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COUNTY OF SAN MATEO
Inter-Departmental Correspondence
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ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES AGENCY
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DATE:
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February 14, 2006
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BOARD MEETING DATE:
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March 14, 2006
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SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:
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10 day published notice
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VOTE REQUIRED:
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Majority
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TO:
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Honorable Board of Supervisors
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FROM:
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Marcia Raines, Director, Environmental Services Agency
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SUBJECT:
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Midcoast Local Coastal Program (LCP) Update Project
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RECOMMENDATION
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1.
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Take tentative action for the remaining project topics.
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2.
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Direct staff to prepare final LCP amendments that reflect the tentative action.
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VISION ALIGNMENT
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Commitment: Redesign our urban environment to increase vitality and reduce congestion. Preserve and provide access to our natural environment.
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Goals: (12) Land use decisions consider transportation, infrastructure demand and environmental impacts. (13) The boundary between open space and development is fixed to protect the quality of the natural environment.
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Board consideration of the project contributes to these commitments and goals, particularly, the recommendations to (1) lower the Midcoast growth rate limit, (2) initiate comprehensive lot merger, (3) ensure that small houses are built on small parcels, (4) protect Midcoast neighborhood commercial opportunities, and (5) strengthen water runoff limits to reduce environmental degradation.
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DISCUSSION
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The Board has held eight meetings to consider the Midcoast LCP Update Project. The project is intended to (1) update LCP baseline data and land use policy to guide future Midcoast development, and (2) avert future development permit appeals. The key project topics include:
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Changing the allowed rate of residential development
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Planning infrastructure availability to serve community demand at buildout
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Merging substandard lots to maintain the planned level of development
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Controlling development on non-conforming parcels
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Controlling residential uses in non-residential zoning districts
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Updating the development controls for Midcoast rural zoning districts
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Increasing Midcoast commercial and employment opportunities
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Limiting impervious surface coverage to control drainage and erosion
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To date, the Board has taken tentative action on some policy proposals and deferred action on the others pending additional research and analysis.
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In April, 2005, the Board appointed a subcommittee (Supervisors Gordon and Hill) to (1) assist in developing a set of principles to guide Midcoast growth, and (2) recommend policy changes that align with the principles.
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In December, 2005, the Board held two hearings to consider the remaining project proposals. It closed the public hearing and requested additional evaluation.
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The main report overviews the status of each project topic, and includes responses to the Board’s most recent requests and the Subcommittee’s revised recommendations.
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FISCAL IMPACTS
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Reducing the residential growth rate limit could reduce annual building and planning permit revenues. Merging applicable substandard lots may require additional staff resources for a limited time. Otherwise, there would be no additional cost to the County to implement the proposals discussed in the main report.
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