Read the Planning Department’s edit of UDC Amendment 22-21
T1NC chose to work with city staff (DSD and Planning) to modify their proposed 22-21 amendment, seeking to protect existing neighborhood and community plans and to provide for public engagement on future land use. As a result of this work, the Planning Department added language that may help protect neighborhood plans and future land use in neighborhoods as they participate in the sub-area planning process.
Language that may help protect future neighborhood land use:
The Planning Department added a reference to the “important aspect” of previously adopted neighborhood and community plans including their future land use, to the Statement of Purpose in the final version .
Planning also added to Sub-Area Plans: “Goals, objectives and future land use from adopted neighborhood and community plans shall be reviewed and serve as a foundational element…, throughout the development of sub-area plans.” This is important, but neighborhood and community plans and their future land use are to be used as a reference – not as a basis, to develop the larger area sub-area plans.
Planning also commits, in its edited amendment: “…When a proposed sub-area plan includes geographies in a previously adopted neighborhood or community plan, the planning department shall invite …registered neighborhood associations and registered community organizations with boundaries within the previous plan area to review, discuss, and provide input…”
However….
In our Amendment 16-4, which we hoped to incorporate into 22-21, we asked for previously adopted neighborhood and community plans, inclusive of future land use plans, to be incorporated without revision into Sub-Area Plans, thereafter amendable, which was denied because, they stated, incorporation without revision impermissibly restricts City Council performing “legislative” action of plan adoption. We also understood that many neighborhood and community plans have outdated or neighborhood-disliked future land use plans.
Areas of concern with the final version of 22-21 going before PCTAC on May 9:
- (3) B, Corridor Plans
The “study areas of a corridor plan should” include areas (1/4) mile, (1,320 feet) of the major arterial, expanding to one-half mile around high traffic stations.
A city block is typically 330’ to 660’, so the corridor plans could potentially infringe higher density development a minimum of 2 blocks into currently residential zoned areas.
- (b) (2) Stakeholder Participation
City also added to the final version a section on Stakeholder Participation, (b)(2). – which was not discussed in our meetings.
Besides the involvement of the T1NC UDC Committee, this amendment has been proposed with no “public hearings” and limited public participation process (PPP).
Once sub-area plans get adopted, they will supercede, (a)(5), currently adopted neighborhood and community plans and we’ll have to work within that framework.
(h) Consistency Requirements
Once sub-area plans get adopted, they will supercede, (a)(5), currently adopted neighborhood and community plans and we’ll have to work within that framework. Previous plans won’t be referenced anymore for rezoning applications. The new zoning will be consistent with the new land use.
The larger sub-area plans are too large to address specific individual and smaller neighborhoods needs and objectives which have been removed or been reduced by the new hierarchy of plan types.
Neighborhood Action:
T1NC UDC Committee is not making a recommendation, but urgently request that neighborhoods provide comment.
We should urge everyone – individuals and neighborhoods, to become informed, get involved, and to comment now or at city council if this amendment is supported by PCTAC.
Please contact t1nc.sat@gmail.com for questions.