RESOLUTION NO. _____
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA TO APPROVE A GENERAL PLAN TEXT AMENDMENT TO UPDATE THE CITY’S GENERAL PLAN OPEN SPACE ELEMENT, CONSISTENT WITH STATE LAW WHEREAS, in 2022 the state adopted Senate Bill 1425, which requires local jurisdictions to update Open Space Elements of their General Plans to include policies that address climate resilience and other co-benefits of open space, consistent with the jurisdiction’s safety element; and WHEREAS, SB 1425 also requires local jurisdictions to address the issue of access to open space for everyone and to preserve, enhance, and expand a network of open spaces; and, WHEREAS, the City is currently drafting a Creek Trail Network Expansion Master Plan, and an update to the City’s Parks and Recreation Master Plan, both of which are relevant to the update of the Open Space Element; and WHEREAS, the City has drafted updates to the General Plan Parks, Recreation and Open Space Diagram (Figure 5.9-1 of the General Plan) to reflect these planning efforts, and proposed edits to Chapter 5.9 of the General Plan to respond to SB 1425; and WHEREAS, Santa Clara City Charter Section 1007 requires that the Planning Commission provide input to the City Council on any proposed General Plan amendment; and WHEREAS, Government Code Section 65353 requires the Planning Commission to hold a public hearing prior to making a recommendation on the General Plan Amendment; and WHEREAS, on October 22, 2025, a notice of the public hearing on the proposed General Plan Amendment was published in the Santa Clara Weekly, for the Planning Commission Hearing to be conducted on November 12, 2025 and for the City council meeting on December 16, 2025; and WHEREAS, pursuant to SCCC Section 18.146.020, on October 15, 2025, notices of the public hearings of November 12, 2025 and December 16, 2025, were posted at City Hall, the Central Park Library, the Mission Branch Library, the Northside Branch Library, and on the City’s website; and WHEREAS, on November 12, 2025, the Planning Commission conducted a duly noticed public hearing to consider the Open Space Element Update, at the conclusion of which, the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the proposed General Plan Amendment (5-0-2, Bhatnagar and Cherukuru absent); and WHEREAS, on December 16, 2025, the City conducted a duly noticed public hearing to consider the Open Space Element Update, at which time all interested persons were given an opportunity to give testimony and provide evidence in support of and in opposition to the proposed amendments.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA AS FOLLOWS:
1. That the City Council hereby finds that the above Recitals are true and correct and by this reference makes them a part hereof.
2. That the City Council hereby finds and determines that the proposed General Plan Amendment is in the interest of the public good for the following reasons:
The City’s Open Space Element is consistent with SB 1425 in that the revised Open Space Element addresses climate resilience by incorporating policies from the City’s Climate Action Plan; The revised Open Space policies of the General Plan call out access for all as a goal; The incorporation of proposed trails from the Creek Trail Network Expansion master plan help to create a network of linked open spaces; and The proposed General Plan Amendment has been processed in accordance with the applicable provisions of the California Government Code and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), in that an Addendum to the City of Santa Clara 2010-2035 General Plan Environmental Impact Report (EIR) has been prepared.
3. That the City Council hereby amends the Open Space Element, as contained in Section 5.9.1 (Parks, Open Space and Recreation Goals and Policies) of the General Plan, by incorporating a revised version of Figure 5.9-1, the Parks Recreation and Open Space Diagram as shown in Attachment 1, and by incorporating the proposed text changes shown in Attachment 2 into Section 5.9.1.
4. Effective date. This resolution shall become effective immediately.
I HEREBY CERTIFY THE FOREGOING TO BE A TRUE COPY OF A RESOLUTION PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA, AT A REGULAR MEETING THEREOF HELD ON THE 16TH DAY OF DECEMBER 2025, BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES: COUNCILORS:
NOES: COUNCILORS:
ABSENT: COUNCILORS:
ABSTAINED: COUNCILORS:
ATTEST: ______________________________
NORA PIMENTEL, MMC
ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
CITY OF SANTA CLARA
Attachments incorporated by reference:
1. Figure 5.9-1, Parks, Recreation and Open Space Diagram
2. Proposed General Plan Open Space Goals and Policies Text Changes Resolution/*Open Space Element amendment Page PAGE 1 of 3 Rev: 7/27/2023
Ordinance/*Insert brief description Page PAGE 1 of *
Rev: 03-09-10; Typed: *Insert date