HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Agenda Packet 03062007 Study SessionSARATOGA CITY COUNCIL
MEETING DATE: March 6, 2007
AGENDA ITEM:
ORIGINATING DEPT: Community DevelopmentClTY 11IANAGER: ter.
PREPARED BY: Therese M. Schmidt, Associate P
e
Dave
DEPT HEAD:
John F. Livingstone
SUBJECT: Study Session to Review proposed General Plan Update of the Land Use,
Conservation and Open Space Elements and Negative Declaration
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
1. Review the proposed General Plan Update of the Land Use, Conservation and Open Space
Elements and Negative Declaration as recommended for approval by the Planning
Commission at their January 24, 2007, hearing.
2. Place the proposed Update and Environmental document on a City Council Agenda for
adoption.
STUDY SESSION REQUIREMENTS:
The Study session is a fact-finding meeting where the Council may discuss the item and ask
questions from or hear statements from members of the public attending the meeting. During the
Study Session, the City Council may only discuss items related to the project. The agenda does not
allow any formal votes or motions on the proposed project or other matters.
No comments made during the Study Session by the Council are binding or required to be carried
through to the formal public hearing where actions will be taken on the proposed project.
REPORT SUMMARY:
The proposed project includes an update of the City's Land Use and Open Space/Conservation
Elements of the Saratoga General Plan. As part of the update, changes are proposed to the existing
Land Use Element and Map to reduce and simplify land use administration.
These Elements establish City goals and policies related to the location, type, density and intensity of
development in the City as well as the location of trails, open space and natural resource areas. The
City of Saratoga is updating these Elements primarily to meet current State Law requirements. The
City has received notice from the State that several of the elements of the City's General Plan are
out-of-date and require updating. If the City fails to update the General Plan in a timely manner the
State could place a moratorium on development until the General Plan is brought up-to-date.
Staff is recommending combining the Conservation and Open Space Elements for ease of use and to
expedite the update process to meet the State's requirements.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
A proposed Negative Declaration of Environmental Significance has been prepared for the project.
The Initial Study and proposed Negative Declaration certify that the City of Saratoga has determined
that no significant environmental impacts are anticipated to be associated with the project.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION:
This item went before the Planning Commission during three scheduled Study Sessions as well as
two public hearings, at which time the Planning Commission heard comments from the public,
discussed the proposed updates, and provided staff with direction on appropriate changes to the draft
documents. The item went before the Planning Commission on January 24, 2007, at which time the
Commission recommended approval of the General Plan Update and the Mitigated Negative
Declaration. The Commission minutes have been attached.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
The City has a 1% General Plan Maintenance Fee on building permits. The fees generated by this
have covered all costs of the update.
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT FOLLOWING RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
If the City fails to update the General Plan in a timely manner the State could place a moratorium on
development until the General Plan is brought up-to-date.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIONS:
Continue one or more of the Elements to another City Council Study Session.
FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS:
Place this item on a City Council Agenda.
ADVERTISING, NOTICING AND PUBLIC CONTACT:
The notice for this meeting has been properly posted. An email notification was sent to members of
the Land Use Element Advisory Committee, the Pedestrian, Equestrian, and Bicycle Trails Advisory
Committee and citizens who provided their email address during various Planning Commission
Study Sessions and hearings. The City has also been providing the draft updates on the City web
page with a frequently asked questions section about General Plans.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Negative Declaration with Initial Study
2. Response to Comments on the Initial Study and Negative Declaration
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3. Draft Land Use Element
4. Draft Land Use Map Amendments
5. Draft Open Space/Conservation Element
6. Planning Commission Minutes — January 24, 2007
7. Citizen Comments on the Draft Land Use and Draft Open Space/Conservation Space
Elements
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