Community Development Deparlment, Third Floor. 1400 Fifth Avenue, and placed with other agenda-related materials on the table in front of the Council Chamber prior to
the meeting,
THE PLANNING COMMISSION WILL TAKE UP NO NEW BUSINESS AFTER 11 :00 P .M. AT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS. THIS SHALL BE INTERPRETED
TO MEAN THAT NO AGENDA ITEM OR OTHER BUSINESS WILL BE DISCUSSED OR ACTED UPON AFTER THE AGENDA ITEM UNDER CONSIDERA TlON AT
11:00 P.M. THE COMMISSION MAY SUSPEND THIS RULE TO DISCUSS AND/OR ACT UPON ANY ADDlTIQNAI.,. AGENDA (TEM(S) DEEMED APPROPRfATE BY A
UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE MEMBERS PRESENT. APPEAL RIGHTS: ANY PERSON MAY FILE AN APPEAL OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S ACTION ON
AGENDA ITEMS WITHIN FIVE BUSINESS DAYS (NORMALLY 5:00 P.M. ON THE FOLLOWlNG TUESDAY) AND WITHIN 10 CALENDAR DAYS OF AN ACTION ON A
SUBDIVISION. AN APPEAL LETTER SHALL BE FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK, ALONG WITH AN APPEAL FEE OF $350 (FOR NON-APPLICANTS) OR A $4,476
DEPOSIT (FOR APPLICANTS) MADE PAYABLE TO THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL, AND SHALL SET FORTH THE BASIS FOR APPEAL . THERE IS A $50.00
ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR REQUEST FOR CONTINUA TlON OF AN APPEAL BY APPELLANT.
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"WITM"'-
Regular Meeting
San Rafael Planning Commission Minutes
For a complete video of this meeting, go to http://www.cityofsanrafael.org/meetings
CALL TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
RECORDING OF MEMBERS PRESENT AND ABSENT
Present: Jack Robertson
Barret! Schaefer
Berenice Davidson
Mark Lubamersky
Sarah Loughran
Gerald Belletto
Absent: Larry Paul
Also Present: Raffi Boloyan, Planning Manager
Paul Jensen, Community Development Director
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION OF MEETING PROCEDURES
URGENT COMMUNICATION
CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Minutes, January 10, 2017
Mark Lubamersky moved and Jack Robertson seconded to approve Minutes as presented. The vote is
as follows: .
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Jack Robertson, Barrett Schaefer, Berenice Davidson, Mark Lubamersky, Sarah
Loughran, Gerald Belletto
None
None
Larry Paul
PUBLIC HEARING
77 Locust Avenue (Lourdes Convent) -Appeals (2) of Zoning Administrator's January 28,
2017 action approving Use Permit Amendment to Lourdes Convent to permit the
conversion of the 1 ,995-square-foot "yellow hallway" area of the convent facilitv to a
single, residential unit for transitional housing, Use is proposed for two years: APN: 015-
111-23: PD (planned Development) District; Sisters of Third Order of st. Dominic
Congregation of the Most Holy Name Support Charitable Trust, applicant/owner;
Christopher Dolan and Gary Scholick, appellants; Case Number(s): UP16-057, AP17-001
and AP17-002, Environmental Review: Categorical Exemption Project Planner: Paul
Jensen
Staff Report
Public Comments
Barrett Schaefer moved and Sarah Loughran seconded to adopt resolution denying the two appeals and
upholding the Zoning Administrator decision to approve the project. The vote is as follows:
AYES: Jack Robertson, Barrett Schaefer, Berenice Davidson, Mark Lubamersky, Sarah
Loughran, Gerald Belletto
NOES: None
ABSTAIN: None
ABSENT: Larry Paul
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
COMMISSION COMMUNICATION
ADJOURNMENT
ANNE DERRICK, Administrative Assistant III
APPROVED THIS __ DAY __ OF ___ , 2017
Gerald Belletto, Chair
Meeting Date: May 23,2017
SAN RAFAEL Agenda Item: 2
THE CITY WITH A MISSION Case Numbers: P17 -008
Community Development Department -Planning Division Project Planner: Raffi Boloyan -(415) 485-3095 ~
REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT: Citywide -Presentation on City's Green and Sustainable Building Regulations; Case
Number(s): P17-018.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Cory Bytof, the City's Sustainability Coordinator and Thomas Ahrens, Chief Building Official, will be
attending the meeting on Tuesday night and making a presentation to the Commission on this topic
Meeting Date: May 23,2017
SAN RAFAEL Agenda Item: 3
THE CITY WITH A MISSION Case Numbers: GPA16-001/P16-013
Community Development Department -Planning Division Project Planner: Raffi Boloyan -(415) 485-3095 ~
REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION
SUBJECT: Citywide -Presentation and update for Preliminary Work Program for San Rafael
General Plan 2040 Update; Case Number(s): GPA16-001/P16-013.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This is a presentation to update the Planning Commission on the initiation of the General Plan 2040
update process. The purpose of the this presentation is to: 1) provide a copy of the preliminary work
program for the upcoming General Plan update that was presented to and accepted by the City Council
in February 2017; and) update the Commission on what has transpired since the Council meeting
RECOMMENDATION
No action is required at this time It is recommended that the Planning Commission receive the written
report and the oral presentation that will be made at the meeting.
BACKGROUND
On February 6, 2017, the City Council reviewed a Summary Report and Preliminary Work Program for
the upcoming initiation General Plan 2040 update process. The Council reviewed the scope and
recommended direction of the Preliminary Work Program and adopted Resolution No. 14276 (Exhibit 1),
initiating the General Plan update process and accepting the preliminary Work program with some
recommended changes.
The changes that the council made to the Preliminary Work Program included
• Increasing the number of the steering committee from 19 to 21, through the addition of one
member from the Pt San Pedro Road Coalition and one member to represent Senior
community; and
• Modify the pre-requisites for appointment to the Steering Committee for business or advocacy
groups to also allow for persons that are: 1) a prinCipal in a business or non-profit (business
owner, manager or board member) located in San Rafael or 2) a commercial property owner
in San Rafael.
Attached, is a copy of the Staff Report presented to the City Council on Feb 6, 2017 (Exhibit 2) along
with the Council accepted Summary Report and Preliminary Work Program (Exhibit 3), which includes
the updates made by the Council.
The first step after the Council's initiation of the update was for the City to proceed with hiring a "Project
Manager" to oversee all steps in the General Plan 2040 process including overSight, lead authorship,
CEQA/environmental review management, and coordination of the Steering Committee, staff advisory
team and technical consultants. The Project Manager role is envisioned to be a single person, acting as
a staff person for the duration of the update process, to manage and perform the day to day tasks
REPORT TO PLANNING COMMISSION· Case No: GPA16·001/P16·013 Page 2
associated with this project, under the direction of the Planning Manager and Community Development
Director.
On February 14, 2017, staff issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit statements of
qualifications from interested consultants to serve as the Project Manager. At the end of the March 9th
deadline, the City received 2 submittals from interested parties (Barry Biller, Barry Miller Consulting, and
Bob Brown, Sustainable Community Planning). Both candidates were qualified, therefore were asked to
submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) and participate in an interview process.
Staff reviewed both proposals, including their statement of qualifications, prior work examples and
references. A five member staff committee (composed of Director of Public Works, Director of Economic
Development and Innovation, Senior Management Analyst in the City Manager's office, Planning
Manager and a Planning Commissioner) interviewed both applicants on May 3 and May 8, 2017. The
Committee found both candidates were highly qualified and both had performed extensive work serving
in similar roles for General Plan updates in other communities. In addition, both of the candidates
understood the role expected in San Rafael.
However, one of the candidates demonstrated some key traits that the committee found important to San
Rafael's upcoming update and staff is currently negotiating with the committee's top candidate (Barry
Biller, Barry Miller Consulting) for the project manager role and is anticipating presenting the contract for
the Council's review and authorization in late June.
Once the City hires the Project Manager, their first task will be to further refine the Work Program and
flush out the details, milestones, etc, for the update process. Staff anticipates that by end of summer, the
call for Steering Committee applications will be issued and that the Steering Committee will be
interviewed, and appointed by the Council by end of 2017.
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING I CORRESPONDENCE
Staff briefed the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods and North San Rafael Coalition of Residents
on the preliminary work program at its meeting with the City on January 25th . This Commission
presentation to update the Commission of what transpired at the Council meeting, therefore, there was
no public noticing for this matter.
If and when the Council initiates the update process, all adjacent cities, utility districts and governmental
agencies will be notified of the upcoming update. Furthermore, the General Plan update will involve a
significant amount of public outreach, through various meetings, work groups, etc. The draft work
program recommends the creation of a steering committee (to be appOinted by the CounCil) and this
committee will be representative of the varying interests within our Community.
The Draft Work Program Staff includes a list of the groups that should compose the steering committee.
There are 21 members proposed for the steering committee and 20 of those would be from specific
organizations, while one would be a community member at large. The Steering Committee will include
one representative from the Planning Commission.
EXHIBITS
1. City Council Resolution 14276
2. City Council Staff Report, Initiation of General Plan 2040 Update, February 6, 2017 (with out
Attachments
3. General Plan 2040 -Summary Report and Preliminary Work Program
RESOLUTION NO. Mill
RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL INITIATING THE
SAN RAFAEL GENERAL PLAN 2040 PROCESS
CITY FILE NOS: GPA16-001& P16-013
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65300 requires that each county and
city/town in the State adopt a comprehensive long-range General Plan to address community
growth, physical development and planning of citywide programs; and
WHEREAS, consistent with State law, on November 15, 2004, the City Council
adopted San Rafael General Plan 2020 and certified the supportive Final Environmental Impact
Report . The General Plan 2020 forecasts the City's direction through year 2020; and
WHEREAS, since 2004, there have been numerous amendments to General Plan 2020 to
address changing community issues and State mandates; and
WHEREAS, as we are approaching year 2020, the City has determined that it is timely
to initiate the process for preparing and adopting San Rafael General Plan 2040 (General Plan
2040). Further, there are numerous community issues and changes in the State laws that must be
addressed, which provide optimum timing in initiating General Plan 2040; and
WHEREAS, in January 2017, the Community Development Department prepared the
City of Sail Rafael Gelleral Plall 2040 Summary Report & PrelimillalY Work Program
(Preliminary Work Program). This Preliminary Work Program, which is on file with the
Community Development Department, contains the following information and recommendations:
o General expectations on format, scope and timing (2-3 year process).
o Available budget for 'preparation and completion of the Plan.
o Timely issues and key topic areas that need to be addressed in the Plan.
o Recommendations for staffing and needed consultant services .
o Recommendations for a community-based planning approach that ensures maximum
participation in the process by key community stakeholders. A "steering committee"
of these stakeholders is recommended to lead the direction of plan preparation and
outreach through adopti on.
o Required procedures and recommendations to be followed during the General Plan
2040 process.
WHEREAS, on February 6, 2017, the City Council reviewed the Preliminary Work
Program at n public meeting and considered all oral and written public testimony and the written
report of the Community Development Department;
WHEREAS , on February 6, 2017, the Council recommended the inclusion of two
changes to the draft work plan, including:
o Increasing the number of the steering committee from 19 to 21, through the addition
of one member from the Pt Sail Pedro Road Coalitioll and one member to represent
Senior community; and
o Modify the pre-requisites for appointment to the Steering Committee for business or
advocacy groups to also allow for persons that are: I) a principal in a business or
non-profit (business owner, manager or board member) located in San Rafael or 2) a
commercial property owner in San Rafael.
1
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby accepts the
Preliminary Work Program for General Plan 2040 subject to the following direction and
recommendations:
1. The City Council confirms the general direction and scope of the Preliminary Work
Program subject to the approval of a Final Work Program. The Final Work Program will
be prepared in mid-2017 and will require the approval of the City Council.
2. The Conununity Development Department staff is directed to follow the Oeneral Plan
Procedures set forth in City Council Resolution 8379, adopted April 15, 1991. These
procedures include, among others, required notification to neighboring jurisdictions,
utilities and services.
3. The City Council supports the approach to develop a community-based General Plan and
hereby recommends that a "General Plan Steering Committee" be formed comprised of
the 21 key stakeholders. listed in the Preliminary Work Program. The City Council
directs that the Community Development Department staff proceed with a call for
applications to serve on this Committee. The prerequisites for serving selection and
service on the Committee are that: a) one must be a resident of San Rafael, except that for
business or advocacy groups, the pre-requisite is broadened to include: 1) a principal in a
. business or non-profit (business owner, manager or board member) located in San Rafael
or 2) commercial property owner in San Rafael. In addition, if representing a specific
group or organization, a written endorsement is required.
4. The City Council directs staff to proceed with hiring a "Project Manager" to oversee all
steps in the General Plan 2040 process including oversight, lead authorship,
CEQAlenvironmental review management, and coordination of the Steering Committee,
staff advisory team and technical consultants.
5. The City Council confirms that during the General Plan 2040 process, the City will
continue to accept, review and take action on planning applications including individual
requests for General Plan Amendments. However, as the General Plan 2040 may result
in changes in policies and map amendments that could directly affect planning
applications in process, the City Council finds it is necessary to require property owners
and applicants who wish to file andlor process planning applications during the update
process to acknowledge this risk. During the General Plan 2040 process, property
owners/applicants for all planning applications that are filed shall be required to sign the
acknowledgment form, entitled "Notice to Applicants" and presented in Exhibit A of this
resolution,
1, ESTHER C. BEIRNE, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing
resolution was adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council on the 6" day of February 2017.
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Bushey, Colin, Gamblin, McCullough and Mayor Phillips
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ESTHER C. BEIRNE, City Clerk
EXHIBIT A: NOTICE TO APPLICANTS (ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM)
2
EXHIBIT A
NOTICE TO APPLICANT
OF EXISTING CONDITIONS WITIDN SAN RAFAEL
AFFECTING APPROVAL OF DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Property owner/applicant or designated authorized representative does hereby acknowledge and
understand that City Council Resolution No. 14276 adopted on February 6, 2017 states that the
Council has directed applicants be advised as to the following.
Property owner/applicant or designated authorized representative acknowledges
being advised that the City of San Rafael is currently in the process of preparing for
adoption of a new "General Plan 2040". At the time of initiating this application or
continuing to process this application, neither the public hearings nor the formal
adoption process for General Plan 2040 has been completed.
Property owner/applicant or designated authorized representative acknowledges and
understands that General Plan amendments may be adopted by City during the
processing of this application, which may directly affect the proposed project and
which potentially could result in a denial of this application or in Property
owner/applicant's inability to construct the proposed development project.
Date: ____________ _
Owner/Applicant or Designated Representative
Witness
3
SAN RAFAEL Agenda Item No: 6.a
THE CITY WITH A MISSION Meeting Date: February 6, 2017
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: Community Development
'" I. ( \ ( l, 1 ,( I/., '1 . '>.lfJ l ,I "1'-' '-: .. -.. , .. _'. '-'·0,· . CI . -""-t, ,<" -~ -
Prepared by: Paul Jensen, Director ~.~ Ci~ Manager Approval: _____ _
Rafti Boloyan, Planning Manager ,,I
TOPIC: SAN RAFAEL GENERAL PLAN 2040 UPDATE
SUBJECT: REVIEW OF SUMMARY IJEPORT AND , P ELIMINARY w'bR ;ROGRAM AND
RESOLUTION INITIATING SAN A~AEL GE}'IERAL PLAN 204,V UPDATE ,
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City ;Council:
1. Accept public comme~t and deliberate; I I 'I
2. Accept the report anq ~onfirm the recomlP,ended dire.ction ;~nd scope of the Preliminary Work
Program; and I I
3. Adopt resolution ,(Attac~ment 1) initiating the San Rafael General Plan 2040 process. ,
BACKGROUND: "
General Pla~ Required by State Law
California Gover ment Code (Section \15300) requires that each county and city/town in the State adopt
a comprehensive, long-term General !Ilan to address community growth and physical development.
The General Plan must cover long-term planning for the lands within the corporate limits of the agency,
as well as lands 109ated outside these boundaries and within the service area of the agency. Per State
law, a General Plan must contain ,the seven, mandated elements: land use; circulation; housing;
conservation; open space; nois-e; ~nd safety. Typically, General Plans cover a timeframe or forecast of
15-20 years. However, the Housing Element is required to be updated every eight years to comply with
the "Regional Housing Need Allocation': (RHNA).
The current San Rafael General Plan 2020 was adopted in 2004. The preparation of the General Plan
2020 was a community-based update involving the guidance and authorship of a "Steering Committee"
appointed by the City Council, as well as multiple subcommittees, known as the task force , to provide
more detailed input on specific topic areas. The process for Plan preparation and adoption of General
Plan 2020 spanned close to five years.
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
File No.: ___________ _
Council Meeting: ________ _
Disposition: __________ _
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT I Page: 2
Initiating General Plan 2040
The City's current General Plan 2020 has been in place since 2004 and as we approach 2020, is
nearing the end of its useful life. In addition, new State laws and regulations coupled with changes to
conditions in the community (such as the upcoming operation of SMART) make the update timely. The
new General Plan 2040, once updated and adopted, would guide the City for the next 20 years (2020·
2040).
Summary Report and Preliminary Work Program
In preparation for initiating San Rafael General Plan 2040, staff has prepared a summary report and
preliminary work program, which is attached (Attachment 2). This r cument presents the following
information and recommendations:
•
•
•
•
•
•
,
General expectations on format, scope and timing . It is anticipated that based on the draft
scope, the update process should be approximat Iy three ye ' rs.
BUdget· There are funds accumulating since ,tl1e last General Plan update to cover the cost
of this project and should not require Gene~al FUQd !assistqn0r. (roughly $1. million already
set aside).
Timely issues and key topic areas that need to be addressed in t J~ Plan. The work program
identifies the various issues or topid I fhat nEl'ed to be considered in this plan ,update.
I I
Staffing and consultant servicet; needs The wor~ program provides recommendations for
how the update process will be staffe'cl, including , the use of a ProjecM Manager to serve as
the lead for the update , with assistance fwrfi 'sub·consultants for technical stUdies and
analysis. I
Recommendations for a com munitif.based planning approach that ensures maximum
participation in t~e process by ke'y"do(11muniiy stakehelders. A 19· member "steering
committee" of these stakeholders is rec;p\!ltnended \ 0 lead the direction of plan preparation
and outrea,ch throJg,h ?doption. The 19 lTlembers would represent a wide variety of interest
groups lr. t . e.,comml,lriity and would be the link to represent and report to those groups. The
Planrllng Comfrnis.sion and Council will have periodic check·in's on the plan update and will
have /ultimate responsibility fo review and approve the document.
~ , .. f .
Required procedures and recommenc:latiens to be followed during the General Plan 2040
pr~ce~s. The draft work program alsol dentifies the procedures to initiate the General Plan
update ,
ANALYSIS:
This report and action ls , (fie first s~p in what will be a multi·year, comprehensive planning process,
taking up to three years to complete. The update is timely given that the City's current General Plan is
nearing the end of its life, coupled with the recent changes in state laws and changes to conditions in
the community.
It is not expected that the General Plan 2040 will be a "start·from·scratch" effort. The current General
Plan 2020 involved a very comprehensive review process resulting in a well·organized document
covering a broad range of community goals and policies. Many of the community issues that were
vetted through the General Plan 2020 and the earlier General Plan 2000 (1986·87) are still relevant,
are well addressed and do not require major change. Staff believes that the best approach is to work
from and build·off of the current General Plan 2020 by incorporating the topics and issues that are
current and mandated.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT I Page: 3
Prior General Plan updates have been managed and led by a full time City staff member and the
environmental analysis and technical studies were prepared by outside consultants. However, the City
no longer has the staffing levels it once had and the existing staff does not have capacity to take on a
project of this scope. Therefore, the use of a project manager is necessary to serve as an extension to
City Staff and lead and manage this complex process. The concept of the project manager is that
he/she will work under the direction of the Community Development Department and act as the project
manager. The project manager will help hire the environmental/technical sub-consultants to prepare the
technical analysis and complete the environmental review. Staff recommends this as a sound approach
to ensure the effective management of this complex process
COMMUNITY OUTREACH: • r
Staff briefed the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods and NOTth San Rafael Coalition of Residents
on the preliminary work program at its meeting with the City on January 25 th .
".
If and when the Council initiates the update procelSs" all adjace(1t cities, utility districts and
governmental agencies will be notified of the upcomin§ update. Rurtl:lermore, the General Plan update
will involve a significant amount of public outreach, through variolJ .!i. meetings, work groups, etc. The
draft work program recommends the creation ofjlj steering committee (to be appOinted by the Council)
and this committee will be representative of the'varying inter.ests within our Community. .
I 'iffh
Staff has provided a recommended list ~; the groups th~t ~hould compose tHI'l s eering committee.
There are 19 members proposed for the steerl~g , committee and 18 of those .would be from specific ,
organizations, while one would be a community membeu!1Iarge. Each member must be a San Rafael
resident and have the endorsem'emt qf the organizati0 r.\ it is representing. Following the Council's
confirmation of this approach, staff would 'initiate a call for ClPplications and then the Council will host
interviews to appoint the members. i
FISCAL IMPACT: • The funding for thi~i9ject is ap,portioned from Gene al Plan Revenue Fund #218. This fund includes
revenue for both tpe 'impletrentalion of the current Ge , eral Plan, as well as the General Plan update
process. The cur fent account balance for the entire Fu,rd #218 is approximately $1.68 million. The
revenue that i$ generated for Fund #2 I ~ IS through tDefoliowing two fees that are collected as a
surcharge wit every building permit that' is,isslled ,ti,y the City:
I ,
o The Genliral Plan Maintenance Fee is intended to cover the cost of both periodic updates of the
City's General Plan and comprehensive updates to the plan every 20 or so years. This fee is a
0.96% su?'e/iarge on the buildinm')permit fee and is charged to every building permit. The current
balance for this fHrd i~ $1 ,00j ~54. This portion of the fund is the appropriate source of funding
the General PIa'n141;l8 fe.
o The General Plan 2020 Implementation Fee is intended to cover the cost of implementation of
programs identified in the City's General Plan 2020. This fee is a 0.259% surcharge on the
building permit fee and is charged to every building permit. The current balance for this fund is
$682,505.
The concept of these fees when they were developed was that all private development activity within
the City should pay for the City's costs to implement and update the General Plan and take the burden
of these costs off the general tax payer. The establishment and collection of these fees is extremely
important as the City should not have to reserve any of its General Fund to help pay for this update to
the General Plan.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT I Page: 4
At this time, the full cost for completing and adopting the General Plan 2040 is unknown. When a Final
Work Program is developed, the full budget will be presented to the City Council for review and
approval. However it is anticipated that with the expected work program, the current balance in the
General Plan update portion of the fund (approximately $1 million) should be adequate to cover the
project without requiring General Fund assistance.
CONCLUSION:
The Council is asked to review the Draft Work Program and either accept the plan or provide direction
for revision. Staff has recommended adoption of a Resolution that would initiate the General Plan 2040
process in accordance with the Draft Work Program that has been prepared (Attachment 2). The
resolution would specifically result in the following actions by the Coun 1
1. Confirm the recommended direction and scope of t~ Preliminary Work Program, and
accept this Summary Report;
2. Direct staff to initiate the General Plan 2040yti0cess con~lstent with the City-adopted
General Plan Procedures (referral to Cougty, neighboring cities/towns, utilities, and
agencies); ," ,
I "
3. Direct staff to complete and distribute a "Request for Qualific;a~\ons" (RFQ) for "Project
Manager" consultant services. UpOQ receipt and review of qualIfications statements, a • short-list of consultants shall be 'developed fb . interviews and selection; ~
I I '
4. Confirm the scope, purposE/! anq make-up o\tt]e General Plan 204 Steering Committee
and direct staff to prepare a resol4tio · initiatin~ a call for Committ~ applications;
5. Direct staff to prepare.an acknowle d'gmenrf~r~/notice to property owners/applicant
representatives th/tl~ is tb a~c~mpany all ralanning applications during the General Plan
2040 process. I
I
OPTIONS:
The City Council has he folio ing options to conside egarding this matter:
ii '\ "
1. Accept thll lfi3'P.o ~'a~d aC:lopt ,the attached resol~lion as recommended by staff; or
2. Reject . e summary report ~1d weliminary work program; or
3. Accep,t the report and adopt tfle attac ~e~ resolution incorporating additional changes and
revisions' or I 1
" • 1
4. Direct staff, to return with more i(lformation.
RECOMMENDED ~CliIPN: /1
Adopt the attached Resoh,lti on (~tt r c ~ment 1) initiating the San Rafael General Plan 2040 process.
I ,I
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution Initiatin!:l General Plan 2040 Prosess
2. City of San Rafael General Plan 2040 Summary ReJ30rt & Preliminary Work Pro!:lram; danuary
20,2017
CITY OF SAN RAFAEL
GENERAL PLAN 2040
SUMMARY REPORT & PRELIMINARY WORK PROGRAM
City Case Nos. GPA1G-00l & P1G-013
January 20, 2017 and updated February G, 2017
Prepared by:
Paul Jensen, Community Development Director
& Rafti Boloyan, Planning Manager
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................•••••••.............••....... 2
A. General Plan Required by State Law ................................................................................................. 2
B. History of San Rafael General Plans .................................................................................................. 3
II. INITIATING GENERAL PLAN 2040 .....................................................................•••................••....... 5
III. GENERAL EXPECTATIONS ....•..••••••.•••.......•..•........•••••....••••••.•••••.....••••.........••••••••...............•......... 5
IV. GENERAL PLAN 2040 BUDGET .••.•••..••.................••••••....••••••.••••••...•••.•.••.....•••••••••...............•••....... 5
V. TIMELY ISSUES & KEY TOPIC AREAS .•.....•..........••••••.•....••••••.••••••.....•.•..•.....••••••............................ 7
A. Land Use ............................................................................................................................................ 7
B. Housing ............................................................................................................................................. 9
C. Neighborhoods ................................................................................................................................ 10
D. Community Design .......................................................................................................................... 13
E. Economic Vitality ............................................................................................................................ 14
F. Circulation ....................................................................................................................................... 14
G. Infrastructure .................................................................................................................................. 17
H. Governance ..................................................................................................................................... 17
I. Sustainability ................................................................................................................................... 17
J. Culture and Arts .............................................................................................................................. 19
K. Parks and Recreation ...................................................................................................................... 19
L. Safety .............................................................................................................................................. 20
M. Noise ............................................................................................................................................... 20
N. Open Space ..................................................................................................................................... 20
O. Conservation ................................................................................................................................... 21
P. Air and Water Quality ..................................................................................................................... 21
VI. COMMUNITY-BASED PLANNING -STEERING COMMITIEE ......................................................... 22
VII. SUPPORTIVE ADVISORY TEAM .................................................................................................. 23
VIII. APPROACH TO STAFFING & CONSULTANT SERVICES .................................................................. 23
IX. GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT PROCESS ..................................................................................... 24
A. Required Procedures ....................................................................................................................... 24
B. Review of Individual Planning Applications .................................................................................... 24
X. PRELIMINARY WORK PROGRAM ............................................................................................... 25
XI. NEXT STEPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................... 26
XII. APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................. 26
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I. INTRODUCTION
A. General Plan Required by State Law
California Government Code (Section 65300) requires that each county and city/town in the State adopt
a comprehensive, long-term General Plan to address community growth and physical development. The
General Plan must cover long-term planning for the lands within the corporate limits of the agency, as
well as lands located outside these boundaries and within the service area of the agency. Per State law,
a General Plan must contain the following seven, mandated elements:
2
>-Land Use Element-addresses the general distribution of land uses, establishes land use
designations with set densities and intensities, assigns land use designations to individual
properties (Land Use Map), and identifies the projected growth forecast for community build-
out.
>-Circulation Element-addresses the general location of the existing transportation network
(roads, thoroughfares, transportation routes). as well as proposed or long-term transportation
improvements. The Circulation Element must correlate with the Land Use Element meaning the
projected land use growth must be supported by a transportation network that supports this
projected growth.
>-Housing Element-addresses the agency's existing housing stock as well as the housing policies
and needs. The Housing Element must address and comply with the "Regional Housing Need
Allocation" (RHNA) that is assigned to the agency by the State Department of Housing and
Community Development (HCD) via the regional planning agency (ABAG -Association of Bay
Area Governments). The RHNA is the number of residential housing units the agency must zone
for to accommodate new housing in a range of affordability levels. The RHNA is released in
cycles (now in an eight year cycle) meaning that the Housing Element must be reviewed and
updated in each cycle. Each cycle of the Housing Element update must follow specific
procedures and requires certification by HCD.
>-Conservation Element-addresses the protection, utilization and development of natural
resources for both public and private lands. Natural resources include, but are not limited to
waterways, wetlands, fisheries and forests.
>-Open Space Element-addresses the protection, utilization and management of open space for
both public and private lands. Open space is unimproved land that is devoted to, among others,
the preservation of natural resources, management for agriculture and food production,
utilization for outdoor recreation, and management for the protection of public health and
safety (e.g., hazard zone).
>-Noise Element-addresses general noise conditions in the community. A noise element is
required to recognize the guidelines set forth by the State of California Office of Noise Control
and Department of Health Services. Current and projected noise levels are required to be
analyzed and quantified for the following sources: a) highways and freeways; b) primary ·
arterials and major local streets; c) passenger and freight on-line road operations; d) commercial
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and private airports/heliports; e) light industrial plants; and f) other ground stationary noise
sources that have been identified as contributing to the community noise level.
}> Safety Element-addresses protection of the community from any unreasonable risks associated
with seismically-induced events, slope instability, flooding and wildland fires. The safety
element also addresses essential f~cilities and services to address, among others, emergency
response time for first responders.
Each element is required to contain: a) goals and policies to address community issues and interests;
and b) programs to ensure that there is a means to achieve each of the goals and implement the
policies. General Plans cover a time frame or forecast of 15-20 years. Other than the mandatory review
cycle for the Housing Element, there is no mandate to update the other elements during the "life cycle"
of the General Plan. However, Government Code Section 65400 requires that an annual report be
prepared to address the status of the plan and progress in its implementation.
The preparation, review and adoption of a General Plan is considered to be a "project" under the
provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and is subject to environmental review.
Typically, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is prepared to assess the impacts of the General Plan, its
policies and programs. The EIR is prepared at program-level analysis/review ("Program EIR"), allowing
subsequent development and General Plan implementation to "tier" from this document for project-
level analysis.
B. History of San. Rafael General Plans
San Rafael has long history of community planning in the form of General Plans and "Community Master
Plans." Early plans were prepared by City staff or a planning consultant with little community input
included in their preparation. The early plans often became "shelf documents" because they were grand
on vision, but weak on implementation. For example, the 1962 San Rafael General Plan envisioned that
most of the San Rafael Bay would be filled for development and accessed by major shoreline freeway.
However, the 1962 Plan presented little guidance or programs on how this vision could be achieved.
Over the years, the General Plans prepared for San Rafael have continually progressed to become more
comprehensive and detailed. In the 1980's there were major changes in the State laws governing the
preparation and content of General Plans. For example, in 1984 a new law required planning for land
use and circulation to be internally coordinated to ensure that land development was supported by an
adequate transportation network.
In 1986-87, the San Rafael General Plan 2000 was adopted by the City. General Plan 2000 set a new
standard as it included detailed policies and specific programs for implementation. At that time, the
major community issues were traffic, hillside development and protection of natural resources
(primarily wetlands threatened by development). The San Rafael General Plan 2000 included the
following:
3
./ It was the first time that intensities and densities were set for land uses .
./ The "level of Service" (lOS) methodology was introduced as a means to analyzing and planning
the transportation network. lOS standards were adopted to address quality of life. This Plan
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also introduced the "Priority Project Procedure" (later renamed the "Project Selection Process")
which established a competition for allocating limited traffic capacity to land development
projects.
v" The Conservation Element introduced policies for wetland and creek protection, as well as
minimum setback/buffer standards. A "Wetland Overlay" (-WO) District was adopted to
implement the strict wetland protection policies.
v" The Open Space Element introduced an "open space priorities list" of privately-held,
undeveloped land earmarked for potential acquisition/protection.
v" Strict hillside development policies and programs were adopted, which ultimately led to the
"Hillside Overlay" (-HO) District.
v" The introduction of the inclusionary housing policy. This housing policy required that a
percentage of housing units in a market-rate residential development be set aside for below-
market rate households.
In 2004, San Rafael General Plan 2020 was adopted. Unlike the previous General Plans, the preparation
of this Plan was community-based involving the guidance and authorship of a "Steering Committee"
appointed by the City Council, as well as subcommittees, known as a "Task Force" to provide more
detailed input on specific topic areas. As was the case with the San Rafael General Plan 2000, issues
such as traffic and land development were in the forefront. Many of the strong conservation, circulation
and housing goals and policies were carried over from the San Rafael General Plan 2000. However,
there were new community issues and interests which resulted in the following:
v" The Housing Element was amended to include a detailed housing site inventory to meet the
City's Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA).
v" A Neighborhood Element was introduced, which collapsed and incorporated all of the
previously-prepared and adopted neighborhood plans into the General Plan.
v" The Downtown Vision and Vision North San Rafael were incorporated into the Land Use Element
and the new Neighborhood Element.
v" A Governance Element was introduced to address and promote community outreach and
involvement.
v" An Economic Vitality Element was introduced to address local business growth and economy.
Since 2004, the General Plan has been amended a few times. Assembly Bill 32 (AB32), the California
Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 established State legislation requiring a statewide reduction in
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In response to AB32, in 2009, the City approved the Climate Change
Action Plan (CCAP). The CCAP includes a list of tasks and measures to reduce the community's GHG
emissions by 2020 and 2040. In 2011, CCAP was folded into the General Plan 2020 in the form of a
Sustainability Element.
In addition, the Housing Element was updated on two occasions, consistent with State law, which
requires the updating of the Housing Element every 8 years.
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II. INITIATING GENERAL PLAN 2040
Our current, General Plan 2020, has been in place since 2004. As we are approaching the year 2020, the
current Plan is nearing the end of its useful life. In addition, new State laws and regulation s coupled
with changes to conditions in the community (such as the upcoming operation of SMART) make the
update timely. The new General Plan, 2040, once updated and adopted, would guide the City for the
next 20 years (2020-2040)
The City has an established procedure for initiating and processing General Plan amendments and is
outlined in City Council Resolution No. 8379 (adopted in 1991) and further discussed in Section IX below.
III. GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
General Plan 2020 was a fairly comprehensive update. There was significant public involvement for this
comprehensive update and the update process took over five years to complete. Given that our City is
generally built out with limited vacant land for development, this upcoming update process should not
be as extensive as the General Plan 2020 effort. However, there will still be some topics as identifies
below, that need to be considered to establish the City's vision for the next 20 years. Therefore staff
does not anticipate the update of General Plan 2020 to be a start-from-scratch effort, but rather an
update to address timely issues and changes in State laws
Staffs expectation is that the update effort would take approximately -three years, to cover the
following general milestones and tasks:
• 2017 -Hiring of project manager, initiation and notification of upcoming General Plan update,
further refinement of work plan by Project Manager and recruitment/appointment of steering
committee members
• 2018 -Review of current General Plan, identification of key topical issues, preparation of
Background Report, public outreach and engagement,
• Late 2018-2019 -Preparation of Draft Plan, Initiation of Environmental Review (EIR)
• 2019 -Public outreach, Review of Draft Plan and EIR, Planning Commission and City Council
review and input of Draft General Plan and EIR
• Late 2019/early 2020 -Review of Final Draft General Plan and EIR by Planning Commission and
City Council and adoption of Final Plan
IV. GENERAL PLAN 2040 BUDGET
In the mid 1990's, the City established two fees that were adopted as part of the City's Master Fee
Schedule to collect fees to cover the City's costs to: 1) maintain and implement its current General Plan;
and 2) Periodically update a General Plan and comprehensively update the General Plan every 20 years.
Both of these fees are collected as a surcharge on all building permits. The two different fees are
described as follows:
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1) The General Plan 2020 Implementation Fee is intended to cover the cost of implementation of
programs identified in the City's General Plan 2020. This fee is a 0.259 surcharge on the building
permit fee and is charged to every building permit. This fund (Fund No. 218-16-28103) has a
current balance of $682,505. This fund currently has a few encumbrance; including:
• $57,752/annually is set aside to cover 50% of the salary of one Assistant Planner.
• $lOO,OOO/annually is set aside for contractual assistance in long range planning tasks. With
the elimination of the Long Range Planner position in the Department in 2012, this was used
to augment any long ranges planning tasks.
• $lO,OOO/annually is set aside for training/travel/conference, professional dues and
duplication.
This fund is replenished at a rate commensurate to the building permit activity. Over the past
three years, it has replenished by an average of $250,000/annually. This fund is not to be used
for the update process, but will continue to grow and serve as a resource to cover
implementation of policy or programs from the updated General Plan.
2) The General Plan Maintenance Fee is intended to cover the cost of both periodic updates of the
City's General Plan and comprehensive updates to the plan every 20 or so years. This fee is a
0.96 surcharge on the building permit fee and is charged to every building permit. This fund
(Fund No. 218-16-28102) has a current balance of $1,001,254.
This fund currently has no encumbrances. The fund is replenished at a rate commensurate to
the building permit activity. Over the past three years, it has replenished by approximately
$105,000/annually.
The concept of establishing these fees was that all private development activity within the City should
pay for the City's costs to implement and update the General Plan, thus taking the burden of these costs
off the general tax payer. The establishment of these fees in the mid 1990's helped pay for a portion of
General Plan 2020 update. It did not cover all the costs, since the fee was only initiated in 1996, but it
covered a portion of the total expenses.
Since adoption of the General Plan 2020, fees have been collected and grown in the General Plan
Update fund. This is a significant financial benefit to the City as the City should not have to reserve any
of its General Fund to help pay for this update to the General Plan (based on the draft scope). Any
increase in scope may increase estimated costs and budget.
The General Plan Maintenance Fund (#2 above) is the account that would be used for the upcoming
General Plan update. As noted above, the fund has a balance of approximately $1 million and should be
adequate to cover the costs of the upcoming update. All staff and contractual staffing costs, along with
hard costs (printing, etc.) associated with the update will be paid for from this account and not require
funds from the General Fund (assuming there are no major changes to work program or litigation).
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Throughout the update process, there will be various contracts that are brought before the Council,
such as contract to' hire the project manager, environmental sub consultants, and other tasks for which
the contracts will be paid for through this fund.
V. TIMELY ISSUES & KEY TOPIC AREAS
The City is at a crossroads on numerous community issues, which presents the optimum timing for the
start-up of San Rafael General Plan 2040. The following is a list of the timely issues and key topic areas
presented by chapter (element) of the General Plan 2020, which will require attention in scoping and
preparing San Rafael General Plan 2040:
7
A. Land Use
1. Relationship to Plan Bay Area 2040 -As follow-up to AB32 (California Global Warming Solutions
Act), in 2008, Senate Bill 375 (SB375), the Sustainable Communities Act, was passed and signed
by the Governor. SB375 requires that each large region in the State adopt a "Sustainable
Communities Strategy," a regional plan to reduce GHG emissions. For the Bay Area region, the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Association of Bay Area Government
(ABAG) joined forces in preparing "Plan Bay Area." The premise of Plan Bay Area is to promote
future growth concentrated in and around a sustainable transportation system in the inner,
urban areas of the Bay Area. The concept is intended to reduce the need to continue growth to
the undeveloped "greenfield" areas ofthe region. Plan Bay Area promotes the "Priority
Development Area" (PDA) as one of the tools for achieving the concentrated growth. A PDA is a
geographic area that is close to, along or within transit nodes that can be earmarked for growth,
particularly housing growth. Downtown San Rafael was designated a PDA in 2008. Plan Bay
Area was controversial and was ultimately adopted by MTC/ ABAG in 2013.
Historically, San Rafael has relied (in part) on the ABAG "Growth" Projections for forecasting
housing and commercial growth for the General Plan. The ABAG Projections were published
every four years. Plan Bay Area replaced the ABAG Projections process, which is why the City
(like other local jurisdictions) has been attentive to reviewing and responding to the Plan Bay
Area and its growth projections. An update of Plan Bay Area was initiated by MTC/ABAG in
2016. In October 2016, the City Council reviewed the Plan Bay Area 2040 Draft Preferred
Scenario Projections. The Preferred Scenario projects an increase of 5,900 jobs citywide
(inclusive of 1,100 jobs in the Downtown PDA) in San Rafael by 2040. Regarding households, the
Preferred Scenario projects an increase in households in San Rafael by 3,400 citywide (inclusive
of 1,100 households in the Downtown PDA). The City submitted formal comments to
MTC/ABAG on the Preferred Scenario noting that the household projections are reasonable and
acceptable but the employment projections are too ambitious for a built-out community.
There are some benefits to our General Plan being in accord with Plan Bay Area. For example,
the Plan Bay Area 2040 EIR includes a detailed analysis of Bay Area air quality for which the City
can use and "tier" from in analyzing individual development projects. Further, if our General
Plan is in accord with Plan Bay Area, there are increased opportunities for transportation funds.
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8
Therefore, it will be critical to continually monitor the Plan Bay Area 2040 update as the City
embarks on the General Plan 2040 process.
2. Planning Area Boundaries. The San Rafael Planning Area boundary was last adjusted in 2006
when the City decided to detach the unincorporated Silveira/St. Vincent's lands in North San
Rafael from the City's Planning Area (Urban Service Area and Sphere of Influence). The Planning
Area boundary for the General Plan 2040 is not expected to change. However, although the City
is built-out, there are some unincorporated areas within the Planning Area that will require
review and attention. One area that will require attention is the San Rafael Rock Quarry/McNear
Brickworks (lands south of McNear's Beach), which is an active quarry. The current City and
County of Marin policies state that this area remain under the County's jurisdiction through the
life of the quarry operation. The potential for and timing of annexation of these lands to the
City will depend upon the remaining forecast life of the quarry operation. Regarding other
developed unincorporated areas such as Country Club, Bayside Acres, California Park and Los
Ranchitos and Marinwood,the current policy (Policy LU-6, Annexation) supports annexation but
such action is dependent upon resident interest.
3. Update Land Use Inventory. Traditionally, a General Plan includes a land use inventory, which
provides a snapshot of existing community uses. This land use inventory is usually included in
the General Plan Background Report, which is one of several supportive documents that are
used to prepare the General Plan and supportive EIR. In the past, preparing a land use inventory
was a tedious task as it involved many hours of field checking and mapping. For the last land
use inventory, interns were used to complete field checking.
Since 2004, technology has changed making it easier to prepare a land use inventory. With tools
such as Marin Maps and the City's G[S Program, the mapping is more streamlined and accurate,
which will also reduce the time for field checking. While there has not been a significant change
in [and uses since 2004, the inventory should be updated.
4. Revisit Density/[ntensity and Building Height Limits. The Land Use E[ement includes very specific
policies setting forth limits for residential densities, non-residential floor area ratio limits, and
building heights. The current limits were carefully vetted through the General Plan 2020
process, particularly by incorporating the recommendations of the Downtown Vision.
Since 2004, there have been no major changes to the current Genera[ Plan policies and
provisions related to density/intensity and building height limits. Some taller buildings have
been approved and developed for Downtown (e.g., BioMarin @ San Rafael Corporate Center),
but to date, this development has complied with the current policy limits. At first blush, there
may not be a need to make major changes to these policies. However, in moving forward, the
following should be considered:
a. State of California Government Section 65583.2 (California Housing E[ement Law) mandates
a minimum residential zoning density for high density housing. The minimum required
density is based on the Bay Area Metropo[itan Statistical Area (MSA) category for the
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specific area. In 2014, Marin County was re-designated from the "Metropolitan" to
"Suburban," changing the minimum required zoning density from 30 dwelling units per acre
to 20 dwelling units per acre, respectively. However, this designation for Marin County will
"sunset" in 2023. During the last Housing Element update in 2014, the City determined that
the zoning density of 30 dwelling units per acre would be maintained as there are a number
of neighborhoods in San Rafael that are developed at densities exceeding 20 dwelling units
per acre.
b. Downtown San Rafael is growing and at present, there are fifteen development projects
that are under construction, approved, under review or are in the pipeline. These projects
are presented on the Downtown "watch" list (see Appendices). Two of the planned projects
propose to exceed the building height limits, including the current height bonus provisions,
of the General Plan 2020 and will require a request to amend the General Plan (BioMarin
Office/Lab @ 999 3'd Street and housing development at 703-723 3'd Street). As Downtown
is a Priority Development Area (PDA), policies related to density/intensity and building
height will require a lot of attention during the General Plan 2040 process. A more
expanded discussion of Downtown San Rafael is presented under Section C, Neighborhoods
(below).
5. Land Use Map Changes-Land use map changes will correspond to any land use designation
changes that are recommended for General Plan 2040. The land use map changes will need to
include miscellaneous changes such as the Greenwood Avenue lots (Oakwood Subdivision)
re<;ently offered to and accepted by the City for permanent open space. At present, these lots
are designated for Low Density Residential use, which will need to be changed to the
Parks/Open Space designation.
B. Housing
As mentioned above, the Housing Element is the only mandatory element of the General Plan that is
required to be periodically reviewed and updated. The current Housing Element was updated and
adopted in early 2015 to comply with the 2015-2023 RHNA cycle. The next mandatory update will occur
in 2022-2023. Therefore, it is not anticipated that major changes would be warranted to this element
through the General Plan 2040 process. Nonetheless, the following topic areas are current and critical
to housing, which should be addressed in the General Plan 2040:
9
1. Homelessness. The Housing Element contains a number of goals, policies and programs that
directly or indirectly address the issue of homelessness in San Rafael. During the recent review
of the General Plan 2020 10-year Status Report, some changes to the Housing Element were
made to reinforce policies related to homelessness. Short-term and long-term planning for
homelessness is critical and necessary. For example, there is a desire to centralize homeless
services into a single, multi-service campus. Efforts are underway to identify and study sites
outside of the Downtown area. As the challenges with homelessness go beyond housing, a
separate General Plan element (chapter) covering this topic may be something to consider.
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2. Inclusionary Housing Requirements. Our inclusionary housing policies were initially adopted in
the San Rafael General Plan 2000. These policies led to the adoption zoning ordinance
provisions (SRMC Section 14.16.030, Affordable Housing Requirements). Over the years, the
City has done a good job at requiring below-market-rate (BMR) units in market rate
development projects. Overall, hundreds of below-market-rate for sale and rental units have
been created, which are dispersed throughout the community. The inclusionary housing
approach has been successful and it should continue.
In recent years, there have been some legal challenges to requiring inclusionary housing at it
relates to BMR rental units. Case law such as Palmer v. the City of Las Angeles has stifled the
local jurisdictions ability to require BMR units on residential rental projects. So, in reviewing and
processing rental projects, the City has relied on utilizing the State Density Bonus Law and the
City's density bonus provisions (SRMC Section 14.16.030) to yield new BMR rental units in
market rate projects. We are able to re-capture our BMR inclusionary rental requirement if it is
demonstrated that there is a need in the community. Housing Element Program H-18a
recommends the preparation of an inclusionary housing nexus study, which, in part would
demonstrate this need. The City staff has received a services proposal for this study (which
includes an update of the commercial linkage fee) by a reputable economist and the cost can be
covered by the General Plan Implementation Fund. However, we have not proceeded with this
study for several reasons. First, depending upon the status of case law, the study may no longer
be necessary. Second, our adopted density bonus provisions are now over 10 years old and
should be reviewed to ensure compliance with the State Density Bonus Law. To address these
issues, staff has commissioned the legal services of Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley, a law
firm that has extensive experience in State Density Bonus Law and inclusionary housing. We
expect to obtain advice and a response from this law firm by early spring 2017.
C. Neighborhoods
The Neighborhood Element was added with the 2004 adoption of the San Rafael General Plan lOlO. As
noted above, prior to 2004, the City adopted a number or individual neighborhood plan s, which were
ultimately collapsed and incorporated into the current Neighborhood Element. Since 2004, planning
studies were prepared for Downtown and the Civic Center/Northgate neighborhoods, specifically the
San Rafael Downtown Station Area Plan (2012) and the Civic Center Station Area Plan (2012, amended
2013). Both plans are "vision" documents, meaning that they include a "to do" list of recommended
follow-up and implementation but they did not result in any changes to the San Rafael General Plan
2020 or zoning. Both plans had been commissioned when the two areas were designated as "Priority
Development Areas" (PDA). In 2013, the City Council rescinded the PDA status for the Civic
Center/Northgate area. Current Neighborhood Element Program NH-la' acknowledges community
interest in developing neighborhood plans for the Gerstle Park, Bret Harte, Canal, Lincoln Ave/San Rafael
Hill and Santa Margarita/Terra Linda neighborhoods.
At present, staff envisions no major changes to the Neighborhood Element. However, a more focused
review of the Civic Center/Northgate, Downtown and Canal neighborhoods should be considered for the ,
following reasons:
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11
1. Civic Center/North gate Area. The Civic Center Station Area Plan includes a number of good
recommendations for land use, urban design, pedestrian/bicycle/vehicle circulation, which were
vetted and confirmed through a public process (2012 and again in 2013). Subject to further
review as part of the General Plan 2040 process, the recommendations of the Civic Center
Station Area Plan can be incorporated into the Neighborhood Element and other Plan elements.
The Civic Center/Northgate Area is part of the Gallinas Creek Watershed. The Marin County
Department of Public Works oversees the Marin County Watershed Program, which includes
planning efforts for the Gallinas Creek Watershed, such as a restoration study of the Gallinas
Creek west of US10l. This effort should be acknowledged and incorporated into the
Neighborhood Element policies and programs forthe Civic Center/Northgate Area.
2. Downtown Area. Downtown San Rafael is at a crossroads, which warrants special planning
attention. In addition to the extent of Downtown development that is approved, in-process or
in the early planning stages, the following activities and efforts are in process:
a. The first phase of the SMART service -Initial Operating Segment -is expected to commence
in 2017. Plans are underway to extend SMART to Larkspur Landing (Phase 2).
b. A Downtown Station Area Plan (SAP) has been completed and was accepted by the City
Council on June 4, 2012. The Downtown SAP was a conceptual planning and visioning effort
between the City of San Rafael, Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART), Golden Gate
Bridge Highway and Transportation District (GGBHTD), Marin Transit, the former
Redevelopment Agency, the County of Marin, and the Transportation Authority of Marin
(TAM). Although titled Station Area Plan, this was a conceptual document that outlined a
vision for the area and did not include environmental analysis or review, nor result in
changes to zoning or the General Plan.
c. The Bettini Transit Center Relocation Plan is underway. This relocation plan was initiated as
a result olthe SMART extension to Larkspur Landing, which dramatically impacts the current
transit center site. This relocation plan is a mUlti-agency effort. The site that is selected for
permanent relocation could have a significant impact on the Downtown street network and
circulation.
d. The Draft Downtown Parking & Wayfinding Study has been completed. The study is
comprehensive and covers a broad range of parking-related issues. The study includes:
recommendations for parking and pedestrian/bicycle circulation around SMART; suggested
zoning and development standard changes based on a parking demand study; and
recommendations to improve the pedestrian network and signage for Downtown.
e. As discussed above, Downtown San Rafael is growing and at present, there are fifteen
development projects that are under construction, approved, under review or are in the
pipeline (see Downtown "watch" list in Appendices). Also as noted, two of the proposed
projects propose to exceed the current General Plan 2020 height limits.
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12
e. The street network (intersections and arterials) is operating close to or at capacity during
the peak hours. A comprehensive update of traffic counts and modeling is critical but has
not been pursued because olthe uncertainty of SMART impacts on the street network.
f. The City has initiated an update of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (last updated in
2011). This Master Plan includes planning for a number of major bikeways and pedestrian
circulation in Downtown. This effort dovetails with some of the elements of the Draft
Downtown Parking & Wayfinding Study and planning for SMART.
g. Recent changes to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) have streamlined
.environmental review for infill projects close to transit (SB 743). These changes include
shifting from a CEQA review of traffic/circulation from a level of service (LOS) methodology
to a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) methodology that analyze more regional based impacts
(discussed below under Circulation). The General Plan still utilizes LOS as the methodology
of review, so the City will be need to decide if we should review future projects utilizing two
separate methodologies or shift entirely to VMT.
All of the above is cause to consider a more specific review and planning of Downtown as part of
the General Plan 2040. A Downtown Specific Plan embedded in the General Plan 2040 may be
an appropriate tool to consider as we move forward.
3. Canal Area. The Neighborhood Element acknowledges the "Canal Neighborhood" as
encompassing the: San Rafael Canal/Creek; Core Canal area; Francisco Boulevard East
commercial area; Spinnaker Point and Bay Point Lagoon residential communities; and the
Southeast San Rafael light industrial area east of the 1-580 corridor. This neighborhood is the
most diverse in terms of land use and has a number of planning challenges. The following are
sO,me facts to consider:
a. In 2006, the City in partnership with the Transportation Authority of Marin adopted the
Canal Neighborhood Community Based Transportation Plan. This plan includes 13
"transportation solutions" to address the transportation gaps identified by the Core Canal
community. Nearly all of the solutions have been implemented. In mid-20l7, lifeline grant
funds are expected to become available for community-based transportation planning. An
update to the 2006 Canal Neighborhood Community Based Plan might be timely if grant
funding is available concurrent with the preparation of General Plan 2040.
b. In 2009, the City prepared and adopted the San Rajael Canalfrant Conceptual Design Plan
and Design Guidelines. This Design Plan focuses on recommendations to improve access to
the San Rafael Canal and to accommodate the implementation of the San Francisco Bay
Trail. Implementation olthis plan will be extremely challenging. For example, the
expansion of the San Rafael Bay Trail through is area will require the wholesale removal of
on-street parking along several streets (parking discussed under c, below).
c. At present, one of the greatest challenges in the Core Canal residential area is the lack of on-
street and off-street parking. Recently, the City has commissioned W-Trans, transportation
engineers to complete a parking study. The study will assess parking usage and demand,
and will present suggested opportunities for improving the parking condition. The results
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and recommendations of this study may be appropriate for programming in the Canal
Neighborhood discussion.
d. Several years ago, Sutter Health purchased an assemblage of parcels in Marin Square and
surrounding Gary Place. To date, there has been no formalized redevelopment plan
proposed forthis area. Attention to reuse and redevelopment will be timely in reviewing
this area as part of the General Plan 2040.
e. The Core Canal Neighborhood has the highest concentration of lower-income and
immigrant households in Marin County. Input from this underrepresented community is
necessary to social equity and neighborhood issues.
f. The Canal Waterfront is a community asset that is sometimes overlooked. Mainterance
dredging of the San Rafael Canal is necessary in order to ensure that it is maintained as a
navigable waterway. Neighborhood Element Policy NH-79 recommends developing a plan
for long-range maintenance of the San Rafael Canal.
g. The Bellam Boulevard corridor has always experienced heavy peak hour traffic . "The Loop"
through Kerner Boulevard improved traffic but over time, traffic levels during peak hour
have reached capacity.
h. The greater Canal Neighborhood presents the largest area in the City that is vulnerable to
rise in sea level.
For the above reasons, the Canal Neighborhood warrants an expanded discussion in the
Neighborhood Element. Please note that some of the above items carryover into other
elements of the General Plan (e.g., sea level rise, traffic).
4. "Canalways" Property. The "Canalways" property consists of 85 acres of diked bay lands located
in the Southeast San Rafael area. This property is the last large , privately-owned, undeveloped
land within the City limits. The site is bound to the east by the San Rafael Bay and by residential,
light industrial and commercial development to the north, west and south, respectively. The
property contains some area of upland, but much of the site is low-level, diked bay lands. The
last detailed site study of the property was done over 30 years ago. At that time, much of the
site was mapped as jurisdictional (seasonal) wetlands by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and
was home for several special-status species. However, the site conditions have likely changed
over the past 30 years. The current property owner has expressed an interest in pursuing
development of this property. Staff has urged the property owner to update the site studies
and participate in the General Plan 2040 process.
D. Community Design
The Community Design Element addresses the physical form of the natural environment and the built
form of the City. This element acknowledges that the major features that give San Rafael its visual
character, which include the hills and valleys, the Bay, creeks and the San Rafael Canal and the diverse
neighborhoods. Policies in this element encourage the recognition and protection of neighborhoods
when reviewing new development to ensure compatibility with the existing environment.. Current
Community Design Policies C-l0, C-11 and C-13 recommend that design guidelines be developed for
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non-residential, multiple-family residential and single-family residential development, respectively.
Concurrent with the 2004 adoption of the General Plan 2040, the City adopted the San Rafael Design
Guidelines (Resolution 11667). The design guidelines are used in reviewing individual development
projects. While these guidelines have been useful, they need to be overhauled and updated.
E. Economic Vitality
Introduced with the 2004 adoption of General Plan 2020, the Economic Vitality Element focuses on
protecting and promoting local businesses and their value to the local economy. San Rafael is the
business center for Marin County. Marin County has over 10,000 businesses and approximately one-half
of these businesses are based in San Rafael. This element also acknowledges the rise in high technology
businesses, as well as home-based businesses.
Since 2004, there have been some substantial changes, which impact economic vitality in San Rafael.
Therefore, there is cause to revisit this Plan element. First, the resolution of the San Rafael
Redevelopment Agency has shifted business promotion to a new Economic Development Department.
The State resources offered to and through a redevelopment agency are no longer available to assist
business start-ups. Second, technology continues to grow, which has resulted in a shift in the type of
new employment drawn to the City (e.g., BioMarin in Downtown). Lastly, there is a need to be more
sustainable, which would support: a) workforce housing; and b) retaining the existing service and trades
businesses that that have limited location options in Marin (e.g., Northgate Business Park, East San
Rafael and Woodland Avenue business areas).
F. Circulation
Aside from the Land Use Element, the Circulation Element is arguably the most critical element in the
General Plan. Careful planning of the circulation system is necessary to accommodate planned growth
and change, while maintaining quality of life. While this element largely addresses vehicle circulation,
the goals, policies and programs address mobility for all users. Since the 2004 adoption of General Plan
2020, there have been some major changes in State laws which shift the focus of transportation
planning on sustainability in order to reduce regional commute travel and promote alternative modes of
travel (Senate Bill 743). In addition, there have been changes at the regional level which effect local
planning and funding of transportation improvements (Plan Bay Area). Lastly, at the local level, the
SMART commuter train is coming, which will impact the local street network. For these reasons, the
Circulation Element will require a detailed review and will likely be subject substantial revisions for
General Plan 2040. The following will need to be considered in this effort:
14
1. Senate Bill 743-CEQA Changes from "LOS" to "VMT." In 2015, major changes to the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) were passed through SB743. These changes are intended to
streamline the CEQA process, primarily for infill projects near major transit. The most
substantial change to the CEQA Guidelines is how transportation/circulation is to be analyzed
for environmental review. For the past 30-40 years, local agencies have assessed transportation
and circulation impacts to local intersections and arterials using the "Level of Service" (LOS)
methodology. Simply described, LOS measures delay (in time) at a signalized intersection or
along an arterial segment. Common mitigation to maintain set LOS standards include, among
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15
others, street widening to accommodate additional travel lanes, signalization, and signalization
timing, which are all focused on facilitating the movement of motorized vehicles. Like most
other California cities/towns, San Rafael has relied on the use of LOS to assist in managing land
use and circulation. Further, the public has come to know and rely on this method oftraffic
review as a means to maintain quality of life.
The change in the CEQA Guidelines requires that the LOS methodology be replaced with a
"Vehicle Miles Traveled" (VMT) methodology. The VMT methodology shifts the review of traffic
and circulation from assessing local intersection and arterial impacts to assessing the number of
miles traveled by motor vehicles that are generated by or attracted to a project (origin and
destination). The VMT methodology also captures trip length so can it account for regional
location. Simply said, the longer the trip length from origin to destination, the greater the
impact. This methodology is not new; it is a tool used in assessing air quality impacts. In fact,
one of the prime reasons VMT is recommended for assessing transportation and circulation is
that it indirectly promotes the reduction of GHG emissions. By using VMT, projects generating
the shortest trip length result in lower traffic impacts and lower GHG emissions. Therefore, infill
projects close to transit with access to a pedestrian and bicycle network would have a lower
traffic impact than a suburban subdivision.
To comply with the SB743, local agencies will be required to transition to using VMT for
environmental review by 2019. Therefore, the current timing to initiate General Plan 2040 is
critical. A VMT model will need to be developed, which will require the services of a
transportation consultant. It should be noted that SB743 does not preclude a local agency from
continuing to use the LOS methodology for local planning purposes. Therefore, the City can
continue to plan for coordinating land use and circulation as we have for the past 30 years
utilizing the LOS tool. However, with this change, the use of LOS for individual development
projects would no longer be a required element of a CEQA/environmental document. Rather,
an LOS analysis would be a part of the development project merits review to determine
consistency with the General Plan. The current LOS tool is important in tracking the planned
transportation improvements that are listed in the Circulation Element. These planned
improvements support the Citywide traffic mitigation fees that are charged to new development
projects. Some larger cities (e.g., San Francisco) have completely eliminated using LOS as a
method for assessing individual development projects. However, at this time, staff believes that
the LOS analysis process should continue in San Rafael.
Earlier this year, TAM commissioned Fehr & Peers, transportation consultants to complete a
summary report on SB743 and the types of modeling that are available to quantify VMT. As
VMT addresses traffic origin and destination that is more regionally driven, the Fehr & Pe,ers
report was intended to educate and assist the Marin cities/towns on this approach. Right now,
there are several VMT models that are available for us to use including a statewide model and a
regional model developed by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MT<;) that is more
locally calibrated. However, these off-the-shelf models may not be suitable for San Rafael or
Marin County because of our conditions (e.g., single freeway corridor access, limited public
transit, and workforce import from other counties). There has been discussion among the Marin
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cities/towns staff to develop a Marin VMT model that would be shared by all local agencies. A
Marin VMT model would provide consistency in review but would allow for individual
customization by each city/town. Over the coming months, discussions with TAM and Fehr &
Peers will continue on pursuing this approach.
2. Countywide Congestion Management Plan (CMP). The Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM)
is in the process of updating its CMP counts and modeling. The CMP covers the monitoring and
management of freeway and major arterial segments that are of countywide significance. In
San Rafael, the CMP segments include US10l, 1-580, and Second and Third Streets from US10l
westward to the West End neighborhood. The traffic counts were completed in fall 2016. The
confirmed counts, as well as an origin and destination study and a monitoring report are
expected to be completed by TAM in spring 2017. It is projected that the updated CMP will be
completed in late 2017. Ultimately, the updated CMP will need to be addressed in the General
Plan 2040 and supportive EIR.
3. SMART. The first phase of SMART -Initial Operating Segment -is expected to be in operation in
early-to mid-2017. This first phase runs commuter service from Santa Rosa to Downtown San
Rafael. There has been some "Day One" planning by the City to prepare for SMART.
Nonetheless, the actual impacts the rail operations will have on Downtown street intersection
operations are unknown. Sometime back, the Public Works Director recommended that prior to
proceeding with major updates to our traffic counts, the City should wait until SMART is
operational to incorporate those effects into the City's traffic model.
Funding has been secured for the second phase of SMART, which is to extend the rail service to
Larkspur Landing. This second phase has the following planning challenges and hurdles, which
are currently being considered and studied:
a. The Beltini Transit Center Relocation Plan (discussed above in Section C, Neighborhoods) is a
major, mUlti-agency study that is underway.
b. In 2016, the City approved proceeding with applications to the California Public Utilities
Commission (CPUC) for approval of an at-grade SMART rail crossing on Andersen Drive. The
CPUC process is lengthy and if the at-grade crossing is not approved, other alternatives will
need to be considered and pursued by the City. Several of the alternatives that have been
studied could have operational impacts to intersections and street segments in the
Southeast San Rafael area.
c. As part of the second phase planning for SMART, a "flip" of the alignment of Francisco
Boulevard West and the SMART rail right-of-way is being studied to reduce the number of
at-grade crossings. This study will have some operational impacts to the local street work in
this area.
d. The SMART project includes many significant pieces of bicycle and pedestrian pathways
along the corridor (multi-use paths). This piece of the network will enhance access to the
SMART stations and provide a huge amenity to cyclists and pedestrians in the North Bay.
There are three "gaps" in San Rafael's multi-use pathway system which require cyclists to
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use Class II or Class III facilities for portions of their trip. The City is working with SMART and
the County of Marin to study the issue so that a North/South pathway (including the
segment between 2,d Street and Andersen Drive.
4. Update of Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan. The City through the Department of Public Works
has separately initiated an update of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (last updated in
2011). This Master Plan includes planning for a number of major bikeways and pedestrian
circulation throughout the City's Planning Area. This update effort is led by the Bicycle &
Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAe).
G. Infrastructure
The Infrastructure Element addresses the planning, provisions and maintenance of public buildings,
landscaping, roads, drainage, telecommunications, water and power systems and other facilities in the
City of San Rafael. This element is critical to: 1) the planning and budgeting of capital improvements; 2)
budgeting and prioritizing the maintenance of public facilities; and c) ensuring that there are adequate
services to accommodate the growth projected in the General Plan (e.g., water supply, sewer capacity).
This element will require careful review and update.
Infrastructure Element Policy 1-8 recommends that a street tree planting and maintenance program be
developed. Street trees are valued for reducing thermal gain, improving air quality and defining
neighborhoods. In 2008, the City Council appointed a Tree Advisory Committee. This Committee
worked to complete a Final Report and Recommendations, which was submitted to the City Council in
2010. The Final Report presents recommendations in two steps: recommendations that can be
implemented in the short-term with current resources; and recommendations that require additional
time, personnel and fund resources. This Final Reportand Recommendations will need to be addressed
in the update of the Infrastructure Element. See Section I (Sustainability) below regarding a street and
park tree inventory.
H. Governance
As is the case with the Neighborhoods and Economic Vitality Elements, the Governance Element was
introduced with the adoption of General Plan 2020. Essentially, this element is intended to facilitate
and promote community-based local government that includes public participation, education and
diversity. Since 2004, some of the recommended programs in this element have been implemented
bust some have not due to adjustments in City resources. Further, the tools used for community
outreach have changed since 2004, which is cause to review and update this element.
I. Sustain ability
As noted above, the Sustainability Element was added to General Plan 2020 in 2011. Included in this
action was the adoption of a quantitative GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy, which was certified by the
Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The Sustainability Element is the guiding strategy to actively
adapt to ongoing changes to the community and environment. With the exception of a handful of
policies and programs in the Conservation Element (addressing energy and water conservation and
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recycling), nearly all of the sustainabi[ity topics covered in the 2009 CCAP are contained in the
Sustainability E[ement.
Sustainability is subject to continual change due to changes in information, resources, and regulations.
For this reason, this element wil[ likely be subject to significant change with the Genera[ Plan 2040. [n
addition, the City has committed to update the 2009 CCAP, which will need to be folded into the
Sustainability E[ement.
Since 2011, there has been good progress on a number of sustainable-related efforts. The following is a
list of some of these efforts:
18
1. Maintained and Updated GHG Emissions Reduction Strategy. As a quantitative analysis, the
information and progress on reducing emissions must be tracked and reported. Annua[ reports
have been completed.
2. Prepared "Climate Adaptation -Sea Leve[ Rise" White Paper. [n 2014, the City completed a
white paper entitled "C[imate Adaptation -Sea Leve[ Rise" San Rafael. This white paper
identifies current resources and tools that are avai[able to plan for the potential rise in sea [evel.
This paper also identifies geographic areas ofthe community that are vulnerable to rise in sea
level and potential opportunity areas for adaptation. The white paper includes a list of
suggested tasks and actions for next steps. Some of the suggested tasks and actions have been
completed or are in-process.
3. Initiated Marin BayWAVE Vu[nerability Assessment. The County of Marin has taken the lead
role in preparing a vulnerability assessment of the Marin County Bayfront and areas predicted to
be vulnerable to rise in sea [evel. The assessment is taken the form and content ofthe C-SMART
Vulnerability Assessment prepared for the Pacific Coast shores of Marin. City staff is working
with Marin County Public Works staff in completing this assessment, which wililike[y be
available in spring 2017.
4. Pursuing Completion of Street and Park Tree Inventory. Sustainability E[ement Program SU6a
recommends that an inventory of trees and vegetation be prepared to determine existing
resources and carbon sequestration. The City has applied for a Ca[Fire grant, which would find
the preparation of a street and park tree inventory, along with the planting of up to 200 trees in
a three year period.
5. Initiated a Loca[ Hazard Mitigation Plan. The preparation of a Loca[ Hazard Mitigation Plan is
underway and wil[ like[y be completed and adopted in 2017. This Plan wil[ identify the
community hazards and address short-term and long-term planning for combating or mitigating
these hazards.
6. Adopted Ca[Green Building Standards and Building Measures. [n 2013 and again in 2016, the
City adopted the Ca[Green building code requiring that new construction meet Tier 1 green
building standards. [n addition, the City adopted a nominal flat fee for roof-mounted
photovo[taic systems (so[ar panels) and an expedited permit review process.
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In addition, the following are items and topics that may be considered in updating this element for
General Plan 2040:
:>-Consider whether to include a program to adopt of a "Bayfront Corridor Zone" to address
planning and adapting to potential sea level rise.
:>-Consider and address private project efforts to combat climate change such as Resilient Shore-
San Rafael Short Project and the Tiscornia Marsh Upland Transition Enhancement Project.
J. Culture and Arts
The Culture and Arts Element addresses the City's cultural resources and library services. Policies and
programs include recommendations such as the preparation of an Arts Plan and promoting facility
development. Regarding the latter, Policy CA-ll recommends that the San Rafael City Library be
renovated and expanded or replaced. The San Rafael Library Foundation was established in 2004 to
raise money to replace and built a new library facility.
This element also addresses the protection of historic and archaeological resources. On these topics,
the following will need to be considered as we move forward with General Plan 2040:
1. Historic Building Inventory. The current San Rafael Historical/Architectural Survey was
developed in 1976-77 and was updated once (1986). Since 1986, the definition of "historic
resource" has dramatically changed but the City survey is used as a starting point to identify and
assess individual properties. Cultural and Arts Program CA-13a recommends that this inventory
be updated. As a General Plan program, this inventory would not necessarily be updated
concurrent with the preparation of General Plan 2040, but rather as a follow-up task. San Rafael
Heritage, a local organization has expressed an interest and desire to proceed with this
inventory update now. At this time, the cost of preparing an updated historic resource surveyor
inventory is unknown. However, in 2009, it was estimated that completing an updated
survey/inventory could cost upwards of $500,000. This amount includes the work of an
experienced architectural historian, staff time and environmental review. This request will have
to be weighed and prioritized by the City Council when finalizing the work program for General
Plan 2040.
2. Archaeological Resource Inventory. In 2001, the City adopted procedures and regulations for
the protection of archaeological resources. These procedures and regulations are supported by
an archaeological sensitivity map, which is used to determine the general location of resources
and prompts for further study. The map stores data and sensitivity ranking by County Assessor's
parcel numbers, which have changed over the years. At some point, this sensitivity map will
need to be updated.
K. Parks and Recreation
The purpose of the Parks and Recreation Element is to identify and document present park facilities,
potential park sites and long-term park needs. Regarding park inventory little has changed since the
2004 adoption of the General Plan 2020. However, a new publicly-accessible shoreline park has been
developed at the Loch Lomond Marina site. Parkland dedication standards have not changed.
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L. safety
The Safety Element addresses potential risk to the community and damage to property resulting from
fire, flood, geologic hazards and other public health and safety hazards. The following will need to be
considering in updating this element:
1. Geotechnical Review. General Plan 2020 includes specific policies and programs addressing
geologic and seismic safety. Specifically, Policy S-4 addresses the City's Geotechnical Review
process, which includes a Geotechnical Review Matrix (Appendix F in the General Plan). The
process and requirements presented in Appendix F need to be updated and streamlined. In
addition, several of the mapping resources that were published with the General Plan 2000 (e.g.,
slope stability, geo-seismic hazards, areas of landfill), were not included in the current General
Plan 2020. It would be valuable to include these map resources in General Plan 2040.
2. Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. This plan is discussed above under Section I, Sustainability.
3. Rise in Sea Level. Police S-21 broadly addre sses the potential for rise in sea level. Since the
2004 adoption of the General Plan 2020, this issue has been more serious ly considered and
studied. This topic is discussed in more detail in the Sustainability section (above).
4. Public Safety and Emergency Re sponse. An update on essential facilities planning is warranted.
In 2013, the San Rafael voters approved Measure E, which established a sales tax to fund long-
term improvements to the City's essential facilities. In 2015, the City Council adopted the San
Rafael Essential Facilities Strategic Plan, which presents the City's road map forthe replacement
or improvements to aging emergency service facilities. The City Council authorized funding for
Phase 1 of this plan which include s the rebuilding of Fire Station 52 and the fire training center,
as well as Fire Station 57 (Marin Civic Center) and a new Public Safety Center (Fire Station 52-
Downtown and Police Department facilities) on 5th Avenue.
M. Noise
As required by State law, the Noise Element must address noise generating uses and sources and
measures to attenuate noise for maintaining quality of life. The last citywide, quantitati ve noise
analysis was prepared in 2001 for the General Plan 2020. An update of this noise analysi s will be
required, which will include baseline (existing) noise readings along major roadways, unique noise
sources (e.g., San Rafael Airport and Heliport), as well as future noise projections based on the growth
foreca st. The updated noise analysis will need to include the noise impacts of the SMART commuter rail
service (including train horns and "qui et zone s"). The noise standards (decibel limits) set forth in the
Noise Element and in the City's Noise Ordinance (SRMC Chapter 8.13) are comprehensive and effective.
Therefore, minimal changes to the standards are envisioned.
N. Open Space
The Open Space Element addresses the planning, protection and use of open space. San Rafael has
done an excellent job at preserving and protecting land and baylands for permanent open space. There
are close to 3,300 acres of secured open space within the City limits and over 7,300 acres within the San
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Rafael Planning Area. Through the years, lands were secured through purchase (e.g., 1972 voter-
approved bond measure), donation and dedication through the land development approval process.
The recent dedication to and acceptance of land for open space by the City (Greenwood Avenue lots in
Oakwood Open Space) was cause to revisit the City's longstanding policy on accepting offers of land
dedication. The Community Services and Community Development Department are working on
formalizing the City's policy on land dedication, which will need to be acknowledged in the Open Space
Element.
One of the major programs in the Open Space Element is Program OS-2a (Open Space Management
Plan). Program OS-2a recommends that a committee be established to prepare an Open Space
Management Plan. Preparation of this plan would costly and involve numerous stakeholders including,
but not limited to the County of Marin (open space land owner), environmentalists, bicycle/pedestrian
trail advocates, the Fire Department (fire prevention and access) and neighborhood representatives.
O. Conservation
The Conservation Element recognizes the value of San Rafael's natural resources. This element is
separated into two sections, Goal 31 (Protection Habitat) and Goal 32 (Resources Used Wisely) Covered
under Goal 31 are strong policies and programs addressing the protection of natural resources,
particularly sensitive habitats, wetlands, creeks/drainage ways, hillsides and baylands. Most of the
policies and programs were developed with the San Rafael General Plan 2000 (2007) when the City
experienced a lot of development that potentially impacted these resources. San Rafael General Plan
2020 carried over and expanded many of the policies and programs. It is not expected or recommended
to change these policies and programs.
The policies and programs covering Goal 32 address water and energy conservation, recycling, and
energy-efficient design. This section should be reviewed to determine if it is more appropriately located
in the Sustainability Element.
P. Air and Water Quality
The policies and programs in the Air and Water Quality Element are primarily led by state, regional and
county regulations and standards. There are two major changes that have occurred since the 2004
adoption of the General Plan 2020, which will have to be addressed in the review and update of this
element. First, with the 2006 passage of the California Global Warming Solutions Act (SB32) and the
Sustainable Communities Act (SB375), the Bay Area 2010 Clean Air Plan, which is the basis for our
General Plan air quality analysis, was updated through Plan Bay Area. The updated Bay Area Clean Air
Plan will need to be used to update the air quality analysis required for General Plan 2040. Second, the
water quality laws (e.g., Clean Water Act) and permitting have changed and are substantially more
stringent. Several years ago, the City of San Rafael NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination
System) General Permit (MS4 Permit) was renewed, which set new water quality and discharge
standards. Water quality policies and programs will need to be updated to address the renewed permit.
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VI. COMMUNITY-BASED PLANNING -STEERING COMMITTEE
A community-based plan approach ensures maximum participation and input from key community
stakeholders and special interest groups. The update process for General Plan 2020 may have had too
much public process, with too many committees and subcommittee and task forces participating in the
update. For this update, Staff recommends that a "General Plan Steering Committee" be formed to
provide guidance, oversight and direction through all phases of the General Plan 2040 preparation,
publication and adoption process. To be effective and efficient, the steering committee should have no
more than 15-21 members, with each member representing a specific stakeholder group. For this
purpose, staff recommends that the steering committee be comprised of 21 members, including the
following members:
• City Council member (1) • Homelessness representotive (1)
• Planning Commissioner (1) • Housing advocate representative (1)
• Park & Recreation Commissioner (1) • Cultural resource advocate representative (1)
• Design Review Board member (1) • Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP)/Sustainable
• Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (1) San Rafael representative (1)
• Chamber of Commerce representative (1) • Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) member (1)
• East San Rafael Working Group rep. (1) • Environmental advocate representative (1)
• Federation of SR N'hood representative (1) • Gal/inas Creek Watershed representative (1)
• North San Rafael Coalition rep (1) • Youth Member from local high school (1)
• Pt San Pedro Coalition representative (1) • Community member at-large rep (1)
• Canal rep (Pickle weed Advisory Committee) (1)
• Senior community representative (1)
The concept is that the steering committee would be representative of the community and participate
in the update process representing their constituencies. It is recommended that the City Council initiate
a call for applications to the General Plan Steering Committee. Prerequisites for appointment to the
Steering Committee include that applicants be: 1) a resident of San Rafael; and 2) if representing a
specific group or organization, a written endorsement is required. For business or advocacy groups, the
pre-requisite is broadened to include: 1) a principal in a business or non-profit (business owner,
manager or board member) located in San Rafael, or 2) a property owner in San Rafael. It is also
recommended that for each stakeholder role on the Steering Committee, the City Council also appoint
an alternate or back-up.
The Steering Committee meetings will vary in frequency depending upon the phase in the General Plan
process. It is estimated that the General Plan 2040 process will cover a two-three year period and
steering committee meetings may be held as frequently as twice a month. However, there will be
periods during this process when technical consultants will be preparing critical studies and a monthly
"check-in" with the Steering Committee will be adequate.
22 San Rafael General Plan 2040
Summary Repart & Preliminary Wark Pragram
GPA16-001 & P16-013
As specific topic areas are studied and addressed during this update, Working Groups (several members
and alternate ofthe Steering Committee, City staff [Supportive Advisory Team; see Section VII] and
technical consultants] may need to meet on an ad-hoc/as-needed basis.
VII. SUPPORTIVE ADVISORY TEAM
The General Plan 2040 will require the guidance and input from City staff. It is recommended that a
Supportive Advisory Team be formed comprising of City department representatives. This team would
provide input and resources to Steering Committee. At present, it is expected that the City Staff
Supportive Advisory Team would include key staff from the City departments:
Community Development Department
Economic Development Department
Community Services Department
Fire Department
City Library representative
GIS Coordinator-Mapping (Public Works)
Homelessness Coordinator
Public Works Department
City Manager's Office
City Attorney's Office
Police Department
Parking Services Division
Sustain ability Coordinator
VIII. APPROACH TO STAFFING & CONSULTANT SERVICES
Staff recommends that a "Project Manager" be hired to oversee the General Plan 2040 process (serve as
lead author, manager of technical consultants/CEQA process, coordinate the Steering Committee, City
staff advisory team. This role is one that was previously served during the General Plan 2020 update
process by a former Principal Planner position with the City that was a full time employee. That position
was eliminated in 2012, due to budget reductions. The Project Manager would report to the Community
Development Director and Planning Manager, and serve as the day-to-day lead on the update efforts.
Following initiation ofthe General Plan update by the Council, the City would issue a Request for a
Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit qualifications for the Project Manager. The qualifications would be
reviewed and the City and the top three most qualified applicants for the project manager would be
short-listed. Staff would then issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) and the City would interview all firms
that submit a proposal. The RFP's would include specific proposals for services submitted by each firm,
including budget, detailed approach, etc. Staff intends to include a Planning Commissioner and City
Council member and key City staff on the interview panel for the Project Manager.
Once a Project Manager is hired by the City, one of their first tasks would be to refine and further
develop the work program and start to assemble a team of technical consultants. It is expected that the
following technical consultants will be needed to complete the initial Background/Conditions Report and
the supportive environmental document for CEQA review:
23
Environmental (CEQA) Consultant
Land Use and Economic Consultant
Geotechnical Engineer
Traffic/Transportation Engineer (VMT + LOS)
Air Quality and Noise Consultant
Architectural Historian
San Rafael General Plan 2040
Summary Report & Preliminary Work Program
GPA16-001 & P16-013
Economist (Fiscal Impacts)
Public Relations (Outreoch) Consultant
Archaeologist
Bettini Transit Center Planning Consultant
(retained)
IX. GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT PROCESS
A. Required Procedures
City Council Resolution 8379 (adopted in 1991) sets forth procedures for initiating and amending the
City's General Plan. This resolution is attached. These procedures were established because the State
law limits local jurisdictions to four General Plan Amendment actions per calendar year. Therefore, the
procedures are intended to group or phase private requests to amend the General Plan. In recent years,
the City has had few private requests to amend General Plan 2020 and most amendments have been
initiated by the City.
Following the City Council review of this preliminary work program, the procedures require that a
referral of this project be sent to the County of Marin, adjacent cities/towns, local utilities and services,
the local public school districts, regional planning agencies, and other regulatory agencies. The referral
will inform these agencies of this effort and to obtain initial feedback.
During the initial phases of the General Plan 2040 process, the City will be required to comply with
Government Code Section 65352.3 and 65562.5 (SB18), which is an offer of tribal consultation to the
local Native American Tribe (Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria). The local Native American Tribe
must respond within 90 days of the notice. Should tribal consultation be requested, the results ofthe
consultation will be addressed in the General Plan 2040 and supportive EIR.
While the Steering Committee is recommended to oversee and guide the Plan preparation, the General
Plan Amendment action to adopt General Plan 2040 will require public hearings with the Planning
Commission and City Council. In addition, input through the various phases ofthe Plan preparation
process will be requested of, among others, the Design Review Board, Park & Recreation Commission,
BPAC, Citizens Advisory Committee (CAe), CCAP Group, and Federation of San Rafael
Neighborhoods/North San Rafael Coalition. Further, during the various phases of the Plan preparation
process, a public outreach plan will be implemented.
B. Review of Individual Planning Applications
As noted above, it is expected that the General Plan 2040 process from commencement to adoption is
likely to span approximately 2-3 years. Through this process, the City will continue to operate and
review planning applications for development projects for consistency with the current General Plan
2020. However, it is expected that during this time, the City will receive private requests to amend the
current General Plan 2020 for specific sites or development projects. Depending upon the extent and
complexity of such a request, an individual General Plan Amendment action could have policy
implications that prejudice or impact the outcome of General Plan 2040. Further, applicants/property
owners choosing to proceed with an individual General Plan Amendment request during this time could
be vulnerable to potential changes in goals and policies that impact their request.
24 San Rafael General Plan 2040
Summary Repart & Preliminary Work Program
GPA16-001 & P16-013
"
Those seeking an individual General Plan Amendment request during the General Plan 2040 process or
individuals filing any planning permit application will need to be made aware of the General Plan 2040
process and concerns noted above. Staff is proposing that all property owners/owner representatives
filing and processing all planning applications during this process be required to sign a form
acknowledging the process and uncertain outcome of the General Plan 2040. This precautionary
approach was taken during the General Plan 2000 and General Plan 2020 processes.
X. PRELIMINARY WORK PROGRAM
Preliminary Work Program has been prepared to initiate the General Plan 2040 process and to provide a
guide in the initial stages of the Plan scoping, and to assist in technical consultant hiring process. The
Final Work Program will be developed by the Project Manager (once hired) and initial input is provided
from General Plan 2040 Steering Committee & City Staff Advisory Team.
,
25
Preliminary Task/Milestone Preliminary Timeframe
Selection of Project Manager June 2017
Appointment of Steering Committee Aug-Sept 2017
Final Work program completed June-Nov 2017
Selection of General Plan and Environmental Consultants Nov 2017-Feb 2018
Issues Identification Jan-June 2018
Public Outreach Mar-July 2018
Policy Refinement July -Dec 2018
Draft General Plan Oct 2018 -April 2019
Preliminary feedback from Planning Commission and City Council on Nov 2018-Dec 2018
Draft Plan
Notice of Preparation
Draft EIR
Policy Refinement
Public Review and hearing on Draft EIR
Final EIR
Planning Commission review
City Council Review and adoption
Dec 2018
Jan -April 2019
Jan 2019 -April 2019
May 2019
June -Aug 2019
Oct -Nov 2019
Dec 2019 -Jan 2020
San Rafael General Plan 2040
Summary Report & Preliminary Work Program
GPA16-001 & P16-013
XI. NEXT STEPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Confirm the recommended direction and scope of the Preliminary Work Program, and
accept this Summary Report;
2. Direct staff to initiate the Genera[ Plan 2040 process consistent with the City-adopted
General Plan Procedures (referra[ to County, neighboring cities/towns, utilities, and
agencies);
3. Direct staff to complete and distribute a "Request for Qua[ifications" (RFQ) for "Project
Manager" consultant services. Upon receipt and review of qualifications statements, a
short-list of consultants shall be developed for interviews and selection;
4. Confirm the scope, purpose and make-up of the General Plan 2040 Steering Committee
and direct staff to prepare a resolution initiating a ca[1 for Committee applications;
5. Direct staff to prepare an acknowledgment form/notice to property owners/applicant
representatives that is to accompany a[[ planning applications during the General Plan
2040 process. The notice is to be signed by a[1 property owners/representatives, which
confirms that that they acknowledge that the Genera[ Plan 2040 process could affect
the outcome or action on their project.
XII. APPENDICES
• Downtown San Rafae[ Development "Watch" List; December 2016
• City Council Resolution 8379, procedures for initiating and amending General Plan
26 San Rafael General Plan 2040
Summary Repart & Preliminary Work Program
GPA16-001 & P16-013
I
San Rafael Downtown Development "Watch Area" List December 2016
Downtown Development "Watch Area"
(j) 1203 Uncoln Ave. (36 residential units; approved)
(2) 524 Mission Ave./1200 Irwin St. (15 residential
units; under construction)
(3) 930 Tamalpais Ave. (Whistlestop, 50 senior units &
senior services, restaurant; on hold)
@7003rd St. (13,000 s.f. site/3D units; no application
to date)
® San Rafael Corporate Center Lincoln Ave. Parking
Garage (@ build out 1,558 parking spaces;
completed and occupied)
~ San Rafael Corporate Center Lincoln Ave. Parking
Garage (600 space parking garage expansion
[Phase IIJ; approvedJ
® San Rafael Corporate Center Lincoln Ave.. (80,000
s.t. lab; constructed and occupied)
(!J) San Rafael Corporate Center Lindaro St. (72,000
s.f. office [Phase IIJ; approved)
27
®
Blo Morin @ PG&E -999 3rd St. [200k office/lab
[estimate by FAR1, Whistlestop, 50 senior
apartment units; pre-application)
l0014th St. (no additional sq. ft. anticipated; no
application to date)
City parking Structure (potential housing-parking)
809~815 B St. (41 residential units [2,000 s.f.
retail]; approved)
638·640 4th St. (House of Sagels, mixed use; no
application to date)
703~723 3rd St. (138 residential units; pre-
application filed)
1313 5 th Ave. (Public Safety Cehter-44Ki
approved)
1201 5 th Ave. (SOOOK office addition; under review)
800 TamalpaisAve. (Bettini Transit Center
relocation; under reView)
.11
San Rafael General Plan 2040
Summary Report & Preliminory Work Program
GPA16-001 & P16-013