Title
GPZ090005 - MOSS LANDING COMMUNITY PLAN UPATE
Public workshop to finalize draft language for transportation policies in the Moss Landing Community Plan update.
Project Location: North County Land Use Plan, Moss Landing Community, 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. The Planning Commission is not approving final policy language as part of the workshops, so the action qualifies as a Statutory Exemption per Section 15262 of the CEQA Guidelines;
b. Receive a presentation, take public testimony, and provide direction to staff on proposed language for transportation policies in the Moss Landing Community Plan update.
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 third of a series that will be held over the coming months at the Planning Commission to develop draft policy language for the Moss Landing Community Plan (MLCP) update prior to preparing draft implementing regulations and a Draft Environmental Impact Report. The workshops that have previously taken place include the following:
- January 4, 2019 - Visual Resources & Community Character and Historical, Cultural, & Archaeological Resources Policies
- January 30, 2019 - Public Transit, Rails, Noise and Public Access & Recreation Policies (The workshop on Public Access & Recreation Policies was continued to a subsequent Planning Commission workshop).
Consistent with the presentation of the first and second workshops, staff will focus on transportation policies rather than discussing the entire MLCP update policies. However, pursuant to direction from the Planning Commission on January 30, 2019, staff is providing more background information and/or visual aids that better assist in review of the policies.
The Moss Landing Community Plan is Chapter 5 of the North County Land Use Plan (LUP). The draft policies of the Moss Landing Community Plan Update that are presented will replace the existing policies within Chapter 5 of the North County LUP. The Moss Landing Community Plan Update draft policies are supplemental to North County Land Use Plan Policies and therefore must be implemented in conjunction with all other North County LUP policies. As such, staff is providing the existing North County Land Use Plan policies (Exhibits C and H) corresponding to the topics being discussed at this workshop. The remainder of the LUP is not being updated at this time. Staff is also providing related policies from the existing Moss Landing chapter of the North County Land Use Plan (Exhibit D).
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 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 a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Once this process has been completed, the Draft Plan, CIP and a Final EIR will be brought to the Planning Commission for a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
The attached Discussion (Exhibit A) describes the policies, community input, and other information for the Commission to consider prior to providing direction to staff. 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 draft policy text laid out in matrices that compare draft policy language from the 2017 update, staff’s current recommendations, and community suggestions and comments gathered at recent community meetings. The Transportation Policy matrix showing text changes through the community input process are also attached for reference (Exhibit B).
Staff’s current recommendation is typically based on several factors including: community input (i.e. from the Community Meetings and written comments received), existing policies and regulations, the Moss Landing Community Plan Committee Recommendations from 2009, and all other applicable data/information received from other sources, agencies and/or stakeholders. Overall, staff makes recommendations with the entire community in mind as well as the process in which the policy can be implemented.
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 draft policies. This direction will allow staff to complete a final draft update of the MLCP in order to move forward with drafting the corresponding CIP and EIR. Upon completion, staff will bring the entire package to the Planning Commission for public hearing(s) to make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
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 CEQA Guidelines Section 15262, Feasibility and Planning Studies. Furthermore, the workshop, and its outcome, is not a project as defined in Section 15378. The policies being developed will be analyzed as a portion of the project description in an Environmental Impact Report being prepared for the Community Plan update.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The following agencies had comments, and/or recommended modified language addressing the policy area presented for this workshop:
California Coastal Commission
Moss Landing Harbor District
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
California State Parks, Monterey District
RMA-Public Works and Facilities
Monterey-Salinas Transit
CalTrans
Transportation Agency for Monterey County
Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
Prepared by: Anna V. Quenga, Senior Planner, x5175
Shelly Glennon, Senior Planner, x5173
Mike Novo, Management Specialist x5176
Reviewed by: Craig Spencer, Interim 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 provided:
Exhibit A - Discussion
Exhibit B - Transportation Policy Matrix
Exhibit C - 1982 North County Land Use Plan Transportation Policies
Exhibit D - 1982 Moss Landing Community Plan Circulation Policies
Exhibit E - Moss Landing Community Plan Boundary Map
Exhibit F - Moss Landing Community Plan Circulation Map
Exhibit G - 2017 Draft Moss Landing Community Plan (<http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/home/showdocument?id=46526>)
Exhibit H - North County Land Use Plan (<http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-i-z/resource-management-agency-rma-/planning/land-use-regulations>)
Exhibit I - 2009 Moss Landing Community Plan Update Committee Recommendations (<https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/home/showdocument?id=47416>)
cc: Front Counter Copy; Planning Commission; Supervisor Phillips; Katie Butler, California Coastal Commission; Brandon Swanson, Interim Chief of RMA Planning; Mike Novo, Management Specialist; Shelly Glennon, Senior Planner; Anna V. Quenga, Senior Planner; John Olejnik, CalTrans; Stephen Bachman, California State Parks, Monterey District; Lisa Rheinheimer, Monterey-Salinas Transit; Transportation Agency for Monterey County; Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments; 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.