DATE: May 8, 2018
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: 2017 General Plan Annual Progress Report
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Adopt Resolution accepting the General Plan Annual Progress Report covering the 2017 calendar year and authorize its submittal to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
REPORT
This item comes to the Board with a recommendation from the Planning Commission to accept the Annual Progress Report (APR) and its submittal to the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) as documented in the Planning Commission Resolution (See Attachment A). A copy of the March 15, 2018 Planning Commission Staff Report is included as Attachment B. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may determine not to accept the APR and direct staff to modify the document with specific direction as to those modifications and return to your Board for reconsideration. The APR is due to the State agencies by April 1st of each year, with a 60-day grace period.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Cost for the preparation of the APR and this agenda item, in the amount of approximately $11,000, is a Net County Cost 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 are taken to achieve the overall vision for the County.
The General Plan must include seven mandated elements as required by Government Code, Section 65302: 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 County departments 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 implementation of their General Plans to OPR. Furthermore, a report on implementation of the Housing Element must be provided to HCD. The reports are required to address implementation of the General Plan programs for the previous calendar year and are due to State agencies by April 1st of each year. Staff has combined both reporting elements into a single document, included as Attachment 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.
The purpose of the APR is to inform your Board and the residents of Fresno County about the status of implementing the County General Plan, as well as other planning activities that occurred during the previous calendar year. It is important to note that there is no standardized form, format, or required content for the General Plan APR with the exception that the report on implementation of the Housing Element is required to be prepared per the format prescribed by HCD. Further, per the State guidelines, the APR is not required to incorporate all of the General Plan elements and is not intended to be an elaborate or time-consuming task.
There are two appendices attached to the 2017 APR, with one providing status of implementing all 122 programs from all elements of the General Plan and the other a report on implementation of the Housing Element prepared per HCD’s requirement. The 2017 APR meets the statutory requirements of Government Code, Section 65400, and exceeds the OPR’s advisory guidance for preparation of the APR. The Annual Housing Element Progress Report is prepared according to the standard format prescribed by HCD and included in the APR.
PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING AND ACTION
On March 15, 2018, the Planning Commission, as part of its regular agenda, considered the 2017 APR. Staff presented a summary of the APR noting the purpose of the report, major planning activities that occurred in 2017, and various development applications received and processed during the 2017 calendar year.
At the hearing, a member of the public presented a letter from the League of Women Voters to the Commission (see Attachment D) and expressed concerns regarding the accuracy and missing elements in the APR. The Commission was informed that staff met with the representative of the League of Women Voters to discuss their issues. However, the issues that the League suggested to be addressed in the APR are beyond State law requirements and exceed OPR’s suggested topics to be discussed in the APR.
Upon consideration, the Planning Commission, with a unanimous vote of 7-0 (2 Commissioners absent) determined that the 2017 APR meets the statute requirements and recommended that the Board of Supervisors accept the 2017 APR and authorize its submittal to the State OPR and HCD.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #49, June 6, 2017
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Exhibits A - D
On file with Clerk - Resolution
CAO ANALYST:
Sonia M. De La Rosa