CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
2/27/2023
1 SUBJECT:
2022 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 2022 Housing Element Annual Progress Report on Implementation of the 2015-2023 Housing Element and the 2022 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:
Christian Murdock, AICP - 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 2022 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (Attachment B) comply with the state law requirements.
During the 2040 General Plan update process, the City Council identified that the annual reports on implementation of the General Plan and Housing Element should provide a process for public input on whether any updates to the documents are needed to address the community’s needs. Seeking this additional input, beyond simply reporting on what actions the City undertook in the prior year, to identify what potential General Plan amendments may be necessary makes more robust use of the established annual reporting process. In addition, the timing of consideration of the annual reports is intended to allow public input to inform the City Council’s annual strategic planning and goal setting process that typically occurs in March of each year.
1. Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR)
The City Council adopted the 2015-2023 Housing Element of the General Plan on May 11, 2015. That Housing Element covers what is known as the 5th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), or RHNA 5. The APR is a routine item required by state law to report on housing-related activities in the prior calendar year and is not a policy document guiding housing-related actions to be undertaken by the City.
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Staff has prepared the Calendar Year 2022 APR in the format prescribed by HCD (Attachment B
1 ). This is the eighth and final 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 2022 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 2022 calendar year.
The APR must be considered by the Council at a public meeting where members of the public have an opportunity to provide comments. Members of the public 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 2022 reporting period. Staff reports the following observations as compared to the 2021 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, decreased to 55 units in 2022 from 63 units in 2021, a decrease of 13 percent. While the number of units decreased in 2022, housing approvals were still more than double the next best year in the Housing Element period. • Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs, comprised 87 percent of the share of new housing unit approvals in 2022: 48 units. Twenty-two of these units were constructed 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 was issued for construction of an additional 20 ADUs at the Villages at Pacifica apartment complex in 2021.
• The City received its first applications under the new state law known as Senate Bill 9, or SB 9. SB 9 allows for ministerial approval (i.e., no discretionary review) of two residential unit projects and/or urban lot splits of existing lots for projects that meet the qualifying criteria in the law. Six SB 9 applications have been submitted, one of which has been approved. These applications consist of an urban lot split only (4 applications) and combined two residential unit and urban lot split (2 applications). 2023-2031 Housing Element Update (RHNA 6)
Pacifica’s Sixth Cycle RHNA (RHNA 6) for the 2023-2031 planning period is 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 City held three community meetings in late-2022 to seek community input for the Housing Element Update (HEU) to address RHNA 6 and work is ongoing by the City to release the public review draft and adopt the HEU.
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 1 Staff notes that readability of the Housing Element APR can be challenging. However, the City is required by law to use the prescribed reporting form.
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than the Housing Element. Past reports have focused on implementation of the 1980 General Plan. However, this annual report is the first to include the 2040 General Plan which was adopted by the City Council in July 2022 to comprehensively update the General Plan (except the Housing Element). Because the 1980 General Plan is no longer in effect, this annual report focuses on implementation of the 2040 General Plan.
Economic Sustainability Element
• ES-I-1: Town Center. Through a combination of mixed use land use designations/zoning, streetscape improvements such as undergrounding overhead utility lines, targeted public investment, and marketing strategies, promote Palmetto Avenue as a pedestrian-oriented destination with shops and services for residents and visitors alike.
On August 31, 2022, the City Council adopted the Sharp Park Specific Plan (SPSP).
The SPSP emphasizes mixed use land use designations along Palmetto Avenue and elsewhere, calls for streetscape and other public realm improvements, to make Palmetto Avenue a pedestrian-oriented destination with shops and services in a manner consistent with this policy.
• ES-I-16: “Shop Pacifica” Campaign. Create a “Shop Pacifica” campaign to support local businesses and decrease retail sales leakage.
City economic development staff created a “Shop Pacifica” campaign that included local gift cards used for purchases at participating businesses located within the City of Pacifica.
• ES-I-19: Host New Events. Promote regionally recognized events as a means of increasing awareness of Pacifica as a destination and fostering a positive image of the City as a place to visit, reside, and conduct business.
Examples of community events that could draw visitors to the city – and take advantage of the City’s outdoor amenities – include group hikes, trail races, golf tournaments, surfing competitions, LGBTQ Pride events, a Summer Concert series, as well as city celebrations such as Fog Fest, festivals, and promotional sales.
City staff supported planning and conduct of two new events in 2022: an LGBTQ pride parade, and Blues & Brews musical performance. Both events drew visitors from outside Pacifica and complimented other annual events in the City including but not limited to Fog Fest and the dog surfing competition.
• ES-I-28: Opportunity Sites Inventory. Maintain an inventory of available and “ready-togo” development sites on the City’s website, and provide the list to interested developers and/or businesses seeking sites in the City.
The inventory of development sites should be updated periodically, depending on the pace of development, and distributed to local developers, realtors, employment recruiters, large commercial bankers, and others involved in economic development.
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The City initiated an economic opportunities study, as part of the Vision 2025 fiscal sustainability strategy, to identify locations in Pacifica that would be suitable for redevelopment to increase vibrancy and tax generation for the City.
Community Design Element
• CD-I-4: Primary Activity Centers. Create primary activity centers at West Sharp Park, Rockaway Beach, and Linda Mar, and neighborhood centers in Pacific Manor and Park Pacifica (at and around the Park Mall site).
The Sharp Park Specific Plan Area will be the City’s mixed use core. The Sharp Park Specific Plan will serve as the guide to enhance Palmetto Avenue between Paloma Avenue and Clarendon Road as a vibrant, mixed-use main street, with strong connections to the Ocean. Sharp Park’s character will be signaled by higher-intensity buildings along the Highway 1 corridor, including at the Eureka Square site.
See Economic Sustainability Element Policy No. ES-I-1, above. • CD-I-20: Underground Utilities. Continue to require underground utilities in all new development. New developments should include undergrounding existing overhead utilities along each project frontage. Within scenic corridors, place lines underground or located there so they do not break the viewline of a roadway vista. This policy applies Citywide.
As part of the triennial update process for the California Building Standards Code, the City Council enacted a local amendment to require underground utility installation in all new development. The local amendment addresses utility undergrounding requirements for projects submit to ministerial review only (i.e., those projects not required to undergo a discretionary permit process).
Land Use Element
There was no reportable action on implementation of the Land Use Element.
Circulation Element
• CI-I-52: Age-Friendly Community. Support mobility programs and improvements that enable mobility for all people, including seniors and people with disabilities.
The City continued to operate several programs to address mobility for all people, including seniors and people with disabilities:
o A senior shuttle program to bring seniors to the Community Center lunch program during weekdays.
o A Connect a Ride program for seniors to access low-cost taxi rides (supported by the generosity of the late Sirkka Niukkanen).
o A Shopping Assistance for Seniors Homebound (SASH) program that pairs a SASH volunteer with a senior who cannot shop due to limited mobility or lack of transportation.
o A Meals on Wheels program to deliver meals to homebound seniors.
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Open Space and Community Facilities
• OC-I-1: Park Land Dedication or In-Lieu Fees. For new development, continue to require the dedication of land or payment of in-lieu fees to provide park land at a ratio of five acres per 1,000 residents.
The City Council adopted an update to the in-lieu fees for park land dedication. The fee update increased the amount of fees to ensure fees collected are adequate to acquire park land and construct improvements.
• OC-I-58: Civic Center. Continue to study the feasibility of developing a new City Hall or Civic Center to provide adequate space for long-term needs and enhance the City’s image.
The City commenced construction on a substantial renovation to the Civic Center at Santa Maria Avenue and Francisco Boulevard. The project would add a new elevator tower to enhance ADA access, restore the exterior to wood siding that matches its original design, and remodel the interior floorplan of the City Hall building. The project would also substantially renovate the interior and exterior of the Planning & Parks, Beaches, and Recreation Building.
The City also conducted an initial analysis of a potential joint project with the Pacifica School District (PSD) to combine corporate yard facilities on PSD property, and relocated PSD offices to City property (potentially including affordable housing development).
• OC-I-63: Senior and Community Services. Continue to use available funding sources to maintain and enhance the City’s Senior Services program, including meal services, transportation, and counseling. In addition, continue to support non-profit service providers in offering other needed community services.
See Policy No. CI-I-52, above.
Conservation Element
• CO-I-39: Heritage Trees. Update the Heritage Tree ordinance to improve ease of City administration and clarity for applicants and surrounding residents. Consider a canopy goal for heritage and non-heritage trees as part of the Heritage Tree ordinance update or other updates to the City’s tree regulations.
The City Council enacted a new tree protection ordinance that replaced the former Heritage Tree ordinance. The new ordinance expanded the definition of protected trees and required replanting at a 2:1 ratio for removal of healthy trees, among other updates. • CO-I-55. Green Building. Monitor the effectiveness of the California Green Building Code in bringing about energy efficiency in architectural design and building construction.
As part of the triennial update process for the California Building Standards Code (CBSC), the City Council enacted local amendments to require electric-only building appliances for new construction (i.e., prohibiting natural gas). Limited exceptions apply to certain restaurants only. The local amendments, known as “Reach Codes,” will result Pacifica City Council 6
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in lower carbon emissions by reducing fossil fuel use for building and water heating and cooking. They also would require more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in new development than the standard CBSC provisions.
Safety Element
• SA-I-99: Multi-Jurisdictional Approach. Participate in State or regional efforts to develop a clear legislative and regulatory framework to manage the wildland-urban interface, including implementation of the MJ-LHMP.
City staff monitored ongoing efforts by the Office of the State Fire Marshal to update fire hazard severity zone maps. Draft map updates for the State Responsibility Area have been released for public and agency comment. However, Local Responsibility Area draft map updates have not yet been released and are anticipated no sooner than late 2023.
• SA-I-115: Code Updates. Update City codes and ordinances dealing with public safety to comply with State law and reflect the latest information on hazards and mitigation strategies.
The City Council enacted an ordinance to adopt the triennial update to the California Building Standards Code with certain local amendments to address unique issues due to Pacifica’s local topographic, geologic, and climatic conditions. These local amendments included a requirement to underground utilities in new development and to perform expanded geotechnical hazard assessments for potential off-site impacts.
Noise Element
There was no reportable action on implementation of the Noise 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 or issues identified by during public comment may guide its strategic planning, priority work plan items, and potential future General Plan amendments.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
The recommended action to adopt a Resolution approving the City’s 2022 Annual Progress Reports is consistent state law; therefore, no alternative action is identified.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
City Council Goals:
“Fiscal Sustainability” includes investing in economic development to increase revenues, funding a reserve/emergency fund, and being well prepared for grant opportunities.
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“An Engaged Community” includes creating opportunities to expand public participation, increase communication, and build community post-COVID.
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 - 2022 Housing Element APR (PDF)
Attachment C - Final RHNA 6 Allocation for San Mateo County (PDF)