Safety Element Update
Adoption HearingCity of Belmont – CITY COUNCIL
June 23, 2026
Adrienne Smith, Principal Planner, City of Belmont
Eli Krispi, Senior Associate, PlaceWorks
Safety Element Update
Agenda
Planning Commission and City Council Comments
Proposed Revisions to the Safety Element and Conservation Element Next Steps
Planning Commission and City council COmments
Comments Summary
4 Comments Summary
5 How we responded to feedback
Responses to City Council Comments (4/28/26 Meeting)
Comment letters
Addressed
Partially addressed
Gaps
Partial
Coordination with other jurisdictions and external agencies Already addressed in Flooding, Sea Level Rise, Hazardous Materials, Utilities, and Emergency Management sections.
Is interjurisdictional emergency cooperation formally codified? Expanded Emergency Response section with input from SMC Fire and PD: SMC Fire JPA provides mutual aid across all county fire departments; Police Dept has informal/formal protocols plus statewide Master Mutual Aid Agreement participation.
City response to simultaneous or cascading disasters
Cascading hazards already discussed in Climate Change, Flooding, SLR, and Landslides sections. Revised Policies 6.8-3, 6.9-3, 6.9-5 and Action 6.9-7a to reference preparedness for multiple simultaneous events.
Does the City monitor for novel or unforeseen safety threats? Revised Policy 6.7-4 to explicitly include planning for 'novel and unforeseen hazardous conditions’.
Responses to Planning Commission
Comments (6/2/26 Meeting)
Comment letters
Addressed
Partially addressed
Gaps
Partial
Include mention of the Twin Pines Storm Water Detention Basin Project in Conservation Element Safety Element has been updated to reflect general discussion of Belmont Creek flood management and restoration Initiatives.
Acknowledge the risk of earthquakes causing breaks in gas lines Revised the Seismicity and Ground Shaking section to note this risk, added an action to support better monitoring/retrofitting of gas lines and other utilities.
Where feasible, revise data tables to reflect most current available data Revised the data in the tables with new information as available.
Mention where erosion risks are highest in Belmont
Added additional language to the Erosion discussion to explain the general conditions where erosion risk is elevated.
Staff-Proposed Revisions
9 Ensure policies clearly apply to new vs. existing development (flood & sea level rise) Revised Policy 6.2-14: install protective structures with new development.
Revised Action 6.2-23b: collaborate with OneShoreline on development standards.
Add dedicated Sanitary Sewer infrastructure section (new) Added a 'Sanitary Sewer' subsection to the Hazardous Materials policy section to improve organization and specificity of content:
Policy 6.3-3: Ensure sanitary sewer facilities are designed and sized to reduce damage and contamination risk.
Action 6.3-3a: Prioritize maintenance and rehabilitation of aging infrastructure.
Action 6.3-3b: Maintain and regularly update the Sewer Master Plan.
Administrative/Continuity Cleanups
Updated maps, graphics and minor language refinement.
Recommendation
10 Staff recommend that the City Council:
Adopt a resolution amending the Belmont General Plan by adopting the updated Safety Element and associated amendments to the Conservation Element.
Backup Slides
Study Session Comments Summary
13 Responses to Planning Commission
Comments (from study session)
Comment letters
Addressed
Partially addressed
Gaps
Partial
Policy 6-6.10 – Clarity on new vs existing development in FHSZs Revised to emphasize the State standards for new and existing development.
Backup power and utility undergrounding
Already addressed in Utilities (6.5), Emergency Response (6.7), Public Education (6.9), and Extreme Heat (6.11).
Clarify the uses and benefits of the Safety Element
Added narrative to Introduction explaining the Element uses and benefits.
Emergency alert system and reaching non-English speakers Expanded 'Emergency Alert Systems' section with detail from SMC Fire.
Wildfire smoke and air quality impacts
Added language noting distant wildfires can still harm air quality locally; updated vulnerable populations text; revised Policy 6.7-12 to add 'clean-air centers'.
Provided additional details as warranted.
Other minor requests for clarification
Source
Comment Topic
Action Taken
PC
Policy 6-6.10 clarity (fire hazard zones)
Revised
PC
Safety Element uses and benefits
Revised
PC
Backup power & utility undergrounding
Already addressed
PC
Emergency alerts & non-English speakers
Revised
PC
Clay wastewater pipe risks
Already addressed
PC
Wildfire smoke & air quality
Revised
CC
Coordination with external agencies
Already addressed
CC
Cascading/compounding hazards
Revised
CC
Codified interjurisdictional cooperation
Revised
CC
Monitoring for novel threats
Revised
Staff
New/existing development clarity (flood)
Revised
Staff
Sanitary sewer infrastructure section
New section added
12 Summary of Comments and Actions
Safety Element OverviewPeninsula Resilience Planning
What is a Safety Element?
Required part of a community’s General Plan
Identifies hazards of concern and related issues, and establishes policies to protect people and property Updated to meet new state requirements and address climate resilience 17 We are here
Project Schedule
18 Why Update the Safety Element?
Review and update of the Safety Element is required following adoption of Housing Element Respond to new requirements and emerging safety issues, including climate resilience and evacuation needs Incorporate the 2021 Multijurisdictional Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) Support consistency with other similar plans
Enhance eligibility for grant funding
19 Integration with Other Plans
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP): Focused plan with detailed mitigation actions; Safety Element incorporates LHMP and provides policy framework General Plan Elements: Safety Element supports consistency with other General Plan Elements and applicable agency plans Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) - Details immediate emergency response and recovery procedures during disasters Climate Action and Adaptation (CAAP) Plan: Complements GHG reduction actions with adaptation and resilience policies Short-term, focused plan with detailed implementation actions.
City's blueprint for responding to the challenge of climate change.
Coordination with OneShoreline
Coordinated sea level rise adaptation planning
Shared data and best practices across jurisdictions
Joint grant applications and funding opportunities to leverage resources Reviewed and provided comments on draft Safety Element
What’s In the Safety Element
22 Safety Element Components
Background and hazard profiles
What threatens our community?
Maps and data
Where are the risks and vulnerabilities?
Goals and policies
How do we address these threats?
Implementation actions
What specific steps will we take?
23 Safety Element High-Level Goals
Climate adaptation and resilience: Prepare for and adapt to changing climate conditions Emergency preparedness and response: Ensure effective response during emergencies Infrastructure protection and improvement: Strengthen critical systems and facilities Community equity and accessibility: Protect vulnerable populations and ensure equitable access Interjurisdictional coordination: Work collaboratively with regional partners 24 Hazards Assessed
Each community has their own unique conditions, but there are shared hazards and issues in most of San Mateo County Specific issues of concern in Belmont include wildfire and evacuation Sea level rise and emergent groundwater are emerging areas of concern
Developing new policies or modifying existing ones to meet community priorities, respond to current issues, and comply with State law Existing policies in the Safety Element that are still working and meeting local needs will be kept Safety Elements will also include direction for implementation Policy Development
26 What We Heard From the Public
Community Engagement Activities
Conducted in-person and online engagement across all participating jurisdictions Community Workshops: March and April 2024, May 2025
Community of Concern Meetings: April – June 2024, March and April 2025 Stakeholder Meetings: June 2024, March and April 2025
Mapped Survey Tool: Ongoing (open throughout project)
Public Hearings: Fall 2025 – present
Project Website: Ongoing (open throughout project)
28 Key themes from multijurisdictional community workshops:
Concern for communication gaps during emergencies, especially for non-English speakers Need for infrastructure improvements (roads, drainage, power systems) Desire for more emergency preparedness resources and training Concerns about flooding, sea level rise, and wildfire risk Need for equitable distribution of resources
What We’ve Heard
29 From PREP Service Provider Discussions (June 2024)
Infrastructure Concerns:
Protecting critical facilities by moving or hardening them Identified Barriers:
Limited funding and staffing
Lack of key data on some hazards
Needs for simplified permitting and improved regulation Key Recommendations:
Enhance community education and preparation before hazard events Strengthen interjurisdictional coordination on adaptation solutions Implement nature-based solutions for flood protection and cooling What We’ve Heard
30 Updated Element
Background Information Changes
Several new sections drafted:
Climate change impacts in Belmont
Sea level rise and emergent groundwater
Severe weather
Human health hazards
Seismic and geologic hazards split into separate sections Other sections revised to add new information and details (Introduction, flood hazards, hazardous materials, utilities, fire hazards, public safety and emergency management) Maps revised and updated throughout
32 Policy Changes
Revised existing policies/actions and added new ones to address emerging issues, respond to community concerns, and stay consistent with State law New policy/action sections:
Sea level rise
Emergent groundwater
Extreme heat
Policies/actions revised and added in other sections
33 Changes to Conservation Element
Includes some topics that relate to the Safety Element
New section on drought hazards
Revised sections on climate vulnerability and harm to wastewater infrastructure Other minor revisions to ensure consistency with Safety Element 34 What is PREP?
Peninsula Resilience Planning (PREP) is a project to plan for the harm posed by climate change and natural hazards for nine participating communities in San Mateo County.
Includes:
Climate Vulnerability Assessments
Hazard Mapping
Safety Element Updates
Community Engagement
Website: https://prepsmc.com/
35 Example: Sea level rise and emergent groundwater policies 36 P 6.2-21: Work with the County, BCDC, and OneShoreline to plan for sea level rise P 6.2-24: Plan for sea level rise over the lifespan of a project P 6.2-28: Prepare a Buffer Zone around the Bay shoreline P 6.2-31: Require new buildings in affected areas to address groundwater vulnerabilities
Example: Extreme heat policies
37 P 6.11-3: Expand the urban tree canopy
P 6.11-5: Install public shade structures
P 6.11-7: Create outreach and education campaigns about extreme heat P 6.11-8: Explore creating mobile service options for areas affected by extreme heat and power outage
Example: Wildfire policies
38 P 6.6-8: Promote and support vegetation management programs P 6.6-12: Continue to offer community programs to improve home hardening against wildfires P 6.6-13: Coordinate with the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department on the need for any new fire-safe regulations P 6.6-15: Ensure there are adequate emergency response resources for all areas of Belmont
Planning Commission Feedback
Commission feedback/questions from review of Draft Safety Element in 4/21/2026 study session:
Wildfire as a key hazard, fire risks of aboveground electrical utilities, lack of backup power during outages and the impacts to residents of smoke and poor air quality Importance multijurisdictional collaboration in the update process and during possible future emergencies/disaster events How does the City communicate with non-English-speaking residents? How does city coordinate with agencies not participating in PREP Safety Element process 39 Planning Commission Feedback
Staff recommended change based on Commission feedback:
Policy 6-6.10 requires existing and planned development located in fire hazard severity zones meet certain construction standards Staff to update language to improve clarity and to reflect updates to recent fire hazard mapping 40