City Council
MEETING DATE: 1/28/2017
TITLE:
Title
General Plan Update
End
FROM:
Pat Milos, Community Development Director
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Receive an update on the Cathedral City General Plan, and provide direction.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The City adopted our current General Plan on July 31, 2002. Although the entire document was reviewed and amended in 2009 and there have been several Amendments and Updates to the plan since its inception nearly 15 years ago it is the staff determination that a comprehensive update of the entire plan is again in order.
DISCUSSION:
The General Plan is the primary land use tool used by the City in assisting in the development of the City. This General Plan includes the goals, policies and programs which the City will utilize in making land use decisions in the future. In addition, each Element includes diagrams, historic and current data and information, and projections for the future.
The City of Cathedral City General Plan includes two documents: This General Plan and the General Plan Environmental Impact Report. These documents together are the framework for land use decisions in the City, including residential density, commercial and industrial intensity, and open space and park areas. The General Plan includes summaries of background information which is provided in greater detail in the Environmental Impact Report.
The General Plan was developed through a series of public meetings over a period of several years. This public participation process culminated in several public workshops held by the Planning Commission and City Council, meeting jointly, in 2001 and 2002. The input provided by residents at these meetings was incorporated into the General Plan. Following the required public comment period, public hearings were held by both the Planning Commission and City Council, to receive further input from the public on the contents of the document.
The current General Plan includes 23 Elements, each Element includes one or more goals, and the policies and programs necessary to reach that goal. The goal is the most general statement in the policy-making process. The policies provide decision-makers with direction as they consider development in the City. The programs provide implementation mechanisms for the policies, including funding priorities, major development standards, and staffing responsibilities. The programs also include mechanisms to allow the City to respond to changes in market and environmental conditions as time passes.
Since its inception 2002 and its amendment 2009 many of the major related factors have changed, most notably are the effects of the Great Recession, the dismantling of the Redevelopment Agencies and the North City annexations.
These major factors along with technological advancements, infrastructure improvements and the current trends in economic development point toward the need for a comprehensive approach to updating the General Plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City of Rancho Mirage issued an RFP on March 7, 2016 with a due date of April 4, 2016. The RFP indicated the City had appropriated $450,000 for the update.
The City of Palm Desert issued an RFP on January 23, 2014 with a due date of Feb 2014. The RFP indicated the City had appropriated $500,000 for the update.
It is anticipated that the cost of a comprehensive update to Cathedral City's General Plan would likely be in the $350,000 to $450,000 range
ATTACHMENTS:
Click here to enter text.