RESOLUTION NO. _______
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
February 27, 2024
ADOPTING AND IMPLEMENTING THE
SACRAMENTO 2040 GENERAL PLAN AND REPEALING THE 2035
GENERAL PLAN
BACKGROUND
A. California state law requires each city to adopt a comprehensive, long-range general plan to guide the physical development of the incorporated city and any land outside of the city boundaries that bears a relationship to its planning activities.
B. The City desires to adopt and implement an updated general plan to replace the existing 2035 City of Sacramento General Plan. The updated general plan, to be known as the Sacramento 2040 General Plan, covers the land use planning period through 2040.
C. A Master Environmental Impact Report was prepared for purposes of analyzing the environmental effects of the expected development to occur in accordance with the updated general plan through 2040.
D. On January 25, 2024, the City Planning and Design Commission conducted a noticed public hearing on the Sacramento 2040 General Plan and forwarded it to the City Council with a recommendation to approve.
E. On February 27, 2024, the City Council conducted a noticed public hearing (Sacramento City Code Section 17.812.030 (B)3(b) (publication) and received and considered evidence concerning the Sacramento 2040 General Plan and Master EIR.
BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Master EIR Certified for the Sacramento 2040 General Plan. The Master EIR for the Sacramento 2040 General Plan has been certified by Resolution No. 2024- ___.
Resolution 2024 – February 27, 2024 Page 2 of 5 Section 2. Administrative Record. The City Council has considered all of the evidence submitted into the administrative record as described in Section 2 of Exhibit A of Resolution No. 2024-____.
Section 3. Findings. Based on the foregoing evidence contained in the administrative record described above, the City Council finds as follows:
(a) The Sacramento 2040 General Plan (Exhibit A) has been prepared in full compliance with the applicable requirements of the State Planning and Zoning Law (Gov. Code §65000 et seq.) and comprises a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the City and lands located outside of the territorial limits of the City which bear a relation to its planning. The Sacramento 2040 General Plan (Part 2) contains the substance of each of the eight state-mandated elements, to the extent that the subject of the element exists within the planning area, addressing land use, circulation, housing (adopted by separate action of the City Council on August 17, 2021 by Resolution No. 2021-0259), environmental justice, conservation, open space, noise, and safety. The Sacramento 2040 General Plan also includes optional elements addressing historic and cultural resources and economic development. The Sacramento 2040 General Plan comprises an integrated, internally consistent, and compatible statement of policies for the city relating to its physical development.
(b) Preparation of the 2040 General Plan included outreach to provide for the involvement and input of local residents, businesses, other public agencies, the California Native American Heritage Commission tribes, public utility providers, and civic, educational, and other community groups. The public review draft of the 2040 General Plan was referred out for comment to all local and state agencies as required under applicable law and all comments received were considered.
(c) The Sacramento 2040 General Plan (Part 3) contains policies that supplement city-wide goals and policies but focus more geographically on the ten individual community plan areas.
(d) The Sacramento 2040 General Plan (Part 4) contains specific implementation actions related to the goals and policies set out in Parts 2 and 3 to ensure that 2040 General Plan is reviewed, maintained, and implemented in a systematic and consistent manner.
(e) The Sacramento 2040 Technical Background Report (Exhibit B) represents the physical, social, and economic resource information required to support the preparation of the General Plan.
(f) The Land Use and Placemaking Element establishes the location and extent of uses for housing, business, industry, open space, and other categories of public and private uses; and standards for population density and building intensity for the various designations. The Land Use and Placemaking Element reflects the City’s commitment to infill development and reuse of underutilized properties, intensifying development near transit and mixed-use activity centers, increasing residential opportunities, and locating jobs closer to housing, all of which will increase walking, Resolution 2024 – February 27, 2024 Page 3 of 5 biking, and transit use, and reduce automobile use, gasoline consumption, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and personal commute times.
(g) The Historic and Cultural Resources Element provides for identification, protection, and assistance in the preservation of historic and cultural resources. The policies maintain a citywide preservation program consistent with the State and Federal Certified Local Government programs and provide for consultation with the appropriate organizations and individuals (including the Native American Heritage Commission and Native American groups) to minimize potential impacts to historic and cultural resources.
(h) The Economic Development Element contains policies that support a healthy and sustainable economy to enable the City to achieve many of its financial and economic goals. Businesses are an important source of the city’s economic well-being, and the policies provide for economic development partnerships, incentives, and a supportive business climate to retain and expand existing and attract new businesses.
(i) The Housing Element has been previously adopted by the City Council on August 17, 2021 by Resolution No. 2021-0259.
(j) The Environmental Resources and Constraints Element includes policies for the preservation and enhancement of environmental resources and the protection from natural hazards to build resilience to climate change. Environmental resources- related policies provide for the protection of surface water and groundwater from the degradation of runoff and pollution; the protection of important biological resources such as wildlife habitat, open space corridors, and ecosystems; the enhancement of the city’s urban forest, recognizing this valuable environmental resource that greatly benefits city residents by reducing the urban heat island effect, making streets and sidewalks more pleasant places to walk, and absorbing carbon dioxide and pollution and producing oxygen which improve air quality and human health; the protection of agriculture and mineral resources consistent with an urban environment; the improvement of air quality through the reduction of air pollutants from construction emissions, industry and other sources.
Environmental Constraints-related policies provide for the protection of the public from seismic and geologic hazards; from flooding hazards through maintenance of existing natural channel floodplain storage areas and by supporting the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) in implementing projects that will ultimately provide a 200-year level of flood protection or greater; from noise hazards by identifying and appraising noise impacts and establishing exterior and interior noise standards; and for the implementation of the City’s Climate Action & Adaptation Plan to reduce community and municipal emissions consistent with the state’s GHG reduction goals in order to minimize global climate change.
(k) The Environmental Justice Element meets the requirements of Government Code section 65302(h). The Element identifies census tracts that have been designated by the state as disadvantaged communities and has identified objectives and policies relating to promoting public health including the reduction of Resolution 2024 – February 27, 2024 Page 4 of 5 pollution exposure; improvement of air quality, access to healthy foods, safe and sanitary homes, and promoting civic engagement. Policies also support efforts to prioritizing improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities.
(l) The Mobility Element establishes the general location and extent of existing and proposed major thoroughfares, transportation routes, terminals, and other local public utilities and facilities, all of which are correlated with the Land Use and Placemaking Element to support “smart growth” and achieve consistency with regional transportation plans. Policies in this element provide a framework to balance walking, bicycling, transit service, and driving within a multi-modal network.
(m) The Public Facilities and Safety Element provides for responsive public safety services and reliable utility infrastructure; police and fire related policies provide for the long-term health, safety, and well-being of residents and businesses and includes policies that maintain police and fire protection commensurate with population growth; emergency response policies address natural and human-made hazards such as floods, earthquakes, urban and wildland fires.
Utilities-related policies ensure a reliable water supply, promote water conservation to increase water use efficiency, provide for adequate and reliable sewer service, ensure new drainage facilities are adequately sized and constructed and support coordinated efforts in the development of regional stormwater facilities, and support a wide range of programs to reduce waste, use recycled building materials, and support the recycling of construction and landscaping waste. Policies for high-quality and efficient utility service throughout the city, seek to limit impacts to environmentally sensitive areas, and emphasizes the City’s commitment to sustainability.
On February 1, 2022, the City Council adopted the 2021 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), by Resolution No. 2022-0034 as part of the current General Plan, and the 2040 General Plan Public Facilities and Safety Element incorporates the LHMP by reference in its entirety.
(n) The Youth, Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Element provides for the development and maintenance of a variety of new and existing parks and recreational, educational, and cultural facilities and programs throughout the city to enable access from every neighborhood.
(o) The City of Sacramento 2021-2029 Housing Element was adopted by separate action of the City Council on August 17, 2021 by Resolution No. 2021-0259.
The 2040 Sacramento General Plan, of which the Housing Element is part, is consistent with and complementary of the adopted Housing Element.
Section 4. Exhibits A and B are part of this resolution.
Section 5. Conclusions. Based on the foregoing evidence, findings, and determinations, the City Council concludes that the Sacramento 2040 General Plan has been prepared in full compliance with State law and that Resolution 2024 – February 27, 2024 Page 5 of 5 it will serve as an effective policy guide for determining the appropriate physical development and character of the City.
Section 6. Approval and Implementation. Based on the foregoing evidence, findings, determinations, and conclusions, the Sacramento 2040 General Plan (February 2024) is approved and shall take effect 30 days after passage of this resolution, at which time the 2035 General Plan adopted by Resolution 2015-0061 shall be repealed and have no further force and effect. The 2040 General Plan goals and policies shall be implemented as soon as possible thereafter.
Table of Contents:
Exhibit A: Hearing Draft 2040 General Plan
Exhibit B: 2040 General Plan Technical Background Report