Title
Report regarding an update on the Lindenville Specific Plan (Billy Gross, Principal Planner)
label
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission receive a presentation on the Draft Lindenville Specific Plan Alternatives and provide input.
BACKGROUND
In October 2022, the City adopted a comprehensive update of the General Plan, Zoning Code and Climate Action Plan, providing an updated vision for the city. The new General Plan identifies the Lindenville sub-area as an important opportunity to add housing adjacent to the downtown transit-rich core, to support a creative arts and maker community, and to continue the city’s industrial heritage. To ensure that new development proceeds in an organized and well-planned manner and includes new housing opportunities, the City Council authorized the preparation of a Lindenville Specific Plan and associated environmental analysis.
While the General Plan is a required document for each city in California, a specific plan is an optional planning and zoning tool that implements the goals and policies of the General Plan in a particular geographic area. It takes the community’s vision developed during the General Plan process and defines the detailed policies, City programs, and development standards to implement that vision for the area. Typically, the plan addresses areas of change that need special attention and integrated/holistic planning.
Like the General Plan, a specific plan covers a 10-15 year timeline, and includes land use guidance, design and development standards, necessary infrastructure investment, financing tools, and implementation schedules and phasing. The City has adopted several specific plans in the past including the Downtown Station Area Specific Plan, El Camino Real/Chestnut Avenue Area Plan, South El Camino Real Plan, BART Transit Village Plan, and private development plans, such as the Genentech Master Plan and Oyster Point Specific Plan.
The Raimi + Associates consultant team has started work on background reports and community outreach on the vision and land use alternatives. City staff and the consultant team will provide an update on the Lindenville Specific Plan process and an overview of the following:
• General Plan vision for Lindenville and overview of Lindenville Specific Plan process
• Review Lindenville existing conditions, opportunities, and challenges
• Review Initial Frameworks for Lindenville, including housing, blue-green infrastructure, employment uses, arts and culture, mobility and circulation, and development intensity
• Discuss ideas for Lindenville’s future
The project timeline includes the following key milestones:
• City Council Select Lindenville Preferred Plan - Winter 2023
• Public Draft Lindenville Specific Plan - Spring 2023
• Final Lindenville Specific Plan - Summer 2023
CONCLUSION/NEXT STEPS
This presentation is an update for preliminary feedback from the Planning Commission. Further community engagement is planned and staff will return to the Planning Commission in early 2023 with a recommendation for a preferred land use alternative.
Attachments
1. SWOT Analysis
2. Presentation