Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement 801 North First Street, Room 400 San José, California 95110-1795
GENERAL PLAN REPORT 2003 Summer Review

Hearing Date/Agenda Number:

July 28, 2003 / Item – 3f

File Number:

GP03-T-07

Council District and SNI Area:

Citywide

Major Thoroughfares Map Number:

Citywide

Assessor's Parcel Number(s):

Citywide

Project Manager:

Richard Buikema

text reference:

Amend Chapter IV. Goals and Policies; Services and Facilities; Transportation: Transportation Policies; Aviation; add new Aviation policy #50, page 98

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Amend the San Jose 2020 General Plan text by adding a new Transportation/Aviation policy recognizing and supporting the federal government's continued operation and development of Moffett Field in a manner consistent with City and regional objectives of future civil aviation use.

Location: Citywide

Acreage: N/A

Applicant:

San Jose City Council

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW STATUS:

Reuse of the San Jose 2020 General Plan Final Environmental Impact Report, certified by the City Council on August 16, 1994, Resolution # 65459.

PLANNING STAFF RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt the proposed text amendment to add a new aviation policy.

Approved by:

Date:

PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:

CITY COUNCIL ACTION:

CITY DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC AGENCY COMMENTS RECEIVED:

None received.

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE:

None received.

ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This is City Council-initiated text amendment to the San Jose 2020 General Plan to add a new Transportation/Aviation policy recognizing and supporting the federal government's continued operation and development of Moffett Field in a manner consistent with City and regional objectives of future civil aviation use.

At the time the City Council adopted a resolution regarding Moffett Field on September 24, 2002, the City Council initiated a text amendment to the San Jose 2020 General Plan to incorporate the City’s policy position contained in the resolution.

BACKGROUND

Moffett Field is a former Naval Air Station (NAS Moffett Field) that opened in 1933 and is located approximately 7 miles north of San Jose on Highway 101 in an unincorporated portion of Santa Clara County. The site is directly adjacent to the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View.

The Navy’s use of the facility ended in 1994 and the facility was renamed Moffett Federal Airfield and turned over to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) which operates the adjacent NASA Ames Research Center. The total acreage of both the Ames Research Campus and the airfield is approximately 2,000 acres.

On September 24, 2002 the City Council adopted a resolution amending and restating the City’s policy position on Moffett Field originally adopted in 1995. The original policy emphasized the importance of preserving the NASA Ames Research Center and Moffett Field because of their importance to the economic well being of the region, including San Jose. The policy also indicated that it was the City’s position that in the event the current operation of Moffett Field is discontinued that the site should be retained as a civil airfield in order to meet the long-term aviation needs of the region. The site with its two long runways is particularly well suited for aviation use.

The 2002 resolution (attachment 1) was deemed necessary in response to a recently prepared “NASA Ames Development Plan”. The Plan “details the transformation of the original 200-hectare (500-acre) campus of NASA Ames Research Center and the 600 hectares (1,500 acres) of the former Naval Air Station Moffett Field into an integrated, dynamic research and education community in the heart of Silicon Valley. This transformation will be led by the establishment of the NASA Research Park, a 86-hectare (213-acre) research and development campus for partners from academia, industry and non-profit corporations with shared goals in support of NASA's mission.” Full implementation of the development plan would permit the addition of approximately 8.4 million square feet of new educational, office, research and development, museum, conference center, housing and retail space. A new control tower is also proposed.

The 2002 resolution and proposed General Plan text amendment communicate the City’s concern that the introduction of new land uses and activities should not conflict with the longstanding City and regional objectives of eventual civil aviation use of Moffett Field as well as its continued availability for emergency disaster relief purposes. The 2002 resolution also emphasizes the importance of NASA continuing to work with all the cities in the region to address their economic development and regional needs for civil aviation.

ANALYSIS

The inclusion of this new policy into the General Plan would further emphasize the City of San Jose’s position that new development at Moffett Field should not preclude its potential future use for civil aviation purposes. In addition, it will emphasize the regional importance of the facility and the need to work closely with affected communities in the process of developing plans for its eventual redevelopment.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Regional Airport System Plan identifies the regional interest that exists for the eventual civil aviation use of Moffett Field. The latest draft update to the MTC plan specifically calls for MTC to conduct a study within the next 5 years on potential aviation uses of Moffett Field. It also directs the Santa Clara County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) to add Moffett Field to its Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. The proposed General Plan amendment is consistent with this regional policy and helps to clarify the City of San Jose’s position when the feasibility of civil aviation at Moffett Field is further analyzed.

Although Moffett Field is not located in San Jose, it is important that the General Plan address issues of regional as well as local importance. The use of Moffett Field for civil aviation would directly benefit aviation facilities in San Jose by helping to share the burden of ever-increasing demand for aviation service.

The inclusion of this policy in the General Plan is an example of the importance of the General Plan to all of the Citywide Service Areas (CSA) and, in this case, to the Aviation CSA. In many ways, the General Plan plays a role similar to a strategic plan for the entire City organization by expressing citywide policy not only in terms of land use but also transportation, aviation, community and neighborhood services, etc.

COORDINATION

The proposed text amendment and this staff report were prepared in close coordination with the City of San Jose Airport Department.

Public Outreach

A public hearing notice was published in the San Jose Mercury News identifying the public hearings for the 2003 Summer General Plan amendments. The proposed text amendment was referred to the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View for their review. No responses have been received, to date. In addition, the Department's web-site contains information regarding the General Plan process, amendments, staff reports, and hearing schedule. This site is used by the community to keep informed of the status of the amendments.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends adoption of the proposed text amendment.

PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT

Amend the San Jose 2020 General Plan Text; Chapter IV. Goals and Policies; Services and Facilities; Transportation; Transportation Policies; Aviation; add a new Aviation policy #50, page 98 as follows:

Aviation

50. The City has had a longstanding interest in the future of Moffett Field due to its potential to serve a significant role in the Bay Area's regional aviation system. The City recognizes and supports the federal government's continued operation and development of Moffett Field. Such operation and development should be planned in a manner consistent with City and regional objectives of future civil aviation use of Moffett Field. The City is committed to working with NASA and other local and regional government agencies to preserve opportunities for future aviation-related uses and facilities at Moffett Field, including its continued availability to the region for emergency disaster relief purposes.