To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
Members of the Planning Commission
From: Vincent Smith, Community Development Director
Prepared By: Michael Walker, Senior Planner
TITLE:
Title
Draft General Plan Update
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Receive a report introducing the Draft General Plan Update and provide considerations to Staff.
Body
DISCUSSION:
Purpose
The purpose of this agenda item is to introduce the draft update to the General Plan and solicit feedback from the City Council and Planning Commission. The Planning Commission received an introduction to the General Plan at their March 17th meeting, the first of three meetings taking place during the public review and comment period.
The Draft EIR was released on March 10, 2022 and will be available for public review and comments for 45 days (through April 25, 2022) as required by CEQA. An additional meeting with the Planning Commission is scheduled for April 21, 2022 to discuss the Draft EIR during the public review period.
Background
State law requires each California city and county to prepare a General Plan. A General Plan is defined as “a comprehensive, long-term plan for the physical development of the county or city, and any land outside its boundaries which in the planning agency’s judgment bears relation to its planning.” The General Plan presents a vision about how the City is planned to grow, reflecting community priorities and values while shaping the future.
The California Government Code establishes both the content of general plans and the rules for their adoption and subsequent amendment. Together, State law and judicial decisions establish three overall guidelines for general plans. General plans should be:
• Comprehensive. The general plan must be geographically comprehensive, applying throughout the entire incorporated area and the Sphere of Influence. The general plan must also address the full range of issues that affect the City’s physical development.
• Internally Consistent. The general plan must fully integrate its separate parts and relate them to each other without conflict. Consistency applies to figures and diagrams as well as the general plan text. It also applies to data and analysis as well as policies. All adopted portions of the general plan, whether required by State law or not, have legal weight.
• Long Range. Because anticipated development will affect the City and the people who live or work here for years to come, State law requires every general plan to take a long-term perspective. This General Plan uses the year 2040 as a planning horizon.
State law mandates that all general plans include at least seven elements: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open Space, Noise, and Safety. In addition to the required elements, the City also included additional elements of local importance, Economic Development and Historic and Cultural Resources. In direct response to the Community’s commitment to climate change, Health in All Policies, and Equity, two additional elements were added, Climate Change and Sustainability and Public Health and Equity.
The Draft General Plan was released on February 16, 2022. A kickoff meeting was held virtually, via Zoom, and attended by approximately 75-80 members of the public (see recording of the meeting here <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQwLu0L_uJE&t=3s>).
The Draft General Plan is based on information received through General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) meetings, public correspondence, results of online Community Surveys, Virtual Workshops, Focus Area surveys, and Element Framework surveys over the course of three years. The results of this effort are evident in the ten chapters, or “Elements” presented in the Draft General Plan.
1. Vision and Planning Context - This introductory chapter presents the General Plan’s Vision and Guiding Principles, context on the Planning Area, background, and Key Strategies.
2. Land Use and Community Design Element - The Land Use Diagram as well as the land use classifications are included in this element, as well as Plan projections in terms of population, housing, non-residential development, and jobs. Goals and policies in this element seek to balance preservation and new development appropriate for the character and setting of various neighborhoods, corridors, and Napa as a whole. Included are policies for community design and approaches for new development along corridors where new development is anticipated.
3. Transportation Element - The Transportation Element addresses the City’s infrastructure, facilities, and programs for various transportation modes, including automobile movement, bicycling, and walking. Topics include roadway network performance, the transit system, travel demand management, bicycle and pedestrian systems, truck travel, emergency evacuation routes, and alternative vehicle systems. Traffic level of service (LOS) standards, Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) considerations for environmental review, and a list of feasible and desirable roadway and intersection improvement projects are outlined.
4. Community Services, Parks, and Recreation Element - The Community Services, Parks, and Recreation Element includes policies related to police, fire, and emergency services; schools; wet utilities; solid waste collection and disposal; recreational facilities; and recreational parks and open space.
5. Historic and Cultural Resources Element - The Historic and Cultural Resources Element provides guidance on the City’s historic and archaeological resources, its approach to historic preservation, and strategies to promote education and awareness.
6. Climate Change and Sustainability Element - The Climate Change and Sustainability Element presents a framework outlining the City’s strategies for combatting climate change and its impacts. Wildfires, drought, and flooding are becoming more frequent in the Napa Valley, and this element seeks to protect the City’s natural and built resources-including property, water, vegetation, wildlife, open space, and air-while furthering sustainability and reducing the City’s contribution to climate change.
7. Natural Resources Conservation Element - The Natural Resources Conservation Element includes all components required by State law for conservation, including water, vegetation, wildlife, open space, and air to improve the environmental well-being of the community.
8. Safety and Noise Element - The Safety and Noise Element addresses seismic activity, geologic hazards, fire hazards, hazardous materials, flooding, and other potential hazards. It also addresses noise and includes existing noise contours as well as projected noise contours based on future traffic volumes.
9. Public Health and Equity Element - The Public Health and Equity Element addresses the environmental and social determinants of health, as reflected
in the social aspects and physical conditions of the City. This element outlines strategies to ensure that all Napa residents may live, work, and recreate in neighborhoods that offer an equitable chance at good health and opportunity.
10. Economic Development Element - The Economic Development Element includes goals and policies addressing a range of topics relating to Napa’s
economy, including economic development and diversity, promoting specific sectors that are community priorities, small-business retention, workforce development, and linkages.
The table below shows the State-mandated Elements and where these are included in the Draft General Plan.
|
Required Element |
Location(s) in Draft General Plan |
|
Land Use |
Chapter 2: Land Use and Community Design |
|
Circulation |
Chapter 3: Transportation |
|
Conservation |
Chapter 7: Natural Resources Conservation |
|
Open Space |
Chapter 7: Natural Resources Conservation Chapter 4: Community Services, Parks, and Recreation |
|
Safety |
Chapter 4: Community Services, Parks, and Recreation Chapter 8: Safety and Noise |
|
Noise |
Chapter 8: Safety and Noise |
|
Housing |
Update in progress under separate State-mandated schedule |
Planning Commission Review
The Planning Commission held the first of three meetings on the Draft General Plan on March 17, 2022. The Commission focused their initial discussion on the Land Use Element, Transportation Element, and Climate Change and Sustainability Element.
During Public Comment, the Commission heard from 10 speakers, many of whom were representing the Napa Bicycle Coalition and Napa Climate Now! providing comments on the Transportation and Climate Change and Sustainability Elements. The Commission also received several written communications, some of which contained suggested text edits to the Draft General Plan language.
As discussed with the Commission regarding comments received on the Draft General Plan, Staff will evaluate the comments and provide a report to the Commission upon conclusion of the public review period. It is anticipated that the report will include a summary of comments incorporated, where appropriate, into the revised General Plan; which comments were not incorporated and the reasoning behind that decision; and which comments are better suited for inclusion in either the Implementation Strategies or subsequent planning documents upon completion and adoption of the General Plan.
Implementation Strategies
The Planning Commission will continue their review of the Draft General Plan at their meetings on April 7 and April 21, 2022. Upon completion of the public review and comment period on April 25, 2022, Staff and the Consultant Team will focus their efforts on revisions to the General Plan and EIR. The Planning Commission will focus their efforts on the Implementation Strategies which will be included in the General Plan as Appendix A.
The Implementation Strategies will outline specific implementation actions that will be initiated after adoption. All Goals and Policies outlined in the General Plan will be addressed in the Implementation Strategies and whether the implementation action is considered an “Immediate Term” (0-5 years), Mid-Range (6-10 years), or Long-Range (11-20 years). For reference, implementation actions may include updates to the Zoning Ordinance, creation of additional Specific Plans and Overlay Districts, specific and measurable actions on Climate Change, and Capital Improvement Projects.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
Funds for the General Plan Update were budgeted through the normal process and this action simply utilizes already appropriated funds and will have no impact on budget or fund balance. The Capital Improvement Program budget for FY 2018-22, adopted June 20, 2017, included expenditure of $1,500,000 for the General Plan Update (MS18CD02) in 2018.
CEQA:
The Community Development Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not a project (pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378) since it does not result in a physical change in the environment. However, the Recommended Action is part of a larger project that will be subject to environmental review in accordance with CEQA at the earliest feasible time prior to approval consistent with CEQA Guidelines Sections 15004 and 15352. The larger project is the General Plan Update for which a Final Environmental Impact Report would be prepared for certification prior to adoption of the General Plan.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Draft General Plan <https://napa2040.com/participate> (link to the Napa2040.com project website)
NOTIFICATION:
None.