BACKGROUND:
In the mid-2000’s, Cathedral City was interested in annexing additional land north of Interstate 10. The annexation of additional property would round out the City’s then-current north city land holdings. As a part of this planning process, the City undertook a comprehensive land planning and visioning exercise. Beginning in 2007, members from nearly all City Departments, City Council, and Planning Commission along with a variety of professional consultants, landowners, developers, and leaders from a variety of Coachella Valley-based organizations contributed to what became the North City Specific Plan (NCSP or Plan). This 350-page Plan, covering nearly 5,000-acres, was completed, and adopted by City Council in July 2009.
The Plan begins at the southeast corner of Palm Drive and Varner Road and proceeds due east to what would be the northern extension of DaVall Drive. The plan reaches as far south as the Interstate 10 freeway, following Interstate 10 nearly five miles from Palm Drive on the west to DaVall Drive on the east.
The Plan was intended to (i) promote access and developability of the north city area, (ii) establish higher-density pedestrian-oriented residential and commercial neighborhoods; (iii) establish commercial business parks surrounding the future Landau Blvd/Interstate 10 interchange as well as the DeVall Drive/Interstate 10 interchange; (iv) establish areas for light industrial or resort hotel(s) development within the Edom Hill area; and (v) designate just over 50% of the total Plan area as open space or Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Land. The Plan established detailed design guidelines for both public improvements (from circulation and streetscape improvements to roadways, utility locations, and sizing) and private development (from building layouts, to styling, colors, and parking).
Since the adoption of the Plan in 2009, there has been no private development within any portion of the Plan.
DISCUSSION:
There are five main zoning districts within the NCSP. These districts include (1) two different mixed-use designations, (2) residential estate, (3) business park, (4) light industrial, and (5) open space.
1) Mixed Use:
a. Mixed Use-Urban (MU-U) District is intended to (i) create the maximum amount of commercial development at a variety of scales, from regional mall “big boxes” to community-serving retail, consistent with market demand; (ii) encourage higher density residential development to occur in close proximity to employment uses and services to achieve smart growth objectives; (iii) foster pedestrian-oriented activity nodes by providing a mix of uses in compact and walkable areas; and (iv) provide appropriate locations for a broad range of live/work activities, such as residential over retail and live/work lofts.
b. Mixed Use-Neighborhood (MU-N) District is intended to: (i) promote a variety of housing types and ranges of densities to accommodate diverse housing needs; (ii) provide residential uses that are proximate to supportive commercial services in a mixed-use environment; (iii) foster pedestrian-oriented activity nodes by providing a mix of uses in compact and walkable areas; and (iv) encourage new housing opportunities, such as live/work units and residential over retail.
2) Residential Estate:
a. Residential Estate is intended to provide high quality single family residential areas with very low densities, retention of open and natural areas, and reduction of grading. The density in any subdivision of land shall not exceed one lot per each gross acre of land in the project. 3) Business Park:
a. Business Park (BP) District is intended to provide an opportunity for commercial, office and light manufacturing, both in business park settings and on individually developed lots. This district encourages a complementary mix of uses that includes offices for administrative, business, and professional activities in relatively large, campus-like settings, and supportive service and retail commercial businesses. 4) Edom Hill Light Industrial:
a. Edom Hill – Light Industrial (EH-LI) District is intended to promote, but not require, “green” industrial uses, including recycling facilities, solar and wind energy facilities, and other environmentally-sensitive, “clean” industrial uses in an integrated setting. This district is intended to provide for light industrial, light manufacturing, and industrial support uses that will produce minimal environmental impact relative to noise, vibration, air pollution, glare, or waste disposal. Important district goals include ensuring compatibility with the adjacent MSHCP Area.
5) Open Space:
a. The central purpose of the Multispecies Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) was to permanently conserve potentially developable land.
Approximately 2,493-acres out of NCSP’s 4,664-acres have been designated as open space. NCSP land conversation goals include: (i) supporting the preservation and management of all identified habitat lands of threatened and endangered species; (ii) preserving the natural topography and drainage systems, as appropriate; (iii) promoting water conservation and water quality; (iv) creating a comprehensive, interconnected open space network and trails system; (v) assuring that views to the Specific Plan area from the I-10 freeway and the Coachella Valley are attractive and inviting; (vi) creating a visually appealing, unified Specific Plan area with a distinct character; and (vii) enhancing the pedestrian environment and provide for comfortable settings in which people can gather.
The following is a chart of the various zoning districts and corresponding number of Plan-wide acres within each district.
Land Use/Zoning Designation Acreage Total Acreage within NCSP by Land Use
Mixed Use-Urban 734
Mixed Use-Neighborhood 384
Total Mixed Use 1,118
Residential Estate 463
Business Park 276
Light Industrial 15
Edom Hill-Light Industrial 299
Total Light Industrial 314
Open Space 2,104
Open Space-Residential 389
Total Open Space 2,493
Total Acres within the NCSP 4,664
The developability of land is generally driven by the following five forces: (i) market demand, (ii) market-appropriateness of allowed land uses, (iii) access, (iv) availability of required utilities, and (v) barriers to physical site development. It is a good practice to periodically review specific plans to ensure (i) said specific plan(s) achieve Council goals and (ii) evaluate whether plans are or will be market-appropriate.
For information on the status of currently available utilities, additional information may be found on the attachments immediately following this staff report or on the following pages within the NCSP:
1) Wet utilities: Figure 6-1 on page 6-6
2) Dry utilities: Figure 6-3 on page 6-13
3) Backbone infrastructure cost estimate: Page 14-8
The map depicting all NCSP zoning districts has been attached. The same map may be found within the complete NCSP on page XI (actual page 31).
On December 13, 2017, the City Council modified the NCSP and North City Extended Specific Plan by passing Ordinance No. 805. Ordinance No. 805 modified zoning district language to specifically allow cannabis businesses within the Mixed Use-Urban (MU-U), Mixed Use-Neighborhood (MU-N), and Business Park (BP) districts. Ordinance No. 805 also authorized a decrease (from 35% to 10%) in the required amount of commercial- focused gross floor area within mixed-use development projects (See Ord. No. 805 Section 2G). A copy of the Ordinance No. 805 is attached.
FISCAL IMPACT:
For discussion only.