General Plan Amendments -
Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental
Justice
Mary Jeyaprakash, Senior Planner
City Council, July 25, 2023
2City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 • Amend General Plan Elements
Air Quality
Noise
Safety
• Integrate Environmental Justice
• Amend Noise Code
• Prepare Addendum to Land Use
and Transportation Element EIR
Project Overview
3City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 • Sunnyvale General Plan (GP)
1992 – Air Quality Element
1972 – Noise Element (last updated in 1997)
1972 – Safety Element (last updated in 2008)
2017 – Land Use and Transportation (LUTE)
Update; includes related policies
• State Requirements
2015 – Update Safety Elements
2016 – Integrate Environmental Justice in GPs
Background
4City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 • Required Element
Reduce emissions and
exposure
Provides best
management practices
Background - Air Quality
• Primary Sources of Air Pollution:
Mobile (major highways/roadways and other
transportation sources)
Stationary (industrial/manufacturing facilities and
construction activities)
5City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 • Required Element
Restrictions on various
sources
Sets standards for
community noise levels
• Primary Sources of Noise
Mobile (vehicle, rail, and
airplane)
Background - Noise
Stationary (industrial/manufacturing activities and
construction equipment)
6City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 Background - Environmental Justice
• Required Element as of 2016 - SB 1000
• Promotes fair treatment and equal participation
Targeted for low-income and disadvantaged areas
• Goals:
Reduce air pollution;
Improve access to healthy food
and open space;
Improve public investment; and
Promote equal civic engagement
7City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 Background - Environmental Justice (cont.)
• Low-income communities
Neighborhoods C & D
• Disadvantaged communities
Neighborhoods A & B
No existing residential units
in Sunnyvale within these
census tracts
• Voluntary Approach
• Existing goals/policies
Over 50 EJ policies
C
D
B
A
San Jose
Santa Clara
Sunnyvale
8City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 • LUTE EIR Mitigation Measures
Traffic emissions
Construction emissions
Proximity of residences to
pollution sources
Exposure to objectionable odors
Proposed Updates - Air Quality Element
• Incorporation of BAAQMD guidelines
9City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 • Incorporate LUTE EIR
Mitigation Measures
Ground borne vibration
Construction noise
• Exterior noise standards
• Policies for multifamily/
mixed-use/transit-oriented
developments
• Noise contour maps
Proposed Updates - Noise Element
• Alignment with Building Code
10City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 • Included new exterior noise standards
• Added special exceptions:
Warning sounds
Emergency utility and street repair
Street sweeping and refuse collection services
Childcare
Vehicles
• Updated existing text for objectivity
• Definitions
Added new definitions
Updated existing definitions for clarity
Proposed Updates - Noise Code
11City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 • Required update as of 2015 – SB 379:
Reference recently adopted plans
• County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
• Sunnyvale Climate Action Playbook (2019)
Proposed Updates - Safety Element
12City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 Proposed Updates - Environmental Justice
Goal: Prioritize Needs of Low-Income Communities
Add Recreation
Facility, Park, Open
Space; Promote Tree
Planting
Add Schools,
Libraries,
Resource
Centers
Increase Resilience
of Flood Control
Infrastructure
Improve
Access to
Healthy
Food
Encourage
Retrofit Program
– Install Air
Filters
Require BMPs or
Health Risk Analysis
Encourage
Phasing out of
non-conforming
uses
Apply Universal
Design Principles
Improve
Alternate
Transportation
Infrastructure
13City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 Public Outreach
• Published Outreach Videos – August 10, 2020
• Posted Public Survey - August 10 –September 1, 2020
• Emailed Interested Parties, Advocacy Organizations
Neighborhood Groups – August 12, 2020 & April 5, 2023
• Planning Commission Study Session: August 24, 2020
• Sustainability Commission Study Session: April 17, 2023 • Housing and Human Services Commission Study Session:
April 19, 2023
Outreach Efforts
14City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 Changes since Public Draft
• Noise Element
Removed mobile homes from exterior standards
• Controlled by State
Included transit-oriented developments in applicability of primary useable open space
Deleted policy that prevents development due to train noise
Deleted standards for transportation projects
• Other Elements
Refined and clarified text
15City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 Alternative 1 (Staff Recommendation)
Planning Commission – July 10, 2023
• No recommended modifications
• No updates since the Planning Commission hearing
16City of Sunnyvale – General Plan Amendments - Air Quality, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice – July 2023 Alternative 1
Staff Recommendation
• Adopt a Resolution to Amend General Plan Elements:
Chapter 1: Introduction (Environmental Justice);
Chapter 6: Safety and Noise; and
Chapter 7: Environmental Management (Air Quality).
• Introduce an Ordinance to Amend:
SMC Section 19.42.030. (Noise or Sound Level) and
SMC Section 19.12. (Definitions)
• Accept the Addendum to Previously Certified LUTE EIR