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Home My WebLink About75B - PH - GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTREQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: MARCH 21, 2011 TITLE: PUBLIC HEARING - GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO.2011-01 TO CIRCULATION ELEMENT BIKEWAY MASTER PLAN TO INCLUDE A CLASS II (ON ROAD) BIKE LANE ON MEMORY LANE BETWEEN BRISTOL STREET AND FLOWER STREET, AND FLOWER STREET BETWEEN MEMORY LANE AND SHARON ROAD; AND A CLASS I (OFF ROAD) BIKE PATH ON BEAR STREET BETWEEN SEGERSTROM AVENUE AND MACARTHUR BOULEVARD e- CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDED ACTION CLERK OF COUNCIL USE ONLY: APPROVED ? As Recommended ? As Amended ? Ordinance on 151 Reading ? Ordinance on 2"d Reading ? Implementing Resolution ? Set Public Hearing For_ CONTINUED TO FILE NUMBER Adopt a resolution approving General Plan Amendment No 2011-01. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION On February 28, 2011, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution approving General Plan Amendment No. 2011-01 by a vote of 7:0 to amend the Santa Ana General Plan Circulation Element Bikeway Master Plan to allow for additional travel paths for bicycle users. The Planning Commission made no changes to the modifications outlined in the attached staff report (Exhibit A). FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. J' M. Trevino Executive Director Planning & Building Agency MGM:rb mm\p1ancomm\bike\gpa11-01 BikeMstrPln.cc Exhibit: A. Planning Commission Staff Report 75B-1 75B-2 REQUEST FOR Planning Commission Action PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING DATE: FEBRUARY 28, 2011 TITLE: PUBLIC HEARING - GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT NO. _2011-01 TO CIRCULATION ELEMENT BIKEWAY MASTER PLAN TO INCLUDE A CLASS II (ON ROAD) BIKE LANE ON MEMORY LANE BETWEEN BRISTOL STREET AND FLOWER STREET, AND FLOWER STREET BETWEEN MEMORY LANE AND SHARON ROAD; AND A CLASS I (OFF ROAD) BIKE PATH ON BEAR STREET BETWEEN SEGERSTROM AVENUE AND MACARTHUR BOULEVARD Prepared by Melanie G. McCann xecutive Director RECD MENDED ACTION PLANNING COMMISSION SECRETARY APPROVED ? As Recommended ? As Amended ? Set Public Hearing For DENIED ? Applicants Request ? Staff Recommendation CONTINUED TO Planning Manag r Recommend that the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution approving General Plan Amendment No. 2011-01. Request of Applicant The City of Santa Ana is initiating a request to amend the Santa Ana General Plan Circulation Element. Specifically, the proposal is to make minor revisions to the Circulation Element Bikeway Master Plan to allow for additional travel paths for bicycle users. Protect Description The Circulation Element of the General Plan identifies the long range plans for various modes of transportation throughout the city including automobiles, transit, bicycles and pedestrians. The Bikeway Master Plan component of the Circulation Element identifies the location of two types of bikeways to serve the recreational and commuter needs within the City of Santa Ana, including: Class I Bikeway - Provides for bicycle travel on a right-of-way completely separate from the street. Class II Bikeway - Provides a striped lane for a one-way travel within the street right-of-way. The revision to the Bikeway Master Plan proposed by this general plan amendment is shown in Exhibit 1, and described below: North-South • Add Flower Street (Memory Lane to Fisher Park) Class II • Add Bear Street (Segerstrom Avenue to MacArthur Boulevard) Class I 2 Exhibit A GPA No. 2011-01 February 28, 2011 Page 2 • Remove Flood Control Channel (Segerstrom Avenue to its south edge) Class I East West • Add Memory Lane (Bristol Street to Flower Street) Class II Project Background A Bicycle Master Plan was first incorporated into Santa Ana's General Plan Circulation Element in the early 1980s. Ten years later, the City initiated a citywide comprehensive bicycle facilities study and formed an advisory committee of interagency City staff and local stakeholders to reevaluate the Bikeway Master Plan. As a result of this effort, in 1995 an additional 4.2 linear miles of off-road (Class 1) and over 30 linear miles of on-road (Class II) bikeways were included in a Circulation Element Bikeway Master Plan update. Since that time, cycling has increasingly become a valued mode of transportation with the potential to reduce roadway congestion, promote health, and improve air quality. Given the importance of the bikeway system in Santa Ana's transportation and sustainability planning efforts, a City interagency staff team is pursuing grant funds to reevaluate and update the current Bikeway Master Plan. With funding secured, the City would undertake a comprehensive update of the Circulation Element to incorporate "complete street" policies including an updated Bikeway Master Plan and the Santa Ana GO Local Fixed Guideway transit plan. The purpose of this minor amendment to the Bikeway Master Plan is to enable the City to pursue grant funding currently being offered through the State of California Bicycle Transportations Account (BTA) that can pay for new capital improvements, such as the addition of these bike lanes. Project Analysis The bikeway network currently identified in the General Plan Circulation Element envisions over 83 linear miles of on-road bike lanes and off-road bike paths for Santa Ana's future. The proposed amendment will formally add approximately 1.1 linear miles of bikeways, with 0.61 linear miles on- road bike lanes proposed on segments of Memory Lane and Flower Street, and 0.49 linear miles of bike path along Bear Street. These proposed Bikeway Master Plan revisions will preserve and provide opportunities for bicycle travel linkages between residential neighborhoods, public parks, commercial services, and other destination points. Further, General Plan Amendment No. 2011-01 is consistent with the General Plan goals to promote sustainability, quality development, and encourage a variety of transportation alternatives to serve the Santa Ana community. Public Notification The proposed bikeway routes are located adjacent to the following Neighborhood Associations: Fischer Park, Morrison/Eldridge and Bristol/Memory Coalition. Each of the presidents listed for these Neighborhood Associations was notified 10 days prior to this public hearing. In addition, City GPA No. 2011-01 February 28, 2011 Page 3 staff has called each president to ensure that they were notified of the project and to see if there were any areas of concern. A notice was published in the Orange County Reporter advertising this public hearing and notices were mailed to those requesting notification of general plan amendment proposals, such as Santa Ana Unified School District and California Department of Transportation, District 12. At the time of this printing, no correspondence, either written or electronic, had been received from any members of the public. CEQA Compliance In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, the proposed project is exempt from further review pursuant to Section 15304(h), as the project proposes the minor alteration of the condition of land by the creation of a bicycle lane in existing right of way. Environmental Review No. 2011-11 will be filed for this project. Conclusion Based on the analysis provided within this report, staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution approving General Plan Amendment No. 2011- 01. Melanie G. McCann, AICP Associate Planner MGM:jm mmlp1anccmmlbikeJ\PA11-01 BikeMstrPhpc Attachment: Exhibit 1 - Proposed revision to the Bikeway Master Plan 75B-5 Westminster Ave. of 1 First St. J I v, d = LL Costa Mesa 0 3 O y '$ m LL L m Orange Irvine North A 1 7th St. 66%, i ,e. 9ot, P Exisitina: Prooosed: --- Class 1 Bike Path * * Or Class I Bike Path (Add) Class II Bike Lane r t r r Class II Bike Lane (Add) Routes to Adjacent O Class I Bike Path (Remove) Cities Railroad 0 0.6 1.2 Miles Santa Ana River Rest Stop GPA 2011-01 GENERAL PLAN CIRCULATION ELEMENT BIKEWAY MASTER PLAN P L A N N I N G A N D B U I L D I N G A G E N C Y EXHIBIT 1 Garden Grove ROH - 03/21/11 RESOLUTION NO. 2011- A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE SANTA ANA GENERAL PLAN CIRCULATION ELEMENT BIKEWAY MASTER PLAN (GPA NO. 2011-01) BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA ANA AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City Council of the City of Santa Ana hereby finds, determines and declares as follows: A. General Plan Amendment No. 2011-01 has been initiated by the City of Santa Ana to amend the General Plan Circulation Element Bikeway Master Plan to allow a class II (on road) bike lane on Memory Lane between Bristol Street and Flower Street, and Flower Street between Memory Lane and Fisher Park, and a Class I (off road) bike path on Bear Street between Segerstrom Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard. B. On February 28, 2011, the Planning Commission held a duly noticed public hearing and voted to recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution approving General Plan Amendment No. 2011-01. C. On March 21, 2011, the City Council of the City of Santa Ana held a duly noticed public hearing and at that time considered all testimony, written and oral. D. The Council finds that General Plan Amendment No. 2011-01 is consistent with the General Plan, including, but not limited to, its policies and goals to promote sustainability, quality development, and encourage a variety of transportation alternatives to serve the Santa Ana community. E. The Council finds that the City's general plan is designed, as it must be, to accommodate a wide range of competing interests - including those of developers, neighborhoods and homeowners, prospective homebuyers, environmentalists, current and prospective business owners, jobseekers, taxpayers, and providers and recipients of all types of city-provided services - and to present a clear and comprehensive set of principles to guide development decisions. The City's general plan sets forth these guiding principles. Once in place, it is the province of this Council to examine the specifics of a proposed project to determine whether it would be in harmony with the policies stated in the general plan. Resolution No. 2011-XXX Page 1 of 3 75B-7 F. The City Council has weighed and balanced the general plan's policies, both new and old, and has determined that based upon this balancing that General Plan Amendment No. 2011-01 is consistent with the purpose of the general plan. G. In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act, the proposed project is exempt from further review pursuant to Section 15304(h), as the project proposes the minor alteration of the condition of land by the creation of a bicycle lane in existing right of way. Environmental Review No. 2011-11 will be filed for this project. Section 2. The City Council hereby approves General Plan Amendment No. 2011-01. The amendments to the Circulation Element are attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by this reference as though fully set forth herein. This decision is based upon the evidence submitted at the above said hearing, which includes, but is not limited to: the Request for Council Action dated March 21, 2011, and exhibits attached thereto, and the public testimony written and oral, all of which are incorporated herein by this reference. ADOPTED this day of , 2011. Miguel A. Pulido Mayor APPROVED AS TO FORM: Joseph Straka, City Attorney By: Ryan O. Hodge Assistant City Attorney Resolution No. 2011-XXX Page 2 of 3 75B-8 AYES: Councilmembers NOES: Councilmembers ABSTAIN: Councilmembers NOT PRESENT: Councilmembers CERTIFICATE OF ATTESTATION AND ORIGINALITY I, MARIA D. HUIZAR, Clerk of the Council, do hereby attest to and certify the attached Resolution No. 2011-XXX to be the original resolution adopted by the City Council of the City of Santa Ana on Date: Clerk of the Council City of Santa Ana Resolution No. 2011-XXX Page 3 of 3 75B-9 75B-10 City of Santa Ana General Plan Circulation Element 1998 City of Santa Ana Planning Division Adopted February 2, 1998 Exhibit A (Reformatted January 2010) This document includes revisions to the Circulation Element adopted by Santa Ana City Council March 21, 2011 (GPA 2011-01), July 6, 2004 (GPA 2004-06) and as passed by the voters of Santa Ana April 5, 2005 (GPA 2004-01). 75B-11 CIRCULATION ELEMENT Exhibit 2 Bikeway Master Plan Westminster Ave. Fifth St. I First St. ... am 4? Santa A . I r Mc Fadden Ave. ' v - -?J i a ;, s w _ v , a a l7 c ? 7 ?c . 5 Segentrom d - A* Alton mme Mac Arthur Bvld. - e*? '/S-flow ? p c N 3 4 t i Costa Mesa Orange 171 St. 01 H lton / North A nl 1 --- Class I Bike Path Class II Bike Lane Routes to Adjacent Cities r t Railroad Santa Ana River Rest Stop 0 0.6 1.2 Miles CITY OF SANTA ANA GENERAL PLAN z 13 75B-12