Planning For Zoning Areas Needs Public Input
Now that we have a new General Plan, we have a clear direction for development for San Clemente. Right? If only it was that simple.
The General Plan was approved after six community workshops, 25 meetings of the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), 40 meetings of the Planning Commission where they not only went through the plan once but twice, and City Council then reviewed the General Plan by reviewing it page-by-page. So you would think that everything has been reviewed, dissected, approved and is ready to go.
But, as I said before, saying that we have a clear picture of development is not so simple. While the General Plan has been passed, the zoning and development standards have not yet been discussed or set. Careful design guidelines have been stated and from those, we should get our new development standards—once we start that process.
What this means is the old zoning is still in place and anyone who wants to build right now would have to apply for a zoning amendment in order to build what is included in the new General Plan.
An example is a project at 1010 South El Camino Real. This is the lot where the “sticks” have been erected to show the outline of the building. This project is applying for a zoning amendment because current zoning is for neighborhood commercial and does not allow the residential units the new General Plan does. When commercial is combined with residential, it is called a mixed-use development. The new General Plan added mixed-use in this portion of South El Camino that is west of the I-5 Freeway.
During the General Plan process when the number of stories was contemplated, it was with very specific goals and design guidelines to protect the quality of life of other residential homes in the southwest neighborhoods. The GPAC, made up of 25 residents who met for two years, stated very clearly that two-story buildings could be allowed on the west side of El Camino with a third story allowed if the property sloped down and the third story was tucked underneath in the alley.
An excerpt from a staff report on this project says, “The new General Plan requires projects be designed to minimize impacts to ocean views from the freeway. San Clemente is a beach town, and visitors and others viewing the city as they travel on the freeway know they have arrived at the coast due to these views. The intent is to maintain this experience from the I-5 Freeway.
“This applicant proposes to amend the Zoning Ordinance to apply the existing MU3 development standards to the MU 3.2 Zone. However, the appropriate development standards for the new MU 3.2 zone have not yet been vetted through the Zoning Ordinance Update process and some standards of the MU 3 zone may not be appropriate for this area and community. The zoning Ordinance update process, which will identify the appropriate standards for the area, is a lengthy process requiring many meetings that involve property owner area input, detailed staff analysis, Planning Commission review and recommendation, and City Council action. Staff has provided the applicant the option of waiting for staff to update the Zoning Ordinance to be consistent with the new General Plan, but the applicant chose to proceed with his project and request a zoning amendment.”
While this may sound like a lot of jargon, what it means is that the development standards and the process for updating the zoning ordinances has not been completed. But we have a project that would like to be built now using the new zoning of mixed-use but applying the current development standards from the MU 3 zone in the old General Plan because the new standards have not been set.
The goal for South El Camino Real, states: “Create a transitional area between Interstate 5 and the Del Mar/T-Zone, featuring spectacular ocean views, attractive mixed-use housing with local-serving commercial uses, restaurants and hotels. This district strikes a balance between automobile, bicycle and pedestrian orientation and is well connected to adjacent neighborhoods.”
So my question to all of you is what is local-serving commercial? What kind of commercial uses would you like to see in this corridor? More restaurants or food uses? Shops? What kind of shops would locals use?
What ratio of commercial should there be to the residential? Is it okay if the developments are mostly residential with a smaller portion of commercial?
What does pedestrian orientation mean to you? Patios? Outdoor areas?
Please weigh in. We are embarking on new territory here and this corridor is important. Send your comments to citycouncil@san-clemente.org
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