REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Direction to Staff on Alternatives for Revisions to the El Camino Real Specific Plan; Possible Action on the Consultant Contract with Rami & Associates and budget amendment for Revisions to the El Camino Real Specific Plan
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Promote and Enhance Economic, Housing and Transportation Development
BACKGROUND
Following City Council direction, staff has worked since 2017 with community members and a City Council appointed Community Advisory Committee to prepare a Specific Plan for the El Camino Real Focus Area identified in the General Plan. The intent of the Specific Plan is to provide policy direction for new land development along the El Camino Real Corridor, as well as for the future use of the El Camino Real road right-of-way.
A draft Specific Plan, including land uses as recommended by the Community Advisory Committee, was presented for City Council adoption at the June 15, 2021 City Council meeting. Although the proposed land use plan and land use designations had been previously reviewed and supported by the City Council, at the conclusion of the City Council's consideration of the item, the Council directed staff to significantly modify the proposed General Plan Land Use Designations for the Specific Plan so that the maximum heights for the three land use designations (Corridor Residential, Corridor Mixed Use and Regional Mixed Use) are 2, 3 and 4 stories respectively.
On July 6, 2021 staff returned to the City Council to provide additional information, and possible alternatives, and requesting direction on the next steps for the El Camino Real Specific Plan. Staff explained that the revised height limits would likely correspond to significant reductions in land density from what had been studied in the project Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and require additional funding for CEQA analysis.
Based upon discussions with the City's consultant, staff projected that this would require a General F...
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