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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 209-00 UrbanLimitW DubRESOLUTION NO. 209 - 00 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF DUBLIN APPROVING A GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT TO ESTABLISH AN URBAN LIMIT LINE FOR WESTERN DUBLIN The People of the City of Dublin do hereby resolve as follows: SECTION 1. Purnose, Effect, Findings. A. Purpose. The purpose of this General Plan Amendment is to encourage a cohesive pattern of urbanization in the City of Dublin by establishing an Urban Limit Line along the current westerly city limits. The Urban Limit Line is a boundary beyond which urban development shall not encroach into the western hills unless approved by the voters of Dublin.' The areas beyond the Urban Limit Line are among the steepest and most heavily wooded in the City's westem extended planning area. This General Plan Amendment supports existing General Plan policies calling for preservation of natural habitat, oak woodlands, natural creeks, ridgelines, scenic views, open space, agriculture and other similar resources which characterize the area beyond the Urban Limit Line. Through the voter approval provisions of this General Plan Amendment, Dublin residents will be able to more directly participate in important land use decisions which affect the unique constraints and resources in the western hills and, in turn, affect the residents' quality of life. B. Effect. This General Plan Amendment will foster and protect the rural character of the western hills where steep slopes, prominent ridgelands and other constraints make urban development difficuk. It will also promote uses that foster public health and safety and productive investment for grazing and other agricultural enterprise on lands outside the western City limits. This General Plan Amendment will add a definition of Urban Limit Line to the General Plan and will locate it along the current western City limits. This Amendment will add related policy text to the General Plan and will designate lands beyond the Urban Limit Line as Rural Residential/Agriculture as defined for the western extended planning area. C. Findings. The People of the City of Dublin hereby find as follows. 1. This General Plan Amendment serves the public interest in protecting Dublin' s natural resources and limiting development to areas where it can reasonably be accommodated. 2. The western hills contain numerous environmental constraints such as steep slopes, prominent ridgelands, riparian corridors, sensitive vegetation, landslide areas, and high visibility along Highway 580. Existing General Plan policies restricting development where such constraints are present greatly reduce the ability of the area to sustain urban level development. Furthermore, the General Plan acknowledges that the "present undisturbed natural ridgelines as seen from the primary planning area and key travel corridors are an essential component of Dublin's appearance as a freestanding city ringed by open hills." (Section 3.3, Policy D.) 3. The lands subject to this General Plan Amendment are outside the current City limits of Dublin and not subject to the City's land use jurisdiction, therefore this General Plan Amendment does not constitute a taking of private lands in that development on such lands is currently governed by Alameda County land use plans, policies and regulations. There are no existing Dublin project approvals in the area beyond the current western City limits. 4. The City can continue to meet its Housing Element objectives of providing for the housing needs for all economic segments of the population, especially lower and moderate income households, by directing the development of housing into areas outside the western hills and currently designated for urban development where services and infrastructure can be provided more cost effectively. 5. Residents in the western hills have raised significant issues regarding current traffic on existing local roadways and the ability of such roadways to accommodate additional urban level use. SECTION 2. General Plan Amendment. A. Land Use Map Amendment. Amend the Extended Planning Area Land Use Map, Figure 1-2 of the City of Dublin General Plan, as follows: 1. Amend the legend of Figure 1-2 to add "Urban Limit Line", to add the land use designation of Rural Residential/Agriculture, and to delete '~,esidential/Open Space (see note)". 2. Amend Figure 1-2 to locate the Urban Limit Line in the Western Extended Planning Area along the City limit boundary as of Deceraber 14 ,2000 3. Amend Figure 1-2 to show a land use designation of Rura Residential/Agriculture for all Western Extended Planning Area lands located west of the Urban Limit Line. 4. Amend Figure 1-2 to delete the Western Extended Planning Area Guiding and Implementing policies shown thereon. B. Text Amendment. 1. Amend Section 1.8.1, Western Extended Planning Area, to state rather than cross- reference the actual text of the 'Residential: Rural Residential/Agriculture" land use designation and to readopt the designation as follows: "Residential: Rural Residential/Agriculture (1 unit per 100 gross residential acres). Accommodates agricultural activities and other open space uses, such as range and watershed management, consistent with the site conditions and plan policies. This classification includes privately held lands, as well as public ownerships not otherwise designated in the plan for Parks, Open Space, or Public/Semi-public uses. Assumed household size is 3.2 persons per unit." 2. Amend Section 1.8.1, Western Extended Planning Area, to add the following after "Other land use categories" and before Table 1.1: "Urban Limit Line. An Urban Limit Line was adopted by initiative on November 7~ 2000 for the Western Extended Planning Area. The Urban Limit Line is located along the city limits line as of the effective date of the initiative. Pursuant to the initiative, lands west of the Urban Limit Line are designated as Rural Residential/Agriculture on the Land Use Map. The initiative is effective for 30 years from its effective date; the location of the Urban Limit Line may be changed only by a vote of the people of Dublin during the effective period, and only following review and approval of a General Plan Amendment by the City Council. Any request to change the Urban Limit Line must be accompanied by a request to amend the land use designation to an urban designation." 3. Amend Section 2, Western Extended Planning Area, to add the following at the end of the section, after Table 2.2: "All lands in the Western Extended Planning Area located west of the Urban Limit Line as defined in Section 2.B.2 above, shall be designated Rural Residential/Agriculture for a period of 30 years from the effective date of Resolution No. - 00, adopted by initiative on November 7, 2000. The intent of the Urban Limit Line is to protect the natural resources of the western hills and to restrict further urban development in the western hills, instead guiding it to areas of Dublin that are less constrained and where urban services can be provided in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. In addition to restricting urban development, the City will not approve or recommend approval of the permanent use or extension of city services or facilities, including but not limited to utilities or roads, to support or facilitate urban development beyond the Urban Limit Line." SECTION 3. Implementation. A. Effective Date. Upon the effective date of this resolution, the provisions of Section 2 of this resolution are hereby inserted into the City of Dublin General Plan as an amendment thereof. B. City Ordinances and Policies. All City plans, policies, ordinances, rules and regulations constituting legislative acts shall be amended as necessary as soon as possible and in the time and manner required by State law to ensure consistency between those policies and the provisions adopted by Section 2 of this resolution. C. Project Approvals. Upon the effective date of this resolution, the City, and its departments, boards, commissions, officers and employees, shall not grant or by inaction allow to be approved by operation of law, any General Plan Amendment, rezoning, specific plan, tentative or final subdivision map, conditional use permit, building permit or any other ministerial or discretionary entitlement, which is inconsistent with this resolution. SECTION 4. Exemotions for Certain Projects. This resolution shall not apply to any development project that, as of the effective date of this resolution, has obtained a vested right pursuant to State law. SECTION 5. Severability. If any portion of this resolution is declared invalid by a court, the remaining portions are to be considered valid. SECTION 6. Amendment or Repeal. Except as specifically provided herein, this resolution may be amended or repealed only by the voters of the City of Dublin at a City election. Exhibit List: A - General Plan Figure 1-2 reflecting changes proposed herein. APPROVED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE OF THE PEOPLE ON NOVEMBER 7, 2000. YES 5,362 NO 3,688 Adopted by declaration of the vote of the City Council of the City of Dublin on December 4, 2000, Effective December ] 4, 2000 ATTES'~LL,t~~~ K2/asurem. dog K2/G/2-16- 99/ull-reso-exhibita J:\WPDXMNRSWXl14\01LRESO\1999\URBANLIM. ALT EHS:MKF:rja .D blin General Plan "r X LU Rattabffit,Uon Career See Figure 1-3 (Schnear F'.rmch Oenernl l'lan Amendme, I) Extended, Planning Area Land Use - ,IxX'k'~cxj'' Urban Limit Line· ~ Rural Residential/Agriculture PublI~ Lands Schaefer Rnnch (See Figure 1-3 Sdmerer l/nnd~ G.P.A.) Blayney-Oyett,Utbnn and RegiOnal Planners As Anteladed ~Iny,.1.996 t I I I I | I I _._1 Devulolmtettt Elevation Cap Policies - t A. The City shall utilite the 110 foot elevation as a plannitqt tool to ptovlde a Iransifim~uffer area belween urban development sn~ agficullutaFopcn spac~ land uses e~st of dee sphez~ orin~uence li,e which do not mlui/e ae~ mban level orpubli= se~ice and itfftastluctulo. B. ' U~ban land uses may be apptovcd for siena beyond tile , Development Elevation Cap only when I~n~ use },fotmallon is ~vaitabt~ codexlug tim potential impacts associated with oatuf~ resources, poblic henlib and safety, visudly sonshive r~outccs, bi~t~gicatiy sensiti~a habhat areas. i,rrastmctme. Future I~d uses end ofls~ js?ues. as ~eviewed through a G~et~ Plan ~ueltdttteRt. C. A new specific pia~t ~r amendment to the e~sting Eastern Dublin Specific Plan wi}~ be ~equir~d before any ruben dcvclopmcttt is apptuvcd for those areas eutside the Devotepaean Elevation Cap not cove~ed by the piesent Spuci~ PIa~ The Specific Pinhas) shall include new policicm and a~iun pfu~am$ w~ch further the go~s aud policies of the Oencrat Plan and ue designed specifically For tl~e Easter Exteudcd PI~n8 ~u. D, Development or proputty whh an npptoved utb~u land us~ dcsig,ation under d,, Easteras Dublin Spcci~c Plsn Ibsl is tocatc~ both bctow and above the Developinane Elevation Cap may be considered consislent with the Development Elevation Cap s~ ions as sit oxb~t applicable General Plan, Specific Plan and other dcvelopmenl policies arc compfied with,