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HomeMy WebLinkAboutGENERAL PLAN POLICIES 1972 I II�IIII IIII III IIII IIIIIII IIIII III�l011III IIN *NEW FILE* GENERAL PLAN POLICIES 7972 ,PI 14 Vol Ql S ACH lU I G E N E R A L P 0 L I C Y R E P 0 R T (AS ADOPTED MARCH l3o 1972 ) INTRODUCTION Following a series of public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council , the General Policy Report was adopted by the Planning Commission on January 20 , 1972 and by the City Council on March 13 , 1972 . Throughout the hearings , the Planning Commission , City Council and citizens of the community each attempted to define the basic planning goals for the future of the City . The policy statements now contained in the Report represent a concensus of these goals and a vision of the citizens and public officials of Newport Beach as to what the future City can and should be . The preparation and adoption of the General Policy Report is the initial step in developing a long-range planning program for the City of Newport Beach . The general policy statements contained in the Report are to serve as guide I ines to the citizens . publ i c officials and city staff in developing more detailed General Plan policies and proposals . The Poli-cy Report has outlined various objectives for each of the elements of the General Plan including Land use , Circulation and Transportation , Housing , Community Facilities and Services , Natural Resources . Shore I i nes , Community Design and Preservation and Redevelopment. The policy statements in the General Policy Report have been adopted as the first completed element of the General Plan . Once the General Plan is completed and each of the elements officially adopted , a wide variety of public and private programs will follow in order to translate its objectives and proposals into three- dimensional reality. The implementation of a General Plan includes the development and adoption of specific plans , the updating and amendment of existing zoning ordinances , and the development of long-range public service and capital improvement programs . The Plan is intended as a guideline for subsequent programs of detailed planning and implementation . In addition to these programs , a process must be established by which to periodically re-examine and amend the Plan . Public policies and physical conditions will change over time , and an almost continu- ous stream of new information and new proposals will require modifi - cati ons . The Policies contained within this report will provide the broader or more general guidelines which assist in updating the General Plan . RESOLUTION NO . 745 A RESOLUTION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH ADOPTING THE GENERAL POLICY REPORT OF THE NEWPORT BEACH GENERAL PLAN WHEREAS , the initial phase of the City ' s General Plan Program has involved the preparation of a General Policy Report; and WHEREAS , said General Policy Report sets forth general objectives and supportihg policies for the future planning and development of the City and will serve as a guide for the develop- ment and implementation of the City ' s General Plan ; and WHEREAS , pursuant to Section 707 of the Newport Beach City Charter , the Planning Commission has held public hearings to consider the adoption of the General Policy Report as a part of the City ' s General Plan ; NOW , THEREFOREO BE IT RESOLVED that the Planning Commis- sion does hereby adopt as a part of the General Plan , and does recommend to the City Council , the General Policy Report described above , a copy of which is on file in the Newport Beach Community Development Department. REGULARLY PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Planning Commission of the City of Newport Beach , State of California , on the 20th day of January 1972 . Chairman ATTEST : ��ecretary RESOLUTION NO . 7634 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH ADOPTING THE GENERAL POLICY REPORT OF THE NEWPORT BEACH GENERAL PLAN WHEREAS , the initial phase of the City ' s General Plan Drogram has involved the preparation of a General Policy Report ; and WHEREAS , said General Policy Report sets forth geheral objectives and supporting policies for the future planning and development of the City and will serve as a guide for the develop- ment and implementation of the City ' s General Plan ; and WHEREAS , the Planning Commission has held a public hearing to consider the adoption of the General Policy Report as a part of the City ' s General Plan ; and WHEREAS , the City Council has conducted a public hearing to consider the adoption of the General Policy Report in accordance with all provisions of law ; NOW , THEREFORE * BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council does hereby adopt, as a part of the General Plan , the General Policy Report , a copy of which is on file in the office of the City Clerk . ADOPTED this 13th day of March 1972 . F—ay o r ATTEST: City Clerk--- IN PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COMMUNITY , it shall be the basic underlying goal of the City of Newport Beach to protect and enhance the City ' s special charm and character ; its unique natural and man-made physical environment; its attractive visual environment , and the wide range of social , economic , cultural , educational and recreational opportunities which have contributed to the high quality of life enjoyed by its citizens . C 0 N T E N T S Item Page Future Growth 1 Land Use 4 Circulatio-n and Transportation 7 Housing 1 2 Community Facilities and Services 14 Natural Resources 18 Shorelines 22 Community Design 24 Preservation and Redevelopment 27 FUTURE GROWTH GENERAL OBJECTIVE It is the objective of the City of Newport Beach to assure , through the assertion of positive controls over urban growth , the preserva- tion and enhancement of all those present assets which provide for the high quality of life enjoyed by its citizens , and to assure that all support systems such as transportation , parking , recreation facilities , schools , fire and police protection , and utilities can be maintained at optimum levels of economic and functional efficiency . SUPPORTING POLICIES a ) The City shall set specific limits on population and dwelling unit densities and the intensity and extent of commercial and industrial development for the general planning area as a whole , and for each individual plan- ning area throughout the community . b) The timing and pace of future development or redevelop- ment shall be limited and controlled to encourage phased and orderly development and to prohibit any premature development which would adversely affect the quality or efficiency of existing or pldnned public support systems . 2 c ) The City shall encourage the growth of income-producing developments to sustain a high revenue base for the provision of public support services only within those areas where the character , amount and location of such developments are compatible with surrounding land uses and the existing character of the community . d ) The optimum geographic limits of the City shall be established to ensure the retention of the City ' s unique character and identity . e ) In each potential annexation , the area ' s relationship and importance to the City and all costs and benefits ( both economic and environmental ) shall be thoroughly identi - fied and weighed for annexation or non-annexation . f) In cooperation with other local or regional agencies and districts ,. the City shall encourage the annexation of various isolated areas within the County which naturally fall within the pla�nning and service responsibilities of the City . g ) Contiguous , unincorporated lands including the downcoast area , shall be included as part of the General Plan area , and criteria shall be prepared for their development . The question of whether these areas will be annexed will be considered after the necessary economic and physical research has been completed and determination can be made as to the advantages and disadvantages of annexation . 3 h ) Because the school system and its services play such a vital part in the lives of the citizens of Newport Beach , the City shall endeavor to have municipal boundaries coterminous to the school district boundaries . i ) City growth, both in terms of population and geographic limits , shall be coordinated with other appropriate local and regional agencies and with the local school district to best serve the needs of the residents of Newport Beach . 4 LAND USE GENERAL OBJECTIVE It is the objective of the City of Newport Beach to provide for an orderly balance of both public and private land uses within conven- ient and compatible locations throughout the community, and to ensure that all such uses - their type , amount , design and arrangement - each serve to protect and enhance the character and image of the community as a low-density residential -recreational area . SUPPORTING POLICIES a The City shall preserve and maintain the predominant one and two family residential character and density of the community within existing and future neighborhoods throughout the City . b) Higher density residential development shall be limited to those areas where compatible with adjacent land uses and where adequate and convenient commercial services and public support systems such as streets , p6rking , parks , schools and utilities are, or will be , adequate to serve them . c) The village-like neighborhood atmosphere and identity of existing residential areas shall be preserved and encouraged . d) The City shall provide for a sufficient diversity of land uses so that schools , recreation areas , churches and neighborhood shopping centers are available in close proximity to each resident of the community . e ) The type and amount of commercial areas shall be limited to those which can feasibly be supported by their appro- priate trade area and to those which are consistent and compatible with the prime concept and image of the community as a quality , low-density residential area . f) Commercial recreation or destination tourist facilities , in particular4 shall be carefully controlled- so as to pro- tect the quality residential character of the community and the opportunity of local residents to enjoy ( in a safe , attractive and convenient manner) the continued use of the harbor , shoreline and local transportation and parking facilities . g ) In view of the City ' s attraction as a regional &nd state- wide recreation area; the grow-Ing regional and statewide demand for water-oriented recreational facilities , and the limited capacity of the City ' s harbor and oceanfront resources to fully satisfy such demands , the City shall encourage the opening and development of adjoining ocean 6 and waterfront areas outside Newport Bay in a manner which may best serve to distribute the increasing public need for water-oriented recreational facilities . h) Consistent with all other policies to protect and enhance the quality residential character of the community , the City shall encourage both public and private water-oriented recre� tional and entertainment facilities as a means of providing public access to the waterfront . Provisions shall be made for the preservation of suitable and adequate sites for commercial and' industrial marine- related facilities so as to p-rotect the City ' s historical and maritime atmosphere , and the charm and character such industries have traditionally provided the City . j ) General industrial development within the community shall be limited to those areas and uses which are appropriate to and compatible with a quality residential community. k ) The City shall develop and maintain suitable and adequate standards for landscaping , sign control , site and building design , parking and the Undergrounding of u-tilities to ensure that all existing and future commercial and industrial developments are compatible with surrounding land uses . 7 CIRCULATION AND TRANSPORTATION GENERAL OBJECTIVE It is the objective of the City of Newport Beach to ensure the orderly development of those facilities which promote the safe , attractive, convenient , and economical movement of people and goods within the Newport Beach area ; to ensure the development of all such facilities in a manner which will minimize any detri - mental effects .upon the environmental quality of the City; and to assist in the development of a total circulation system to serve the present and future needs of the Orange County region . SUPPORTING POLICIES a ) The local transportation system shall serve as an integral part of the broader regional transportation network , including a balance between various alternate modes of transportation such as highways , mass transit , air and water facilities , that will coordinate local and regional transportation needs and the needs of various age and socio-economic groups , b) The City shall continue the active investigation of all planned local and regional transportation systems to determine the impact of each on the community , and to ensure that all such facilities serve to protect and maintain the sociological , ecological , economic and aesthetic environment of the Newport Beach area , c ) Freew(tys , in particular , shall not bisect or isolate individual communities , neighborhoods , business areas , parks or other homogeneous areas within the City , and shall be designed in such a manner as to protect and enhance any adjacent land uses . 1 . Consistent with the objective and policies to preserve the environmental quality of the community , the City shall continue to oppose the development of the Route 1 ( Pacific Coast) Freeway within the coastal corridor of Newport Beach . 2 . The City shall promote the future routing of the Corona del Mar Freeway to an alignment which would be northerly from its present planned route through Corona del Mar . As one alterna- tive , the City should consider a possible align- ment of the freeway to a location near or adjacent to Bonita Canyon - Coyote Canyon Road . d ) Recognizing the vital relationship which exists between the street and highway network and the use of land , the City shall limit and control the distribution , character and intensity of all land uses which would generate increased I,evels of -traffic beyond the capacity of the existing or planned street system . 9 e ) Every attempt should be made to subordinate the automobile in older high-density areas . Alternate means of transportation should be fully explored . f In view of increasing demands and the economic pressures to expand air transportation services in the Orange County region , the City shall actively encourage and par- ticipate in the planning and development of a regional airport facility at a location which will be least detrimental to surrounding residents and adjacent land uses . The new facilities should be developed for occupancy by 1977 - the date on which specific air facility leases may be considered for termination or renewal . g ) The present location of the Orange County Airport is unacceptable as a site for a regional airport facility and should therefore be restricted to its ultimate function as a local airport , confined to the use of non-jet commercial carriers capable of short take-offs and landings and small privately operated non-jet business and pleasure type air- craft . 10 h The City shall also promote and assist in the development of adequate regulations and controls to reduce the present levels of noise , pollution and other hazards associated with the operations of the Orange County Airport and ensure that such regulations and controls are developed and maintained as a standard that is found to be acceptable to the City of Newport Beach . Facilities and landing areas for any helicopter or other short landing and takeoff aircraft within the City shall be limited as to their extent , location and character of operation to protect against any adverse effect on the character or environmental quality of the community . j ) The City shall encourage and assist in the planning and development of a regional mass transit system with other appropriate agencies , where such system may best serve to reduce the rising demand for adequate and efficient trans- portation facilities . k) Any mass transi t system and the various local support facilities , shall each be designed and operated so as to protect and enhance the physical , social , and ecological environment of the Newport Beach area . The City shall develop and maintain suitable and adequate regulations to assure the provision of sufficient off- street parking with all new developments and encourage joint public-private efforts to improve parking conditions in existing developed areas , M) The City shall ensure the provision of adequate sidewalks and other pedestrian ways and initiate the development of a safe and attractive bicycle trail system throughout the City . n ) The City shall encourage the use of a small boat system for sight-seeing passengers in and around the Bay . The system shall be designed in such a way as to protect existing residents and uses which front on the Bay . o) The City shall encourage the maintenance of the existing ferry system between Balboa Island and the peninsula . 12 HOUSING GENERAL OBJECTIVE It is the objective of the City of Newport Beach to preserve and enhance the community ' s quality living environment; to maintain and improve the visual character and physical quality of all existing neighborhoods , and to encourage the development of a variety of new housing to adequately serve the needs of all present and future residents of the community . SUPPORTING POLICIES a ) The City shall retain the present predominance of single- family residences throughout the c ommunity while continu- ing to provide for a variety of housing types and a diversity of housing needs . b ) A variety of housing types and designs shall include multiple-famil-y apartments and townhouses , as well as attached and detached single-family homes in convenient and compatible locations so as to offer a broad housing choice to a variety of family sizes , types , and incomes . c) All new housing shall be developed to include suitable and adequate landscaping , open space , parks and recreation features , and other design amenities to meet the prevail - ing community standards of environmental quality . 13 - d ) The City shall encourage and assist in the conservation , maintenance , and improvement of all existing residential neighborhoods so as to maintain optimum local standards of housing quality and design . e ) Existing housing which fails to meet prevailing standards of health and safety shall be rehabilitated through a systematic program of building and housing code enforce- ment so as to maintain the residential character and quality of the community . f) The City shall support "open housing" for all persons to purchase or rent adequate housing facilities of their choice , regardless of their age , race , religion , creed, color , or national origin . g ) The City shall cooperate with the various local and regional agencies , both public and private , to identify and assist in solving the housing problems of the broader regional community . 14 COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES GENERAL OBJECTIVE It is the objective of the City of Newport Beach to ensure a full and adequate range of pub I i c and private community faci I i ties , and to provide a consistently high level of public services so as to ensure each resident the opportunity to enjoy a safe , healthful and attractive living environment. SUPPORTING POLICIES a) The City shall maintain appropriate levels of health and safety services and facilities to adequately serve the current and future needs of the community , including police and fire protection , marine safety services , build- ing safety and public utility services . b ) The City shall endeavor to provide a full range of year- round recreational facilities and instructional programs to adequately meet the current and future needs of each resident . The varied programs and facilities shall include water sports and activities , beach and harbor facilities , active park facilities , passive open areas and view parks , senior citizen facilities , and bicycle and pedestrian trails . c) For all services and facilities to be provided directly by the City , the City shall exercise the full care necessary to insure that all such services and facilities are provided and maintained in an efficient and economical manner to the citizens of the community . d ) The City shall investigate all opportunities for utilizing public services and facilities adequately provided by other agencies , and the exclusion of similarly planned or exist- ing services and facilities which may be adequately pro- vided through the private or commercial sector of the community to ultimately reduce present and future costs of local municipal services . e) Consistent with such policies , the City shall continue City-school district cooperation in the joint use of park and recreation facilities ; the development of park sites adjacent to school properties , and the development of relevant open space within individual planning areas throughout the community . 16 f) The City shall promote and assist through its planning efforts , the development and maintenance of a full range of quality educational programs and facilities including the various public , private , and parochial school systems . g ) The City shall continue to provide for the necessary expansion of public library services and facilities to adequately serve the present and future needs of the community . The traditional library services should be continued as an extension of public educational opportun- ities and be expanded to include the broadening concept of libraries to serve as community information , communi - cation , cultural and recreational centers for all residents of the community . h ) The City shall encourage , stimulate and aid in the practice and exhibition of the arts in the Newport Beach area , and provide the necessary leadership and coopera- tion to increase and broaden the opportunities for all local citizens , both young and old , to enjoy and partici - pate in cultural activities . The City shall encourage a wide range of cultural train- ing activities , from amateur to professional levels , and the development programs as may be established by the various organizations , both public and private , through- out the community , 17 The City shall cooperate with the other' governmental agencies and private organizations in providing adequate local and regional facilities for the fulfillment of the cultural needs of the community . 18 NATURAL RESOURCES GENERAL OBJECTIVE It is the objective of the City of Newport Beach to conserve and enhance the unique natural beauty and irreplaceable natural re- sources of the community ; to ensure the protection and enhance- ment of the harbor and ocean waters , their adjoining beaches and shoreline , the marine and wildlife habitats , and the natural terraces , hillsides and watershed areas within the community, and to ensure the protection and control of urban development within areas of natural , physical hazards and to encourage the protection of sites of cultural and historic value . SUPPORTING POLICIES a ) The City shall encourage and assist in the development of a comprehensive water-quality program to ensure the protection , maintenance and enhancement of the bay and ocean water areas and their life support systems . b) The City and other appropriate agencies shall thereby develop and maintain adequate controls to ensure desirable levels of water quality ; to restrict all sources of bacteriological , chemical , biochemical , and other pollutants , and to reduce , as far as Possible, harmful amounts of fresh water intrusion , sedimentation , and debris and waste discharges ( including waste discharges from boats ) into the bay, harbor and ocean water areas . 19 c The City shall endeavor to preserve , in its natural state , the ocean beaches , water , surf action and coastal shoreline in a manner that will ensure their availability for continued public use and enjoyment . Proposals for the construction of anti -erosion structures , off-shore break- waters , or future marinas shall be examined in light of this policy. d ) The City shall also endeavor to preserve and enhance a significant portion of the Upper Bay and marine coastal preserves which support varied species of plant, marine and wildlife population to insure their availability and continued use for ecological , educational and aesthetic purposes . e) The City shall preserve and protect those areas within the City that , due to their outstanding aesthetic quality and value , their natural value as watersheds or wildlife habitats , or their high susceptibility to major hazards from such phenomenon as earthquakes , floods ( including tidal floods ) , or landslides , should be considered for permanent open space . 20 f) The City shall encourage the full utilization and opportunity within permanent open space areas for such uses as bicycle paths , hiking and equestrian trails , picnic facilities , golf ranges , etc . , that would provide for the public use and enjoyment of these areas . g ) The City shall dev elop and maintain standards for the development of all hillside areas , encouraging those grading , landscaping and site development techniques which may enhance the natural character of such areas . h The City shall endeavor to assist through its planning efforts , the proper excavation and recordation of historic and cultural information offered by various sites of known or potential archeological and paleontological value . The appropriate historic and cultural organizations shall be informed , as early as possible , of the probable timing and program for development within such areas . i ) The City shall identify and measure the chief sources of noise and air pollutants within the community , and their impact upon the local environment . The City shall also encourage and promote the development of a comprehensive air and noise quality program to ensure adequate regula- tions and controls for the preservation and enhancement of the environment . 21 The City shall continue to prohibit the extraction of oil within the off-shore or inland areas of the City and to discourage any oil production within the immediate vicinity of the City , including the offshore waters under juris- diction of the Federal Government . 22 - SHORELINES GENERAL OBJECTIVE It is the objective of the City of Newport Beach to promote the marine related environment of the community ; to preserve and enhance the unique natural beauty and quality of the harbor and ocean front areas ; and to provide for the public use and enjoyment of the bay and ocean waters and their shorelines consistent with sound conservation principles . SUPPORTING POLICIES a ) The City shall encourage marine recreational and educational opportunities for continued public use and enjoyment , including such activities as : Boating , swimming and sunbathing , sport fishing , underwater diving , surfing , picnicking , and marine and wildlife observation . b) The City shall plan for and encourage the maintenance of the necessary support facilities and services for marine recreational and educational activities in reasonable numbers and Places , including : Marine ways and services , launch- ing facilities , gas and pump-out stations , parking facilities , restrooms , showers , and concessions . 23 - c ) Natural resources of the shoreline , including the harbor and ocean waters , the adjoining natural beaches and bluffs , and the marine and wildlife habitats and pre- serves shall be conserved or enhanced in a manner that will ensure their availability for continued public use and enjoyment . d ) The City shall protect and enhance direct physical and visual access to the waterfront over publicly-owned properties and encourage visual access to the waterfront over privately-owned properties . e) The City shall cooperate with the Orange County Harbor District and the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure the protection and maintenance of the bay and ocean front areas , including the dredging of harbor channels , and the installation and maintenance of such features as bulkheads , seawalls , jettys , beaches , piers , docks , and moorings . 24 - COMMUNITY DESIGN GENERAL OBJECTIVE It is the objective of the City of Newport Beach to preserve and enhance the vi sual character and image of the community ; to ensure that all future development occurs in harmony with existing natural and man-made features of traditional or perceptual value to the community ; and to upgrade those existing features throughout the City which may detract from the visual character or quality of Newport Beach . SUPPORTING POLICIES a ) The City shall develop the necessary criteria and guidelines to provide planning direction for the entire City and for the individual communities through- out the City and to ensure the coordination of all public and private developments , improvements , and beautification efforts . b) The planning criteria shall seek to maintain the composition and form of the City as a series of smaller , village-like neigh-borhoods which have their own distinct attraction and identity and yet serve as a sense of place and identification to the City as a whole . 25 - c ) The major natural features , such as the bay and ocean , the shorelines , bluffs and hillsides , and the physical and visual access to these features , should each be preserved as major identifiable forms or connecting visual features throughout the City . d ) All existing bridges shall be altered when reconstruc- tion is necessa-ry and future bridges shall be designed to utilize an open- type bridge railing so that pedes- trians and motorists may enjoy the view. e) The City shall develop ordinances and controls to encourage the use o-P open space and natural contour construction throughout hillside areas and the use of view parks and open space to enhance views and access to major natural features , f) The City shall develop suitable and adequate landscaping ( including treescapes , street furniture , etc . ) , under- grounding of utilities , sign controls , and site and building design standards to ensure that all public and private developments are compatible with the natural and man-made resources throughout the community. 26 f) The question of whether high-rise or large-scale build- ings shall be permitted in Newport Beach shall be determined upon completing necessary general plan studies . If such developments are to be permitted : 1 . The City shall develop and maintain specific regulations specifying where and under what conditions high-rise or large-scale improvements may be developed . 2 . The location , size , and arrangement of high- rise or other large-scale buildings , and particularly massive clusters of such- build- ings , shall be severely limited to protect the human quality or scale of Newport Beach and its predominant existing character as a quality , low-density residential community . 3 . High-rise or other large-scale buildings , in particular , shall be prohibited from those areas where the scale or intensity of such development would detract from the existing character or image of adjacent developments or where such buildings would collectively destroy the direct views to major natural features from surrounding areas . 27 PRESERVATION AND REDEVELOPMENT GENERAL OBJECTIVE It is the objective of the City of Newport Beach to preserve and maintain the visual and physical character of all quality residen- tial , commercial and industrial areas throughout the community , and to actively promote the upgrading and improvement of older or deteriorated areas so as to ensure adequate levels of health and safety and to strengthen the local economic environment and visual quality of the community , SUPPORTING POLICIES a) The City shall identify and promote the continued maintenance and revitalization of individual deterior- ating or blighted residential , commercial and industrial properties within the community through a systematic program of zoning , building and housing code enforcement . b) The City shall encourage and actively support the re- vitalization of extensive deteriorating or blighted commercial - and industrial areas on a private basis or through cooperative public-private programs . c) Private remodeling , landscaping , renovation or redevelop- ment efforts should each be assisted by the City through the development of specific area-wide plans or special district plans to provide coordination and guidance to the individual property owners . 28 d) The City shall continue to upgrade existing codes and ordinances to insure a high quality of standards for all new residential , commercial and industrial develop- ment and to take full advantage of acceptable scientific and technological advances within the building construc- tion industry. e) The City shall identify and endeavor to preserve and protect those individual areas , buildings , structures , or trees which are deemed to be of major historic , cultural , or aesthetic value to the community. f) Every attempt shall be made to protect the quality of the environment from each potential form or variety of pollution ; including excessive levels of noise , air and water pollutants .