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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 10-7224 - Amend Land Use Element of General Plan - Vision 2025( RESOLUTION NO. 10– 7224 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE LAND USE ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN (VISION 2025). THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The City Council of the City of Downey does hereby find, determine and declare that: A. On October 24, 2000, the City of Downey adopted the “ Downtown Plan for Downey’s Historical Downtown District” (hereinafter referred to Downtown Overlay Zone). The Downtown Plan placed an overlay onto the existing downtown area to regulate uses, signs, and parking; and, B. On June 9, 2009, the Community Development Commission approved a contract with Hogle Ireland to analyze the downtown area and prepare a new Specific Plan for Downtown Downey; and, C.As a result of the CDC action, staff and the City’s consultant began a public outreach campaign to determine the community’s concerns and visions for the downtown. This campaign includes stakeholder interviews in October 2009, a community outreach meeting on December 3, 2009, EIR scoping meeting on May 26, 2010, and presentation to the Downtown Project Area Committee on June 1, 2010. The feedback from these meetings was used to craft the goals and objectives for the Downtown Specific Plan; and, i D. On June 28, 2010, the staff released a public draft of the proposed Downtown Downey Specific Plan. This was followed by a joint City Council/Planning Commission workshop on the draft plan that was conducted on July 6, 2010; and, E. On July 15, 2010, pursuant to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), staff issued a Notice of Availability for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIFR), which began the official 45-day comment period on the DEIR; and F. The Planning Commission held a duly noticed Public Hearing on September 15, 2010 and after fully considering all oral and written testimony and facts and opinions offered at the aforesaid public hearing adopted Resolution No. 10-2663, thereby recommending approval of the General Plan Amendment; and, G. On September 18, 2010, notice of the Public Hearing was mailed to all property owners and business owners within the boundaries of the Downtown Downey Specific Plan, to all property owners within 500’ of the boundaries of the Downtown Downey Specific Plan, and published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram-, and, H. The City Council held a duly noticed Public Hearing on September 28, 2010 and after fully considering all oral and written testimony and facts and opinions offered at the aforesaid Public Hearing adopted this Resolution. RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE TWO SECTION 2. The City Council further finds, determines and declares that an EIR has been prepared for the Downtown Downey Specific Plan in accordance with the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act, CEQA Guidelines and the City of Downey's Revised Procedures for Irnplementing CEQA. On September 28, 2010, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 10 - 7222, certifying the EIR SECTION 3. Having considered all of the oral and written evidence presented to it at said Public Hearing, the City Council further finds, determines and deciares that: 1 That the proposed General Plan Amendment is consistent with all other goals, policies, programs, and land uses of applicable elements of the General Plan. The proposed General Plan Amendments, which include text changes to allow higher residential densities in the downtown area and land use designation changes for several parcels to allow mixed use, are being proposed as part of the Downtown Downey Specific Plan. As part of the Specific Plan, an analysis of all of the goals and policies was conducted. Appendix A of the Specific Plan (incorporated herein by reference) denotes 42 individual goals and'policies of the General Plan that the Specific Plan is consistent with. Based on the consistency with these 42 goals and policies, the proposed General Plan Amendment will be consistent with the other elements of the General Plan 2 That the proposed General Plan Amendment will not adversely affect surrounding properties or the surrounding environment. The proposed General Plan Amendments are being proposed in conjunction with the Downtown Downey Specific Plan. These changes will be compatible with and complementary to existing conditions and adjoining properties, since development standards have been incorporated into the specific plan to safeguard neighboring properties. Additionally, mitigation measures are being recommended as part of the Final EIR that will lessen the impacts that were identified in the Final EIR. 3 That the proposed General Plan Amendment promotes the public health, safety, and general welfare. The proposed General Plan Amendments will allow the creation of the Downtown Downey Specific Plan, which envisions a pedestrian oriented mixed use environment. This environment will allow people to live and work in the same area, as well as, allow visitors to park once and walk to multiple destinations. This mixed use environment will promote the public health, safety, and welfare. 4 That the proposed General Plan Amendment will not conflict with provisions of Article IX. The General Plan Amendments are being proposed in conjunction with the Downtown Downey Specific Plan. Since the Specific Plan is a stand alone document, which allows an array of uses, it does not alter Article IX of the Municipal Code. Therefore, the General Plan Amendments will not conflict with the Municipal Code RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE THREE SECTION 4. The City Council hereby amends the General Plan Land Use Designation within the Land Use Element of the General Plan to Mixed Use (MU) for the following properties: 10600 Paramount Blvd (AINs 6251-035-05, 6251-035-016, 6251-035-017), 10612 Paramount Blvd (AIN 6251-035-041), 10626 Paramount Blvd (AIN 6251-035-040), 10720 Paramount Blvd (AINs 6251-035-022, 6251-035-037, 6251-036-036, 6251-036-037), 10734 Paramount Blvd (AIN 6251-036-031), 10921 -10933 Paramount Blvd (AIN 6251-020-002), 8025 Fifth Ave (AIN 6251-036-038), 8020 Seventh Ave (AIN 6251-035-014), 10625 Parrot Ave (AIN 6251-035-021 ), 10630 Parrot Ave (AIN 6251-035-038), and 10700 Parrot Ave (AINs 6251-036-035 and 6251- 036-030) SECTION 5. The City Council hereby amends the “Balance of Land Uses” and “Livable Communities” chapters of the Land Use Element as noted on Exhibit 'A’ of this Resolution. SECTION 6. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution. APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 28a' day of September, 2010 AnNE M. BAYER, MayorAn EST: 'W„„)( 'XLLddb£az, KATHLEEN L. MIDSTOKKE, City Clerk I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was adopted by the City Council of the City of Downey at a regular meeting held on the 28th day of September, 2010, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Council Member: Gafin, Guerra, Marquez, Mayor Bayer NOES: Council Member ABSENT: Council Member: Brossmer ABSTAIN: Council Member: %A£,m)#.#adaMa) KATHLEEN L. MIDSTOKKE, City Clerk ( RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE FOUR EXHIBIT 'A’ The following list text changes to the “Balance of Land Uses” and “Livable Communities” chapters of the Land Use Element BALANCE OF LAND USES Issue 1.1. Persons who live, work, and visit Downey need areas for living, working, shopping, and playing To meet the needs of residents, a variety of land uses must be provided within the city. When land uses within the city cannot meet this demand, residents will travel outside the city to meet this need. This situation typically results in added vehicle trips and traffic congestion, plus the secondary effects of worsening air quality, using valuable energy resources, and impacting social interactions. The under-concentration of certain uses creates impacts by not meeting resident demands and creating longer travel to meet this demand, while over-concentration of land uses has a potential negative effect by utilizing properties that would otherwise be used for other uses needed to serve the community. Therefore, it is important to provide for a balance of land uses to serve the public needs. Although it may be impossible for a suburban city in a large metropolitan region to be truly self-sufficient, Downey Vision 2025 proposes a diverse land use policy as shown on the Downey Vision 2025 Land Use Diagram. The Downey Vision 2025 Land Use Diagram divides the city into various land use designations, such as residential, commercial, industrial, are most appropriate. Although the Land Use Diagram may appear to be similar to a zoning map, there are several important differences between the two. A zoning map is parcel specific with definitive boundaries between designations and is intended to implement development proposal, the Land Use Diagram is not parcel specific and its boundaries are not definitive since the intent of the Land Use Diagram is to provide a guide for the approximate locations for land uses. The Land Use Diagram for Downey Vision 2025 divides the city into the following 12 land use designations. 0 Low Density Residential The Low Density Residential designation allows typically for detached single-family residential units at densities of 1 to 8.9 housing units per acre, or roughly equivalent to a maximum of one housing unit for a standard 5,000 square foot lot. Based on an average household size of 3.17, the projected population will not exceed 28 persons for each acre in this designation. The corresponding zone for this designation is R-1, Single Family Residential, which includes several variations based on lot size, such as R-1 5000, R-1 6000, R-1 7500, R-1 8500, and R-1 10,000. The zoning also permits accessory living quarters on properties that are not considered separate RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE FIVE dwelling units. Typically, a maximum of one housing unit is allowed on each individual lot, regardless of size. In some areas designated as Second Unit Development (SUD) areas however, more than one housing unit may be permitted provided that the maximum allowable density is not exceeded. The SUD areas are important in order to focus population growth and additional housing onto these areas without impacting other residential neighborhoods. In other instances, planned unit developments and other projects whereby housing units share driveways and other facilities may be proposed instead of conventional subdivisions to provide added flexibility in providing a viable project. In both instances however, the project must include units that are detached and convey a single-family residential image. 0 Low/Medium Density Residential The Low/Medium Density Residential designation allows for a range of housing types that involve densities at 9 to 17 housing units per acre, or roughly equivalent to two housing units for each standard 5,000 square foot lot. Based on an average household size of 3.17, the projected population is 29 to 53 persons for each acre. The corresponding zone for this designation is R-2, Two Family Residential. The housing types consistent with the designation range from two detached units on the same property to attached units (duplex), either placed side by side (in a townhouse floor plan form) or stacked with one on top of another. In certain instances, other housing types such as planned unit developments and second unit developments may be permitted provided that the overall density is not exceeded. ( 0 Medium Density Residential The Medium Density Residential designation allows for a range of housing types that involve densities at 18 to 24 housing units per acre, or roughly equivalent to three housing units for each standard 6,000 square foot lot. Based on an average household size of 3.17, the projected population is 57 to 76 persons for each acre The corresponding zone for this designation is R-3, Medium Density Multiple-Family Residential. The housing types consistent with the designation range from three or more attached (or detached) units on the same property (triplex) to larger apartments to townhouse design condominium to low-rise condominiums, provided that the overall density is not exceeded. Certain nonresidential land uses, such as churches, are considered consistent within this designation. 0 Office The Office designation allows for professional and medical office uses. The corresponding zone for this designation is C-P, Commercial – Professional Office zone. In the vicinity of the Downey Regional Medical Center where medical offices and other medical-related uses are promoted, the corresponding zone for this designation is H-M, Hospital-Medical Arts. The intensity of the Office designation( RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE SIX should fall within a range of floor area ratio between 0.5:1 and 5: 1 0 Neighborhood Commercial The Neighborhood Commercial designation allows for commercial uses that draw from a customer base from the immediate surrounding neighborhood and not from areas outside the city or region. Consistent with this intent, uses are typically small in scale in terms of floor area size, building height, and operational activities. Examples include grocery stores, dry cleaners, barber shops, bakeries, and convenience markets. Uses are intended to serve adjacent neighborhoods and are intended to be located in “neighborhood nodes” such as properties adjacent to street intersections. The corresponding zone for this designation is C-1, Neighborhood Commercial zone. The intensity of the Neighborhood Commercial designation should not exceed a floor area ratio of 0.25:1. 0 General Commercial The General Commercial designation allows for a full range of commercial uses including shopping centers, automobile dealerships, hotels, offices, and automobile repair. In a contrast to the Neighborhood Commercial designation, uses are not necessarily small in scale or oriented solely towards the immediate neighborhood for its customer base. The corresponding zone for this designation is C-2, General Commercial. Since uses consistent with the General Commercial designation are typically more intense, the General Commercial designations are appropriate in areas with larger lot sizes which afford greater buffers to adjacent land uses. The intensity of the General Commercial designation should fall within a range of floor area ratio between 0.25:1 and 4:1 0 Commercial Manufacturing The Commercial Manufacturing designation is intended to provide greater flexibility for providing land uses that generate employment such as shopping centers, major offices, and light industrial. The corresponding zone for this designation is C-M, Commercial Manufacturing. The intensity of the Commercial Manufacturing designation should fall within a range of floor area ratio between 0.5:1 and 0.6:1. 0 Manufacturing The Manufacturing designation is intended for manufacturing, wholesaling, and other industrial land uses. The corresponding zone for this designation is M-1/ M-2, Light/ General Manufacturing. Since uses consistent with the Manufacturing designation have potential for creating traffic, noise, odor, vibration and other impacts, areas designated Manufacturing should be separated from other land uses by a major natural or physical barrier and screen. The intensity of the Manufacturing designation should not exceed a floor area ratio of 0.6:1. ( RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE SEVEN 0 Public The Public designation is intended for areas occupied by public agencies for facilities that support community services. This includes the Civic Center, the City Public Works Yard, SEACCA (SouthEast Animal Control), Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center and the MTA bus yard on Telegraph. 0 Open Space The Open Space designation is intended for areas that provide relief from the built environment. This includes the 106 acres of public parks in the city. Due to the limited supply of park areas, it is important that park areas are preserved. The open space designation also includes areas that utility easements, river, beds, parks, cemetery and golf courses. 0 School The School designation is intended for public schools offering K through 12 instruction. The corresponding zone for this designation is the Public School subzone of the O-S, Open Space.I 0 Private School The Private School designation is intended for locating private-operated schools offering education comparable to the K through 12 instruction offered by public schools. Three such areas have been designated by the Land Use Diagram: St. Matthias, St. Raymond, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The corresponding zone for this designation is the Private School subzone of the O-S, Open Space. 0 Mixed Use The Mixed Use Designation is to provide for development of a variety of uses (including retail, office, service and residential), on the same parcel or within close proximity of each other. Additionally, the Mixed Use Designation should encourage development that exhibits the physical design characteristics of pedestrian-oriented, storefront-style shopping streets that creates a more active and vibrant street life. The maximum density for residential developments shall not exceed 75 units per acre. The maximum intensity of the Mixed Use designation shall not exceed a floor area ratio of 5: 1 RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE EIGHT FIGURE 1-1.7 GENERAL PLAN LAND USE DISTRIBUTION Land Use Designation Vision 2025 Net Acres Percent Residential • Low Density • Low/Medium Density • Medium Density Commercial • Office • Neighborhood Commercial • General Commercial Manufacturing • General Manufacturing • Commercial Manufacturing Open Space Schools (including Mixed Use – School) Public Mixed Use (not including Mixed Use – School) Total 3188 187 414 51 % 30/o 7% 163 103 372 3% 2% 6% 229 304 516 348 104 301 6,229 4% 5% 80/o 6% 2% 5% 100% Goals, Policies, & Programs Goal 1.1. Provide sufficient land areas for uses that serve the needs of residents, visitors, and businesses. Policy 1.1.1. Maintain a balance of land uses. • Program 1.1.1.1. Discourage the over-concentration of a particular land use that wiI preclude the establishment of other uses needed to serve the community. •Program 1.1.1.2. Monitor land uses to retain the balance of land uses • Program 1.1.1.3. Adopt floor-area ratios (FAR) or comparable method to address building intensity for each zoning classification. e Program 1.1.1.4. Discourage non-industrial uses into areas designated for industrial uses Policy 1.1.2. Provide an appropriate amount of land area to absorb the city’s future population growth . •Program 1.1.2.1 Identify areas to absorb population growth and support additional housing. • Program 1.1.2.2. Designate parts of the City as second unit development areas to absorb the need for additional housing. RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE NINE • Program 1.1.2.3. Promote housing projects and mixed use projects that include housing within areas designated for the downtown area, transit-oriented developments, and areas in the vicinity of the Downey Landing project. Policy 1.1.3. Provide an appropriate amount of land area for business and employment. • Program 1.1.3.1. Encourage land uses that generate jobs. • Program 1.1.3.2. Discourage land uses that do not generate jobs within areas classified for job-generating land uses. • Program 1.1.3.3. Promote a diversified employment base by discouraging the over- concentration of a particular land use that will preclude the establishment of other uses. Policy 1.1.4. Provide an appropriate amount of land area for people to acquire goods and services . • Program 1.1.4.1. Establish “General Commercial” areas for land uses that draw from a customer base not necessarily limited to those within the city. • Program 1.1.4.2. Establish “Neighborhood Commercial” areas for land uses that draw from a customer base in the immediate surrounding neighborhood. • Program 1.1.4.3. Promote the establishment of transit-oriented developments (TOD) within walking distance of the Green Line Station at Lakewood Boulevard & 1-105 Freeway. • Program 1.1.4.4. Phase out and re-designate the land use classifications for selected “strip” commercial areas. • Program 1.1.4.5. Create a specific plan for a “restaurant row” along the Firestone Boulevard corridor. • Program 1.1.4.6. Concentrate smaller commercial uses in neighborhood “nodes”. Policy 1.1.5. Provide an appropriate amount of land area for recreation and entertainment • Program 1.1.5.1. Adopt an ordinance that maintains the current minimum of 106 acres of public park areas • Program 1.1.5.2. Promote Downtown Downey as a destination draw for entertainment and dining uses. • Program 1.1.5.3. Promote recreation and entertainment uses that serve needs of the public. RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE TEN LIVABLE COMMUNITIES Issue 1.2 Downey has opportunities to create a more livable community. Traditionally, planning has separated land uses into distinct designations for each land uses, such as residential, commercial, and industrial. Because this planning tradition encouraged consistency and uniformity, there was little flexibility to provide areas with distinct character or what is termed a “sense of place”. Additionally, the separation of land uses furthered the dependency on travel by car and did not address long-term problems such as traffic congestion and air quality. The concept of livable communities provides alternatives to the traditional separation of land uses by advancing the creation of mixed use areas with special characteristics to create a sense of place” to visitors. The “sense of place” is achievable by providing areas with characteristics not typically found in other areas. The related concept of smart growth addresses the challenge that many mature cities with few vacant properties, such as Downey, have with absorbing population and economic growth without major disruption to its existing neighborhoods. The concept of smart growth is based on growth that does not necessarily create negative impacts on the community. Smart growth advances design that reduces the dependency and need for cars by providing convenient access to jobs, services, and homes. The reduced use of cars will, in turn, reduce the number of vehicles on the road, which reduces traffic congestion and reduce the secondary effects of worsening air quality, using valuable energy resources, and impacting social interactions. To allow the advancement of these concepts, the city may have to deviate from the traditional separation of land use designations and adopt designations that allow for projects that allow a mix of land uses. Efforts to reduce the need for vehicle trips may include placing commercial services within walking distance of its customer base (for example, allowing restaurants near employment centers to capture lunch demand without requiring patrons to drive). Other efforts may involve the opposite approach of providing a new customer base for an existing commercial area (for example, allowing mixed use building projects with housing placed above retail units on the ground floor). Still, another approach is to reduce short vehicle trips by providing convenience commercial uses for pedestrians (for example, placing commercial uses at train stations.) Whichever approach requires deviation from the standard land use designation and Downey Vision 2025 had identified three areas as “Mixed Use” due to their location, development, or land use create opportunities for the city to dernonstrate alternative designs to create a more livable community to meet its land use needs. These areas were identified as having the most potential to advance the concepts above. Nevertheless, the livable communities and smart growth concepts should be advanced throughout the city in other areas wherever feasible. RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE ELEVEN Downtown Downey. The area around Downey Avenue between Firestone Boulevard and Fifth Street has historically been considered the Downtown district of Downey. The downtown area is at the heart of the community containing major landmarks such as Downey City Hall, City Library, Downey Depot Bus Transit Center, and the Rives Mansion. After the demolition of the County Courthouse and a decline of the commercial areas in the downtown area, the city took a pro-active approach to revitalizing the area. The courthouse site was replaced by a 10-screen Kirkorian Theatre, which was serves as a customer draw into the area. The city has focused its efforts on making the Downtown as a destination spot featuring entertainment and dining opportunities, capitalizing on the customers drawn to the area by the theatre and other uses, such as the Embassy Suites hotel, City Hall, and other uses. In contrast to other commercial areas that are designed as strip centers to draw in customers who pass through the area and may find the location for services convenient, the concept of a destination spot is different since it should provide services that cannot be provided elsewhere. This creates a “sense of place” for the visitor and clearly defines the city’s downtown”. Part of the revitalization effort was the Downey Avenue Street Improvement Project which narrowed the street width of Downey Avenue from 4-lanes to 2-lanes and provided theme street furniture (light posts, benches) giving visitors the sense that the area is different than other parts of the city. The narrowing of the street also addresses the concept of “traffic calming”, which strives to slow down traffic and perhaps consider the shopping and service opportunities in the area. The narrowing of the street also provided larger sidewalks creating opportunities for sidewalk cafes and helped alleviate parking demand, a major concern in the area, by providing diagonal parking. The city should continue to apply these features to other streets in the Downtown area Since parking is the major obstacle to development of the Downtown area, the city has adopted standards to address parking in the downtown. First, the city took a pro-active role in providing public parking, either on-street or city-owned parking lots, to meet parking demand in the area. Second, the city established a Downtown Overlay zone in 1999 that, among other things, by reducing the number of parking required for tenants based on the factoring that customers that visit the Downtown area may visit more than one tenant. For example, a visitor to a theatre may dine at a restaurant nearby prior to the show and have drinks at a caf6 after the show so three businesses may require only one parking space in this instance. The demand for parking by tenants is reduced since customers for dining and entertainment uses tend to travel in groups thereby reducing the number of parking spaces needed, on average, per customer. Third, the city established a parking credit program to facilitate the establishment of retail, dining, and entertainment uses based on the availability of public parking spaces. Since adoption of these measures, several new cafes and entertainment uses have opened in the area Although the Downtown’s daytime population is relatively high, given that a large customer base is provided by the hotel, City Hall, and the various office uses in the area, the nighttime population in the area is significantly lower since most offices close after business hours and a RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE TWELVE smaller customer base to support the remaining open businesses. In order for the Downtown to ultimately reach its potential, it needs to increase its nighttime population. Additional housing in the Downtown is one of the solutions to address nighttime population concern. Added housing will not only increase the nighttime population of the area to increase the customer base but is ideal because it will reduce parking demand and traffic congestion by making pedestrian travel convenient. Although there is already some housing in the Downtown area, additional housing is needed to provide a diversity of the type of housing to fit different lifestyle needs. Downey Landing. The Rockwell plant was once the largest employer in the City. Its closure in 1999 had a huge impact on the city’s economy due to not only the quantity of persons employed, but also the high quality of jobs. The city designated the area as mixed use to provide for the plant site’s re- use as an employment center and address land use needs. To promote land uses at a site and replacing the conventional zoning, the City Council adopted Downey Landing Specific Plan. The specific plan proposes a variety of uses on the 168-acre site including a retail shopping center adjacent to Stewarl & Gray Road), a public park and learning center/museum dedicated to the Space Shuttle (which was constructed at the site ) along Clark Avenue, a hospital to be operated by Kaiser along Imperial Highway The most distinct aspect of the site will be the Downey Studio, which will be a movie production studio located within the main hangar formerly used for aircraft construction. Due to the high ceiling of the hangar building, the building is ideal for indoor movie production and has already been used for production for several major motion pictures. The movie production aspect of the project is important since this will be the first project in the southeast County area to capitalize on the entertainment economic sector which is an important part of the Countywide economy and the project may serve as a catalyst for future entertainment related projects in the City. The city should promote development of the properties surrounding the Downey Landing site to complement the land uses on the Downey Landing site itself. This may include commercial uses needed by employees at the site (for example, restaurants within walking distance so customers do not need to drive) or industries needed to support the main businesses at the site (for example, designers needed for movie production). Because the conventional zoning designation may be too broad, a specific plan for the surrounding properties should be developed to attract the types of uses which will best complement the Downey Landing site. One of these uses may be housing since providing housing within walking distances of employment centers is consistent with smart growth principles by promoting walking and reducing traffic congestion. RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE THIRTEEN Green Line MTA Station. In 1998, the portion of the 1-105 Freeway that crosses the southern part of the City was completed. The 1-105 project includes the MTA Green Line light rail line along the freeway median and a transit station within Downey at Lakewood Boulevard. With the gradual completion of the rail network, it is now possible to travel from Downey to Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Long Beach, and Pasadena and near LAX entirely by train. Due to the accessibility of the rail network, many communities have advanced transit-oriented developments (TOD) to capitalize on the growing number of passengers. Convenience commercial uses (dry cleaners, grocery, cafes) are the most obvious types of uses that would benefit from placement near the station and capitalize on transit passengers already in the area either en route to other transit (buses), picked up by other vehicles, or to their own vehicles at the nearby park-and-ride lots. These convenience uses would benefit the city by lessening traffic congestion by reducing the number of trips that passengers must make to run errands, especially for those that would otherwise drive to their next destination and adding more vehicles trips on local streets. These uses would go even further to lessen the drawbacks of using transit by providing incentives in the form of added convenience for transit users Further convenience would be provided by housing within transit-oriented developments. Although there is already some housing in the area, additional housing could be considered to provide a diversity of the type of housing to fit different lifestyle needs and also provide a certain amount of concentration of housing to have the desired impact. The housing may take the form of housing atop retail uses, or may be located at ground level in proximity to commercial areas. Presently, there are no commercial businesses in the vicinity of the Green Line station to take advantage of foot traffic. The Downey Vision 2025 land use diagram designates the areas Furrounding the Green Line Station as “Mixed Use” to encourage transit-oriented development. The “Mixed Use“ area extends about a quarter-mile from the station in every direction since this distance is the standard maximum walking distance for the region. Goals, Policies, & Programs Goal 1.2. Advance livable community concepts. Policy 1.2.1. Promote livable communities concepts that allow added flexibility in addressing land use needs. • Program 1.2.1.1. Promote project designs that reduce dependency on vehicles and promote pedestrian, transit, and alternate modes of travel. RESOLUTION NO. 10 – 7224 PAGE FOURTEEN •Program 1.2.1.2. Promote mixed-use developments with housing on the same site or in proximity to commercial services to reduce the need for trips by vehicles. • Program 1.2.1.3. Promote commercial and residential uses in proximity to transit stops to reduce dependency on vehicles. • Program 1.2.1.4. Provide dining opportunities within walking distances of employment centers • Program 1.2.1.5. Promote the establishment of child-care centers near transportation routes and employment centers. • Program 1.2.1.6. Promote the placement of buildings at or near the public right-of-way with a primary or secondary entryway facing the sidewalk. Policy 1.2.2. Focus on areas where livable communities concepts are most likely have the most impact to set a catalyst for similar projects elsewhere in the city. • Program 1.2.2.1. Promote the downtown area as a destination point for entertainment, dining, civic, and other activities. • Program 1.2.2.2. Capitalize on existing pedestrian traffic generated in the Downtown area by the movie theater, hotel, civic center and offices. • Program 1.2.2.3. Promote housing, mixed use housing, and other land uses that will generate nighttime pedestrian traffic in the Downtown. • Program 1.2.2.4. Use the development of the Downey Landing site as a catalyst for further economic development, including housing, on properties along the periphery of the site. • Program 1.2.2.5. Adopt a specific plan for the areas surrounding the Downey Landing site with uses complimentary to the primary uses on the Downey Landing site. • Program 1.2.2.6. Promote transit-oriented development at the MTA Green Line Station at Lakewood Boulevard that includes comrnercial services and mixed-use housing projects to capitalize on the passenger boardings. /// ///