LAND USE
The General Plan identifies the City’s vision as to the type of land use or uses appropriate for each property within the city. Zoning implements this vision by listing the allowable uses and providing development standards for each land use category.
The December 16, 2003 General Plan update provides significant refinements to the Land Use Element, including: The key features of the General Plan update can be summarized as follows:
- A focus on “infill development” in the form of both “Mixed
Use” and higher density multi-family development areas would
provide more affordable housing opportunities;
- Infill locations are designed to distribute the locations of
increased multi-family residential densities and to place these
land uses in proximity to arterial streets, public transit, and,
when possible, convenience shopping.
- The locations for multi-family densities are consistent with
continued discussions during the General Plan update process,
including but not limited to Council direction on 10/21/03.
- A “Senior Housing Overlay” would provide an additional
incentive for investment in the area north of 24th Street
without increasing the concentration of housing for lower-income
families;
- A “Historic Preservation” overlay is proposed for a
significant part of the west side of the Downtown Area;
- The Salinas River Corridor is also shown as an overlay for
future study and consideration of land use and facility
alternatives designed to preserve habitat and at the same time
maximize public use and improvement of the corridor;
- Physical expansion of the City through 2025 is limited to
about 511 acres in the southeast area of the City (generally
located between Our Town and Creston Road, along the eastern
City boundary); these areas are proposed to be planned under the
Specific Plan process before any development entitlements are
approved;
- Policies support longer term physical boundaries of the City being formed by a “Purple Belt”. Boundaries for this “Purple Belt would consist of existing development patterns (e.g. Hunter Ranch Golf Course, the County portions of the Chandler Ranch) being supplemented by City acquisition of Agriculture / Open Space easements beyond 2025 projected City boundaries.
As a result of these and other policy directions provided by the City Council on December 16, 2003, the following implementation steps can be anticipated:
- Mixed Use Zoning Overlay to be established (providing an
opportunity for combinations of land uses and also multifamily
residential in and around the downtown core area once
development standards are formulated and adopted by City
Council). Mixed use designations are found south of 24th Street
on the City’s west side and at the southeast quadrant of Niblick
and South River Roads;
- Senior Housing Zoning Overlay to be established (allows
consideration of senior housing on commercially designated
properties north of 24th Street on the City’s west side, subject
to Council adoption of development standards);
- Historic Preservation Zoning Overlay to be established
(applies to areas west of Spring Street with the intent of
preserving the neighborhood character). Development standards
are to be considered for adoption;
- Salinas River Planning Corridor Zoning Overlay to be
established;
- High Density Multi-Family Zoning designations will be
proposed, which would allow consideration of up to 20 dwelling
units per acre, in locations designated in the General Plan and
subject to Council adoption of development standards;
- “Fiscal Neutrality” (assurances that development of new land
uses, especially residential, will incorporate mitigation
measures that will insure that the City receives revenues that
equal or exceed the cost of providing facilities and services;
- The City’s population would be capped at 44,000 in the year 2025 through adoption of the Moderate Growth scenario of the General Plan.
Additional
Borkey Area Specific Plan
Chandler Ranch Specific Plan
Union 46 Specific Plan