1 STAFF REPORT
DATE: December 12, 2023
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Patrick Prescott, Community Development Director Via: Fred Ramirez, Assistant Community Development Director By: Amanda Landry, Principal Planner
SUBJECT: Approval of a Second Amendment to a Memorandum of Understanding with Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) for the Regional Early Action Plan Grant to Update the Media District Specific Plan
RECOMMENDATION
Approve a Second Amendment to a Memorandum of Understanding with Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) for the Regional Early Action Plan (REAP) Grant to Update the Media District Specific Plan (Attachment 1).
BACKGROUND
SCAG, the administrator of the REAP grant, launched the grant opportunity to assist Southern California jurisdictions in developing planning projects that aim to increase housing production and advance Connect SoCal’s growth vision and policies. The City of Burbank applied for and was awarded a REAP grant to help meet Land Use Program Goal LU-3 of the Burbank2035 General Plan Realization Plan, “Review the three existing specific plans (i.e., Burbank Center Plan, MDSP, and the North San Fernando Boulevard Master Plan) through a public process to determine whether the vision, goals, and policies established by the plans remain applicable and appropriate, and revise the plans as necessary to ensure that they reflect current desires for each of the three areas.” (Source: Burbank2035 General Plan-Plan Realization Element Land Use Program LU-3, Pages 8-6). The City was awarded $430,000 through the REAP grant program to update the MDSP. SCAG in turn selected the planning consulting firm, WSP, to prepare the update, which is currently in process. The original deadline for the REAP grant was June 30, 2023 (Attachment 2) and the Council approved an extension to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to December 31, 2023 (Attachment 3). This extension would allow staff and the Project team the additional time
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
2 necessary to continue to build upon the extensive public engagement that was completed for the project and to complete utility studies including a sewer capacity study for the planning area that will assess current capacity and necessary upgrades to support future land development envisioned in the specific plan. This information was also necessary to be factored into the project’s environmental impact report.
In addition to the REAP grant, the City agreed to contribute to SCAG an additional $149,941 from the $430,000 Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) grant awarded to the City by the California Department of Housing and Urban Development for the MDSP Update to partially fund the work being overseen by SCAG.
DISCUSSION
The MDSP Update has been proceeding according to the amended MOU and extended timeline. Currently, staff and WSP have identified additional technical studies and outreach necessary to complete the draft specific plan policy documents and adequately engage with the public. This will ensure the draft documents are fully vetted prior to their presentation to the Planning Commission and City Council for formal consideration.
The additional funds would be used to complete the following tasks:
1. Additional Community Engagement
The project team will provide funding for three additional rounds of outreach meetings consistent with Burbank2035 General Plan Realization Plan, Land Use Program LU-5: Public Participation. Public involvement is critical to the planning process, which includes the update of the MDSP.
2. Traffic & Mobility Analysis
The project team will prepare a non-CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) intersection analysis at the 35 identified intersections based on the preferred alternative including mitigations.
3. Project Management/Biweekly meetings
Due to the additional scope and extension of the schedule, additional budget for biweekly meetings and project management is needed.
Therefore, a second amendment to the MOU is being requested to update the City’s financial contribution to SCAG to increase to account for additional work noted above that is necessary for completion of the specific plan document and public outreach, and to extend the deadline for completion of the work covered in the MOU to April 30, 2024 . This Amendment would increase the City’s contribution to SCAG by $129,073 for a total of $279,014. The revised total overall budget would be $1,063,682.
3 ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Approval of the amendment has no potential for resulting in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change to the environment and falls outside the definition of a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and is therefore not subject to CEQA pursuant to Section 15378 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations. However, the Specific Plan Project is subject to CEQA. To fulfil the requirements of CEQA, a Program EIR is being prepared that will include a comprehensive study of all required environmental topical areas, including utility infrastructure that serves the Specific Plan Area, to ensure that (1) decision makers are informed of any potentially significant environmental impacts that may result from the project, and (2) appropriate policy and planning strategies are established so that the anticipated future growth within the Specific Plan Area is adequately served by critical utility services.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund because of this request to amend the MOU.
There are funds available in the c urrent Fiscal Year 2023- 24 Budget in account 001.CD31A.62085.0000.23943 (General Fund, Community Development - Planning Division, Other Professional Services , Media District Specific Plan ). The MDSP was previously fully funded by SCAG, the REAP grant, and the LEAP grant from the California Department of Housing and Urban Development, with an initial budget of $934,609. To complete the work described above, staff is requesting that $129, 073 of the above referenced fund be allocated for use to complete the MDSP Update. As noted previously, the revised total overall budget would be $1,063,682.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends City Council approve the Second Amendment to the MOU with SCAG for the MDSP Update. Approval of the amendment will ensure this long-range planning project is successfully completed. Approval of this request is also consistent with the Burbank2035 General Plan Land Use and Housing Element Goals as well as the Realization Plan Land Use Programs LU-3 and LU-5 that provides for the update for the City’s existing specific plans with robust public participation in the planning process. This grant and proactive long range planning efforts will help facilitate contextually compatible development and maintain local control by allowing the community to develop a long- range vision for where and how housing is developed within the MDSP area in a way that is unique and appropriate to the City of Burbank.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Second Amendment to the MOU with SCAG
Attachment 2 – First Amendment to the MOU with SCAG
Attachment 3 – Original MOU with SCAG