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CC - Item 6A - Comprehensive update of City's General Plan - Box 070TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF ROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL FROM: BILL CROWE, CI"F~Y MANAGER DATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2003 SUBJECT: COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE OF CITY'S GENERAL PLAN As the City Council is aware, we have retained the services of Cotton/Bridges/Associates (CBA) to prepare a comprehensive update of the City's General Plan over the next year. Attached is an informational update that specifies the role of the City's general plan and outlines the key issues that will be addressed through this update process. The consultant will be in attendance to give a brief introduction of their firm and a presentation to the City Council on the general plan update process. Attachments: 1. General Plan Update Information Sheet COUNCIL AGENDA NOV 2 5 2003 ITEM Flo. T~:. 74 ~ f. v n r CITY OF ROSEMEAD GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE November 25, 2003 Rosemead Updates General Plan and Zoning 1` J7 "i;..0. The City of Rosemead has initiated a program to comprehensively update the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance, the primary planning and development tools used by the City. These documents are being updated because: ♦ They're old! The City has not completed an overhaul of the Zoning Ordinance since incorporation in 1959. The City last updated the General flan in 1986. Since then, changes in State law, the local economy, and the development environment have occurred. Now is the time for the City to re-evaluate current policies and ensure that plans for the future are on track. ♦ They need to he consistent with each other. State law also requires that the General Plan be consistent with the Zoning Ordinance. Many of the changes proposed in the last General Plan update (such as mixed-use areas) have never been addressed through zoning. ♦ "They're hard to read and interpret. Much of the Zoning Ordinance is outdated and difficult for the public, developers, the Planning Commission and Council, and staff to interpret and use. Updating the General Plan presents an opportunity to rc-confirm goals, policies and implementation programs currently guiding City planning decisions. General Plan The Rosemead General Plan will contain the following six elements, or chapters. The following paragraphs summarize the topics addressed in each element. Goals, policies and programs to achieve connuunity goals are included in each element. Land Use: The Land Use Element establishes the general permitted uses of public and private land in the connnunity. The Land Use Element also addresses the potential for future compact multi-use development in Rosemead. Circulation: The Circulation Element addresses future traffic and roadway use and demand, and identifies a circulation system necessary to achieve City objectives for street operations Housing: The City's Housing Element was recently updated for the 2000-2005 planning period. No further update to the Housing Element is proposed. and neighborhood safety. Congestion management; transportation system management; transit, bicycle and pedestrian circulation; and truck traffic are also addressed in this element. Resource Management: This y" Element combines two state - )lti,s mandated elements: the Conservation Element and the Open Space Element. This combination allows the conservation, use and managenucnt of natural and human-made resources - including important water resources, air quality, parks, trails and recreation areas - to be discussed in a coordinated approach. Safety and Community Services: The Safety and Community Services Element combines the features of the State-required Safety and Noise Flements, and also addresses public facilities and utilities provided within the City. Issues covered in the element include noise, flooding, emergency services, hazardous materials, seismic and geologic hazards, and fire and police protection. Economic Development: This Element addresses the 1 r "5} M economic well-being of the p si„~~D~"•f community by identifying r,F econonuc development and redevelopment priorities and opportunities within Rosemead. Implementation Program The General Plan Implementation Program will be an appendix to the General Plan. The Program will identify specific actions to achieve the goals, policies and plans identified in each General Plan element, as well as responsible departments, funding sources and time frames for action. Zoning Ordinance After revisions to the General Plan are drafted, Rosemead's Zoning Ordinance will be evaluated and updated to be consistent with the General Plan. Efforts will focus on modernizing the Ordinance to better address contemporary land uses, and updating the sign regulations, use standards, and design requirements within the Ordinance. CEQA Documentation In compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEOA), a Mitigated Negative Declaration or Program EIR will be prepared to assess potential environmental impacts of the updated General Plan and Zoning Ordinance, and to develop mitigation strategies to reduce impacts. The type of CEOA document to be prepared will be determined by the level of change proposed by the updated General Plan and Zoning Ordinance. Key Issues Key issues influencing the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance updates include the City's resolve to accomplish compact multi-use development along major corridors, and identification of any other areas that may benefit from a change to the current land use plan. The remaining portions of the General Plan and the Zoning Ordinance must also be made consistent with the City's 2000-2005 Housing Element. Beyond these issues, little change is anticipated, as the City is essentially built out. We Need Your Input As we begin the process of updating these documents, the experiences, opinions, and viewpoints of members of the City Council and Planning Commission and other City officials are needed. Understanding your views on Rosemead's past, present, and future is essential, and we are particularly interested in your ideas regarding mixed- use development and other areas for potential change over the long term. The City has hired Cotton/Bridges/Associates (CBA), a Pasadena consulting firm, to prepare the updated General Plan, Zoning Ordinance and CEOA documentation. CBA prepared the 1987 General Plan update. We invite you to contact us at your convenience to discuss your views on key community development issues and how Rosemead's quality of life can be maintained or improved. Please contact Planning Director Brad Johnson at (626) 569-2140 if you world like to arrange for a brief interview to express your viewpoints, experiences, or concerns regarding the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance updates.