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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPH 3 CONSERVA'TN ELEM 10-15-84 PUBLIC HEARING NO. 3 I 10-15-84 nter - C om TO: FROM: SUBJECT: HONORABLE MAYOR ANO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS COI~IUN[TY OEYELOPMENT OEPARTMENT OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION ELI'~ENT DISCUSSION: The Planning Commission and City Council held a joint workshop meeting on September 10, 1984, to discuss both the draft Open Space and Conservation Element, along with the draft Recreation Element. As a result of that meeting, the City Council directed staff to advertise and hold a public hearing on those elements, beginning with the September 24, 1984 meeting of the Planning Commission. A public hearing advertisement was duly published and the Planning Commission heard the item on SePtember 24. The recommendation by staf[ was to receive public input, and at the Commissions direction, prepare a resolution recommending adoption of the elements by the City Council. The Planning Commission considered the item and subsequently approved a resolution recommending that the Open Space and Conservation Element be adopted by the City Council. The adopted resolution is enclosed for Council review. A letter from The Irvine Company has been included which outlines items that they are requesting either be amended or eliminated from the draft element. At the beginning of this General Plan Element process, staff met with representatives from the Irvine Company to discuss issues regarding the draft element. As a result of these meetings, the element was revised, and the Council has received a copy of the amended draft, along with a copy of the proposed changes the company was requesting. The enclosed letter represents areas where the Company would like to see additional revisions that were not included in the first set of amendments to the element. Staff's intention in amending the elements initially was to react to the concerns of the Irvine Company, while still maintaining a viable document that provide~ guidance for future development and does not compromise the position of the City. The element should reflect a certain degree of flexibility while providing staff with a firm policy direction from the City Council. RECOI~MENDATION: Pleasure of the Co.un_cil~ Associate Planner EK:cas 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 RESOLUTION NO. 84-84 ,, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL JF THE CITY OF TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING THE REVISED CONSERVATION AND OPEN SPACE ELEMENT OF THE TUSTIN AREA GENERAL PLAN The City Council of the City of Tustin does hereby resolve as follows: I. The City Council finds and determines as follows: That Sections 65302d and 65302e of the Government Code require that the City adopt a Conservation and Open Space Element of the General Plan and said elements may be consolidated due to similarities and inter-relationships. That an Open Space, Conservation and Recreation Element was adopted by the City Council by Resolution No. 72-50 on July 24, 1972. That said element has become obsolete due to changes in territory, environment, and conditions. That the Planning Commission has prepared a revised Conservation and Open Space Element of the Tustin Area General Plan. E That the Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on the revised element and by Resolution No. 2165 recommends that the City Council adopt the revised Conservation and Open Space Element, with appendix. F. That a Negative Declaration has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act. That a public hearing was duly advertised and conducted by the City Council on the revised element of the General Plan. II. The City Council of the City of Tustin hereby approves a Negative Declaration and adopts the revised Conservation and Open Space Element of the General Plan for the purpose of establishing the policies of the City Council in compliance with the State Planning and Zoning Law for the comprehensive and long-range preservation of open space; the conservation of natural resources; and the enhancement of the natural environment. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Tustin on the day of , 1984. ATTEST: URSULA E. KENNEDY, Mayor MARY WYNN, City Clerk Report to the Planning Commission PUBLIC HEARING f6 DATE': SUBJECT: SEPTE)~ER 24, 1984 GENERAL PLAN AHEND#E#T 84=4C OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION ELERENT OF THE TUSTIN AREA GENERAL PLAN DISCUSSION: The Plannin9 Commission and City Council held a joint workshop meetln9 on September 10, 1984 to discuss both the draft Open and Conservation Element, Mort9 with the draft Recreation. As a result of that meeting, the City Council directed that these elements be advertised for a public hearth9 on September 24, 1984. The staff report from the September lOth workshop has been enclosed as an initial point of revte~ for the Open Space and Conservation Element. Staff will be present at the September 24th meeting to answer any questtbns or concerns the Commission may have. RECOI~ENDATION: that the Commission receive public input, and Staff recommends direct staff to propose a draft Resolutions recommending to the City Council 84-4C be adopted. EDWARD M. KNIGHT if they so choose, that GPA EMK/lg Community Development Depariment HONORABLE HAYOR, CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COFIIlSSION COI~qUNITY DEVELOPHENT DEPARTMENT OPEN SPACE, CONSERVATION ELEHENT BACKGROUND: Th~'se elements were originally brought to the Planning Commission for a public hearing at the June 11, 1984 meeting. After numerous continuances to permit further review and analysis, the elements were withdrawn from the agenda until a joint study meeting on September lO, 1984. These continuances were at the request of The Irvine Company' in order to permit, them to address their concerns regarding policies and programs outlined in the elements. Staff has met with The Company representatives' on several occasions to discuss potential revisions to the element. The Company's major concern is to maintain flexibility in the programs and further refine the East Tustin Specific Plan and test it against the proposed programs .prior to adoption of the elements. While staff feels that the General Plan must maintain flexibility, · programs should be in place in order that the position of the City is not compromised and provide guidance to aid decision makers after specific studies are done. In keeping with both of these positions, The Irvine Company reviewed and submitted revisions to the elements, and staff reviewed these suggestions and amended the draft elements. Both the proposed changes and amended draft have been enclosed for your review. DISCUSSION: The State of California has charged each local jurisdiction with the responsibility of preparing a Conservation and Open Space Element. While each community can tailor individual programs to meet its own needs, the State -statutes outline broad topics that each community must address, which includes: "a conservation element must provide for the conservation, development, and use of natural resources, including water, forests, soils, rivers, lakes and other nature resources". Each element must, "detail plans and measures for the preservation of open space for natural resources, for the managed production of resources, for outdoor recreation, and for the public health and safety." Unlike the Recreation Element, the vast majority of these elements programs are geared to the East Tustin area, for two reasons: the existing Open Space and Conservation Elements do not completely address issues indigenous to the East Tustin area; and, the remaining community is almost completely developed, with any potential or significant aspects eliminated by this urbanization. The East Tustin area represents the City's largest and last undeveloped area for master planning. Additionally, it also represents the City's best opportunity to study and plan for preservation of significant open space resources. City Council- and Planning Commission Open Space, Conservation Element Page two The main thrust of these elements is to provide decision makers with general programs and policies that address these' open space issues. These policies identify areas of resources and open space that should require additional study and consideration. These future studies will address specific open space preservation programs and how they will be implemented. Until these specific studies are done, general plan level policies and programs lay the groundwork for the management of this City's natural and open space resources. Community Development staff will present an overview of these elements at the workshop meeting, and will answer any questions about issues or policies related to these elements. RECOI~E#DATIO#: Schedule a Planning Commission public hearing for the Open Space Conservation Elements for September 24, 1984. Associate Planner EK:do and community Development Department 1 2 3 4 5 6 -? 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 ~0 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 RESOLUTION NO. 2165 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING TO THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTION OF THE REVISED OPEN SPACE AND CONSERVATION ELEMENT OF THE TUSTIN AREA GENERAL PLAN The Planning Commission of the City of Tusttn does hereby resolve as follows: I. The Planning Commission finds and determines as follows: A. That Sections 65302d and 65302(e) of the Government Code -require that the City must have an Open Space and Conservation Element. B. That due to similar issues, the City has combined the Open Space and Conservation Element as one document. C. That a public hearing was duly called, noticed and held on the proposed Open Space and Conservation Element. D. That a Negative Declaration has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act and is hereby recommended for adoption by the City Council. E. That the adoption of the Open Space and Conservation Element would be'in the public interest and not detrimental to the welfare of the public. F. That the appendix of the Open Space and Conservation Element shall be a separate document from the main body of the Element. II. The Planning Commission hereby recommends to the City Council adoption of the Open Space and Conservation Element as submitted. PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Tustin Planning Commission held on the ... day of , 1984. RONALD H. WHITE, Chairman Donna Orr, Recording Secretary IRVINE 550 Newport Center Drive, P.O. Box I Newport Beach, California 92660-0015 (714) 720-2000 October lO, 1984 Tustin City Council City of Tustin 300 Centennial Way Tustin, California 92680 Re: Recreation Element Conservation and Open Space Element Ordinance No. 907 - Park Dedications Dear Mayor Kennedy and Council Members: On October 15, you will consider the adoption of a revised Recreation Element, a revised Conservation Open Space Element,'and a revision to the Municipal Code pertaining to subdivision dedications. These policy documents and regulations have been drafted to address the needs of present residents and, as stated, to als6 provide policy level guidance to the East Tustin Specific Plan Study, a joint City-Irvine Company endeavor currently underway. As such, these elements establish significant policy in recreation and open space planning and directly impact the East Tustin planning process. We have studied these documents and have had the opportunity to discuss their conteots with City staff. Based upon this review, we wish to offer for your consideration our comments on the proposed policies and standards and, in some instances, recommended revisions. We submit these comments to you with the desire of achieving a well-balanced, creatively designed park program in East Tustin and open space policies that will accomodate a balanced land use plan in a quality environment. Our comments, compiled in the attachment, appear in the order of the goals and policies listed in the two elements and ordinance beginning with the Recrea- tion Element. We look forward to discussing these matters further with you and appreciate your consideration of our comments and recommendations. Sincerely, Di rector Government Relations cc: W. Huston, City Manager D. Lamm, Director, Community Development Royleen White, Director - Community & Admin. Services THE IRVINE COMPANY COMMENTS ON THE PROPOSED TUSTIN CONSERVATION OPEN SPACE ELEMENT Goal A - Policy No. 4 (p. 13) While we acknowledge the appropriateness of preserving hilltop ridgelines in some instances, we believe the policy, as proposed, is too specific for the General Plan requirements that all ridgelines be preserved. We suggest that all ridgelines are not significant enough to warrant preservation. Further, we wish to point out that in some instances, hillsides are more visually prominent than hilltops in the contribution of visual landmarks and open space. We believe that further evaluation through the East Tustin planning process is required before concluding what open space areas should be preserved or otherwise treated because of their significance. To provide appropriate General Plan level direction while allowing such analysis to occur we suggest the following alternative wording for this pol.!~y: "Identify the important visual amenities for possible preservation as part of the East Tustin Specific Plan." Goal D - Policy No. 3 (p. 16) As proposed, we believe this policy is inappropriate. In mandating the preservation of ridgelines in their natural state without regard to other planning priorities or to maintenance responsibilities and without the context of a comprehensive land plan, this policy as worded is premature. We suggest the following revision: "Identify, designate and preserve significant or unique topographic features."~&~~~ Goal D - Policy No. 5 We view agricultural land as interim land use. This policy proposes the utilization of a phasing program of agriculture to urban use which would artificially inhibit the transition of agricultural land. Such an approach may pose conflicts with the East Tustin Specific Plan. We recommend the following revision in lieu of the proposed policy: "Provide the opportunity to continue use of land for agricultural crops as an interim use prior to development."