HomeMy WebLinkAboutNS-3.44 ' ORDINANCE NS-3,44 ....
: 'AN ORDINANCE OF .~E CITY OF ~SAR~TOG~'.t
"' . · ' 'AMENDING ORDINANCE NS-3,' THE. ZONING -- ._c
-- ORDINANCE, BY PROVIDING FOR .OPEN HOUSE '.
'. -SIGNS IN RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS J,:'-~-
- The'City Council 6f the Cityof Saratoga does:hereby o~dain
as~f611ows': ........
:"c - "' Section l:":'..Subsecti~n .(d)'of'Sec~'ion 10,2=.is h~reby
~ ' amended to read"I'as f~llows:
"' -- ~d)' All'sig~S, d~tdoor.ad~ertising str~tur~-,
and:displays shall-.be:l'o~at~d~oh th~=~a~e ~ite ~s
they, {denti~fy 'o~~ ad~ertis~."ekc~pti~sub'dfv±§idH
- - ~igns a~,p'reS~ribed i~ Section. 10,8, =public interest r~i~ns'
"'. as provided in Section i'0'.'r0~,,_a~d'~p~n hous,S,~g[~
-. provided in Sect~on 10',11. ' ~.~ '. ': ' "
.Sect{on 2:". Se&tiOn 10:~lliis~hereby ad~ed.to".0rdinance-~
-, . ' ' ' ~.,'i~'~." ~'. ""~C ':"
'- Zonin~ Districts,
_ N6h-'illumin~ted, off-site, ~otab'le-sign~'.
· dire~t{ng prospective customers-to ~he Iodation'of an
open house which isfor sale'; are'permit[e~-'inl-any f ~ '
._.. r'esi~ent{'~l z~ni~g ~istr~Ct, but limited..to ~o'more than
two-double-faced signs.per interS'ection.~ No signs s~al'l
"~"~ " Be .located i~ bike'.lanes, sidewalks, median' st~ip~"6r
-...'-.'. . streets nor shall such-signs be..located ~ithin 70"-0~'. ~f
' ' ' ightrof a design
.'f'. L ' t: .. ~he r iway line ~f , at~d,.~s'c~nic.-hig~w~y,' No
sign shall haVe'Imore than one (1) 'square~fo6t of area,' nor
"'~ shall be'eleVated more than four '(~)."~eet off bf th~'gro~n4~
and each open house ~ign shall contain no individual or
-"~ company ad~ertisin~.-<'Owner identit~'shal~'be af~ixed.,t9
"' _th~.edg~of each s~gn..~nd~fs~a~l~not'f~xc~ed %" ~y:2"..
?~' 'i~'_~ ~ Sighs shall~be-fixed~'to a ~{~g'ie pofe~of'.wood'or~.m~'~l".,
material. Whenever any such s~gn ~s to be"'place~ on
-. -private ~r0pe~, permission must,-first be. obtained lfrom.
the owner of such property,-EaCh sign.-sh~l~ be~emdved"
~ each day aft&r closing. 6~ the open':house forthat day'.-
-. -~ .. Section 3: ~. ~f a~y ~ection' sub~e~[ion, %entence, ~l~e
~'~'- or.~hrase' of this OrdinanCe is for.any reasOn'held'by a ~our~.Of
- - competent .juriSdiCtion to be {nvalid sUch. de'cision shall not
:.. 'affec~ the validity ~f the remaining port~gns of t~is Ordinance,
.,~ The City Cbuncil of,t~e~Ci~y"df..Saratoga ~ereby declare~!tha~ it'
.:I would have pas~ed~t~is Ordinance and each sectio~,,=-Subse~tion;.'.-v
~ _ sehtence, clause and p~r~'e ther~Of,.irre§Rec~ive 6~the, fact hha.t
any one or.more '~ec~ions~ sub~'ect~ons, se~Eenc~s ctauseS~or ~ase~
'~- b~ held ihvalid or.unc~n'stitutional, -
Section 4: T~is O~dinance shall:E~e effeCt=lthirtyI'(30)
. days from'and after the'd~te 0~ Iits passage an~.~doption~,'and .~ha~f'
remain in full force and effect for a period of 6ne (1) year
thereafter at which time it shall become null and void.
The ab6ve and foregging Ordinance,.aft~r~a pubricl-hea~ing"
held thereon be~re ~ P'f~i~g Co~mi'ssi~'.o~ .~[e Ci~y'-of Sara.t,0ga
on the 25tb d~y'of. J~n~,'%~b80, and'was,the~f.t~r~eguia~ly int~o='
duced and a public hearfng held the~eon'~on the' 20th day. o~ August,
1980~befo~e the'Ci~'y'.Council and there'after was p~ssed'and,adopted
by said City Council on ~he 19th day 6f November ,,1~:86, by"qh~
following vone:
AYES: 'Councilmembers Mallory and-Watson' and Mayo~ Callon
NOES: Councilmembers Cievenger ahd- J~nsen
ABSENT: None
MAYOR
ATTEST ., ,
~CTING CITY - ': -.'
The above and foregoing is a true and correct
copy of Ordin~..,.~,,Lr~..-,,/-'which has boo,
published acco,Jmg ~o ~a~v.' " '
- Deputy City Clerk ~ Date ~
-2-
FULL TEXT OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE
AN INITIATIVE ORDINANCE DIRECTING PREPARATION OF A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR
PRESERVATION OF THE RURAL CHARACTER OF THE NORTHWEST HILLSIDES OF THE
CITY OF SARATOGA AND IMPOSING A MORATORIUM ON DEVELOPMENT PENDING
COMPLETION OF SAID PLAN.
The People of the City of Saratoga do hereby ordain as follows:
SECTION 1. FINDINGS,
a. The citizens of Saratoga want to conserve the city's rural character, maintain
public safety. preserve scenic beauty, avoid excessive traffic, and minimize excessive
public costs.
b. The Northwest Hillsides represent the major undeveloped area of the city, and
the manner of their development is therefore critical.
c. The 1974 General Plan recognizes potential problems in the NorRlwest Hillsides
and therefore calls for the density of development to be tied to careful studies of such
issues as geotechnicaI hazards and circulation.
d. Development experience since 1974 indicates ~hat these problems ~ c~r~ssdur
ably more serious than contemplated in 1974. Specilically:
(1) The orlJy access to the area is Pierce Road, which is hazardous even at
the present rate of traffic. Moreover, the only solutions to improwng access are to make
expensive improvements to Pierce Road or to construct an alternative access road,
both of whicb would involve undue cost and destrucbon of rural character.
(2) Because of steep slopes, potential landsliding, and other ~eotechnical haz*
ards, development at the maxinlunl densities allowed under presen~ zoning requires ex-
cessive grading, unacceptable erosion, destruction of natural topography and degradation
of natural drainage Systems, all contraq to the objectives of the General Plan.
(3) Maintenance of streets and storm drains of new hillside development poses
financial ris~s lor the city.
e. To ensure that the goals oJ the 1974 Plan are met, a specific plan for the Noah-
west Hillsides area must be prepared which protects the rural character of the area
through substantially lower density and better Telationship between development and
the land. Fu~hermore, interim controls on development must be imposed pending corn*
pletion of the Specific Plan.
SECTION 2. SUBJECT AREA.
The area of the city affected by this ordinance (the "subject area") is shown on
the map attached hereto as Exhibit "A", and includes all lands in the "HC-RD" zoning
district noRh Of Congress Springs Road. al1 lands in the urban semite area noah of
Congress Springs Road, and all other lands that must gain access by way of Pierce Road.
SECTION 3. PREPARATION OF A SPECIFIC P~N.
The City of Saratoga shall within one year from the effective date of this ordinance,
Of as soon thereafter as feasible, complete a comprehensive ~eview of all development
issues in the subject area and adopt a Specific Plan for the area pursuant to Caiiforma
Government Code Sections 65450 65553, incorporating the standards set fo~h in Sec
tion 4 below, and all policies and regulations required to implement Said Plan.
SECTION 4, STANDARDS.
The Plan shall incorporate the following standards, in addition to all others ~equired
by law:
a. Densi~. The Plan shall be fully r~sponsive to the policies and objectives of the
city as embodied in the adopted General Plan, the physical conditions in the area. and
the availability of public services and facilities needed by present and future inhabitants.
To accomplish this the .Pian shall establish detailed population and dwelling unit
holding capacities for the area as well as land use regulations consistent with such
holding capacities. The Plan shall also establish that at a maximum. the density of all
new residential development in the area shall not exceed that permitted under a "straight
line" slope-density formula where a minimum of two acres per dwelling unit is required
at O% average ground Slope and a minimum of ten acres per dwelling unit is required
at 50% or greater average ground slope. Maximum densities shatl be decreased on a
sliding scale in relation to severity of geotechnical hazards.
b. Access and circulation. Pierce Road shall not be improved in any manner that
will significantly alter the character of its corridor. Alternate access roads shall be con-
sidered only if fully compatible with the goals of this ordinance,
c. Prevention of Rural Chara~er. Regulations shall be established to ensure,
to the fullest extent feasible, that all development: (1) Avoids geologic hazards; (2)
Controls erosion; (3) Prese~es the natural drainage system. topography and natural
creekside vegetation.
d. Staging of Gro~h. Development shall be staged so that public se~ices and
laci[ities are not ove~axed and noise levels are m~nimized.
e. Street and Storm Drain Maintenance. Special assessment districts shall be
formed within new subdivisions to Contribute toward the maintenance of the streets
and to fully fund stornl drains required by said developments.
SECTION 5. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
Preparation of the Ptan shah involve full citizen input, as required by law, and
shall include as a minimum the following:
a. Appointment of a Citizens Advisory Committee that is fully representative of
concerned citizens, pa~icularly those residing in and adjacent to the subject area.
b. Presentation of all aspects of the Plan to tbe Committee tor review and com-
ment prior to or concurrent with consideration by the Planmn~ Commission.
SECTION 6. CONSISTENT ZONING.
Tbe ordinances adopted under Section 3 hereof shall include but not be limited to
zoning regulations in agreement with tbe Specific Plan, and upon adoption thereof no
building or grading permits shall be issued for developments contrary to said zoning.
SECTION 7. INTERIM RESTRICTIONS.
Pending final completion of the requirements of Section 3, no zoning changes,
land divisions. subdivisions. building or grading permits for construction of 'a new
residence. or other land development approvals of any kind shall be issued in the sub-
ject area. nor any applications accepted therefor; provided. that upon a showing of ex,
treme hardship and in agreement with the provisions of this initiative, exceptions may be
granted after two noticed public hearings by a 4/5's vote of the City Council.
SECTION 8. SCOPE.
No part of this ordinance shall apply to any lot that has received final approval
two years or more prior to the effective date hereof. Subject only to the foregoing ex,
coplion, this ordinance shall apply to every development to which it can constitutionally
be applied, and shall therefore apply to all pending developments unless the property
owner has, before the effective date of this ordinance. both obtained a final building
permit and performed substantial work and incurred substantial liabilities in good-faith ,,
reliance on said permit after obtaining it.
SECTION 9. AMENDMENT.
This ordinance may not be repealed or amended except by a vote of the people,
However, once the Plan and implementing regulations have been adopted as required
heroin, they may be amended by the usual statutory procedures, provided that any .,
such amendment shall not vary from the standards and provisions of this initiative and
the Community Planning Objectives in the 1974 General Plan.
SECTION 10. SEVERABILITY,
If any part of this ordinance is for any reason held invalid, tile remaining parts
shall be considered severable and valid. If any section is invalid as applied to certain
specific developments, it shall be held valid as to all deveopments as to which it can
legally be applied.