CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY-FIRST COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-14-46 ENACTMENT NO. ________________________
SPONSORED BY: Trudy E. Jones and Isaac Benton
RESOLUTION
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Evaluating And Updating The Comprehensive Plan Vision For Growth And Development In The City Of Albuquerque; Revising Land Use, Transportation, And Development Regulations To Implement The Comprehensive Plan Vision (Jones, Benton)
body
EVALUATING AND UPDATING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN VISION FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE; REVISING LAND USE, TRANSPORTATION, AND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN VISION.
WHEREAS, the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan (hereafter, "the Comprehensive Plan") has not been significantly updated since its original adoption in 1989 and its subsequent amendment in 2001 to create "Centers and Corridors" to focus development in appropriate areas connected by multi-modal transportation corridors; and
WHEREAS, an increased range of housing options are needed closer to employment centers, and employment centers are needed closer to existing housing west of the river; and
WHEREAS, preserving agricultural lands is increasingly important in order to protect rural character and cultural traditions, provide for regional food demands locally, and improve stormwater retention and groundwater infiltration; and
WHEREAS, the largest segments of the population - Millennials, and Baby Boomers - are increasingly seeking urban lifestyles in mixed-use areas that provide for entertainment and services without requiring driving or automobile ownership; and
WHEREAS, the demand for these types of developments are not sufficiently met in Albuquerque, where existing land-use regulations strongly encourage suburban single-family detached development over compact mixed-use; and
WHEREAS, in the last decade, local and regional transit agencies have introduced a new generation of public transportation systems, such as enhanced bus service and commuter rail; and
WHEREAS, these new transit services have created new opportunities for dense, mixed-use development along transit corridors, which cannot be fully realized under adopted planning policies; and
WHEREAS, increased traffic congestion, despite better transit options, warrant new analysis and coordination among city departments; and
WHEREAS, West Side growth and infrastructure improvements warrant additional planning and coordination with regional transportation and land-use development; and
WHEREAS, the unpredictable nature of federal government funding emphasizes the need to diversify the economy to increase private sector employment; and
WHEREAS, updating the Comprehensive Plan provides an opportunity to identify how to best leverage public sector investment as well as cultural and natural assets to improve economic development that benefits the region, local businesses, and residents; and
WHEREAS, a healthy economy can improve the quality of life for all residents by providing more resources for parks and open space; services for residents; schools; and infrastructure for placemaking -- raising property values and wages, and improving health and happiness; and
WHEREAS, there is growing interest and need for sustainability in road and utility systems, including reduced energy and water consumption; and
WHEREAS, significant planning will be needed to adjust water and land consumption patterns to support the additional 305,000 residents forecasted to locate in Bernalillo County by 2040; and
WHEREAS, the City's Capital Implementation Program is required by Section 2-12-1 ROA 1994 to implement the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan and lower-ranking adopted plans and policies; and
WHEREAS, many Rank 2 and Rank 3 plans are out of date and may no longer be useful in effectively identifying and prioritizing projects for the Capital Improvement Program; and
WHEREAS, an update of the Comprehensive Plan would be an opportunity to employ contemporary best practices for land use, transportation, and preservation planning techniques and strategies for regional, interagency transportation and land-use planning activities; and
WHEREAS, the existing hierarchy of overlapping Rank II and Rank III Plans, Zoning Code, Subdivision Ordinance, Planning Ordinance, and Development Process Manual (DPM) are intended to implement the growth and development vision set out in the Rank I Comprehensive Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Rank I, Rank II, and Rank III Plans, Zoning Code, Subdivision Ordinance, Planning Ordinance, and DPM were all created at various points in time and contain overlapping and sometimes conflicting policies and regulations that have not been evaluated in a comprehensive manner; and
WHEREAS, these uncoordinated policies and regulations often present unnecessary and counter-productive obstacles to both the development process and enforcement efforts; and
WHEREAS, these lower-ranking plans and existing regulations need to be analyzed and revised to ensure that they implement an updated Rank I Comprehensive Plan and provide a simpler, clearer, and more effective means of implementing the growth and development vision; and
WHEREAS, the City's development review process should be optimized to ensure that appropriate analysis and approval procedures for developments that implement the City's vision are provided in a timely and effective manner; and
WHEREAS, compiling all land use, transportation and development regulations into one Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) may simplify the regulatory framework and make it more effective, enforceable and easier to understand; and
WHEREAS, revised land use and development regulations need to balance the need for both predictability and flexibility; and
WHEREAS, an update to the Comprehensive Plan and the regulatory framework and processes that implement it, provides an opportunity to foster increased collaboration and coordination between the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County by serving as a regional plan for healthy growth, efficient transportation, infrastructure needs, and land use policies and regulations to better reflect new market demands, diversify and bolster the economy, better serve key demographics, support alternatives to the automobile, and improve efforts to grow in ways that are sustainable, respect and preserve natural and cultural resources, and improve the quality of life for all citizens.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
Section 1. The City, in coordination with Bernalillo County, the Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG), and all relevant City and County Departments shall review and, where necessary, update the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Comprehensive Plan to ensure it accurately reflects a community vision for long-term growth and development that emphasizes a healthy economy, strengthens and incentivizes placemaking, and protects and enhances the region's cultural and natural assets. Goals and policies shall be revised where applicable to reflect current development conditions, market trends, and best practices.
Section 2. During and following this update to the Comprehensive Plan, the City shall evaluate how effectively its master plan is implemented by the current Zoning Code, Development Process Manual, Planning and Subdivision Ordinances, and other adopted land use and transportation plans and regulations. The City shall update and integrate these regulations into a new Unified Development Ordinance that implements City and regional growth policies as reflected in the Comprehensive Plan while consolidating and simplifying regulations for use by staff, land owners, residents, developers and the general public.
Section 3. The following considerations shall guide the process to update the Comprehensive Plan and subsequent efforts to revise the land use, transportation and development regulations that implement it.
A. The planning effort shall include a rigorous public participation process to ensure meaningful input and maximize citizen and stakeholder engagement. This public participation process is intended to engender a consensus vision for the region's growth and development and attendant policies, which will be implemented in the City via revised zoning and design standards and long-range facility plans.
B. The City shall revise its land use and transportation policies and regulations to support and encourage increased densities and mixed uses in the City's Centers and Corridors and place-based development throughout the Plan area with easy access to the full component of services and amenities to meet the daily needs of residents closer to their homes or employment.
C. The City shall plan for the long-term development of high-capacity, multimodal corridors through a process involving the affected communities, property owners, and neighborhoods, including increasing the connectivity of outlying areas to the existing network of high-capacity corridors.
D. The City shall enhance the usability of all street corridors for all types of travel, with special attention to facilities and amenities for public transit users, bicyclists, pedestrians and the mobility-impaired.
E. The City shall work cooperatively with Bernalillo County and MRCOG in planning the timing of public transit, road and utility construction to ensure orderly growth, maximize return on investment, and coordinate capacity increases and street extensions to areas of planned growth in the Comprehensive Plan.
F. The Comprehensive Plan shall incorporate city-wide, county-wide and regional planning for facility systems and long-range capital improvements programming. Policies and goals from Rank II Area Plans, Rank III Sector Development Plans and related initiatives, shall be revised, compiled, and/or amended to be consistent with an updated Comprehensive Plan.
G. The Comprehensive Plan update shall include recommendations to improve the Capital Implementation Program process to ensure that projects are coordinated across City departments and prioritized based on the extent to which they implement and realize the City's vision for growth and development.
Section 4. The City Council directs the City of Albuquerque Planning Department to work with all relevant City departments to update and revise, compile, and/or otherwise amend other land use, development, housing, and transportation plans, as well as existing regulations and ordinances -- including but not limited to the Zoning Code, Planning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, and Development Process Manual -- as necessary to be consistent with an updated Comprehensive Plan, ensure its implementation, strengthen enforcement efforts, and incorporate best practices.
Section 5. The City shall engage consultants as necessary to complete this project.
Section 6. The City Council directs all relevant City departments to work with the City of Albuquerque Planning Department in conjunction with Bernalillo County and City Council Services to revise and update the Comprehensive Plan goals, objectives, and policies as necessary to better implement the City's and County's updated vision for growth and development, and to subsequently revise other City land use, transportation, and development regulations and ordinances.
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