To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: MARC WEINER, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
TITLE
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PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER, DISCUSS, AND RECEIVE PUBLIC INPUT ON UPDATES TO FIVE GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS (LAND USE, OPEN SPACE & CONSERVATION, NOISE, AND SAFETY), ASSOCIATED AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY’S ZONING ORDINANCES AND LOCAL COASTAL PROGRAM, AND CERTIFICATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
PROCEDURES:
1. Open the public hearing; and
2. Take public testimony; and
3. Provide policy direction to staff; and
4. Continue the public hearing to October 15, 2024
end
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City is in the process of updating the Land Use, Open Space and Conservation, Safety and Noise Elements of the General Plan, and Associated Zoning Ordinance amendments. The General Plan is composed of various State required elements and provides long-term policy direction to guide the physical development, conservation, and sustainability of the City. The Zoning Ordinance is an implementation tool of the General Plan and is required to be consistent with its land-use designations and all of its policies. Staff is providing the City Council with an overview and chance to provide preliminary feedback on the proposed amendments to the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and Local Coastal Program (LCP).
The most significant Land Use Element and Zoning Ordinance updates are intended to implement the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element. The State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has provided the City with a deadline of February 12, 2025 to approve the Housing Element implementation updates. Because of the State-imposed deadline, staff recommends segmenting the General Plan/Zoning Ordinance approval process. Updates intended to implement the Housing Element will be recommended for adoption on October 29, 2024, while the remaining items will be considered for adoption at later dates. This will provide the City Council with additional time, if necessary, to make additional recommendations for the remaining balance of the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and LCP updates where appropriate.
BACKGROUND
In late 2016, the City Council initiated the process of updating the General Plan by awarding the contract for planning and environmental consulting services to Placeworks, Inc. for updates to the “Land Use Element” and “Conservation, Recreation and Parks, and Open Space Element” of the City’s General Plan, preparation of the required environmental impact report (EIR), and appointing the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) to work with staff and the consultant and help guide the project. The GPAC participated in amending the General Plan, which included updates to the Introduction, along with updated Goals, Policies, and Implementation Measures for the Land Use, Open Space and Conservation, Safety, and Noise Elements of the document. The GPAC conducted a total of twenty-eight meetings, with the final meeting taking place on January 31, 2024.
While in the process of working with the GPAC to update the General Plan, the City initiated a parallel process to update its 6th Cycle Housing Element (2021-2029), which was adopted by the City Council on July 5, 2022 and certified by the State HCD on September 1, 2022. The policies and programs in the Housing Element, along with the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation for identifying locations to accommodate 2,490 housing units require implementing the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance amendments before February 12, 2024. Specifically, the housing units prescribed in the RHNA include 936 units for very low-income households, 508 units for low-income households, 490 units for moderate income households, and 556 units for above moderate-income households. In order to accommodate the RHNA, the following sites were identified for the creation of an overlay zone to allow for residential uses at a density of 55 dwelling units per acre (du/ac) with a minimum density of 20 du/ac:
• North Tech (C-4-RO)
• Kingsdale (C-4-RO & RH-RO)
• South of Transit Center (IF-RO)
• 190th Street (C-2-RO & I-2-RO)
• South Bay Marketplace (IF-RO)
• FedEx (MU-1-RO)
The Housing Element also includes several “Programs” intended to reduce governmental constraints to the Citywide production of housing in compliance with State Housing Law. Both the RHNA obligation and the Programs contained within the Housing Element were the primary drivers for several updates to the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance.
The Planning Commission reviewed the proposed updates at four separate meetings and recommended that City Council approve the documents, with modifications, at a September 19, 2024 public hearing. The Planning Commissions Resolution includes their proposed modifications.
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
The City is updating the Land Use, Open Space and Conservation, Safety, and Noise Elements of the General Plan. Since its initial meeting on April 27, 2017, the GPAC conducted twenty-eight meetings, with their final meeting taking place on January 31, 2024. The General Plan includes goals, policies, and implementation measures that guide future programs and decisions made by the City. The Land Use Element, in particular, guides future development, ensures a range of land uses to support the community’s vision of diverse housing options and a vibrant economy, and provides direction on how uses should relate to one another to ensure a high quality of life in the City.
General Plan Elements that are NOT being updated at this time include:
• Utilities Element (approved 1992, reformatted 2024)
• Solid Waste Management and Recycling Element (approved 1992, reformatted 2024)
• Transportation and Circulation Element (approved 2009, updated 2021)
• Housing Element (approved 2022)
Below is a summary of the updates to the Land Use, Open Space and Conversation, Safety, and Noise Element.
Land Use Element: California state law requires that every city and county adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan that addresses the broad range of issues associated with a local jurisdiction’s planning area (Government Code § 65300).
California Government Code Section 65302(a) stipulates that the general plan must designate the proposed general distribution, general location, and extent of the uses of the land for housing, commerce, industry, open space, education, and public facilities. It further requires that the Land Use Element include a statement of the standards of population density and building intensity for the land use designations that comprise the City’s land use plan.
The Land Use Element provides the primary basis for City decisions on development applications and establishes policies to help establish the general framework for the future pattern of growth, development, and sustainability in Redondo Beach. The goals, policies, and implementation measures within this element support the City’s Vision, and Guiding Principles contribute to the character of the community and serve the health, safety, and needs of the community.
The important components of this element are the policy framework, which includes the goals and policies that guide land-use decisions and help shape future development and public investment; the land use plan, including the land use map and designations; the focus areas and special policy areas discussions; and the implementation measures (Appendix B).
Following years of outreach and collaborative efforts to gain feedback from the community, the GPAC, Planning Commission, City Council, and other stakeholders (residents and the business community at public workshops), a vision statement and guiding principles were established. The goals, policies, and implementation measures contained in this Element were developed with the vision and guiding principals in mind.
As established by the vision statement and guiding principles, the intent of the approach in the development of the Land Use Element and Land Use Plan (map and designations) was to maintain the fundamental pattern of existing land uses in the City, preserve residential neighborhoods and commercial and industrial districts, provide opportunities for enhancement and improvements through intensification or reuse within centers of community activity and identity, and to provide locations and development intensities for accommodating the City’s State-mandated RHNA. As such, changes to the plan aimed to:
• Preserve established residential neighborhoods and principal commercial districts allowing for infill development and recycling of uses that are compatible with adjacent development
• Maintain the fundamental pattern of existing land uses, preserving residential neighborhoods and commercial and industrial districts, while providing opportunities for intensification or reuse of focused areas of the City (Special Policy Areas, for example)
• Focus on reuse or repurpose of underutilized sites (transitioning retail properties), corridors, and areas located adjacent to the freeway and proposed (or planned) Metro station stops such as the North Tech District, Galleria, and South Bay Marketplace
• Target change in areas essential to satisfy the City’s State-mandated obligation to demonstrate it could meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) requirements for housing
Some of the changes to the mixed-use designations are required by the Housing Element, but the Land Use Plan also reflects recommendations of the GPAC to reduce the maximum density of mixed-use development in the commercial corridors and concentrate new mixed-use growth on properties with deep enough lots to allow for projects that transition to adjacent residential neighborhoods. Mixed-use designations are identified in areas where recent mixed-use projects have developed, areas required by the Housing Element, and areas with deeper lots.
In addition to identifying the locations and residential development intensities required in order to satisfy the City’s RHNA obligation and maintain its certified Housing Element, the development of new and innovative goals and policies for environmental sustainability, historic preservation, and the development of Special Policy Areas (SPAs) for enhancing, revitalizing, and, in some cases, preserving the City’s most critical commercial and industrial centers were the most significant new components of the updates to the Land Use Element. The following seven SPAs are identified that warrant special policy direction due to the role they play in the City, either as a gateway, corridor, district, or activity center:
• North Redondo Tech District (SPA-1)
• Artesia Boulevard (SPA-2)
• Aviation Boulevard (SPA-3)
• Galleria (SPA-4)
• North PCH (SPA-5a)
• Central PCH (SPA-5b)
• Torrance Boulevard (SPA-5c)
• South PCH (SPA-6)
• Riviera Village (SP-7)
Land use changes required by the Housing Element, include the creation of six residential overlay areas to promote affordable housing development, map changes to adjust where residential high (RH) and mixed-use land uses are allowed (see Figure 2.1), definition changes to increase to the maximum density allowed within RH zones (see Table 2.1), and several revisions to the City’s mixed-use designations.
In addition to changes required by the Housing Element and changes to the mixed-use areas/definitions, the Land Use Plan includes changes to commercial, industrial, and public/institutional uses.
Commercial changes are limited to SPAs, and include increasing the development potential within select commercial corridors to allow for reinvestment and redevelopment of project larger footprints and intensity. The Land Use Plan also establishes a new Commercial Neighborhood (CN) land use designation (see Table 2.1), applied to SPAs covering the City’s corridors and gateways (along PCH and Artesia, Aviation, and Torrance Boulevards). The CN designation aims to foster commercial districts with uses that support adjacent residential neighborhoods and provide goods and services for residents and businesses in a pedestrian-oriented environment.
The Land Use Plan also redesignates some of the existing residential properties within the PCH corridor from residential (RH and R-3) to Commercial (CN and C-4) to allow for uses that are more compatible with the location adjacent to one of the City’s busiest thoroughfares. Provisions in the zoning ordinance would allow existing residential uses to remain, but new residential development would only be allowed under provisions of SB 6, consistent with State Law.
Industrial changes are focused around existing and future Metro stations. North of Manhattan Beach Boulevard (near the existing Metro station) the Land Use Plan preserves opportunities for new jobs to develop when market conditions allow by preserving existing industrial areas and increasing the amount of development that could occur by increasing the floor area ratio (FAR) from 0.7 to 1.0 (See Figure 2.1 for locations and Table 2.1 for the proposed increases in FAR). Within the Galleria SPA (near the planned Metro station), the Land Use Plan establishes an Industrial Flex (IF) designation (see Table 2.1) to preserve existing industrial areas while providing for an integrated mix of light industrial, commercial, and office uses in a creative/tech incubator district to encourage opportunities to live and work in proximity to resources and transit if housing is built within the Housing Element Residential Overlay.
Changes to Public, Institutional, and Open Space designations initially proposed to divide a single land use designation for public uses into three designations to better depict the general character of the uses allowed on each site. The designations included Public Institutional (PI), Public/Utility (U), and Parks and Open Space (OS). The divided designations also establish a maximum FAR, which was not previously included in the General Plan. The FAR was added to comply with State General Plan Law requiring Cities to establish standards of population density and building intensity for the various districts covered by the plan (Gov. Code Section 65302). Table 2.1 includes the definitions and proposed FARs for the new designations and Figure 2.1 identifies where each applies. Although the initial Public, Institutional, and Open Space designations included a category for the Public/Utility (U), with the recent decommissioning of the AES site and the unknown downstream implications upon the SCE Transmission Towers, staff and the Planning Commission recommend maintaining the existing General Plan designation definition of Public (P) for these properties.
Open Space & Conservation Element: The Open Space and Conservation Element serves as both the “open space” and “conservation” elements required by the California Government Code. The open space element is required to ensure that “cities and counties recognize that open space land is a limited and valuable resource which must be conserved whenever possible” (California Government Code [CGC] § 65562[a]; CGC § 65561 and § 65302[e]), while the conservation element is required to address the conservation, development, and utilization of natural resources (CGC § 65302[a]). In Redondo Beach, a coastal city that is generally built out and has limited, but important, natural resources, conservation efforts are largely related to the protection of coastal resources (including King Harbor, beaches, and bluffs), water resources (including water supply, stormwater, and groundwater recharge), and biological resources (including wildlife habitats and the City’s urban forest).
This Element provides information about, and policy direction, for the City’s parks, public spaces, community facilities, programs, events, and the conservation of natural resources. The Goals and Policies defined in this Element promote the improvement, maintenance, and development of high-quality open spaces, including traditional parks and innovative privately-held public areas. The intent is to allow for the enjoyment of the City’s diverse settings, conservation of natural resources, and programming and events that meet the physical, mental, and social needs of Redondo Beach residents regardless of life stage, lifestyle, ability, or income.
The Goals and Policies within this Element emphasize and advance the City’s commitment to improving the health and wellness of residents by providing safe, accessible, and engaging park spaces for casual and organized recreation experiences. In addition, the Goals and Policies reconcile competing demands on open space resources and emphasize the vital role parks, public spaces, recreation facilities and programs, community events, and the preservation of natural resources play in economic development, land use, sustainability, climate adaptation, infrastructure, and transportation Goals.
There were a number of drivers for the update to the City’s Open Space & Conservation Element, one of which was to more accurately define and quantify the various park types within the City. Quantifying the City’s existing ratio of parkland to population (Quimby Act) was necessary to set goals for future desired ratios. The City’s existing parkland ratio is 2.1 acres per 1,000 residents and Open Space Element sets a goal of 5 acres per 1,000 residents. This analysis and goal setting supports the Quimby Act, which allows the City to require certain types of new development to provide parks through land dedication, or an in-lieu fee.
In addition to quantifying the City’s existing parks and its “parkland standard,” other Goals within this Element include, pursuing new avenues to complement the City’s existing parks, beach, and recreational network with creative approaches to establish public gathering places and recreation facilities in nontraditional settings, such as private plazas dedicated for public use and “streetlets,” which are streets that have been closed to vehicle traffic and repurposed for park/pedestrian use. The Element’s intention to pursue creative approaches of enhancing the City’s “open spaces,” combined with urban greening efforts that lessen the impact of development, will play an increasingly important role in providing opportunities for Redondo Beach community members to socialize, learn, exercise, play, and incorporate healthy behaviors in their daily routines. These “other open spaces” are recognized as recreational “resources” in the Element and include:
• Redondo Beach Municipal Pier
• King Harbor
• Boardwalk, Seawall & Public Plazas
• The Esplanade
• Pass-Throughs
• Public-Private Open Spaces
• Streetlets
• Conservation Open Spaces
- The Coastal Bluffs
The remaining emphasis in the Element concerning “Parks” was the intentional identification of “Future Opportunities” to expand the City’s open space network. The following is a list of the future “targets” identified for park expansions in the future:
• Southern California Edison Right-of-Way
• Powerplant Property (AES)
• School Facilities
- Pursue future “joint-use” agreements
• Surplus Green Areas and “Dual Purpose” Public Infrastructure
- Drainage areas - Wylie Sump
The “Conservation” components of this Element identify the City’s “resources” (including coastal, water, biological, and the City’s urban forest) and commit the City to the conservation and protection of these resources. In addition to protecting existing resources, this Element explores several opportunities to reclaim and restore natural resources that were once present in the City but have been compromised or degraded by development.
Noise Element: California Government Code 65302(f) requires municipalities to prepare and adopt a Noise Element that identifies and evaluates noise problems in the community. Per California Government Code 65302(f), the noise element needs to analyze and quantify (to the extent achievable) current and projected noise levels.
The noise element also includes implementation measures and possible solutions that address existing and foreseeable noise problems. The adopted noise element shall serve as a guideline for compliance with the state’s noise insulation standards.
The noise element of the General Plan provides a basis for comprehensive local programs to control and abate environmental noise and to protect residents and businesses from excessive exposure. The fundamental goals of the noise element are:
• To provide sufficient information concerning community noise so that noise may be effectively considered in the land use planning process
• To develop strategies for abating excessive noise exposure through effective mitigation measures in combination with zoning, as appropriate, to avoid incompatible land uses
• To protect those existing regions of the planning area whose noise environments are deemed acceptable and also those locations throughout the community deemed “noise sensitive”
• To utilize the definition of the community noise environment in the form of CNEL or Ldn noise contours as provided in the noise element for local compliance with the State Noise Insulation Standards. These standards require specified levels of outdoor to indoor noise reduction for new multifamily residential construction in areas where the outdoor noise exposure exceeds CNEL (or Ldn) 60 dBA
The Noise Element confirms the standards and policies the City proposes to utilize to define and enforce acceptable noise levels within the different land use categories that make up the City. Table 5.1 (within the attached Noise Element) entitled “Maximum Permissible Sound Levels by Land Use Category” from the Noise Element identifies the City’s proposed standards.
Safety Element: The purpose of the Safety Element is to identify and address natural and human-caused hazards existing in or near Redondo Beach that may have the potential to cause harm to residents and visitors, infrastructure, buildings, and economic systems that the City relies on. The Safety Element evaluates how these hazards are projected to change in the future, as well as a comprehensive set of goals and policies to minimize the effects of these hazards. Cooperation between the City and surrounding emergency response agencies, such as Torrance, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and El Segundo, is a key component of this element. The Safety Element serves the following functions:
• Develops a framework by which safety considerations are introduced into the land use planning process
• Facilitates the identification and mitigation of hazards for new development, thus strengthening existing codes, project review, and permitting processes
• Presents policies and implementation programs, contained in Appendix B, directed at identifying and reducing hazards in existing development
• Strengthens hazard preparedness planning and post-disaster reconstruction policies
• Identifies how hazards are likely to increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change and provides policies to increase community resilience
The Safety Element is divided into six sections addressing required or supplementary issues identified in California Government Code Section 65302(g). Each provides an overview of the hazard, as well as goals and policies to reduce the effects of the hazards. These sections include the following:
1. Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
2. Geologic and Seismic Hazards
3. Flooding and Sea Level Rise
4. Hazardous Materials
5. Fire Hazards
6. Additional Climate Change Hazards
State law provides explicit regulations on the specific requirements that must be addressed in a Safety Element. Below are the statutory requirements that guided the development of each component of this Element:
• Protect the community from risks associated with a variety of hazards, including seismic activity, landslides, flooding, and wildfire, as required by the California Government Code Section 65302(g)(1)
• Map and assess the risk associated with flood hazards, develop policies to minimize the flood risk to new development and essential public facilities, and establish effective working relationships among agencies with flood protection responsibilities, as required by California Government Code Section 65302(g)(2)
• Map and assess the risk associated with wildfire hazards, develop policies to reduce the wildfire risk to new land uses and essential facilities, ensure there is adequate road and water infrastructure to respond to fire emergencies, and establish cooperative relationships between fire protection agencies, as required by California Government Code Section 65302(g)(3)
• Assess the risks associated with climate change on local assets, populations, and resources. Note existing and planned development in at-risk areas and identify agencies responsible for providing public health and safety and environmental protection. Develop goals, policies, objectives, and feasible implementation measures to reduce the risks associated with climate change hazards, including locating new public facilities outside of at-risk areas, providing adequate infrastructure in at-risk areas, and supporting natural infrastructure for climate adaptation, as required by California Government Code Section 65302(g)(4)
• Identify residential developments in any hazard area that do not have at least two emergency evacuation routes, as required by California Government Code Section 65302(g)(5)
• Identify new information relating to flood and fire hazards and climate adaptation and resiliency strategies applicable to the city or county that was not available during the previous revision of the safety element, during each revision of the housing element or local hazard mitigation plan, but not less than once every 8 years, as required by California Government Code Section 65302(g)(6)
The development process of the Safety Element began with the GPAC but was ultimately reviewed at two public hearings before the City’s Public Safety Commission, which recommended unanimously to approve the draft Safety Element as drafted.
ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS
Updates to Title 10 Planning and Zoning of the City’s Municipal Code including the City’s Subdivision Ordinance (Chapter 1), Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 2), and Coastal Land Use Plan Implementing Ordinance (Chapter 5) include modifications required for consistency with the proposed General Plan, implementation of the City’s recently adopted Housing Element, and recent changes in State Law.
The amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning of the Municipal Code codify the community’s vision as established in the General Plan Update, implement key General Plan concepts, and implement the requirements of the 2021-2029 Housing Element. Staff has provided a table summarizing the proposed amendments to Title 10 Planning and Zoning, how they are implemented, and why the changes are required.
PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS
California Government Code Section 65354 requires the Planning Commission to make
recommendations to the legislative body on the adoption or amendment of a General Plan. A resolution has been prepared documenting the Planning Commission’s recommendations to the City Council. Some amendments were also requested by staff, including maintaining the original Public Institutional (PI) designation of three properties owned by Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD), which were originally proposed to be re-designated as Open Space (OS); increasing the minimum commercial FAR in mixed-use zones from the original proposed of .35 to .40 (out of a maximum 1.5 FAR); and maintaining the existing Public (P) designation for the AES site and SCE right-of-way, which were proposed to be changed to a new Public/Utility (PU) designation.
Other recommendations made by the Planning Commission included amending the Commercial (C-4) Zoning District FAR at .5 as opposed to 1.0 for the proposed C-4 properties along Pacific Coast Highway; include policy language that directs the City to strengthen the objective identification standards of potentially historic buildings and resources; policy language directing the City to develop a “heat island” mitigation plan that includes guidelines for cool roofs, cool pavements, and strategically placed shade trees; a new policy prohibiting installation of new artificial turf; and a separate policy establishing a goal of 29% tree canopy cover City-wide. Additionally, the Planning Commission also recommended providing an allowance of 1.25 FAR for City properties, including City Hall, the Annex, and all Fire and Police Stations in the PI Zone, and capping the FAR at .5 for all other PI Zoned properties, including those occupied by RBUSD and Beach Cities Health District. Staff has provided a summary of this issue below.
Public Institutional Zone FAR:
The updated General Plan defines PI as providing “for governmental administrative and capital facilities, schools, libraries, hospitals and associated medical offices, public cultural facilities, and other public uses, ancillary parks, recreation and open spaces.” This is consistent with the definition in the original/current General Plan.
During the Planning Commission hearing process, several public comments were made pertaining to the Public Institutional (PI) Zone, specifically, the floor area ratio. The floor area ratio (FAR) dictates how much floor area (enclosed space) can be constructed based on the size of the lot. For example, a 4,000 square-foot lot with a FAR of 0.5 would be allowed to construct a 2,000 square-foot building. The General Plan and Zoning Ordinance currently do not place a cap on the FAR for most of the PI zones, with the exception of City Hall and the Annex located on the northeast corner of PCH and Vincent Street, which have a FAR of 1.25. General Plan Law requires that all land use designations identify a building development intensity. The updated General Plan proposes to maintain the 1.25 FAR at City Hall and the Annex, and place a .75 FAR cap on the remaining PI zones, however, the Planning Commission has made an alternative recommended as noted above.
The City has received numerous public comments, both for and against, limiting the FAR in the PI zones. Those in support of capping the FAR at .75 have expressed concern that allowing a higher limit would lead to developments that are large and out of scale with the surrounding neighborhoods. Those in support of allowing a larger FAR have expressed concern that it would negatively impact the future development of the Beach Cities Health District, and other governmental institutions, and have requested that a 1.25 FAR be applied to all PI zones. To better understand the implications of setting the FAR at either intensity, staff has prepared an analysis of how much square-footage would be allowed in the PI zones under both the .75 and 1.25 scenarios in the attached “PI FAR Analysis,” which includes a table showing the existing property and building square footages, existing FAR, and square footages permitted under both a .75 and a 1.25 FAR for all PI Zoned properties.
Staff is seeking the City Council’s direction on this matter. Some of the options include maintaining the FAR as currently proposed, increasing the FAR to 1.25 for all PI zones, or increasing the FAR so that it is greater than .75, but still less than 1.25. Staff notes that the EIR and associated buildout methodology would need to be updated and recirculated for an increase of above .85 FAR.
ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a program Environmental Impact Report is being prepared and will be presented at the same time as the final draft of the General Plan Update and Zoning Ordinance Amendments. The overall purpose of this program Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is to inform the City, responsible agencies, decision makers, and the public about the potential environmental effects resulting from full implementation of the proposed Redondo Beach General Plan Update, and the associated Zoning Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance for the Coastal Zone, and Local Coastal Program amendments that are required by State Law for consistency purposes. This DEIR addresses effects that may be significant and adverse; evaluates alternatives to the project; and identifies mitigation measures and alternatives to reduce or avoid identified potentially adverse effects. Included as an appendix to the program Environmental Impact Report is a document that explains the buildout assumptions and methodologies utilized for projecting the potential growth in the City over the next 25 years. The horizon year of the General Plan Update is 2050. An attachment to the DEIR entitled “Appendix A-Buildout Methodology” which explains the projections used to analyze the “project” was provided to the Planning Commission with the General Plan Update documents. The DEIR was released for a 47-day public comment period which started August 1, 2024 and ended on September 16, 2024. While the DEIR is available on the City website for review, the Final EIR inclusive of all comments received and responses to the comments, will be presented to the City Council at its October 15, 2024 meeting.
COORDINATION
The City Attorney’s Office was consulted on matters related to the implementation of the Housing Element including the Zoning Ordinance, Local Coastal Program Amendments, and the preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Report.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost of the agreement with PlaceWorks, and associated subconsultants, for the General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and Local Coastal Program Updates is $2,272,372. Except for the initial General Fund expenditure of $676,900, the costs to fund this work have been paid from the General Plan Maintenance Fund and Local Early Action Planning (LEAP) Grant reimbursement funds awarded by the State.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• Attachment 1 - Zoning Summary Table
• Attachment 2 - Planning Commission Resolution
- Exhibit A - DEIR Link
- Exhibit B - General Plan Update Links and PC Modifications
- Exhibit C - Subdivision Ordinance Updates
- Exhibit D - Zoning Ordinance Updates
- Exhibit E - Zoning Ordinance Coastal Zone Updates
- Exhibit F - Local Coastal Program Updates
• Attachment 3 - Public Institutional (PI) FAR Analysis