HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 96-36 RESOLUTION NO. 96-36
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA,
APPROVING GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. 94-2,
THE COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE OF THE GENERAL PLAN
WHEREAS, General Plan Amendment No. 94-2 is a request to provide a
comprehensive, citywide update of the City of Huntington Beach General Plan and to
revise pertinent maps in regard to General Plan Land Use designations in the City; and
The City Council desires to update and refine the General Plan in keeping with
changing community needs and objectives; and
General Plan Amendment No. 94-2 is necessary to accomplish a comprehensive
update of the General Plan that will incorporate new laws and requirements set forth by
the State and to provide consistency between all elements of the General Plan; and
The City Council finds that the update of the General Plan will eliminate or
substantially lessen all significant effects on the environment, where feasible, as shown in
the findings under Section 15091 of the CEQA guidelines, and the City Council has
determined that any remaining significant effects on the environment found to be
unavoidable under Section 15091 are acceptable due to overriding concerns as described
in Section 15093 of the CEQA Guidelines; and
The City Council further finds that the benefits gained by the City and its current
and future residents by virtue of implementing the goals and policies of the proposed
General Plan override the unmitigable effects detailed in Environmental Impact Report 94-
1, and the Statement of Overriding Considerations, attached hereto as Exhibit"A" and by
this incorporated by this reference as though fully set forth herein; and
The City Council finds that the 96 changes to land use designations as described in
General Plan Amendment No. 94-2 will be compatible with surrounding land uses; and
General Plan Amendment No. 94-2 includes revisions to the land use designation
map in the City which reflect amendments to the current land use designations; and
Public hearings regarding the adoption of General Plan Amendment No. 94-2 were
held by the Huntington Beach Planning Commission on July 18 and 25, August 8 and 22,
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September 12 and 26, October 10 and 24, November 14 and 28, and December 12, 1995,
and the Planning Commission recommended its adoption to the City Council; and
Thereafter the City Council, after giving notice as prescribed by Government_Code
Sections 65355 and 65090, held public hearings on March 25, April 22, and May 13, 1996
to consider the adoption of General Plan Amendment 94-2; and
At said Planning Commission and the City Council hearings, all persons desiring to
be heard on said Amendment were heard,
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach does
hereby resolve as follows:
1. That pursuant to the provisions of Title 7, Chapter 3, Article 6 of the
California Government Code, commencing with Section 65350, General Plan Amendment
94-2, the comprehensive update of the Huntington Beach General Plan, a copy of which is
attached hereto as Exhibit `B" and incorporated by this reference as though fully set forth
herein, is hereby approved and adopted.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Huntington Beach
ad 'o rued
at a rej uPar meeting held on the 13tOay of May , 1996.
Mayor
ATTEST: APPROVED AS TO FORM:
4 . r -�2&�
City Clerk orney
WN 14
REV AND APPROVED: INITIATED AND APPROVED:
City Administrator ;7
Director of C unity Development
Attachments: Exhibit A: Statement of Overriding Considerations
Exhibit B: General Plan Amendment No. 94-2
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Exhibit A
Environmental Impact Report No. 94-1
FINAL .'
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT REPORT
EIR NO. 94-1
DATED 5113/95
( NOT ATTACHED
COPIES AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICE
OF THE CITY CLERK
(g:lgenp1nlgpatch2)
A._3(a
EXHIBIT "A"
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT NO. 94-1
SUMMARY OF/AND STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS
In order to make a decision whether to approve a project that will have an adverse environmental
impact, the benefits of the proposed project must be balanced against its unavoidable, significant
adverse impacts_ If the benefits of a proposed project outweigh the unavoidable adverse
environmental effects, the adverse effects may be considered acceptable (State CEQA Guidelines,
Section 15093 (a)). Benefits from a project are defined as those improvements or gains to the
community that would not occur without the proposed project. The benefits from adopting the
General Plan are preliminary based on the higher quality community environment that will exist as
the City develops under the new Plan.
This EIR has identified that the General Plan would result in significant unavoidable adverse
impacts for three environmental issue areas, regardless of implementation of the proposed policies
and/or mitigation measures. These environmental issue areas are: Transportation/Circulation, Air
Quality, and Noise. Therefore, the City of HB must make a Statement of Overriding
Considerations in order to adopt the General Plan.
Transportation/Circulation
Policy LU 2.1.2 requires that the type, amount, and location of development.be correlated with
the provision of adequate supporting infrastructure and public services. This policy should ensure
that implementation of the Circulation Plan, the TDM/TSM strategies and the proposed
mitigation measures described in the EIR would occur and thus the potential impacts of the
General Plan buildout can be avoided in most cases. However, there are no feasible roadway
improvements that can reduce significant impacts along Pacific Coast Highway from north of
Beach Boulevard to south of Brookhurst Street. Furthermore, because Pacific Coast Highway is
a regional transportation route as well as attractive to tourist travel, the proposed TDM/TSM
strategies and transit policies may not be effective enough in this location so as to completely
mitigate the significant impact along the identified roadway segment. Furthermore, the indirect
land use impacts associated with re-classification of certain roadway segments would be
unavoidable. Therefore, the traffic impacts of the General Plan are considered to be significant
and unavoidable (Class I), requiring a Statement of Overriding Considerations to adopt the
General Plan.
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Air Quality
The level of development permitted under the General Plan would inevitably result in an increase
in emissions concentrations which already exceed State and Federal standards. Although
implementation of the General Plan's air quality element would serve to minimize this increase,
the presence of CO(carbon monoxide) hotspots at busy traffic intersections may never be fully
mitigated. Consequently, air quality impacts are considered to be significant and unavoidable
(Class I), requiring a Statement of Overriding Considerations to adopt the General Plan.
Noise
With implementation of the General Plan, an inevitable increase in ambient noise levels would
occur. The General Plan includes policies and programs which, if implemented, would minimize
the increase to the greatest extent possible. However, the effectiveness of certain policies may be
limited, particularly those relating to retrofitting of existing uses to protect against future noise
increases. Because existing uses may not be fully protected from future ambient noise levels, the
noise impacts of the General Plan are considered to be potentially significant and unavoidable
(Class 1), requiring a Statement of Overriding Considerations to adopt the General Plan.
As previously noted, in order to make a decision whether to approve a project that will have an
adverse environmental impact, the benefits of the proposed project must be balanced against its
unavoidable, significant adverse impacts. If the benefits of a proposed project outweigh the
unavoidable adverse environmental effects, the adverse effects may be considered acceptable
(State CEQA Guidelines, Section 15093 (a)).
The sections below briefly describe the most important benefits identified as a result of adopting
the General Plan as proposed.
1. The proposed project will benefit the City and its residents and will outweigh the
significant adverse environmental effects which remain after the project's mitigation
measures are implemented.
2. The General Plan requires the preparation of a comprehensive historic resources survey
and a preservation ordinance that will help to preserve historic and archaeological
resources. Retention and protection of the City's early built environment will create a
recognizable identity and a source of community pride.
3. The General Plan requires the preparation of a public art ordinance and a cultural master
plan that will encourage public and private sector involvement and promote cultural
projects and activities throughout the city.
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4. The General Plan provides for the development of a variety of housing types to meet the
needs of all segments of society by establishing programs for the provision of affordable
housing, the preservation and improvement of existing housing, and a provision for the
development of housing for people with special needs.
5. The General Plan provides for the linkage of new development with available and
expanded infrastructure and services including streets, transit, sewers, water, storm
drainage, energy, and communication. The timing of development will be phased with the
provision of necessary infrastructure/service improvements.
6. The Circulation Element of the General Plan provides policies and programs designed to
provide a transportation network with adequate capacity to accommodate proposed
buildout, including mechanisms to monitor and maintain acceptable traffic conditions.
7. The General Plan will ease the potential effects of traffic, equipment, construction and
other noise sources through policies that require the installation of mitigation measures of
many different means to ensure that noise levels are maintained within City noise
standards.
S. The General Plan requires the preparation of a Geological Hazards Ordinance which will
ensure that critical or sensitive facilities or high occupancy facilities will not be allowed to
locate within a certain predetermined distance from an active or potentially active fault.
9. The General Plan contributes to the health and safety of the residents of the City by
providing city-wide programs for disaster preparedness and recovery planning in the event
of a major earthquake, fire, flood or other disaster.
10. The General Plan provides for the completion of surveys that will identify and map the
existing environmental resources within the city which will aide in the review and approval
of future development projects and the preservation of significant resources pursuant to
the standards set forth in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
11. The General Plan provides programs emphasizing proper management of hazardous
materials, siting of facilities, and effectiveness of emergency response in order to protect
the residents of Huntington Beach and the environment from damages resulting from
improper handling or storage of hazardous materials.
12. The General Plan will improve the quality of life for the residents of Huntington Beach
through implementation of the policies pertaining to upgrading police and fire services,
civic institutions and cultural facilities, library services, education and their
interrelationship with the other elements of the Plan. This City will become a safer and
more desirable place for families and individuals to reside and will provide families and
individuals increased opportunities to further their participation in civic, cultural and
educational events.
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13. The General Plan requires the implementation of comprehensive streetscape improvement
plans that will specify all potential improvements for projects within the public rights-of-
way, including design concepts and design criteria for median and parkway landscape,
sidewalk elements including street furniture, and public signage, including gateway entry
identification signage which will help to establish and strengthen community identity.
14. The General Plan requires the approval of an Economic Development Strategy, Edinger
Corridor Study and an Economic Opportunities and Constraints Study to set forth goals
and policies for improving the fiscal stability of the City and to provide for economic
opportunities for the City's residents, business retention and expansion, and marketing of
the positive aspects of Huntington Beach.
The City of Huntington Beach finds that the unavoidable risks of this project are acceptable when
balanced against the benefits of this project for the reasons set forth above.
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Exhibit B:
General Plan Amendment No. 94-2
GENERAL PLAN
LEGISLATIVE DRAFT
(As Amended by the City Council)
DATED 5/ 13/96
( NOT ATTACHE C3
COPIES AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE OFFICE
OF THE CITY CLERK
Res. No. 96-36
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss:
CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH )
I, CONNIE BROCKWAY,the duly elected, qualified City Clerk of the
City of Huntington Beach,and ex-officio Clerk of the City Council of said City,do
hereby certify that the whole number of members of the City Council of the City of
Huntington Beach is seven; that the foregoing resolution was passed and adopted by the
affirmative vote of at least a majority of all the members of said City Council at a regular
ad-1 ournedmeeting thereof held on the 13th day of May , 19 96 ,
by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers:
Harman. Lei la. Bauer, 5344ivan. Dettloff, Creep, Garnfaln
NOES: Councilmembers:
ABSENT: Councilmembers:
_None,,, __---
City Clerk and ex-officio Clerk
of the City Council of the City
of Huntington Beach, California