1. City of Sausalito April 7, 2015
General Plan 101
City of Sausalito
April 7, 2015

2. Overview General Plan 101 Sausalito General Plan
What is a General Plan?
Work Program and Scope
What is a Specific Plan?
What is Zoning?
Recommendation
Questions and Discussion
This General Plan 101 discussion follows the Marinship Steering Committee’s recommendation at the February 10 City Council meeting, which was to update the Marinship Specific Plan in conjunction with the General Plan, beginning in the next budget cycle. Following that meeting, the City Council at the February 24 meeting appointed a working group comprised of Vice Mayor Hoffman, Councilmember Withy, Commissioner Bill Werner and Board Member John McCoy, to develop a timeline, next steps and preliminary budget and make a presentation to the City Council. SO an overview of tonight’s presentation will begin with background on the

3. Sausalito General Plan
Adopted September 1995; updated the 1974 General Plan
Update began in 1989 – appointment of a 15-member Steering Committee.
Public participation included several community surveys, two town meetings, 50 public meetings, field trips, and Planning Commission and City Council public hearings.
Introductory Chapter – statements written by several Committee members; guided the formulation of goals, objectives, policies, and programs.

4. Sausalito General Plan
Introductory Chapter: Community Goals
Protect and Enhance Sausalito as a residential community.
Protect the present character of Sausalito’s residential neighborhoods.
Encourage resident-serving commercial uses.
Recognize the importance of the downtown commercial district to the economic viability of the community and provide amenities for Sausalito’s visitors.
Preserve the open waterfront as a natural resource and promote maritime uses in the Marinship.

5. Sausalito General Plan
Introductory Chapter: Community Goals (cont.)
Preserve the historical character of Sausalito and its architectural and cultural diversity.
Protect the scenic qualities and the natural environment of the City.
Protect residents from natural and man made hazards and avoid exposure to unnecessary risks to community safety.
Preserve and provide a variety of housing opportunities in keeping with Sausalito’s tradition of diversity.
Maintain an appropriate level of public services.

6. Sausalito General Plan
Six chapters:
Land Use and Growth Management
Housing
Community Design and Historical Preservation
Circulation and Parking
Environmental Quality
Health and Safety
Each chapter includes main objectives, followed by policies to carry out the objectives, and specific programs to take action.

7. What is a General Plan?
The General Plan is a long-range planning document that provides the City a framework for action and the direction in which to focus that action.
So let’s step back a bit and understand what is a General Plan?

8. What is a General Plan?
A long-term policy document that guides the City in managing physical, social and economic resources.
A community-based document that identifies our shared vision for the future.
A technical document that identifies goals, policies and implementation measures.
A blueprint that sets the basis for future decisions regarding land use.
I didn’t think that there was just one definition of a General Plan, and found a number of other descriptors or definitions that really frame what a General Plan is, and what is it’s function.

9. State Requirements
Every city and county in California is required to have a General Plan.
General Plans are updated approximately every 20 years.
General Plans are regulated by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR).
After reading slide: It is important to note that a General Plan does not expire and is not required to have a specific time frame. State law requires that a General Plan be updated periodically so that it remains a true reflection of the community’s values and goals. The update process allows the City to reflect on challenges of the past years and use these experiences to shape new policy

10. 7 Required Elements Land Use Circulation Housing Conservation
Open Space
Noise
Safety
After reading the slide: Sausalito’s General Plan is organized under its own chapter titles – General Plans can be tailored to address community issues in a format that addresses relevant or important topics of the City, as long as these State-mandated elements are in the body of this format.

11. 7 Required Elements
Land Use designates the type, intensity, and general distribution of land for housing, business, industry, open space, education, public, waste disposal, etc.

12. 7 Required Elements
Circulation identifies location and extent of existing and proposed thoroughfares, transportation routes, other local public utilities, facilities

13. 7 Required Elements
Housing is a comprehensive assessment of current and projected housing needs for all economic segments of the community; policies for providing adequate housing and action programs.
Conservation addresses conservation, development, and use of natural resources, (i.e. water)

14. 7 Required Elements
Open Space details plans for long-range preservation and conservation of open-space lands, outdoor recreation, and public health and safety
Noise identifies and appraises noise problems within the community and forms basis for land use distribution.
Safety establishes policies and programs to protect the community from risks associated with seismic, geologic, flood, and wildfire hazards.

15. Components of a General Plan
Made up of text describing goals and objectives, principles, standards, implementation measures, as well as a set of maps and diagrams.
Internal Consistency – no policy conflicts can exist, either textual or diagrammatic, between the components of a General Plan.
Different policies must be balanced and reconciled within the plan.

16. How a General Plan Can and Should be Used
Long-term outlook
Provides a basis for decision-making by City Council and appointed Commissions and Boards
Informs community members, developers, and others of the ground rules that guide development within our town.

17. What Actions Must Be Consistent with a General Plan?
Design Review Permits
Conditional Use Permits
Variances
Tentative Tract and Parcel Maps
All Discretionary Zoning Permits
Historical Landmarks Board recommendations
New Construction of Capital Facilities/CIP
Specific Plans
Zoning
Zoning Code Amendments

18. What is a Specific Plan and how does it relate to a General Plan?
A Specific Plan is a tool for the systematic implementation of the General Plan.
Link between implementing policies of the General Plan and individual development proposals in a defined area.
Broad policy concepts, as well as detail on specific type, location and intensity of uses, design guidelines, and capacity.
Can include resources used to finance public improvements.
A specific plan may encompass an area as large as or larger than the Marinship Specific Plan area, or as small as a single acre. A specific plan must be consistent with the adopted general plan. In turn, all subsequent subdivision and development, and all public works projects and zoning regulations must be consistent with the specific plan.

19. What is Zoning? Primary instrument for implementing the General Plan
Very detailed standards and requirements for various land use districts.
Minimum lot size, building height, setback limits, lot coverage, lot to building floor area ratio (FAR), fence heights, parking, etc.
State law requires zoning be amended to be consistent with adopted General Plan within a reasonable time period.
Zoning can be included or incorporated in a Specific Plan.

20. What Makes a Legally Adequate General Plan?
Geographically complete
Covers all Areas of Concern
Is consistent with State law and statutes
Data is accurate and current
Clear implementation measures
Recent legislation - Attorney General says General Plans must contain elements that reduce greenhouse gas consumption – AB 32 is climate change legislation and SB 375 links land use with transportation planning; Complete Streets AB 1358 – comprehensive changes to a circulation element requires planning for multi-modal transportation network and policies for all users. Tied to transportation funding. Extension to complete compliance with AB 1358 by January 2016.

21. Community Outreach Focus Groups Visioning Community Fairs
Neighborhood Workshops
Surveys

22. Work Program and Scope
Ensures clarity and certainty that the end product will be what was envisioned.
Defines primary responsibilities of Committee, City staff, Consultant, and budget.
Review and assessment of current General Plan – what remains consistent, what is old and outdated, what needs to comply with State law, and what needs to be updated.
Very important when you involve a large number of participants in an update process to define the roles and responsibilities, the expected outcomes, the timeline for completion – which will help to determine the resources needed and very importantly, to maintain the budget allocated for the update.
A first task…

23. Work Program and Scope
Use of a General Plan consultant is beneficial; can help expedite the process; help to relieve burden on City staff.
Environmental review is fundamental to process; concurrent CEQA document preparation. Technical studies will be required to support objectives, policies, and programs.
California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research: General Plan Guidelines (2003).

24. Recommendation
Assign the same working group that was established for the Marinship Specific Plan to first review and assess the current General Plan, before any decision is made to amend portions of the General Plan, or to conduct a comprehensive General Plan update. The working group can later draft an overall work program, schedule, and budget.
Essentially, this would be adding an initial task to this same working group, to determine the extent or scope of work relating to amending or updating the General Plan.
The MSP Steering Committee’s recommendation coupled the MSP update with the General Plan Update.