City of Fremont General Plan
Annual Progress Report
Calendar Year 2022
Table of Contents
Section 1. Introduction.......................................................................................... 1 Section 2. Compliance with State Law and General Plan Guidelines.............................. 1 Section 3. General Plan Amendments Adopted.......................................................... 4 Section 4. Implementation Highlights by General Plan Element................................... 4 Section 5. Conclusion............................................................................................ 5
Appendix A. Housing Element Annual Progress Report 2021................................ Attached
1 Section 1. Introduction
Government Code §65400 mandates that cities and counties submit an annual report on the status of the General Plan and progress on its implementation to their legislative bodies, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and the Department of H ousing and Community Development (HCD) by April 1 of each year. The intent of this report is to demonstrate the c ity’s ongoing compliance with Government Codes §65300 - 65303.4 governing the required elements of a general plan and provide a summary of implementation actions that have occurred within the past year.
This report details the City of Fremont’s compliance with state law and highlights notable implementation measures that were adopted in 2022. The report is provided for informational purposes only, and therefore is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per CEQA Guidelines Section 15378, in that the activity does not meet the CEQA definition of a “project”.
City of Fremont General Plan Annual Progress Report at a Glance
Date of General Plan Adoption........................................... December 13, 2011 Date of Last Major Revision............................................... December 2, 2014 Date of Last Minor Revision............................................... March 15, 2022 Date of APR Presentation to City Council............................. March 21, 2023
Section 2. Compliance with State Law and General Plan Guidelines
The General Plan is often described as the constitution for a city's development. It sets priorities and goals for the future, and is the foundation upon which all development decisions are based. The City of Fremont General Plan 2030 was adopted on December 13, 2011. The City’s 2015-2023 Housing Element was adopted on December 2, 2014 and certified by the Department of Housing and Community Development on February 4, 2015. In 2022, City staff worked towards completing a major update to the Housing Element for the 2023 -2031 planning period.
City of Fremont General Plan 2030
State law mandates that each city and county adopt a general plan containing at least seven “required” elements: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Open Space, Conservation, Safety, and Noise. Additional “optional” elements may be included in the general plan at the discretion of the local jurisdiction. The City of Fremont General Plan includes the seven state -mandated elements as well as seven optional elements: Sustainability, Community Character, Economic Development, Parks and Recreation, Public Facilities, Community Plans, and Implementation.
Table 1 demonstrates how the seven required element topics are distributed in the City’s adopted general plan documents.
The City did not complete any major revisions to any of the elements of the general plan in 2022.
2 Table 1. Summary of the General Plan 2030
City of Fremont General
Plan Elements
Date of Last
Major Revision
State Required Elements
Land Use
Circulation
Housing
Conservation
Open Space
Safety
Noise
Sustainability December 2011 Optional Element
Land Use December 2011 X X
Mobility December 2011 X
Community Character December 2011 Optional Element
Housing December 2014 X
Economic Development December 2011 Optional Element
Conservation December 2011 X
Parks and Recreation December 2011 Optional Element
Public Facilities December 2011 Optional Element
Safety December 2011 X X
Community Plans December 2011 Optional Element
Implementation December 2011 Optional Element
Compliance with Other General Plan Regulations
In addition to reporting compliance with the seven basic general plan elements, OPR’s General Plan Annual Progress Report Guidelines also suggest that jurisdictions report on consistency with recent updates to state law regarding environmental justice considerations, collaborative planning with military lands and facilities, and consultation with Native American tribes. A short description of the City’s consistency with those laws follows:
Environmental Justice
SB 1000, which was adopted in 2016, requires cities that have disadvantaged communities to incorporate environmental justice policies into their general plans upon the concurrent adoption or revision of two or more elements. The City of Fremont does not contain any disadvantaged communities per the definition contained in SB 1000.
Therefore, the City is not required to incorporate environmental justice policies into its general plan. However, the City has adopted an environmental justice policy in its Land Use Element to e nsure that no single neighborhood or population group is disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens. The City requires special study of environmental hazards when reviewing sensitive uses such as housing, schools, and assembly uses that are proposed near hazardous material users or sources of pollution.
3 Military Lands and Facilities
Various state laws, including SB1468, AB 1108, and AB 1462 , now require local governments to notify and coordinate with the military when the proposed action has a potential to affect a military installation, special use airspace, or low-level flight path.
The City of Fremont does not contain any military facilities, and does not have any land under its jurisdiction that is within 1,000 feet of a military installation, beneath a low-level flight path, or within a special use area that would require notification of the military during the development review process or general plan update process.
Native American Consultation
AB 52, which was adopted in 2014, sp ecifies that a project with an effect that may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a tribal cultural resource, as defined, is a project that may have a significant effect on the environment. When the City is the lead agency for a project, it must begin consultation with a California Native American tribe that is traditionally and culturally affiliated with the geographic area of the proposed project, if the tribe requests consultation.
The City of Fremont has incorporated the notifica tion requirements of AB 52 into its Standard Development Requirements to Address Resource Protection, which are located in Section 18.218 of the Fremont Municipal Code. In compliance with AB 52, the City follows the notification procedures in the Municipal Code when acting as the lead agency for environmental review.
Area Plans, Community Plans, and Specific Plans
The City has adopted one area plan and three community plans. The City has not adopted any specific plans. The adopted area and community plans supplement the vision, goals, and objectives contained within the general plan and serve as the tool for implementing g eneral plan policies in the review of private development projects within a specific , smaller geographic area. Table 2 summarizes the City’s adopted area and community plans.
Table 2. Summary of Area, Community, and Specific Plans in Fremont Area or Community Plan Date of Adoption Date of Last Revision Irvington BART Station Area Plan July 2019 N/A
City Center Community Plan May 2015 N/A
Warm Springs/South Fremont
Community Plan July 2014 N/A
Downtown Community Plan September 2012 May 2022
The City did not make any major revisions to an existing area or community pla n in 202 1.
The City adopted a minor revision to the Downtown Community Plan in May of 2022 to allow additional curb cuts along Capitol Avenue. The City did not adopt any new area, community, or specific plans in 2022.
4 Section 3. General Plan Amendments Adopted
Under Government Code Section 65358(b), no mandatory element of the General Plan may be amended more than four times per year, although each amendment may include more than one change to the General Plan. One resolution w as adopted in 2022 authorizing a General Plan Amendment:
• Resolution No. 2022-16 – Adopted by City Council May 3 , 2022 . A General Plan Amendment to change the land use designation of a 22. 4-acre site at 40517 Albrae Street from Regional Commercial to Tech Industrial to facilitate the construction of an approximately 397,000 square foot industrial development in the Bayside Industrial Community Plan Area.
Section 4. Implementation Highlights by General Plan Element
The General Plan contains a broad array of implementation measures and programs with various time frames for implementation. A summary of some notable achievements completed in 2022, as well as corresponding implementation policies, is provided below.
MOBILITY ELEMENT
Warm Springs West Access Bridge and Plaza Opened to the Public. In February 2022, the City opened a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge which crosses over the Union Pacific railroad tracks and connects the Warm Springs /South Fremont BART station to a new public plaza and the growing Warm Springs Innovation District.
• See Mobility Element Policy 3- 2.7: Transit Provisions in New Development . Maximize access to public transit in new development along high -volume transit corridors and around BART stations. Buildings and pedestrian pathways in such areas should be sited and designed to facilitate transit use.
PARKS AND RECREATION ELEMENT
Adoption of Parks and Recreation Master Plan. In March of 2022, the City Council adopted a Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which provides guidance for the next 15-20 years on how to meet the demands for future recreational, programming, environmental, and maintenance needs, and to establish priorities for facility improvements, future park development, and park land acquisitions.
• See Parks and Recreation Element Policy 8-1.6: Periodic review of Park Categories and Standards.
• See Parks and Recreation Element Implementation Action 8-1.5.A: Review and Update of Relevant Plans. Periodically review and update the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and the Parks and Recreation Element of the General Plan as needed.
Completion of Phase One Implementation of the California Nursery Park Master Plan. The California Nursery Historical Park is a 20-acre park that was once a thriving retail nursery and the epicenter of horticultural and arboricultural achievements and innovations. Phase One of the Implementation of the California Nursery Park Master Plan project included building all major underground utilities, walkways, and roadways, and installing irrigation infrastructure, and security lighting.
• See Parks and Recreation Element Policy 8-4.2: New Recreational Opportunities. 5 • See Parks and Recreation Element Implementation Action 8 -4.2.B: New Facilities.
When funds become available, develop and operate new facilities.
HOUSING ELEMENT
See Appendix A, Housing Element Annual Progress Report 2022, for a comprehensive update of dwelling units produced and Housing Element Implementation Programs.
PUBLIC FACILITIES ELEMENT
Adoption of Citywide Fiber Optic Master Plan. In July 2022, the City Council adopted a Citywide Fiber Optic Master Plan, which encompasses strategies for the use and deployment of broadband infrastructure for government facilities and commercial and industrial corridors, as well as analyzes options for expanding broadband assets to the City’s residents.
• See Public Facilities Policy 9-5-2: Enhanced Fiber Optic Network.
SAFETY ELEMENT
COVID-19 Response. In 2022, the City continued its response to the COVID-19 pandemic through both relief efforts and direct responses to the pandemic, spanning multiple City departments. This relief effort included the operation of the Keep Fremont Housed program, which provided rental and utility assistance to tenants and landlords facing economic challenges and layoffs stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• See Safety Element Policy 10-7.1: Government Operation during Emergency
Section 5. Conclusion
Staff submitted this 2021 General Plan Annual Progress Report to the City Council for review and acceptance on March 21, 2023 . The report will subsequently be submitted to the Governor’s Office of Planning and R esearch and California Department of Housing and Community Development, in compliance with statutory requirements.