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Specific Plan Summary
1.10 Purpose Statement and Range of Issues
The purpose of this Specific Plan is to guide and regulate the land use and development of the North Star property into the future. The plan is expected to be accompanied by a development agreement providing the City of Grass Valley, current and future property owners, interested agencies, and the public with assurances as to the long term development plan for the property.
The development under this Specific Plan is best illustrated by the project Master Plan, Figure 3.3 (See also rear map pocket). The Master Plan is the preferred development alternative, largely relied upon by the public during workshop and outreach meetings. This Specific Plan requires development of the property to be in substantial compliance with the Master Plan, although alternative land uses can be proposed with a higher level of City processing.
This document will function as customized zoning to the project area. Related documents, incorporated herein by reference, include the Specific Plan environmental impact report (EIR), City of Grass Valley General Plan as amended, and the prevailing zoning ordinance of the City of Grass Valley, the prevailing City of Grass Valley capital improvement plan and fee schedule, and other related land use ordinances.
The provisions of this Specific Plan are based on the project EIR, the City of Grass Valley General Plan, public testimony, and the policy decisions of the Grass Valley City Council. This Specific Plan covers the complete range of issues related to the long term build-out of the property.
1.20 Location
North Star is located in the southern part of Grass Valley, south of McCourtney Road, east of Old Auburn Road, and west of Allison Ranch Road. Please see the location keys in Figures 2.1 and 2.2 in the next section for location mapping.
1.30 Acreage
The North Star project consists of approximately 760 acres.
1.40 Summary of the Preparation Process
The preparation and adoption of this Specific Plan involved the following steps:
A. REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC POLICY AND MARKET SETTING
1. Consideration of the maximum land uses, and all related service and conservation requirements, as established by the annexation agreement between the City of Grass Valley and the North Star owners and the City General Plan adopted in October 1999.
2. Revisions suggested to the General Plan land use mix based on informal discussions with City of Grass Valley staff, City decision makers, and interviews with community leaders.
3. A review and understanding of the environmental constraints identified the previous draft specific plan's administrative draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
4. Independent market analysis performed by Economic and Planning Systems to identify future community needs in the City of Grass Valley and Western Nevada County.
5. Compliance with the planning requirements of Nevada County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) as outlined by their policies and resolutions.
6. The desire and practical need for the applicant and property owners to obtain a reasonable and practical use of their property, including the flexibility to meet future community needs for various types of land use.
B. MINIMIZING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
1. The Specific Plan preparers worked in close communication with the environmental planners preparing the project environmental impact report (EIR) with an effort made to work mitigation measures into the performance standards of this Specific Plan.
2. In certifying the final environmental impact report, the City Council provided additional guidance and direction for plan adjustments based on the concerns of public agencies and the public at large.
SPECIFIC PLAN PROCESSING AND ADOPTION PROCESS
1. The applicant held several study sessions with City of Grass Valley officials and the public at large.
2. A revised Notice of Preparation was circulated for the Specific Plan and a draft environmental impact report was prepared and circulated for the Specific Plan.
3. Response to Comments were prepared for all comments received regarding the Specific Plan EIR.
4. The Grass Valley Planning Commission held one or more public hearings to consider adoption of the Specific Plan and recommended adoption to the City Council.
5. The City Council adopted the Specific Plan, to include a resolution certifying the environmental impact report as complete, a statement of overriding considerations, a general plan amendment resolution, pre-zoning ordinance, and findings relative to the adoption process.
6. The provisions of the Specific Plan become effective upon approval and completion of the annexation of North Star to the City of Grass Valley, by the Nevada County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo).
1.45 Jobs/Housing Balance
The Specific Plan Master Plan and Land Use Map have been analyzed by planning team firm Economic and Planning Systems (EPS) and designed to produce a jobs/housing balance of 1.2 jobs to each housing unit. The following table 1.1 provides detail on the distribution of jobs throughout the Specific Plan.
1.50 Compliance with the City of Grass Valley's Growth Management Policy
On July 22, 2003, the City of Grass Valley adopted growth management policies that are directed at North Star and other annexation areas designated as Special Development Areas (SDA) in the City's General Plan. The following table indicates how the North Star Specific Plan is consistent with the growth management policies:
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