Elverta Specific Plan, May 26 Workshop

Elverta Specific Plan

CAC Meeting #5: Preferred Concept and Board of Supervisor Presentation

On May 26, 1999, community members and the CAC participated in a workshop where they reviewed the Preferred Concept for the Elverta Specific Plan area and planned their presentation to the Board of Supervisors.

MEETING OBJECTIVES:
The overall objective for Meeting #5 is to review the preferred concept and prepare the CAC presentation for the Board of Supervisors in June.

AGENDA:

Introduction
· review process status
· review meeting agenda

Part 1. Outreach Meetings Review

Part 2. Review Meeting #4 Results
· summary of CAC Meeting #4
· review concept plan refinement

Part 3. Prepare for Board Presentation
· outline presentation
· practice presentation

Summary and Next Steps

COMMUNITY OUTREACH SUMMARY

Chamber of Commerce:: Concerns about funding issues; Who pays for what?; No specific comments on land use diagram but like location of commercial; Where will water come from?; Where are sewer connections?

The CPAC:: Concerned about lack of design guidelines so far; Drainage; Water particularly concern about dewatering of adjacent wells; CPAC may have additional input upcoming; Favor idea of considering 16th Street (rather than Dry Creek Road); Concern about cutting Palladay road through to Placer County

County Parks Staff:: Concerned about financing to support additional usage from new development; Interested in any possible Specific Plan funding mechanism; Might consider trail access to the back of Gibson Ranch

Placer Municipal Advisory Council:: Ok with access to Placer County; They would like to see a similar buffer on the Placer County side of the line; Our Plan should coordinate and reflect east/west trail along the County line

Citizens' Utilities:: As a business entity, they are always interested in serving additional areas; There could be access to surface water; They felt the area could be served by deep aquifer wells without affecting (dewatering) nearby private shallower aquifer wells; They currently have excess water pressure to Cherry Creek subdivision

BOARD PRESENTATION NOTES

PLANNING OBJECTIVES:

Establish lasting community with rural flavor: parkway on Elverta Road; 8 plus miles of multi-use trails; preservation of substantial agricultural residential property; no soundwalls
Protect Feasibility: ensure funding for amenities; increase amenities available in the community area; provide adequate infrastructure i.e., roads, water, schools, parks, drainage and utilities
Maintain rural character, provide positive experience: mixed use i.e., drainage; dichotomy between rural character and rural community i.e., project area allows maintenance of other agricultural residential; transitional buffer

LAND USE CONCEPT:
: Have a low density buffer to the surrounding rural area and to preserve the Ag-Res area to the county line.; Concentrate the commercial and high-density residential areas on the major roads (Elverta & 16th) making sure to incorporate the "village green" concept with a pedestrian-friendly organization of the "village" center.; As part of this community's identity, emphasize Gibson Ranch County Park as an amenity. Give this community an "ownership" of the park by considering it an asset to be utilized. Accomplish this with a non-motorized entrance to the park directly accessed from the specific plan area on the opposite end of the park from the auto entrance.; Connect schools and parks to maximize open space.; Incorporate the drainage system into the trail and park system.

CIRCULATION CONCEPT:

Utilize a major circular roadway pattern within the Specific Plan area: with a parallel multi-purpose trail; controlled traffic on the loop; easy residential street access to the loop
Traffic flow: rapid movement of transient traffic through; easy access inter & intra County
Multi-use/purpose trails: pedestrian friendly; all trails to intersect with north/sough power line trail; trail access to village center and schools; safe crossings at major thoroughfares i.e., Elverta Road and 16th Street

IMAGE CONCEPT:
(The group went back and indicated the 4 key points shown in bold)

Character of the country: pastoral; quaint feeling; not Antelope; Lots of trees, green
Open spaces to allow multi-use:: walking; bicycles; horses; interconnecting to village center, parks and schools; pedestrian friendly; commercial centralization with easy access
Diverse elevation plans (in village) for: homes; apartments; commercial
Roads (pedestrian friendly): ease of use, yet retain character: commercial; community; neighborhoods

OTHER IMPORTANT FEATURES:

Themed village center
Opportunity for owner operated businesses (residences above business)

PREFERRED CONCEPT PLAN

The CAC made two suggestions regarding the Preferred Plan:

1. Explore putting schools and parks together without a street separating them

2. Change Elverta Road east of 16th to a 4 lane road.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ACTION:

1. Direct that the contents of the Specific Plan, its technical studies and other associated documents and reports, address the land use designations, densities and design components contained in the draft Land Use Plan (Preferred Concept Plan).

2. Direct the Planning Department to proceed with the processing of the Elverta Specific Plan, including: completion of technical studies; preparation of a Specific Plan text; submission of the project to the Department of Environmental Review and Assessment (DERA) for preparation of environmental documentation; and hearings before the appropriate hearing bodies.

TECHNICAL STUDIES:

The CAC has prepared a preferred concept plan that has strong organizational features and is based on clearly articulated principles. In the next phase of planning involving technical studies, there may be additional fine-tuning of the land use concept. It is important the Board of Supervisors understands the following technical studies could have implications on the overall concept:

1. Regional Access/Traffic
2. Wetlands and Biology
3. Utilities
4. Schools
5. Financial Feasibility

The goal of staff and the County's consultant is to use the preferred plan as the framework in which refinements are made.

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