Green Infrastructure Plan Framework

Transcription

1 Green Infrastructure Plan Framework West Valley Communities: Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga City of Campbell 70 N. First Street Campbell, CA The Town of Los Gatos 110 East Main Street Los Gatos, CA City of Monte Sereno Saratoga-Los Gatos Road Monte Sereno, CA City of Saratoga Fruitvale Avenue Saratoga, CA June 30, 2017

2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The West Valley Communities are appreciative of the dedication and hard work of municipal staff, Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP), West Valley Clean Water Program (WVCWP), and the SCVURPPP C3PO Ad Hoc Task Group, who have all contributed to this document and continue to promote a Green Infrastructure program in the West Valley Communities. West Valley Agency Representatives: David Tucker City of Campbell Jim Harbin Town of Los Gatos Jeannie Hamilton City of Monte Sereno Mainini Cabute City of Saratoga Contributors: City of Campbell Roger Storz, PE, Senior Civil Engineer Todd Capurso, Public Works Director Stephen Rose, Associate Planner Paul Kermoyan, Community Development Director Town of Los Gatos Mike Weisz, PE, Associate Engineer Matt Morley, Director of Parks and Public Works Jocelyn Puga, Associate Planner Joel Paulson, Community Development Director City of Monte Sereno Jeannie Hamilton, Associate Planner Julie Behzad, City Engineer Debra Figone, Interim Planning Director City of Saratoga Poh Yee, Senior Building Inspector John Cherbone, Public Works Director Chris Riordan, Senior Planner Erwin Ordonez, Community Development Director West Valley Clean Water Program Julie Schaer, Program Staff Gabriella Bedrossian, Intern Kelly Carroll, Program Manager

3 Approval: Green Infrastructure Plan Framework Effective Date: June 30, 2017 This Framework is developed and submitted to San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) in compliance with Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit (MRP) Provision C.3.j.i.(1). West Valley Communities: Campbell, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga The West Valley Community Green Infrastructure Framework is prepared consistent with the SCVURPPP template that was developed to assist Co-permittees comply with the MRP requirement. The Framework is to be approved by June 30, 2017 and submitted to the RWQCB by September 30, Campbell: Brian Loventhal, City Manager Date Los Gatos: Laurel Prevetti, Town Manager Date Monte Sereno: Debra Figone, Interim City Manager Date Saratoga: James Lindsay, City Manager Date i

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5 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction What is Green Infrastructure? Stormwater Quality Regulatory Requirements Purpose of Green Infrastructure Plan and Framework West Valley Communities Description and Background City of Campbell Town of Los Gatos City of Monte Sereno City of Saratoga West Valley Communities Goals and Overall Approach Green Infrastructure Plan Elements Summary of Required Elements Approach to Completion of Required Elements Outreach and Education Project Identification and Prioritization Prioritized Project Locations and Timeframes Completed Project Tracking System Guidelines and Specifications Integration with Other Plans Evaluation of Funding Options Adoption of Legal Mechanisms Completion and Adoption of GI Plan Green Infrastructure Development Plan Schedule Resources..30 Appendices Appendix A. Appendix B. Council memos from Campbell, Monte Sereno and Saratoga, Town memo from Los Gatos Stormwater Resource Plan fact sheet iii

6 ABBREVIATIONS ABAG ADA BASMAA Caltrans CASQA CIP DOF EIR FEMA FY GI GIS GSI LID MRP NPDES NRCS O&M PCBs Program RWQCB SCVURPPP SCVWD SJWC SOI SR SWRP SWRCB VTA WVCWP Association of Bay Area Governments Americans with Disabilities Act Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association California Department of Transportation California Stormwater Quality Association Capital Improvement Program California Department of Finance Environmental Impact Report Federal Emergency Management Agency Fiscal Year Green Infrastructure Geographic Information System Green Stormwater Infrastructure Low Impact Development Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System National Resource Conservation Service Operation and Maintenance Polychlorinated Biphenyls Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program Santa Clara Valley Water District San Jose Water Company Sphere of Influence State Route Storm Water Resource Plan State Water Resource Control Board Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority West Valley Clean Water Program iv

7 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 What is Green Infrastructure? Green Infrastructure (GI), is infrastructure that uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage stormwater and create healthier urban environments. At the scale of a town, city or county, GI refers to the patchwork of natural areas that provides habitat, flood protection, cleaner air, and cleaner water. At the scale of a neighborhood or project site, GI refers to stormwater management systems that mimic nature by soaking up and storing water. Examples of GI include resilient, sustainable systems that slow, filter, harvest, infiltrate, and/or evapotranspirate stormwater runoff such as: landscape-based stormwater biotreatment using soil and plants ranging in size from grasses to trees; pervious paving systems (e.g., interlocking concrete pavers, porous asphalt, and pervious concrete); rainwater harvesting systems (e.g., cisterns and rain barrels); and other methods to capture and treat stormwater. These practices are also known as Low Impact Development (LID) site design and treatment measures. GI roadway projects are typically called Green Streets. Another term related to street design is Complete Streets. This term comes from the transportation field and deals with the designing of streets that incorporate all modes of travel equally - in particular to increase safety and access for cyclists and pedestrians. The integration of the goals of both Complete Streets and Green Streets recognizes that environmentally and holistically designed streets achieve many benefits: increased multi-modal travel and safety; clean water and air; climate change resilience and mitigation; placemaking and community cohesion; habitat and energy savings; and higher property values. 1.2 Stormwater Quality Regulatory Requirements The City of Campbell, Town of Los Gatos, City of Monte Sereno, and City of Saratoga are subject to the requirements of the recently reissued Municipal Regional Stormwater National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit for Phase I municipalities and agencies in the San Francisco Bay area (Order R ), also known as the Municipal Regional Permit (MRP), which became effective on January 1, The MRP applies to 76 large, medium and small municipalities (cities, towns and counties) and flood control agencies that discharge stormwater to San Francisco Bay, collectively referred to as Permittees. Over the last 13 years, under the MRP and previous permits, new development and redevelopment projects on private and public property that exceed certain size thresholds ( Regulated Projects ) have been required to mitigate impacts on water quality by incorporating site design, pollutant source control, stormwater treatment and flow control measures as appropriate. LID treatment measures, such as rainwater harvesting and use, infiltration, and biotreatment, have been required on most Regulated Projects since December Construction of new roads is covered by these requirements, but projects related to existing roads and adjoining sidewalks and bike lanes are not regulated unless they include creation of an additional travel lane. A new section of the MRP requires Permittees to develop and implement long-term GI Plans for the inclusion of LID measures in storm drain infrastructure on public and private lands, including 1

8 streets, roads, storm drains, parking lots, building roofs, and other elements. The GI Plan will be completed by September 30, As part of the GI planning process, the MRP requires Permittees to adopt a Green Infrastructure Plan Framework (Framework) by June 30, 2017 and submit it to the RWQCB by September 30, The Framework, a work plan for completing the GI Plan, will at a minimum include a statement of purpose, tasks and timeframes to complete the required elements of the GI Plan. Other sections of the MRP include requirements for municipalities to control pollutants of concern to water quality in stormwater discharges, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, trash, and pesticides. LID measures incorporated into green infrastructure can help remove these pollutants from stormwater runoff. For this reason, the MRP establishes a new linkage between public infrastructure retrofits and required reductions in discharges of certain pollutants, specifically PCBs and mercury. Over the next few decades, permittees must reduce the loads of PCBs and mercury in stormwater discharges with a portion of these load reductions achieved through the installation of GI systems. Permittees in Santa Clara County, collectively, must implement GI on public and private property to reduce mercury loading by 16 grams/year and PCB loading by 37 grams/year by The load reductions will continue in future permits. Therefore, these efforts will be integrated and coordinated countywide for the most effective program. Other pollutants, including trash and pesticides, should also be coordinated with the GI program since, when properly designed, constructed and maintained, biotreatment systems may also be credited towards trash and pesticide reduction goals. A key part of the GI definition in the MRP is the inclusion of both private and public property locations for GI systems. This has been done in order to plan, analyze, implement and credit GI systems for pollutant load reductions on a watershed scale, as well as recognize all GI accomplishments within a municipality; however, the focus of the GI Plan and Framework is the integration of GI systems into public rights-of-way. The GI Plan is not intended to impose retrofit requirements on private property, outside the standard development application review process for projects already regulated by the MRP, but may provide incentives or opportunities for private property owners to add or contribute towards GI elements. 1.3 Purpose of Green Infrastructure Plan and Framework The purpose of the GI Plan is to describe how an agency will gradually transform its urban landscape and storm drainage systems from gray to green ; that is, shift from traditional storm drain infrastructure, where stormwater runoff flows directly from impervious surfaces into storm drains and receiving waters, to a more resilient, sustainable system that reduces and slows runoff by dispersing it to vegetated areas, promotes infiltration and evapotranspiration, collects runoff for nonpotable uses, and treats runoff using biotreatment and other green infrastructure practices. The GI Plan will also be used to demonstrate an agency s long-term commitment to implementation of green infrastructure to help reduce loads from pollutants of concern, particularly mercury and PCBs, discharged in stormwater to local waterways. The GI Plan will be coordinated with other agency plans, such as land use, transportation, parks, urban forestry, and sustainability plans, to achieve multiple potential benefits to the community, including improved water and air quality, reduced flooding, increased water supply, traffic calming, safer pedestrian and bicycle facilities, climate resiliency, improved wildlife habitat, and a more pleasant urban environment. 2

9 The purposes of this Framework are to: 1. Provide some background on the MRP requirements for GI Planning; 2. Describe the purpose, goals, and tasks to develop the city s GI Plan; and, 3. Outline the time frames for the creation of the GI Plan and other GI tasks required in the MRP. This Framework was reviewed and approved for submittal to the RWQCP by the Saratoga City Council and by the City Managers for Campbell and Monte Sereno, and the Town Manager for Los Gatos. The City and Town Councils were notified about GI and the GI Framework with a staff report or informational memo including the SCVURPPP GI Fact Sheet. The resolution and/or informational memos are attached as Appendix A. 1.4 West Valley Communities Description and Background City of Campbell: The City of Campbell occupies approximately six square miles of relatively flat land located approximately 50 miles south of San Francisco in Santa Clara County. Campbell is bounded on the north, east and west by the City of San Jose and on the south by the Town of Los Gatos. The city was incorporated in 1952, and has a jurisdictional area of 3,772 acres. According to the 2010 Census, Campbell s population was 39,349, with a population density of 6,685 people per square mile and average household size of As of 2016, according to the California Department of Finance (DOF), the estimated population is 42,584. Campbell has a traditional Downtown in the heart of the city, a natural creekside trail used by pedestrians and bicyclists both recreationally and for commuting, a beautiful collection of parks, a community center on a historic campus, a mix of housing types and a variety of shopping facilities that are accessible to neighborhoods and employment centers. Campbell enjoys a nearly perfect balance between the number of jobs and workers within its borders. Campbell s attractive living environment is enhanced by its central location in the Bay Area, and extensive regional transportation network including the Vasona Light Rail corridor. Additional details for Campbell are provided below. Land Use: Campbell is predominantly built-out, with undeveloped properties for new development becoming exceedingly scarce. As a result, the majority of new projects are infill developments where older and less dense uses are being replaced with higher density projects. As a result, the character of some neighborhoods has been affected by this intensification trend, and as a result, the land use category of some neighborhoods has been changed to a lower density to reflect the existing housing types. Conversely, some neighborhoods have been identified as areas where density can increase due to factors such as proximity to light rail. In those areas, the land use category on the General Plan Diagram has intensified. 3

10 Land uses within the City of Campbell are provided in Table 1. The City of Campbell is primary comprised of residential land use. Other land uses include commercial and services, industrial, retail, K-12 schools, and urban parks. Table 1. Percentages of the City of Campbell's jurisdictional area within land use classes identified by ABAG (2005) Land Use Category Population and Households Jurisdictional Area (acres) % of Jurisdictional Area Commercial and Services % Industrial % Residential 2, % Retail % K-12 Schools % Urban Parks % Other % According to US Census data and the DOF, population growth for the City of Campbell increased significantly from 27,067 in 1980 to 36,048 in The growth rate has slowed appreciably since The local population has continued to increase since the 2010 Census (39,349) and has shown continuing population growth through In 2016, the population for the City of Campbell had increased to an estimated 42,584, which is the most significant rate of population increase since the population increases between 1980 and Household growth increased at a much higher rate (110 percent) compared to Campbell s population (45 percent) from 1970 through From 1990 to 2010 both households and population growth slowed and population increases outpaced household increases at 9.2 and 5.6 percent, respectively. As of 2010, Campbell had approximately 16,000 households. Over the years, the average household size has fluctuated slightly with a high of 3.39 in 1970, and a low of 2.31 in In recent years, household size has remained at similar levels with an average of 2.38 persons per household in 2000, 2.42 persons per household in 2010, and an estimated 2.52 persons per household in Growth Projections: The City of Campbell developed growth projections as part of its General Plan Land Use and Transportation Element update, adopted August 19, Tables 2 and 3, below, describe projection scenarios with years and estimated percent growth in population and/or additional square footage of residential and non-residential buildings. Campbell s population has grown steadily over the past three decades. Current 2016 population estimates (42,584) have exceeded the predictions in Table 2. Campbell is currently working on a complete General Plan update, known as Envision Campbell. Envision Campbell will provide more accurate growth projections that will be available and included in the GI Plan. 4

11 The population increases in Table 2 were estimated based on the potential increase of 1,600 housing units, concentrated mainly on mixed-use redevelopment sites along light rail transit corridors and infill development. The time at which full development ( buildout ) will occur was not specified in or anticipated by the current General Plan. Designation of a site for a certain use does not necessarily mean that the site will be built/redeveloped with the designated use over the 20-year horizon of the General Plan. Table 2: Historic and Projected Population Population 26,910 36,048 38,138 41,946 Percent Increase 34% 5.8% 10 % 1. Assuming the development of 1,600 housing units at 2.38 persons per household by The population could vary depending on the actual number of persons per household. Source: City of Campbell s 2020 General Plan, adopted Non-residential building space in Campbell will increase nine percent from an estimated 10.2 million square feet in 2000 to nearly 11.2 million square feet in 2020, as shown in Table 3: General Plan Buildout Projections for Non-Residential Floor Space. This results from application of average assumed densities and floor area ratios to vacant sites and areas with potential redevelopment/intensification opportunities. Table 3: General Plan Buildout Projections for Non-Residential Floor Space Land Use Existing (sq. ft.) Projected Net New Building Area at General Plan Buildout (sq. ft.) Total (sq. ft.) Auto-related 413,011 (115,223) 297,788 Retail/Restaurant/Hotel 2,813, ,392 2,980,920 Industrial 2,529,444 (64,888) 2,464,556 Prof. Office 3,002, ,924 3,989,227 Parking Structures 419, ,500 Quasi-Public 1,058,072 (34,116) 1,023,956 Total 10,235, ,089 11,175,946 Transportation and Street Types: In Campbell, the local street system is organized in a hierarchy of five types of roadways. Arterial streets, collector streets, neighborhood collector streets, local streets, and private streets augment the regional highway system by serving local automobile traffic. Freeways and highways: California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) owns and maintains several freeways serving Campbell for regional mobility including Highway 17 (which is the southern extension of Interstate 880), Highway 85 and Interstate 280. These highways provide excellent north-south and east-west regional automobile access. 5

12 Expressways: These are major divided arterials with access limited primarily to grade separations and at-grade intersections. Expressways are generally designed, operated, and maintained by the County of Santa Clara. San Tomas Expressway is the only expressway in Campbell. Arterials: Campbell has only a few arterials throughout the City to handle peak hour traffic. Arterials are major multi-lane streets that primarily function to serve through traffic for inter-city and intra-city trips. Arterials also provide access to adjacent properties. Both bike routes and bike lanes can be found on arterials along with ADA accessible pedestrian sidewalks for access to commercial services. There are two types of arterials within the city: Class I arterials generally have little on-street parking and serve major bus routes such as Hamilton and Bascom Avenues, Class II arterials generally have on-street parking and serve major bus routes such as Campbell Avenue and Winchester Boulevard. Collector streets: These are low- to medium-speed two-lane or multi-lane streets that serve to collect and channel local traffic to arterials and to distribute arterial traffic onto local streets. Local streets are low-speed two-lane streets that provide direct access to abutting land uses. Local streets: These provide the lowest level of mobility and usually serve no bus routes. Some Campbell neighborhoods maintain a rural character including local streets with no sidewalk, curb or gutter, where runoff from streets has the opportunity to infiltrate into non-pervious dirt and gravel areas located on private residential park strip areas. Private streets: These are low-speed access streets that provide direct access to private properties within a particular subdivision or development. Public Transit: Campbell has three Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) owned and maintained light rail stations along the Vasona Light Rail Corridor, including stations at Hamilton Avenue, Downtown Campbell and Winchester Boulevard. Additionally, the City has extensive bus service and para-transit, all operated by the VTA. Maintenance of Public Streets: The City uses a Pavement Management System to identify and prioritize major preventive and corrective maintenance needs. All city streets are surveyed and rated every five years and arterials and collector streets every two years. Maintenance needs are identified by measuring observed pavement conditions against a city standard for system-wide average pavement surface conditions and standards establishing road repair strategies with the condition rating for individual street segments. Water Resources and Water Supply: Protection of water quality and the provision of adequate water resources is critical for the health and quality of life of Campbell residents and employees. Water quality is a regional issue that is regulated at the county, State and federal levels. San Jose Water Company (SJWC) is the local water supplier in Campbell. The regional wholesale supplier of water to the South Bay Area is the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), which derives water from local, recycled and imported supplies. Some of the SCVWD s water is supplied by local rainfall and groundwater. The rainwater is stored in ten local reservoirs and some of it is 6

13 transferred to SCVWD s Groundwater Recharge Facilities. SCVWD owns and operates more than 30 groundwater recharge facilities, six of which are located in Campbell. These facilities percolate both local and imported water into the groundwater aquifer. Four municipal water pollution control plants located in Santa Clara County develop recycled water for outdoor use. Approximately 20,000 acre-feet per year of non-potable recycled water could be developed throughout the County by the year The recycled water is used mainly for landscape irrigation in various parts of the County. Currently, SCVWD does not supply recycled water to retailers in the City or have any projects or plans for supplying water to retailers in the City; however, Campbell has a program to use recycled water (during drought years) for construction site dust control and median landscape watering. Flood potential: Some land within the City of Campbell is located in special flood hazard areas. The land adjacent to the Los Gatos Creek, San Tomas Aquino Creek and Smith Creek may be designated as Areas of 100-year flood by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In areas with flood potential, the City requires that new construction meets State and local standards for construction as mandated by the Uniform Building Code. Stormwater Drainage System: The City operates and maintains a storm water drainage system and coordinates with surrounding jurisdictions and Santa Clara County to provide regional storm drainage for the Santa Clara Valley area. Drainage improvements are planned to enable additional development while preventing flooding. The stormwater drainage system consists of a series of inlets and pipes that channel storm runoff to various percolation ponds and Los Gatos and San Tomas Aquino creeks, which discharge into San Francisco Bay. Nearly all of Campbell s catchment areas drain to hardened channels, therefore, hydromodification management is not applicable. Open Space: Within the City of Campbell, open space land consists primarily of city and Santa Clara County parks and recreation facilities, school recreation facilities (i.e. sports fields), regional groundwater recharge facilities and creek corridors. Given the limitation for acquisition of new parkland, the City places a high importance on the maintenance, modernization and renovation of existing open space, park and recreation facilities to ensure that they are efficiently utilized and keep pace with the evolving recreational demands of the community. The City will focus on improving existing unimproved open space lands within the City, such as SCVWD Groundwater Recharge Facilities. SCVWD owns and maintains acres of groundwater recharge facilities located within the City. If improved and fully accessible, these facilities would complement the City s open space, park and recreation resources by providing unique amenities and special facilities. 7

14 Soil: Based on the BASMAA 2011 Report, titled Harvest and Use, Infiltration and Evapotranspiration Feasibility/Infeasibility Criteria Report, the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) offers data on existing soil types mapped in the US. In Santa Clara County, a majority of soil is classified Group D, meaning that it contains soil that is typically clay loam, silty clay loam, or sandy clays. Group D soils have very low infiltration rates; however, studies conducted in the West Valley communities, including, Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga, and Monte Sereno, have indicated higher infiltrating soils than other parts of the county. When infiltration is not available then biotreatment measures may be implemented Town of Los Gatos The Town of Los Gatos occupies approximately fourteen square miles located approximately 50 miles south of San Francisco in Santa Clara County. Los Gatos is bounded on the north by the City of Campbell, south by the Santa Cruz Mountains, east by the City of San Jose and west by the cities of Monte Sereno and Saratoga. The Town Incorporated in 1887, and has a jurisdictional area of 7,281 acres. In 2010, the Town had a population of 30,802, with a population density of 2,635 people per square mile and average household size of As of 2016, according to DOF, the estimated population for Los Gatos is 31,376. Los Gatos is characterized by hilly terrain located on the lower slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains at an elevation of 344 feet. Los Gatos is home to Netflix, Roku and over 3,700 businesses, which serve residents and draw visitors to the restaurants, hotels, and shops within a pedestrian-oriented downtown setting. The Town provides excellent schools, a vibrant Downtown, dynamic neighborhood and diverse shopping experiences and also features many parks and greenbelt areas. Downtown Los Gatos is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the model of what communities strive to achieve in a downtown. Additional Town characteristics are provided below: Land Use: Los Gatos is predominantly built-out. Land uses within the Town, as defined in the General Plan, are provided in Table 4. The Town is primary comprised of low density residential land uses. Los Gatos has approximately 4,329 acres of woodland/forest communities, including riparian woodlands, oak woodlands, broadleaved upland forest, and non-native ornamental trees, that support a very green environment. Other land uses include commercial, office, light industrial, K-12 schools, open space and urban parks. TABLE 4 EXISTING LAND USES Land Use Category Number of Acres Percent of Town Acreage Percent of SOI Acreage Residential Single 5, % 51.9% Residential Multi % 0% Commercial % 0% 8

15 Office Professional 126 2% 0% Light Industrial % 0% Public/Quasi-Public % 2.8% Public Utilities % 0.1% Agricultural 112 1% 1% Open 3, % 42.2% Vacant % 2% Total 11, % 100% Source: County of Santa Clara, Office of the Assessor, Growth Projections: The Town of Los Gatos is primarily a built-out community with few opportunities for new largescale development to occur. The Town established growth/development forecasts as part of its General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The population growth of Los Gatos has remained fairly small and stable in the last three decades as depicted in Figure 1. FIGURE 1 TOWN POPULATION BY YEAR, Sources: U.S. Census Population Estimates ; State of California, Department of Finance As shown in Table 5, implementation of the 2020 General Plan could result in the construction of up to 1,600 new residential units within the Town of Los Gatos by The majority of new housing is expected to be developed on the Housing Element sites. Approximately 270 units could be developed in the North Forty Specific Plan area. ABAG also expects that an additional 170 dwelling units will be developed over the next 10 years in Los Gatos. Most of these units will be multi-family residences, such as apartments or condominiums. A limited number of new stand-alone single-family residences will likely occur on vacant parcels in existing single-family neighborhoods. This increase in residential units could increase the population by 3,790 residents, from 28,810 to 32,600 people by

16 TABLE 5 HOUSING, POPULATION AND JOB GROWTH UNDER THE 2020 GENERAL PLAN Existing Conditions in 2008 Estimated New Development Under Draft 2020 General Plan Estimated Total Development in 2020 Housing Units 12,130 ᵃ 1,600 13,730 Population 28,810 ᵃ 3,790 ᶜ 32,600 Jobs 18,820 ᵇ 2,660 21,480 ᵃ Based on Claritas 2008 ᵇ Based on ABAG Projections, 2009 ᶜ Assuming 2.37 persons per household, based on State of California, Department of Finance, E-5 Population and Housing Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, Non-residential building space in Los Gatos could result in an increase from an estimated 4,082,050 million square feet in 2008 to nearly 5,025,260 million square feet by 2020, as shown in Table 6: Commercial, Office, and Industrial Growth Under the 2020 General Plan EIR. TABLE 6 COMMERCIAL, OFFICE, AND INDUSTRIAL GROWTH UNDER THE 2020 GENERAL PLAN Estimated Existing Conditions in 2008 ᵃ Estimated New Development Under Draft 2020 General Plan Estimated Total Development in 2020 Retail/Service 1,924, ,210 2,344,080 Square Footage Office Square 1,630, ,000 2,146,480 Footage Industrial Square 526,700 8, ,700 Footage Total 4,082, ,210 5,025,260 ᵃ Based on Santa Clara County Assessor Data, Transportation and Street Types: In Los Gatos, the local street system is organized in a hierarchy of six types of roadways. Arterial streets, collector streets, neighborhood collector streets, hillside collector streets, local streets, and private streets augment the regional highway system by serving local automobile traffic. Freeways and highways: two freeways and one highway serve Los Gatos for regional mobility: Caltrans owned and maintained Highway 17 (which is the southern extension of Interstate 880), Highway 85 and Highway 9. These highways provide north-south and east-west regional automobile access. 10

17 Arterials: Arterial streets are designed to facilitate two or more lanes of traffic in each direction and provide intra-community travel and access to the county-wide highway system. Los Gatos has eight (8) arterials throughout the Town to handle peak hour traffic. Arterials also provide access to adjacent properties. Both bike routes and bike lanes can be found on arterials along with ADA accessible pedestrian sidewalks for access to commercial services. Examples of arterial streets include Los Gatos Boulevard and Blossom Hill Road. Collector streets: These are low- to medium-speed two-lane or multi-lane streets that serve to collect and channel local traffic to arterials and to distribute arterial traffic onto local streets. A hillside collector street serves abutting property in the hillside areas, carrying traffic to arterial streets or other collectors. Local streets: Low-speed two-lane streets provide for neighborhood traffic movement that provide direct access to abutting land uses. Local streets provide the lowest level of mobility and usually serve no bus routes. Some Los Gatos neighborhoods, especially those in unincorporated county pockets, maintain a rural character including local streets with no sidewalk or curb and gutter. These rural style streets drain mostly to vegetated areas on private property. Private streets: Low-speed access streets that provide direct access to private properties within a particular subdivision or development. Public Transit: VTA has one planned light rail station along the Vasona Light Rail Corridor on Winchester Boulevard near Lark Avenue. Additionally, the Town has extensive bus service and para-transit service, all operated by VTA. Maintenance of Public Streets: The Town uses a Pavement Management System to identify and prioritize major preventive and corrective maintenance needs. Town streets are surveyed and rated on a biennial basis. Maintenance needs are identified by measuring observed pavement conditions against a Town standard for system-wide average pavement surface conditions and standards establishing road repair strategies with the condition rating for individual street segments. Water Resources and Water Supply: Protection of water quality and the provision of adequate water resources is critical for the health and quality of life of Los Gatos residents and employees. Water quality is a regional issue that is regulated at the county, State and federal levels. The Town of Los Gatos does not own or operate a water utility. SJWC is the local water supplier in Los Gatos. The regional wholesale supplier of water to the South Bay Area is SCVWD, which derives water from local, recycled, and imported supplies. Some of SCVWD s water is supplied by local rainfall and groundwater. The rainwater is stored in ten local reservoirs and some of it is transferred to SCVWD s Groundwater Recharge Facilities. SCVWD owns more than 30 groundwater recharge facilities. These facilities percolate both local and imported water into the groundwater aquifer. 11

18 Two open water bodies are within the Town: County owned and maintained Vasona Reservoir and the northern tip of SCVWD s Lexington Reservoir (in the Town s SOI). Creeks include perennial and ephemeral creek channels with above ground and underground reaches. Most of these creeks are considered part of the Guadalupe River watershed. Los Gatos Creek is one of the primary creeks in the area, flowing south to north into and out of the Vasona Reservoir. Four municipal water pollution control plants located in Santa Clara County develop recycled water for outdoor irrigation use. Recycled water is currently produced from these plants and used for landscape irrigation in some areas of the County. Approximately 20,000 acre-feet per year of non-potable recycled water could be developed throughout the County by the year Currently, SCVWD does not supply recycled water to retailers in the Town or have any plans for supplying water to retailers in the Town. Flood potential: Some land within the Town of Los Gatos is located in special flood hazard areas. The land adjacent to a number of creeks, such as: Ross Creek, Los Gatos Creek, Smith Creek, and San Tomas Aquino Creek, may be designated as Areas of 100-year flood by FEMA. In areas with flood potential, the Town requires that new construction meets State and local standards for construction as mandated by the Uniform Building Code. Stormwater Drainage System: The Town of Los Gatos is served by an extensive man-made storm drainage system including pipe networks, ditches and culverts. These systems discharge into the natural creeks that cross the Town. The Town operates and maintains a storm water drainage system and coordinates with surrounding jurisdictions and Santa Clara County to provide regional storm drainage for the Santa Clara Valley area. Drainage improvements are planned to enable additional development while preventing flooding. The stormwater drainage system consists of a series of inlets and pipes that channel storm runoff to nearby creeks, including Los Gatos Creek, Ross Creek, San Tomas Aquino Creek, and Smith Creek, which discharge into San Francisco Bay. Open Space, Agriculture and Vacant land: Open Space/Recreation refers to indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, including public open spaces such as regional parks, community centers, playgrounds and neighborhood parks, country clubs, and natural open spaces. After Residential Single-family land use, Open Space/Recreation comprises the second highest percentage of total land in Los Gatos. There are approximately 1,624 acres of open space in the Town. Much of this acreage is contained in four large facilities: St. Joseph s Hill, Sierra Azul Open Space, Vasona Lake County Park and La Rinconada Country Club. According to the Santa Clara County Assessor s Office, about 64 acres of land in Los Gatos, and approximately 48 acres in the SOI, is currently devoted to agricultural uses. Agricultural land is used for raising and harvesting crops, breeding livestock and/or housing equipment used for agricultural purposes. 12

19 Approximately 292 acres within the Town are vacant parcels of varying sizes that are scattered throughout the Town. Most of the vacant acreage in Los Gatos is located in the hillside singlefamily residential area on the eastern side of the Town. Parcels here are generally larger than they are elsewhere in Los Gatos, and a number of significantly sized parcels are vacant. Generally, vacancies are more common in residential areas of Los Gatos than in commercial areas, although a few small, isolated commercial vacancies exist. Soil: Based on the BASMAA 2011 Report, titled Harvest and Use, Infiltration, and Evapotranspiration Feasibility/Infeasibility Criteria Report, NRCS offers data on existing soil types mapped in the US. In Santa Clara County, a majority of soil is classified Group D, meaning that it contains soil that is typically clay loam, silty clay loam, or sandy clays. Group D soils have very low infiltration rates; however, studies conducted in the West Valley communities, including, Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga, and Monte Sereno, have indicated higher infiltrating soils than other parts of the county. When infiltration is not available then biotreatment measures may be implemented City of Monte Sereno Incorporated in 1957, the City of Monte Sereno occupies approximately 1.6 square miles of land, located adjacent to the Town of Los Gatos and City of Saratoga and nestled in the hills of western Santa Clara County. According to the 2010 Census, Monte Sereno has a population of 3,475, with a population density of 2,195 per square mile and average household size of Monte Sereno is home to peaceful neighborhoods, abundant open space and a serene lifestyle within close proximity to a variety of high-quality urban amenities. Unlike many other cities in Santa Clara County, Monte Sereno did not form on a crossroads or from an historical village. Consequently, a commercial core never developed in the City, leaving Monte Sereno strictly residential. Additional details for Monte Sereno are provided below. Land Use: The majority of land use in Monte Sereno consists of very low and low-density residential neighborhoods. Monte Sereno does not feature any commercial or industrial land uses. The City of Monte Sereno is divided into eight neighborhoods, distinguished by their location and unique characteristics, such as ambience, physical description, type of roadways and vegetation. Table 7 describes all Land Use categories for Monte Sereno. Table 7. Summary of Designated Land Uses in Monte Sereno, CA Land Use Designation Acreage in City Limits Single-family Residential, 1 DU/Acre 858 Single-family Residential, 2 DU/Acre 55 Single-family Residential, 3-5 DU/Acre

20 Multi-family Residential, 3 DU/Acre 4.5 (in City SOI) Public 9 Open Space and Conservation 38 Growth Projections: Monte Sereno is a largely built-out community with a limited supply of vacant land. Additionally, many of the remaining vacant sites within the City boundary are located on unstable, steep slopes, not ideal for development. The General Plan anticipates limited additional development through New development is expected to consist of redevelopment of single family homes and new secondary dwelling units. No additional nonresidential development is anticipated. Monte Sereno s population has grown slowly over the past three decades. According to DOF, as of 2016, Monte Sereno s estimated population was 3,475. Monte Sereno households are slightly smaller than the average Santa Clara County household. Average household size in was 2.85 persons per household in Monte Sereno and 2.89 persons per household in Santa Clara County. The number of households in the City has remained at approximately 1200 households from ABAG has predicted that the City will have a 3.2% growth rate in the decade between , resulting in a net increase of approximately 38 households. Transportation and Street Types: Monte Sereno has three types of roads serving the City: thoroughfares, collectors, and local streets. Thoroughfares: roadways that accommodate higher volumes of traffic at higher speeds, and connect Monte Sereno with adjacent communities. The three thoroughfares in Monte Sereno are state-owned Highway 9, Winchester Boulevard and Quito Road. Collector and local streets: designed for internal circulation within Monte Sereno and accommodate lower volumes and vehicle speeds. These are all the streets in residential neighborhoods. Maintenance of Public Streets: The City uses a Pavement Management System to identify and prioritize major preventive and corrective maintenance needs. All City streets are surveyed and rated every two years. Maintenance needs are identified by measuring observed pavement conditions against a city standard for system-wide average pavement surface conditions and standards establishing road repair strategies with the condition rating for individual street segments. Water Resources and Water Supply: Protection of water quality and the provision of adequate water resources is critical for the health and quality of life of Monte Sereno residents. Water quality is a regional issue that is 14

21 regulated at the county, State and federal levels. The City of Monte Sereno does not own or operate a water utility. SJWC is the local water supplier in Monte Sereno. The regional wholesale supplier of water to the South Bay Area is SCVWD, which derives water from local, recycled and imported supplies. Some of SCVWD s water is supplied by local rainfall and groundwater. The rainwater is stored in ten local reservoirs and some of it is transferred to SCVWD s Groundwater Recharge Facilities. SCVWD owns more than 30 groundwater recharge facilities. These facilities percolate both local and imported water into the groundwater aquifer. Flood Potential: Large-scale flooding is not a significant hazard in Monte Sereno. Most of the properties in Monte Sereno are built above the base flood elevation; however, both surface and subsurface local drainage problems do exist in some parts of Monte Sereno, and there is currently no drainage plan for Monte Sereno. Due to its minimal danger of flooding, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has withdrawn the City of Monte Sereno from the emergency program list of the National Flood Insurance Program. Stormwater Drainage System: Monte Sereno uses a stormwater collection system, in conjunction with the natural creek drainage system, to manage runoff. Stormwater collected through this system ultimately drains into the San Francisco Bay. A majority of the residential streets drain to swales or private park strip areas of mostly dirt or gravel. Open Space: Within the City of Monte Sereno, there is approximately 70 acres of privately-owned open space land. The City itself, however, does not own or manage public parkland; however, with very large residential lot sizes, the City provides a vast amount of natural green areas to accommodate natural infiltration. Soil: Based on the BASMAA 2011 Report, titled Harvest and Use, Infiltration and Evapotranspiration Feasibility/Infeasibility Criteria Report, NRCS offers data on existing soil types mapped in the US. In Santa Clara County, a majority of soil is classified Group D, meaning that it contains soil that is typically clay loam, silty clay loam, or sandy clays. Group D soils have very low infiltration rates. However, studies conducted in the West Valley communities, including, Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga, and Monte Sereno, have indicated higher infiltrating soils than other parts of the county. When infiltration is not available then biotreatment measures may be implemented City of Saratoga Incorporated in 1956, the City of Saratoga has a jurisdictional area of 7,924 acres located approximately 35 miles south of San Francisco in the low-lying foothills of the Santa Cruz 15

22 Mountains. Saratoga is located in the westerly portion of Santa Clara County and surrounded by the cities of Cupertino, San Jose, Campbell, Monte Sereno and unincorporated county. According to the 2010 Census, Saratoga has a population of 30,219, with a population density of 2,561 people per square mile and average household size of 2.8. Saratoga is home to suburban small-town neighborhoods, a pedestrian-oriented downtown, wineries, and many retail and office uses. Other major land uses in the community include the Saratoga Civic Center, the Saratoga Library, and neighborhood parks. Additional details for Saratoga are provided below. Land Use: Saratoga is predominantly built-out with the majority of land use being low density, singlefamily residences on individual lots. Table 8 below indicates the Land Use categories in Saratoga. Other land uses include commercial retail, professional office, community facilities, and open space and urban parks. Due to the city s large percentage of low density residential and open space land use areas, Saratoga has a large amount of woodland/forest communities that support a very green environment. Table 8 Land Use Categories LAND USE MAXIMUM DU/ACRE OR PEOPLE PER ACRE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE COVERAGE SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF USE RESIDENTIAL LAND USES Residential Hillside Conservation (RHC) Residential Very Low Density (RVLD) Residential Low Density (RLD) Medium Density M-10 M-12.5 M-15 Residential Multi- Family (RMF) Planned Development Residential (PDR) 0.5 du/ac or 1.55 people/acre 1.09 du/ac or 3.38 people/acre 2.18 du/net acre or 6.76 people/acre 4.35 du/net acre or 13.5 people/acre 3.48 du/net acre or 10.8 people/acre 2.90 du/net acre or 9.0 people/acre 14.5 du/ac or people/acre du/acre or people/acre 25% of site area, or Single-family dwellings 15,000 s.f, whichever is less 35% of site area Single-family dwellings 45% of site area Single-family dwellings. Single-family dwellings. 40% of site area Detached and attached single-family dwellings, condominiums, duplexes and apartments % of site area Mix of single-family and multi-family densities and housing types. COMMERCIAL LAND USES 16

23 Commercial Retail (CR) Professional Office (PO) ** 60% of net site area, except as regulated by an applicable specific plan. Commercial uses/centers serving community and/or neighborhood; not regional in orientation. Refer to Saratoga Village Specific Plan for uses, height and lot coverage permitted in Specific Plan area. ** 30% of site area Professional office uses permitted; serves as transition zone between commercial and residential areas. PUBLIC AND QUASI-PUBLIC FACILITIES LAND USES Community Facilities Sites (CFS) varies varies Public, civic and quasi-public (private institutional uses, including but not limited to, religious uses (churches, synagogues, religious schools and the novitiate), convalescent homes, private schools, the cemetery, the electrical substation, and the Odd Fellows Home. OPEN SPACE LAND USES Open Space Outdoor Recreation (OS- OR) Open Space Private (OS-P) Open Space Managed Resources (OS-MR) Hillside Open Space (HOS) 1 du/ 4 acres N/A City or County parks or lands designated for those uses. Only recreational facilities (i.e. playground equipment, recreational courts, etc.), structures necessary to support the parks or structures of particular historic value are permitted in these areas. These sites are considered to be of particular value for recreational purposes. N/A Consists of open space resources under private ownership (i.e. Saratoga Country Club Golf Course) N/A Consists primarily of orchard lands, water reservoirs and lands that are under Williamson Act Contract. Only single-family dwellings or structures directly associated with agricultural use are permitted. 1 du/20 acres to 1 du/160 acres (based on a slope density formula subject to stringent criteria) 25% or 12,000 square feet whichever is less Covers all areas within Saratoga s Sphere of Influence (SOI) not designated as parks or OS-MR. Uses include agricultural, mineral extraction, parks and low intensity recreational facilities, land in its natural state, wildlife refuges and very low intensity residential development and support uses of those listed above. These criteria apply to the SOI portion of the General Plan Public Use Corridor N/A N/A Applies to the railroad corridor and allows multi-use trails. (PUC) Overall Height Limit No structure permitted over two stories in height except for structures located within the Saratoga Village boundary (as defined by the Saratoga Village Area Plan, (1988) which shall be regulated by the Village Plan ) or for quasi-public uses, a three-story structure is allowed provided the slope underneath the three-story area is 10% or more and a stepped pad is used. Mixed residential/commercial uses are permitted in all commercial lands, with a maximum of 20 dwelling units per acre excluding density bonuses for very low-income, low-income, or senior housing. The residential portion shall not exceed 50% of the total floor area, (850 sq. ft. for a one-bedroom unit-1,250 sq. ft. for a two-bedroom unit), with an increase of 10% of the total floor area permitted for the site, for projects that provide below-market-rate housing. Total site coverage may also be increased by 10% for a project containing below market-rate housing. Growth Projections: The City of Saratoga has developed growth/development forecasts as part of its General Plan Housing Element. Table 9 and Figure 2 below, describe projection scenarios with years and estimated percent growth in population. As stated in Saratoga s General Plan Housing 17