Agenda packet — Watsonville City Council, October 10, 2023 (part 10 of 10)

219
CHAPTER 7—HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Application of the Standards should be
overseen by a qualified architectural
historian or historic architect meeting
the PQS. In conjunction with any
development application that may
affect the historical resource, a
report identifying and specifying
the treatment of character-defining
features and construction activities
shall be provided to the City for review
and concurrence, in addition to the
historical resources evaluation.

If significant historical resources
are identified on a development site
and compliance with the Standards
and or avoidance is not feasible, the
applicant or developer should provide
a report explaining why compliance
with the Standards and or avoidance
is not feasible for the City’s review and
approval.

Site-specific mitigation measures
should be established and undertaken,
including, but not limited to,
documentation of the historical
resource in the form of a Historic
American Buildings Survey-Like
report. If a report is proposed, it
should be commissioned by the
project applicant or their consultant
to comply with the Secretary of the
Interior’s Standards for Architectural
and Engineering Documentation
and should generally follow the
Historic American Buildings Survey
Level III requirements, including
digital photographic recordation,
detailed historic narrative report, and
compilation of historic research. The
documentation should be completed
by a qualified architectural historian
or historian who meets the PQS and
submitted to the City prior to issuance
of any permits for demolition or
alteration of the historical resource.

BOTTOM LEFT— Historic photo of a
parade along Main Street

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220 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
Historic District Recommendations
The City does not currently include provisions within its municipal code for the establishment of historic districts or conservation overlay zones. The establishment of such designations would provide the City and the public to recognize and provide protections to areas containing cohesive and intact groupings of properties conveying the historical and/or architectural history of Watsonville. The City may consider adopting an ordinance which provides for the designation historic districts and/or conservation overlay zones.

In the absence of a means of designating at the local level, the CRHR and NRHP do provide for the designation of historic districts. The City may consider further research and survey efforts of the groupings identified above to determine if they qualify for CRHR and/or NRHP designation as a historic district. Future efforts towards this end should be conducted by an architectural historian in accordance with best professional practices and the guidelines of the National Park Service and California Office of Historic Preservation. Grants and other funding sources may be considered to support these efforts.

Short of official designation, the City may also consider adopting policies and objectives for groupings of potential historical resources. This may include further research and study, and the establishment of design guidelines, which would seek to ensure future development is consistent with the overall historic character of the surrounding properties.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM—Historic photo of Main Street capturing the previous City Hall and the former Fox Theater; Historic Watsonville Plaza view from Beach Street.

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221
CHAPTER 7—HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Changes to the Historic Ordinance
The City may also consider revisions
to Chapter 8-13: Preservation Of
Historical, Architectural, And
Aesthetic Structures of the Watsonville
Municipal Code to better align with
current best professional practices
and the guidance of the California
Office of Historic Preservation. As
currently adopted, the ordinance
largely ties local designation to
existing designation or recognition at
the federal or state level. The California
Office of Historic Preservation’s 2001
assistance bulleting Drafting and
Amending Historic Preservation
Ordinances: A Manual for California’s
Local Governments provides guidance
and identifies key issues when
revising an ordinance and discusses
the advantages of and disadvantages
to various approaches (California
Office of Historic Preservation 2001).

Revisions to the Chapter 8-13 would
also provide an opportunity to
establish a local historic preservation
commission and procedures for
designating and modifying resources
at the local level.

BOTTOM LEFT—Historic photos of
Watsonville City gateway and entrance
to the city.

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222 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
Chapter 8:

INFRASTRUCTURE

8.1—Introduction

8.2—Water Supply

8.3—Sanitary Sewer

8.4—Stormwater

Page 1276 of 1385 ends

223 Page 1277 of 1385
224 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN

THE PURPOSE OF THIS CHAPTER IS

TO SUMMARIZE THE EXISTING AND

PLANNED INFRASTRUCTURE

FACILITIES (WATER, SANITARY

SEWER, AND STORMWATER)

AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDED

INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES FOR

THE DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE
SPECIFIC PLAN AREA. Page 1278 of 1385
225
CHAPTER 8—INFRASTRUCTURE
Section 8.1

INTRODUCTION
PHOTO CAPTION—New retail development in Watsonville
Table 8–1 Specific Plan Growth Projections The recommended upgrades are based on comparing the existing facilities and their capabilities/capacities with the proposed development within the Specific Plan area. An analysis was conducted for the existing infrastructure facilities in the Specific Plan area and was presented in the Existing Utilities Report, prepared in July 2020. Capacities and deficiencies in these existing utility systems have been analyzed using available documents from the City to understand infrastructure improvements needed to support future growth within the Plan area. The recommendations provided in this chapter will serve as a guideline for future improvements to the infrastructure within the Specific Plan area.

The analysis assumes the maximum net new development in the Plan area is as shown in Table 8–1:

Proposed Use Type Size (Square Feet) Total
Residential Residential 3,886 DU 3,886 DU
Restaurants, Cafes,
Bars
Commercial
Industrial
150,248 SF
7,537 SF
157,785 SF
Retail Commercial 57,788 SF 57,788 SF
Research and
Development
Industrial 56,524 SF 56,524 SF
Office Commercial
Industrial
23,115 SF
37,683 SF
60,798 SF
Civic Civic 114,572 SF 114,572 SF
Industrial Industrial 275,084 SF 275,084 SF
Total Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Civic
3,886 DU
231,151 SF
376,827 SF
114,572 SF
722,550 SF

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226 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
Section 8.2

WATER SUPPLY

16.Harris & Associates, “City of Watsonville 2020 Urban Water Management Plan”, July 2021

17.Carollo, “Draft City of Watsonville Water System Master Plan, Technical Memorandum 2, Future System Evaluation”, January 2020
The City of Watsonville (‘City’) owns and operates its own water system and works cooperatively with the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (‘PV Water’). Distribution mains within the Specific Plan area are primarily cast iron pipe (CIP) or ductile iron pipe (DIP) and range in size from 2 to 16-inches in diameter (refer to Existing Conditions Report – Existing Utilities and Figure 8–1).

Table 8–2 Future Plan Water Demand
Type of Use Total Units Water
Usage
Total
Usage
(gpd)
Total Usage
(MGD)
Residential 3,886 du 174 gpd/du 676,164 0.68
Commercial 231,151 sf 0.1 gpd/sf 23,115 0.02
Industrial 379,827 sf 0.14 gpd/sf 53,176 0.05
Public 114,572 sf 0.062 gpd/sf 7,103 0.01
Total 0.76
The City of Watsonville’s 2020
Urban Water Management Plan16
(UWMP) provides information on
present and future water demand/
supplies and assesses the City’s water
resource needs. The draft version
of the City of Watsonville’s Water
System Master Plan17 (WSMP) has
been prepared by Carollo Engineers
and documents future demand
projections, summarizes recommended
improvements to the City’s water
distribution system, and discusses
the City’s pipeline replacement
program. The Specific Plan area is
entirely within Zone 1 of City planning
documents.

Per capita water use in Watsonville
was 87 gallons per capita per day
(gpcd) in 2020 and is expected to
remain at 87 gpcd according to the
UWMP. The City’s total water demand
in 2020 was approximately 6.3 MGD
and is projected to reach 7.5 MGD by
2045 (Table ES-1, UWMP). Total water
supply is approximately 16.9 MGD.

Water demand due to development
within the Specific Plan area is
estimated to be approximately 0.76
MGD based on duty factor assumptions
available within the WSMP and the per
capita usage identified in the UWMP.

Duty factor assumptions are 2.0
person/du and 87 gpcd for residential
spaces (high-density), 0.1 gpd/sf for
commercial spaces, 0.14 gpd/sf for
industrial spaces and 0.062 gpd/sf
for irrigation (public spaces). Refer to
Table 8–2.

PHOTO CAPTION—Aerial view of Struve Slough in Watsonville

Page 1280 of 1385 ends

EXISTING FACILITIES &

RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS
Source: City of Watsonville (2022); Santa Cruz County (2021); ESRI (2022).

CIP
6"
12"
CIP
10"
DIP
16" CIP
12" CIP
10"
CIP
6" CIP
6" CIP
CIP
6" 6" DIP
8" CIP
8"
10"
CIP
6"
DIP
8"
CIP
CIP
8"
10"
CIP
CIP
6"
12" CIP
8" CIP
12" CIP
6" CIP
6" DIP
12" DIP
6" CIP
12" DIP
6" CIP
6" CIP
16" C
4" CIP
IP
4"
CIP
6" CIP 6" CIP
12" CIP
10" DIP
6" CIP
10"
DIP
6" CIP
4" DIP
12" CIP
Waterway
Priority #1: Replace Per Draft Water System
Master Plan (Total Score Greater Than 8)
Priority #2: Replace Per Draft Water System
Master Plan (Total Score Greater Than 6)
Domestic Water Service
Priority #3: Potential Upzoning to
8”Minimum Diameter
Recommended Water Supply Improvements
Main St
Main St
Main St
Freedom Blvd
Walker St
Locust St
W Lake Ave E Lake Ave
2nd St Maple Ave
Grant St
Elm St
W Riverside Dr
E Riverside Dr
E 5th St
E Beach St
Center St
E Front St
W Front St
Union St
Grove St
Rodriguez St
W Beach St
Rodriguez St
Brennan St
Sudden St
Hyde St
Western Dr
Jefferson St
Marchant St
Carr St
Walker St
W
Riverside
Dr
W 5th St
6th St
Ford St
Kearney St
Watsonville
Plaza
Pa aj ro River
Watsonvil el S ol ugh
0 100’
200’
400’
downtown N 500’
watsonville
specific plan
D Specific Plan Boundary
Building Footprint
Rail Line
Park/Open Space
CIP
6"
12"
CIP
10"
DIP
16" CIP
12" CIP
10"
CIP
6" CIP
8" CIP
8"
10"
CIP
6"
DIP
8"
CIP
CIP
8"
10"
CIP
CIP
6"
12" CIP
8" CIP
12" CIP
6" CIP
6" DIP
12" DIP
6" CIP
12" DIP
6" CIP
6" CIP
16" C
4" CIP
IP
4"
CIP
6" CIP 6" CIP
12" CIP
10" DIP
6" CIP
10"
DIP
6" CIP
4" DIP
12" CIP
Waterway
Priority #1: Replace Per Draft Water System
Master Plan (Total Score Greater Than 8)
Priority #2: Replace Per Draft Water System
Master Plan (Total Score Greater Than 6)
Domestic Water Service
Priority #3: Potential Upzoning to
8”Minimum Diameter
Recommended Water Supply Improvements
Main St
Main St
Main St
Freedom Blvd
Walker St
Locust St
W Lake Ave E Lake Ave
2nd St Maple Ave
Grant St
Elm St
W Riverside Dr
E Riverside
E 5th St
E Beach St
Cen
Union St
Grove St
Rodriguez St
W Beach St
Rodriguez St
Brennan St
Sudden St
Hyde St
Western Dr
Marchant St
Carr St
Walker St
W
Riverside
Dr
W 5th St
6th St
Ford St
Kearney St
Watsonville
Plaza
Watsonvil el S ol ugh
downtown N
watsonville
specific plan
D Specific Plan Boundary
Building Footprint
Rail Line
Park/Open Space
Domestic Water Service
Replace Per Draft Water System Master Plan
(Figure 5, Priority for Replacement = High & Very High) Potential Upsizing to 8”
Minimum Diameter
Zones
W Production Well
Specific Plan Boundary
Building Footprint
Parcel
Waterway

Page 1281 of 1385 ends

228 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
The water system appears to
have adequate capacity to serve
development within the Specific Plan
area. The water demand generated by
future development within the Specific
Plan area (0.76 MGD) is relatively
insignificant compared to the system’s
available water supply (16.9 MGD).

Key findings within the WSMP
indicate that the City has sufficient
storage to meet 2040 demand in all
zones except Zone 2 and has sufficient
pump station capacity to meet 2040
demands in all zones except Zone 4A
(Specific Plan area is within Zone 1).

New water main is recommended
outside the Specific Plan area to
increase reliability of the water system
and improve fire flow capacity (refer to
draft WSMP).

In addition, the City has an ongoing
pipeline replacement program where
the City replaces approximately 1-2
miles of pipeline per year, based on
a condition assessment with ranking
criterion established by the City and
modified by Carollo in the WSMP.

The ranking system is based on leak
history, age, fire protection, potential
impacts, material, distribution and
visual observation. Figure 5 of the
WSMP provides a color-coded map
depicting pipe replacement priorities
within the City. Recommended
improvements within the Specific Plan
area are listed adjacent and identified
in Figure 8–1.

Water System
Recommendations
Recommended improvements within the Plan area are prioritized below based on input from the City and identified in Figure 8–1.
• Priority #1: Replace per draft WSMP
condition assessment (Figure 5, total
replacement score greater than 8).
• Priority #2: Replace per draft WSMP
condition assessment (Figure 5, total
replacement score greater than 6).

Replacement should be re-evaluated
in the future.
• Priority #3: Potential upsizing
of 4- and 6-inch mains to 8-inch
minimum. Replacement should be
re-evaluated in the future. Projects
should consult with the City and
obtain hydrant flow tests at nearby
hydrants to understand available fire
flows and pressures prior to upsizing.
• Install a new well in Zone 1 or Zone
2 to reliably meet 2040 demands
(WSMP). The City has identified a
potential new well at an existing Zone
2 well site (outside the Plan area). Thus,
this recommended improvement is not
shown in Figure 8–1.

PHOTO CAPTION—View from Struve Slough in Watsonville

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229
CHAPTER 8—INFRASTRUCTURE
Section 8.3

SANITARY
SEWER area is calculated assuming 95% of
the estimated water demand enters
the wastewater collection system.

The calculated water demand due to
development within the Plan area is

0.76 MGD. Thus, the estimated sewage
flow is approximately 0.72 MGD, as
shown in Table 8–3 below.

The wastewater treatment facility
has adequate capacity to serve
development within the Plan area.

Waste Water
The City owns and operates its own sanitary sewer collection system, comprised of 13 sub-basins that discharge to the Watsonville Wastewater Treatment Facility. Sewer within the Plan area are PVC, HDPE, VCP or TP and range in size from 6 to 27-inches in diameter. Existing facilities are shown in Figure 8–2. A portion of the Plan area is within Sub-Basin 7, and Sub-Basin 7 has been identified as prone to flooding during wet weather events in the Sub-Basin 7 Sanitary Sewer Assessment Study (Sub-Basin-7 Report).

The Sanitary Sewer System Capacity
Evaluation and Assurance Plan was
completed by MWH in February 2007
(2007 Report), and the Sub-Basin-7
Report was completed by HydroScience
Engineers, Inc in December 2020. The
2007 Report includes an evaluation
of the existing City’s sanitary sewer
collection system, and the Sub-Basin 7
Report expands upon the 2007 Report
to further develop the Sub-Basin 7
system model and incorporate all
existing pipes within Sub-Basin 7.

Both reports contain recommendations
for improvements to ensure adequate
capacity for existing and future
development. Several improvements
have been made to the sanitary sewer
system since the 2007 Report was
prepared. The City plans to complete
an updated Sanitary Sewer System
Capacity Evaluation and Assurance
Plan in the future, which will include
updated hydraulic modeling of the
City’s sewer system.

The existing sewage treatment
capacity is 12.0 MGD average dry
weather flow, and the current flow
treated at the plant is approximately

5.3 MGD. The proposed sewage flow
due to development within the Plan
Table 8–3 Future Plan Sewage Load
Type of Use Total Units Sewer Load Total Load
(gpd)
Total Load
(MGD)
Residential 3,886 du 165 gpd/du 642,356 0.64
Commercial 231,151 sf 0.1 gpd/sf 21,959 0.02
Industrial 379,827 sf 0.13 gpd/sf 50,517 0.05
Public 114,572 sf 0.059 gpd/sf 6,748 0.01
Total 0.72
* 95% of water usage

Page 1283 of 1385 ends

FACILITIES & RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS
Source: City of Watsonville (2022); Santa Cruz County (2021); ESRI (2022).

W
8"
6" PVC
6" VCP
8" 8"
6"
VCP 6" V
CP
6" VCP
6"
8" PVC
8"
8"
6" HDPE
6" V
CP
8" VCP
6" VCP
6" VCP
6" VCP
8" VCP
8" TP
6" VCP
8" PVC
8" VCP
6" VCP 6" VCP
8" HDPE
10"
VCP
10" 10" TP
6"
6" VCP 6" V
CP
8" VCP
6" VCP
8" PV
C
10" VCP
8" VCP
6" HDPE
8" TP
10" PVC
8" TP8"
8" TP 6" VCP
8" HDPE 8" PVC
10" PVC
15"
27"
10" 8" TP
8" TP
6" TP
10" HDPE 8" HDPE 10" HDPE 30"
15"
6" VCP 8" TP
8" TP
8"
21"
6" 6" HDPE PVC
VCP
21"
6" VCP
12"
VCP
8" TP
8"
6" PVC 6" VCP
TP
10"
27" VCP 27" VCP
15" VCP 15" VCP
8"
8" VCP
10" 6" VCP
10" VCP
15" VCP
12" VCP
6" VCP (PV
C
LINED)
6" VCP
6" VCP
6" VCP
12"
VCP
10" TP
10" TP
8" CIP
Waterway
Sanitary Sewer Service Production Well
Priority #1: Upsize Per Sub-Basin 7 Report (High Priority) Priority #2: Upsize Per Sub-Basin 7 Report (Mid Priority) Priority #3: Potential upsizing to 8” minimum Diameter
W
Recommended Sanitary Sewer Improvements
Main St
Main St
Main St
Freedom Blvd
Walker St
Locust St
W Lake Ave E Lake Ave
2nd St Maple Ave
Grant St
Elm St
W Riverside Dr
E Riverside Dr
E 5th St
E Beach St
Center St
E Front St
W Front St
Union St
Grove St
Rodriguez St
W Beach St
Rodriguez St
Brennan St
Sudden St
Hyde St
Western Dr
Jefferson St
Marchant St
Carr St
Walker St
W
Riverside
Dr
W 5th St
6th St
Ford St
Kearney St
Watsonville
Plaza
Pa aj ro River
Watsonvil el S ol ugh
0 100’
200’
400’
downtown N 500’
watsonville
specific plan
D
W
8"
6" PVC
6" VCP
8" 8"
6"
VCP 6" V
CP
6" VCP
6"
8" PVC
8"
8"
6" HDPE
6" V
CP
8" VCP
6" VCP
6" VCP
6" VCP
8" VCP
8" TP
6" VCP
8" PVC
8" VCP
6" VCP 6" VCP
8" HDPE
10"
VCP
10" 10" TP
6"
6" VCP 6" V
CP
8" VCP
6" VCP
8" PV
C
10" VCP
8" VCP
6" HDPE
10" PVC
8" TP8"
8" TP 6" VCP
8" HDPE 8" PVC
10" PVC
15"
27"
10" 8" TP
8" TP
6" TP
10" HDPE 8" HDPE 10" HDPE 30"
15"
6" VCP 8" TP
8" TP
8"
21"
6" 6" HDPE PVC
VCP
21"
6" VCP
12"
VCP
8" TP
8"
6" PVC 6" VCP
TP
10"
27" VCP 27" VCP
15" VCP 15" VCP
8"
8" VCP
10" 6" VCP
10" VCP
15" VCP
12" VCP
6" VCP (PV
C
LINED)
6" VCP
6" VCP
6" VCP
12"
VCP
10" TP
10" TP
8" CIP
Waterway
Sanitary Sewer Service Production Well
Priority #1: Upsize Per Sub-Basin 7 Report (High Priority) Priority #2: Upsize Per Sub-Basin 7 Report (Mid Priority) Priority #3: Potential upsizing to 8” minimum Diameter
W
Recommended Sanitary Sewer Improvements
Main St
Main St
Main St
Freedom Blvd
Walker St
Locust St
W Lake Ave E Lake Ave
2nd St Maple Ave
Grant St
Elm St
W Riverside Dr
E Riverside D
E 5th St
E Beach St
Cente
E Front St
Union St
Grove St
Rodriguez St
W Beach St
Rodriguez St
Brennan St
Sudden St
Hyde St
Western Dr
Marchant St
Carr St
Walker St
W
Riverside
Dr
W 5th St
6th St
Ford St
Kearney St
Watsonville
Plaza
Watsonvil el S ol ugh
0 downtown N
watsonville
specific plan
D
Sanitary Sewer Service
Priority #2 Upsizing Per SubBasin 7 Report (Mid Priority) Priority #1 Upsizing Per SubBasin 7 Report (High Priority) Priority #3 Potential Upsizing to
8” Minimum Diameter
Zones
Specific Plan Boundary
Building Footprint
Waterway

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231
CHAPTER 8—INFRASTRUCTURE
Waste Water
The sewage flow generated by future
development within the Plan area
(0.72 MGD) is relatively insignificant
compared to the available treatment
capacity (10.30 MGD).

The results of flow and hydraulic
modeling within the Sub-Basin
7 Report indicate that sections of
sanitary sewer within the Plan
area have capacity deficiencies.

Recommended improvements to
increase capacity within the Plan area
are listed below and depicted in Figure
8–3: Sanitary Sewer: Existing and
Recommended Facilities.

Recommendations
Recommended improvements to
increase capacity within the Plan area
are prioritized below based on input
from the City and identified in Figure
8-2: Sanitary Sewer: Existing and
Recommended Facilities.
• Priority #1: Upsize per Sub-Basin 7
Report (high priority)
a. Freedom/Main Street - Upsize
8/10-inch to 12/15-inch pipe.
b. East Lake Avenue - Upsize 6/8-inch
(northern line) to 10-inch pipe.

Upsize 10-inch (southern line) to
15-inch pipe.
• Priority #2: Upsize per Sub-Basin 7
Report (mid priority)
a. Palm/Sudden Street - Upsize 6/8-
inch to 10-inch pipe.
b. Brennan Street - Upsize 8-inch to
10-inch pipe.
• Priority #3: Potential upsizing
of 4- and 6-inch mains to 8-inch
minimum PVC to comply with
current City standards.

PHOTO CAPTION—Planting native vegetation is one strategy to manage stormwater runoff

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232 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
Section 8.4

STORMWATER
Much of the Plan area is impervious
(approximately 90-95%) consisting
of buildings, roadways, parking lots,
drives, etc. Development within the
Plan area will not likely increase
impervious area, but impervious
area will be replaced, requiring
water quality treatment and runoff
reduction. In addition, impervious area
will be replaced within Watershed
Management Zone 1 (see Figure 8–3),
which requires peak runoff to be
managed, water quality treatment and
runoff reduction. Because impervious
area will likely not increase, peak
runoff will not increase, and peak
controls may not be required within
Watershed Management Zone 1.

Projects within the Plan area may
be eligible to achieve reduced
runoff retention requirements or
alternative (off-site) compliance by
documenting technical infeasibility
due to site conditions and/or space
constraints (redevelopment project/
high-density development). Although
the City currently does not have an
approved Urban Sustainability Area
(USA) through the Water Board, it
is understood that projects within
a USA are able to provide off-site
compliance for water quality treatment
and retention requirements without
documenting technical infeasibility. In
addition, projects in a USA only need to
provide retention equivalent to the preproject runoff volume retained. In any case, water quality treatment is still
required, but can be provided off-site,
or below-ground, if needed.

Storm sewer infrastructure within the Plan area is primarily reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) or corrugated metal pipe (CMP) and range in size from 8 to 60 inches in diameter. See Figure 8–3:

Stormwater: Existing and Recommended Facilities.

PHOTO CAPTION—Fox Theater on a rainy day in Downtown Watsonville

Page 1286 of 1385 ends

W
18"
RCP 24"
24"
RCP
24" RCP
24"
30" CMP 30"
30"
15" 18" 21"
8"
24"
RCP
48" RCP
30" RCP
24" RCP
18"
RCP
18"
12" RCP
48" RCP
18"
RCP
(2)10" PVC
54" RCP 48" RCP
12" TP
(2)30"
60"
CPP
24"
24" RCP
54' RCP
15"
RCP
15"
15" RCP
15" RCP
15" RCP
0 100’
200’
400’
500’
N
Main St
Main St
Main St
Freedom Blvd
Walker St
Locust St
W Lake Ave E Lake Ave
2nd St Maple Ave
Grant St
Elm St
W Riverside Dr
E Riverside Dr
E 5th St
E Beach St
Center St
E Front St
W Front St
Union St
Grove St
Rodriguez St
W Beach St
Rodriguez St
Brennan St
Sudden St
Hyde St
Western Dr
Jefferson St
Marchant St
Carr St
Walker St
W
Riverside
Dr
W 5th St
6th St
Ford St
Kearney St
Watsonville
Plaza
Pa aj ro River
Watsonvil el S ol ugh
Waterway
Production Well
Watershed Zone 1 Boundary (Approximate)
Stormwater Service W
Recommended Stormwater Improvements
downtown
watsonville
specific plan
D Specific Plan Boundary
Building Footprint
Parcel
Rail Line 233
Figure 8–3
STORMWATER: EXISTING FACILITIES &

RECOMMENDED IMPROVEMENTS
Source: City of Watsonville (2022); Santa Cruz County (2021); ESRI (2022).

W
18"
RCP 24"
24"
RCP
24" RCP
24"
30" CMP 30"
30"
15" 18" 21"
8"
24"
RCP
48" RCP
30" RCP
24" RCP
18"
RCP
18"
12" RCP
48" RCP
18"
RCP
(2)10" PVC
54" RCP 48" RCP
12" TP
(2)30"
60"
CPP
24"
24" RCP
54' RCP
15"
RCP
15"
15" RCP
15" RCP
15" RCP
0 100’
200’
400’
500’
N
Main St
Main St
Main St
Freedom Blvd
Walker St
Locust St
W Lake Ave E Lake Ave
2nd St Maple Ave
Grant St
Elm St
W Riverside Dr
E Riverside Dr
E 5th St
E Beach St
Center St
E Front St
W Front St
Union St
Grove St
Rodriguez St
W Beach St
Rodriguez St
Brennan St
Sudden St
Hyde St
Western Dr
Jefferson St
Marchant St
Carr St
Walker St
W
Riverside
Dr
W 5th St
6th St
Ford St
Kearney St
Watsonville
Plaza
Pa aj ro River
Watsonvil el S ol ugh
Waterway
Production Well
Watershed Zone 1 Boundary (Approximate)
Stormwater Service W
Recommended Stormwater Improvements
downtown
watsonville
specific plan
D Specific Plan Boundary
Building Footprint
Parcel
Rail Line
Stormwater Service
Watershed Zone 1 Boundary
(Approximate)
Zones
Specific Plan Boundary
Building Footprint
Waterway

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234 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
NPDES Program and Construction
General Permit
The NPDES program is a provision
of the Federal Clean Water Act and
requires each project that disturbs
one or more acres of soil to obtain
coverage under the Construction
General Permit. The Construction
General Permit is regulated by the
State Water Resources Control Board
and controls stormwater discharges
associated with construction activities.

Projects that disturb less than one acre
but are part of a larger common plan
of development that in total disturbs
one or more acres are also required
to obtain permit coverage. The
Construction General Permit requires
a Stormwater Pollution Prevention
Plan (SWPPP) to be prepared and
submitted to the State Water Resources
Control Board.

In addition, projects with a
disturbance area greater than 5,000
square feet (greater than 15,000 square
feet for detached single-family homes)
are required to submit a Stormwater
Control Plan (SWCP) to the City. For
projects with a disturbance area less
than one acre, a SWPPP is not required
to be submitted and instead an Erosion
and Sediment Control Plan (ESCP) must
be submitted to the City of Watsonville.

Both requirements are mandated by
the State Water Resources Control
Board.

City of Watsonville Stormwater
Post Construction Requirements
All new and redeveloped projects
within the Plan area that contain
storm sewer improvements must
comply with the City of Watsonville’s
Stormwater Post Construction
Standards. The City of Watsonville’s
Stormwater Post Construction
requirements are summarized below:
• Threshold: greater than 2,500
square feet. All projects that create
and/or replace > 2,500 square feet of
impervious surface (collectively over
the project site), including detached
and single-family home projects,
are required to implement design
strategies that limit disturbance,
minimize impervious area and
minimize stormwater runoff by
Stormwater
Stormwater discharges in the City of Watsonville are under the jurisdiction of the State Water Resources Control Board, regulated through the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Phase II permit.

Regulatory Requirements
PHOTO CAPTION—Storm drain signage

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235
CHAPTER 8—INFRASTRUCTURE
implementing one or more specified
design measures: directing roof
runoff into cisterns, rain barrels
or vegetated areas, directing
runoff from sidewalks, walkways,
patios, driveways and uncovered
parking lots to vegetated areas, or
constructing bike lanes, driveways
and walkways with permeable
surfaces.
• Threshold: greater than 5,000
square feet. All projects, except
detached single-family homes, >
5,000 square feet of Net Impervious
Area, and detached single-family
homes > 15,000 square feet of Net
Impervious Area, are required to
provide water quality treatment.

Net impervious area is the total
(including new and replaced) postproject impervious areas, minus any reduction in total imperviousness
from the pre-project to post-project
condition. The total required water
quality treatment volume can be
decreased by reducing the total
impervious surfaces. Water quality
treatment can be provided through
Low Impact Development (LID),
biofiltration, or non-retention-based
treatment systems. Non-retentionbased treatment systems include flow-through treatment systems
such as media filters.
• Threshold: greater than 15,000
square feet. All projects, except
detached single-family homes,
which create and/or replace >
15,000 square feet of impervious
surface (collectively over the entire
project site) and detached singlefamily homes > 15,000 square feet of Net Impervious Area, are
required to meet the runoff retention
performance requirements.
° If a redevelopment project is
located within an approved
Urban Sustainability Area, the
total amount of runoff volume
to be retained from replaced
impervious surfaces shall be
equivalent to the pre-project
runoff volume retained.
° Per the Central Coast Regional
Water Quality Board, an Urban
Sustainability Area should
encompass redevelopment, high
density, and transit-oriented
development projects that are
intended to promote infill of
existing urban areas and reduce
urban sprawl.
° If a project can demonstrate
that it is technically infeasible
to infiltrate the full runoff
retention volume, full retention
of the runoff retention volume
is not required and instead the
project can provide retention of
no less than 10% of the project’s
equivalent impervious area.

The Water Quality Treatment
Performance Requirement is
not subject to this adjustment.

Off-site mitigation is required
when regulated projects fail
to demonstrate technical
infeasibility of full retention
or demonstrate technical
infeasibility but fail to dedicate
at least ten percent of the
project’s equivalent impervious
surface area to retention-based
stormwater control measures.
• Threshold: greater than 22,500
square feet. The City requires all
projects that create and/or replace
>22,500 sf of impervious surface
in Watershed Management Zone 1
to manage peak stormwater runoff
and meet water quality treatment
and runoff retention performance
requirements.
• Special Circumstances. The
City may designate special
circumstances to certain projects
based on site/receiving water
conditions. Special circumstances
include discharging stormwater
to highly altered channels or
existing flow control facilities and
projects located where there was
once a historic lake or wetland.

These special circumstances are
exempt from runoff retention
and peak management, but water
quality treatment performance
requirements still apply.
• Alternative Compliance.

Certain projects can also receive
alternative compliance (off-site
compliance) if the project can
demonstrate technically infeasibility,
or if the project is located within a
Watershed/Regional Plan or Urban
Sustainability Area (USA). Alternative
compliance refers to Water Quality
Treatment, Runoff Retention and
Peak Management Performance
Requirements that are achieved
off-site through mechanisms such as
developer fee-in-lieu arrangements
and/or use of regional facilities.

Technical infeasibility includes site
conditions such as shallow depth
to seasonally high groundwater,
shallow depth to bedrock, poor
soils, and space constraints.

Space constraints includes some
redevelopment projects and highdensity development.

Page 1289 of 1385 ends

236 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
• The following items must be
prepared for and require approval
from the listed party:

1.Central Coast Regional
Water Quality Control Board
(CCRWQCB):
a. Notice of Intent (NOI)
b. Stormwater Pollution Prevention
Plan (SWPPP)
i. Description of erosion and
sediment control measures and
BMPs
ii.Plan of erosion and sediment
control measures

2.City of Watsonville:
a. Stormwater Control Plan (SWCP).
b. Erosion and Sediment Control
Plan (ESCP) worksheet is required
regardless of size where soil
disturbance will occur.

PHOTO CAPTION—Planters outside of Civic Plaza

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237
CHAPTER 8—INFRASTRUCTURE
PHOTO CAPTION—Bioretention filter
Low Impact Development
As stated above, all projects subject to water quality treatment are required to treat runoff by utilizing Low Impact Development (LID) treatment systems that implement harvesting and use, infiltration and evapotranspiration control, biofiltration treatment systems, or non-retention-based treatment systems. LID treatment systems that could be utilized are bioretention filters, green roofs, vegetated swales, roof leader disconnection, cisterns, and permeable pavers. Nonretention-based systems that could be utilized are flow-through media filters that could be located entirely below-ground.

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238 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
Chapter 9:

IMPLEMENTATION

AND FINANCING

9.1—Strategic Early Implementation Actions

9.2—Funding and Financing Needs

9.3—Funding Sources

Page 1292 of 1385 ends

239 Page 1293 of 1385
240 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN

THIS CHAPTER

DESCRIBES

IMPLEMENTATION

ACTIONS AND FUNDING

OPTIONS NEEDED TO

ACHIEVE THE GOALS
OF THE SPECIFIC PLAN.

Implementation of the Plan
will require a comprehensive
approach that includes private
sector development, City actions,
and coordination with partners
and stakeholders. Together, these
projects and actions will support
the incremental transformation
of downtown into a more vibrant
mixed-use urban neighborhood
with increased housing options,
new workplaces, and additional
retail opportunities.
240 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN Page 1294 of 1385 Section 9.1

STRATEGIC EARLY

IMPLEMENTATION ACTIONS
The Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan envisions that the City of Watsonville will undertake a suite of early-stage strategic implementation actions to promote new public and private investment and development in the Plan area. As part of Specific Plan implementation, the City will establish departmental roles and responsibilities, along with a prioritization of efforts and scheduling that balances new downtown improvements with other needed local capital projects and ongoing public facilities maintenance obligations.

Promote Roadway and Streetscape
Improvements on Main Street
Main Street presents a key opportunity
to become a strengthened commercial
backbone of downtown with
streetscape enhancements, ground
floor activations, facade enhancements,
and travel lane reductions. A key goal
of the plan is to re-design Main Street
with traffic calming measures to
increase the emphasis on active uses
and the greater pedestrian activity
(Policy 10.2: Main Street). The City will
work with the California Department
of Transportation (Caltrans) to reimagine SR 152 to function as a Downtown Street with priority given
to pedestrians and destination traffic
(Policy 10.3: Caltrans Facilities). To
promote implementation actions
related to Main Street improvements,
City Staff will seek a City Council
resolution on the matter, coordinate
with Caltrans on project planning,
and take additional steps to support
Caltrans in the pursuit of funding
through the state’s SHOPP process.

Progress Planning for Downtown
Civic Core Facilities
The Civic Core has several Citycontrolled, vacant, and underutilized sites on Main Street which present
an important opportunity to evolve
the city center into a thriving civicanchored mixed-use area within downtown. Opportunity sites in the
Civic Core area include the City Hall,
Police Station, Fire Station, and US
Post Office sites. The Specific Plan
identifies the potential for a “civic
campus” where site redevelopment
could include a mix of market-rate
and affordable housing types and
new commercial uses, and also
accommodate existing City Hall
functions. Including the Post Office
site, the land assemblage has the
potential to function as an important
“gateway” into downtown.

To progress this vision, City staff may
undertake facilities needs assessment
studies and facilities planning efforts,
including considering relocation of
City Police facilities to another location.

Additional efforts may be undertaken
to advance planning and design
for the sites, potentially including
environmental site assessments,
infrastructure/utilities conditions
studies, and other due diligence to
evaluate the redevelopment potential
of the sites. Ultimately, these planning
and due diligence activities may
inform the preparation of a Request
of Proposals or support another type
of procurement/developer solicitation
process that leads to new investment in
the City’s Civic Core.
241
CHAPTER 9—IMPLEMENTATION AND FINANCING

Page 1295 of 1385 ends

Fund Downtown Signage and Wayfinding
Improvements
Signage, wayfinding improvements,
parklets, public art, and other lowcost improvements to the Plan area can bring identity and thus have
the potential to catalyze downtown
investment. Key to evolving downtown,
these cost-effective improvements will
improve aesthetics, increase usability,
and enhance visitor experience. The
City is already funding parklets, and
staff may seek additional funding from
City and outside sources for other costeffective streetscape improvements that can be made in the near term. Some
signage and wayfinding investments
may be early implementation
action items, while other signage
and wayfinding improvements
may be phased in later, along with
broader roadway reconfigurations or
infrastructure projects.

Parking District Expansion
The Specific Plan includes expansion
of the Downtown Parking District,
with the primary goal of altering
on-site parking requirements for
new commercial development. In
the future, the Downtown Parking
District could also seek to deliver new
parking facilities that support growth
and investment in downtown. By
developing larger parking facilities
that serve multiple parking demands,
physical and cost-related “economies
of scale” may be achieved that lower
financial burden of parking for new
development and growth.

To further this concept, City staff will
continue to evaluate future downtown
parking needs and potential parking
solutions, with the goal of potentially
preparing a parking facility strategy
and possibly introducing new,
consolidated parking facilities. Along
with parking program planning and
evaluation, the City also may consider
a range of potential sources of funding
for parking projects, including needed
construction and maintenance cost
obligations. One potential source of
funding is a parking in-lieu fee that
would be paid by new development
to fulfill parking requirements. The
City would use the funding to build
and maintain required parking. Other
types of public parking facilities,
along with funding and financing
approaches also may be considered,
including possibly creating another
parking district downtown to serve
existing and new commercial uses.

Adding this public parking requires
capital investment and operations
funding from a broader payer base
than just new development projects,
potentially a new special tax or
assessment on downtown property.18

18. Section 9.3 discusses Community Facilities Districts and Benefit Assessment Districts.
242 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN Page 1296 of 1385 Develop Accountability Reporting
The City of Watsonville is committed
to the successful implementation
of the Specific Plan. To ensure that
progress is made in a timely and
orderly manner, and potentially to
identify new strategic implementation
actions, generally increase efforts,
or “course correct” during the
implementation of the Plan, the City
will develop a program of regular
reporting on key Plan objectives.

For example, tracking public and
private investment, new housing
units, business openings, or other
implementation metrics could
illustrate Plan progress for a range of
audiences, including City staff, elected
officials, residents, and businesses.

In some cases, staff can leverage
current reporting procedures (e.g.,
Public Works can report on Plan
implementation when department
staff brings new projects to Council
for approval). Status updates may be
produced on a regular interval and
could be presented to City Council,
and also discussed as part of ongoing
City outreach efforts related to
downtown Watsonville.

Ongoing Capacity Building and Public Outreach
City staff should continue outreach
to residents and businesses to
increase awareness of Plan objectives
and to build support for public
improvements, including on Main
Street. Business roundtable events
are one of the possible outreach
programs to be undertaken. Other
ways of disseminating information or
collecting feedback include the City’s
website or social media, surveys, and
community events. Incorporating the
input of local community members
and local businesses facilitates a more
equitable process and is likely to
increase support for the Plan. Pursuing
this action early in the implementation
process creates the opportunity to
fine tune implementation efforts to
better meet the needs of residents
and businesses. Furthermore, these
activities build capacity and trust with
downtown community members who
may be impacted by changes.
243
CHAPTER 9—IMPLEMENTATION AND FINANCING

Page 1297 of 1385 ends

Section 9.2

FUNDING AND FINANCING NEEDS
This section describes the specific infrastructure improvements required to meet the vision of the Specific Plan. The proposed public improvements can be updated and refined over time as projects move forward and the downtown evolves. The costs presented here are initial planning-level estimates which will be confirmed with more detailed project-specific engineering and design work in the future. In total, the plan envisions nearly $50 million in public realm improvements, including roadway, streetscape, and utilities investments. Table 9–1 summarizes the major public facilities costs by type.

Table 9–1 Summary of Public Improvement Costs (2022 Dollars) Description Cost Estimate
Roadway, Pedestrian, and Bicycle Improvements $10.5 M
Streetscape Improvements $8.3 M
Utilities Improvements $30.0 M
Total $48.8 M
Roadway, Pedestrian, and Bicycle
Improvements
Plan area roadway, pedestrian, and bicycle improvements are described in detail below. Table 9–2 summarizes the anticipated cost to develop these public improvements, including planning and design efforts.

Table 9–2 Roadway, Pedestrian & Bicycle Improvement Costs* Description Cost Estimate
Main Street Road Diet19 $2.7 M
One-Way to Two-Way Conversions $ 0.7 M
Rodriguez Street Road Diet (between Beach & Main) $0.6 M Intersection Improvements $0.3 M
Mid-Block Crossings $2.0 M
Paseo Improvements $3.2 M
Bike Lanes $1.0 M
Total $10.5 M
* Costs are presented in 2022 dollars and include a planning and design allowance.

19. Section 9.3 discusses State funding from the California Department of Transportation that likely will be available for the Main Street road diet project.
244 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN Page 1298 of 1385 Roadway Network
Improvements to the roadway network include “road diet” projects, oneway to two-way traffic conversions, which are achieved through restriping and complemented by expanded sidewalks, new and improved bike lanes, intersection upgrades, and street lighting. Key roadway improvements include:
• Reducing the number of automobile travel lanes on Main Street from four lanes to two lanes, adding a landscaped median and leaving one travel lane in each direction.
• Converting East Lake Avenue and East Beach Street from one-way “couplet” streets to two-way streets.
• Reducing the number of travel lanes for Rodriguez Street to widen bicycle lanes and sidewalks between Beach and Lake streets.

Pedestrian Network Improvements
The Specific Plan identifies pedestrian network improvements and best practices for sidewalk design. Key improvements include:
• Intersection improvements are proposed at various locations and will include curb extensions, upgraded curb ramps, and high visibility crosswalks. • A network of paseos at various locations, with unique pavers and planters and scaled to a minimum width of 12 feet.
• Enhanced midblock crossings (e.g., pedestrian refuge islands, rapid flashing beacons, pavement markings and signage) to connect the new paseos at intersecting arterial streets.

Recommended Bicycle Network Improvements
New bike lane striping and bike lane buffers (e.g., delineator cones) throughout the Plan area, to improve bicycle connections and safety, including:
• New Class 3 signed bicycle route on Marchant Street between East Beach Street and the proposed Levee Trail.
• New Class 3 signed bicycle route on Brennan Street/Union Street. • Improved wider bicycle lanes on Rodriguez Street, including an enhanced buffer between adjacent vehicular travel lanes and the bicycle lane. • New Class 2 bicycle lanes on 5th Street and Class 3 bicycle lanes on 2nd Street.

Streetscape Improvements
Streetscape improvements in the Plan Area, including new parklets, street trees, street lighting, and furnishings, are described in detail below. Table 9–3 summarizes the anticipated cost to develop these public improvements, including planning and design efforts.

Table 9–3 Streetscape Improvement Costs*
Description Cost Estimate
Parklets $1.0 M
Street Trees $1.3 M
Street Lighting $5.5 M
Street Furnishings $0.5 M
Total $8.3 M
* Costs are presented in 2022 dollars and include a planning and design allowance.

Parklets
Parklets are encouraged in key locations along Main Street and East Beach Street in the Historic Downtown Core character area. These parklets will allow for expanding space for outdoor dining at key locations.

Street Trees
Streets in the Plan area will accommodate additional street trees and landscaping to establish a consistent public realm experience while also reducing heat island concerns. The improvements will be made in coordination with the city’s existing Street Tree Program, Urban Greening Plan, and Caltrans. 245
CHAPTER 9—IMPLEMENTATION AND FINANCING

Page 1299 of 1385 ends

Water Supply, Wastewater, and Storm Water
Improvements to City utilities include
new, upsized water supply and
sanitary sewer pipes, in addition
to project-specific stormwater
improvements. An engineer’s
analysis finds that the City’s water
and wastewater systems generally
have adequate capacity to serve
development within the Plan area,
though wastewater pipes may need
to be upsized for major projects in
some locations. In addition to localized
wastewater capacity constraints,
the results of flow and hydraulic
modeling indicate that sections of the
water supply system and sanitary
sewers serving the Plan area have
existing deficiencies. Recommended
improvements to improve system
reliability and to increase water and
sewer capacity within the Plan area
include numerous pipe upsizing
projects. The engineer’s report
concludes that approximately $30
million in pipe replacement projects
will be needed in the Plan area in the
future, as shown in Table 9–4.

Table 9–4 City Public Utilities Improvements*
Description Cost Estimate
Water System Upgrades $16.6 M
Sanitary Sewer System Upgrades $13.3 M
Total $30.0 M
* Costs are presented in 2022 dollars and include a planning and design allowance.

In addition, development within the Plan area will require water quality treatment and runoff reduction investments. Importantly, however, some projects may not create a net increase impervious surfaces (i.e., over baseline conditions), and thus new controls may not be required. In some cases, projects within the Plan area may be eligible to achieve reduced runoff retention requirements offsite. Regardless, when stormwater infrastructure improvements are needed to achieve compliance, requirements will be conditions of approval and associated costs will be borne directly by project developers.

Street Lighting
Lighting will be incorporated throughout the Plan area but will be concentrated at activity nodes and along public circulation paths in the heart of downtown.

Street lighting at activity nodes, gateways, parklets, and public facilities will support a comfortable walking, cycling, and driving experience while also improving visibility at intersections, and adding to street character.

Street Furnishings
Street furnishings will be incorporated at activity nodes, public spaces, and along active paths. Furnishing will include a range seating, bicycle racks, and trash receptacles that accommodate pedestrians and cyclists while also catering to visitors, residents, and employees of downtown.
246 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN Page 1300 of 1385 Section 9.3

FUNDING SOURCES
There is a range of funding sources and financing options available to serve infill development in California. The most frequently used funding and financing approaches rely on the creation of new real estate value, including development-based funding (e.g., fees and exactions) and land-secured financing (e.g., Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts). In addition, tax increment financing (TIF) instruments that funnel property tax into new public facilities can be helpful in some instances, particularly as a complement to development-based and land-secured approaches, though this method relies on General Fund revenue that otherwise would go toward municipal services. Despite the presence of numerous funding sources and financing techniques, options are limited when real estate value creation is constrained by market factors, regulatory requirements, and other economic factors.

In downtown Watsonville, history
has shown that real estate investment
potential is negatively affected by
added marginal development costs (e.g.,
higher development impact fees). The
success of the downtown vision hinges
on new private-sector investment, and
accordingly, the Plan seeks to limit
additional cost burdens on real estate
development, at least in the near term.

Importantly, while the Specific Plan
envisions significant modifications
and upgrades to public roadways,
streetscapes, and utilities, as discussed
above, real estate development and
Plan implementation can move forward
in most cases independent of these
public realm investments. As such, the
Plan’s implementation strategy does
not seek to rely on new area-specific
development impact fees, special taxes,
or other funding approaches that add
new costs burdens on private sector
projects within the Plan area.

Existing Development Impact Fees
The City of Watsonville currently charges development impact fees, including:
• City-Wide Traffic Impact Fee
• Recreation and Parks Facilities Fee
• Public Facilities Impact Fee
• Fire Impact Fee
• Carbon Fund Impact Fee
• Sanitary Sewer Connection Fee
• Water Service Connection Fee
• Groundwater Impact Fee
• Storm Drainage Fee
• Impervious Area Impact Fee
• Public Art Fee
The Plan anticipates that the City of Watsonville will continue to charge development impact fees and implement its fee programs, investing in capital improvements throughout the City and in the Plan area. In time, the City will undertake technical work to update fees, at which point downtown improvements may be prioritized in capital improvement plans that underly the fee programs. For example, the roadway conversions envisioned by the Plan are a major shift of streets that improves vehicular flows and may be an appropriate use of the City’s existing Traffic Impact Fee revenue.
247
CHAPTER 9—IMPLEMENTATION AND FINANCING

Page 1301 of 1385 ends

Enterprise Funds
The City of Watsonville operates
three utility enterprises, including
water and sewer enterprises. These
enterprises collect revenues associated
with the services provided and have
a commitment to fund replacement
of critical infrastructure and
rehabilitation of water and sewer
assets within these city systems. While
there are various near-term priorities,
including sewer plant upgrades, pump
station projects, new reservoirs, and
additional wells, the upgrading and
upsizing of existing water and sewer
lines throughout the city is regularly
undertaken by the utility enterprises.

Since water and sewer infrastructure
capacity within the Plan area is
sufficient to serve future development
under the Plan in most cases,
replacement of existing water and
sewer lines likely will occur over time,
based on systemwide priorities and the
availability of enterprise funding.

Reimbursement Agreements
In some locations downtown, a
major development project may
trigger the need for wastewater pipe
upsizing. While the City is prioritizing
infrastructure investments to avoid
capacity constraints that could
temporarily limit new development,
there may be situations where new
projects seek to expedite City pipe
replacement upgrades. Should such
a case arise, the City may consider
allowing developers to fund
(and construct) needed public facilities
upgrades. In such cases, the City could
choose to enter into a reimbursement
agreement through which the
developer would be compensated for
the public improvements over time. In
these situations, the City could agree to
reimburse the developer on a schedule,
providing sufficient time for the City
to accrue enterprise or other funds for
the needed upsizing project.

Grants and Other Non-Local Funding
The City will seek funding from outside sources to advance implementation of the Specific Plan. State and federal funding for roadways and other public infrastructure will be pursued strategically on an ongoing basis. Caltrans is anticipated to be a major funding source for Main Street improvements, along with other non-local funding opportunities that become available over time.

California Department of Transportation
The City has gained support from Caltrans for roadway improvements on Main Street. It is anticipated that state funding through Caltrans will be available for the “road diet” project that will reduce the number of travel lanes. Through Caltran’s State Highway Operations and Protection Program (SHOPP), the City anticipates the California Transportation Commission (CTC) will approve funding to support implementation of these Specific Plan improvements, as well as other upgrades to State Route 152. The City Council supports the road diet and passed a Resolution at its September 13, 2022, meeting related to working with Caltrans to forward the initiative.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
The Parklet Program in Downtown Watsonville will fund the construction of two parklets in the downtown. The City already has devoted $65,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding to the program. In addition to construction of the two parklets, additional funding may be made available to businesses and property owners.
248 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN Page 1302 of 1385 Other Grant Programs
Active Transportation Program (ATP) Grants—ATP is a California grant program that encourages bicycling and walking, especially for children traveling to school and for residents of disadvantaged communities. Safe Routes to School grants are awarded through the ATP, and school-based projects and programs are highly competitive for ATP funding based on the program criteria.

Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grants—The SS4A program, a new United States Department of Transportation program, offers competitive funding for planning and construction of roadway safety projects. Implementation projects need to be identified in an Action Plan, and the City may update its Vision Zero Action Plan to improve competitiveness for funding. The City recently partnered with other regional agencies on an SS4A grant for planning purposes.

Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) Grants—Administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development, in collaboration with other state agencies, this grant program offers $600 million to California cities to implement improvements identified in their regional plans, with particular focus on projects that encourage infill development and/or reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT).

Other Public Funding and Financing Tools
Current planning for the Specific Plan implementation does not contemplate the introduction of new fees, special taxes, or City formation of any district that devotes tax revenue to Plan area infrastructure development or operations. In the future, however, if downtown development and associated public improvements fail to materialize, additional public funding and financing tools may be studied and potentially brought to bear. Common public funding financing tools in California include:
• Area Development Impact Fees—
Impact fees are ordinancebased, one-time charges on new development, including “area fees”
which are charged within distinct
city subareas. Impact fees cover
new development’s “proportionalshare” of the total capital cost of necessary for supporting public
infrastructure and facilities (as
codified in California Government
Code Section 66000 - the Mitigation
Fee Act). Development impact fees
can be imposed through adoption
of a local enabling ordinance and
may be charged for a particular
improvement (e.g., transportation
improvements) or include multiple
infrastructure improvement
categories. These fees become
development project costs and
may have a negative effect on the
financial feasibility of new real
estate development.
• Mello-Roos Community Facilities
District Special Taxes—Since
the mid-1980s the Mello-Roos
Community Facilities District (CFD)
has been a well-used infrastructure
finance tool, though it is not
particularly well suited for most
infill applications due to voting
requirements. Two-thirds voter
approval is needed to form CFDs
in areas that have more than 12
residents. If approved, however,
owners or users of real estate pay
additional “special taxes” that can
be used to fund new public facilities
and operations. The special taxes add
to the cost of property ownership
and may have a negative effect on
the financial feasibility of new real
estate development.
249
CHAPTER 9—IMPLEMENTATION AND FINANCING

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• Benefit Assessment Districts—
Special benefit assessment districts
establish a mechanism for charging
properties that benefit from specific
public improvements or services.

The formation of assessment districts
requires majority approval of the
affected property owners. Benefit
assessments can fund a wide range
of infrastructure improvements
or services, so long as a direct and
measurable benefit can be identified
for the benefitting properties. There
are numerous forms of special
benefit assessments in the California
statutes, including Lighting and
Landscape Assessment Districts.

However, in 1996, Proposition
218 effectively curtailed the
use of Assessment Districts in
California by limiting the methods
by which local governments may
exact revenue from taxpayers
without their consent. In addition,
recent court rulings have further
tightened the requirements for
demonstration of “special benefit”
thus further reducing the flexibility
of assessment districts.
• Local Tax Increment Financing
(TIF)—Local agencies may establish
a TIF district to capture incremental
increases in property tax revenue
from future development and direct
those funds to public facilities
development. In the absence TIF,
these public revenues would accrue
to the city’s General Fund (or other
property-taxing entity revenue
fund). In general, TIF funds can
be used for public infrastructure,
including roads and utilities, parks,
and affordable housing. While any
tax increment investment in support
infrastructure, no matter how
small, could benefit a marginally
financially feasible project, it is
important to consider that the use
of local property tax to support new
development has fiscal implications,
resulting from limiting the tax
revenue funding for new public
services costs associated with
development.
250 DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN Page 1304 of 1385 Page Intentionally Left Blank
251
CHAPTER 9—IMPLEMENTATION AND FINANCING

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D downtown
watsonville
speci f ic plan Page 1306 of 1385
Reso No. ______ (CM) 1
Meeting Date: 101023 SWZ ______ RM ______ CDD ______
ORDINANCE NO. Introduction (CM)

AN UNCODIFIED ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY

OF WATSONVILLE, AMENDING THE ZONING MAP TO REFLECT THE

BOUNDARIES OF THE DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
AREA
WHEREAS, the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan (DWSP) has been prepared as a planning tool to implement the General Plan and to guide development in a specific area. While the General Plan is the overall guide for growth and development in a community, the goal of a Specific Plan is to focus on the unique characteristics of a special area by customizing the planning process and land use regulations to that area.

The authority for preparation and adoption of specific plans is set forth in the California Government Code, Sections 65450 through 65457. The California Government Code authorizes jurisdictions to adopt specific plans by ordinance as regulatory documents; and
WHEREAS, the DWSP is intended to be a tool for developers, property owners, City staff and decision makers by providing strong and clear policies, development standards, and a vision that guides land use decisions, infrastructure improvements, design, and economic development activities in the project area; and WHEREAS, the overarching goals of the DWSP are to facilitate housing production and preservation; increase retail-entertainment activity; encourage higherdensity mixed-use residential projects; add visitor-oriented uses; support a greater range of civic and cultural activities; improve the safety and comfort of pedestrians; enhance bicycle infrastructure and connections; and target uses and activities that appeal to a wide range of Watsonville’s residents and employees; and

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Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023
2 WHEREAS, the DWSP establishes new zones and overlays, which are intended to concentrate urban activity and intensity in the center of downtown and allows development to transition to existing lower-intensity neighborhood settings at the periphery of the DWSP plan area and to industrial activity to the south; and WHEREAS, the new zones consist of the Downtown Core and Downtown Neighborhood Zones; and
WHEREAS, the Downtown Core Zone is an active, walkable environment, characterized by buildings up to six stories. This is the heart of Downtown—generally flanking Main Street—where the most active and intense development patterns and uses are anticipated. Upper floors contain residential units or office space. Buildings are close to the sidewalk and have little-to-no side setbacks; and WHEREAS, the Downtown Neighborhood Zone is characterized by smaller scale buildings than those of the Downtown Core Zone and generally includes a similar mix of active and residential uses; and
WHEREAS, as part of implementing the DWSP, the City intends to amend the Zoning Map to reflect the boundaries of the DWSP plan area; and WHEREAS, as part of implementing the DWSP, the City intends to amend the Zoning Code (Title 14 of the Watsonville Municipal Code) to create a new DWSP district and reference the permitted uses and development standards in Chapter 6 of the adopted DWSP document; and
WHEREAS, as the DWSP’s zoning is inconsistent with the Watsonville 2005 General Plan, the General Plan is being updated concurrent with the Specific Plan to ensure consistency between the two documents; and

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Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023
3 WHEREAS, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the DWSP (SCH #2022100602) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and
WHEREAS, on September 5, 2023, the Planning Commission of the City of Watsonville adopted Resolution No. 14-23 (PC), recommending to the City Council to adopt the proposed amendments to the Zoning Code and Map; and WHEREAS, before considering making a recommendation on the proposed amendments to the Zoning Code and Map, the Planning Commission of the City of Watsonville reviewed and considered the potential environmental impacts of the project and adopted Resolution No. 11-23 (PC), recommending that the City Council adopt and certify the EIR for the DWSP, as well as a set of CEQA Findings and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; and
WHEREAS, notice of time and place of the hearing to consider adoption of the DWSP, adoption and certification of an EIR for the DWSP, adoption of the proposed amendments to the Watsonville 2005 General Plan, and adoption of the proposed amendments to the Zoning Code and Map was given at the time and in the manner where appropriate public noticing procedures have been followed and a public hearing was held according to Section 14-10.900 of the Watsonville Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, the City Council has considered all evidence received, both oral and documentary, and the matter was submitted for decision.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. RECITALS.

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Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023
4 The foregoing recitals are adopted herein as true and correct and as the basis for this Ordinance.

SECTION 2. ENACTMENT.

The City Council hereby adopts the Findings, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “A”, upon which the City Council of the City of Watsonville does hereby adopt this Ordinance.

SECTION 3. AMENDMENT.

The City of Watsonville Zoning Map is hereby amended to reflect the boundaries of the DWSP plan area as more accurately depicted in the Zoning Map attached hereto and marked as Exhibit “B” to reflect the boundaries of the DWSP plan area.

This Ordinance shall not be codified in the City of Watsonville Municipal Code.

SECTION 4. CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT.

Before considering the Zoning Map Amendment, the City Council of the City of Watsonville reviewed and considered the potential environmental impacts of the project and adopted Resolution No. ___-23 (CM), adopting and certifying the EIR for the DWSP, as well as a set of CEQA Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.

SECTION 5. SEVERABILITY.

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Reso No. (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023
5 subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase hereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses or phrases hereof be declared invalid or unenforceable.

SECTION 6. PUBLICATION.

This ordinance shall be published in the Watsonville Register-Pajaronian and/or Santa Cruz Sentinel in compliance with the provisions of the Charter of the City of Watsonville.

SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.

This ordinance shall be in force and take effect thirty (30) days after its final adoption.
******************************************

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CITY OF WATSONVILLE EXHIBIT A

CITY COUNCIL
ZONING AMENDMENT FINDINGS (WMC §§ 14-12.807, 14-12.708) a. The proposed amendment is consistent with the policies embodied in the General Plan.

Supportive Evidence
The procedures for adopting and amending a specific plan are essentially the same as for a general plan, except that it may be amended as often as necessary, and may be adopted by ordinance or resolution. Gov’t Code § 65453(a). The adoption or amendment of a specific plan, like a general plan, is a legislative act.

As part of implanting the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan (DWSP), the City will have adopted Chapter 6 of the DWSP by ordinance. Therefore, the land use and development standards in the DWSP supersede the land use and development standards in the Zoning Ordinance (Title 14 of the Watsonville Municipal Code) for properties within the DWSP plan area. Regulations not addressed in DWSP, such as standards for specific land uses, will still be regulated by the Zoning Ordinance.

The proposed amendment to the Zoning Map reflects the DWSP plan area and the proposed amendment to the Zoning Code applies the land use and development standards set forth DWSP to all parcels in the DWSP plan area.

The proposed zoning amendments facilitate implementation of the DWSP, which would help revitalize downtown by facilitating housing production and preservation; increasing retail-entertainment activity; encouraging higher-density mixed-use residential projects; adding visitor-oriented uses; supporting a greater range of civic and cultural activities; improving the safety and comfort of pedestrians; enhancing bicycle infrastructure and connections; and targeting uses and activities that appeal to a wide range of Watsonville’s residents and employees.

These objectives are in harmony with the overall intent of the Watsonville 2005 General Plan, including the following goals and policies regarding land use, urban design, environmental resources, transportation and circulation, public facilities, and public safety:
 Goal 4.2 Neighborhoods – Conserve and improve the living environment of existing neighborhood commercial Services.
 Goal 4.3 Commercial Land Use – Revitalize the central business district and provide adequate neighborhood commercial services.
 Goal 4.4 Industrial Land Use – Achieve economic diversification, living wage employment, the preservation of agricultural economic base of the

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Pajaro Valley, and maintain a balance among jobs, housing, and other urban land uses.
 Goal 4.5 Public Land Use – Provide public and institutional land uses and service in proportion to population growth.
 Goal 4.6 Local Employment – Promote a variety of employment opportunities within the city providing living wage jobs to Watsonville residents. Stimulate creation of 7,500 additional jobs by 2005. Pursue opportunities for jobs skill training.
 Goal 4.7 Land Use Sustainability – Ensure that the orderly development of land for the needs of the existing and projected population within the City limit and Sphere of Influence is vase on the land’s overall sustainability, including: the accessibility of existing and proposed public facilities, services, and utilities; physical and financial constraints; and/or growth inducing impacts.
 Policy 4.A Residential Land Use – The City shall plan for housing production on a five-year cycle consistent with the policies of the adopted Housing Element (See chapter 6, Housing: Goals, policies, and Programs).

The overall housing objectives for the General Plan time frame shall also be considered in long-range planning for housing.
 Policy 4.B Neighborhood Preservation – The City shall plan for the protection of existing neighborhood qualities and the provision of adequate neighborhood facilities in developing areas.
 Policy 4.C Commercial Land Use – The City shall plan for revitalization of the central business district along with the distribution of convenient neighborhood commercial centers.
 Policy 4.D Industrial Land Use – The city shall promote modernization of existing industrial plants and the location of new industrial facilities on land planned for industry in Watsonville 2005.
 Policy 4.F Economic Development – The city shall plan for economic development.
 Policy 4.G Land Use Suitability – The City shall encourage the development of urban uses on those land best suited for urban uses and discourage it on land unsuited for urban uses.
 Goal 5.1 Visual Resources – Preserve and enhance the built and natural visual resources within Watsonville.
 Goal 5.2 Community Appearance – Blend new development with recognized values of community appearance and scenic qualities, and

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ensure that new development enhances, rather than detracts from, its surroundings.
 Goal 5.4 Downtown – Preserve and enhance the visual appearance of Main Street from the Pajaro River Bridge to Freedom Boulevard.  Goal 5.6 Urban Design – Achieve high standards of street, site and building design that are both efficient, and aesthetically pleasing.  Goal 5.7 Heritage Preservation – Enhance and protect structures, sites, and other landmarks that give residents of the Planning Area a link with their cultural heritage.
 Goal 5.8 Urban Beautification – Support public and private urban beatification activities and promote pride in community appearance.  Policy 5.A Project Design Review – The preservation of visual resources shall be accomplished through the design review process.  Policy 5.B Design Consistency – The City shall review new development proposals to encourage high standards of urban design and to ensure that elements of architectural design and site orientation do not degrade or conflict with the appearance of existing structures.
 Policy 5.D Downtown Design Plan – The City shall prepare, adopt, and implement a design plan for the urban design, circulation, parking, and commercial sign location within the central business district.  Policy 5.E Viewscape Protection – The City shall use the General Plan Land Use chapter and the design review process to ensure that major new development projects do not impact scenic vistas now enjoyed throughout the city.
 Policy 5.F Design Factors – The design review process shall combine elements of aesthetics with considerations for project efficiency.  Policy 5.G Historic Preservation – The City shall evaluate and make recommendations for the preservation of historic structures, landmarks, and buildings of particular architectural interest.
 Policy 5.H Streetscape Beautification – The City shall promote streetscape beautification activities and civic pride in community appearance.
 Goal 9.1 Open Space Network – Provide a comprehensive network of open space land uses for outdoor recreation and environmental protection.

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 Goal 9.2 Open Space Preservation – Preserve the open space and agricultural land uses surrounding the urban limit line which contribute to the economic base, provide scenic vistas, and offer opportunities for scientific exploration.
 Goal 9.3 Natural Resources – Identify and protect the natural resources of the Watsonville Planning Area.
 Goal 9.4 Air Quality – Maintain or improve the present air quality level within the Pajaro Valley.
 Goal 9.5 Water Quality – Ensure that surface and groundwater resources are protected.
 Goal 9.6 Soil Conservation – Preserve and protect the soil resources throughout the community and minimize the environmental degradation caused by soil erosion, construction impact on soils, and deterioration of water quality caused by suspended solids.
 Goal 9.11 Hazardous Materials – Protect the air, water, soil, and biotic resources from damage by exposure to hazardous materials through aggressive management of hazardous materials.
 Goal 9.12 Energy – Promote the conservation of energy and the use of alternative energy resources in transportation and residential, commercial, and industrial development.
 Policy 9.B Natural Resource Protection – The City shall designate land necessary for the preservation of natural resources and to avoid conflicts with urban land uses.
 Policy 9.C Air Quality – The City shall cooperate with the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District (MBUAPCD) to maintain and improve regional air quality. In addition to the measures listed below, measures

4.A.4 and 4.G.1 promote improved air quality by providing for a balance of jobs and housing, and by increasing the density of residential development which makes use of transit feasible.
 Policy 9.D Water Quality – The City shall provide for the protection of water quality to meet all beneficial uses, including domestic, agricultural, industrial, recreational, and ecological uses.
 Policy 9.E Soil Conservation – The City shall prevent degradation of local soil resources through erosion control improvement and grading guidelines.  Policy 9.H Archaeological Resources – The City shall foster and provide for the preservation of cultural resources and artifacts of historic and prehistoric human occupation within the Pajaro Valley.

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 Policy 9.I Hazardous Materials – The City shall protect the natural environment through aggressive enforcement and compliance with hazardous materials plans.
 Policy 9.I Energy – The City shall strive to reduce non-renewable energy resource consumption and promote the use of alternative energy resources.  Goal 10.1. Street and Highway Facilities – Plan and provide for a safe, efficient, and environmentally sensitive network of streets and highways for movement of people and goods.
 Goal 10.4. Bicycle Circulation – Plan for and provide a safe, convenient network of bicycle facilities.
 Goal 10.5. Pedestrian Circulation – Recognize the importance of pedestrian travel, alone, or in combination with other travel modes, and to encourage walking.
 Goal 10.7. Aesthetic Considerations – Plan and provide for a circulation network that preserves and enhances scenic amenities.
 Goal 10.8. Truck Transportation – Recognize the importance of a truck transportation to the Watsonville area and to plan for the safe, unobtrusive movement of trucks.
 Goal 10.9. Utility Routing – Ensure the adequate provision of necessary public utilities in a way which minimizes their visual impacts and potential hazards to the safety of residents.
 Goal 10.10. Emergency Access – Ensure sufficient provision of emergency or secondary access and maintain acceptable response times for all parts of the service area.
 Policy 10.A Street and Highway Improvements – The City shall pursue a program of regularly scheduled maintenance and street improvements, accompanies by the planned extension of roadways to serve new development.
 Policy 10.B State Highway Improvements – The City shall encourage improvements to state highways within the Planning Area in order to increase their efficiency in the regional and local circulation network.  Policy 10.D Project Priority – The City shall maintain liaison with county, regional, and state transportation planning agencies to ensure the highest priority for completion is given to transportation system improvements that serve to implement the long-range land use policies of Watsonville 2005.

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 Policy 10.F Planning for Transit – The City shall use its land use planning authority to enhance the use of transit.
 Policy 10.G Transit Promotion – In order to encourage use of transit by all age groups and for all purposes, the City shall ensure that transit centers and stops are safe, attractive and do not deter transit use.  Policy 10.K Bicycle Facilities Development – The City shall plan for and implement a comprehensive network of bicycle facilities in order to promote the bicycle as an alternative to the private automobile.  Policy 10. M Bicycle Support Facilities – The City shall encourage bicycle facilities in new developments, as a commute alternative.  Policy 10.N Pedestrian Travel – The city shall plan for and implement a comprehensive network of safe pedestrian facilities in order to promote pedestrian travel.
 Policy 10.O Walkway Aesthetic and Safety – Pedestrian walkways should be designed to promote walking by providing a safe and aesthetically pleasing path of travel.
 Policy 10.P Pedestrian Access – Access for pedestrian travel shall be maintained where it already exists and provided where it does not, in order to prevent or eliminate barriers to pedestrian travel.
 Policy 10.S Aesthetics – The City shall seek to preserve and enhance scenic vistas to and from the transportation corridors.  Policy 10.T Landscaping – The city shall encourage the use of vegetation to create or enhance scenic vistas and to serve as buffers for transportation facilities.
 Policy 10.P Truck Facilities and Routing – Commodity movement utilizing trucks shall be encouraged and facilitated while related impacts on City streets are minimized to the extent possible.
 Policy 10.Y Emergency Access – The city shall ensure that emergency or secondary access is provided for all new development in the city’s service area.
 Goal 11.1 Service Availability – Maintain or increase the current availability of public services and facilities consistent with projected population growth in the City limits and Sphere of Influence and according to the fiscal resources of the City.
 Goal 11.2 Public Services – Assure new development can be served by adequate public services and facilities.

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 Goal 11.3 Water Supply – Construct and maintain a water system and institute water management policy that will provide a sufficient quantity of appropriate-quality water to meet the needs of the existing and planned community.
 Goal 11.4 Wastewater Management – Continue the safe and efficient collection, treatment, and disposal of domestic and industrial wastewater to meet the needs of the service population, protect the environment, and comply with all applicable regulations.
 Goal 11.5 Solid Water Management – Operate an efficient waste management program that protects the health of area residents, prolongs the useful life of the landfill site, and encourages recycling of any and all materials found to be feasible for recovery and reuse.
 Goal 11.8 Public Services – Maintain public protection service levels consistent with City standards for acceptable risk levels.  Policy 11.B Infrastructure – The City shall identify public infrastructure needs and use the Capital Improvements Program to schedule improvements necessary for achieving long-term land use and community development objectives.
 Policy 11.C Water System Design – The Water system shall be designed, constructed, and managed to provide a sufficient quantity of appropriatequality water for the existing and planned community.  Policy 11.F Wastewater Management Design – The City shall continue to provide adequate wase-water treatment levels to meet the needs of the City and the service area users. Compliance with applicable state and federal standards will be pursued to the extent possible.  Policy 11.G Solid Waste Management – The City shall continue to operate an environmentally sensitive solid waste management program and encourage the recycling of paper, glass, plastics, and metals. The City shall encourage waste minimization and source reduction of all wastes, with special emphasis on hazardous materials.
 Policy 11.J Public Protection – The City shall continue to provide sufficient funding, trained personnel, and all necessary equipment and facilities to maintain city standards for public safety and response time.  Goal 12.1 Land Use Safety – Plan for and regulate the uses of land in order to provide a pattern of urban development that will minimize exposure to hazards from either natural or human-related causes.
 Goal 12.6 Personal Safety – Ensure that community standards for personal safety are enforced.

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 Goal 12.7 Emergency Preparedness – Anticipate the potential for disasters; maintain continuity of life-support functions during an emergency; and maximize efforts for post-emergency recovery.
 Policy 12.A Environmental and Public Safety – The City shall plan for and maintain development standards that minimize risks to human lives and property resulting from environmental and man-caused hazards. The City shall protect neighboring residential development from the immediate threats of potentially hazardous industrial or agricultural materials and airport hazards through careful land use planning.
 Policy 12.B Seismic Hazards – The City shall use the development review process to ensure that potential geologic hazards are evaluated and mitigated prior to construction.
 Policy 12.C Soil Constraints – The City shall take all appropriate actions to ensure that current land use activities and new developments are mitigated to prevent soil failure and other soil-related dangers.  Policy 12.D Flood Hazard Reduction – The City shall pursue the protection of new and existing development from the impacts of flooding up to the 100-year event.
 Policy 12.E Hazardous Materials Control – The City shall strictly enforce ordinances and regulations for the use, storage, transport, and disposal of hazardous materials.
 Policy 12.F Fire Safety Standards – The City shall use development approval authority, code enforcement, and periodic inspections to ensure that fire prevention standards are maintained.
 Policy 12.H Fire Suppression Planning – The City shall maintain a level of fire protection for the community that emphasizes an aggressive initial attack to stop fires in early stages as well as to have adequate staff and equipment (including mutual aid) to prevent a conflagration.  Policy 12.I Crime Prevention – The City shall provide sufficient funding, adequate personnel levels, and necessary equipment to maintain civil order and prevent crime.
 Policy 12.M Noise – The City shall utilize land use regulations and enforcement to ensure that noise levels in developed areas are kept at acceptable levels, and that future noise-sensitive land uses are protected from noise that is harmful.
b. That the proposed amendment is compatible to the extent possible with the actual and general planned use of the adjacent properties.

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Supportive Evidence
Development in downtown started before the City was incorporated in 1868. The area contains a mix of contemporary and historic buildings, urban plazas, higherdensity residential buildings, government offices, community-serving retail uses, and is home to numerous community events that attract both visitors and residents.

Once a thriving and bustling downtown, the Main Street has struggled to compete regionally with other commercial areas and has experienced high retail and commercial vacancy rates for the past several decades. The City has taken many steps to revitalize the downtown since the destructive 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, including several downtown plans and downtown design guidelines, as well as the development of a new Civic Plaza that is home to the South County Courthouse, City library, City administrative offices, City Council Chambers, and public meeting space.

The proposed zoning amendments are consistent with the Watsonville 2005 General Plan and would allow implementation of the DWSP, which would help revitalize downtown. The goals and policies of the DWSP strive to facilitate housing production and preservation; increase retail-entertainment activity; encourage higher-density mixed-use residential projects; add visitor-oriented uses; support a greater range of civic and cultural activities; improve the safety and comfort of pedestrians; enhance bicycle infrastructure and connections; and target uses and activities that appeal to a wide range of Watsonville’s residents and employees.

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EXHIBIT B

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1 Ordinance No. ______ (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023 SWZ ______ RM ______ CDD ______
ORDINANCE NO. Introduction (CM)

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
WATSONVILLE AMENDING SECTION 14-16.100 (DISTRICTS) AND
ADDING PART 26 (DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
DISTRICT) TO CHAPTER 14-16 (DISTRICT REGULATIONS) OF TITLE 14 (ZONING) OF THE WATSONVILLE MUNICIPAL CODE IN ORDER TO

REFER TO THE PERMITTED USES AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
IN CHAPTER 6 OF THE DOWNTOWN WATSONVILLE SPECIFIC PLAN
WHEREAS, the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan (DWSP) has been prepared as a planning tool to implement the General Plan and to guide development in a specific area. While the General Plan is the overall guide for growth and development in a community, the goal of a Specific Plan is to focus on the unique characteristics of a special area by customizing the planning process and land use regulations to that area.

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Ordinance No. ______ (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023
2 WHEREAS, the DWSP establishes new zones and overlays, which are intended to concentrate urban activity and intensity in the center of downtown and allows development to transition to existing lower-intensity neighborhood settings at the periphery of the DWSP plan area and to industrial activity to the south; and WHEREAS, the new zones consist of the Downtown Core and Downtown Neighborhood Zones; and
WHEREAS, the Downtown Core Zone is an active, walkable environment, characterized by buildings up to six stories. This is the heart of Downtown—generally flanking Main Street—where the most active and intense development patterns and uses are anticipated. Upper floors contain residential units or office space. Buildings are close to the sidewalk and have little-to-no side setbacks; and WHEREAS, the Downtown Neighborhood Zone is characterized by smaller scale buildings than those of the Downtown Core Zone and generally includes a similar mix of active and residential uses; and
WHEREAS, as part of implementing the DWSP, the City intends to amend the Zoning Map to reflect the boundaries of the DWSP plan area; and WHEREAS, as part of implementing the DWSP, the City intends to amend the Zoning Code (Title 14 of the Watsonville Municipal Code) to create a new DWSP district and reference the permitted uses and development standards in Chapter 6 of the adopted DWSP document; and
WHEREAS, as the DWSP’s zoning is inconsistent with the Watsonville 2005 General Plan, the General Plan is being updated concurrent with the Specific Plan to ensure consistency between the two documents; and

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Ordinance No. ______ (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023
3 WHEREAS, an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the DWSP (SCH #2022100602) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and
WHEREAS, on September 5, 2023, the Planning Commission of the City of Watsonville adopted Resolution No. 14-23 (PC), recommending to the City Council to adopt the proposed amendments to the Zoning Code and Map; and WHEREAS, before considering making a recommendation on the proposed amendments to the Zoning Code and Map, the Planning Commission of the City of Watsonville reviewed and considered the potential environmental impacts of the project and adopted Resolution No. 11-23 (PC), recommending that the City Council adopt and certify the EIR for the DWSP, as well as a set of CEQA Findings and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has reviewed the Ordinance, held a public hearing thereon, and found the request to be consistent with the Findings required for a zoning text amendment pursuant to Section 14-12.807 of the Watsonville Municipal Code; and WHEREAS, the City Council has considered all evidence received, both oral and documentary, and the matter was submitted for decision.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. RECITALS.

The foregoing recitals are adopted herein as true and correct and as the basis for this Ordinance.

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Ordinance No. ______ (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023
4 SECTION 2. ENACTMENT.

The City Council hereby adopts the Findings, attached hereto and incorporated herein as Exhibit “A” upon which, the City Council of the City of Watsonville does hereby adopt this Ordinance.

SECTION 3. AMENDMENT.

Part 1: Chapter 14-16 (District Regulations) of Title 14 (Zoning) of the Watsonville Municipal Code is hereby amended by amending Section 14-16.100 (Districts) to add the following district with land use and regulation reference to read in words and figures as follows:

Part Section

SPECIFIC PLAN
26 DWSP DWSP District 14-16.2600
All other words and figures in Section 14-16.100 shall remain unchanged.

Part 2: Chapter 14-16 (District Regulations) of Title 14 (Zoning) of the Watsonville Municipal Code is hereby amended by adding Part 26: DWSP-Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan District to read in words and figures as follows:

CHAPTER 14-16 DISTRICT REGULATIONS
“Part 26: DWSP-Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan District Sec. 14-16.2600 Application.

The regulations set forth in Chapter 6 (Land Use and Zoning) of the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan (DWSP) apply to all parcels in the DWSP plan area as identified in the City Watsonville Zoning Map, as may be amended. The land use and

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Ordinance No. ______ (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023
5 development standards in Chapter 6 of the DWSP shall supersede other land use and development standards set forth in Title 14 of the Watsonville Municipal Code.

Sec. 14-16.2601 Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to deliver the physical outcomes for downtown Watsonville, based on the community’s Vision, Goals, and Policy Direction as described in Chapter 2 of the DWSP.

Sec. 14-16.2602 Intent.

The intent of the DWSP is to enable a lively and dynamic mix of diverse land use within a safe, comfortable, pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use downtown environment.

The DWSP establishes new zones and overlays, which are intended to concentrate urban activity and intensity in the center of downtown and allows development to transition to existing lower-intensity neighborhood settings at the periphery of the DWSP plan area and to industrial activity to the south.

Sec. 14-16.2603 Permitted and conditional uses.

The land uses in Table 6-3 and as described in Section 6.4 (Land Use Regulations) of the DWSP set forth permitted, conditionally permitted, and prohibited uses in the DWSP plan area.

Sec. 14-16.2604 District Regulations.

Section 6.5 (Form Regulations) in Chapter 6 of the DWSP set forth standards and guidelines concerning building placement, building height, building massing, façade design, frontages, and encroaching architectural elements.

Section 6.6 (Site Standards & Guidelines) in Chapter 6 of the DWSP set forth standards and guidelines that regulate the design and location of elements of a site for the purpose of the health, safety, and general welfare of the immediate occupants of

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Ordinance No. ______ (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023
6 each building, and for the neighborhood. Provisions in Section 6.6 apply to waste and utilities placement, site walls, lighting, and onsite open space.” SECTION 4. CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT.

Before considering the Zoning Code Amendment, the City Council of the City of Watsonville reviewed and considered the potential environmental impacts of the project and adopted Resolution No. ___-23 (CM), adopting and certifying the EIR for the DWSP, as well as a set of CEQA Findings and Statement of Overriding Considerations and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.

SECTION 5. SEVERABILITY.

If any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance, or its application to any person or circumstance, is for any reason held to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remaining sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses or phrases of this Ordinance, or its application to any other person or circumstance. The City Council declares that it would have adopted each section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase hereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses or phrases hereof be declared invalid or unenforceable.

SECTION 6. PUBLICATION.

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Ordinance No. ______ (CM)
Meeting Date: 101023
7 This ordinance shall be published in the Watsonville Register-Pajaronian and/or Santa Cruz Sentinel in compliance with the provisions of the Charter of the City of Watsonville.

SECTION 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.

This ordinance shall be in force and take effect thirty (30) days after its final adoption.
***************************************

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CITY OF WATSONVILLE EXHIBIT A

CITY COUNCIL
ZONING AMENDMENT FINDINGS (WMC §§ 14-12.807, 14-12.708) a. The proposed amendment is consistent with the policies embodied in the General Plan.

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the economic base, provide scenic vistas, and offer opportunities for scientific exploration.
 Goal 9.3 Natural Resources – Identify and protect the natural resources of the Watsonville Planning Area.
 Goal 9.4 Air Quality – Maintain or improve the present air quality level within the Pajaro Valley.
 Goal 9.5 Water Quality – Ensure that surface and groundwater resources are protected.
 Goal 9.6 Soil Conservation – Preserve and protect the soil resources throughout the community and minimize the environmental degradation caused by soil erosion, construction impact on soils, and deterioration of water quality caused by suspended solids.
 Goal 9.11 Hazardous Materials – Protect the air, water, soil, and biotic resources from damage by exposure to hazardous materials through aggressive management of hazardous materials.
 Goal 9.12 Energy – Promote the conservation of energy and the use of alternative energy resources in transportation and residential, commercial, and industrial development.
 Policy 9.B Natural Resource Protection – The City shall designate land necessary for the preservation of natural resources and to avoid conflicts with urban land uses.
 Policy 9.C Air Quality – The City shall cooperate with the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District (MBUAPCD) to maintain and improve regional air quality. In addition to the measures listed below, measures

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 Policy 10.G Transit Promotion – In order to encourage use of transit by all age groups and for all purposes, the City shall ensure that transit centers and stops are safe, attractive and do not deter transit use.  Policy 10.K Bicycle Facilities Development – The City shall plan for and implement a comprehensive network of bicycle facilities in order to promote the bicycle as an alternative to the private automobile.  Policy 10. M Bicycle Support Facilities – The City shall encourage bicycle facilities in new developments, as a commute alternative.  Policy 10.N Pedestrian Travel – The city shall plan for and implement a comprehensive network of safe pedestrian facilities in order to promote pedestrian travel.
 Policy 10.O Walkway Aesthetic and Safety – Pedestrian walkways should be designed to promote walking by providing a safe and aesthetically pleasing path of travel.
 Policy 10.P Pedestrian Access – Access for pedestrian travel shall be maintained where it already exists and provided where it does not, in order to prevent or eliminate barriers to pedestrian travel.
 Policy 10.S Aesthetics – The City shall seek to preserve and enhance scenic vistas to and from the transportation corridors.  Policy 10.T Landscaping – The city shall encourage the use of vegetation to create or enhance scenic vistas and to serve as buffers for transportation facilities.
 Policy 10.P Truck Facilities and Routing – Commodity movement utilizing trucks shall be encouraged and facilitated while related impacts on City streets are minimized to the extent possible.
 Policy 10.Y Emergency Access – The city shall ensure that emergency or secondary access is provided for all new development in the city’s service area.
 Goal 11.1 Service Availability – Maintain or increase the current availability of public services and facilities consistent with projected population growth in the City limits and Sphere of Influence and according to the fiscal resources of the City.
 Goal 11.2 Public Services – Assure new development can be served by adequate public services and facilities.
 Goal 11.3 Water Supply – Construct and maintain a water system and institute water management policy that will provide a sufficient quantity of

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appropriate-quality water to meet the needs of the existing and planned community.
 Goal 11.4 Wastewater Management – Continue the safe and efficient collection, treatment, and disposal of domestic and industrial wastewater to meet the needs of the service population, protect the environment, and comply with all applicable regulations.
 Goal 11.5 Solid Water Management – Operate an efficient waste management program that protects the health of area residents, prolongs the useful life of the landfill site, and encourages recycling of any and all materials found to be feasible for recovery and reuse.
 Goal 11.8 Public Services – Maintain public protection service levels consistent with City standards for acceptable risk levels.  Policy 11.B Infrastructure – The City shall identify public infrastructure needs and use the Capital Improvements Program to schedule improvements necessary for achieving long-term land use and community development objectives.
 Policy 11.C Water System Design – The Water system shall be designed, constructed, and managed to provide a sufficient quantity of appropriatequality water for the existing and planned community.  Policy 11.F Wastewater Management Design – The City shall continue to provide adequate wase-water treatment levels to meet the needs of the City and the service area users. Compliance with applicable state and federal standards will be pursued to the extent possible.  Policy 11.G Solid Waste Management – The City shall continue to operate an environmentally sensitive solid waste management program and encourage the recycling of paper, glass, plastics, and metals. The City shall encourage waste minimization and source reduction of all wastes, with special emphasis on hazardous materials.
 Policy 11.J Public Protection – The City shall continue to provide sufficient funding, trained personnel, and all necessary equipment and facilities to maintain city standards for public safety and response time.  Goal 12.1 Land Use Safety – Plan for and regulate the uses of land in order to provide a pattern of urban development that will minimize exposure to hazards from either natural or human-related causes.
 Goal 12.6 Personal Safety – Ensure that community standards for personal safety are enforced.

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10/10/23, 10:06 AM Mail - City Council - Outlook
https://outlook.office365.com/mail/[email protected]/inbox/id/AAQkADgyNmIxMGIwLWJiNjktNGY3OS1hNGQ2LTZlNTg1MDA4MTNjZgAQA… 1/1 Please Correct Land Use Regulations and allow antique and thrift stores on Main Street Judy Gittelsohn <[email protected]>
Tue 10/10/2023 9:09 AM
To:City Council <[email protected]>
1 attachments (23 KB)
Please Correct Land use regulations and allow antique and thrift stores on main street.doc; Please Correct Land Use Regulations and allow antique and thrift stores on Main Street The new Watsonville plan
Has me shocked and confound
Thrift and antiques do such good
They recycle, reduce and reuse
They draw people to town
Fill empty spaces around
Its baffling to me to see
Not allowing
businesses so green
I’ve said it 3 times and others agree
Too bad the city won’t listen to “We”.

Please allow thrift and antique stores on our Main Street.

Thank you,
Judy Gittelsohn
--
Judy Gittelsohn
650 248 5381
[email protected]

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Please Correct Land Use Regulations and allow antique and thrift stores on Main Street The new Watsonville plan
Has me shocked and confound
Thrift and antiques do such good
They recycle, reduce and reuse
They draw people to town
Fill empty spaces around
Its baffling to me to see
Not allowing
businesses so green
I’ve said it 3 times and others agree
Too bad the city won’t listen to “We”.

Please allow thrift and antique stores on our Main Street.

Thank you,
Judy Gittelsohn

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 2
Presentation Overview
• Planning Process
• Final Draft Specific Plan:
▪ Organization
▪ Key Recommendations
• General Plan and Map Amendments
• Zoning Code and Map Amendments
• Environmental Review
• PC Recommendation
• Council Actions

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 3
Specific Plan Context

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 4
Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan Area

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 5
Existing
Conditions +
Visioning
Guiding
Principles +
Overall
Framework
Alternatives Plan
Development
Specific Plan
Review
Environment
al Analysis
and
Adoption
Specific Plan Process Overview
We are here
Fall 2019 -
Summer
2020
Fall 2020 –
Winter 2021
Spring –
Summer
2021
Fall 2021 –
Summer
2022
Summer –
Fall 2022
2 AC Meetings
• Introduction &
project overview
• Existing conditions,
issues, opportunities
& visioning
1 AC Meeting &
Community
Meeting #1
• Guiding Principles
• Plan Framework
(streets, public
spaces, land use)
1 AC Meeting &
Community Meeting
#2
• Refined plan
framework &
Opportunity sites
3 AC Meetings
• Design character/
development code
• Housing
• Mobility & parking
2 AC Meetings &
Community
Meeting #3
• Review of
Specific Plan (2)
Fall 2022 –
Summer
2023
City Council
Update
City Council
Meeting
City Council
Update
NOP-30-day
review period
Draft Program
EIR 45-day
review period

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 6
Community Engagement Efforts
▪ Stakeholder Interviews & Focus Groups
▪ Advisory Committee Meetings (9)
▪ Community-Wide Workshops (3)
▪ Pop-Up Events (9)
▪ Online Engagement
o Themes and Guiding Principles Feedback (100 comments) ▪ Community-Wide Surveys (2)
o Strengths, Issues, & Opportunities Survey (665 respondents) o Public Spaces, Character Areas, Streetscape & Bike Network (257 respondents) ▪ Planning Commission & City Council Updates (4)

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 7
Specific Plan Overview

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 8
Plan Structure
▪ Chapter 1: Introduction
▪ Chapter 2: Downtown Vision, Goals & Policy Direction
▪ Chapter 3: Design Framework
▪ Chapter 4: Mobility and Transportation
▪ Chapter 5: Public Realm Improvements
▪ Chapter 6: Land Use and Zoning
▪ Chapter 7: Historic Preservation
▪ Chapter 8: Infrastructure
▪ Chapter 9: Implementation
▪ Appendices

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 9
Chapter 1: Introduction
Plan Objectives
▪ Create an active, vibrant 18-hour downtown
▪ Celebrate historic buildings, open space and
street grid
▪ Foster mixed use and higher intensity
development to bring more residents downtown
▪ Improve the pedestrian experience
▪ Support active modes of transportation
▪ Reduce greenhouse gas emissions

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 10
Chapter 2: Vision, Goals & Policies
▪ Preserve key elements that make Downtown unique
▪ Establish a varied choice of uses and experiences for our diverse community ▪ Create housing opportunities for all
▪ Promote local economic prosperity
▪ Create a vibrant, safe, and active Downtown
▪ Foster a healthy, inclusive, and culturally connected community where all can thrive ▪ Re-imagine and innovate mobility options and connections ▪ Incorporate sustainable design elements to improve community health

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 12
Chapter 3: Design Framework

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 14
Chapter 4: Mobility - Street Network Improvements E. LAKE AVE.

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 15
Chapter 4: Mobility - Street Network: Main Street E. LAKE AVE.

Between E. Lake and E. Beach Between Central Avenue and First Street

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 16
Chapter 5: Public Realm - Streetscape Improvements E. LAKE AVE.

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 17
Chapter 5: Public Realm - Streetscape Improvements E. LAKE AVE.

Street & Pedestrian Lighting
Parklets
Signage & Wayfinding
Street Furnishing Palette

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 18
Chapter 6: Land Use & Zoning
▪ Administration
▪ General Development Standards
▪ Downtown Zones and Overlays
▪ Regulating Plan
▪ Use Standards
▪ Objective Standards
o Building Placement
o Building Height
o Building Massing
o Façade Design
o Frontage Types
o Entries
o Architectural Elements
E. LAKE AVE.

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 19
▪ Use Regulations and
Permit Types:
o Simplified list of what’s
allowed
o Definitions
o Follows City’s current
permits and
procedures:
▪ Permitted,
Conditionally
Permitted (AUP or
SUP), Prohibited
o Findings for CUPs
Chapter 6: Land Use & Zoning - Land Use Regulations E. LAKE AVE.

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 20
Chapter 6: Land Use & Zoning - Form Regulations E. LAKE AVE.

Building Massing
▪ Require large developments to create the look and feel of multiple smaller buildings to reflect the rhythm and scale of the historic Downtown

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 21
Chapter 7: Historic Preservation - Designated Resources E. LAKE AVE. 13 Designated Resources:
• (7) Federal
• (4) State
• (10) Local

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 22
Chapter 7: Historic Preservation - Eligible Resources
75 Eligible Resources:
• (58) Tier 1
• (17) Tier 2
4 Potential Districts

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 23
▪ Water Supply
▪ Sanitary Sewer
▪ Stormwater
Chapter 8: Infrastructure
Water Supply
Sewer Stormwater

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 24
Chapter 8: Implementation

STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION

ACTIONS
▪ Promote Roadway and Streetscape
Improvements on Main Street
o Caltrans partnership
▪ Progress Planning for Downtown Civic Core
Facilities
▪ Fund Downtown Signage and Wayfinding
Improvements
o Signage and Wayfinding
▪ Expand Downtown Parking District
▪ Develop Accountability Reporting
▪ Ongoing Capacity Building and Public
Outreach

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 25
Chapter 8: Implementation

PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT COSTS

FUNDING SOURCES
▪ Existing Development Impact Fees
▪ Enterprise Funds
▪ Reimbursement Agreements
▪ Grants and Other Non-Local Funding
Description Cost Estimate (in $s)
Roadway, Pedestrian, and Bicycle Improvements $10.5 million Streetscape Improvements $8.3 million
Utilities Improvements $30.0 million
TOTAL COSTS $48.8 million

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 26
Errata

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 27
Chapter 6: Land Use & Zoning
Definitions
▪ Street, Side (applicable only to corner lots). The side of the property that is adjacent to a street that is the Main Street Overlay or Gateway Overlay that is not considered a front, except that frontage along Main Street shall never be treated as a side street. (also see Street, Front).

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 28
General Plan Amendments

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 29
General Plan Amendments
Add Two New Downtown Mixed Use
Land Use Designations
▪ Downtown Central Core (Total FAR 3.0,
Minimum Commercial FAR 0.15,
Maximum Residential Density up to 125
du/acre)
▪ Downtown Mixed Use (Total FAR 2.0,
Maximum Residential Density up to 85
du/acre)
Delete Central Commercial Land Use
Designations
Revise Implementation Measure

4.A.3 as follows:

Downtown Intensification –The City shall
allow FARs up to 3.0 and residential densities
up to 125 dwelling units per net acre permit
an increase in residential density for R-HD
lands (up to 36.99 dwelling units per net
acre, or 42.99 if development is SRO
housing)within the Downtown Watsonville
Specific Plan. area central business district if
adequate off-street parking can be provided
and a Level of Service D (see Transportation
and Circulation chapter (10) for description)
can be maintained on adjacent collector
streets.

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 30
General Plan Amendments
Revise Implementation Measure 4.C.6
as follows:

Downtown Design Specific Plan–The City
shall prepare, consider, and implement a
specific plan for downtown Watsonville
downtown design plan for the central
business district. This plan shall contain
elements for building appearance, zoning
regulations, street landscaping, circulation,
sign control and parking.

Add Implementation Measure 4.A.7
as follows:

Specific Plan for Downtown Watsonville –
The City shall prepare a specific plan for
downtown Watsonville to facilitate housing
production and preservation; increase
retail-entertainment activity; encourage
higher-density mixed-use residential
projects; add visitor-oriented uses; support
a greater range of civic and cultural
activities; improve the safety and comfort of
pedestrians; enhance bicycle infrastructure
and connections; and target uses and
activities that appeal to a wide range of
Watsonville’s residents and employees.

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 31
General Plan Amendments
Revise Implementation Measure 10.C.2 as follows:

Project Funding – Except for projects in the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan area, the The City shall require as a condition of approval that all development or rezoning which would
contribute to a deterioration of existing service levels below LOS D, provide the necessary improvements, contribute to their provision through the payment of impact fees, or otherwise mitigate impacts to maintain at least an LOS D. Where existing conditions are already below LOS D, any new development must mitigate traffic conditions to the extent of preventing further deterioration in level of service or, if possible, improving level of service.

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 32
General Plan Map

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 33
Zoning Amendments

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 34
Zoning Amendments
Adopt the Downtown Watsonville
Specific Plan by Ordinance
Amend the Zoning Map to reflect
the DWSP area
Amend the Zoning Code to refer
to the land use & development
standards for properties in the
DWSP plan area
Adopted by Ordinance XXXX-XX dated XX-XX-XX

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 35
Zoning Map

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 36
Environmental Review

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 37
Environmental Review Process
▪ Initial Study Prepared
▪ Potential Impacts Evaluated in
Draft EIR
o Air Quality
o Biological Resources
o Tribal/Cultural Resources
o Geology & Soils
o Hazards & Hazardous Materials
o Noise
o Transportation
▪ Technical Studies
o Water Supply Assessment
o Traffic Impact Analysis
▪ Draft EIR Circulation
o 45-day public review period
(5/12/23 - 6/26/23)
o Letters received:
▪ Caltrans, CDFW
▪ Bike Santa Cruz County
▪ Two individuals

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 38
Environmental Findings
Significant and Unavoidable
Impacts (not mitigated below
level of significance)
o Air Quality
o Cultural Resources
o Noise
o Transportation
Mitigation and Monitoring Program
▪ MMRP contains mitigation measures
for new development in the Specific
Plan area
Statement of Overriding Considerations
▪ Recommend City Council adopt a SOC

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 39
Planning Commission
Recommendation

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 40
Recommendation
Planning Commission recommends that the City Council:
o Approve and certify the Final EIR prepared for the DWSP, including CEQA Findings;
o Approve a General Plan text amendment creating two new mixed-use land use designations for downtown Watsonville and amending the General Plan Land Use Diagram to reflect the new land use designations in the DWSP plan area;
o Adopt the DWSP; and
o Amend the Zoning Map to reflect the boundaries of the DWSP plan area and amend the Zoning Code to refer to the land use and development standards for properties in the DWSP plan area.

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 41
Actions
▪ Adopt a Resolution approving and certifying the Final EIR prepared for the DWSP, including CEQA Findings;
▪ Adopt a Resolution approving a General Plan text amendment creating two new mixed-use land use designations for downtown Watsonville and amending the General Plan Land Use Diagram to reflect the new land use designations in the DWSP plan area;
▪ Introduce an Ordinance adopting the DWSP;
▪ Introduce an Ordinance amending the Zoning Map to reflect the boundaries of the DWSP plan area; and
▪ Introduce an Ordinance amending the Zoning Code to refer to the land use and development standards for properties in the DWSP plan area.

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 42
Actions: EIR Certification
▪ A resolution of the City Council of the City of
Watsonville, adopting and certifying a Final
Environmental Impact Report for the Downtown
Watsonville Specific Plan; and adopting concurrently
environmental findings and statement of overriding
considerations for the project, and a mitigation
monitoring and reporting program in accordance with
the California Environmental Quality Act

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 43
Actions: General Plan Amendment
▪ A resolution of the City Council of the City of
Watsonville approving the twenty-ninth (29th)
amendment to the Watsonville 2005 General Plan to
(1) add two new mixed use land use designations to
chapter 4 (land use), (2) amend the land use diagram
to include these two new land use designations, (3)
amend implementation measures 4.a.3, 4.c.6, and

10.c.2, and (4) add a new implementation measure

4.a.7

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 44
Actions: DWSP Adoption
▪ An uncodified ordinance of the City Council of the
City of Watsonville adopting the Downtown
Watsonville Specific Plan, a specific plan pursuant to
Government Code section 65460 et seq.

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 45
Actions: Zoning Map Amendment
▪ An uncodified ordinance of the City Council of the
City of Watsonville, amending the Zoning Map to
reflect the boundaries of the Downtown Watsonville
Specific Plan area

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Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan | 46
Actions: Zoning Code Amendment
▪ An ordinance of the City Council of the City of
Watsonville amending section 14-16.100 (districts)
and adding Part 26 (Downtown Watsonville Specific
Plan District) to Chapter 14-16 (District Regulations)
of Title 14 (Zoning) of the Watsonville Municipal
Code in order to refer to the permitted uses and
development standards in Chapter 6 of the
Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan

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Watsonville City CouncilOctober 10, 2023

Watsonville City Council
October 10, 2023