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DATE:
TO:
December 13, 2011
Planning Commission
SUBJECT: PLPA-2011-00052 Amendments to the Community Design and
Sustainability Element of the General Plan (Chapter 10} to
incorporate a Sustainable Neighborhood Design Strategy
Prepared by Kristi Bascom, Principal Planner
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The City of Dublin has taken an active role in promoting environmental sustainability with
various initiatives such as the Green Building Ordinance and the Climate Action Plan. Earlier
this year, Staff presented the City Council with various options for implementing a "Sustainable
Neighborhood Design Strategy," which would promote sustainable site design and planning for
the street, land use, and open space patterns for neighborhoods in Dublin. The City Council
provided feedback on the draft Strategy and directed Staff to incorporate the Strategy into the
Community Design and Sustainability Element of the General Plan for implementation.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission: 1) Receive Staff presentation; 2) Open the
public hearing; 3) Take testimony from the public; 4) Close the public hearing and deliberate;
and 5) Adopt a Resolution recommending that the City Council adopt a resolution amending the
Community Design and Sustainability Element of the General Plan to incorporate strategies on
Sustainable Neighborhood Design.
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Submitted By:
Principal Planner
eviewed By:
Planning Manager
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COPIES TO: File
ITEM NO.. •
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G:IPA#120111PLPA-2011-00052 GPA Comm Design ElementlPC hearing 12.13.20111PCSR 12.13.2011.docx
STAFF REPORT
PLANNING COMMISSION
DESCRIPTION:
Background
Sustainability, green design, and improving public health are some of the key topics being
discussed by cities and developers today. A City's land use, street, and neighborhood design
patterns create a particular physical reality and compel behaviors that have a significant effect
on the environmental performance of any given place. When a neighborhood has a robust
network of internal streets and good connections to surrounding neighborhoods and
communities, pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers can move efficiently and safely. Vehicles are
driven less, air quality improves, human health improves, and the overall sustainability of a
community improves too.
On December 21, 2010 City Staff presented a report to the City Council on developing a
"Sustainable Neighborhood Design Strategy". Staff described the Sustainable Neighborhood
Design Strategy (SNDS) as a policy document that would outline the desired components of a
sustainable neighborhood, such as a connected street pattern and land use plan, green
infrastructure and buildings, and a linked open space network. The City Council directed Staff
to proceed with the development of a Draft Strategy.
On March 1, 2011, City Staff presented a report to the City Council with recommendations on
the content of a Draft Strategy, the applicability of the Draft Strategy to various properties, and
the implementation and adoption of the Strategy (Attachment 1). The City Council provided the
following direction (Attachment 2) to Staff at the meeting on March 1, 2011:
1. Draft Sustainable Neighborhood Design Strategy. The City Council agreed that the Draft
Sustainable Neighborhood Design Strategy should contain the goals, policies, and
standards that were outlined in the draft document.
2. Applicability of a Sustainable Neighborhood Design Strategy based on protect type.
The City Council agreed that the Draft Strategy should apply to:
• New General Plan and Specific Plan Amendments and new Specific Plans;
• Annexations;
• New Stage 1 and/or Stage 2 Planned Development Rezones;
• Rezoning applications; and
• Any subdivision of property or other new development that creates new streets
without changing the applicable land use designation would need to comply with
all policies and standards contained in Policy Section One (Street Patterns and
Design) of the Strategy.
3. Applicability of a Sustainable Neighborhood Design Strategy to actual projects.
The City Council agreed that the Draft Strategy should apply to:
Projects that have Pre-Applications on file with the City, but where there is no
current activity on the application (e.g. Righetti Property and Dublin Land
Company); and
• Projects that have existing applications for General Plan Amendment studies that
do not have land plans on file and are at the beginning of the entitlement process
(e.g. Dublin Crossings and The Preserve).
4. Implementation. The City Council agreed that the Draft Strategy should apply in its
entirety, not partial compliance.
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5. Adopting a Draft Strategy. The City Council agreed that the Draft Strategy should be
adopted as an amendment to the Community Design and Sustainability Element of the
General Plan.
After the March 1, 2011 City Council meeting, the Draft Sustainable Neighborhood Design
Strategy was sent to 40 developers, property owners, and builders that are actively doing
business in, or own developable property in the City of Dublin (Attachment 3). The Draft
Strategy was also provided to the Dublin Unified School District. In the cover letter that
accompanied the Draft Strategy, Staff noted the scope of City Council review and discussion to
date, and asked for feedback on the content of the Draft Strategy.
Staff received written comments from Argent Management (master developer for the future
Dublin Crossings at the Camp Parks project site) and MacKay and Somps Civil Engineers. Staff
also had discussions with developers Braddock and Logan, Pacific Union Holdings, property
owner Pat Croak, and the Dublin Unified School District.
Comments from the school district suggested clarification on a few of the policies and
standards. Comments received from the developers and property owners focused on ensuring
flexibility in the implementation of the Draft Strategy. As the language of the Draft Strategy was
incorporated into the policies of the Community Design and Sustainability Element, the Strategy
text has become more flexible with terminology such as "encourage" and "support". Some of
the policies also allow for multiple methods to achieve compliance. The proposed General Plan
policy language addresses the comments received from the developers and property owners,
and has been drafted to ensure the overarching goals of the Sustainable Neighborhood Design
Strategy can be met. Those overarching goals include:
• Creating neighborhoods with a robust network of internal streets and good connections to
surrounding neighborhoods where pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers can move
efficiently and safely.
• Promoting walking and cycling by providing safe, appealing, and comfortable street
environments that support public health by reducing pedestrian injuries and encouraging
daily physical activity.
• Improving physical and mental health and social capital by providing a variety of open
spaces (public and private) close to work and home to facilitate neighborhood
connectivity, social networking, civic engagement, physical activity, and time spent
outdoors.
The Sustainable Neighborhood Design Strategy is divided into three policy sections:
• Policy Section 1: Street Patterns and Design. The policies contained in this section are
intended to produce a dedicated pedestrian and bike network, streets with ample room
for sidewalks and parkway strips, dedicated bike lanes, streets with multiple intersections
that provide increased opportunities for circulation, and safe and easy travel between key
destinations: residential, civic/public, and commercial spaces.
• Policy Section 2: Land Use. Patterns and Design. The policies contained in this section
are intended to create generous open spaces (both public and private) located close to
the places people live and work and higher residential densities near BART stations.
• Policy Section 3: Access to Schools. The policies contained in this section are intended
to result in well-located and easily-accessible school sites that are near the maximum
number of likely students (e.g. adjacent to attached and detached single family homes).
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The Community Design and Sustainability Element amendments, showing the additions and
deletions with underline and strikethrough text to include the goals, policies, and programs of
the Sustainable Neighborhood Design Strategy, are included as Attachment 4.
The Resolution recommending that the City Council adopt a resolution amending the
Community Design and Sustainability Element of the General Plan is included as Attachment 5.
NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH:
In accordance with State law, a Public Notice was published in the Valley Times and posted at
several locations throughout the City. A notice was also sent to all developers, property owners,
and builders that originally received a copy of the Draft Sustainable Neighborhood Design Strategy
to review. To date, the City has not received any comments on the proposed amendments to
the Community Design and Sustainability Element of the General Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), together with the State Guidelines and City
Environmental Regulations require that certain projects be reviewed for environmental impacts
and, when applicable, environmental documents prepared. Staff is recommending that the
Project be found Statutorily Exempt from CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section
15061(b)(3), because the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to
projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it
can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a
significant effect on the environment, the activity can be found Statutorily Exempt from CEQA.
ATTACHMENTS: 1) March 1, 2011 City Council Staff Report without
attachments
2) Minutes of City Council meeting March 1, 2011
3) Draft Sustainable Neighborhood Design Strategy
4) Proposed Community Design and Sustainability
Element amendments shown in strikethrough and
underline format
5) Resolution recommending that the City Council adopt a
resolution amending the Community Design and
Sustainability Element of the General Plan to
incorporate strategies on Sustainable Neighborhood
Design, with the Draft City Council Resolution attached
as Exhibit A
REFERENCES:
General Plan
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