Title
Resolution No. 2016-003 Recommending that the City Council Adopt the San Leandro 2035 General Plan
Body
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65300 et seq. requires every city and county in California to adopt a General Plan for its long-range development, and further, to periodically update that Plan to reflect current conditions and issues; and
WHEREAS, the current San Leandro General Plan was drafted in 1999-2002 and is now more than 14 years old; and
WHEREAS, the City Council authorized an update of the 2002 General Plan in 2013 to ensure that the Plan remains legally adequate and relevant; and
WHEREAS, the City retained the consulting team of Placeworks and Barry Miller Consulting to manage the General Plan Update, including the Housing Element, in March 2014; and
WHEREAS, the City has completed a 30-month process of collecting and analyzing data about San Leandro, and preparing new General Plan goals, policies, actions, and maps looking ahead to the Year 2035; and
WHEREAS, the public has participated in this process through ten publicly noticed Planning Commission study sessions, four City Council study sessions, and study sessions of the Arts Commission, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, the Board of Zoning Adjustments, the Human Services Commission, the Library-Historical Commission, the Recreation and Parks Commission, the Rent Review Board, the Senior Commission, and the Youth Advisory Commission; and
WHEREAS, the public has further participated through five community-wide workshops, held on July 30, 2014; October 23, 2014; October 28, 2014; April 30, 2015; and January 12, 2016; and
WHEREAS, the General Plan team solicited additional input from residents through presentations and discussions with community organizations such as the League of San Leandro Neighborhood Associations, the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Commerce Land Use Committee, the San Leandro Improvement Association, the San Leandro Downtown Association, the African American Business Council, the Asian Business Council, the Shoreline Advisory Group, the Estudillo Estates Neighborhood Association, the Broadmoor Neighborhood Association, the Business Association of South San Leandro, the Washington Manor Homeowners Association, and the Industrial Founders Circle, among others; and
WHEREAS, public input was further solicited through a dedicated project website, with the capacity for content translation into Spanish and Chinese, and including regular posting of reports, news releases, maps, and documents, and a Virtual City Hall feedback web portal enabling the public to provide feedback on policy issues; and
WHEREAS, the City provided public notices of General Plan study sessions and workshops; maintained an email notification list of over 475 interested people and organizations regarding opportunities for public input; exhibited General Plan materials at community events such as the annual Cherry Festival; and provided American Sign Language (ASL) and bi-lingual translators at its General Plan workshops; and
WHEREAS, the input received through the public engagement process, including feedback from Planning Commissioners, was incorporated into the Draft General Plan; and
WHEREAS, the planning process included an “audit” of each policy in the existing General Plan to determine its continued relevance and need for editing, and an evaluation of plans and programs adopted over the last 14 years to identify potential new policies and actions to be incorporated into the General Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City prepared a Draft General Plan based on public input, staff and consultant review and research, Planning Commission comments and City Council direction among other considerations. The Draft General Plan includes text and a Land Use Diagram and is a separately bound document on file at City Hall and incorporated herein by reference as Exhibit A. The City released the Draft General Plan for public review on June 1, 2016; and
WHEREAS, the Draft General Plan incorporates the Land Use Diagram changes necessary to enable San Leandro to achieve City Council goals, comply with state housing mandates, address population and employment forecasts; and achieve local economic development, housing, transportation, and environmental objectives; and
WHEREAS, the Draft General Plan addresses important issues not addressed by the prior General Plan such as climate change, complete streets, and smart cities; and
WHEREAS, the Draft General Plan moves the City’s planning horizon forward from 2015 to 2035, ensuring the continued usefulness and relevance of the Plan as a long-range planning document; and
WHEREAS, the Draft General Plan incorporates the necessary edits to comply with current state planning law; and
WHEREAS, the City prepared an Environmental Impact Report to identify the potential environmental impacts of approving the Draft General Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission held a study session on June 16, 2016 to consider the June 1, 2016 Public Review Draft General Plan, and the accompanying Draft Environmental Impact Report, including public comment on the documents; and
WHEREAS, the City Council held a study session on July 5, 2016 to consider the June 1, 2016 Public Review Draft General Plan, and the accompanying Draft Environmental Impact Report, including public comment on the documents; and
WHEREAS, written and oral comments on the Plan were received from individuals, agencies, and organizations and are on file in the Community Development Department at City Hall located at 835 East 14th Street; and
WHEREAS, the City prepared a Plan Addendum dated August 19, 2016, attached as Exhibit B and incorporated herein by reference. The Plan Addendum has been prepared incorporating line edits to the June 1, 2016 Public Review Draft that respond to comments from City Council members, Commissioners, individuals, organizations, and agencies providing comments on the document; and
WHEREAS, a staff report dated August 25, 2016 and incorporated herein by reference, described and analyzed the proposed San Leandro 2035 General Plan and related Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Planning Commission; and
WHEREAS, on August 25, 2016, the Planning Commission reviewed the staff report and the EIR (including comments and responses) at a noticed public hearing on the General Plan amendment and rezoning, at which time all interested parties had the opportunity to be heard; and
WHEREAS, following the public hearing, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution 2016-02, dated August 25, 2016 and incorporated herein by reference, recommending that the City Council certify the EIR and adopt any required CEQA findings regarding mitigations and alternatives, Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.
NOW, THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED THAT: The above recitals are true and correct and made a part of this resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT: The Planning Commission hereby recommends that the City Council adopt the San Leandro 2035 General Plan, as shown in attached Exhibits A and B, to replace the 2002 General Plan based on the following findings and considering the staff report and the whole of the record related to the Project.
1. The proposed General Plan establishes appropriate goals, policies, and programs to address land use, transportation, housing, economic development, parks, open space, conservation, safety, noise, historic preservation, urban design, and community services and facilities.
2. The proposed General Plan will not be detrimental to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, or welfare of the City.
3. The proposed General Plan is internally consistent within and across its component elements.
4. The proposed General Plan conforms with the provisions of the State Government Code for general plans in that it is comprehensive and long-term, and adequately addresses all of the statutorily required elements and content.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Planning Commission recommendation is made in the following voting sequence, as required by the California Fair Political Practices Commission.
SEGMENT ONE: Approves the Land Use Diagram change for an existing apartment complex at 14950 Zelma Street from High Density Residential (up to 29 units per acre) to High Density Residential (up to 50 units per acre), as shown in Exhibit C, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference;
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of August, 2016 by the following vote:
AYES
NOES
ABSTAIN: Abero (Recused due to economic conflict of interest)
SEGMENT TWO: Approves the Land Use Diagram changes creating the Industrial Transition designation in the area along Alvarado Street and along perpendicular cross streets roughly between Estabrook Street and Thornton Street and Light Industrial to Medium Density Residential (up to 21.7 units per acre) for 902 and 904 Castro Street and 915 and 915 A-B Williams Street, as shown in Exhibit D, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference;
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of August, 2016 by the following vote:
AYES
NOES
ABSTAIN: Hussey (Recused due to economic conflict of interest)
SEGMENT THREE: Approves the Land Use Diagram change assigning a “Parks and Recreation” designation to the easternmost Union Pacific Railroad Right-of-Way through the city, extending from Oakland on the north to unincorporated Alameda County on the south, and running beneath the BART tracks in most locations, corresponding to the proposed East Bay Greenway as shown in Exhibit E, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference;
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of August, 2016 by the following vote:
AYES
NOES
ABSTAIN: Hussey, Hernandez (Recused due to economic conflict of interest)
SEGMENT FOUR: Approves the Land Use Diagram change for the area east of Carpentier Street and south of Parrott Street in the southwest quadrant of Downtown from Medium Density Residential (up to 21.7 units per acre) to Medium-High Density Residential (up to 29 units per acre), as shown in Exhibit F, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of August, 2016 by the following vote:
AYES
NOES
ABSTAIN: Hernandez (Recused due to economic conflict of interest)
SEGMENT FIVE: Approves the following Land Use Diagram changes in the northeast quadrant of Downtown San Leandro: (a) the re-designation of Cecilia Court from High Density Residential (up to 29 units per acre) to Downtown Mixed Use (up to 100 units per net acre); (b) the re-designation of the area north of Callan Avenue and east of Hyde Street from High Density Residential (up to 29 units per acre) to High Density Residential (up to 50 units per acre); and (c) the re-designation of the area to the west and south of the San Leandro Public Library from Office to Downtown Mixed Use, as shown in Exhibit G, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference;
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of August, 2016 by the following vote:
AYES
NOES
ABSTAIN: Pon (Recused due to economic conflict of interest)
SEGMENT SIX: Approves all other Land Use Diagram changes not covered by the areas listed in Segments One through Five as shown in Exhibit H, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, as well as the text of the General Plan and General Plan Addendum.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 25th day of August, 2016 by the following vote:
AYES
NOES
ABSTAIN
______________________
Ed Hernandez
Planning Commission Chairperson
ATTEST:
Tom Liao
Secretary to the Planning Commission