General Plan – Annual Progress Report
CALENDAR YEAR 2024
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 ..................................................................................................................... 6
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 Housing and Community Development (HCD) by April 1 of each year. The intent of this report is to demonstrate the City’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, which is provided for informational purposes only, details Fremont’s compliance with State law and highlights notable implementation measures that were adopted in 2024.
Table 1. City of Fremont General Plan Annual Progress Report – At a Glance Date of General Plan Adoption………………………………………… December 12, 2011 Date of Last Major Revision………………………………………….... December 2, 2014 Date of Last Minor Revision…………………………………………... March 15, 2022 Date of Annual Progress Report (APR) Presentation to City Council.... March 18, 2025 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 it is the foundation on which all development decisions are based.
The City of Fremont General Plan 2030 was adopted on December 12, 2011. The City’s 2023 – 2031 H ousing Element was adopted on January 10, 2023 and certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on March 22, 2023. In 2024, City Staff implemented or furthered implementation of numerous programs from the 2023 – 2031 Housing Element.
City of Fremont General Plan 2030
State law mandates that each city and county adopt a general plan containing at least seven “required” elements:
1) Land Use,
2) Circulation,
3) Housing,
4) Open Space,
5) Conservation,
6) Safety, and
7) 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:
1) Sustainability,
2) Community Character,
3) Economic Development,
4) Parks and Recreation,
5) Public Facilities,
6) Community Plans, and
7) Implementation.
The following table highlights how the seven required element topics are distributed in the City’s adopted general plan documents. In 2024, the City completed no major revisions to its general plan elements.
Table 2. Summary of the General Plan 2030
State Required Elements
City of Fremont – General Plan
Elements
Last Major
Revision
Land Use
Circulation
Housing
Conservation
Open Space
Safety
Noise
Chapter 1: Sustainability* 2011
Chapter 2. Land Use and Open Space 2011 X X
Chapter 3. Mobility 2011 X
Chapter 4. Community Character* 2011
Chapter 5. Housing 2023 X
Chapter 6. Economic Development* 2011
Chapter 7. Conservation 2011 X
Chapter 8. Parks and Recreation* 2011
Chapter 9. Public Facilities* 2011
Chapter 10. Safety and Noise 2011 X X
Chapter 11. Community Plans* 2011
Chapter 12. Implementation* 2011
* Optional Element
Compliance with Other General Plan Regulations
In addition to reporting compliance with the seven required 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 is provided below.
Environmental Justice
Senate Bill (SB) 1000, codified in Government Code §65302(h), was adopted in 2016 and 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. Government Code §65302(h)(4)(A) defines “disadvantaged communities” as an area that:
1) Has been identified by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) pursuant to Health and Safety Code §39711 as being disadvantaged based on geographic, socioeconomic, public health, and environmental hazard criteria; or 2) Is a low -income area that is disproportionately affected by environmental pollution and other hazards that can lead to negative health effects, exposure, or environmental degradation.
The City of Fremont did not concurrently adopt or revise two or more elements of its General Plan in 2024 nor since the adoption of SB 1000 and therefore was not required to incorporate environmental justice policies into its general plan. However, the City has a previously- adopted environmental justice policy in its Land Use Element to ensure that no single neighborhood or population group is disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens. The City anticipates adopting a more robust suite of environmental justice -related policies concurrent with future General Plan updates required by SB 1425, which requires the adoption of policies related to equitable access to open space, protection of wildlife and wildlife habitat connectivity, and related open space topics. These policies, which are required to be adopted before January 1, 2026, figure to cross multiple elements (including the Land Use and Open Space Element and the Conservation Element) and therefore trigger the environmental justice updates.
Military Lands and Facilities
Various State laws, including SB 1468, 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, nor does it 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, enacted in 2015, significantly expanded tribal consultation requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This reform established a structured framework for California’s indigenous communities to meaningfully contribute to prot ecting their cultural heritage during the environmental review process. AB 52 revised several portions of California’s
Public Resources Code to specify 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 notification requirements of AB 52 into its Standard Development Requirements to Address Resource Protection, which are provided in Fremont Municipal Code (FMC) Chapter 1 8.218. In compliance with AB 52, t he City follows the notification procedures in the FMC 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 general plan policies in the review of private development projects within a specific, smaller geographic area. The table below summarizes the City’s adopted area and community plans.
As indicated in the table below, the City made one amendment to a Community Plan in 2024: an amendment to the Warm Springs / South Fremont Community Plan, introduced on November 21, 2024, that eliminated the master plan requirement for proposed development on sites greater than five acres (a related ordinance, introduced on the same date, removed the master plan requirement from FMC Chapter 18.49—Warm Springs Innovation (“WSI”) District). The master plan requirement, which applied to all land use types (e.g. residential, commercial, industrial, etc.), lacked objective evaluation criteria and thus its applicability to housing development projects was in conflict with State law , hence its removal . The City did not adopt a new area, community, or specific plan in 2024.
Table 3. 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 November 2024 Downtown Community Plan September 2012 May 2022
Section 3. General Plan Amendments Adopted
Under Government Code §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. No General Plan amendments were adopted in 2024.
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 2024, as well as corresponding implementation sections and/or policies, is provided below.
Sustainability Element
Fremont’s updated Climate Action Plan (CAP), titled Climate Ready Fremont, was adopted by the Fremont City Council on October 10, 2023. The City’s carbon neutrality goal forms the basis of the plan, setting Fremont on the pathway to a sustainable, vibrant, and healthy community that supports the environment. It includes a variety of measures that address Fremont’s top sources of GHG emissions, including transportation, energy, and waste, and includes additional measures that build community resilience to prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat events and sea level rise.
One of the CAP’s priority actions to implement within the first three years is the adoption of Ava Community Energy’s (Ava) “Renewable 100” as the default electric service plan throughout Fremont. The plan identifies Renewable 100 as the primary driver to achieve the goal of transitioning to clean electricity, which accounts for 18% of the total 2030 GHG reductions quantified in the plan. Following a recommendation from the City’s Environmental Sustainability Commission, the City Council, on June 18, 2024, adopted a Resolution making Ava’s Renewable 100 service level as the default for all Fremont electric energy accounts effective March 2025. This action is a significant step in achieving the goals of the CAP. • See “Reducing Emissions” and “Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy” sections of the Sustainability Element.
Mobility Element
During 2024 the City continued work on its Active Transportation Plan (ATP). The ATP is a planning-level document that will consolidate and expand the previously-adopted Bicycle Master Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan, with focus on improving access, safety, and comfort for roadway users using active modes of transportation. The plan will establish a set of active transportation strategies, infrastructure projects, programs, and investment guidance for the next five years, ultimately continuing the City’s ov erall mission of developing its infrastructure to be safe, convenient, connected, and comfortable for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages.
Several events for public and stakeholder input were offered in 2024, including a series of open house, workshop, and focus group events, including those targeting seniors, persons with disabilities, and their service providers. Multiple check- ins with the City’s Mobility Commission also took place. The ATP is targeted for City Council review and adoption by mid-2025. • See Mobility Element Policy 3-1.1: Complete Streets.
• See Mobility Element Policy 3-1.4: Walking, Bicycling, and Public Health. • See Mobility Element Policy 3-1.5: Improving Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation. • See Mobility Element Policy 3-1.6: Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety. • See Mobility Element Policy 3-1.7: Sidewalks.
Housing Element
Exhibit “B” to the 202 4 Housing Element Annual Progress Report provides a comprehensive update of dwelling units produced and Housing Element Implementation Programs progress.
Safety Element
On November 12, 2024, the Fremont City Council adopted a Resolution to update the City’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) by adopting the 2024 Tri -Cities LHMP Update. Under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, the City is required to prepare, maintain, and update its LHMP at least once every five years as a condition of receiving FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, a nd Flood Mitigation Assistance grant funding. The plan addresses various natural hazards including earthqua ke, wildland/urban interface, fire, severe weather and climate change, flood, tsunami, landslide, and sea level rise. The plan assesses the risks of each hazard and sets goals and strategies to minimize those risks. The LHMP update increases the plan’s conformance with the General Plan and the Urban Forest Master Plan.
• See various policies within the Safety Element, Sustainability Element, and Land Use and Open Space Element.
Section 5. Conclusion
Staff submitted this 2024 General Plan Annual Progress Report to the City Council for review and acceptance on March 18, 2025. The report will subsequently be submitted to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and California Department of Housing and Community Development, in compliance with statutory requirements.