Title
GPZ090005 - MOSS LANDING COMMUNITY PLAN UPATE
Public workshop to finalize draft policy language in the following three areas of the Moss Landing Community Plan update: 1) Visual resources and community character; 2) Historic resources, and; 3) Tribal cultural & archaeological resources.
Project Location: North County Land Use Plan, Moss Landing Community Plan, Coastal Zone
Proposed CEQA action: Statutorily exempt per Section 15262 of the CEQA Guidelines
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Planning Commission:
a. Find that this workshop is a planning study for possible future action which the commission has not approved and qualifies as a Statutory Exemption per Section 15262 of the CEQA Guidelines;
b. Receive a presentation, and provide direction to staff on proposed policy language for the Moss Landing Community Plan update in the following three areas:
1. Visual resources and community character;
2. Historic resources; and
3. Tribal cultural & archaeological resources.
PROJECT INFORMATION:
Planning Fie Number: GPZ090005
APN: Multiple (Moss Landing Community)
Project Location: Moss Landing Community Plan boundary area
Plan Area: North County Land Use Plan
OVERVIEW:
This workshop is the first of a series that will be held over the coming months at the Planning Commission to develop final policy language for the Moss Landing Community Plan (MLCP) update. The most recent draft of the MLCP update was completed and circulated in 2017. The 2017 draft was never finalized or moved forward due to community concerns regarding their input not being fully addressed, as well as a significant loss in Planning Department staff.
In order to productively and efficiently navigate through these workshops, staff intends to focus conversation to specific policy areas only, rather than the discussing the entire MLCP update. Each policy area will eventually be discussed, but the workshops are intended to limit the conversation to a set agenda of topics. The policies intended for discussion at this workshop relate to:
1. Visual resources and community character;
2. Historic resources, and;
3. Tribal cultural & archaeological resources.
The Moss Landing Community Plan is one chapter of the North County Land Use Plan (LUP). The draft policies presented for discussion are supplemental to the policies in the North County Land Use Plan and must be implemented in conjunction with the other LUP policies. As such, staff is providing the existing North County Land Use Plan policies (Exhibit F) corresponding to the topics being discussed at this workshop. The remainder of the LUP is not being updated at this time. These workshops are intended to provide an additional forum for public participation in drafting the Plan as well as allow policy makers, staff, and the public to discuss policy language prior to finalization of the revised draft MLCP. After all policies have been finalized by the Planning Commission, staff will develop corresponding regulations (Coastal Implementation Plan-CIP) and prepare and circulate an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Once this process has been completed, the Draft Plan, CIP and Final EIR will be brought back to the Planning Commission for a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
The attached Discussion (Exhibit A) is meant to be the document that the policy discussion will work from. It has been structured to focus the dialogue on policy updates by each specific topic, similar to the Moss Landing Community Meeting format. It includes simplified versions of policy text laid out in matrices that compare draft policy language from the 2017 update, staff’s current recommendations, and community suggestions gathered at recent community meetings. Redlined matrices are also attached for reference (Exhibits B - D).
PLANNING COMMISSION DIRECTION:
Based on the suggested policy language presented, and discussions that will occur during the workshop, staff requests the Commission provide direction to finalize these policies. Ultimately, this direction will allow staff to return to the Commission with a revised final draft update of the MLCP in order to move forward with drafting the corresponding CIP and EIR.
CEQA:
This workshop is intended to seek input and direction from the Planning Commission to develop policy language that will be considered at a later stage by the Board of Supervisors and California Coastal Commission. This information gathering qualifies for a statutory exemption from environmental review pursuant to Section 15262, Feasibility and Planning Studies, of the CEQA Guidelines. Furthermore, the workshop, and its outcome, is not a project as defined in Section 15378. The policies being developed will be analyzed in an Environmental Impact Report being prepared for Community Plan update.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The following agencies had comments, and/or recommended modified language addressing the policy areas discussed at this workshop:
California Coastal Commission
Moss Landing Harbor District
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
California State Parks, Monterey District
Prepared by: Anna V. Quenga, Senior Planner, x5175
Shelly Glennon, Senior Planner, x5173
Mike Novo, Management Specialist x5176
Reviewed by: Christina McGinnis, RMA Planning Services Manager
Brandon Swanson, Interim Chief of RMA Planning
Approved by: John M. Dugan, FAICP, Deputy Director of Land Use and Community Development
The following attachments are on file with the RMA:
Exhibit A - Discussion
Exhibit B - Visual Resources & Community Character Policy Matrix
Exhibit C - Historic Resources Policy Matrix and Figure ML-15, Historical Resources
Exhibit D - Tribal Cultural & Archaeological Resources Policy Matrix
Exhibit E - Community Plan Boundary Map
Exhibit F - 2017 Draft Moss Landing Community Plan
Exhibit G - North County Land Use Plan
Exhibit H - 2009 Moss Landing Community Plan Update Committee Recommendations
cc: Front Counter Copy; Planning Commission; Supervisor Phillips; Katie Butler, California Coastal Commission; Brandon Swanson, Interim Chief of RMA Planning; Christina McGinnis, RMA Planning Services Manager; Mike Novo, Management Specialist; Shelly Glennon, Senior Planner; Anna V. Quenga, Senior Planner; Elkhorn Slough Foundation; Hamlin Properties, LLC; Moss Landing Harbor District; Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; San Jose State University Research Foundation (Attn: Moss Landing Marine Labs); Keith Family Investments LLC; Griggs Drilling; Haute Properties, LLC; Moss Landing Commercial Park, LLC dba Moss Landing Business Park (Attn: Nader Agha); Quin Delta, LLC; Phil DiGirolamo; Nancy Russell, FANS (Attn: Mari Kloeppel), Dale Ellis, Charlie Eadie, Paul Hart, Interested Parties; The Open Monterey Project (Attn: Molly Erickson); LandWatch (Attn: Executive Director); Project File GPZ090005.