Title
Review and Comment on 2019 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Report and General Plan Update Work in Progress. The review of the annual report and General Plan update draft elements are exempt actions under the California Environmental Quality Act
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Transportation Commission
From: Andrew Thomas
Planning, Building & Transportation Director
Date: February 18, 2020
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”).
DISCUSSION
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 2019.
In addition, the Annual Report provides links to the General Plan update that is currently underway and posted on the City of Alameda website at: https://www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Planning-Building-and-Transportation/Planning-Division/2020-General-Plan-Update.
Staff is requesting that the public and Transportation Commission review and comment on:
• The Annual Report for transmittal to the City Council, and
• The work in progress on the General Plan update.
All of the work in progress on the General Plan is available for public review on the City’s General Plan Update website. On the City website, reviewers may review each element of the current General Plan and review the work in progress on each updated Element. (Paper copies of the draft elements are also available upon request.) The public is encouraged to send comments on the work in progress by emailing the city at: GPUpdate2020@alamedaca.gov <mailto:GPUpdate2020@alamedaca.gov>.
The work in progress currently available for public review on the City Website includes the first draft of the following Elements:
• Introduction,
• Climate Action and Conservation,
• Open Space and Recreation, and
• Safety and Noise.
In the next 30 days, staff will post the updates to the following elements:
• Land Use and City Design, and
• Transportation and Mobility.
The Housing Element will not be updated until 2022 as required by State law.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The General Plan Update will require environmental review prior to adoption by the City Council at the end of the 2020. Reviewing and commenting on draft documents is not a “project” under CEQA that requires environmental review at this time.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Transportation Commission review and comment on:
• the Annual Report for transmittal to the City Council (Exhibit 1), and
• the work in progress on the General Plan update located on the front page of the City website at the link provided in the staff report and in Exhibit 2
Respectfully Submitted By:
Andrew Thomas
Planning, Building & Transportation Director
Exhibits:
1. General Plan and Housing Element Annual Report
2. General Plan work in progress