CITY OF ROHNERT PARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT

Mission Statement We Care for Our Residents by Working Together to Build a Better Community for Today and Tomorrow. CITY OF ROHNERT PARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT ITEM NO. 5 Meeting Date: July 23, 2013 Department: Development Services Submitted By: Marilyn Ponton, Development Services Manager Prepared By: Marilyn Ponton, Development Services Manager Agenda Title: Review of the Preliminary Land Use Plan for the University District Specific Plan Amendment PL2012-044SP RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends City Council take the following actions: 1) Review the Preliminary Land Use Plan for the University District Specific Plan Amendment and provide any comments to the staff and applicant. BACKGROUND: The Zoning Code requires that a preliminary plan be reviewed at a public hearing by the Planning Commission and City Council to receive public input when considering specific plans. The Planning Commission conducted a review of the Preliminary Land Use Plan at its June 27, 2013 hearing. The comments received from that hearing are summarized below, in the Planning Commission Review of Preliminary Land Use Plan section of this report. The University District Specific Plan ( Specific Plan ) is one of five specific plan areas designated in the City s General Plan for future development. The Specific Plan includes approximately 300 acres of lands owned by five property owners (University District LLC, Vast Oak Properties, Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District, Gee, and Linden) in the City of Rohnert Park. In 2006, the University District Specific Plan document was approved and associated General Plan amendments were adopted and implemented. The adopted Specific Plan addresses the land use and development standards for the Specific Plan area, which was annexed to the City in 2006. Attachment A (Figure 2.2-1 General Plan Diagram of the City s General Plan) shows the current land use categories within the City, including those approved for the Specific Plan area. Table 1 provides a summary of the gross acreage and building area for each of the land use categories currently shown in the General Plan within the Specific Plan area. 1

ITEM NO. 5 Table 1 General Plan Land Use - University District Specific Plan Area Gross Acreage 1 Building Area (1,000sf) Minimum- Maximum Rural Estate Residential 12-18 -- Low Density Residential 45-55 -- Medium Density Residential 55-65 -- High Density Residential 35-45 -- Mixed Use 20-40 Maximum of 175 Parks Plaza 1-2 -- Linear Park 12-15 -- Open Space Copeland Creek (north side) 2-5 -- Crane Creek (south side) 15-20 -- Hinebaugh Creek 15-25 -- Petaluma Hill Road 20-35 -- Buffer Total 300 Maximum of 175 1. Excludes acreage for the Rohnert Park Expressway between the easterly City limits and Petaluma Hill Road, and Keiser Avenue. The approved Specific Plan allowed a maximum of 1,645 residential units (excluding second residential units). The dwelling units are allocated are shown in Table 2. Table 2 University District Specific Plan Area Units Designation Number of Units Rural Estate Residential 26 Low Density Residential 320 Medium Density Residential 537 High Density Residential 612 Mixed Use 150 Total 1,645 Specific Plan Amendment Proposal The proposed 2013 Draft Specific Plan Land Use Plan Amendment (Attachment B) includes the mix, intensity, and general location of development types referenced in the General Plan. The proposed Land Use Plan addresses all properties in the Specific Plan, using land use designations determined by the General Plan for properties not controlled by the applicants. A second table 2

ITEM NO. 5 on the plan shows the unit count for Vast Oak and UD LLC properties. The Land Use Table 3 provides the proposed breakdown of acreages, density (units/acre), minimum and maximum housing units, and net estimated units by land use designation. The total number of proposed residential units is the same as the current approved Specific Plan (1,645 units). The number of residential units by land use designation has changed and the requested commercial building area within Mixed Use has been reduced. Attachment C is the conceptual Neighborhood Plan for Vast Oaks and UD LLC and shows the potential configuration of roads and lots. Designation Table 3 Proposed University District Specific Plan Land Use Acreage Density (units/acre) Net Estimated Units in Designation Low Density 69.84 4.1 6.0 435 Medium Density 110.27 6.1 12.0 889 High Density 17.46 12.1 24.0 321 Mixed Use 13.20 12.1 24.0 0-150* 150,000 sq ft Open Space 64.96 N/A N/A Parks 14.94 N/A N/A Public/Institutional 9.94 N/A N/A TOTALS 300.61 1,645 units 150,000 sq ft *If residential units are built in the Mixed Use, residential units in other land use designations will have to be reduced accordingly. Summary of Proposed Specific Plan Amendment and Revisions to the General Plan (GP) There are a number of policies in the GP applicable to the University District Specific Plan area. Policies that provide particular guidance on development of the Specific Plan area include: LU- 15, CD-2 and CD-31 through CD-39. The topics below summarize the general changes proposed from the General Plan for the City Council s consideration. Residential Land Uses Rural Estate Density: The current GP shows 12 to 18 acres of Rural Estate land uses. This land use designation has been eliminated and is no longer proposed to be included in the 2013 Land Use Plan. Low Density: The acreage and total number of housing units designated as Low Density in the 2013 Plan (69.84 acres, 435 units) compared to the GP Land Use Plan (45 to 55 acres, 320 units). 3

ITEM NO. 5 Medium Density: The 2013 Land Use Plan proposes to increase the number of Medium Density Residential units for the total number of units to 889 on approximately 110 acres. The GP Land Use Plan provides for 55 to 65 acres of Medium Density Residential; the approved number of units within the Specific Plan area is 537. High Density: The acreage designated as High Density in the 2013 Plan is 17.46 acres with 321 units. This is generally half of the number of High Density units in the 2006 Specific Plan area (612 units on 35 to 45 acres). The High Density land is located north and south of Rohnert Park Expressway and west of the Commercial Mixed Use area. Commercial/Mixed Use Land Uses Total acreage: The 2013 Land Use Plan acreage designated as Mixed Use (13.20 acres) as compared to the acreage designated as Mixed Use in the GP Land Use Plan (20 to 40 acres). Location: The proposed location of the Mixed Use center has moved to the eastern edge of the development area across from the Green Music Center, at the boundary with the open space in the 2013 Land Use Plan. In the GP Land Use Plan, the Mixed Use Commercial Center plaza is located on either side of the Linear Park. Uses: A comparison of the proposed 2013 Land Use Plan with the GP in the Mixed Use land use shows the number of residential units estimated in the 2013 plan is between 0 and 150 units with 150,000 square feet of commercial use. The applicant is requesting flexibility on residential unit numbers within the Mixed Use land use designation. The GP permits 70 to 150 units with up to 175,000 square feet of commercial use. Public Plaza: GP Policies CD-2 and CD-32 requires the inclusion of a public plaza to serve as a focal point of the mixed use portion of the plan area. The 2013 Land Use Plan includes a private plaza within the Mixed Use/Commercial. Open Space/Wetlands/Basin Parks The wetlands and preserve area along Petaluma Hill Road is constructed. Both the GP Land Use Plan and the 2013 Land Use Plan include comparable open space/wetland preservation areas. Total acreage: The 2013 Land Use Plan shows the proposed park configuration and the Circulation Plan (Attachment D) illustrates bike lanes and trails. Approximately 15.34 acres (13.21 ac VO/UDLLC) of parkland is proposed in the 2013 Plan compared with 15.85 acres in the 2006 approvals. Parks Concept: The 2006 Specific Plan was organized around the Linear Park trail concept as a community spine, using the Mixed Use/Commercial center as a focal point to connect Keiser Avenue to Copeland Creek, as described in GP Policies LU-15, CD-2 and CD-35. The 2013 Plan has altered the Linear Park concept based upon the shift of the Mixed Use/Commercial Center to the east so that it aligns with the Green Music Center. As shown in Attachments B, C and D the 2013 Plan includes a reconfigured Twin Creeks Park and bike lanes along the north-south main road (Twin Creek Road). Attachments E and F are illustrative designs for Twin Creek and Oak Grove Parks. 4

ITEM NO. 5 Planning Commission Review of Preliminary Land Use Plan: The Planning Commission reviewed the Preliminary Land Use Plan at their June 27, 2013 meeting. The Commissioners generally supported the Preliminary Land Use Plan as presented. The Commissioners complimented new location of the Mixed Use/Commercial Center at the eastern side of the project, adjacent to the Green Music Center. Also the reconfiguration of the two parks on the Vast Oak property was seen as an improvement to the previous plan. Concerns and support were both expressed about the passive nature of the planned Oak Grove Park. The Commissioners questioned the loss of the Rural Estate lots in the amended plan. The applicant s representative explained the reason for the requested changes as a response to market conditions. ANALYSIS: The purpose of the preliminary review of the Preliminary Land Use Plan is to obtain input from the Planning Commission, City Council and public on the proposed Plan. Staff continues to work with the applicant and will provide an analysis of the Specific Plan during the entitlement review and public hearing process. An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared and adopted by the City in conjunction with the 2006 approval of the University District Specific Plan. The proposed revisions to the Specific Plan are being evaluated in light of that EIR and an environmental determination is pending. OPTIONS CONSIDERED: The consideration of other options for a Preliminary Review of a Specific Plan proposal are not required. FISCAL IMPACT/FUNDING SOURCE: None Department Head Approval Date: 7/8/2013 City Manager Approval Date: 7/8/2013 Attachments (list in packet assembly order): A. Existing Specific Plan Land Use Plan (Figure 2.2-1 General Plan Diagram of the City s General Plan) B. Proposed Preliminary Land Use Plan (Figure 4 - Draft 2013 Specific Plan) C. Proposed Neighborhood Plan D. Proposed Circulation Plan E. Proposed Twin Creek Park F. Proposed Oak Grove Park 5

ATTACHMENT A Existing Specific Plan Land Use Plan - University District Plan Area CITY OF ROHNERT PARK APRIL 2013 SOURCE: City of Rohnert Park 2013 Crane Creek Keiser Ave Hinebaugh Creek Snyder Ln Rohnert Park Expy Copeland Creek Path: Z:\Projects\j739001\MAPDOC\MAPS\Att-A_UniversityPlanArea.mxd University District Specific Plan Area City Limits Urban Growth Boundary Sphere of Influence Streams/Creeks General Plan Land Use Rural Estate Residential Low Density Residential Medium Density Residential High Density Residential C-R/R-H Industrial Commercial - N Commercial - R Mixed Use Office Public/Institutional Parks/Recreation 0 500 1,000 Feet Open Space - Environmental Conservation Open Space - Agriculture and Resource Management

ATTACHMENT B: Proposed Land Use Plan LEGEND FIGURE 4 U N I V E R S I T Y D I S T R I C T S P E C I F I C P L A N R O H N E R T P A R K C A L I F O R N I A J U N E 2 0 1 3

ATTACHMENT C: Neighborhood Plan KEISER AVENUE OAK GROVE PARK VAST OAKS NORTH WETLANDS HINEBAUGH CREEK OPEN SPACE BASIN VAST OAKS WEST TWIN CREEKS PARK VAST OAKS CENTRAL VAST OAKS EAST WETLANDS/ OPEN SPACE PETALUMA HILL ROAD ROHNERT PARK EXPRESSWAY BASIN UD LLC GREEN MUSIC CENTER OPEN SPACE COPELAND CREEK JUNE 2013 UNIVERSITY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN UD LLC AND VAST OAK PROPERTIES LEGEND LOW - 50' X 95' SFD LOTS - 139 LOW - 55' X 80' SFD LOTS - 104 LOW - 50' x 80' SFD LOTS - 114 MEDIUM - 45' x 80'/85' SFD LOTS - 232 MEDIUM - 44' x 70' SFD LOTS - 257 MEDIUM - ALLEY SFD LOTS - 55 MEDIUM - MOTOR COURT SFD LOTS - 232 HIGH - MULTI-FAMILY - 218 MIXED-USE - 0-150 OPEN SPACE - CREEKS, CREEK BUFFERS, SCENIC CORRIDOR, DRAINAGE CHANNELS & WATER QUALITY / DETENTION BASINS PUBLIC PARKS TOTAL UNITS: HIGH - SFD LOTS - 103 PRIVATE LANDSCAPE / TRAIL / ENTRY MONUMENTS SINGLE FAMILY: 1,236 MULTI-FAMILY: 218 TOTAL UNITS: 1,454 2nd D.U. UP TO 30 COMMERCIAL: UP TO 150,000 SF

ATTACHMENT D: Circulation Plan

ATTACHMENT E: Twin Creeks Park

ATTACHMENT F: Oak Grove Park