DATE: March 2, 2026
TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Sofia Mangalam, Community Development Director
Thai-Chau Le, Planning Manager
Helen Telfer, Senior Planner
Maira Blanco, Senior Planner
Nori Jabba, Housing and Sustainability Manager
DEPARTMENT: Community Development
SUBJECT: GENERAL PLAN AND HOUSING ELEMENT ANNUAL
PROGRESS REPORT FOR 2025
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council, by Minute Order, accept the General Plan Annual Progress Report (APR) and Housing Element APR for 2025, authorize its transmittal to the California Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), and find the report exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA guideline section 15061(b)(3).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
California Government Code 65400 requires each jurisdiction to prepare an annual report on the status of the General Plan progress and provide information regarding the implementation of the General Plan for their city or county, including the Housing Element. The APR includes information for decision-makers to assess how the General Plan was implemented during the 12-month reporting period.
On February 19, 2025, the Planning Commission received the General Plan APR and
Housing Element APR and recommended the City Council’s acceptance of the APR by Resolution No. P-01-26 through a 4-0-0-1 (1 absent) vote. Following Council’s acceptance of the APR, the report will be filed with LCI and HCD before April 1, 2026.
BACKGROUND
California Government Code 65400 requires that after the legislative body (City Council) has adopted all or part of a General Plan, the planning agency (Planning Commission) shall review an annual report on the status of the General Plan progress and its implementation and provide the report to the legislative body. The APR is then forwarded to the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI), previously known as Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) by April 1 of each year. The Government Code also includes specific requirements for information about the status of Housing Element programs and progress in meeting its share of the Regional Housing Need Allocations (RHNA) issued by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG).
On February 19, 2026, Staff presented the General Plan and Housing Element APRs for 2025 to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission voted 4-0-0-1 (1 absent) adopting Planning Commission Resolution No. P-01-26 (Attachment 1) recommending the City Council’s acceptance of the General Plan APR and Housing Element APR for 2025 (see Staff Report link). Some of the comments from the meeting are included below:
Planning Commission discussed challenges related to residential electrification, including the cost and lengthy timelines for electrical meter and service upgrades requiring coordination with PG&E, noting that Foster City’s underground utilities exacerbate these issues. Planning Commission further requested that staff continue engagement with PG&E to explore ways to streamline upgrades, support homeowners, and assess whether partnerships or advocacy with policymakers may be warranted given upcoming state and regional appliance electrification timelines. Staff noted ongoing coordination with PG&E and recent public outreach on electrical panel upgrades.
Commissioners acknowledged progress on Housing Element implementation but expressed concern about remaining RHNA obligations, limited vacant land, and redevelopment feasibility. Staff reported that all required rezonings and environmental review have been completed, no housing applications have been denied, and outreach to property owners and developers is ongoing. It was noted that Foster City’s reliance on redevelopment of existing residential properties presents unique constraints compared to neighboring jurisdictions. Questions were raised regarding potential exposure to Builder’s Remedy. Legal counsel clarified that the City has a certified Housing Element and is not subject to it, and that any action by HCD to rescind certification would be an extreme and unlikely measure.
One of the Commissioners shared that neighboring jurisdictions have seen housing production due to retail to mixed-use redevelopment and property turnover. It was suggested that City might want to further reevaluate retail sites for potential mixed-use redevelopment.
Staff reported an increased interest in multifamily Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), with multiple Interdepartmental Evaluation Committee (IDEC) meetings held with applicants/property owners.
A question regarding the relevance of the City’s objection to the Letter of Objection regarding Certification of Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for SFO Recommended Airport Development Plan (RADP) was noted, with staff noting it fell outside the current reporting period for the Noise Element.
ANALYSIS
All cities in California are required to prepare and adopt a General Plan. The General Plan identifies policies and programs addressing the development and redevelopment of land, preservation of parks and open spaces, provision of housing for current and future residents, conservation of natural resources, improvement of the circulation and transportation system, control of noise and protection of life and property from hazards.
The purpose of the APR is to provide local legislative bodies (City Council) and the public with information regarding the implementation of the General Plan for their city or county, including the Housing Element. APRs also inform the public of the progress in meeting the community’s goals. APRs must be presented to the local legislative body for its review and acceptance. Pursuant to Government Code Section 65400(a)(2)(B)(ii), the housing element portion of the report shall be considered at a public meeting before the legislative body where members of the public shall be allowed to provide oral testimony and written comments. The APR should provide enough information for decision makers to assess how the General Plan was implemented during the 12-month reporting period. More specifically, APRs should explain how land use decisions relate to adopted goals, policies, and implementation measures of the General Plan.
As discussed above, the General Plan and Housing Element APR is due to HCD by April 1 of each year. This year’s APR evaluates the status of the implementation programs and housing production for the time period between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025.
The attached Tables (see Attachment 2 and 3) comprise the General Plan APR and provides a brief summary of the status of the General Plan and the implementation programs contained in each General Plan Element. The table in Attachment 2 includes all General Plan Elements except the Housing Element. The status of the Housing Element implementation is part of the General Plan Annual Report reported in the table format required by HCD (see Attachment 3).
Highlights of accomplishments in the implementation of General Plan programs in 2025 are included below with the corresponding references to the General Plan Element Implementation Program:
Land Use & Circulation Element
In 2025, the City launched a number of initiatives to address land use & circulation.
oPeriodic Monitoring of Land Uses Throughout the City - In June 2025, the City received a formal application for the approval of 174,785 square feet of new Research and Development (R&D) within a larger 800,000 R&D campus located at 1155-1159, 1161-1169, 1175-1191 Chess Drive. In July 2025, the City approved an application to construct a new R&D building on the Gilead Sciences Integrated Campus Master Plan located at 335 Lakeside Drive. (LUC-C-12-a)
oGreen Building Guidelines and Incentives – In 2025, a total of 101 solar permits were issued, 35 Electrical Vehicle (EV) Charging electrical permits were issued, and a total of 11 solar rebates were issued. (LUC-H-1-a) oClimate Action Plan (CAP) – The Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2024 Update was approved by City Council on November 18, 2024. Most year one implementation activities were completed in 2025, including several education campaigns, the development of a community sustainability living guide, and an increase in the number of EV charging station permits applied for (52 permits applied for with a total of 393 charging stations). (LUC-H-2-a)
oWastewater Systems Improvement – Foster City is working with the City of San Mateo to construct improvements at the jointly owned wastewater treatment plant. The startup and commissioning of new treatment facilities is targeted to be completed by March 2026, with final completion by late 2026. (LUC-L-13-a)
oStreet Network/Connectivity – On March 17, 2025, City Council awarded a contract to Fehr & Peers for the development of the Foster City Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan to address bicycle and pedestrian safety and needs throughout the city. The plan is in development and adoption is expected in Spring 2026. (LUC-E-2-b)
oPeriodically Monitoring Traffic Conditions – Transportation Safety Signalization Upgrades – CIP 301-698 has begun preliminary stages which will allow visual monitoring and more data collection. (LUC-F-1-c) Parks and Open Space Element
On December 2, 2024, City Council approved an agreement to update the Parks and Open Space Element. The updated Parks and Open Space Element was adopted by the City Council on November 3, 2025. (Note: the programs below are from 2009 Parks and Open Space Element. For 2026 APR, staff will be reporting on the programs from 2025 Parks and Open Space Element). oSpecial Events – In 2025, the City hosted special events, including the Fourth of July Celebration, Summer Concert Series, Halloween Festival, and Tree Lighting Ceremony. Summer Days also returned as a three-day festival featuring carnival rides, live music, food trucks, and a car show.
Due to ongoing construction, event layouts were modified as needed. (PC-y)
oParks Facilities Plan and Improve Facilities –
New Foster City Community Center: On January 16, 2024, the City Council provided direction to allocate an additional approximately $9.49 million to finance the construction of the Foster City Recreation Center rebuild project. On September 3, 2024, the City Council, by unanimous decision, awarded the construction contract to BHM Construction. On September 16, 2024, the Recreation Center was closed to the public, and all services and classes were moved to the VIBE Teen Center and Community Center. On
November 18, 2024, the old Recreation Center building was demolished. On December 18, 2024, the community was invited to a groundbreaking ceremony at Leo J. Ryan Park to celebrate the construction of a new Foster City Community Center. Notable 2025 Community Center highlights include completion of structural steel construction, which included bolting and field welding; construction of metal decking on the second floor; completion of the concrete pour for the second floor and lower roof deck; and completion of the fire water and sewer lateral trenching.
Parks Master Plan: In 2025, as part of Parks System Master Plan, city staff and the consultant, Wallace Roberts & Todd Design, LLC (WRT) completed a full parks system inventory and park conditions assessment through community surveys and multiple workshops and popups, engaging more than 1,600 participants. The Parks System Master Plan was completed and adopted by the City Council on December 15, 2025, and will serve as the City’s primary framework for park-related decision-making moving forward. (LUC-L-5-a & PC-d)
Safety Element
oMaintain and enhance the City’s levees and lagoon system for flood protection – Lagoon Pump Station Rehabilitation and Capacity Enhancement (CIP 717) is in progress and will address adding a third and possibly fourth lagoon pump to provide redundancy and add capacity to meet stronger weather events. (S-3.4)
oEducate the Public about Crime Prevention – In 2025, the Police Department (PD) continued to provide a variety of crime prevention programs to educate and involve the community. (S-1.10) oSocial Media - In 2025, social media was utilized to deliver timely crime alerts, crime prevention tips, traffic updates, and general safety information to the community.
oResidential and commercial crime prevention surveys were conducted. oThe City’s Mental Health Clinician supported community members during various calls throughout 2025.
oDrake, the community service dog, and his handler attended 89 events throughout 2025, offering comfort and a calming presence to those in need, while also engaging with the public.
oPD attended the Foster City 4th of July Celebration and the Summer Days Event.
oThroughout the year, PD also performed routine school safety checks during school days.
oMandated reporter training was provided to Foster City Parks and Recreation summer camp counselors.
oIn collaboration with civic and community partners, the PD hosted the annual National Night Out Event at Leo J. Ryan Park on August 5, 2025. oOn October 1, 2025, PD presented at the Foster City Civics Academy, providing an overview of the department, its services, and a tour of the Police Station.
oOn October 11, 2025, the annual Foster City Open House was held, offering tours of the Police Department and highlighting the various functions and specialties within the agency.
oPD offered tours of the Department for student groups and “Meet the Mayor” groups.
Conservation Element
On December 2, 2024, City Council approved an agreement to update the Conservation Element. The updated Conservation Element was adopted by the City Council on November 3, 2025. (Note: the programs below are from 2009 Parks and Open Space Element. For 2026 APR, staff will be reporting on the programs from 2025 Parks and Open Space Element).
oWater Conservation Plan – The City Council approved an Agreement with EKI Environment & Water to prepare the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan on October 20, 2025, which is scheduled for adoption by July 1, 2026. (C-d)
oReduction in Automobile Trips – The Climate Action Plan 2024 Update included measures and actions to reduce vehicle miles travelled commuting to work by encouraging alternate means of transportation beyond Single-Occupancy Vehicles. Year one (2025) implementation efforts included resources and education materials added to the City’s sustainability website (https://sustainable.fostercity.org/). (C-m) oSolar Heating and Cooling: In 2025, 101 solar permits and 35 EV charging station permits were issued. (C-p)
Housing Element
oLower-Income Homeowner Rehabilitation Loans: The Home
Rehabilitation program requires the City to provide or partner with a regional program provider to offer home rehabilitation loans for low and very-low income homeowners. On September 15, 2025, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the administration of the Home Rehabilitation Program. Subsequently, the Agreement with Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco was approved by City Council on December 15, 2025. The program provides no-interest loans from $25,000 to $75,000 and construction services for up to 18 eligible low and very low income homeowners. (H-B-2-a) oFacilitate Non-Profit Rehabilitation/Maintenance Assistance: The program is designed for very low-income homeowners (those earning less than 50% of Area Median Income) to keep their homes in good condition by providing funding and minor home repair services of up to $5,000 per home through a nonprofit organization. Similar to H-B-2-b, the City issued an RFP on September 15, 2025 and the Agreement with Rebuilding Together Peninsula was approved by the City Council on December 15, 2025. The program provides funding to Rebuilding Together Peninsula to provide grants and repair services for up to six (6) eligible homeowners (H-B-2-b)
oADU/JADU Financial Incentive Program: The program requires the City to provide or partner with another organization to provide a financial incentive program for single-family homeowners to construct an ADU/JADU that is restricted for lower-income households for 10-15 years and additional financial incentives for units for special needs people. On December 30, 2025, City Staff issued a RFP seeking proposals from qualified firms for administering the loan program.
Proposals are due February 20, 2026. (H-D-4-b)
oEmergency Housing Assistance: The program requires the City to allocate funds for County and non-profit programs providing emergency shelter and related counseling services.
• On August 11, 2025, City Council allocated the final nonprofit agency funding for FY 2025-2026 for the following agencies:
CALL Primrose, MELP, Mission Hospice and Home Care,
PARCA, Peninsula Volunteers, Samaritan House, AgeUp, and others.
• In 2025, the City received a $35,000 grant from the County of San Mateo’s Measure K Program for an emergency rent relief program for BMR tenants at risk of displacement. The program helped 15 very low-income tenants to stay in their homes. Subsequently, staff applied for additional funding and was awarded $20,000 in November 2025 for use in 2026. (H-F-2-a)
oArchitectural and Solar Guidelines for Single-Family Homes: In 2024, the City launched a Citywide initiative to engage the community in an endeavor to modernize and ultimately, replace the City’s Architectural and Solar Guidelines, policies, and applicable zoning code regulations for single-family residence into one comprehensive document. In 2025, four (4) Planning Commission Study Sessions were held, including on April 17, 2025, June 5, 2025, September 18, 2025, and November 6, 2025, followed by a public hearing on November 20, 2025, to discuss various components of objective design standards for single- and two- family homes within the City. The first reading of the Ordinance adding a new Chapter 17.15 Single-Family and Two-Family Objective Design and Development Standards, to Title 17 of Foster City Municipal Code (FCMC) was held on December 15, 2025. The second reading took place on January 20, 2026, and the ODDS became effective on February 19, 2026. (H-B-4-a)
oRental Registry: On June 2, 2025, the City Council approved a two- year agreement with Tolemi for registry of below market rate (BMR) units. Subsequently, staff is working with the property managers on entering the data into the registry software. Registrations are due annually beginning June 30, 2026. (H-G-2-e)
oAnti-Displacement Strategy: The program requires the City to develop an Anti-Displacement Strategy, including assessment of a variety of tenant protection measures. On May 5, 2025, the City revised Municipal Code Chapter 17.90 via Ordinance No. 690 , adding new sections for “No Fault” Evictions for BMR units (FCMC Section
17.90.130), and Tenant relocation assistance for BMR units (FCMC Section17.90.140). (H-C-3-b)
oAccessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): On September 18, 2023, the City Council approved updates to Chapter 17.78 of the Municipal Code to comply with 2023 State laws. On December 2, 2024, City Council adopted Ordinance 684, amending Chapter 17.78, Accessory Dwelling Units, to include objective design standards for ADUs. On August 18, 2025, the City Council adopted Ordinance 692, further amending Chapter 17.78 Accessory Dwelling Units to further clarify and align with adopted state laws, including multi-family dwelling ADUs. (H-D-4-a) oImproved Public Information on ADUs: Staff continued to conduct outreach and update public-facing platforms such as the City’s webpages to ensure residents and applicants are aware of ADU laws. • On October 17, 2025, Planning staff mailed out a letter with ADU information, appointment scheduler, and webinar dates to all religious/school site property owners. The webinars were advertised as Zoom webinars for an overview of ADU
opportunities on religious/school/non-profit properties and question-and-answer segment following the presentation. The first webinar was held on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m., and second webinar was held on
December 2, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (H-D-4-j) • The Planning Division also added exclusive ADU office hours, accessible directly from the ADU webpage, on Mondays and Thursdays from October 17, 2025 (options for virtual or in- person) through December 18, 2025. (H-D-4-d)
oMinimize Governmental Constraints: The program requires the City to review the development process and, among various tasks, streamline 100% affordable housing with a priority staff-level planning entitlement process.
• Planning staff published checklists and application forms for streamlined development under SB 423, AB 2142, and SB 4 on December 13, 2024, and October 13, 2025.
• On December 15, 2025, the City Council approved an
Ordinance amending Section 17.58.040 of FCMC adding
language that one hundred percent affordable housing
projects, or such other affordability requirement as specified by applicable State Law, which requires ministerial review and complies with the objective design and development standards included in Title 17, shall be ministerially reviewed pursuant to administrative architectural review.
• On May 05, 2025, staff participated in the joint San Mateo County and Santa Clara County Affordable Housing Developer Forum aimed at understanding barriers/challenges to nonprofit affordable housing development, local development
opportunities and incentives, and building meaningful
relationships between local housing staff and developers. (H- A-3-a; H-D-6-a)
oAnnual Tracking of Housing Activity – In 2025, City issued building permits for 24 ADUs and Certificates of Occupancy (or temporary certificates) for two (2) new housing units. As of July 1, 2022, through December 31, 2025, a total of 69 new housing units were completed and counted towards the RHNA 2023-2031. (H-A-1-a)
Regional Housing Needs Allocation Progress
Legislation, such as Senate Bill 35 (SB 35), Assembly Bill 73 (AB 73), and Senate Bill 570 (SB 570) adopted in 2017, has provided penalties and incentives related to making progress toward meeting the RHNA for each Planning Period. SB 35 which added Section 65913.4 to the Government Code was set to sunset on January 1, 2026.
However, SB 423, which went into effect on January 1, 2024, extended the expiration date to January 1, 2036. SB 423 creates an opt-in program for developers that allows a streamlined approval process for developments in local jurisdictions that have not yet met their housing targets, provided that the development is on an infill site and complies with existing residential and mixed-use zoning. The projects must provide at least 10 percent of units for lower-income families. All projects over 10 units must be prevailing wage and larger projects must provide skilled and trained labor.
A summary of housing development permits issued showing progress toward meeting the RHNA is shown below. Once a building permit has been issued (Table 1), the unit counts toward determining RHNA progress.
Table 1 reports how many permits were issued each year. Table 2 reports RHNA progress of all permits completed (built and occupied) by affordability in all years pertaining to the 2023-2031 Housing Element. The difference in the numbers provided in the two (2) tables below (35 units) is a result of units that were either permitted prior to 2023 or have been approved but not yet occupied as of December 31, 2025. See attached Table A2 of Attachment 3 for more detailed information.
Table 1. Planning Period Permits Issued (Approved) by Affordability for RHNA 2023- 2031
Table 2. Units Completed (Occupied) for RHNA 2023-2031
*There were two (2) above moderate units that were omitted from the inventory presented in the 2023 APR Staff Report.
**There were two (2) additional Above-Moderate units that were omitted from the inventory presented in the 2024 APR Staff Report.
Staff would like to note that APRs are subject to refinements/adjustments as additional or corrected information becomes available, as a result some figures may differ from prior reports.
Housing Element Program Implementation
The adopted Housing Element 2023-31 includes several programs to ensure that adequate housing sites are available during the planning period to make it possible to produce the number and type of housing units in the RHNA.
Foster City’s Housing Element includes seven (7) goals as follows:
H-A: Reinforce the City’s commitment to meeting housing needs. H-B: Protect existing housing, waterfront character, and resources. H-C: Protect the supply and affordability of rental housing. H-D: Pursue public and private redevelopment opportunities to increase the supply of housing.
H-E: Address affordable housing needs.
H-F: Address housing for special needs populations.
H-G: Affirmatively further fair housing.
The plan provides for a variety of housing types and sizes, a mixture of rental and ownership housing, and housing that supports special needs populations. The policies and programs contained in the Housing Element support these goals while also ensuring that the City will meet its statutory obligations to affirmatively further fair housing and facilitate housing production at all income levels. Please refer to Table D in
Attachment 3 for Housing Element - Program Implementation Status. Some of the programs that were implemented in 2025 have been discussed in detail above.
Assembly Bill (AB) 1743 Compliance: AB 1743 (Govt Code Sectio 65400.a.2.C) requires local planning agencies to include in their APR whether housing development applications are subject to a ministerial or discretionary approval process. The reporting only pertains to development applications that result in new units and not applications that are remodeling of existing homes or additions to existing homes. In 2025, four (4) housing development applications were received that would result in new units. All four (4) projects required ministerial action (because they were ADUs). More detailed information pertaining to Building permit issuance is available in Table A2 of Attachment
3. AB 2094 Compliance: AB 2094 requires local planning agencies to include in their APR its progress towards meeting its share of regional housing needs for extremely low- income households. There were no extremely low-income units completed in 2025. It also requires reporting associated with the Affordable Housing and High Roads Jobs Act of 2022 (AB 2011), including: (1) the location of the project; (2) the status of the project; (3) total number of units of the project; (4) number of units in the project that are rental housing; (5) number of units in the project that are for-sale housing; and (6) household income category of the units. AB 2094 also requires reporting of data from all projects approved to receive a density bonus. The City did not receive any applications for density bonus for any housing development in 2025. The City did not receive any applications under the Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022.
General Plan Element Updates
California law requires that General Plans be updated periodically. Except for the Housing Element, which must be updated every eight years, State law does not establish a specific schedule for updating other General Plan elements. LCI recommends that jurisdictions complete a comprehensive General Plan update every 10 to 15 years to reflect changes in community values, economic conditions, and emerging issues. In 2025, the City updated two (2) Elements of the General Plan, including the Parks and Open Space Element and the Conservation Element.
In the 2021-2022 state legislative session, Senate Bill (SB) 1425 was passed and signed into law. This bill requires that the Open Space Element of the General Plan be updated by January 1, 2026, with expanded requirements, including:
oAccess to open space for all residents in a manner that considers social, economic, and racial equity, correlated with the environmental justice element or environmental justice policies in the general plan, as applicable. oClimate resilience and other co-benefits of open space, correlated with the safety element.
oRewilding opportunities, correlated with the land use element.
The other applicable bill is Assembly Bill (AB) 1889, which was signed into law on September 10, 2024, and requires the Conservation Element of the General Plan to analyze the effects of development on wildlife movement and habitat connectivity.
Beginning with the next General Plan update, which occurs on or after January 1, 2028, jurisdictions must identify and evaluate connectivity areas, permeability, and natural landscapes within their boundaries. They must also analyze existing and planned wildlife passage features and assess the impacts and barriers caused by development on wildlife and habitat connectivity.
To ensure compliance with SB 1425 and AB 1889, the City has prepared updates to the Parks and Open Space Element and the Conservation Element of its General Plan.
1. Parks and Open Space Element: The 2025 Parks and Open Space Element fulfills State requirements for an Open Space Element and establishes Foster City’s vision for how recreational and natural areas, including parks, open space, facilities, and recreation programs, are developed, maintained, and enhanced.
The Element recognizes parks and open space as essential to community health, social connection, and environmental stewardship, while also contributing to climate resilience by addressing flooding, extreme heat, and other natural hazards.
2. Conservation Element: The 2025 Conservation Element of the General Plan fulfills State requirements and establishes Foster City’s long-term vision for conserving and managing its natural and cultural resources. The Element emphasizes environmental sustainability, community well-being, and climate resilience as key priorities for the City’s resource management. It guides the protection and enhancement of biological habitats, the urban forest, surface and groundwater, and historic, cultural, and tribal resources, while supporting efforts to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with State mandates.
Submittal to HCD and LCI
Government Code Section 65400 requires the local planning agency to provide the APRs to the legislative body (i.e., City Council), HCD, and LCI by April 1st of each year for the prior calendar year reporting period. In order to ensure that the City remains in compliance with State law, staff must submit the 2025 General Plan and Housing Element APRs (Attachments 2 and 3) to HCD and LCI by April 1, 2026.
Housing Element Implementation 2026
While this report focuses on the APR for 2025, staff would like to note several key Housing Element programs scheduled for implementation in 2026. Staff will begin advancing these initiatives including research, next steps, and draft policy development, as applicable. Certain programs require review and recommendation by the Planning Commission and final consideration and approval by the City Council. Some of the programs are included below:
1. H-D-1-a Selection of Housing Opportunity Areas.
The City will use the following criteria in selecting Housing Opportunity sites or areas for the Housing Sites Inventory:
(1) Housing on the site will help affirmatively further fair housing by expanding the distribution and variety of housing types and sizes in the City. (2) Potential for adequate and safe internal and external vehicular and pedestrian circulation, including emergency evacuation.
(3) Convenient access to existing public transportation or the potential for such access as public transportation systems are expanded.
(4) Convenient access to typical neighborhood services and amenities typically required by residents.
(5) Convenient access to typical neighborhood recreation amenities or designed to provide adequate recreation amenities on-site.
(6) Cost effective mitigation of physical site constraints (including geologic hazards, flooding, drainage, soils constraints, wetland limitations, etc.) (7) Cost effective provision by the City/EMID of typical residential services and adequate utilities to the site.
(8) Ability to meet internal residential noise standards. (9) Adequate size to provide required parking; parking requirements should be flexible based on the expected needs of the project’s prospective residents. (10)The development of a specific project on the site will not result in significant adverse individual or cumulative environmental impacts on other properties in the neighborhood or area, unless the City/District adopts a Statement of Overriding Considerations as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act.
Responsible Agency: City Council, Planning Commission, Community Development Department
Timeframe: Use criteria to evaluate applications as they are submitted; use to evaluate new sites as part of mid-cycle review of RHNA progress by December 2026.
Staff Comments: Under this program, the City is required to conduct a mid-cycle review of RHNA progress by December 2026, including progress toward meeting the number of housing units by income category and determine whether the existing Housing Sites Inventory remains adequate to accommodate the remaining RHNA. If additional sites are necessary, staff will apply the adopted Housing Opportunity Area selection criteria to ensure consistency with fair housing objectives, infrastructure capacity, environmental considerations, and access to services and amenities.
Any recommended updates to the Housing Sites Inventory will be presented to the Planning Commission for review and recommendation and to the City Council for consideration and action, as required.
2. H-D-2-a Potential Re-Use of Commercial Sites.
The City will reevaluate the land use designations for the City's neighborhood shopping centers or other commercial sites biannually beginning in 2026 or 1) if approvals of a development trigger the “no net loss” requirements; 2) if the owner initiates redevelopment of a commercial site, or 3) any of the commercial activities become not viable. If residential or mixed-use developments are considered, criteria for determining the appropriate housing types include:
(1) The type of street (major, collector, etc.) which would provide access to the site and levels of service on the street in the morning and afternoon peak hours. (2) Availability of public services and facilities such as infrastructure (water, sewer, etc.), school capacity, parks and open space.
(3) The ability of the project to provide landscaping for parking areas, facade modulation and orientation of buildings which would ensure privacy for, and minimize impacts on, any adjacent single-family homes, and reduce the perception of density in a multi-family project.
(4) Potential to provide housing for employees.
(5) The ability of the project to provide neighborhood serving commercial uses. (6) Potential to provide waterfront amenities and/or waterfront commercial uses. (7) Maintaining a Sites Inventory that can accommodate the RHNA.
Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Planning Commission, City Council
Timeframe: Rezone 1010 Metro Center Boulevard by December 2023; Biannual review and report to Planning Commission and City Council with first report and adoption of accompanying general plan amendments and/or zoning actions by July 2026, or sooner if circumstances require as outlined above.
Staff Comments: 1010 Metro Center Boulevard was rezoned from C-2/PD (General Business/Planned Development) District to a C-2/PD (General Business/Planned Development) District with an amended General Plan Development Plan to allow Commercial or Mixed Commercial/Residential Use up to 222 dwelling units pursuant to Ordinance No. 665 adopted on May 22, 2023 and passed on June 5, 2023.
In 2026, under this program, the City is required to conduct its first biannual review of land use designations for neighborhood shopping centers and other commercial sites and to present a report to the Planning Commission and City Council. As part of that review, the City must adopt any necessary General Plan amendments and/or zoning changes to ensure compliance with the program’s requirements, including maintaining adequate site capacity to meet its RHNA obligations. This review and any accompanying legislative actions must occur by July 2026, unless triggered earlier by the specified conditions- which has not occurred to date. It should be noted that the City is currently working on Real Estate Economic Analysis, which is due for completion by August/September 2026. One of the notable tasks is to assess opportunity sites and recommend opportunities for redevelopment or repurposing of properties, where appropriate.
3. H-D-3-a Update Planned Development Process.
Amend the zoning regulations for the Planned Development Combining District, Chapter 17.36, to align with requirements for objective standards and retain the ability to provide flexibility and incentives including but not limited to address special housing needs and a diversity of housing choices.
Responsible Agency: Community Development Department, Planning Commission, City Council
Timeframe: Implement program by December 2026
Staff Comments: This program requires the City to amend FCMC Chapter 17.36, which governs the Planned Development (PD) Combining District, to ensure the district complies with current State law requiring objective development standards. The updated ordinance must continue to allow the City to offer regulatory flexibility and incentives—such as modified development standards, density accommodation, or design alternatives—to facilitate special housing needs (e.g., affordable housing, supportive housing, senior housing) and promote a diverse range of housing types.
CEQA
The General Plan and Housing Element APRs do not qualify as a project as defined in the California Code of Regulations Section 15378(a). The reports are administrative activities conducted by the City that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Further, the APRs are exempt from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to California Code of Regulations Section 15601(b)(3). The activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects, which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with City Council review and City submittal of these annual reports with HCD and LCI.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Smart Planning, Development, and the Local Economy
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Planning Commission Resolution No. P-01-26 Attachment 2 – Table of General Plan Programs - General Plan Annual Report for 2025 Attachment 3 – APR Reporting Tables A, A2, B, D, K