Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/18/2002 - STAFF REPORTS (3) DATE: SEPTEMBER 18, 2002 TO: COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY AND CITY COUNCIL FROM: DIRECTOR OF COMMUNIITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND DIRECTOR OF PLANNING &ZONING APPROVAL OF AN AGREEMENT WITH THE PLANNING CENTER OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA TO CONCLUDE THE PREPARATION AND FINAL ADOPTION OF THE CITY'S HOUSING ELEMENT, AS A PART OF THE CITY'S GENERAL PLAN AND AS REQUIRED BY GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 65585 AND 65588. RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the Agency and City Council approve the Contractual Services Agreement with The Planning Center of Costa Mesa, California to finalize the City's Housing Element for City approval and submission to California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), in an amount not to exceed $14,667. SUMMARY: This contract will ensure the finalization and adoption of the City's Housing Element, initially undertaken in 2000 with a joint City/Agency contract with David Paul Rosen and Associates (DRA) and, as a subcontractor, The Planning Center of Costa Mesa. The Housing Element is essentially complete, though the final sets of changes have not been made, some additional analysis of vacant land needs to be undertaken, and it needs to be processed through the adoption process, including Planning Commission, City Council, and the State of California. BACKGROUND: Section 65300 of the California Government Code requires that "each planning agency shall prepare and the legislative body of each county and city shall adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the county or city, and of any land outside its boundaries which in the planning agency's judgment bears relation to its planning. Chartered cities shall adopt general plans which contain the mandatory elements specified in Section 65302." Section 65302 delineates the required elements, including the Housing Element. Jurisdictions with an out-of-compliance Housing Element may expose themselves to potential litigation. Section 65580 describes in detail the requirements of the Housing Element. In November 1999 the Agency directed staff to pursue the development of a Comprehensive Affordable Housing Strategy (Strategy) as a result of an Affordable Housing Analysis, which was completed by David Paul Rosen & Associates (DRA). Developing such a strategy in a cohesive, coordinated fashion with the Affordable Housing Analysis allowed the City to be proactive in the creation of its affordable housing and take the initiative in meeting the needs of the community as well as its Regulatory requirements. Additionally, the Agency and City amended DRA's agreement to produce a Housing Element Update pursuant to State law, with The Planning Center joining as a Subconsultant. The Strategy built upon the data generated in the completed Affordable Housing Analysis, and provided concrete, achievable housing goals for C_ Ca. L. incorporation in the Housing Element Update; thereby, rendering it approvable by the State. In July 2001, Staff presented to the City Council the completed Comprehensive Housing Strategy and a nearly-completed `draft' of the Housing Element Update. Both documents had opportunities of public participation through the Housing Strategy Committee, composed of a broad segment of the community's housing interests (i.e. Special Needs Housing Advocates, Board of Realtors, Neighborhood Groups, Apartment Owners, Fair Housing and the Tribe). Also at that time, Staff reported that about 95- 99% of the Housing Element Update was done; except for clarification being sought from HCD on Endangered Species, National Monument and Indian land issues and how they would affect the City's ability to comply with its Regional Housing Needs Assessment requirements. Several of those issues were clarified earlier this year, though a few are still unsettled. In the interim period between 2000 and today, however, Riverside County joined a number of other Inland Empire jurisdictions in challenging HCD and SCAG's "fair share" allocation of units. Had the County suit been successful, SCAG would have been forced to reallocate the County's units to the other cities in the county, including Palm Springs, as part of a "zero sum" mandate imposed by HCD. Preliminary estimates of the impact to Palm Springs would have increased the City's RHNA allocation from the current 1,502 units required between 1998-2005 to over 2,400. Such a dramatic increase would have required a substantial redrafting of the City's Housing Element, anyway. 'The City recently received a reminder from HCD in May of the Statutory deadline, which confirmed their interest in seeing the Housing Element Update adopted in a timely manner. The Inland Empire lawsuits against SCAG and HCD were essentially settled in August, 2002. This action is brought to the City Council and Redevelopment Agency for approval due to the use of the Low/Mod Housing Set-Aside Fund for the final phase of the project. Since one of the legislative purposes in imposing the Housing Element requirement on cities is to ensure sufficient opportunity (and few impediments) to the development of affordable housing, the Agency has a keen interest in its completion. There remains an unexpended fund balance in the General Fund account (001-4151-43200) of $5,678.61 and in the Low/Mod Housing Set-Aside Fund account (882-8382-43200) of $1,041.90 for the uncompleted work under the previous Agreement. Those funds will be redirected, however, from the DRA contract to a direct contract with The Planning Center. The remaining balance of $5,726.49 will be appropriated from the Agency's Low/Mod Housing Set-Aside Fund under"Contractual Services", account 882-8382-43200. dm 6 OHN . RAYM19D DOUGLA6 R. EVANS re r of ComrKnity & Economic Development Director of Planning & Zoning APPROV %'Y!�C' Executive Director ATTACHMENTS: C flot.. / '1. Resolution 2. Agreement RESOLUTION NO. OF THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING A CONTRACT WITH THE PLANNING CENTER OF COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA TO CONCLUDE THE PREPARATION AND FINAL ADOPTION OF THE CITY'S HOUSING ELEMENT, AS A PART OF THE CITY'S GENERAL PLAN AND AS REQUIRED BY GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 65585 AND 65588, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $8,998.39. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY of the City of Palm Springs, California, approving a with The Planning Center of Costa Mesa, California to conclude the preparation and final adoption of the City's Housing Element, as part of the City's General Plan and as required by Government Code Section 65585 and 65588, in an amount not to exceed $8,998.39, is approved. ADOPTED this day of 2002. AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ATTEST: COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA By Assistant Secretary Executive Director REVIEWED &APPROVED AS TO FORM