Item Number: 10
City Council / Board of Directors
Consent Calendar
Meeting of: March 3, 2026
Submitted By:
Alex Jauregui, City Planner
Subject:
2025 General Plan and Housing Element Annual Progress Report & Implementation Recommendation:
That the Honorable City Council receive and file the 2025 General Plan Annual Progress Report and the 2024 Housing Element Annual Progress Report.
Fiscal Impact:
The Annual Progress Report submittals satisfy reporting requirements to the California Department of Housing and Community Development as well as the Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, thereby maintaining eligibility status for certain State Grants, including Housing Grants.
Strategic Plan Goal:
Receipt of the proposed General Plan Annual Progress Reports and approval of the Implementation Measures discussed herein will enable the City to further the following Goals outlined in the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan:
Goal C (Community and Economic Development) – Implementation of the Housing Element of the General Plan includes the adoption of ordinances that provide standards for urban lot splits, small lot subdivisions, and second dwelling units while also extending approval period for tentative tract maps, which assist in ensuring opportunities for growth and community development. Ongoing City projects such as the Old Town Streetscape Improvement project and the Civic Plaza project will ensure continued investment in Community and Economic Development. Goal D (Reduce Homelessness) – The City’s continued compliance with housing laws, including the adoption of ordinances establishing standards for urban lot splits, small lot subdivisions, and second dwelling units, as well as extending the approval period for tentative tract maps, supports the planned development of procedural manuals to clarify State allowances for affordable housing developers. Together, these measures 4 5
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will provide additional housing options for all income levels in accordance with the Housing and Land Use Elements.
Goal E (Invest in Infrastructure) – Completed Capital Improvement Projects as well as a focus on future projects that improve the City’s circulation and safety will continue to address the City’s strategic goals as well as the goals of the Circulation Element.
Background:
State Requirements
California Government Code Section 65300 requires each city and county to adopt a general plan for the physical development of the jurisdiction. The City of Victorville General Plan establishes a vision for the City’s long-term growth and enhancement and provides strategies and implementable actions to achieve this vision. State law requires that general plans include a collection of “elements,” or topic categories which must cover the following topics: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Safety, Noise, Conservation, Open Space, Environmental Justice, and Air Quality. The City of Victorville’s General Plan is organized into seven elements which include all elements mandated by California Government Code Section 65302.
The City’s General Plan, adopted on October 21, 2008, represented the first comprehensive update since 1997. Several elements, including the Housing Element, have been subsequently updated to comply with state laws. In 2022, the City updated three Elements (Land Use, Housing, and Safety Elements) and adopted a new Environmental Justice Element. The remaining General Plan Elements (Circulation, Resources, and Noise) are currently adequate and will remain unchanged. Updates to the Resources Element are planned for this year to comply with Senate Bill 1425 (2022) that requires an update to the Resources Element by the beginning of 2026. The City is seeking grant funding through the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program to update to the Circulation Element of the General Plan, as approved by the City Council on November 4, 2025. If awarded, an update to the Circulation Element of the General Plan is expected to begin in late 2026 in order to address the requirements of Senate Bill 932 (2022) and AB 98 (2024) that necessitate an update to the Circulation Element.
Section 65400 of the California Government Code requires the City to prepare an Annual Progress Report (APR) addressing the status of the General Plan and progress made toward implementing its goals and policies, including the City’s progress in meeting its share of regional housing needs. The APR is usually structured as two reports: one for the General Plan as a whole and one focusing on the Housing Element. Additionally, Section 65400 of the California Government Code tasks the Planning Department with making recommendations regarding reasonable and practical means for implementing the various elements of the General Plan, as discussed in the “Implementation Measures” section of this report.
APRs must be submitted each year to the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation or (“LCI” formerly the Office of Planning and Research, “OPR”), and to the 4 5
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State Department of Housing and Community Development (“HCD”) by April 1 st. In addition, State law now requires that APRs be submitted to the City Council annually by April 1st as well.
Discussion:
APR Findings
The General Plan APR (Attachment A) provides the City Council and the public with the status of how the City is achieving its various General Plan Goals and Policies set forth within the General Plan and its various Elements. The General Plan Overview section (Attachment A - Page 3) of the General Plan APR details each of the Goals and the annual progress made within the required general plan elements. The Planning and Development Activities section (Attachment A - Page 44) of the General Plan APR provides information on annual development activity as well as capital improvements for 2025.
The Housing Element APR (Attachment B) focuses on the Housing Element of the General Plan and tracks annual housing applications, housing building activity, Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) progress, as well as the status of the City’s Housing Element programs. This 2025 Housing Element APR is presented in an HCD-required format, and accounts for the fourth year of the 6 th Cycle Housing Element period, which spans an eight-year period. In 2022, the City Council adopted and HCD certified the 2021- 2029 Housing Element for the City of Victorville. A synopsis of the main points outlined in the various tables included in the 2025 Housing Element APR is provided as follows:
Table Description
A
Indicates a total of 75 submitted housing development applications (e.g.
Tentative Tract Maps, Multi-family Residential, Accessory Dwelling Units, etc.) for a total of 1,324 units. Of the total, 48 applications (88 units) have been approved, with no applications disapproved. The remaining applications are pending.
A2 Indicates 651 units were entitled, 162 units were issued building permits, and 146 units were issued a Certificate of Occupancy.
D
Provides an update on the City’s implementation of the housing programs established through the adoption of the 6 th Cycle Housing Element.
As discussed in the General Plan and Housing Element APRs, the City continues to make progress in meeting the goals and implementing the policies outlined in the General Plan.
Implementation Measures
Pursuant to California Government Code Section 65400, City Planning staff is required to investigate and make recommendations “. . . regarding reasonable and practical means for implementing the general plan or element of the general plan so that it will serve as an effective guide for orderly growth and development, preservation and conservation of open-space land and natural resources, and the efficient expenditure of public funds 4 5
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relating to the subjects addressed in the general plan.” After reviewing the APR findings discussed above, City staff is focusing on the topics outlined below to ensure continued progress toward implementation of the General Plan and the goals outlined in its various elements.
Land Use Element
Update the City Zoning Ordinance to add objective development standards applicable to residential development.
Update the Zoning Ordinance to comply with current density bonus laws. Update the City Zoning Ordinance to implement site standards for building design and location, parking, truck loading bays, landscaping buffers, entry gates, and signage for new or expanded logistics use development in accordance with AB 98.
Circulation Element
Continue to implement the Circulation Element in accordance with the Circulation Element Map, the Non-motorized Transportation Plan, and the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Guidelines.
Continue Capital Improvement Projects aimed at improving circulation and safety. In order to comply with Senate Bill 932 (2022), continue review of potential pedestrian and traffic calming plans and the incorporation of the principles of the Federal Highway Administration’s Safe System Approach.
Housing Element
Reassess design and funding options for phase two of the Wellness Center while considering available operational resources for phase one. Continue implementation of the Community Revitalization and Investment Authority (CRIA) in the Old Town area.
Continue outreach and updates to the City’s website that provide information on available housing related resources available to residents. Implement the Land Use Element topics noted previously. Continue to utilize available grant funding to support affordable housing and the maintenance of existing housing stock.
Resource Element (Includes Conservation and Open Space) Continue compliance with State laws regarding conservation of protected species as well as cultural resources.
Update the City’s Climate Action Plan to ensure compliance with the San Bernardino County Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan.
Continue to implement the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act. In order to comply with Senate Bill 1425 (2022), continue the Resource Element update initiated in 2025 to develop an action program that: expands equitable access to open space, considering social, economic, and racial equity in coordination with the Environmental Justice Element; addresses climate resilience and other co-benefits of open space in coordination with the Safety Element; and preserves, enhances, and expands an integrated open space network supporting habitat, recreation, natural resources, historic and tribal resources, water management, and aesthetic values. 4 5
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Environmental Justice Element
Continue to incorporate the Environmental Justice Element into implementation of the Land Use and Housing Elements, particularly with respect to allowable land uses near high-density development, buffers between residential and industrial areas, and access to recreational amenities.
Noise Element
Continue to apply and enforce the City’s noise standards. Ensure appropriate mitigation is incorporated into projects near sensitive receptors or projects that create noise above the established thresholds.
Safety Element
Ensure appropriate zoning restrictions for properties located in hazardous areas and for uses involving hazardous waste as part of the City’s Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map update.
Continue to assess any potential geological hazards during the development process as deemed necessary by the City Building Official.
Consider the use of available grant funding to assist private property owners with structural retrofitting of their unreinforced masonry structures.
Prepared By:
Alex Jauregui, City Planner
Attachments: A. General Plan Annual Progress Report
B. Housing Element Annual Progress Report