CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Meeting Date: March 21, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Kari Svanstrom, Planning Director
Subject: Approval of a Resolution Authorizing staff to submit a Grant Application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for a Priority Development Area (PDA) Grant for Workforce Housing Overlay/Flex Zoning project Recommendation: Adopt the Resolution
Funding: Currently Budgeted: _______ Yes ___X____ No _____ N/A Net General Fund Cost: $0
Net General Plan Fund Cost: $5,000 (to be included in FY 23-24 budget) Account Code/Costs authorized in City Approved Budget (if applicable) ____AK____ (verified by Administrative Services Department) INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE:
Staff requests approval to submit an application to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission for $190,000 for a Priority Development Area (PDA) Grant to complete the Workforce housing Overlay/Flex Zoning Project as outlined in the City’s Adopted Housing Element for the Sebastopol Core Area Priority Development Area (PDA).
BACKGROUND:
In 2012, the City of Sebastopol established a Priority Development Area known as the Sebastopol Core Area PDA.
The Priority Development Area (PDA) Program is a voluntary partnership between local governments, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). Through the PDA program, local governments identify areas envisioned for future housing and job growth that are served by transit. Bay Area cities have nominated 218 PDAs since 2007.
PDAs facilitate coordinated regional planning for future growth and transportation investment. In addition to shaping the location of anticipated growth and major transit investments, PDAsreceive a dedicated share of funding for local planning and for transportation improvements such as complete streets, bikeways, and parking programs.
This is reflected Plan Bay Area 2050, the region’s current long-range land use and transportation plan.
In December 2022, MTC released a Call for Projects for PDA Planning Grants open to local governments with one or more PDA. To date, these grants have funded more than 80 plans and a wide range of technical assistance. This round of funding supports three types of planning activities:
- Full Plans that, at a minimum, establish development standards and identify public improvements, informed by community engagement and resulting in an adopted plan, CEQA analysis, and zoning and general plan amendments. (Maximum grant amount: $1,200,000.)
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
- Plan Amendments that update an adopted plan to reflect changing community priorities, state and regional policies, and economic trends. Plan amendments typically involve revising part, but not all, of a plan, and result in updates to the zoning code and, if applicable, an EIR and general plan land use designations. (Maximum grant amount: $600,000.)
- Plan Implementation: Technical Assistance to develop and adopt policies or programs that facilitate the implementation of an adopted plan for one or multiple PDAs. (Maximum grant amount: $200,000.) To ensure both local and regional benefits, plans funded through the PDA program must meet minimum requirements, but can do so in a way that addresses community priorities. At a minimum, plans must include:
developmentstandards;standardsfor public rights of way and other public spaces; capital improvements; a funding strategy; actions to expand equity; any necessary environmental analysis; and updates to zoning and the general plan to achieve consistency with the grant-funded Plan. By receiving funding, grant recipients are committing to ensuring that Plans are consistent with any applicable state and regional laws and policies, such as MTC’s TransitOriented Communities Policy. MTC/ABAG staff will support City staff in ensuring minimum requirements are met and will offer technical resources and best practices.
DISCUSSION:
The Planning Department proposes to apply for a grant to fund the Workforce housing/Flex zoning project as outlined in the Adopted Housing element.
This project will review zoning along the Hwy 116 commercial corridor in Sebastopol’s Core Area PDA (general commercial and office commercial zoning) to review and revise how the city regulates these areas to provide more flexibility for housing to be developed in these area. There are three primary areas of interest:
The two Office Commercial Zones located between the North Gateway commercial center (at Covert and Hwy 12 (aka Healdsburg Ave) and between Downtown and the southern (south Main Street/Petaluma Avenue), as well as an aging 4.5 acre shopping mall (Redwood marketplace) with multiple vacancies on the north side of town in the General Commercial Area, all within the City’s PDA. The City wishes to review these areas and modify zoning to provide additional flexibility for infill development in these areas. This is also compatible with the City’s adopted Housing Element, specifically program A-3.4 below, to provide for workforce housing:
Program A-3.4 Workforce Housing Overlay Zone - Infill development is critical to accommodating growth while reducing sprawl. Stakeholders indicated support for infill and adaptive reuse development to help meet the City’s housing needs. The City will adopt a Workforce Housing Overlay Program as a marketdriven way to integrate housing into areas near jobs and transit. The program will allow housing to be added to underutilized commercial sites, empty parking lots, unused City-owned sites, unused school sites, and other parcels near jobs, transit, or both by providing an additional set of development options that landowners can choose to exercise at their discretion through the application process.
It would also support several other programs in the adopted Housing Element:
Program A-3.1 Objective Design Standards - The discretionary review process can act as a constraint to housing development and increase the overall cost of housing. To facilitate nondiscretionary permitting, the City will adopt Objective Design Standards for mixed-use and multifamily developments. These standards will involve no personal or subjective judgement by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to external criteria available to the public.
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
The PDA grant would build on work already being done by the City with Opticos, who is developing Objective Design Standards throughout the City including these commercial areas (anticipated to be completed later in 2024), to further this work specific to the Workforce Housing Overlay concept, and to provide additional information for the Redwood Marketplace Revitalization.
Program A-3.3 Missing Middle Housing - The City will increase opportunities for small lot singlefamily homes, such as tiny homes and cottage court housing developments. The City will amend the Code to allow up to 4 units on qualifying single-family parcels, subject to objective design standards as allowed by SB 9. If the City is not meeting its prorated RHNA within four years of program implementation, the City will identify at least 20 additional sites for the R-5 zoning designation.
Program A-3.5 Opportunities for By Right Housing - Community and stakeholder input indicate strong interest in permitting 100% housing by-right in more commercial zones, including areas along major corridors and near the downtown. In order to respond to feedback and to facilitate the development of more housing in appropriate zones, the City will modify its Code to allow purely residential uses by-right in commercial and downtown zones when at least 40% of units are affordable, subject to objective design and development standards.
While not a Specific Plan for the PDA, this project would provide the elements required for refocusing the infill development along the corridor, and potentially revitalizing an existing shopping center. The City has had conversations with the owner of this center, who is interested in this as well. The shopping center is directly across from a site currently being used for RV safe parking, and purchased by a non-profit/slated for affordable housing development. It is also near a new elementary charter school and a proposed (currently under review) 80-unit development by City Ventures [68 market rate, 15 %, or 12, affordable units) just outside and Adjacent to the northern boundary of the PDA which would also benefit from the project. While the site and area has potential, the need for appropriate planning, visioning and zoning for the area is needed, as recognized in the adopted General Plan.
GOALS:
This action supports the following General Plan Actions:
Housing Element Goal A: “Facilitate the Development of Housing” and associated policies, including:
Policy A-3 Encourage a variety of housing types such as multi-family units, mixed use housing, ADU and JADUs, single-family attached (townhouses), and other typologies that make housing more affordable and
Policy A-4 Promote the development of new housing units affordable to extremely low, very low-, low-, and moderate-income households and housing units that are affordable to and appropriate Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
for special needs households, including seniors, extremely low-income households, disabled persons, developmentally disabled persons, farmworkers, large families, and persons experiencing homelessness.
And, the associated Programs as outlined above: Program A-3.1 Objective Design Standards; Program A-3.3 Missing Middle Housing; Program A-3.4 Workforce Housing Overlay Zone; Program A-3.5 Opportunities for By Right Housing
PUBLIC COMMENT:
As of the writing of this staff report, the City has not received any public comment. However, staff anticipates receiving public comment from interested parties following the publication and distribution of this staff report.
Such comments will be provided to the City Council assupplemental materials before or at the meeting. In addition, public comments may be offered during the public comment portion of the agenda item.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
This item was noticed in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act and was available for public viewing and review at least 72 hours prior to schedule meeting date.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This Grant would greatly facilitate the City’s ability to move forward with the first steps of Implementation of our new Housing Element by providing up to $190,000 of funding. Staff anticipates needing to support this project (with current staff allocated) and approximately $5,000 from the General Plan Update Fund to support outreach for the project. The current fund balance in GP Update is approximately $58,000.
RECOMMENDATION:
Adopt the Resolution
Attachments:
Resolution
Grant application
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
RESOLUTION NUMBER: XXXX -2023
CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEBASTOPOL,
SONOMA COUNTY, AUTHORIZING STAFF TO SUBMIT A GRANT
APPLICATION TO THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION (MTC) FOR A PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AREA (PDA) GRANT FOR
WORKFORCE HOUSING OVERLAY/FLEX ZONING PROJECT
WHEREAS, on December 1, 2022 the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) announced a Call for Projects for Call for Projects for Priority Development Area (PDA) Planning Grants, and informed local jurisdictions of a February 23, 2023 deadline for submittals of Applications, as well as grant requirements including compliance with the Transit Oriented Communities Policy; and WHEREAS, in 2012 the City of Sebastopol established the Sebastopol Priority Development Area in a concerted effort to reduce sprawl and focus on infill growth; and WHEREAS, the City of Sebastopol PDA is identified in the General Plan Land Use Element as an Area of Change and is the location of multiple Opportunity Sites in the City’s Housing Element, which was adopted by City Council on January 3, 2023, and Certified by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on March 7, 2023, many of which are located along the highway 116 corridor; and
WHEREAS, a PDA Planning Grant would fund the Workforce Housing Overlay / Flex Zoning project for the Sebastopol Core Area, which would review zoning along the Hwy 116 commercial corridor in Sebastopol’s Core Area PDA (general commercial and office commercial zoning) to review and revise how the city regulates these areas to provide more flexibility for housing to be developed in these area.
WHEREAS, the City’s Adopted and Certified Sixth Cycle Housing Element includes several Programs in support of Goal A “Facilitate the Development of Housing” and associated policies, including:
Policy A-3 Encourage a variety of housing types such as multi-family units, mixed use housing, ADU and JADUs, single-family attached (townhouses), and other typologies that make housing more affordable and
Policy A-4 Promote the development of new housing units affordable to extremely low, very low-, low-, and moderate-income households and housing units that are affordable to and appropriate for special needs households, including seniors, extremely low-income households, disabled persons, developmentally disabled persons, farmworkers, large families, and persons experiencing homelessness. And,
WHEREAS, the Workforce Housing/ Flex Zoning Project for the Sebastopol Core Area PDA would implement and support several programs of the City’s Adopted Housing Element:
Program A-3.1 Objective Design Standards - The discretionary review process can act as a Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
constraint to housing development and increase the overall cost of housing. To facilitate nondiscretionary permitting, the City will adopt Objective Design Standards for mixed-use and multifamily developments. These standards will involve no personal or subjective judgement by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to external criteria available to the public.
Program A-3.3 Missing Middle Housing - The City will increase opportunities for small lot single-family homes, such as tiny homes and cottage court housing developments. The City will amend the Code to allow up to 4 units on qualifying single-family parcels, subject to objective design standards as allowed by SB 9. If the City is not meeting its prorated RHNA within four years of program implementation, the City will identify at least 20 additional sites for the R-5 zoning designation.
Program A-3.4 Workforce Housing Overlay Zone - Infill development is critical to accommodating growth while reducing sprawl. Stakeholders indicated support for infill and adaptive reuse development to help meet the City’s housing needs. The City will adopt a Workforce Housing Overlay Program as a market-driven way to integrate housing into areas near jobs and transit. The program will allow housing to be added to underutilized commercial sites, empty parking lots, unused City-owned sites, unused school sites, and other parcels near jobs, transit, or both by providing an additional set of development options that landowners can choose to exercise at their discretion through the application process.
Program A-3.5 Opportunities for By Right Housing - Community and stakeholder input indicate strong interest in permitting 100% housing by-right in more commercial zones, including areas along major corridors and near the downtown. In order to respond to feedback and to facilitate the development of more housing in appropriate zones, the City will modify its Code to allow purely residential uses by-right in commercial and downtown zones when at least 40% of units are affordable, subject to objective design and development standards. And, WHEREAS, staff estimate the cost of this effort to be $215,000 for this new work. Additionally, the City has committed $127,895 from the General Plan Fund and a State Planning Grant (SB2) for the Objective Design Standards project that will serve as a springboard for this new work, plus additional Traffic study work related to public infrastructure improvements at Covert Lane that has been previously completed by the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEBASTOPOL HEREBY RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Staff is hereby authorized to submit a grant application for the Workforce Housing Overlay/Flex Zoning in response to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's (MTC's) Call for Projects for PDA Planning Grants in the amount of $190,000.
PASSED AND ADOPTED, by the CITY COUNCIL of THE CITY OF SEBASTOPOL, COUNTY OF SONOMA, of STATE OF CALIFORNIA on this 21st day of March 2023.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City of Sebastopol City Council by the following vote:
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
VOTE:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
APPROVED: Neysa Hinton, Mayor
ATTEST: Mary Gourley, Assistant City Manager/City Clerk, MMC APPROVED AS TO FORM: Larry McLaughlin, City Attorney
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AREA (PDA) PLANNING GRANT APPLICATION 1 / 5
Q1
Applicant Information
Applicant Project Manager Kari Svanstrom
Job Title Planning Director
Local Jurisdiction City of Sebastopol
County Sonoma
Email Address [email protected]
Phone Number 707-823-6167
Q2
Please upload documentation of local support for this
application. This may include: A City Council/Board of
Supervisors or Planning Commission resolution
(recommended), or An agenda from a City Council or
Board of Supervisors meeting at which the application was discussed. (To get started, download a template
resolution, template staff report, and template briefing.) Respondent skipped this question
Q3
Applicants may submit documentation after the application due date, but no later than April 15th, 2023. Submit documentation to [email protected] you will be submitting documentation of local support after this application, please indicate the approximate submission date. (Indicate "N/A" if submitting documentation along with application.) submitted by April 1, 2023
Q4
1. Name of PDA
Sebastopol Core Area
#26
CCOOMMPPLLEETTEE
CCoolllleeccttoorr:: WWeebb LLiinnkk 11 ((WWeebb LLiinnkk)) SSttaarrtteedd:: TThhuurrssddaayy,, FFeebbrruuaarryy 2233,, 22002233 44::0011::0077 PPMM LLaasstt MMooddiiffiieedd:: TThhuurrssddaayy,, FFeebbrruuaarryy 2233,, 22002233 66::2299::2299 PPMM TTiimmee SSppeenntt:: 0022::2288::2211
IIPP AAddddrreessss:: 5500..00..113399..117799
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AREA (PDA) PLANNING GRANT APPLICATION 2 / 5
Q5
2. Plan or Project Name
Workforce Housing Zoning
Q6
3. Was this PDA established prior to 2019?
Yes
Q7
4. Will the geographic area included in the project be the same as the existing PDA? (See this map for reference)
No, it will include part, but not all of the PDA
Q8
If "no", please upload a map of the anticipated planning area (hand-drawn or digital formats are both acceptable) workforce%20housing%20location.pdf (740.1KB)
Q9
5. What type of Grant are you applying for?
Plan
Q10
6. Amount Requested (not to exceed $1,200,000 for Plan, $600,000 for Plan Amendment, $200,000 for Plan Implementation)
$180,000
Q11
Optional: Please identify any sources and amounts of committed or anticipated funding for this project 1 City General Plan Fund and SB2 grant funding for base objective design standards (basis for workforce housing zoning work) - $127,895 (includes some areas beyond
PDA)
2 City staffing support and administration, in kind, approx $20,000
3 Public outreach meeting costs by City approx $5,000
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AREA (PDA) PLANNING GRANT APPLICATION 3 / 5
Q12
7. All PDA Grants must either: Include all of the required sections shown below; or Integrate previously adopted or concurrent plans and policies for any sections not
included; or Amend or implement an adopted plan that
includes each section. Below, check each section that will be completed, or amended, through this grant. Detailed
descriptions of each section, review the minimum grant
requirements available here. Note that section title and organization may differ from those shown below, but must achieve the minimum grant requirements.
Plan Section: Development Standards,
Plan Section: Public Realm Standards,
Plan Section : Community and Equity,
Plan Section: Capital Improvements ,
Plan Section : Implementation ,
Zoning and General Plan Amendments (to achieve
consistency with the Plan)
,
Environmental Document ,
Community Assessment,
Community Engagement
Q13
If you did not check one or more of the boxes above,
please indicate the planning process through which it was, or will be, completed, and provide a link documenting its completion. (250 words max)
Respondent skipped this question
Q14
Please upload a preliminary scope of work and budget. (See here for sample language and template materials.) Sebastopol%20PDA%20Grant%20SOW.pdf (186.6KB)
Q15
Optional: Please upload any additional material you would like to share. None are required, but this may include
letters of support, background material and graphics, etc.
Respondent skipped this question
Q16
8. Is part, or all, of the PDA within an Equity Priority Community?
No
Q17
9. Will the project implement the Transit Oriented
Communities (TOC) Policy? (Required for PDAs within a
TOC identified on this map; PDAs outside TOCs may opt
in to TOC standards.)
Yes
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AREA (PDA) PLANNING GRANT APPLICATION 4 / 5
Q18
If "yes", which TOC standards will be established and/or implemented?
Affordable Housing Production, Protection and AntiDisplacement Policies (see pp. 13-18 for requirements) ,
Commercial Protection and Stabilization Policies (see
p. 19 for requirements)
,
Parking Requirements (locate your PDA on this map for
applicable requirements)
Q19
10. Will the project involve rezoning or implement
programs and policies that are part of a Housing Element Update?
Yes,
while we are not required to rezone to meet the site
inventory requirements, we are looking to proactively adopt, at a minimum a Workforce Housing Overlay zone within
these areas of our PDA.
If Yes, please explain (250 words maximum):
Q20
11. Enter the approximate increase in deed-restricted affordable housing units resulting from the project 50 Q21
12. Enter the approximate increase in total housing unit capacity resulting from the project 210
Q22
13. Please upload a document (template available here) explaining how the proposed project will: Advance the protection, preservation and production of affordable housing through existing or new policies, programs, and investments applicable to the PDA Reduce vehicle miles travelled and increase transit ridership through policies, programs, and investments Achieve greater racial equity in the PDA and/or city- or region-wide, including through fair housing policies, programs, and investments (300 words max) PDA%20grant%20description.pdf (119.6KB)
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City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT AREA (PDA) PLANNING GRANT APPLICATION 5 / 5
Q23
14. Which Plan Bay Area 2050 Strategies will this project support? (check all that apply.) To see the full text for these strategies see pp. 4-8 of this .pdf.
Allow a Greater Mix of Housing Densities and Types in
Growth Geographies
,
Integrate Affordable Housing into All Major Housing
Projects
,
Transform Aging Malls and Office Parks into
Neighborhoods
,
Accelerate reuse of public and community-owned land
for mixed-income housingand essential services
,
Build a Complete Streets network
Q24
15. Has your jurisdiction formally adopted Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) thresholds, screens and mitigations
complaint with Senate Bill 743 (SB 743)?
No
Q25
If yes, please provide a link to the applicable City Council or Board of Supervisors resolution.
Respondent skipped this question
Q26
If no, on what date will it be adopted?
June 2024
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
City of Sebastopol
PDA grant for Workforce housing/Flex zoning project
This project will review zoning along the Hwy 116 commercial corridor in Sebastopol’s Core Area PDA (general commercial and office commercial zoning) to review and revise how the city regulates these areas to provide more flexibility for housing to be developed in these area. There are three primary areas of interest:
The two Office Commercial Zones located between the North Gateway commercial center (at Covert and Hwy 12 (aka Healdsburg Ave) and between Downtown and the southern (south Main Street/Petaluma Avenue), as well as an aging 4.5 acre shopping mall (Redwood marketplace) with multiple vacancies on the north side of town in the General Commercial Area, all within the City’s PDA.
The City wishes to review these areas and modify zoning to provide additional flexibility for infill development in these areas. This is also compatible with the City’s adopted Housing Element, specifically program A-3.4 below, to provide for workforce housing.
Program A-3.4 Workforce Housing Overlay Zone - Infill development is critical to accommodating growth while reducing sprawl. Stakeholders indicated support for infill and adaptive reuse development to help meet the City’s housing needs. The City will adopt a Workforce Housing Overlay Program as a market-driven way to integrate housing into areas near jobs and transit. The program will allow housing to be added to underutilized commercial sites, empty parking lots, unused City-owned sites, unused school sites, and other parcels near jobs, transit, or both by providing an additional set of development options that landowners can choose to exercise at their discretion through the application process. (Sebastopol sixth-cycle Housing Element, Adopted by City Council Jan 3, 2023 and currently under final review by HCD).
The PDA grant would build on work already done by the City with Opticos, who is developing Objective Design Standards throughout the City including these commercial areas (anticipated to be completed later in 2024), to further this work specific to the Workforce Housing Overlay concept, and to provide additional information for the Redwood Marketplace Revitalization.
The City has also completed some concept work and ICE (Intersection Control Evaluation) required by CalTrans for public improvements to Cover Lane intersection, a critical intersection as the town continues to develop as identified in our 2016 General Plan. This intersection currently is an area of missing sidewalks for pedestrian infrastructure.
While not a Specific Plan for the PDA, this project would provide the elements required for refocusing the infill development along the corridor, and potentially revitalizing an existing shopping center. The City has had conversations with the owner of this center, who is interested in this as well. The shopping center is directly across from a site currently being used for RV safe parking, and purchased by a nonprofit/slated for affordable housing development. It is also near a new elementary charter school and a proposed (currently under review) 80-unit development by City Ventures [68 market rate, 15 %, or 12, affordable units) just outside and Adjacent to the northern boundary of the PDA which would also benefit from the project. While the site and area has potential, the need for appropriate planning, visioning and zoning for the area is needed, as recognized in the adopted General Plan.
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
This application addresses the MTC/ABAG priorities for the grant as follows:
• Advance the protection, preservation and production of affordable housing through existing or new policies, programs, and investments applicable to the PDA The Workforce housing zoning is a proactive step by the City to further allow 100% housing of all kinds, but particularly affordable housing, within current commercial zones where it would not currently be allowed by right (no rezoning is required by our Housing Element or any other State Laws within these zones). There are a number of sites of interest to developers, but the Workforce Housing/Flex zone project would further facilitate action on this interest.
This zoning project will also assist housing within these zones, some of which is currently nonconforming, by making this a conforming use and providing guidance to allow additional residential development to occur on those sites through in-fill development.
The Redwood Marketplace is located in the northern commercial gateway of Sebastopol, and the northern portion of the City’s PDA. In addition to this site and its potential for housing up to There are sites surrounding this larger parcel where developers are interested in both Affordable Housing and potentially market rate/mixed income projects, including 845 Gravenstein Hwy, which is owned by St Vincent De Paul, and another site where the developer is interested in affordable housing for teachers for a nearby school.
• Reduce vehicle miles travelled and increase transit ridership through policies, programs, and investments
The areas within the PDA that this grant would apply to are along the primary transit routes (bus) within the City. Further development along this line will encourage . Additionally, all development within these areas are infill opportunities, and walkable to downtown, a number of schools, including the High School and Middle Schools, a charter school, and two elementary schools, along with the commercial and office uses within the northern gateway area. Encouraging infill development along these bus lines will help to reduce sprawl and the associated VMT (vehicle miles traveled). These areas are all also on the
• Achieve greater racial equity in the PDA and/or city- or region-wide, including through fair housing policies, programs, and investments
The City’s 2016 General Plan (land use map shows these areas along Highway 116 in red on the map below) designates these as Commercial Office and General Commercial Zoning Districts with maximum density of 15-22 units per acre. However, there currently is no minimum density when residential only defined (that would be part of this project). This denisity geenrally requries multi-family housing,other rental or ownership. Additional development potential in these zones, and a more streamlined process, for residential only projects, will increase affordable housing opportunities for both 100% afforable housing proejcts as well as market-rate projects, which require 15% affordable housing in perpetity per the City’s Inclusionary Housing ordinance (5% if very low, 10% if low, and 15% if moderate; moderate is generally selected for market-rate developments).
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City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
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Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
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Sebastopol PDA grant for Workforce housing/Flex zoning project 1 2022-23 PDA Planning Grant Application:
PRELIMINARY SCOPE OF WORK
Task 1 – Develop Flex Zoning/Workforce Housing Overlay
Infill development is critical to accommodating growth while reducing sprawl. Stakeholders indicated support for infill and adaptive reuse development to help meet the City’s housing needs. The City will develop Workforce Housing Overlay Program as a market-driven way to integrate housing into areas near jobs and transit.
The program will allow housing to be added to underutilized commercial sites, empty parking lots, unused City-owned sites, unused school sites, and other parcels near jobs, transit, or both by providing an additional set of development options that landowners can choose to exercise at their discretion through the application process.
Task 1 Deliverables:
1.1: Analysis of Existing conditions
1.2: draft Zoning Text Amendment for Public review
1.3: draft Zoning Map Amendments in support of Workforce Housing Overlay
1.4: Final Zoning Text Amendment for Adoption
1.5: Final Zoning Map Amendments in support of Workforce Housing Overlay Task 2 – Objective Design Standards Phase 2
Modify the City’s Objective Design Standards to work with the new Workforce Housing/Flex Zone changes.
Task 2 Deliverables:
2.1: Phase 2 of Objective Design Standards that would be applicable for Workforce Housing Overlay and Mixed-use development in these zones.
Task 3 – Visualization and detail work for Redwood Marketplace/North Gateway (optional task)
INSERT DETAILS OF DISCRETE TASK(S) TO BE ACCOMPLISHED:
• Gather relevant parcel boundaries and site information • Develop base mapping
• Sketch site plan for city review
• Draft site plan
• Final site plan and views
Task 3 Deliverables:
3.1: Visualization tools for the Redwood Marketplace
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
Sebastopol PDA grant for Workforce housing/Flex zoning project 2 Task 4 – Public Improvements
Review of Public improvements outlined in the City’s General Plan to ensure they align with the proposed modifications to the zoning ordinance. This includes 3 intersections slated for upgrade to either signals or round-abouts; an upcoming update to the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan; and known infrastructure deficits such as sidewalk gaps and pedestrian improvements as well as bicycle infrastructure needs.
Task 4 Deliverables:
4.1: Public Improvement requirements updates along Hwy 116
4.2: Public Improvement requirements for redevelopment of Redwood Marketplace Task 5 – Community Outreach and Engagement
The City will develop a community outreach plan that will strive to reach all community members and encourage them to participate in the manner and language which makes them the most comfortable. The increased use of technology-assisted community engagement has placed a greater emphasis on the need to overcome the digital divide for our community members without access, and your Consultants will ensure that participation by cell phone is possible and encouraged so that internet access is not required.
Task 5 Deliverables:
5.1: Participation Plan
5.2: Electronic Survey and results
5.3: Stakeholder meetings with businesses, property owners, non-profit and for-profit developers, and residents
5.5: other outreach meetings as may be determined.
Task 6 – CEQA/ Environmental Review
We anticipate a Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration or Negative Declaration for the rezoning project
• VMT analysis
• Initial Study
Task 6 Deliverables:
6.1: Admin draft of Initial Study
6.2: Public draft of Initial Study
6.3: Final Initial Study/MND or Neg Dec
6.4: Mitigation Monitoring Plan
6.5: Adoption Resolution with Findings of Fact
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023
Sebastopol PDA grant for Workforce housing/Flex zoning project 3 Task 7 – Public Hearings for Adoption
The rezoning project and adoption will go through formal review and public hearing by the Planning Commission and the City Council.
INSERT DETAILS OF DISCRETE TASK(S) TO BE ACCOMPLISHED:
• Public Hearings with the Planning Commission
• Public Hearings with the City Council
Task 7 Deliverables:
7.1: Report/Materials for hearings
7.2: Draft and Final Ordinance for Zoning Amendment
7.3: Draft and Final Map for rezoning
PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE & BUDGET
DELIVERABLE
ESTIMATED
DATE OF
COMPLETION
ESTIMATED
BUDGET
Task 1 – Develop Flex Zoning/Workforce
Housing Overlay
9 months after NTP
$35,000
Task 2 – Objective Design Standards Phase 2 9 months after NTP $25,000 Task 3 – Visualization and detail work for
Redwood Marketplace/North Gateway
(optional task)
5 months after NTP $20,000
Task 4 – Public Improvements 6 months after NTP $20,000 Task 5 – Community Outreach and
Engagement Throughout project $25,000
Task 6 – CEQA/ Environmental Review 10 months after NTP $55,000 Task 7 – Public Hearings for Adoption 11 months after NTP $10,000 Total 12-14 months after
NTP
$190,000
Agenda Item Number 6 Agenda Item Number 6
City Council Meeting Packet of March 21, 2023