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Council approves PlaceWorks amendment and LEAP funds to finish phase 2 of general‑plan update
Summary
After a long multi‑year update, the council authorized a new amendment to the PlaceWorks contract, approved a budget modification to use a LEAP grant and existing plan funds, and set a tentative schedule for phase 2 of the general plan update including land‑use and Article 27 steps.
The City Council on March 18 approved a contract amendment with PlaceWorks and a budget modification that draws down state LEAP (Local Early Action Planning) grant funds and existing general‑plan reserves to pay for remaining work on Phase 2 of the city’s long‑running general plan update.
Mark Weiner, Community Development director, said the general plan project began in 2016 and the council had already certified an EIR and advanced housing‑element‑related zoning revisions. The Phase 2 work that remains includes final refinements to the land‑use element, safety and open‑space chapters, and the Article 27 analysis that is required when City policy changes could increase development capacity. PlaceWorks’ new amendment adds tasks and funds—primarily the Article 27 traffic and technical analyses—totaling roughly $187,474 in new work; the total remaining contract request was shown at about $331,000. Staff proposed covering most of the cost with a LEAP grant and the city’s general‑plan maintenance fund.
Council members discussed priorities and sequencing. Several members urged fast action to get Artesia Boulevard revitalization and related public‑institution floor‑area‑ratio (FAR) issues on a voter ballot as soon as feasible. Staff presented a tentative schedule that could bring land‑use policy items back for council direction in May, safety and open‑space in June, and a potential ballot measure or measures in fall 2025 or spring 2026 depending on council direction and Article 27 analysis requirements.
The council voted unanimously to amend the PlaceWorks agreement, accept LEAP grant funding into the budget, and authorize the appropriation necessary to finish the technical analyses and public review necessary for Phase 2.
Staff said the Article 27 analysis (traffic, parking, infrastructure studies) is the costliest single remaining item and that segmenting ballot items — for example separating Artesia FAR decisions from other code changes — could make voter choices clearer but might require more than one election. Staff will return with detailed materials and public‑engagement plans as dates firm up.
