Title
Planning Board Review of General Plan Chapter 1 Settings, and Organization of the General Plan Update. The review of the General Plan Chapters 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: April 22, 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.) The City of Alameda General Plan is available at: <https://alamedaca.gov/community-development/planning/general-plan>.
As described in prior reports to the Planning Board and City Council, the General Plan Introduction (Chapter 1. Settings, and Organization of the General Plan), Land Use Element, City Design Element, Parks Element, and Open Space Element have not been comprehensively reviewed since adoption in 1991.
Staff has begun a staff review of these chapters and will be proposing a comprehensive update for community and Planning Board review at a future meeting of the Planning Board. In preparation for these future discussions, staff has prepared an update to Chapter 1 Settings, and Organization of the General Plan for Planning Board and community review and consideration.
A first draft revision to Chapter 1 is attached as Exhibit 1. For comparison purposes, the existing Chapter 1 adopted in February 1991 is attached as Exhibit 2.
DISCUSSION
The revisions to Chapter 1 shown in Exhibit 1 are intended to:
• Update the text from the 1991 Chapter 1 to reflect 2019 state and local requirements, priorities and needs,
• Ensure internal consistency between Chapter 1 text and other elements of the General Plan that have been adopted in recent years, and
• Provide the information in a graphic format that is more appealing and user friendly and more on-line friendly. (In 1991, most users accessed the General Plan by purchasing a copy from the City. In 2019, most people access the General Plan from the City website.)
General Plan Update Process:
As described in the February 25, 2019 General Plan Annual Report, the City has begun the process of updating the five chapters of the General Plan that have not been comprehensively updated in the last 29 years.
Staff is proposing to prepare the update and public review and adoption process in a series of steps over the course of 12 months.
The sequence of steps are as follows:
Step #1: Introduction Chapter Staff prepares first draft update for Chapter 1 and submits for Planning Board review and comment. Planning Board and public comment on first draft, but Planning Board does not take final action to recommend to City Council. (Exhibit #1 to this report is the first draft update of Chapter 1.)
Step #2: Land Use and City Design Chapters Staff prepares first draft update for Chapter 2 Land Use Element and Chapter 3 City Design Element. (Staff is proposing to combine Land Use and City Design into a single consolidated Element entitled Land Use and City Design that also includes updates to address climate change, priority development areas, and updated growth projections.) Planning Board and public comment on first draft update, but Planning Board does not take final action to recommend to City Council. Planning Board and public are able to review Land Use and City Design Chapter and Chapter 1 together and direct changes to both chapters to ensure internal consistency between the chapters.
The Land Use and City Design Element update will incorporate the Planning Board’s recent recommendations regarding the Land Use Element land use classifications, which have not yet been adopted by the City Council.
Step #3. Open Space and Park Chapters. Staff prepares first draft update to Chapter 5 Open Space and Conservation Element and Chapter 6 Parks and Recreation, Shoreline Access, Schools and Cultural Facilities Element. (Staff is proposing to combine the two element into a single “Parks and Open Space Element”) Planning Board and public comment on first draft update, but Planning Board does not take final action to recommend to City Council. Planning Board and public are able to Parks and Open Space Chapter with Land Use and City Design Chapter and Chapter 1 all together and direct changes to any of the three chapters to ensure internal consistency between the chapters.
Step #4.Internal Consistency Review of other Chapters. Staff reviews all other chapters in General Plan (Transportation, Housing, Safety and Noise, Alameda Point, and Northern Waterfront) to identify any changes necessary in those chapters to ensure internal consistency with Planning Board’s comments on updated Introduction, Land Use, City Design, and Parks and Open Space Elements. Staff submits those findings and recommended amendments to Planning Board and public for consideration.
Step #5: Complete General Plan Update and Environmental Review. Staff prepares a complete General Plan document with all of the Planning Board recommended amendments and updates for all of the chapters for Planning Board and public review.
Step #6: Planning Board Final Review and Recommendation. Planning Board reviews all remaining public comments on complete General Plan update and environmental review and makes final recommendations to City Council.
Step #7: City Council Action. City Council holds public hearings to consider Planning Board recommended General Plan update.
Conclusions: At this time, staff would like to ask that the Planning Board and public review and comment on:
1. The first draft revision to Chapter 1.
2. The proposed graphic format for chapter, which would serve as the new format for the entire general plan, and
3. The proposed sequence of steps proposed for the completion of the update over the next 12 months.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Reviewing an existing elements of the General Plan is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), nor is an annual report defined as a “project” under CEQA. Any future decisions to amend these chapters will be subject to environmental review and the appropriate review will be conducted at that time.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Board review and comment on:
• The first draft revision to Chapter 1 (Exhibit 1)
• The proposed graphic format for chapter, which would serve as the new format for the entire general plan (as shown in Exhibit 1), and
• The proposed sequence of steps proposed for the completion of the update over the next 12 months described in this report.
Respectfully Submitted By:
Andrew Thomas
Acting Planning, Building & Transportation Director
Exhibits:
1. Chapter 1 Settings, and Organization of the General Plan (draft update)
2. Chapter 1 Settings, and Organization of the General Plan (existing)