For City Council Meeting March 12, 2024
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: David N. Carmany, City Manager
AUTHOR: Colby Cataldi, Community Development Director
Title
Consider coordination with the County of San Bernardino to ensure that the City of Rialto’s development standards are incorporated into County’s upcoming Comprehensive Development Code Update.
RECOMMENDATION:
Direct the City Manager to formally request the adoption of the City of Rialto's development standards by San Bernardino County in its upcoming Comprehensive Development Code Update.
Body
BACKGROUND
During the City Council Meeting on February 27, 2024, the City Council sought an update on the coordination efforts between the City of Rialto and San Bernardino County regarding the revision of development guidelines within the County's sphere of influence. This report aims to furnish the Council with the latest developments in this collaborative endeavor.
Pursuant to Government Code Section 546425, the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) for San Bernardino County is charged with the planning function for governing the “sphere of influence” program. A sphere of influence is defined as the probably future service boundary of a city and it represents the area within which the city is expected to grow.
San Bernardino County works within these designated areas to ensure that there is coordination and integration of development and design standards to align with future anticipated service areas.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
San Bernardino County is initiating a Comprehensive Development Code Update in 2024. In this endeavor, the County has solicited input from local jurisdictions to incorporate their development standards into the updated code, particularly for areas falling within each jurisdiction's Sphere of Influence.
The City of Rialto's Planning Division has engaged with Aron Liang, Planning Manager at the County of San Bernardino, providing Chapter 18.61 (Design Guidelines) of the Rialto Municipal Code for incorporation into the County’s Comprehensive Development Code Update. The City’s guidelines encompass a comprehensive set of standards for residential, commercial, and industrial developments within the city. Their integration into the County's development code will ensure consistency in future developments within Rialto's Sphere of Influence.
Although the Comprehensive Development Code Update is in its nascent stages and slated for completion in 2025, Rialto will maintain coordination with County Planning to ensure the adoption of its development standards. Meanwhile, the City's Planning Division will evaluate new projects within its Sphere of Influence, offering project-specific feedback to County Planning staff as needed.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The request does not constitute a project as defined by Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
This action aligns with Guiding Principle 3A in the General Plan:
Our City government will lead by example, and will operate in an open, transparent, and
responsible manner that meets the needs of the citizens and is a good place to do business.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney has reviewed this staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Operating Budget Impact
There is no impact on the budget with this receive and file.
Capital Improvement Budget Impact
There is no impact on the budget with this receive and file.