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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIVd_Upcoming Workshops MemoAttachment No. 3 Upcoming Workshops Community Development Department CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 100 Civic Center Drive Newport Beach, California 92660 949 644-3200 newportbeachca.gov/communitydevelopment Memorandum To: Co-Chairs Evans and Greer, and GPAC Members From: Benjamin M. Zdeba, AICP, Planning Manager Date: October 31, 2024 Re: GPAC Agenda Item IV(d) for November 6 – Upcoming Workshops ________________________________________________________________ As shared at previous meetings of the GPAC Subcommittees, GPAC, and GPUSC, the Phase Two Outreach and Engagement Plan is highlighted by a series of four community workshops. Each workshop will cover language in the draft vision statement, guiding values, and two General Plan topics and is purposed with getting additional input from the community relative to draft goals. The draft goals have been reviewed and refined by the responsible GPAC Subcommittee and are intended to reflect the input received from the GPAC, GPUSC, and community during Phase One. The workshop structure was also presented to the GPAC Subcommittees to help reframe the content through the lens of the workshops. Ultimately, the community’s input from the workshops will lead to revisiting and refreshing the draft goals while helping to inform potential policy actions to achieve the goals. After the workshops conclude, City staff will work with Dudek and Kearns & West to create draft General Plan Update language for the GPAC Subcommittees to review and consider supporting for the full GPAC and GPUSC to review in the first quarter of 2025. On that note, with the GPAC meeting being held November 6 and our first workshop on November 14, it is crucial that City staff and the consultant team can move forward with producing activity materials based on the workshop documents attached to this memo. Enclosures: Workshop Content for Recreation and Natural Resources Workshop Content for Coastal Resilience and Safety Workshop 1: Natural Resources and Recreation WORKSHOP STRUCTURE Activity 1: Registration and Vision Overview: During registration, participants will be provided with a section of the Vision Statement. While they enter the room, they will join their section of the Vision Statement with other participants to create the whole statement. Participants will be asked to place stickers next to the pieces of the Vision Statement that most resonates with their values. Objective: To familiarize participants with the Vision Statement and see how it fits in with the whole. The presentation will include a summary of input received during the pop-up events and digital engagement during the Phase I visioning activities. Activity 2: Presentation Overview: The facilitator and City staff will provide a short presentation and overview of the General Plan process. The presentation will include: o Workshop overview and agenda o What is the General Plan? o How does it relate to you?  o Phase 1 Input/Summary  o General Plan Elements: o Natural Resources  o Recreation   o Activity 3: Guiding Values o Activity 4: Draft Goals o Closing Objective: To familiarize participants with the General Plan Update, the Natural Resources and Recreation Elements, and the intent of the workshop. Activity 3: Guiding Values Overview: This activity will be designed as a “world café” format. Several tables will be set up as stations throughout the room. Each station will have 1 or 2 Guiding Values printed on a poster and displayed on the table. Participants will be asked to consider: • What do you envision seeing in Newport Beach in 2050 to fulfill this Guiding Value? • What is important to you with this Guiding Value? Is anything missing? Responses can be recorded on post it notes and placed on the Guiding Values poster. The project team will pre-fill 2-3 Post-its to provide examples. A facilitator will group responses by themes. Participants will rotate every 5-7 minutes to get to each station for the opportunity to respond to each Guiding Value. At the end of the activity, a facilitator at each table will share back the key themes accumulated throughout the workshop. Activity 4: Draft Goals Overview: Activity 4 will focus on the draft goals and will follow the Guiding Values world café activity. This activity will include printed goals and their descriptions on boards throughout the room. Participants will be asked to rotate around the room at their own pace to review the project team drafted goals and determine what aligns with the ideas generated in the first activity. Participants will be asked two questions: 1. Using green sticky dots, identify which goals align with the Guiding Values and what you heard from your neighbors in the last activity 2. Using post it notes, identify other goals you’d like to see address the Guiding Values. After ~15 minutes, participants will be asked to gather back as a larger group. The facilitator will guide a report back session asking what resonated (most green dots) and report back on key themes from the Post-it Notes. DRAFT GOALS SUMMARY FOR GPAC COMMITTEE INFORMATION The following draft goals were reviewed and refined by the Recreation and Natural Resources Subcommittee and are intended to reflect priorities of the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) and General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC), previous engagement and outreach feedback from community members, as well as certain State General Plan and other natural resources and recreation related requirements. As this workshop is focused on natural resources and recreation, these goals address environmental protection, ecosystem conservation and restoration, water quality, energy, outdoor open space for recreation purposes, and recreation programs and facilities. The paragraph below each goal provides context into the importance of that goal. Input received under each goal will be used to both refine the goals and develop draft policies for the General Plan Update. DRAFT GOALS As noted in Activity 4, the following draft goals and their descriptions will be printed on branded and designed boards with key guiding questions and instructions for the activities: Natural Resources Goal 1: Ecosystems that are connected and sustainable Balanced ecosystems provide important services, such as filtering and storing water, storing carbon in vegetation and soil, purifying the air, providing habitat for wildlife, and creating visually appealing and enjoyable places for people. Well-functioning ecosystems include diverse native and naturalized non- invasive species which support complex food webs, a mix of habitats, and nutrient cycling. Promoting native and environmentally adapted species across public and private land will enhance and expand an integrated network of resilient ecosystems. Goal 2: Ecosystems that are conserved and restored Ecosystem restoration and conservation are vital for maintaining unique grassland, woodland, marsh, dune, and other habitats. Large ecological reserves can serve as nurseries for native and environmentally adapted species that support smaller ecosystems across Newport Beach. Further ecosystem restoration could restore additional habitats for protecting endangered species, building resilience to coastal flooding and sea level rise, and encouraging community involvement in environmental efforts. Goal 3: Clean water in Newport Bay and the coast Clean water is necessary for human health, recreation, and aquatic habitat and organisms. Improving water quality in Newport Bay and in coastal waters can ensure safe enjoyment of these irreplaceable natural resources for residents and visitors, while continuing to support the businesses and employers that rely on close proximity to the coast. Reducing stormwater runoff, restoring floodplains, and preventing waste from entering waterbodies can improve water quality and realize the benefits of clean water. Goal 4: Water that is conserved and used responsibly Clean water is a precious resource in Southern California. Reduced indoor and outdoor water use can play an important role in conserving water. By implementing best practices for landscaping and irrigation on public property and offering incentives for residents and commercial businesses to conserve water on their property, the City can do its part in sustaining long-term water supply. Goal 5: A city that prevents air pollution and has clean air Poor air quality has numerous health consequences, especially for vulnerable populations, such as children, older adults, and people with asthma. Encouraging walking, biking, and transit and building more well-designed electric vehicle charging consistent with demand can help reduce air pollution caused by vehicles, and using landscape barriers along busy roadways or as a buffer between other potential pollutants can help clean the air before it reaches sensitive populations. Goal 6: Viewsheds and corridors that are preserved Sweeping views of the beaches, harbor, and coast distinguish Newport Beach as a city with unparalleled natural beauty. Viewsheds often hold historic or scenic value and should be protected for current and future generations. Preserving viewpoints and corridors allows the public to appreciate the City’s beauty and character. Goal 7: A city that leverages alternative sources of energy Leveraging alternative and renewable energy sources can reduce emissions from vehicles and buildings. Facilitating a reasonable transition to clean energy vehicles, promoting energy efficiency of buildings, and utilizing public facilities to generate renewable energy can help reduce local air pollution and overall reliance on fossil fuels, increasing energy security in the community. Goal 8: A city with minimal impacts from oil and gas drilling activities Phasing out oil production can help achieve the statewide objective of phasing out extraction of oil and gas by 2045. The transition away from oil extraction presents an opportunity to prioritize clean energy investments for economic development. Recreation Goal 1: A community with high-quality recreation programs Recreation programs enrich community members’ lives by building social connections and providing opportunities for learning and physical activity. Recreation programs that are of high-quality and tailored to the community’s needs can foster an engaged and healthy community. Goal 2: New parks and connections that increase resident access to recreation, parks, and open space opportunities Parks are a vital asset in any community, providing opportunities for refuge, recreation, and socialization, while offering physical and mental health benefits. Newport Beach’s varying landscape provides a variety of unique recreational opportunities for the community. Increasing park access and developing recreational opportunities throughout the community can ensure these benefits are available to all residents of all ages and needs. Goal 3: Open space, park, and recreation facilities that are preserved, upgraded, and well-maintained The preservation and maintenance of open space and park facilities is essential to maintain community access to recreational opportunities. The maintenance and needed upgrades to these facilities can help protect City investments while ensuring that residents have continued access to high- quality recreational facilities that meet changing needs. Goal 4: A City with established and maintained relationships to facilitate interagency and interorganizational coordination Coordination with internal departments and outside agencies and organizations creates opportunities to share resources, promotes effective communication, and can help facilitate the successful implementation of General Plan goals and policies. Moreover, coordination can increase the quality of and access to parks and open space through integrated strategies and efficient use of resources. Goal 5: Parks and recreation facilities that are adapted to meet a variety of needs for existing and future residents, including people with disabilities As the environment changes and the population shifts, it is important that open space continues to meet community needs and provides benefits to human health, well-being, and the environment. Finding opportunities to expand or adapt parks and recreation facilities to serve older adults and people with disabilities can help to serve all residents now and in the future. Furthermore, designing parks and recreation facilities to be resilient to extreme heat, flooding, and wildfire can ensure these amenities continue to function despite environmental changes. Goal 6: A City that protects public beach access Beaches are one of the most important public open spaces for providing relief during hot summer days and access to the ocean. Maintaining physical access points and supportive facilities and services can help protect continued public beach access. Goal 7: Adequate support facilities in open space and recreation facilities Support facilities are an important aspect of providing parks and recreation spaces that are highly used and enjoyed by the community. Support facilities include but are not limited to, restrooms, showers, lifeguard towers, parking, and staffing. Providing and maintaining facilities needed to support varying recreational spaces in the City can help ensure parks and open spaces are enjoyed by the community and maintain a high-quality level of service. Workshop 2: Coastal Resilience and Safety WORKSHOP STRUCTURE Activity 1: Registration and Vision Overview: During registration, participants will be provided with a section of the Vision Statement. While they enter the room, they will join their section of the Vision Statement with other participants to create the whole statement. Participants will be asked to place stickers next to the pieces of the Vision Statement that most resonates with their values. Objective: To familiarize participants with the Vision Statement and see how it fits in with the whole. The presentation will include a summary of input received during the pop-up events and digital engagement during the Phase I visioning activities. Activity 2: Presentation Overview: The facilitator and City staff will provide a short presentation and overview of the General Plan process. The presentation will include: o Workshop overview and agenda o What is the General Plan? o How does it relate to you?  o Phase 1 Input/Summary  o General Plan topics: o Coastal Resilience o Safety o Activity 3: Guiding Values o Activity 4: Draft Goals o Closing Objective: To familiarize participants with the General Plan Update, the Coastal Resilience and Safety topics, and the intent of the workshop. Activity 3: Guiding Values Overview: This activity will be designed as a “world café” format. Several tables will be set up as stations throughout the room. Each station will have 1 or 2 Guiding Values printed on a poster and displayed on the table. Participants will be asked to consider: • What do you envision seeing in Newport Beach in 2050 to fulfill this guiding value? • What is important to you with this guiding value? Is anything missing? Responses can be recorded on post it notes and placed on the Guiding Values poster. The project team will pre-fill 2-3 Post-its to provide examples. A facilitator will group responses by themes. Participants will rotate every 5-7 minutes to get to each station for the opportunity to respond to each guiding principle. At the end of the activity, a facilitator at each table will share back the key themes accumulated throughout the workshop. Activity 4: Draft Goals Overview: Activity 4 will focus on the draft goals and will follow the Guiding Values world café activity. This activity will include printed goals and their descriptions on boards throughout the room. Participants will be asked to rotate around the room at their own pace to review the project team drafted goals and determine what aligns with the ideas generated in the first activity. Participants will be asked two questions: 1. Using green sticky dots, identify which goals align with the Guiding Values and what you heard from your neighbors in the last activity 2. Using post it notes, identify other goals you’d like to see address the Guiding Values. After ~15 minutes, participants will be asked to gather back as a larger group. The facilitator will guide a report back session asking what resonated (most green dots) and report back on key themes from the Post-it Notes. DRAFT GOALS SUMMARY FOR GPAC COMMITTEE INFORMATION The following goals were reviewed and refined by the Safety Subcommittee and are intended to reflect priorities of the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) and General Plan Update Steering Committee (GPUSC), previous engagement and outreach feedback from community members, as well as certain State General Plan and other requirements. As this workshop is focused on coastal resilience and safety, the following series of goals address flooding and sea level rise, erosion of sand and bluffs, wildfire, extreme heat, seismic and geologic hazards, hazardous materials, aviation hazards, extreme heat, emergency preparation and response, and security. The paragraph below each goal provides context into the importance of that goal. Input received under each goal will be used to both refine the goals and develop draft policies for the General Plan Update. DRAFT GOALS AND POLICY TOPICS As noted in Activity 4, the following draft goals and their descriptions will be printed on branded and designed boards with key guiding questions and instructions for the activities: Coastal Resilience Goal 1: A community that is resilient to coastal flooding. Coastal communities face additional challenges as it relates to flooding from tsunamis, rogue waves, king tides, storm surges, seiche, and precipitation that continues to intensify as sea-levels rise. With more frequent storms, it is important that the City and community are prepared for flood risks, especially along the coast. While infrastructure can protect the community in the event of flooding, it is also important that existing and planned development is modified and built to last and that the community is aware of how to best protect themselves and their property. Goal 2: A community protected from floods through adequate and well- maintained infrastructure. Infrastructure is an essential component of a community and must be developed and maintained to adequately respond to flood hazards. Sufficient infrastructure can consist of both nature-based and gray solutions to protect the community during storms, king tides, and other potential flood events. As the extent of flooding changes, the type of infrastructure needed may also change. Therefore, this goal is intended to address changing needs associated with flooding and the steps needed to adequately plan for such infrastructure. Goal 3: Beaches that are maintained and protected from erosion. The City’s beaches are an essential part of the community, providing recreational opportunities, driving tourism, which contributes to the local economy, supporting natural ecosystems, and protecting inland areas from flooding. Efforts to minimize erosion and the loss of sand will help protect the shoreline and maintain beaches. Goal 4: Stabilized bluffs to minimize erosion and prevent landslides in developed areas. Bluffs are an important part of the City’s landscape, providing valuable views, development of homes and other uses, and offering natural habitat for many plant and animal species. The land formations in and around Upper Newport Bay and the coastal cliffs and bluffs in and proximate to Corona del Mar are some of the most vulnerable. Development near coastal bluffs is vulnerable to damage from erosion or complete loss due to landslides. Goal 5: Current and accessible data and information on flooding, beach erosion, and bluff erosion. Projects and programs to manage the shoreline require up-to-date data for flood-prone locations, the direction and rate of sand and bluff erosion, among other information on changing conditions. Current, high-quality data allows for a more tailored, responsive approach to managing the shoreline. Safety Goal 1: High quality public safety, emergency preparedness, and response services. Because no two disasters are ever the same, high quality public safety requires significant planning and preparation to support a variety of needs in a variety of conditions. Public safety must consider needed facilities, equipment, staff, training, public education, planning, and post disaster recovery. Adequate planning and preparation lead to strong response and recovery from hazard events, including fire, flooding, coastal hazards such as tsunamis and rogue waves, earthquakes, geologic hazards such as landslides, and extreme heat. Goal 2: Evacuation routes and centers that are maintained to provide functionality during hazardous conditions. Evacuation strategies are important to help ensure public safety and prevent injuries in an emergency. The need for evacuation could arise as a result of a hazard event and could involve either small or large numbers of people, depending on the type and extent of a hazard event. Therefore, effective evacuation strategies are key to protecting public health and safety and providing efficient access for first responders. Goal 3: Tested and effective communication systems for emergency preparedness and response. Communication systems are an essential component of emergency preparedness and response. Effective communication systems can help facilitate response efforts, connect people to resources, and educate people about emergency preparedness and response. Goal 4: Reduced and well-managed urban and wildland fire hazards. As urban and wildfire hazards can impact communities across Newport Beach, mitigation strategies and limits to new or redevelopment may be necessary. Many hillside communities in the eastern portion of the City, in and surrounding Newport Coast are in a very high fire hazard severity zone. Homes, businesses, and other structures in these areas must be adapted to prevent the spread of fire. Goal 5: A community that is resilient to and protected from inland flooding. While minimal, some areas of the City that are not along the coast are still vulnerable to flooding. Inland flooding can occur in flood plains and low-lying areas when rainfall exceeds the amount that can be absorbed by the ground or accommodated by channels. While most flood risks exist in areas closest to the shoreline, it is important that inland flooding potential is also considered for the protection of existing and planned development. Goal 6: A built environment adapted to provide relief from extreme heat. As summer temperatures continue to get hotter and heat waves become more common, the City must adapt to changing temperatures to protect the health of residents and visitors, particularly vulnerable populations. Strategies such as air conditioning, home weatherization, and increased shade in public areas can help the community stay cool on hot days. Goal 7: Buildings and utilities that are protected from seismic and geologic hazards. While difficult to predict, seismic and geologic events pose a risk to physical structures. While new buildings are held to higher standards to be resilient to such events, existing buildings can be modified to minimize structural damage. Goal 8: A community protected from airport-related hazards. John Wayne Airport produces noise in the vicinity of the airport and its general aviation flight path. Additionally, the airport contributes to air quality in the vicinity of the airport. To the extent practicable, and consistent with the Settlement Agreement, there are actions the City can take to influence airport operations and help protect future residents from noise and air pollution. Goal 9: A community protected from impacts of hazardous materials. Hazardous materials produced from manufacturing and industrial facilities have the potential to negatively impact public health and safety and degrade the environment if not properly managed. Although hazardous materials are primarily regulated by state and federal agencies, local governments play a pivotal role in hazard mitigation planning, enforcement and inspection of hazardous waste generators, and increasing public awareness. Goal 10: A community where residents, employees, and visitors feel a sense of comfort and safety. Providing a sense of comfort and safety in the public realm can be achieved through design and development that encourages “eyes on the street.” The concept of “eyes on the street” uses place-based design in public spaces to increase community awareness, build social cohesion, improve community bonds, enhance sense of safety, and increase social interaction. Designing for safety can include regular maintenance of parks, lighting, trash, and streets; which requires a level of fiscal responsibility. Further, balanced communities with opportunities for a mix of uses such as residential, retail, employment, and visitor serving uses, can draw people at all hours of the day; increasing “eyes on the street” and community safety.