CCMIN070196 - Laserfiche WebLink

We should encourage the clustering on the usable space, so we can negotiate for open access to the scenic arroyos. Does this language help us facilitate that? Mr. Swift indicated there are other policies in the General Plan that encourage clustering and deal with arroyos. Changing this paragraph will not modify those other policies. This only deals with whether to count the arroyos when calculating allowable density on a piece of property. Mr. Pico felt the current General Plan includes in gross developable acres all privately owned rights of way and arroyos and excludes publicly owned facilities. Under the General Plan update, it reiterates that position but goes further in trying to identify the fact that there is terrain that is not feasible for development. The staff amendment indicates acreage devoted to publicly owned facilities shall be included in the gross developable acres. That is a major change. Mr. Swift indicated staff was trying to distinguish the portion of property dedicated as part of the development plan for public use and the portion a City might buy. The difference is whether the City has purchased property or is asking for the property to be dedicated and staff s language takes into consideration whether the property was developable to begin with. The issue with respect to arroyos, as opposed to hillsides, has been that the arroyo designation has been conceptual open space and the actual calculation of gross developable acres has been counted with the remainder of the property. Ms. Michelotti asked if the modification was essentially eliminating the term net developable acres. Mr. Swift indicated the term net developable acres does not appear in the General Plan and has no significance other than for the Planning Commission and City Council to understand the actual intensity of development on a particular piece of property. That happens when a major thoroughfare will use a signifxcant portion of a piece of property. If the thoroughfare is dedicated, the land it is on gets counted as gross developable acres and relates to the density on the remaining property. If half the property is roadway, then the remaining property will be twice as dense. Ms. Mohr indicated the bottom line is even though the gross developable acres says a property can have X units, the development plan presented and ultimately approved may have substantially less than that because Council decides on a case by case basis. Ms. Michelotti still wanted some way to illustrate when a property has potential for open space that could be acquired versus a parcel that could be entirely developed. Mr. Swift indicated this is not where it is distinguished. That would be part of an overall plan approval process and would include many other policies. 07/01/96 -10-