September 8, 2008 - Motion Re: City's Infrastructure Studies and Zoning Changes

Infrastructure Motion:  Motion to City relative to infrastructure review program and revision of infrastructure studies prior to further approval of zoning changes, specific plans or plan amendments.  After discussion, the following motion was made by Diana Nave: 

PROPOSED RESOLUTION RE INFRASTRUCTURE REVIEW

           WHEREAS, the City’s General Plan is supposed to “annually document what has actually happened to the City's population levels, housing construction, employment levels, and the availability of public infrastructure and public services" in a report that  will be “..used to facilitate … environmental review for subsequent programs and projects in accordance with CEQA.” [Growth Monitoring section of the General Plan originally adopted on December 11, 1996 and Re-adopted on August 8, 2001 (CPC 94-0354 GPF CF 95-2259 CF 01-1162); and

      WHEREAS, the annual report provides that “If growth has occurred faster than projected, a revised environmental analysis will be prepared and appropriate changes to the Community Plan and zoning will be recommended. These Plan and zoning changes, and any related moratoria or interim control ordinances, shall be submitted to the City Planning Commission, the Mayor, and the City Council, as specified in the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC)”; and

      WHEREAS, the City has not updated its Annual Growth and Infrastructure Review  since 1998; and

      WHEREAS, City growth management policies and guidelines (e.g. zoning codes and rules, traffic study and mitigation policies, significant impact thresholds, etc) are based on certain assumptions, such as actual population growth and the remaining capacity in the various infrastructures (e.g. water supply and distribution, sewage treatment, electricity generation and distribution, current and predicted roadway and intersection Levels of Service, transit capacities, etc.; and          WHEREAS, the City of Los Angeles has experienced a great deal of growth and new construction since 1998 and continues to approve density and traffic-increasing land development projects without knowledge of whether the City’s various infrastructures can accommodate the additional residents such development projects make possible; and

      WHEREAS, a lawsuit has been filed seeking an order from the Superior Court to compel the City to obey its General Plan and require preparation of an annual report; and

      WHEREAS, Neighborhood Councils are not permitted to be named as plaintiffs in the existing suit, but do have the power to ask the City to create a Council file on the subject;

      NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Governing Board of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council hereby requests that the City of Los Angeles:

1.   Stop approving zoning ordinances, parcel/tract map amendments, specific plans or amendments, General/Community Plan amendments, development agreements, or tentative subdivision maps, and any other density or traffic-increasing development projects until the City implements an infrastructure capacities program with includes a transportation database showing current and projected Levels of Service at all signal-controlled intersections, and publishes the Annual Report on Growth and Infrastructure for 2008 and every year thereafter;
2.  The City Council and Mayor’s office allocate sufficient funds to the Planning Department to prepare these reports;
3.   Create a Council File regarding requesting the preparation of an annual infrastructure analysis and plan, in conformance with the General Plan requirement; and
4.   Consult with Neighborhood Councils in the preparation of the Annual Report on Growth and Infrastructure for their respective areas;

IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Northwest Neighborhood Council request that Councilwoman Hahn not sign off on the San Pedro Community Plan Update until the Infrastructure Report is completed and considered in the completion of the update.    The President and Secretary of the Governing Board are hereby requested to certify that this resolution has been duly adopted and forward it to the President of the City Council, to the Councilwoman of the District, to the City Clerk, and to all other Neighborhood Councils who may have an interest in appropriate city planning.

The motion was seconded by Bonnie Easley and the NWSPNC Board voted unanimously in favor of the motion.