Greater Salinas Area Plan
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GREATER SALINAS AREA PLAN A PART OF THE MONTEREY COUNTY GENERAL PLAN MONTEREY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Sam Karas, Chairman Marc Del Piero Dusan Petrovic Barbara Shipnuck Karin Strasser Kauffman MONTEREY COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSIONERS Calvin Reaves, Chairman Thomas Mill, 1st Vice Chairman Lynn Riddle, 2nd Vice Chairwoman Peter Cailotto Louis Calcagno Tom Glau David Hendrick Manuel Jimenez Jo Stallard GREATER SALINAS AREA PLAN CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Hans Sappok, Chairman Michael Boggiatto Ellyse Burke Donald Cranford Hardy Nielsen William Pennycook Kevin Quinn Bruno Sala The Committee dedicates this report to the memory of fellow CAC member Jack Coakley MONTEREY COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT Robert Slimmon, Jr., Director of Planing Raymond W. Lamb, Assistant Director of Planning Project Staff: Frank E. Brunings, Project Planner Steve Early, Graphics Supervisor Steven Sigala, Project Graphics Carmelia Moon, Word Processing Approved by the Monterey County Planning Commission January 9, 1985. 1 UPDATE INDEX GREATER SALINAS AREA PLAN As Adopted by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors for the following dates: 1. July 14, 1987 - Adopt Boronda Neighborhood Improvement Plan and Land Use Desig- nations. 2. November 29, 1988 - MAP CHANGE - APN 177-071-16 - Change land use designation from "Farmlands" to "Commerical." 3. August 24, 1993 - MAP CHANGE - APN 153-111-3, 4, 5, 6, 7 - Change land use designation from "Farmlands, 40 Acre Minimum" to "Low Density Residential, 2.5 Acres/Unit". 4. August 24, 1993 - MAP CHANGE - APN 137-141-20 - Change land use designation from "Farmlands, 40 Acre Minimum" to "Industrial". 5. December 14, 1993 - MAP CHANGE - APNs 177-051-033-000; 177-054-004-000; 177-055-007- 000 SPRECKELS - Change land use designation from "Farmlands, 40 Acre Minimum" to "High Density Residential, 5.1 Units/Acre." 6. June 14, 1994 - MAP CHANGE - APNs 177-101-011-000 - Change land use designation from "Farmlands, 40 Acre Minimum" to "Commercial" for a 0.826 acre parcel located immediately east of the Town of Spreckels. NOTE: Final Implementation pursuant to recordation of the Final Map. 7. November 29, 1994 - MAP CHANGE - APN 211-101-002-000M - Change land use designation from "Medium Residential, 5 Units/Acre" to "Low Density Residential, 1 Acre/Unit" for several parcels in the Gabilan Acres area north of Salinas (by Monterey County). 8. February 14, 1995 - MAP CHANGE - APNs 177-132-005, 006 - Change land use designation from "Farmlands, 40 Acre Minimum" to "Industrial." 9. February 14, 1995 - MAP CHANGE - APNs 107-031-003, 004, 014, 027, 028, 030, 031, 032, 036, 037. Change land use designation from "Farmlands, 40 Acre Minimum" to "Low Density Residential, 5 Acres/Unit." 10. January 9, 1996 - ADD POLICY 26.1.4.3 regarding sewer and water requirements for proposed subdivision. 2 GREATER SALINAS AREA PLAN PHILOSOPHY The Greater Salinas Area Plan was prepared under the guidance of the Greater Salinas Area Plan Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The CAC members represented a wide cross-section of concerns for growth, preservation of natural resources and maintenance of the agricultural economy. When the CAC was in the process of preparing the Greater Salinas Area Plan, the Planning Area was facing major economic and environmental issues. The Area experienced major plant closings (Firestone, Spreckels, Peter-Paul, Dave Walsh) and attendant job losses. The Area was experiencing the largest increase in housing prices in recent memory and affordable was rapidly disappearing. The Area was threatened by the despoliation of its natural resources. The Salinas River was one of the most polluted in the State. Levels of salinity in the groundwater were increasing. The creek, riparian and wetland vegetation were threatened with channelization and urban encroachment. And the Area’s farmland needed protection being irretrievably converted to urban uses. These challenges prompted the CAC to craft a Plan which would address the above issues in a comprehensive manner. The Plan provides policies and land uses which create opportunities for jobs and housing. Equally important is ensuring that growth’s impact on the Area’s resources is tempered by directing a compact, community centered, growth pattern toward the foothills and away from agricultural lands. The Plan promotes the management of the Area’s creeks, its wetlands, its oak woodlands and its ground water. Where growth occurs, these resources retain priority because existing natural communities must be integrated into the development. Growth is also required to be socially responsible. That is, it must pay for the improvements and the new public facilities which serve it and provide housing affordable to low and moderate income households. The Greater Salinas Area Plan seeks to strengthen the agricultural economy. Policies allow greater flexibility in the size and use of agricultural parcels. The CAC felt that these features would promote a greater variety of agricultural activities on farmland. Additionally, agricultural land previously designated for urban uses have been redesignated as farmlands. Area Plan policies also fosters long-term agricultural production by reinforcing urban/agricultural boundaries to prevent land speculation around the urban fringe. In sum, the Greater Salinas Area Plan seeks to provide for the real needs of present and future, yet unborn, County residents. It is anticipated that County residents, through the land uses and policies reflected in this Plan, will find productive jobs, affordable housing, an active agricultural economy, and an abundance of the scenic and natural resources which typify the high quality living environment found in Greater Salinas today. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS GREATER SALINAS AREA PLAN PHILOSOPHY ................................................ 3 INTRODUCTION PART I: INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS CHAPTER 1: NATURAL RESOURCES...................................................................................11 Geography...........................................................................................................................12 Climate................................................................................................................................12 Geology...............................................................................................................................14 Mineral Resources...............................................................................................................14 Soils and Slope ....................................................................................................................14 Farmlands...........................................................................................................................16 Water Resources..................................................................................................................18 Dams and Groundwater..........................................................................................18 Streams and Lakes..................................................................................................18 Vegetation...........................................................................................................................19 Wildlife................................................................................................................................19 Environmentally Sensitive Areas ........................................................................................20 Archaeological Resources ...................................................................................................20 CHAPTER II: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS.............................................................23 Seismic and Geologic Hazard ............................................................................................24 Flood Hazards....................................................................................................................27 Fire Hazards.......................................................................................................................27 Miscellaneous Hazards.......................................................................................................30 Emergency Preparedness...................................................................................................30 Air Quality..........................................................................................................................30 Water Quality.....................................................................................................................31 Noise Hazards ....................................................................................................................31 Traffic Noise...........................................................................................................31 Airport Noise..........................................................................................................33 Industrial Noise Sources.........................................................................................33 4 CHAPTER III: HUMAN RESOURCES....................................................................................34 Demographic Analysis........................................................................................................35 Population Trends..............................................................................................................35