CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
3/14/2022
1 SUBJECT:
2021 Annual Progress Reports on Implementation of the 2015-2023 Housing Element of the General Plan, and the City of Pacifica General Plan
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Move to adopt a Resolution approving the City’s 2021 Housing Element Annual Progress Report on Implementation of the 2015-2023 Housing Element and the 2021 General Plan Annual Progress Report on Implementation of Other Elements of the General Plan, and directing the City Manager to transmit the reports to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR).
STAFF CONTACT:
Joshua Montemayor - Management Analyst II
[email protected]
Christian Murdock, AICP - Deputy Planning Director
[email protected]
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
State law requires the City to submit annual reports by April 1st of each year on the status and progress of implementation of its General Plan during the prior calendar year to the City Council, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (Government Code § 65400). The following discussion and the attached 2021 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (Attachment B) comply with the state law requirements.
1. Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR)
The City Council adopted the 2015-2023 Housing Element of the General Plan on May 11, 2015. The current Housing Element covers what is known as the 5th Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), or RHNA 5. The APR is a routine item required by state law and is not a policy document guiding housing-related actions to be undertaken by the City.
Staff has prepared the Calendar Year 2021 APR in the format prescribed by HCD (Attachment B). This is the seventh APR associated with the 2015-2023 Housing Element. The City’s RHNA 5 allocation for the planning period 2015-2023 was 413 units (approximately 52 units per year).
The 2021 APR prepared by staff demonstrates the number of housing units for which the City granted Planning entitlements, building permits, and certificates of occupancy during the 2021 calendar year.
The APR must be considered by the Council at a public meeting where members of the public have an opportunity to provide oral testimony and written comments. Members of the public Pacifica City Council 2
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may comment on the APR during public comment as part of consideration of the item.
Acceptance of the APR is a routine matter and the report is informational only.
The APR also highlights other accomplishments and milestones achieved throughout the 2021 reporting period. Staff reports the following observations as compared to the 2020 APR reviewed by Council in terms of housing unit production:
• Overall housing unit production counted toward the City’s RHNA 5 goals, as measured by building permits issued, increased to 63 units in 2021 from 26 units in 2020, an increase of 142%. This increase was primarily driven by the development at 801 Fassler Avenue where 24 residential condominium units (12 duplex structures) will be constructed (including four below-market rate deed-restricted affordable housing units), and by the construction of 20 accessory dwelling units at the Villages at Pacifica apartment complex at Gateway Drive and Hickey Boulevard. • Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs, comprised nearly two-thirds of the share of new housing unit production in 2021: 63 percent of new housing units. Twenty-four ADUs were permitted for construction in 2020, whereas 40 ADUs were permitted for construction in 2021. The major jump in ADU construction was driven by the 20 ADUs under construction at the Villages at Pacifica apartment complex. The complex owner has utilized provisions in state law that allow construction of ADUs in multi-family housing projects. The Villages at Pacifica ADUs will be affordable to households with low incomes as a result of the Affordable Housing Regulatory Agreement between the City of Pacifica and the apartment owner approved by the City Council in 2020. A second building permit application is pending for construction of an additional 22 ADUs at the Villages at Pacifica apartment complex and staff anticipates that building permit will be issued sometime in 2022.
Beyond the large multi-family ADU projects summarized above, the City has observed an uptick in interest in ADU construction more generally, likely in response to the City’s revised ADU regulations which make it easier to obtain a building permit for ADUs on single-family residential properties. The Planning Department continues to receive a steady stream of building permit applications to construct ADUs and expects the number to increase in subsequent years.
A. 2023-2031 Housing Element Update (RHNA 6)
The Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) is charged with developing the methodology to allocate each local agency’s RHNA. ABAG adopted the Final Sixth Cycle RHNA (RHNA 6) for the 2023-2031 planning period on December 16, 2021. The City of Pacifica received an allocation of 1,892 housing units across various levels of affordability (Attachment C). This is an increase of 1,479 units, or an increase of 358 percent, compared to its RHNA 5 allocation of 413 units.
The deadline for Bay Area cities and counties to update their housing elements to reflect their RHNA 6 allocations is January 31, 2023. In light of the Housing Element requiring updates to cover the upcoming RHNA 6 cycle, the City began working together regionally with other jurisdictions in San Mateo County in an ongoing collaborative effort known as 21 Elements.
Staff has participated in the 21 Elements effort throughout the current reporting period and continues to do so in implementing RHNA 6 as explained above.
This collaborative effort allows the 21 local jurisdictions of San Mateo County to come together on a regular basis to collectively address the region’s housing needs through shared learning Pacifica City Council 3
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and coordinated action. The effort has been recognized statewide as a best practice for housing planning and policy and has been a successful forum for sharing resources, successful strategies, and best practices.
Planning Division staff frequently attends and participates at the 21 Elements meetings and has received significant technical assistance that has allowed the City to develop, adopt, and implement local housing policies and programs. Staff is working closely with 21 Elements to update the Housing Element and efforts throughout the current reporting period have included:
• Kicked-off the Housing Element Update with four county-wide community meetings to introduce to the public to what a housing element is and why the process to update it is important.
• Conducted Equity Advisory Group meetings with community-based organizations to understand who Pacifica’s stakeholders are, what languages are spoken throughout the community, and community engagement ideas.
• Launched of LetsTalkHousing.org to serve as a central site for countywide housing element update information.
• Completed four county-wide community meetings on the theme of “Creating an Affordable Future” to learn more about the housing problem and possible solutions. • Discussed Pacifica’s sites inventory, potential policies and programs, housing conditions, and countywide housing needs.
In 2022, staff will continue to work closely with 21 Elements to evaluate the City’s existing Housing Element and update needs, develop a work plan, facilitate HCD conversations, engage the community, conduct outreach efforts and community workshops, and develop the Draft Housing Element by the adoption deadline of January 31, 2023.
2. Other General Plan Elements
Staff has also conducted a review of the City’s General Plan and prepared the report below outlining notable items related to implementation of elements of the City’s General Plan, other than the Housing Element. The following discussion is intended to comply with the state law requirements for reporting on the status of the General Plan and progress in its implementation:
Circulation Element
• Policy No. 2: Encourage residents to use SamTrans.
Policy No. 7: Encourage SamTrans and other public transportation to provide improved transit and street maintenance of their routes.
City staff has engaged with SamTrans staff as part of the Reimagine SamTrans process to update bus routes to improve the level of service in Pacifica. The City Council also received a presentation from and provided input to SamTrans staff at the City Council meeting on May 10, 2021.
• Policy No. 13: Maintain and upgrade local streets.
The City paved 298,000 square yards of local streets in 2021, equivalent to approximately 46.5 football fields. This comprised approximately 11 miles of local streets and 12 percent of the City’s local street network. • Policy No. 15: Promote orderly growth in land uses and circulation.
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The Planning Commission held more than a dozen public hearings to review development projects and to review General Plan consistency of the City’s annual Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
Conservation Element
• Policy No. 1: Conserve trees and encourage native forestation.
Policy No. 3: Protect significant trees of neighborhood or area importance and encourage planting of appropriate trees and vegetation.
The City initiated an update to its Heritage Tree Protection Ordinance and conducted a joint study session with the Planning Commission, Parks, Beaches and Recreation (PB&R) Commission, and Beautification Advisory Committee (BAC) on September 28, 2021.
• Policy No. 5: Local year-round creeks and their riparian habitats shall be protected.
The Public Works Department conducted its annual creek maintenance program to remove debris from creeks in Pacifica prior to the rainy season.
Open Space Element
• The City’s Open Space and Parkland Advisory Committee met monthly to consider and advise the City Council on matters related to open space areas in Pacifica.
Noise Element
• Policy No. 1: Work with other agencies, airports and jurisdictions to reduce noise levels in Pacifica created by their operations.
City Council representatives participated in the Airport Community Roundtable to engage with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and San Francisco International Airport representatives on airport noise issues affecting the City.
Historic Preservation Element
• Policy No. 1: Conserve historic and cultural sites and structures which define the past and present character of Pacifica.
• Policy No. 2: Consider creative alternatives, which may include uses other than the original use, to protect and preserve historic sites and structures. • Policy No. 4: Encourage all public agencies to continue and increase their support for local historic sites of County, State and National significance in Pacifica.
The Planning Commission granted a temporary use permit to allow the storage and restoration of Ocean Shore Railroad (OSRR) Car No. 1409, one of the only known remaining railcars from the Ocean Shore Railroad that operated in Pacifica in the early 20th Century.
Community Design Element
• Policy No. 5: Require underground utilities in all new development Pacifica City Council 5
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All developments approved by the Planning Commission included a standard condition of approval to require utilities be installed underground from their point of connection to the development served.
Community Facilities Element
• Policy No. 4: Meet basic social needs of City residents, such as transportation, housing, health, information and referral services, and safety, consistent with financial constraints.
The City’s Meals on Wheels program delivered 29,928 meals to program clients. In addition, the Community Center congregate meal (i.e., dine-in) and grab-and-go programs served 49,633 meals to program participants.
Land Use Element
• Policy No. 1: The Pacifica General Plan Map and text shall establish a land use classification for the entire City and its Sphere of Influence. • Policy No. 2: The Zoning Ordinance shall apply Zoned District status to all land within the City consistent with the General Plan policies.
The City maintained a General Plan that applied a land use designation for the entire City and its Sphere of Influence. The City also maintained a Zoning Ordinance including a zoning map that applied a zoning classification to all land within the City consistent with General Plan policies.
Safety and Seismic Safety Element
• Policy No. 2: Support continuing public awareness of hazards by providing citizens with hazard information, results of studies, emergency procedures and alternatives. When appropriate, buyers shall be notified of geotechnical uncertainties or potential risks and costs.
The City Council adopted an updated Multi-jurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (MHLHMP) on November 22, 2021. The MHLHMP identifies potential hazards affecting the City of Pacifica and serves as an informational tool for residents and City staff. • Policy No. 9: Provide and publicize a Citywide emergency communications system.
The Police Department webpage includes information on signing up for the SMC Alert system (www.smcalert.info).
• Policy No. 10: Emphasize fire prevention measures.
Policy No. 11: Code enforcement shall be an important City function.
Policy No. 12: Encourage commercial and residential code compliance.
The City’s code enforcement officer and building official perform investigative and enforcement services in relation to complaints of residential and commercial code violations. In 2021, the code enforcement officer initiated 293 formal code enforcement cases and many other informal contacts with property owners to address code compliance. Additionally, the Fire Department conducts annual inspections of commercial and multi-family residential properties for compliance with applicable Fire Code requirements.
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There was no reportable action on implementation of the Scenic Highways Element.
3. Next Steps
The City Council should consider the amount of progress made in the prior calendar year towards implementation of the City’s General Plan, including specifically progress towards achieving the City’s RHNA. The City Council may also consider how the relative progress made in implementation of the General Plan may guide its priority work plan items and other actions directed by the City Council.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
The recommended action to adopt a Resolution approving the City’s 2021 Annual Progress Reports is consistent state law; therefore, no alternative action is identified.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
City Council Goals: “A Healthy and Compassionate Community” includes addressing affordable housing and mental health services, investigating strategies related to homelessness, and supporting youth services.
Work Plan, Council Priority No. 8: Affordable Housing
FISCAL IMPACT:
No direct fiscal impact. However, timely filing of the Housing Element APR is important to retain eligibility for Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) funding under the Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) and Priority Development Area (PDA) grant programs for regional housing technical assistance. The City has two PDAs, the Sharp Park Specific Plan PDA and the Skyline Corridor PDA.
ORIGINATED BY:
Planning Department
ATTACHMENT LIST:
Attachment A - Resolution Approving Annual Progress Reports on General Plan Implementation (DOCX)
Attachment B - 2021 Housing Element APR (PDF)
Attachment C - Final RHNA 6 Allocation for San Mateo County (PDF)