LOCATION AND INTENSITY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT

ISSUES

Addressing the future form of urban development is key to developing a viable subregional strategy. By first determining the overall location and intensity of urban development, subregions build a foundation on which to base other more specific policies.

OBJECTIVES

There are three main objectives in developing a desired urban form:

A. Ensure that the cumulative effect of new development emphasizes a compact city-centered subregional pattern to:

  1. support existing urban centers, large and small;
  2. improve mobility of people, goods and information;
  3. optimize efficient public infrastructure which minimizes environmental costs;
  4. protect agriculture, open space and other natural resources; and
  5. support economic activity.

B. Maintain adequate performance standards and levels of service for infrastructure, amenities, transportation and public services provided by municipalities or special districts within the subregion.

C. Optimize maintenance and use of existing infrastructure while pursuing more efficient and less costly technologies.


POLICIES

The following subregional policies are intended to achieve an efficient and desirable urban development form. 		Choices given for Policies

URBAN GROWTH BOUNDARIES

  1. Encourage firm urban growth boundaries that enable achievement of objectives for housing, jobs and other development and for the conservation of agriculture, environmentally sensitive and other open space lands.
  2. Encourage urban development inside urban growth boundaries while discouraging it outside such boundaries by establishing development incentives and preservation criteria.
  3. Establish urban growth boundaries and designate an adequate amount, range and density of land use within these boundaries to meet projected needs.
  4. Establish and permit only appropriate land uses outside urban growth boundaries, possibly including public parks and recreation areas, open space, privately-operated recreation areas and agricultural uses.
  5. Pursue urban uses near urban growth boundaries that are compatible with activities outside urban growth boundaries.
  6. Establish an urban growth plan for the subregion that defines areas within urban growth boundaries suitable for varying levels and intensities of urban development, designates which development should occur first, and develops a hierarchy of areas for subsequent development.
  7. Designate as greenbelt all lands beyond urban growth boundaries and protect such lands through open space zoning, joint agreements and, where necessary, acquisition, to ensure greenbelt uses are appropriate

ANNEXATION AND URBAN EXPANSION

  1. Encourage annexations that conform to an orderly expansion of city boundaries within planned urban growth areas and provide for a contiguous development pattern.
  2. Develop vacant or underutilized land within existing city limits whenever and wherever possible, prior to an extension of development outside of incorporated areas.
  3. Establish criteria for evaluating proposed annexations of land to cities which assure that:

    • the land is within urban growth boundaries;
    • water, sewer, police, fire, and school services have adequate capacity;
    • the land within incorporated areas is unsuitable or insufficient to meet current land use needs;
    • the land abuts incorporated areas or existing or planned city streets on at least one side; and
    • the land is not under an agricultural preserve or open space contract.
  4. Work with LAFCO to add the above criteria to those required by existing state law.

INFRASTRUCTURE
  1. Encourage growth to be directed to where infrastructure capacity is available or committed including, but not limited to, road, transit, water, solid waste disposal and sewage treatment.
  2. Encourage interjurisdictional cooperation to eliminate costly duplication of capital infrastructure, public facilities and services.
  3. Encourage cost-effective maintenance of existing public facilities and services as well as new investment to keep up with demand and achieve subregional objectives.
  4. Discourage “leap frog” development by programming the extension of water and sewer lines only to areas contiguous with existing development.
  5. Invest in major public facilities and urban amenities that support the further development of urban centers.
  6. Ensure that special purpose districts and other service providers have capacity and will provide, in a timely manner, necessary services where the subregion agrees that development is planned or expected.
  7. Pursue efforts to combine special districts to service subregional areas where efficiencies will result.
  8. Establish and maintain levels of service and recommended standards for various components of the subregional infrastructure.
  9. Phase and limit extension of urban services to occur only within urban growth boundaries.
  10. Identify needed public facilities of regional and subregional significance, and assure that new development planning and approval is accompanied by firm commitments to provide such infrastructure.
  11. Coordinate development of long range policies and capital improvement programs of all levels of government and special districts to ensure that infrastructure and services support achievement of subregional objectives through the timely and cost-effective action.
  12. Adopt development mitigation programs to ensure that new development meets subregional objectives and pays its fair share of the cost of providing police, fire, parks, water, sewer and flood control facilities and services.

LAND USE AND DEVELOPEMENT INTENSITY
  1. Encourage employment, commercial, residential and social activities to be located close together to help contain growth and reduce the need for travel.
  2. Encourage higher density residential development to be located within convenient walking distance of downtowns and near major office developments, retail centers and transit stations.
  3. Establish minimum densities in areas designated as high density, for redevelopment, and in areas with existing infrastructure capacity able to handle growth. Dynamic
  4. Develop incentive programs to encourage infill, redevelopment and reuse of vacant and underused parcels within existing urban areas.
  5. Implement programs to identify and overcome potential difficulties associated with redevelopment and infill, such as on-site toxics in industrial areas and neighborhood opposition.
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cl 07/21/99