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Item No. 5.
| MEETING DATE: 03/21/2022 |
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| TO: | HONORABLE MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS |
| FROM: | JIM SADRO, CITY MANAGER By: Susan Kim, Director of Community & Economic Development |
| SUBJECT: | RECEIVE AND FILE THE ANNUAL REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY OF LA HABRA GENERAL PLAN FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2021
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RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council receive and file the Annual Report on the implementation of the City of La Habra General Plan for calendar year 2021 and authorize the Director of Community and Economic Development to forward the document to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the Department of Housing and Community Development per Government Code Section 65400.
DISCUSSION:
On January 21, 2014, the City Council adopted the La Habra General Plan 2035 (General Plan). Pursuant to Government Code Section 65400, all cities and counties in California must submit an annual report for the General Plan to their legislative bodies (i.e. City Council), the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The annual report must describe progress made toward the implementation of goals and policies contained within the General Plan.
The attached Annual Report (Attachment 1) covers the 2021 calendar year and demonstrates the City's progress toward implementation of the General Plan. In addition, policy decisions made by the City Council and Planning Commission are required to be consistent with the goals and policies contained within the General Plan. This includes all zoning, subdivision, and land use approvals, as well as public works projects contained in the City’s Capital Improvement Program, which must also be consistent with the General Plan. Compliance for projects approved in 2021 is demonstrated in the attached Project Compliance Tracking document (Exhibit C of Attachment 1).
The Annual Report is intended to be used as a tool for the City Council to gauge how well the established goals, policies, and programs are being implemented. Upon its review of the Annual Report, staff requests that the Council authorize the Director of Community and Economic Development to submit the Annual Report to OPR and HCD, as required by State law.
Implementation Manual
Near Term Implementation
A1. General Plan Monitoring System
Status – Completed
B1. Zoning Ordinance
Status – Completed
B2. Specific Plans
Status – Completed
B3. Subdivision Ordinance
Status – Completed
B4. Building and Construction Code
Status – Completed
B5. Climate Action Plan
Status – Completed
B8. Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM)
Status - Completed / Ongoing
B9. Economic Development Strategy
Status – Ongoing
B11. Inclusionary Housing Ordinance
Status – Completed
D4. Transportation Services and Management
Status – Ongoing
G1. Municipal Procedures and Operations
Status – Completed / Ongoing
G12. Code Enforcement (Rental Housing Inspection Program)
Status – Not Completed / Unfunded program
G15. Programs for the Developmentally Disabled
Status - Ongoing
Annual Implementation
A2. Annual General Plan Report
Status – Ongoing
A3. Annual Climate Change Report
Status – Not Completed. Staff will be pursuing implementation and funding over the next two fiscal years
D1. Capital Improvement Programs
Status – Ongoing
E1. Fiscal Budgeting
Status – Not Completed / Unfunded
E4. Housing Affordability and Improvements Funding
Status – Ongoing
G13. Housing Programs
Status – Not Completed / Unfunded
G14. Job Training
Status – Ongoing
I5. Non-Profit and Community Housing Organizations
Status – Completed / Ongoing
Continuing Implementation
Mid to Long-Term Implementation
Housing
The General Plan includes policies regarding the provision of housing, which are required by State law to be updated every eight years. State law also requires that the City report out on several housing metrics related to these policies, including the construction of new units, and submit this information to HCD electronically on the forms provided by HCD. These reports are provided in Exhibit B of Attachment 1. Staff submitted this information to HCD on March 9, 2022.
The City has just entered the sixth cycle of the Housing Element, which runs from October 2021 to October 2029. For this eight-year planning period, the City must plan for the potential development of its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation of 804 units. Below is a breakdown of the amount of units the City must plan for, based on affordability level, as well as the credits the City has requested for Year 1 of the 6th RHNA cycle:
The majority of the credits requested (above) are for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) that were permitted in 2021. However, several multiple family projects were recently approved by the Planning Commission, which will add approximately 150 units to these totals by the end of 2022. Additionally, the implementation of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance will assist the City in obtaining low and very-low include units, which tend to be more challenging to secure.
On August 16, 2021, the City Council approved the 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element (6th Cycle) and authorized staff to forward it to HCD for review and comment. On November 1, 2021, HCD provided its comment letter, which included a list of items requiring clarification or additional information. Staff has been working on these corrections and is planning to resubmit a revised Housing Element to HCD on March 22, 2022. The submittal of the Housing Element to HCD is being considered separately as a consideration item on the same agenda as this item.
The attached Annual Report (Attachment 1) covers the 2021 calendar year and demonstrates the City's progress toward implementation of the General Plan. In addition, policy decisions made by the City Council and Planning Commission are required to be consistent with the goals and policies contained within the General Plan. This includes all zoning, subdivision, and land use approvals, as well as public works projects contained in the City’s Capital Improvement Program, which must also be consistent with the General Plan. Compliance for projects approved in 2021 is demonstrated in the attached Project Compliance Tracking document (Exhibit C of Attachment 1).
The Annual Report is intended to be used as a tool for the City Council to gauge how well the established goals, policies, and programs are being implemented. Upon its review of the Annual Report, staff requests that the Council authorize the Director of Community and Economic Development to submit the Annual Report to OPR and HCD, as required by State law.
Implementation Manual
The Implementation Manual (Chapter 8) of the General Plan provides a framework for the implementation of the General Plan’s goals and policies. These goals and policies are arranged into sections that are based on timing of when they should be considered for implementation. These sections include “Near Term Implementation” (to be done within five years), “Annual Implementation” (to be done yearly), “Continuing Implementation” (done continuously), “Periodic Implementation” (done based on specified timelines), and “Mid- to Long-Term Implementation” (done after five years).
Near Term Implementation
Section B “Near Term Implementation” includes 13 programs, which were prioritized to be implemented within five years of the General Plan adoption. Under the five-year period (which ended in 2019) the following items were scheduled:
A1. General Plan Monitoring System
Establish a comprehensive development tracking system building on existing tools and procedures that incorporates reporting metrics to ensure consistency with the 2035 General Plan’s goals and policies.
Status – Completed
B1. Zoning Ordinance
The City of La Habra shall thoroughly review and amend the Zoning Code’s (Municipal Code, Title 18) standards and regulations for consistency with the General Plan’s Land Use Plan Diagram.
Status – Completed
B2. Specific Plans
The City shall amend the La Habra Boulevard Specific Plan for consistency with the 2035 General Plan land use plan map diagram and corresponding land use classifications.
Status – Completed
B3. Subdivision Ordinance
The City shall review Title 17 of the Municipal Code which regulates and controls the division of land within the City in accordance with the Subdivision Map Act and Government Code §66411.
Status – Completed
B4. Building and Construction Code
On adoption of the 2035 General Plan, the Code shall be reviewed and amended where necessary to ensure consistency with its goals and policies.
Status – Completed
B5. Climate Action Plan
Adopt and implement the goals, policies, and implementation programs contained in the La Habra Climate Action Plan (CAP).
Status – Completed
B8. Transportation Demand Management Plan (TDM)
The City shall develop and implement a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program that applies strategies to reduce travel demand (specifically that of single occupancy private vehicles), or to redistribute this demand in space or in time.
Status - Completed / Ongoing
B9. Economic Development Strategy
The City shall develop and implement an Economic Development Strategy whose objective is to attract and retain quality businesses to the City of La Habra that offer job opportunities for local residents, contribute revenue to support City services, and creates an environment of robust innovation and economic vitality.
Status – Ongoing
B11. Inclusionary Housing Ordinance
The City will consider adopting an inclusionary housing ordinance.
Status – Completed
D4. Transportation Services and Management
Maintain and improve the Traffic Operations Center and a citywide interconnected network to convert key intersections and roadways into a coordinated traffic management system.
Status – Ongoing
G1. Municipal Procedures and Operations
La Habra’s municipal procedures and operations will be reviewed and revised, as necessary, for consistency with the 2035 General Plan’s policies.
Status – Completed / Ongoing
G12. Code Enforcement (Rental Housing Inspection Program)
The City will establish a rental housing inspection program to identify blighted, deteriorated, and/or substandard rental housing stock, and to ensure the rehabilitation or elimination of housing that does not meet minimum Municipal and/or State Building/Housing Code standards.
Status – Not Completed / Unfunded program
G15. Programs for the Developmentally Disabled
The City will work with the Regional Center of Orange County (RCOC) to develop and implement an outreach program that informs families within the City on housing and services available for persons with developmental disabilities.
Status - Ongoing
As noted above, the majority of the items were completed within the five-year period; two of the items are in the process and one has not yet been addressed. However, as stated in the beginning of Chapter 8, “This Implementation Manual is a set of measures to achieve the goals and policies set forth in the La Habra General Plan 2035." There is, in fact, an array of programs, actions, strategies, and processes that will be undertaken to implement the General Plan in the performance of day-to-day City operations. If La Habra’s General Plan is to serve its purpose effectively, it must be reviewed, maintained, and implemented in a systematic and consistent manner.
At a minimum, the programs and timeframes described in this chapter should be reviewed and updated at least once every five years to reflect prevailing fiscal resources, community needs, and priorities. However, revisions to these programs and timeframes do not require an amendment of the General Plan provided that they are consistent with and carry out its goals and policies. The City has passed the five-year milestone. On February 18, 2020, the City Council voted to re-institute the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) for the update of the Housing and Safety Elements of the General Plan. Council may wish to consider having the GPAC also review the programs and time frames in the General Plan and make a recommendation to the City Council as part of the update process.
Annual Implementation
Section C “Annual Implementation” identifies policies that require annual review of their progress in achieving its goals. These include the following:
A2. Annual General Plan Report
The California Government Code Section 65400 requires all cities and counties to submit an annual General Plan Progress Report to their “legislative bodies,” the State Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
Status – Ongoing
A3. Annual Climate Change Report
Establish a mechanism to monitor and annually report to the City Council the Climate Action’s progress toward achieving the level of GHG emission reduction and require amendment if the plan is not achieving specified levels.
Status – Not Completed. Staff will be pursuing implementation and funding over the next two fiscal years
D1. Capital Improvement Programs
The City shall annually review and adopt a City Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that provides funds for capital facilities including arterial highways, local streets, storm drains, park and facility improvements, water and wastewater system.
Status – Ongoing
E1. Fiscal Budgeting
The City will annually provide a portion of its CDBG funding to NeighborWorks of Orange County so that they can operate the owner-occupant, High Risk Revolving Loan Fund.
Status – Not Completed / Unfunded
E4. Housing Affordability and Improvements Funding
The City will annually assist four lower income (up to 80 percent of the median income) single-family homeowners with low interest amortized home rehabilitation loans (up to $20,000) for interior and exterior improvements, subject to the award of competitive grant HOME funds from the State.
Status – Ongoing
G13. Housing Programs
The City will annually provide 10 single-family homeowners with paint and paint accessories as part of the Neighborhood Clean-Up/Paint Program to paint and upgrade their home exteriors.
Status – Not Completed / Unfunded
G14. Job Training
The City will annually assist 500 individuals with the administration of job training and retraining programs to eligible residents of Orange County cities at a One Stop Center. Programs are available for individuals 14 years of age and over.
Status – Ongoing
I5. Non-Profit and Community Housing Organizations
The City will conduct an annual meeting with nonprofit developers and the La Habra Housing Authority.
Status – Completed / Ongoing
Continuing Implementation
Section D “Continuing Implementation” identifies programs that are implemented or enforced on a continual basis. Detailed information regarding the implementation of these programs is provided in Attachment 1. There are 49 policies listed within this section and the majority are normal staff functions conducted regularly to run the City in a consistent and efficient manner. This includes the following:
| B6. Hazardous Material Ordinance | G13. Housing Programs |
| C1. Development Review and Entitlement | H1. School Districts |
| C2. Code Compliance | H2. College and Universities |
| C3. Consultation | H3. County of Orange |
| C4. Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act | H4. Regional Agencies |
| C5. Affordable Housing Code Compliance | H5. State Agencies |
| C6. Affordable Housing Entitlement Process | H6. Transportation Agencies |
| D1. Capital Improvements | H7. Multi Agencies |
| D7. Bicycle Master Plan | H9. Public Safety Organizations |
| D15. Municipal Facilities | H10. Community Service Providers |
| D18. Emergency Response Plan | I1. Chamber of Commerce |
| D19. Hazardous Materials Response Plan | I2. Solid Waste Provider |
| E1. Fiscal Budgeting | I3. Union Pacific Railroad |
| E2. Development Fees and Exactions | I4. Historic Resources |
| E3. External Financial Resources | I5. Non-Profit & Community Housing Orgs |
| G2. Economic Development Program | K1. Property Maintenance |
| G3. Parks and Recreation Facilities Programs | K2. Commercial Property Design & Improvements |
| G4. Community Programs: Youth, Teens, Young Adults, Seniors, & Families | K3. Economic Development Outreach Media |
| G5. Community Events and Celebrations | K4. Environment, Air Quality, & Climate Change |
| G6. Transportation Services and Management | K5. Healthy Communities |
| G7. Transportation Demand Management Program | K6. Community Safety |
| G8. Parking Management | K7. Waste and Hazardous Waste Recycling |
| G9. Public Safety Programs | K8. History and Culture |
| G10. Waste Management & Recycling Programs | K9. Housing Density Bonus Ordinance |
| G11. Library Services | |
| G12. Code Enforcement |
Periodic Implementation
Section E “Periodic Implementation” identifies programs that would be implemented at intervals established by various legislation. These programs have been implemented on an as needed basis. Detailed information regarding the implementation of these programs is provided in Attachment 1. There are 26 policies within this section which includes the following:
| A4. General Plan Updates | D14. Library Facilities |
| A5. Housing Element Updates | D15. Municipal Facilities |
| B2. New Specific Plans | D18. Emergency Response Plan |
| B4. Building and Construction Code | D19. Hazardous Materials Response Plan |
| B10. Development Agreements | E2. Development Fees and Exactions |
| D2. Integrated Transportation Plans | E5. Property Improvement Loans and Grants |
| D5. Neighborhood Traffic Management Plans | F1. Economic and Fiscal Studies |
| D6. Neighborhood Parking Management | F2. Transportation / Mobilities Studies |
| D7. Bicycle Master Plan | F7. Historic Resource Surveys |
| D8. Safe Routes to School Plan | G3. Parks and Recreation Facilities and Programs |
| D9. Truck Route Designations | G10. Waste Management and Recycling Programs |
| D10. Infrastructure Master Plans | H1. School Districts |
| D11. Community Service Master Plans | H8. Public and Quasi-Public Utilities |
Mid to Long-Term Implementation
Section F “Mid- to Long-Term Implementation” identifies programs that would be implemented five or more years after the adoption of the General Plan, if priorities change and resources are available. Detailed information regarding the implementation of these programs is provided in Attachment 1. There are 13 policies within this section which includes the following:
| B7. Design Guidelines | D20. Urban Forest Management Plan |
| D3. Public Streets Improvement Plans | F3. Alternative Irrigation Source Study |
| D8. Safe Routes to School Plan | F4. Waste Management Studies |
| D12. Parks and Recreation Master Plan | F5. Neighborhood Parks Study |
| D13. Union Pacific Railroad Corridor Plan | F6. Open Space Acquisition Study |
| D16. Neighborhood Identity Plan | I4. Historic Resource |
| D17. Community Signage Program |
Housing
The General Plan includes policies regarding the provision of housing, which are required by State law to be updated every eight years. State law also requires that the City report out on several housing metrics related to these policies, including the construction of new units, and submit this information to HCD electronically on the forms provided by HCD. These reports are provided in Exhibit B of Attachment 1. Staff submitted this information to HCD on March 9, 2022.
The City has just entered the sixth cycle of the Housing Element, which runs from October 2021 to October 2029. For this eight-year planning period, the City must plan for the potential development of its Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation of 804 units. Below is a breakdown of the amount of units the City must plan for, based on affordability level, as well as the credits the City has requested for Year 1 of the 6th RHNA cycle:
| RHNA (6th Cycle) for City of La Habra | |||
| Income Level | RHNA Allocation | Credit Request - 2021 | RHNA Remaining Units |
| Very Low | 192 | 7 | 185 |
| Low | 116 | 23 | 93 |
| Moderate | 130 | 0 | 130 |
| Above Moderate | 336 | 3 | 363 |
| TOTAL Units | 804 | 33 | 771 |
The majority of the credits requested (above) are for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) that were permitted in 2021. However, several multiple family projects were recently approved by the Planning Commission, which will add approximately 150 units to these totals by the end of 2022. Additionally, the implementation of the Inclusionary Housing Ordinance will assist the City in obtaining low and very-low include units, which tend to be more challenging to secure.
On August 16, 2021, the City Council approved the 2021-2029 Draft Housing Element (6th Cycle) and authorized staff to forward it to HCD for review and comment. On November 1, 2021, HCD provided its comment letter, which included a list of items requiring clarification or additional information. Staff has been working on these corrections and is planning to resubmit a revised Housing Element to HCD on March 22, 2022. The submittal of the Housing Element to HCD is being considered separately as a consideration item on the same agenda as this item.
FISCAL IMPACT/SOURCE OF FUNDING:
The Annual Report is a summary of activities undertaken by the City that relate directly to the goals and policies of General Plan 2035. The cost to prepare this report is funded through the Department's normal adopted operating budget in Fiscal Year 2021/2022.
GENERAL PLAN RELEVANCE:
The Annual Report demonstrates the City's progress toward implementation of the General Plan.