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99-0604_CC_Minutes_Adjourned Regular Meeting155 JUNE 4, 1999 ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIFORNIA The Adjourned Regular Meeting of the City Council of the City of San Juan Capistrano, California, held jointly with the Planning Commission to review and provide input on the "Community Vision, Issues, Goals, Policies and Programs," was called to order by Mayor Greiner at 7:00 p.m. at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. ROLL CALL: PRESENT: John Greiner, Mayor Collett Campbell, Mavor pro tem Gil Jones, Council Member Wyatt Hart, Council Member David M. Swerdlin, Council Member Ed Johnson, Chairman William Pichler, Vice Chairman Diane Bathgate, Commissioner Sheldon Cohen, Commissioner Michael Eggers, Commissioner Timothy Neely, Commissioner ABSENT: Bill Sonka, Commissioner STAFF PRESENT: George Scarborough, City Manager; Cheryl Johnson, City Clerk; Thomas Tomlinson, Planning Director; William M. Huber, Engineering and Building Director. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - None ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS PLANNING DIRECTOR REVIEW OF THE DRAFT GENERAL PLAN VISION STATEMENT AND GOALS AND POLICY REPORT (440.25) Written Communications: Report dated June 4, 1999, from the Planning Director, forwarding a document entitled "Vision, Issues, Goals and Policies Report," which set forth issues, goals and policies on each of the 12 General Plan Elements and highlighted areas where opinions of the General Plan Update Committee differed. The Report advised that the General Plan Advisory Committee had developed the Vision Statement, which sets the foundation of the General Plan and is an expression of what the community wants to be in the future. The Committee identified issues, goals and policies that should be addressed within the 12 Elements of the Adjourned City Council Minutes -1- 6/4/99 156 General Plan. "Issues" were defined as general statements describing a need, concern, opportunity or desire to be addressed by the General Plan; "Goals" were defined as overall statements of community desires within the General Plan, consisting of broad statements of purpose or direction; and, "Policies" were defined as General Plan statements which supported the achievement of goals and served as guides in reviewing development proposals and in making decisions that affect future growth and development of the community. The Program Diagram Chart depicting the timeline for the various tasks associated with the update, and the current General Plan Land Use Map were on display. The Planning Director briefly described the process that has occurred in updating the General Plan and introduced John Bridges and Yara Fisher of Cotton/Beland Associates, consultants retained to assist in the update process. Mr. Bridges introduced the following General Plan Update Committee members present: Orrie Brown, Ray Turner, Al Simmons, Janet Siegel, Marie Buckner and Ed Johnson. Mr. Bridges described the General Plan update tasks remaining and indicated that the update should be completed by December. This workshop was scheduled to receive input on the General Plan issues, goals and policies; the workshop scheduled for June 29, 1999, would deal with land use and circulation. Vision Statement Mr. Bridges reviewed the Vision Statement set forth in the "Vision, Issues, Goals and Policies Report" document. Council Member Campbell suggested that consideration be given to including equestrian trails in the Vision Statement. She suggested the Vision Statement be formulated in a narrative format rather than a "bullet" format and offered to assist in reformatting the Statement. Land Use Element Mr. Bridges reviewed the Land Use Element section as set forth in the "Vision, Issues, Goals and Policies Report." Commissioner Bathgate indicated her support of the current practice of clustering homes on smaller lots; suggested that each zone change request should include a revenue analysis; supported promoting commercial development in the central business district, but not to the exclusion of the rest of the City; suggested that to enhance and maintain the character of neighborhoods, utilities should be undergrounded where necessary and infrastructure rehabilitated in older areas. Council Member Campbell suggested replacing the word "high" in the last sentence of Land Use Issue 3 with the word "higher;"that Policy 3.2 indicate "no ridgeline development." Commissioner Eggers noted that there is no indication how to accomplish Policy 4.2; that Land Use Issue 5 seems to imply the possibility that commercial development outside the central district would not be allowed; that Policy 6.1 should include clarification; that Policy 7.2 should include a requirement for compatibility with surrounding land uses' CC&R's; indicated his concern with use of the word "promote" throughout the document. The City Manager advised that the issue regarding CC&R's in Policy 7.2 would need evaluation by the City Attorney. Commissioner Cohen felt that the word "disruptive" was too subjective in Policy 7.1. Adjoumed City Council Minutes -2- 6/4/99 157 Council Member Jones addressed Policy 4.2, suggesting that one implementation measure would be another Bond initiative. Public Comments: Don Tryon suggested that the Vision Statement should include a reference to preservation of historic structures. Housing Element Mr. Bridges indicated this Element had been updated in 1997 and was not currently included in the General Plan update program. State law required its review and update every 5 years. He further advised that in reviewing residential land uses in the Land Use Element consistency with the housing element will be necessary. Circulation Element Mr. Bridges reviewed the Circulation Element section as set forth in the "Vision, Issues, Goals and Policies Report," noting that Austin -Foust Associates would be present at the June 29th meeting to discuss their traffic modeling studies. Commissioner Eggars noted the need for coordination of the Master Plan of Streets & Highways with the County's Master Plan. Public Comments: Orrie Brown indicated that the General Plan Advisory Committee members had requested that the paragraph regarding use of the recreational trails by motorcycles be removed. Safety Element Mr. Bridges noted the differing opinion among the General Plan Advisory Committee members regarding the proposed airport at the Marine Corps Air Station - El Toro facility. Commissioner Bathgate suggested that Safety Goal 2 should address seismic retrofit; suggested including an additional policy under Safety Goal 3 regarding ways to minimize criminal opportunity through project design and incorporation into City's design review process. Commissioner Eggars initiated discussion regarding retrofit on remodels and the reason nuclear power was included in the General Plan, noting that nuclear power was not under the City's purview. Public Comments: Pat Bauer questioned whether identification of the proposed El Toro Airport could be eliminated and reference to "any" airport remain in the document. Anita Richards suggested that Policy 1.1 include a statement regarding lower density on hillsides to lower risk from geologic and seismic hazards. Conservation and Open Space Element Mr. Bridges noted the Committee had generally agreed regarding the Issues, Goals and Policies. Commissioner Neely stated concern that Goal No. 7 was a complicated issue; the statements were too broad and monitoring was not necessarily a City responsibility. He urged caution in making commitments. Adjourned City Council Minutes -3- 6/4/99 MI.] Noise Element Mr. Bridges reviewed the Noise Element section as set forth in the "Vision, Issues, Goals and Policies Report." Council Member Swerdlin indicated that the policies allowing residential uses on noise -impacted parcels should be carefully reviewed and considered, particularly in teams of future problems. Commissioner Cohen suggested that Policy 1.2 be worded to allow for future construction techniques that may be developed to mitigate noise impacts. Council Member Jones addressed the City's requirement that persons wishing to operate a small business in a structure in the Los Rios area must also live in the structure and requested that careful consideration be given to that requirement in view of the noise impacts caused by the numerous trains. Historic/Archaeologic Element Mr. Bridges indicated there was general agreement among the Committee members regarding the issues, goals and policies. Commissioner Bathgate suggested that the Historic Depiction Program be incorporated into this Element. Commissioner Eggars felt that the wording in Policy 1.3 placed the burden on the City, noting that the private property owners can apply for State and Federal funding. Public Comment: Don Tryon reiterated his concern that the Historic aspect be emphasized in the Vision Statement. Community Design Element Mr. Bridges indicated there was general agreement among the Committee members regarding the issues, goals and policies. Commissioner Neely suggested Policy 3.3 should be broadened to incorporate enhancement of scenic transportation corridors, including the freeway and the railroad corridors. Commissioner Bathgate suggested Design Goal 1 should include the creation of human -scale spaces. Public Comment: Ed Richards suggested that Policy 3.2 should include reference to passive uses such as hiking and equestrian uses. Growth Management Element Mr. Bridges indicated that this Element described ways to manage growth and provide for infrastructure. Commissioner Cohen suggested a word other than "provide" be used in Policy 2.1; Commissioner Neely noted that the "County of Orange" should be replaced with "Orange County Transportation Authority." Parks and Recreation Element Mr. Bridges noted that this Element deals specifically with parks and recreational activities within the City. Commissioner Eggars suggested that with regard to private recreation facilities in Policy 1.4, the City should put some responsibility on private developers to provide private recreational space, particularly in those neighborhoods that are gated. The City Manager concurred that implementation of Policy 1.4 would require careful Adjourned City Council Minutes -4- 6/4/99 1161!] consideration and analysis; he advised that if a developer provides on-site facilities, they reduce or eliminate their obligation to pay in -lieu fees. The fees finance larger community- wide facilities. Commissioner Cohen requested assurance that Policy 1.4 not create a financial obligation on the City's part. Council Member Jones indicated support of the equestrian lifestyle, but expressed concern that Policy 2.2 encourage equestrian uses without the City paying the bill. Public Facilities and Utilities Element Mr. Bridges indicated there was general agreement among the Committee members regarding the issues, goals and policies. Mayor Greiner suggested that Policy 5.1 also include "days" of operation for the public library. Commissioner Bathgate suggested the City be more pro -active in this area and suggested consideration of an additional policy with regard to Issue 7 encouraging energy efficient buildings; suggested a more pro -active stance by inclusion of telecommunications. Flood Plain Element Mr. Bridges reviewed the differing opinions of the Committee regarding the flood plain element. Commissioner Eggars suggested Policy 1.3 indicate that new flood protection would be constructed in coordination with the Corps of Engineers. Commissioner Cohen stated concern regarding the financial burden of creek improvements. The City Manager requested that staff be allowed to work on Policy 1.3 with regard to both issues. Commissioner Johnson stated that with regard to Policy 3.2, bridges should provide for the continuation of recreational activities/trails along the creeks, not block the trails. Public Comments: Pat Bauer suggested the views of the creeks should be enhanced, particularly at the bridge crossings Cheryl Ellison, representing Rancho Capistrano Crystal Cathedral Ministries, suggested that concrete channels not be ruled out noting that they may be necessary for property protection and safety concerns. General Comments on the Document Tom Lorch suggested that with regard to the Circulation Element, anything less than a Level of Service C be designated as unacceptable. He felt that in considering whether the City should provide equestrian facilities, it should be kept in mind that residents want to get as much return as possible for their tax dollars. Carl Kuhn representing the Fran Joswick Therapeutic Riding Center, addressed Circulation Element Issue 4 and requested that equestrian centers be included in the statement, which would address their situation with handicapped riders. Adjourned City Council Minutes -5- 6/4/99 160 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. to the next regular meeting date of Tuesday, June 15, 1999, at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. Respectfully submitted, CHERYL JOFOOWCITY CLERK ATTEST: JO GREINER, MAYOR Adjourned City Council Minutes -6- 6/4/99