The purpose of the study is to provide objective information about Chico’s development trends, current projected and actual land supply, and the ability of land to meet future needs. Over 75 Chico stakeholders provided input to the study. It’s a dense but interesting read.
- While there is technically enough land to meet our needs, the report identifies many of the constraints to actually completing projects on that land.
- The report makes five Policy Update recommendations to consider in order to address some of the barriers to completion. These recommendations are a place to start the difficult public policy discussions that we will need to have. Recommendation include:
- Monitor the land use mix and, if necessary, reserve land for desired uses.
- Prioritize capital infrastructure improvements that facilitate infill and prioritized development areas. That is, do a larger number of smaller investments opposed to a smaller number of large investments.
- Engage community support for development at Barber Yard.
- Amend the fee structure account for disparate impacts. (For example, switch from calculating fees on a per unit basis to another metric, such as number of bedrooms, fixtures, or square footage…)
- Reduce the planning requirements for some SPAs. (For example, consider removing the specific plan requirements in some cases for Bell Muir SPA)
Today, our community focus is on housing, but the lack of industrial and commercial space has huge economic development impacts.
Look for the report to go to the Planning Commission and the City Council in the upcoming months.
Check it out by clicking this link: http://www.chico.ca.us/_includes/documents/CityofChico_LandAbsorptionStudy_FINAL_07-24-18.pdf