Planning Agenda Report
AGENDA REPORT
SAN CLEMENTE CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Meeting Date: August 17, 2021
Department: Community Development, Planning Division
Prepared By: Kyle Webber, Assistant Planner
Subject: INITIATION OF AMENDMENTS TO SPECIFIC PLANS FOR FORSTER RANCH, MARBLEHEAD
COASTAL, MARBLEHEAD INLAND, RANCHO SAN CLEMENTE, AND TALEGA Fiscal Impact: None.
Summary: Staff recommends the City Council initiate amendments to Specific Plans that update the documents to be consistent with the General Plan and Zoning Code as required by State law.
Background: Since adopting the Centennial General Plan in 2014, the City Council has made it a high-priority project in the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) to update the City’s planning documents to be consistent and compatible with the General Plan, as required by State law; and to correct errors and clarify language. To-date, completed updates include the Zoning Code, Zoning Map, Coastal Land Use Plan (LUP), and most recently the Pier Bowl Specific Plan.
Discussion: The amendments will update maps, development standards, permitted uses, and other content within Specific Plans for Forster Ranch, Marblehead Coastal, Marblehead Inland, Rancho San Clemente, and Talega. The amendments will: 1) make Specific Plans consistent with the General Plan; 2) correct and clarify clean up items; 3) improve the accuracy and detail of maps using the City’s Geographic Information System (GIS), and 4) meet State and Federal law. Refer to Attachment 1 for examples of amendments that will be considered to address these issues.
Next Steps and Schedule
After City Council initiation, staff will develop proposed amendments and seek public input by holding community meetings with notification to Master Homeowners Associations. For additional input, a televised study session will be held as needed.
The Planning Commission will review the proposed amendments and provide a recommendation to the City Council. The City Council will be the final hearing body for the amendments. The project’s estimated completion date is April 2022.
Agenda Item
Approvals:
City Manager
Dept. Head
Attorney
Finance
Agenda Report Page 2
Environmental
Review: The initiation of amendments has not environmental impact so this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under CEQA guidelines Sections 15061(b)(3), the general rule exemption, and Section 13282, the exemption for feasibility and planning studies. An environmental analysis of amendments will be completed during the review process according to CEQA with findings presented to the City Council as part of the decision process.
Recommended
Action: STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT the City Council initiate amendments to Specific Plans for Forster Ranch, Marblehead Coastal, Marblehead Inland, Rancho San Clemente, and Talega as described above.
Attachments: None.
Notification: Not required. Notification will be provided for future hearings.
Examples of Amendments
Specific Plan Amendment Initiation (Attachment 1)
ATTACHMENT 1
1. Forster Ranch La Pata Vista Hermosa and La Pata area Land use designations for the Forester Ranch Specific Plan near Vista Hermosa and Avenida La Pata are not consistent with General Plan Land Use Maps. The two images below demonstrate that the Specific Plan designates some parcels as Public that the General Plan designates as Open Space. Furthermore, the boundary lines for the parcels in the Specific Plan map are outdated and do not represent an accurate depiction of existing parcel boundary lines.
Figure 1
Exhibit 1-4 (Forster Ranch Specific Plan) Current Land Use Map (General Plan Legend:
Land Use Designations
Public P
Open Space OS
Neighborhood Commercial NC
Residential Low RL
Agenda Report Page 2
Specific Plan Amendment Initiation (Attachment 1)
2. Inconsistent Designations and Development Standards
Land use designations and various development standards, such as allowed density, are inconsistent between certain Specific Plans and the General Plan. The following are two examples of necessary changes:
• Parcels within the Rancho San Clemente Specific Plan are zoned Mixed Use (MU) or Residential Medium (RM) where the General Plan designates the same lots as Residential Low (RL).
• Parcels in the Forster Ranch Specific Plan are zoned as Neighborhood Commercial 2 (NC2) where General Plan designates same parcels as Neighborhood Commercial 1.2 (NC 1.2).
3. Correcting the Talega Specific Plan Boundary
The Talega Specific Plan boundary does not align with the City boundary, unlike other Specific Plans along the City’s perimeter. See Figure 2 for a map. The green shaded area is open space between the yellow shaded Talega Specific Plan and the dashed City boundary. To correct this, a proposed amendment would move the Specific Plan boundary to follow the City boundary.
Figure 2