AgdaPkt 2009-01-26 clsd and reg - Laserfiche WebLink

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78 Page 5 The advantages of the first option are: . Staff has already presented the various land use alternatives to the Planning Commission and public, and there have already been numerous public discussions and rigorous debate. . Indud ing the Cargill Saltworks property in the New General Plan allows for a more comprehensive vision of the entire city and it is easier to see and understand the relationships between current and future land uses in the entire Bayfront Area. The disadvantages to the first option are: . The Planning Commission has requested more detailed information to understand impacts of any type of development on the Cargill Saltworks property, which is beyond the scope of a Programmatic EIR for a general plan level review; . The Planning Commission has not yet reached consensus on any of the alternatives thereby possibly leading to an eighth alternative; . The Council's Fall 2009 completion goal cannot be met, as the New General Plan's critical path to completion is already off by several months, and there is no more Ufloat" time to absorb even small delays. Additional public meeting time will be required to determine a Planning Commission preferred land use alternative for the Cargill Saltworks property. Study of all alternatives for this property to the extent that the Planning Commission may deem necessary will also extend the schedule. . Whether or not any land use designation change is sought on the Cargill Saltworks property, any land use designation change on the Cargill Saltworks property as a result of the New General Pian process - and absent rigorous analysis of an eventual development application - may create legal vulnerabilities for the entire New General Plan, including the critical Housing Element. Advantages to the 2-step approach: . As a result of the Measure W ballot initiative in 2008, the community remains divided on the issue of bay front development, and it is foreseeable that the public's attention on the specific 1 ,400 acre Cargill Saltworks property would continue to overtake the public discussion necessary to formulate a New General Plan for the entire 21,000 acres of Redwood City. . A 2-step process will allow for more focused public engagement on the Cargill Saltworks property, with the benefits of a New General Plan as a framework, and presumably a specific project proposal from DMS Cargill Saltworks. . The City will have time later to study a broader range of alternatives that are both more detailed and targeted to the Cargill Saltworks property. . The City many consider additional land use alternatives for the Cargill Saltworks property. . There is a reasonable chance of getting the New General Plan and Programmatic EIR approved by late Fall 2009 - but there can be no further delays for this goal to be realized. . Partitioning of the Cargill Saltworks property from the Bayfront study area would reduce the risk of the entire New General Plan being subject to a legal challenge that would be specifically focused upon the Cargill Saltworks property. Some disadvantages of the 2-step approach are: . It would result in further delay in determining the ultimate land use designations for the Cargill Saltworks property and thus leave unresolved an issue of significant