Title
Public Hearing to Review and Comment on 2023 Annual Reports. Review and Comment on the Annual Reports on the General Plan/Housing Element, Transportation Choices Plan, Vision Zero Action Plan, Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, and Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan. CEQA Determination: Endorsement of the annual reports is statutorily exempt from environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3).
Body
To: Honorable President and Members of the Planning Board
From: Steven Buckley, Secretary to the Planning Board
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Annual Report includes annual reports on the General Plan, Active Transportation Plan, Vision Zero Action Plan, Transportation Choices Plan, Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, and Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan:
• General Plan and Housing Element Annual Report (Exhibit 1)
• Transportation 2023 Annual Report & 2024 Plan Draft (Exhibit 2)
• Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP) and Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan 2023 Annual Report & 2024 Work Plan Draft (Exhibit 3)
These documents show City progress towards its goals as well as priority actions for the coming calendar year. The plans all require the preparation and presentation of annual reports that the City Council accepts each year.
Planning Board comments on these Annual Reports and associated priorities for the upcoming years will be transmitted to the City Council in March, in time for the City Council’s June public hearings and adoption of budget decisions.
Staff provides these annual reports early in the spring of each year so that the community and City Council is able to use the annual reports to inform citywide budget and Capital Improvement Program (“CIP”) decisions.
BACKGROUND
Every city and county in the State of California is required to adopt and maintain an up-to-date General Plan, which establishes the local development and conservation policies necessary to guide physical development and protect the general health, safety and welfare of the community. The General Plan should be an “integrated, internally consistent and compatible statement of policies for the adopting agency.” (Gov. Code, § 65300.5.) Government Code section 65400 et seq. requires that the City of Alameda (City) annually review the adequacy of the General Plan and progress made toward meeting the City’s regional housing needs allocation (RHNA).
The Annual Report on the General Plan describes the current status of the General Plan and progress towards meeting the City’s RHNA over the past year. The report identifies priorities for the upcoming year to better achieve General Plan and Housing Element objectives and regional housing obligations.
The Transportation Annual Report provides performance metrics, 2023 accomplishments, and a plan to move transportation forward in 2024. This report fulfills the Active Transportation Plan (2022), Vision Zero Action Plan (2021), and Transportation Choices Plan (2018) requirements for an annual review of progress made toward meeting the City’s transportation goals.
The CARP Annual Report presents the CARP’s vision and goals, 2024 work plan objectives, 2023 accomplishments and next steps, partnerships and staffing updates, and funding needs. This report also fulfills the annual reporting requirement for the Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan (2022).
DISCUSSION
The following provides a summary of the Annual Reports:
General Plan Annual Report. The attached annual report on the status of the General Plan provides an assessment of the City’s General Plan and progress made toward meeting the city’s regional housing need in 2023, the first year of the current 2023-2031 Housing Element planning period. As described in the Annual Report, Alameda’s housing production for the first year (permits issued for 142 units) is far from meeting the projected goal of 5,353 the planning period due to economic uncertainties in the 2023 calendar year. However, should the market conditions improve, the City has adequately planned for development opportunities to meet the housing goal, and priorities for the upcoming years will continue to focus on creating affordable housing in Alameda.
Transportation and Vision Zero Annual Report. Transportation goals set by the General Plan Mobility Element (2021), Active Transportation Plan (2022), Vision Zero Action Plan (2021), and Transportation Choices Plan (2018) include: eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2035; providing for the mobility needs of the full diversity of Alameda community members; expanding and improving alternatives to low occupancy automobile trips to incentivize mode shift; and reducing the transportation system’s impacts on the environment.
Climate Action and Resiliency Plan Annual Report. The goals of the CARP are reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 through transportation, building energy, carbon sequestration and waste reduction actions; increasing resiliency to flooding, drought, extreme heat, hazardous air quality and earthquakes; and building social resilience and local government capacity. In addition to the numerical GHG reduction goal, the CARP aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions as soon as possible in accordance with Alameda’s Climate Emergency Declaration, which was passed in March 2019 by the City Council. The Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan outlines the actions Alameda will take to reduce the impacts on natural and climate disasters on Alameda.
The City Council plans to consider accepting the final reports in March 2024. Staff invites the Board and the community to review and comment on all Annual Reports.
ALTERNATIVES
The Planning Board may:
• Review and comment on all the reports and associated priorities.
• Recommend revisions to one or more of the reports and associated priorities.
• Request more time to review the reports before commenting.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Endorsement of the annual reports will have no impact on the General Fund. The recommended priority actions are designed to be accomplished within existing (or anticipated) approved budgets and with existing (or anticipated) funding sources, where the City is the lead agency. Final budget decisions on specific programs and capital projects will be made by the City Council when it approves the Biennial Budget and Capital Improvement Program. Endorsement of a work priority in the Annual Report does not predetermine or obligate the City Council to make a particular funding decision when it adopts the citywide Budget and Capital Improvement Program.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action does not affect the Alameda Municipal Code. An annual review of the General Plan, Transportation Choices Plan, Vision Zero Action Plan, Climate Adaptation and Hazard Mitigation Plan, and the CARP are required by the respective plans. Undertaking the annual reports is consistent with the City's General Plan.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Endorsement of the annual reports is statutorily exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the general rule that CEQA only applies to actions that have the potential to cause a significant impact on the environment.
CLIMATE IMPACT
These planning documents will improve transportation operations, energy and water efficiencies, sequester carbon and reduce waste to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and also will improve the resiliency to the impacts of climate change.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and comment on the General Plan Annual Report, Transportation 2023 Annual Report & 2024 Work Plan Draft, as well as the CARP 2023 Annual Report & 2024 Work Plan Draft, and endorse them for advancing to Council.
Respectfully submitted,
Allen Tai, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Annual Reports prepared by,
Steve Buckley, Planning Services Manager
Lisa Foster, Acting Transportation Planning Manager
Nancy McPeak, Executive Assistant
Danielle Mieler, Sustainability and Resilience Manager
Exhibits:
1. General Plan Annual Report 2023
2. Transportation 2023 Annual Report and 2024 Work Plan Draft (includes Vision Zero Action Plan & Active Transportation Plan reports)
3. CARP 2023 Annual Report and 2024 Work Plan Draft