11.1 COMMUNITYPROFILE1.2 COMMUNITYPLANNINGFRAMEWORK1.3 COMMUNITYPLANGUIDINGPRINCIPLES1.4 LEGISLATIVEFRAMEWORK1.5 PLANNINGPROCESS1.6 ELEMENTSOFTHECOMMUNITYPLAN

ANDPLANORGANIZATION

INTRODUCTION

IntroductionNorthParkisadynamicurbancommunitylocatedinthecentralcoreoftheCityofSanDiego.Originallysettledattheturnofthe20thcentury,NorthParkhasevolvedintoathrivingareacommunityofthrivingneighborhoodswithadiversityofhousing,strongcommercialdistricts,andagrowingartscommunity.TheNorthParkCommunityPlanstrivestoreflectandprotectNorthPark’suniquenesswhileplanningforfuturegrowthinthecommunity.

TheNorthParkCommunityPlanisanupdateofthe1986GreaterNorthParkCommunityPlanwhichwasprecededbythe1970ParkNorth-EastCommunityPlanandthe1969NorthParkCommercialAreaPlan.AcomponentofSanDiego’sGeneralPlan,theNorthParkCommunityPlanisaguideforhowthecommunitywillgrowanddevelopover15to20years.Theplanincludesspecificgoalsandrecommendationsregardingtheuseanddevelopmentoflandandaddressesmobility,economicprosperity,publicfacilities,conservation,openspaceandrecreation.TheplanalsoenvisionsasustainablecommunitythatpreserveshistoricresourcesandNorthPark’suniqueandaestheticcharacter.

recorded just after the turnof the20th century. Thecommunityistraversedbytwomajoreast-weststreets,UniversityAvenueandElCajonBoulevardwithAdamsAvenue,alsoaneast-west street, serving thenorthernportionofthecommunity.ParkBoulevard,whichservesasthecommunitieswesternboundary,30thStreet,andTexasStreetarenorth-southstreetsofsignificancewithinthecommunityandarecharacterizedbythestreetcarandautomobility-orientedcommericaldatingasfarbackasthe1920’sand1930’s.

NorthPark’spublictransportationsystemissupplementedwitha stronggrid streetpattern that facilitatesmulti-modalcirculation.ThebuiltenvironmentofNorthParkincludes vibrant commercial corridors surroundedbymulti-family residential single-family neighborhoodsconcentrated in thenorthernandsouthernportionsofthecommunity.

1.1 CommunityProfile

COMMUNITYSETTINGThecommunityofNorthParkencompassesapproximately1,980acres located inthecentralportionoftheCityofSanDiego (Figure1-1). NorthPark isborderedby thecommunitiesofUptownonthewest,MissionValleyonthenorth,theMid-CitycommunitiesofNormalHeightsandCityHeightsontheeast,andGreaterGoldenHilltothesouth.BalboaPark,the1,400acreurbanculturalparkabutsthecommunityonthesouthwest.

NorthParkisdefinedbyitsmesatopswithcanyonandhillsideareas.ThemajorityofNorthParkisrelativelyflatorgentlyslopingwithpronouncedhillsideareaslocatedin thenorthernboundaryof the community adjacenttoMissionValley, and the southeasternportionof thecommunityadjacenttoGreaterGoldenHill.

NorthPark isoneof theolderurbanizedcommunitiesintheCityofSanDiegowithoriginalsubdivisionsbeing

NorthParkisacommunityofhistoricneighborhoods. TheNorthParkTheaterbuiltin1923ismodelexampleofNorthPark’sredevelopmentandrevitalizationefforts.

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Figure1-1:CommunityLocation

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1INTRODUCTION

HISTORICCONTEXTNorthParktracesitsdevelopmenthistorytoshortlyaftertheturnofthe20thcenturywhenlandinthevicinityof30thStreetandUniversityAvenuewassubdivided.Thename“NorthPark”wasderivedfromthefactthatitwaslocated to thenorthof “SouthPark”whichwas thencenteredaround30thandBeechStreets.

Residential development during the first half of the20thcenturywasmadepossiblebya streetcar systemwhichaccommodatedmovementwithin andoutsidethe community. The streetcar systemalso led to thedevelopment of active commercial districts alongUniversityAvenueandElCajonBoulevard. Althoughthe streetcar systemwas dismantled in the 1940’s,NorthPark continued togrowafterWorldWar II andbecameasuburbanshoppingdistrict.However,withthe

developmentoffreewaysandshoppingcentersinMissionValleyinthe1960s,NorthParkevolvedintoabedroomcommunitywithapopulationprimarilydependentuponotherareasof theCity for jobs, servicesandgoods. ItwasduringthistimethatNorthParkenteredaperiodofdeclinewith failingbusinessdistrictsanddeterioratingneighborhoods.

The1990sbrought the startofa renaissance toNorthPark. Residential areas stabilizedwith reinvestmentand a renewed interest in thepreservationofNorthPark’shistoricarchitecture. Commercialareasalsosawa revivalandaneclecticartsdistrictbegan toemerge.TherevitalizationofNorthParkcontinuestoenhanceitsdiverseandvibrantcharacter.SeeHistoricPreservationElementformoreinformationrelatedtothecommunity’shistorydevelopmentperiods.

NORTHPARKNEIGHBORHOODSSeveral neighborhoods existwithin theNorth Parkcommunity-SeeFigure1-2:NorthParkNeighborhoods.Whileneighborhoodboundariesareofficiallydefined,theyareillustratedinthisplanandbaseduponcontributingfactors suchashistoricaldocuments, countyassessor’sparcelmaps,propertydeeds, subdivisionmaps,policebeatmaps, the existence of active neighborhoodorganizations,and residents’perceptionsaboutwheretheylivewithintheNorthParkcommunity.Throughtheyearsresidentswithintheseneighborhoodshavecometogether to focuson their local needs, improvementopportunities,andtocelebratetheirlocalidentitywithinthegreaterNorthPark community. AlthoughFigure1-2 shows several active neighborhoodswithin thecommunity,otherneighborhoodscanemergeas localresidents inotherareasof theNorthPark communityorganizeandpromotetheirownneighborhoodidentity.

POPULATIONCHARACTERISTICSThecurrentpopulationofNorthParkis45,997.Residentsrepresentalleconomicbackgroundsandarediverse incomposition.BasedonthebuildoutofthecommunityplanthepopulationofNorthParkcommunityisestimatedtobeapproximately61,965.

BungalowcourtyardhomesareacontributingaspectofNorthPark’sresidentialneighborhoods.

RiverrockcolumnmonumentsdepictinganostrichsymbolIdentitymarkersfortheUniversityHeightsneighborhood.

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Figure1-2:NorthParkNeighborhoods

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1INTRODUCTION

1.2 CommunityPlanningFramework

SHAREDPLANNINGPROCESSWITHUPTOWNANDGOLDENHILLThethreecommunitieshavealsobeenpartofoneofthelongesthistoricaldevelopmentperiodsintheregionduetotheircentrallocationandaccommodativezoningwhichhasleftarangeofbuildingformsandarchitecturalstylesaswellashistoricresourcesinneedofpreservation.Thishassometimesresultedinawkwardscaletransitionsandjuxtapositionofbuildingstylesastherateofdevelopmenthasoftentimesbeenmodestoruneven. The relativelyintenseconcentrationsof retail andemploymentusesnearbyinDowntownandMissionValleydrawcertainretailformatsandemploymentawayfromthesecommunities.Asthesecommunitiesdevelopedpriortocurrentcitywidepublic facilities standards, locatingandfinancingnewpublicfacilitiesisdifficultduetolackofavailablelandaswellasalimitedrateofnewdevelopment.Agingright-of-way infrastructureoftenneedstobeupgradedand/orreplaced.

TheNorthParkCommunityPlanprovidesa longrangeguide for the future physical development of thecommunity andwas updated concurrentlywith thecommunityplans forUptownandGoldenHill. Agoalof theconcurrentupdates is toaddresskey issuesandproposesolutionsastheyrelatetoattributessharedbyeachofthethreecommunities. Theupdatesstartedin2009withan intensivepublicoutreacheffortcenteredaround individual communitymeetings that includedstakeholder committees, neighborhoodassociations,workshops on key topics, amulti-day charrette andmeetingsoftheNorthParkPlanningCommittee,theCity’srecognizedcommunityplanninggroup.

Various attributes related to urban design, historic,preservation, open space, andmobility are commonto eachof the three communities atboth larger andsmaller scales leading to thedevelopmentof sharedplanning solutionswith refinements appropriate toindividualcommunityandneighborhoodcontexts.Eachcommunity issituatedwithina landformthat ispartofabroadmesa interspersedwithmanynaturalor semi-developedcanyonsallowingadistinctivecombinationofoutwardviewsandinteractionwithopenspacealongmostcommunityedgepoints.Thesecharacteristicsalsoprovideasenseofseclusionfromadjacentcommunitiesnot uncommon for SanDiego’s neighborhoods, andimportantly, support the interconnectednessbetweenthethreecommunities.AdjacentfreewaysreinforcethisrelationshipastheyhaveusuallyfollowedcanyonsandotherlowpointsinSanDiego.

The threecommunities surround regionally significantandhistoricBalboaPark. AsdevelopmentradiatedoutfromDowntownSanDiegoalong streetcar lines, laterformingcommercialdistrictsalongarterial streetsandmajorcrossings,alegacyremainsoftraditionalstorefrontsuniquelysuitedtosmallandsole-proprietorbusinesses.

Agridpatternof streets enhances connectivity andpromoteswalkabilityyettrafficcongestionoccurswherestreetwidthsnarroworaccessisfunneledduetocanyonandfreewayinterfaces.

NorthPark,alongwithadjacentneighborsUptownandGoldenHill,sharedirectaccesstoBalboaPark.

Sharedtransportationnetworks-Mid-CityRapidBusconnectNorthParkandsurroundingcommunityresidentstoregionaltransportationnetwork.

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1.3 CommunityPlanGuidingPrinciplesCoreValuesforNorthPark:1. Adiversityofhousingtypeswithvarying

levelsofaffordability.

2. Businessesthatcontributetothevitalityandgrowthofthecommunityinharmonywithresidentialneighborhoods.

3. A circulation system that offers safe,multi-modal access between jobs,shopping, recreation, businesses,schools,andresidentialneighborhoods.

4. Acommunitythatisacenterforcreativityandenrichedbypublicart.

5. Employmentandmixed-usecentersthatallowNorthParkresidentstoworkwheretheylivethroughtheattractionofnewbusinessesandhigherpayingjobs.

6. Ahighlevelofpublicfacilitiesthatnotonlymeettheneedsofthecommunity,but serve to enhance communityidentity.

7. Acommunitythatfosterstheexpansionof recreationalopportunities throughtraditionalandinnovativeways.

8. Openspaceresourcesthataremanagedandmaintained.

9. Sustainable residentialneighborhoodsandbusinessdistricts.

10. Cultural and historic resources thatare respectedandpreserved throughhistoricdesignationsandadaptivereuse.

Through the public outreach and input from theCommunityPlanUpdateAdvisoryCommittee,NorthParkPlanningCommittee,andmembersofthecommunitythefollowingissueshavebeenidentified:

• Preservationofcommunitycharacter includinghistorical,architectural,andculturalresources

• Preservationofsingle-familyneighborhoods

• Focusonsustainability

• Housingandcommercialrehabilitationthroughadaptivereuse

• Promotionofartandculture

• Thesuccessofcommercialareasandtheireffectonadjacentsingle-familyneighborhoods

• Expansionandenhancementofamulti-modaltransportation network that includes biking,walking,andtransituse

• Identif ication of additional recreationalopportunities

• Compatibilityofnewdevelopmentintoexistingneighborhoods

ThefollowingareNorthPark’sGuidingPrincipleswhichformthe‘heart’oftheCommunityPlan.Theyhavebeendeveloped through an extensivepublic involvementprocessanddescribethebroaddirectionandvisionforNorthPark. Theyalso formthebasis for thegoalsandrecommendationsofthePlan.

A3-daycharrettefocusedonurbandesign,mobility,recreation,andhistoricresourcestodevelopmentideasforthecommunityplan.

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1INTRODUCTION

1.4 LegislativeFramework

GENERALPLANTheGeneralPlansetsoutalong-rangevisionandpolicyframeworktoguidefuturedevelopment,providepublicservices,andmaintainthequalitiesthatdefineSanDiegoandcontainasetofoverallguidingprinciples(seeinsetSection1.2below).TheGeneralPlanshiftsfocusfromhowtodevelopvacantlandtohowtodesigninfilldevelopmentandreinvestinexistingcommunities.AkeycomponentguidingtheseeffortsistheCityofVillagesStrategywhichproposesgrowthbedirected intopedestrian-friendlymixed-useactivitycenterslinkedtoanimprovedregionaltransitsystem.

Regional and local investments that promote transitandbicycle use support this strategy. By increasingtransportation choices, a reduction inoverall vehiclemilestravelledcanbeachievedwhichisakeycontributortobroader sustainabledevelopment initiatives. Bettermobilityoptionsarealsoneededforthosewhocannotdrive,donotownamotorvehicle,orprefertoreducetheirdependenceontheautomobile.Benefitstoindividualaswellaspublichealthcanbeachievedwithanyreductioninairpollutantsaswellasashiftinfavorofwalking.

These villages or activity centers are to be formallyidentifiedthroughthecommunityplanupdateprocess.Themixed-usecommercialdistrictsandhigherdensityneighborhoodsalongtransit linesarecandidatevillagelocationswithineachof the three communities. Thepolicies of each plan can be used to focus neededinvestmentsininfrastructure,transitandothermobilityimprovements.

TheNorthParkCommunityPlanisacomponentoftheGeneralPlan.ItisintendedtofurtherexpresstheGeneralPlanpolicies for theNorth Park community throughtheprovisionofmore site-specific recommendationsthat implementgoals andpolicies, andguide zoningand theCapital ImprovementPlan. TheGeneralPlanand theNorthParkCommunityPlanwork together toestablishtheframeworkforgrowthanddevelopmentinthecommunity.SomespecificGeneralPlanpoliciesarereferencedwithintheCommunityPlantoemphasizetheir

GeneralPlanGuidingPrinciples1. An open space network formedby

parks,canyons, rivervalleys,habitats,beachesandocean;

2. Diverse residential communitiesformedbytheopenspacenetwork;

3. Compact andwalkablemixed-usevillages of different scales withincommunities;

4. Employment centers for a strongeconomy;

5. Anintegratedregionaltransportationnetworkofwalkways,bikeways,transit,roadways,andfreewaysthatefficientlylinkcommunitiesandvillagestoeachotherandtoemploymentcenters;

6. High quality, affordable, andwell-maintainedpublicfacilitiestoservetheCity’spopulation,workers,andvisitors;

7. Historicdistrictsandsitesthatrespectourheritage;

8. Balanced communities that offeropportunitiesforallSanDiegansandsharecitywideresponsibilities;

9. Acleanandsustainableenvironment;and

10. Ahighaestheticstandard.

significanceforNorthPark,butallapplicableGeneralPlanpoliciesmaybecitedinconjunctionwiththecommunityplan,whetherornottheyarespecificallyreferenced.BoththeGeneralPlanand theNorthParkCommunityPlanshouldbeconsultedforlanduseplanningmattersinthecommunity.WhiletheCommunityPlanaddressesspecificcommunityneeds, itspolicies and recommendationsremain in harmonywith theGeneral Plan, city-widepolicies,andothercommunityplans.

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LANDDEVELOPMENTCODETheCity’sLandDevelopmentCodecontainsplanning,zoning, subdivision and building regulationswhichimplementthepoliciesoftheGeneralPlanandcommunityplans. Located in theCity’sMunicipalCode, theLandDevelopment Code includes regulations for areasthroughouttheCityaswellasplanneddistrictordinanceswithspecializedzoningforspecificgeographicareasoftheCity.LanduseintheNorthParkcommunityisregulatedbybothcitywideregulationsaswellasthe”tailoredzoning”throughtheuseoftheCommunityPlanImplementationOverlayZone(CPIOZ).Regulationsincludestandardsforallowablelanduses,densities,buildingheights,setbacksandotherdevelopmentissues.

FEEIMPACTSTUDYTheNorthParkFee ImpactStudy (FIS) identifiespublicfacilitiesneeded tomaintainexisting levelsof servicewithinthecommunity.TheFISisbasedonthepoliciesandbuild-outassumptionsoftheCommunityPlan.TheFISestablishesthecollectionofDevelopmentImpactFees(DIF)tomitigatetheimpactofnewdevelopmentthroughprovisionsofaportionofthefinancingneededforpublicfacilitiesidentifiedintheFeeImpactStudy(FIS).TheDIFdoesnotfundfacilitiestoservetheexistingpopulation.Butrather,itisamechanismtomitigatetheimpactofnewdevelopmentonthecommunity.

AIRPORTLANDUSECOMPATIBILITYPLANTheAirportLandUseCompatibilityPlan(ALUCP)fortheSanDiegoInternationalAirport(SDIA)providespoliciesandcriteria for landusecompatibility in thevicinityofSDIA.. TheCommunityofNorthPark is subject to theAirport LandUseCompatibilityOverlayZoneand theoverflightofaircraftarrivingtoanddepartingfromSDIA.ThecommunityislocatedinAirportInfluenceReviewArea2whichrequiresresidentialpropertyownerstodisclosethatthepropertyisnearanairportandmaybeaffectedbytheoverflightofaircraftwhensellingproperty.Inaddition,proposalsforsomestructuresmayberequiredtoprovidenotificationtotheFederalAviationAdministration.

MULTIPLESPECIESCONSERVATIONPROGRAMTheMultipleSpeciesConservationProgram(MSCP)isacomprehensive,long-termhabitatconservationplanningprogramthatisdesignedtopreservenativehabitatformultiplespecies.Thisisaccomplishedbyidentifyingareasfordirecteddevelopmentandareastobeconservedinperpetuity, referred to as theMulti-Habitat PlanningArea (MHPA), toachieveaworkablebalancebetweensmartgrowthandspeciesconservation.AportionoftheopenspacelandswithinNorthParkarewithintheMHPA.OpenspacelandswithintheMHPAareaddressedintheConservationandRecreationElementsoftheCommunityPlanandare implementedby theCity’sMSCPSubareaPlan.

ENVIRONMENTALREVIEWAProgrammaticEnvironmentalImpactReport(EIR)waspreparedinconcertwiththeNorthParkCommunityPlanpursuant to theCalifornia EnvironmentalQualityAct(CEQA)toaddresspotentialenvironmentalimpactsthatwouldresultfromimplementationoftheCommunityPlan.Where impactswere identified,measures to reduceoravoidimpactswereidentifiedandincorporatedintothecommunityplantotheextentfeasible.

AsdevelopmentisproposedinNorthPark,theCitywillprepare an Initial Study in accordancewithCEQA todeterminewhetherthepotentialimpactsassociateswithaproposedprojectwereanticipatedbythecommunityplanEIR.Ifadditionalenvironmentalimpactsareanticipated,additionalenvironmentalreviewmayberequired.

RELATEDPLANSANDSTUDIESInadditiontotheGeneralPlananddocumentsoutlinedabove, anumberofplans, “legacy” studies andothereffortshavebeenpreparedforNorthPark.Theserangefromdesignguidelines toparkingmanagementplansandotherstudies.Althoughmostofthesestudiesarenotofficially-adoptedCitydocuments,theyofferawealthofanalysisandpublicdeliberationonplanningissuesandhavebeenusedasappropriateinthepreparationoftheNorthParkCommunityPlan.AppendixAcontainsalistingofsomeofthepreviousplansandstudiespreparedfortheNorthParkcommunity.

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1INTRODUCTION

1.5 PlanningProcessTheNorthParkCommunityPlanistheresultofextensivecommunityoutreachprocess.Acommunityplanupdateadvisorycommitteewas formed toguide theprocess, identify issuesand review thedraftplan. TheNorthParkCommunityPlanUpdateAdvisoryCommittee(CPUAC)wasmadeupofmembersoftheNorthParkPlanningCommitteeandotherinterestedcommunitymembers,propertyownersandstakeholders.TheCommitteemetregularlyduringtheupdateandallmeetingsofthecommitteewereopentothepublic.Publicworkshopsandanintensivethree-daycharrettewerealsoheldtosolicitcommunityideasandcomments.TheCommunityPlanrepresentsaculminationhundredsofhoursofthoughtfulconsiderationandreviewbyanengagedcitizenry.

Principles. Goalsare followedbyacontextdiscussion,brokendownbytopicarea.Finally,eachelementprovidesspecificrecommendationsforNorthParkwhichprovideaspecificactionorstrategytoachieveagoal. ThetenelementsarepatternedaftertheGeneralPlanandinclude:

1. LandUse

2. Mobility

3. UrbanDesign

4. EconomicProsperity

5. PublicFacilities,Services&Safety

6. Recreation

7. SustainabilityandConservation

8. NoiseandLightPollution

9. HistoricPreservation

10. ArtsandCulture

Following the ten elements, the Community PlanconcludeswithanImplementationSection.Thischapteridentifies the varietyof tools available to implementcommunityplangoalsandrecommendations.Thesectioncontains an actionmatrix containing specific actionsneededtoimplementtheplan.Appendices,thoughnotadoptedCitypolicy,providebackgroundmaterialsusedinthepreparationoftheCommunityPlan.

TheUrbanDesignandArtsandCultureElementsofthecommunityplanplaceanemphasisonNorthParkasacenterforartsandcuture.

1.6 ElementsoftheCommunityPlanandPlanOrganization

TheNorth Park Community Plan is the City’s policystatementforthecontinueddevelopmentofNorthParkandthedistributionoflanduses.Theplanisimplementedby a variety of ordinances, activities and programsincludingtheCity’sLandDevelopmentCode,theNorthParkFee ImpactStudy, theCity’sCapital ImprovementProgram, andpublic andprivate development. TheCommunityPlan isnot a staticdocumentand shouldbecontinuallymonitored to respond tounanticipatedchanges affecting the community. Any proposedamendmentstothisplanshouldbecarefullyreviewedforconsistencywiththevision,valuesandgoalsoftheNorthParkCommunityPlanandGeneralPlan.

TheCommunityPlanisorganizedintotwelveelementsandsupportingappendices.Followinganintroduction,eachelement contains theoverarchinggoals for thatsubject,writtenasend statements forwhatwilloccurwhen thevisionhasbeenachieved. Eachof thegoalsrelatetooneormoreoftheCommunityPlan’sGuiding

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