Attachment A
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MARIA, CALIFORNIA
CERTIFYING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT,
MAKING CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT FINDINGS,
ADOPTING A MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM,
AND ADOPTING A STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS
FOR THE CITY OF SANTA MARIA 2045 GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Maria (the City) proposes the 2045 Santa Maria General Plan Update (the Project), a comprehensive update to the City of Santa Maria’s existing General Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Project establishes the community’s vision for future development in the City through the planning horizon year of 2045; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 21067 of the Public Resources Code , the City of Santa Maria is the lead agency for the proposed Project; and
WHEREAS, the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 (CEQA), Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et. seq., require s the evaluation of environmental impacts of said Project; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines Section 15063 , the City determined that a n Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was required to analyze all potential adverse environmental impacts that could potentially result from the adoption and implementation of the Project and an Initial Study was not required; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines Section 15082, on February 18, 2025, the City sent to the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and each responsible and trustee agency and made available for public comment as required by law, a Notice of Preparation (NOP) stating that an EIR (S tate Clearinghouse Number (SCH) #2025020584) would be prepared; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with Senate Bill 18 and Assembly Bill 52, the City sent notices to the list of Native American tribes provided by the Native American Heritage Commission; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21083.9 and State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15082(c) and 15083, the City held a duly notice d Scoping Meeting on February 27, 2025, to solicit comments on the scope of the environmental review of the proposed Project; and
Attachment A
WHEREAS, a Draft EIR (SCH# 2025020584) was prepared for said Project in compliance with C EQA; and the required notices were published and the EIR was circulated for public review for the required 45-day duration between and including August 14, 2025 through September 28, 2 025, sent to every responsible and/or trustee agency with jurisdiction over the Project, and placed in a public location; and
WHEREAS, the Draft EIR determined that mitigation measures were required to mitigate impacts to a less than significant level for the following resource areas: Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Biological Resources, Cultural and Tribal Cultural Resources, and Noise; and
WHEREAS, the Draft EIR further concluded that despite the incorporation of all feasible mitigation measures, the proposed Project would nonetheless result in significant and unavoidable impacts relating to Agricultural Resources, Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Noise, and Transportation and Traffic; and
WHEREAS, in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines Section 15085, a Notice of Completion was prepared and filed with the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation on August 14, 2025; and
WHEREAS, as required by State CEQA Guidelines Section 15087(a), the City provided a Notice of Availability of the Draft EIR to the public at the same time that the City sent a Notice of Completion to the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, on August 14, 2025; and
WHEREAS, at the completion of the public review periods on the Draft EIR for the Project, comments were received and responses to those comments were prepared and incorporated into the Final EIR; and
WHEREAS, all of the requirements of the Public Resources Code and the State CEQA Guidelines have been satisfied by the City in connection with the preparation of the EIR, which is sufficiently detailed so t hat all of the potentially significant environmental effects of the Project have been adequately evaluated; and
WHEREAS, the EIR prepared in connection with the Project sufficiently analyzes the Project’s potentially significant environmental impacts and the EIR analyzes a range of feasible alternatives capable of reducing these effects to an even lesser level of significance; and
WHEREAS, all the mitigation measures identified in the EIR as necessary to reduce the potentially significant impacts of the proposed Project to a level of less than significant are set forth in the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP); and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission of the City of Santa Maria held a regularly scheduled public hearing on March 4, 2026, for the purpose of receiving evidence and considering the EIR and the proposed Project; and
Attachment A
WHEREAS, notices of said public he aring were made at the time and in the manner required by law; and
WHEREAS, after considering all evidence, the Planning Commission of the City of Santa Maria re commended that the City Council: 1) Finds that the EIR complies with CEQA; 2) Certifies the EIR; 3) Make CEQA findings; and 4) Adopts the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the project; and
WHEREAS, at the completion of the public hearing, the Planning Commission duly considered all evidence presented at said hearing; and
WHEREAS, the EIR reflects the Planning Commission’s independent judgment and analysis; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Santa Maria held a regularly scheduled public hearing on May 5, 2026, for the purpose of receiving evidence and considering the EIR and the proposed project; and
WHEREAS, notices of said public hearing were made at the time and in the manner required by law; and
WHEREAS, at the completion of the public hearing, the City Council duly considered all evidence presented at said hearing; and
WHEREAS, the EIR reflects the City Council’s independent judgment and analysis.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Santa Maria, California, as follows:
SECTION 1. The above recitals are true and correct and inco rporated herein by this reference.
SECTION 2. The City Council certif ies the Environmental Impact Report (SCH# 2025020584) for the General Plan Update included as Attachment E to the City Council Agenda Report dated May 5, 2026, incorporated herein by reference, and finds that it complies with CEQA.
SECTION 3. The City Council makes CEQA Findings included as Attachment G to the City Council Agenda Report dated May 5, 2026, incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 4. The City Council adopts the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Project included as Attachment F to the City Council Agenda R eport dated May 5, 2026, incorporated herein by reference.
SECTION 5. The City Council make s a Statement of Overriding Considerations included as Attachment H to the City Council Agenda Report dated May 5 , 2026 , incorporated herein by reference , that balances the benefits of the Project against the Attachment A
significant, unavoidable impacts to Agricultural Resources, Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Noise, and Transportation and Traffic.
SECTION 6. The Chief Deputy City Clerk is hereby authorized to make minor changes herein to address clerical errors, so long as substantial conformance of the intent of this document is maintained. In doing so, the Chief Deputy City Clerk shall consult with the City Manager and City Attorney concerning any changes deemed necessary.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Santa Maria held this 5th day of May 2026.
ATTEST:
Chief Deputy City Clerk
Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
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City Attorney
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
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Department Director
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City Manager