City of Gonzales
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
TO: Honorable Mayor Rios and City Council
DATE: October 3, 2022
FROM: Taven Kinison Brown, Community Development Director THROUGH: Carmen Gil, Interim City Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution No. 2022-70 Adopt Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Policy
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 2022-70, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales adopting Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as the metric for conducting transportation impact analyses to comply with California Senate Bill 743, Vehicle Miles Traveled Policy.
BACKGROUND
The State legislature of the State of California adopted the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA), that required public agencies to, in a public and transparent manner, disclose the potential environmental effects of a given project prior to project approval. Government agencies that approve or deny development projects are required to review many environmental factors such as: Biological Resources, Agricultural Resources, Geology/Soils, Hydrology and Transportation and Circulation factors, among many others.
After nearly 40+ years of statewide practice, a reconsideration of the way traffic impacts are measured has now been incorporated into the state environmental review guidelines (CEQA). Guidelines section 15064.3 went into effect on July 1, 2020, and it names vehicle miles traveled (VMT) as the most appropriate metric to evaluate a project’s transportation impacts.
Formerly, LOS or Levels of Service had been the key metric. LOS evaluations in CEQA studies measured delay and circulation bottlenecks that may result from new projects. The scoring of an LOS A versus a LOS F was much like a report card grade. From great functioning streets and intersections (LOS A), to AGENDA
ITEM
8 failing traffic congestion and bottlenecks (LOS F). Projects have been required to reduce or negate their impacts on increasing delay or a deteriorating level of service by conditioning and mitigating their traffic impacts by paying for or paving new lanes to a busy road, installing new traffic signals, widen intersections, provide turn lanes – or in some way have been required to add a capacity-serving facility that would negate the project’s anticipated increase in delay.
As LOS had become recognized as not meeting or reducing real traffic impacts or meeting the challenges of current life and our future needs, Senate Bill 743 was signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown in 2013, with a goal of:
Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions
Promoting the development of infill land use projects and multimodal transportation networks; and to Promote a diversity of land uses within developments.
One significant outcome resulting from this statue was the removal of automobile delay and congestion, level of service, as a basis for determining significant transportation impacts under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Since this direction came down in 2018 from the state, the City of Gonzales teamed up with the County of Monterey, TAMC Transportation Agency of Monterey County and the cities of Greenfield, Soledad, Pacific Grove, Sand City and Soledad. The team of cities and agencies contracted Kimley-Horn, to prepare a policy paper and evaluation, drawing from state guidance in the matter, and to create a “calculator” where project characteristics can be plugged into the calculator (also called a “model”). The model is built upon a threshold of significance of reducing vehicle miles travelled by 15% for office, retail and residential land uses.
REVIEW AND ANALYSIS
At a regular meeting of the Planning Commission held on September 12, 2022, the matter was presented by staff, all testimony was received and considered, and the Planning Commission deliberated the matter.
The September 12, 2022 Planning Commission Staff report which includes a technical review of the VMT Policy and tools is attached to this Council Report (See Attachment 2) The Planning Commission found and determined, based upon staff and consultant reports and research, that the revised CEQA threshold of significance under consideration to reduce VMT by 15%, is consistent with State requirements as to how transportation impacts should be evaluated for purposes of CEQA review of projects. The revised thresholds are based upon the VMT metric that is specifically required in CEQA Guidelines section 15064.3. Additionally, the policy under consideration is consistent with and based upon review of OPR guidance, which has suggested a target threshold of a 15% reduction in VMT.
In Resolution PC 2022-06 (See Attachment 3), the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council adopt the Vehicle Miles Traveled Policy, designating Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as the metric for conducing transportation analyses pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), establishing CEQA thresholds of significance related to VMT, and identifying screening criteria to limit review for projects presumed to have less than significant VMT impact.
In Resolution PC 2022-06, the Planning Commission also recommended that the City Council adopt the VMT Calculator as prepared by Kimley-Horn on behalf of cities in the Monterey County Region and TAMC, to facilitate VMT computations and suggested mitigation measures and strategies for reducing VMT by 15%.
In the motion to approve Resolution PC 2022-06, the Planning Commission also asked that the City Council consider directing that an update to parking standards and ordinances citywide be undertaken.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA)
The City of Gonzales Community Development Department found that the addition of this VMT threshold policy to address transportation related impacts is consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.7 (Threshold of Significance) and is exempt from CEQA per the categorical exemption under CEQA Guidelines section 15308, Class 8 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment). Furthermore, the project does not qualify for any of the exceptions to the categorical exemptions found at CEQA Guidelines Section 15300.2.
How the Recommendation Supports the Vision
Gonzales will continue to be a safe, clean, family-friendly community, diverse in its heritage, and committed to working collaboratively to preserve and retain its small-town charm.
Explain: Adopting a Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) threshold and its accompanying model calculator, will allow development interests to clearly understand the City’s target of reducing classic vehicle miles travelled by 15% for office, retail and residential units. This policy may help avert the need for an extensive environmental review for future and potential medium sized development projects. The VMT Threshold of Significance is largely neutral to the City’s vision.
Explain how the Recommendation Directly Implements the Mission The City Council and Staff of the City of Gonzales will realize our Vision by providing the leadership, commitment, and resources necessary to provide excellent services that enhance the quality of life of our diverse community. X Yes ____ No____ N/A
Explain: In adopting a Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) threshold and its accompanying model calculator, the City of Gonzales is showing leadership and commitment by providing a usable and interactive software tool for general use by staff and development interests to understand Vehicle Miles Travelled for their particular project proposals and offers mechanisms and adjustments to particular project operations that can reduce vehicle miles travelled.
City services will be delivered in a cost-effective, respectful and friendly manner to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents and the promotion of business, recreational, housing and employment opportunities in an environmentally sustainable manner. X Yes ____No ____ N/A Explain: See Vision and Mission explanations above.
Strong fiscal policies allow us to provide appropriate infrastructure for:
• Public Safety Yes No X N/A
• Housing Yes No X N/A
• Recreation Yes No X N/A
• Environment Yes No X N/A
• Education Yes No X N/A
Explain: A VMT threshold and policy is not a fiscal or infrastructure based policy.
BUDGET IMPACT
None presently.
ALTERNATIVES
The City Council may wish to explore a different threshold of significance than the state recommended 15% reduction of existing background/regional conditions.
CONCLUSION
The City Council’s actions in adopting a VMT policy threshold will allow the development community to have more certainty in how projects will be reviewed for traffic impacts in the City of Gonzales and what “traffic” effects of development may be considered significant or exempt under environmental review.
The policy and its attached calculator / model will be free to use by staff and applicants and will help new developments shape their operations and development proposals so that vehicle miles travelled can be lessened through operational adjustments, potentially negating the need to pay for more expensive traffic reports.
It is recommended that City Council adopt Resolution No. 2022-70, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales adopting Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as the metric for conducting transportation impact analyses to comply with California Senate Bill 743, Vehicle Miles Traveled Policy.
Attachments:
1. Resolution No. 2022-70 w/ Exhibits
2. Proof of Publication