DATE: September 13, 2016
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: The 2015 General Plan Annual Progress Report on the Fresno County General Plan covering the 2015 calendar year
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Adopt Resolution accepting the General Plan Annual Progress Report covering the 2015 calendar year and authorize the submittal of the General Plan Annual Progress Report to the State Office of Planning and Research and Housing and Community Development.
REPORT
This items comes to the Board with a recommendation for acceptance of the Annual Progress Report (APR) by the Planning Commission as documented by the Planning Commission Resolution No. 12586 (See Exhibit A).
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
The Board may determine not to accept the General Plan Annual Progress Report (APR) and direct staff to modify the document with specific direction as to those modifications and bring the item back for consideration.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Cost for the preparation of the APR and this Agenda Item in the amount of approximately $11,000 is a Net County Cost, which is accounted for within the Department of Public Works and Planning Org 4360 FY 2016-17 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
California law requires the County to adopt a comprehensive, long-term General Plan to guide the physical development of the unincorporated areas and to accommodate growth while protecting the County’s natural resources. As the basis for local government decision making, the General Plan includes goals and policies by which projects are analyzed against and necessary actions taken to achieve the overall vision for the County.
The General Plan must include seven mandated elements as required by State law (land use, circulation, housing, noise, safety, conservation, and open space). Additional elements of special and unique concern to a local government, including economic development, air quality, historic resources, parks and trails, and public facilities, may be included as optional elements. Implementation of the General Plan is the responsibility of various departments in the County as well as certain agencies that are not part of the County’s structure but are under contract to provide services to the County.
Government Code Section 65400 requires that cities and counties submit an APR on the status of their General Plan and progress in its implementation to the State Office of Planning and Research (OPR). Furthermore, a report on the progress made in implementing the Housing Element of the General Plan must be provided to Housing and Community Development (HCD). Staff has combined both reporting elements into a single APR which is attached to this Agenda Item (See Exhibit C). The APR has been prepared in conformance with the County General Plan Policy LU-H.12 which requires that the County review the General Plan annually and revise it as deemed necessary. Staff notes that pursuant to OPR’s guidelines, with exception of the Housing Element progress reporting, there is no standardized form or format for the preparation of the General Plan APR and that the APR and need not be an elaborate and time consuming task.
The purpose of the APR is to inform the Board of Supervisors and residents of Fresno County about the status of implementing the County’s General Plan and other planning activities that have occurred during the reporting period.
By way of background, regarding the APR prepared last year, on March 24, 2015, the Board considered the 2014 APR and authorized its submittal to OPR and HCD. The Board also directed staff to include more detailed explanations of implementation programs and program status as part of the 2015 APR.
Based on the Board’s direction, the 2015 APR provides a more detailed explanation of the status of implementation programs of the General Plan and includes:
• A table of contents
• An Executive Summary
• OPR’s Guidelines for the Annual Progress Report
• An overview of the General Plan, Vision Statement, and Key Goals
• Discussion of General Plan Elements noting activities associated with each element that occurred in 2015
• Planning and development activities in 2015
• Description of all General Plan Amendments that were processed in 2015
• Description of Zone Changes and Amendments to the text of the Zoning Ordinance that were processed in 2015
• Appendix A includes a matrix of all Implementation Programs of all General Plan Elements and the status of those Programs
• Appendix B includes a report on the Housing Element of the General Plan which consists of a discussion of the Housing Element Update for the Fourth and Fifth Cycle Planning Periods and various tables showing residential building permits that were issued in 2015, progress toward the County’s meeting its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) on forms prescribed by the HCD. The Report also includes an evaluation of all Housing Element Programs
Planning Commission Hearing and Action
On July 21, 2016, the Planning Commission, as part of its regular agenda, considered the 2015 APR on the Fresno County 2000 General Plan covering the 2015 calendar year. The Planning Commission staff report is attached to the agenda item as Exhibit “B”. One individual suggested that the Planning Commission make recommendation to the Board regarding revisions to the Implementation Programs and distributed a copy of his suggested changes to the Commission (see Exhibit D).
Staff noted to the commission that the purpose of the Annual Progress Report is to report on the status of the Implementation Programs and the planning activities that had occurred in the previous year. Per General Plan policy (LU-H.14), every five years the Department of Public Works and Planning conducts a comprehensive review of the General Plan and recommends revisions to Policies and Implementation Programs as deemed necessary. This process is taking place currently and the public will be provided opportunities to review the proposed changes.
Upon consideration, the Planning Commission, with a unanimous vote of 6-0 (3 commissioners absent) determined that the 2015 APR meets the OPR guidelines and follows the HCD’s prescribed format for the Housing Element Report and recommended that the Board of Supervisors accept the APR of the Fresno County 2000 General Plan for the 2015 calendar year and authorize submittal to the State OPR and HCD.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI # 17 March 24, 2015
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Exhibit A - D
On File with Clerk - Resolution
CAO ANALYST:
John Hays