3B Public Hearing 2011 0321 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2015), so the forecasts in each Than are not in necessarily in conflict. The TOD Strategy anticipates that most of the growth between 2007 and 2030 will occur on 39 opportunity "sites." Under the new land use designations established by the TOD, these 39 sites have a combined capacity of 3,431 dwelling units and 839,000 square feet of commercial and office space. Many of the opportunity sites have a different designation in the TOD Strategy than they do in the General Plan. For example, the sites west of the BART Station (i.e.. the Westlake/ San Leandro Crossings development) are designated for High Density Mixed Use in the TOD Strategy, with an emphasis on housing. The sites at the north end of Alvarado Street are similarly designated for high density mixed use with an emphasis on housing. The TOD Strategy replaced most of the single use designations in the General Plan (e.g., "General Commercial," "High Density Residential," etc.) with Mixed Use designations. These were subsequently translated into six zoning districts, which were mapped throughout the 300 -acre study area. A variety of densities, intensities, and use combinations apply in these zoning districts. Most of the TOD land use designations (and their accompanying zoning designations) have minimum densities and a few have no maximums. Where maximums do apply, they are higher than the 24 unit per acre maximum that applies in the 2002 General Plan. For example, the "Multi -Use Infill" designation has a maximum density of 40 units per acre, the "TOD Transition Mixed Use" designation has a maximum density of 60 units per acre, and the "TOD Residential Mixed Use" designation has a maximum density of 100 units per acre. The "TOD BART Area" and "Office Mixed Use" designations have no maximum. Where minimum densities apply, they range from 20 units per acre in the Infill' and "TOD Transition Mixed Use" designations to 80 units per acre in the "TOD BART Area Mixed Use" designation. The TOD Strategy includes more prescriptive direction on a number of "Special Policy Areas" near BART. Some of these are in conflict with General Plan narrative and action text. For instance, the TOD Strategy suggests that the 10.4 acres on Alvarado at Antonio Streets be developed with high density housing of up to 100 units per acre. By contrast, Action 7.I2 -A of the General Plan indicates the site should be "high- quality office development." The impacts of the Downtown TOD Strategy were considered in an EIR which was certified by the City Council in September 2007. The EIR itself referenced the need to amend the General Plan for consistency. Reconciling the General Plan and TOD Strategy The proposed Amendment would create a new General Plan Land Use Category called "Transit Oriented Mixed Use." The designation would be mapped in portions of the TOD Strategy area and would replace the various single use designations that now apply. The Official General Plan Map (both in printed digital format) would be replaced with a new Map showing the geographic extent of this new category. The definition of the Transit Oriented Mixed Use category corresponds to the range of land uses and development intensities envisioned by the TOD Strategy. The individual zoning designations that have been adopted for the TOD area would not be affected. The Amendment would also slightly change the definition (and mapping) of the "Downtown Mixed Use "category already in the 2002 General Plan in order to achieve consistency with the TOD Strategy. In addition, narrative throughout the General Plan would be amended to remove any potential inconsistencies with the TOD Strategy. This includes editing the General Plan Introduction to acknowledge and describe the TOD Strategy, editing the Framework Chapter of the General Plan to explain the differences between the TOD projections and the General Plan projections, and editing the TOD and Housing Element General Plan Consistency Amendments January 20l I • Page 4