The Draft Larkspur General Plan Update Steering Committee

The Draft Larkspur General Plan Update: Steering Committee Process February 27, 2018

What is a General Plan? Why is it so important? § Serves as the City’s “Constitution” for future development. § Establishes goals, policies, and programs relating to the community’s physical development. § Goal: Broad objective, or “ideal future, ” based on community values and vision. § Policy: Specific course of action to implement goals. § Program: Specific procedure or action to carry out policy.

General Plan Requirements Seven Elements: Larkspur’s Draft General Plan: 1) Circulation 2) Land Use 3) Housing 4) Conservation 4) Environmental Resources 5) Open Space 6) Noise 5) Community Facilities and Resources 7) Safety 6) Community Health and Safety 7) Community Character

THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE STEERING COMMITTEE: Ø Two members of the City Council (Haroff & Way) and two members of the Planning Commission (Kunstler & Deignan). Ø Nine (9) Study Session Meetings and three (3) Public Workshops. Ø Assist in refining and finalizing the Draft General Plan Update through the lens of elected and appointed officials. Ø This process will build upon the existing draft documents.

GPUSC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES GPUSC Study Sessions on Draft Elements and Key Topics: Ø Review updated conditions and/or new mandates under state law. Ø Consider updates to policies and/or options for addressing such changes. Ø Review final language, graphics, figures, and tables.

GPUSC Study Sessions Prior to each meeting, the GPUSC will be provided: Ø Topical reading materials, related plans, and documents to consider. Ø Guiding questions and policy options to consider. Ø Operating guidelines and procedures. The GPUSC should be prepared to discuss and provide policy direction for staff to include in the Draft General Plan Update.

GPUSC Schedule 2018 Ø A defined work plan to refine the document and conclude preparation of the Draft General Plan Update in a timely and efficient manner. Ø Limited budget for continued work on the update - it is imperative to remain on schedule in order to successfully complete the General Plan Update. Ø Not intended as a comprehensive review or reconsideration of draft elements prepared through the CAC process.

GPUSC Schedule 2018 February - March Ø Kick-off Meeting; General introduction of Materials and issues to be considered. Discussion on establishing 20 -year time horizon to 2040. Ø Study Session on Land Use Element: Review 20152023 Housing Element, Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment, and North Magnolia Avenue. Ø Study Session on Optional Elements: Integrating Sustainability/GHG Reduction and Economic Development Goals into Draft. Ø Traffic consultant conducts roadway and intersection counts. Planning Consultant works on updating existing conditions report.

GPUSC Schedule 2018 April - May Ø Public Workshop and Study Session on Public Health & Safety Element and Noise Element: Review of State mandates regarding climate change, review of sea level rise vulnerability and sea level rise adaptation strategies and compatible land uses. Ø Public Workshop and Study Session on Circulation Element: Update transportation improvements, review traffic limits, circulation policies of the SMART Station Area Plan, and LOS standards and VMT thresholds.

GPUSC Schedule 2018 June – July Ø Study Session on Community Facilities & Services Element: Update of existing conditions and future needs, further opportunities in shared services, and integrating the 2050 Plan into the Draft Update. Ø Study Session on Community Character: Review goals for maintaining community character including policies for historic preservation and future design guidelines. Ø Study Session on Natural Environment & Resources: Revise to combined Conservation and Open Space Element (mandatory) and review draft stream conservation policies and options for stream setbacks.

GPUSC Schedule 2018 TBD Ø Public Workshop on Community Character, Natural Environment & Resources: Review the character and pattern of Larkspur’s design and the City’s general goals for maintaining community character. Discuss community values related to neighborhood character, and historic preservation, open space, and protection of natural resources. Ø Study Session on Final Land Use Element, Land Use Maps and graphics: Review of final draft of Land Use Element, land use maps, and all graphics. Completion of Draft General Plan Update.

Community Outreach & Participation Ø Three (3) public workshops in schedule. Ø Public encouraged to attend study session meetings. Ø Webpage will provide detailed background information, meeting materials and topics, and related documents and plans. Public can sign up for email notifications on GPUSC process at: http: //www. cityoflarkspur. org/General. Plan. Update Ø Staff will report out updates to City Council and Planning Commission at regular meetings. Ø Steering Committee members can also report progress at their respective meetings.

General Plan Update Citizen’s Advisory Committee In 2010 a Draft General Plan Update began under the direction of a General Plan Update Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) appointed by the City Council: Ø Initially comprised of 27 members representing a variety of residential neighborhoods as well as broad range community and business interests. Ø Held 26 meetings on specific topics and/or elements, and receiving public input. Ø Conducted tours of North Magnolia Avenue commercial area and industrial and mobile home parks east of Hwy 101.

General Plan Update Citizen’s Advisory Committee Completion of the Draft General Plan was set aside while the City focused on the Larkspur SMART Station Area Plan (SAP). Ø The SAP was expected to inform the Draft General Plan, but the process was terminated in 2013. Ø Circulation policies of the SAP could be utilized for the GPU. Ø Staff subsequently focused on other planning projects, including the 2015 -2023 Housing Element Update, JADUs, and the Community Facilities Master plan. City is ready to resume process and finalize the Draft General Plan for public hearings and CEQA review.

General Plan Update Citizen’s Advisory Committee In December 2011, the CAC produced a draft document that anticipated a 20 -year time horizon (2010 -2030). The Draft provides background, overall themes, and comprehensive goals, policies, and programs for prior elements. With these updates, the City can establish a new 20 -year horizon to 2040: Ø Completing technical aspects of traffic analysis and mapping. Ø Reflecting changes in regional and local conditions. Ø Addressing legal mandates required by the State.

Changes in Regional and Local Conditions Ø In 2015, the GGBHTD terminated Marin Airporter lease and expanded parking for ferry service to the “overflow lots” in Larkspur Landing. Marin Airporter relocated operations and customer parking to Andersen Drive in San Rafael. Ø In 2017, SMART initiated passenger rail service between the Santa Rosa Airport and the San Rafael Transit Center. Preparations are underway for extending the tracks through San Rafael. SMART anticipates passenger service to Larkspur to commence in 2019.

Changes in Regional and Local Conditions Richmond San Rafael Bridge Improvements initiated 2017: Ø Adding a third lane to eastbound I-580 on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Ø Adding a bicycle/pedestrian path separated by a movable median barrier to the north side of the upper deck of the Bridge; Ø Improving local access to the Bridge, including access improvements along East Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and Bellam Boulevard.

Changes in Regional and Local Conditions In 2015, the Central Marin Ferry Crossing was completed, providing separated bicycle / pedestrian connection from San Rafael through Cal Park Hill to the Larkspur Ferry and Corte Madera Creek path. Other multi-modal projects under consideration: Ø North-South Gap Closure Project. Multi-use pathway and bike lane improvements on east side of Highway 101 between Wornum Drive and Old Redwood Highway. Ø West Sir Francis Drake Boulevard Rehabilitation. Planning for the improvements to vehicle flow, transit operations, and pedestrian and bicyclist circulation between Highway 101 and the Ross Town Limits.

Changes in Regional and Local Conditions The Rose Lane Development was completed in 2016. Ø 85 units of both single-family dwellings and attached senior units (55+), with 6 second units. Ø Includes a mix of moderate, low, and very-low income units. Ø Helped Larkspur to partially meet its 2014 -2022 RHNA goals. Ø The City retains a 2. 43 -acre parcel designated for community facility use.

Changes in Regional and Local Conditions The RVSD site at 2000 Larkspur Landing Circle has a 2006 Precise Development Plan approval for a mix of hotel, sanitary district operations, open space, and 126 housing units: Ø EPA Remediation Plan approved; Cleanup in 2018? Ø RVSD expressed interest in moving all corporation yard operations off-site. Ø Interest in expanded hotel facilities, senior housing/care, and affordable/disabled housing. Ø Important to 2014 -2022 RHNA and connectivity to Drake’s Cove neighborhood.

Changes in Regional and Local Conditions The Housing Element Update for the planning period of 2015 -2023 was adopted by the City Council in 2015. It maintained most of previous opportunity sites with some reductions in “realistic development capacity” cited. Future focus will be on encouraging second units and infill development and incentivizing affordable development within commercial and mixed -use areas. An updated Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan was adopted by the City Council in 2016, identifying the existing network and laying the framework for future plans, programs, and projects.

Changes in Regional and Local Conditions Ø In 2013, Central Marin Police Authority (CMPA) was created via a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Larkspur and the towns of Corte Madera and San Anselmo Ø In 2017, the Larkspur Fire Department merged with the Corte Madera Fire Department, forming the Central Marin Fire Authority (CMFA). The structure of the agency is still in progress. These arrangements are anticipated to provide longterm cost savings in operations while maintaining or improving services to the community through shared resources.

The General Plan Update (GPU) and New State Mandates The State has directed all municipalities to focus on reducing sprawl: Ø Ø Increasing density on infill properties in urban areas where transit is available; reducing obstacles to constructing affordable housing; focusing impact analyses on reducing vehicle miles travelled (VMT) and GHG emissions rather than on congestion relief. focusing on an efficient multi-modal transportation system (Complete Streets approach).

The General Plan Update (GPU) and New State Mandates New State laws and regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions now require that cities’ General Plans address both climate change and plan for and respond to increased risks: Ø Increased fire hazard. Ø Flooding. Ø decreased water supply. Ø effects on other resources.

The General Plan Update (GPU) and New State Mandates • Larkspur will be expected to do its part in meeting GHG emission targets and providing adequate affordable housing. • Larkspur’s efforts will be part of a regional approach to meeting these goals. • Preparing the GPU requires continued coordination with many local and regional agencies involved, including the CMPA, CMFA, Marin County, neighboring municipalities, ABAG, MTC, TAM, BAAQMD, the RWQCB, and other interest groups and utilities to ensure coordinated planning.

Recent State Legislation SB 375 Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS). Requires ABAG to develop an SCS to reduce GHG emissions 15% per capita by 2035. The SCS that includes Larkspur is the Plan Bay Area 2040 (adopted July 2017). It encourages infill development to reduce vehicle miles travelled (VMT) and correspondingly reduce sprawl and GHG emissions. SB 743. Residential and mixed-use projects in infill development zones: Aesthetic and parking impacts are not considered significant environmental impacts. New CEQA Guidelines will concentrate the analysis of traffic impacts on vehicle miles travelled (VMT) rather than on

Recent State Legislation SB 35. Streamlines approval of some mixed use and residential projects that include affordable housing for cities that have not met their Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) targets. Ø There a number of limitations on what projects and sites are eligible for this streamlining. Ø For eligible projects, City review is limited to whether the project meets objective planning criteria and design review.

Recent State Legislation The 2017 “Housing Package”, signed the governor: • Strengthening the City’s ability to require rental projects to include affordable housing. • Revising the Housing Accountability Act to clarify the acceptable grounds for denying or reducing the density of residential projects. • Strengthening HCD’s ability to review City actions related to housing and to reduce mitigation fees for residential development. • Requiring the City’s Housing Element to maintain and update the land inventory at all times when approving a project that results in fewer units for a given income category than are required to meet RHNA targets. • Require that properties on the Housing Element land inventory have a realistic and demonstrated potential for development.

Recent State Legislation SB 379 and SB 1241. Requires a General Plan Safety Element to address climate adaptation and resiliency strategies. The Element must also address wildfire vulnerability hazards (including areas at risk from climate change) and ways the City will specifically address mitigation of these hazards. Climate Change Legislation. The State has mandated a target of 40% reduction below 1990 levels in GHG emissions by 2030. Larkspur will need to show its actions assist the State in meeting this target.

Recent State Legislation Sea Level Rise Planning. General Plans must address climate change. Ø Larkspur’s Plan should include climate adaptation and resiliency strategies pursuant to SB 379, using the vulnerability assessment tool, resiliency strategies, and implementation measures to address sea level change. Ø The State has also issued Draft Sea Level Rise Guidelines that will be used in the Larkspur General Plan Update.

Other Planning Considerations BAAQMD 2017 Clean Air Plan and CEQA Air Quality Guidelines. The new guidelines provide thresholds of significance for greenhouse gas emissions as well as screening criteria. Allows municipalities to determine if a project’s impact on cumulative GHG emissions is less than significant when it is either: Ø Below a screening criterion, or Ø In compliance with a qualified greenhouse gas reduction strategy.

Other Planning Considerations CEQA Guidelines Update (Proposed). The State has proposed revisions of the CEQA Guidelines so they are consistent with recent legislation and court cases. Primary changes include using VMT to assess traffic impacts and requiring a full analysis of wildfire impacts. General Plan Guidelines. The State has recently revised these guidelines with a new focus on developing policies that address climate change and its effects, healthy communities, infill development, and renewable energy.

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