20090127_es

COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

PLANNING AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT

DATE:

January 12, 2009

BOARD MEETING DATE:

January 27, 2009

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Lisa Grote, Director of Community Development

SUBJECT:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Consideration of a resolution authorizing the San Mateo County Planning and Building Department to use a lottery and waiting list system to allocate available development opportunities for caretaker’s quarters in the Princeton Waterfront District.

RECOMMENDATION

Adopt a resolution authorizing the San Mateo County Planning and Building Department to use a lottery and waiting list system to allocate available development opportunities for caretaker’s quarters in the Princeton Waterfront District.

VISION ALIGNMENT

Commitment: Redesign our urban environment to increase vitality, expand variety and reduce congestion.

Goal: Land use decisions consider transportation and other infrastructure needs, as well as impacts on the environment and on surrounding communities.

Existing zoning regulations that restrict residential development in the Princeton Waterfront District to a limited number of caretaker’s quarters help ensure that the unique character of the community, including its distinct mix of waterfront uses, is not adversely impacted by excessive residential development. Adoption of the proposed lottery and waiting list procedures will enable the Planning and Building Department to administer these regulations equitably and efficiently, and in a manner consistent with the County’s Local Coast Program (LCP).

Commitment: Responsive, effective and collaborative government.

Goal: Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain.

The limits on development of caretaker’s quarters in the Princeton Waterfront District were established to minimize negative impacts of residential development on coastal-dependent and coastal related uses, and preserve the unique character of this important shoreline area. The proposed procedures will allow for consistent and effective implementation of these LCP provisions.

BACKGROUND

The County’s Local Coastal Program (LCP) limits the caretaker’s quarters that may be built in Princeton’s Waterfront (“W”) District to a number equal to 20% of the total developed parcels in the District. Once this 20% quota is reached, no additional caretaker’s units are allowed until additional parcels are developed. Once more parcels are developed, the quota can be raised and additional caretaker’s units may be built. To date, there has been no formal system for allocating newly available development opportunities when the quota is raised. This proposal establishes a lottery and waiting list system to equitably allocate these opportunities.

DISCUSSION

The Planning and Building Department monitors the 20% caretaker’s unit quota in the W District. When the quota is reached, no new units are allowed until enough additional parcels have been developed to allow the quota to be raised. To date, allocation of newly available caretaker’s units has been on a first-come, first-served basis. Once it has been determined that enough development has occurred to allow the quota to be raised, the opportunity to develop a unit has been made available to the first applicant to apply for a caretaker’s unit after that point. There has been no system to track or notify applicants who may have expressed interest in developing a unit prior to the quota being raised.

To ensure that available caretaker’s units are allocated equitably, the Planning and Building Department proposes to establish a lottery and waiting list system. The initial waiting list will be created by lottery, with applicants added to the list in order of random selection. This proposal also includes formalized tracking of development in the W District, annual updates to the caretaker’s unit quota, procedures for maintaining the waiting list and adding applicants subsequent to the initial lottery, procedures for notifying and screening applicants once they reach the top of the list and become eligible to apply to build a unit, and other procedures to ensure units are distributed fairly to eligible applicants.

FISCAL IMPACT

Adoption of the resolution will have no fiscal impact on the County.



COUNTY OF SAN MATEO Inter-Departmental Correspondence

PLANNING AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT


DATE:		January 12, 2009
BOARD MEETING DATE:		January 27, 2009
SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:		None
VOTE REQUIRED:		Majority

TO:	Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:	Lisa Grote, Director of Community Development

SUBJECT:	EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Consideration of a resolution authorizing the San Mateo County Planning and Building Department to use a lottery and waiting list system to allocate available development opportunities for caretaker’s quarters in the Princeton Waterfront District.


RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution authorizing the San Mateo County Planning and Building Department to use a lottery and waiting list system to allocate available development opportunities for caretaker’s quarters in the Princeton Waterfront District.

VISION ALIGNMENT
Commitment: Redesign our urban environment to increase vitality, expand variety and reduce congestion.

Goal: Land use decisions consider transportation and other infrastructure needs, as well as impacts on the environment and on surrounding communities.

Existing zoning regulations that restrict residential development in the Princeton Waterfront District to a limited number of caretaker’s quarters help ensure that the unique character of the community, including its distinct mix of waterfront uses, is not adversely impacted by excessive residential development. Adoption of the proposed lottery and waiting list procedures will enable the Planning and Building Department to administer these regulations equitably and efficiently, and in a manner consistent with the County’s Local Coast Program (LCP).

Commitment: Responsive, effective and collaborative government.

Goal: Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain.

The limits on development of caretaker’s quarters in the Princeton Waterfront District were established to minimize negative impacts of residential development on coastal-dependent and coastal related uses, and preserve the unique character of this important shoreline area. The proposed procedures will allow for consistent and effective implementation of these LCP provisions.

BACKGROUND
The County’s Local Coastal Program (LCP) limits the caretaker’s quarters that may be built in Princeton’s Waterfront (“W”) District to a number equal to 20% of the total developed parcels in the District. Once this 20% quota is reached, no additional caretaker’s units are allowed until additional parcels are developed. Once more parcels are developed, the quota can be raised and additional caretaker’s units may be built. To date, there has been no formal system for allocating newly available development opportunities when the quota is raised. This proposal establishes a lottery and waiting list system to equitably allocate these opportunities.

DISCUSSION
The Planning and Building Department monitors the 20% caretaker’s unit quota in the W District. When the quota is reached, no new units are allowed until enough additional parcels have been developed to allow the quota to be raised. To date, allocation of newly available caretaker’s units has been on a first-come, first-served basis. Once it has been determined that enough development has occurred to allow the quota to be raised, the opportunity to develop a unit has been made available to the first applicant to apply for a caretaker’s unit after that point. There has been no system to track or notify applicants who may have expressed interest in developing a unit prior to the quota being raised.

To ensure that available caretaker’s units are allocated equitably, the Planning and Building Department proposes to establish a lottery and waiting list system. The initial waiting list will be created by lottery, with applicants added to the list in order of random selection. This proposal also includes formalized tracking of development in the W District, annual updates to the caretaker’s unit quota, procedures for maintaining the waiting list and adding applicants subsequent to the initial lottery, procedures for notifying and screening applicants once they reach the top of the list and become eligible to apply to build a unit, and other procedures to ensure units are distributed fairly to eligible applicants.

FISCAL IMPACT
Adoption of the resolution will have no fiscal impact on the County.