Exhibit A - Attachment 3 – Southside Plan Page 1 of 183 SOUTHSIDE PLAN City Council Draft September 2011 City of Berkeley Exhibit A - Attachment 3 – Southside Plan Page 2 of 183 Exhibit A - Attachment 3 – Southside Plan Page 3 of 183 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION AND PLAN GOALS ........................................................................... 5 SOUTHSIDE PLANNING PROCESS ........................................................................... 11 RELATED PLANNING STUDIES ................................................................................. 19 LAND USE AND HOUSING ELEMENT ....................................................................... 29 TRANSPORTATION ELEMENT ................................................................................... 67 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ELEMENT .................................................................. 101 COMMUNITY CHARACTER ELEMENT .................................................................... 121 PUBLIC SAFETY ELEMENT...................................................................................... 147 APPENDIX A: SOUTHSIDE OPPORTUNITY SITES ................................................. 171 APPENDIX B: CIRCULATION ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED IN THE DEIR ........ 175 APPENDIX C: DESIGNATED OR LISTED HISTORIC RESOURCES AS OF APRIL 2009 ............................................................................................................................ 179 Exhibit A - Attachment 3 – Southside Plan Page 4 of 183 Exhibit A - Attachment 3 – Southside Plan Page 5 of 183 INTRODUCTION AND PLAN GOALS I. 2011 INTRODUCTION The Southside Plan is a planning document that has been developed over a thirteen - year period, and reflects the time and insight of many Berkeley residents. It was developed through meetings with stakeholder groups, public workshops, and working group proposals. The Draft Plan was completed in July 2003; work since then has been focused on developing the Plan’s Environmental Impact Report. The Draft EIR was delayed while issues regarding traffic and circulation were discussed, and was released for public review in March 2008. During the time that passed between the initial discussions and today, changes have occurred that have affected the Southside. Zoning ordinances were amended, businesses moved in and out of Telegraph Avenue and new programs were implemented. In light of these changes, the text of the Southside Plan appeared outdated. In 2009, in order to address this issue, staff reviewed the text and policies of the Southside Plan. This review determined that while many of the statistics and background information were no longer accurate, the underlying trends described by this information, and which were the basis of the policies and actions that were developed, remained valid. Staff determined that as long as the policies and actions of the Plan are consistent with other City policies, the Plan could be adopted. The text remains essentially the same as the 2003 version, but outdated references have been removed and more current information, called out as 2009 updates, has been added where relevant. A handful of updates have a “2011” date, as they give information about more recent events, such as Southside boundary adjustments, Bus Rapid Transit decisions, and Panoramic Hill zoning changes. Most chapters begin with a new introduction that explains major changes to it. The purpose of the changes is to correct and update the text and prevent inconsistencies between the Southside Plan and other City and State policies and regulations, while keeping the direction developed by the community. All of the rezoning and the zoning amendments definitely recommended in the Plan are intended to be adopted along with the Plan. The Southside Design Guidelines were adopted by the Planning Commission in April 2011. II. PLAN PURPOSE & STUDY AREA BOUNDARIES For the purposes of the Plan, the Southside is generally defined as the area bounded by Dwight Way on the south, Bancroft Way on the north, Prospect Street on the east, and Fulton Street on the west. 5 Exhibit A - Attachment 3 – Southside Plan Page 6 of 183 The study area also includes properties along Telegraph between Dwight Way and Parker Street. See Map IN-1 for specific boundary details. The Southside Area Plan is intended to guide the development of the Southside area until at least the year 2020. It sets forth the City’s key land use, housing, transportation, economic development, community character, and public safety policies for managing change in the Southside. As a part of the General Plan, the Southside Plan is a long-range statement of policies for the development and preservation of the area. It is a statement of community priorities and values to be used to guide public-decision making in future years. The Plan’s goals, objectives, and policies serve as a guide to the day-to-day decisions. Decisions made by the Berkeley City Council and its advisory Boards and Commissions about the physical development of the Southside need to be consistent with the goals, objectives, and policies of this Plan. The City Council and the Planning Commission will use the Southside Plan in conjunction with the General Plan when evaluating land use changes and funding and budget decisions. It will be used by the Zoning Adjustments Board and City staff to help regulate development proposals and make decisions on projects. The policies of the Plan apply to all property, both public and private, within the Southside Plan area. Although the University of California and other State and County agencies are not legally obligated to comply with the Plan, mutual cooperation benefits all agencies with a stake in the Southside. The Southside Plan came in part from acknowledged common interests held by both the City and the University. The City will consult with the University regarding future changes to the Southside Plan and the University will consult with the City regarding the Long-Range Development Plan. The Plan’s Elements and policies taken together form a framework for incremental improvement based on the physical, economic, and social foundation which is in the Southside today. The Plan recognizes that there will be a continuing need to respond to pressure for change, and for continuing to balance the needs of various interests in the Southside. 2011 Update: The boundaries of the Southside Plan area changed slightly to provide consistency within the Plan and with other City of Berkeley planning efforts: Western edge: In 2008, it was determined that the Southside Plan Area shown below Fulton Street was also included in the Downtown Area Plan. This overlap was discussed at a Planning Commission meeting in December 2008. At that time it was determined that all of the parcels below Fulton which were originally included in the Southside Plan should remain in the Southside Plan, except for seven parcels: the six parcels on the north side of Dwight (2107 – 2161 Dwight), and the last parcel on the north side of Channing (2113 Channing Way). NE corner: International House, located at 2299 Piedmont Avenue, is not constantly included in the various Southside Plan maps. Since I-House is identified as part of the UC campus in the 2020 LRDP, it will not be included in the Southside Plan. The two buildings to the east of I-House, the Davis and Sherman Co-ops (2833 Bancroft Steps 6 Exhibit A - Attachment 3 – Southside Plan Page 7 of 183 and 2250 Prospect Street, respectively), are not considered part of the campus and will continue to be included in the Southside maps. The following maps have been changed to reflect the boundary changes and other updates: Southside Subareas, Existing Zoning, Proposed Zoning, and Opportunity Sites. These maps have been redrawn with the correct boundaries and given a 2009 date. The other maps in the Southside Plan will not be revised; those wishing to confirm the correct boundaries of the Southside Plan should use the maps with a 2009 date. III. PLAN ORGANIZATION Each Element of the Plan includes a background section, which provides information on specific topics covered by the Element and a basis for the objectives, policies, and actions. In many cases additional reports and plans are referenced as part of the background section. Each element also includes objectives, policies, and actions. Objectives identify the results that the City is trying to achieve or direction in which the City is trying to move. A policy is a specific statement of principle that provides direction on a particular issue and ensures that actions are consistent with the direction or end result described in the objectives. Actions are strategies, programs, or specific actions to be carried out that will help the City achieve its objectives. IV. PLAN GOALS The Southside Plan, as part of the City of Berkeley General Plan, seeks to accomplish the goals of the General Plan by providing a more detailed policy framework for the area. The Southside Plan’s major goals are as follows: Housing: Create additional housing at appropriate locations to help meet the housing demand for students and people employed nearby, thus taking advantage of proximity to the University and Downtown to reduce automobile dependence and to increase travel to work or school by non-automobile transportation. Encourage the provision of affordable housing. Land Use: Provide for a high-density residential and commercial mixed-use edge to the University of California campus and the “spine” along Telegraph Avenue. The high- density edge