Summary

The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) has awarded a $399,000 Sustainable Communities planning grant to the County.  The grant allocates funds for six technical studies and planning projects related to strategic growth.

• On October 25, 2011, the Board of Supervisors approved a Grant Agreement with the State, as well as contracts with consultants for the preparation of three of the six projects that will be funded by the SGC grant: a Complete Communities Survey, Infill Subdivision/Development Standards, and a Community Design Model.
• In November 2011, the Department completed an agreement with the Cal Poly Corporation to prepare an Illustrative Design Model.
• On December 13, 2011, the Board of Supervisors approved a contract with a consultant to prepare a Land Use Economics Study.
• The remaining project to be funded by the grant is a package of technical studies to support the San Miguel Community Plan and its environmental impact report.  County staff is currently in the process of selecting consultants to prepare those studies.

The Sustainable Community Grant Projects

1.     Complete Communities Survey

a.     Status:      Underway

b.     Completion Date: September, 2012

c.     Description:  Conduct a technical inventory of the features that will comprise a complete, “strategically planned” community, and estimate the costs of transportation, infrastructure and public facilities in four communities (San Miguel, Templeton, Oceano, and Nipomo) for capital improvement planning (CIP).

d.     Public Involvement:  Public comments will be encouraged on a Research Summary by March, 2012, a Facilities Inventory by April, 2012, a Funding and Financing Plan by June, 2012, and a Community Profile for each community by August, 2012.  The consultants will hold a workshop in June, 2012 in north county and in south county to describe the initial results and hear comments.  A joint study session will be held with the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission by September, 2012. 

e.     Relevant Strategic Growth Policies:  Strategically plan communities with adequate resources, services and facilities for long-term growth.  Plan inter-connected street systems and bicycle and pedestrian ways within neighborhoods.  Plan neighborhoods that can accommodate a variety of housing types that are affordable to all income groups, located close to key destinations serving daily needs.

f.       Contact:  The project manager is James Lopes, 781-5975

2.     Infill Subdivision/Development Standards

a.     Status:      Underway

b.      Time Frame: Spring, 2013

c.     Description:  Ordinance amendments to create subdivision and development standards and remove regulatory barriers, in order to encourage compatible and diverse infill and mixed-use projects.

d.     Public Involvement:  The consultant will hold workshops in June, 2012 in north and south county to present preliminary findings and hear comments.  Public comments will be encouraged on the Public Review Draft of the proposed ordinance amendment in Summer, 2012. Public hearings will be held at the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors in Winter/Spring, 2013.     

e.     Relevant Strategic Growth Policies:  Enact revisions to the Land Use and Real Property Division Ordinances to revise or introduce regulations that will promote urban infill instead of prevent it.  Update the Land Use Ordinance to encourage a diversity of housing (sizes, types, and costs) within subdivisions and neighborhoods.  Revise the Countywide Design Guidelines to illustrate how to integrate higher density development within existing neighborhoods.

f.       Contact:  The project manager is Jay Johnson, 781-4573

3.     Community Design Model

a.     Status:      Underway

b.     Time Frame: September, 2012

c.     Description:  Create a computer model of zoning, subdivision and development standards and infrastructure and transportation needs.  The model will rapidly calculate the results of community design scenarios in terms of water demand, transportation and public facilities demands and greenhouse gas emissions.

d.     Public Involvement:  Given the lack of funding and the technical level and sophistication of the Community Design Model, public involvement will be limited to reviewing public comments received from the other grant-funded sustainable communities projects. 

e.     Relevant Strategic Growth Policies:  The model will provide a template of the essential features for strategically planned communities, and it will give feedback on land use and transportation scenarios to accomplish strategic growth.  It will assist in updating the Land Use Ordinance and Land Use Element to achieve strategically planned communities.  These communities will include a diversity of housing within neighborhoods that have conveniently located commercial areas, parks and recreation areas, and public spaces and facilities.  The model will also assist in expanding public education efforts about compact residential design and building.

f.       Contact:  The project manager is Jeff Legato, 781-5102 

4.     Illustrative Design Model

a.     Status:      Underway

b.     Time Frame: June, 2012

c.     Description:  Create computer simulations and “virtual tours” of higher-density development to illustrate how it could be designed to be compatible with local neighborhoods and consistent with strategic growth policies.

d.     Public Involvement:   Due to the technical nature of the Illustrative Design Model, public input will be incorporated from the comments on design received on the other grant-funded sustainable communities projects.

e.     Relevant Strategic Growth Policies:  The model will assist in continuing public education efforts about compact residential design and building.  It will illustrate how a range of housing types can be employed to develop compact neighborhoods that contain residential uses which are affordable-by-design and efficient in land and energy consumption.

f.       Contact:  The project manager is Chuck Stevenson, 781-5197 

5.     Land Use Economics Study

a.     Status:      Start in January, 2012

b.     Completion Date: June, 2012

c.     Description:  The project will identify potential economic, real estate and land use effects of possible measures to direct more growth from rural to unincorporated urban areas, as well as possible measures to encourage infill development in unincorporated communities.  This study will provide important information that will be used in the Land Use and Circulation Elements Update (LUCE), revisions to the Resource Management System and Growth Management Ordinance, and growth-related measures involved in implementation of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin Resource Capacity Study.

d.     Public Involvement:  The consultant will hold a public workshop to present preliminary findings and to receive public input.  The public will also have an opportunity to comment when the consultant presents the study's key findings at a Board of Supervisors meeting. 

e.     Relevant Strategic Growth Policies:  Aim to maintain rural areas in agriculture, low-intensity recreation, very low-density residential uses, and open space uses, which preserve and enhance a well-defined rural character.  Plan for most future development to be within existing and strategically planned cities and communities.

f.       Contact:  The project manager is Airlin Singewald, 781-5198

6.     Technical Studies for San Miguel Community Plan Update

a.     Status:      Requests for Proposals released

b.     Time Frame: Fall, 2012

c.     Description:  The San Miguel Community Plan will be a model for implementing the County’s strategic growth policies and SLOCOG’s Sustainable Communities Strategy.  The following studies will be essential in updating the Community Plan and preparing its Environmental Impact Report: 1) an economic strategy, 2) a public facilities financing plan, 3) a transportation study, and 4) a water study.

d.     Public Involvement:  Public input will be encouraged as part of the review of the San Miguel Community Plan. 

e.     Relevant Strategic Growth Policies:  Give highest priority to avoiding significant environmental impacts from development through site and project design.  Where such impacts cannot be avoided, minimize them to the maximum extent feasible.  Give high priority to funding needed infrastructure improvements in a timely manner within existing and strategically planned urban and village areas.  Avoid the use of public resources, services and facilities beyond their renewable capacities.

f.       Contact: The project manager is Michael Conger, 781-5136

Results

The Strategic Growth-related studies and projects will provide the information, tools and recommendations to help implement the County’s strategic growth policies. For example, the studies will help create strategically planned communities and complete other priority programs such as the Land Use and Circulation Elements Update and revisions to the Resource Management System and the Growth Management Ordinance.  The studies will also help implement strategic growth policies that are tailored to local conditions and public preferences.