Chapter 17.37
SP, SPECIFIC PLAN DISTRICT
Sections:
17.37.040 Delineation of specific plan areas.
17.37.070 Specific plan contents.
17.37.080 Environmental review.
17.37.100 Expiration and extension.
17.37.010 Purpose.
The purpose of the SP, specific plan district is to provide a vehicle for implementing the city’s general plan on an area-specific basis. A specific plan prepared in accordance with the standards set forth in this chapter is intended to serve as a regulatory document, consistent with the General Plan. In the event there is an inconsistency or conflict between an adopted specific plan and comparable regulations of this code, the specific plan will prevail. (Ord. 714 § 3 (part), 1991)
17.37.020 Authority.
Specific plans are authorized by California Government Code Section 65450 et seq., which specifies minimum contents and provides for fees and an additional environmental review procedure (Section 65457). (Ord. 714 § 3 (part), 1991)
17.37.030 Applicability.
Chapters 21 and 40 of the General Plan encourage preparation of specific plans and identify certain areas of the city for which a specific plan is required prior to development. A specific plan zoning may be considered for other areas of the city which are approximately one hundred acres in size or larger. To be considered for application of the SP zoning district an area should possess 1 or more of the following characteristics:
A. Rapidly and/or newly urbanizing, with significant new demand for public facilities and services;
B. Possessing unique physical, cultural or locational conditions, in particular, significant natural resources to be preserved or utilized, but including any other unusual conditions which warrant special care in planning;
C. Proposed for a complex mixture of uses;
D. Held in multiple ownerships. This characteristic is more significant in combination with others listed;
E. Physically and/or economically deteriorating or marginal. (Ord. 714 § 3 (part), 1991)
17.37.040 Delineation of specific plan areas.
It is not necessary for specific plan areas to be delineated on the general plan land use map. On the zoning map a specific plan district will be delineated in a manner similar to that of any other zoning district except that each SP-zoned area shall also bear a number which distinguishes it from other specific plan areas. In most cases an adopted specific plan will create zoning categories unique to that plan; those zonings will be described within the plan itself rather than on the zoning map or in this code. (Ord. 714 § 3 (part), 1991)
17.37.050 Procedure.
A. A specific plan shall be adopted by resolution, following public hearings before the planning commission and city council. For subject areas which are expected to benefit by updating (signage, for example), supplementary documents such as design standards may also be adopted by resolution. Application for other entitlements may be made simultaneously with the specific plan application. In some circumstances simultaneous applications may in fact be necessary.
B. Prior to adoption of a specific plan, the plan area must be zoned SP and assigned a number as required in Section 17.37.040. The zoning and specific plan applications may be processed simultaneously. In some areas it may be necessary or appropriate to link adoption of the specific plan with adoption of other entitlements or programs such as subdivision or parcel maps, area facilities plans, design guidelines, monitoring programs, PD permits, financing mechanisms, etc. The specific plan adoption resolution shall define the relationship of the plan to other approvals, whether separately or simultaneously requested. (Ord. 714 § 3 (part), 1991)
17.37.060 Application.
The application for a specific plan shall be in accordance with public hearing processes prescribed in Government Code Section 65453 and shall include text and diagram(s) as required by the planning commission to properly evaluate the ability of the proposed specific plan to carry out the city’s general plan. Due to the significant role an adopted specific plan plays in the implementation of the general plan, application preparers shall seek guidance from the community development department and, if necessary, the planning commission, prior to submitting an application for a specific plan. Such guidance regarding relevant general plan goals, policies, land use and implementation programs shall be provided through preapplication conferences, written material, study sessions or other appropriate means. Application and implementation fees for specific plans shall be as set by resolution of the city council. (Ord. 714 § 3 (part), 1991)
17.37.070 Specific plan contents.
A. State Requirements.
1. A specific plan shall include a text and diagram(s) detailing the following:
a. The distribution, location and extent of the uses of land, including open space, within the area covered by the plan;
b. The proposed distribution, location and extent and intensity of major components of public and private transportation, sewage, water, drainage, solid waste disposal, energy and other essential facilities proposed to be located within the area covered by the plan and needed to support the land uses described in the plan;
c. Standards and criteria by which development will proceed, and standards for the conservation, development and utilization of natural resources, where applicable;
d. A program of implementation measures including regulations, programs, public works projects and financing measures necessary to carry out paragraphs a, b and c of this subdivision.
2. The specific plan shall include a statement of the relationship of the specific plan to the general plan.
B. City Requirements.
1. The city’s requirements include the state requirements listed above, but in sufficient depth, scope and detail to provide not only policies for the development of the area but also specific standards for regulating that development. As specified in Chapter 21 of the general plan, a specific plan must include the following:
a. The proposed land uses for all areas covered by the plan;
b. The types and configurations of building to be included in all developments within the plan area;
c. The location of and types of streets;
d. Public facilities and infrastructure required to serve developments within the specific plan area;
e. A parking and circulation plan for off-street parking areas showing the location of parking lots, the approximate number of spaces, and the approximate location of entrances and exits;
f. Proposed conservation, open space and/or recreation areas, if any;
g. In the historic Folsom area, an historic preservation program and building design guidelines to ensure compatibility of new construction with the existing land uses;
h. Any other programs, guidelines or standards that are appropriate for the area covered by the plan.
2. To meet the goal of tailoring general plan implementation to a specific area, no 1 format is prescribed, but the text and diagrams prepared must be organized in a manner that clearly states the goals of the specific plan and clearly sets forth regulations in a format readily usable by both professionals and lay persons who may have a role in implementing the specific plan. The community development department shall provide a checklist and examples of specific plan contents to assist applicants. (Ord. 714 § 3 (part), 1991)
17.37.080 Environmental review.
It is anticipated, under the California Environmental Quality Act and Guidelines, that most specific plans will require preparation of an environmental impact report. Once certified, the EIR for a specific plan may be relied upon for further entitlements sought subsequent to adoption of the specific plan. An initial study shall be prepared for all subsequent applications to determine whether a supplement to the EIR must be prepared. (Ord. 714 § 3 (part), 1991)
17.37.090 Amendment.
A specific plan may be amended as necessary, under the same procedure as adoption of a specific plan. (Ord. 714 § 3 (part), 1991)
17.37.100 Expiration and extension.
Since specific plan applications are flexible, expiration will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Like other city regulations, most specific plan approvals will not expire unless replaced by a subsequently adopted specific plan or rendered obsolete by adoption of a conflicting general plan designation. In some cases, however, limiting the duration of an approval may be appropriate, i.e., when the specific plan is linked to another entitlement which expires, such as a tentative subdivision map. The resolution adopting a specific plan shall specify the duration of the specific plan and any means of extension, which may include an evaluation of an applicant’s due diligence in satisfying specific plan provisions. (Ord. 714 § 3 (part), 1991)