Laguna Niguel Gateway
The purpose of the Laguna Niguel Gateway Specific Plan is to responsibly guide attractive and exciting new development opportunities for the approximately 300-acre Gateway area, located along the Interstate 5 Freeway and the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor (State Route 73), in the City of Laguna Niguel.
A Public Draft of the Laguna Niguel Gateway Specific Plan Update is now available for review. Hard copies are available for review or purchase ($30) at the City’s Community Development Department, located at 27781 La Paz Road.
A Notice of Preparation for the Gateway Specific Plan Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was distributed on October 1, 2010, soliciting input from state, regional and local agencies, as well as interested individuals and organizations, regarding the scope and contents of the Program EIR. Comments should be submitted to the City not later than November 4, 2010.
A Scoping Meeting will be held on October 20, 2010, providing the public an opportunity to learn more about the EIR process and the Gateway Specific Plan Update, and to submit comments regarding the scope and content of the EIR. The Scoping Meeting will be held in an open-house style, feel free to drop by any time between 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., or between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., on Wednesday, October 20, 2010, at the City Hall Council Chambers located at 27841 La Paz Road.
For more information, e-mail llongenecker@ci.laguna-niguel.ca.us.
Background
In May 1999, the City Council adopted the Laguna Niguel Gateway Specific Plan, with new land use designations and development standards that set the stage to create a vibrant urban village comprised of retail, restaurant, entertainment, hotel, office and transit oriented uses. One of the major components of the Plan was to encourage new development by allowing increased land use intensities. The Plan also includes significant landscape and streetscape enhancements, pedestrian amenities, and a unique freeway identification and directional way-finding system.
Since the adoption of the Plan, very little new development or revitalization has occurred in the Gateway area. Based on concerns expressed by The City Council about the implementation of the current Specific Plan, a workshop was held in January 2006 to discuss the concept of introducing residential land uses in the Gateway area, in an effort to further encourage re-investment.
In May 2006, the Urban Land Institute Orange County District Council (ULIOC) assembled a Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) for the City of Laguna Niguel. The TAP was tasked with addressing whether residential mixed-use development is the missing ingredient in the Gateway area. On July 18, 2006, the City Council considered the TAP final report, which identified housing as the key to unlocking the potential of the Gateway District. The City Council concurred with the recommendations of the TAP and initiated a Specific Plan Amendment process for the Gateway area.
Specific Plan Amendment
After completing a competitive bid and negotiation process, the City Council selected PBS&J (formerly EIP) as the most qualified consultant to head up the Specific Plan Amendment, and the City executed an Agreement for Professional Services (may take a moment to open) with the consultant on May 15, 2007. PBS&J has experienced staff in the fields of engineering, planning, urban design, and environmental review. Other firms included on the consultant team are: economic and fiscal advisors Keyser Marston Associates; traffic engineers ITERIS (formerly Meyer, Mohaddes Associates); and landscape architect Pat Smith.
Developer Committee
An ad hoc Developer Committee was been established, allowing direct input from the development community as to the feasibility of the Plan. The Developer Committee will meet three times during the process (beginning, middle, and end), and is comprised of various residential and mixed-use developers, including developers of large-scale projects and developers of special-interest housing.
The Developer Committee first met early in the specific plan process, on June 18, 2007. The committee discussed the types of land uses that would likely be marketable and feasibly developed within the Gateway area. The Committee’s second meeting was held on April 1, 2010, to review the land use concepts proposed by the City’s consultant PBS&J to be incorporated into the updated specific plan. The Developer Committee supported the overall land use concept, and generally indicated a preference for a flexible zoning and land use approach, allowing developers to accommodate market demand as it changes over time. A third and final meeting will be conducted soon to review the Draft Specific Plan document, including the final land use concept and associated development and design standards.
City Council Study Sessions
The Scope of Work with PBS&J includes several study sessions with the City Council, to facilitate Council involvement and direction throughout the process. The first study session was held on July 3, 2007, and served as a kick-off meeting between the Council and the consultant team. (Discussion from the study session is summarized in the meeting minutes.)
A second study session was conducted on November 6, 2007, to discuss two items (as summarized in the study session staff report): a Baseline Conditions Report prepared by the consultant team, including a market assessment and a review of study area opportunities and constraints, and lessons learned for the Gateway study area from a review of relevant Case Studies (large file, may take a moment to open) compiled by the consultant team. A PowerPoint presentation (large file, may take a moment to open) was provided by the consultant team followed by an interactive discussion with the City Council, as summarized in the meeting minutes.
A third study session was held on April 21, 2009. Planning consultant PBS&J facilitated discussion through a PowerPoint presentation (7MB, will take a moment to open). The purpose of the study session was to discuss the results of all the technical studies conducted by PBS&J and to review some preliminary land use and urban form concepts drafted by the consultant team. The study session concluded with a brief review of the various implementation tools that can be incorporated into the specific plan to guide future development projects in the Gateway area. Study session discussion is summarized in the meeting minutes.
A fourth City Council study session was held on September 1, 2009. At the meeting, consultants PBS&J provided a PowerPoint presentation and the City Council discussed the merits of a flexible vs. restrictive Zoning approach. Ultimately, the City Council directed the consultant to prepare land use tables, development standards and design guidelines for both the restrictive and the flexible zoning options, in order to better understand the differences and implications of each. Study session discussion is summarized in the meeting minutes.
Environmental Impact Report
A Notice of Preparation for the Gateway Specific Plan Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was distributed on October 1, 2010, soliciting input from state, regional and local agencies, as well as interested individuals and organizations, regarding the scope and contents of the Program EIR. Comments should be submitted to the City not later than November 4, 2010.
A Scoping Meeting will be held on October 20, 2010, providing the public an opportunity to learn more about the EIR process and the Gateway Specific Plan Update, and to submit comments regarding the scope and content of the EIR. The Scoping Meeting will be held in an open-house style, feel free to drop by any time between 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., or between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., on Wednesday, October 20, 2010, at the City Hall Council Chambers located at 27841 La Paz Road.
