Downtown Taft Specific Plan and Zoning Ordinance Amendment

Downtown Taft Specific Plan and Zoning Ordinance Amendment

The Downtown Taft Specific Plan and Zoning Ordinance Amendment Project (Project) consists of two projects with a goal of accelerating housing production through 1) the development of a Specific Plan update that focuses on the downtown area of the City of Taft and 2) an amendment to the city-wide Zoning Ordinance. The Downtown Specific Plan (DTSP) aims to establish downtown as a central zone with street-oriented uses and as a vibrant mixed-use district surrounded by residential uses. The Project provides a vision and planning framework for future growth and development in the approximately 212-acre Specific Plan Area (SPA) while introducing new Land Use Designations not included in the 1999 Downtown Taft Specific Plan. At buildout, the new DTSP could result in up to approximately 3,121 dwelling units, 4,272 employment opportunities, 9.3 acres of recreational open space and 6,180 persons. A majority of the SPA has been previously developed and the Project area is considered an urbanized area according to CEQA Guidelines §15387. A corresponding city-wide amendment to the City of Taft Zoning Ordinance is proposed to integrate the changes from the land use and zoning designations within the DTSP but also to add targeted changes city-wide for application process improvements, while integrating flexible development standards to streamline and accelerate residential development. The Zoning Ordinance Amendment does not include changes that would result in higher land use densities, other than what is proposed for the DTSP.

Taft

Kern

Citywide

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Region 4 (CDFW), California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Transportation, District 6 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Fresno Region 5 (RWQCB), Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, District 19, Department of Toxic Substances Control

Department of Toxic Substances Control

Residential (Specific Plan calculated up to 3,121 units could be developed)(Units 3121, Acres 212)

Specific Plan

Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Geology/Soils, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Noise