CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
2/26/2024
1 SUBJECT:
2023 Annual Progress Report on Implementation of the Housing Element of the General Plan and the 2023 Annual Progress Report on Implementation of Other Elements of the General Plan.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Move to adopt a Resolution approving the City’s 2023 Annual Progress Report on Implementation of the Housing Element of the General Plan and the 2023 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
(650) 738-7341
[email protected]
Brianne Harkousha, AICP, Senior Planner
(650) 738-7341
[email protected]
Elizabeth Brooks, MPA, Management Analyst II
(650) 738-7341
[email protected]
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
State law requires the City to submit annual reports to the City Council, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, and the California Department of Housing and Community Development by April 1st of each year on the status and progress of implementation of its General Plan during the prior calendar year (Government Code § 65400). The following discussion and the attached 2023 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (Exhibit A to Attachment A) 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 progress 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)
Pacifica City Council 2
February 26, 2024
The City Council adopted the 2015-2023 Housing Element of the General Plan on May 11, 2015. The 2015-2023 Housing Element covered what is known as the 5th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), or RHNA 5. On January 22, 2024, the City Council adopted the 2023-2031 Housing Element of the General Plan which covers what is known as the 6th Cycle RHNA, or RHNA 6.
Staff has prepared the Calendar Year 2023 APR in the format prescribed by HCD (Attachment B
1 ). This is the first APR associated with the 2023-2031 Housing Element (the 2022 APR included the eighth and final APR on implementation of the 2015-2023 Housing Element). The City’s RHNA 5 allocation for the planning period 2015-2023 was 413 housing units and City’s RHNA 6 allocation for the planning period 2023-2031 is 1,892 housing units. This is an increase of 1,479 units or a 358 percent increase, compared to the RHNA 5 allocation. The 2023 APR prepared by staff demonstrates the number of housing units for which the City granted planning entitlements (i.e., discretionary approvals), building permits, and certificates of occupancy during the 2023 calendar year.
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. 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 2023 reporting period. Staff reports the following observations as compared to the 2022 APR reviewed by Council in terms of housing unit production:
• Overall housing unit production in 2023, as measured by building permits issued, decreased to 24 units from 55 units in 2022, a decrease of 56 percent. However, 48 units were issued a Certificate of Occupancy which was a significant increase compared to previous years.
• Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs, comprise of 50 percent of the Certificate of Occupancy’s that were issued in 2023: 24 units.
• The City continues to process applications under the 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. Nine SB 9 applications have been submitted, three of which have been approved in 2023. These applications consist of an urban lot split only (6 applications) and combined two residential unit and urban lot split (3 applications). • 78 housing units were entitled in 2023 as part of the processing of residential development projects, which was a significant increase from previous years.
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. This is the second annual report on 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, the following information, which constitutes the annual report, focuses on implementation of the 2040 General Plan:
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.
Pacifica City Council 3
February 26, 2024
Economic Sustainability Element
• ES-I-14: Broaden Business Marketing Efforts. Expand the City’s marketing efforts developing a comprehensive marketing plan with tools and implementation strategies, focusing on targeted industries and businesses. Actions may include:
o Advertising in industry publications;
o Creating targeted content for various social media campaigns; o Improving City website ease of use and accessibility; o Creating and maintaining a Citywide calendar to improve event coordination; o Publicizing local business success stories in local news outlets; o Contracting with a professional marketing service (if feasible); and o Preparing marketing materials, including an inventory of assets that Pacifica offers, such as available sites and buildings, development incentives, high quality of life, amenities, and others.
City economic development staff launched the implementation of a Marketing Plan and developed successful ongoing marketing programs and initiatives to ensure post pandemic recovery.
• ES-I-15: Relationships with Business Organizations. Maintain a strong working relationship with the Pacifica Chamber of Commerce, as well as other local and regional business groups such as the Palmetto Business Association.
City economic development staff developed and implemented a new “Workation” program to build upon Pacifica’s unique location in order to stimulate the local hospitality industry and encourage visitors traffic into Pacifica as a destination for remote work from one of the City’s beachfront hotels and receive a promotional “Shop Pacifica” e-gift card to explore and enjoy participating local businesses while stimulating local economy and keeping dollars in Pacifica. The program, initiated in the Summer of 2023, strategically leveraged remote work trends. The pilot program, with a modest budget of $3,500, resulted in 42 mid-week workcation reservations, injecting approximately $55,700 into the local economy. With a near 1500% ROI, this program not only boosted local hotels and businesses but also increased Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) and sales tax revenues. The success of the pilot program has paved the way for its larger-scale permanent version through consensus with the Pacifica Hotel Business Improvement District to provide the ongoing funding mechanism for the program that is expected to inject $250,000-$500,000 into the local economy annually in the future once developed and funded.
• ES-I-16: “Shop Pacifica” Campaign. Create a “Shop Pacifica” campaign to support local businesses and decrease retail sales leakage.
City economic development staff continues to implement the “Shop Pacifica” campaign that included local gift cards used for purchases at participating businesses located within the City of Pacifica. The City economic development staff expanded the “Shop Pacifica” e-gift program to 57 participating businesses, with over 2,300 e-gift cards distributed (including the City investment in bonus cards valued at $25,000. This program injected an additional $90,000 into the local economy, benefitting a diverse range of local businesses. The program's success, measured at 260% ROI, is also reflected in ongoing registrations and diverse shopping options for consumers, contributing to the vibrancy of Pacifica's local economy.
Pacifica City Council 4
February 26, 2024
• 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 hosting of multiple annual events in 2023 including but not limited to Fog Fest, the dog surfing competition, LGBTQ+ pride parade, and Blues & Brews musical performance.
• 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.
On March 27, 2023, the City Council finalized and accepted an Economic Opportunities Study report prepared for the City that assessed the City’s commercial economy and identified locations in Pacifica that would be suitable for redevelopment to increase vibrancy and tax generation for the City. The study identified 34 opportunities analyzed by business district and varying in implementation timelines between the short (1-2 years), medium (3-4 years), and long-term (5 years or longer) and has laid the foundation for targeted economic growth.
Community Design Element
• CD-I-5: High-Quality Multi-Family and Senior Housing for All Income Levels. Support attached, multi-family, and senior housing that relates positively to the street and surrounding areas, is accessible on foot to community amenities including transit, shopping and services, and offers residents a range of amenities, and provide updated, illustrated Design Guidelines that reflect the unique qualities of Pacifica’s neighborhoods.
Larger buildings should vary in form, setback, height, color, and materials. Landscaping plays a role in defining spaces, creating interplay with building forms, and screening parking and utilities. Access and parking should be designed to minimize traffic impacts on residential streets. Buildings and open spaces should be oriented to maximize sunlight.
On April 24, 2023, the City Council approved a development proposal known as the Pacifica Workforce Housing project which authorized the construction of seven multifamily residential buildings, with a total of 70 residential housing units (including 11 housing units affordable at below-market rate), residential amenity buildings, off-street parking and circulations improvements, open space, and landscaping, and recreational fields and amenities at the former Oddstad Elementary School located at 930 Oddstad Blvd. The approved project provides for multi-family housing for at least 45 units of workforce housing for Pacifica School District employees and up to 25 units of market rate housing, offers a range of amenities, and relates positively to the street and surrounding areas.
Pacifica City Council 5
February 26, 2024
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 continues 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. o Senior Services continues to work with the Age Friendly Pacifica Task Force on initiatives to improve the lives of seniors in the community, including, but not limited to the Age Friendly Action Plan.
Open Space and Community Facilities
• OC-I-4 Emphasize Park Maintenance and Improvements. Enhance existing parks to improve the quality and usability of Pacifica’s park land, and make improvements such that park facilities are equitably distributed throughout Pacifica. In particular:
o Improve existing sports fields in partnership with local non-profit youth and adult athletic groups;
o Add playgrounds or expand play areas at Fairway, Imperial, and Oddstad parks; o Convert parking area to park space at Oddstad, and make improvements at the park’s entrance.
o Provide an off-leash dog area at a location in the northern part of the City.
Parks, Beaches, and Recreation staff continue to implement the playground equipment replacement project and recently completed three of the four identified locations. The locations include Pacifica Co-Op Nursery, Fairway Park, and Saltaire Park. In addition, Parks, Beaches, and Recreation staff continue to work with a consultant to prepare construction drawings for another playground initiative, known as Priority Parks, where 4 playgrounds will receive an extensive complete facility renovation. City Council also approved a resolution to begin planning to build a Bike Park at the Lower Frontierland Park. The Bike Park project is in the concept design stage, and grant submittals have also occurred to fund the project.
• 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 continues construction and is working towards completing finishes on the buildings being constructed for the 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 Pacifica City Council 6
February 26, 2024
substantially renovate the interior and exterior of the former Planning and Parks, Beaches & Recreation Building, which will house the Planning Department and Engineering Division of the Public Works Department when completed. • 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-54: Climate Action Plan for Greenhouse Gas Reductions. Maintain and update the Climate Action Plan that focuses on feasible actions the City can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from government businesses, and residents in Pacifica.
The City Council directed formation of a Climate Action and Adaptation Plan Task Force (CAAP TF) to develop an update to the City’s Climate Action Plan. The CAAP TF consists of 11 appointed members that meet once a month to engage with staff, the community and other stakeholders of the plan. Key milestones of the plan include defining the scope, analyzing City’s GHG inventory, developing an emissions forecast, establishing measurable targets and actionable goals, and drafting and presenting the plan for adoption.
• CO-I-71: Inclusive Engagement. Expand notification efforts for major policy documents and projects within Pacifica’s Coastal Zone to unrepresented communities outside of Pacifica.
Planning staff continues to expand the notification efforts and engage the community on the City’s draft Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP). Planning staff has held multiple community meetings. On December 5, 2023, the City held a community meeting that was an in-person, interactive engagement event where the participating community members were divided into small groups to discuss their concerns, hopes, suggestions, and questions on the draft LCLUP. The meeting had more than 160 attendees.
Safety Element
• SA-I-27: Critical Facilities Location. Site critical public facilities including hospital and healthcare facilities, emergency shelters, police and fire stations, and emergency communications facilities outside of the tsunami evacuation zone and 100-year flood plains.
The City Council enacted an Ordinance that created zoning provisions for approval, construction, and operation of an emergency shelter to be consistent with the requirements of Senate Bill 2 and Assembly Bill 2339, and allows emergency shelters by right in the Community Commercial (C-2) Zoning District. • 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 Pacifica City Council 7
February 26, 2024
been released for public and agency comment. However, Local Responsibility Area draft map updates have not yet been released.
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.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA):
This action is not a project as defined in Section 15378(b) (2) of the Public Resources Code; therefore, no California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental review is required.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
The recommended action to adopt a Resolution approving the City’s 2023 Annual Progress Reports is consistent state law; therefore, no alternative action is identified.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
The adoption of the Resolution approving the City’s 2023 Annual Progress Reports is consistent with State law and is consistent with the following item(s) in the Council-adopted Strategic Plan and Priority Work Plan for FY 2023-2030:
• Goal 1: Enhance organizational and fiscal stability.
o Strategy C: Prioritize implementation of the Economic Opportunities Study. • Goal 5: Broaden public communications and collaboration. o Strategy A: Creatively and appropriately leverage community expertise and volunteers to advance City priorities.
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:
Pacifica City Council 8
February 26, 2024
Attachment A - Resolution Approving APR with Exhibit A (PDF)