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FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 7 Chapter 2: Fairview Village This section describes the physical characteristics of Fairview Village and is organized to address the following elements, as required by Specific Plan legislation and, the considerations of the Plan Area: • Guiding Principles • Land Use • Infrastructure 2.1 Guiding Principles The Fairview Village Specific Plan based upon a set of guiding principles that are intended to balance requirements for automobile access with those for pedestrian and other modes of access from all points to major community facilities such as schools, parks and neighbor shopping. These principles are: • The Specific Plan focuses upon a central neighborhood park and elementary school, easily accessible to each residential area • The open space, including parks, retention basins, school yards and street landscaping, is purposely designed in conjunction with the circulation network to make public green space a significant experience • Residential densities are kept as high as feasible within the limits of a changing market The principles guiding the Fairview Village Specific Plan are consistent with City of Modesto General Plan policies for new neighborhoods: 1. Communities or neighborhoods should be designed so that housing, jobs, daily needs and other activities are within easy walking distance of each other; 2. As many activities as possible should be located within easy walking distance of transit stops; 3. Communities or neighborhoods should contain a diversity of housing types to enable citizens from a wide range of economic levels and age groups to live within its boundaries; 4. Business within a community or neighborhood should provide a range of job types for the communities or neighborhood residents; 5. The location and character of the community or neighborhood should be consistent with a larger transit network; 6. Each community or neighborhood should have a center focus that combines commercial, civic, cultural and recreational uses; 7. Each community or neighborhood should contain an ample supply of specialized open space in the form of squares, greens and parks whose frequent use is encouraged through placement and design; and 8. Streets, pedestrian paths and bike paths should contribute to a system of fully connected and interesting routes to all destinations; their design should encourage pedestrian and bicycle us by being small and spatially defined by buildings, trees and lighting by the discouraging high speed traffic; wherever possible, natural terrain, drainage and vegetation should be preserved with superior examples contained within parks or greenbelts. ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 8 2.2 Land Use This section of the Specific Plan established the general distribution and extent of land uses, including open space, within the Plan Area. It contains the Land Use Diagram and Land Use Designations and confirms to Section 65451 of the California Government Code. 2.2.1 The Village Concept The ¾ mile square Plan Area allows residential development to be located within an approximately ¼ mile walking distance from a central school and neighborhood park site. A neighborhood serving commercial center, which may include residential development, is located in one of the neighborhoods where it will have visibility from the higher volume roads along the edge of the planning area and also be internally accessible to each of the neighborhoods and to the central park and school. 2.2.2 Residential Neighborhoods The residential areas surrounding the central neighborhood school and park site are visually identifiable as separate, distinctive neighborhoods. The physical identity of neighborhoods as being places where there is opportunity for shared space and social interaction usually is the result of certain predominant characteristics that include topography, street layout and landscaping, lot size and geometry, the depth and landscape character of front yard setbacks, and often to a much lesser extent, architecture. Approximately 1075 to 2150 single family units and 220 to 440 multi-family units are proposed for Fairview Village neighborhoods, for a total of between 1097 and 2590 residential units. A variety of housing types, design styles and lot sizes for single family units is anticipated as the result of zoning standards that allow higher densities and smaller lot sizes in appropriate locations as well as from phasing that accommodates many different builders over many years. Multi-family housing is to be located in and near the village commercial center. The Fairview Village Specific Plan does not attempt to establish any design guidelines for residential or commercial development beyond that described by zoning and by the standard described in the Land Use Element. Design standards for Fairview Village are concerned primarily with neighborhood form as determined by public infrastructure, including streets and street landscape and by land use and development intensity. Development increments of 70 to 200 lots are anticipated. Project design will determine neighborhood character along the local residential streets. The overall goal of the Fairview Village Specific Plan, with respect to affordable housing, is to provide housing opportunities within the Village for people with diverse income levels, as is compatible with the range of market rate housing that is planned. 2.2.3 Commercial Center Neighborhood serving commercial development is located in the northwest quadrant of the Plan Area where it has high visibility from both Carpenter and Hatch Roads, each of which are Minor Arterials. The Fairview Village Commercial center is conceived as a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood district. Community facilities such as churches, child care centers and health clubs also are encouraged in the Village commercial center. More intensive forms of residential development are located adjacent to and, where possible, are integrated into the commercial center. The maximum development program for the commercial center is identified as being 122,000 gross square feet of retail space. ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 9 2.2.4 Schools A new elementary school is located at the center of the Fairview Village Plan Area, which allows it to be equally accessible to each of the residential neighborhoods. The school has a civic function in the community, in addition to its role as a place of education, because it will be used occasionally for public meeting and because many of the parents of the community will be involved in school activities with their children. The new school site also is adjacent to the neighborhood park to increase the sense of open space for both school and park uses. The new elementary school will be a full-serviced facility, to be constructed, as required, to serve an identified level of new residential development in the Pan Area and in conformance with the criteria and standards for the Modesto city School District. The existing Fairview Elementary School will serve Fairview Village residents in the early phases of development. It will also continue to be and important part of the community dynamic after construction of the new, more centrally located elementary school. 2.2.5 Open Space 1. Neighborhood Parks A minimum of 7 acres of parkland is required in Fairview Village. There are a number of ways to achieve this requirement. The Fairview neighborhood park shall be adjacent to the new centrally located elementary school. Park improvements may include both active use playfields and passive recreational use areas such as open expanses of lawn. The final design of the central neighborhood park will be developed as determined by the City’s Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods Department. 2. Street and Drainage Basin Landscape The connector streets are another important part of the Plan Area landscaping. As stated above, the overall visual character of the Fairview Village neighborhood is defined largely by the alignment and landscape character of the entry street and street adjacent landscape areas. The landscaping along the connector streets will be a major aesthetic feature of Fairview Village and will be primary concern during the final planning and design of each increment of build out. The street landscape becomes a network of green space that provides a high-quality environment for pedestrians, bicyclist and all others who move about though the Village, including motorists. Landscaping, including planting, will be allowed in the drainage basin only if appropriate to the technical operating characteristics of the drainage basins. Landscape improvement and maintenance costs will be funded through a Mello- Roos Community Facilities District. The Fairview Village property frontage along Hatch and Carpenter Road and along Whitmore Avenue will be improved, as development occurs, to include a landscaped setback. Along Hatch and Carpenter Roads, well designed sound walls will be provided to mitigate noise levels, as identified in the General Plan. Landscaping shall be designed for the setback area to create a unified edge along these roadways and to complement and break down the sale of what otherwise could be the dominant linear character of the sound walls. Along Whitmore Avenue, which is a Minor arterial, the landscape setback also shall be designed to accommodate the 40-foot sewer easement that is described in detail in the infrastructure section of the Plan Area. A consistently designed masonry wall will be used to prevent unwanted access into development parcels along Whitmore Avenue. Maintenance of all the landscape setback areas along the ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 10 Fairview Village side of the three edge roadways will be maintained through a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District. 3. Utility Easement Complementary to the landscaped circulation and landscaped drainage basins network is a diagonal, 40- foot sewer easement that is described in detail in the infrastructure section of the Plan. This easement crosses several of the connectors and is an opportunity for an off-street linear trail and bicycle route. A basis level of landscape improvements will be provided for the sewer easement that makes it an amenity. Subject to tentative map design, all landscape improvement for secondary, recreational uses shall be compatible with the primary function of the easement as the location for the underground sewer line. Basic maintenance would be provided by a Mello-Roos community Facilities District. 2.2.6 Land Use Map, Zoning Designations and Area Summary Table This section of the Specific Plan provides a policy to protect nearby City infrastructure from a potential land use conflict, and the standards and criteria by which development will proceed in compliance with Section 65451 of the Government Code. The word diagram is distinguished from a map in the context of a California Attorney General Opinion (67OPS.CAL.ATTY.GEN.75(3/7/84), To provide a certain limited degree of flexibility in applying the land use designations to specific parcels. 1. Policy: Residential Land Uses Near the City Wastewater Treatment Plant The Land Use Plan shall ensure that new residential development in areas that may be subject to potential odors from the nearby City Wastewater Treatment Plant, located northeast of the Plan Area, does not adversely restrict future operations and the continuance of present operations at this critical treatment facility. (See Implementation Element 3.2.4) 2. Land Use Plan Diagram The following diagram is a graphic illustration of the designated land uses for the Fairview Village Specific Plan Area: ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 11 Figure 2: Land Use Diagram 3. Description of Fairview Village Land Use Designations Single-family homes (SF) The majority of the homes in Fairview Village will be single-family, generally conforming to the standards set forth in the Modesto Zoning Code under the R-1 designation, with the following exceptions: For lots that meet or exceed the minimum lot size in the R-1 zone: Front setback: 12 feet to the house or front porch and side entry garage ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 12 For lots that are smaller than the minimum lot size in the R-1 zone, the following setbacks from property lines will apply: Front setback: 10 feet to the house or front porch Interior side setback: 4 feet Garage face setback: 18 feet Multi-Family Homes (MF) Areas for multi-family homes, including townhouses and apartment units, are designated where there is convenient access to major bus routes and expressways and near the Commercial Center to promote more diverse types of commercial activity over a longer portion of the day. These areas are identified on the Land Use Diagram by the letters “MF.” Development in the multi-family area shall conform to the uses and standards of the City’s R-3 zone. ● Development Plan Review by staff shall be required prior to approval of any multi-family development to ensure compliance with City standards prior to building permit submittal. Commercial In general, the Commercial Center shall conform to the uses and standards allowed for C-1, Neighborhood Commercial Zone, with the following modifications: • Additional permitted uses in the Commercial Area include R-3 residential apartments as a secondary, mixed use; • Storefronts should have clear glass display windows; • Larger surface parking areas are to have convenient, evenly spaced pedestrian walkways that provide access to the main shopping street and public square; Surface parking areas are to be well lit; • Provisions should be made in the commercial center for places where people can sit outdoors; and • Development Plan Review (of the Zoning Code) by staff shall be required prior to any development in the Commercial Area to ensure compliance with City Standards prior to building permit submittal Parks and Storm Drainage All new parkland shall be designed to City standards. Storm Drainage The drainage basins and the 40-foot underground sewer easement also discussed in both the Open Space section above and the Infrastructure section below, may be accessible for public use subject to approval by the City. ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 13 Elementary Schools Two areas are designed as school sites and are identified on the Land Use Diagram by the Letters, “ES”. Both are for elementary schools, as discussed previously in the section on Schools. • The Fairview Elementary School site is 9.63 net acres and, as an existing facility, is considered to meet current standards for site area; • The new Fairview Village elementary school site is 12 acres and is a community facility located adjacent to the central neighborhood park. Table 1: Land Use Summary (excluding Galas area and Fairview School) Use Gross Acreage Net Acreage Yield Stormwater Basin 8.5 8.5 n/a Elementary School 12 11.7 n/a Park 7.0 6.4 n/a Commercial 8.0 8.0 122,000 Multi-Family 15.2 15.2 220 – 440 Single Family 223.8 215.3 1,075 – 2,150 TOTAL 284.1 265.1 2.3 Infrastructure This section of the Specific Plan describes public facilities, including community services and infrastructure, needed to support the physical development described in the Land Use Section. Descriptions and proposed improvements conform to the requirements of Section 65451(a) of the Government Code for transportation, circulation and access, sewage, water, drainage, solid waste disposal, and energy. Following are the agencies and organizations which were providing services to the project area at the time the Specific Plan was originally adopted. Subsequent changes in service responsibilities may occur without affecting the validity of the Specific Plan. The City intends that adequate service will be provided to the project area, irrespective of the organization providing that service. 2.3.1 Circulation and Access The street layout for Fairview Village is a modified north-south/east-west grid, that connects with a circular, central connector roadway defining a large site for the Village elementary school and neighborhood park. (Six connector streets, which in turn are served by local streets, provide access to the edge arterials for the neighborhoods and commercial center). The residential street alignments are identified in the Specific Plan at a conceptual level actual alignment will be determined at the subdivision level. The connector intersection with Hatch and Carpenter Roads and Whitmore Avenue, at a distance of ¼ mile or greater in accordance with City Standards. Hatch and Carpenter Roads and Whitmore Avenue will be widened to meet planned future width lines in conjunction with tentative subdivision map approvals as required by the City. Connector street intersection with the circular, central connector around the neighborhood and park site are to be located at reasonable intervals that equally distribute access to the community facilities and at ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 14 points on the curve that do not result in unacceptable intersection geometry. Local residential street intersections with collectors are to be sufficiently well located to allow relatively direct pedestrian routed between neighborhood and community facilities including Fairview central neighborhood park and school and the commercial center. In concept, street widths and alignment for neighborhood tentative maps, as wells as for connector streets, are designed to encourage low speed traffic and to be friendly places for people as well as for cars. All streets in Fairview Village are amenable for multiple uses, including pedestrian bicycle and automobile traffic with the result that they become shared public space connecting individual residences and neighborhoods with the schools, shopping and parks within the overall area of Fairview Village. 1. Right of Way and Design of Local Streets Local streets shall be designed in accordance with Modesto’s Standard Specifications Manual. 2. Right-of-Way for Connector Street Connector streets should be designed using the following right of way standards: a) For circular “loop” street around the central park/open space: 70’ROW (includes parking and bicycle lanes) b) For connector streets indicated on as requiring a bicycle lane, but not having parking: 56’ ROW (where residential access is restricted, parking would not be provided) c) All other connector street: 60’ ROW (where residential access is allowed, parking would be allowed and bike lanes would not be required) Typical Section, 56-Foot Right of Way with Bike Lanes ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 15 Typical Section, 60 Foot ROW Secondary Connector Typical Section, 70 Foot ROW Central Park, School Oval Residential Access to Connector Streets With regard to Residential Access to Connector Streets (i.e. driveway from single family houses taking direct access to Connectors), the following three polices have been adopted in the Specific Plan: a) General Policy on Access to Connectors Connectors streets, which provide significant access from the interior of the project to the arterial street to the periphery of Fairview Village, should be designed such that vehicular access, at safe speeds, is not unduly impeded. In general, those most significant Connectors Streets, as determined by the City, should be located and designed in such a way that residential lots direct driveway access onto those connectors is minimized. b) Policy on Access to Connector Streets Connector Streets may be allowed residential driveway access on a case by case basis. The City may allow residential driveway access to connectors unless said access presents unique safety or congestions problems. ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 16 3. Right of Way and Design of Minor Arterials Three minor arterials border the Fairview Village Specific Plan: Hatch Road on the north, Carpenter Road on the west, and Whitmore Avenue on the south. The cross section of these facilities is shown below. Typical Section, Minor Arterial 2.3.2 Sanitary Sewer Sanitary sewer service to Fairview Village will be provided by the existing City of Modesto 33-inch diameter South Trunk, located in Ustick Avenue, which runs north under the Tuolumne River to the City of Modesto Waste Water Treatment Plant, located immediately northeast of the Plan Area. The City General Plan establishes goal to provide for future operations and the continuance of present operations of this facility and the Specific Plan for Fairview Village provides measures to insure implementation of these goals both in the Land Use and Implementation sections. Three lines have been extended from the South Trunk line the easterly boundary of the Plan Area. These lines are described as: a 15-inch diameter sub-trunk on Ironside Drive, at flowline elevation 74.45 feet, which will serve most of the Plan Area, a 10-inch diameter sub-trunk on Hatch Road at flow line elevation 72.02 feet, which will serve as part of the Plan Area along the Hatch Road frontage, if needed, and a 6-inch diameter lateral on Dezzani Lane elevation 77.74 feet. Finally, a City of Modesto 60- inch diameter sanitary sewer force main traverse the Plan Area over northwesterly corner from northeast to southeast. This force main runs from the Modesto Waste Water Treatment Plan to remote treatment ponds near the San Joaquin River. It should be noted that the City intents to install a second 60-inch diameter pressure pipeline east of the existing 60-inch diameter force main. The existing pipeline is not available to serve Fairview Village. The 15-inch diameter sanitary sewer on Ironside Drive will be extended west to serve new development in Fairview Village. A sanitary sewer lift station will be required to discharge into the existing line. From the lift station, a 15-inch diameter line will be extended west to the street that fronts the proposed central park and elementary school. At this point, the line will split into two 10-inch diameter lines. The northerly 10-inch line will extend 1250 feet to serve the westerly portion of the Galas property and the northwest portion of the Bava property. From the 10-inch lines at the intersection of the north/south connector and the connector that fronts the park and school, 8-inch lines will be extended north and south. Six-inch laterals are permitted only in cul-de-sacs. ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 17 Figure 3: Backbone Sewer Service 2.3.3 Stormwater Drainage Disposal of stormwater runoff will be via the 30-inch diameter Scenic Drive Strom Drain outfall line. This line runs from Ustick Road, east along Hatch Road, then north along Seine. It discharges into the Tuolumne River. An 18-inch diameter storm drain line has been extended from Ustick Road along Hatch Road to within 340 feet of the northeast corner of the Plan Area at a flow line elevation of 72.45 feet. This line does not have capacity for gravity flow, but can take a metered overflow from the planned drainage basins following a storm. ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 18 As previously discussed in the Open Space section above the landscaping for the drainage basin will be designed so that it does not interfere with technical operating requirements. The drainage basin will not be located over the sewer easement. After 24 hours, storm water can be discharged from the drainage basins into the City of Modesto’s existing 18-inch storm drain on Hatch Road via a lift station. Following a 10-year storm, the system is designed to empty all drainage basis within approximately three days. The TID Lateral No. 1 traverses the Plan Area over the southerly one third portion from northeast to southeast and west. It is concrete lined canal carrying over 60 to 70 cubic feet per second (cfs) during the irrigation season, from March to October. The TID is generally at elevation 86.0 feet and must remain in use to serve agriculture used I the Plan Area prior to development and to serve other properties to the west of the Plan Area. Figure 4: Stormwater Drainage System ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 19 2.3.4 Water The City of Modesto will serve Fairview Village with water following annexation to the City of Modesto. At present, there are 16-inch diameter water mains on Carpenter Road, Whitmore Avenue and Tucson Avenue. There is a 12-inch diameter water main on Hatch Road. In addition, there are 8-inch diameter water lines stubbed out to the edge of the Plan Area on Ironside Drive and Dezzani Lane from City’s residential development to the east. The City anticipates the need to locate a well site near Whitmore Avenue and Carpenter Road. Water lines to serve Fairview Village will be installed as development occurs. On the nominal half mile, 12-inch diameter lines will be installed north/south and east/west, beginning and terminating at the existing lines on the boundary streets. On the nominal quarter mile, 8-inch diameter lines will be installed, beginning and terminating at 12-inch and/or 16-inch diameter lines. Finally, 6-inch diameter lines will be installed on all other streets, beginning and terminating at the 8-inch diameter lines. As standard practice, “looping” of water lines shall be designed to avoid any “dead end” lines. One offsite, 8-inch diameter line will be installed along the extension of Lassen Avenue from Tucson Avenue, to the east edge of the Plan Area. In accordance with City policy, all lines larger than 10 inches in diameter will be funded by the City. All lines smaller than 10 inches in diameter will be funded by the developer. ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 20 Figure 5: Backbone Water Service 2.3.5 Energy The California Environmental Quality Act identifies energy conservation as a goal in community development. The City of Modesto General Plan establishes policies to mitigate the use of “fuel, water or energy in a wasteful manner.” The Specific Plan conforms to General Plan policies to mitigate adverse impacts to energy conservation by requiring the use of large-scale shade trees where feasible and appropriate in landscape plans for all new development proposals, encouraging Turlock Irrigation District to establish and promote a program to provide incentives for increasing the number of shade trees, and coordinating with energy conservation plans provided by the Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts (for electricity) and by Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E, for natural gas) on all new, large-scale development proposals in the Plan Area. Finally, the pedestrian oriented design character of ---PAGE BREAK--- FAIRVIEW VILLAGE SPECIFIC PLAN 21 the Fairview Plan Area provides residents the energy conserving option of reduced automobile dependency. 2.3.6 Other Utility Services The Turlock Irrigation District will provide electric services to the Plan Area. Natural gas is provided by PG&E. 2.3.7 Schools The Plan Area is within the Modesto City School District. The middle school is Hanshaw, and the high school attendance area is Downey. There are two elementary schools with Fairview Village, the existing Fairview Elementary School and a proposed new elementary school located in the Fairview Central Park. The new elementary school will be a full-service facility to be constructed as required by new residential development in the Plan Area and in conformance to a separate agreement with the School District. 2.3.8 Fire, Police and Other Services Fire and police services will be provided by the City of Modesto, as will service and maintenance for parks and water, sewer, streets, roads, street lighting, storm drainage, public area, landscaping and general city government services, except as otherwise noted in the Implementation Element of the Plan. Trash disposal is provided by the current franchise holder. 2.4 Agricultural Preservation Policy The Stanislaus Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) has adopted a policy for the preservation of agricultural land. Every agency in Stanislaus County may choose to adopt its own agricultural preservation policy or to comply with LAFCO’s adopted policy. The City of Modesto has chosen to use a portion of LAFCo’s policy, as amended, which is summarized below in its current form. In essence, LAFCO’s policy requires the preservation of farmland, either indirectly or directly. The City of Modesto will require the payment of in-lieu fees at a 1:1 ratio of land proposed for annexation and development to land preserved for agriculture through conservation easements or other similar restrictions. Agricultural land preserved must be of an equivalent type to the land proposed for annexation and development, so for example, prime farmland to be developed will result in the preservation of prime farmland.