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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 11a - Zone Change No. ZC 18-01 and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 DATE: August 7, 2018 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director Lisa Flores, Planning & Community Development Administrator Prepared By: Luis Torrico, Senior Planner SUBJECT: ORDINANCE NO. 2356 APPROVING ZONE CHANGE NO. ZC 18-01 AND TEXT AMENDMENT NO. TA 18-01 TO REMOVE THE DOWNTOWN OVERLAY FROM THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ZONE, AND INCREASE THE MAXIMUM RESIDENTIAL DENSITY AND HEIGHT IN THE DOWNTOWN MIXED USE ZONE (“DMU”) AND IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (“CBD”) ZONE, ALLOW AN IN-LIEU PARKING FEE, AND APPROVE A NEW CITY CENTER DESIGN PLAN Recommendation: Adopt SUMMARY At its regular meeting of July 17, 2018, the City Council conducted a public hearing and approved General Plan Amendment No. GPA No. 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01. These actions collectively increased the residential density in the Downtown Mixed Use (“DMU”) Zone from 30-50 units per acre to 80 units per acre, increased the building height limit in the DMU from 50 feet to 60 feet, increased the residential density in the Central Business District (“CBD”) Zone from 13 units per acre to 80 units per acre, and increased the building height limit in the CBD from 48 feet to 60 feet. The approval also included minor changes to the General Plan Land Use and Community Design Element to clearly define the CBD and provide consistency with the Development Code, and a Text Amendment to allow an In-lieu Parking Fee as a parking option in the Downtown area and the approval of a new City Center Design Plan, which will provide additional design guidelines for new development in the Downtown. At the meeting, the City Council reconsidered the maximum building height limit based on the Planning Commission’s recommendation to increase the height from 55 feet to 60 feet to allow some flexibility for rooftop amenities or taller ground floor space. After further discussion, the City Council agreed to increase the height limit to 60 feet in both the DMU and CBD Zones with the caveat that it is not a guarantee it could be built up to the maximum building height. There are many guidelines in place in the City Center Design Plan to help the new development fit within the built environment. The Adoption of Ordinance No. 2356 August 7, 2018 Page 2 of 2 Ordinance has been revised to reflect this change. Attached are Ordinance No. 2356, reflecting the mentioned Development Code amendments, the Staff Report from the July 17, 2018 meeting, and previously approved Resolution No. 7227, which approved the associated General Plan Amendment and Addendum to the previously approved Environmental Impact Report and Mitigated Negative Declaration applicable to development in the Downtown. RECOMMENDED ACTION It is recommended that the City Council adopt Ordinance No. 2356 approving Zone Change No. ZC 18-01 and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 to remove the Downtown Overlay from the Central Business District Zone, and increase the maximum residential density and height in the Downtown Mixed Use Zone (“DMU”) and in the Central Business District (“CBD”) Zone, allow an in-lieu parking fee, and approve a New City Center Design Plan. Attachment 1 - Ordinance No. 2356 Attachment 2 - City Council Staff Report, dated July 17, 2018 Attachment 3 - Adopted Resolution No. 7227 DATE: July 17, 2018 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council FROM: Jason Kruckeberg, Assistant City Manager/Development Services Director Lisa Flores, Planning & Community Development Administrator Prepared By: Luis Torrico, Senior Planner SUBJECT: A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT, ZONE CHANGE, AND TEXT AMENDMENT TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM RESIDENTIAL DENSITY AND HEIGHT IN THE DOWNTOWN MIXED USE ZONE (“DMU”) AND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (“CBD”) ZONE, REMOVE THE DOWNTOWN OVERLAY FROM THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ZONE, AMEND THE COMMERCIAL LAND USE DESIGNATION TO CLEARLY DEFINE THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, AND MODIFY THE DEVELOPMENT CODE TO ALLOW AN IN-LIEU PARKING FEE AND A NEW CITY CENTER DESIGN PLAN, INCLUDING AN ADDENDUM TO THE CERTIFIED 2010 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE GENERAL PLAN AND THE 2016 MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION PER THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (“CEQA”) RESOLUTION NO. 7227 APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. GPA 18-01 TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM RESIDENTIAL DENSITY AND HEIGHT IN THE DOWNTOWN MIXED USE ZONE (“DMU”) AND IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (“CBD”) ZONE, AND AMEND THE COMMERCIAL LAND USE DESIGNATION TO CLEARLY DEFINE THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, AND ADOPT AN ADDENDUM TO THE 2010 GENERAL PLAN UPDATE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT AND 2016 DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATE MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Recommendation: Adopt General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 2 of 13 ORIDINANCE NO. 2356 APPROVING ZONE CHANGE NO. ZC 18-01 AND TEXT AMENDMENT NO. TA 18-01 TO REMOVE THE DOWNTOWN OVERLAY FROM THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ZONE, AND INCREASE THE MAXIMUM RESIDENTIAL DENSITY AND HEIGHT IN THE DOWNTOWN MIXED USE ZONE (“DMU”) AND IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (“CBD”) ZONE, AND ALLOW AN IN- LIEU PARKING FEE AND APPROVE A NEW CITY CENTER DESIGN PLAN Recommendation: Introduce SUMMARY The Development Services Department has prepared General Plan Amendment No. GPA No. 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01, amending various sections of the General Plan (“GP”) Land Use and Community Design Element and the Development Code to increase the residential density and height for the properties located within the Downtown area that are zoned Downtown Mixed Use (“DMU”) and Central Business District (“CBD”) and remove the Downtown Overlay Zone from CBD zoned parcels. Residential density in the DMU zone will be increased from 30-50 units per acre to up to 80 units per acre and the building height limit will be increased from 50 feet to 55 feet, and residential density in the CBD zone will be increased from 13 units per acre to 80 units per acre and the building height limit will be increased from 45 feet to 55 feet. The amendments will also include minor changes to the GP Land Use and Community Design Element to clearly define the CBD and provide consistency with the Development Code. In addition, the proposed Text Amendment will allow an In-lieu Parking Fee as a parking option in the Downtown area and the approval of a new City Center Design Plan, which will provide additional design guidelines for new development in the Downtown. It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 7227 (Attachment No. 1) and introduce Ordinance No. 2356 (Attachment No. 2) approving General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-0 based on the findings listed in this staff report, and the Addendum to the Certified 2010 Environmental Impact Report and the 2016 Mitigated Negative Declaration in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). BACKGROUND When the GP was updated in 2010, the Land Use and Community Design Element (Element) was created with three key goals; Creating Identifiable Places, Enhancing the Public Realm and Improving the Private Realm. One of the focus areas iden tified in the Element was the Downtown. At the time, the Element recognized that the Downtown was struggling commercially and was in need of tools to assist in creating a pleasant General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 3 of 13 pedestrian experience with attractive business fronts. As a result of the update, the DMU Land Use designation was created and specific goals were established. The DMU Land Use designation was meant to provide opportunities for a variety of service and commercial uses and mixed-use developments to activate the Downtown. Goal LU-10 was to create “a thriving Downtown, with healthy commercial areas supported by high- quality, residential uses and supportive of the Metro Gold Line transit station.” In order to encourage developments envisioned by the GP Update, mixed-use developments within the DMU Land Use designation were allowed at a residential density of 30-50 units per acre, and a maximum building height of 50 feet. However, even with these development standards in place, the Downtown has not benefited from developments that would both add to the commercial base and add residential growth that would support an active pedestrian commercial neighborhood or support the Metro Gold Line transit station. The only development that has occurred , which is currently under construction, is located at 57 Wheeler Avenue at the northwest corner of Wheeler Avenue and North First Avenue, which consists of a four story mixed-use structure with three stories of residential units (38 apartment units) over approximately 17,850 square feet of commercial space and two levels of subterranean parking. This development was developed at 50 units per acre. For comparison purposes, if the same parcel was developed at 80 units per acre, up to 62 residential units could have been permitted, subject to compliance will all applicable development standards, including parking. On July 10, 2017, the City Council held a public study session to discuss residential density in mixed-use and commercial areas. At the study session, the City Council directed the Staff to study the possibility of increasing density and/or modifying the boundaries of the DMU zone. While it was determined that the boundaries of the DMU zone were adequate and should remain unchanged, an increase in residential density and building height limit in the Downtown would further encourage mixed-use developments that will assist in creating a vibrant downtown. See Figure 1 for a map of the parcels affected by the proposed amendments. General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 4 of 13 In order to obtain community input, specifically from property owners directly affected by the proposed amendments, the Downtown Arcadia Improvement Association (“AIA”), and the Real Estate community, a community open house was held on Thursday, May 31, 2018. The open house was mainly attended by property and business owners in the Downtown area. The open house consisted of an open dialogue with the attendees to provide information and to answer question s. The overall comments provided by the attendees related to current parking conditions and concerns of where and how much parking would be provided for the developments that may be developed as a result of the proposed amendments; however, no opposition to the proposed amendments was expressed. DISCUSSION Based on project analysis and discussions with mixed-use developers, the consensus has been that in order to develop the successful mixed-use developments that the City is seeking, a higher residential density is required to provide an adequate residential component that will support the commercial base. In addition, the added height would allow four and/or five story developments, depending on the ceiling heights. The proposed amendments are intended to create development opportunities that will activate the Downtown area as envisioned in the GP Update. Downtown Mixed Use Land Use Designation The amendments would increase the residential density from 30 -50 units per acre to a maximum of 80 units per acre and increase the maximum building height from 50 feet to Figure 1 - CBD & DMU Zoned Parcels General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 5 of 13 55 feet for DMU Land Use designated parcels. The higher density would allow mixed - use developments with adequate residential to support the commercial component of the development and would add the population needed to support the commercial uses in the Downtown and the Metro Gold Line transit station. Mixed-use developments would still require a commercial component; however, under the proposed Text Amendment, residential uses would be permitted above ground floor commercial or adjacent to a commercial development, which allows for flexibility in the design. Commercial Land Use Designation – 80 du/acre / Maximum Building Height of 55 feet In addition to the changes to the DMU Land Use designation, the Commercial Land Use designation is being amended on the GP Land Use Map to better define the CBD Zone and the section in the Land Use Element and Community Design Element is being updated to achieve consistency with the Development Code. The properties within the amended designation will allow up to 80 units per acre and a maximum building height limit of 55 feet, to be compatible with and achieve the same goals as the DMU Land Use. The changes will be reflected on the Land Use Map along with the changes to the existing DMU land use classification. Figure 2 below shows the Land Use map before and after the proposed amendments. Zone Change The proposed zone change would remove the Downtown Overlay Zone (Overlay) from all parcels zoned CBD (see Figure 3). The purpose of the Overlay was to provide opportunities for more intense, high-quality development in the areas including and Figure 2 - Land Use Map Changes Land Use Map - Current Amended Density Land Use Map - Proposed Revised the LU designation to differentiate from the commercial area that allows mixed-use General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 6 of 13 surrounding the Downtown area. For parcels zoned CBD, the Overlay increased the maximum building height from 45 to 48 feet. The proposed amendments to the GP and Development Code will increase the maximum building height for CBD zoned parcels to 55 feet. Therefore, the Overlay no longer serves a purpose for CBD zoned parcels. Removing the Overlay from CBD parcels is simply a clean -up of the Development Code and would not remove, add, or change development rights to those parcels. The Overlay would still continue to exist, just not over CBD zoned parcels. Text Amendment and City Center Design Plan The proposed Text Amendment would bring the Development Code into compliance with the proposed GP amendments, provide an alternative method of complying with parking requirements with a Parking In-Lieu Fee option, and require that developments within the DMU & CBD Zones comply with the new City Center Design Plan. Changes to the DMU Zone will consist of increasing the residential density from 50 dwelling units per acre to up to 80 dwelling units per acre and increasing the maximum building height limit from 50 feet to 55 feet, and changes to the CBD zone will consist of increasing the residential density from 13 dwelling units per acre to up to 80 dwelling units per acre and increasing the maximum building height limit from 45 feet to 55 feet. The proposed changes will bring the Development Code into compliance with the proposed changes to the GP and further the goals of the Land Use and Community Design Element. As previously mentioned, it is envisioned that these changes will create a framework for developments that will activate the Downtown area and add a residential population that is adequate to revitalize the Downtown area. Zoning Map - Current Zoning Map - Proposed DT Overlay removed from CBD parcels Figure 3 - Zoning Map Changes General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 7 of 13 In addition, the amendments will include the addition of a Parking In -lieu Fee option to the Development Code. New developments constructed within the DMU and CBD Zones may choose to apply to make an in-lieu payment for future construction, maintenance, and operation of public off-street parking instead of providing off -street parking for their proposed development. Funds collected through this program will be maintained in a dedicated fund until sufficient funds have been coll ected to allocate for a City parking project. Eligible developments that participate in the Parking In -lieu Fee program shall be required to enter into an agreement with the City. The agreement will include, but not be limited to, payment amount, payment options, and requirements necessary to satisfy the agreement. By approving the in-lieu parking amendment, the City Council will be approving a process by which developers or property owners can choose to participate in to comply with the parking requirements for their development. At this point, only the process itself is being proposed, not the in-lieu fee amount or terms of approval. Each request for an in-lieu parking agreement may have project-specific issues and/or terms that will be reviewed independently. Therefore, it is recommended that when developments chose to participate in the program, the in-lieu fee amount and terms will be subject to review and approval by the City Council. Lastly, the amendments include a set of guidelines that wi ll provide development and design standards for new development in the Downtown area. The City Center Design Plan, which was prepared by Onyx Architects, will provide urban design principles and guidelines with the goal of creating developments that not only take advantage of the Gold Line transit station, but are responsive to the current development needs of the Downtown. The new City Center Design Plan will build upon the GP’s Land Use Element’s Goal No. 10, which focuses on creating a thriving Downto wn. Design principles included in the City Center Design Plan include, but are not limited to, improving walkability and mobility, increasing density and height in exchange for quality development features, and generally improving design quality for all future projects in the area. The City Center Design Plan identifies areas where density and building height should be limited and areas where it may be allowed to the maximum density and/or height. In addition, the principles are form based, meaning that the plan takes a holistic look at the Downtown, and provides guidelines to ensure a cohesive appearance based on mass, scale, and features. Examples include limiting building heights along Huntington Drive and requiring floors above the second level to be ste pped back to maintain a pedestrian scale, incorporating open spaces and connectivity, and directing height and parking resources to the center of the project area. Implementing these principles, in addition to Development Code standards and the City’s Design Guidelines, will result in quality development that can responsibly further the Downtown’s growth. As part of the proposed text amendments, the Development Code will be amended to require that all developments in the DMU and CBD Zones comply with the City Center Design Plan. General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 8 of 13 PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING The Planning Commission (Commission) held a public hearing on June 26, 2018, for the consideration of the aforementioned applications. After concluding the public hearing, the Commission discussed the proposed amendments and voted unanimously to recommend approval to the City Council. However, before they recommended approval, they discussed whether the proposed 55 foot building height limit was too restrictive. Concerns were raised that developers seeking to build a five story building would be limited in terms of providing open space on the rooftop , or be able to include other interesting design features. It was argued that rooftop decks, pergolas or any other type of rooftop amenity that would extend above the 55 foot height limit would not be able to be provided on a five story building, nor would taller commercial ceiling heights at the ground level. The Development Services Department agrees that allowing open space amenities on the rooftop would be appropriate for mixed-use developments. For example, the Development Code allows roof decks in the DMU and Mixed Use Zones; therefore, allowing some flexibility to provide them is warranted. Increasing the building height limit to 60 feet as opposed to 55 feet, as presented to the Commission, would allow for a four story mixed-use development to provide rooftop amenities and still comply with the height limit. It would also allow some design flexibility for a potential five -story building. Anything over 60 feet in height would not be appropriate for the Downtown, and all projects would still need to meet the City Center Design Plan . Expanding the height limit to 60 feet would provide this flexibility without overwhelming the Downtown. If the City Council agrees with this modification, the draft Resolution and Ordinance can be amended with this revised number. If the City Council is uncomfortable with this change, the original recommendation of 55 feet can remain. FINDINGS Pursuant to Development Code Section 9108.03.060, the General Plan Amendments, Zone Change, and Text Amendments may be approved if all the following findings can be satisfied. General Plan Amendment Findings: 1. The amendment is internally consistent with all other provisions of the General Plan. Facts in Support of the Finding: The City’s GP Land Use and Community Design Element focuses on identifying, preserving and enhancing certain focus areas in the City by creating community design priorities that create identifiable places and enhance and improve the Public and Private realm. One area of focus is the Downtown area. The Element’s goals and policies work towards General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 9 of 13 achieving the City’s land use vision. In particular, Land Use Goal No. 10 strives to create a thriving downtown with active commercial areas supported by high - quality transit-oriented development supportive of the Metro Gold Line transit station. One of the key elements in realizing the full potential of transit-oriented development is to create capacity for more people. While the 2010 GP Update increased the residential density to 50 units per acre in the DMU land use designation, it is not enough to generate the type of developments envisioned by the GP Update. The proposed General Plan Amendment, Zone Change and Text Amendment will further the GP’s Land Use and Community Design Element’s goals and policies by increasing the maximum residential density from 50 units per acre to 80 units per acre and increasing the maximum building height from 50 feet to 55 feet in the DMU land use designation. In addition, the General Plan Amendment will provide further clarification by defining the CBD in the Land Use and Community Design Element. This commercial land use designated area will allow a residential density of up to 80 units per acre and a maximum building height limit of 55 feet. This will make the GP consistent with the Development Code’s residential allowance in the CBD Zone and encourage developments required to create a thriving downtown and support the Metro Gold Line transit station. In addition, the proposed Zone Change to remove the Overlay from CBD zoned parcels will be consistent with the proposed amendments to the GP; to allow an increased building height limit of 55 feet. The revision to the Zoning Map will simply act as clean-up as the current Overlay allows an increased building height of 48 feet for CBD zoned parcels. The proposed amendments will increase the maximum building height to 55 feet; therefore, the Overlay is no longer needed for CBD zoned parcels. No development rights will be added or removed as part of this zone change. Furthermore, one of the changes in the proposed Text Amendment is to provide a Parking In-lieu Fee option for new developments in the CBD and DMU Zones. Establishing a Parking In-lieu Fee program as an alternative method to comply with required parking, will provide the City with a financial means to subsequently fund the future construction, maintenance, and operation of public off -street parking. Policy LU-6.3 of the Land Use Element encourages the establishment of parking districts in key commercial areas. This program will allow the City to b uild upon the existing City parking inventory and provide and maintain additional parking for the Downtown area. This addition will assist in making parking more convenient and help remove a major obstacle to commercial vitality by ensuring that sufficient parking is available to serve the entire Downtown area. General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 10 of 13 Lastly, the Text Amendments will also include the creation of a set of design guidelines for the Downtown Area. The City Center Design Plan will establish design principles to further guide the deve lopment and redevelopment of the Downtown. Developments located within the DMU and CBD Zones will be subject to these standards. Design guidelines will include, but not limited to, addressing how parking structures are designed and incorporated into propos ed developments. This will comply with the Land Use and Community Design Element, which states that structures should be fronted by active uses, such as storefronts along pedestrian walkways as not to disrupt the pedestrian experience, and should not prohibit the desired street-oriented development pattern nor inhibit the provision of comfortable and functional outdoor spaces. The City Center Design Plan, as a development tool, hopes to accomplish this, amongst many other design principles that will assist in creating quality development in the Downtown. 2. The proposed amendment will not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or general welfare of the City. Facts in Support of the Finding: The proposed amendments are in the public interest by furthering the GP’s goals of creating an active downtown by increasing the residential density and maximum building height limit to allow residential developments that will support commercial uses in the downtown a nd the Metro Gold Line transit station. Included in the proposed amendments is a proposed Parking In -lieu Fee program. This will provide the City with a tool to directly address the new developments that cannot comply with the minimum parking requirement s, and cannot find an alternative to complying with the Development Code. By providing new developments with an alternative method to comply with parking requirements, by paying the in-lieu fee; the City will establish a fund for the future construction, maintenance, and operation of public off-street parking for the Downtown area. By providing a method by which to provide additional public parking, the amendment will directly benefit the commercial uses and visitors of the Downtown. In addition, the proposed City Center Design Plan will act as a design tool to help guide the development of the Downtown, in particular as new developments are proposed with the intent of incorporating the proposed increases in density and building height limit. The guidelines in the City Center Design Plan will ensure that as the Downtown is further developed, it will do so with goals of embracing the scale and architecture of the existing Downtown buildings that give the area its identity and character and provides space for public interaction and to encourage foot traffic, all of which will be in the public interest. General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 11 of 13 Lastly, in addition to furthering the public interest, the proposed amendments were analyzed to ensure that no impacts to the public’s health, safety , or welfare of the City would result from the changes. In accordance with CEQA guidelines, an Addendum to the 2010 GP Update Environmental Impact Report and 2016 Development Code Update Mitigated Negative Declaration (Addendum) was prepared. The Addendum concluded that no new significant impacts would result from the amendments. In addition, the amendments would not result in any substantial increase in the severity of any previously identified significant impacts and no new mitigation measures would be required. Specifically, transportation impacts would be reduced when compared to what was anticipated in the impact assessments of the Certified 2010 PEIR and the Certified 2016 MND. Therefore, the proposed amendments to the GP and Development Code would not be detrimental to the public’s health, safety or welfare. Text Amendment and Zoning Map Amendments Findings: 3. The proposed amendment is consistent with the General Plan and any applicable specific plan(s). Facts in Support of the Finding: The proposed amendments, which consist of increasing the residential density and maximum building height in the DMU and CBD Zones, adding an In-lieu Parking Fee option to the parking code, and establishing a new regulatory document that will provide design guidelines fo r developments in the Downtown, will be consistent with the GP. The proposed Zoning Map Amendment will consist of removing the Overlay from CBD zoned parcels. No specific plans will be affected by the proposed amendments. The amendments to increase the residential density and maximum building height will provide consistency with the proposed amendments to the GP Land Use Element, which will be in consistent with Policy LU-1.6 of the Land Use and Community Development Element which requires consistency between the Land Use Plan and the Zoning Code. The amendment to add a Parking In-lieu Fee program as an alternative method to comply with required parking will be consistent with Policy LU-6.3 of the Land Use Element, which encourages the establishment of parking districts in key commercial areas. By introducing this parking option to the Development Code, the City will have a means by which to fund the future construction, maintenance, and operation of public off -street parking. In addition, the amendment to create a new City Center Design Plan will be consistent with the Land Use and Community Design Element, specifically Policy LU-10.13, which encourages building scale that relates to intimate nature of the Downtown. The City Center Design Plan design will provide design principles that will assist in creating quality development in the Downtown . Lastly, the Zoning Map amendment to remove the Overlay from CBD zoned parcels will General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 12 of 13 provide further consistency with the GP as the revision to the Zoning Map will simply act as clean-up as the current Overlay allows an increased building height of 48 feet for CBD zoned parcels. The proposed amendments will increase the maximum building height to 55 feet; therefore, the Overlay is no long er needed for CBD zoned parcels. 4. For Development Code amendments only, the proposed amendment is internally consistent with other applicable provisions of this Development Code. Facts in Support of the Finding: The proposed amendments to the Development Code include increasing the residential density and maximum building height in the DMU and CBD Zones, adding an In-lieu Parking Fee option to the parking code and establishing a new regulatory document that will p rovide design guidelines for developments in the Downtown. The amendments will not be in conflict with and will be consistent with other applicable provisions of the Development Code. The amendments will revise current development standards for the DMU and CBD Zones and provide new developments in the DMU and CBD Zones an alternative method to comply with parking requirements, by paying the in-lieu fee. In addition, the introduction of a new City Center Design Plan will further the design development goals of the Development Code by providing additional design principles to assist in the development of the Downtown. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS In accordance with provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) Guidelines, the Development Services Department prepared an Addendum to the 2010 GP Update Environmental Impact Report and 2016 Development Code Update Mitigated Negative Declaration. The Addendum is included as Attachment No. 2. Pursuant to Sections 15162 and 15164 of the CEQA Guidelines, based on analysis presented in the Addendum, the proposed Project would not result in any new significant impacts. In addition, it would not result in any substantial increase in the severity of any previously identified significant impacts and no new mitigation measures would be required; therefore, a Subsequent or Supplemental EIR is not required. PUBLIC COMMENTS/NOTICE Notices were sent to all property owners of parcels zoned DMU and CBD, to the AIA, and the Real Estate community. The same group was noticed for the June 26, 2018, Commission meeting and the May 31, 2018, community meeting. While no written comments were received for the Commission meeting, Staff did receive one written comment in response to the community meeting from Bobby Bluehouse, property owner General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01, Zone Change No. ZC 18-01, and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 July 17, 2018 Page 13 of 13 at 16 E. Huntington Dr. The email, included in this report as Attachment No. 3, discusses concerns regarding the potential loss of City-owned parking lots in the Downtown. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended the City Council: a. Adopt Resolution No. 7227 approving General Plan Amendment No. GPA 18-01 to increase the maximum residential density and height in the Downtown Mixed Use Zone (“DMU”) and in the Central Business District (“CBD”) Zone, and amend the Commercial Land Use Designation to clearly define the Central Business District, and adopt an addendum to the 2019 General Plan update Environmental Impact Report and 2016 Development Code update Mitigated Negative Declaration; and b. Introduce Ordinance No. 2356 approving Zone Change No. ZC 18-01 and Text Amendment No. TA 18-01 to remove the Downtown Overlay from the Central Business District Zone, and increase the maximum Residential Density and height in the Downtown Mixed Use Zone (“DUM”) and in the Central Business District (“CBD”) Zone, and allow an in-lieu parking fee and approve a new City Center Design Plan. Attachment No. 1: Resolution No. 7227 Attachment No. 2: Ordinance No. 2356 Attachment No. 3: Public Comments Attachment No. 4: Planning Commission Minutes and Annotated Agenda Dated June 26, 2018 Attachment No. 5: Resolution No. 2017 and Planning Commission Staff Report dated June 26, 2018 Attachment No. 6: Environmental Document - Draft Addendum to the 2010 General Plan Update EIR and 2016 Development Code Update MND