TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Anne McIntosh, Community Development Director
Nhung Madrid, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
General Plan Amendment (Mobility Plan) Recommended by the Planning Commission; Negative Declaration (Community Development Director McIntosh).
a) CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING
b) ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 18-0062 ADOPTING NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MOBILITY PLAN
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council conduct a public hearing; adopt a Negative Declaration of Environmental Impacts for the project in accordance with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); and adopt Resolution No. 18-0062 approving the General Plan Amendment for the Mobility Plan Update. Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This report summarizes the General Plan Amendment Mobility Plan Update’s progress to-date, which includes the following:
• A summary of community engagement and public meetings;
• A review of the progression of the Final Draft Mobility Plan Update;
• A brief summary of the main sections of the Mobility Plan;
• A discussion of consistency with the Local Coastal Program; and
• The preparation of a Negative Declaration and AB 52 and SB 18 requirements.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action.
Please note that failure to adopt the updated Mobility Plan will impact the City’s ability to apply for future transportation grant funding.
BACKGROUND:
The City’s General Plan identifies the community’s vision for its collective future and establishes the fundamental framework to guide decision-making about development, resource management, public safety, public services, and general community well-being. The General Plan contains seven components or “Elements” including Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open Space, Noise, and Safety. Some elements are required to be updated every so many years, such as the Housing Element, and other elements should be updated when the content no longer reflects the vision of the City. Since the last General Plan update in 2003, the availability of non-motorized transportation options has greatly increased. In addition, major projects and studies have been completed throughout the City that have changed the transportation needs of the community.
Effective January 1, 2011, the California Complete Streets Act (AB 1358) requires that any substantive revision of the Circulation Element include planning for a balanced, multi-modal transportation network that meets the needs of all users of streets, roads and highways. The definition of users includes motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, children, persons with disabilities, seniors, movers of commercial goods, and riders of public transportation. The State enacted this law to help fulfill the commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through efficient use of urban land and transportation infrastructure.
This shift in transportation and transportation planning, coupled with the City’s desire to continue providing options for active modes of travel without sacrificing the safe and efficient movement of people, goods, and services throughout the City, illustrated that an update to the Circulation Plan was necessary. Also, updating the Circulation Plan’s goals and policies would be consistent with this shift in transportation, as well as reinforce the City’s commitment to environmental sustainability, all while meeting AB 1358 requirements. This update to the Circulation Plan, which will be relabeled as the “Mobility Plan,” provides a long-range vision for how goods and people move throughout the City. To achieve a balanced transportation system, City policies and goals focus not only on strategies to improve traffic flow, but also on ways to encourage use of alternative mobility options such as transit, walking, and bicycling. A clearly crafted and publicly supported Plan details the image a community has of itself now, and what it hopes this image will be over the life of the document.
Thus, in January 2013, the City began preparing an update to its General Plan Circulation Plan. This update represents a change in direction from an auto-oriented policy document to a multi-modal approach with significantly greater emphasis on moving people through active transportation options and improving transit opportunities. Ultimately, the Mobility Plan update and its implementing actions will result in a tailored set of recommendations to fit Manhattan Beach’s unique community. In an effort to craft a document that meets the needs of the community, City staff engaged in a tremendous amount of community outreach to solicit feedback. To date, the project’s community engagement efforts have included the following:
• February 2013 - Public Workshop to introduce to the community the purpose of the Mobility Plan update, and to solicit feedback on transportation throughout the City.
• June and July 2013 - Small group outreach meetings with representatives from key stakeholder groups which allowed for additional interaction and discussion between staff and representatives on various transportation opportunities.
• August and September 2013 - Two town hall meetings to discuss sharrows, specifically for Pacific Avenue.
• November 2013 - Joint City Council and Parking and Public Improvements Commission (PPIC) meeting to discuss scoping topics for the Mobility Plan. The City Council also requested that staff return to City Council with a preview of the pedestrian and bicycle project list.
• March 2014 - Presented a draft list of pedestrian and bicycle projects to City Council. The City Council then directed staff to return with an overview on Complete Streets, and the Draft Mobility Plan document for review and discussion before presenting it to the PPIC and Planning Commission.
• September 2014 - The initial draft Mobility Plan (June 2014 version) was presented to City Council; City Council directed staff to continue moving the document forward to the PPIC and Planning Commission to gather input.
• December 2014 - Presented the draft Plan to the PPIC; the Commission unanimously agreed that staff continue moving forward with the process.
With a change in the Department’s leadership in late 2014, the project was reevaluated to ensure that the updated Mobility Plan was consistent with the overall purpose of the General Plan and keeping it within context of a higher level policy document. As a result, in 2015, staff performed a thorough review of the 2014 draft Plan as previously presented to the public, City Council and PPIC. Given the degree of specificity that was included in the draft Plan, upon further reflection, staff revised the 2014 draft Plan and removed the following sections:
• Pedestrian Project List Phases
• Bicycle Project List Phases Bicycle Parking (types, styles, locations)
• Current Bicycle Activity and Counts
• Transit Upgrade Options (amenities)
• Complete Streets Best Practices Review
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Project List & Crossing Enhancement Policy
• Public Comments
• Public Outreach Summary
Although these sections were removed from the 2014 draft Plan, the information from those sections has not been lost. As an alternative, in 2014 staff recommended that those sections be brought back separately from the Mobility Plan, and be presented as an Active Transportation Implementation Plan. Bifurcating the 2014 draft Plan in this manner and returning with the Active Transportation Implementation Plan would allow for additional engagement with the community on the various improvements and allow for additional community input on the specific bicycle and pedestrian recommendations. The additional community engagement would ensure that the recommendations are tailored to meet the needs and desires of our residents, provide various mobility options for children to and from school, provide safer family-friendly bicycle routes for families, provide east/west bicycle routes for families, and overall walkability in our neighborhoods.
The revisions mentioned above resulted in the 2015 draft Mobility Plan, which was then presented to City Council and the Planning Commission at a Joint Meeting in November 2015. At that meeting, additional feedback was received for the Plan’s next iteration to reflect the following changes:
• Consolidate and refine goals and policies
• Remove references to specific projects and organizations
• Remove references to plans that have not been adopted by City Council
• Remove and replace various pictures, tables, and figures
• Remove trolley recommendation
• Promote Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs)
• Emphasize safety and enforcement
• Address universal design policy
• Address sidewalks (areas without sidewalks, discontinuous sidewalks, areas where sidewalks are not intended)
• Update Roundabout discussion
In 2012-2013, the City considered preparing a feasibility study related to roundabouts. Therefore, the topic of roundabouts is addressed in the Mobility Plan. However, the City Council chose not to pursue them.
The requested revisions from the November 2015 meeting have been incorporated into the 2017 final draft Mobility Plan (Attachment 2). Additionally, staff provided an update on the Mobility Plan project at the Joint City Council, Planning Commission and Parking and Public Improvements Commission meeting that was held in June 2017.
As a result of the major revisions to the Plan, in August 2017, staff returned to City Council for further direction. A contract amendment was necessary to complete the remaining tasks in the project. Additionally, the City Council requested that staff proceed with the implementation of the Bicycle Master Plan component of the Plan and hold a community outreach meeting to reconnect the community with the status of the project. The Bicycle Master Plan was brought back to City Council for discussion and direction in Fall 2017, and staff held a Community Outreach Meeting in September 2017.
On March 14, 2018, staff presented the final draft of the General Plan Amendment Mobility Plan Update to the Planning Commission. The Commission held a public hearing and received public testimony. The Commission briefly discussed the Mobility Plan and unanimously adopted Resolution No. PC 18-07 recommending City Council adopt a General Plan Amendment for the Mobility Plan Update, and adopt a Negative Declaration of Environmental Impacts for the project (Attachment 3).
DISCUSSION:
Overall, the vision and goals of the Mobility Plan intend to:
• Offer flexible, convenient, energy efficient alternative transportation options
• Maintain and enhance safety while strengthening community, sense of place and preserve the environment
• Consider all users of the transportation system on all viable and safe modes of travel
• Maintain professional standards in traffic engineering design and operations and transportation planning
• Plan, maintain and operate mobility systems consistent with the principles of Complete Streets, active living and sustainable community design
• Recognize and utilize new technology in transportation and communications to provide improved travel choices
• Emphasize the use of non-motorized modes of transportation
Below is a summary of the final draft Mobility Plan, which consists of seven main sections: Introduction, Regulatory Context, Regional Transportation Programs, Current Conditions, Complete Streets Best Practices, Mobility for All, and Goals and Policies, as described in further detail below. This update will replace the Circulation, Neighborhood Traffic Intrusion, Parking, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Network sections within the Infrastructure Element of the existing General Plan (Attachment 4).
The Plan also contains a three part appendices which includes a more detailed description of the community outreach for the project, a glossary of terms, and references (Attachment 1, Appendix A: Mobility Plan Public Outreach will be updated to include information about the joint City Council/Planning Commission, and Planning Commission and City Council public hearings).
Introduction
The introduction provides a summary of why the City is preparing this update, the vision for future transportation in the City, balancing the transportation system, the City’s transportation history dating back to 1888, and how technology and communications have impacted transportation. Additionally, this section discusses general transportation achievements since 2003.
Regulatory Context
Since the last 2003 General Plan update, several legislative acts were passed that directly affect the development of transportation and mobility plans in the state. The following legislative initiatives were reviewed and incorporated into the update: AB 32, SB 375, Complete Streets Act (AB 1358) as mentioned above, and the principles of Complete Streets and Living Streets.
Regional Transportation Programs
Although the Mobility Plan is specific to Manhattan Beach, it is part of a larger regional set of plans and programs to guide development in Southern California’s transportation system. The Update identifies programs to improve mobility such as The Safe Routes to School and Active Transportation Program, SCAG’s Regional Transportation Program (RTP), Los Angeles County Metro Long Range Transportation Plan, The Regional Congestion Management Plan (CMP), and Los Angeles County Measures R and M funding.
Current Conditions
This section discusses the current conditions of the City’s walking facilities, bicycling network, transit services and street network including the functional classification map of the City’s roadways and truck routes. The City’s Master Plan of Roadways and Truck Routes will remain consistent with the 2003 Circulation Plan. Additionally, the Plan includes a discussion about parking and the two parking permit programs that are active in the City.
Complete Streets Best Practices and Application to Manhattan Beach
This section summarizes the best practices from other communities relevant to both the development of Mobility Plan goals and policies in the City, as well as the implementation and funding strategies following the adoption of the Mobility Plan to meet the intent of the California Complete Streets Act. The summary of best practices is divided into four categories that make up all of the elements necessary to implement a strong network of complete streets: legal and policy framework, design innovations, funding, and operation and maintenance.
Mobility for All
This section describes goals and policies to encourage a well-balanced, connected, safe, and convenient multi-modal transportation network. It’s organized by modal type, and defined in four sub-categories: pedestrian, bicycle, transit and auto-related. The modal type discussions presented are a product of the extensive community outreach that occurred throughout the life of the project. This resulted in key themes which informed the recommended steps the City should take to achieve the Mobility Plan goals. These themes include:
Pedestrian
Key themes for pedestrian improvements include providing safe and convenient pedestrian crossings, improving the environment adjacent to walking facilities, implementing a method to prioritize pedestrian improvements, addressing areas without sidewalks and/or intermittent sidewalks, enhancing locations where walk streets intersect with vehicular streets, improving crossing along Valley/Ardmore, revising policies for streets without sidewalks which can be addressed during the development process, and implementing recommended improvements in the Downtown area as described in the Downtown Specific Plan. Additionally, continuing to work with the local schools to encourage walk to school programs to alleviate traffic congestion at drop-off and pick-up times.
Bicycling
Improving the City’s bicycle network and connectivity to adjacent bike facilities and popular destinations in and around the City is a key piece of the puzzle to achieve the multi-modal goals set forth in this Mobility Plan. This bicycle component will bridge the gap between the City’s multi-modal goals and the bicycle-related desires of the community, as well as build a convenient and safe bicycle network for users of all ages and abilities. Key themes include creating networks to accommodate all riders (from family friendly to transportation cyclists), providing east/west connections, the educational component for biking rules of the road, minimizing bicycle-vehicle conflicts, installing more bicycle racks, and providing some type of facility on Valley/Ardmore but not at the expense of the pedestrian trail.
Additionally, the Mobility Plan briefly discusses the Bicycle Master Plan and supports its purpose and recommendations. The Bike Plan component is currently moving forward with implementation of sharrows Citywide. This is tentatively scheduled to be completed by Summer 2018.
Transit
While the City does not directly own or operate its own transit services, there are several lines that service the City. Improving this system will give residents the opportunity to get out of their cars and use alternative modes of travel, and also enhance the mobility of residents who are dependent on transit due to age, ability and/or access to a vehicle. Several key transit themes emerged through this process including the need for improved transit options for seniors and the disabled community; the need to maintain and/or enhance Dial-a-Ride services; improve transit stops; marketing; and public education of available services. A discussion about a summer time circulator, which could possibly provide an east-west connector, was also mentioned. However, the projected fiscal impact of this option makes it infeasible at this time.
Auto-Related
Although the Mobility Plan focuses on multi-modal opportunities, a large majority of people will still drive their cars to work, go shopping, and travel in, out and around the City. The key themes that emerged related to auto were the safety concerns at Valley/Ardmore crossings, congestion at key intersections along major roadways such as Sepulveda and Highland, protecting local residential neighborhoods from cut-through traffic, providing sufficient parking in residential and commercial areas, and continuing the traffic calming program. Additionally, the topic of roundabouts has also been addressed in the Mobility Plan since it was considered at several intersections in the City. Per City Council discussion and direction in 2015, roundabouts were not pursued, as stated on pages 62-64 of the Plan.
Goals and Policies
Lastly, the Goals and Policies from the 2003 Plan have been updated to complement the multi-modal focus of the Mobility Plan update and enhance non-motorized transportation while preserving a safe and efficient roadway system. In the 2003 Circulation Plan, goals 1, 2, and 5 were updated and modernized, and goals 3 and 4 were combined (Attachment 5). The updated Mobility Plan now has a total of four overarching goals, with a subset of varying policies to guide transportation planning in the City. To meet the multi-modal aspect of the Plan, active transportation options are consistently interwoven throughout all of the policies.
State law requires that all General Plan Elements be internally consistent with each other. As a policy document, the proposed Mobility Plan is consistent with the other elements of the General Plan as there are no changes in land use or development intensities with the Plan, and no construction activity is authorized. The proposed Plan sets forth the long-range vision for the City through goals and policies which provide for a balanced, multimodal transportation system for the movement of people and goods within, to, and from the City.
Coastal Determination
The proposed Mobility Plan is consistent with the Coastal Access Policies of the City’s Certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) including the Access, Transit and Parking Policies (Attachment 6). No Coastal Development Permit or LCP Amendment is required as no changes to LCP policies or development is proposed. The Plan maintains and encourages enhanced access to the coastal zone via sidewalks, walkways, walk streets, linear parks, alleys, streets, and other accessways. The Plan is consistent with transit policies to encourage transit, pedestrian, and bike access to the coast and beach including adequate signage and directional aids. Coastal Parking Policies are supported including the maintenance of commercial district parking areas, public parking and joint use of parking where feasible. There are no changes in land use or development intensities with the Plan and no construction activity is authorized. The proposed Mobility Plan sets forth City policy objectives to provide a balanced, multimodal transportation system for the movement of people and goods within, to, and from Manhattan Beach. The proposed plan reflects the City’s greater emphasis on accommodating non-motorized modes of transportation (bicycling and walking), as well as implementing “Complete Streets” concepts and emphasizing “Living Streets” by providing high-quality pedestrian, bicycling, and transit access to all destinations throughout the City, which is consistent with the LCP.
PUBLIC OUTREACH/INTEREST:
Public outreach has been performed since commencement of the project in January 2013, and further described in detail above, as well as being made part of the final Plan in Attachment A, Appendix A.
The Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on March 14, 2018.
This Pubic Hearing was noticed in The Beach Reporter (Attachment 7), and no additional public comments have been received as of May 2, 2018. Any comments received after this date will be provided to the City Council at the public hearing.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
As required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the City circulated a draft Initial Study/Negative Declaration (Attachment 8) for a 30-day period ending on January 15, 2018. Due to the identification of Caltrans as a potential responsible party associated with any future improvements on Sepulveda Boulevard, 30 days was required, as opposed to 20 days. The only letter received commenting on the Initial Study/Negative Declaration was from the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) dated January 8, 2018. That letter, as shown in Attachment H, cites requirements for complying with Assembly Bill 52 (AB 52, chaptered in Public Resources Code Section 21084.1) regarding consultation with Native American tribes (AB 52 relates to CEQA documents only), as well as compliance requirements with Senate Bill 18 (SB 18, chaptered in Government Code Section 65352.3) regarding similar consultation for a general plan amendment. In its letter, the NAHC indicated that the Initial Study/Negative Declaration had no documentation of required consultation.
As required by law, the City conducted targeted outreach to Native American tribes as required by AB 52 and SB 18. Regarding AB 52 compliance, the City sent out letters to the three Native American tribes that had previously requested notice of projects subject to CEQA: Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians-Kizh Nation, and Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians. Only one tribe, the Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians-Kizh Nation submitted a request for consultation. City staff contacted the tribe representative and explained that the project is a regulatory/policy document, not a development project. Based on that information, the tribe withdrew the request for consultation. Thus, no further action is required per CEQA and AB 52.
Regarding SB 18 compliance, which does not relate to CEQA but instead to the proposed general plan amendment, the City sent out 16 letters to the following tribes:
• Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians
• Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians-Kizh Nation
• Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians
• San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (two letters sent to different contacts)
• Kitanemuk & Yowlumne Teion Indians
• Kern Valley Indian Community
• Gabrielino Tongva Tribe (two letters sent to different contacts)
• Gabrielino Tongva Nation
• Barbareno/Ventureno Band of Mission Indians
• Gabrieleno/Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians
• Barbareno/Ventureno Band of Mission Indians (three letters sent to different contacts)
• Fernandeno Tatviam Band of Mission Indians
A 90-day consultation period is required by SB 18. In its letter, the City requested a 30-day response. One tribe, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians sent a letter stating they are not requesting consultation. The 90-day period closed on April 5, 2018, and no additional responses were received. The above mentioned tribes have also been notified of tonight’s public hearing.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 18-0062
2. 2017 - Final Draft Mobility Plan (Web-Link)
3. Planning Commission Resolution No. PC 18-07
4. Existing General Plan Infrastructure Element Sections to be Updated
5. 2003 General Plan Goals and Policies (Redline Strikeout)
6. Local Coastal Program (LCP) Policies Excerpt
7. The Beach Reporter Public Hearing Notice Ad
8. December 2017 - Initial Study/Negative Declaration (Web-Link)
9. Initial Study/Negative Declaration Comment Letter