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PC Minutes 1968-11-21Planning Commission November 21, 1968 Arroyo Grande, California The Planning Commission met in joint session with the County Planning Commission with Vice Chairman Strother presiding. Present from the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission are Commissioners Moss, Porter and Sawyer, Commissioners St. Denis, Skelton and Chairman McMillen are absent, Present from the County Planning Commission are Commissioners Cook, Franklin, Wadman, Tarr and Chairman Radke. Commissioner Fortini is absent. Also in attendance are Planning Director Ned Rogoway, Planning Director Gallop, City Administrator Butch, and Deputy District Attorney Robert Schumm. Vice Chairman Strother welcomed the County Planning Commission and expressed the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission's appreciation for their taking the time to come down to the meeting. URBAN RESERVE LINE Director Gallop indicated this item was put on the Agenda for the information of the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission, and also so that there is a fairly firm understanding as to the implications of the Urban Reserve Line as to development of the area and its effect upon the City of Arroyo Grande and the neighboring sister cities of Grover City and Pismo Beach. He asked Mr, Rogoway to explain why the Urban Reserve Line was adopted as an interim tool subject to certain things happen- ing in the South County area. Mr. Rogoway outlined the Urban Reserve Line on the map and stated that the County General Plan and the implications of that General Plan has as one of Its priniciples the protection of Urban areas from uncontrolled growth outside of the environment of normal growth and certain basic services, such as utilities, police and fire protection. In order to protect urban areas from being forced into an in- efficient operation, the County established what is called "Urban Reserve Line ", an imaginary line which is established on a map. Mr. Rogoway explained that at our last meeting we agreed upon a line around the urban area for the Urban Reserve Line. He stated the line is a flexible line, subject to change just like the General Plan is subject to review. The Urban Reserve Line was adopted informally because the County staff did not have time to consider the implication of this Urban Reserve Line area in light of the general - planning that must be done. It is satisfactory for now, but the County staff wants to verify its validity through General Plan study, He stated they have the pro- posal pending to do this study when the staff gets sufficient time, but it can't be done this fiscal year. Commissioner Cook stated that because the Urban Reserve Line was adopted informally by the Commission, just recently the matter had been taken to the Board of Supervisors and they have taken the same action; and it is more or less an official policy pending the General Plan study Vice Chairman Strother asked what the prospects were for the next fiscal year and if it called for a specific appropriation for this particular purpose. Mr. Rogoway stated that a list of staff projects is drawn up each year for Commission approval that can be accom- plished with the existing staff, however, this year the County General Plan is so significant that the County Board of Supervisors felt it had to go first and authorized additional staff to start the work. Mr. Gallop asked that when they develop a County General Plan, will the . staff go back to inhibited areas and make it a more detailed overlay plan to the General Plan? Mr. Rogoway said that this was the program, Mr. Gallop asked that any applications which are presented to the County Commission, primarily lot splits and subdivisions within the Urban Reserve Line, be referred to the Arroyo Grande Planning Commission for consideration, Mr. Rogoway stated they have always referred subdivisions within these areas to the cities, and that he has left instructions to refer all lot splits, but was not sure whether these were being sent or not. Mr. Cook stated that in areas of the county, when a lot split application is submitted and providing the applicant meets all the criteria, they have no choice but to allow the lot split. Mr. Gallop asked if we had a subdivision proposed within . a reasonable distance of our City Limits, would the County consider this as a subdivision 1-91 :3 92 Planning Commission, 11/21/68 Page 2 or would they refer it back to the subdivider with a request of annexation prior to consideration, Mr, Rogoway stated that consideration has to be made as to whether facilities are available at a reasonable cost to the developer, and that when there is a subdivision the City receives notice and they participate in the Subdivision Review Committee, particularly with respect to circulation and the layout of utilities and drainage, 'COUNTY GENERAL PLAN Mr, Rogoway stated that their program for the County General Plan is one which they feel is going to take a considerable amount of time because they would like to base their General Plan conclusions on the collection of data and the evaluation of land use information from an IBM system for the entire County. They have six in- corporated cities which they can't complete unless they get all data into a "central data bank of land use information ", They hope to be able, in a course of ,three years study, to influence each of the cities, particularly the Councils, to set aside certain funds for their own benefit to develop a land use data bank for land use information. He stated the one problem they have been running up against is setting up the - program, In order for the program to be meaningful, the data collected should be information based on evaluations in, the field and the same program should be used in the entire County. Mr, Gallop stated the 1970 Census is going to be a County -wide program of people on a block basis and asked if this could be used and then broken out. Mr. Rogoway answered yes., and stated what they would like to do is keep a running tabulation on a lot basis and they can work, starting with the census on a block to block basis, to determine how many houses are substandard on each block, etc. He stated that the first year one man will be set aside to work up the data bank program, and that by the middle of next June the program would be set up and operative. Starting in June they are going to employ 3 or 4 people temporarily to do nothing but take land use in the entire county based on the system devised during the year. The next year will be the tabulation and evaluation phase which will produce con- clusions and probably develop some standards, and the summary of that second year piu , would be developed for the preparation of maps, etc, He stated they are going to /9;, /e» apply for a 701 Grant and they are hoping the money will be sufficient to defray //`, -J the cost and to employ a consultant to do the economic study of the County. Mr. Rogoway outlined the planned procedure in developing the data bank, which he felt would be in format by late summer of 1969. Mr. Rogoway stated one other aspect to the County General Plan was ,the housing element of the General Plan and they were thinking about the possibility of taking this as a separate item, if the cities are interested in doing this, for. the 701 Grant program. Mr. Gallop stated that with the materials we now have, the City staff was considering perhaps beginning the Housing Element study with a citizens committee to explore "what we have, what we need and how to get it ". If the 701 program could be used, this would be one place to start our bank of infor- mation by concerted effort of the cities and county on this Housing Element. Mr. Rogoway stated there is a mandatory requirement by the State that you must have the Housing Element by July of 1969, and basically, what it is is a survey of all the housing needs of the City and a projection of needs in the future, including elimination of substandard housing, provisions for various income levels, etc, Mr. Cook stated it was not likely this could be completed in 7 months and, if not, jurisdictions would not be eligible for grants, Mr. Gallop and Mr. Rogoway stated that is what they indicate and there is no uniform criteria established by the State for contents of the element, Mr. Rogoway suggested that a technical committee be established under the San Luis Obispo County and Cities Area Planning Council to develop this program. Mr. Gallop stated that, in his opinion, the only real thing that came out of the recent Housing Symposium was that cities as individuals developing Housing Elements would not be meaningful; it has got to be on an area -wide or county -wide basis. AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE DISTRICT ZONING Mr, Rogoway distributed copies of the "Land Conservation Act of 1965" and advised on December 4th, this year, there would be three zoning hearings covering three areas in south San. Luis Obispo County, and pointed out the areas on the map. He stated the consideration of these areas for zoning would determine whether the areas should or should not be zoned as exclusive agricultural zone, with special requirements that the lands would be suitable for the creation of Agricultural Preserve under the Land Conservation Act of 1965. He stated the meeting would be held in the Courthouse Annex and will start at 9:00 a,m., and that the purpose 1 Planning Commission, 11/21/68 Page of this zoning is to try to secure information about the implementation of the Land Conservation Act of 1965 and to indicate to the County Board the interests which lies in these areas for the use of this Act. He stated these zoning actions are being instituted by the County upon the direction of the Board of Supervisors. PRECISE ZONING OF ALL OF THAT AREA AROUND THE CITY PRESENTLY IN THE "U" UNCLASSIFIED DISTRICT Mr. Gallop stated this matter was discussed in a preliminary way two years ago, He stated from time to time we have had people inquiring as to what they can and can't do and from the standpoint of potential annexation and development, he would like to see precise zoning. He stated he thought it is to the advantage of the City to hold down land breakup in this area subject to a reasonable development plan, at least until the adoption of the General Plan. The hill area to the northeast of the City is going to be extremely desirable for surburban living and he would like to see it out of that unclassified district and into a more precise holding district. The City Commission directly and indirectly have expressed interest and concern in this and want to see an agricultural holding zone_to hold minimum lot size, . subject to a general plan. SCENIC HIGHWAYS Mr. Gallop stated there has been an expression of interest from the South County cities to get some of our state and county roads into the Scenic Highway System. Pismo Beach and Grover City have indicated an interest in Highway 1 and portions of 101, and Arroyo Grande in 227 and the road to Lopez, As a result, Mr. Gallop stated he took the liberty of getting Mr, Darrel Husum, who is with the State Department of Public Works, to talk to a joint meeting about various steps of implementing the Highway Beautification Act. He stated they have tentatively set up a meeting for December 5th at 8 :00 in the Arroyo Grande Council Chambers. He advised that if Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach or Grover City goes through the necessary procedures, they are still lost because the majority of these roads fall within the County, and that the cities are going to start pressuring for County cooperation to get some of these roads into the System. He stated the reason for the meeting is so that everyone knows what has to be done, order of procedures, etc., and expressed the hope that some of the members of the County Planning Commission could attend. ADJOURNMENT `jice Chairman Strother declared the meeting adjourned at 10:00 p.m. ATTEST: Secretary ■ Vice - Chairman,- 1.96