During the General Plan process, the City identified approximately 7426 available average daily trips (ADTs) on the portion of Moulton Parkway between Leisure World Gate 3 and Santa Maria. The Golden Rain Foundation proposed a land use designation (Urban Activity Center) that would utilize all of these trips, less trips required to support its new Clubhouse 7. During the environmental review period, the City solicited comments from the County, neighboring cities and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) on the City’s assumptions and their affect on countywide development plans and the adequacy of adjacent streets and highways. No negative or protest comments from these agencies were received. The 7426 trips were reserved in the City’s General Plan and have been included in the current Orange County Transportation Analysis Model (OCTAM). Subsequently, this number was reduced by 500-700 trips associated with Clubhouse 7, leaving 6,726 – 6,926 available for the UAC.
Before any construction can occur in the UAC area, the City must approve a specific plan for the entire area. This plan will be subject to environmental review, as will specific development projects within the UAC. As development proposals move through the City planning process, there will be new opportunities for individuals and surrounding cities to comment on traffic associated with Moulton Parkway. Generally, trips included in the General Plan are considered a given and comment focuses on whether development proposals increase traffic beyond that which has already been reserved in the General Plan. However, there are several circumstances that might affect ADTs available for development along Moulton Parkway.
- The OCTAM is updated on a regular basis. OCTA consultants conduct traffic studies and report current traffic patterns. The results of these studies are input into the model and may increase or decrease available ADTs on streets and highways. Cities can accept this data and modify their circulation elements or proceed with their existing General Plan assumptions. Individuals and neighboring communities may protest and/or sue if a city approves development that is out of sync with the updated County model.
- Regardless of approved general or specific plans, if streets actually become gridlocked, individuals and neighboring communities can protest and/or sue if a city approves additional development that will make the situation worse.
- The Master Plan of Arterial Highways contains “paper” roadways that may or may not ever be constructed. These roadways and their ability to carry traffic are included in the OCTAM, and development is allowed based on the assumption that roadways will be built when necessary. If a roadway is removed from the plan, the OCTAM is updated and available ADTs may be reduced as trip patterns are reallocated. Two such roadways may have an impact on available ADTs in Laguna Woods – the extensions of Santa Maria Avenue and Ridge Route Drive. During the General Plan process, staff specifically noted that removal of either of these extensions was likely to reduce the number of still available ADTs on both Moulton Parkway and El Toro Road.
Laguna Woods’ residents may notice that development is occurring along Irvine Center Drive and may be concerned that ADTs associated with this development or with the Great Park will reduce development opportunities in the City of Laguna Woods. The current OCTAM includes trips associated with the Great Park and the current development along Irvine Center Drive. The City has reviewed environmental documentation associated with some of these projects and staff will continue to monitor development that might affect our General Plan and reserved ADTs. If the City finds that a proposal in another city would affect our General Plan, the City will protest through the environmental review process and the City Council has the ability to pursue a resolution in the court system.
Every level of environmental review that a project goes through increases the possibility that it will not be challenged. The reservation of available ADTs in the General Plan provides a certain level of certainty; adoption of a specific plan may increases this level. But, until a specific project is actually constructed, ADT assumptions are subject to challenge.
