The City of Encinitas General Plan serves as a roadmap for the City’s physical, social, and economic development and contains goals and policies that strive to maintain the
City’s distinct community characters, provide a balance of land uses and services and
to preserve environmental resources. The evaluation of consistency with plans and policies is intended to provide a perspective on whether the Manchester Senior Housing project fits into the framework of goals and policies that the City has adopted to guide its future growth and development. These policies are intended to ensure that the existing character of developments are maintained, and that future development is compatible with existing land uses. Table 3-1 summarizes the relevant policies from the City of Encinitas’ General Plan Resource Management Element and provides a consistency review for the proposed project.
35
TABLE 4-3 RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT ELEMENT
POLICY
CONSISTENCY ANALYSIS/COMMENT
COMMUNITY VIEWS, VISTAS, AND AESTHETIC QUALITIESPolicy 4.5: The City will designate
“Scenic/Visual
Corridor Overlay” areas within which the
character of development would be regulated to protect the integrity of the Vista Points according to the following criteria:
- Development within the critical viewshed area should be subject to design review based on the following:
o Building height, bulk, roof line and color and scale should not obstruct, limit or degrade the existing views;
o Landscaping should be located to screen adjacent undesirable views (parking lot areas, mechanical equipment, etc.)
The project’s restrained facade treatments and simple roof gabled roof forms are intended to reflect the existing agrarian nature of the site and the history of Encinitas. Massing is enhanced by varied roof elements and materials such as siding, stucco and stone tile. Staggered façades and projecting wings will allow for a play of light and shadow on the buildings. Lower, smaller scale elements have been added to enhance the human scale of the project. Light to medium colors and materials will reinforce the agrarian theme and serve to reduce the mass of the buildings.
All proposed landscaping shall consist of non- invasive, drought tolerant native plant material and comply with the San Elijo Conservancy Coastal Sage Shrub Plant Field Guide. Any existing landscaping that does not meet the above requirements shall be removed. All planting shall be maintained in good condition throughout the life of the project. The project proposed enhanced paving at the entry points throughout the project as well as turf block in the firelane to mitigate the expanses of paving. Additionally, appropriately sized trees privately maintained shall be planted within the parkway for aesthetically pleasing screening.
36
Policy 4.6: The City will maintain and enhance thescenic highway/visual corridor viewsheds. (Coastal Act/30251)
The Scenic corridor regulations apply to all properties within the scenic view corridor along scenic highways and adjacent to significant viewsheds and vista points as described in the Visual Resource Sensitivity Map of the Resource Management Element of the General
Policy 4.10: It is intended that development would be subject to the design review provisions of the Scenic/Visual Corridor Overlay Zone for those locations within Scenic View Corridors, along scenic highways and adjacent to significant viewsheds, historic viewsheds and vista points with the addition of the following design criteria:
- Development Design
o Building and vegetation setbacks, scenic easements, and height and bulk restrictions should be used to maintain existing views and vistas from the roadway.
o Development regulated along any bluff silhouette line or on adjacent slopes within view of the lagoon areas and Escondido Creek.
Consideration will be given to the visual impact from a proposed development that may trigger design review within the Scenic View Corridor Overlay Zone. Evaluation of project bulk, mass, height, architectural design, grading, and other visual factors to ensure the visual impact of proposed development is properly assessed.
The proposed site development area is outside the existing steeper slope areas. The project footprint falls within the limits of the existing agricultural area. There is an established 100’ setback from the coastal bluff vegetation. All buildings will be located outside this 100’ setback. There will be limited slope grading and minor street/utility improvement areas within that setback zone. The building locations lie outside the limits of the flood plain established by FEMA for the site/lagoon drainage area, and the elevations of the building is set above the established elevation of the flood plain as required.
The site development area is outside the existing steeper slope areas as shown on page 16 (slope analysis). Everything is basically within the limits of the existing agricultural area and nit on the bluffs.
37
o Where possible, development should be placed and set back from the bases of bluffs, and similarly, set back from bluff or ridge top silhouette lines; shall leave lagoon areas and floodplains open, and shall be sited to provide unobstructed view corridors from the nearest scenic highway.
Development that is allowed within a viewshed area must respond in scale, roof line, materials, color, massing, and location on the site to the topography, existing vegetation, and colors of the native environment.
(Coastal Act/30251/30253)
Policy 4.11: The City will develop a program to preserve views that also preserves the appropriate vegetation and removes obstacles that impact views. Trees and vegetation which are themselves part of the view quality along the public right-of-way will be retained. (Coastal Act/30251)
The project will have an established 100’ setback from the coastal bluff vegetation, which is ultimately the toe of the bluff slopes. All of the proposed buildings are located outside the 100’ setback. There is limited slope grading and minor street/utility improvement areas within that setback zone. The plan was developed to keep the building locations outside the limits of the flood plain established by FEMA for the site/lagoon drainage area, and the elevations of the building is well above the established elevation of the flood plain as required.
The proposed project is located on a site that was previously disturbed for agricultural purposes, free of any significant landscaping features and the surrounding properties have also been developed with institutional, residential and commercial development. The project would not open any undeveloped natural area for
38
POLICY CONSISTENCY ANALYSIS/COMMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM NEW DEVELOPMENTPolicy 14.1: The best strategy to reduce erosion
and sedimentation is to reduce to the maximum extent feasible, grading and removal of vegetation. It is the policy of the City that, in any land use and development, grading and vegetation removal shall be limited to the minimum necessary. (Coastal Act/3040/30250)
A Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
report will be prepared for the project to comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit for Storm Water Discharges associated with Construction and Land Disturbance Activities, State Water Resources Control Board Order No. 2012- 0006-SWQ, NPDES No. CAS000002. The SWPPP report will include, as required by the Construction General Permit, erosion and sediment control.
Policy 14.4: Revegetation and appropriate landscaping of all areas graded and scraped of vegetative cover shall be required with land use and development. Plantings, hydroseeding, and irrigation systems used shall be selected on the bases of minimizing erosion and conserving water. (Coastal Act/30251)
All proposed landscaping shall consist of non- invasive, drought tolerant native plant material and comply with the San Elijo Conservancy Coastal Sage Shrub Plant Field Guide. Any existing landscaping that does not meet the above requirements shall be removed. All planting shall be maintained in good condition throughout the
39