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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 3 - PC-StaffRpt-GMOC update CHULA V I STA PLANNING COMMISSION � AGENDA STATEMENT n Item: 3 Meeting Date: 1/27/21 ITEM TITLE: Presentation: Status report on the comprehensive review of Chula Vista's Growth Management Program. SUBMITTED BY: Kimberly Elliott, Facilities Financing Manager Kim Vander Bie, Associate Planner REVIEWED BY: Tiffany Allen, Director of Development Services INTRODUCTION On August 1,2019,the Planning Commission and City Council,in a j oint meeting with the Growth Management Oversight Commission (GMOC), directed staff to update the City's Growth Management Program to focus more on quality of life. At the joint meeting on January 30, 2020, staff outlined a plan for a comprehensive review of the Growth Management Program to evaluate the existing service topics and their coordinating threshold standards. Staff has begun the comprehensive review, meeting twice monthly with the GMOC (virtually, due to the COVID-19 pandemic) to discuss potential new service topics and metrics with the commissioners and representatives of various City departments and commissions. The Planning Commission requested an opportunity to provide input early in the review process and staff is now seeking that input on these issues. The GMOC will continue to meet in a workshop-type format with service topic experts and stakeholders, and a revised Growth Management ordinance will be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council for their consideration later this year. Note that the FY 20 Annual Report will be presented at the joint meeting of the GMOC, Planning Commission and City Council on January 28, 2021. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Director of Development Services has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a "Project" as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines because it will not result in a physical change to the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines,the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is required. Planning Commission Growth Management Program Update January 27,2021 Page-2- RECOMMENDATION That the Planning Commission hear the presentation and offer comments and/or questions. DISCUSSION In 1987 the City Council approved Chula Vista's first growth management threshold standards for eleven City service-related topics. Some of those thresholds were slightly modified in ensuing years; more changes were made during a top-to-bottom review of the Growth Management Program, which culminated in 2015 when Council adopted an updated Growth Management ordinance (Chapter 19.09 of the Chula Vista Municipal Code (CVMC)) and a Growth Management Program Implementation Manual,which replaced the Growth Management Program document adopted in 1991. Background In the 1980s large-scale development began to occur in the eastern part of Chula Vista. The City expanded its boundaries with large undeveloped ranch lands east of Interstate 805. This created opportunities for the City to work with large landowners to provide high-quality master-planned communities that included a mix of land uses and public facilities. As growth continued there was serious concern that poorly managed growth could strain the city's ability to provide public services, worsen traffic problems, and lead to an overall reduction in service levels and the quality of life of its residents. To ensure that adequate infrastructure and services were keeping pace with development and that quality of life was being maintained, the Chula Vista City Council appointed an ad hoc committee to develop quality of life threshold standards for the city. The concept was to establish performance standards reflecting either current or desired levels of service, and then measure the effects of growth against those standards annually. The City could use these standards to evaluate its ability to meet quality of life objectives at the build-out of its General Plan and monitor the standards annually as growth occurred to ensure that they were being met. The ad hoc committee selected and defined threshold standards and implementation measures for eleven service topics, including Police,Fire and Emergency Medical Services, Schools, Libraries, Parks and Recreation, Water, Sewer, Drainage, Traffic, Air Quality and Fiscal, which were introduced in a document called Threshold Standards and Growth Management Oversight Committee Policy (approved by City Council in November 1987). The Policy defined a program intended to preserve and enhance Chula Vista's public services and quality of life as growth occurs, requiring an annual citywide threshold compliance review assigned to a growth management oversight committee (our current GMOC) who must report through the Planning Commission to the City Council. The threshold standards became part of the Growth Management ordinance adopted by Council in 1991. The threshold standards and topics generally remained the same until reviewed in 2015. The City Council adopted a revised Growth Management ordinance in 2015 which included some changes to the threshold standards however the topics remained the same. Additionally, a Growth Management Program Implementation Manual was adopted in 2015 which Planning Commission Growth Management Program Update January 27,2021 Page-3- replaced the Growth Management Oversight Committee Policy (1987) and the Growth Management Program document(1991.) Since the 1980s, the City's growth managed program has been implemented through various City policies and programs. In the intervening years the City has instituted fee programs which require developers to build public infrastructure or pay fees to construct roads, fire stations, parks, libraries, and other public facilities to ensure that that as new development occurs public facilities are provided to meet the demands generated by new development. Developers purchase capacity in the City's sewer system and ensure that water is available to serve their projects. Major projects are required to submit public facilities financing plans, a fiscal impact analysis,water conservation plans and demonstrate compliance with air quality standards. The City adopts and updates facility master plans to determine the adequacy of public facilities and plan for future growth. External to the City the local school districts require developers to ensure that adequate schools are available by the payment of fees and setting aside land for future schools. Although some of the threshold standards have not been met from time to time, in general, the City's quality of life has been maintained or improved since the inception of the Growth Management Program in 1987. The GMOC provided an annual independent review of the effectiveness of the growth management program. Where there have been concerns, the GMOC has made recommendations to the City Council and staff has provided responses and implementing actions. One of the objectives listed in the Growth Management Element of the City's General Plan is to "periodically review and revise the threshold standards to assure that they reflect current service delivery and measurement techniques and to assure their effectiveness at achieving quality of life goals." In August 2019, at the annual j oint meeting of the GMOC, Planning Commission and City Council staff was directed to review the Growth Management Program with a focus on quality of life. At the joint meeting in January 2020, staff set forth a plan for the comprehensive review of the Growth Management Program. Planning Commission made a specific request at that meeting that staff seek its input early in the review process. Potential New Quality of Life Topics The existing growth management threshold standards have assisted the City in its efforts to grow smart, while preserving or improving quality of life along the way. The state of California is currently experiencing a housing crisis and there are not enough homes to house our population. New state statutes to help bridge the housing shortage have eliminated the City's ability to impose building moratoriums as a tool to slow or control growth. Additionally, some of the thresholds and implementation measures are outdated and do not give an accurate picture of the quality of service being provided. As the City approaches buildout, it is time to take inventory of the service topics Planning Commission Growth Management Program Update January 27,2021 Page-4- that the GMOC should be monitoring and metrics to do so in order to preserve what the community values most. The GMOC has explored new or revised topics with a goal of evaluating the quality of life for all residents. The following broad topics have been discussed but no decisions have been made regarding topics or metrics: 1. Public Safety a. Fire b. Police c. Emergency Medical Services d. Emergency Preparedness 2. Housing a. Access to quality housing b. Affordability c. Range of housing opportunities 3. Transportation& Land Use a. Mixed use and transit-oriented development b. Traffic Safety and Efficiency c. Active Transportation 4. Connected Communities a. Parks & Recreation b. Libraries c. Arts & Culture d. Education 5. Economic Development a. Business Expansion& Retention b. Inclusive Economic Development c. Diverse Economic Base d. Economic Recovery from COVID-19 6. Sustainability a. Air quality b. Alternative Energy c. Greenhouse Gas d. Water Conservation 7. Health& Wellness a. Access to healthcare b. Health metrics c. Healthy aging 8. Infrastructure a. Road Condition b. Sewer Capacity c. Water Supply Planning Commission Growth Management Program Update January 27,2021 Page-5- Next Steps Staff will report the Planning Commission's comments at the next GMOC meeting, currently scheduled for February 2, 2021. The GMOC will continue to meet regularly to discuss topics. Staff will continue to meet with other City departments, the various commissions and subject matter experts in order to recommend actual metrics for each topic. Staff will present draft topics and metrics for GMOC review that will culminate in a draft revised ordinance for GMOC review and recommendation to Planning Commission and City Council. DECISION-MAKER CONFLICTS Staff has reviewed the decision contemplated by this action and has determined that it is not site- specific and consequently,the real property holdings of the Planning Commission members do not create a disqualifying real property-related financial conflict of interest under the Political Reform Act(Cal. Gov't Code § 87100, et seq.). 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. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with updating the Growth Management ordinance. Attachments 1. Growth Management Ordinance