To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Permit Sonoma
Staff Name and Phone Number: Brian Oh (707) 565-1931
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
General Plan Update - Informational Only
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Receive staff presentation on General Plan and facilitate Board and public comments.
end
Executive Summary:
Staff is seeking initial Board of Supervisors and public comments on updating Sonoma County’s General Plan. Since the last comprehensive update in 2008, the County (and region) has seen significant changes on issues such as health, climate, and equity. Most recently, the Board of Supervisors approved its Strategic Plan in 2021 with a focus on five pillars: Healthy and Safe Communities, Organizational Excellence, Racial Equity and Social Justice, Climate Action and Resiliency, and Resilient Infrastructure. Staff proposes to use this framework to guide development of the General Plan update.
Discussion:
Background
The county’s first General Plan was adopted January 10, 1978. A key challenge was to balance sustainable development with conservation. To achieve this goal, it was necessary to coordinate with the cities to focus growth where infrastructure was available to serve the water, sewerage, transportation, jobs, and educational needs of a population which would grow from fewer than 200,000 in 1970 to just shy of 500,000 today. This “community centered” approach to managing growth was matched with policies preserving agricultural lands, open space, and diverse community character. These goals became the policy foundation of the 1978 General Plan. These fundamentals have been carried forward in the 1989 and 2006 updates of the General Plan.
The 1989 update expanded the scope of the 1978 General Plan reflecting more refined content requirements and ever-changing circumstances. As an example, the 1989 update included an implementation program that led to the ballot measure whereby the voters of Sonoma County created the Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District (Ag & Open Space District). This successful program has permanently protected more than 100,000 acres of farmland, open space and natural resource areas. The Ag & Open Space District has also purchased and turned over to Sonoma County Regional Parks thousands of acres of park and trail expansion land. The seed for this outcome was planted in the 1978 plan and carried forward in the 1989 update with the specific implementation recommendation achieved in 1990.
Commonly referred to as the General Plan 2020, the most recent update of the General Plan was in 2006 and adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2008. In addition to carrying forward the primary goals and objectives of the prior General Plan, new policies reflected new and elevated issues such as water resources. As the County embarks on its fourth comprehensive overhaul of its General Plan, the Board of Supervisor’s current 5-year Strategic Plan has created a starting point to shape the next generation of Sonoma County residents.
Board of Supervisors 5-year Strategic Plan
On January 28, 2020, the Board held a planning retreat to develop a strategic direction for the County. The process is centered around several topics (Healthy and Safe Communities, Racial Equity and Social Justice, Climate Action, Organizational Excellence, and Infrastructure) that are all relevant to the General Plan update and can ultimately be reflected priorities, or as new or refined policies within the plan. The strategic plan was adopted March 02, 2021. The Board’s strategic plan provides valuable direction and framing to community conversations that would occur for General Plan 2040. As part of the Board’s commitment to racial equity, the General Plan 2040 will be its first major update to be centered on this commitment through application of resources such as the ’Government Alliance on Race and Equitys Toolkit <https://racialequityalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/GARE-Racial_Equity_Toolkit.pdf> and the upcoming Language Access Policy that is being brought forward by the Office of Equity. In a jurisdiction as diverse as Sonoma County, it will be critical to create equitable engagement opportunities for all communities to participate in the process.
What is a general plan?
In the words of the California Supreme Court, the general plan serves as “the land use constitution” for the community. It guides the county’s land-use policy balancing environmental protection and sustainable development for the next generation.
General Plans are required by California State law under Government Code Section 65300. This law details required components for General Plans, which are typically organized into “elements”. The Sonoma County General Plan was adopted by Resolution No. 08-0808 on September 23, 2008, with a focused update in August 2016. State law does not mandate a time period for comprehensive updates but California communities typically update their general plans every 15-20 years. In the meantime, each California community must update its Housing Element, last updated for Sonoma County in 2016, every 5 to 8 years. Furthermore, new State laws have been adopted since 2008 that require a jurisdiction to complete additional updates, such as an update to its Safety Element to address climate adaptation and resiliency strategies.
The General Plan is implemented through a jurisdiction’s Zoning Ordinance. The County’s Zoning Ordinance, County Code Chapter 26, and changes to it must be consistent with the adopted General Plan.
How does it differ from the Local Coastal Plan?
The Local Coastal Plan serves as the general plan for the Coastal Zone. The Local Coastal Plan is a long-range policy document that guides all development activities in the Coastal Zone. The County’s current Local Coastal Plan was last amended and certified by the California Coastal Commission in December 2001. The County is in the process of updating the Local Coastal Plan. The County Planning Commission has held a series of public hearings on components of the draft plan over the past six months. When the Planning Commission’s review is complete, staff will present the Commission’s recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for final adoption, tentatively in Fall 2022. The process for updating the Local Coastal Plan and the process for updating the General Plan are separate, and only the Local Coastal Plan requires certification by the California Coastal Commission. The County’s Coastal Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 26C, and changes to it, must be consistent with the adopted Local Coastal Plan.
How does the county general plan relate to cities?
The Board of Supervisors is responsible for land use and zoning for unincorporated Sonoma County, which includes communities such as Bodega Bay, Forestville, Guerneville, Geyserville, Larkfield-Wikiup, Kenwood, Occidental, Penngrove, and the Springs. The responsibility of governing the growth and development within the borders of Sonoma County is shared between the County and the governing bodies within the incorporated cities of Cloverdale, Cotati, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma, and Windsor. Each city and the unincorporated county all have individually adopted general plans and maintain voter-approved Urban Growth Boundaries, community separators and investments made by Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District to ensure orderly development that is focused on city-centered growth. Additional investments such as the region’s rail system (SMART) provides a policy framework around transit-oriented development.
Planning is also done collaboratively through examples such as the Sonoma County Transit Authority (SCTA) and Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA), which work with local jurisdictions to provide countywide transportation planning to improve the County’s transportation system and coordinates climate change-related functions between the cities, county, regional, state and federal entities, respectively.
How does this plan relate to the Specific Plans for the Airport, The Springs, Sonoma Developmental Center, and potentially Lower Russian River?
Just as the county general plan directs policy for all unincorporated Sonoma County land use, a Specific Plan serves this function for a specific geographic area. For example, the Airport Industrial Area Specific Plan (1984) directs land use policy surrounding the Airport. Given its changing landscape, particularly the SMART station investment, the Airport Industrial Area Specific Plan is currently being updated to reflect present day and future conditions. Staff is also working on creating two new draft Specific Plans: the Springs and Sonoma Developmental Center, both in the Sonoma Valley as unique communities of potential. Staff anticipates completing all three draft Specific Plan for ultimate consideration by the Board of Supervisors before the end of 2022. On the horizon, staff will be working on developing a draft planning framework (e.g. Specific Plan, Area Plan, etc…) for the communities of the Lower Russian River. All polices within a Specific Plan must be consistent with the General Plan.
How can the community know whether a general plan is implemented?
Each jurisdiction publishes an annual report (Attachment 1) that outlines progress made on its general plan initiatives such as production of affordable housing, completion of policy initiatives such as the Local Coastal Plan update. Because of the dynamic nature of land use and the factors that drive it, general plans do not have a discrete start and end but rather a more fluid progression from one update to another.
Why update the general plan now?
Since 2008, the County has evolved significantly. State regulations governing General Plan update requirements also have expanded. In 2018, the California Office of Planning and Research (OPR) issued an update to its General Plan Update Guidelines document, summarizing new required and optional components. Table 1 below provides a summary of the County’s current General Plan Elements, and whether they are required or optional under current State guidance.
Table 1 - Sonoma County General Plan 2020 Elements compared to OPR Guidance
|
Sonoma County’s Elements |
2018 OPR Guidelines |
Required/Optional |
|
Land Use |
Land Use |
Required |
|
Circulation & Transit |
Circulation |
Required |
|
Open Space & Resource Conservation |
Open Space, Conservation, Air Quality |
Required |
|
Noise |
Noise |
Required |
|
Safety |
Safety |
Required |
|
Housing* |
Housing |
Required on 8-year cycle |
|
N/A |
Environmental Justice |
Required |
|
Agricultural Resources |
|
Optional |
|
Air Transportation |
|
Optional |
|
Public Facilities and Services |
|
Optional |
|
Water Resources |
Water |
Optional |
|
N/A |
Health |
Optional |
|
N/A |
Equity |
Optional |
|
N/A |
Community Development |
Optional |
|
N/A |
Climate Change* |
Optional |
|
N/A |
Resiliency* |
Optional |
* Climate change and resilience are conflated. While there are certainly overlapping concepts between the two, resilience in the realm of general plans is a broader-reaching goal that refers to a community’s ability to dynamically respond, recover, and adapt to evolving economic, social, political, and ecological/environmental changes. In that sense, resilience relates more to equity issues because it seeks to decrease infrastructure and social vulnerabilities.
What elements should and could be included in a new general plan update?
As shown in Table 1, some elements are mandated by state law, while others are optional. The County currently has four optional elements: Agricultural Resources; Air Transportation; Water Resources; and Public Facilities and Services. The Open Space & Resource Conservation Element covers the mandatory topics under OPR’s Open Space, Conservation, and Air Quality Elements. OPR lists several optional Elements that are becoming more commonplace as county governments across the State update their General Plans: health, equity, community development, climate change, and resiliency. Plan elements comprise an organizational method for policies; there is no limit to the types of policy discussions or elements that a community can adopt in a General Plan so long as the policies are internally consistent, consistent with State and Federal law, and actionable. Currently, staff is completing updates on its state mandates: updating the Housing and Public Safety Elements, and creating new environmental justice policies related to additional required elements such as Circulation. Staff is providing the following updates for this mandatory work.
Housing Element 2024-2032
The Housing Element is unique within a General Plan because it must be updated on a separate eight-year schedule. The current 5th Housing Element cycle covers January 2015, to February 2023. Housing Elements for the 6th cycle (2024-2032) must be prepared and submitted for certification by the California Department of Housing and Community Development by December 2022. Housing Element updates are a routine function for Permit Sonoma Comprehensive Planning section staff; additional funding and staff resources for the Housing Element update are limited and are considered outside the General Plan update scope.
The 2018 OPR Guidelines also summarize new laws governing General Plan Element contents-a list that continues to expand each year with new State legislative updates. The General Plan update will need to address all statutory requirements that apply to Sonoma County.
Safety Element and Environmental Justice policies 2022-23
In partnership with the Department of Emergency Management and other partners, staff will complete a draft update to the Safety Element in 2023 for the Board’s ultimate consideration. A primary component of the Safety Element will incorporate the county’s recent adoption of a Hazard Mitigation Plan (2021) and potential adoption of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (2022) in July 2022.
Concurrently, new state law (SB 1000) mandates jurisdictions to identify objectives and policies to reduce the unique or compounded health risks in disadvantaged communities, promote civil engagement in the public decision-making process, and prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities. Staff is conducting a procurement process to secure consultant support to complete both efforts.
Circulation Element
Many of the county goals on mobility, climate and health equity have advanced since the adoption of the Sonoma County General Plan 2020. A new framework for how to safely move a future generation of Sonoma County residents will require a comprehensive look at our mobility needs and policies. Furthermore, ridership growth and investment into Sonoma County Airport has further expanded a regional conversation about the county’s place in a global economy.
Examples of Optional Elements and/or Policies (2018 OPR Guidelines)
There are a number of possible optional elements that can be pursued, resources permitting. Staff seeks input on the scope of possible optional elements. Optional elements in the current General Plan, such as the Water Element or Agricultural Element, can be carried forward, modified, or combined. Other optional elements, such as those focused on tribal or climate change matters could be developed as stand-along elements, or incorporated in whole or part into other elements.
Water
Water Resources is an existing county General Plan Element that is not a state General Plan requirement, but is rapidly becoming an essential land-use policy priority. Issues such as climate change, chronic drought, water diversions such as in the Eel River, and groundwater and sustainability planning suggest a comprehensive look at land-use planning and protection of our waters.
Climate Change
The county’s climate has gone through unprecedented change since 2008. Natural disasters such as sea-level rise, wildfire, floods, and drought have impacted our lives and require a new framework to look at land-use policy. Bridging prior efforts such as the Regional Climate Action Plan (2016) with new County commitments on Climate Action and Resiliency could be formalized in a new Element of the General Plan.
Tribal resources
Since time immemorial, lands within Sonoma County have been home to indigenous people and sovereign tribal nations. The County recognizes the historic imbalances of power that have underpinned much of modern land-use planning. The state passed SB 18 that requires that the County offer tribes the opportunity to consult when the adoption or amendment of a general or specific plan is proposed. The County also regularly engages in a variety of formal and informal discussions with tribes concerning land stewardship, development permitting, and protection of sacred sites and cultural resources. Beyond the SB 18 mandate, the County may wish to consider a tribal or cultural resources element to the General Plan, alone or in combination with another element, in order to promote effective land-use planning by expressly recognizing the benefits of tribal consultation and consideration of “tribal ecological knowledge.” Tribal ecological knowledge encompasses tribes’ special cultural history, knowledge of, and connection to the land.
How does staff propose to proceed?
Step 1: Develop a Scope of Work for the General Plan Update
Duration: 18-months
• Overview. Audit the existing General Plan’s policies and implementation programs.
• Outreach Preparation. Develop methods and outlines for outreach.
• Major Issues. Identify preliminary issues to explore through community outreach.
• Outreach. Market the planning effort to increase awareness/participation; reach out to community members and stakeholders for input on focus topics.
• Scope/Financing. Provide the Board with options for the planning scope and budget.
• Recruitment. Recruit a consultant to prepare the Board-approved scope.
• Commencement. Begin the update.
Step 2: Complete the General Plan Update
Duration: 5 years. Completion of the update includes completion of the related Strategic Plan objective by 2025 to update the County General Plan and other county/special district planning documents to incorporate policy language and identify areas within the County that have the potential to maximize carbon sequestration and provide opportunities.
Step 3: Implementation of the General Plan Update
Duration: 2 years
Funding the Scoping Process and General Plan Update
County General Plans are considerable undertakings because of the scope and scale of issues involved. In 2008, upon adoption of the current General Plan, the County established a dedicated General Plan Administration (GPA) account to implement the newly adopted plan and prepare for this update. The account is funded by building and planning permit fees. When the account was developed, Permit Sonoma established accrual fees based on a projection for the cost of various long-range planning efforts, including the Local Coastal Plan update and General Plan update. As of March 3, 2022, the balance of the GPA account is $1,510,584.42, and, approximately $450,000 is allocated to fund two full-time positions in the Permit Sonoma Comprehensive Planning Division and one County Counsel position.
Staff conducted interviews with planning staff in peer jurisdictions that are currently taking on or recently took on County General Plan updates (Ventura-adopted in 2020, Kern-in progress, Contra Costa-in progress, Humboldt-adopted 2017, initiated 1999). Permit Sonoma staff has confirmed that a $3.5 million cost projection for a basic update is realistic. However, a direct comparison to any specific county’s effort is impossible because of the unique geopolitical context of each jurisdiction. General Plan update costs range widely depending on the focus issues for the update, whether new and major policy concepts will be developed, and the extent of community controversy/engagement.
A recent example from Ventura County is instructive: the Ventura General Plan update was authorized with a $4.4 million budget-with $2.3 million to cover consultant costs. While this budget exceeds Sonoma County’s projections, Ventura’s initiative included creating Water Resources and Agricultural Resources Elements (Sonoma County already has Elements covering these topics; while these could be refined through the update, an entirely new policy framework is not needed), a new Economic Vitality Element, and a comprehensive overhaul of existing Area Plans. Because Ventura included an overhaul of land use policy, the effort resulted in considerable community reaction and dramatically expanded engagement costs.
Moreover, there are a number of overlapping and consequential plans to consider as valuable input to inform development of the General Plan 2040. Most recently, the update to the Portrait of Sonoma County 2021 <https://measureofamerica.org/sonoma/> provides a clear view of the opportunities and challenges that may be addressed by the General Plan. State initiatives such as the 30 by 30 Initiative <https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/10/07/governor-newsom-launches-innovative-strategies-to-use-california-land-to-fight-climate-change-conserve-biodiversity-and-boost-climate-resilience/> and the County’s Vital Lands Initiative <https://www.sonomaopenspace.org/how-we-work/vital-lands/?locale=en> could be guiding principles of this update. Additionally, inter/intra-governmental coordination will also ensure that the General Plan has a lasting impact on our communities that have experienced a number of changes since 2008. Finally, a number of on-going policy updates to the Local Coastal Plan, tree ordinance, vacation rental ordinance, winery events provides some foundation and public input on what will be key policies to address in the General Plan update. As much of this work gets completed this year, staff expects it to inform preparation on public outreach for the General Plan update.
The General Plan Administration fund is projected to accrue $450,000 annually throughout the duration of this update. As of March 3, 2022, the General Plan Administration Fee account has a $1,510,584.42 balance. Current budgeted expenses are used to complete other General Plan implementation projects such as the update to the Local Coastal Plan, which is anticipated to be completed in 2022.
Board Discussion
Staff recommends that the Board receive this informational item and provide staff with initial feedback on its proposed approach to complete a comprehensive General Plan update. In addition to a number of policies related to the Board’s Strategic Plan, the Board has requested that staff include a discussion on a potential moratorium on gas stations in unincorporated Sonoma County. Based on the Board’s direction and staff completion of a number of items in the existing Comprehensive Planning work plan that are set to finish in calendar year 2022, staff proposed to commence on the proposed 18-month scoping period prior to soliciting a consultant team to complete the General Plan update.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Climate Action and Resiliency
Goal: Goal 5: Maximize opportunities for mitigation of climate change and adaptation through land conservation work and land use policies
Objective: Objective 1: By 2025, update the County General Plan and other county/special district planning documents to incorporate policy language and identify areas within the County that have the potential to maximize carbon sequestration and provide opportunities
Prior Board Actions:
06/04/2019: Authorized Comprehensive Planning Two-Year Work Plan for 2019-2020
01/28/2020: Board strategic planning retreat
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 21-22 Adopted |
FY22-23 Projected |
FY 23-24 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
|
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
|
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
As of March 3, 2022, the General Plan Administration Fee account has a $1,510,584.42 balance. The balance will be used, in part, to fund two full-time Comprehensive Planning positions and one County Counsel position on implementation of the General Plan for approximately $450,000. The three positions will be 50% funded by the General Plan Administration Fee throughout the 9 years this project will take to complete. The projected annual revenue over the next 9 years is $450,000. Depending on the size of the scope that is identified during the first 18-months of the General Plan update, staff expects needing anywhere between $3,500,000 to $6,000,000 total to complete the update. There are no direct fiscal or general fund impacts associated with this informational item. The Department will use existing fund balance to complete the scoping of the General Plan update. Based on the size of the scope, staff will return to the Board with a request for general fund appropriations to complete the General Plan update.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1: 2020 General Plan Annual Implementation Progress Report
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A