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GPA2017-0002 EXHIBITS-NARRATIVETRAVERTINE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION Proposed General Plan TRAVERTINE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION City of La Quinta - Existing General Plan TRAVERTINE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION Proposed • Removal of Madison south of Avenue 60 • Realignment of Jefferson Street Existing • Madison, Jefferson and Avenue 62 as Modified Secondary Highway • Crossing Dike 4 – 88’ Right-of-Way TRAVERTINE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION Statement and Consistency with General Plan Statement: As a part of the Travertine Development, the City will consider the approval of this General Plan Amendment that proposes changing certain aspects of the City’s General Plan land use and circulation designations in order to provide for the development of the proposed amended Travertine Specific Plan. This General Plan Amendment would enable the City to implement revised circulation and infrastructure alternatives intended to convey the vision for the Travertine Specific Plan area. This amendment proposes modifications to the General Plan Land Use Map and the General Plan Roadway Classifications exhibit. No text changes to the General Plan are proposed. This application requests the following: • Modify the General Plan Land Use Map, as follows, 1. Modify the existing areas and locations of land use designations at the project site with the following designations: Low Density Residential, Medium/High Density Residential, Tourist Commercial, Open Space - Recreation, Open Space Natural. 2. Removal of the 10 acre General Commercial designation within the Travertine development area. • Modify the General Plan Roadway Classifications exhibit, as follows, 3. The termination of the Madison Street extension as a General Plan Roadway from Avenue 60 to Avenue 62. 4. The realignment of the Jefferson Street extension to be consistent with the alignment proposed in the Travertine Development. In conjunction with this application, an Environmental Impact Report, Amendment to the Specific Plan, Zone Change, Tentative Tract Map, Development Agreement, and a Fire Master Plan are currently being prepared for the Travertine development. An assessment of the proposed Amendment’s consistency with applicable General Plan goals, policies and programs is provided below. General Plan Consistency: Land Use • GOAL LU-1 Land use compatibility throughout the City. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan provides diverse and high-quality housing, tourist commercial, resort and spa, skills golf course with club facilities, and park and recreation opportunities that meet the needs of its residents and bring tourism to the City. The Travertine Specific Plan establishes and maintains connections between existing neighborhoods and the Specific Plan neighborhoods. TRAVERTINE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION • GOAL LU-2 High quality design that complements and enhances the City. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan provides many high-quality design elements that will ensure the following: a wide array of residential housing; integrates recreational uses; provides tourist commercial uses, preserves open space, and protects scenic views. • GOAL LU-3 Safe and identifiable neighborhoods that provide a sense of place. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan incorporates design guidelines that will ensure high quality architecture and landscaping. The residential enclaves will be cohesive in design and character and recreational facilities will be consistent with their surrounding neighborhood. The master-planned community of Travertine is designed to complement the surrounding development in the area, incorporating residential, tourist commercial, open space, and park areas into a cohesive plan complementary to uses in the vicinity of the project. This Specific Plan is designed such that compatible land uses, open space areas, landscaped manufactured slopes, and elevation changes serve as buffers between the planned Travertine community and surrounding open space land uses. • GOAL LU-5 A broad range of housing types and choices for all residents of the City. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan provides a mix of housing types that include medium, and low-density housing types, designed with enhanced architecture and landscaping, and access to pedestrian walkways, providing a walkable community for the residents. Circulation • GOAL CIR-2 A circulation system that promotes and enhances transit, alternative vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian systems. Consistency Analysis: The Specific Plan provides a master planned roadway system with a network of bicycle/pedestrian pathways designed to meet the needs of residents, safely and efficiently transport people and goods, and accommodate the projected residential growth within the community. Livable Community • GOAL SC-1 A community that provides the best possible quality of life for all its residents. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan provides a master planned community that includes over 357 acres of open space (including natural, passive and active areas) which is served by a network of pedestrian, bike and hiking trails, will connect residents and TRAVERTINE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION visitors to amenities to meet both active and passive needs. Residents will also have two community parks as well as localized pocket parks within neighborhoods. Visitors and residents will have access to a golf academy, and resort/ spa facilities. Residences will be designed in conformance with high architectural standards. CEC Energy Efficient Standards (CBC Title 24) will be required for all residential and non-residential uses. Solar systems, both passive and active will take advantage of the year-round abundant sunshine. Green Building technology will be promoted to improve resource efficiency in the residential and tourist serving commercial uses. Economic Development • GOAL ED-1 A balanced and varied economic base which provides the City a fiscal stability to the City, and a broad range of goods and services to its residents and the region. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan includes tourist commercial uses that will accommodate and attract residents of the city and visitors, offer new employment opportunities, and contribute to a strong and diversified economic base. The project developer will pay its reasonable fair-share of impact fees and improvement costs to fund the infrastructure improvements and other public facilities necessary to service the planned development • GOAL ED-2 The continued growth of the tourism and Resort/Spa industries in the City. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan allows for resident and tourist commercial uses that complement and support one another and will help maintain a strong sales and property tax base. The tourist commercial components of the Specific Plan will promote transient occupancy tax, retail, restaurants, and other support uses in a pedestrian-friendly environment which will enhance the fiscal growth potential and real estate values of the City and the Travertine community. Parks, Recreation and Trails • GOAL PR-1 A comprehensive system of parks and recreation facilities and services that meet the active and passive needs of all residents and visitors. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan will provide many recreational opportunities, including: two community parks (totaling approximately 13 acres), 6 miles of walkable trails that circumnavigate the community and an additional 5 miles of trails interior to the project providing for a walkable community for the residents. Residential development areas will also have additional localized pocket park areas within the neighborhoods. On-street bike lanes will make it convenient to ride around the project for exercise and local transportation. A Class II bikeway will be constructed on the Jefferson Street/Avenue 62 as well as the Loop Streets for the use and enjoyment of La Quinta residents. These amenities will also provide access to the project’s, 55.9 acres of recreational open space, and 301 acres of natural open space (including the 152 acres of habitat preservation), as well as the resort/ spa and the golf academy. TRAVERTINE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION Housing • GOAL H-1 Provide housing opportunities that meet the diverse needs of the City’s existing and projected population. Consistency Analysis: The Specific Plan is designed to provide a range of housing types and densities at varying price points that will help meet the anticipated demand for housing within different economic segments of the City. • GOAL H-5 Provide equal housing opportunities for all persons. Consistency Analysis: The Specific Plan developer will encourage the enforcement of laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination in lending practices and in the for-sale or rental housing. • GOAL H-6 Provide a regulatory framework that facilitates and encourages energy and water conservation through sustainable site planning, project design, and green technologies and building materials. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan incorporates sustainable design strategies that promote energy and water conservation measures. The project is designed to control water runoff and avoid contamination of water resources. All HOA maintained landscaped areas will be designed in a water-efficient manner and drought tolerant plants will be used throughout the individual neighborhoods, the resort/spa and golf course. Title 24 compliance is required for all construction. Air Quality • GOAL AQ-1 A reduction of air emissions generated within the City. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan will expand routes for golf carts and neighborhood electric vehicles, and plan for accessing and recharging facilities at the resort/spa and the golf academy facility. The plan provides an extensive pedestrian and bicycle network of paths, approximately 11 miles of such trails in addition to the on-street bike lanes that will be provided, to allow safe and convenient access to recreational and community facilities. Proposed development air quality emissions and greenhouse gas emissions shall be analyzed under CEQA and adhere to the City’s GHG Reduction Plan. All construction activities will minimize emission of all air quality pollutants, grading activities shall adhere to established fugitive dust criteria. The project will implement the air quality mitigation measures as identified in the project EIR. TRAVERTINE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION Energy and Mineral Resources • GOAL EM-2 The conservation and thoughtful management of local mineral deposits to assure the long- term viability of limited resources. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan will preserve any local mineral resources identified by the Department of Mines and Geology and to the greatest extent possible designate those undeveloped lands as Open Space. The project will implement mineral deposit resource mitigation measures as identified in the project EIR if necessary. Biological Resources • GOAL BIO-1 The protection and preservation of native and environmentally significant biological resources and their habitats. Consistency Analysis: The project has designated 152 acres of protected habitat area along the southern, western, and eastern boundaries of the site. This preserve area will protect known biological resources, including the important habitat for the Bighorn Sheep. The project will implement biological resource mitigation measures as identified in the project EIR. The designated habitat area also includes areas of cultural resources to be protected. Cultural Resources • GOAL CUL-1 The protection of significant archaeological, historic, and paleontological resources occur in the City. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine Specific Plan will preserve any significant archaeological and historic resources to the greatest extent possible. The project has been redesigned to preserve all nine cultural resources identified that are within or intersect the project. The project will implement mitigation measures as identified in the project EIR. Water Resources • GOAL WR-1 Support the Coachella Valley Water District in its efforts to supply adequate domestic water to residents and businesses. Consistency Analysis: The project will utilize drought tolerant landscaping on all HOA maintained slopes and parkways. The resort/wellness center and the golf academy and its facilities will predominately use water wise landscaping and judicially reduce the use of turf in the golf skills course area. Open Space and Conservation • GOAL OS-1 Preservation, conservation and management of the City’s open space lands and scenic resources for enhanced recreation, environmental and economic purposes. Consistency Analysis: The Travertine plan preserves 301 acres for habitat and natural TRAVERTINE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION preservation purposes. The vistas of the Santa Rosa Mountains, Coral Mountain and other scenic resources will not be disrupted. Noise • GOAL N-1 A healthful noise environment which complements the City’s residential and Resort/Spa character. Consistency Analysis: The project complements the City’s residential and Resort/Spa character. The project EIR addresses the potential impacts of noise associated with the proposed development. The Specific Plan will incorporate appropriate design measures and adhere to all applicable restrictions and requirements identified in the EIR to ensure that the potential impacts are mitigated to below a level of significance Soils and Geology • GOAL GEO-1 Protection of the residents’ health and safety, and of their property, from geologic and seismic hazards. Consistency Analysis: The project EIR addresses the potential impacts of natural hazards associated with the proposed development. The Specific Plan will incorporate appropriate design measures and adhere to all applicable restrictions and requirements identified in the EIR to ensure that the potential impacts are mitigated to below a level of significance. Flooding and Hydrology • GOAL FH-1 Protection of the health and safety, and welfare of the community from flooding and hydrological hazards. Consistency Analysis: The Specific Plan includes preservation and avoidance of the larger areas related to the identified Middle North and Middle South storm flows to address flooding concerns. Additionally, development has been sufficiently set back from the natural water courses to assure adequate protection of life, property, and habitat values. A reinforced flood protection barrier along the western and southern edge of development will provide flood protection for flows from the adjacent open space and directing the flows to downstream off-site areas along Dike No. 4 and the Guadalupe Dike thereby protecting the project from off-site flows. Hazardous Materials • GOAL HAZ-1 Protection of residents from the potential impacts of hazardous and toxic materials. Consistency Analysis: Development of the project will be evaluated in the EIR and the project will implement all measures identified in the project EIR to protect the residents’ safety from potential impacts from hazardous and toxic material. TRAVERTINE GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENT APPLICATION Emergency Services • GOAL ES-1 An effective and comprehensive response to all emergency service needs. Consistency Analysis: Fire protection and emergency response services to the Specific Plan Area will be provided by the City and County. The service levels of fire and police protection needed to adequately serve the Travertine community will be identified and addressed in the Environmental Impact Report being prepared in conjunction with this Specific Plan. Although Madison Street, south of Avenue 60, would be removed as a public right of way, it will be improved as an emergency vehicle accessway (EVA) for access into the Travertine community. During the phased construction of the community, interim solutions have been identified and will be implemented to ensure required access for fire and emergency services will be available at all times. Water Sewer & Other Utilities • GOAL UTL-1 Domestic water facilities and services which adequately serve the existing and long-term needs of the City. Consistency Analysis: The domestic water needs will be provided by Coachella Valley Water District. The water assessment analysis for the Travertine community will be addressed in the Environmental Impact Report being prepared in conjunction with this Specific Plan. • GOAL UTL-2 Sanitary sewer facilities and services which adequately serve the existing and long-term needs of the City. Consistency Analysis: The sewer needs and facilities will be provided by Coachella Valley Water District. The sewer services assessment analysis for the Travertine community will be addressed in the Environmental Impact Report being prepared in conjunction with this Specific Plan.