202
4 General Plan Annual Progress Report
Prepared by City of Napa
Community Development Department
February 202
5 Planning Commission:
February
20, 2025
City Council: March
18, 2025
ATTACHMENT 1
I.
Introduction
This
report has been prepared pursuant to the requirements of Government Code Section 65400. Guidance for preparation of the report is provided by the Governor’s Office of
Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI), formerly known as the Office of Planning and Research
.
The purpose of the document is to report on the City’s progress in implementing its General Plan. The document was provided to the Planning Commission and City Council for their review on
February
20, 2025
and March
18, 2025
, respectively, and
will be submitted to
LCI
and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) by April 1, 2023 following these reviews.
Background
The City adopted the
City of Napa 2040
General Plan on October 18, 2022. The
planning process for the
new plan
began in May 2018 and involved many public
meetings, community outreach, and substantial effort on the part of City Staff, the City Council, Planning Commission, and the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) as well as local organizations, interest groups
, and the general public.
The Napa 2040 General Plan replaced the 1998
Envision Napa 2020 General Plan
in
its entirety. The Plan resulted in major documents that are utilized on a daily basis in the City’s planning processes, including:
•
General Plan Vision &
Guiding Principles
•
Land Use Plan
•
Corridor Focus Areas
•
Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
The policy document and appendices are available on the City’s website
.
Informational Document
This document is a reporting
document and
does not create or alter policy. The content
is provided for informational purposes only, and is exempt from the requirements of CEQA, per CEQA Guidelines Section
15060(c)
.
Organization
As
only the second reporting year following
adoption of the
Napa 2040 General Plan, it is
anticipated that the organization of this Annual Progress Report will continue to evolve over the course of the
General Plan
horizon (2040). At a minimum, the Report will include
the City’s efforts in implementing the Goals & Policies of the General Plan, including each of the nine General Plan Elements.
ATTACHMENT 1
Annual progress on the City’s Housing Element will be conducted in a separate Annual Progress Report in accordance with California Government Code Section 65400.
II.
General Plan Progress and Accomplishments
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update
(2024
)
A major step in implementing the General Plan is a comprehensive update to the City’s Zoning Ordinance and Municipal Code. After receiving six submittals from qualified planning firms in response to the Request for Proposals, the City selected Lisa Wise Co
nsulting to assist in the efforts to update the Zoning Ordinance. Work began in the second half of 2024 and included interviews with key staff, Stakeholder interviews, and preparation of a Technical Consistency Memo and an Analysis of the City’s residentia l
design guidelines.
Actions in the Coming Year
•
In addition to the comprehensive Zoning Ordinance update, Staff intends to bring additional amendments to the Zoning Ordinance in response to changes in State Law.
Previous Actions
Interim Zoning Ordinance
(2023)
The City adopted an Interim Zoning Ordinance (IZO) on April 18, 2023 to address areas of conflict between the General Plan and existing zoning. The IZO provides:
•
Interim Zones for new Mixed
-
Use Districts
•
New Land Use types for General Plan
Implementation
•
Land Use Regulations & Development Standards
•
Procedures for Consistency Determinations
Temporary Moratorium on Fossil Fuel Service Stations
(2023)
in tandem with the IZO, a temporary moratorium was established on applications for new or expanded fossil fuel service stations. The temporary moratorium carries out Goals & Policies from the General Plan’s Climate Change and Sustainability Element and wil l
allow the City time to establish new, long
-
term regulations for fossil fuel service stations
and promotion of alternative fuels. These new regulations will take place as part of a comprehensive update to the City’s Zoning Ordinance.
Housing Element Update
(2023)
One of the seven State
-
mandated
elements of the General Plan, the City’s Housing
Element is required to be updated every eight years. After an 18 -
month public process,
the City adopted the 2023
-
2031 Housing Element in October 2023. The Housing Element ATTACHMENT 1
was certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development in December.
ATTACHMENT 1