(A) See map.
(B) In an attempt to develop a long range plan, the city and the surrounding area was divided into planning units, based in part on separation by land use, streets, railroad, waterways and so forth. Each area is analyzed in respect to:
(1) Existing conditions, both physical and social;
(2) Inadequacies;
(3) Potential; and
(4) Procedures of accomplishment to be applied or tried, if needed, to the area in an effort to carry out the aims and desires of the citizens of the city.
(C) Planning units.
(1) Planning Unit 1.
(a) Characteristics.
1. The area contains 35 residential standard structures, 21% built up, the only FHA subdivision in the city, central high school and junior high school facilities and water frontage.
2. The area is subject to substandard structure construction, lacks recreational facilities and lacks adequate utilities and street improvements.
(b) Considerations.
1. The area should remain totally single-family residential with the exception of the inland water frontage property which should be two-family.
2. The street system and land should coincide with that of Planning Units 2 and 3 with a possible loop and bridge on North Shore Drive to complete the tourist route. All streets should be paved.
(2) Planning Unit 2.
(a) Characteristics. The area contains vacant land with both highway and water frontage and is outside the city limits.
(b) Considerations.
1. The area should follow the same pattern as Unit 1.
2. No strip commercial should be allowed.
3. All facilities and improvements should be required to be completed, when development starts.
(3) Planning Unit 3.
(a) Characteristics. Similar to Planning Unit 2.
(b) Considerations.
1. Same as Unit 2 in regard to residential and street development.
2. A tourist part which will also act as a buffer zone should be located on the east to protect the area from creeping expansion of the City of Laguna Heights and substandard waterfront development.
(4) Planning Unit 4.
(a) Characteristics. Partially complete and inadequately developed, only 1.2% built up, primarily a small boat harbor. This is potentially one of the prime areas of the city.
(b) Considerations.
1. Develop area into a first class harbor, to encourage monied interest to invest in a resort retreat.
2. Provide adequate paved streets and shoring.
3. Investigate federal assistance in dredging and maintenance of waterway.
4. Zone land in a way as to provide the maximum protection and diversification, for example:
a. Single-family use on a complete finger;
b. Multi-family and trailer areas; and
c. Small shopping facilities and tourist access to the water.
(5) Planning Unit 5.
(a) Characteristics.
1. Contains standard residential, commercial and tourist fishing facilities.
2. Subdivided in an awkward layout with double frontage lots and limited access to the water, without proper improvements, and also contains a dead end major street.
(b) Considerations.
1. Provide for two-family, multi-family residential and light commercial charter type fishing use.
2. Encourage the dedication of a street paralleling the water front with 100 feet deep lots for commercial boat service. This street should be a continuation of Champion Avenue to Island Avenue.
(6) Planning Unit 6.
(a) Characteristics.
1. Predominantly residential, 94% built up; some residences are the finest and largest in the city. The area also contains multi-family units, large marginal hotel, charter boat facilities and two semi-industrial boat repair shops and a cemetery.
2. Contains adequate streets and utilities by virtue of being one of the first areas of development in the city, although where the facilities do not exist some marginal structures are present. Also dead end streets exist and some property has inadequate access.
3. Tight control of land exists, with ownership in the hands of the respective adjacent developed property owner; thereby allowing little chance for substandard structures to be built in the unit.
4. Some prime buildable land exists on the water front but is owned by the city with right of sale subject to the provisions of Ordinance 45, requiring a referendum.
5. Excessive land in a nontaxable use: i.e., streets, waterfront and so forth.
(b) Considerations.
1. Extend North Shore Drive, paralleling the waterfront to join with Garcia Street; thereby complete a tourist loop street and bring into existence approximately 50 ideally situated buildable sites, with the monetary return being used, for park development, and so forth.
2. Encourage multi-family development adjacent to the Central Business District or Planning Unit.
3. Beautify the cemetery and provide parking and landscaping.
4. Consider hotel reconversion to possible hospital, rest home or similar type facility.
(7) Planning Unit 7.
(a) Characteristics.
1. Tourist, industrial and boating use, predominantly built up, located on the channel and the intra-coastal canal.
2. Undeveloped park area.
(b) Considerations.
1. No change in use is contemplated other than the park area which could be exchanged for another park location and right-of-way land for the proposed thoroughfare route.
2. Separate truck route should be considered in any street and thoroughfare plan.
(8) Planning Unit 8.
(a) Characteristics.
1. Central Business District, 50% built up.
2. Tourist attractions and civic offices.
3. Numerous choice lots in out-of-state ownership and held at too high price for sale, coupled with separate ownership of 25-foot frontages which hinders the attainment of adequate front footage, resulting in undevelopment.
4. Lack of a plan of development and aesthetic unit: i.e., no off-street parking provided which has destroyed other Central Business District, unattractive and cheaply constructed buildings with the exception of a few new starts.
(b) Considerations. Through private local merchant endeavors and civic encouragement promote the conversion of the area to a concentrated shopping center, mall type, based on a plan developed by the merchants which should include:
1. Unity in design;
2. Off-street parking;
3. Central tourist attractions such as the lighthouse, development of the waterfront and the like;
4. Arcades and covered areas and landscaping;
5. Diversification of shopping facilities and goods sold to hold shoppers in the area; and
6. Investigate all legal means of encouraging the development of the vacant land.
(9) Planning Unit 9.
(a) Characteristics.
1. Predominantly residential, substandard dwelling units evenly distributed through-out (approximately 22% of the total).
2. The area is 60% built up and excessive land is in street rights-of-way and alleys.
3. Major public elementary school and parochial school located in the area.
4. Complete utilities and 62% of the streets are paved.
5. The railroad main line terminates in the area. The line services only two establishments; the remainder of the right-of-way is unused.
6. The area is without recreational facilities.
7. Blighting influences of tavern and industrial use flank the area without adequate buffer zones.
(b) Considerations.
1. The area should remain residential, possibly two-family designation, in an effort to relieve the high density of Planning Unit 11 and provide sites at a moderate cost, for residential construction.
2. Two north-south collector streets should be designated and the remainder closed, with one north-south street being exclusively a children’s mall to school.
3. Encourage the purchase of the vacant tract and relocation of the parochial school to this area, which is served by the mall.
4. Explore the possibility of purchase of the railroad right-of-way and its conversion to multi-family and tourist facility use.
5. The unit is vitally affected by Units 10 and 11 and any development should be correlated with the other units.
(10) Planning Unit 10.
(a) Characteristics.
1. Minor standard residential, commercial and motel facilities.
2. Traffic congestion by virtue of the causeway approach and the major highway.
3. Undeveloped bay frontage and recreational land.
4. 70% of the area is undeveloped.
(b) Considerations.
1. Designate the major street as a tourist route and reroute the heavy through traffic through Planning Unit 11.
2. Redevelop the vacant land in uses of residential, motel, park and tourist attractions.
3. Discourage uncontrolled commercial development and relocate industrial uses that are preventing normal growth to occur.
4. The spoil bank area should be considered for recreational facilities for the area south of the present railroad tracks.
(11) Planning Unit 11.
(a) Characteristics.
1. High density, substandard residential environment, including taverns in the area.
2. Overcrowding of structures, subdivision of lots with 2,000 square feet per lot, excessive land use in streets and rights-of-way.
3. Lacks adequate utilities and paved streets.
4. Area has a derogatory name and is the prime slum area of the city. The residents of area in most part desire to relocate, but because of social or economic problems are prevented from doing so.
5. The area is adjacent to heavy industrial use.
(b) Considerations.
1. Conversion of the area to light industrial use with a separate truck route through the area.
2. Through the relocation of the thoroughfare and rezoning of the area to light industrial, the land values will rise and thereby the residents will receive an advantage in resale of their property. In addition, the clearance activities for the thoroughfare can be carried out for a public purpose that benefits the whole community.
3. The city lacks adequate light industrial land adjacent to water frontage. Many businesses now located unnecessarily on prime waterfront land would relocate if adjacent land were available.
(12) Planning Unit 12.
(a) Characteristics. Industrial use.
(b) Considerations.
1. No change in use.
2. Continue Champion Avenue as a truck route to Port Road.
3. Consider, after the redevelopment of Unit 11, a truck bridge across the channel to link South Shore Drive truck route with that of Port Road.
(13) Planning Unit 13.
(a) Characteristics. Trailer park use.
(b) Considerations.
1. Encourage the development to upgrade to first class accommodations.
2. Limit the use to motel, tourist, trailer park only.
(14) Planning Unit 14.
(a) Characteristics. Vacant is most part with strip commercial structures. Prime highway frontage.
(b) Considerations. The land, because of its location and terrain, presents one of the prime sites in the city, ideal for motel or trailer parks or tourist use; therefore, it is suggested that consideration be given to only multi-family, motel, trailer park; zoning and that no commercial, industrial or single- or two-family residential uses be allowed until a definite pattern is established or a realistic demand exists.
(15) Planning Unit 15.
(a) Characteristics.
1. Vacant property.
2. Residential or low-income public housing use is contemplated.
(b) Considerations. For residential and low-income public housing use only.
(16) Planning Unit 16.
(a) Characteristics.
1. Undeveloped good acreage outside the city limits.
2. Adjacent to industrial use.
(b) Considerations.
1. Because of the abnormal amount of undeveloped industrial land existing and the apparent potential residential reuse possibilities of the area, it is recommended that the area be zoned single-family residential.
2. Because adequate tourist attractions are needed in the city and a buffer is needed to separate residential from industrial for home loan financing, it is suggested that a municipal golf course be considered. In addition, the topography would be suitable for this type facility.
(17) Planning Unit 17.
(a) Characteristics. Vacant acreage with major highway frontage.
(b) Considerations. When and if the trend of development in the city progressed according to anticipated plans and since the area would be a central location served by major thoroughfares, the planning unit would be an ideal location for a shopping center, ball park and continuations of the golf course; i.e., shopping center and public use or tourist attractions.
(18) Planning Unit 18.
(a) Characteristics. Airport facilities and vacant acreage.
(b) Considerations.
1. Continue to develop the airport into a first class light plane facility. Ample protected area remains for possible high school site, stadium and so forth.
2. Investigate possible federal assistance in upgrading the airport facility.
(19) Planning Unit 19.
(a) Characteristics. Vacant acreage with highway frontage on one of the approaches to the city.
(b) Considerations. Residential use only with a buffer park established at the west and multi-family use adjacent to the Brownsville Road and future shopping center.
(Ord. 218, passed 6-13-1960)