HomeMy WebLinkAbout00 - Non-Agenda Item - HandoutAugust 24, 2021
Non -Agenda Item - General Plan Update
For about 1.5 years the city has been updating its Housing Element. This City
Council has told the public repeatedly this update included the Housing Element,
Land Use Element and Circulation Element, and that the Housing Element would go
to a vote of the public.
I attended the scoping meeting last week forthe EIR being prepared forthe Housing
Element Update. Staff did a very good job, especially Mr. Zdeba. I believe he has
a bright future.
At the meeting the public was told the following:
• The Project being analyzed by the EIR included the Housing and Circulation
Elements.
• The Land Use Element will be update along with other Elements in about a
year -and -a -half.
• There would be no public Greenlight vote on the Housing Element Update.
This is inconsistent with what the City Council told the public.
Who is in charge?
This means there will be no Safety Element or Environmental Justice Element Update
with the Housing Element. The Safety Element is mandated to be updated with the
Housing Element. An Environmental Justice Element update is mandated when 2 or
more elements are updated.
General Plan Elements are required to maintain internal consistency. This means the
Housing Element and Circulation Element will have no impact on land use, safety or
environmental justice. I wonder what the state Attorney General's office will say when
they review the General Plan Update and it's EIR?
This is like saying the policy of "Open Boarders" will have no impact!
Why not just say the Housing Element policies will have no impact because they are
just policies and prepare a CEQA Negative Declaration and update all the other
Elements in a year -and -a -half.
David Tanner Page 1 of 3
dave@earsi.com
Furthermore, the public was told:
• The Housing Element was subject to change. It was currently undergoing a
60 -day review by HCD.
• The type of EIR being prepared is a Program EIR. (A program EIR will be most
helpful in dealing with subsequent activities if it deals with the effects of the
program as specifically and comprehensively as possible. With a good and
detailed analysis of the program, many subsequent activities could be found
to be within the scope of the project described in the program EIR, and no
further environmental documents would be required.)
• The draft EIR would be released for public review 6 weeks after the deadline
for public comments; (Talk about an Earl Scheib paint job at Newport Beach
prices! and
• As a matter of housecleaning, the 191h Street bridge is being removed from
the Circulation Element. (Does this mean the city giving up on an alternative
to widening WCH? Is the city's mind made up even before we learn the
cumulative impacts to our circulation system from RHNA?)
California Department of Housing & Community Development
https://www.hcd.ca.gov/community-development/building-blocks/other-
requirements/analysis-consistency-general-plan.shtml
"Requisite Analysis
Analysis of Consistency with General Plan
The housing element affects a locality's policies for growth and residential land
uses. Among other things, the housing element establishes the locality's housing
goals, policies, and objectives; identifies sites for new construction; and addresses
governmental constraints. The goals, policies, and objectives of an updated housing
element should be reviewed in the context of the land -use, circulation, open -space
elements, zoning, and/or redevelopment and capital improvement plans,
especially if these plans or elements have not recently been updated.
David Tanner Page 2 of 3
dave@earsi.com
The general plan is required to be "internally consistent" meaning any and all
conflicts between general plan elements should be acknowledged and resolved.
Jurisdictions must ensure programs and policies in other elements do not conflict
with those of the housing element; in particular the land -use, circulation, or
conservation elements. For example, the circulation element levels of service (LOS)
standards may need to be updated to reflect potential build out capacities
proposed in the housing element. Also, realistic development capacity could be
impacted by the conservation element policies that require new residential
projects to provide large, open -space corridors or buffer areas.
When conflicts exist, the housing element must describe how consistency will be
achieved and how the goals of the housing element will be addressed.
Many communities attempt to address and resolve conflicts by amending the
zoning ordinance and all relevant elements of the general plan concurrent with
amendment of the housing element. For example, if densities of particular sites
must be increased to identify adequate sites, the attendant amendments to the
general plan and zoning ordinance could be proposed and adopted at the same
public hearing as the housing element.
In addition to resolving inconsistencies among various elements and/or ordinances
at the time of updating the housing element, any subsequent amendment to the
housing element or other general plan elements, should trigger a review of the
entire general plan, especially land -use provisions, to ensure internal consistency
is maintained."
Its Time the City Council Takes Charge!
David Tanner Page 3 of 3
dave@earsi.com