PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to provide the City Council with background on staff�s efforts to implement a proposed Trip-Based Intensity Measurement Standard Ordinance.

BACKGROUND:

One of the major goals of the Land Use and Mobility Element General Plan update is to more closely relate land use decisions with their impacts to the transportation system.  The Draft Land Use and Mobility Elements, released for public review on April 24, 2006, propose a number of policies and programs to more effectively integrate land use and transportation policy when planning for Burbank�s future.  One of the key programs being proposed by staff to achieve this goal is the development of a new commercial development intensity measure based on trip generation.  This new Trip-Based Intensity Measurement Standard (TIMS) would limit �by-right� development based upon the number of peak hour trips a project is expected to generate.  Each land use category in the city would be assigned a trip ratio (peak hour trips per 1000 square feet of parcel land area) based upon the amount of development anticipated under the Council-approved Reduced-Growth Forecast.  When combined with a specific parcel size, a property owner wishing to redevelop a site could develop a peak hour trip �budget� of trips specific to a site.  Using a set of use specific trip rates and this trip budget, along with various levels of potential trip reductions for transit usage and other factors, various land use scenarios can be developed that, if constructed, would exhibit traffic impacts commensurate with the forecasted traffic studied as part of the Mobility Element.  It is anticipated that projects wishing to exceed the by-right intensity set by TIMS could exercise a discretionary process to exceed TIMS contingent on a traffic study and other findings.

The TIMS methodology was first presented in detail to the City Council on September 20, 2005 and staff then proceeded to incorporate TIMS as the primary commercial development intensity measure in the Draft Land Use Element.  Both Elements contain discussions of the purpose of TIMS and how this standard is derived from the approved Reduced Growth Forecast.  In particular, Appendix A of the Land Use Element contains a detailed description of TIMS, while the Mobility Element Action Plan describes the policy actions required to implement TIMS into the project review process. 

DISCUSSION:

Staff is continuing to develop the details of the proposed TIMS methodology and has begun drafting a proposed ordinance describing how TIMS will be integrated into the City�s existing project review process.  This process will likely include a system for reviewing projects for compliance with TIMS, including a method for reviewing project trip generation to account for Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) trip rates, existing and forecasted transit usage, mode split, transportation demand management, geographic location, and other reductions.  This TIMS review will be combined with the City�s existing threshold that currently triggers projects to perform a traffic study if trip generation is expected to exceed 50 peak hour trips to determine if potential site specific and cumulative impacts exist.  Staff is also developing specific trip generation rates for each of the uses listed in the zoning code and is creating a toolbox of trip credits or incentives to TIMS to reflect developments that incorporate good pedestrian, transit, or mixed-use design. Also, staff recognizes that certain developments may exceed the by-right threshold set by TIMS.  Staff will propose as part of the final TIMS implementation that a pool of additional trips above those allowed by TIMS be set aside and be made available to projects seeking to exceed the TIMS rates.  This �trip reserve� would be set geographically and would be available at City Council discretion for projects that could make certain findings, are compatible with other goals and policies of the General Plan, and have mitigable traffic impacts.  An alternative land use scenario that included this �trip reserve� was studied as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Report and could be adopted by Council as the preferred project scenario.

Staff will bring back to Council a draft TIMS ordinance on July 11, 2006.  At that time, staff will include details on the proposed implementation of TIMS including the components discussed above.  Staff recognizes that the proposed TIMS ordinance will change the way new development projects are reviewed and is aware that public notice and review are critical to successful implementation.  Staff has already provided a number of public notices regarding the Land Use and Mobility Elements, as well as earlier changes to single-family and multi-family densities.  These notices have included utility bill inserts, announcements in the Burbank Leader, and direct mailings.  Notices regarding the release of the draft elements and Draft Environmental Impact Report, including notification of the scheduled Planning Board study session and public hearing that took place in May, were mailed to all residents and property owners in Burbank as well as all property owners residing outside of the city.  Public notices will also be published in the Burbank Leader for scheduled hearings in August and September to solicit further input on the General Plan Elements, including TIMS. Staff has also made contact with the Chamber of Commerce and Board of Realtors, and is in the process of scheduling specific outreach to these groups.  Finally, staff elected to extend the public comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Report an additional 45 days to allow additional opportunity for comment.

In addition to this public outreach, two TIMS workshops were held on June 14 and June 15 to introduce interested members of the community to the proposed TIMS process including practical examples of how TIMS would be implemented.  Feedback from these sessions will be presented to the City Council at the July 11 Study Session.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Staff is developing the proposed TIMS methodology in-house as part of the Land Use and Mobility Element Update.  Thus, the fiscal impact to further develop TIMS and provide ongoing public outreach has been budgeted as part of the General Plan update.

CONCLUSION:

The proposed TIMS development control is a critical program that ensures that future development is compatible with the Council-approved land use growth forecast studied as part of the Land Use and Mobility Element update.  New developments that generate traffic within the levels set by TIMS will be compatible with the overall transportation improvements envisioned by the Mobility Element.  Projects that exceed TIMS would be given the opportunity to apply for discretionary approval if certain traffic findings can be met and impacts to the street system can be mitigated.  Finally, ongoing public outreach and communication is critical to implementation of this proposed standard, and staff will continue to provide information to all interested groups as the General Plan Update process moves forward.

RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends the City Council receive this report and provide any further direction as appropriate.

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