Residential Sidewalk Policy
Agenda Item 12.B
By Benjamin A. Fine, P.E.
Director of Public Works/City Engineer
Meeting Date: May 7, 2024
Background
•November 1, 2022, Direction
•Sidewalks to be installed:
•New development – In practice, this means development of a vacant lot •Redevelopment – An existing dwelling is completely, or mostly demolished and a new dwelling is built in its place. •50% renovation/addition – The addition and/or remodel of a dwelling when the total square footage being added and/or remodeled equals 50% or more of the existing dwelling •Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU) shall not be included in the definition of new construction, or the calculation of remodel percentage for the requirement of sidewalk •Sidewalks shall not be required where not feasible, i.e. not enough right-of-way
Background
•February 16, 2024, Direction
•Sidewalks to be installed:
•Projects that met the November 1, 2022, criteria only when:
•50% or more of the street already has sidewalks
•City right of way is 50 feet wide or more
•No sidewalks in “Old Shell Beach”
•Cliff Avenue to Vista Del Mar Avenue
Items Needing Clarification
Staff will return at the next council meeting with a resolution for Council’s consideration consistent with direction given
Defining Street – 50%
•Entire Street or segments of the street
•Example Longview Avenue from Taft Street, on the left side of the picture to Bakersfield Street, on the right side of the of the picture with half of the block having a 4-foot sidewalk and the other half having a 3-foot sidewalk.
4’ Sidewalk 3’ Sidewalk
Bluff Top Areas
•Ocean Boulevard
•Bluff top trail from just north of Wawona Avenue to the end of the street, just north of Vista del Mar Avenue.
•Continue bluff failures
•Should sidewalk be required on the inland side of the street to allow for planned managed retreat?
Substandard Sidewalk
•Most of the streets in Pismo Heights have substandard
sidewalks – vary in width from 2 to 3 feet
•Should these be brought up to current standards?
•Example – Bakersfield Street
Additionally Required Work
If Sidewalks are Not Required
•Council-adopted Shell Beach Design Standards and
Guidelines (Guidelines) and the General Plan and Local
Coastal Program (General Plan)
•Currently require sidewalks to be built when a new home is built
Guidelines SP S.1, Page 7
“Where a new single-family structure is proposed on a lot without curb, gutter and/or sidewalk improvements within the street right-of-way, the City shall require the installation of one (1) or all of these improvements as part of a project approval. Permeable pavers, decomposed granite or decorative pea gravel shall be provided within the street right-of-way in instances where the installation of a standard sized sidewalk is determined to be infeasible due to lot size limitations to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works. Changes to existing drainage patterns shall not be altered in a way that would negatively affect neighborhood properties.”
Guidelines Page 19
“Where a new multi-family structure is proposed on a lot without curb, gutter and/or sidewalk improvements within the street right-of-way, the City shall require the installation of one (1) or all of these improvements as part of a project approval. Permeable pavers, decomposed granite or decorative pea gravel shall be provided within the street right-of-way in instances where the installation of a standard sized sidewalk is determined to be infeasible due to lot size limitations to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works. Changes to existing drainage patterns shall not be altered in a way that would negatively affect neighborhood properties.”
Circulation Element of General Plan
•General plan lists four goals
•The City will “plan and provide pedestrian and bicycle facilities to encourage and meet the walking and bicycling needs of the city”
•Subsection 2.4 “Existing Facilities” of Section 4.0
“Multimodal Policies”
•City will “…complete a network of bicycle lanes and paths, sidewalks and pedestrian paths within existing developed parts of the City, and extend the system to serve new growth areas”
Circulation Element of General Plan
•Subsection 2.10 “Universal Design” of Section 4.0
“Multimodal Policies”
•The City will “Provide pedestrian facilities that are accessible to persons with disabilities and ensure that roadway improvement projects address accessibility by using universal design concepts.”
•These sections of the Guidelines and General Plan may
need to be revised to be consistent with Council’s
direction
Conclusion and Recommendation
•Staff recommends the City Council provide direction on the following:
•How to define “fifty percent” as it relates to existing sidewalks •Whether to account of coastal retreat when developing blufftop streets •Whether to required that substandard sidewalks be brought to current standards •Staff recommends that the resolution be retroactive and supersede any conditions of approval for all projects that have planning approval, but not yet issued a building permit as of the date of the adoption of the resolution •Staff recommends that the Council directs staff to update the Shell Beach Design Guidelines and General Plan policies so those documents are not in conflict with current direction
Conclusion and Recommendation
•Staff will return May 21, 2024 with a resolution for the Council’s adoption reflecting direction
August 19, 2014
I-10A - Policy does n ot apply
Does not have sidewalk, nor streets with 50% sidewalk
Has sidewalk
HQA- Policy does not apply
Does not have sidewalk, nor streets with 50% sidewalk
Has sidewaLk
am Blufftop sidewalk on oeeanside of street
HDA —Policy does not apply
Does not have sidewalk, nor streets
with 50% sidewalk
Has sidewalk
mop Sidewalk on one side of street
um Missing some sidewalk
IH0A —Policy does not apply
Has sidewalk