Title
Planning Board Recommendation that the City Council Accept the City of Alameda 2018 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Report and Adopt Recommended General Plan Text Amendments to resolve conflicting language between the residential density standards in the 1991 Land Use Element with the residential density standards adopted in the 2012 Housing Element to bring the General Plan into conformance with state housing law. The amendment also includes clarifications regarding business park development standards. The review of the annual report and Land Use Elements are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas
Acting Planning, Building & Transportation Director
Date: February 11, 2019
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.” (Government Code section 65300.5.)
In addition Government Code § 65400 et seq. requires that the City of Alameda annually review the adequacy of the General Plan and progress made toward meeting the City’s regional housing need allocation (the “RHNA”).
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 2018. The attached report includes recommended priority amendments to the General Plan and Zoning Code to achieve local Alameda and State of California planning objectives and requirements. The Annual Report is attached as Exhibit 1.
The City of Alameda General Plan is available at: <https://alamedaca.gov/community-development/planning/general-plan>.
On November 13, 2018, the Planning Board endorsed two recommended amendments to the Land Use Element. At the meeting, the Board recommended a number of text changes and requested an opportunity to review the final text prior to presentation to the City Council for final action. The November 13, 2018 staff analysis in support of the amendments is provided in Exhibit 2. The draft resolution endorsing the Annual Report and recommending the amendments is attached as Exhibit 3.
DISCUSSION
Staff is requesting that the public and Planning Board:
• Review and endorse the Annual Report, including the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance Priority Work Program described on pages 7 through 9 in the Annual Report, and
• Review and recommend the two specific amendments endorsed by the Planning Board on November 13, 2018.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Endorsement of the General Plan and Housing Element annual report (Exhibit 1) is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), nor is an annual report defined as a “project” under CEQA.
The proposed land use amendments (Exhibit 2 and 3) are statutorily exempt from further review under the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3), the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. The proposed amendments do not establish new General Plan policies that could cause an effect on the environment. They simply eliminate out of date information and language from the 1991 Land Use Element that conflict with language within the 2014 Housing Element; therefore the proposed amendments do not establish new land use policy that could have a new significant impact on the environment.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Board approve the draft resolution (Exhibit 3) endorsing the Annual Report, endorsing the Work Program Priorities, and recommending the two specific land use amendments.
Respectfully Submitted By:
Andrew Thomas
Acting Planning, Building & Transportation Director
Exhibits:
1. General Plan and Housing Element Annual Report
2. November 13, 2018 staff analysis in support of the amendments
3. Draft Resolution