Item 4 - EA ZOA 95-02
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AGENDA REPORT SUMMARY
- TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: J...s L. Bowersox, City Man~
INITIATED BY: John D. Fitch, Assistant City Manager ~
Reba Wright-Quastler, Director of Planning Services
DATE: October 10, 1995
SUBJECT: Environmental Assessment and Zoning Ordinance Amendment, ZOA 95-02
ABSTRACT
A City initiated amendment to Title 17 (Zoning Development Code) of the Poway Municipal
Code to establish a floor area ratio for the development of properties within the
Residential Single Family 7 (RS-7) zone.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An environmental initial study was completed on the proposed zoning ordinance amendment and
it was determined that the proposal would not have significant negative impact on the
environment.
- FISCAL IMPACT
None.
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND CORRESPONDENCE
Public notice was published in the Poway News Chieftain and mailed to known representatives
of Poway home owner associations for cOlll1lunities that include RS-7 zoned
properties(Summerfield Estates, Southwest Poway Home Owners Association, Westgate
Homeowners Association, the Garden Road Association and Shea Homes-the developer of Poway
Oaks).
RECOMMENDATION
It is recolll1lended that the City Council close the public hearing and remove from the
agenda.
ACTION
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-- AGENDA REPOR1:
CITY OF POW A Y
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: James L. Bowersox, City Man~
INITIATED BY: John D. Fitch, Assistant City Manager 1>L
Reba Wright-Quastler, Director of Planning Services~Vv
Carol M. Rosas, Assistant Planner II
DATE: October 10, 1995
SUBJECT: Environmental Assessment and ZoninG Ordinance Amendment. ZOA
95-02: A City initiated amendment to Title 17 (Zoning
Development Code) of the Poway Municipal Code to establish a
floor area ratio for the development of properties within the
Residential Single Family 7 (RS-7) zone.
BACKGROUND
ZOA 95-02 was initially advertised for public hearing on September 5, 1995.
Staff requested that the item be continued to the public hearing of October 10,
1995, to allow them to consider additional information.
On November 9, 1993 the City Council adopted Ordinance 423 which decreased the
minimum lot size to 4500 square feet and revised the development standards for
the RS-7 zone. The intent was to promote single family housing affordability.
Subsequently in April 1994, the City Council considered the first tentative map
designed according to the revised development standards for the RS-7 zone.
Concern was voiced about protecting the character and integrity of existing RS-7
neighborhoods from more dense, larger scale infill development. The Council
directed staff to develop a floor area ratio (FAR) value to coincide with the
amended development standards for the RS-7 zone.
FINDINGS
A floor area ratio (FAR) is the decimal value for the gross floor area of
buildings on a site divided by the total net area of the site. A FAR standard
regulates the maximum amount of built or floor area allowed on a lot. A higher
FAR standard allows greater floor area development on a given lot and a lower
FAR, less floor area development on the same lot.
ACTION:
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-- Agenda Report
October 10, 1995
Page 2
In trying to determine an acceptable FAR standard for the RS-7 zone, staff
surveyed other jurisdictions within the County to compare adopted FAR standards
for higher density single family residential zones. Several cities did not have
adopted FAR standards. Staff also examined and visited many of the small lot
single family cOlll1lunities located within Poway and the surrounding areas
including Summerfield-Poway, Poway Oaks, Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch, Sabre
Springs and Carmel Mountain Ranch. An interesting observation was that while
many of the cOlll1lun1ties had similar high FAR values, site and architectural
design features seem to have a great impact on the .feel. (harmony in the scale,
bulk and size) of a development. Developments with varied setbacks, stepped-back
second stories and articulated roofs and exterior walls seemed less .crowded" or
dense from the street.
After completing the FAR research and considering the fact that there are only
two sizeable RS-7 zoned properties remaining in the City (the 9 acre Harmon
property on the northside of Oak Knoll Road west of Carriage and the 4.09 acre
Starlight Stables property on Metate Road) that can be further subdivided and
developed with single family homes, staff recommends that a FAR standard not be
adopted at this time. It is thought that future applications for single family
residential developments within the RS-7 zone can be effectively managed and
regulated with existing development standards through the develcpment review
process.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An environmental initial study was completed on the proposed zoning ordinance
amendment and it was determined that the proposal would not have a significant
negative impact on the environment. In that it is recommended that a RS-7 zone
FAR standard not be adopted at this time, environmental action is not required.
FISCAL IMPACT
None.
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC NOTIFICATION AND CORRESPONDENCE
Publ ic notice was published in the Powav News Chieftain and mailed to known
representatives of Poway home owner associations for cOlll1lunities that include RS-
7 zoned properties (Summerfield Estates, Southwest Poway Home Owners Association,
Westgate Homeowners Association, the Garden Road Association and Shea Homes-the
developer of Poway Oaks).
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council close the publiC hearing and remove from
the agenda.
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