Title
Adopt a Resolution Amending the Environmental Hazards Element of the 2035 General Plan to Comply with State law
Staffreport
COUNCIL PRIORITY
* Public Safety
SUMMARY
The City's General Plan Environmental Hazards Element (adopted in 2016) is the City's foundational policy document for addressing natural and man-made hazards in the City, including earthquakes, floods, and wildfire. Staff has prepared updates to the Environmental Hazards Element to comply with changes in state law requiring additional analysis and documentation related to climate change and evacuation planning. See Attachment A, Exhibit 1, for a clean version of the amended document and Attachment B for the redline-strikethrough version of the amendments.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution amending the Environmental Hazards Element of the 2035 General Plan to comply with the requirements of State law.
BACKGROUND
In 2016, the City Council adopted a comprehensive update to the General Plan with a horizon year of 2035. The 2035 General Plan includes an Environmental Hazards Element that identifies potential natural and man-made hazards in the community and establishes goals, policies, and programs to reduce those hazards.
Following adoption of the General Plan, the State enacted legislation requiring cities to update their General Plan Safety Element to include documentation related to climate change and evacuation planning. San Leandro's Environmental Hazards Element is considered the City's Safety Element under state law. The City contracted with a planning and environmental consulting firm (Rincon Consultants Inc.) to prepare the required updates. Rincon drafted amendments to the Environmental Hazards Element in 2022 concurrently with the 2023-2031 General Plan Housing Element Update and the new Environmental Justice Element; however, Council consideration of the amendments was delayed accommodating required review by the Board of Forestry and s...
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