Priority Development Area (PDA) designation for MidcoastSan Mateo County has applied to ABAG (Association of Bay Area Governments) for PDA designation for the Midcoast as a “rural corridor” place type. |
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BackgroundThe FOCUS program was launched in 2007 by Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), with regional goals to minimize sprawl, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and encourage the production of housing near jobs and transit. The PDA framework was adopted to support focused growth as mixed-use infill development near transit and job centers, with an emphasis on housing. PDAs are expected to accommodate the majority of the region’s population and employment growth. In August 2011, several new “rural” PDA place types were created which do not need to meet transit criteria and are not intended to be defined in the same manner as the other more urban PDA place types. Rural PDAs are intended to support local efforts to improve the services, infrastructure, and connectivity of these areas to encourage a reduction in driving locally. “Rural Corridor” place types have focused development along a main street through the area. The areas encompass or are being planned to include a mix of services to reduce vehicle miles traveled and/or are being planned for more housing with a mix of supportive services. Actions on Midcoast PDA3/28/12 MCC asked Supervisor Horsley to support MCC request that PDA application for the Midcoast be brought back to the Board of Supervisors for reconsideration before the June ABAG meeting. 3/12/12 ABAG Regional Planning Committee meeting to review PDA applicatios for rural place types. The committee decided to recommend that ABAG postpone decision on rural PDAs until their June meeting to give the local governments time to better inform the affected communities, and for ABAG staff to address the many local comments that were received. ABAG staff was emphatic that the "served by transit" eligibility criterion for other PDA's did not apply to the rural areas, nor did they need to accommodate more housing. One RPC member commented that it was problematic to call rural area place types PDAs as it mixes them up with the original concept, which was developed over time with a lot of careful consideration. 1/24/12 Despite objections from MCC, Committee for Green Foothills, and Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Resolution in support of Midcoast PDA status. 1/23/12 MCC Special Meeting due to surprise item on Board of Supervisors' 1/24 Consent Agenda. “Resolution in support of the application for Priority Development Area (PDA) status for the Midcoast Urban Area.” MCC asked the Supervisors to delay the decision for 45 days in order to give the community time to study and understand the ramifications of this step. |
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