PROCESS CHECK
PROCESS CHECK Implementing Ordinances planned for adoption with the General Plan: Urban Growth Boundary extension Northwest Quad zoning Bel Marin Keys Master Plan amendments (biotech campus, ancillary retail allowance, automotive uses in Hamilton Ind. Park as permitted) Hillside/Ridgeline Ordinance (exceptions for houses built prior to ordinance) Downtown (concentration of personal services, prohibition of tobacco retailers, change mandatory reference to design guidelines, terminate specific plan) Woodland Tree Ordinance (prioritize replacement of natives and allowance for fewer but larger replacement trees) Parking lot landscape revisions Beekeeping allowance
NEXT STEPS City Council review and feedback on Draft General Plan Publication of Draft EIR and Planning Commission hearing Planning Commission hearing and recommendations on Final EIR, Draft General Plan and implementing ordinances City Council hearing and decision on Final EIR, Draft General Plan and implementing ordinances April/May July September October
General Plan 2035: Public Participation 7 Open Houses & Farmers Markets 5 Neighborhood Forums 12 Appointed Commissions Input 4 Special District Boards City Council 341 Open Novato 16 Stakeholder Group Dialogues 4 Public Workshops Stakeholder Groups include: Community Groups Environmental Groups Business Groups
PUBLIC OUTREACH Presented the Draft General Plan to 630+ people in 48 meetings/venues Received 284 survey responses (45% response rate)
PUBLIC OUTREACH Organizations/Clubs: Novato Democratic Club Sunrise Rotary A.M Business Women North Marin Breakfast Club Novato Senior Citizen Club Soroptimist International Chamber of Commerce Marin Conservation League Sustainable Novato Novato Human Needs Center Historical Guild Rotary Club of Novato Sierra Club Marin Audubon Downtown Novato Business Association
PUBLIC OUTREACH Advertising: City webpage Novato Advance article Newspaper advertisements Next Door Facebook Hamilton Forum Farmers Market Booth Executive Summary and Displays
1. Senior living opportunities 2. Universal home design for elderly 3. Transportation supporting elderly/disabled 4. Increase Hispanic outreach/participation 5. Improve bike/pedestrian network 6. Maintain/expand parks & trails 7. Access to healthy foods/local food production 8. Active recreation in new developments 9. Retain small town character 10. New development sensitive to surroundings 11. Limit hillside/ridgeline development 12. Retain urban growth boundary 13. Northwest Quad neighborhood rezoning 14. Enforce property maintenance & traffic laws 15. Impact fees for new development 16. High level of police services 17. Maintain existing commercially zoned land 18. Recruit/retain businesses providing local 19. Recruit high-tech/life science firms 20. Assume limited new office/industrial 21. Redevelop N. Redwood for 22. Maintain/improve neighborhood retail 23. Local services & food near neighborhoods 24. Encourage hotels & auto dealerships 25. Downtown as center of the community 26. Pedestrian-oriented downtown development 27. Encourage downtown cafes/retail 28. Downtown public art & gathering places 29. Rezone N. Redwood (Vallejo to Olive) 30. Preserve historic buildings 31. New/widened streets include bike/ped 32. Encourage use of SMART 33. Create SMART bike/ped path 34. Transit improvements 35. Support shift to electric vehicles 36. Support new transportation technologies 37. Maintain traffic levels of service 38. Improve San Marin/Redwood/101 39. Reduce greenhouse gasses 40. Reduce waste/increase recycling 41. Conserve energy and water 42. Expand recycled water system 43. Shift to renewable energy 44. Adopt green building standards 45. Plan for sea level rise, drought, wildfires 46. Focus new development near transit & 47. Encourage walking, biking & transit use 48. Protect open space & wildlife habitat 49. Maintain creek setbacks 50. Protect & restore wetlands 51. Maintain tidal areas in natural state 52. Minimize storm water runoff 53. Protect native trees & woodlands 54. Education & regulations for emergency 55. Emergency planning & training PUBLIC FEEDBACK Summary of General Plan Survey Feedback 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 % Disagree % Agree
PUBLIC FEEDBACK Very High Level of Support for Plan Policies Average Agreement: 81% Average Disagreement: 5%
PUBLIC FEEDBACK Highest Rated Policies (90+% support): Recruit/retain businesses providing local services & high-paying jobs Conserve energy & water Expand recycled water system Encourage downtown cafes & retail Downtown as center of the community Pedestrian-oriented downtown development New development sensitive to its surroundings
PUBLIC FEEDBACK Highest Rated Policies (90+% support): Maintain/expand parks & trails Reduce waste/increase recycling Protect native trees & woodlands Maintain creek setbacks Minimize storm water runoff
PUBLIC FEEDBACK Other Policies Rated as Top Priorities: Improve bicycle & pedestrian infrastructure Provide a high level of police services Promote reinvestment in NW Quad with formbased zoning option Redevelop N. Redwood with vibrant retail/entertainment with public gathering places Encourage use of SMART
PUBLIC FEEDBACK Lowest Rated Policies: Encourage hotels & auto dealerships (23% disagreement, 47% agreement) Assume limited new office & industrial development (14% disagreement, 53% agreement)
COMMISSION & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION FEEDBACK Feedback from Planning Commission, Design Review Commission, Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission, Economic Development Advisory Commission & Recreation, Cultural & Community Services Commission All Commissions commented the Draft Plan is attractive and well-written Feedback from Age-Friendly Novato, MCL, Marin Audubon, Marin Baylands Advocates and Sustainable Novato All suggestions/edits with staff responses in Attachment 8 & edits recommended by staff included in Attachments 9-11
COUNCIL FIRST-PASS EDITS Review monthly in 3-Chapter segments Substantive changes may affect EIR project description and scope Attachments 9-11 include edits recommended by staff from input by Commissions, community organizations & City Councilmembers
COUNCIL FIRST-PASS EDITS First 3 Segments: Introduction Great Places (land use & community design) Draft Downtown Design Guidelines
COUNCIL FIRST-PASS EDITS Suggested Order: Staff Presentation Public Comment Council Questions, Comments and Feedback on selected text, policies and programs: UGB Extension FAR Computation for Structured Parking Great Places Programs LU13a & 19a and Policy CC 3 Selected portions of Introduction, Great Places and Downtown Design Guidelines
COUNCIL FIRST-PASS EDITS Council Objectives: Gain incremental input from public, Commissions and Council prior to drafting Plan Concise, readable, attractive document Utilize much of 1996 General Plan Reflect need for fiscal sustainability in programs
UGB EXTENSION 2014 Council direction: extend UGB in place for another 20 years by Council action UGB Ordinance will be updated by City Attorney for either Council adoption or public ballot with involvement of environmental groups, LAFCO and utility districts Council could place on public ballot in early August. Election cost of ~$50,000-94,000 + CEQA analysis $20,000-40,000 Council will need to adopt a bridge ordinance for November period between expiration of existing UGB and election date
UGB EXTENSION LU 5a: UGB Extension. On or before the expiration of the voter approved Urban Growth boundary, the City Council will consider place on the public ballot extending an extension of the term of the Urban Growth Boundary to improve the City s ability to provide municipal services and discourage urban sprawl and the provision of urban services to property outside the City limits.
FAR CALCULATION Allowable Floor Area Ratio (FAR) downtown is 2.0 (max. building area twice the lot size) Definition of FAR specifically excludes covered parking or garages Councilmember Eklund suggests that a program be included in the Land Use Chapter for staff to disclose total floor area ratio (FAR) for mixed use projects that have structured parking
PUBLIC COMMENT
LU 13a LU 13a: Zoning Regulations. Consider an update to ground floor use regulations to include a provision for uses or buildings that warrant an exception establish limits to avoid overconcentration of certain personal service uses and eliminate tobacco product shops as an allowed use.
LU 19a LU 19a: Rezoning. Rezone and change the General Plan Land Use Map for properties along Redwood Boulevard between Vallejo Avenue and Pinheiro Circle, as identified as Site 1 in Figure GP-7, from General Commercial to Downtown Core.
CC 3 CC 3: Hillsides. Protect Novato s hillsides and ridgelines from erosion, slope failure and visual impacts by limiting the extent and location or new development and ensuring that new development complies with the requirements of the Hillside and Ridgeline Protection ordinance in the Zoning Code.
COUNCIL FIRST-PASS EDITS Selective discussion of text, policies or programs: Introduction Great Places Downtown Design Guidelines