HomeMy WebLinkAboutCD General Plan 2040 Progress Report #2____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
File No.: 9-2-70
Council Meeting: 07/15/2019
Disposition: Accepted Report x Resolution 14712
Agenda Item No: 7.b
Meeting Date: July 15, 2019
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: Community Development
Prepared by: Paul A. Jensen
Community Development Director
City Manager Approval: ______________
TOPIC: GENERAL PLAN 2040/ DOWNTOWN PRECISE PLAN
SUBJECT: GENERAL PLAN 2040 PROGRESS REPORT #2 AND STEERING COMMITTEE
APPOINTMENTS
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Accept report.
2. Adopt a resolution appointing Don Blayney and Jack McGinn as primary General Plan Steering
Committee members, and Stewart Summers as an Alternate.
BACKGROUND:
Staff is providing its second Progress Report (Progress Report #2) to the City Council on the San Rafael
General Plan 2040 Update. The Progress Report provides an opportunity to brief the City Council on the
status of the project and solicit input on key policy and procedural issues.
Progress Report #1 was presented to the City Council on March 4, 2019 and focused on work completed
in 2018 and January-February 2019. This Progress Report #2 focuses on activities completed between
March and June 2019. It is organized into the following categories:
(1) Policy Development
(2) Data Collection and Analysis
(3) Steering Committee Activities
(4) Other Community Engagement Activities
(5) Land Use Map
(6) Steering Committee Changes
(7) Downtown Precise Plan
Progress Report #2 includes a resolution for Item (6) and an Analysis discussion of Item (7). The City
Council meeting will include a presentation by the Downtown Plan consultant on key decisions and next
steps in the Precise Plan process.
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Each of the listed categories is discussed below:
1. Policy Development. Table 1 shows the status of General Plan Policy development as of June
30, 2019. Staff is using an iterative process to update General Plan policies, beginning with an
“audit” of each element. The audit includes a staff assessment of each existing goal, policy and
program, including a recommendation to move it forward, edit it, or eliminate it. The audits also
note where new policies may be needed to respond to emerging issues, state laws, or recently
completed plans. Staff’s assessment, coupled with comments from the General Plan Steering
Committee, provides the basis for revised goals, policies, and programs.
As Table 1 indicates, audits have been completed for all elements except Neighborhoods and
Community Design.1 First Draft policies have been prepared for four of the eight mandated
elements of the General Plan, including land use, safety, open space, and conservation. Staff is
also revising the First Draft land use policies in response to comments from the Steering
Committee. It is anticipated that policies for all elements, including the new JEDI Element
(Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) will be drafted by Fall 2019.
Table 1: Status of General Plan Policy Development
Element Policy Audit
Completed
First Draft Policies Released
Land Use X X
Neighborhoods
Safety X X (Environmental Hazards)
Open Space X X Conservation X
Air and Water Quality X
Governance X N/A
Sustainability N/A N/A
Noise X
Arts and Culture X
Parks and Recreation X
Circulation X
Infrastructure X
Economic Vitality X
Community Design
Housing N/A N/A
Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion
(“JEDI” Element)
N/A
1 The Sustainability Element is not being audited because its policies have largely been superseded by the 2019 Climate
Change Action Plan, and the JEDI Element is a new element being prepared in response to the state requirement to address
Environmental Justice in the General Plan. Housing Element policies are not being updated as part of General Plan 2040.
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Policy audits are reviewed by the General Plan 2040 Steering Committee at their monthly
meetings. Each Committee member is also invited to submit comments in writing. To date, the
issues generating the most Steering Committee discussion have been:
• General growth and development issues, especially issues relating to the location and
density of new housing, and related traffic congestion
• Building heights and allowances for height bonuses, especially Downtown
• The use of floor area ratio (FAR) standards instead of density standards to regulate mixed
use development in Downtown San Rafael
• Development timing, i.e., the findings required to allow new development (e.g., traffic
levels of service, infrastructure capacity, etc.)
• The most appropriate (and cost-effective) strategies for adapting to rising sea level
• Wildfire prevention and preparedness
• Creek restoration
• Allowing residential uses in industrial areas (or changing specific industrial areas on the
General Plan map to allow housing)
• The balance between “active” transportation improvements (bicycle, pedestrian, and
transit) and auto capacity improvements—and the cost/benefit of these improvements
• The use of LOS (Level of Service) vs VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) to measure the traffic
impacts of new development, as well as the measures that are prescribed to mitigate traffic
impacts (this was also discussed by the City Council at its June 3, 2019 meeting).
2. Data Collection and Analysis. Data-related tasks completed since March include:
• Land Use Inventory. Staff has completed a digital (GIS) inventory of existing land uses on
every parcel in San Rafael using tax assessor data and aerial photographs. Data is being
summarized by land use and subarea to develop a land use profile of the City, and to
ground truth existing General Plan and zoning designations
• Addressing Sea Level Rise. Staff continues to explore solutions to addressing sea level
rise in the General Plan. We are preparing an “Adaptation White Paper” that lays the
groundwork for more detailed adaptation planning to be completed after the General Plan
is adopted.
• Traffic Counts. 24-hour traffic counts were collected at approximately 40 locations in early
May 2019. These counts will provide the foundation for traffic modeling and forecasts of
future traffic conditions in the General Plan and EIR. A “Transportation White Paper” is
currently in production.
• Noise Monitoring. Noise monitoring for the General Plan and General Plan Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) was completed in April and May 2019. The data establishes the
existing decibel levels for short-term (15-minute) and long-term (24-hour) time periods at
various locations around the city.
• Economic Data Collection and Analysis. BAE Urban Economics completed an economic
profile of San Rafael, including real estate activity, job growth, office and retail space
absorption and vacancy trends, and forecasts. This was presented to the General Plan
Steering Committee at their July 10, 2019 meeting.
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• Resources and Hazards. PlaceW orks has documented “existing conditions” and the
regulatory context for biological resources, hydrologic resources, geologic hazards, and
air and water quality in the city. This information will be used in the General Plan/ Precise
Plan EIR.
• Infrastructure. PlaceWorks has documented “existing conditions” and the regulatory
context for water, sewer, storm drainage, and telecommunications infrastructure.
• Historic Resources. Garavaglia Associates has begun the process of updating the
inventory of cultural resources in Downtown San Rafael. We are working collaboratively
with San Rafael Heritage on this task.
• Downtown Profile Report. The Downtown Profile Report has been completed and posted
to the project website. This report is discussed below.
3. Steering Committee Activities. Since the March Progress report, the following Steering
Committee meetings have been convened:
• March 13, 2019: Meeting #12. The Committee took part in a “visioning” discussion about
Downtown San Rafael. Members also reviewed the policy audits for the Culture and Arts
Element, the Noise Element, and the Air and Water Quality Element.
• April 10, 2019: Meeting #13. The Committee discussed “existing conditions” information for
Downtown San Rafael. There was also a discussion of parks and recreation issues (with the
Community Services Director) and a review of the Draft Environmental Hazards policies.
• May 8, 2019: Meeting #14. The Committee’s meeting was merged with the opening event of
the Downtown charrette. Committee members participated in a Downtown walking tour, a
community workshop, and breakout groups.
• June 13, 2019: Meeting #15. The Committee discussed transportation issues. This included
an overview of existing transportation policies and a discussion of how traffic impacts are
measured. The Committee also discussed changes to the way density is regulated in
Downtown San Rafael.
• July 10, 2019: Meeting #16. The Committee discussed economic development issues and
received the open space and conservation policies.
When feasible, staff has incorporated electronic polling in the meetings. This has allowed the
Committee to “vote” on key policy questions as they are discussed.
Staff continues to rely on the Steering Committee as a sounding-board for vetting policy direction.
Much of the input has been provided through written comments (e.g., “homework assignments”)
outside of the meetings. Staff believes we are on track to meet the goal of finishing the tune-up
of the General Plan by mid-2020.
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4. Other Community Engagement Activities
The General Plan Team continues to provide opportunities for outreach and public engagement.
The major engagement event since Progress Report #1 was the Downtown Charrette (discussed
later in this report). Since March, Staff has also made presentations to the Downtown Business
Improvement District (BID), the Planning Commission, and the Citizens Advisory Committee
(CAC). An EIR Scoping Session was held on April 23, 2019. We continue to solicit on-line input
using the “Neighborland” web platform (https://neighborland.com/sanrafael2040/). In addition,
Steering Committee agendas and related publications are posted on line, with electronic noticing
of meetings to a list of interested parties.
We are currently planning “Round 2” of General Plan outreach. This will include pop-up events
at locations around the City, attendance at the regular meetings of existing neighborhood and
community organizations, and focused outreach to the Spanish-speaking community, in
partnership with the Canal Alliance.
5. Land Use Map
An updated General Plan Land Use Map is being developed. Most of the changes to this map
reflect changes to the General Plan Land Use categories and will be non-substantive. However,
a few substantive changes may be considered.
The City issued a “Call for Amendments” in April 2019, notifying property owners of the opportunity
to present their case for Map changes. An application form was mailed to about 15 property
owners who have expressed interest in new designations. To date, no completed applications
have been received. A few property owners have expressed interest in changes to General Plan
narrative text as it relates to their properties.
6. Steering Committee Changes
The General Plan 2040 Steering Committee was appointed by the City Council in December
2017. The Committee includes 24 members and 22 alternates. The Committee Bylaws allow
alternates to move into member seats in the event of a member resignation. City Council approval
is not required in such instances. However, City Council approval is required to backfill the
vacated alternate position.
There are presently two vacant alternate seats, including the Design Review Board (DRB)
representative and the Youth representative. The circumstances leading to these vacancies are
summarized below:
• The DRB appointee to the Committee was Eric Spielman. Mr, Spielman relocated out of San
Rafael in May and resigned from the Steering Committee. His alternate, Don Blayney, has
taken his place as the DRB representative. A new DRB alternate is needed.
• The youth appointee to the Committee was Bella Bromberg. Ms. Bromberg has relocated to
attend college out of state and has resigned from the Committee. Her alternate, Jack McGinn,
has taken her place as the youth representative. A new youth alternate is needed.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 6
Staff appeared before the DRB at their June 18, 2019 meeting and requested an alternate
nominee. Stewart Summers was nominated and has agreed to serve in this role.
Staff has yet to find a new Youth alternate. Representatives from both high schools and several
non-profit organizations serving local youth were contacted in June 2019, but no nominations
have been made.
A resolution (Attachment 1) appointing Don Blayney and Jack McGinn as new primary Committee
members, and appointing Stewart Summers the new DRB alternate, is attached to this staff
report.
7. Downtown Precise Plan
Work on the Downtown Precise Plan has continued since Progress Report #1. A Downtown
Profile Report has been submitted by the Opticos Design Team and may be downloaded via the
project website. The Profile Report includes a summary of Downtown historic resources,
demographics, economic conditions, urban design, transportation issues, utilities, and natural
resources and hazards. The Report is an important milestone and provides the “baseline” for
future Plan policies and actions.
As noted, the City convened a Downtown Planning Charrette on May 8-11, 2019. The purpose of
the charrette was to have a dialogue about how Downtown can become a more successful and
dynamic place in the future. Key components of the charrette included:
• Focus Group Discussions (Preservation, Merchants, Service Providers, Development)
• Downtown Walking Tour (May 8)
• Charrette Opening Workshop (May 8)
• Open Studio (May 9-10)
• Brown Bag Lunches on Historic Preservation and Economic Development (May 9-10)
• Second Friday ArtWalk Pop-up Workshop (May 10)
• Charrette Closing Presentation (May 11)
During the Open Studio, the public was invited to drop by a storefront space at 4th and B Streets
(the former jewelry store at 1200 4th Street), where the Design Team was on hand to discuss
ideas. Graphic displays were set up throughout the Studio, and public feedback was encouraged
through post-it notes, comment cards, and verbal comments. Over the two days of the studio, 285
post-it notes were applied to the exhibits.
The opening presentation for the charrette may be viewed here. It includes an overview of the
planning process, a summary of Downtown assets and challenges, and a Downtown Profile.
Results of the table exercises at the opening presentation may be viewed here. Participants were
divided into eight groups of 6-8 people each and were asked to summarize their comments for
the larger group at the end of a 45-minute breakout session. The link above summarizes what we
heard.
The closing presentation for the charrette may be viewed here. The presentation includes
conceptual design ideas for key Downtown spaces, as well as preliminary ideas for improving
circulation, Downtown gateways, the open space network, and development opportunities. The
brown bag lunch presentations from May 9 and 10 may be viewed here. These presentations
cover historic preservation and the Downtown economy. Notes from the Focus Groups may be
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 7
viewed here. Comment cards from the charrette event may be viewed here. These are
anonymous comments submitted by participants in various charrette events.
ANALYSIS:
As this is a Progress Report, analysis of the above items is limited to the Downtown Precise Plan. Opticos
Design will attend the City Council meeting on July 15 to request feedback from the City Council on key
issues before moving to the next step of the project, which is the development of policy and map options.
Emerging recommendations coming out of the charrette are summarized below:
• The Design Team has identified four guiding principles:
o Reinforce gateways and strengthen north-south connectivity
o Reinforce gateways and strengthen east-west connectivity
o Create an interconnected network of civic and open spaces
o Focus development and public investment at key nodes
• The Precise Plan will reinforce the idea that Downtown is comprised of “districts,” each requiring
different land use and design strategies. Opticos has identified four districts, including the West
End Village, the Core Commercial Area, the Transit Center Area, and the East End / Montecito
Commercial Area. Form-based zoning recommendations will be developed for each of these
areas. Revisions to current height limits, height bonuses, and allowable building mass may be
considered through this process.
• Much of Downtown’s development potential is associated with key opportunity sites. Some of
these sites will be the subject of conceptual design studies in the next phase of the charrette.
Preliminary ideas were discussed during the charrette and will be refined in the coming months.
Sites include the Ritter Street block (between 2nd and 3rd), Montecito Shopping Center, West
America Bank, the 1001 4th Street (Market Hall) property, and the Whistlestop block, among
others.
• Downtown presents opportunities for public space improvements, particularly near the SMART
station and along 4th Street in the Core Commercial Area. Some of these improvements could
involve redesigning City streets so they also function as pedestrian-oriented spaces. There is
currently no real central gathering space in Downtown San Rafael. Linkages to parks and open
spaces on the perimeter of Downtown, including Albert Park, Boyd Park, and the Canal, also
could be improved.
• Downtown’s circulation system should be planned in a way that prioritizes different travel modes
on different streets. For example, auto movement is the priority on Second and Third Streets,
while pedestrian movement is the priority on Fourth Street. The designation has implications for
future design improvements and the management of curbside space on each street. Illustrative
street cross-sections were prepared during the charrette and are included in the closing
presentation.
• There is a need for better cross-town bicycle circulation, particularly an east-west connection
between the Miracle Mile and the Montecito area. A number of options for an east-west Class II
bike path were explored during the charrette. The loss of on-street parking is an issue for most of
the alignments considered. This issue was also addressed in the recently adopted Bicycle and
Pedestrian Master Plan update.
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• Second and Third Streets are presumed to remain one-way arterials in the future, but there are
opportunities to improve pedestrian safety at crossings and improve north-south connectivity.
Restoration of two-way traffic on B, C, and D Streets may be considered.
• Key findings and recommendations of the recent Parking and Wayfinding Study should be
incorporated.
• There are opportunities to enhance natural resources Downtown, including Irwin Creek, Mahon
Creek, and the San Rafael Canal. Sea level rise is a critical design consideration that should
inform site planning and architectural design, particularly on sites near the Canal.
• New development prototypes should be considered for Downtown, particularly around the
SMART station. Best practices from other cities could be considered to determine what ideas and
land use formulas might be transferable to San Rafael.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
As this is a progress report, there was no formal noticing for this item. However, notice of this report has
been posted on the General Plan 2040 meetings and events webpage. In addition, members of the
General Plan Steering Committee and alternates were notified of this meeting by email, and it was
announced at several General Plan-related meetings.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider on this matter:
1. Accept report and adopt resolution, as recommended by staff.
2. Reject report and do not adopt resolution, and direct staff to return with more information.
3. Take no action.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
1. Accept report.
2. Adopt a resolution appointing Don Blayney and Jack McGinn as primary members of the General
Plan Steering Committee, and Stewart Summers as an Alternate.
ATTACHMENT:
1. Resolution
ATTACHMENT 1
1
RESOLUTION NO. 14712
RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AMENDING RESOLUTION 14426,
MODIFYING APPOINTMENTS TO THE SAN RAFAEL GENERAL PLAN 2040 STEERING
COMMITTEE (CITY FILE NOS. GPA 16-001 & P16-013)
WHEREAS, California Government Code 65300 requires that each city and county in
the State adopt a comprehensive long-range General Plan to address community growth,
physical development, and planning of citywide programs; and
WHEREAS, the City of San Rafael is in the process of updating its 2020 General Plan
to move the time horizon forward to 2040 and address new State requirements, current
conditions, and emerging issues; and
WHEREAS, the General Plan Update process includes a Community Engagement
Strategy, one component of which is a Steering Committee appointed by the City Council; and
WHEREAS, on December 4, 2017, the City Council appointed 23 members and 22
alternates to serve on the Steering Committee, and approved Bylaws addressing the
organization and membership of the Committee and protocol for its meetings and conduct; and
WHEREAS, on August 6, 2018, the City Council increased the number of Steering
Committee members to 24 and approved changes to the roster of members and alternates;
and
WHEREAS, the Steering Committee has been convened 16 times since its creation;
and
WHEREAS, the Steering Committee is scheduled to meet approximately eight more
times before it sunsets in 2020; and
WHEREAS, the Steering Committee represents a diverse array of organizations,
interest groups, neighborhoods, and perspectives, which contributes to the quality of its
dialogue and ultimately will create a balanced and comprehensive General Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Steering Committee Bylaws anticipate occasional membership turnover
due to members and/or alternates leaving the organizations they represent, relocating out of
the City, or other factors; and
WHEREAS, such membership turnover has recently occurred; and
WHEREAS, the replacement of exiting members and alternates with new members and
alternates is important to the future performance of the Steering Committee, and will ensure
that its desired balance and diversity is retained; and
ATTACHMENT 1
2
WHEREAS, Staff has solicited and received nominations to replace exiting members;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council takes the following
actions:
1. City Council Resolution 14426 Exhibit “A”, approved on December 4, 2017, listing
the members of the General Plan 2040 Steering Committee and their alternates is
amended as follows:
a. Alternate Don Blayney is designated as the primary member representing the
Design Review Board.
b. Stewart Summers is designated as the new alternate from the Design
Review Board.
c. Alternate Jack McGinn is designated as the primary member representing
Youth.
I, LINDSAY LARA, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing resolution
was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of said
City held on Monday, the 15th day of July 2019, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Bushey, Colin, Gamblin, McCullough & Mayor Phillips
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
Lindsay Lara, City Clerk