DATE: MARCH 22, 2022
DEPARTMENT: COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
FROM: MEGAN HUNTER, DIRECTOR
BY: JONATHAN MOORE, SENIOR PLANNER
THROUGH: LISA BRINTON, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
TITLE: 2021 GENERAL PLAN ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT AND VISIÓN SALINAS 2040 UPDATE RECOMMENDED MOTION:
A motion to approve a resolution accepting the 2021 General Plan Annual Progress Report (GP APR) and authorizing its submittal to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR).
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council
Receive staff’s presentation on the GP APR and Visión Salinas 2040 update; and Approve a resolution accepting the 2021 General Plan Annual Progress Report (GP APR) and authorizing its submittal to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR).
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Since 2019, state government code mandates charter cities prepare a General Plan Annual Progress Report (GP APR). The GP APR informs City's legislative bodies and the public of the progress in meeting the community’s goals. This GP APR covers Salinas General Plan implementation activities during the calendar year 2021, including the status of Visión Salinas 2040, the General Plan Update (GPU). Since the last GPU Study Session in October 2021, Community Development completed two additional Land Use Workshops/Council Town Halls, hosted a Community Resource Fair at Sherwood Park, hosted a virtual Existing Conditions webinar, launched Working Groups, and released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking support for grassroots community engagement.
BACKGROUND:
General Plan
Every city and county in California is required to have a General Plan which guides the community’s future development. The General Plan “is a vision about how a community will grow, reflecting community priorities and values while shaping the future” (Governor’s Office of Planning and Research). Visión Salinas 2040 is the first comprehensive update to the City of Salinas’ General Plan since 2002. This project is the opportunity to respond to new challenges and changes in state law, and will also include a new Environmental Justice Element, the City’s first Climate Action Plan, and an update of the Zoning Code. Visión Salinas 2040 is the rebranding of the original Visión Salinas, which was initiated in 2017 to coordinate public outreach and planning efforts in Salinas and to develop Guiding Principles for the General Plan Update (GPU). The City is targeting December 2023 for GPU adoption to align with State deadlines for Housing Element updates.
The General Plan is now required to have eight mandatory elements: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Noise, Open Space, Safety and Environmental Justice. The City of Salinas also has two optional elements: Community Design and Economic Development. In 2021, the Steering Committee established three pillars as a proposed way of grouping General Plan Elements in a more relatable manner: the Built Environment, Natural Systems and Resources, and Socioeconomic Systems. For details on what topics may fall under each pillar, please see Attachment 2, Proposed General Plan Organization.
General Plan Annual Progress Report Requirements
Under California Government Code Section 65400, staff is required to prepare a General Plan Annual Progress Report (GP APR) for review by the City Council and submittal to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) by April 1st of each year. Failure to submit the report within sixty (60) days of the deadline would make the City ineligible for certain State grant programs.
There is no standardized form or format for the preparation of the General Plan APR. The GP APR is to provide enough information for decision makers to assess how the General Plan was implemented during the reporting period and should provide enough information to identify necessary "course adjustments" or modifications to the General Plan and means to improve local implementation. The GP APR is not required to incorporate all General Plan Elements. OPR Guidance received in January 2022 is provided as Attachment 3 to this report.
DISCUSSION:
2021 General Plan Annual Progress Report
The 2021 GP APR (Attachment 4) contains two sections. Section 1 provides an introduction and summary for the GP APR, gives a background of our existing General Plan and a synopsis of key legislation since its adoption. It also gives a summary of the GPU and coordination with regional planning efforts. Section 2 describes projects occurring during the 2021 calendar year that implemented current General Plan goals and policies. Below is a list of some of the GP APR implementation highlights. Each item is described in more detail in the report and linked to the General Plan goal/policy it implements.
Approval of rezoning and entitlement for the Carr Lake Park project.
Approval of relocation of the Transfer Station to Madison Lane.
Securing over $16 million for improvements to Closter Park and a new Hebbron Family Center.
Construction of the Downtown Complete Streets and Main Street Streetscape projects.
Acceptance of the Vision Zero Action Plan to address corridor safety.
Collaboration with Monterey County, Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST), and the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) on regional planning efforts.
Approval of agreements with Underline Monterey, LLC for construction/operation of an open-access fiber network.
Launch of AMOR Salinas campaign.
Provision of pandemic support and technical assistance to over 500 businesses.
Staff also presented the Draft GP APR to the Visión Salinas 2040 Steering Committee on February 23 and to the Planning Commission on March 2. No public comment was received on the draft document at these meetings. Neither body recommended changes to the Draft GP APR prior to submittal. Planning Commission had questions/comments on future community engagement and building trust and transparency with the General Plan Update. No formal action was required from the Planning Commission, but there was an informal recommendation for Council to authorize the Draft GP APR for submittal.
Visión Salinas 2040 Update
Since the October Study Session, the City completed two additional Land Use Workshops. Workshop comments from all seven (7) events are summarized in Attachment 5 and are guiding the development of place-based land use designations and map changes. The City also hosted the Visión Salinas 2040 Community Resource Fair at Sherwood Park in October 2021. Over 250 people and 30 local organizations attended this outdoor event.
General Plan Existing Conditions Webinar
On January 20, the City held the General Plan Working Group Kick-Off and Existing Conditions webinar, which over 90 people attended. Presentation slides are available as Attachment 6 and a video recording of the meeting is on the City’s YouTube channel. Staff will incorporate what was shared and additional information into a full Existing Conditions Report. The Existing Conditions presentation and eventual Existing Conditions Report serve two main purposes:
Inform community discussions and dialogue, particularly in the Working Groups Provide the technical basis for policy in the General Plan The Existing Conditions Report will be organized similarly to the presentation, with chapters on demographics and each of the three General Plan pillars. Key information from each section is highlighted below.
The People of Salinas
Salinas grew at a fast rate in the last century, going from 4,300 residents in 1920 to over 163,000 in 2020.
Salinas’ population is still growing and is forecasted to be over 175,000 by 2040.
According to the 2019 American Community Survey, 77% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino, and Salinas’ median age was below that of Monterey County and the state.
The Built Environment
Nearly half (46%) of our land is designated for housing in the General Plan Land Use Map. Only three percent (3%) is designated for mixed-use development.
Over 43% of Salinas renters and over 30% of homeowners spend more than 30% of their income on housing.
Only 3.7% of Salinas’ of units vacant, including rental and ownership properties.
Over 330 people were killed or severely injured in traffic crashes in Salinas from 2009-2018.
Natural Systems and Resources
Climate change is threatening our community through more extreme heat and longer droughts that increase fire risks, disrupt power service, and provide additional threats to vulnerable residents and our critical agricultural industry.
Greenhouse gas emissions drive climate change, and in Salinas, most (65%) of these come from our transportation sector, with residential and nonresidential energy as the next largest contributors.
Salinas is at the heart of Monterey County’s $8 billion agriculture industry, but since the 1988 General Plan has re-designated agricultural land inside city limits as a different future use. Examining Salinas’ future in the industry is a critical part of this General Plan Update.
Socioeconomic Systems
With over 17,000 active business licenses, Salinas is home to not only large agricultural companies, but thousands of small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Healthcare and construction are projected as the fastest growing industries in Salinas from 2020-2040.
Salinas’ arts and culture is one of the community’s greatest strengths. There are over 18 murals in Salinas, and a strong desire for more programming and space for the arts as demonstrated in multiple community plans.
Community Engagement/Working Groups
The next step for community engagement in 2022 is the establishment of Working Groups. Organized around plan pillars and topics, these groups will include residents and community stakeholders, as well as staff and technical advisors. Similar to recent community plans like the Alisal Vibrancy Plan, Working Groups will help generate the heart of plan content. Initially, these groups will be based around the General Plan pillars, but as content generation evolves, it is anticipated that members of these three Working Groups may split into more concentrated topics, such as Housing, Climate Action, Economic Development, etc. The first phase of Working Group engagement started in February 2022 and is anticipated to run through June 2022. Also in February, the City released a RFP seeking non-profit/community-based organization support in grassroots engagement. This would include promotion of the Working Groups and other opportunities, as well as direct engagement with underserved/underrepresented members of our community, and stipends for resident-ambassadors for the General Plan Update.
DEPARTMENT COORDINATION:
Although the development of this report was led by Community Development, it is expected that all departments, the City Council and Commissions will be involved in the General Plan Update. The Update will also require significant coordination with regional agencies, including but not limited to, the County of Monterey, Monterey-Salinas Transit, the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, and the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
The proposed action of accepting the GP APR and the administrative report on the GPU are not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per Guidelines Section 15378. Because the matter does not cause a direct or foreseeable indirect physical change on or in the environment, this matter is not a project. Any subsequent discretionary projects resulting from this action will be assessed for CEQA applicability. An Environmental Impact Report will be prepared for the updated General Plan.
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
The new City Council Strategic Plan for 2022 -2025 was approved on March 28, 2022. Given that the General Plan acts as the City’s guiding document for future growth and development, it will touch upon all six goals of the strategic plan. However, the development of the General Plan is specifically identified as a strategy under Effective and Culturally Responsive Government. In addition, the Climate Action Plan, which is part of this process is listed as a strategy under the goal of Infrastructure and Environmental Sustainability.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
This report has no direct fiscal impact. However, it is anticipated that the three-year General Plan process will cost approximately $3.5 million including staffing. A General Plan/Zoning Maintenance Fee was established in 2015 and has surpassed the original estimate of generating between $150,000 to $200,000 annually. The City currently has appropriated almost $1.89 million for this effort in the CIP budget, plus an additional $881,000 generated by the General Plan Maintenance Fee that could be encumbered for this effort. The LEAP and REAP entitlement grants received total $855,000 and combined with the Sustainable Agricultural Land Conservation (SALC) grant of $250,000 brings total GPU funding to over $3.8 million.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution accepting the 2021 General Plan Annual Progress Report Proposed General Plan Organization
General Plan Annual Progress Report Guidance for 2021
Draft 2021 City of Salinas General Plan APR
Land Use Workshop Comments and Feedback Map
Existing Conditions Presentation (January 2022)
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