Title
Report regarding a resolution approving a Budget Amendment 21.040 appropriating $150,000 in the City of South San Francisco’s General Plan Fund for pre-payment of Housing Element Update services; and approving Budget Amendment 21.041 appropriating $150,000 in the City of South San Francisco’s Park-in-lieu Fee for pre-payment of BART Right-of-way Master Planning (PK2103) consistent with the reimbursable Local Early Action Planning Grants (LEAP) Program. (Tony Rozzi, Chief Planner)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution approving Budget Amendment 21.040 appropriating $150,000 in the City of South San Francisco’s General Plan Fund for pre-payment of Housing Element Update services; and approving Budget Amendment 21.041 appropriating $150,000 in the City of South San Francisco’s Park-in-lieu Fee for pre-payment of BART Right-of-way Master Planning (PK2103) consistent with the reimbursable Local Early Action Planning Grants (LEAP) Program.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
On a rolling cycle, the State’s Housing and Community Development Department offers a Local Early Action Planning Grant (LEAP) that provides funding to cities for specific planning initiatives. For this cycle, the State focused on housing production and meeting the State’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment Cycle 6 (RHNA). City planning staff, in coordination with the Capital Projects Department, successfully applied and executed a grant agreement that will reimburse the City up to $300,000 for projects that further housing production within the City consistent with the state’s goal. Staff applied with two project descriptions, as described below (included as Attachment 1 - LEAP Application):
1. Update to the Housing Element for RHNA 6 for 2023-2031 with $150,000 allocation. The 2023-2031 Housing Element and associated implementation activities establish the overarching policy framework, goals, quantified objectives and implementing programs to facilitate and accelerate housing production consistent with the forthcoming RHNA 6 housing needs by income category and as well as other special housing needs that will be quantified through the update process. The Housing Element is a required element in the General Plan and is updated on a rolling eight year cycle. Planning staff has partnered with Baird & Driskell Planning Consultants as part of the 21 Elements joint collaboration in San Mateo County to deliver an updated Housing Element jointly with the General Plan 2040 Update.
2. Master Planning for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Right of Way with $150,000 allocation. The City will take over maintenance and development rights to the BART right-of-way running through South San Francisco at some time in 2021 or 2022. The BART ROW will require proactive and creative programming and the City would like to utilize a landscape architecture and planning firm to survey, map, and engage with the community to develop a master plan for this right-of-way. The nexus to fostering housing development is relatively straightforward - with this infrastructure planning, any residential project proposed within the BART ROW sphere of influence could opt to construct a portion of the right-of-way improvements as laid out in the master plan in lieu of required on-site open space. Typically, residential unit construction, and affordable housing development in particular, are hindered by the on-site development requirements such as landscaping and public/private open space. This effort would permit the proposed project to maximize housing unit development on residentially zoned parcels and create open/recreation space within the BART ROW that would be open to all.
The application was approved by Resolution 81-2020 on June 24, 2020 by the City Council authorizing the City Manager to execute contracting with the State Department of Housing and Community Development (See Attachment 2 - City Council Resolution 81-2020)
To start program implementation, the City must allocate funding from existing reserves that can be repaid via the state reimbursement process. Staff has prepared this Resolution approving a budget amendments advancing funds for this purpose.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost of implementing both programs to facilitate housing production will total no more than $300,000 under the grant parameters. Approval of the Resolution will authorize the City to enter into consultant contracts and appropriate funding for implementation. Contracting would either be executed by the City Manager for the Housing Element Update ($60,000 contract) or will return to the City Council for authorization. Budget Amendment 21.040 appropriates $150,000 from the City’s General Plan Fund (Fund 270-27446) and Budget Amendment 21.041 appropriates $150,000 from the City’s Park-in-lieu Fee (Fund 209).
The unencumbered cash balance of Fund 270-27446 as of January 25, 2021 is $1.6 million. Adopting the Resolution has no impact on the General Fund.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the City Council approving Budget Amendment 21.040 appropriating $150,000 from the City’s General Plan Fund (Fund 270-27446) and Budget Amendment 21.041 appropriating $150,000 from the City’s Park-in-lieu Fee (Fund 209) for project implementation.
Attachments
1. LEAP Application
2. City Council Resolution 81-2020
Associated Documents
1. Resolution authorizing Budget Amendment
a. Executed Contract between City and HCD