Agenda Item: 11
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
PUBLIC HEARINGS
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: April 26, 2022
SUBJECT: FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE FOR THE OLD TOWN
NEWHALL SPECIFIC PLAN UPDATE
DEPARTMENT: Community Development
PRESENTER: Hai Nguyen
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council:
1. Conduct the public hearing; and
2. Introduce and pass to a second reading an ordinance entitled: “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING MASTER CASE 21-089, CONSISTING OF SPECIFIC PLAN AMENDMENT 21-001, AMENDING THE OLD TOWN NEWHALL SPECIFIC PLAN, AS SHOWN IN EXHIBIT A.”
BACKGROUND
Originally adopted in December 2005 by the City of Santa Clarita (City), the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan, which is now referred to as the Old Town Newhall Specific Plan (OTNSP), has been successful in guiding the redevelopment of the Newhall area in terms of land uses, public infrastructure improvements, and private investment. The success of the OTNSP is due in large part to the substantial public investments from the City.
In 2017, the City Council amended the OTNSP to include changes to the land uses on Main Street that encouraged and prioritized the Arts & Entertainment District. Projects like the reconfiguration of San Fernando Road to create what is now known as Main Street with expanded, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, the Old Town Newhall Library located at the terminus of Main Street, and the Old Town Newhall Parking Structure have all contributed to the vibrancy of this emerging Arts & Entertainment District. Private developments that have also shaped Old Town Newhall include Newhall Crossings, and restaurants like the Old Town Junction, Reyes Winery, Brewery Draconum, and Newhall Refinery have made Main Street a premier location for dining.
The City periodically updates planning documents to reflect recent legislation, current planning trends, newly-identified planning issues, and to clarify code language in an effort to keep the development code relevant, fresh, and easy to understand. Since its adoption, the OTNSP has been amended seven times, with the last revision in 2020.
In 2020, the City applied for and was awarded Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) grant funds and hired a consultant, Dudek, to assist in a comprehensive update of the OTNSP. The intention is to memorialize the substantial City investments since 2005 and build upon what has already been accomplished as we plan for the next 15 to 20 years. The proposed 2022 OTNSP updates (2022 Update) will maintain the planning framework of the 2005 OTNSP and its subsequent amendments, while revising specific regulations and adopting new ones to reflect the economic and regulatory realities of 2022.
PROJECT AREA/SETTING
Old Town Newhall, referred to as the OTNSP area, consists of approximately 271 acres and is generally bounded by 14th Street to the north, Newhall Avenue to the west, William S. Hart Park to the southwest, Creekview Park to the east, and Pine Street to the south. Maps of the OTNSP area are attached to this staff report.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
The preparation of the original OTNSP involved extensive public engagement, field surveys, stakeholder interviews, and design charrettes that occurred between 2004 to 2005. Input received and lessons learned from these activities shaped the 2005 OTNSP’s policy framework. In keeping with the community outreach efforts from 2005, staff conducted two field workshops and online surveys for the 2022 Update. These events provided stakeholders the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas with staff on how the OTNSP has worked for them and what can be improved to help build upon the vision and success of the OTNSP with the 2022 Update.
The first public event was held on June 26, 2021, and was a workshop/survey structured as a walking tour during the Old Town Newhall Farmers Market. Community members and stakeholders were able to experience first-hand the physical environment of Old Town Newhall through a family-friendly walkabout. Attendees joining on the walking tour were provided a map directing them along the route. Approximately 95 participants engaged during the Farmers Market event and tour, and 29 surveys were completed.
The second public event was held on October 9, 2021, to build upon the input received in the first workshop and survey. This event returned to the Old Town Newhall Farmers Market and was designed as an outdoor exhibition with concepts, ideas, and questions related to goals to further inform the 2022 Update. The input and ideas from approximately 200 participants for this second event primarily related to themes like arts and entertainment, street activations, development processes, linkages to the Metrolink station, and housing opportunities.
In addition to the public events, meetings were held with stakeholders, including property owners, merchants, the Old Town Newhall Association, and City Councilmembers for staff to
receive input and feedback. Staff met with the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan Ad Hoc Committee (Committee) early in the process in May 2021, and a follow up meeting was held in January 2022. The discussion with the Committee and input from the public outreach efforts provided staff with a further understanding of the community priorities to help refine the vision for the 2022 Update.
The major themes from the public outreach are summarized as follows:
• Promote the Arts & Entertainment District and add more arts and entertainment-related uses, attractions, destinations, and community events
• Streamline new development, such as mixed-use developments, to bookend the south end of Main Street
• Provide more housing opportunities
• Provide new parking strategies
• Preserve historic buildings and businesses
• Improve bike facilities and infrastructure and connections to Metrolink
PROPOSED UPDATES FOR THE 2022 OTNSP
Goals and Objectives
Cognizant of the original OTNSP’s success, and as a result of the recent feedback received from the public outreach, the Draft 2022 OTNSP Update (Draft Plan) maintains the basic planning framework of the 2005 OTNSP and its subsequent amendments, but with the goal to assess and inventory the past public and private accomplishments and finetune all four chapters to be consistent with the five main objectives listed in Chapter 1 of the Draft Plan and as follows:
1. Make the OTNSP more user-friendly for community members, property owners, developers, and staff.
2. Emphasize and facilitate Old Town Newhall’s emergence as Santa Clarita’s Arts & Entertainment District.
3. Streamline and eliminate unnecessary barriers to developments that are consistent with the community’s vision.
4. Simplify and provide clarity to guidelines for architectural styles.
5. Simplify guidance for housing developments and facilitate production of a broad variety of housing types.
With these objectives in mind, the Draft Plan has been redesigned with a new layout which is included as Exhibit A, attached to the Ordinance. The proposed changes can be found in the “redline” documents, located in the City Clerk’s reading file, showing the language to be edited (Attachment A). In the redlines, text deletions are noted in red strikethrough, proposed text additions noted in blue underline, and new maps, tables, or figures are indicated with a blue border. Appendix A of the Draft Plan references the original Chapter 3 from the 2005 OTNSP and accounts for approximately 17 years of revitalization with projects/items categorized as:
Completed, Ongoing, or Not Applicable.
Summary of Updates by Objectives
1. Make the OTNSP more user-friendly for community members, property owners, developers, and staff.
In order to make the Draft Plan more user-friendly, it is crucial to understand the past and historical context, while looking forward to the future. This begins with acknowledging the past successes by identifying and exhibiting the completed projects and then incorporating information from the recent public outreach and economic study to forecast the next 15 to 20 years. Chapters 1 through 3 have not been updated since 2005; whereas, Chapter 4 has been updated seven times.
Chapter 1 (Introduction) memorializes these five updated objectives and updates the economic conditions for today. It reflects upon both the past and most recent public outreach efforts. It also retains the narrative of the history and context of the area, in addition to the design principles and relationship to the City’s General Plan, which still apply today.
Chapter 2 (Form and Character) includes a list of completed projects and future catalytic projects, which are projects of community-wide significance that are to-be-completed.
Components of the OTNSP related to open space, parks and trails, stormwater management, Main Street design, street trees, transportation, and parking have been updated and refocused.
It also retains references to the historic structures in Old Town Newhall with the purpose of preservation.
The content from Chapter 3 (Implementation) has been reimagined, reorganized, and refocused from 45 pages to 8 pages that include Completed Projects from the 2005 OTNSP and Future Priority Projects with the respective maps. The updated Chapter 3 now features descriptions for key completed projects since 2005, which is evidence of the OTNSP’s ongoing success, and future priority projects, which are critical to the ongoing revitalization of Old Town Newhall. As mentioned above, Appendix A of the Draft Plan is included and references the original Chapter 3.
The overall OTNSP layout has been completely redesigned with the Draft Plan, but keeps the original planning framework. This redesign simplifies language by reducing jargon, eliminating ambiguities, and streamlines the code to clarify its intentions and guidance.
Images have been replaced that both memorializes the City’s accomplishments and provides guidance into the City’s design principles with actual as-built projects in Old Town Newhall.
Tables, such as the land use matrix (described in Objective 2 below) and sign regulations, have been redesigned to be more easily navigated. Section 4.5 (Sign Regulations) includes a newly reorganized table and adds two new sign types: Now Playing Movie/Theater Preview sign and Historic Plaque/Placard sign.
This redesigned OTNSP is more user-friendly to applicants, property owners, developers, staff, and all readers alike.
2. Emphasize and facilitate Old Town Newhall’s emergence as Santa Clarita’s Arts & Entertainment District.
Chapter 4 (The Code) is the primary chapter that applicants, developers, and staff use on a daily basis. It provides detailed regulations for land uses and development with the goal of encouraging the growth of the vibrant Arts & Entertainment District. To best reflect this goal, the Urban Center (UC) zone, primarily located along Main Street, is proposed to be renamed the Arts & Entertainment (AE) zone. In addition, the Creative District (CD) is renamed the Creative/Business (CB) zone to better reflect the flexibility of both a creative district and business zone. The other proposed updates to the land uses to facilitate this vision are as follows:
Table 4.2-1 of the Draft Plan is the updated Allowed Land Uses and Permit Requirements by Zone (a.k.a. land use matrix) and includes the following changes:
• The original OTNSP foresaw the value of both vertical mixed-use (i.e. commercial ground floor with upper floor residential) and horizontal mixed-use by allowing flexibility for transitional land uses from commercial to residential in a neighborhood.
It codified these provisions by allowing existing businesses or businesses adjacent to the Corridor (COR) or UC zones (now renamed AE zone) to locate and exist to serve the surrounding neighborhood. This provision is proposed to be extended to the following land uses:
o Arts and entertainment-oriented retail
o Bakery
o Coffee Shop/Diner
o Library/Museum
o Live entertainment (i.e. accessory background music in a restaurant) o Restaurants, allowed with a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), and restaurants serving alcohol with food (with an Administrative Permit (AP) in addition to a CUP)
o Specialty Retail
• Related to the theme of vertical mixed-use in the AE zone, a Doctor’s Office use (i.e. optometrist or dentist) is proposed to be allowed behind a primary use (i.e. not facing Main Street) or in an upper level (similar to a Professional Office use) to serve residents nearby, but not on the first floor on Main Street.
• To enhance vibrancy of the Arts & Entertainment District and to respond to the popularity and importance of dining outside, outdoor dining in the public right-of- way (i.e. on the sidewalk) is proposed to be expanded. Previously, outdoor dining on the sidewalk was only permitted along Main Street. Restaurants along Lyons Avenue will now be eligible to apply for a permit to allow for outdoor dining on the sidewalk.
The provision to allow outdoor dining on the sidewalk beyond Main Street and Lyons Avenue with an Administrative Permit, where applicable, is still in place. In addition, a new Outdoor Food Court/Market use (on private property) is proposed to be added.
This use is a permanent food court or market place that can be enclosed or open-air
within the AE zone, similar to a smaller-scale Mercado use that was originally envisioned in 2005.
These changes emphasize and facilitate Old Town Newhall’s emergence as the City’s Arts & Entertainment District.
3. Streamline and eliminate unnecessary barriers to developments that are consistent with the community’s vision.
The Draft Plan seeks to provide a more streamline process for developments that are consistent with the OTNSP’s vision. Part of streamlining development in regards to architecture is discussed below in Objective 4. A challenge that was identified in the 2005 OTNSP, and has been forefront ever since, is parking. To address parking needs for businesses and customers, the City has implemented the Park-Once strategy from the 2005 OTNSP and constructed the Old Town Newhall Parking Structure. This strategy also includes the goal of a second public-parking structure on the south end of Main Street, as identified in the Future Priority Projects in Chapter 3.
The Draft Plan balances the need to provide the most convenient parking spaces for customers and visitors to access destinations on Main Street, while allowing businesses and developments to maximize their development footprint. In recent years, one of the strategies the City has taken in evaluating parking regulations is with the creation of the Parking In- Lieu Fee Program that was approved by the City Council in 2017. This program and other parking strategies have resulted in projects such as the Hart & Main adaptive, reuse building.
The Draft Plan expands the Parking In-Lieu Fee Program to include properties fronting Walnut Street (adjacent to the AE zone) so that future projects may develop to the full extent of their property, while simultaneously contributing to funding future public parking.
Another identified potential barrier to projects is the on-site loading requirement from the Unified Development Code (UDC) that exists Citywide. Unlike most other areas in the City, Old Town Newhall was designed to have alleys which allow for some flexibility. Businesses may apply to waive this requirement with an Administrative Permit, if the business is located on a property that is adjacent to an alley, or with an MUP for properties without an alley.
To provide additional flexibility, the Draft Plan includes two additional strategies: 1) include Automated Parking as a new use that is allowed by right if located below ground, out of sight, or allowed with an Architectural Design Review if visible or located above ground; and 2) allow businesses to apply for an Administrative Permit for valet parking to utilize the available parking spaces within City parking facilities, so long as no parking spaces are blocked or reserved.
4. Simplify and provide clarity to guidelines for architectural styles.
Architecture remains a pivotal component for the look and feel of Old Town Newhall. The original five architectural styles approved by the City Council remain unchanged with the Draft Plan. The original 2005 OTNSP employed a tool known as “form-based code” that focusses on regulating development of the physical form, but can create challenges for those
more familiar with traditional zoning tools. The Draft Plan is now implemented by a hybrid, streamlined development code that takes the design specificity of a form-based code and combines it with the familiarity of traditional zoning code, to be more accessible to laypersons and audiences outside the realm of architecture and design.
Section 4.3.01 of the Draft Plan is Building Type Standards. This section was originally referred to as “Architectural Types,” which are types of buildings and exhibits standards for form, character, and quality in the OTNSP. It has now been renamed to “Building Types” to avoid confusion with the Architectural Styles section of the OTNSP. To further streamline buildings desired in the OTNSP area, the Building Types have been consolidated from 12 types into 7 types.
Section 4.3.02 of the Draft Plan is Architectural Style Guidelines, which has been reformatted for ease of use. The newly reformatted guidelines include a one-page summary of each architectural style. The format now includes a concept image, annotations, and descriptions of the key architectural components to provide clearer guidance to the reader. In addition, the concept of establishing Frontage Types Standards, as part of the original form- based code, was often confused with styles of design for each building. This concept is now absorbed into Architectural Styles as part of staff’s architectural review, with clearer guidance on frontage of buildings. Similarly, Blocks and Streets Standards were removed.
This section, which originally included boilerplate language and the subdivision of land for street, block, and alley design, is no longer necessary.
By updating these standards, it simplifies and provides clarity for architecture in all areas of the OTNSP.
5. Simplify guidance for housing developments and facilitate production of a broad variety of housing types.
The public outreach identified the preference and need for more housing within the OTNSP area. A downtown is a place defined by the same general qualities as a neighborhood, with one major exception: commercial activities predominate instead of residential. Yet, the quality and amount of housing in a downtown determine its character. Perhaps the most typical dwelling type in a downtown is the loft or house over retail. Providing additional housing options in the Arts & Entertainment District would create “eyes on the street” to provide an additional sense of security and investment along Main Street and generate more regular customers for local restaurants and businesses.
The 2022 Update is made possible partially due to SB 2 Grants funds. In 2017, the State of California signed SB 2 into law with the purpose of funding and providing technical assistance to all local governments to help cities and counties prepare, adopt, and implement plans and process improvements that streamline housing approvals and accelerate housing production. Updates to Specific Plans are allowed by this grant. In the Draft Plan, by consolidating two residential zones (Urban General 1 (UG-1) and Urban General 2 (UG-2)) into the Neighborhood (N) zone, it allows for more housing types. Previously, the only building type allowed in the UG-1 zoned properties was single-family house. With the 2022 Update, those same areas would allow all residential building types. Furthermore, it includes
more streamlined language, clearer architectural guidelines, and simplified development standards, as exemplified by the revised Building Types as described above in Objective 4.
All of these changes will make it easier for developers to understand the requirements for housing in the OTNSP area and streamline development by eliminating some of the challenges that existed in the OTNSP.
Other Considerations
No parcels are re-zoned and no construction is associated with the proposed amendment/2022 Update. The revisions of the Draft Plan are considered minor. The amendments support the existing objective of establishing a pedestrian-oriented, Arts & Entertainment District in Old Town Newhall as envisioned by both the community and the City Council. This Specific Plan Amendment required the recommendation of the Planning Commission and the approval of the City Council.
Planning Commission Recommendation
On March 15, 2022, the Planning Commission conducted a duly-noticed public hearing on the Draft Plan. During the public hearing, two members of the public commented on the project. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the Planning Commission, in a unanimous 5-0 vote, recommended the City Council, consisting of Specific Plan Amendment 21-001, amend the OTNSP as shown in Exhibit A.
Since the posting of the Draft Plan for the Planning Commission hearing, staff has made minor edits, fixed typographical errors, and made formatting corrections. Initially, the Draft Plan included a proposal to prohibit Assembly Uses (i.e. churches, temples, or community centers) in the AE zone. That version was presented to the Planning Commission. That recommendation was based on a recent legal case, where the courts upheld a zoning provision that restricts private assembly uses on a Main Street within a historic downtown area (New Harvest Christian Fellowship v. City of Salinas, 2020); however, since March 15, 2022, there has been an update with this case that would not be precedence-setting to prohibit of Assembly Uses within downtown areas. Therefore, staff is no longer proposing to prohibit Assembly Uses in the AE zone. An Assembly Use would continue to be allowed in the AE zone with a Minor Use Permit (MUP).
ANALYSIS
Specific Plan Amendment 21-001 is the required entitlement to amend the OTNSP, subject to the amendment process stated in UDC Section 17.28.110.H.
General Plan Consistency
The proposed amendment is consistent with the General Plan. Specifically, the amendment is consistent with the following objectives and policies:
Objective LU 1.2: Maintain the distinctive community character of villages and neighborhoods throughout the planning area by establishing uses, densities, and design guidelines appropriate to the particular needs and goals of each area…
Policy LU 1.2.1: In Newhall, provide opportunities for new business and housing by implementing the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan, provide incentives to promote infill development and re-use of underutilized sites, and continue to plan for the future development of North Newhall.
Policy LU 4.1.4: Promote economic opportunity for all segments of the community, including small businesses and new businesses.
Objective LU 4.3: Enhance older commercial and industrial areas.
Policy LU 4.3.4: Promote business development that upgrades and revitalizes older commercial corridors, including Lyons Avenue, Railroad Avenue/Newhall Avenue, Main Street and Soledad Canyon Road, in a manner that reflects reach area’s character, architecture, and history.
The 2022 Update is consistent with the objectives and policies listed above because it provides an updated planning document that is internally consistent, easier to read, and provides clearer direction. The 2022 Update maintains the planning framework of the 2005 OTNSP and its subsequent amendments. The update preserves the historic and unique character of Old Town Newhall. The updated language and tone reflect the City’s vision/goal that Old Town Newhall is the City’s Arts & Entertainment District.
ENVIRONMENTAL
The City certified an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the OTNSP in 2005 (State Clearinghouse No. 2005021012). The EIR was prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and contains a disclosure and analysis of potential environmental effects associated with implementation of the OTNSP. Pursuant to Public Resources Code Sections 21081.6 and 15097 of the CEQA Guidelines, the City also adopted a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) for the OTNSP. Based on the analysis contained within the EIR and other considerations, the City Council certified of the EIR.
For the 2022 Update, the City has prepared an EIR Addendum (Attachment B). The purpose of this addendum is to analyze the proposed modifications to the originally approved plan and its subsequent amendments, and to determine whether implementation of the 2022 Update would result in any new significant environmental impacts not identified in the certified EIR, or whether any previously identified significant effects would be substantially more severe under the 2022 Update. This addendum also evaluates whether mitigation measures or alternatives previously found as infeasible would become feasible due to changes that have occurred since the certification of the EIR.
The EIR Addendum concludes that the 2022 Update does not require major revisions to the EIR because no new significant impacts, or substantial increases in the severity of previously
identified significant impacts, would occur. Per CEQA Guidelines Section 15163(c) or (e), an addendum need not be circulated for public review, but can be included in or attached to the Final EIR.
NOTICING
All noticing requirements for a public hearing have been completed as required by Section
17.06.110 of the UDC. A 1/8th page advertisement was placed in The Signal newspaper on April 5, 2022. An email notification was sent to the notification list. The project website has been updated with the Draft OTNSP.
CONCLUSION
The proposed amendment to the OTNSP is consistent with the General Plan and supports economic development and the general welfare of the City.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
The project would have no impact on the City's General Fund.
ATTACHMENTS
Public Notice
Ordinance
Regional and Area Maps
Attachment A – Draft 2022 OTNSP Redlines (available in the City Clerk’s Reading File) Attachment B - EIR Addendum (available in the City Clerk’s Reading File) Planning Commission Staff Report, March 15, 2022 (available in the City Clerk’s Reading File) Planning Commission Resolution No. P22-03 (available in the City Clerk’s Reading File)