Urban Growth Boundary and Urban Limit Line In 1996 the City Council adopted a long-term Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), which differentiates land within the City’s Sphere of Influence intended for future urbanization from land intended to remain rural and unincorporated for the next 20 years. Community Development Policy 3a provides further information on the purpose of the UGB: · Provide greater stability of future land use patterns than is currently provided by the existing “short term” Urban Service Area (USA) boundaries; · Indicate the preferred extent and direction of the City’s future urban expansion and capital improvements planning, consistent with the General Plan; · Encourage compact and concentric urban growth and development; · Promote fiscal responsibility, cost-effective service delivery and the City’s ability to plan for an adequate land supply necessary for sustainable economic growth; · Compensate for the impacts of the City’s historical patterns of urban growth; · Achieve greater compatibility of land use planning and decision-making for lands of mutual interest to the City and County; and · Provide additional certainty to rural landowners, needed for purposes of planning investments and maintaining viable agricultural operations. Community Development Action 3.4, includes the following language regarding modifications to the UGB, “The UGB should only be expanded for those general land use categories (i.e., residential, commercial, industrial) for which less than a 20-year supply remains” and, “Do not reconsider the UGB location more frequently than in conjunction with a comprehensive City General Plan Update.” The draft Morgan Hill 2035 Preferred Land Use Plan, by showing a change in land use designation of a portion of Opportunity Site 7 and all of Opportunity Site 23 to a combination of Single-family Medium and Single-family Low, already implies that those sites would be brought into the UGB. Through the comprehensive General Plan Update process there is an opportunity to consider other changes to the UGB that, over time, would help address the City’s irregular boundaries. One potential change to the UGB has been requested by a property owner for a parcel located in the northwest corner of Opportunity Site 2. Attached is a map that shows the current location of the UGB in relation to the various other City boundaries (i.e., Sphere of Influence, Urban Limit Line, and Urban Service Area) and also shows land within our current City limits (gray). Although requests for changes to the Urban Service Area (USA) would occur in conjunction with Santa Clara County LAFCO review of future proposed annexations, the General Plan Update is an opportunity for the City to consider changes to, or elimination of, the City’s Urban Limit Line (ULL). The ULL was established in 2006 and is defined in the current General Plan as, “a longerterm version of the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and is intended to reflect the City’s long term policy for growth in Morgan Hill, beyond the twenty-year timeframe of the UGB. As shown on the GPAC #17 April 23, 2015 attached boundaries map, in most instances the City’s ULL and UGB are coterminous. In the case of the area around Opportunity Site 23, the Land Use Plan would suggest moving the UGB to be in line with the ULL. The only other location where there is a substantial difference between the location of the ULL and UGB is around Opportunity Site 2. Beyond these two areas, only a few areas remain where the ULL and UGB are not aligned, which raises the question of the continued usefulness of having both a ULL and UGB. Planning Commission and City Council Recommendation On February 10, 2015 the Planning Commission recommended that the City should, in general, consider simplifying its boundaries and possibly merge the ULL and UGB. The Commission supported the expansion of the UGB to include Opportunity Site 2 up to Highway 101 and to include the area around Live Oak High School out to Hill Road. On February 18, 2015 the City Council supported the Planning Commission’s recommendation for the expansion/realignment of the UGB and indicated that the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) should consider and make detailed recommendations on other areas staff identified where the UGB and ULL do not currently align. Boundary Definitions Sphere of Influence (SOI): The possible ultimate physical boundaries, service area or area of influence of the City, as determined by LAFCo. Not all land within the SOI is intended for future urbanization. Some areas within the SOI may receive some, but not full urban services, by the City. All land within the SOI bears relation to the City’s planning activities. (Solid orange line on the attached boundaries map) Urban Limit Line (ULL): The ULL separates urban and future urban areas from rural areas. The ULL is a longer-term version of the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and is intended to reflect the City’s long term policy for growth of Morgan Hill, beyond the twenty-year timeframe of the UGB. The purpose of a ULL is to encourage more efficient growth patterns, minimize public costs, and protect environmental resources. Some, but not all, of the land outside the ULL has been identified as Greenbelt. (Dashed blue line on the attached boundaries map) Urban Growth Boundary (UGB): An officially adopted and mapped line dividing land to be developed from land to be protected for natural or rural uses, including agriculture. UGBs are regulatory tools, often designated for 20 or more years to provide greater certainty for both development and conservation goals. (Solid purple line on the attached boundaries map) Urban Service Area (USA): The area within the Urban Growth Boundary where utilities such as gas, water, sewer, and electricity, and public services such as police, fire, schools, and parks and recreation are and will be provided. (Dashed green line on the attached boundaries map) GPAC #17 April 23, 2015
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