Urban Sustainability Area Designation City of Santa Cruz October 2013 The City of Santa Cruz Urban Sustainability Area (USA) encompasses the City s business centers and primary transportation corridors where the City s General Plan 2030 vision is to promote Smart Growth concepts of high-density mixed-use development. Social and Environmental Benefits of the USA The City s Urban Sustainability Area will support a variety of social and environmental benefits by providing economic opportunities and affordable housing while limiting the footprint of development, increasing opportunities for alternative transportation, and protecting open space areas. The Urban Sustainability Area will promote development patterns that support the following environmental benefits: Smaller impervious development footprint per capita, which leads to lower runoff volumes per capita and reduced water quality impacts Reduced air and water pollution due to reduced automobile travel and increased use of alternative transportation (e.g. public transit, biking, walking) Protection of open space by focusing development in already-built areas The Urban Sustainability Area will also promote the following important social benefits: Provision of affordable housing for middle-income families that can live and work in Santa Cruz. Increased public safety by having mixed-use commercial and residential areas Revitalization of urban core areas by promoting redevelopment of blighted and underutilized areas Delineation of the Urban Sustainability Area The Urban Sustainability Area corresponds to areas of the City identified in the General Plan 2030 as community and regional business centers and primary transportation corridors where higher density mixed-use development is encouraged (see Figure 1). These areas are designated as: Community Commercial (CM), Regional Visitor Commercial (RVC), Mixed-Use Medium Density (MXMD), Mixed-Use High Density (MXHD), and Mixed-Use Visitor Commercial (MXVC) in the City s General Plan Land Use Map (see Appendix A). The General Plan areas included in the Urban Sustainability Area are described below: Major Corridors The Soquel, Water, Ocean, River and Mission Street corridors are considered suitable for medium to high density apartments in addition to medium density commercial that would support Smart Growth. The City s General Plan 2030 created Mixed-Use development designations that are located in focal centers along Santa Cruz s major transit corridors. Because these transit corridors also supply much of the city s commercial land, the mixed-use designations afford additional opportunities 1
for the city s residents to live near their workplace. Additionally, all commercial designations along these corridors allow mixed-use developments that provide permanent residential dwelling units. Urban Center and Regional Visitor Commercial. Areas that emphasize a variety of commercial uses that serve Santa Cruz residents as well as visitors. Mixed-use development is strongly encouraged in the urban center and regional visitor commercial districts. These areas include: Downtown Santa Cruz. Emphasizes a mix of regional office and retail uses, residential and mixed-use developments, restaurants, and visitor attractions such as entertainment venues. The Downtown Recovery Plan provides detailed requirements for this area. South of Laurel. Emphasizes mixed-use and residential development along with visitor-serving and neighborhood commercial uses to connect the Beach Area with Downtown Santa Cruz. Beach Area. Emphasizes visitor-serving commercial uses such as hotels, motels, restaurants, and amusement parks, as well as residential and mixed-use development in the Beach Area neighborhoods. Project Eligibility Criteria for Reduced Retention Requirements and Alternative Compliance In order to be eligible for reduced retention requirements and alternative compliance, a project will need to meet the following criteria: Projects on small parcels (less than 1 acre) 1. Be located within the USA Boundaries. 2. Include no surface parking, except for incidental surface parking. Incidental surface parking is allowed only for emergency vehicle access, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility, and passenger and freight loading zones. 3. Have at least 85% coverage for the entire project site by permanent structures. The remaining 15% portion of the site is to be used for safety access, parking structure entrances, trash and recycling service, utility access, pedestrian connections, public uses, landscaping, and stormwater treatment. 4. Within 0.25 miles of a local transit stop. Projects on parcels between 1 and 2.0 acres in size 1. Be located within the USA Boundaries. 2. Include no surface parking, except for incidental surface parking. Incidental surface parking is allowed only for emergency vehicle access, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility, and passenger and freight loading zones. 3. Have at least 85% coverage for the entire project site by permanent structures. The remaining 15% portion of the site is to be used for safety access, parking structure entrances, trash and recycling service, utility access, pedestrian connections, public uses, landscaping, and stormwater treatment. 4. Within 0.25 miles of a local transit stop. 5. Additional Density Factors: a. For commercial or mixed use: FAR of at least 1.75 b. For residential: Density at least 30 DU/Ac 2
Projects located on parcels greater than 2 acres in size and projects not meeting the criteria above will not be eligible for reduced retention requirements and will need to demonstrate technical infeasibility to seek alternative compliance. Post-Construction Requirements Performance Requirements No. 1: Site Design and Runoff Reduction will be met onsite. Performance Requirement No. 2: Water Quality Treatment will be met onsite unless the project demonstrates technical infeasibility and an offsite treatment project is demonstrated to meet or exceed the onsite water quality treatment requirement. Performance Requirement No.3: Runoff Retention: Reduced Runoff Retention Requirement for redevelopment projects: the total runoff volume to be retained from replaced impervious surfaces shall be equivalent to the pre project runoff volume retained. For the purpose of the Post-Construction Requirements, redevelopment is defined as construction or installation of a building or other structure subject to planning and building authority on a site that was previously developed including: 1) the creation or addition of impervious surfaces; 2) the expansion of a building footprint or addition or replacement of a structure; or 3) structural development including construction, installation or expansion of a building or other structure. Offsite treatment may be approved if it is demonstrated to meet or exceed the onsite Runoff Retention Requirement. Performance Requirement No. 4: Peak Management will be met onsite, or offsite treatment may be approved if the project is demonstrated to meet or exceed the onsite peak management requirement. 3
Figure 1 City of Santa Cruz Urban Sustainability Areas Legend Bike paths Major Roads Creeks San Lorenzo River Coastal Zone Assessors Parcels City limit Urban Sustainability Areas Downtown Santa Cruz South of Laurel Beach Area Mission St Corridor River St Corridor Ü 0 2,500 5,000 10,000 Feet Ocean St Corridor Soquel Ave Corridor Water St Corridor
Appendix A City of Santa Cruz General Plan Land Use Map
Chapter 4 General Plan Land Use UCSC (Outside City Limit) City of Santa Cruz Dimeo Ln 1 Landfill Inset Monterey Bay Legend City Limit UCSC Campus Specific or Area Coastal Zone Sphere of Influence Plan Required General Plan Land Use Designations Community Commercial Regional Visitor Commercial Industrial Community Facilities U.C.S.C. Lands Coastal Dependent Coastal Recreation Agriculture / Grazing Parks Natural Areas Very Low Density Residential (.1-1 DU/Acre) Low Density Residential (1.1-10 DU/acre) Low Medium Density Residential (10.1-20 DU/acre) Medium Density Residential (20.1-30 DU/acre) High Density Residential (30.1-55 DU/acre) Mixed-Use High Density (MXHD), 1.0-2.75 FAR, 10-55 DU/AC Mixed-Use Medium Density (MXMD), 0.75-1.75 FAR, 10-30 DU/AC Mixed-Use Visitor Commercial (MXVC), 1.0-2.75 FAR, 0-55 DU/AC Neighborhood Commercial Office 48