HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 2 - Staff ReportPLANNING
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AGENDA ST,
TEMENT
Item: Z
Meeting 9 -9 -2015
ITEM TITLE: Public Hearing: MPA15 -0013 Consideration of Healthy Communities
General Plan Amendments
Resolution of the City of Chula Vista Planning Commission hereby
recommending that the City Council amend certain sections of the Chula
Vista General Plan to include health and well -being Ianguage, policies
and objectives.
SUBMITTED BY: Stacey Kurz, Project Manager
REVIEWED BY: Kelly Broughton, Director of Development Services
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INTRODUCTION
How a community is planned, designed, and built has a direct effect on the health of its citizens.
With an understanding of how the built environment affects public health, it is possible to create
vibrant, active spaces and places for the betterment of the community, The proposed General
Plan amendments are an important step in building a better and healthier Chula Vista.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Development Services Director has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the proposed activity
was adequately covered in the previously adopted General Plan Update Final Environmental
Impact Report (FEIR 05 -01) because the proposed objectives and policies are consistent with the
previously adopted General Plan Update. Thus, no further environmental review or
documentation is required.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, The Development Services Director has also determined that
there is no possibility that the activity may have a significant effect on the environment because
the proposed General Plan policies will result in Healthy Communities policies and programs
and no physical change to the environment. Therefore, pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the
State CEQA Guidelines the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is
required.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Commission adopt Resolution MPAI 5 -0013.
Planning Commission
September 9, 2015
MPA 15 -0013
Page No. 2
DISCUSSION
Background
The importance of planning for public health became evident during the mid to late 1900's. The
spillover effects of industrialization such as incompatibility of uses, and improper handling of
waste resulted in rampant disease in cities. With the growth of urban sprawl and the rise of
suburbia the direct link between planning and public health had become less evident, however in
light of the modern day health issues we are once again recognizing the important relationship
between the built environment and overall health
According to the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency Public Health
Services, diabetes, heart, cancer, and respiratory diseases account for over 50% of deaths in the
County and create a huge economic burden (over $4 billion dollars in direct treatment
expenditures). Proper nutrition, increased physical activity, and creating a healthy place to live,
work and play, are proven to have a significant impact on reducing these diseases. Best practices
that directly and indirectly address community health improvement not only increase overall
health but improve quality of life.
Healthy Chula Vista Initiative
Jurisdictions are becoming increasingly aware that cities play a critical role in supporting the
health and well -being of their communities. There are various factors that contribute to a
community's health. Recognizing the importance of health to a community, the Chula Vista City
Council adopted Section 3.1.1 of the City's Strategic Plan, which supports the implementation of
policies and programs that support the goal of creating a Healthy Community. Over the last
year, City staff has been working through a multi - departmental team to create the Healthy Chula
Vista (HCV) initiative. The HCV initiative focuses on integrating public health considerations
and inserting the components of a Healthy Community across City capital projects, programs,
plans, and services. Components of a Healthy Community fall under five primary areas; Land
Use and Economic Development, Transportation, Healthy Food Access, Physical Activity,
Health Care and Prevention, and Environmental Quality and Justice (Attachment 1).
SANDAG Grant
In January 2014, the City of Chula Vista received a $100,000.00 TRANSNET Smart Growth
Incentive Grant from SANDAG to further develop the City's goal of creating the HCV Initiative.
The scope of work for the grant included the development of a city -wide Healthy Community
planning effort that would, amend the General Plan to include additional health and well -being
related goals, policies and objectives, develop a Complete Streets Policy and a minimum of two
Complete Street design illustrations demonstrating how Complete Street principles could be
applied in Chula Vista.
Complete Streets
Complete Streets is an important topic in the discourse on Healthy Communities. Streets
designed to ensure safe, comfortable, and convenient access to all users (pedestrians, bicyclists,
motorists, and transit riders) of all ages and abilities is a critical part of improving the health and
well -being of a community. Complete Streets language and policies and objectives are proposed
within the Land Use and Transportation element of the General Plan. These amendments will
help to institutionalize multi -modal design features and will help align the City with new state
and regional transportation agency guidance. The adoption of a Complete Streets Council policy
Planning Commission
September 9, 2015
MPA 15 -0013
Page No. 3
that will direct the City's transportation planners and engineers to routinely design and operate
the entire right of way to enable safe access for all users was adopted by City Council on August
18, 2015 (Attachment 2).
A complete street may include sidewalks, bike Ianes (or wide paved shoulders), special bus
lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe crossing
opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, narrower travel
lanes, and roundabouts.
General Plan
It is understood that a General Plan serves as the "constitution" or blueprint for future growth
and development of a City, and provides the foundation for such by establishing related goals,
objectives and policies across a broad range of subjects. While best known for setting the policy
for acceptable land uses and densities, the scope of Chula Vista's General Plan is far broader,
and its foundations can and should include a road map for a healthier City as well, While the
topic of Healthy Communities was introduced in the City's General Plan in 2005, and additional
policies added in 2012, the proposed General Plan amendments offer a wider breadth and
stronger foundation to address many of the public health concerns that exist today. The proposed
amendments will expand upon the existing policies that are included in both the Land Use and
Transportation Element and the Environmental Element and will expand the vision for health
and well -being by weaving Healthy Communities language, objectives and policies throughout
the General Plan.
Proposed Amendments
In an effort to support healthy living and healthy behaviors in Chula Vista, staff is proposing the
insertion of wide - ranging health and well -being policies and objectives throughout the General
Plan. The proposed amendments range from the insertion of Healthy Community concepts
throughout the document, as well as revisions to existing and the creation of new policies and
objectives in the areas of land use, transportation, economic development, recreation, and
environmental quality and justice.
The proposed amendments are listed by General Plan Element, Section, and revised text in the
attached matrix (Attachment 3) with a brief summary of the proposed changes by chapter listed
below.
Vision and Themes
The Vision and Themes of the City's General Plan promote the community's core values that
serve to guide the GP Objectives and Policies. It is proposed to revise the title of Theme 5, and
to add a discussion of Healthy Community components to the subtext of Themes 2, 4, 5, and 8.
Land Use and Transportation
The Land use and Transportation Element of the General Plan is the comprehensive plan for the
City's future growth. It is proposed to include a discussion on Complete Streets (the provision of
a balanced, multirnodal transportation network that meets the needs of all users.), and the
addition of policies and objectives on building a healthy and sustainable community.
Planning Commission
September 9, 2015
MPA 15 -0013
Page No. 4
Economic Development
The Economic Development Element of the General Plan focuses on enhancing a high quality of
life for all Chula Vistans. In this Chapter, Ianguage is proposed that supports a healthy and
sustainable community for everyone, with policies and objectives that support environmentally
friendly business development and a healthier workforce.
Public Facilities and Services
This Element includes public facilities and services that support and enrich the community, such
as; parks and recreation centers and art and cultural facilities and programs. This Element also
discusses the City's supporting role in health and human service programs. Language is proposed
that encourages City partnerships with health advocates, support of health and well -being
education programs, and the policies and objectives that support the development of safe and
accessible recreational uses citywide.
Environmental
This Element establishes the policy framework for sustainability and responsible stewardship.
Healthy Community language and policies and objectives that cover a wider breadth of public
health issues are proposed throughout this Chapter. The focus of the amendments is to expand
upon existing environmental quality policies and objectives, while strengthening the focus of
environmental justice and developing new policies and objectives that emphasize healthy living
and healthy behaviors and equally high levels of environmental protection, for everyone.
CONCLUSION
The goal of the Healthy Chula Vista Initiative is to build a stronger healthier community by
creating policies and programs to improve the City's physical and social environments, to
promote awareness and access to services, and to build and strengthen community partnerships.
A primary step in this effort is to integrate goals, policies and objectives that support a Healthy
Community throughout the General Plan. The proposed General Plan Amendments include
policies and objectives that help make a healthy choice an easy option such as: efficient and
accessible transportation, co- location of activities, and healthy food access. The proposed
General Plan Amendments are an important step in building a better and healthier Chula Vista.
Therefore staff recommends that the Planning Commission adopt the Resolution.
DECISION -MAKER CONFLICTS:
Staff has reviewed the decision contemplated by this action and has determined that it is not site
specific and consequently, the 500 -foot rule found in California Code of Regulations section
18704.2(a)(1), is not applicable to this decision. Staff is not independently aware, and has not
been informed by any Planning Commission member, of any other fact that may constitute a
basis for a decision maker conflict of interest in this matter.
ATTACHMENTS
i. Healthy Communities Diagram
2. Complete Streets Policy
3. Healthy Communities General flan Amendments Matrix ( City Council Reso Exhibit A)
Prepared by: Lynnette Tessitore- Lopez, Economic Development Department