Title
Comprehensive Plan Status Update-Proposed Strategic Redevelopment Planning Initiative
Body
From:
Peter Wysocki, Director, Planning and Development
Summary:
At the April 21, 2014 City Council Work Session, the Planning and Development Department gave the Council a briefing on an alternative work program in lieu of preparing a significant update to the comprehensive plan. It was presented that the $150,000 currently earmarked for the Comprehensive Plan update could be "repurposed" to complete what would be a more limited, strategic and action-oriented program with a focus on the Economic Opportunity Zones, infill strategies, zoning code amendments, and re-evaluation of Banning Lewis Ranch. The Council requested that staff come back with a more detailed work program and how these projects would be achieved. Some Councilors also expressed a strong desire to evaluate and update the Banning Lewis Ranch master plan.
Staff's proposed alternative can be themed into three basic categories: (1) adoption of a redevelopment/infill policy and alignment of City Code with the policy; (2) Economic Opportunity Zones implementation; and (3) evaluation and possible update to the Banning Lewis Ranch master plan.
REDEVELOPMENT/INFILL
It is important to note that this initiative is consistent with Council's stated strategic objective of "Encourage infill and develop job creation with a priority on Economic Opportunity Zones and Downtown through City Code and Ordinances." It is also consistent with the current Comprehensive Plan land use strategies:
"Objective LU 4: Encourage Infill and Redevelopment
Encourage infill and redevelopment projects that are in character and context with existing, surrounding development. Infill and redevelopment projects in existing neighborhoods make good use of the City's infrastructure. If properly designed, these projects can serve an important role in achieving quality, mixed-use and redevelopment projects....
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