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Section 4

The Infrastructure Plan

4.05 Objectives and Policies

A. Objectives

1. To provide all required infrastructure incrementally with development to fully serve the land uses within the specific plan.

2. To require development within the specific plan to pay its own way, not burdening the City or non-benefitting property owners with infrastructure costs.

3. To construct infrastructure to an appropriate standard for the specific plan, balancing cost and need.                      

4. To require that development within the specific plan pay a fair share of costs to expand regional infrastructure and services for the greater community region.

B. Policies

1. Except for the street and trail sections and other detailed improvements specified herein, all construction shall meet the prevailing standards of the City's adopted general engineering specifications and standard detail drawings.

2. Each development proposal or phase shall, as a condition of occupancy, install the portions of infrastructure required to serve the project, at the developer's expense, or based on an approved public financing method, such as assessment district.

3. Any portions of infrastructure which benefits development outside of the specific plan shall be funded by the City or others on a pro-rata basis, or the value of such improvements shall be credited toward applicable development fees.

4. Prior to the occupancy of any project within the specific plan area, the developer shall pay prevailing AB1600 development mitigation fees, school mitigation fees, and any other prevailing capital improvement mitigation fees, less any credits for qualifying actual improvements or dedications.

5. Specific Plan Streets, walks, drainage facilities, water facilities, sewer facilities, and underground utilities shall be based on plans approved by the City or utility provider, shall be inspected during construction to assure compliance with City or utility provider requirements, and shall be conveyed to the City or utility provider upon completion for operation and maintenance.

6. All utilities shall be installed underground, except for the ordinary necessary above ground appurtenances such as transformer boxes, lift stations, pressure stations, and other incidental items,

7. Non-motorized trails within project open space areas shall be maintained through annual assessments to a zone of benefit in the City's landscaping and lighting district.

8. Street lighting, street trees, entry treatments, and any other common area improvements shall be maintained through annual assessments to a zone of benefit in the City's landscaping and lighting district.

9. All development within the specific plan area shall pay a pro-rata fee, along with benefitting development outside of the specific plan, to fund the Smith-Crestview Extension.

10. Subdivision improvements shall have the option of being completed after recording of the parcel or final map by entering into a secured subdivision improvement agreement in accordance with prevailing City policies and ordinances.

11. Public financing, such as a standard assessment district, Mello-Roos district, or other mechanism may be considered by the City after careful review of a feasibility study funded by the developer that projects realistic property values, construction costs, absorption rates, and repayment pro-formas.

12. Upon completion of the annexation of the specific plan lands, the City shall update its capital improvement program and development mitigation (AB1600) fees in the next annual cycle to account for the new land area under its jurisdiction.

4.10 Transportation

C. Plan Proposals

1. Specific plan streets are shown on Figure 4.1 and shall be incrementally improved to the standards described below. Additional streets may be proposed to serve the subdivision of the specific plan areas with the standards outlined below.

FIGURE 4.1 VEHICULAR CIRCULATION
FIGURE 4.2(a) PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY
FIGURE 4.2(b) PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CONCEPT

2. Non-motorized sidewalks and trails shall be developed substantially as shown on Figure 4.2 to the standards outlined below. Further subdivision of specific plan lands shall extend non-motorized walks and trails to provide function, convenience, and continuous connectivity to specific plan facilities.

3. Transit stops shall be provided for in the locations shown on Figure 4.1 as specific plan streets are developed.

4. Basic street sections, including all clearing and rough grading, and a 24' wide paved street section shall be completed prior to the filing of a parcel or final map subdividing the area in question, except as delayed for a brief time through a secured subdivision improvement agreement between the owner and the City.

5. Full street half-width sections, including remaining paving for shoulder and parking, curb, gutter, sidewalk, streetlights, and common area landscaping along a project's street frontage shall be completed prior to the occupancy of any project.

Off road trails shall be a minimum of 4' wide and may be surfaced with paving, concrete, gravel, decomposed granite, or bark.  Major trees (over 10" dbh), significant rock outcrops, and historical or archaeological features will be avoided wherever possible.  Trails shall be constructed meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for grades wherever possible.

 The non-motorized transportation system shall consist of the off-road trails together with the conventional sidewalk system.  The non-motorized circulation system is shown on Figure 4.2

All transit stops shall be designed in accordance with the prevailing standards of the Nevada County STAR (Services for transit, airport, and recreation) Department, providing for a safe bus turn-out and a covered shelter.  The approximate locations of transit stops, including an inter-modal transportation hub are shown on Figure 4.2(b).

Transit stop turn-outs will be constructed along with the street and sidewalk construction.  Transit shelters will be constructed at such time as bus routes are modified to include these designated stops, when demand reaches an appropriate level as determined by Nevada County STAR.

4.20 Water

The water distribution plan will follow subdivision streets as outlined in Figure 4.1.  The plan assumes that water will be served by the City of Grass Valley for the northern two-thirds inasmuch as this area is not a part of Nevada Irrigation District.  The southern one-third is within Nevada Irrigation District and would be served by them.  Water mains would be extended as required by the provider's prevailing policies to serve subdivisions of specific plan areas.  Modifications may be made to the plan as build-out occurs only as approved by the City.

4.30 Sewer

The wastewater (sewage) collection system is shown on Figure 4.4.  The collection system would be expanded as required by the City's prevailing policies and standards to serve subdivisions of the specific plan areas.  Modifications may be made to the plan as build-out occurs only as approved by the City.

4.40 Drainage

The master drainage system for the specific plan area is shown on Figure 4.5.  Modifications may be made to the plan as build-out occurs only as approved by the City.  The drainage system would be expanded in accordance with prevailing City policies and standards to serve subdivision of the specific plan area.

4.50 Underground Utilities

The underground utilities, including electrical, telephone, and cable TV/data lines would follow the subdivision streets as shown in Figure 4.1  The utility plan shall be expanded in the accordance with the requirements and policies of the utility providers.

4.55 Natural Gas

Natural gas is available on McCourtney Road and it is proposed to be extended along subdivision streets as shown in Figure 4.1.

4.60 Street Lighting

Street lights will be provided along all specific plan streets as shown in Figure 4.1.  Street lighting in residential areas shall consist of low, decorative fixtures along public walkways providing sufficient illumination for pedestrian safety.   Parking lots in the specific plan will be either of a decorative nature and will prevent light spill to the top and sides.

4.70 Landscaping

Common landscaping will be maintained by a zone of benefit in the City's landscaping and lighting district.  Common landscaping will include the following components:

A. Street trees along all specific plan streets and including street trees along new, publically owned subdivision streets;

B. Intervening landscaping in public rights-of-way along specific plan streets;

Entry treatments at the major entries to the specific plan area which will be approved by the City prior to construction;

D. Common open space areas;

E. Non-motorized walkways and trails in common open space areas;

F. Additional areas that might be designated during specific project site planning;

FIGURE 4.5 STORM WATER MANAGEMENT CONCEPT

G. The optional inclusion of a Miners' Commemorative Monument that would be located at McCourtney Road at the North Star entry, diagonally across from the Gentle Giant monument.  This monument could be constructed by the community in a manner similar to the Gentle Giant, and ideally would include the names of local miners and their families.

4.80 Solid Waste

Solid waste service to the site will be provided by the prevailing franchise solid waste service serving the City of Grass Valley, which transports solid waste to the McCourtney Road Transfer Station for disposal.  Curb side service will be available to all residential areas and some non-residential areas.  Where curb side service is not provided, all solid waste collection enclosures shall meet prevailing standards for refuse receptacles, recycling areas, and hauler access.

4.90 Other Public Services

A. Schools

The specific plan area is served by the Grass Valley School District, Nevada Joint Union High School District, and Sierra Joint Community College District.  All development within the project shall pay the prevailing school mitigation fees benefitting the elementary and high school districts.  However, such fees shall be reduced by the fair market value of the public school site donated as a part of the specific plan.

B. Fire Protection

Upon annexation, the specific plan area will be detached from the Nevada County Consolidated Fire District and will be served by the Grass Valley Fire Department.  Recently, both fire departments entered into an agreement that provides a high degree of functional consolidation, with shared staffing and equipment at various City fire stations.

The annexation agreement provides that property owners in North Star will pay the City to contract with the California Department of Forestry for fire protection on the undeveloped lands within the site.  The area of contract fire protection for vacant lands will diminish as the land develops.  At build-out, the contract will phase out all together and the City will assume responsibility for all fire protection.

Prior to the preparation of this specific plan, the then-owners of North Star dedicated two acres of land to Nevada County Consolidated Fire District to add to their McCourtney Road station site, fulfilling the representations of North Star during the negotiations of the annexation agreement.  The project will pay prevailing AB1600 fees at the building permit stage for fire department mitigation, less the value of the dedicated lands.

C. Police Protection

Upon annexation, the primary responsibility for police protection will shift from the Nevada County Sheriff's Department to the Grass Valley Police Department.  Some development within the project area may also opt for private security services.  All development will pay the prevailing AB1600 fee for police service mitigation.

D. Other Services

North Star properties will be identical to other annexed lands in terms of reliance on a combination of City and County services, including the following:

4.95 Energy Conservation

All development within North Star shall be constructed using prevailing Uniform Building Code Standards for energy conservation and heat loss.  Passive solar design is encouraged where permanent solar access can be assured without excessive removal of native trees.

New development shall meet the prevailing water conservation standards, including water saving fixtures.  Landscaping shall be consistent with the City's prevailing standards for water conserving landscaping.

4.98    Phasing of Infrastructure

Anticipated Specific Plan phasing is described in Section 9.  As a condition of approval of each individual development, the developer shall be required to install the portion the infrastructure necessary to serve that individual development sub-phase as determined by the City of Grass Valley.  Such infrastructure shall provide reasonable vehicle and pedestrian circulation and emergency access.

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