General Plan/Local Coastal Land Use
Plan Status Update
Item 12.A
Scot Graham, Community Development Director
May 21, 2024
GP/LCP update
•Background
1.What is the GP/LCP
2.CDP/ECDP Process
3.Timeline of the GP/LCP Update to date
•Moving GP/LCP Update forward
•The neighborhood-based approach
•Next Steps
•Project timeline moving forward
•Council Direction
Background - What is the GP/LCP
The GP/LCP is the City’s top tier long range land use document and works with and is implemented by other regulatory
documents including the Municipal Code and Zoning Code.
The Local Coastal Program (LCP) consists of the Land Use Plan (LUP) and Implementation Plan (IP) which are incorporated as portions of the GP and Zoning Code respectively. Certification of the LUP/IP by CCC allows the City to issue Coastal
Development Permits (CDP) in the Coastal Zone. A large portion of the City is in the Coastal Zone and most development proposed in the Coastal Zone requires a CDP
Background - Coastal Zone Map
Background - CDP Process
•City issues CDP’s in the City’s permit jurisdiction and in the appeal jurisdiction. CDP’s in the appeal area are
subject to appeal by or to the CCC.
•CDP’s in the CCC’s retained jurisdiction are issued by the CCC.
•Emergency CDP’s (Sec. 17.124.071): City can issue
emergency CDP’s
•ECDP are issued at sole discretion of the Director. Requires the Director to verify the facts of the emergency…must meet the following: “sudden unexpected occurrence demanding
immediate action to prevent or mitigate loss or damage to life, health, property or essential public services”
Background - ECDP Process cont.
Process for issuance of ECDP
•Director shall provide notice as appropriate
•Director may grant the ECDP with conditions, including expiration date. Public comment period can be provided if time allows •Applicant is required to submit a regular CDP application within 30-days. City approval of the regular CDP, in the CCC appeal jurisdiction, is subject to appeal by the CCC. •Proposed work must be consistent with LCP
•Director shall report to Council at first scheduled meeting following issuance of the ECDP.
Background - GP/LCP, CDP & ECDP
Questions
Background - Timeline
2018
•City Starts update of the City’s 1992 GP/LCP and 1983/1998 Zoning Codes/Coastal Implementation plan
2018 – 2023
•Several workshops, study sessions, public meeting/hearings were held resulting in a final draft GP/LCP and EIR
August 2023
•PC reviewed and recommended approval of the GP/LCP and EIR to City Council
Background – Timeline cont./Funding
October 2023
•Joint CC/PC study session was held on the first two parts of the Zoning Code/IP update: Introduction/Definitions and Administration •There are three other parts of the zoning code: Zones, General Site Regs., and Specific and Non-Conforming Uses Funding
•City has received a combined $1,058,643 in Grant funding from the California Coastal Commission and State Department of Housing and Community Development
Background – Delays
Delays
•City experienced staff turnover a critical positions in CDD:
Planning Manager, Community Development Director and
Administrative Secretary.
•City received stakeholder input regarding the Hazard
policies in the Safety Element. Concern focused on CCC draft language that was viewed as limiting the ability of residents, business owners and the City to protect
property/public improvements along the bluff areas of
the City.
February 16, 2024 – Council goals setting meeting: Council directed to staff to investigate alternatives for the bluff and hazards policies that were of concern to the local
stakeholder group.
•Staff has met twice with Coastal Commission staff to
identify a process for moving the GP/LCP forward.
•Extract the Safety Element (Hazards Policies) from the Update and to move the rest of the GP/LCP forward for adoption •Revise the Hazards policies to reflect comprehensive
neighborhood specific approach to climate change, sea level rise, habitat and resource protection and bluff erosion instead of the current parcel-by-parcel policy approach
Moving GP/LCP Forward
What is a Neighborhood Based Approach?
•Bases adaptation strategies on local characteristics, land use patterns, and development types that are specific to a given area within the City. •Beach areas, bluff areas with development adjacent to bluff edge, bluff areas where development is significantly set back from the bluff edge (over 100 feet) and areas with dunes •Adaptation Strategies may include:
•Nature based solutions
•Adaptive retreat
•Armoring solutions
•Offsite mitigation
Neighborhood Based Approach cont.
Additional data is needed
•Identification of existing seawall location
•Evaluation of coastal erosion over time along coast
•Identification of infrastructure and public access locations •Update of sea level rise projections
•Soils and geotechnical data collection
•Identification of littoral cells
•Development of a GIS database
Neighborhood Based Approach cont.
•Obtain proposals for additional GP/LCP work from
Dudek, Lisa Wise and Rincon
•Revising GP/LCP and EIR to extract Safety Element
•Developing a comprehensive list of technical studies that will be needed to complete the update
•Develop a CCC grant application to pay for additional
technical studies (CCC encouraged City to apply)
Next Steps
•Remove Safety Element from GP/LCP and move
remainder of draft GP/LCP Update forward for adoption:
First quarter of 2025
•Revise Safety Element Hazard Policies to reflect
neighborhood adaptation strategy: 12 to 18 months
•Zoning Code/IP: First Quarter of 2025
New Project Timeline
Staff requests City Council concurrence with proposed
methodology for moving the GP/LCP update forward.
Proposal includes:
1.Extracting the Safety Element from the GP/LCP Update
and moving remainder of document forward for
approval
2.Revise Safety Element to include a neighborhood-
based solution to coastal hazard policy development.
Direction From Council
Questions