Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Steve Monowitz, Community Development Director
Subject: Consideration of Connect the Coastside, the San Mateo County Midcoast Comprehensive Transportation Management Plan
County File Number: PLN 2014-00430
(San Mateo County Planning and Building Department)
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation to:
A) Find Connect the Coastside: The San Mateo County Midcoast Comprehensive Transportation Management Plan, to be consistent with the County General Plan and Local Coastal Program; and
B) Adopt a resolution to adopt Connect the Coastside: The San Mateo County Midcoast Comprehensive Transportation Management Plan.
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BACKGROUND:
Policy 2.53 (Transportation Management Plan) of the 2021 California Coastal Commission-certified Midcoast Local Coastal Program (LCP) requires San Mateo County to prepare a Comprehensive Transportation Management Plan (CTMP) that addresses the transportation impacts of future development. On May 20, 2014, the Board of Supervisors approved Resolution No. 073197, executing an agreement with DKS Associates to develop the CTMP, which was branded “Connect the Coastside” (CTC or Plan). Connect the Coastside’s Study Area includes land area south of the Tom Lantos Tunnels (Devil’s Slide) to the southern terminus of Half Moon Bay, including areas west and east of Highway 1 (to Interstate 280), as well as land areas proximate to Highway 92, from Highway 1 to Interstate 280. Developing CTC involved:
1. Assessing existing development and transportation conditions in the Study Area;
2. Projecting cumulative development and associated transportation system impacts;
3. Identifying potential infrastructure, policies, programs, and plans to mitigate impacts based on the analysis and building upon previous planning efforts, like the Highway 1 Safety and Mobility Studies; and
4. Developing and refining recommendations through extensive and iterative public engagement.
Stakeholder and community engagement was a critical part of the planning process to ensure that the Plan reflects the needs of the community and to provide oversight for the assumptions, results of analysis, and final recommendations in the Plan. Development of CTC involved collaboration between the Planning and Building Department and a team of consultants, community stakeholders, a Technical Advisory Committee, other County departments, and agency partners.
CTC recommends improvements such as (Attachment A, p. 100 - 161):
• Physical infrastructure, such as the Multimodal Parallel Trail a Class 1 bicycle and pedestrian path on the east side of Highway 1;
• Future planning studies, such as a comprehensive coastside parking study;
• Policies, such as recommended LCP amendments to incorporate new transportation metrics;
• Programs, such as a coordinated traffic control approach in partnership with other cities for large visitor-serving events; and
• Fee structures for future development to help fund recommendations.
Recommendations are considered for implementation over the next 30 years.
DISCUSSION:
Connect the Coastside has been in development since 2014. The project team produced four technical background reports and circulated three drafts of the Plan for public comment, providing responses to comments and incorporating feedback where feasible and appropriate. Connect the Coastside has been reviewed for consistency with the LCP and General Plan policies, specifically with respect to Locating and Planning New Development, Public Works and Transportation, Agriculture and Soil Resources, Sensitive Habitats, Visual Resources, Shoreline Access, Natural and Man-made Hazards, and Recreation. Planning staff has reviewed the project and concluded that it complies with the County’s General Plan and LCP, and specifically meets the requirements of LCP Policy 2.53.
Connect the Coastside serves as a roadmap for future actions; future implementation may lead to amendments to various County regulations, including proposed amendments to the Local Coastal Program. Board adoption of CTC does not amend existing policies; CTC recommends future actions necessary to foster implementation of its recommendations. Actions to implement CTC will be brought to the San Mateo County Planning Commission, the Board, and/or California Coastal Commission for consideration as required depending on the specific implementation action, in the future.
Staff presented Connect the Coastside for consideration at the April 27, 2022 meeting of the San Mateo County Planning Commission. During public comment, stakeholders commented that Connect the Coastside is well-written and comprehensive. Stakeholders raised concerns that Connect the Coastside did not include a comprehensive coastside evacuation plan, the implementation timeline is lengthy, and that no resources are dedicated toward implementation. Planning Commissioners shared that Connect the Coastside could have examined additional land use policies and more visionary infrastructure projects. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the Board find Connect the Coastside to be consistent with the County General Plan and LCP, and that the Board adopt a resolution to adopt Connect the Coastside.
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Plan is not considered a project under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (see CEQA Guidelines Section 15378). As recommendations contained in the Plan are brought forth for consideration and implementation, they will be subject to CEQA review. A detailed description of CEQA considerations can be found in Attachment C.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact from the adoption of the Plan. However, implementation of the Plan will require significant funding and staff resources. Planning level cost estimates, based on 2020 dollars, indicate that the cost to implement the Plan’s recommendations is nearly $77 million, not including ongoing maintenance or staff resources. Actual project costs and staffing and resources required for project planning and implementation will vary based on the scope of work and further engineering studies.
The County will need to commit and leverage its own funding sources and seek external grants to fund the Plan’s recommendations. Proposed projects, requests for authorization to enter into funding agreements for potential external grant awards, and internal County funding requests may come before the Board for consideration on a case-by-case basis.
ATTACHMENTS:
A. Connect the Coastside Plan
B. Connect the Coastside Plan Appendices
C. Connect the Coastside Environmental Considerations Memorandum
D. Staff Report to San Mateo County Planning Commission, April 27, 2022