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Home My WebLink AboutMinutes - October 20, 2020 SSLODI CITY COUNCIL SHIRTSLEEVE SESSION CARNEGIE FORUM, 305 WEST PINE STREET TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2020 An Informal Informational Meeting ("Shirtsleeve" Session) of the Lodi City Council was held Tuesday, October 20, 2020, commencing at 7:04 a.m. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to Executive Order N-29-20, all Council Members participated in the meeting via teleconference and the meeting was available for viewing by the public via livestream at https://www.facebook.com/CityofLodi/ and https://zoom.us/s/99156688900?pwd=MThFM09HbXdYQzkxMXpYdzJJb2gzQT09; the opportunity for public comment was available through councilcomments@lodi.gov and https://zoom.us/s/99156688900?pwd=MThFM09HbXdYQzkxMXpYdzJJb2gzQT09. Present: Council Member Chandler, Council Member Mounce, Mayor Pro Tempore Nakanishi, and Mayor Kuehne Absent: None Also Present: City Manager Schwabauer, City Attorney Magdich, and City Clerk Cusmir Community Development Director John Della Monica and Planner Paul Junker provided a PowerPoint presentation regarding the Growth Allocation Program. Specific topics of discussion included history of Lodi Growth Allocation, major features, ways the process serves the City, recent process changes, staff recommendations, preliminary City Council review of Tentative Maps, concurrent review of Growth Allocation and maps, expiration of unused allocations, point system, priority development areas, encouragement of higher density residential development, quality development - Growth Allocations vs. strong Development Standards, and next steps. Staff and Council engaged in detailed discussion regarding the process to expire Growth Allocations, the current point system, and the allocations for low, medium, and high-density development. John Beckman provided public comment, stating that developers have been advocating for objective standards. Mr. Beckman said he supported the three-year rolling expiration of allocations, if applied objectively to low, medium, and high-density development and eliminating the point system and replacing it with a quality objective system. Mr. Beckman spoke about the roles of the Planning Commission and the Site Plan and Architectural Review Committee in the development process and some of the problems developers face during the initial review of development plans by City Council, not only locally but also throughout the state. Mr. Beckman stated his support for considering broader changes to the General Plan and zoning to require a wide variety of densities in neighborhoods and future developments. Mr. Beckman asked Council not to consider connecting the allocation of high density to allocations for low and medium density. Council gave staff direction to design a process that allows the City Council to review early map design at Shirtsleeve Sessions moving forward, have Growth Allocations go with the map to the A.Roll Call by City Clerk B. Topic(s) B-1 Receive Presentation and Provide Staff Direction for Amending the Growth Management Allocation Procedures (CD) 1 Planning Commission for review and for the map and Growth Allocations to come before Council for final approval, to expire Growth Allocations on a three-year basis, and to explore updating or amending the point system, and to discuss the point system at a future meeting. None. No action was taken by the City Council. The meeting was adjourned at 8:14 a.m. C. Comments by Public on Non-Agenda Items D.Adjournment ATTEST: Jennifer Cusmir City Clerk 2 Shirtsleeve Session: Discussion and Council Direction Regarding Growth Allocation Program October 20, 2020 OVERVIEW Purpose of Meeting •Brief history of Growth Allocation •Benefits of Growth Allocation •Issues raised by Council and staff •Staff’s recommendations for changes to the Growth Allocation process •Provide direction to staff on the procedures for reviewing and approving Growth Allocations City Council Shirtsleeve OVERVIEW History of Lodi Growth Allocation •Late 1980s: Rapid growth in the county, concerns about Lodi community character •Growth Management Program established in 1991 with adoption of Ordinance No. 1521 •Resolution No. 91-170: Point system for evaluating competitive Growth Allocation applications •Resolution No. 91-171: Procedures for the review of Growth Allocation applications City Council Shirtsleeve OVERVIEW Major Features of Growth Allocation: •Restrict population growth to 2% per year (based on prior year’s population) •Establishes procedures for review of Growth Allocations and Tentative Maps •Establishes submittal materials for Growth Allocation applications •Priority Development Areas (Map) •Points System for review of projects City Council Shirtsleeve OVERVIEW How the Growth Allocation Process Serves the City •Matches capacity of public facilities to the demand created by future development •Directs new development to appropriate locations •Promotes a mix of residential densities •Encourages high quality development City Council Shirtsleeve OVERVIEW Recent Process Changes Approx. 2014: Council directed staff to make changes to the Growth Allocation process: •Eliminated requirement that all Growth Allocation applications are heard once each year in November •Allowed tentative maps to be considered with Growth Allocation applications These changes expired in 2020 City Council Shirtsleeve OVERVIEW Council Discussion June 3, 2020 •Extended the process changes enacted in 2014 through December 31, 2020 •Directed staff to return with a more comprehensive review of the Growth Allocation program before end of year City Council Shirtsleeve OVERVIEW Staff Recommendations: •The Growth Allocation process in its current form generally works well •Current process, with adjustments, can be formalized through revisions to Resolutions No. 91-170 and No. 91-171 •Staff’s recommendations to ensure the proper functioning of the Growth Allocation process follow … City Council Shirtsleeve POTENTIAL CHANGES Preliminary City Council review of Tentative Maps •Council recently completed a preliminary review of a Growth Allocation/Tent. Map •Preliminary reviews are an informal practice, not required by ordinance or resolution •Council comments during recent a subdivision review suggest Council a majority of Council does not wish to conduct preliminary reviews Staff Recommendation: Based on recent Council direction, preliminary review by the Council should not continue City Council Shirtsleeve POTENTIAL CHANGES Concurrent review of Growth Allocation and Tentative Map •Current practice (expiring December 31) allows GA and subdivision to process concurrently. •Streamlines the review of project applications •Requires applicants to submit a single, complete application for PC review of Growth Allocation and Maps •Council has complete information and PC recommendation when considering Growth Allocation Staff Recommendation: Continue allowing concurrent processing of GA and subdivision map City Council Shirtsleeve POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS Expire Unused Allocations? •Current regulations allow unused allocations to roll over for later use (potentially exceeding 2% annual growth in any given year) Staff Recommendations: •Allow only Medium Density and High Density residential allocations to carry over, and •Establish 3-year expiration on rollover allocations, and •Council reviews all rollover allocations every 3 years City Council Shirtsleeve POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS Revise or Eliminate Points System •Current points system is focused on infrastructure capacity •Does not ensure “quality” projects •Used only when requests exceed available allocations •Points system has not been applied to projects in recent years City Council Shirtsleeve POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS Points System (cont.) Staff Recommendation: •Eliminate the points system, based on its lack of use even during periods of robust growth Alternatives: •Expand the points system to include “quality” requirements (parks, open spaces, etc.) •Establish a minimum score and require points review for all Growth Allocation requests City Council Shirtsleeve POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS Priority Development Areas •General Plan identifies Priority Development Areas and emphasizes but does not require that growth occur in conformance with Priority Areas phasing Staff Recommendation: •Review and possibly update Priority Areas prior to the annexation of new growth areas •2% annual cap may also need to be reviewed for new growth areas City Council Shirtsleeve POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS Encourage Higher Density Residential? General Plan policy suggests, but does not require, that allocations be divided among a range of housing densities. Staff Recommendation: •Consider connecting the allocation of high density each year to allocations for low and medium density (require a mix) •Consider broader changes to General Plan and Zoning to require variety of densities in neighborhoods in future developments City Council Shirtsleeve POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS Final Notes: Quality Development: Growth Allocations vs. Strong Development Standards •The Growth Allocation process is not the only tool for assuring quality development •City development standards guide the quality and character of development •State laws requires specific and objective standards for certain housing projects •Following Growth Allocation adjustments, staff will propose development standard updates City Council Shirtsleeve NEXT STEPS Next Steps •Staff responds to tonight’s Council direction •Planning Commission Discussion/Comment - November 2020 •Council Amendment of the Growth Allocation Process –December 2020 or Early 2021 •Development Standards Updates –2021 City Council Shirtsleeve COUNCIL DIRECTION City Council Discussion and Direction City Council Shirtsleeve