Title
REF220004 - GENERAL PLAN ELEMENTS UPDATES
Receive a presentation on the status of updates to the Housing Element and Safety Element, and a new Environmental Justice Element.
Project Location: Unincorporated County of Monterey
Proposed CEQA Action: Statutory Exemption pursuant to Section 15262 of the CEQA Guidelines.
Report
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission:
a. Receive a staff presentation on the status of the General Plan Elements Updates; and
b. Provide direction to staff.
SUMMARY:
The County Board of Supervisors approved a professional services agreement on September 27, 2022, for Harris & Associates to provide consultant services supporting efforts to amend General Plan Elements including the Sixth Cycle Update to the Housing Element, update to the Safety Element, and preparation of a new Environmental Justice Element. These elements are applicable throughout unincorporated County of Monterey; however, the Environmental Justice Element is applicable in areas of the County identified as a disadvantaged community, per state and local criteria. The consultant is tentatively planning to provide an introductory workshop to the Planning Commission mid-December 2022 and to the Board of Supervisors early January 2023.
DISCUSSION:
County staff is working with its consultant to prepare the Sixth Cycle Update (2023-31) to the General Plan Housing Element pursuant to California Gov. Code ?65581. The Housing Element must be certified by State Housing and Community Development (CA HCD) and adopted by the County of Monterey Board of Supervisors by December 31, 2023. As part of the Sixth Cycle Update to the Housing Element, the County is required to identify sites and zoning designations that can accommodate a Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) of 3,326 housing units distributed across four Income levels (1,070 Very Low, 700 Low, 420 Moderate, and 1,136 Above Moderate). Along with facilitating the County's RHNA, the update to ...
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