HomeMy WebLinkAbout98-08 - Adopting General Plan Amendment GP-97-02ARESOLUTION NO. 98-8
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING GENERAL PLAN
AMENDMENT GP -97-02A AMENDING THE GENERAL
PLAN OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COSTA MESA DOES HEREBY
RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Costa Mesa adopted the 1990
General Plan by Resolution No. 92-27 on March 16, 1992; and
WHEREAS, the General Plan is a long-range, comprehensive document
which serves as a guide for the orderly development of Costa Mesa; and
WHEREAS, by its very nature, the General Plan needs to be updated and
refined to account for current and future community needs; and
WHEREAS, General Plan Amendment GP -97-02A designates 1239 Victoria
Street as Neighborhood Commercial on the 1990 General Plan Land Use Map and
makes appropriate changes to the text of the General Plan; and
WHEREAS, public hearings were held on October 13, December 8 and 22,
1997, by the Planning Commission, and by the City Council on January 19, 1998,
in accordance with Section 65355 of the Government Code of the State of
California, with all persons having been given the opportunity to be heard both for
and against said Amendment GP -97-02A to the General Plan; and
WHEREAS, this Council deems it to be in the best interest of the City that
said Amendment to the General Plan be adopted;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of
Costa Mesa that the General Plan is hereby amended by the adoption of General
Plan Amendment GP -97-02A that designates 1239 Victoria Street Neighborhood
Commercial on the Land Use Map and amends the text of the General Plan as set
forth in Exhibit A, which is attached to this resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an initial study was prepared, pursuant to
the California Environmental Quality Act, a Negative Declaration has been prepared
for said Amendment and is hereby adopted. Although the proposed project could
have a significant effect on the environment, according to the initial study and
negative declaration, which reflect the independent judgment of the City of Costa
Mesa, there will not be a significant effect on the environment because mitigation
measures have been added to the project. Additionally, the evidence in the record
as a whole indicates that the project will not individually or cumulatively have an
adverse effect on wildlife resources or habitat.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 19'' day of Jan
ATTEST:
I
Deputy City Cl k of the City of Costa Mesa
L0
Mayor of the City of
, PROVED AS TO FORM
CITYATTORNEY
l- -99
STATE OF CALIFORNIA)
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss
CITY OF COSTA MESA)
I, MARY T. ELLIOTT, Deputy City Clerk and ex -officio Clerk of the City
Council of the City of Costa Mesa, hereby certify that the above and foregoing
Resolution No. 98-8 was duly and regularly passed and adopted by the said City
Council at a regular meeting thereof held on the 19th day of January, 1998.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of
the City of Costa Mesa this 20th day of January, 1998.
T.
Deputy Cit Clerk and ex -officio Clerk of
the City Co cil of the City of Costa Mesa
EXHIBIT A
The text of the of the 1990 General Plan is amended as shown on the following pages.
TABLE 56: LAND USE DESIGNATIONS (L9974996)
Land Use
Residential Density
Floor Area Ratio'
Acres
Acres
Total Acres
% of City
Designation
DU/Acre*
Developed
Undeveloped
Low Density
<8
Same as Neighborhood
2,268.0
1.0
2,269.0
28.0
Residential
Commercial
Medium Density
512
Same as Neighborhood
774.9
43.3
818.2
10.1
Residential
Commercial
High Density
820**
Same as Neighborhood
809.2
46.0
855.2
10.6
Residential
Commercial
Commercial-
517.4
0.20/High Traffic
47.2
0.0
47.2
0.6
Residential
0.30/Moderate Traffic
0.40/Low Traffic
0.75Nery Low Traffic
Neighborhood
-
0.15/High Traffic
50.44"
0.5
50.949.1•
0.6
Commercial
0.25/Moderate Traffic
0.35/Low Traffic
0.75Nery Low Traffic
General Commercial
520
0.20/High Traffic
582.5
15.1
597.6
7.4
0.30/Moderate Traffic
0.40ILow Traffic
0.75Nery Low Traffic
Commercial Center
520
0.25/High Traffic
38.0
3.0
41.0
0.5
0.35/Moderate Traffic
0.45/Low Traffic
0.75Nery Low Traffic
Regional Commercial
820
0.652/0.89***
115.0
0.0
115.0
1.4
Urban Center
520
0.50 Retail
131.5
81.7
213.2
2.6
Commercial
0.60 Office
Industrial Park
520
0.20/High Traffic
674.5
69.0
743.5
9.2
0.30/Moderate Traffic
0.40/Low Traffic
0.75Nery Low Traffic
Light Industry
:520
0.15/High Traffic
381.4353-2
6.0
387.4389.2
4.8
0.25/Moderate Traffic
0.35/Low Traffic
0.75Nery Low Traffic
Public and Semi-
0.25
970.9
334.5
1,305.4
16.1
Public
Golf Course
-
<0.01
502.0
0.0
502.0
6.2
Fairgrounds
<0.10
150.0
0.0
1 150.0
1.9
TOTAL
7,495.5
600.1
8095.6
100.0
* Within the Medium and High Density Residential designation, existing residential units legally built in excess of the dwelling units per acre standard may
be rebuilt at the same higher density subject to other zoning code standards. The allowable density or number of units to be redeveloped would
be limited to the 1990 General Plan density with a 25% incentive bonus for Medium Density or a 50% incentive bonus for High Density; or the
existing number of units, whichever is less.
** See High Density Residential text regarding an area in North Costa Mesa where the density allowance is 25 to 35 DU/acre.
***See Regional Commercial text.
346-1
Commercial Areas
Commercial use is indicated for 13.1 percent of the City's land area.
This percentage is a significant increase over the City's earliest
estimates of commercial potential. This increase is largely the result
of the fact that Costa Mesa's retail commercial areas have grown to
accommodate more than local needs, serving a substantial portion of the
region.
The 1,0651, 63 acres designated for commercial uses contain approxi-
mately 9.7 million square feet of commercial space. These uses are
spread throughout the City, divided into six commercial use
designations; there is also one mixed use designation (Commercial -
Residential). South Coast Plaza contains the largest single
concentration of retail uses in the City. It accounts for 30 percent of
the City's commercial square footage and 25 percent of the retail sales.
Within this same area, the development in the Town Center district
contains 20 percent of the City's office space.
The Harbor Boulevard commercial district encompasses almost one-third of
Costa Mesa's commercial land. Designated by the General Plan as General
Commercial with some Neighborhood Commercial, this district is
responsible for a significant 40 percent of retail sales, indicating
that Harbor Boulevard's trade area is of regional, rather than local
scale. A major factor for this regional -service area is the
concentration of new car dealerships on Harbor Boulevard.
The 92 -acre East Seventeenth Street commercial district contains a
variety of retail commercial uses of generally less intensity than those
found on Harbor Boulevard. One-tenth of the City's retail sales is
attributable to East Seventeenth Street businesses.
The above three commercial areas are responsible for 75 percent of
retail sales. The Newport Boulevard commercial area is responsible for
7 percent of retail sales.
Industrial Areas
Industrial use is indicated for 1,133 1 acres of land in Costa Mesa
(Table 57). These uses are primarily concentrated in three major
districts: the Southwest District, the Airport Industrial Area, and the
North Costa Mesa Industrial District. The Southwest District is the
City's oldest industrial areas and the two other areas are more recently
developed industrial parks located in the northwest and northeast
sections of the City.
The Southwest District contains 340 acres of the City's land designated
for Light Industry. This represents 87 percent of the 389 acres
designated for such use. This area contained a substantial amount of
industrial development before the City was formed. The area contains
several large manufacturing firms as well as a higher percentage of
smaller industrial operations,
347
The remaining 4-3 47 acres of industrial land are designated for Light
Industrial uses and are located in five smaller pockets in various
sections of the City. These areas are generally characterized' by small
parcels in areas which were designated as industrial by the City's
original Master Zoning Plan in accordance with the existing uses.
TABLE 57: INDUSTRIAL AREAS (199$7)
Industrial Area General Plan Total Acres
Southwest Light Industry 340
Airport Industrial Park 370
North Industrial Park 374
Other Light Industry 44 47
TOTAL 1,13-31
Public and Semi -Public Areas
Costa Mesa contains an unusually high percentage of land designated as
Public and Semi -Public. A total of 1,305 acres in the City and its
sphere of influence has been specified for public and quasi -public use.
When combined with the similar Golf Course designation and Fairgrounds
designation, these uses constitute a large percentage of the City.
This high proportion is primarily the result of past actions of various
governmental entities. The development of the Santa Ana Army Air Base
during World War II was the first major land acquisition by a
governmental agency. This site has since been divided, remaining mostly
in public ownership. The current public or quasi -public users of the
site are: Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa High School, Davis Middle
School, Presidio Elementary School, TeWinkle Park, the National Guard
Armory, Orange County Fairgrounds, Civic Center Park, City Hall, and
Southern California College.
A second major land acquisition by the State also preceded the formation
of the City, and was responsible for the public ownership of Fairview
Developmental Center, the Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club, and the
Fairview Regional Park. In 1950, 750 acres had been acquired for a
State mental institution. Today the Fairview Developmental Center
occupies 111 acres of the original site. The ownership of the Golf
Course and most of Fairview Park belong to the City. Acquisitions by
the City and County have expanded this area of public land to include
the Talbert Regional Park Site adjacent to the Santa Ana River and the
adjoining City Canyon Park.
Three golf courses exist within Costa Mesa and its sphere of influence.
The previously mentioned Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club is the only
one of the three which is open to the public. The two remaining golf
courses are private.
349
TABLE 59: LAND USE ELEMENT COMPARISON
Cities
Residential
Commercial
Industrial
Public
Other
osta Mesa
3,943 ac.
1,605463 ac.
1,1314-,-133 ac.
1,305 ac.
652 ac.'
49%
13%
14%
16%
8%
Newport Beach
3,490 ac.
987 ac.
185 ac.
4,350' ac.
38 ac.
38.5%
11%
2%
48%
0.5%
Huntington Beach
10,559 ac.
1,000 ac.
1,328 ac.
3,466 ac.
641 ac.'
62%
6%
8%
20%
4%
Fountain Valley
3,040 ac.
361 ac.
450 ac.
1,163 ac.
101 ac.
59%
7%
9%
9%
2%
Santa Ana
9,248 ac.
3,031 ac.
3,452 ac.
1,626 ac.
116 ac.
53%
17%
20%
9%
1%
Irvine
17,593 ac.
2,385 ac.
6,331 ac.
23,967° ac.
198 ac.
35%
5%
12.5%
47%
0.5%
1 - Golf Course and Fairgrounds
2 - Includes beach front open space
3 - Planning Reserve, Planned Community, Mixed Use
4 - Includes military base, open space and institutional.
352
Balance of Industrial and Commercial Uses
Since 1980, the amount of commercial acreage has increased while
industrial acreage has slightly declined.
Commercial Acreage Industrial Acreage
1980 929 ac. (11%) 1,264 ac. (15%)
1997-6 1,0651,063 ac. (13%) 1,131-3 ac. (14%)
In addition, the percentage of undeveloped industrial acreage has
decreased from 27.5% in 1980 to 6.6% in 1990. This is comparable
to 9.4% of commercial land which is undeveloped.
Current marketplace interest is in high-tech industrial parks and
interest is moving away from structures designed for light
manufacturing. The high-tech industrial developments are often
more similar to an office use than a traditional manufacturing
use. This has implications, among other things, for parking
requirements and estimates of traffic generation and employment.
There is also increasing marketplace pressure to utilize
industrial areas for commercial uses due to lower land costs,
product costs, etc. If the trend continues, the balance between
commercial and industrial uses may change significantly.
Costa Mesa has established commercial areas, notable along the
major arterials, the South Coast Metro Area (north of the I-405),
and the Redevelopment Area (in the vicinity of Harbor Boulevard
and 19th Street),,which could be negatively impacted by the
expansion of commerial uses into industrial zones. If commercial
users are allowed to use the less expensive industrial space, the
commercial zones may then begin to deteriorate as vacancy rates in
commercial buildings increase.
LAND USE CONSTRAINTS
Often, the full impact of certain land use constraints is not felt
until an area is built to or near the limits of the General Plan
designation. Individual projects may not present problems, but
the cumulative effect of several developments at a specific
intensity could prove excessive. The different types of
constraints, along with their impacts and appropriate mitigations,
are discussed in the following sections.
Flood Hazards
Approximately 1,725 acres of northern and western Costa Mesa are
within a Flood Hazard Area as determined by the Federal Insurance
Administration. Thus, in a 100 -year flood it is anticipated that
17 percent of the City will be subject to at least 1 foot of
flooding. This constraint requires consideration of the types of
uses appropriate for areas subject to flooding. The flooding
depths in the 100 -year flood will range from 1 to 7 feet. Thus,
if development is to be allowed in the Flood Hazard Area, the
toleration of the uses to inundation must be considered.
353