Public services and facilities are a key component of any specific
plan. A primary goal of the Downtown Encinitas Specific Plan is to
insure adequate capital facilities (sewers, storm drains, water, gas
and electric utilities) and public services (schools, fire and police
services, and other government services) based on the level of development
which the land use component of the Plan calls for.
Utilities have been surveyed to determine the need for improvements,
based both on age and need for additional capacity. The results of
this survey are favorable: aside from relatively minor "spot" improvements,
utility system capacities are adequate for build-out. The major improvement
based on age, for the area's sewer lines, can likely be resolved through
the installation of sleeve inserts rather than wholesale line replacement,
precluding the need for extensive excavation and costs.
Another infrastructure objective is to underground overhead
utilities, including electric, telephone and cable TV lines. An important
opportunity exists to coordinate line undergrounding with street and
alley improvements to save significant dollars. Funding sources also
are planned to be combined for additional savings.
Public services are provided to the planning area and the rest
of the City by the City and County governments and other public agencies.
Service levels are planned based on population and intensity of land
uses. Planned police and fire services will not be affected by adoption
of the proposed specific plan. This includes the system of existing
fire hydrants, which are judged adequate in terms of location, capacity
and pressure. The elementary and secondary school districts will experience
some impact as a result of the proposed specific plan land use.
An existing fire station (Station No. 1, on Second Street) and
an elementary school (Pacific View Elementary School) in the planning
area are planned to be maintained. The existing community branch public
library on Cornish Drive also will be maintained, and there is an
opportunity to expand it or replace it with a larger facility on the
same site through combined long-range civic center planning.
Perhaps the greatest challenge for public services and facilities
is providing funding for needed improvements. Beyond the capital facilities
noted above, substantial capital costs will be involved in needed
street, alley, pedestrian sidewalk/path, bicycle facilities, and streetscape
improvements. The specific plan provides preliminary cost estimates
for all capital improvements and surveys all potential funding sources
to enable subsequent detailed capital facility programming to choose
and carry out the best options, as discussed in Section 11.1.
A.
Introduction
The specific plan makes provisions for land use changes. As
part of the planning process, the impacts of these changes upon public
services must be addressed. Different land uses have different public
service needs.
Provisions for each of the public services have been addressed
in the General Plan. For the most part, this specific plan does not
significantly affect these public services. In order to clarify the
impact of the specific plan upon each service, the Fire District,
County library, schools, police and other services have each been
addressed separately.
B.
Fire Services
Fire protection to the planning area is provided by the Encinitas
Fire Protection District through their Station No. 1 located at 415
Second Street in Downtown Encinitas. Currently, response time for
the plan area is meeting district-wide level of service standards.
The primary response time standard is five minutes for 80% of emergency
calls. The level of service standard for ladder truck response is
ten minutes for 80% of emergency calls.
The impacts of specific plan implementation upon the Fire District
in Downtown Encinitas should not be significant. Response times within
the planning area will be maintained. The Fire District reports that
the existing system of fire hydrants in the area will continue to
provide required hydrant availability. Individual new developments
will be subject to standards for hydrant upgrades, fire sprinklers,
and other safety systems. The existing citywide fire service impact
fee will ameliorate any change to service demand created by new development
intensities. The existing station will remain and the Fire District
should be adequate to handle fire protection under the specific plan.
C.
Library Facilities
Existing library services are provided to the specific plan
area and a larger part of the surrounding City by the 4,100 square-foot
Encinitas Branch of the County Library located at 540 Cornish Drive.
Another branch library is located in Cardiff at the Cardiff Towne
Center and totals 1,540 square feet. Current levels of service do
not meet County library standards. Future needs on a population projection
for Encinitas of 67,633 based on the 0.35 gross square feet per capita
standard, when applied to Encinitas, calls for combined library facilities
of almost 23,670 square feet (see Appendix J).
The Encinitas branch library may be expanded to a capacity of
8,000 square feet, possibly in conjunction with a future redevelopment
of the civic center site. An additional facility of approximately
17,000 square feet will be needed to serve the entire City as well
as the specific plan area. An opportunity exists in planning now ongoing
for the Encinitas Ranch Specific Plan (the City's sphere area west
of El Camino Real), to provide a site for a substantial new public
library. This library would meet the locational need noted in the
City-wide library study (Appendix J).
The demand for library services already exceeds available facilities,
and will only worsen as new residential development occurs. Beyond
the availability of sites, a citywide financing scheme should be developed
for library capital facility construction and staffing. Such a City-wide
program is beyond the scope of this specific plan.
D.
School Facilities
The specific plan area is served by the Encinitas Union School
District, San Dieguito Union High School District, and Mira Costa
Community College District. See Appendix I for current enrollments,
and student generation rates used to project school enrollment. Specific
plan build-out would yield 305 elementary school students from within
the Plan area, 98 more students than from existing development, and
110 more than from build-out under previous zoning. Junior high school
enrollment is projected at 182 under specific plan build-out, 73 more
than existing, and 65 more than previous-zoning build-out. High school
enrollment is projected at 380 under specific plan, 153 more than
existing and 137 more than previous-zoning.
Because of the increased dwelling unit potential the specific
plan has increased school service demand. The school districts currently
collect school impact fees assessed on new development to provide
financing for future facilities, however, the current fees do not
adequately meet the districts' needs for financing the facilities
generated by new development. A mitigation agreement with developers
will be required to address the impact of development on the school
districts and to identify the additional financing of school facilities.
The amount of any additional fee shall not exceed the actual impact
created by additional residential development, and shall not apply
to commercial development or use. An additional fee shall be based
on a net increase in dwelling units, and shall not apply for the remodeling
or expansion of existing dwellings.
E.
Police Services
Police protection is provided by the San Diego County Sheriff's
Department under contract with Encinitas. A single Sheriff's Department
Substation, located at 175 North El Camino Real, currently serves
the plan area.
Public Safety Element Policy 1.11 of the general plan states
the City's goal of one 24-hour deputy per 10,000 residents. Current
service levels exceed this standard by providing six 24-hour units
per 10,000 residents. Police service will not be impacted significantly
as no significant changes to existing development patterns and intensities
are taking place, in terms of police service demand.
F.
Parks
Downtown Encinitas is served by park and recreational facilities both within, and near the specific plan area. These are, the 0.9-acre Mildred MacPherson Neighborhood Park located at 1045 Vulcan Avenue, completed in 1992; the 2.43 acre Encinitas Viewpoint Park, on the north side of "D" at Cornish Drive; the 9.3-acre Paul Ecke Sports Park located at 400 Saxony Road, completed in March 1993; and the proposed 12.9-acre Moonlight Beach Park Master Plan located at Moonlight Beach between "B" and "C" Streets. Various "street-end" beach accesses and vista points also provide park/recreational opportunities. "D" Street vista/access and Swami's park/access are the most complete. "H" and "I" Streets offer less-developed vista-only facilities. "F" and "J" street-ends have been identified for eventual vista-only development, with preliminary costs in Chapter 11.
The net increase of residential units under specific plan build-out, compared to previous zoning, will provide an increased contribution towards parks capital facility funding through the City's Residential Park & Recreation Fee (Chapter 23.98, Encinitas Municipal Code). This mitigates the increased demand for parks created by the net increase of dwelling units.
G.
Other Services
Other public services such as hospitals and general City administration
will not be significantly impacted by build-out of the specific plan.
A.
Introduction
Infrastructure refers to those improvements in the community
that are the commonly shared part of the built environment. It is
the physical services, such as roadways, lighting, sewers, water,
and utilities that provide a base for the city structure. Land value
usually increases with infrastructure improvements. Infrastructure
unable to meet the requirements of development and out of sync with
the community character can defeat the achievement of the community's
vision.
Infrastructure is crucial to the specific plan because it is a major factor in carrying out the proposed plan. At the same time, the specific plan is a tool for helping to realize needed infrastructure improvements. This section of the plan discusses each area of infrastructure, including water, storm drains, sewer, gas, electric, telephone, and cable. The streets, alleys and sidewalks portion of infrastructure is treated separately under Chapters 4 (Streetscape Plans) and 5 (Circulation Plan).
Following is a discussion of existing infrastructure and its
adequacy. Two factors determine the adequacy of existing infrastructure.
The first is its lifespan. Based on useful lifespan, some of the existing
infrastructure will need to be replaced and some of it will not. The
replacement of old infrastructure as determined in the specific plan
is crucial for the maintenance of facilities in the Downtown area.
The capacity of existing infrastructure also has been taken
into consideration. In some areas, projected growth will dictate the
necessity for increasing the capacity of the facilities. By looking
at projections for new development, projected infrastructure needs
can be determined and addressed before that development occurs.
B.
Water Drainage/Storm Drains
Analysis:
Please refer to Figure 8-a. The existing storm and surface water
drainage system serving the Downtown Encinitas specific plan area
and adjacent neighborhoods is a gravity-flow combination of surface
street/alley drainage and underground drain pipes. The ultimate exit
point for this drainage is Moonlight Creek, on the north edge of the
planning area which empties into the ocean at Moonlight Beach. For
the most part, the entire planning area surface-drains to the alley
between Second and Third Street from I Street to F Street. From there
the drainage enters an underground pipe, which flows north up Second
Street to Moonlight Creek. There are inlet grates at Vulcan Avenue,
between H & I Streets, which collect water and empty off into
the railroad right-of-way; and a relatively small amount of drainage
at E Street that empties onto the coastal bluffs.
Temporary flooding currently occurs at F Street in the alley
west of Second Street at an inlet into the main storm drain. This
is caused by the inadequate size of the main north of this point,
which is 18 inches in diameter compared to the 36 inch main feeding
into this point. The existing 18 inch main needs to be replaced with
a 24 or 36 inch line. At G & H Streets, on the west side of First
Street, short-run corner by-pass drains experience temporary capacity
problems during heavy rains. The inadequate capacity of these by-pass
drains shall be corrected with any proposed land development of the
adjacent commercial lots. Standing stagnant water in these existing
by-pass drains, however, periodically causes odors which repel pedestrian
activity and may cause public health concerns. The City Public Works
Department shall investigate this standing water problem, and include
solutions in the next available proposed capital facilities budget.
Summary:
Visual inspections of the storm drain system are done annually.
A list of needed repairs is made and priorities established. An example
of a high priority item would be a culvert drain collapsing causing
the road to cave in.
Street maintenance has an annual flood control fund of fifty
thousand dollars to use City-wide. This money is used to contract
maintenance service for City-maintained storm drains, grates, ditches
and anything that would carry storm water. This is for maintenance
purpose only, however, and does not fund capital improvements.
Localized storm drain inadequacies, include those at First Street/H
Street and First Street/G Street intersections. More substantial improvements
are the replacement of the 18 inch storm main, and the resolution
of the storm drainage on the coastal bluff at E Street. All of these
storm drain improvements are to be financed from the existing City
system of storm drainage development impact fees, prioritized among
Citywide storm system projects. No additional measures through this
specific plan are required. Again, however, the opportunity should
be taken advantage of where ever possible to combine capital projects
for cost savings, e.g. streetscape improvements with the upgrading
of the storm main.
C.
Sewer System
Analysis:
The Downtown Encinitas specific plan area is served by the Encinitas
Sanitary District, a subsidiary sewer district of the City. The specific
plan area comprises about one-seventh of the land area of the entire
District, and generates about 30% of the District's current volume
of sewage. All sewage flow from the District goes north to the Encina
Joint Powers Authority sewage processing plan in Carlsbad.
In 1992, a District master plan was prepared (Ref. "Encinitas
Sanitary District Sewer Master Plan - Final Submittal," September
1992, Dudek and Associates, Steve Deering RCE 26514, on file in the
Engineering Department, City of Encinitas). This plan assesses the
adequacy and need for capital upgrades for all elements of the District's
system, including the adequacy of system capacities (i.e. the amount
of sewage the system can handle versus the amount generated, today
and at future land use "buildout"); and the needs for upgrades based
on system age and wear. This assessment finds adequate system capacity
to handle buildout, including consideration of the land use buildout
under this Specific Plan.
Several elements of the system are in need of rehabilitation
or replacement based on age and wear. Local sewer mains in the Specific
Plan area are in generally "fair" condition, frequently suffering
from root intrusion and off-set joints. Repair of these main problems
can be accomplished by inserting new sleeves, rather than having to
dig up the street and install new pipes. This avoids the necessity
of street excavation. Resleeving can be accomplished over time as
a "routine" maintenance program; none of this work can be accomplished
immediately. A force main under "B" Street/Encinitas Boulevard also
needs to be relined. While it is anticipated this can be done by resleeving,
this is not certain at this time, and street excavation could be involved.
Sewer manholes are also in generally "fair" condition. A majority
need rehabilitation to prevent infiltration during flooding or high
ground water conditions. This is especially true for manholes in the
vicinity of the Moonlight Beach Pump Station, on Third Street between
"B" and "C" streets. These repairs can also be done over time, none
are an immediate threat.
The pump station at Moonlight Beach pumps sewage from the entire
District area, not from just the Specific Plan area. This station
is in need of several upgrades, ranging from relatively easy valve
replacements, to the eventual replacement of the stations pumps. None
of this work, however, will cause significant construction or excavation
outside of existing station walls.
Summary:
The Sewer District Master Plan includes a preliminary estimate
of capital facility upgrade costs. All capital upgrades are intended
to be paid for out of a District capital facility financing program;
no special or additional assessments or fees for this purpose through
this Specific Plan are necessary. In the future, based on its Master
Plan, the District should be addressing the details of capital facility
financing and Sewer District fees.
In terms of project coordination, when ever street or alley
streetscape or construction is undertaken within the Specific Plan
area, the opportunity should be taken to rehabilitate sewer manholes
at the same time.
D.
Water Service
Analysis:
The specific plan area is served by the San Dieguito Water District
which is a subsidiary of the City of Encinitas. The existing distribution
system for the planning area is in good shape and existing pipes are
sufficient to accommodate growth. The main lines are 12" pipes and
feeder lines are 6" or 8" pipes. Pipes are made of asbestos cement,
and do not need to be replaced. There is no projected problem supplying
water unless the district is restricted in the amount of water it
receives through the County Water Authority. There is not an age or
capacity deficit for providing service for the build-out of the area
as now provided under the specific plan, except for the localized
area noted below.
As of 1991 there was insufficient storage capacity for the entire
water district. By the year 2014, according to master plan build-out
projections, 28 million gallons need to be stored. Existing storage
is at 5.5 million gallons with high priority being set within the
next 5 years to select and purchase sites to increase storage. No
potential sites for increased storage would be in the specific plan
area. This is an issue pertaining to the entire water district, and
is beyond the scope of the specific plan.
A high priority exists for replacement of any service pipes
identified as less than 4" in diameter. The only high priority in
the Downtown specific area is a lateral 1-1/2" copper pipe serving
four commercial establishments at the La Paloma Theater. This was
flagged as high priority, but involves minor excavation - moving meters
to a different location. The water district has money budgeted for
projects meeting criteria of high priority; alternatively, some upgrades
may be accomplished with private site development.
A potential water line capacity problem would exist if a large
zoning change occurred, i.e. residential to commercial, because of
fire flow requirements. If pipes sized according to the current general
plan for residential usage of 1500 gallons per minute were required
to serve commercial usage of 3000 gallons per minute, this would create
a problem. However, no such changes are currently proposed.
Summary:
In conclusion, there are no "high priorities" within the Downtown
specific plan area other than the 1-1/2 copper line which was flagged
because it meets the priority criteria, but is adequate now and will
not be addressed unless new site development is proposed. The major
focus for the next five years is purchasing reservoir sites to increase
storage capacity citywide. The Water District (1992) is proposing
the adoption of a master plan for storage capacity and other District
needs.
E.
Cable Television Service
Analysis:
Dimension Cable Television is a private franchise service. This
is not considered a vital public utility and service is independent
of the land use types and intensities which the City establishes.
However, street or alley excavation can be required to extend service,
or to place cable lines underground. The purpose of this section,
then, is to identify where lines may need to be extended or undergrounded,
in order to coordinate with other street excavation which is otherwise
needed or planned.
Cable service exists throughout residential portions of the
planning area. Most lines are aerial and in the alleys. Areas not
served are commercial areas along First Street; Second street from
F Street to K Street (a line extension in the alley between Second
and Third Streets would be logical); and Third Street north of C Street.
A trunk line exists at alley at Second Street between B & C Streets,
but no service line exists.
Summary:
Dimension Cable upgraded its system of existing lines throughout
Encinitas in 1992. This included replacing cable, upgrading the physical
condition (replacing equipment and connections attached to poles)
and providing increased channel capacity. This upgrade did not include
service extension to areas not currently served. It strictly rebuilt
what is already there.
A franchise agreement between the City and Dimension Cable requires
the cable company to pay for undergrounding anything in the public
right-of-way related to City-generated projects which are already
digging up the street (see Figure 8b). If the City will be digging
up the street, for street improvement or other utility upgrades, Dimension
Cable should be required to place conduits and underground its lines.
F.
Gas Service
Analysis:
Gas service for the specific plan area is provided by San Diego
Gas and Electric (SDG&E). According to staff from the Gas System
Planning Section of SDG&E, gas pressure in the specific plan area
is adequate to serve the area. Some older gas mains exist, but no
replacement is anticipated at this time, and none is scheduled for
replacement in the near future.
Summary:
No anticipated problems are foreseen with build-out of the specific
plan.
G.
Electric Service
Analysis:
San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) also provides power to
the specific plan area. As shown in Figure 8c, all existing primary
electric lines are above ground.
Summary:
Although no capacity problems are foreseen with build-out of
the specific plan, the undergrounding of all primary overhead electric
lines is proposed and should be coordinated with proposed streetscape
and street/alley improvements.
Rule 20A, replacement of overhead with underground electric
facilities, pays a portion of undergrounding. This includes undergrounding
of electric facilities that are in the general public interest, where
an ordinance creating an underground district, applies where scenic
criteria are met, and where an extension is for a minimum distance
of one block or 600 feet whichever is lesser. The total dollar amount
distributed for conversion is determined by the number of existing
meters in the City.
H.
Telephone
Analysis:
Pacific Bell provides service to the Downtown area. The area
has both overhead and underground telephone cables (see Figure 8d).
The majority of the underground cabling exists on Vulcan Avenue and
First Street between F and J Streets; on Third Street between C and
D Streets, and in the alley behind Third Street between H and I Streets.
Ninety percent of overhead telephone lines are in the alleys behind
First, Second, Third and Fourth Streets between C and K Streets. Overhead
lines also exist east of Vulcan Avenue on E Street, McNeill Avenue
and F Street and the alley on DeWitt.
Summary:
There is adequate capacity. Changes and growth are based on
historical observation and changes in trends. There is no age problem.
Pacific Bell has its lines on San Diego Gas & Electric poles,
and if San Diego Gas and Electric is undergrounding lines the phone
company will also underground lines. Although the phone company does
not have a 20A program like San Diego Gas and Electric, they are required
to match San Diego Gas and Electric's 20A funds for undergrounding.
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