title
CC:PC - Joint City Council and Planning Commission Workshop to Discuss and Provide Comments on General Plan Update Land Use Strategies.
body
Meeting Date: January 27, 2021
Contact Person/Dept: Ashley Hefner Hoang/Advance Planning/CDD
Michael Allen/Current Planning/CDD
Phone Number: (310) 253-5744
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: N/A
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (01/21/2021), Meetings and Agendas - Planning Commission (01/21/2021), Notify Me - General Plan Update (01/21/2021)
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (01/12/2021)
_____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council and Planning Commission take part in a workshop to discuss and provide comments on alternative land use strategies for the General Plan Update.
BACKGROUND
The General Plan Update (GPU) is nearly halfway through the process, having kicked off in September 2019, with completion expected Fall 2022. The first “existing conditions” phase of the project is nearly completed, including reviewing existing policies and reports and identifying issues and opportunities.
Completed existing conditions reports include mobility and transportation; socioeconomic profile and market analysis; land use and community design; housing element; arts, culture, and creative economy; parks, public facilities, and public services; infrastructure; and climate hazards. The remaining reports to be completed soon include environmental, environmental justice and community health, and smart cities. The reports are online at www.pictureculvercity.com/resources.
To date, the following engagement milestones have been achieved:
• 1 City Council study session on visioning
• 1 Planning Commission project update report
• 1 Cultural Affairs Commission project update report
• 12 General Plan Advisory Committee meetings
o www.pictureculvercity.com/advisory-bodies
• 6 Technical Advisory Committees meetings
o www.pictureculvercity.com/advisory-bodies
• 1 Community Visioning Festival Workshop (150 participants)
o www.pictureculvercity.com/events-activities/community-visioning-festival
• 36 Stakeholder interviews
o www.pictureculvercity.com/latest-news/stakeholder-interviews
• 4 Pop-up meetings
o www.pictureculvercity.com/latest-news/pop-up-workshops
• 15 Speaker Series events
o www.pictureculvercity.com/speaker-series
• 1 Interactive project website
o www.pictureculvercity.com
• 7 Online videos and micro surveys on topic-specific existing conditions reports
o www.pictureculvercity.com/educational-forum
• 1 Online “Issues and Opportunities” Visioning survey (over 250 responses)
o www.pictureculvercity.com/events-activities/community-survey
• 1 Online Public Safety survey (over 2,500 responses)
o www.pictureculvercity.com/s/CC_SafetySurveyReport_2020_1006.pdf
• 1 Online story bank
o www.pictureculvercity.com/stories
o Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department staff also collected paper copies from seniors through their newsletter.
DISCUSSION
The purpose of this workshop is for the City Council and Planning Commission members to:
• Review the draft Vision and Guiding Principles document related to community vision, core values, and guiding principles (Attachment 1), as discussed further below;
• Discuss how and where Culver City might generally accommodate growth; and
• Review a menu of residential strategies and potential models for change in the City.
Vision and Guiding Principles
The project entered the "listening and visioning" phase in Fall 2019, culminating in a draft long-term vision and guiding GPU principles. Through community meetings, online surveys, and discussions with community stakeholders, the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), and City Council, the community explored visions for Culver City's future, what makes the city unique and special, and what things people would like to change.
The GPU consultant team summarized the community's aspirations and priorities into a draft Vision and Guiding Principles for the General Plan. The draft was shared online for community members to review and share their thoughts. Almost 50 people commented. Attachment 1 reflects an updated version reflecting the comments.
GPU team members from Raimi + Associates, the GPU's lead consultant, will present the Vision and Guiding Principles and lead the City Council and Planning Commission in a discussion. City Council and Planning Commission members should review the attached documents prior the meeting and be prepared to discuss and give feedback.
Alternative Land Use Strategies
Input received on the land use strategies and models for change during this workshop will inform the plan alternatives that will continue to be studied into Spring 2021.
GPU engagement activities to date have collected information from the community on how and where Culver City might accommodate growth. Particularly, the GPAC held multiple meetings focused on urban design, land use, housing, and potential areas of change. The discussions started with big picture urban design contexts, existing conditions and regulations, and key issues and opportunities. Then the GPAC spent two meetings discussing a menu of land use strategies and models for change.
Input received from the GPAC Members and public at those meetings, plus all other community input received, informed the menu of residential strategies and potential models for change that the City Council and Planning Commission members will consider and discuss at this workshop.
The alternatives consider the amount of development that would be allowed, environmental sustainability, fiscal health, and impacts related to mobility, disadvantaged community and displacement, and public services and utilities.
GPU team members from Perkins & Will, the GPU’s urban design subconsultant, will present the strategies and models (Attachment 2) and lead the City Council and Planning Commission in a discussion.
NEXT STEPS
1. Winter/Spring 2021: Plan Alternatives - Create and refine land use and transportation alternatives
2. Spring/Summer 2021: Policy and Plan Development - Develop policy solutions to address a range of topics
3. Spring/Summer 2022: Review and adopt - Public hearing process, which will include public review and participation, as the decision makers review and consider the GPU for adoption
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no fiscal impact associated with the City Council’s and Planning Commission’s participation in this workshop.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2021-01-27_ATT_Vision and Guiding Principles
2. 2021-01-27_ATT_Land Use Change Strategies
MOTION(S)
None.