property, to submit an offer to purchase the residential real property.
AB 2713 (Wicks D) Tenant protections: just cause termination: rent caps.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/24/2022-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (March 23).
Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
Location: Assembly Judiciary
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law prohibits an owner, as defined, of residential real property from terminating a tenancy without just cause, stated in the written notice to terminate the tenancy, after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 12 months. Current law defines "just cause" to mean certain at-fault just causes, including default in the payment of rent, and certain no-fault just causes, including intent to occupy the residential real property by the owner or the owner’s spouse, domestic partner, children, grandchildren, parents, or grandparents, as prescribed, withdrawal of the residential real property from the rental market, and intent to demolish or to substantially remodel the residential real property. This bill would revise the intent to occupy just-cause provision described above to mean a good faith intent to occupy the residential real property by the owner or the owner’s spouse, domestic partner, children, grandchildren, parents, or grandparents for at least 3 consecutive years.
AB 2755 (Muratsuchi D) Right to housing.
Current Text: Amended: 3/24/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/28/2022-Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
Location: Assembly Judiciary
Calendar: 4/19/2022 9 a.m. - State Capitol, Room 437 ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY, STONE, Chair Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law sets forth the general responsibilities and roles of the Department of Housing and Community Development in carrying out state housing policies and programs. Current law makes legislative findings and declarations concerning the Legislature’s efforts to facilitate and expedite the construction of affordable housing. Current law additionally makes legislative findings and declarations that local and state governments have a responsibility to use the powers vested in them to facilitate the improvement and development of housing and to make adequate provision for the housing needs of all economic segments of the community. This bill would give California residents a right to housing or shelter and obligate them to use any housing or shelter made available to them by a city, county, or city and county.
AB 2817 (Reyes D) House California Challenge Program.
Current Text: Amended: 3/29/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D.
Location: Assembly Housing and Community Development
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Would establish the House California Challenge Program, to be administered by the California Health and Human Services Agency, for the purpose of providing direct rental assistance to help persons who are experiencing homelessness obtain housing. The bill would require the agency, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to allocate $1,000,000,000 for purposes of the program each fiscal year for 5 years, beginning with the 2022–23 fiscal year. The bill would require 10% of the funds to be awarded as grants to recipients, as defined, for the purpose of helping participants locate and obtain permanent housing, 80% of the funds to be used by the agency to provide specified eligible uses directly to participants or to landlords providing housing to participants, and 10% of the funds to be used for administrative costs.
AB 2873 (Jones-Sawyer D) California Tax Credit Allocation Committee: low-income housing credit:
women, minority, disabled veteran, and LGBT business enterprises.
Current Text: Amended: 3/24/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/28/2022-Re-referred to Com. on H. & C.D.
Location: Assembly Housing and Community Development
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Under current law, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee administers the federal and state low-income housing tax credit programs. Current law requires the committee to allocate the housing credit on a specified regular basis, and to only allocate credits to a project if the housing sponsor enters into a specified regulatory agreement. Current law authorizes the committee to make any allocation or reservation of the state’s housing credit ceiling to a housing credit applicant subject to specified terms and conditions. This bill would require a housing credit applicant, and any of their subsidiaries and affiliates, for the purpose of expanding the program for the procurement by affordable housing companies of technology, equipment, supplies, services, materials, and construction work from women, minority, disabled veteran, and LGBT business enterprises, as those terms are defined, to annually submit a report to the committee, in a form and at the time designated by the committee, that includes, among other things, a detailed and verifiable plan for increasing procurement from those above-described business enterprises, and short- and long-term diversity goals and timetables.
SB 847 (Hurtado D) COVID-19 relief: tenancy: grant program.
Current Text: Amended: 3/28/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 1/13/2022
Status: 3/28/2022-Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
Location: Senate Judiciary
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: The State Rental Assistance Program establishes a program for providing rental assistance, using funding made available pursuant to federal law, administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development. This bill would, until January 1, 2025, create a grant program under the administration of the department and would require the department to award a program grant, as defined, to a qualified applicant who submits a complete application, as defined, on a first-come, first-served basis, except that the bill would require the program to provide grants to all tier one applicants, as defined, before providing grants to other applicants. The bill would define “qualified applicant” to mean a landlord who satisfies certain criteria, including that the landlord has applied for rental assistance funds pursuant to the State Rental Assistance Program and either received a negative final decision, as specified, or the landlord has been notified that an application to the State Rental Assistance Program was submitted, as specified, but 20 days have passed without a final decision being rendered.
SB 852 (Dodd D) Climate resilience districts: formation: funding mechanisms.
Current Text: Amended: 3/9/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 1/18/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-Set for hearing April 7.
Location: Senate Gov. & F.
Calendar: 4/7/2022 Upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE, CABALLERO, Chair
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law authorizes certain local agencies to form a community revitalization authority (authority) within a community revitalization and investment area, as defined, to carry out provisions of the Community Redevelopment Law in that area for purposes related to, among other things, infrastructure, affordable housing, and economic revitalization. Current law provides for the financing of these activities by, among other things, the issuance of bonds serviced by property tax increment revenues, and requires the authority to adopt a community revitalization and investment plan for the community revitalization and investment area that includes elements describing and governing revitalization activities. This bill would authorize a city, county, city and county, special district, or a combination of any of those entities to form a climate resilience district for the purposes of raising and allocating funding for eligible projects and the operating expenses of eligible projects. The bill would define “eligible project” to mean projects that address sea level rise, extreme heat, extreme cold, the risk of wildfire, drought, and the risk of flooding, as specified.
SB 869 (Leyva D) Housing: mobilehome parks: recreational vehicle parks: manager training.
Current Text: Amended: 3/28/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 1/24/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-Withdrawn from committee. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Location: Senate Appropriations
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Would require the Department of Housing and Community Development, by May 1, 2024, to adopt regulations to require each person employed or acting under contract as an onsite manager or assistant manager, or otherwise acting in an onsite or offsite managerial capacity or role, on behalf of a mobilehome park or recreational vehicle park to receive appropriate training of at least 18 hours during the
initial year and an unspecified number of hours of followup training each year thereafter on rules and regulations for the park, among other matters.
SB 886 (Wiener D) California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: public universities: university housing development projects.
Current Text: Amended: 3/21/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 1/27/2022
Status: 3/21/2022-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Rereferred to Com. on E.Q.
Location: Senate Environmental Quality
Calendar: 4/25/2022 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2100 SENATE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, ALLEN, Chair
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Would exempt from CEQA a university housing development project, as defined, carried out by a public university, as defined, on real property owned by the public university if the project meets certain requirements and the project is not located, in whole or in part, on certain sites, including a site that is within a special flood hazard area subject to inundation by a 1% annual chance flood or within a regulatory floodway as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as provided. The bill, with respect to a site that is within a special flood hazard area subject to inundation by a 1% annual chance flood or within a regulatory floodway, would prohibit a local government from denying an application on the basis that a public university did not comply with any additional permit requirement, standard, or action adopted by that local government applicable to the site if the public university is able to satisfy all applicable federal qualifying criteria in order to demonstrate that the site meets these criteria and is otherwise eligible to be exempt from CEQA pursuant to the above requirements.
SB 896 (Dodd D) Wildfires: defensible space: grant programs: local governments.
Current Text: Amended: 3/10/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/1/2022
Status: 3/25/2022-Set for hearing April 4.
Location: Senate Appropriations
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law requires a person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in, upon, or adjoining a mountainous area, forest-covered lands, shrub-covered lands, grasscovered lands, or land that is covered with flammable material to maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side. Existing law requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection to establish a statewide program to allow qualified entities, including counties and other political subdivisions of the state, to support and augment the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts. Current law requires the director to establish a common reporting platform that allows defensible space and home hardening assessment data, collected by the qualified entities, to be reported to the department. This bill would require any local government entity that is qualified to conduct these defensible space assessments in very high and high fire hazard severity zones and that reports that information to the department, to report that information using the common reporting platform.
SB 897 (Wieckowski D) Accessory dwelling units: junior accessory dwelling units.
Current Text: Amended: 3/14/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/1/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-Set for hearing April 7.
Location: Senate Gov. & F.
Calendar: 4/7/2022 Upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE, CABALLERO, Chair
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Tthe Planning and Zoning Law authorizes a local agency, by ordinance or ministerial approval, to provide for the creation of accessory dwelling units in areas zoned for residential use, as specified. Current law authorizes a local agency to impose standards on accessory dwelling units that include, but are not limited to, parking, height, setback, landscape, architectural review, and maximum size of a unit. This bill would require that the standards imposed on accessory dwelling units be objective. For purposes of this requirement, the bill would define “objective standard” as a standard that involves no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and is uniformly verifiable, as specified.
SB 940 (Laird D) Mobilehome parks: local ordinances.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/8/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/8/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 8. Noes 2.) (March 29).
Location: Senate Judiciary
Calendar: 3/31/2022 #8 SENATE SENATE BILLS - SECOND READING FILE Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: The Mobilehome Residency Law, prescribes various terms and conditions of tenancies in mobilehome parks. Current law exempts new construction, defined as spaces initially held out for rent after January 1, 1990, from any ordinance, rule, regulation, or initiative measure adopted by a city or county, which establishes a maximum amount that a landlord may charge a tenant for rent. This bill would revise the definition of "new construction" to include only spaces initially held out for rent after January 1, 1990, and before January 1, 2023, and would end the above-described exemption for new construction upon the first date following January 1, 2023, that the rental agreement for that space is renewed, extended, or terminated.
SB 948 (Becker D) Housing finance programs: development reserves.
Current Text: Amended: 3/3/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/9/2022
Status: 3/24/2022-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 24).
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Location: Senate Appropriations
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Under current law governing the State Community Development Block Grant Program, the Department of Housing and Community Development is required to distribute funds made available under the program in order to provide decent housing, a suitable living environment, and expand economic opportunities, consistent with federal requirements. Current federal law also establishes the HOME Investment Partnership Program to, among other things, expand the supply of affordable housing. Current law designates the department as the state agency responsible for administering the HOME Investment Partnership Act. This bill would prohibit the department from requiring a project-specific transition reserve, as defined, for any unit subject to a qualified project rental or operating subsidy. This bill would create the Pooled Transition Reserve Fund and would continuously appropriate moneys in that fund to the department for the purpose of maintaining a pooled transition reserve to mitigate the impacts on tenant rents from the loss or exhaustion of rental or operating subsidies.
SB 971 (Newman D) Housing: household pets.
Current Text: Amended: 3/10/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/10/2022
Status: 3/24/2022-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (March 24).
Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
Location: Senate Appropriations
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to require each housing development, as defined, that is financed on or after January 1, 2018, pursuant to the ZenovichMoscone-Chacon Housing and Home Finance Act, to authorize a resident of the housing development to own or otherwise maintain one or more common household pets, as defined, within the resident’s dwelling unit, subject to applicable state laws and local government ordinances related to public health, animal control, and animal anticruelty. Current law establishes a low-income housing tax credit program pursuant to which the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) provides procedures and requirements for the allocation, in modified conformity with federal law, of state insurance, personal income, and corporation tax credit amounts to qualified low-income housing projects that have been allocated, or qualify for, a federal lowincome housing tax credit, and farmworker housing. This bill would require any housing development that is financed on or after January 1, 2023, pursuant to the act or by any moneys administered or otherwise provided by the department, or that is the basis for the receipt, on or after January 1, 2023, of any lowincome housing tax credit, as described, to authorize a resident of the housing development to own or otherwise maintain one or more common household pets, as defined, within the resident’s dwelling unit, subject to applicable state laws and local government ordinances related to public health, animal control, and animal anticruelty and other reasonable conditions, as defined.
SB 1026 (Wieckowski D) Residential energy efficiency disclosure statement.
Current Text: Amended: 3/24/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/15/2022
Status: 3/29/2022-Set for hearing April 5.
Location: Senate Judiciary
Calendar: 4/5/2022 1:30 p.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 1200 SENATE JUDICIARY, UMBERG, Chair Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law requires the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission to prescribe, by regulation, energy efficiency standards for lighting, insulation, climate control systems, and building design and construction standards for new residential and new nonresidential buildings. Current law requires the commission to also develop a public domain computer program that enables contractors, builders, architects, engineers, and government officials to estimate the energy consumed by residential and nonresidential buildings. Current law regulates the terms and conditions of residential tenancies and imposes various requirements on landlords. This bill would require the commission to prepare a residential energy efficiency disclosure statement form for landlords and other lessors of residential properties to use to disclose to tenants and lessees information about the energy efficiency of the property.
SB 1067 (Portantino D) Housing development projects: automobile parking requirements.
Current Text: Amended: 3/21/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/15/2022
Status: 3/22/2022-Set for hearing March 31.
Location: Senate Gov. & F.
Calendar: 3/31/2022 Upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE, CABALLERO, Chair
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Would prohibit a city, county, or city and county from imposing any minimum automobile parking requirement on a housing development project that is located within 1/2 mile of public transit, as defined, and that either (1) dedicates 25% of the total units to very low, low-, and moderate-income households, students, the elderly, or persons with disabilities or (2) the developer demonstrates that the development would not have a negative impact on the city’s, county’s, or city and county’s ability to meet specified housing needs and would not have a negative impact on existing residential or commercial parking within 1/2 mile of the project. By changing the duties of local planning officials, this bill would impose a statemandated local program.
SB 1105 (Hueso D) San Diego Regional Equitable and Environmentally Friendly Affordable Housing Finance Agency.
Current Text: Amended: 3/15/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/16/2022
Status: 3/24/2022-From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on GOV. & F. (Ayes 6. Noes 1.) (March 24). Re-referred to Com. on GOV. & F.
Location: Senate Gov. & F.
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: The San Francisco Bay Area Regional Housing Finance Act establishes the Bay Area Housing Finance Agency to raise, administer, and allocate funding for affordable housing in the San Francisco Bay area, as defined, and provide technical assistance at a regional level for tenant protection, affordable housing preservation, and new affordable housing production. This bill, the San Diego Regional Equitable and Environmentally Friendly Housing Act, would establish the San Diego Regional Equitable and Environmentally Friendly Affordable Housing Agency and would state that the agency’s purpose is to increase the supply of equitable and environmentally friendly housing in the County of San Diego by providing for significantly enhanced funding and technical assistance across the regional level for equitable and environmentally friendly housing projects and programs, equitable housing preservation, and rental protection programs, as specified. The bill would require a board composed of 6 voting members from the County of San Diego, as specified, to govern the agency.
SB 1133 (Archuleta D) Price gouging: state of emergency.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/16/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/16/2022
Status: 3/18/2022-Set for hearing April 5.
Location: Senate Public Safety
Calendar: 4/5/2022 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY, BRADFORD, Chair Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law requires the Office of Emergency Services, upon the proclamation of an emergency by the Governor, to include information about these provisions and guidance to property owners, as specified, on an appropriate internet website. This bill would make application of specified provisions contingent upon any proclamation of a state of emergency or declaration of local emergency including specific
findings that the emergency has caused, or is substantially likely to cause, abnormal disruptions of the housing market necessitating the application of these provisions to prevent excessive and unjustified increases in rental prices. The bill would require the Office of Emergency Services to post all applicable proclamations and declarations on its website, and would specify that these provisions would not be enforceable until the proclamation or declaration is posted on the office’s website. The bill would also exclude specified categories of housing from these provisions, including housing that was issued a certificate of occupancy for residential use within the 3 months preceding a proclamation of a state of emergency or declaration of local emergency or within the duration of the proclamation or declaration.
SB 1134 (Melendez R) California Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Current Text: Amended: 3/28/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/16/2022
Status: 3/28/2022-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Rereferred to Com. on HUMAN S.
Location: Senate Human Services
Calendar: 4/5/2022 1:30 p.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE HUMAN SERVICES, HURTADO, Chair Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law requires the Governor to establish the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, and requires the council to, among other things, identify mainstream resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California, and promote systems integration to increase efficiency and effectiveness while focusing on designing systems to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Current law sets forth the composition of the council, which includes, among others, the Secretary of Business, Consumer Services, and Housing and the Secretary of California Health and Human Services, who serve as cochairs of the council. This bill would add the Director of Developmental Services to the council described above.
SB 1163 (Dahle R) Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/17/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/17/2022
Status: 3/2/2022-Referred to Com. on RLS.
Location: Senate Rules
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law authorizes the legislative body of city or county to establish an enhanced infrastructure financing district to finance public capital facilities or other specified projects of communitywide significance that provide significant benefits to the district or the surrounding community. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to these provisions.
SB 1176 (Limón D) Department of Financial Protection and Innovation: loan-related activities: data analysis and practices.
Current Text: Amended: 3/30/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/17/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Rereferred to Com. on B. & F.I.
Location: Senate Banking and Financial Institutions
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current federal law, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA), requires specified financial institutions, including certain banks, savings associations, and credit unions, to compile and make available to the public for inspection specific data about mortgage loans. Current federal law, the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), also requires regulated financial institutions, as defined, to be subject to certain assessments by federal agencies to ensure those financial institutions are acting consistently to meet the credit needs of the communities in which they are chartered. The bill would require the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation to seek information from regulators in other states that have enacted laws modeled after the CRA and identify best practices in administering those laws, review federal rules implementing the CRA, and provide recommendations on how the rules could be adapted and applied to examinations of licensees, as defined. The bill would further require the department, if any amendment is proposed to a federal rule implementing the CRA before June 30, 2023, to seek information from regulators in other states that have enacted laws modeled after the CRA to determine how changes in the federal rule have or may affect implementation of the state law.
SB 1228 (Wiener D) Criminal procedure: DNA samples.
Current Text: Amended: 3/8/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/17/2022
Status: 3/24/2022-Set for hearing April 19.
Location: Senate Public Safety
Calendar: 4/19/2022 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY, BRADFORD, Chair Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law requires any adult person who is arrested or charged with any felony offense to provide buccal swab samples, right thumbprints, a full palm print impression of each hand, and any blood specimens or other biological samples required for law enforcement identification analysis. This bill would create procedures for reference samples of DNA from a victim of or witness to a crime or alleged crime, and to reference samples of DNA from intimate partners or family members of a victim or witness voluntarily provided for the purpose of exclusion, as defined. The bill would require those procedures to include, among other things, requiring that law enforcement agencies use these samples only for purposes directly related to the incident being investigated, prohibiting law enforcement agencies from comparing these samples with samples that do not relate to the incident being investigated, and prohibiting law enforcement agencies from including these samples in databases that allow the samples to be compared to or matched with profiles derived from DNA evidence obtained from crime scenes.
SB 1252 (Committee on Housing) Housing.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/17/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/17/2022
Status: 3/4/2022-Set for hearing April 28.
Location: Senate Housing
Calendar: 4/28/2022 10:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 2100 SENATE HOUSING, WIENER, Chair
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law authorizes a city or county that created a subsequently dissolved redevelopment agency to elect to retain the housing assets and functions previously performed by the agency, which entity is referred to as a housing successor. Current law requires that if all or any portion of a redevelopment project was developed with low- or moderate-income housing units and those units were developed with any agency assistance or pursuant to specified provisions, the agency or its successor shall require, by contract, that the housing be made available for rent or purchase to the persons and families of low or moderate income displaced by the redevelopment project and to persons of low or moderate income who are descendants of the person displaced by the redevelopment project and who, at the time of displacement, were not living in the household or had not yet been born, as specified. This bill would additionally require that the housing be made available to those persons and families described above if they meet the income eligibility and other requirements for that housing, and would make other conforming changes.
SB 1277 (Bradford D) Community development.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/2/2022-Referred to Com. on RLS.
Location: Senate Rules
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Would state the intent of the Legislature to enact future legislation to invest in the African American community, including infrastructure and economic revitalization projects, and Colonel Allen State Historic Park.
SB 1282 (Bates R) Opioid Master Settlement Agreement.
Current Text: Amended: 3/16/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/24/2022-Referral to Com. on PUB. S. rescinded because of the limitations placed on committee hearings due to ongoing health and safety risks of the COVID-19 virus.
Location: Senate Public Safety
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Would establish the California Opioid Settlement Fund in the State Treasury, and would require the total amount of the state’s share of funds received pursuant to the Master Settlement Agreement, defined to mean the National Opioid Settlement Agreement announced on February 25, 2022, by the Attorney General of the State of California between California and other states and the leading United States opioid product manufacturers, to be deposited in the fund. The bill would require distribution of funds from
the fund to be made by annual appropriation of the Legislature consistent with the requirements of this bill, to the extent permissible under the terms of the Master Settlement Agreement, including a requirement that at least 60% of the funds appropriated be used to provide addiction-related services for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and priority shall be given to certain activities, including, among others, creating new, or expanding existing, substance use disorder treatment facilities.
SB 1284 (Bates R) Homelessness: interim motel housing projects: state programs.
Current Text: Amended: 3/16/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/24/2022-Referral to Com. on E.Q. rescinded because of the limitations placed on committee hearings due to ongoing health and safety risks of the COVID-19 virus.
Location: Senate Environmental Quality
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. Current law, until January 1, 2025, exempts from CEQA projects related to the conversion of a structure with a certificate of occupancy as a motel, hotel, residential hotel, or hostel to supportive or transitional housing, as defined, that meet certain conditions. This bill would delete the above-described January 1, 2025, repeal date, thereby extending operation of that exemption indefinitely. Because the lead agency must determine the applicability of this exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
SB 1292 (Stern D) Land use: development restriction: fire hazard severity zones.
Current Text: Amended: 3/16/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/22/2022-March 24 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
Location: Senate Housing
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law requires a housing element to include, among other things, an inventory of land suitable and available for residential development. Current law imposes various requirements on a city, county, or city and county upon receiving an application for a housing development project meeting certain standards. This bill would authorize a city, county, or city and county to restrict the development of residential housing in moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined, if the city, county, or city and county adopts a plan, as specified, ensuring the production of at least double the number of residential units not developed as a result of the restriction.
SB 1307 (Rubio D) Department of Housing and Community Development: Mobilehome Parks Act:
Special Occupancy Parks Act.
Current Text: Amended: 3/16/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-Set for hearing April 28.
Location: Senate Housing
Calendar: 4/28/2022 10:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 2100 SENATE HOUSING, WIENER, Chair
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: The Mobilehome Parks Act establishes requirements for the construction, maintenance, occupancy, use, and design of mobilehome parks and requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to enforce the act. The Special Occupancy Parks Act establishes requirements for the construction, maintenance, occupancy, use, and design of special occupancy parks and requires the department to enforce the act. Current law authorizes a city, county, or city and county to assume responsibility for the enforcement of the Mobilehome Parks Act, the Special Occupancy Parks Act, and the regulations adopted pursuant to those acts, following approval by the department for the assumption, as specified. This bill would require the department to post an explanation of the process for a city, county, or city and county to assume the enforcement responsibilities pursuant to the acts described above, on its internet website, in multiple languages.
SB 1316 (Wieckowski D) Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/2/2022-Referred to Com. on RLS.
Location: Senate Rules
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law, the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, prohibits discrimination in employment and housing based on specified personal characteristics. Existing law establishes the Department of Fair Employment and Housing and sets forth its powers and duties relating to enforcement of those provisions. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to change the name of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing to more accurately reflect its powers and duties.
SB 1323 (Archuleta D) Foreclosure: equity sale: multiple listing.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/2/2022-Referred to Com. on JUD.
Location: Senate Judiciary
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law imposes various requirements to be satisfied before exercising a power of sale under a mortgage or deed of trust, including recording a notice of default, providing a mortgagor or trustor a copy of the recorded notice of default, providing notice of the time and place scheduled for the public auction sale of the real property and other notices related to the sale, determining the fees and expenses that may be paid from the sale, determining who may conduct the sale and act in the sale as an auctioneer for the trustee, determining the time and place where the auction sale may occur, and specifying how bids may be made and accepted at the auction sale. This bill would recast these provisions to require that an equity sale, as defined, of property under a power of sale of a mortgage or deed of trust be made by a licensed realtor and by publicly listing the property for sale on the California Multiple Listing Service with an initial listing price at the property’s appraised value, as specified. The bill would authorize the trustee to reduce the listed price of the property if the trustee does not receive a qualifying offer, as defined, within 20 days of listing the property, and every 20 days thereafter, as specified. This bill contains other related provisions.
SB 1335 (Eggman D) Discrimination: housing: credit history of persons receiving housing subsidies.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-April 5 hearing postponed by committee.
Location: Senate Judiciary
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: The California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) prohibits various forms of housing discrimination, including prohibiting the owner of a housing accommodation from discriminating against or harassing a person because of specified characteristics, including source of income, as defined, and establishes the Department of Fair Employment and Housing to administer and enforce those provisions.
Current law prohibits, in instances where there is a government rent subsidy, the use of a financial or income standard in assessing eligibility for the rental of housing that is not based on the portion of the rent to be paid by the tenant. This bill would recast those provisions to include a person’s credit history as a prohibited basis for those forms of housing discrimination if the person receives federal, state, or local housing subsidies, as specified.
SB 1344 (Rubio D) San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust: joint powers authority.
Current Text: Amended: 3/16/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-March 31 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
Location: Senate Gov. & F.
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law authorizes the creation of the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust, a joint powers authority, by the County of Los Angeles and any or all of the cities within the jurisdiction of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, with the stated purpose of funding housing to assist the homeless population and persons and families of extremely low, very low, and low income within the San Gabriel Valley region. Current law requires the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust to be governed by a board of directors, composed of 9 members who serve 2-year terms. Current law requires that 7 of the 9 members be either a local elected official from the County of Los Angeles or a member of a city council from a city that is a member of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments that represents either a city that is a party to
the joint powers agreement or a specified County of Los Angeles board of supervisors district. Current law requires the remaining 2 of the members to be experts in homelessness or housing policy and to meet prescribed eligibility requirements. This bill would additionally authorize the Cities of Chino, Montclair, and Ontario to enter into a joint powers agreement, as described above, relating to the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust.
SB 1353 (Wilk R) Homeless population census information: collection and reporting.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-Set for hearing April 7.
Location: Senate Gov. & F.
Calendar: 4/7/2022 Upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE, CABALLERO, Chair
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law creates the California Interagency Council on Homelessness and requires departments administering state programs created on or after July 1, 2017, to collaborate with the council for the purpose of adopting guidelines and regulations to incorporate core components of Housing First.
Current law defines "Housing First" as an evidence-based model that uses housing as a tool, rather than a reward, for recovery and that centers on providing or connecting homeless people to permanent housing as quickly as possible. Under current law, Housing First providers offer services as needed and requested on a voluntary basis and do not make housing contingent on participation in services. This bill would require a local government entity, as defined, to develop and maintain a publicly available internet website homelessness dashboard for prescribed purposes.
SB 1369 (Wieckowski D) Adaptive reuse projects: by-right: funding.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/28/2022-March 31 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
Location: Senate Gov. & F.
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA does not apply to the approval of ministerial projects. This bill would make an adaptive reuse project a use by right in all areas regardless of zoning. The bill would define "adaptive reuse project" to mean any commercial, public, industrial, or office building or structure that has 25-percent occupancy or less, which is converted into a housing development project.
SB 1385 (Cortese D) Electricity: multifamily housing local solar program.
Current Text: Amended: 3/24/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/24/2022-From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Rereferred to Com. on E., U. & C.
Location: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law requires the Public Utilities Commission, by June 30, 2017, to authorize, through the Multifamily Affordable Housing Solar Roofs Program, the awarding of monetary incentives for qualifying solar energy systems that are installed on qualified multifamily affordable housing properties through December 31, 2030. This bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2024, to establish a new multifamily housing local solar program that would require each electrical corporation with more than 100,000 service connections in California to construct, or contract for the construction of, a solar and storage system on or near qualified multifamily housing, as specified. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
SB 1396 (Bradford D) Tenancy: credit reporting: lower income households: evaluation.
Current Text: Amended: 3/16/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/22/2022-April 5 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
Location: Senate Judiciary
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law, until July 1, 2025, requires a landlord of an assisted housing development, as defined, to offer tenants obligated on the lease of units in the development the option of having their rental payments reported to at least one consumer reporting agency. Current law authorizes a landlord to charge a tenant that elects to have rent reported and prescribes requirements regarding how the offer of rent reporting is to be made. This bill would require an independent evaluator, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, to be selected by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation and to be responsible for conducting an evaluation on the impact of rental payment reporting in this state. The bill would require the evaluator to be chosen through a competitive process after the first year of completion, as specified.
SB 1408 (Allen D) Planning and zoning: general plan: annual report.
Current Text: Amended: 3/16/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-Set for hearing April 28.
Location: Senate Housing
Calendar: 4/28/2022 10:30 a.m. or upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 2100 SENATE HOUSING, WIENER, Chair
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: The Planning and Zoning Law requires the planning agency of a city or county to provide by April 1 of each year an annual report to, among other entities, the Department of Housing and Community Development. The law requires that the annual report include, among other specified information, the number of net new units of housing, including both rental housing and for-sale housing, that have been issued a completed entitlement, building permit, or certificate of occupancy, and the income category, by area median income, that each unit of housing satisfies, as specified. This bill would authorize the planning agency to include in the portion of its report detailing the number of net new units of housing single-room occupancy units and nontraditional housing units, as those terms are defined, that were developed in previous housing element planning periods if those units are subject to authorization by the department and were not counted in previous reports.
SB 1414 (Durazo D) Surplus land disposal.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/9/2022-Referred to Com. on RLS.
Location: Senate Rules
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law provides that certain dispositions of real property by local agencies are subject to surplus land disposal procedures as they existed on December 31, 2019, without regard to specified amendments that took effect on January 1, 2020, if those dispositions comply with specified requirements.
Current law extends the dates by which the disposition of property must be completed, as specified, if the disposition of property, the local agency’s right or ability to dispose of the property, or a development project for which the property is proposed to be transferred, is the subject of judicial challenge. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to the provision extending the dates by which the disposition of property must be completed if the property is subject to judicial challenge.
SB 1421 (Jones R) California Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/23/2022-Set for hearing April 5.
Location: Senate Human Services
Calendar: 4/5/2022 1:30 p.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE HUMAN SERVICES, HURTADO, Chair Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law requires the Governor to establish the California Interagency Council on Homelessness, and requires the council to, among other things, identify mainstream resources, benefits, and services that can be accessed to prevent and end homelessness in California and promote systems integration to increase efficiency and effectiveness to address the needs of people experiencing homelessness. Current law requires the council to seek guidance from an advisory committee that includes, among others, a survivor of gender-based violence who formerly experienced homelessness. This bill would add a current or formerly homeless person with a developmental disability to the advisory committee.
SB 1427 (Ochoa Bogh R) Board of State and Community Corrections: Homeless and Mental Health Court and Transitioning Home Grant Programs.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/24/2022-Set for hearing April 5.
Location: Senate Public Safety
Calendar: 4/5/2022 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY, BRADFORD, Chair Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Would establish two new grant programs administered by the Board of State and Community Corrections: the Homeless and Mental Health Court Grant Program that would, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, provide grants to counties for the purpose of establishing or expanding homeless courts and mental health courts, as specified; and the Transitioning Home Grant Program that would, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, provide grants to county sheriffs and jail administrators to fund programs aimed at reducing homelessness among inmates released from custody, as specified.
SB 1435 (Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs) Veteran home use: reporting.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/25/2022-Set for hearing April 27.
Location: Senate M. & V.A.
Calendar: 4/27/2022 9 a.m. - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, ARCHULETA, Chair
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law establishes veterans homes in the State of California, under the jurisdiction of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Current law requires the department to review the use of each home no later than 5 years before the expiration of the use restriction imposed on the home by federal law to determine the best continued, unrestricted use of the home. Current law also requires the department to conduct the same review 5 years after the date of the expiration of the use restriction imposed by federal law on a home and to update that review every 5 years. This bill would require the department to review the homes on a specified schedule and to update the report every 5 years.
SB 1444 (Allen D) California FAIR Plan: condominium dwelling coverage.
Current Text: Amended: 3/15/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/23/2022-Re-referred to Com. on INS.
Location: Senate Insurance
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Current law creates the California FAIR Plan Association, a joint reinsurance association formed by insurers licensed to write and engaged in writing basic property insurance within this state, to assist persons in securing basic property insurance and to formulate and administer a program for the equitable apportionment among insurers of basic property insurance. Current law defines “basic property insurance” for these purposes. This bill would define “basic property insurance” offered through the FAIR Plan to include condominium dwelling coverage. The bill would require the association to file a new or amended rate application consistent with this definition within 90 days following the bill’s operative date.
SB 1456 (Stern D) Property taxation: welfare exemption: low-income housing.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-Set for hearing April 7. April 7 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
Location: Senate Gov. & F.
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: The California Constitution authorizes the Legislature to exempt from taxation, in whole or in part, property that is used exclusively for religious, hospital, or charitable purposes, and is owned or held in trust by a nonprofit entity. Pursuant to this constitutional authority, current law partially exempts from property taxation property used exclusively for rental housing and related facilities, if specified criteria are met, including, except in the case of a limited partnership in which the managing general partner is a nonprofit corporation eligible for the exemption, that 90% or more of the occupants of the property are lower income households whose rents do not exceed the rent limits prescribed by a specified law. Current law limits the total exemption amount allowed to a taxpayer, with respect to a single property or multiple
properties for any fiscal year on the sole basis of the application of this criterion, to $20,000,000 of assessed value. This bill would remove the above-described limit on the total exemption amount with respect to property tax lien dates occurring on and after the effective date of the bill.
SB 1457 (Hertzberg D) Housing: California Family Home Construction and Homeownership Bond Act of 2022.
Current Text: Amended: 3/28/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/30/2022-Set for hearing April 7.
Location: Senate Gov. & F.
Calendar: 4/7/2022 Upon adjournment of Session - 1021 O Street, Room 2200 SENATE GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE, CABALLERO, Chair
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Would enact the California Family Home Construction and Homeownership Bond Act of 2022 (bond act), which, if adopted, would authorize the issuance of bonds in the amount of $25,000,000,000 pursuant to the State General Obligation Bond Law to finance to finance the California Family Home Construction and Homeownership Program, established as part of the bond act. The bill would authorize the California Housing Finance Agency to award California Socially Responsible Second Mortgage Loans to eligible applicants to use as a down payment or to pay closing costs on the purchase of a new home. The bill would also authorize the agency to award Family Homeownership Opportunity Infrastructure Improvement Loans to developers to be used for predevelopment infrastructure improvements and other upfront costs typically incurred in connection with new home construction. The bill would require that moneys received from a loan recipient for the repayment of financing provided under the program to be used to pay debt service when due on bonds issued pursuant to the bond act.
SB 1466 (Stern D) Affordable Housing and Community Development Investment Program.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/10/2022-Referral to Com. on ED. rescinded because of the limitations placed on committee hearings due to ongoing health and safety risks of the COVID-19 virus.
Location: Senate Education
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Would establish in state government the Affordable Housing and Community Development Investment Program, which would be administered by the Affordable Housing and Community Development Investment Committee. The bill would authorize a city, county, city and county, joint powers agency, enhanced infrastructure financing district, affordable housing authority, community revitalization and investment authority, transit village development district, or a combination of those entities, to apply to the Affordable Housing and Community Development Investment Committee to participate in the program and would authorize the committee to approve or deny plans for projects meeting specific criteria.
SB 1484 (Grove R) Income taxes: credits: qualified first-year wages: homeless youth: foster or former foster youth.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/17/2022-Referred to Com. on GOV. & F.
Location: Senate Gov. & F.
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: The Personal Income Tax Law and Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a credit for hiring qualified full-time employees within a designated census tract or economic development area, as provided. This bill would allow a credit against those taxes for each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2023, and before January 1, 2028, in an amount that is equal to either 40% or 25% of the amount paid or incurred by a qualified taxpayer during the taxable year for qualified first-year wages of qualified employees, depending on the amount of hours worked by the qualified employee during the first year of employment, not to exceed $2,400 per qualified employee. The bill would define "qualified employee" to mean an employee who is hired on or after January 1, 2023, and who is a homeless youth, foster youth, or former foster youth, as those terms are defined.
SCA 9 (Gonzalez D) Personal rights: right to housing.
Current Text: Introduced: 2/18/2022 html pdf
Introduced: 2/18/2022
Status: 3/23/2022-Referred to Coms. on HOUSING and E. & C.A.
Location: Senate Housing
Calendar:
Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Desk Policy Fiscal Floor Conf.
Conc. Enrolled Vetoed Chaptered 1st House 2nd House
Summary: Would declare that the fundamental human right to housing exists in this state. The measure would specify that it is the shared obligation of state and local jurisdictions to respect, protect, and fulfill this right through progressively implemented measures, consistent with available resources, within an aggressive but reasonable timeframe.
Total Measures: 106
Total Tracking Forms: 106
STAFF REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: City Engineer
FOR MEETING: Apr 26 2022
SUBJECT: Design Contract Amendment for the Split Rock Avenue Bridge Project.
RECOMMENDATION:
The City Council approve Amendment #1 with Dokken Engineering, in the amount of $24,482.28 for Right-of-Way services, and approve the extension of time request to December 31, 2022.
ORDER OF PROCEDURE:
Request Staff Report (City Manager Presenting)
Council Questions of Staff
Request Public Comment
Council Discussion
Motion/Second
Discussion of Motion
Call the Question
ATTACHMENTS:
• 2177_Amendment No1
Request ROW Services_2022-
0419
BACKGROUND:
Dokken Engineering, the City's contracted design engineer for the Split Rock Avenue Bridge Project is requesting a contract amendment to their design services agreement. The current design contract amount is $478,775. The design commenced back in January 2015. The amendment includes the request to add $24,482.28 for right-of-way services that were stipulated in their proposal as an additional fee. Caltrans has already approved, programmed, and allocated $30,000 for the right-of-way phase of the project and will pay 88.53% of the cost for Dokken’s services.
We are allowed to proceed with the right-of-way acquisition process for the necessary right of way, once this amendment is approved by the City Council. The city's matching funds are 11.47% or $2,808.18 for right-of-way acquisition services. There will be additional costs associated with the purchase of the necessary right-of-way, in addition to Dokken's services which will also add to the city's matching cost. It is anticipated that the total costs for right-of-way acquisition services and the property right-of-way purchase will not exceed the allocated amount of $30,000. The total City match would be $3,441.00.
ENVIRONMENTAL:
N/A
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council could choose not to award the contract for right of way acquisition services. Page 115 of 515 FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact for the right-of-way phase to purchase the necessary rights-of-way is $3,441.00. Funding source is Measure I.
DOKKEN ENGINEERING
Transportation Solutions from Concept to Construction
April 19, 2022
Richard Pedersen, PE
City Engineer
6136 Adobe Road
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
RE: Split Rock Avenue Bridge
Federal Aid Project Number: NBIL (533), STIP 209-5000-3189 Amendment No. 1 Request: Right of Way Acquisition Services Dear Mr. Pedersen,
The purpose of this letter is to request Amendment No. 1 to the City’s Agreement with Dokken Engineering for right of way acquisition services for the Split Rock Avenue Bridge project. This amendment is requested to address the costs and time associated with acquiring a drainage easement within APN 618-211-20.
The following is a description of the services necessary to complete the drainage easement acquisition. This also assumes a time extension through December 2022, with RFA Construction being submitted in August 2022. Information is provided only for the amended tasks.
TASK 1 – RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISITIONS BUDGET
The scope of the original agreement did not include right-of-way acquisition services.
There is one parcel that will require a drainage and slope easement for the project.
Services that will be included within this task are a wavier valuation report, property owner meetings, and completing all Local Assistance Procedure Manual documents required to obtain possession of the property to move forward with construction.
Please note a waiver valuation is being proposed because we anticipate the valuation of this easement to be less than $10,000. If condemnation proceedings are necessitated to obtain this property, services would be completed through a future amendment.
The budget adjustment accounts for the effort required to administer the right-of-way services to complete the easement acquisition and Right-of-Way Certification for this project.
$24,482.28
Split Rock Avenue Bridge Project – Federal Aid Project Number: NBIL (533) Amendment No. 1 Request: Budget Adjustment and Time Extension 2 SUMMARY:
Following is a summary of the current and proposed agreement amounts:
Original Contract Amount $ 478,775.00
Requested Amendment No. 1 $ 24,482.28
TOTAL PROPOSED CONTRACT AMOUNT: $ 503,257.28
In addition to the requested budget changes, Dokken also requests that the contract duration be extended through December 2022 to coincide with completing the design phase of the project.
Bidding and construction support services are also excluded from this amendment request, and a future amendment would be required to add schedule and budget for these services, if so desired by the City.
Upon the City’s agreement to this request and, Dokken will submit Form 10-H so you can submit the amendment to Caltrans Audit & Investigations for their filing.
We appreciate your consideration of this matter and thank you again for the opportunity to work with the City on this challenging project. Please contact me if you have any questions or indicate your concurrence in the space provided.
Sincerely,
DOKKEN ENGINEERING
Dan Nutter, PE, Esq.
Project Manager
2177/052/DSN
Right of Way Acquisito in Service s for
SPLIT ROCK AVENUE BRIDGE IN THE CITY OF TWENTYNINE PALMS
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The City of Twentynine Palms requires right of way acquisition services for the Split Rock Avenue Bridge over the Twentynine Palms Flood Control Channel project. Provided below is summary of the scope of services and deliverables Dokken Engineering (Dokken) will provide for this project:
TASK 1 RIGHT OF WAY ACQUISTION
Task 1.1 Right of Way Management and Coordination
To eliminate any unforeseen issues, Dokken’s team works closely with Caltrans or applicable funding sources to ensure all changes regarding certification, documentation, and procedures are implemented. By coordinating our efforts with Caltrans, Dokken ensures that all the current documentation and procedures are used for all right of way efforts for local public agency projects.
Dokken will do the following once a task is assigned:
• Attain a preliminary title report, map (engineering plans), plat map and legal description; • Review title report and implement solutions for items that may affect title or cause a delay in escrow; • Prepare waiver valuation report for impacted parcel;
• Prepare draft acquisition documentation for Client review and approval; • Provide final waiver valuation and acquisition documentation to the Client for final review; • Prepare staff reports for approval of just compensation; • Make offer in person to the property owner;
• Attain executed acquisition documentation from the affected property owner; • Provide possession documentation in lieu of purchase contracts; • Supply condemnation support, if required;
• Deliver fully executed documentation to escrow/title officers to close escrow and provide title insurance;
• Coordinate the close of escrow and provide original copies of acquisition files to the Client; Task 1.2 Project Tracking Table
Right of Way Project Manager, Jamie Formico, will maintain the project tracking table and ensure that it is sent to the Client on the regularly requested schedule. As a component of effective project management and to keep the project on schedule and the Client current with acquisition data, a project tracking table will be created. This table will outline milestones and supply completion dates, comments, and any additional information the Client may request.
Task 1.2 Deliverables: Project Tracking Table
Task 1.3 Legal Description and Plat Map/ Property Owner Exhibit Dokken’s Right of way engineering activities will involve, but are not limited to, the following:
• Using the preliminary title report and easement documents, Dokken’s surveyor will review and verify parcel and right-of- way data for the affected property; • Preparation of a dimensioned exhibit of the proposed easement. This exhibit will be utilized by Dokken’s right of way team during negotiations;
• Editing right of way design configurations as needed until the acquisition agreement is reached with the property owner;
• Preparation of legal description and plat map for the proposed easements; • Once the negotiation is finalized, the signed and stamped original will be attached to the executed easement document.
Task 1.3 Deliverables: Legal Description, Plat Map, and Property Owner Exhibit Task 1.4 Title Services
Dokken will obtain a preliminary title report for one (1) property. The Dokken right of way team will perform all necessary research for the parcel being acquired. Agents may resolve or oversee resolution of problems relating to unusual circumstances regarding title or ownership and uncover any flaws, noting any
Right of Way Acquisito in Service s for
SPLIT ROCK AVENUE BRIDGE IN THE CITY OF TWENTYNINE PALMS exceptions pertaining to property such as mortgage liens, restrictions, easements, and rights of way. Using the preliminary title report and easement document, Dokken’s surveyor will review and verify parcel and right-of- way data for the affected property.
Task 1.4 Deliverables: One (1) Preliminary Title Report Task 1.5 Waiver Valuation
In insignificant valuation situations an appraisal may be waived [49 CFR 24.102(c) (2)]. Dokken’s right of way team has experience in doing waiver valuations on numerous projects, and this allows the budget and schedule to remain on track for projects with accelerated timelines. Waiver Valuations follow Caltrans and Uniform Act guidelines. A Notice of intent to inspect letter along with the acquisition policy brochure and Title IV information will be provided to impacted property owners.
Task 1.5 Deliverables: One (1) Waiver Valuation Report
Task 1.6 Negotiation and Acquisition
An acquisition will be required from one (1) parcel. All “Good Faith Negotiations” will be completed by Dokken’s Right of Way Team. After completion of the waiver valuation process and just compensation determination, Dokken will prepare the offer package and meet with the owner in person to present and explain the offer package details. The offer package will include the offer letter, written summary of just compensation with supporting waiver valuation information, property owner exhibit showing property map with right of way take locations, Title VI information, and the “Your Property – Your Transportation Project” booklet. Dokken will negotiate with the property owner to arrive at a mutually agreeable settlement and prepare necessary purchase agreements such as Grant Deeds, Easement Deeds, and Temporary Construction Easement Deeds. Dokken will obtain receipt of delivery of offer and/or present and secure tenant information statements, as applicable, during the initial meeting.
Dokken will work closely with the Client to aid in the recommendation of the appropriate course of action regarding the acquisition with the property owner requesting additional compensation and/or services beyond the initial offer package. The recommended settlement package with the justification and impasse letter will be provided to the Client for review. Working with the property owner to agreeable terms will be Dokken’s focus. There may be situations where condemnation is unavoidable, such as clouds in the title.
In the event the Client will need to attain property through the condemnation process, Dokken will assist in the preparation of all necessary condemnation reports, letters, and packages. In the event that the property goes into condemnation, an appraisal report will be required to obtain.
Additionally, Dokken will attend, at the request of the Client, any Public Community Meetings regarding the project.
Dokken’s Right of Way Agents hold California Real Estate Salesperson’s Licenses and are working under the direct supervision of a California Real Estate Licensed Broker.
Task 1.6 Deliverables: Right of Way Agreement, Grant and Easements Deeds, Administrative Settlement, Diary, Written Summary of Acquisition, Impasse Letter
Task 1.7 Escrow/Closing Services
Upon reaching an agreement on the terms and conditions of the acquisition with the property owner, Dokken will be available to assist the Client in opening escrow. Dokken will supply fully executed agreements along with other supporting information to escrow to close the transaction. Dokken will work closely with the Client to assist in the timely closing of the transaction. For the convenience of the property owner, all agents on our right of way team have a California Notary who will be available to notarize any documentation that is required. Fully executed deeds and easements will be delivered to the Client for acceptance prior to recording. In the event escrow services are not required, Dokken is available to perform these services and record the required documentation.
Task 1.7 Escrow Documents and Closing Statements
This scope excludes services associated with condemnation processes and right-of-way certification. If requested by the City, these services can be completed by Dokken though a future amendment.
COST PROPOSAL ‐ ESTIMATED HOURS BY TAS
K
CITY OF TWENTYNINE PALMS
SPLIT ROCK AVENUE BRIDGE
April 8, 2022
Elizabeth Diamond
Principal in Charge
Mary Elizabeth Westrum
Project Manager
John Klemunes
QA/QC Engineer
Senior Engineer
Associate Engineer
Assistant Engineer
Senior CAD
CAD/Engineering Technician
Environmental Manager
Senior Environmental Planner
Associate Environmental
Planner
Environmental Planner
Right of Way Manager
Senior Right of Way Agent
Right of Way Agent
Professional Land Surveyor TOTAL HOURS OTHER DIRECT COST TOTAL COST FULLY BURDENED RATE $ 286.00 $ 215.93 $ 371.80 $ 214.50 $ 170.17 $ 114.40 $ 191.62 $ 130.13 $ 214.50 $ 174.46 $ 131.56 $ 88.66 $ 185.90 $ 148.72 $ 82.94 $ 200.20 TASK 1 ‐ RIGHT OF WAY APPRAISALS AND ACQUISITIONS 20 87 66 8 181 750.00 $ $ 24,482.28
1.1 Right of Way Management and Coordination 4 4 743.60 $ 1.2 Project Tracking Table 2 5 7 1,115.40 $
1.3 Legal Description and Plat Map/ Property Owner Exhibit 2 8 10 1,973.40 $
1.4 Title Services (1 Report) 2 4 6 12 750.00 $ 2,214.32 $
1.5 Waiver Valuation (1 Report) 2 8 10 20 2,390.96 $
1.6 Negotiation and Acquisition (1 Parcel) 8 50 20 78 10,582.00 $ 1.7 Escrow/Closing Services 20 30 50 5,462.60 $ TOTAL HOURS TASKS 20 87 66 8 181
TOTAL COST TASKS $ - - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ - $ 3,718.00 $ 12,938.64 $ 5,474.04 $ 1,601.60 $ 750.00 $ $ 24,482.28
TASK DESCRIPTION
DOKKEN ENGINEERING
STAFF REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: Finance Director
FOR MEETING: Apr 26 2022
SUBJECT: Single Audit Report on Federal Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21.
RECOMMENDATION:
City Council receive and file.
ORDER OF PROCEDURE:
Request Staff Report (City Manager Presenting)
Council Questions of Staff
Council Discussion
Motion/Second
Discussion of Motion
Call the Question
ATTACHMENTS:
• Single Audit Report FY 2020-
21 BACKGROUND:
In accordance with the Single Audit Act of 1984 (which was amended in 1996) and the OMB’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance), non-federal entities are required to track federal funds awarded to recipients and pass-through recipients each year. The Uniform Guidance requires grantees to establish and maintain effective internal control over compliance with federal awards. Non-federal entities that expend $750,000 or more in federal awards in a single year are required to undergo an annual audit to ensure the accountability for federal awards.
For the FY 2020-21, the City expended over $750,000 in federal funds, and therefore was required to have a single audit performed by an independent auditor. The single audit was conducted by Rogers, Anderson, Malody and Scott, LLP (RAMS), a firm of independent certified public accountants appointed by the City Council. The single audit was conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAS); the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States (Government Auditing Standards); and the audit requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance).
Single Audit Highlights
On March 10, 2022, RAMS issued its Independent Auditor's Report and has expressed its opinion on the following matters: Compliance for Each Major Federal Program and Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) in Accordance with the Uniform Guidance. The City has received an "Unmodified" (Clean) opinion on compliance for each major federal program. This means that "the City complied, in all material respects, with the compliance requirements .... that could have a direct and material effect on each of its major federal programs for the year ended June 30, 2021." With regards to the SEFA, the auditor's Page 123 of 515 report states that it is "fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the basic financial statements as a whole."
The single audit was not designed for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over compliance, however, internal controls were considered, tested and reported on in accordance with the Uniform Guidance. The auditor's report states that during the audit, RAMS did not identify any material weakness or significant deficiencies in internal control over compliance.
For the purposes of the SEFA, federal awards include both federal financial assistance received directly from a federal agency, as well as federal funds received indirectly by the City from a non-federal agency or other organization. The following table is a summary of the City's federal expenditures subject to the Single Audit requirements for FY 2020-21:
Federal Grantor / Total
Federal
Pass-through Grantor Program Tile
Expenditures*
Department of Housing and Urban Development
County of San Bernardino CDBG
$227,400
Department of Treasury
State of California COVID-19 CARES Act
$361,252
County of San Bernardino COVID-19 CARES Act
$630,236
Department of Transportation
Caltrans Highway Planning and Construction
$192,594
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
State of California Clean Water State Revolving Fund
$83,246
Department of Homeland Security
California Emergency Services Hazard Mitigation Grant Program $18,934
Total Expenditures of Federal Awards
$1,513,662
* For more details of the City's SEFA, see pg. 7 of the attached Single Audit Report.
Per Section 200.512 of the Uniform Guidance, the City is required to submit a single audit report package to the State Controller's Office (SCO), Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC), and Caltrans (2 CFR 200.332), within the earlier of 30 calendar days after receipt of the auditor's report(s), or nine months after the entity's fiscal year end.
The City has complied with this requirement and has submitted the single audit report package to all agencies referenced above on March 24, 2022.
Due to the increase in funding sources awarded to the City, including the ARPA allocation, Staff anticipates that a single audit will be required for FY 2021-22.
ENVIRONMENTAL:
N/A
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council could choose not to accept the Single Audit Report on Federal Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-21
FISCAL IMPACT:
The cost of the Single Audit for FY 2021-22 will be $5,000 for the first major program, and $4,050 for each additional program.
City of Twentynine Palms, California
Single Audit Report on Federal Awards
Year Ended June 30, 2021
City of Twentynine Palms
Single Audit Report on Federal Awards
Table of Contents
Page
Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting and on Compliance and Other Matters Based on an Audit of Financial Statements Performed in Accordance With Government Auditing Standards ............................................................ 1 Report on Compliance for Each Major Federal Program; Report on Internal Control Over Compliance; and Report on Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards in Accordance with the Uniform Guidance ............................................... 3 Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards .............................................................................. 7 Notes to the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards ......................................................... 8 Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs:
Section I: Summary of Auditor's Results ................................................................................ 9 Section II: Financial Statements Findings ............................................................................ 10 Section III: Federal Awards Findings and Questioned Costs ............................................... 10 Summary Schedule of Prior Audit Findings ............................................................................... 11
- 1 -
REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL
REPORTING AND ON COMPLIANCE AND OTHER MATTERS
BASED ON AN AUDIT OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
PERFORMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT AUDITING
STANDARDS
Independent Auditor’s Report
To the Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
City of Twentynine Palms, California
We have audited, in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States, the financial statements of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the City of Twentynine Palms (the City) as of and for the year ended June 30, 2021, and the related notes to the financial statements, which collectively comprise the City’s basic financial statements, and have issued our report thereon dated November 30, 2021.
Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
In planning and performing our audit of the financial statements, we considered the City’s internal control over financial reporting (internal control) as a basis for designing the audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances for the purpose of expressing our opinions on the financial statements, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the City’s internal control. Accordingly, we do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of the City’s internal control.
A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent, or detect and correct, misstatements on a timely basis. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the City’s financial statements will not be prevented, or detected and corrected on a timely basis. A significant deficiency is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those charged with governance.
- 2 -
Our consideration of internal control was for the limited purpose described in the first paragraph of this section and was not designed to identify all deficiencies in internal control that might be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies. Given these limitations, during our audit we did not identify any deficiencies in internal control that we consider to be material weaknesses.
However, material weaknesses may exist that have not been identified.
Compliance and Other Matters
As part of obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the City’s financial statements are free from material misstatement, we performed tests of its compliance with certain provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements, noncompliance with which could have a direct and material effect on the determination of financial statement amounts. However, providing an opinion on compliance with those provisions was not an objective of our audit, and accordingly, we do not express such an opinion. The results of our tests disclosed no instances of noncompliance or other matters that are required to be reported under Government Auditing Standards.
Purpose of this Report
The purpose of this report is solely to describe the scope of our testing of internal control and compliance and the results of that testing, and not to provide an opinion on the effectiveness of the City’s internal control or on compliance. This report is an integral part of an audit performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards in considering the City’s internal control and compliance. Accordingly, this communication is not suitable for any other purpose.
San Bernardino, California
November 30, 2021
- 3 -
REPORT ON COMPLIANCE FOR EACH MAJOR FEDERAL
PROGRAM; REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER
COMPLIANCE; AND REPORT ON SCHEDULE OF
EXPENDITURES OF FEDERAL AWARDS IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE UNIFORM GUIDANCE
Independent Auditor’s Report
To the Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
City of Twentynine Palms, California
Report on Compliance for Each Major Federal Program
Opinion on Each Major Federal Program
We have audited the City of Twentynine Palms’ (the City) compliance with the types of compliance requirements identified as subject to audit in the OMB Compliance Supplement that could have a direct and material effect on each of the City’s major federal programs for the year ended June 30, 2021. The City’s major federal programs are identified in the summary of auditor’s results section of the accompanying schedule of findings and questioned costs.
In our opinion, the City complied, in all material respects, with the compliance requirements referred to above that could have a direct and material effect on each of its major federal programs for the year ended June 30, 2021.
Basis for Opinion on Each Major Federal Program
We conducted our audit of compliance in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAS); the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States (Government Auditing Standards); and the audit requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance). Our responsibilities under those standards and the Uniform Guidance are further described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of Compliance section of our report.
- 4 -
We are required to be independent of the City and to meet our other ethical responsibilities, in accordance with relevant ethical requirements relating to our audit. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion on compliance for each major federal program. Our audit does not provide a legal determination of the City’s compliance with the compliance requirements referred to above Responsibilities of Management for Compliance
Management is responsible for compliance with the requirements referred to above and for the design, implementation, and maintenance of effective internal control over compliance with the requirements of laws, statutes, regulations, rules and provisions of contracts or grant agreements applicable to the City’s federal programs.
Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of Compliance
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether material noncompliance with the compliance requirements referred to above occurred, whether due to fraud or error, and express an opinion on the City’s compliance based on our audit. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not absolute assurance and therefore is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with GAAS, Government Auditing Standards, and the Uniform Guidance will always detect material noncompliance when it exists. The risk of not detecting material noncompliance resulting from fraud is higher than for that resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control. Noncompliance with the compliance requirements referred to above is considered material, if there is a substantial likelihood that, individually or in the aggregate, it would influence the judgment made by a reasonable user of the report on compliance about the City’s compliance with the requirements of each major federal program as a whole.
In performing an audit in accordance with GAAS, Government Auditing Standards, and the Uniform Guidance, we:
Exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit.
Identify and assess the risks of material noncompliance, whether due to fraud or error, and design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks. Such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the City’s compliance with the compliance requirements referred to above and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances.
Obtain an understanding of the City’s internal control over compliance relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances and to test and report on internal control over compliance in accordance with the Uniform Guidance, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the City’s internal control over compliance. Accordingly, no such opinion is expressed.
We are required to communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and any significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in internal control over compliance that we identified during the audit.
- 5 -
Report on Internal Control Over Compliance
A deficiency in internal control over compliance exists when the design or operation of a control over compliance does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent, or detect and correct, noncompliance with a type of compliance requirement of a federal program on a timely basis. A material weakness in internal control over compliance is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over compliance, such that there is a reasonable possibility that material noncompliance with a type of compliance requirement of a federal program will not be prevented, or detected and corrected, on a timely basis. A significant deficiency in internal control over compliance is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over compliance with a type of compliance requirement of a federal program that is less severe than a material weakness in internal control over compliance, yet important enough to merit attention by those charged with governance.
Our consideration of internal control over compliance was for the limited purpose described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of Compliance section above and was not designed to identify all deficiencies in internal control over compliance that might be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control over compliance. Given these limitations, during our audit we did not identify any deficiencies in internal control over compliance that we consider to be material weaknesses, as defined above. However, material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in internal control over compliance may exist that were not identified.
Our audit was not designed for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over compliance. Accordingly, no such opinion is expressed.
The purpose of this report on internal control over compliance is solely to describe the scope of our testing of internal control over compliance and the results of that testing based on the requirements of the Uniform Guidance. Accordingly, this report is not suitable for any other purpose.
Report on Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards Required by the Uniform Guidance We have audited the financial statements of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, each major fund, and the aggregate remaining fund information of the City as of and for the year ended June 30, 2021, and the related notes to the financial statements, which collectively comprise the City’s basic financial statements. We issued our report thereon, dated November 30, 2021, which contained unmodified opinions on those financial statements. Our audit was conducted for the purpose of forming opinions on the financial statements that collectively comprise the basic financial statements. The accompanying schedule of expenditures of federal awards is presented for purposes of additional analysis as required by the Uniform Guidance and is not a required part of the basic financial statements. Such information is the responsibility of management and was derived from and relates directly to the underlying accounting and other records used to prepare the basic financial statements and certain additional procedures including comparing and reconciling such information directly to the underlying accounting and other records used to prepare the basic financial statements or to the basic financial statements themselves, and other additional procedures in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America.
- 6 -
In our opinion, the schedule of expenditures of federal awards is fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the basic financial statements as a whole.
San Bernardino, California
March 10, 2022 (except for our report on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards, for which the date is November 30, 2021).
City of Twentynine Palms
Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards
Year Ended June 30, 2021
See accompanying notes to the schedule of expenditures of federal awards. - 7 -
Federal Grantor / Program Amount
Pass-through Grantor / Assistance Identification Federal Provided to Program Title Listing Number Expenditures Subrecipients U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Grants Cluster Passed through from County of San Bernardino
Community Development Block Grant/Entitlement Grants 14.218 TPAL-19-1-03E/0151 88,370 $ - $ Community Development Block Grant/Entitlement Grants 14.218 TPAL-20-1-03E/0151 82,610 - COVID-19 Meal Assistance Program 14.218 TWEN-19-CV-1-05W/0213 56,420 56,420 Total Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Grants Cluster 56,420 227,400 Total U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 227,400 56,420 U.S. Department of Treasury
Passed through from State of California
COVID-19 - CARES Act 21.019 CARES Act 1 361,252 -
Total Passed through from State of California - 361,252 Passed through from County of San Bernardino
COVID-19 - CARES Act - Public Health 21.019 CARES21-ALLC-TWE 361,252 - COVID-19 - CARES Act - Touchless Door 21.019 CARES21-PRJC-61-TWE 5,100 - COVID-19 - CARES Act - Self-serve Portal 21.019 CARES21-PRJC-62-TWE 40,950 - COVID-19 - CARES Act - Shade Structure 21.019 CARES21-PRJC-63-TWE 165,620 - COVID-19 - CARES Act - Grease Interceptor 21.019 CARES21-PRJC-64-TWE 55,000 - COVID-19 - CARES Act - Park Equipment Replacement 21.019 CARES21-PRJC-109-TWE 2,314 - Total Passed through from County of San Bernardino - 630,236 Total COVID-19 - CARES Act - 991,488
Total U.S. Department of Treasury - 991,488
U.S. Department of Transportation
Highway Planning and Construction Cluster
Passed through the California Department of Transportation Highway Planning & Construction 20.205 HSIPL-5448 (008) 92,779 - Split Rock Bridge 20.205 BR-NBIL (533) 13,551 -
Neighborhood Safety Project 20.205 HSIPL-558(009) 86,264 - Total Highway Planning and Construction Cluster - 192,594 Total U.S. Department of Transportation - 192,594
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Clean Water State Revolving Fund Cluster
Passed through from State of California
Wastewater Collection and Treatment System 66.458 C-06-8472-110 83,246 - Total U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - 83,246
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Passed through the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services Hazard Mitigation Grant Program 97.039 FEMA-4407-PL0183 18,934 - Total U.S. Department of Homeland Security - 18,934
Total Expenditures of Federal Awards $ 56,420 1,513,662 $
City of Twentynine Palms
Notes to the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards Year Ended June 30, 2021
- 8 -
Note 1: Summary of significant accounting policies applicable to the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards
(a) Scope of presentation
The accompanying Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA) presents only the expenditures incurred by the City of Twentynine Palms, California (City) that are reimbursable under programs of the federal government for the year ended June 30, 2021. The information in the SEFA is presented in accordance with the requirements of Title 2 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance). Because the SEFA presents only a selected portion of the operations of the City, it is not intended to and does not present the financial position, changes in net position/fund balance, or cash flows of the City. For the purposes of the SEFA, federal awards include both federal financial assistance received directly from a federal agency, as well as federal funds received indirectly by the City from a non-federal agency or other organization. Only the portion of program expenditures reimbursable with such federal funds are reported in the accompanying SEFA. Program expenditures in excess of the maximum federal reimbursement authorized or the portion of the program expenditures that were funded with state, local or other non-federal funds are excluded from the accompanying SEFA.
(b) Basis of accounting
The expenditures included in the accompanying SEFA were reported on the modified accrual basis of accounting. Under the modified accrual basis of accounting, expenditures are incurred when the City becomes obligated for payment as a result of the receipt of the related goods and services. Expenditures reported included any property or equipment acquisitions incurred under the federal program. Negative amounts, if presented on the SEFA, represent adjustments or credits made in the normal course of business to amounts reported as expenditures in prior years.
(c) De minimis indirect cost rate
The City has not elected to use the 10-percent de minimis indirect cost rate allowed under the Uniform Guidance where allowable.
City of Twentynine Palms
Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs
Year Ended June 30, 2021
- 9 -
Section I: Summary of Auditor's Results
Financial Statements
Internal control over financial reporting:
Material weakness identified? Yes X No
Significant deficiencies identified? Yes X None Reported Noncompliance material to financial
statements noted? Yes X No
Federal Awards
Internal control over major programs:
Material weakness identified? Yes X No
Significant deficiencies identified Yes X None Reported Any audit findings disclosed that
are required to be reported in
accordance with 2 CFR 200.516(a)? Yes X No
Identification of major programs:
Assistance Listing
21.019
Dollar threshold used to distinguish
between type A and type B programs: $750,000
Auditee qualified as low-risk auditee? Yes X No
Type of report the auditor issued on whether the financial statements audited were prepared in accordance with GAAP: unmodified
Type of auditor's report issued on compliance for major programs: unmodified Name of Federal Program
CARES Act
City of Twentynine Palms
Schedule of Findings and Questioned Costs
Year Ended June 30, 2021
- 10 -
Section II: Financial Statement Findings
No findings to be reported.
Section III: Federal Awards Findings and Questioned Costs No findings to be reported.
City of Twentynine Palms
Summary Schedule of Prior Audit Findings
Year Ended June 30, 2021
- 11 -
No findings were reported in the prior year.
STAFF REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: City Engineer
FOR MEETING: Apr 26 2022
SUBJECT: Acceptance of Construction for the Project Phoenix Sewer and Water Improvements.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Accept the Project Phoenix Sewer and Water Improvements as completed for a total cost of $933,915.42;
2. Authorize Staff to record a Notice of Completion;
3. Approve the release of all withheld retention, $46,695.77, after thirty (30) days from the date of recordation;
4. Authorize the dedication of the water improvements to the Twentynine Palms Water District.
ORDER OF PROCEDURE:
Request Staff Report (City Manager Presenting)
Council Questions of Staff
Request Public Comment
Council Discussion
Motion/Second
Call the Question
ATTACHMENTS:
• Notice of Completion
BACKGROUND:
On December 17, 2019, the City Council awarded the Project Phoenix Sewer and Water Improvements Construction Contract to, the Lowest and Responsive Bidder, The Van Dyke Corporation in the amount of $852,321.00 with a 10% contingency in the amount of $85,232.10 for a total authorized contract amount of $937,553.10.
Construction was complete on March 1, 2022. Although the majority of the system was complete and become operational on May 14, 2021, minor remedial work was performed to set water appurtenances to final grade after the adjacent sidewalk areas were constructed in early 2022.
During construction, several change orders for additional work were requested by the City. The Change Orders included, but were not limited to, the following:
• Increasing the number of septic tank manholes for additional access • Installing a sewer stub-out so that the sewer main can easily be extended west of Tamarisk Ave in the future
• Removing unforeseen and abandoned septic tanks and appurtenances • Providing auto-impact protection to the fire hydrant adjacent Freedom Plaza • Conducting water meter and appurtenance adjustments
• Completing asphalt repairs at several business locations Page 139 of 515 The total project cost of $933,915.42 is within the Council authorized contract amount of $937,553.10. Upon approval, retention funds in the amount of $46,695.77 will be released to The Van Dyke Corporation.
Staff recommends Council accept all of the work constructed under this Contract and authorize Staff to record a Notice of Completion with the County Clerk for San Bernardino County and release all withheld retention funds thirty (30) days after recordation.
ENVIRONMENTAL:
The City approved a Mitigative Negative Declaration for the entire Project Phoenix project on February 12, 2019.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council could choose to provide alternative direction to Staff.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The following table describes the project's remaining balance:
Total Authorized Contract Amount $937,553.10
Total Project Cost $933,915.42
Balance $3,637.68
Recording Requested by:
City of Twentynine Palms
When Recorded mail to:
City of Twentynine Palms
Engineering Department
6136 Adobe Road
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Exempt from filing fees pursuant to
Government Code Section 6103.
FOR R
SPACE ABOVE THIS LINE FOR RECORDER’S USE ONLY
NOTICE OF COMPLETION
(Public Street Improvement)
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that
1. The undersigned, Richard Pedersen, is the duly appointed and qualified City Engineer of the owner of interest or estate stated below in the property hereinafter described:
2. The full name of the owner is: City of Twentynine Palms, a municipal corporation of the State of California, and which is located within the County of San Bernardino, in said State, and the address is 6136 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, California 92277.
3. That on the 17th day of December, 2019 and pursuant to approval of the City Council of the said City, the City entered into a contract with The Van Dyke Corporation whose address is 6797 Adobe Road, Twentynine Palms, California 92277, to perform the Project Phoenix Sewer and Water Improvements in the City of Twentynine Palms, and in accordance with the City of Twentynine Palms' Plans and Specifications.
4. That all of the said work or improvement was located at various locations in said City.
Address: None,
APN: N/A- Work of improvements were within the Public Right of Way.
5. That all of the said work or improvement contemplated in and under said contract was completed on March 01, 2022 and accepted by Council action on April 26, 2022.
6. That the Surety on the Performance Bond of said Contractor and the surety on the Labor and Material Bond of said Contractor, under said contract, was and is $852,321.00 and $852,321.00.
The undersigned states: That the City of Twentynine Palms, the political subdivision of the State of California conducted the proceedings for the improvement located at 6136 Adobe Road, in said City, described or referred to in the foregoing "Notice of Completion”.
I certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. ____________________________________________DATE: April 26, 2022 City Engineer of the City of Twentynine Palms, California
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO )
CITY OF TWENTYNINE PALMS )ss.
STAFF REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: City Manager
FOR MEETING: Apr 26 2022
SUBJECT: Development Impact Fee (DIF).
RECOMMENDATION:
The City Council approve the Impact Fee Nexus Study.
ORDER OF PROCEDURE:
Request Staff Report (City Manager
presenting)
Council Questions of Staff
Open the Public Hearing
Receive Public Comment
Close the Public Hearing
Council Discussion
Motion/Second
Discussion on Motion
Call the Question
ATTACHMENTS:
• Transportation Impact Fee
Presentation
•
Street_Improvement_Impact_Fee
BACKGROUND:
Pursuant to Section 66006 of the California Government Code, local agencies are authorized to condition approve development projects on the payment of Development Impact Fees (DIF) for the purpose of defraying all or a portion of the cost of public infrastructure related to the development project. The City Council gave direction at the July 28, 2020 City Council meeting for Staff to review (modification and/or elimination) the in-lieu street impact fees with a potential creation of a DIF. The Mitigation fee Act, as provided for in Section 66006 of the California Government Code, regulates the means by which public agencies collect, maintain, and spend DIFs imposed on development projects. So the City hired Wildan Financial to do the analysis in consultation with City Engineering to comply with the Government Code. The City currently imposes two types of development impact fees on development projects: the Curb, Gutter, and Sidewalk (Street Impact Fee) in-lieu fee and the Fire Impact Fee.
Since San Bernardino County Fire has taken the fire authority in the City along with a funding source, Staff is recommending the elimination of the Fire Impact Fee ($566 per house). The Curb, Gutter, and Sidewalk in lieu fee is $77/linear foot (maximum fee is $11,250), and currently has $572K available for projects. Staff is recommending the creation of the DIF, but the elimination of the curb, gutter, and sidewalk in lieu fee, however the Community Development Director should have some discretion in unique circumstances AND the elimination of the requirement for residential infill development to install curb, gutter, and sidewalks in their project. Multi Family, Commercial, and Industrial would still have the requirement to install this infrastructure. Another question, how do you want to address the fees collected since Council gave policy direction, refund? Current Proposed
Residential - Unit Dwelling
Single Family $11,250 $5,468
Multifamily (per unit) $11,250 $3,645
Nonresidential - per 1,000 Sq.
Ft. or Hotel Room
Commercial $11,250 $8,552
Office $11,250 $8,552
Industrial $11,250 $5,221
And to add to this discussion, the basic premise of Impact Fees is to require development to pay for development, i.e. NOT have current residents pay for the impacts of new development. As we have all heard, housing has become a priority of the City due to extreme need, so potentially adding these impact fees COULD create more of a barrier for multi-family housing; this change SHOULD eliminate the barrier for single family housing. Now on the flip side, due to prop 13, this is the only means of capturing revenues to pay for these new/expansion of roads to cover the impact of new residents, so NOT charging these impacts puts a bigger burden on current residents.
ENVIRONMENTAL:
Not Applicable.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council could provide input, add/change/delete.
FISCAL IMPACT:
To be determined based on direction.
CITY OF TWENTYNINE PALMS
TRANSPORTATION IMPACT FEE STUDY
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT
MARCH 25, 2022
Oakland Office Corporate Office Other Regional Offices
66 Franklin Street 27368 Via Industria Aurora, CO
Suite 300 Suite 200 Orlando, FL
Oakland, CA 94607 Temecula, CA 92590 Phoenix, AZ
Tel: (510) 832-0899 Tel: (800) 755-6864 Plano, TX
Fax: (888) 326-6864 Seattle, WA
Washington, DC
www.willdan.com
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i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................... 1 Background and Study Objectives 1
Use of Fee Revenues 1
Methodology Used in This Study 1
Fee Schedule 1
1. INTRODUCTION................................................................................. 3 Study Objectives 3
Study Methodology 3
Types of Facility Standards 4
New Development Facility Needs and Costs 4
Fee Program Maintenance 4
Organization of the report 5
2. TRANSPORTATION IMPACT FEE ANALYSIS ........................................... 6 Growth Projections 6
Trip Demand 7
Growth in Trip Demand 8
Cost Allocation to New Development 9
Cost per Trip 12
Maximum Justified Impact Fee Schedule 12
3. AB 602 REQUIREMENTS................................................................. 13 Compliance with AB 602 13
66016.5. (a) (2) - Level of Service 13
66016.5. (a) (4) – Review of Original Fee Assumptions 13 66016.5. (a) (6) – Capital Improvement Plan 13
4. IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................... 14 Impact Fee Program Adoption Process 14
Inflation Adjustment 14
Reporting Requirements 14
Programming Revenues and Projects with the CIP 14
5. MITIGATION FEE ACT FINDINGS ....................................................... 16 Purpose of Fee 16
Use of Fee Revenues 16
Benefit Relationship 16
Burden Relationship 16
Proportionality 17
1 Executive Summary
This report summarizes an analysis of the need for transportation facilities to support future development within the City of Twentynine Palms as growth occurs. It is the City’s intent that the costs representing future development’s share of these facilities and improvements be imposed on that development in the form of a development impact fee.
Background and Study Objectives
The primary policy objective of this transportation impact fee program is to ensure that new development pays the capital costs associated with growth. The primary purpose of this report is to calculate and present fees that will enable the City to expand its inventory of transportation facilities – and therefore maintain its facilities standards – as new development creates more demand for transportation facilities.
The City will transportation impact fees Citywide under the authority granted by the Mitigation Fee Act (the Act), contained in California Government Code Sections 66000 et seq. This report provides the necessary findings required by the Act for adoption of the fees presented in the fee schedule contained herein.
Use of Fee Revenues
Impact fee revenue must be spent on new facilities or the expansion of current facilities to serve new development. The share of specific facilities intended to be funded by this fee are detailed within this report.
Methodology Used in This Study
The impact fees calculated in this study use a planned facilities approach to allocate costs to new development. This approach identifies the share of planned facilities needed to serve new development, and then allocates the associated costs of facilities to new development through the impact fee.
Fee Schedule
Table E.1 summarizes the schedule of maximum justified transportation impact fees based on the analysis contained in this report.
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 2 Table E.1. Maximum Justified Transportation Impact Fee Schedule A B C = A x B D = C x 0.02 E = C + D E / 1,000
Trip Fee
Land Use
Cost Per
Trip
Demand
Factor Base Fee1
Admin
Charge1, 2 Total Fee1
per Sq.
Ft.
Residential - per Dwelling Unit
Single Family $ 4,978 1.10 $ 5,476 $ 110 $ 5,586
Multifamily 4,978 0.63 3,136 63 3,199
Nonresidential - per 1,000 Sq. Ft.
Commercial $ 4,978 1.68 $ 8,363 $ 167 $ 8,530 $ 8.53
Office 4,978 1.76 8,761 175 8,936 8.94
Industrial 4,978 1.02 5,078 102 5,180 5.18
1 Fee per dw elling unit or per 1,000 square feet of nonresidential building space.
Sources: Tables 2 and 6.
2 Administrative charge of 2.0 percent for (1) legal, accounting, and other administrative support and (2) impact fee program administrative costs including revenue collection, revenue and cost accounting, mandated public reporting, and fee justification analyses.
3 1. Introduction
This report presents an analysis of the need for transportation facilities to accommodate new development in the City of Twentynine Palms. This chapter provides background for the study and explains the study approach under the following sections:
▪ Study Objectives;
▪ Study Methodology;
▪ Fee Program Maintenance; and
▪ Organization of the Report.
Study Objectives
The primary policy objective of a traffic facilities fee program is to ensure that new development pays the capital costs associated with growth. The primary purpose of this report is to establish transportation impact fees that will enable the City to expand its inventory of transportation facilities – and therefore maintain its facilities standards – as new development leads to increases in service demands.
The City imposes impact fees under authority granted by the Mitigation Fee Act (the Act), contained in California Government Code Sections 66000 et seq. This report provides the necessary findings required by the Act for adoption of the fees presented in the fee schedules contained herein.
The City of Twentynine Palms is forecast to experience substantial growth through the planning horizon of 2040. This growth will create an increase in demand for public services and the City facilities required to deliver them. Given the revenue challenges that are common to most cities and counties in California, the City has decided to use a development impact fee program to ensure that new development funds the share of transportation facility costs associated with growth. This report makes use of the most current available growth forecasts and facility plans to establish a transportation impact fee program that funds new development’s share of the transportation facilities demanded by that development.
Study Methodology
Traffic impact fees are calculated to fund the cost of transportation facilities required to accommodate growth. The five steps followed in a public facilities fee study include:
1. Estimate existing development and future growth: Identify a base year for existing development and a growth forecast that reflects increased demand for transportation facilities;
2. Identify facility standards: Determine the facility standards used to plan for new and expanded facilities;
3. Determine facilities required to serve new development and their costs:
Estimate the total amount and cost of planned facilities, and identify the share required to accommodate new development;
4. Identify alternative funding requirements: Determine if any non-fee funding is required and/or available to complete projects; and,
5. Calculate fee schedule: Allocate facilities costs per unit of new development to calculate the public facilities fee schedule.
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 4 The key public policy issue in development impact fee studies is the identification of facility standards (step #2, above). Facility standards document a reasonable relationship between new development and the need for new facilities. Standards ensure that new development does not fund deficiencies associated with existing development.
Types of Facility Standards
There are three separate components of facility standards: demand standards, design standards and cost standards. Demand standards determine the amount of facilities required to accommodate growth. In this case, the impact fee seeks to maintain a specific level of service on its roadways. Design standards determine how a facility should be designed to meet expected demand, and directly related to the costs of planned facilities. The projects included in the transportation impact fee have all been designed to meet state and City engineering standards.
Finally, cost standards are a method for determining the amount of facilities required to accommodate growth based on facility costs per unit of demand.
The transportation impact fee analysis contained in this report converts project costs to serve growth (identified by demand and design standards), into a cost standard (cost per trip from new development), which is then used as the basis of the fee. A fee for a particular land use is equal to the cost per trip, multiplied by the trip generation rate (trip demand factor) for that land use.
New Development Facility Needs and Costs
Several approaches are used to identify facility needs and costs to serve new development. Often there is a two-step process: (1) identify total facility needs, and (2) allocate to new development its fair share of those needs.
There are three common methods for determining new development’s fair share of planned facilities costs: the existing inventory method, the system plan method, and the planned facilities method. Often the method selected depends on the degree to which the community has engaged in comprehensive facility master planning to identify facility needs.
The existing inventory method allocates costs based on the ratio of existing facilities to demand from existing development. Under this method new development funds the expansion of facilities at the same standard currently serving existing development. This method is not used in this study.
The system plan method calculates the fee based on the value of existing facilities plus the cost of planned facilities, divided by demand from existing plus new development. This method is useful when planned facilities need to be analyzed as part of a system that benefits both existing and new development. This method is not used in this study.
The planned facilities method allocates costs based on the ratio of planned facility costs to demand from new development as follows:
Cost of Planned Facilities
New Development Demand
This method is appropriate when specific planned facilities can be identified that only benefit new development. Examples include street improvements to avoid deficient levels of service or a sewer trunk line extension to a previously undeveloped area. This method is also appropriate when to use in this analysis when a specific share of planned facilities that benefit new development can be identified. Under this method new development funds its fair share of the expansion of facilities needed to ensure that traffic operates at an acceptable level of service.
This method is used to calculate the transportation impact fees in this report.
Fee Program Maintenance
Once a fee program has been adopted it must be properly maintained to ensure that the revenue collected adequately funds the facilities needed by new development. Impact fee levels must be = $/unit of demand
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 5 adjusted frequently to account for inflation. Should the cost of facilities rise more quickly than the fee amounts collected, the facilities needed to serve new development will be underfunded. To avoid collecting inadequate revenue, costs for planned facilities must be updated periodically for inflation, and the fees recalculated to reflect the higher costs. The use of established construction cost indices, such as those published by the Engineering News Record, are necessary to accurately adjust the impact fees for inflation. For a list of recommended indices, and step-bystep instructions for adjusting fees for inflation, see Chapter 3.
While fee updates using inflation indices are appropriate for periodic updates to ensure that fee revenues keep up with increases in the costs of traffic facilities, it is recommended to conduct more extensive updates of the fee documentation and calculation when significant new data on growth forecasts and/or facility plans become available. For further detail on fee program implementation, see Chapter 4.
Organization of the report
This report is organized as follows:
▪ Chapter 1, Introduction (this chapter): Summarizes facilities financing in California, and the general approach.
▪ Chapter 2, Transportation Impact Fee Analysis: Describes the technical analysis used to calculate the transportation impact fee and presents a fee schedule. ▪ Chapter 3, AB 602 Requirements: Describes how this nexus study complies with the requirements of AB 602.
▪ Chapter 4, Implementation: Provides guidelines for the implementation and ongoing maintenance of the public facilities fee program.
▪ Chapter 5, Mitigation Fee Act Findings: summarizes the five statutory findings required for adoption of the proposed fees in accordance with the Mitigation Fee Act (codified in California Government Code Sections 66000 through 66025).
6 2. Transportation Impact Fee
Analysis
This chapter summarizes an analysis of the need for transportation facilities, including roadway and intersection improvements, to accommodate increased trip demand from new development.
The chapter documents a reasonable relationship between new development and an impact fee for funding of these facilities.
Growth Projections
Growth projections are used as indicators of demand to determine facility needs and allocate those needs between existing and new development. This section explains the source for the growth projections used in this study based on a 2021 base year and a planning horizon of 2040.
Estimates of existing development and projections of future growth are critical assumptions used throughout this report. These estimates are used as follows:
▪ The estimate of existing development in 2021 is used as an indicator of existing facility demand.
▪ The estimate of total development in 2040 is used as an indicator of future demand to determine total facilities needed to accommodate growth and remedy existing facility deficiencies, if any.
▪ Estimates of growth from 2021 through 2040 are used to (1) allocate facility costs between new development and existing development, and (2) estimate total fee revenues.
The demand for transportation facilities is based on the increase in trips generated by dwelling units or nonresidential development creating the need for the facilities.
Table 1 shows the estimated number of residents, dwelling units, employees, and building square feet within the City of Twentynine Palms, both in 2021 and at the planning horizon. The base year estimates of household residents and dwelling units comes from the California Department of Finance. The projection of residents and dwelling units is based data from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) 2040 Regional Transportation Plan.
Base year employees were estimated based on the latest data from the US Census’ OnTheMap application. The projection of employment is based on an increase of 30% compared to 2021 estimates. This projection is more conservative than the SCAG projection, as City staff felt the SCAG projection for employment in 2040 is too high.
Base year nonresidential square footage was estimated based converting the commercial, office and industrial employees to an equivalent amount of building space using employment density assumptions. This conversion assumes 2.12 employees per 1,000 square feet of commercial space, 3.26 workers per 1,000 square feet of office space and 1.16 employee per 1,000 square feet of industrial space, derived from the most recent Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual data.
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 7 Table 1: Land Use Scenario
2021 2040 Increase
Residents1 24,402 37,300 12,898
Dwelling Units2
Single Family 6,617 7,782 1,165
Multifamily 3,076 3,618 542
Total 9,693 11,400 1,707
Employment3
Commercial 1,788 2,324 536
Office 673 875 202
Industrial 182 237 55
Total 2,643 3,436 793
Equivalent Building Square Feet (1,000s)4
Commercial 842 1,094 252
Office 207 269 62
Industrial 157 205 47
Total 1,205 1,567 362
Sources: California Department of Finance (DOF), Table E-5, 2021; SCAG 2016-2040 RTP/SCS Final Grow th Forecast by Jurisdiction; U.S. Census Bureau, OnTheMap Application, http://onthemap.ces.census.gov; ITE Trip Generation Manual, 11th Ed.; Willdan Financial Services. 4 Equivalent building square feet calculated based on the assumption of 2.12 commercial w orkers per 1,000 square feet, 3.26 office w orkers per 1,000 square feet and 1.16 w orkers per 1,000 industrial square feet based on ITE data.
1 Current household population from California Department of Finance (DOF).
Projection based on SCAG
2 Current values from DOF. Increase in dw elling units based on SCAG grow th projection, allocated to single family and multifamily based on current proportions.
3 Base year from US Census OnTheMap Application and excludes local government w orkers. Totals in 2040 based on an assumption of an increase of 30%.
Trip Demand
The need for transportation improvements is based on the trip demand placed on the system by development. A reasonable measure of demand is the number of PM peak hour vehicle trips, adjusted for the type of trip. Vehicle trip generation rates are a reasonable measure of demand on the City’s system of street improvements across all modes because alternate modes (transit, bicycle, pedestrian) often substitute for vehicle trips.
The two types of trip adjustments made to trip generation rates to calculate trip demand are described below:
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 8 • Pass-by trips are deducted from the trip generation rate. Pass-by trips are intermediates stops between an origin and a destination that require no diversion from the route, such as stopping to get gas on the way to work. • The trip generation rate is adjusted by the average length of trips for a specific land use category compared to the average length of all trips on the street system.
These adjustments allow for a holistic quantification of trip demand that takes trip purpose and length into account for fee calculation purposes.
Table 2 shows the calculation of trip demand factors by land use category based on the adjustments described above. PM peak hour trip rates are based on the latest data available from the Institute of Traffic Engineers (ITE).
The trip purpose and trip length assumptions in Table 2 are based on extensive and detailed trip surveys conducted in the San Diego region by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). The SANDAG is used to supplement the ITE PM peak hour trip rates, because the SANDAG surveys provide one of the most comprehensive databases available of pass-by trips factors for a wide range of land uses. It should be noted that the projections of current and future trip demand generation in this report are based on data specific to the City.
Table 2: Trip Demand Factors
Pass-by
Trips1
Primary
and
Diverted
Trips
Average
Trip
Length2
Adjustment
Factor3ITE Category
PM
Peak
Hour
Trips4
Trip
Demand
Factor5
A B = 1 - A C
D = B x C
/ Avg. E F = D x E
Residential - per Dwelling Unit
Single Family 3% 97% 7.9 1.11 Single Family Housing (210) 0.99 1.10 Multifamily 3% 97% 7.9 1.11 Multifamily Housing (Low-Rise) (220) 0.57 0.63 Nonresidential - per 1,000 Sq. Ft.
Commercial 22% 78% 3.6 0.41 Shopping Center (820) 4.09 1.68 Office 4% 96% 8.8 1.22 General Office (710) 1.44 1.76
Industrial 2% 98% 9.0 1.28 General Light Industrial (110) 0.80 1.02 Sources: Institute of Traffic Engineers, Trip Generation Manual, 11th Edition; SANDAG; Willdan Financial Services. 1 Percent of total trips. A pass-by trip is made as an intermediate stop on the w ay from an origin to a primary trip destination w ithout a route diversion. Pass-by trips are not considered to add traffic to the road netw ork. 2 In miles. Based on SANDAG data.
3 The trip adjustment factor equals the percent of non-pass-by trips multiplied by the average trip length and divided by the systemw ide average trip length of 6.9 miles.
4 Trips per dw elling unit or per 1,000 building square feet. 5 The trip demand factor is the product of the trip adjustment factor and the trip rate.
Growth in Trip Demand
Table 3 estimates trip demand in 2021 and 2040. The trip demand factors from Table 2 are multiplied by estimates of existing and future development to determine existing and future demand for transportation facilities.
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 9 Table 3: Land Use Scenario and Trip Generation
Trip
Land Use
Demand
Factor
Units /
1,000 SF Trips
Units /
1,000 SF Trips
Units /
1,000 SF Trips
Residential - per Dwelling Unit
Single Family 1.10 6,617 7,279 1,165 1,281 7,782 8,560
Multifamily
0.63 3,076 1,938 542 341 3,618 2,279
Subtotal 9,693 9,217 1,707 1,622 11,400 10,839
Nonresidential - per 1,000 Sq. Ft.
Commercial 1.68 842 1,414 252 424 1,094 1,838
Office 1.76 207 364 62 109 269 473
Industrial 1.02 157 160 47 49 205 209
Subtotal 1,205 1,938 362 582 1,567 2,520
Total 11,155 2,204 13,359
83.5% 16.5% 100%
Sources: Tables 1 and 2.
2021 Growth 2021 to 2040 Total - 2040
Cost Allocation to New Development
Table 4 displays the capacity expanding project list and associated cost estimates needed to serve the City through 2040. The projects were identified in the General Plan. City staff estimated the costs of the projects. Note that not all General Plan projects were included in the project list.
City staff identified a subset of General Plan projects that are needed through 2040 to accommodate growth within the City within the planning horizon.
Table 5 allocates the total project costs from Table 4 to new development. Based on the estimates of trip demand from Table 3, new development will represent 16.5% of total trips in 2040. Since the projects identified in the General Plan will serve both existing and new development, new development is being asked to fund its share of the project costs corresponding with its share of trip generation in 2040. In total, approximately $11 million of transportation project costs are allocated to new development through this impact fee.
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 10 Table 4: Project Costs
Street Boundaries Length
Existing
Pavement
Width
Future
Width
Roadway
Area1
Sidewalk
Area2 Units
Pavin
g
Cost3
Roadway
Cost3
Curb and
Gutter
Unit Cost4
Curb and
Gutter
Cost4
Sidewalk
Unit Cost5
Sidewalk
Cost5 Total
Road Segments
Adobe Road Homestead Avenue to Amboy Road 4,852 - - - 77,632 Sq. ft. $ 14 $ - $ 50 485,200 $ 10 776,320 $ 1,261,520 Adobe Road east side only Amboy Road to Marine Corps Base 13,273 - - - 106,184 Sq. ft. 14 - 50 663,650 10 1,061,840 1,725,490 Lear Avenue SR 62 to Two Mile Road 5,280 36 64 147,840 84,480 Sq. ft. 14 2,069,760 50 - 10 - 2,069,760 Encelia Avenue SR 62 to Samarkand Road 7,858 36 44 345,752 125,728 Sq. ft. 14 4,840,528 50 785,800 10 1,257,280 6,883,608 Encelia Avenue Samarkand to Amboy Road 2,670 - 26 69,420 - Sq. ft. 14 971,880 50 - 10 - 971,880 Mesquite Springs Road SR 62 to Two Mile Road 5,280 40 80 422,400 84,480 Sq. ft. 14 5,913,600 50 528,000 10 844,800 7,286,400 Amboy Road Encelia Avenue to Adobe Road 13,387 - 26 348,062 - Sq. ft. 14 4,872,868 50 - 10 - 4,872,868 Two Mile Road Lear Avenue to Sunrise 13,206 26 64 845,184 211,296 Sq. ft. 14 11,832,576 50 - 10 - 11,832,576 Two Mile Road Sunrise Ave to Adobe Road 15,995 40 64 1,023,680 255,920 Sq. ft. 14 14,331,520 50 - 10 - 14,331,520 Hatch Road SR 62 to Stardune Avenue 5,309 24 64 339,776 84,944 Sq. ft. 14 4,756,864 50 530,900 10 849,440 6,137,204 SR 62 Larrea Avenue to Split Rock Avenue 8,484 - 135,744 Sq. ft. 14 - 50 848,400 10 1,357,440 2,205,840 Sullivan Road Stardune Avenue to Adobe Road 5,982 24 64 382,848 95,712 Sq. ft. 14 5,359,872 50 598,200 10 957,120 6,915,192 Subtotal 101,576 3,924,962 1,262,120 $54,949,468 $4,440,150 $ 7,104,240 $ 66,493,858 1 Ultimate w idth includes 12' w ide travel lane and minimum 8' w ide parking lanes w idths. New roads exclude parkw ay lane, curb and gutter and sidew alk 2 Assumes streets have 8' sidew alks on both sides of the street. 3 Unit cost of $14 per square foot for paving includes 5" asphalt concrete paving over 10" Class II Aggregate Base for collector streets. 4 Assumes $50 cost per linear foot for one side of the street. 5 Assumes $10 cost per sidew alk square foot.
Source: City of Tw entynine Palms.
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 11 Table 5: Cost Allocation to New Development
Street Boundaries Total Cost
Allocation to
New
Development
Cost
Allocated to
New
Development
Road Segments
Adobe Road Homestead Avenue to Amboy Road $ 1,261,520 16.5% $ 208,151 Adobe Road east side only Amboy Road to Marine Corps Base 1,725,490 16.5% 284,706 Lear Avenue SR 62 to Two Mile Road 2,069,760 16.5% 341,510 Encelia Avenue SR 62 to Samarkand Road 6,883,608 16.5% 1,135,795 Encelia Avenue Samarkand to Amboy Road 971,880 16.5% 160,360 Mesquite Springs Road SR 62 to Two Mile Road 7,286,400 16.5% 1,202,256 Amboy Road Encelia Avenue to Adobe Road 4,872,868 16.5% 804,023 Two Mile Road Lear Avenue to Sunrise 11,832,576 16.5% 1,952,375 Two Mile Road Sunrise Ave to Adobe Road 14,331,520 16.5% 2,364,701 Hatch Road SR 62 to Stardune Avenue 6,137,204 16.5% 1,012,639 SR 62 Larrea Avenue to Split Rock Avenue 2,205,840 16.5% 363,964 Sullivan Road Stardune Avenue to Adobe Road 6,915,192 16.5% 1,141,007 Subtotal $ 66,493,858 $ 10,971,487
Sources: Tables 3 and 4.
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 12 Cost per Trip
Every impact fee consists of the cost of projects that can be funded by a fee, divided by a measure of demand. In this case, all fees are first calculated as a cost per trip demand unit. Then these amounts are translated into housing unit (fee per dwelling unit) and nonresidential building space (fee per 1,000 building square feet) by multiplying the cost per trip by the trip demand factor for each land use category. These amounts become the fee schedule.
Table 6 calculates the cost per trip demand unit by dividing the total project costs attributable to new development summarized in Table 5, by the total growth in trips estimated in Table 3.
Table 6: Cost per Trip
Project Costs $ 10,971,487
Growth in Trip Demand 2,204
Cost per Trip $ 4,978
Sources: Tables 3 and 5.
Maximum Justified Impact Fee Schedule
Table 7 presents the maximum justified transportation impact fee schedule. The cost per trip is multiplied by the trip demand factor for each land use to determine the fee per dwelling unit or per 1,000 square feet of nonresidential building space.
Table 7: Maximum Justified Impact Fee Schedule
A B C = A x B D = C x 0.02 E = C + D E / 1,000
Trip Fee
Land Use
Cost Per
Trip
Demand
Factor Base Fee1
Admin
Charge1, 2 Total Fee1
per Sq.
Ft.
Residential - per Dwelling Unit
Single Family $ 4,978 1.10 $ 5,476 $ 110 $ 5,586
Multifamily 4,978 0.63 3,136 63 3,199
Nonresidential - per 1,000 Sq. Ft.
Commercial $ 4,978 1.68 $ 8,363 $ 167 $ 8,530 $ 8.53
Office 4,978 1.76 8,761 175 8,936 8.94
Industrial 4,978 1.02 5,078 102 5,180 5.18
1 Fee per dw elling unit or per 1,000 square feet of nonresidential building space.
Sources: Tables 2 and 6.
2 Administrative charge of 2.0 percent for (1) legal, accounting, and other administrative support and (2) impact fee program administrative costs including revenue collection, revenue and cost accounting, mandated public reporting, and fee justification analyses.
13 3. AB 602 Requirements
On January 1, 2022, new requirements went into effect for California jurisdictions implementing impact fees. Among other changes, AB 602 added Section 66016.5 to, the Government Code, which set guidelines for impact fee nexus studies. Three key requirements from that section which concern the nexus study are reproduced here:
66016.5. (a) (2) When applicable, the nexus study shall identify the existing level of service for each public facility, identify the proposed new level of service, and include an explanation of why the new level of service is appropriate.
66016.5. (a) (4) If a nexus study supports the increase of an existing fee, the local agency shall review the assumptions of the nexus study supporting the original fee and evaluate the amount of fees collected under the original fee.
66016.5. (a) (6) Large jurisdictions shall adopt a capital improvement plan as a part of the nexus study.
Compliance with AB 602
The following sections describe this study’s compliance with the new requirements of AB 602. 66016.5. (a) (2) - Level of Service
Fees calculated in this report are intended to provide a funding source from new development to fund new development’s fair share of the transportation improvements identified in Table 4. By paving unpaved roads, the planned improvements increase street capacity and therefore level of service by providing additional paved lanes, curb and gutters along the identified segments. This increased level of service is necessary to accommodate growth by allowing increased vehicle speeds, better air quality, reduced noise, and improved community aesthetics. The planned improvements are identified by City staff as necessary to accommodate new development. New development will not fund the entirety of the increase in level of service, rather, it will pay a share corresponding with its share of trip demand within the planning horizon. 66016.5. (a) (4) – Review of Original Fee Assumptions
This study is establishing a new impact fee to fund transportation facilities. Consequently, there are no original fee assumptions to review.
66016.5. (a) (6) – Capital Improvement Plan
The Capital Improvement Plan for this nexus study is comprised of the identified planned facilities listed in Table 4. Adoption of this nexus study would approve the planned facilities identified herein as the Capital Improvement Plan for this nexus study.
14 4. Implementation
Impact Fee Program Adoption Process
Impact fee program adoption procedures are found in the California Government Code section 66016. Adoption of an impact fee program requires the Board of Supervisors to follow certain procedures including holding a public meeting. Data, such as an impact fee report, must be adopted prior to adopting the fee program. The study must be made available at least 30 days prior to the public hearing. The City’s legal counsel should be consulted for any other procedural requirements as well as advice regarding adoption of an enabling ordinance and/or a resolution.
After adoption there is a mandatory 60-day waiting period before the fees go into effect.
Inflation Adjustment
The City should keep its impact fee program up to date by periodically adjusting the fees for inflation. Such adjustments should be completed regularly to ensure that new development will fully fund its share of needed facilities. We recommend that the fees be adjusted for inflation annually.
There are no inflation indices that are specific to the City of Twentynine Palms. We recommend that the Engineering News Record’s Construction Cost Index be used for adjusting fees for inflation.
While fee updates using inflation indices are appropriate for annual updates to ensure that fee revenues keep up with increases in the costs of infrastructure, the City will also need to conduct more extensive updates of the fee documentation and calculation when significant new data on growth forecasts and/or facility plans become available. Note that decreases in index value will result in decreases to fee amounts.
The steps necessary to update fees for inflation are explained below:
To update the transportation impact fee for inflation, the steps are as follows:
1. Identify the percent change in planned facilities cost since last update based on changes in the Engineering News Record’s Construction Cost Index (CCI).
2. Modify the cost each planned facility (the cost allocated to the transportation impact fee in Table 3) by the percent change identified in Step 1.
3. Divide the total cost of projects allocated to the fee calculated in Step 2, by the growth in trips identified in Table 2 to determine the updated cost per trip.
4. Multiply the cost per trip calculated in Step 3 by the trip demand factors identified in Table 1 to determine the fee for each land use.
Reporting Requirements
The City should comply with the annual and five-year reporting requirements of the Mitigation Fee Act found in Government Code Sections 66001 and 66006. For facilities to be funded by a combination of public fees and other revenues, identification of the source and amount of these non-fee revenues is essential. Identification of the timing of receipt of other revenues to fund the facilities is also important.
Programming Revenues and Projects with the CIP
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 15 The City can use a Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to plan for future infrastructure needs. A CIP identifies costs and phasing for specific capital projects. The use of the CIP in this manner documents a reasonable relationship between new development and the use of those revenues.
The City may decide to alter the scope of the planned projects or to substitute new projects if those new projects continue to represent an expansion of the City’s facilities needed to mitigate demand from new development. If the total cost of facilities varies from the total cost used as a basis for the fees, the City should consider revising the fees accordingly.
16 5. Mitigation Fee Act Findings
Public facilities impact fees are one-time fees typically paid when a building permit is issued and imposed on development projects by local agencies responsible for regulating land use (cities and counties). To guide the widespread imposition of public facilities fees the State Legislature adopted the Mitigation Fee Act (the Act) with Assembly Bill 1600 in 1987 and subsequent amendments. The Act, contained in California Government Code Sections 66000 through 66025, establishes requirements on local agencies for the imposition and administration of fee programs.
The Act requires local agencies to document five findings when adopting a fee.
The five statutory findings required for adoption of the maximum justified transportation impact fees documented in this report are presented in this chapter and supported in detail by the report that follows. All statutory references are to the Act.
Purpose of Fee
Identify the purpose of the fee (§66001(a)(1) of the Act).
Development impact fees are designed to ensure that new development will not burden the existing service population with the cost of facilities required to accommodate growth. The City’s General Plan Goal LU-4 states, “Adequately address the potential impacts of new development on the existing community and the City’s infrastructure system.” The purpose of the fees documented in this report is to support this goal by providing a funding source from new development for to fund its fair share of transportation facilities as new development adds traffic to the City’s roadways.
Use of Fee Revenues
Identify the use to which the fees will be put. If the use is financing facilities, the facilities shall be identified. That identification may, but need not, be made by reference to a capital improvement plan as specified in §65403 or §66002, may be made in applicable general or specific plan requirements, or may be made in other public documents that identify the facilities for which the fees are charged (§66001(a)(2) of the Act).
Fees proposed in this report, if enacted by the City, would be used to fund expanded transportation facilities to serve new development. Facilities funded by these fees are designated to be located within the City.
Benefit Relationship
Determine the reasonable relationship between the fees' use and the type of development project on which the fees are imposed (§66001(a)(3) of the Act).
We expect that the City will restrict fee revenue to the acquisition of land, construction of facilities, and purchase of related equipment, and services used to serve new development. Facilities funded by the fees are expected to provide a Citywide network of facilities accessible to the additional residents and workers associated with new development. Under the Act, fees are not intended to fund planned facilities needed to correct existing deficiencies. Thus, a reasonable relationship can be shown between the use of fee revenue and the new development residential and non-residential use classifications that will pay the fees.
Burden Relationship
Determine the reasonable relationship between the need for the public facilities and
City of Twentynine Palms Transportation Impact Fee Study 17 the types of development on which the fees are imposed (§66001(a)(4) of the Act).
Facilities need is based on a facility standard that represents the demand generated by new development for those facilities. For the transportation impact fee, demand is measured by a single facility standard that can be applied across land use types to ensure a reasonable relationship to the type of development. In this case, the fees are calculated to ensure that new development funds a consistent cost per trip of new facilities needed to serve each additional trip using the City’s roadways.
Proportionality
Determine how there is a reasonable relationship between the fees amount and the cost of the facilities or portion of the facilities attributable to the development on which the fee is imposed (§66001(b) of the Act).
The reasonable relationship between each facilities fee for a specific new development project and the cost of the facilities attributable to that project is based on the estimated new development growth the project will accommodate. Fees for a specific project are based on the project’s size and the corresponding increase in the number of vehicle trips. Larger new development projects result in higher trip generation resulting in higher fee revenue than smaller projects in the same land use classification. Thus, the fees ensure a reasonable relationship between a specific new development project and the cost of the facilities attributable to that project.
See the Trip Demand section in Chapter 2 for a description of how trip demand factors are determined for different types of land uses. See the Maximum Justified Fee Schedule section the same chapter for a presentation of the fees.
Created: 2021-11-08 11:48:50 [EST]
(Supp. No. 16)
19.90.080 Street Improvement Impact Fee
A. Establishment. In lieu of requiring the construction of the street improvements required by this Chapter, a street improvement impact fee may be assessed, at the discretion of the City Engineer, in connection with the issuance of a development permit for new construction.
B. Calculation of Fee. The amount of the fee shall be calculated according to the length of street frontage of the lot on which the development is to occur. The fee to be assessed in connection with the issuance of a permit for construction of a new single-family residence or new second dwelling unit with a kitchen shall be based upon the length of street frontage of the lot on which the development is to occur, up to 150 feet of frontage. For all other development, the fee shall be calculated based upon the total street frontage of the lot on which the development is to occur. Subject to the adjustment provisions in Subsection 19.90.080.C, the fee for fiscal year 2006-2007 shall be $75 per linear foot of street frontage.
C. Adjustment of Fee. In order to account for increased construction costs relating to material and labor, the fee in Subsection 19.90.080.B shall be increased by an inflation factor equivalent to the Consumer Price Index each following fiscal year after fiscal year 2006-2007.
D. Collection. The amount of fees due hereunder shall be determined at the time of approval of a development permit for new construction. The fee shall be paid no later than the issuance of a Building Permit for such development and no Building Permits shall be issued authorizing the construction or establishment of any units without payment of the fee.
E. Creation of Separate Funds; Purpose and Use of Street Improvement Impact Fees.
1. Upon the effective date of this Ordinance, the City Finance Director shall create a separate account (the Local Street Improvement Fund) into which all fees assessed in connection with the issuance of permits for construction of a new single-family residence or new second dwelling unit with a kitchen shall be placed. The Local Street Improvement Fund shall be used solely for the purpose of constructing curbs, gutters, sidewalks and connecting pavement on streets fronting residentially zoned property in accordance with the General Plan Circulation Element. Because development subject to this fee will have traffic impacts on a citywide basis, the fees are not required to be used to construct street improvements on the same street from which they are received.
2. A separate account (the Citywide Street Improvement Fund) into which all revenue raised by this Chapter, other than that designated for the Local Street Improvement Fund, shall be created. The Citywide Street Improvement Fund shall be used solely for the purpose of constructing curbs, gutters, sidewalks and connecting pavement on streets in the City in accordance with the General Plan Circulation Element. Because development subject to this fee will have traffic impacts on a citywide basis, the fees are not required to be used to construct street improvements on the same street from which they are received.
3. The City's Finance Director shall file a report with the City Council annually and at least once a year thereafter which shall contain both of the following:
a. The amount of funds collected and expended under this Chapter. b. The status of any project required or authorized to be funded to carry out the purposes set forth herein.
STAFF REPORT
TO: City Council
FROM: Community Development Director
FOR MEETING: Apr 26 2022
SUBJECT: Adoption of the Downtown Specific Plan and Mitigated Negative Declaration.
RECOMMENDATION:
The City Council hold a Public Hearing, introduce Ordinance No.____ and approve Ordinance No._____ adopting the new Downtown Specific Plan and the associated Mitigate Negative Declaration.
ORDER OF PROCEDURE:
Request Staff Report (Community Development Director
Presenting)
Council Questions of Staff
Open the Public Hearing
Receive Public Comment
Close the Public Hearing
Council Discussion
Motion/Second
Discussion on Motion
Call the Question
ATTACHMENTS:
• Ordinance No.____ -
Downtown Specific Plan
• Twentynine Palms Downtown
Specific Plan March 2022
• Twentynine Palms Final ISMND-CC
BACKGROUND:
On March 9, 2022, the Planning Commission recommended the City Council adopt by Ordinance, the new Downtown Specific Plan and the associated Mitigated Negative Declaration.
In September of 2017, the City Council rescinded the Downtown Economic Revitalization Specific Plan (adopted in 2012) because it did not accommodate standard site plans that commercial developers use for “pad retail” (such as Starbucks), required extensive “mixed-use”, dense housing types with minimum 10 du/ac (8 du/ac is generally the maximum feasible on septic), and maintained setbacks and a parking requirement for traditional storefront businesses. In 2019, the City was awarded a State SB 2 Planning Grant and added matching funds for the development of a new Downtown Specific Pan. With the new funding, a consultant was hired and work on a new Downtown Specific Plan was accelerated.
Outreach Efforts
The City conducted numerous outreach efforts to obtain input from the public in the development of the new Downtown Specific Plan including:
• 2018 through 2020 – Study Sessions with the Planning Commission on the Downtown Boundary, Streetscapes, Landscaping, Architecture Guidelines, and Project Phoenix • Stakeholder Interviews Page 167 of 515
• First Community-wide Survey (web-based)
• First Public Workshop & Questionnaire
• Second Community-wide Survey (web-based)
• Display boards and voting at the Visitor Center
• Second Public Workshop
• 2021 – Study sessions with Planning Commission of Draft Plan Purpose
The purpose of the Twentynine Palms Downtown Specific Plan is to serve as the guiding document for all new development and supporting public investment in the Downtown area. It ensures those public and private investments support a clear set of goals, policies, strategies, and initiatives, upholding the three major themes which fulfill the Horizon 2045 vision statement. The intent of this plan is to focus economic, land use, transportation, and infrastructure improvements in ways to help ensure that Downtown becomes more:
• Economically vibrant to achieve greater equity and support entrepreneurship for all to thrive • Compact and diverse in development and able to accommodate future demands while maintaining urban design quality
• Walkable and mobile to serve as a more inviting and connected urban center that allows visitors and residents to move at will and at ease
• Sustainable and resilient to meet increase demand on urban systems The Specific Plan includes an implementation action plan which identifies specific improvement projects, their priority, and who is responsible for implementation. The proposed specific plan furthers the objectives of the City of Twentynine Palms General Plan (hereinafter “General Plan”) by providing a more detailed planning document for development of specific sites and streetscape improvements. The City of Twentynine Palms Development Code sets forth site specific standards and regulations that govern the size, shape, and type of use that would occur in accordance with the proposed project.
The proposed Specific Plan is intended to be built out over the course of twenty or more years.
Economically feasible buildout under the Specific Plan could result in the following additional square feet (sf) compared to existing conditions:
– Commercial development: 45-60,000 sf
– Lodging: 120-150,000 sf
– Housing: 295-350,000 sf
– Office: 20-30,000 sf
– Civic Center Development: 20-30,000 sf
Proposed Land Use Designations (Proposed Zoning)
Proposed land use designations for the Downtown Specific Plan Area include:
Two Commercial Districts
– Downtown Traditional (DT): Inspired by, and consistent with, the City of Twentynine Palms historic, traditional main street development pattern to support a pedestrian-oriented district full of outdoor dining, visitor amenities, and a high-quality public realm. Parking is predominantly public and shared. – Downtown General (DG): Inspired by, and consistent with, the City of Twentynine Palms’ most prevalent suburban-style car-centric commercial development. The district permits the widest range of development types. Projects are surrounded by parking and driveways – such as fast-food restaurants Two Residential Districts
– Downtown Residential (DR-20): Walkable, mid-density multi-family residential district that benefits from its proximity to downtown amenities and distinctive requirements for landscape and setbacks. Both low and mid-densities are allowed to ensure this area remains a compact yet quiet, livable neighborhood. – Downtown Residential (DR-8): Familiar low-density, single-family attached and detached residential district that maintains a quiet suburban setting accessible to downtown. Some duplexes and low-density Page 168 of 515 multi-family uses may be allowed. Here, the goal is to support new home development and to preserve character.
The major land use change in the new plan is the rezoning of approximately three acres behind City Hall from Public (P) use to Residential use (DR-20). This change will allow for the affordable housing project to move forward with development.
Other Features
Other features of the Downtown Specific Plan Area include the following types of improvements:
– Landscape + Public Realm
• Pedestrian
• Open Space Landscape
• Shade Tree Corridors
• Shade Structures
• Placemaking + Wayfinding
– Transportation + Mobility
• Pedestrian
• Active Mobility
• Automotive
• Recreation
• Park and Walk
• Transit Nodes
– Parking
• On-Street
• Off-Street
• Pedestrian Connections
• Park & Walk Areas
Standards and Design Guidelines
The Downtown Specific Plan includes development standards for uses, setbacks, building height, parking, density, floor area, and lighting within a Downtown Code. It also contains design guidelines for architectural style and form, building articulation, and other building design principles (color, materials, massing, scale). These design guidelines provide specific recommendations that serve to implement the aesthetic intent of the proposed project. Two clarifications are proposed to the Downtown Code. First, that laundromats and dry cleaners be added to the list of uses. While professional services are list, this addition makes it more explicit. Secondly, that the 50% Lot area/building area be clarified as to include outdoor dinning, patios, parking, and storm water management so as to not to conflict with the .3 FAR requirement.
Beautification
The project includes streetscape beautification and other public improvements to public rights-of-way, sidewalks, and public open spaces. Proposed urban design concepts contained within the Specific Plan present the streetscape improvements planned within downtown core area.
Street Network
The project proposes several roadway corridor improvements, including:
– Pedestrian emphasis and widened sidewalks in the SR 62 corridor. – An optional roundabout at SR 62 / Split Rock Avenue to provide an attractive welcome to the downtown core. A signalized intersection is presented as an option. – A road diet from four to two lanes, reducing the number of travel lanes for multimodal improvements (such as bike lanes, pedestrian crossing islands, and curb extensions) plus turn lanes. – SR 62 / Adobe Road intersection improvements.
– A road diet from four to two lanes along Adobe Road, with widened sidewalks, curb extensions, and bicycle lanes, plus turn lanes.
– Adobe Road / Gorgonio Drive intersection improvements.
General Plan Consideration
A Specific Plan can be thought of as a detailed general plan focusing on a portion of a city. Section 65450 of the California Government Code describes the role of Specific Plans as implementing all or part of the area covered by the general plan. The Twentynine Palms Downtown Specific Plan implements the goals, policies and programs of the Twentynine Palms General Plan that pertain to the downtown area. This Specific Plan establishes goals and policies for development and redevelopment that are consistent with the General Plan. The following General Plan goals are relevant to and consistent with the goals and policies of this Specific Plan:
Land Use Plan
Goal #1: A land use plan which provides a desirable city in which to live.
Goal #2: Development of a variety of high-quality residential neighborhoods.
Goal #3: The City will provide opportunity for commercial facilities offering a wide variety of goods and services.
Circulation Plan
Goal #3: The circulation system will be designed to accommodate visitors and will enhance and promote recreational opportunities.
Goal #4: Development of quality local streets to serve all citizens and visitors.
Goal #5: Parking facilities will be available for residents and visitors.
Goal #6: The Circulation Plan will sustain mobility while fostering economic development, enhancing the environment, reducing energy consumption, promoting transportation-friendly development patterns, and encouraging fair and equitable access to all citizens.
Conservation Plan
Goal #1: The City of Twentynine Palms will be environmentally conscious in administering its responsibility to ensure that resources are protected.
Recreation Plan
Goal #3: Recreation facilities shall be available to the widest variety of citizens and visitors possible.
Goal #4: The City will continue development of bikeways throughout the city.
Goal #6: The City will foster an environment that encourages Safety Plan
Goal #1: The City of Twentynine Palms will be a safe place to live and visit.
Development Code Considerations
This Downtown Specific Plan will become part of the Development Code replacing Specific Pan #6, Downtown Economic Revitalization Specific Plan (which was repealed), as well as incorporating Specific Plan #2, just north of the previous plan area. The Downtown Specific Plan contains its own Development Code chapter (Part IV) with specific development standards and guidelines. In any instance where the Downtown Specific Plan conflicts with the requirements of the Twentynine Palms Development Code for the City, the Specific Plan provisions will take precedence. Where the Specific Plan is silent on a topic, the Twentynine Palms Development Code requirements remain in force.
ENVIRONMENTAL:
Per CEQA, an Initial Study was conducted for the Downtown Specific Plan. The City reviewed the Initial Study and determined that any potentially significant impacts can be mitigated to less than significant.
The City then prepared and proposed to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND). As required by State law, the Draft IS/MND was circulated for 30 days, from January 12, 2022 to February 11, 2022, to allow public agencies and interested parties the opportunity to review and comment on the document. In accordance with the requirements of CEQA, the City provided a Notice of Intent to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration to the public, responsible agencies, and the San Bernardino County Clerk. The City published a notice in the Desert Trail (a newspaper of general circulation in the area affected by the proposed project), and the notice was posted at the San Bernardino County Clerk’s office for a period of at least 30 days.
The Draft IS/MND was submitted to the State Clearinghouse for review by state agencies, and to responsible and trustee agencies with jurisdiction by law over resources affected by the project. The City also conducted tribal consultation under SB 18 and AB 52 as required by CEQA. The Draft IS/MND was made available for public review online at http://www.ci.twentynine-palms.ca.us.
A Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program has been prepared for the project and is provided in Appendix B.
The mitigation measures have been agreed to by the City and have been found to avoid or mitigate environmental effects such that no significant impacts would occur.
The complete Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration along with comments and responses is attached.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City Council could choose to:
1. Request revisions from Staff and postpone to a date certain.
2. Not adopt the Downtown Specific Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Not Applicable.
1 CITY OF TWENTYNINE PALMS
CITY COUNCIL
ORDINANCE NO. ___
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
TWENTYNINE PALMS, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING THE
DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN AND THE MITIGATED
NEGATIVE DECLARATION ALONG WITH MITIGATION
MEASURES, AND INCORPORATING THE DOWNTOWN
SPECIFIC PLAN INTO THE DEVELOPMENT CODE WITH
THE DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN BECOMING SPECIFIC
PLAN #6 AND REPEALING SPECIFIC PLAN #2, THE AREA
OF WHICH IS INCORPORATED INTO THE NEW SPECIFIC
PLAN #6.
WHEREAS, in 2012, the City Council adopted the Downtown Economic Revitalization Specific Plan; and
WHEREAS, in September of 2017, the City Council rescinded the Downtown Economic Revitalization Specific Plan; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the City was awarded a State SB2 Planning Grant for the development of a new Downtown Specific Plan; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Downtown Specific Plan is to serve as the guiding document for new development and supporting public investment in the Downtown area; and
WHEREAS, the Downtown area is identified along Twentynine Palms, from West Court to 165’ east of Margot Avenue and along Adobe Road, from Cactus Drive to the City’s Civic Center complex; and
WHEREAS, extensive public participation in development of the Downtown Specific Plan was solicited through two public workshops, two on-line surveys, a meeting of City Council, and several study sessions with the Planning Commission; and
WHEREAS, an Initial Study was prepared for the project in conformance with the California Environmental Quality Act; and
WHEREAS, the Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration was posted from January 12, 2022, through February 11, 2022; and
2 WHEREAS, a Public Hearing was held by the Planning Commission on Wednesday March 9, 2022 at which time the Commission adopted Planning Commission Resolution No. 22-02, recommending approval of the Downtown Specific Plan to the City Council,
WHEREAS, the public notice for the project was published on April 13, 2022 in the Desert Trail newspaper; and
WHEREAS, a Public Hearing was held by the City Council on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, at which time the Council approved the Planning Commission’s recommendation and introduced Ordinance No. ___, adopting the Downtown Specific Plan and incorporating the Plan into the Development Code: and WHEREAS, the City Council makes the following Findings for the Downtown Specific Plan:
A. The specific plan is consistent with the intent of the goals and policies of the General Plan as a whole, and is not inconsistent with any element thereof.
The Downtown Specific Plan is consistent with the following goals of the General Plan. In particular the plan supports the General Plan goals by creating a walkable, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use downtown area that includes multi-modal transportation, public parking lots, additional recreational facilities, public spaces such as plazas and paseos, improved local streets, and additional commercial facilities and high-quality housing.
Land Use Plan
Goal #1: A land use plan which provides a desirable city in which to live.
Goal #2: Development of a variety of high-quality residential neighborhoods.
Goal #3: The City will provide opportunity for commercial facilities offering a wide variety of goods and services.
Circulation Plan
Goal #3: The circulation system will be designed to accommodate visitors and will enhance and promote recreational opportunities.
Goal #4: Development of quality local streets to serve all citizens and visitors.
Goal #5: Parking facilities will be available for residents and visitors.
Goal #6: The Circulation Plan will sustain mobility while fostering economic development, enhancing the environment, reducing energy consumption, promoting transportation-friendly development patterns, and encouraging fair and equitable access to all citizens.
Conservation Plan
Goal #1: The City of Twentynine Palms will be environmentally conscious in
3 administering its responsibility to ensure that resources are protected.
Recreation Plan
Goal #3: Recreation facilities shall be available to the widest variety of citizens and visitors possible.
Goal #4: The City will continue development of bikeways throughout the city.
Goal #6: The City will foster an environment that encourages widening interest in the arts and cultural benefits.
Safety Plan
Goal #1: The City of Twentynine Palms will be a safe place to live and visit.
B. The specific plan prescribes reasonable controls and standards for affected land uses to ensure compatibility and integrity of those uses with other established uses.
The Downtown Specific Plan includes a Downtown Code which functions as a Development Code for the downtown area and sets reasonable development standards for land uses, setbacks, building heights, parking, density, floor area, landscaping, lighting, and public amenities. It also includes architectural guidelines aimed at improving the quality of architecture for new structures and substantial renovations.
C. The specific plan provides reasonable property development rights while protecting environmentally sensitive land uses and species.
The Downtown Specific Plan recognizes existing land uses and patterns and uses those to establish land use and zoning districts that are consistent with existing land uses and patterns for both commercial and residential areas. It expands the mixed-use capabilities in commercial area to allow for additional housing units as required by the State. The Plan provides for infill growth within the downtown thereby reducing urban sprawl and the impact on the natural environment.
D. The specific plan provides for the protection of the health, safety, and/or general welfare of the community.
The Downtown Specific Plan provides for the protection of the health, safety, and general welfare of the community by:
1. Providing for the orderly growth and redevelopment of the downtown over the next 25 to 30 years
4 2. Improving the safety and function of public roadways, bicycle paths, trails, and public transit through good design that slows travel speeds and accommodates a variety of transportation means.
3. Improving the overall appearance of the downtown through investments in infrastructure and beautification projects.
4. Encouraging the redevelopment of infill properties downtown to prevent additional urban sprawl and protect more natural, desert environment.
5. Encouraging the development of housing at all income levels within the downtown to expand housing opportunities.
6. Creating additional recreational opportunities to support the health and well-being of citizens especially youth.
7. Creating additional public spaces and gathering areas that offer shade during the hot summer months.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Twentynine Palms introduced Ordinance No. __, and in so doing adopts the Downtown Specific Plan and the Mitigated Negative Declaration with Mitigation Measures for the project attached as “Attachment A”. The Downtown Specific Plan to become Specific Plan #6 in the Development Code and incorporate Specific Plan #2.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Twentynine Palms held on this 26th day of April, 2022. ________________________________________
Karmolette O’Gilvie, Mayor
ATTEST:
_________________________________
Cindy Villescas, CMC, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________________
A. Patrick Muñoz, City Attorney
5 I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of Ordinance No. _____, introduced on the _______ of ____________, 2022 and duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Twentynine Palms in a meeting held on the _____ day of ______, 2022, in Twentynine Palms, California by the following vote, to wit.
AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
ABSTAIN: COUNCIL MEMBERS:
________________________________________
Cindy Villescas CMC, City Clerk
a
TWENTYNINE PALMS
DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
MARCH 2022
:: HORIZON 2045
i TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
TWENTYNINE PALMS
DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN : : HORIZON 2045
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
COUNCILMEMBERS
Karmolette O’Gilvie, Mayor
McArthur Wright, Mayor Pro Tem
Steven Bilderain
Joel Klink
Daniel L Mintz, Sr.
PLANNING COMMISSION
Leslie Paahana, Chair
Jason Dickson, Vice Chair
Greg Mendoza
Jim Krushat
Max Walker
ii
PREPARED FOR:
City of Twentynine Palms, California
PREPARED BY:
GHD Engineering, Inc: Ethan Angold, Mariana
Arenas, Zane Brotherton, Michelle Brown, Colin
Burgett, Haley Cahill, Makinzie Clark, Nicolás
Cortez, Rebecca Crow, Katy Densmore, Brian
Heaton, Kevin Janni, Jonathan Linkus, Christian
Lionis, Noam Maitless, Elizabeth Meisman, Charles
Smith, Rosanna Southern, Evan Thompson, Todd
Tregenza, Giorgio Zembo
IN COLLABORATION WITH:
Linda S. Congleton & Associates: Michael Butler,
Linda Congleton, Edward Li
Paleo Solutions, Inc / Stantec: Geraldine Aron,
Elisa Barrios, Karen Brehm, Evelyn Chandler
Convergence Planning, LLC: Dean Munn
iii TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
1 OVERVIEW + BACKGROUND
1.1 CAPTURING THE FUTURE WE WANT 4
1.2 PLAN OVERVIEW 7
1.3 DOWNTOWN POLICY CONTEXT 13
1.4 LAND USE + DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT 17
1.5 CONNECTIVITY + MOBILITY CONTEXT 19
2 COMMUNITY VISION + GOALS
2.1 DOWNTOWN HORIZON 2045 24
2.2 DOWNTOWN THEMES, GOALS + POLICIES 27
3 COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS + PLAN ALTERNATIVES
3.1 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW 34
3.2 SUMMARY OF COMMUNITY NEEDS AND PRIORITIES 35
3.3 STRATEGIC BASIS FOR OUR PLAN ALTERNATIVES 37
3.4 ECONOMIC BASIS FOR OUR PLAN ALTERNATIVES 38
3.5 SELECTED ALTERNATIVE FOR DOWNTOWN OVERALL 39
3.6 SELECTED ALTERNATIVE FOR STATE ROUTE 62 CORRIDOR 41
3.7 SELECTED ALTERNATIVE FOR ADOBE ROAD CORRIDOR 43
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FOREWORD
TABLE OF CONTENTS + LIST OF FIGURES
PART I
PLAN BACKGROUND + DOWNTOWN VISION
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
iv
PART II
PLAN ELEMENTS
3.8 SELECTED ALTERNATIVE FOR ADOBE ROAD 45
3.9 SELECTED ALTERNATIVE FOR STATE ROUTE 62 47
4 LAND USE + DEVELOPMENT
4.1 SUMMARY + OBJECTIVES 52
4.2 LAND USE + DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK 53
4.3 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 55
4.4 DESIGNATED LAND USE STRATEGY 57
4.5 LAND USE + DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS 59
4.6 LAND USE + DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES 63
5 CONNECTIVITY + MOBILITY
5.1 SUMMARY + OBJECTIVES 66
5.2 CONNECTIVITY + MOBILITY FRAMEWORK 67
5.3 CONNECTIVITY + MOBILITY PROJECTS 69
5.4 CONNECTIVITY + MOBILITY INITIATIVES 72
5.5 PARKING STRATEGY 73
5.6 PARKING INITIATIVES 76
5.7 LANDSCAPE + OPEN SPACE FRAMEWORK 77
5.8 TWENTYNINE PALMS HWY/SR-62 PROJECTS 79
5.9 ADOBE ROAD PROJECTS 85
6 UTILITIES + RESILIENCY
6.1 SUMMARY + OBJECTIVES 90
6.2 UTILITIES & RESILIENCY FRAMEWORK 91
6.3 WASTEWATER SERVICE ANALYSIS 93
v TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
DC-1 SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
DC-1.1 DOWNTOWN CODE OVERVIEW 108
DC-1.2 ALLOWED LAND USES 109
DC-1.3 CORE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS 113
DC-1.4 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS 115
DC-1.5 PARKING 117
DC-1.6 BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES 119
DC-1.7 LANDSCAPE 120
DC-1.8 SIGNAGE & GRAPHICS GUIDELINE 121
DC-1.9 PUBLIC ART 123
DC-1.10 LIGHTING 124
DC-2 ARCHITECTURE OVERVIEW
DC-2.1 ARCHITECTURAL PURPOSE 126
DC-2.2 ARCHITECTURAL INTENT 127
DC-2.3 ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT 128
PART III
DOWNTOWN ACTION PLAN
PART IV
DOWNTOWN CODE
7 ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS
7.1 ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS SUMMARY 98
7.2 ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS INITIATIVES 99
8 PROJECTS + INITIATIVES SCHEDULE
8.1 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM SUMMARY 102
vi
DC-3 ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
DC-3.1 OVERVIEW + USE GUIDE 130
DC-3.2 HI-DESERT ADOBE STYLE 131
DC-3.3 SPANISH MISSION STYLE 133
DC-3.4 DESERT MODERN STYLE 135
DC-3.5 FRONTIER STYLE 137
DC-4 ARCHITECTURAL FORM
DC-4.1 OVERVIEW 140
DC-4.2 MASSING ARTICULATION 141
DC-4.3 HEIGHT ARTICULATION 143
DC-4.4 CORNERS 145
DC-5 ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER & DETAIL
DC-5.1 OVERVIEW 148
DC-5.2 MATERIALS 149
DC-5.3 BUILDING LIGHTING 151
DC-5.4 SIGNAGE AND GRAPHICS 153
DC-5.5 WINDOWS & DOORS 155
DC-5.6 SHOPFRONTS 157
DC-5.7 AWNINGS & SHADES 159
DC-5.8 ROOFS & PARAPETS 161
vii TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
1 OVERVIEW + BACKGROUND
FIG 1–1: AERIAL DIAGRAM OF TWENTYNINE PALMS AND REGION 6 FIG 1–2: DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN PROCESS OVERVIEW 9
FIG 1–3: DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN DOCUMENT STRUCTURE DIAGRAM 10 FIG 1–4: TWENTYNINE PALMS GENERAL PLAN DOWNTOWN LAND USE ZONES 13 FIG 1–5: IMAGES OF “PROJECT PHOENIX” DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION 16 FIG 1–6: EXISTING URBAN CHARACTER AND DEVELOPMENT TYPES 18 TABLE 1–1: DOWNTOWN CRASH AND INJURY DATA 19
FIG 1–7: EXISTING CRASH AND INJURY CLUSTERS FOR DOWNTOWN 20 FIG 1–8: EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUME AND SPEED CONDITIONS 22 2 COMMUNITY VISION + GOALS
3 COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS + PLAN ALTERNATIVES
FIG 3–1: WORKSHOP 1 PARTICIPANT RELATIONSHIP TO DOWNTOWN 35 FIG 3–2: WORKSHOP 1 VISITOR AND MILITARY SURVEY 35
FIG 3–3: WORKSHOP 1 PRIORITY QUESTIONNAIRE 35
FIG 3–4: WORKSHOP 1 URBAN ELEMENTS AND ACTIVITY PREFERENCES 36 TABLE 3–1: DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL DEMAND FORECAST 2021 - 2045 38 FIG 3–5: WORKSHOP 2 PREFERENCE FOR DOWNTOWN STRATEGY 39 FIG 3–6: SELECTED COMMUNITY CORRIDORS CONCEPT AND STRATEGY FOR ALL OF DOWNTOWN 40 FIG 3–7: WORKSHOP 2 PREFERENCE FOR STATE ROUTE 62 STRATEGY 41 FIG 3–8: SELECTED COMMUNITY CORRIDORS CONCEPT AND STRATEGY FOR STATE ROUTE 62 CORRIDOR 42 FIG 3–9: WORKSHOP 2 PREFERENCE FOR ADOBE ROAD STRATEGY 43 FIG 3–10: SELECTED COMMUNITY CORRIDORS CONCEPT AND STRATEGY FOR ADOBE ROAD CORRIDOR 44 FIG 3–11: WORKSHOP 2 PREFERENCE FOR ADOBE ROAD STREET CONFIGURATION 45 FIG 3–12: ADOBE ROAD PROPOSAL WITH BICYCLE EMPHASIS 45
FIG 3–13: ADOBE ROAD PROPOSAL WITH PEDESTRIAN EMPHASIS 46 FIG 3–14: WORKSHOP 2 PREFERENCE FOR STATE ROUTE 62 STREET CONFIGURATION 47 FIG 3–15: SR 62 PROPOSAL WITH BICYCLE EMPHASIS 47
FIG 3–16: SR 62 PROPOSAL WITH PEDESTRIAN EMPHASIS 48
FIG 3–17: WORKSHOP 2 PREFERENCE FOR A FUTURE GATEWAY ROUNDABOUT 48
LIST OF
FIGURES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
FOREWORD
TABLE OF CONTENTS + LIST OF FIGURES
PART I
PLAN BACKGROUND + DOWNTOWN VISION
viii
PART III
DOWNTOWN ACTION PLAN
4 LAND USE + DEVELOPMENT
FIG 4–1: LAND USE + DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK CONCEPT 54
FIG 4–2: DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW AND YIELD SUMMARY TABLES 55 FIG 4–3: DESIGNATED LAND USE ZONES MAP 58
FIG 4–4: CIVIC CENTER REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT CONCEPT AERIAL VIEW 62 5 CONNECTIVITY + MOBILITY
FIG 5–1: CONNECTIVITY + MOBILITY FRAMEWORK CONCEPT 68
TABLE 5–1: DOWNTOWN EXISTING AND NEW PARKING RESOURCES 73 FIG 5–2: DOWNTOWN PARKING STRATEGY MAP 74
TABLE 5–2: DOWNTOWN SHARED PARKING DEMAND FACTORS 75
TABLE 5–3: FORECAST OF DAILY PARKING PATTERN FOR DOWNTOWN 75 FIG 5–3: LANDSCAPE + OPEN SPACE FRAMEWORK CONCEPT 78
FIG 5–4: STATE ROUTE (SR) 62 PROJECTS ILLUSTRATIVE PLAN 79 FIG 5–5: STATE ROUTE (SR) 62 PROJECTS SECTION A 81
FIG 5–7: STATE ROUTE (SR) 62 PROJECTS SECTION B 82
FIG 5–6: SR-62 SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION ILLUSTATIVE PLAN 82 FIG 5–8: SR-62 PROPOSED STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS 83
FIG 5–9: THE PASEO PROPOSED ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS 84
FIG 5–10: ADOBE ROAD PROJECTS ILLUSTRATIVE PLAN 85
FIG 5–11: ADOBE ROAD PROJECTS SECTION A 87
FIG 5–12: GORGONIO VIEW PARK CONCEPT ILLUSTATIVE AERIAL 87 FIG 5–13: ART WALK ALLEY PROPOSED ELEMENTS 88
6 UTILITIES + RESILIENCY
FIG 6–1: UTILITIES & RESILIENCY FRAMEWORK CONCEPT 92
TABLE 6–1: ESTIMATED SEWER FLOWS FOR SELECT DOWNTOWN AREAS 93 7 ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS
FIG 7–1: ICONIC 29 PALMS ENTRY SCULPTURE 100
FIG 7–2: ART EVENT EXAMPLE: INDIAN WELLS CRAFT FAIR 100 8 PROJECTS + INITIATIVES SCHEDULE
TABLE 8–1: DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN PROJECTS + INITIATIVES SCHEDULE 103
PART II
PLAN ELEMENTS
ix TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
DC-1 SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
FIGURE DC-1.2.A: ALLOWABLE LAND USES FOR DOWNTOWN ZONES 109 FIGURE DC-1.2.B: DESIGNATED LAND USE ZONES MAP 112
FIGURE DC-1.3.A: CORE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS 113
FIGURE DC-1.4.A: MAXIMUM FRONT SETBACKS 115
FIGURE DC-1.4.B: FRONT-FACING CAFÉ AREA OR PRIVATELY-OWNED PUBLIC SPACE 115 FIGURE DC-1.5.A: RESIDENTIAL PARKING 117
FIGURE DC-1.5.B: PARKING AT DT ZONE 118
FIGURE DC-1.5.C: REQUIRED INTERIOR PARKING LOT LANDSCAPING 118 FIGURE DC-1.7.A: PLANTING DENSITY 120
FIGURE DC-1.8.A: COMMERCIAL (PRIVATE) SIGNAGE TYPE AND SIZE ALLOWED 122 DC-2 ARCHITECTURE OVERVIEW
FIGURE DC-2.3.A: PROJECT PHOENIX APPROVED COLORS 128
DC-3 ARCHITECTURAL STYLES
FIGURE DC-3.2.A: HI-DESERT ADOBE ELEMENTS EXAMPLE 132
FIGURE DC-3.2.B: ADOBE COLOR PALETTE 132
FIGURE DC-3.3.A: MISSION ELEMENTS EXAMPLE 134
FIGURE DC-3.3.B: MISSION COLOR PALETTE 134
FIGURE DC-3.4.A: DESERT MODERN ELEMENTS EXAMPLE 136
FIGURE DC-3.4.B: DESERT MODERN COLOR PALETTE 136
FIGURE DC-3.5.A: FRONTIER ELEMENTS EXAMPLE 138
FIGURE DC-3.5.B: FRONTIER COLOR PALETTE 138
DC-4 ARCHITECTURAL FORM
FIGURE DC-4.2.A: MASSING SETBACK DIAGRAM 141
FIGURE DC-4.2.B: MASSING ARTICULATION IN DOWNTOWN STYLES 142 FIGURE DC-4.3.A: UPPER LEVEL SETBACK DIAGRAM 143
FIGURE DC-4.3.B: HEIGHT ARTICULATION IN DOWNTOWN STYLES 144 FIGURE DC-4.4.A: CORNER AND ENTRY DIAGRAM 145
FIGURE DC-4.4.B: CORNER TREATMENTS IN DOWNTOWN STYLES 146
PART IV
DOWNTOWN CODE
x
DC-5 ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER & DETAIL
FIGURE DC-5.2.A: MATERIAL USES IN DOWNTOWN STYLES 150
FIGURE DC-5.3.A: LIGHTING DOWNCAST DIAGRAM 151
FIGURE DC-5.3.B: LIGHTING TECHNIQUES IN DOWNTOWN STYLES 152 FIGURE DC-5.4.A: SIGNAGE AND GRAPHICS IN DOWNTOWN STYLES 154 FIGURE DC-5.5.A: WINDOWS AND DOORS IN DOWNTOWN STYLES 156 FIGURE DC-5.6.A: SHOPFRONT ALIGNMENTS DIAGRAM 157
FIGURE DC-5.6.B: SHOPFRONTS IN DOWNTOWN STYLES 158
FIGURE DC-5.7.A: AWNINGS HEIGHT DIAGRAM 159
FIGURE DC-5.7.B: AWNINGS AND SHADES IN DOWNTOWN STYLES 160 FIGURE DC-5.8.A: PARAPET HEIGHT DIAGRAM 161
FIGURE DC-5.8.B: ROOFS AND PARAPETS IN DOWNTOWN STYLES 162
xi
FOREWORD
TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
xii
KARMOLETTE O’GILVIE
MAYOR
1 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
PLAN BACKGROUND
+ DOWNTOWN VISION
PART I
2 OVERVIEW + BACKGROUND
COMMUNITY VISION + GOALS
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS + PLAN ALTERNATIVES
3 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
1 OVERVIEW +
BACKGROUND
4 CAPTURING THE FUTURE IN
TWENTYNINE PALMS
This Downtown Specific Plan is named Horizon 2045
because it embodies the aspirational and creative
thinking of a whole community as it organizes to capture the opportunities of the future. As the gateway to worldrenowned Joshua Tree National Park, our nation’s largest Marine base, the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training
Command and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center
(MAGTFTC/MCAGCC), and to natural monuments and
rural treasures beyond the desert horizon, Twentynine
Palms can revitalize its center to create a compelling, vital, community-focused, and resilient Downtown.
In 2022, as Twentynine Palms
celebrates its 35th anniversary
of incorporation, its residents,
stakeholders, and City leaders
have come together to prepare
this plan to capture the
opportunity on the horizon: a
vibrant, thriving, and healthy
Downtown that serves as the
Morongo Basin’s center for
culture and experience.
The need for planning can be tracked in three measures
of opportunities in the form of challenges present:
pressure for affordable housing to support existing and new residents, pressure to accommodate increasing
visitors and the force of tourism in the economy, and
the City’s breakout role in the Morongo basin as a
hub of employment driven by special events, unique
experiences, and local entrepreneurship.
CAPTURING THE POPULATION
GROWTH OPPORTUNITY
This Specific Plan anticipates continued population
growth and prepares the City for the economic and social
1.1 CAPTURING THE
FUTURE WE WANT
Downtown Twentynine Palms in the 1940s.
5 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
benefits of growth. Desert and Inland Empire residents
will be drawn to affordable housing in a compact,
walkable city. New visitors will seek urban amenities
within easy reach of ecologically-minded recreation. New generations of digital knowledge workers will engage with civic culture to help build a stronger local community.
These are all important constituencies for which to better prepare Downtown.
The baseline citywide population of this plan is
benchmarked at 26,685 residents, including some
2,955 in group quarters (primarily military families) in 2020. The household population (Minus Group Quarters)
is an important metric for growth as the local military population can fluctuate year to year. An economic
study commissioned to accompany this plan estimates
that non-group quarters population to be 24,697 in
accommodates at least 372 new residents and doubles
that to 744 residents with full implementation by 2040.
CAPTURING THE VISITOR
GROWTH OPPORTUNITY
Twentynine Palms’ major economic driver (in addition
to military families) is a global tourist market seeking local culture and unique experiences in and around the
Joshua Tree National Park. Visitor growth and demand
for vacation rentals, and a broader range of hotel
price-points connected to walkable amenities, presents
beneficial development pressure that can be directed
within a downtown plan.
Joshua Tree National Park visitation at the start of
this planning effort (prior to the influence of the Covid pandemic) stood at 2,988,547 in 2019. The park is
anticipated to reach its capacity of 4,000,000 annual
visitors as soon as 2026. Accordingly, this Specific
Plan anticipates demand for at least 60 “keys” (or
rooms) in the Downtown Study Area but encourages the
development of as many as 220 keys by identifying sites for lodging uses and then coordinating related urban
design and infrastructure preparations.
CAPTURING THE EMPLOYMENT
GROWTH OPPORTUNITY
Twentynine Palms stands out among regional economic
centers for its unique mix of locally owned businesses, artisanal products, and quality food and beverage
offerings. A compact, walkable commercial district that supports increased resident and visitor populations
presents an opportunity to support as much as 68,700
SF of new and adapted retail space in service, food and beverage growth in Downtown, according to the project
economic study.
This Specific Plan prepares the City to maximize the
capture of that economic growth by identifying viable
2026, rising to almost 29,000 after 2040. The City
of Twentynine Palms General Plan, issued in 2012,
allocates capacity for housing to accommodate 103,275
citizens of all type by 2030 – far more than demand
suggested by this economic study.
Projections show a steady rate of housing construction
will occur on vacant land as low-density development
across the City takes advantage of the plentiful supply of parcels shown in the General Plan. This Specific Plan, therefore, has an important role to play in encouraging as much as 20% of new municipal housing starts to occur
within in a more walkable and affordable Downtown.
This plan will support at least 150 dwelling units and
implementing all plan initiatives will bring as many as 300 dwelling units to Downtown. As a result, this plan
Downtown Twentynine Palms in the 1970s. Source: John’s Media (username) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAs5C2EYwW4>. 6 sites to foster retail development for at least 49,000 SF, and as much as 90,000 SF for retail service, food
and beverage development. These projects, counted
alongside anticipated lodging and civic facilities, are likely to support more than 200 new jobs. Full plan
implementation may support over 500 new permanent
jobs in a renewed Downtown Twentynine Palms.
The employment density of jobs is a key consideration
with the requirement for small-format storefront
development at the heart of Downtown. Utility and public realm improvements drive businesses that are locally
owned, employ more people within smaller retail spaces
(compared to traditional franchise-based retail), and
build additional sales per-square foot where foot traffic is encouraged. Local entrepreneurship creates real value.
DOWNTOWN IN THE REGION
Twentynine Palms is the easternmost major community
along Highway 62, the corridor that connects all
communities in the Morongo Basin. The Basin
constitutes a developed “doorstep” to the high desert
at the confluence of the Mojave, Colorado, and Sonora
Deserts. It is separated from the highly urbanized Palm Springs/Coachella Valley by a mountain range that
contains Joshua Tree National Park. The Highway 62
corridor connects Morongo Valley, farthest west, with
roughly 3000 residents, Yucca Valley, with 22,000
residents, Joshua Tree with some 7,600 residents all to the over 26,000 residents of Twentynine Palms.
Historically, the Oasis of Mara, southeast of Downtown
Twentynine Palms, was a major resource and cultural
hub for indigenous communities in the basin. Western
settlers immigrating to, or passing through the area,
documented this as early as 1855. Downtown Twentynine
Palms has been the heart of this community since the
first half of the 20th century, with the early commercial development of a roadside general store called Bagley’s Market and a one room schoolhouse both occurring
roots in the region, as well as small local businesses
that include arts studios, antique shops, and visitor
services. Joshua Tree remains a cultural fixture for the region, synonymous with the local artist community and
inspiring unique visitor experiences for those traveling to the National Park. Yucca Valley includes a large suburban population and is anchored by a commercial corridor
of big-box retail and strip retail development, providing goods and services for the region.
Twentynine Palms is home to military families, artists, newcomers, and well-established households. Its unique
contribution to the valley will be as a hub for local culture and events, based on ongoing public realm investments
through Project Phoenix and future investments
recommended in this Specific Plan.
in 1927. They were situated along Two Mile Road, one
mile north of Twentynine Palms Highway and the current
downtown. Since the 1940s, Twentynine Palms Highway
has served as the main thoroughfare through Twentynine
Palms and has seen the most commercial development.
Together with development along Adobe Road, the two
commercial corridors continue to anchor the Downtown
Study Area for this Specific Plan – an area that
represents only half-a-percent of the 59.1-square mile
municipal boundary. As a small portion of a sprawling
municipality, the role of Downtown needs to be clear, and will define the relationship of Twentynine Palms to other cities along Highway 62.
The Morongo Basin and Joshua Tree communities
support significant local populations, some with deep
FIG 1–1: AERIAL DIAGRAM OF TWENTYNINE PALMS AND REGION
7 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
PROJECT ORIGIN
This project originated from a longstanding recognition of a need for detailed planning around future sewer service, a continuation of economic uplift from the Project
Phoenix downtown redevelopment, and a need for
additional housing within a walkable community center.
PREVIOUS DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC
PLAN AND PLANNING EFFORTS
The previous Downtown Economic Revitalization Specific
Plan was developed by the city in 2012. It was rescinded by the City Council in September of 2017 as it was
deemed to be too limiting. While the goals of a lively, walkable, mixed-use, downtown were laudable, the
market and infrastructure did not support the intensity of development the plan proposed. Some desirable
The Twentynine Palms Downtown
Specific Plan is a comprehensive
master plan covering a small
district at the heart of the
community. Its origins are based in
programs intended to encourage
new housing and economic
revitalization.
uses were also prohibited. This was illustrated when a
Starbucks with a drive-through hoped to locate on the
Four Corners and was not permitted under the plan. The
City Council repealed the plan, directing staff to develop a new one.
The Planning Commission, through several study
sessions, has been reviewing policy elements of the
Downtown Specific plan to provide guidance to the
Project Phoenix development plan. This guidance
includes recommendations on street furniture, paving,
and landscaping. The Commission also recommended
four preferred architectural styles – Hi-Desert Adobe,
Frontier, Modern, and Mission – to be used as guidelines for future development. The public buildings that will be built as part of Project Phoenix will include elements of Hi-Desert Adobe and Frontier architecture.
PROJECT FUNDING AND
INITIAL PROJECT GOALS
In 2017, Governor Brown signed a 15-bill housing
package aimed at addressing the state’s housing
shortage and high housing costs. It included the Building Homes and Jobs Act (SB2, 2017), which establishes a
$75 recording fee on real estate documents to increase
the supply of affordable homes in California. Half of the revenues from a resulting 2-year program were allocated to “State Administered Planning Grants”.
1.2 PLAN OVERVIEW
The purpose for this program is to provide funding
and technical assistance to all local governments in
California to help cities and counties prepare, adopt,
and implement plans and process improvements that
streamline housing approvals and accelerate housing
production. A Planning Grants Program provision of SB2
is intended to help cities and counties:
• Accelerate housing production
• Streamline the approval of housing development
affordable to owner and renter households at all
income levels
• Facilitate housing affordability, particularly for lowerand moderate-income households • Promote development consistent with the State
Planning Priorities (Government Code Section
65041.1)
• Ensure geographic equity in the distribution and
expenditure of the funds
In 2019, the City of Twentynine Palms applied for, and
won, a maximum level grant from this Planning Grants
Program provision of SB2. The City also contributed a
similar amount in City General funds for the project, with City staff contributing in-kind time to review and assist in plan development.
8 The City’s goals for this project were clearly stated in the grant application as the preparation of:
1. Objective Design and Development Standards, and
2. Specific Plans or form-based codes coupled with CEQA streamlining.
Specifically, this plan is intended to create objective design standards for site layout and outline acceptable architectural styles. Future projects that meet these
criteria will be subject to only one formal approval by the Planning Commission. City planners understand that the
Downtown area is designated as a Severely Economically
Disadvantaged Area, with local household incomes below
the State’s average, and over 600 people at project start living in poverty.
This new Specific Plan will assist in reviving the economic potential of Downtown Twentynine Palms by increasing
employment and housing opportunities for low-income
residents in particular.
The intended administrative outcomes for this project are shorter review times (especially under CEQA), reduced
approval times for projects meeting the City’s standards, and a beneficial overall increase in housing density
(above 8 units per acre).
PURPOSE AND INTENT
The purpose of the Twentynine Palms Downtown Specific
Plan is to serve as the guiding document for all new
development and supporting public investment in the
Downtown area. It ensures those public and private
investments support a clear set of goals, policies,
strategies, and initiatives, upholding the three major
themes which fulfill the Horizon 2045 vision statement.
The intent of this plan is to focus economic, land use, transportation, and infrastructural improvements in ways to help ensure that Downtown becomes more:
• Economically vibrant to achieve greater equity and
support entrepreneurship for all to thrive
• Compact and diverse in development and able to
accommodate future demands while maintaining
urban design quality
• Walkable and mobile to serve as a more inviting
and connected urban center the allows visitors and
residents to move at will and at east
• Sustainable and resilient to meet increase demand
on urban systems while preparing for a future of
change
To guide community, business, and government leaders
to achieve these ends together, the Downtown Specific
Plan offers key tools and methods to help shape both
long term and day-to-day decision-making:
• A vision statement, themes, goals, and policies to
guide development decisions, connect them to other
municipal policies, and promote them as shared with
the community’s aspirations
• A detailed land use plan that provides new land use
designations for the downtown area and highlights
strategic public investments to catalyze the
development of land use areas
• Land use, development standards, and architectural
guidelines that provide new development with
legibility and consistency across projects to foster a
high-quality urban environment
• Streetscape and pedestrian environment
improvements to calm traffic, activate public space,
and invite pedestrians and cyclists to use downtown
networks safety alongside vehicular traffic
• An assessment of public facilities, open space, and
infrastructure, with specific projects recommended
to support the land use and streetscapes described
in the plan
• An action plan to implement the recommendations
of this plan and keep up with needs of residents and
anticipated growth, along with timelines, responsible
parties, economic measures, and funding impacts
and funding sources for each action.
9 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
PLANNING PROCESS
The result of an intensive year-long process, the Horizon 2045 Downtown Twentynine Palms Specific Plan is one of
the most inclusive and comprehensive plans undertaken
in the City’s History. The planning process for this
Specific Plan encompassed four Phases from January
2021 to February 2022, and involved multiple rounds of
community participation.
Phase I: Understanding Downtown
The initial stage required that the project team review related plans, inventory potential new development
areas, and develop a research-based understanding
about existing physical conditions as well as about the regional economic and local real estate situation. Here, consultation was undertaken through key stakeholder
interviews and an extensive web survey for military,
visitor, and resident constituencies.
Phase II: Downtown Alternatives
Following the initial research phase, the project team
synthesized the input and priorities gathered from initial consultation into structured Vision and Policies (part of Horizon 2045). Two alternative long term development
scenarios were drawn as new development with related
infrastructure and roadway concepts. These concepts
were reviewed by the public in an in-person community
workshop as well as a 6-week public voting period via
posted web survey.
Phase III: Downtown Preferred Plan
Based on input and selections made by the public in
the Phase II workshop and consultation process, the
project team devised several public realm, roadway,
and governance initiatives. These elements were
incorporated into a single final depiction of future
development massing, known as the Downtown Preferred
Plan. This consolidated plan was presented to the public for final comment in an in-person community workshop.
Phase IV: Final Specific Plan Documents
The last stage culminated in the Specific Plan, which
then included an action plan and development standards
section. This document was accompanied by a CEQA
Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration. This stage culminated in final public comment reviews, Planning
Commission and City Council reviews, and Council
adoption.
PLANNING HORIZON
This Specific plan is built around a preferred plan based on an economic forecast expected by year 2041. The
plan implementation timeline begins in 2022 with
a 3-year initial phase, followed by action plan steps
allocated to five 5-year phases. If final implementation steps are taken by 2041, then effected development
should be completed by 2050.
FIG 1–2: DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN PROCESS OVERVIEW
10 PLAN STRUCTURE AND HIERARCHY
Plan documents are best structured in a way that
relate physical and administrative proposals to an
organized suite of policies. This provides rationale to future generations as to how community priorities are
demonstrably aligned with community leaders’ actions.
Similar and related to document structure, the Plan
Structure is tiered as follows:
• Vision Statement: “Horizon 2045”
• Downtown Themes
• Downtown Goals
• Downtown Policies
• Plan Elements (large-scale strategies)
• Plan Element Framework (map of projects /
programs)
• Plan Element Projects (large-scale projects in detail) • Plan Element Programs (general administrative
tasks)
• Action Plan (timeline of all projects and programs)
• Downtown Code
DOCUMENT STRUCTURE
The Downtown Specific Plan is organized into 14
Chapters across four Parts - each Part serving as a go-to tool for varying audiences and implementers. The parts
are structured as follows:
Part I: Plan Background + Downtown Vision
Introduces the community, its history, context, and future opportunities. Here the project and its origins are also covered. This part also draws connections between
Vision, Policies, public outreach decision-making leading to a Preferred Plan.
Part II: Plan Elements
Describes the development framework, strategies,
proposals, and initiatives for major urban planning topics across the three major workstreams of Land Use and
Development, Mobility and Corridors, and Utilities and
Resilience.
Part III: Downtown Action Plan
Summarizes the totality of recommendations from
previous chapters and assigns a cost estimate and
optimal timing to each initiative and proposal, and
administrative program.
Part IV: Downtown Code
Serves as a go-to tool for those reviewing and approving new development and major redevelopment submittals.
The code is partitioned into Architectural Guidelines
(objective recommendations) and Site Development
Standards (objective rules). Chapters in this Part are
counted from DC-1, DC-2 and so forth; this allows Part IV to be printed and bound under separate cover.
FIG 1–3: DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
DOCUMENT STRUCTURE DIAGRAM
11 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
CHAPTER OVERVIEW
Chapter 1: Overview + Background
Introduces the community, existing conditions, and an
overview of the project
Chapter 2: Community Vision + Goals
Offers a “vision statement”, establishes themes, goals, and policies
Chapter 3: Community Workshops + Plan Alternatives
Details the community engagement effort and depicts
the development outcomes selected by the public
Chapter 4: Land Use + Development
Establishes strategies, a physical framework and
proposals, and initiatives for land use and catalyst
projects
Chapter 5: Connectivity + Mobility
Establishes strategies, a physical framework and
proposals, and initiatives for roads, transit, bicycles, and pedestrians
Chapter 6: Utilities + Resiliency
Establishes strategies, a physical framework and
proposals, and initiatives for sewer service and
renewable resources
Chapter 7: Economic Competitiveness
Summarizes the assessment and recommendations
contributed by the Economics and Real Estate
subconsultant
Chapter 8: Projects + Initiatives schedule
Lists capital projects, as well as administrative and
economic initiatives with associated timing
Chapter DC-1: Site Development Standards
Establishes rules governing site layout, development
intensity, site and landscape elements, and lighting
Chapter DC-2: Architectural Overview
Provides a rationale and basis for the focus on major
architectural styles in Downtown
Chapter DC-3: Architectural Styles
Describes the major architectural styles within historical and modern context
Chapter DC-4: Architectural Form
Advises on overall building form and articulation with
respect to the architectural styles
Chapter DC-5: Architectural Character and Detail
Advises on building façade elements and smaller details with respect to the architectural styles
12 The clustered palms of the Oasis of Mara (left) are the origin of human settlement in the region.
Downtown Twentynine Palms (below) represents the future of communities in the region.
13 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
RELATIONSHIP TO GENERAL PLAN
A Specific Plan can be thought of as a detailed general plan focusing on a portion of a city. Section 65450 of
the California Government Code describes the role of
Specific Plans as implementing all or part of the area
covered by the general plan. The Twentynine Palms
Downtown Specific Plan implements the goals, policies
and programs of the Twentynine Palms General Plan
that pertain to the downtown area. This Specific Plan
establishes goals and policies for development and
redevelopment that are consistent with the General Plan.
The following General Plan goals are relevant to and
consistent with the goals and policies of this Specific Plan:
Land Use Plan
• Goal #1: A land use plan which provides a desirable
city in which to live.
The primary catalyst for this effort
has been a nascent and promising
Downtown revitalization that
began with daring small business
entrepreneurs and has culminated
in a major redevelopment project
that includes new community
and National Park facilities. This
planning effort lends policy
structure to all of downtown in a
way that captures and extends the
best ideas of that initial Downtown
revitalization.
1.3 DOWNTOWN
POLICY CONTEXT
FIG 1–4: TWENTYNINE PALMS GENERAL PLAN DOWNTOWN LAND USE ZONES
14 • Goal #2: Development of a variety of high-quality
residential neighborhoods.
• Goal #3: The City will provide opportunity for
commercial facilities offering a wide variety of goods
and services.
Circulation Plan
• Goal #3: The circulation system will be designed to
accommodate visitors and will enhance and promote
recreational opportunities.
• Goal #4: Development of quality local streets to
serve all citizens and visitors.
• Goal #5: Parking facilities will be available for
residents and visitors.
• Goal #6: The Circulation Plan will sustain mobility
while fostering economic development, enhancing
the environment, reducing energy consumption,
promoting transportation-friendly development
patterns, and encouraging fair and equitable access
to all citizens.
Conservation Plan
• Goal #1: The City of Twentynine Palms will be
environmentally conscious in administering its
responsibility to ensure that resources are protected.
Recreation Plan
• Goal #3: Recreation facilities shall be available to the widest variety of citizens and visitors possible.
• Goal#4: The City will continue development of
bikeways throughout the city.
• Goal #6: The City will foster an environment that
encourages widening interest in the arts and cultural
benefits.
Safety Plan
• Goal #1: The City of Twentynine Palms will be a safe
place to live and visit.
RELATIONSHIP TO THE CITY
DEVELOPMENT CODE
This Downtown Specific Plan will become part of
the Development Code replacing Specific Plan #6,
Downtown Economic Revitalization Specific Plan (which
was repealed), as well as incorporating Specific Plan
#2. In any instance where the Downtown Specific Plan
conflicts with requirements of the the remainder of the Development Code, the Specific Plan provision will take precedence. Where the Specific Plan is silent on a topic, the remainder of the Twentynine Palms Development
Code remains in force.
RELATIONSHIP TO CEQA
This Specific Plan provides a forecast level of infill
development that is below the maximum legally
admissible under the proposed land use policy and
development standards, but, rather, is the maximum
economically feasible outcome If all city implementation actions are taken.
This Preferred Development plan, with its square footage, population, visitor, job, and parking impacts is used
to prepare an environmental review. The project team
determined that an Initial Study / Mitigated Negative
Declaration (IS/MND) was appropriate for the plan
proposals and anticipated development. The rationale for supporting this from of CEQA document included:
• The availability of a recent study for the Project
Phoenix downtown redevelopment
• The geographic study area is largely already
developed or urbanized
• That impacts to natural resources are unlikely,
and that few sensitive receptors are in or near the
study area
• That proposed land uses reduce VMT and
environmental impacts while enhancing livability
This Specific Plan streamlines the CEQA approval
process by providing a “program level” IS/MND
expected to “clear” most development, and under
which only the largest projects may require a tiering
analysis. This will enable and encourage development
that supports more economically and environmentally
resilient lifestyles.
15 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PLANS
In addition to the General Plan, the following
planning documents were closely studied to align
with concurrent policies and/or to incorporate
recommendations:
San Bernardino County: Countywide Plan, “Our
County - Our Future”
The Countywide Plan indicated an allocated growth
forecast of 11,450 new residents, 1,800 dwelling units
and 6,050 new jobs between 2016 and 2040. This
Specific Plan is particularly supportive of Goal ED-3
Countywide Business and Employment Growth in the
policy section of the Countywide Plan, and specifically addresses:
• Policy ED-3.1 - Countywide Jobs-Housing Ratio
We strive to achieve countywide job growth that
sustainably out-paces household growth in order
to improve the jobs-housing ratio, reduce outcommuting, and enhance quality of life. • Policy ED-3.3 - Site Selection Assistance
We coordinate with agencies, incorporated cities
and towns, and service providers to assist existing
and prospective businesses in identifying and
selecting sites and facilities countywide. We also
assist businesses with permitting, licensing,
incentives, and other regulatory requirements.
• Policy ED-3.4 - Site and Facilities Inventory
We collaborate with real estate brokers,
developers, municipalities, and building owners to
maintain a countywide inventory of available sites
and facilities for businesses.
• Policy ED-3.6 - Countywide Tourism
We coordinate with a variety of partners to
promote San Bernardino County as a regional,
national, and international tourist destination and
collaborate with tourism industry businesses to
improve visitor experience.
Twentynine Palms Highway Left-Turn-Lane Proposal
A street realignment concept prepared by the City
and proposed to Caltrans would improve vehicular
movement by introducing a left-turn-lane made
possible by eliminating west-bound on-street parking.
The solution was considered as an alternative option in the first public workshop
Let’s Go Native
This brochure is a design guideline for drought tolerant and water conserving landscapes appropriate for the
high desert climate. It’s Plant Selection Chart provides plant selections included in some landscape proposals
in this plan.
Morongo Basin Active Transportation Plan
This plan advocates for walking, bicycling, and transit resources and highlights the important role of bus
service in Twentynine Palms. It includes bicycle and
off-street trail proposals that are incorporated into the Mobility Framework of this plan.
Twentynine Palms Water District Planning
Plans and reports commissioned for the Twentynine
Palms Water District were reviewed in the preparation
of this Specific Plan, including:
• Urban Water Management Plan for Twentynine
Palms (TPWD) - 2020
• Twentynine Palms Water District 2020 Water
Shortage Contingency Plan (TPWD) - 2020
• Twentynine Palms Wastewater Master Plan (TPWD)
- 2014
16 RELATIONSHIP TO CURRENT
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
Major redevelopment of a three-block portion of Downtown was underway during the preparation of this Downtown
Specific Plan. This effort is known as Project Phoenix, symbolizing the rebirth of downtown. It was funded by
former Redevelopment Agency Housing and Non-Housing
Tax Allocation Bonds, as well as a Prop 68 Community,
Cultural, and Natural Resources grant intended specifically for an included Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center and Cultural Museum (JTNP Cultural Center).
The project is anchored by a new “Freedom Plaza” multi-use event space built out of a reconfigured Yucca Avenue. An entry plaza flanks this thoroughfare along Twentynine Palms Highway with palm tree clusters, public art, and bollards for pedestrian oriented events and festivals. East of Freedom Plaza is more than 16,000 sf of civic facility that includes the new JTNP Cultural Center, shared use gymnasium, teaching kitchen, with the potential to add a future conference center extension. West of the plaza, a future lodging use will be part of the initial phase of this Specific Plan.
Perhaps the most transformative feature of this project is a new Paseo that extends east and west along a redeveloped service alley behind businesses facing Twentynine Palms Highway. As currently proposed, this Paseo will activate the rear of businesses with dining patios, extended event space, trees, furnishings, and access to public parking.
In many ways, this Downtown Specific Plan is about
extending the economic revitalization that begins with
Project Phoenix. The plan extends the urban design ideas to become urban networks that differentiate Twentynine
Palms as a Hi-Desert community with uniquely walkable and livable public realm supporting events and amenities. Project Phoenix is an “activity hub” or mixed-use environment
surrounding an active public space, all threaded by park-like pedestrian connections. The Specific Plan helps drive this urban concept, proposed throughout Downtown Twentynine
Palms and endorsed by the community. FIG 1–5: IMAGES OF “PROJECT PHOENIX” DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
17 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
The primary constraint to development in Downtown
for commercial and multi-family projects is a lack of
adequate lot size. During the planning process the
planning team noted that only the largest parcels, or
continuous groups of parcels under single ownership,
were considered for development.
Lot merging or encouraging contiguous ownership is
seen as the primary approach to encourage denser
commercial development and multi-family housing.
Therefore, this plan only anticipates development on
Development Opportunity Sites prioritized accordingly:
1. > 1/2 acre and within 300’ of key corridor*
2. < 1/2 acres and within 300’ of key corridor*
3. > 1/2 acres and within Study Area
4. > 2 Parcels and within or adjacent to Study Area
*Note: Key corridor refers to parcels within 300’ of, or with frontage on, either Adobe Road or SR-62.
Downtown is already transforming
into a vibrant business district and
community heart, but key development
constraints were observed at the start
of this planning process. Overall, land
use challenges can limit important
infill development.
1.4 LAND USE +
DEVELOPMENT
CONTEXT
Small lot sizes with
inadequate depth
create challenges to
providing enough onsite parking alongside
larger retail buildings
developers prefer.
Surrounding businesses
have resorted to building
parking on residential facing
lots for inefficient unshared
parking in a walking district.
Pedestrian-unfriendly
development is
challenging to a
walkable downtown
with a sense of place.
While new retail is
a good outcome,
challenging developers
to create sidewalk
storefronts may be better.
Rear alleys along
Twentynine Palms
Highway and Adobe
Road are poorly
defined spaces
without evident use
for pedestrians. Poorly
lit and potentially unsafe,
all alleys are candidates
for improvements that benefit
vehicles and visitors.
Limited street dining
where landscape and
parkways do not
protect patrons.
Business owners do
not have adequate
access to outdoor
patio and shaded
dining options in
the right-of-way due to
accessibility constraints and
encroachment rules.
Lack of legibility as a
unified downtown district
missing branding,
district wayfinding,
and gateway elements
that clearly announce
the plan study area as a
destination. Businesses
may benefit from district
maps as well.
Underutilized vacant
sites between buildings
can be a visual blight
with debris or with
unoccupied and
dilapidated structures.
These sites are also
key opportunities that
will define the future
of Downtown. Prior to
development, they should be
activated with temporary uses for
community identity and wellbeing.
18 Plan Area Strengths:
1. Key development and community anchor sites
2. Project Phoenix and Paseo revitalizing the retail row
3. New housing development area
4. Highly active suburban retail area
5. Opportunity to coordinate for infill development
6. Opportunities for lodging at downtown gateway
FIG 1–6: EXISTING URBAN CHARACTER AND DEVELOPMENT TYPES
19 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
ROADWAY SAFETY: CHALLENGES
Eight total crashes within the 10-year data period
involved a pedestrian, resulting in two fatalities, three severe injury, and three non-severe injury crashes. Three crashes occurred while the pedestrian was crossing at an intersection with a crosswalk (one at SR 62/Adobe Road, and two at SR 62/Tamarisk Avenue), and five crashes
The SR 62 and Adobe Road
corridors are considered high
stress roadways with statistically
high collision rates. At this
municipal intersection, collisions
are two- to five-times higher than
statewide averages along similar
roadways.
occurred at locations without crosswalks, including one fatality near Mesquite Avenue and all three severe injury crashes (one along SR 62 near Split Rock Avenue, and two along Adobe Road near Gorgonio Drive and Verbena Drive).
ROADWAY SAFETY: OPPORTUNITIES
Pedestrian improvements should aim to improve pedestrian visibility while crossing SR 62 and Adobe Road during both daylight and non-daylight hours. Example improvements
that improve pedestrian visibility at crosswalks include bulb-outs, flashing beacons or pedestrian signals, median refuge islands, enhanced signs and pavement markings,
and leading pedestrian interval (LPI) phases at traffic signals. LPI phases allow the pedestrian to enter the
crosswalk prior to the vehicle receiving a green light within the corresponding signal phase.
Downtown Twentynine
Palms experiences a
disproportionate incidents
of injury crashes; it
represents only 0.5% of
the municipal land area,
but 15% of fatal injuries
and 39% of all injury
crashes citywide.
1.5 CONNECTIVITY +
MOBILITY CONTEXT LEGEND
TABLE 1–1: Downtown Crash and Injury Data
20 FIG 1–7: EXISTING CRASH AND INJURY CLUSTERS FOR DOWNTOWN
21 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
SPEED AND SAFETY CHALLENGES
Speed data provided in the City of Twentynine Palms
LRSP (2020) reports that 85th-percentile speeds reach
47-mph along SR 62, exceeding the 35-mph speed limit,
and reach 47-mph along Adobe Road, exceeding the 40-
mph speed limit.
Crash rates along SR 62 and Adobe Road within the City
are two- to five-times higher than statewide averages
along similar facilities. For intersections within the SPA study area that were included in the LRSP, two locations along SR 62 (at Tamarisk Avenue and Adobe Road) had
crash rates higher than statewide averages for similar
intersections.
SPEED AND SAFETY OPPORTUNITIES
Roadway improvements should aim to reduce vehicular
speeds. Example improvements include roundabouts,
reduced vehicular travel lane widths, and signs and
pavement markings. Controlled intersections (via stop
control or traffic signals) or high-visibility pedestrian crossings should be implemented especially in areas
where adjacent land uses encourage an increase
pedestrian crossings.
Roadway improvements should aim to provide
accommodation for safe vehicular turns on to and off
of the roadway, especially in high conflict areas such as uncontrolled intersections and driveway access points.
A two-way left-turn lane or turn lanes at intersections should be considered along SR 62.
LEGEND
22 FIG 1–8: EXISTING TRAFFIC VOLUME AND SPEED CONDITIONS
23 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
2 COMMUNITY
VISION + GOALS
24 A comprehensive, lasting, and effective plan for
Downtown Twentynine Palms begins with a clearly
stated vision that expresses an aspiration shared
among residents, stakeholders, and visitors. It ensures that the following drawings and recommendations
align to a common purpose and that closely supports
city policy. The primary sources for the Horizon 2045
Vision are direct interviews with community leaders
and stakeholders, surveys of families and visitors,
and the first Community Workshop, all synthesized to
point Downtown Twentynine Palms toward a shared,
prosperous future.
The Horizon 2045 Vision for Downtown Twentynine Palms
boldly declares a chosen direction for the heart of this community and is embodied by three supporting Specific
Plan Themes. These Themes focus community leaders
and stakeholders on the overarching purpose of related
goals, policies, strategies, initiatives, and framework proposals. Implementing the recommendations of this
specific plan will fulfill the promise made in the themes and will establish “Downtown 29” as the connected,
creative center of Twentynine Palms.
The vision statement provides a direction for planning themes, goals, policies, strategies, and implementation actions. It captures the aspirations of the community in defining the kind of vital, livable, and engaging Downtown Twentynine Palms imagines.
2.1 DOWNTOWN HORIZON 2045
collaborative
25 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
HORIZON 2045: TWENTYNINE PALMS
DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
VISION STATEMENT
Our downtown will embody a distinctly local flavor of
community connections, business catalyzation, and
daringly creative collaboration.
This urban setting will reflect our region’s confluence of diverse landscapes, people, and histories as a vibrant
opening act to Joshua Tree National Park and home to its visitors.
Downtown 29, Vibrant by Nature!
collaborative
26 OUR DOWNTOWN
TWENTYNINE PALMS
brings great stories to life!
Here, the heart of our community will be the
Morongo Basin’s center for
27 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
2.2 DOWNTOWN
THEMES, GOALS +
POLICIES
Goal 1: Land Uses and
Development that Encourage
Business Creation and Support
Livability
Land Use Policy 1.1: Respect the Existing
Development Patterns
Draft zone district boundaries to select areas of a
predominant development pattern (i.e., Traditional
Main Street, Typical Suburban, or Residential). The
development standards such as setbacks, building
heights, and architectural styles should be inspired by and complementary to the existing development patterns
of the districts.
Land Use Policy 1.2: Shape Planning and Public
Expectation Around Economically Achievable Futures
Verify that the land uses and physical design of the
developments that are required and encouraged by
the Plan are economically feasible. Feasible is defined as mirroring recent development in the region and
consistent with the needs and expectations of local and regional developers.
Land Use Policy 1.3: Support the Development
of Middle-Density Multifamily Housing
Establish density and development standards that
support and encouraged small to medium density multifamily residential development (typically 8 – 15 DU/ Ac) while protecting the ability of existing residential neighborhoods to maintain a rural or suburban character (typically as low as 5 DU/Ac).
THEME 1:
COLLABORATIVE GROWTH
FOR LOCALS AND VISITORS
Downtown Twentynine Palms
will grow to be the premiere
destination for residents and
global tourism in the Morongo
Basin, front door to our national
park, and hub for regional
events, and the go-to place for
valued community resources.
“Co-creative” means that this
plan also invites all residents to
add their perspective to a vision
that promotes local heritage,
coordinated community
growth, affordable housing,
and invites vibrant and
equitable development, framed
by a landmark public realm
that inspires local culture and
regional tourism.
COLLABORATIVE
28 Goal 2: Urban Design that
Reflects Localism, Legibility, and
a High Quality of Place
Land Use Policy 1.4: Identify and Reserve Large
Sites for Affordable Housing
Identify sites capable of accommodating conventional
deed-restricted affordable housing development. Acquire the land or work with property owners to see these
parcels developed as housing.
Land Use Policy 1.5: Allow and Encourage Vertical and
Horizontal Mixed-Use Development
Allow and encourage upper-story and commercialadjacent residential uses within mixed use projects in all zones in Downtown. Allow residential uses to share
parking with commercial uses to take advantage of
different peak times in parking demand.
Land Use Policy 1.6: Activate and Enliven Downtown’s
“Back of House” as a New Public Realm
Extend the Project Phoenix Pedestrian Paseo and link
it to key transit resources to fully connect a “Park and Walk” strategy for Downtown. Employ shading, street
furnishing and landscape strategies to develop the Paseo as a place for gathering, walking, biking, and commercial use. Identify and design opportunities for a public realm “back of house” activation strategy between Split Rock
Avenue and Adobe Road. Employ public art, community
involvement, signage, and creative placemaking to
ensure these spaces convey a legible sense of place.
Urban Design 2.1: Require Traditional Main Street
Design in Compact Walkable Districts
In areas of traditional main street style development,
create design standards to preserve existing
representative development and ensure that new
development mirrors the design. Typical design features include entrances oriented to Highway 62/Adobe Road,
minimal front setbacks, and large store windows.
Urban Design 2.2: Support Typical Suburban
Commercial Design Where Contextually Appropriate
In areas of typical suburban style development, create
design standards that are consistent with the design
expectations of developers. Setbacks, building heights, landscaping, and off-street parking requirements should match regional development norms but should not lack
adequate pedestrian infrastructure.
Urban Design 2.3: Control Architectural Aesthetics
while Inviting Creativity for a Distinctive Downtown
Encourage architecture that reflects the local
architectural heritage of the area including “Hi-Desert” design vocabularies. Adobe, Frontier, Modern, and
Mission styles are preferred. Encourage or require, as
appropriate, the use of architectural elements indicative of these styles in new construction and renovation.
Urban Design 2.4: Use Signage and Façade Guidelines
in Conjunction with Façade Cleanup Program
Signage will be in scale to the development patterns of each distract. In traditional main street areas allowable signage will be wall signs and projecting signs sized to be viewed by low-speed vehicles and people on foot. In
typical suburban districts, signage may be larger, taller, and freestanding to be viewed from vehicles traveling at higher speeds.
Urban Design 2.5 Encourage and Protect Public
Art and Murals
Implement a public arts program to work with an
established Façade Improvement Program, administered
by the City or a community organization. Public Arts
Objectives should include preservation and upkeep
of existing murals, providing visitors with information about their location, potential nighttime lighting, new opportunities for new art, ongoing cultural interpretation and curation.
29 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
Mobility and Streets Policy 3.1: Implement a Park-Once
Shared Parking Districts Strategy
Plan for shared public parking in the Traditional
Main Street Areas, both in lots and on the street, to
meet parking needs. Implement an adaptive parking
management plan in these areas to respond to changing
parking demands. Allow suburban-style developments
in Typical Suburban Areas to provide their own off-street parking, as is customary and expected by developers.
Ensure that parking minimums are not excessive and
consider eliminating parking minimums to put the parking supply questions in the hands of the market.
Mobility and Streets Policy 3.2: Pedestrian Continuity, Safety, and Accessibility Across Downtown
Pedestrian ways including the minimum-width sidewalks
and multi-use paths will be constructed to allow for safe, convenient movement within and around the Downtown
area. Identify key curb/gutter/sidewalk priority routes for completion, standardize right-of-way, ensure sidewalk
ADA accessibility, and mitigate non-standard curb and
sidewalk conditions to provide a walkable Downtown.
Mobility and Streets Policy 3.3: Implement Regularly
Spaced Pedestrian Crossings
Adequate pedestrian crossings will be created at all
appropriate intersections to ensure safe, convenient,
accessible routes to all corners and walkable districts, public parking, and public facilities of the Downtown area.
Goal 3: Mobility and Streets that
Promote Walking, Biking, and
Transit Use Throughout Downtown
CONNECTED
THEME 2:
CONNECTED PEOPLE IN A
RESILIENT ENVIRONMENT
Downtown Twentynine
Palms will offer a safer, more
mobile, and more sustainable
human-oriented environment.
Reimagining our streets as
more than a place for vehicles,
each major corridor will be a
sophisticated urban commons,
with each local street attuned
to evolving community needs.
The infrastructure of downtown
will promote a healthy living,
provide a safe and walkable
district, anticipate and meet
needs where and when they
arise, and offer spaces that
demonstrate innovation in
local infrastructure that will
serve as a beacon of resiliency
in the Morongo Basin.
30 Goal 4: Infrastructure and
Environment that Brings Resilience
and Capacity to Downtown
Infrastructure and Public Works 4.1: Strategic Septic
to Sewer Wastewater Treatment Transition
Allow and encourage the use of wastewater package
treatment plants to support early phase development
(e.g., Project Phoenix, City led Live/Work and Affordable Housing, etc.) while simultaneously pursuing a city-wide wastewater treatment system. (General Plan Policies: CO3.11, LU-8.2, LU-8.3, LU-8.4, and LU-8.5) Infrastructure and Public Works 4.2: Infrastructure
Development Responsibility
The plan will clearly articulate the manner, timing, and development responsibility for public infrastructure
between the City and private developers. For example, in some areas the construction of sidewalks will be funded by the City (e.g., within Project Phoenix) and in other areas a private developer will be required to construct a sidewalk along the site’s frontage at their own expense as a condition of approval. (General Plan Policies: LU-1.1, LU-4.6, LU-6.3, LU-6.4, CI-1.4).
Infrastructure and Public Works 4.3: Urban Tree
Canopy and Shading as Cooling Infrastructure
Implement and complete a system of street trees, public green spaces, shade structures, passive pedestrian
comfort zones, and passive urban cooling instruments
to suit residents and visitors to the desert climate. Long term climate change is a risk to be met with the City’s historic legacy with the “Oasis of Mara” in mind.
Mobility and Streets Policy 3.4: Implement MultiModal Corridors Along Key Downtown Traditional or Walkable Districts
Ensure that key roadway corridors through the heart
of Downtown serve all modes of travel, sharing the
right of way safely, while encouraging sidewalk use by
adjacent commercial entities. Vehicular travel, cyclists, pedestrians, commercial servicing and logistics, and
transit should all be balanced for throughput and
safety. Traffic calming measures will be implemented
as appropriate to support a safe and welcoming
environment for people walking and biking.
Mobility and Streets Policy 3.5: Complete an Active
Transportation Framework Around Downtown
Ensure that the Morongo Active Transportation Plan
priorities for Downtown are implemented, and in
addition, complete a biking facility loop routes for key neighborhood and collector streets to connect all corners of Downtown, the Civic Center area, and the future wash multi-use trail.
Mobility and Streets Policy 3.6: Reduce the Relative
Vehicular Pollution and Climate Impact of Downtown
The Downtown Specific Plan aims to provide for a
walkable downtown with a mix of land uses as part
of efforts to reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) by
each resident, visitor, and business owner within the
Downtown and Civic Center area. Downtown will be the
Morongo Basin’s exemplar for climate-positive planning.
Infrastructure and Public Works 4.4: Modernize
Business Infrastructure
Ensure broadband connectivity, wireless infrastructure, bandwidth capacity and state-of-the-industry facilities such as fiber optic connections are provided. Study and plan for the implementation of a limited public Wi-Fi
network for public spaces, parks, and commercial areas.
Require new home and residential construction be
supplied with broadband technology adequate to support
remote work choice that invites new residents from
across Southern California - and beyond - to work and live in Twentynine Palms.
Infrastructure and Public Works 4.5: Advance
Resiliency and Renewable Infrastructure
Propose capital projects and systems upgrades that
increase the use and availability of renewable sources
of water and energy while conserving supplies of
consumable material - evolving from distribution
utilities and supply chains to closed loop and selfsustaining systems needed in a resource constrained future. Infrastructural systems such as reclaimed water (or “purple pipe”), aquifer recharge systems, solar
photovoltaic and solar thermal heating, electric vehicle and bus charging stations, and accommodation for
recycling in the public realm are a few examples that will build a resilient Downtown 29.
31 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
Economic Advancement 5.1: Partner with Businesses,
Entrepreneurs, and Organizations to Incubate Growth
and Ensure Resilience
Establish ongoing active communication and engagement
with local business, interested newcomers, and potential client organizations that have or will bring business
and jobs to Downtown Twentynine Palms. Maintain a
database of local amenities, lodging and event facilities, as well as educational and institutional resources that may need guidance, assistance, and coordination to
achieve standards of care and service. Connect local
entrepreneurs to local opportunities, training resources, public events, and a Southern California regional
marketing program based in the City.
Economic Advancement 5.2: Build Workforce
Readiness with Equitable Access to a Spectrum of
Opportunity
Ensure workforce training, labor skills, local educational institutions, public education, and non-profit
organizations are meeting the needs of current and
future businesses to prepare Twentynine Palms for jobs
in Downtown. Ensure public, private, and non-profit
career centers offer adequate and accessible services to all residents with need. Regularly update the Downtown
economic strategy to better understand jobs and
workforce readiness trends.
Goal 5: Economic Advancement that
establishes “Downtown 29” as the
regional hub for new business, local
innovation, and equitable opportunity
THEME 3:
CATALYZING LOCAL
BUSINESS AND VIBRANCY
Downtown Twentynine Palms
will pioneer a culture of
entrepreneurship within the
Morongo Basin, enabling
the local economy to grow
and prosper. A catalyst for
development, this downtown
vision will promote local
business creation, support
vocational training, enable
sustainable job creation, and
cultivate exceptional culinary
and cultural experiences.
Downtown promises an active
art scene that reflects local
heritage and innovation - a
destination where new stories
are told, and new experiences
are discovered.
CATALYZING
32 Goal 6: Activity Hubs for
gatherings, special events, and
ongoing engagement that brings
Downtown Twentynine Palms to life.
Activity Hubs 6.1: Organize Downtown 29 as the large
events hub of the Morongo Basin
Continue to focus the efforts of the Visit 29 Palms
Tourism Business Improvement District on messaging
around Twentynine Palms as the preeminent center for
gathering and events in Morongo Basin. Employ urban
design and placemaking, promote local identity and
branding, and events packaging concepts to establish
Downtown 29 as a gathering and events center capable
of hosting small (300 people) to medium size (2,000
people) events utilizing the Freedom Way/Plaza event
area, Paseo, stage, teaching kitchen and an expanded
community center.
Activity Hubs 6.1: Invest in “Activity Hub” Gathering
Spaces as Local Centers Around Downtown
Proactively invest in publicly owned spaces and partner with private landowners to ensure that every area
of downtown is connected to its own “Activity Hub”
gathering space. Each should reflect a different level of investment and scale appropriate to the development
context and likely use of each area. Pocket parks,
promenades, open space trails, green commons, and
shared courtyards will all work toward the image of a
Downtown that is inviting, active, and built for people to explore, inhabit, and enjoy.
Economic Advancement 5.3: Prepare and Implement
a Downtown Renewal Branding, Positioning, and
Outreach Program
Through a Downtown Business Organization or other
City-sanctioned entity, organize a Downtown-specific
marketing, branding, and positioning program to
generate media content for web, print, and inperson representation across Southern California.
Maintain communication and promote key locally
based businesses and personal stories to sharpen
the human story that represents Downtown 29.
Reach out to regional real estate and developer and
retail communities, as well as major property holding
companies to promote interest in building Downtown.
Economic Advancement 5.4: Reduce Barriers to
Business Creation and Commercial Development
Streamline the development approvals process with
ministerial approval of developments put to public
requests for proposals on City owned property. Ensure
that the Downtown Specific Plan objective guidelines
simplify and clarify the approvals process, reducing wait times, and accelerating the path to permits.
Activity Hubs 6.2: Prepare and Implement a Downtown
Branding, Positioning, and Outreach Program
Through a Downtown Business Organization or other
City sanctioned entity, organize a Downtown-specific
marketing, branding, and positioning program to
generate media content for web, print, and in-person
representation across Southern California. Maintain
communication and promote key local businesses and
personal stories to highlight the community pride that
supports Downtown 29. Reach out to regional real
estate and developer and retail communities, as well as major property holding companies to promote interest in building Downtown.
Activity Hubs 6.2: Activate All Open Spaces with
Ongoing Programming
Establish and implement a strategy to activate and utilize vacant sites within downtown to extend a sense of place and neighborhood continuity. The City shall establish or identify an organization or semi-government group to
identify and partner with business owners, and engaged
community, the military, and local volunteer groups to
host, convene, and inspire an ongoing roster of events, exhibits, shows, fairs, festivals, and pop-up activities that make Downtown 29 the region’s most active event hub
throughout the calendar year. Ensuring activity will help businesses connect with adjacent open spaces, reduce
crime, and promote community investment.
33 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
3 COMMUNITY
WORKSHOPS + PLAN
ALTERNATIVES
34 The Twentynine Palms Downtown Specific Plan is a
community-driven plan, full of proposals co-created with the planning team. As a result, this plan embodies the
vision and responds to the needs of people who own and
shape this community. Visitors and business leadership
were also incorporated, further legitimizing the plan
proposals, balancing views from both outside and inside the community. The engagement process involved three
broad phases:
1. Initial Input Gathering on a broad array of topics,
with open ended direct conversations with community
leaders and stakeholders.
2. Plan Alternatives Process to evaluate and choose
among two Scenarios through the Alternatives and
Preferred Plan Workshops - all supported by an
ongoing web survey.
3. Technical Consultation with Planning Commission
and department stakeholders to build understanding
of plan proposals among experts and decision-makers.
Every successful master plan begins
and ends with a collective sense
the plan is working in everyone’s
interest. The Twentynine Palms
community had a direct role in
driving overall strategic approaches
and site-specific proposals.
3.1 COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
OVERVIEW
22 Stakeholder Interviews
Key Stakeholder Interviews | April 2021
One-on-one conversations with key business leaders
690 Initial Survey Respondents
Initial Community Needs Survey | April - June 2021
Military families’, residents’, and visitors’ web questionnaire 26 Collaborative Participants
Workshop 1: Plan Alternatives | June 2021
Workshop detailing land use and transportation options
204 Online Respondents
Web Survey: Plan Alternatives | July - August 2021
Plan Alternatives web survey with visitor center vote option 16 Final Community Reviewers
Workshop 2: Preferred Plan
Workshop revealing proposed final consensus decisions
35 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
Members of the community responding to Downtown Low Priority High Priority surveys represented a broad swath of the community,
half of which lived in or near Downtown. While shopping and dining is increasingly found elsewhere, most
respondents were interested in a revitalized Downtown
that supported increased tourism and benefited locals.
Community needs and priorities
were gathered in three layers: a
general preference for missing food
and retail services, a prioritization of
underlying community services and
infrastructure needs, and through
an assessment of the best ideas
within the plan alternatives.
3.2 SUMMARY OF
COMMUNITY NEEDS
AND PRIORITIES
A common observation among
respondents to initial surveys was the
lack of casual and full-service dining
options that provided outdoor seating.
This reflects a general appreciation
for the desert climate in the evenings,
autumn, and spring, as a community
asset. Those with families and children
expressed a dire need for healthy,
casual, safe dining options and public
environments in which to spend time
together. Likewise, there was special
mention of the need for both fine dining
and specialty food trucks – both of
which appeal to visitors and locals.
Responding to more detailed
questionnaires and conversation in
a workshop setting, members of the
community described an inconsistent
appearance to downtown storefronts,
and a need for attention to Downtown
visual character and upkeep. The
livability of Downtown, they said,
would benefit most greatly with shade
structures, public parking, and bicycle
facilities – reflecting a common desire
for a more walkable and active-mobility
setting anchored by a Transit Center.
Other priorities beyond active mobility,
pedestrian comfort, and dining
options, included parks and public
greens activated by art, music, and
events. Shade trees were mentioned
in conversation frequently. Overall,
community input points to a desire for a
Downtown for gathering, entertainment,
and a broader mix of services.
Visitor Military
Fig 3–1: Workshop 1 Participant Relationship to Downtown Fig 3–2: Workshop 1 Visitor and Military Survey
Fig 3–3: Workshop 1 Priority Questionnaire
36 ACTIVITY HUBS
PASEOS AND PATIOS
SHADED MURAL PROMENADE
ALLEY CLEANUP
SHADE STRUCTURES
CULTURAL SPINE
EVENT DRIVEN UMBRELLAS + TREES
POCKET PARKS
CONTINUOUS PRESENCE
CREATIVE DISTRICT
FAST FOOD RETAIL
TEMPORARY USES
MAIN STREET STOREFRONTS
CREATIVE RETAIL
TRANSIT CENTER
ACTIVE FRONTAGE
CYCLING FACILITIES
PUBLIC PARKING
PEDESTRIAN SHADING
WEEKLY ART & MUSIC
Participants selected the best ideas related to Land
Use, Activation, and the Public Realm. The graphs below also relect the best ideas identified from less-favored scenarios yet still worth retaining.
Memorable and economically competitive downtowns
excel at providing elements in the public realm for passive enjoyment of the arts, storytelling, food, and other
cultural products that give life and shared meaning for a community. Workshop respondents deliberately expressed
a desire for such elements as pocket parks, a “cultural spine” or corridor, creatively designed shade structures, temporary retail that allows otherwise dark public spaces to be continuously active, and a general use of vacant
areas for urban activity. All of this points to a future Downtown Twentynine Palms driven by what planners
call “Activity Hubs” which require a well-developed public realm.
FIG 3–4: WORKSHOP 1 URBAN ELEMENTS AND ACTIVITY PREFERENCES
37 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
SCENARIO A: One approach to the Downtown Specific
Plan is to wholly reduce regulation and limits on all
development types. This will increase near term demand
for development and new leases but might risk leading to development types that employ fewer people, offer fewer services, and support fewer residents. This approach may ultimately impede long term growth.
SCENARIO B: Another approach to the Downtown
Specific Plan is to implement some controls on a limited basis within Downtown to ensure the development types
allowed employ more people, offer more services, and
accommodate more residents within a compact, walkable
environment. The premise of a plan based on city actions is that public investments will encourage more growth
despite land use controls. Successfully managing these
development paths should lead to successful longterm
results for Downtown 29.
PLAN
CONTROL
CITY
ACTION
RISKS
GROWTH
JOBS +
RESIDENTS
DEMAND
PLAN
CONTROL CITY
ACTION
RISKS
GROWTH
JOBS +
DEMAND RESIDENTS
Two Plan alternatives were developed for the community
to review in a workshop or web-survey setting. These
alternatives included potential development massing,
overall development use, anticipated surface parking
and curb configurations (on-site and around-site), and
locations for major public projects, including streetscape and trail improvements.
One alternative was predicated on lower investment,
less engagement with property owners, and a longer
than 15-year timeframe for sewer service. A second
alternative was predicated on higher level of public realm Citizens and stakeholders of
Twentynine palms were deeply
engaged in the initial planning
stages with an invitation to vote, inpart, or in-whole, on two alternative futures for Downtown.
3.3 STRATEGIC
BASIS FOR OUR
PLAN ALTERNATIVES
investment, especially in roadways and paseos, along
with major property owner partnership and sewer service within 15 years.
It was generally presumed by the project team that
the lower intensity scenario would reflect a best-case
for extending the existing development pace with
administrative streamlining in-effect. The intensive
scenario reflects a future where the City involves property owners to consolidate and improve parcels, proactively
seeks funding for key catalytic investments, and fully
implements an economic strategy.
The strategic basis for the plan alternatives, then, was the slow-growth alternative as a baseline condition,
and the aggressive growth alternative entails the
active implementation of all Plan recommendations.
Sewer service timing was a driving differentiator among alternatives. Implementation action items, and their
related costs would be enumerated based on the
elements from each alternative in the final Preferred
Development Scenario.
38 The Plan development potential was prepared with
special consideration for the economic and real estate
viability of the development it depicts. In this way, the plan is useful in communicating with property owners,
business stakeholders, and public administrators. In
addition, the community gains a realistic sense of how
Horizon 2045 looks in Downtown.
As part of the planning effort, an Economics and
Real Estate study was undertaken by a specialized
consultant, which provided target square footages that
are economically supportable, based on finely-grained
local market research, historic trends, and regional
development analysis.
The Twentynine Palms Downtown
Specific Plan is economically
realistic and achievable. Depicted
growth reflects the conclusions of a
regionally-focused real estate and
market study.
3.4 ECONOMIC
BASIS FOR OUR
PLAN ALTERNATIVES
TABLE 3–1: DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL DEMAND FORECAST 2021 - 2045
39 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
The familiar shops along Twentynine Palms Highway
have the potential for a “main street” experience with a range of shopping, amenities, and food within a walking district. Project Phoenix introduces community uses and development anchors with public parking nearby. The
Paseo may become the central core of a creative culinary and arts environment.
This view of the Plan Alternatives
pertains to the overall downtown
study area. Community members
considered whether a single overall
strategy linking different areas of
downtown made sense.
3.5 SELECTED
ALTERNATIVE FOR
DOWNTOWN OVERALL
Plan Alternatives Workshop participants
chose a planning concept for Downtown that
will bridge and connect key areas as much
as possible to create a continuous
visitor and locals experience. Key
community spaces are developed
in all areas, and some consist of
expanding on Project Phoenix urban
design proposals. This concept
for Downtown Twentynine Palms
includes one key plaza, park, or
other small open space that can be
used for events, public art, urban cooling,
and access to recreation. This anchors
clustered development to create what
planners call an “activity hub”. A
well-maintained, well-designed
paseo or off-street path would
then connect among these
common spaces and provide
pedestrian linkages between
planning areas that are made more
legible and meaningful with wayfinding, special
paving, public art, and active uses.
Fig 3–5: Workshop 2 Preference for Downtown Strategy
40 FIG 3–6: SELECTED COMMUNITY CORRIDORS CONCEPT
AND STRATEGY FOR ALL OF DOWNTOWN
41 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
This view of the Plan Alternatives
pertains to the main corridor
along Twentynine Palms Highway.
Community members considered
whether extending the Paseo and
other corridor actions made sense.
3.6 SELECTED
ALTERNATIVE FOR STATE
ROUTE 62 CORRIDOR
Plan Alternatives Workshop participants chose a planning concept for the Twentynine Palms Highway Corridor that
will significantly extend the Project Phoenix Paseo
and Freedom Plaza environment westward as
much as two or three blocks. Embedded in
this enhanced paseo proposal is the idea
of greater activation to include
exhibits or graphic displays related
to or provided by the Joshua Tree
National Park Visitor Center and
Cultural Museum, public art,
community memorials,
creative and temporary retail,
shade structures, and access
to a new major Transit Hub.
Public parking along the full length of
this improvement opens the possibility
that all parking demand in the corridor
could be accommodated in public lots
behind buildings. This, in turn, presents the
possibility that all on-street parking in the
Caltrans right-of-way would not be needed in
the distant future.
Downtown Twentynine Palms would benefit from a
coordinated land use, development, circulation, and open space strategy. One approach is to improve different
areas using different strategies for land development;
another approach is to unify different areas using a
common strategy that links walkable commercial blocks
with promenades and small public spaces.
Fig 3–7: Workshop 2 Preference for State Route 62 Strategy
42 FIG 3–8: SELECTED COMMUNITY CORRIDORS CONCEPT
AND STRATEGY FOR STATE ROUTE 62 CORRIDOR
43 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
3.7 SELECTED
ALTERNATIVE FOR
ADOBE ROAD
CORRIDOR Plan Alternatives Workshop participants chose
a planning concept for the Adobe Road Corridor
that applies a similar strategy taken for urban
redevelopment along Twentynine Palms Highway
– public parking, a connecting paseo, with
public plaza opportunities. This comports
with the community’s chosen overall
strategy for Downtown, which applies
pedestrian linkages and “activity hubs”
at each distinctive area of downtown.
This concept recommends the cleanup,
improvement, and shared use of the service
alley behind Adobe Road businesses to
access future privately owned – publicly
managed shared parking facilities. This Adobe
Road paseo may also be used for outdoor events
in the near term by businesses. As Adobe Road
is right-of-way controlled by the City, there is a
greater opportunity to transform the streetscape
with landscape and shade tree improvements to
create a more pleasant and walkable business
corridor.
This view of the Plan Alternatives
pertains to the blocks on the west
side of Adobe Road Community
members considered whether it
was important to take actions that
encourage dense infill development.
Adobe Road is one of the City’s busier commercial
corridors, but the block between Cholla Avenue and
Adobe Road has developed more slowly. Stakeholders
were faced with a decision about whether the City should intervene to entice future businesses to build with public amenities. Public parking, a more pedestrian focused
alley, outreach to key developers, and open spaces could make the Adobe Road Corridor a place to be.
Fig 3–9: Workshop 2 Preference for Adobe Road Strategy
44 FIG 3–10: SELECTED COMMUNITY CORRIDORS CONCEPT
AND STRATEGY FOR ADOBE ROAD CORRIDOR
45 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
Adobe Road is oversized for anticipated growth in travel demand; the corridor serves as a commercial conduit
for recently developed car-oriented retail, restaurants, banking, and other service establishments. The
community was presented with a radically different kind of streetscape which better suits a future emphasizing
active mobility.
The right of way along Adobe Road is over 100 feet,
wherein a road diet of two travel lanes plus one turn lane offers room for the following new streetscape amenities:
• Broad tree-lined promenades and outdoor storefront
dining areas
The following images illustrate
prospective Adobe Road roadway
cross-sections near Gorgonio Drive.
3.8 SELECTED ALTERNATIVE
FOR ADOBE ROAD
New pedestrian connection
to development sites west
of Adobe Road.
Provides protected intersection
es, such as pedestrian
refuge islands, marked bicycle
crossings, and ADA curb ramps.
Protected bike lanes with
striped buffers and
green paint markings.
Widens sidewalk at
intersections to accomodate
community activity
at store frontages.
featur
accommodate
Fig 3–11: Workshop 2 Preference for Adobe Road Street Configuration FIG 3–12: ADOBE ROAD PROPOSAL WITH BICYCLE EMPHASIS 46 Provides protected intersection
es, such as curb extensions
(bulb-outs), marked bicycle
crossings, and ADA curb ramps.
Widens sidewalk at
intersections to accomodate
community activity
at store frontages.
New pedestrian connection
to development sites west
of Adobe Road.
Provides continuous
Class II bike lanes.
• Deep landscape buffering from noise and vehicular
risks to pedestrians
• Pedestrian areas with width to accommodate special
events
• A solution for wind and urban cooling with a doublerow of street trees These alternatives represent a major character shift
for Adobe Road from an asphalt vehicular access to
businesses, to a multi-modal walking and biking-oriented, landscaped boulevard.
A frequent need for left-turn movements is found on
the east side of Adobe Road, where curb cuts connect
to drive-through business operation. This means a
continuous left-turn-lane makes the most sense for these alternatives. Any median landscape planting must be
minimal and focused on crosswalk protection and district gateways.
Another alternative discussed with stakeholders was
the use of the promenade width along the west, or
southbound, side for head-in (benefits vehicles) or
back-in parking (benefits cyclists). The design team
determined there is room in the right-of-way for this
configuration on one side of the street section. Used as back-in parking, these spaces can be used to support
a farmers’ market that integrates parking for vendor/
supplier vans amidst sales tents.
Generally, the community workshop offered general
support for the road diet, and gave specific suport to
privileging pedestrian and active transport uses.
featur
accommodate
FIG 3–13: ADOBE ROAD PROPOSAL WITH PEDESTRIAN EMPHASIS
47 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
The following images show
representative SR 62 roadway
cross-sections (Between Yucca
Avenue and Smoketree Avenue.)
3.9 SELECTED ALTERNATIVE
FOR STATE ROUTE 62
Retains parking on
both sides of the
roadway.
Provides protected intersection
es, such as pedestrian
refuge islands, marked bicycle
crossings, and ADA curb ramps.
Reduces pedestrian
crossing distance to a
maximum of 34 feet.
Protected bike lanes with
striped buffers and
green paint markings.
State Route 62 / Twentynine Palms Highway is
more established as the “Main Street” of downtown
Twentynine Palms. Generally, the community workshop
supported the road diet, and privileging pedestrian
and active transport uses. The right-of-way along
SR-62 is over 90 feet, wherein a road diet to 2 travel
lanes offers room for the following new streetscape
amenities:
• Curb bump-outs for pedestrian safety at crosswalks
• Space for pocket parks and landscape seating
areas
• Room for left turn pockets and bicycle facilities featur Fig 3–14: Workshop 2 Preference for State Route 62 Street Configuration FIG 3–15: SR 62 PROPOSAL WITH BICYCLE EMPHASIS
48 Provides protected intersection
es, such as pedestrian
refuge islands, marked bicycle
crossings, and ADA curb ramps.
Widens sidewalk a intersections
and mid-block locations to accomodate
community activity at store frontages.
Retains parking on
both sides of the
roadway.
Reduces pedestrian
crossing distance to a
maximum of 29 feet. Provides continuous
Class II bike lanes.
ROUNDABOUT GATEWAY
The community was asked at Workshop
1 and via the web survey to consider the
possibility of a Roundabout Gateway option,
near Twentynine Palms Highway at Split
Rock Ave, as an alternative to a future
signalized intersection. Community support showed a
majority preference for the roundabout, but the vote
results are close enough to warrant further study and
consideration. A roundabout would include the basic
elements and benefits, as described to the community:
• Continuous traffic flow without a red light;
• Center island space for a welcoming, defining, entry
landscape for Downtown;
• Decrease in speed for all vehicles into Downtown.
featur
at intersections
accommodate
FIG 3–16: SR 62 PROPOSAL WITH PEDESTRIAN EMPHASIS Page 237 of 515 Fig 3–17: Workshop 2 Preference for a Future Gateway Roundabout 49 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
PLAN ELEMENTS
PART II
50 LAND USE + DEVELOPMENT
CONNECTIVITY + MOBILITY
UTILITIES + RESILIENCY
51 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
4 LAND USE +
DEVELOPMENT
52 THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN
DEVELOPMENT
The future of development and land uses in Downtown
Twentynine Palms will be based on a more diverse mix
of local small businesses, better housing choices, and
improved services, amenities, and activities that satisfy residents’ needs and exceed visitors’ expectations.
The fundamental challenges faced by this visionary
future for Downtown Twentynine Palms are:
• Lack of sewer and utilities access
• Lack of contiguous parcels for higher intensity use
• Development rules that fail to promote a high quality public realm and compact, walkable districts
Positive quality of life outcomes in
Downtown depend on more compact
land uses that offer a broader
range of services and price points.
The Land Use + Development
Framework recommends desirable
compatible future uses that also
achieve the highest shared benefits
for local residents, businesses,
visitors, and military families.
HOW TO USE THIS PLAN
ELEMENT FRAMEWORK
This plan element organizes strategic areas, corridors, and sites around which a set of projects and initiatives will lead to the Downtown promised in this Specific Plan.
Use this plan element to:
1. Explain which Economic Catalysts and Drivers lead to the highest and best land uses on all potential Project Sites for each Strategic Area of downtown.
2. Anticipate the forecast potential square footage for development for each Strategic Area of Downtown,
and see a relationship to the depicted development.
3. Understand the differences between the four
Designated Land Use Zones, their intent, and their
relationship to each other in a mapped Downtown.
4. Visualize the long-term future physical build-out of downtown in terms of building massing, density, and
transformation in character.
5. Prepare to implement capital projects or assist
developers through projects and initiatives to spur
developments that achieve desired land use.
4.1 SUMMARY +
OBJECTIVES
53 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
The following are four organizational categories that
describe the distribution of projects and programs that advance all Downtown development and growth:
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AREAS
Each Development Strategy Area includes the same
urban elements and program initiatives, but applied in
different ways according to the character, context and
desired activity in each unique part of downtown - this is the core development concept of the Downtown Specific
Plan. Each Strategy Area incorporates these elements:
Strategic Project Site Types, Strategic Corridor Types
for Streetscapes and Paseos, and an Activity Hub Main
Public Space.
STRATEGIC SITES
These are clustered parcels which present the
development opportunity for Downtown. New infill
development that fulfills needed services, amenities,
and jobs, is ultimately the goal of this plan. Every
Development Strategy Area incorporates several
Economic Catalyst Project Sites which enables future
further growth, several Key Economic Driver Project
The development of new and more compact land uses is coordinated through six strategy areas, each locating economic and public realm recommendations to help locals, visitors, and downtown businesses.
Sites, and Key Project Sites. Most of these parcels are suitable for housing and commercial growth, while some
are recommended as civic and community assets.
STRATEGIC CORRIDORS
Streets drive local mobility and have the greatest
impact on public realm in Twentynine Palms - leading
to development success and urban activity. Every
Development Strategy Area incorporates a Streetscape
Key Corridor (Roadway) or Streetscape Key Intersection
to enhance safety and downtown character. Paseos
& Pathways in each Development Strategy Area are
pedestrian Corridors designed to link-together forming a loop connecting all Areas of downtown.
ACTIVITY HUB MAIN PUBLIC SPACE
At the heart of every Development Strategy Area is a
new public plaza, park, or curated natural open space,
forming a node along Paseos and Pathways. These
open spaces also always front a Strategic Corridor
Streetscape, and are adjacent to the Economic Catalyst
site. In summary, this Specific Plan proposes vibrant
open spaces, development, and pedestrian routes that
merge in a beneficial way to transform Downtown.
4.2 LAND USE + DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK LEGEND
54 FIG 4–1: LAND USE + DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK CONCEPT
55 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
The Twentynine Palms Downtown Specific Plan is
structured around a collection of city-run and developerdriven projects which spur economic growth. Projects are categorized by Plan Element and prioritized by economic impact. While some projects are more economically
crucial, they may be recommended for later phases –
timed to coincide with expected private development. High priority projects are distributed among Plan Elements and geographically among all Strategy Areas of Downtown. The projects shown at right are mapped on the Plan Element
Frameworks, and are listed in the Downtown 29 Action
Plan. They fall into the following levels of priority:
Economic Catalyst Projects are essential to spurring further investment by developers and businesses. These projects require City leadership and proactive implementation.
Economic Driver Projects are crucial to investment in the future of downtown by developers and businesses. These
projects are likely to succeed with City involvement and incentives.
Key Projects are either expected developments that result from the implementation of Economic Catalysts and Drivers, or are follow-on capital improvements the City should
undertake to secure a brighter future for Downtown.
The quality of life in Downtown
Twentynine Palms will be improved
by an integrated approach that pairs
economic development and land use
strategies. A synergy between key
public investments with surrounding
future land uses is shown in each
Strategy Area of Downtown.
4.3 DEVELOPMENT
STRATEGY FIG 4–2: DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW AND YIELD SUMMARY TABLES
56
57 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
The Development Strategy Areas
in the Land Use + Development
Framework roughly correspond
to portions of Downtown with
consistent character. Supporting
that proposal are the Designated
Land Uses (Zones). As a strategy,
they preserve desired character
while unlocking the fullest potential
considered for each Development
Strategy Area.
4.4 DESIGNATED
LAND USE STRATEGY
These Land Use Designations, or Zones, will override
existing land use designations provided by the
Twentynine Palms General Plan and related rules in the
Municipal Code.
The four zones in this plan correspond to four major
areas of existing development type and character
identified in early stages of planning. The Downtown
Traditional mode is the familiar main street
environment at the heart of downtown, while a car
oriented suburban setting present at the edge of
downtown is accommodated in the Downtown General
designation. Elsewhere, low density residential
designations are appointed to preserve character,
while allowing some moderate density multi-family
adjacent to commercial corridors.
DOWNTOWN GENERAL (DG)
Inspired by, and consistent with, Twentynine Palms’
most prevalent suburban-style car-centric commercial
development. The district permits the widest range
of development types. Projects are surrounded by
parking and driveways - such as fast-food restaurants.
DOWNTOWN MULTI-FAMILY (DR-20)
Walkable, mid-density multi-family residential district that benefits from its proximity to Downtown amenities
and distinctive requirements for landscape and setbacks.
Both low and mid-densities are allowed to ensure this
area remains a compact yet quiet livable-neighborhood.
DOWNTOWN TRADITIONAL (DT)
Inspired by, and consistent with, Twentynine Palms’
historic, traditional main street development pattern,
supporting a pedestrian-oriented district full of outdoor dining, visitor amenities, and a high quality public realm.
Parking is predominantly public and shared.
DOWNTOWN RESIDENTIAL (DR-8)
Familiar low-density single-family residential district that maintains a quiet suburban setting accessible to
downtown. Some duplexes and low-density multifamily
may be allowed. Here, the goal is to support new home
development and to preserve neighborhood character.
58 LEGEND
FIG 4–3: DESIGNATED LAND USE ZONES MAP
59 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
The following projects are
recommended land uses and
developments, that, if implemented,
will advance the Downtown vision.
4.5 LAND USE +
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
SPLIT ROCK CORNER DEVELOPMENT
The northwest corner of SR-62/Twentynine Palms Highway
and Split Rock Avenue consists of vacant parcels under
private ownership with a diagonal parcel owned by the
San Bernardino County Flood Control District (SBCFCD )
that serves as maintenance access to the desert wash
north of Downtown. The Specific Plan identifies this parcel as significant to the image and economic performance of downtown. Its direct state-route and collector street access, in addition to it’s size and prominence at the gateway to downtown mean a solution to its eventual development is important to downtown success.
The Specific Plan recommends the city engage the SBCFCD, seeking an agreement that allows surrounding development to cross or overlap their property, while maintaining an open access route or easement for wash maintenance.
This arrangement may come in the form of a sale or
ground lease with access easements. Economically viable DOWNTOWN 29
CONFERENCE CENTER
Expanding the Downtown Twentynine Palms Community
Center with additional conference space will capture
significant business opportunities. As designed, the
Community Center assembly hall is a gymnasium - a busy
sports and assembly schedule may limit capacity for small and mid-sized business and social events.
The garden space and parking area east of the assembly
hall are an ideal location for a conference center expansion.
The facility should consist of three flexible spaces with adaptable partitions, sound abating materials, multiple entry points, a durable floor finish, and offer natural light through east-facing storefront glazing, clerestory, and light wells, in addition to adequate storage. The utility service for a conference center addition should be factored into a Phase II expansion of the package treatment plant planned to service Project Phoenix. A state-of-the-art conference facility in Twentynine Palms will be a competitive and
unique addition to the SR-62 corridor in the Morongo Basin. highest-and-best uses
include a vacation
home rental complex,
or other lodging or
commercial use.
The vacant site is
frequently used by
trucks for overnight
parking and future
development may
choose to incorporate
or build upon this use
as well.
Maintenance Vehicle +
Pedestrian Access
Community Brand Defining VisitorOriented DevelopmentPublic Art + Interpretive Signage on Access to Wash Pathway
Open Site Plan to Accommodate Parcel
Ownership and Access Constraints
60 LIVE-WORK AND WORKFORCE
HOUSING AT FREEDOM WAY
Housing has long been a priority element of the Project Phoenix Downtown Revitalization, and is included in early project descriptions. Lands adequate to meet regional
demand for affordable, senior, and market rate housing
are identified and planned for other sites. There is still an anticipated need for workforce-oriented housing. A
moderately priced, compact multifamily residential product will benefit those who perform service oriented jobs across downtown and especially within Project Phoenix facilities.
City-controlled parcels south of Freedom Plaza and adjacent to Cactus Drive are an ideal location for the City to invite bids for development of this housing concept. This Specific Plan also recommends consideration of live-work housing that faces Freedom Way. This will extend pedestrian and commercial activity along Freedom Way and offer small
locally-owned professional and service businesses an
incentive to locate in the heart of downtown.
MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT
AT CHOLLA AVENUE/SR-62
As Downtown Twentynine Palms hosts infill commercial
development, the block facing SR-62/Twentynine Palms
Highway between Cholla and Tamarisk will become
increasingly crucial to the local economy and urban
character of Downtown’s “main street.” A mixed-use
building format will drive the most retail commercial activity and foot traffic. The City and community are encouraged to collaborate with a future developer to ensure an iconic building and visual anchor is constructed here, in the heart of Downtown.
The market study informing this Downtown Specific Plan
anticipates three-story boutique lodging use atop retail, food, and beverage at ground floor corners as the highest and best use that is most likely to succeed. This will support the highest employment density and contribute to the local tax base while supporting the main economic drivers of
national park tourism and conference visitation.
DOWNTOWN BOUTIQUE
MARKET & DELI
The market study informing this Downtown Specific Plan
anticipates demand for a specialty deli or gourmet & health foods boutique market at the heart of downtown, walkable from the National Park Visitor Center. This retail type ideally serves outdoor enthusiasts seeking convenience while
traveling into the national park and supports that economic draw, while complementing other existing and soon-to-be built grocers in the Twentynine Palms municipal boundary.
The City and downtown business improvement district are encouraged to seek and coordinate a lease for 1,000 to
4,000 square feet that may occupy existing vacancies along SR-62/Twentynine Palms Highway. Comparable business
types include select liquor sales and boutique hardware and outdoor supply, and is based on similar establishments at the gateway to Zion National Park. Ideally, this business will meet visitor and local needs while also participating in Downtown
farmer’s markets and similar events.
61 TWENTYNINE PALMS | DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC PLAN
TRANSIT CENTER SITE
ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECT
Once the proposed Downtown Transit Center is successfully implemented at Spit Rock Avenue and the extended Paseo
terminus, the existing Morongo Basin Transit Authority
Transit Center at Adobe Road and Cactus Drive will need to be re-purposed. An adaptive reuse or redevelopment
strategy should be planned in collaboration with MBTA
in conjunction with design of the new facility. Potential proposed uses recommended by this Specific Plan include:
• An event surge parking and park-n-ride facility for event, commuter, and national park visitor use,
• Transit vehicle staging, charging, and maintenance with transit and microtransit connection,
• Small urban green or pocket park for surrounding
residential development
• Small commercial or live-work development
LOT MERGING AND MULTI-FAMILY
DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES
Multi-family and multi-unit housing developments are
typically prepared across several downtown parcels by a single developer as most downtown lots are suitable for single-family or low unit-per-acre densities. Lot merging is essential for encouraging and continuing a pace of
housing construction suitable to meet the housing need in Downtown Twentynine Palms.
Where possible, the City should pursue grant-funded
assistance to prepare for housing development that places dense living options walkable to downtown jobs, goods,
and services in the DR-20 land use area. Elsewhere,
compact duplex and triplex unit configuration will also suit downtown’s long term vision. Potential grant resources
include the Community Development Block Program (CDBG)
for Community Development and especially for Planning
and Technical Assistance (PTA).
ADOBE ROAD AND DOWNTOWN
EAST INFILL DEVELOPMENT
Economically significant infill commercial development
opportunities existing along SR-62 east of Adobe Road
at National Park Drive and along Adobe Road between
Gorgonio Drive and Joshua Drive. Commercial projects in both areas will require upfront lot merging coordination, the prior instigation of which may be needed to spur any developer interest.
Retail types advised as the most economically feasible
highest-and-best use include retail food and beverage
dining and creative retail at Downtown East and Adobe
Road, respectively. Any food and beverage development
at this scale will be predicated on a sewer connection; therefore, these development sites will likely activate after service is established. Likewise, both will require city coordination to assure adequate and walkable off-site parking at shared and private use parking facilities.