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Home My WebLink About2009/03/24 Item 5CITY COUNCIL AGENDA STATEMENT ~~~ CITY OF ""~ CHULA VISTA Item No.: Meeting Date: 3/24/09 ITEM TITLE: RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA AUTHORIZING THE FILING OF AN APPLICATION FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE PALOMAR GATEWAY DISTRICT SPECIFIC PLANNING PROCESS, CONFIRMING THE LOCAL NECESSARY MATCH FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT, STATING THE CITY'S ASSURANCE. TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT SHOULD GRANT FUNDING BE AWARDED, AND AUTHORIZING DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, OR HIS DESIGNEE, TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO SECURE THE GRANT FUNDING SHOULD A GRANT BE AWARDED RECORDING REQUIRED? YES ^ NO X SUBMITTED BY: DEPUTY CITY MANAGER/DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTO)~ REVIEWED BY: CITY MANAGER 4/STH5 VOTE: YES ^ NO SUMMARY The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has announced available transportation planning project grant funding for Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010 through its competitive Transportation Planning Grant Program. The call-for-projects and guidelines provide qualifying criteria, and the grant application deadline is April 1, 2009. Considering the criteria, staff proposes submitting an application to request funding for the Palomaz Gateway District Specific Planning process, which is part of the larger specific planning effort for the Southwest azea of Chula Vista. Staff is seeking Council approval to submit the application, which requires a supporting Resolution. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW The Environmental Review Coordinator has reviewed the proposed project for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the project qualifies for a Class 6 categorical exemption pursuant to Section 153306 (Information Collection) of the 5-1 Item No.: S Meeting Date: 3-24-09 Page 2 of 4 State CEQA Guidelines. Thus, no further environmental review is necessazy for submitting the grant applications. RECOMMENDATION That the City Council approve the Resolution authorizing submittal of the grant application to Caltrans. BOARDS/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Not applicable. DISCUSSION Grant Program Overview Caltrans is calling for applications from counties, cities and non-profit organization requesting funding for projects and activities intended to improve transportation planning. Transportation Planning Grants are intended to promote strong and healthy communities, economic growth, and protection of our environment, and support closer placement of jobs and housing, efficient movement of goods, community involvement in planning, safe and convenient pedestrian and bicycle mobility and access, smart or strategic land use, and commute alternatives. There are several types of grants that may be applied for in Fiscal Year 2009-2010, including Environmental Justice, Community-Based Transportation Planning, Partnership Planning, as well as other Transit Planning activities. Staff is proposing to submit an application for funding under the Community-Based Transportation Planning Grant to fund the preparation of a specific plan for the Palomar Gateway area in southwest Chula Vista. The overall purpose of the Community-Based Transportation Planning Grant is to fund coordinated transportation and land use planning projects that encourage community involvement and partnerships. Projects funded through this program must support livable/sustainable community concepts with a transportation or mobility objective and promote community identity and quality of life. The final product is expected to be a documented study, plan or concept that can be used by the applicant to further smart growth and a community's sustainability. One of the key objectives is for project proposals to involve conceptual-level plans or study activities that encourage community-based stakeholder collaboration and consensus building through active public engagement. Each proposal should display atransportation/land use benefit that will likely induce additional benefits. Eligible projects include: - Transit Oriented/Adjacent Development or "Transit Village" studies or plans; - Mixed-land use development studies or plans; - Form-based or smart code development; - Community design guidelines planning; Community-Based Transportation Planning grants will be awarded throughout California on a competitive basis. The state-wide estimated funding available is approximately $3 million with a maximum grant request of $300,000 per project in the Community-Based Transportation Planning grant category. Funding for each project requires a local match equal to 20 percent of the grant total; one-half may be in-kind and one-half must be local funding. Following is a 5-2 Item No.: S Meeting Date: 3-24-09 Page 3 of 4 summary of the project application that will be submitted should Council authorize each. Staff continues to compile the associated document details and exhibits due to Caltrans by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2009. Overview of Proposed Grant Application In thoroughly reviewing and considering the application guidelines and criteria noted above, along with available resources, staff is proposing to submit an application for the Community- Based Transportation Planning grant for preparation of the Palomar Gateway District Specific Plan (PGDSP). The proposed grant application seeks a total of $300,000 to fund preparation of the PGDSP, along with related technical studies. Staff has considered the work program implications of the project and developed the proposed project schedule that would allow completion of the project within the necessary timeframes should the grant be awazded. Staff has also verified the availability of funds that have already been allocated to the project and which could be stated as "matching funds." This includes the value of any in-kind contribution of staff hours for management of the project. Staff has been working with the public on several aspects of the project as described below, and work associated with the grant application will include continued public participation. Should the City be successful in obtaining grant funds, staff will outline more specifically the community input process as part of the report on acceptance of the grant funds. The 2005 General Plan Update designated several districts along the commercial and industrial comdors in the southwest area of Chula Vista as "areas of change". These Districts are as follows: Palomar Gateway District, South Third Avenue District, South Broadway District, West Fairfield District, and Main Street Industrial District. These areas of change will require new tools, such as zoning regulations, design guidelines and/or transportation and streetscape plans, to be developed in order to further the vision established by the General Plan. The PGDSP will be the first in a series of plans developed to help realize the General Plan's vision for this area. A key component of any successful planning effort is community involvement. City staff has been working on a major community outreach effort known as Southwest United in Action (SUA). The purpose of this initiative is to outreach to the local community and establish paztnerships that will facilitate community participation in a variety of activities. The community outreach and participation established through SUA will continue throughout the PGDSP process. In addition, staff is also currently funded to conduct initial public design workshops in the southwest. area, including one for the Palomar Gateway area. The community input from these design workshops will be instrumental in developing the PGDSP. The 2005 General Plan designated the Palomar Gateway District as ahigh-intensity, mixed-use Transit Focus Area around the Palomar Trolley Station area, and called for the prepazation of a subsequent, comprehensive specific plan or other regulatory document. This district has been selected by staff for the Caltrans grant application based on the district's land use designations and transportation-orientation, which have a strong link to the Caltrans Community-Based "Transportation Planning Grant. The PGDSP will guide the coordinated establishment of amixed- use transit focus azea, within walkable distance of the Palomar Trolley Station, and encourage transit use. The PGDSP will include guidelines and zoning-level standards for the arrangement of land uses that include plans for adequate pedestrian connections and support services for 5-3 Item No.: S Meeting Date: 3-24-09 Page 4 of 4 residents, as well as those using the transit station. It will also build upon the pending adjacent street improvements for both Palomar Street and Industrial Blvd funded through a previous $2 million SANDAG grant. The PGDSP will also include guidelines for the design and implementation of a Neighborhood Park within the District. Other elements of the PGDSP will include amulti-modal mobility plan (pedestrian, bicycle, vehicular), infrastructure/sustainability plan, design guidelines, phasing plan, financing plan, air quality improvement plan, affordable housing plan, and implementation plan. Additional associated efforts include the prepazation of technical studies such as water, sewer, traffic, drainage, and public facilities financing plan. DECISION MAKER CONFLICT Conflict Staff has reviewed the property holdings of the City Council and has found a conflict in that Council member Ramirez has property holdings within 500 feet of the boundaries of the Palomaz Gateway area that is the subject of this action. FISCAL IMPACT There is no impact to the General Fund from this action. Any funds identified as matching funds in the grant application have already been budgeted through prior efforts. Identified in-kind contributions of staff time needed to manage the project should a grant be awarded are from staff positions within the approved City budget. If the grant is awarded, staff will return to Council with a recommendation to accept the funds, and to accordingly appropriate those funds into the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 budget. Any consulting contracts to be awarded using grant funds would also be returned for Council review and approval. ATTACHMENTS 1. Location map of grant application areas Prepared by.' Miguel Z Tapia, Senior Planner Development Planning Division, Development Services Dept. J:IPlanninglDevelapment PlanninglSWSPICa[trans GrantlCaltrans Grant CC Report 5-4 RESOLUTION RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA AUTHORIZING THE FILING OF AN APPLICATION FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING GRANT FUNDS THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR THE PALOMAR GATEWAY DISTRICT SPECIFIC PLANNING PROCESS, CONFIRMING THE LOCAL NECESSARY MATCH FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT, STATING THE CITY'S ASSURANCE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT SHOULD GRANT FUNDING BE AWARDED, AND AUTHORIZING DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, OR HIS DESIGNEE, TO EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY TO SECURE THE GRANT FUNDING SHOULD THE GRANT BE AWARDED WHEREAS, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has released acall-for- projects for competitive grant funding through its 'transportation Planning Grant Program for Fiscal Yeazs 2009 and 2010, with an application deadline of April 1, 2009; and WHEREAS, a total of approximately $3.0 million in Transportation Planning grant funds are available to local jurisdictions in Fiscal Years 2009 and 2010 to fund the adoption, initiation, and programming of transportation improvements; and WHEREAS, in accordance with the Caltrans Transportation Planning grant application guidelines, the City of Chula Vista has prepared a Transportation Planning grant application requesting $300,000 in funds for the Palomaz Gateway District Specific Planning process; and WHEREAS, in order to be awarded the requested Transportation grant funds, the City of Chula Vista must first confirm that any local matching funds identified in the grant application will be available and provided; and WHEREAS, the City of Chula Vista is committed to completing the project identified in the grant application should the grant be awarded; and WHEREAS, the City of Chula Vista understands that the Caltrans funding is fixed at the programmed amount, and that any cost increases in the project beyond the costs identified in the application cannot be expected to be funded through the Caltrans program. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Chula Vista hereby authorizes the submittal of the Transportation Planning grant application to Caltrans requesting $300,000 for the Palomar Gateway Specific Planning process, confirms that local match funds will be available, and provides the City's assurance to complete the project, should a grant be awarded. 5-6 Resolution Page z BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Chula Vista hereby authorizes Deputy City Manager, or his designee, to execute all documents necessary to secure the grant funding should the grant be awarded. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Caltrans along with the required grant application package. Presented By: Gary Halbert, P.E., AICP Deputy City Manager/ Director of Development Services 5-7