Title
REF250006 - MONTEREY COUNTY GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AND HOUSING ELEMENT ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT
a. Consider the 2024 Annual Progress Report for the Monterey County General Plan(s);
b. Consider the 2024 Annual Progress Report for the 2024-2031 Housing Element;
c. Receive a verbal update on the pipeline of new housing development in unincorporated Monterey County; and
d. Consider and provide direction regarding priorities for the 2025-2026 Long-Range Planning Work Program.
Proposed CEQA Action: Not a project per Sections 15060(c)(1) and 15378(b)(4) of the CEQA Guidelines.
Body
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Find that submitting these annual reports is not a project subject to CEQA per Section 15060(c)(1) and 15378(b)(4) of the CEQA Guidelines;
b. Accept the 2024 Annual Progress Report for the Monterey County General Plan(s) pursuant to Government Code Section 65400 (Attachment A);
c. Accept the 2024 Annual Progress Report for the 2024-2031 Housing Element to comply with State Department of Housing and Community Development requirements (Attachment A and Attachment B);
d. Authorize the Housing and Community Development Department Director to submit the final progress reports to the State Office of Planning and Research and State Department of Housing and Community Development;
e. Receive a verbal update on the pipeline of new housing development in unincorporated Monterey County (Attachment D); and
f. Consider and provide direction regarding priorities for the 2025-2026 Long-Range Planning Work Program (Attachment C).
SUMMARY:
Annually, the County of Monterey Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) prepares a combined Annual Progress Report (APR) on the status of the General Plan and progress toward meeting Housing Element policies, including Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). Attachment A to this report contains the 2024 Annual Progress Report for the 2010 General Plan Implementation (2024 GPI APR) and the 2024-2031 Housing Element Progress (2024 Housing APR). Accomplishments for the 2024 reporting period are summarized as follows:
a) Progress was made on 28 long-range planning work tasks, of which five implement the 2010 General Plan.
b) Of the work tasks that progressed, four were completed including: Salinas Valley (Zone 2C) Groundwater Basin Investigation; East Garrison Final Phase Amendment; Restrictive Covenants Education Project and Racial Equity Timeline; and Vacation Rental Ordinances (Inland).
c) Two amendments to the Local Coastal Program, which falls under the County’s 1982 General Plan (Coastal), were processed including: 1) adding a historic resources zoning overlay to a property in Del Monte Forest; and 2) amending the land use designation on a property in Moss Landing.
d) A total of 281 units counted toward the County’s Sixth Cycle 2024-2031 Regional Housing Allocation Needs (RHNA) affordable income units (89 low-income units and 192 above moderate-income units).
e) As of January 1, 2025, the County has a cumulative total of 1,251 housing units that are approved or in process for approval, but not yet constructed.
Work Program Highest Priorities for 2025-2026
The Long-Range Planning Work Program (Work Program) includes approximately 80 tasks, of which 35 are in various stages of completion. Please see Attachment C for the full list. The Work Program is primarily implemented by the HCD’s Advanced Planning team of 7 (with one vacancy), with substantive support from the Chief of Planning and HCD Director. Additionally, other departments contribute to the Work Program progress and lead certain tasks.
HCD proposes to continue to advance active projects/tasks on the Work Program during the 2025-26 period (April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026) following general prioritization criteria as follows: 1) legal mandates; 2) Board directives and priorities; 3) grant or outside funding; 4) 2010 General Plan implementation; and 5) Other tasks as time and resources allow. For the 2025-26 period, HCD proposed the 12 projects/tasks listed below as top priority projects in 2025-26. These top priority projects will receive necessary staff resources and funding allowing for the completion, or significant advancement toward completion, of those priorities. Other Work Program tasks will continue to be advanced during FY 2025-26, as time and resources allow.
HCD is specifically looking to the Board of Supervisors to provide input and direction to staff regarding the Work Program priorities for 2025-26, including the 12 top priority projects proposed by staff as follows:
1) Housing Element 6th Cycle Update, Rezoning and Implementation (Criteria 1,2,3)
2) Permit Process Streamlining (Criteria 1,2);
3) Castroville Community Plan Update (Criteria 2,3);
4) Moss Landing Community Plan Update (Criteria 1,2,3);
5) Chualar Community Plan (Criteria 2,4);
6) Carmel River Floodplain Restoration and Environmental Enhancement (CRFREE) Project (Criteria 2,3);
7) Safety Element Update (Criteria 1,2);
8) Environmental Justice Element(Criteria 1,2);
9) Vacation Rental Ordinances (Coastal certification) (Criteria 2)
10) Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinances & Land Use Plans updates (Coastal certification; Inland) (Criteria 1,2)
11) Big Sur Coast Land Use Plan Update (Criteria 2); and
12) Fort Ord Habitat Resource Management Plan (Criteria 1,2,3,4).
Staff recommends the Board of Supervisors accept the 2024 General Plan Implementation and Housing Element Annual Progress Report and authorize the HCD Director to submit as required to the state. Staff also recommends that the Board of Supervisors receive the housing pipeline report and provide direction regarding the Long-Range Planning Work Program and priorities.
DISCUSSION
See Attachment E - Detailed Discussion.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Staff finds that progress reports are not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Guidelines Sections 15060(c)(3) and 15378. These reports are an administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment. They are for information purposes only. Activities identified in these reports implement policies of the 1982 and 2010 General Plans and the 2015 Housing Element, which were subject to CEQA review. In addition, CEQA will be addressed, as appropriate, with each task as it is completed.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Implementation of the 2010 General Plan (Non-Coastal) and the 1982 General Plan (Coastal) involves close coordination between all the land use departments and agencies (Planning, Building, Housing, Engineering/Public Works, Environmental Services, Environmental Health, County Administrative Office, Fire Districts, and Water Resources Agency). In addition, County Counsel’s office actively participates in the legal review of ordinances and plans prepared as part of GPI and Work Program implementation.
On April 9, 2025, the Planning Commission considered the annual reports, housing pipeline report, and Work Program, and provided input to staff. The Planning Commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve staff’s recommended actions today, with the addition of adding the Pajaro Community Plan as a top priority number 13 for the 2025-26 period.
FINANCING
For the current FY 2024-25, HCD’s Adopted Budget was augmented by a total of $774,885 for Work Program implementation, of which $149,151 was approved for the Chualar Community Plan and $625,734 was approved to fund General Plan updates of the Housing Element, Safety Element, and new Environmental Justice Element. Both projects are on track to expend the augmented funds by June 30, 2025. HCD has received a total of $3,218,228 in augmentation funding from Fiscal Year (FY) 2015-16 through FY 2023-24, which has been utilized to fund consultant work on GPI and other Work Program activities. See Attachment F for details these expenditures by project and fiscal year.
Staff continues to perform as much of the implementation work as possible and has been successful securing outside funding to pay for consultant costs and limited staff costs in recent years. HCD has been awarded several multi-year grants to fund Work Program activities that are active this current FY 2024-25, including the following grant awards: Local Early Action Planning Program (LEAP) for $500,000; Regional Early Action Planning Program (REAP 2.0) for $169,380; and California Coastal Conservancy for $$938,960. Additionally, HCD utilizes outside funds for certain Work Program activities, when applicable, including: Habitat Management (Fund 029) for the Fort Ord Habitat Resource Management Plan development; and Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency for the County of Monterey (Fund 406) and East Garrison Developer Reimbursements (Fund 182) for work related to the East Garrison development.
In addition, the General Plan Implementation Fee is levied on all development and planning permits. This fee generated approximately $773,808 in Fiscal Year 2023-2024 and this FY2024-25 to date has generated $651,002in GPI Fees revenue.
FY 2024-25 Work Program unfunded consultant costs are estimated to be $873,787 and augmentation requests have been submitted for these costs as follows: $373,787 for the General Plan Update ($225,511 is for the Housing Element and required Environmental Impact Report and $20,711 is for the Safety Element and $28,621 for the Environmental Justice Element); and $500,000 for the Chualar Community Plan. The FY 2025-26 Recommended Budget includes $373,787 for the General Plan Updates and $375,000 for the Chualar Community Plan.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Implementing the County’s General Plan and the Work Program supports the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiatives for Economic Development, Health & Human Services, and Infrastructure by providing the necessary policies, regulations and plans to ensure reasonable and safe development, plan for the future needs of the County, manage infrastructure and County facilities, and protect natural resources.
X Economic Development
__ Administration
X Health & Human Services
X Infrastructure
__ Public Safety
Prepared by: Shandy Carroll, Management Analyst III, 831-784-5643 and Darby Marshall, Housing Programs Manager
Prepared and Reviewed by: Melanie Beretti, AICP, Chief of Planning 831-755-5285
Approved by: Craig Spencer, HCD Director
The following Attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - 2024 General Plan & Housing Element Annual Progress Reports
Attachment B - 2024 Housing APR Table B
Attachment C - Draft Long-Range Planning Work Program Overview
Attachment D - Housing Pipeline Summary
Attachment E - Detailed Discussion
Attachment F - Work Program General Fund Augmentation Summary FY2015 to date
Attachment G - Presentation
cc: Front Counter Copy; Fenton & Keller; Brian Finegan Law Office (Michael Harrington); Grower-Shipper Association (Christopher Valadez); Law Offices of Michael D. Cling (Michael Cling); Monterey County Farm Bureau (Norm Groot); Salinas Valley Water Coalition (Nancy Isakson); Prunedale Neighbors Group (Ed Mitchell); Anthony Lombardo and Associates (Dale Ellis); Horan Lloyd Law Firm (Pamela Silkwood); Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council c/o Katie Scariot (HCD); Highway 68 Coalition (Mike Weaver); Carmel Residents Association; Carmel Valley Association; Marjorie Kay; The Open Monterey Project (Molly Erickson); LandWatch (Michael DeLapa); Janet Brennan; John H. Farrow; Craig Spencer (HCD); Cora Pantraud (CAO); Kelly Donlon (County Counsel); Planning File No. REF250006.