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Item 7.01 - Grant Acceptance and San Antonio Visioning Process Update DATE: September 11, 2012 7. 1 CATEGORY: New Business COUNCIL REPORT DEPT.: Community Development TITLE: Grant Acceptance and San Antonio Visioning Process Update It CITY III MOUNTAIN VII w RECOMMENDATION 1. Authorize the City Manager or designee to accept the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Priority Development Area (PDA) $400,000 planning grant award and execute a funding agreement with MTC to develop an El Camino Real Precise Plan. 2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to accept the State of California Proposition 84 Sustainable Communities $503,000 planning grant award and execute a funding agreement with the State of California to develop a San Antonio Precise Plan, partially fund development of an El Camino Real Precise Plan, and fund consultant services for sustainability work in the North Bayshore Change Area and Zoning Code updates. 3. Create a new midyear Capital Improvement Project (CIP) for development of the El Camino Real Precise Plan and San Antonio Precise Plan and increase appropriations in the CIP by the amount of the grant awards. (Five votes required) 4. Appropriate and transfer $350,000 from the CIP Reserve to the new CIP to fund development of a San Antonio Precise Plan Environmental Impact Report and related technical studies. (Five votes required) BACKGROUND General Plan Action Plan On July 10, 2012, the City Council adopted the City's 2030 General Plan, including the companion General Plan Action Plan. Grant Acceptance and San Antonio Visioning Process Update September 11,2012 Page 2 of 5 The Council also directed staff to prioritize work on new precise plans for El Camino Real; continue work on the North Bayshore Precise Plan; defer work on the East Whisman TOD zoning update to be replaced by a new Precise Plan for the San Antonio Area; and begin work on a San Antonio Visioning Process. At this meeting, staff informed Council that at their first meeting in September, they would be presented with a status update on changes to planning grant funding necessary to prepare a San Antonio Precise Plan. ANALYSIS San Antonio Visioning Process The San Antonio Visioning Process is planned as a targeted community outreach process to provide information for the San Antonio Precise Plan work that will begin in 2013. The San Antonio Visioning Process will take place between September and December 2012. Staff has developed a scope of work for this work based on initial discussions between staff, several San Antonio neighborhood residents, and MIG, Inc. The scope of work and deliverables will include the following elements: • Neighborhood Engagement. Two neighborhood workshops will be held where community members can discuss their vision and planning ideas for the area. • Web Site. A project web site will allow community members to access project materials, provide input into the process, and receive project updates. • San Antonio Visioning Process Report. A final report will summarize the neighborhood's vision and ideas for improvement in the area, including strategy maps and diagrams. This report will be presented to the City Council in early 2013. The Environmental Planning Commission (EPC) will also receive a copy of this report. Staff proposes to use MIG, Inc., for this work based on their community outreach expertise, including their background knowledge of this area from their Mountain View General Plan work. This work will be paid using already budgeted professional consultant funds. Grant Acceptance and San Antonio Visioning Process Update September 11,2012 Page 3 of 5 Planning Grant Awards City staff previously submitted two grant applications to help fund General Plan implementation work in the El Camino Real, East Whisman, North Bayshore, and San Antonio Change Areas. The City was awarded these planning grants in late spring 2012. A breakdown of how these grant awards will be allocated is detailed below. Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Grant Award The City was awarded a $400,000 grant from MTC to fund a new El Camino Real Precise Plan and Environmental Impact Report. These funds will cover costs to develop a new Precise Plan and an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). This work is expected to be completed over an approximate two-year time frame, which will begin in early 2013. MTC requires that this work be completed within 30 months of entering into a formal contract with the City. State of California Proposition 84 Grant Award The City was awarded a $503,000 grant from the State of California to fund zoning updates and projects in the City's General Plan Change Areas that promote infill development and create more sustainable communities. These funds will cover costs for a new San Antonio Area Precise Plan, a portion of the El Camino Real Precise Plan work described above, sustainability projects in North Bayshore, and to fund minor Zoning Code updates. San Antonio Precise Plan The State has confirmed that this grant can be used to fund a new San Antonio Precise Plan. This work is planned to be completed over a two-year time frame, which will begin in early 2013. The State requires that this work be completed within 36 months of entering into a contract with the City. This grant cannot be used for CEQA studies. Therefore, staff recommends that the Council allocate $350,000 from the CIP Reserve to fund a San Antonio Precise Plan EIR, including any necessary technical studies. The Precise Plan would then include reimbursement language requiring new development in the Precise Plan area to reimburse the City for the costs of preparing the EIR. The exact costs for both the El Camino Real and San Antonio zoning updates and respective EIRs will be confirmed once the scopes of work are refined. Staff will then Grant Acceptance and San Antonio Visioning Process Update September 11,2012 Page 4 of 5 return to Council in October/November with a recommendation to enter into contracts with consultants for this work. North Bayshore Eco-District Study A portion of the Proposition 84 grant will be used to fund a consultant to help the City explore "eco-district" sustainability strategies for the North Bayshore Area. Eco-districts are a way to achieve greater sustainability at a district level through shared infrastructure projects. An example of an eco-district project in Mountain View is the City's North Bayshore "purple pipe" recycled water system that achieves greater sustainability at a scale beyond just individual buildings. The Portland Sustainability Institute (POST) is a national leader in this field and will serve as consultants to the City for this work. They will be tasked with helping area stakeholders and the City consider an eco-district strategy for North Bayshore, including forming a Sustainability Management Association (S.M.A.) for the area. The S.M.A. could bring together area stakeholders and property owners, including the City, to implement and manage district-wide sustainability projects such as operating an efficient and publicly accessible transit system. POSI may also provide a technical review of how district-wide infrastructure systems for North Bayshore could maximize sustainable use of water and energy resources. Zoning Code Updates A portion of the Proposition 84 grant funds will also be used to create new zoning standards that implement the General Plan's vision and goals regarding sustainability and health and wellness. Targeted Zoning Code updates will provide new development regulations for neighborhood shopping centers; land use and other standards to support health and wellness; and senior housing development standards. The Zoning Code update work is expected to begin in late 2013/early 2014. FISCAL IMPACT Development of new Precise Plans for the El Camino Real and San Antonio areas will be funded through planning grants from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the State of California (Proposition 84). An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for El Camino Real will also be funded through the MTC grant. As noted earlier, Proposition 84 funds cannot be used for an EIR for the San Antonio Precise Plan. To cover this funding shortfall, staff is recommending the City appropriate $350,000 from the CTP Reserve to fund this work, which may also include Grant Acceptance and San Antonio Visioning Process Update September 11,2012 Page 5 of 5 additional technical studies. The $350,000 will be repaid to the CIP Reserve from developer fees over time. It is also proposed that the cost for the San Antonio EIR would be recovered on a reimbursement basis as new development occurs according to a formula and amount that would be finalized as part of the adoption of the precise plan. CONCLUSION Based on Council acceptance of these grant awards, staff will return to the City Council in October/November with a recommendation to enter into contracts with consultants for the El Camino Real and San Antonio Precise Plan work. Staff will also enter into contracts with POST for the eco-district work and with MIG, Inc., for the San Antonio Visioning Process. The Zoning Code update work will begin in late 2013/2014. ALTERNATIVES 1. Do not fund the San Antonio Precise Plan EIR with the CIP Reserve, and defer work on developing a new San Antonio Precise Plan. Direct staff to modify the Proposition 84 work plan and budget terms with the State and eliminate the San Antonio Precise Plan as a grant task. 2. Provide any comments on the San Antonio Visioning Process and the proposed use of MTC and Proposition 84 grant funds. PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting. Prepared by: Approved by: Martin Alkire Daniel H. Rich Principal Planner City Manager Randal Tsuda Community Development Director MA-RT/7/CAM 891-09-11-12SR-E cc: Environmental Planning Commission APWD—Solomon City of Mountain View City Council Item 7.1: Grant Acceptance and San Antonio Visioning Process Update September 11,2012 Purpose • Acceptance of planning grant awards • Allocation of C.I.P. reserve funds 1■l■ General Plan Priority Actions • Defer East Whisman • El Camino/San Antonio Precise Plans • San Antonio Visioning 1 San Antonio Visioning Process • Two neighborhood meetings • Project website • Final report Planning Grant Awards • MTC-$400,000 • El Camino Real Precise Plan/EIR • Proposition 84-$503,000 • San Antonio/El Camino Real Precise Plan • North Bayshore eco-district • Zoning code updates Funding Request • San Antonio Precise Plan EIR • $350,000—C.I.P. Reserve • Precise Plan reimbursement language 2 Recommendation 1 Authorize the City Manager or designee to accept the Metropolitan Transportation Commission(MTC)Priority Development Area(PDA)8400,000 planning grant award and execute a funding agreement with MTC to develop an El Camino Real Precise Plan. 2. Authorize the City Manager or designee to accept the State of California Proposition 84 Sustainable Communities$503,000 planning grant award and execute a funding agreement with the State of California to develop a San Antonio Precise Plan,partially fund development of an El Camino Real Precise Plan,fund consultant services for sustainability work in the North Bayshore Change Area,and zoning code updates. quad, Recommendation 3. Create a mid-year C.I.P.for development of the El Camino Real Precise Plan and San Antonio Precise Plan and increase appropriations in the C.I.P.by the amount of the grant awards(five votes required). 4. Appropriate and transfer 8350,000 from the C.I.P.reserve to the new C.I.P.to fund development of a San Antonio Precise Plan Environmental Impact Report and related technical studies(five votes required). Next Steps • Kick-off San Antonio Visioning Process • City Council-November • Precise Plan consultant recommendation 3 Alternatives 1. Do not fund San Antonio Precise Plan EIR; defer work on San Antonio Precise Plan 2. Provide comments on San Antonio Visioning Process and use of grant funds 4 COPIES c.OD 5( 4i Li Great . • Stephen R. Friberg 129 Concord Circle Mountain View, CA 94040 September 10,2012 Honored Members Mountain View City Council 500 Castro Street Mountain View, CA 94041 Dear City Council Members: As a long-time resident of the Crossings residences next to the San Antonio Center in the north end of our city, I am writing to express my full support for the recommendations in the Grant Acceptance and San Antonio Visioning Process Update that will be voted on at the City Council meeting on Sept 11, 2012. I also write on behalf of the Greater Son Antonio Community Association as a member of its startup committee to express its support for the recommendations in this document.The Greater San Antonio Community Association looks forward to being an active participant in the Sari Antonio Visioning Process to take place over the remainder of the year(and perhaps extending to the first part of next year to ensure fuller community participation?) Residents of the areas surrounding the San Antonio Center have benefitted from the ready availability of shopping at the Center in the past. But the future could play out poorly—or it could play out well. For the latter, we require growth and development that maintains—and enhances—the livability and vitality of the wonderful and diverse Mountain View residential communities bordering San Antonio Center to its north,to its east, and to its south. Future growth and development, our neighbors have told us, should include retention of amenities such as the Milk Pail —a farmer's market that benefits all of Mountain View and its surrounding areas—as well as other cherished local businesses, should avoid the unsafe and sterile environments of office parks outside of weekday work hours, and must not create a daily traffic nightmare with an influx of thousands of cars onto already unsafe and overcrowded streets. September 10,2012 Page 2 Because Mountain View—by the very nature of its people, its work force, and its world-leading companies—is a city pointing the way to future,our vision for San Antonio Center should also point the way to the future. What do we want our city—and the potentially vibrant greater San Antonio area—to look like twenty years from now? Necessary and central aspects of a sound and realizable vision—good planning and active community participation—are included in recommendations to the City Council of Mountain View by Martin Alkire and Randal Tsuda of the Community Development Department. We strongly endorse it and urge its acceptance. Sincerely, Stephen R. Friberg