Approved Minutes

General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) Meeting #3

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

San Carlos Library Meeting Rooms A & B, Second Floor

6:45 – 9:45 p.m.

I. Meeting Called to Order

Chair Klein called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m. He informed the GPAC that Committee Member Johnson has submitted her resignation as the “East Side Business Representative” and that the City Council will reappoint a replacement member for this position.

II. Roll Call

GPAC members present: Pat Bell, Chris Burton (arrived late), Donald Cook, Suzanne Henderson Emerson (arrived late), Cecily Harris, Mary Jo Hoffman (Vice chair), Joann Iwasa, Andrew Klein (Chair), Jason Mansfield, Michelle Margiotta, Scot Marsters, Martin Miller

GPAC members Absent: Brett McCollum

STAFF: Al Savay, Community Development Director; Stephanie Bertollo Davis, Planner III

CONSULTANTS: Ben Noble, Steve Noack, DC&E; Naphtali Knox

PUBLIC: Approximately 9 members of the public.

III. Approval of Minutes

M/S Marsters/Iwasa to approve the minutes from November 20, 2007.Motion passed 9-0-2 (Vice-Chair Hoffman abstained, Committee Members Burton and Henderson Emerson absent).

IV. Old Business

a) Final Existing Conditions Briefing Book

Al Savay, Community Development Director informed the GPAC that the Final Existing Conditions Briefing Book is complete and that copies are available from the City’s website, as well as at the Library, City Hall and Planning Department.

b) Other

Al Savay, Community Development Director informed the GPAC that Council Member Grocott was appointed the City Council GPAC liaison.

V. New Business

a) Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) grant

Al Savay, Community Development Director informed the GPAC the City was issued a $75,000 Climate Protection Planning Grant by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).These funds will be used to integrate climate protection into the General Plan.

b) Report on January 14, 2008 Planning Commission / City Council Study Session

Al Savay, Community Development Director reported to the GPAC that Staff presented an overview and status report of the General Plan Update and discussed including the Housing Element as part of the process.He shared the comments received by the City Council and Planning Commission including:

• Inclusion of a housing stakeholder on GPAC.
• Addressing education, health, elderly services and arts in the General Plan.
• Whether the City should accept the State’s long-term growth projections for San Carlos.
• That the vision needs to be long term.
• Addressing a long-term vision for transportation, including airport.

Mr. Savay stated the City Council directed Staff to prepare the Housing Element Update as part of General Plan Update process. He highlighted the benefits and efficiencies of including the Housing Element.Mr. Savay stated he believed that this could be accomplished within the 24 month timeframe as outlined in the existing schedule and would require the GPAC to consider doubling up meetings during a few months.

c) Report on Visioning and Youth Workshops

Al Savay, Community Development Director reported approximately 60 youth attended the Youth Workshop and 67 citizens attended the Visioning Workshop.Individuals attending both workshops were asked to describe San Carlos as they would like it to be in year 2030. He stated that the major themes expressed as a result of the small group exercises conducted at both workshops were sustainability, connections, balance and inclusiveness.

d) Presentation on Draft Preliminary Vision Statement

Ben Noble, consultant, highlighted that the desired outcome was for the GPAC to reach consensus on a Vision Statement to be presented to the City Council and Planning Commission at upcoming public meetings.He discussed the prepared draft Preliminary Vision Statement and noted it incorporates input received from the Vision Workshop, Youth Workshop, GPAC Meeting 2 and Building Community Forum.The statement describes the future of San Carlos as the community would like it to be in year 2030 relating to all topics in the General Plan and is an expression of shared community values.He explained that a final Vision Statement will guide preparation of General Plan goals and policies.

e) Small Group GPAC Discussion of the Draft Preliminary Vision Statement

Ben Noble, consultant, said in order to accomplish the desired outcomes of the meeting.He stated that the GPAC would form two groups to discuss the existing draft Vision Statement, take a break and reconvene as a group to discuss their comments and suggested revisions to Vision Statement.The GPAC broke up into two small groups to discuss the draft Preliminary Vision Statement.Members of the public were invited to observe on the two small groups.The two small groups concluded their discussions of the draft Preliminary Vision Statement and took a break.

f) Break

g) GPAC Discussion and Formulation of a Draft Preliminary Vision Statement

Chair Klein invited the public to comment on the Draft Preliminary Vision Statement.

Rosemary Guaitamacchi, San Carlos resident, expressed her interest in organizing a working group of people to discuss and research transportation within the City with ultimately presenting a report to the City.

Bob Black, San Carlos resident, made the following comments regarding the Draft Preliminary Vision Statement:

• The Vision should be written in the present tense.
• It was important to include a statement regarding the ability of residents to live and work in the City.
• That the San Carlos budget for infrastructure improvements should come through existing City revenues.
• San Carlos should enjoy recreational and cultural opportunities.

Helen Epstein, San Carlos resident, expressed her interest in organizing a working group to discuss and research transportation within the City with ultimately presenting a report to the City.

Drew Shell, San Carlos resident, made the following comments regarding the Draft Preliminary Vision Statement:

• It should be kept simple and short with a general focus on policies.
• Sustainability and open space should be considered as a high level statement of the Vision.
• Open space and parks should also address existing areas to be preserved and retained.

Paul Vickerman, San Carlos resident, wanted a better explanation of what attributes were important and which weren’t in the Draft Preliminary Vision Statement and consideration of population as a fundamental topic of the General Plan update.

Bonnie McClure, San Carlos resident, suggested that the reference to infrastructure within the Draft Preliminary Vision Statement should not include “state of the art infrastructure”, but simply “infrastructure” because the phrase “high quality” was already included.

Thomas Knudsen, San Carlos property owner, stated that health care services in the year 2030 might be different than just conventional methods of today and should be considered from a sustainability standpoint.

Bob Black, San Carlos resident, stated the Draft Preliminary Vision Statement should focus all visions and goals on what these elements do for the people of San Carlos.

The GPAC reconvened as a group.A representative from each of the two small groups presented their comments and suggestions for revisions to the Draft Preliminary Vision Statement.Stephanie Bertollo Davis, Planner III took live notes and revised the existing Draft Preliminary Vision statement to incorporate the comments and revisions as suggested by the GPAC on the overhead projector.The GPAC discussed having Staff create a bulleted list detailing why the GPAC made the revisions to the Draft Preliminary Vision Statement and that this list accompany the materials to be presented to the Planning Commission.

VI. Public Comment 9:10

Paul Vickerman, San Carlos resident, commented that any large developments should be located near transit.

Drew Shell, San Carlos resident, questioned the statement of Laurel Street being the heart of the community and that the sustainability of resources should be emphasized.

VII. Adjournment

M/S Miller/Marsters to approve the Draft Preliminary Vision Statement as revised by the GPAC with the request that a copy of this revised Draft Preliminary Vision Statement and a copy of the cleaned up version of this revised Draft Preliminary Vision Statement to be prepared by Staff and presented to the Planning Commission in February 2008 be sent to the GPAC for reference.Motion passed 10 – 0 – 3 (Committee Members Bell, Harris and McCollum absent).

Chair Klein adjourned the meeting at 9:45 p.m.