Title
Discuss the Alameda General Plan Update, including the Mobility Element and Transportation Element Appendix (Discussion)
Body
Transportation Commission
July 28, 2021
Item #6D
(DISCUSSION)
Discuss the Alameda General Plan Update, including the Mobility Element and Transportation Element Appendix
To: Honorable Chair and
Members of the Transportation Commission
From: Andrew Thomas,
Planning, Building & Transportation Director
executive summary
The purpose of this agenda item is to provide an opportunity for the public and Transportation Commission to review and comment on staff proposed revisions to the March 2021 draft Alameda General Plan 2040. The March 2021 Draft General Plan, draft Environmental Impact Report and existing General Plan are available for review at www.alameda2040.org <http://www.alameda2040.org>.
Since publication of the March 2021 draft General Plan, the Planning Board has held a joint meeting with the Transportation Commission and a joint meeting with the Historical Advisory Board to review and comment on the March 2021 draft General Plan. The Planning Board and staff have received comments from a wide variety of individuals and organizations on the draft General Plan. Based on the comments and direction received, City staff has compiled a list of recommended revisions to the March 2021 draft General Plan.
The recommended revisions are all shown in Exhibit 1. Exhibit 1 has been updated to reflect the comments and discussion from the Planning Board meeting on July 12, 2021. To assist review, staff has highlighted text in yellow that has been changed since the June 29th version of Exhibit 1.
At this time, staff is requesting that the Transportation Commission review and comment on Exhibit 1, including the proposal to integrate the Transportation Element Appendix of street classifications directly into the Mobility Element of the General Plan.
background
State law requires the City of Alameda to maintain a General Plan that is an “integrated, internally consistent and compatible statement of policies for the adopting agency.” (Government Code section 65300.5.) The General Plan establishes the local development and conservation policies necessary to guide physical development and protect the general health, safety and welfare of the community and the environment. The last comprehensive update of the current General Plan occurred almost 30 years ago and was designed to serve the City for 20 years or until 2010.
In August of 2020, staff completed the August 2020 (initial) draft Alameda General Plan 2040 for public review and comment, and set up a website (<https://www.alameda2040.org/>) where updates, documents, and surveys could be accessed by the public. In the Fall of 2020, the Alameda Planning Board held four public forums that each focused discussion and review of the four themes of the General Plan, that of Equity, Access, Environment and Character (refer to Page 19 of Chapter 1, General Plan Organization and Themes). Approximately 75-80 people attended each of these forums. Over 1,500 individuals provided written comments and suggestions for improvements to the draft Plan through the General Plan update website, meetings and surveys. In addition, City staff met with a wide variety of organizations and groups, and benefited from recommendations received by over 25 organizations. (Refer to Forward, page 5, for a complete list of these organizations.)
Staff compiled the feedback and prepared the March 2021 draft General Plan, which synthesizes comments received from the Planning Board, the public, and other boards, community groups and commissions. Staff published the March 2021 draft General Plan on March 1, 2021. The March 2021 Draft General Plan is available for public review and comment at www.alameda2040.org <http://www.alameda2040.org>.
On June 25, 2021, the public comment period ended on the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the General Plan. Once staff has prepared all the necessary amendments to the draft EIR and completed written responses to all the comments received on the EIR, staff will publish the Final EIR for Planning Board final consideration and recommendation to the City Council.
Concurrently with the preparation of the Final EIR, staff is preparing the final list of revisions to the March 2021 draft General Plan. Upon completion of the Final EIR and the final list of revisions, staff plans to bring the Final EIR, the March 2021 draft General Plan, and the final list of Planning Board recommended revisions to the Planning Board for final recommendation to the City Council in September, which will allow the City Council to hold its final public hearings on the General Plan update this fall.
DISCUSSION
Since publication of the March 2021 draft General Plan, the Planning Board has held a joint meeting with the Transportation Commission and a joint meeting with the Historical Advisory Board to review and comment on the March 2021 draft General Plan. The Planning Board and staff have received comments from a wide variety of individuals and organizations on the draft General Plan. Based on the comments and direction received, City staff has compiled a list of recommended revisions to the March 2021 draft General Plan.
The recommended revisions are all shown in Exhibit 1. Exhibit 1 has been updated to reflect the comments and discussion from the Planning Board meeting on July 12, 2021. To assist review, staff has highlighted text that has been changed.
Of particular note to the Transportation Commission is the staff recommendation to simplify the Transportation Element Appendix and to add the revised text directly into the Mobility Element. Similar to the Land Use Element, which has a Land Use Diagram and a set of Land Use Classifications to guide land use decisions, staff is recommending that the Mobility Element have a set of Street Classification and maps (which were formerly in the Appendix).
The Street Classifications to be added to the Mobility Element are shown on pages 38 through 42 in Exhibit 1. The associated maps from the Appendix will also be added to the Mobility Element to illustrate the location of the different Street Classifications with the City. At this time, staff is requested that the Transportation Commission and Alameda community review the draft amendments and provide direction as to whether any additional revisions are necessary. Based upon the comments received on July 28, 2021, staff plans to return to the Planning Board on September 12, 2021 with a final recommended set of amendments, a final Environmental Impact Report and a final draft resolution recommending that the City Council adopt the draft General Plan will all the recommended amendments.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and comment on the draft General Plan revisions (Exhibit 1).
Respectfully Submitted by:
Andrew Thomas
Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
Exhibit:
1. Proposed Revisions to March 2021 Draft General Plan