Reuse Project – Specific Plan Path Forward

July 16, 2018

Community Input

Over the past 18 months the Local Reuse Authority (LRA) staff and Lennar/FivePoint team have collected community input and questions to be addressed in the Draft Specific Plan and environmental analysis.  The feedback was obtained from regular Community Advisory Committee (CAC) meetings; Planning Commission/City Council study sessions; community-wide workshops; neighborhood focused meetings; and numerous small group meetings with interested community stakeholders.

All of the input, so far, has helped shape and inform the Lennar/FivePoint team’s proposed land-use program for the Specific Plan – which is also designed to be consistent with the City’s project goals as expressed in the 2012 Adopted Area Plan, 2012 Council Resolution regarding Affordable Housing, and the 2016 Accepted Term Sheet for the negotiation of the Disposition and Development Agreement between the LRA and Lennar Concord, LLC.

On May 15, the CAC provided feedback on Lennar/FivePoint’s revised, proposed land-use program.  On June 6, the Planning Commission and City Council also provided feedback on the revised, proposed land-use program.  The Lennar/FivePoint team is currently preparing revisions and responses to those comments for City Council consideration and direction at a special study session set for August 22.

Drafting the Specific Plan and Preparing the EIR

Assuming direction to proceed from the City Council on August 22, the Lennar/FivePoint team will focus their efforts on the drafting of the Specific Plan and the LRA staff/consultants will begin the preparation of the technical studies, environmental analysis/Environmental Impact Report (EIR).  The writing of the Draft Specific Plan and the technical analyses, then preparation of the draft EIR is expected to take between 6 to 9 months.  Staff now expects a public Draft Specific Plan will be published in February 2019 and a public Draft EIR should be released in June 2019.

The regular monthly meetings of the CAC will be suspended during this drafting period, resuming in early 2019 for their review and consideration of the public Draft Specific Plan for recommendation to the Planning Commission.  The terms of CAC members will be extended by Council Resolution to accommodate the revised Specific Plan timeline.

Prior to initiating work on the EIR, the City will collect additional public input via the 30-day comment period associated with the publication of the Project Description and Notice of Preparation (NOP) of the EIR.  We expect the NOP to be released in the fall.  Comments collected during this NOP process, together with the comments and questions collected during our community input process, will be addressed in the Draft Specific Plan and environmental analysis.

Review of the Specific Plan and EIR

The CAC will resume monthly – and perhaps more frequent meetings – upon the release of the public Draft Specific Plan.  The CAC will review the public Draft Specific Plan, and the subsequent Draft EIR – with proposed mitigations to address impacts – once published.  After appropriate review, the CAC will be asked to make a recommendation to the Planning Commission and the Commission will then make a recommendation to the City Council.

During the Draft EIR public review period, the public will have an opportunity to comment on the environmental analysis. 

After the CAC has made their recommendation – both the Draft Specific Plan and Draft EIR will enter the City’s formal planning review process.  They will be the subject of formal public hearings – to be considered and recommended by the Planning Commission to the City Council for ultimate adoption and certification on a schedule that will be determined once both documents are publicly available.

After the Draft EIR comment period, the City will respond to the comments received and publish the Final EIR.  The target date for City Council consideration of the Specific Plan, Final EIR and the related Disposition and Development Agreement is fall of 2019.

Summary

• The City Council will be asked to provide direction to Lennar/FivePoint and LRA staff to proceed with the drafting of the Specific Plan and environmental analysis at their special study session on August 22.

• The community input and questions collected over the past 18 months will be addressed in the writing of the Draft Specific Plan, a process which is expected to take between 6 to 9 months. 

• The CAC’s monthly meetings will be suspended during this drafting period. The Committee member’s terms will be extended by Council Resolution.

• The CAC will resume their review, and additional community input will be considered, when the Draft Specific Plan document is published in February 2019 and the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is released in June 2019.

• After the CAC has reviewed the Draft Specific Plan and Draft EIR they will be asked to make a recommendation that the documents enter the City’s formal planning review process.