Agenda #: 5.5
Meeting Date: March 18, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
FROM: Daniel Fox, City Manager
TITLE: 2024 GENERAL PLAN STATUS REPORT.
STRATEGIC
GOAL: Open, Engaged & Responsive Government
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the report for filing with the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR).
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None.
BACKGROUND:
State Law requires each city to prepare and adopt a comprehensive, long-term General Plan to guide its physical development. The General Plan is a policy document comprised of goals and policies for implementation. In the fall of 2016, the City embarked on a comprehensive update to the General Plan to create a community vision and blueprint for the City through 2040. The City Council adopted Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 on December 17, 2019.
In accordance with California Government Code Section 65400(b), the City is required to submit an annual General Plan status report to the local legislative body (City Council), the State Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on the status of the General Plan, its implementation progress, and how the City is meeting the region’s housing needs. The attached report lists the City’s progress toward the implementation of the General Plan for the period of January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
The City Council is asked to review and approve the annual report for submittal to OPR and HCD. This report is due to HCD by April 1, 2025.
Major accomplishments during this period include the following:
• Development Code Amendments: Various sections of the Development Code to allow supportive housing, low barrier navigation centers and large residential care facilities along with revisions to the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) standards and density bonus provisions were adopted to implement Housing Programs contained in the City’s certified 2021-2029 Housing Element, as well to conform to changes in new State housing laws and City policies. In 2024, 46 building permits for ADUs were issued (four of the building permits included both an ADU and JADU on the property). The amendments to the Development Code implement General Plan Goal LU-G-7 and Housing Element Programs H-10, 11 and 12 of the 2021-2029 Housing Element.
Additionally, the City drafted a General Plan Amendment to allow a maximum residential density of 30 dwelling units per acre in the Town Center Mixed Use designation; a Development Code Amendment to establish the Housing Element Site Overlay (“H”) zoning designation and associated development standards; and Zoning Map Amendment to rezone the sites identified in Program H-8 of the 2021- 2029 Housing Element with the H zoning designation, scheduled for City Council review and adoption on January 27, 2025.
• ALPR Camera System: The City has been proactive to community safety needs with the implementation of the Flock Safety Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) camera system, which consists of 50 cameras throughout the City. These cameras serve as a tool that provides local law enforcement investigators with key evidence in a number of cases and provide for a safe and secure environment for residents and property. This project implements General Plan Goal PS-G-5. • Genasys Project: In collaboration with Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), County of Los Angeles Fire Department, and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the City finalized and implemented the Genasys Project, where the City of Diamond Bar and cities throughout LA County have predesignated fire evacuation zones that can be used to communicate to residents in the event of a fire emergency requiring evacuation. The system is complete and the zones are available through the Genasys Project and the City’s Emergency Alert System. This project implements General Plan Policy PS-P-14. • Keep It Local: Shop Diamond Bar First Campaign: The City launched a new City subsite to promote everything economic development, including the Keep It Local:
Shop Diamond Bar First campaign. The subsite has information and resources for existing and prospective business, and a directory of all Diamond Bar businesses.
This project implements General Plan Policy LU-P-13.
• Area 3 Pavement Rehabilitation Project: This was a large-scale project that rehabilitated more miles of arterial and residential roadway than ever before, but also addressed two major drainage problems and added nearly eight linear miles of new bicycle lanes. This project implements General Plan Goals and Policies LU-P5, LU-P-14, LU-P-51, CC-G-5, CC-P-2, CR-P-2, CR-P-20, CR-P-43, RC-G-7, PS-P- 12 and Climate Action Plan Objectives #2 and 6.
• Option E LED Streetlight Conversion Project: The scope of this project included the conversion of all 5,000 streetlight fixtures from high-pressure sodium vapor lamps to light emitting diodes (LED). The new LED light fixtures are more energy efficient, are sustainable by requiring less maintenance, and produce better quality light. This project implements General Plan Goals and Policies CC-P-1, CC-P-51, CHS-P-43 and Climate Action Plan Objective #6.
A complete summary matrix of the City’s progress toward implementing the General Plan is provided in Attachment A.
On February 25, 2025, the Planning Commission reviewed the report and directed staff to forward it to the City Council with a recommendation to receive and file.
PREPARED BY:
REVIEWED BY:
Attachments:
1. 5.5.a 2024 General Plan Status Report Matrix