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HomeMy WebLinkAbout16 MCAS HOMELESS ASST 10-21-96"" DATE: OCTOBER 21, 1996 Inter-Com NO. 16 10-21-96 TO' FROM: SUBJECT: WILLIAM A. HUSTON, CITY MANAGER CHRISTINE A. SHINGLETON, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER MCAS-TUSTIN REUSE PLAN AND HOMELESS ASSISTANCE SUBMISSION Ii T~e MCAS-Tustin Base ClosUre TaSk FOrce recommended approval ofmell iMcAS_Tusti,n, Reuse P1an and Homeless Assistance Plan on octOber 17, 1996, The TUstinll I City Council s authorization is noTM needed t° permit transmittal of the doCUments t°thell Ifederal g°vemment' II Recommendation: It is recommended that City Council, acting as the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) for MCAS-Tustin, approve the MCAS-Tustin Reuse Plan and Homeless Assistance Submission and authorize its submittal to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Defense (DOD) and authorize the Assistant City Manager to execute any agreements or docUments as may be required by DoD or HUD. Fiscal Impact: Assuming that there is no transfer of property at the Base to the Coast Guard, the Reuse Plan is expected to result in sufficient recurring revenues to offset recurring operating costs in the City of Tustin. Despite the projected annual operating surplus, the Reuse Plan will require a substantial and direct one-time infrastructure/capital investment by the LRA of approximately $100 million through Year 2020. There will also be capital investments by a nUmber of utility servicing companies that could result in total infrastructUre costs approaching $130 million. Staff is currently working with consultants to produce a financing strategy for the LRA's consideration. In addition, the LRA has begun preparation of a Business and Development Plan which will also be examining in more detail financing opportunities for needed infrastructUre investments. Background and Discussion: The MCAS-Tustin Base Closure Task Force at a public meeting on October 17,. 1996, recommended approval of the MCAS-Tustin Reuse Plan and Homeless Assistance Submission and its transmittal to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) MCAS-Tustin Reuse Plan October 21, 1996 Page 2 .tomeless Assistance Submission and the Department of Defense (DOD). The Task Force's action was the culmination of over four years of work which essentially began with the announcement that MCAS-Tustin was slated for closure. The City of Tustin, in its ongoing capacity as the recognized Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) initiated the federally mandated task of preparing a Reuse Plan in the fall of 1992. The Plan is intended to guide the future reuse and redevelopment of MCAS-Tustin. To reach this goal, the Tustin City Council appointed the Base Closure Task Force, comprised of members representing a broad spectrum of jurisdictional, business and citizen interest to guide the process. Established in late 1992, the Task Force has worked diligently through a myriad of federal law, regulations and implementation rules. Although depicted as a very straightforward process by the Department of Defense (DOD), the reuse planning process has been protracted by frequent federal law and policy changes as well as the reluctance of the Department of the Navy (DON) to make a final determination on the federal requests for property at MCAS-Tustin. Ongoing Marine Corps cooperation, consultation and support has been critically important to the success of this program. Through it all, the Base Closure Task Force has participated throughout the process in a manner which exemplifies teamwork and public participation and which has been recognized by the DoD as a model for reuse planning efforts nationwide. The MCAS-Tustin reuse planning process and the Base 'Closure Task Force's activities have been designed to: 1. Establish community goals for the future use of the Base; 2. Evaluate the regional economic and environmental setting and pressures affecting the site; 3. Survey and inventory all on-base facilities to determine their condition, quality and reuse potential (and/or liability). This includes surveys of utilities systems, transportation systems, undeveloped land deeds and any unique physical conditions which affect reuse; 4. Develop reuse alternatives responding to market conditions, community goals and the reuse potential of existing assets at the property; 5. Review alternative strategies with the community at large and obtain consensus prior to selection of a preferred development strategy; 6. Provide a screening process for review of federal and public benefit agencies and homeless providers requesting property at MCAS-Tustin; 7. Prepare the Reuse Plan. The current Draft Reuse Plan represents a significant modification to the typical reuse plan envisioned by the DoD Regulations. For purposes of complying with federal DoD requirements, only a portion of the distributed Specific Plan/Reuse Plan will be considered (Chapter 1, 2 and 5, excluding Section 2.17) at this time and by the DoD. The Task Force's responsibility was strictly limited to only providing a recommendation on those portions of the document that are recognized as the DoD Reuse Plan as well as on the Homeless Assistance Submission. MCAS-Tustin Reuse Plan ant October 21, 1996 Page 3 aeless Assistance Submission The federally required Reuse Plan will hold the weight of "policy" only and is not considered a "project" under the California Environmental Quality Act. Federal law and regulations require the preparation of a disposal plan and completion of the appropriate environmental documentation under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 no later than 12 months from the DoD's receipt of the Reuse Plan. If, as a result of any subsequent required environmental document, it is necessary to amend the Reuse Plan to mitigate any impacts, the LRA will have the responsibility for any necessary amendment to the Plan. Through a joint vision shared by the Marine Corps and the City of Tustin, a Memorandum of Understanding was established permitting the Reuse Plan document to also include a draft Specific Plan which, under California State Planning Law, contains the development and reuse regulations that would ultimately constitute the zoning for the property. Local zoning and planning requirements contained within the document can only be approved and implemented at the discretion of either the City of Tustin or City of Irvine relative to those portions of the Base located within their respective jurisdictional boundaries. The zoning and planning requirements contained within the document were, therefore, not within the purview or responsibility of the Base Closure Task Force. As a result of a Task Force and public review and comment period which closed on October 4, as well as direction from the Task Force on the Reuse Plan, the Task Force has made a number of corrections to the Reuse Plan which are included in an Errata which is available and on file with the City Clerk's office. In addition, a revised Homeless Assistance Submission was also acted upon by the Task Force to respond to staff comments and concerns of homeless providers. The Reuse Plan and Homeless Assistance Submission are now required to be forwarded to HUD and the DoD for review and comment by October 31, 1996. Only substantive corrections or additions that HUD or DoD requests affecting the actual Reuse Plan portion or Homeless Assistance Submission will be brought back to the Task Force for formal consideration and input (with exception that implementing agreements will not be brought back). Following HUD and DoD acceptance of the Reuse Plan, the Cities of Tustin and Irvine will hold additional public hearings to consider the proposed Specific Plan along with a General Plan Amendment. Preparation of a joint Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) is currently underway to evaluate the federal disposal plan as well as Specific Plan. No action on the Specific Plan/Reuse Plan will be taken until completion and certification of the environmental documents performed. Staff will be available to answer any questions the City Council might have regarding the Reuse Plan or the required Homeless Assistance Submission.