HomeMy WebLinkAboutCD General Plan 2040 Work Program____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
File No.: 115 (2040)
Council Meeting: 3/05/2018
Disposition: Resolution 14478
Agenda Item No: 7.a
Meeting Date: March 5, 2018
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: Community Development
Prepared by: Paul Jensen, Director
Raffi Boloyan, Planning Manager
City Manager Approval: ______________
TOPIC: SAN RAFAEL GENERAL PLAN 2040 WORK PROGRAM
SUBJECT: RESOLUTION APPROVING THE GENERAL PLAN WORK PROGRAM AND
BUDGET. CASE NOS. GPA16-001 AND P16-013
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution, which memorializes the
following:
1. Approve the General Plan 2040 Work Program, Timeline, and Schedule;
2. Authorize the Community Development Department to issue Requests for Proposals and/or
Request for Qualifications for the consulting services listed in the Work Program; and
3. Authorize the General Plan 2040 Work Program budget in an amount not to exceed $1,173,000
between 2018 and 2020.
BACKGROUND:
Initiation of General Plan 2040
State law requires that each city and county in California adopt a comprehensive, long-term general
plan to address growth and physical development. San Rafael’s current General Plan 2020, was
adopted in 2004 and had a horizon year of 2020. Its preparation was community-driven, involving the
guidance of a Steering Committee appointed by the City Council, as well as multiple subcommittees.
In February 2017, the City Council authorized a preliminary work program to initiate General Plan 2040.
The intent of the Plan Update is to respond to recent state laws regarding General Plan content,
incorporate current data, address emerging issues, respond to anticipated growth forecasts and related
impacts, and move the General Plan’s time horizon forward 20 years. The General Plan Update also
provides an opportunity to engage San Rafael residents and businesses in discussions about the future
of the community.
Since the City Council’s authorization to start the project, staff has retained a contract project manager
(Barry Miller), launched a project website, introduced the General Plan Update program to City’s boards
and commissions, and worked with the City Council to appoint a 23-member Steering Committee (with
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
22 alternates). The Committee had an initial meet-and-greet event on January 10, 2018 and its first
official business meeting on February 14, 2018.
Method for Creating Work Program
The General Plan Update Work Program is attached to the Resolution as Exhibit A. Its foundation is
the Summary Report and Preliminary Work Program for San Rafael General Plan 2040, completed on
January 20, 2017. That report was approved by the City Council on February 6, 2017. Whereas, the
2017 report established an overall strategy for the General Plan Update, the attached Work Program
provides a detailed description of each task and sub-task to be completed. The 2018-2020 Work
Program is designed to be a foundation for future Professional Services Agreements with technical
consultants and services needed to complete the Plan Update.
In preparing the Work Program, City staff reviewed General Plan work scopes for more than a dozen
Bay Area cities, and has drawn from collective experience preparing General Plans in California and
around the country. The work scope reflects available resources (staff, budget, etc.), the desire to
complete the Plan by 2020, and the fact that this is intended as a General Plan “Update” rather than a
brand new General Plan. Many of the work tasks are associated with Government Code requirements,
including an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), transportation analysis, and Environmental Justice
Element.
The work scope further assumes that the Plan Update is a collaborative effort between Community
Development Department staff, staff in other City departments, the consulting project manager, and
technical consultants. As appropriate, it identifies those tasks to be delegated to staff (including the
project manager) and those tasks to be delegated to consultants (yet to be retained).
Relationship to Proposed Downtown Precise Plan
On February 20, 2018, the City Council approved the submittal of an application for a $500,000 One
Bay Area (OBAG) grant to prepare a Precise Plan for Downtown San Rafael (Resolution No. 14469).
The Precise Plan would apply policies of the General Plan at a finer level of detail for the Downtown
area, effectively becoming the zoning ordinance for Downtown. The Precise Plan also would include a
historic resource assessment, a preservation strategy, and design direction for Downtown that goes
beyond the scope of the General Plan. The OBAG grant requires a 12% percent local match
($60,000); the source of this match is Fund 218 (the General Plan Maintenance and Implementation
Fund). Fund 218 is sufficient to cover the $60,000 match, as well as the amount referenced in this staff
report for the General Plan Update.
If the City is successful in receiving the OBAG grant, the Precise Plan would be done concurrently with
the General Plan 2040. There are a number of potentially overlapping tasks that could reduce the
cumulative cost of the two efforts. For example, the two projects could be covered by the same
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and served by the same Steering Committee (e.g., the newly
created General Plan 2040 Steering Committee). The General Plan Update Work Program will be
amended if the City receives the OBAG grant, with additional tasks integrated and potential savings
identified.
Summary of Work Program and Schedule
The Work Program is organized into four phases, corresponding to calendar years 2017, 2018, 2019,
and 2020. Phase One (2017) has been completed. Phase Two (2018) is underway. The work program
assumes adoption of General Plan 2040 in April 2020.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
Table 1 provides a summary of each of the 15 tasks in the Work Program. Attachment 1, Exhibit A
provides more detail for each task, including a list of deliverables. Attachment 1, Exhibit B provides a
project schedule, starting in January 2018. It indicates the sequence and timing of each task.
Table 1: Summary of General Plan 2040 Tasks
Task Description
PHASE ONE (2017)
1 Reconnaissance. This task has been completed. It included retention of a project manager,
development of a “project library” of relevant planning documents, recruitment and appointment
of the General Plan Steering Committee, initial outreach and engagement (website, branding,
etc.), and development of the W ork Program.
PHASE TWO (2018)
2 Community Engagement I. This task includes regular meetings of the Steering Committee,
outreach to stakeholders and the community at-large, public meetings and workshops, outreach
through Boards and Commissions, the project web-site, focused outreach to under-represented
groups, media coordination, and an on-line engagement program.
3 Determine General Plan 2040 Structure. This task will determine the organization of the
General Plan document, including chapter headings and the key issues to be addressed in each
chapter.
4 Retain and Manage Technical Consultants. This includes issuing Requests for Proposals
and Qualifications (RFP/RFQ), selection of consultants, and negotiation of Professional Service
Agreements and consultant work scopes.
5 Baseline Data Collection and Analysis. This covers the collection and analysis of the data
needed to underpin General Plan policies and the EIR. It is organized into 17 sub-tasks
corresponding to specific topic areas (Economics, Transportation, Land Use, etc.). An “Existing
Conditions Report” will be produced at the end of this task.
6 Policy Audit. This is a policy-by-policy evaluation of General Plan 2040, to be completed
collaboratively by staff and the Steering Committee. It also includes a review of policies in
related City plans (Climate Change Action Plan, Bike-Ped Master Plan, etc.) and the
implications of new State laws.
7 Develop Draft General Plan Maps. This includes defining the General Plan’s Land Use
categories (densities, uses, etc.), preparing preliminary land use and circulation diagrams for
discussion, and preparing other policy-oriented maps and diagrams to be used in the General
Plan. Opportunity sites for future change will be identified through this process.
PHASE THREE (2019)
8 Measure Plan Impacts. This task involves “testing” the impacts of different land use and
transportation scenarios on traffic, greenhouse gas emissions, services and utilities, noise, and
the environment. Preferred land use alternatives will be determined for sites or areas where
they may be different choices.
9 Prepare Draft Plan. This task involves drafting the General Plan document, including goals,
policies, programs, and narrative text.
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10 Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). This covers all CEQA-related tasks,
including initial noticing and scoping sessions; the EIR Project Description; the discussion of
setting, significant impacts, and mitigation measures for each topic area; alternatives to the
project; and findings.
Task Description
11 Community Engagement II. This is the continuation of the engagement strategy through the
second half of the project.
PHASE FOUR (2020)
12 Plan Adoption. This includes steps following publication of the Public Review Draft Plan and
EIR, including responses to comments on the Plan and DEIR, revisions to the Plan, and public
hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council.
13 Production of Final Plan. This occurs after General Plan adoption, and involves publishing the
final documents, including any changes approved during the adoption process.
ON-GOING (2018-2020)
14 Project Management. This includes tasks associated with administration of the General Plan,
including weekly coordination meetings, hiring of temporary staff, processing of invoices, budget
tracking, management of mailing lists, grant applications, meeting noticing, and email
communication.
15 Supplemental Plans. This task covers parallel long-range planning projects that may take
place during the time horizon of the General Plan (potentially including the proposed Downtown
Precise Plan).
Proposed Project Budget
Attachment 1, Exhibit C to this staff report includes the proposed budget. The cost to implement the
attached work program is estimated at approximately $1.4 million.1 A majority of the funds will support
activities in FY 18-19 and FY 19-20, particularly consulting services for environmental review,
transportation, economics, and urban design. A budget estimate by category and task is included in
Table 2. Highlights of the budget estimate are as follows:
• Approximately $500,000 is budgeted for the General Plan Environmental Impact Report (GPEIR)
team; this would include a prime consultant and technical sub-consultants addressing topics such
as geology, biology, hydrology, and cultural resources. The GPEIR consultant would be retained
through an RFP and competitive bidding process, followed by panel interviews with shortlisted
firms. Transportation and civil engineering are excluded from the above estimate and are covered
below.
• Approximately $140,000 is budgeted for transportation services, including traffic counts, congestion
analysis, modeling, identification of needed capital improvements, and policy development. A
transportation consultant will need to be hired for these tasks. The consultant would work directly
with, and under the direction of, the City Traffic Engineer. The transportation consultant could be
1 The total in Exhibit C includes $90,000 previously approved for the Consulting Project Manager in FY 17 /18; that amount
has been subtracted from the full 2018-20 Plan Update budget to arrive at the total referenced in the Resolution. The Exhibit
C budget also excludes the $60,000 match required for the OBAG grant, in the event the City is successful in its application.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 5
retained through a competitive (RFP) process, although there are likely to be significant cost
savings if a firm with prior experience working with San Rafael and Marin County (TAM) traffic
models (Level of Service-based models and Vehicle Miles Traveled-based models) is retained. A
sole source procurement is being considered.
• Approximately $82,000 is budgeted for economic consulting services. The work would address local
real estate market dynamics, the fiscal impacts of land use choices, and appropriate economic
development strategies.
• Approximately $60,000 is budgeted for urban design services, including consultation on
architectural design and compatibility issues, cultural and historic resources, and guidance on the
use of public space (streetscapes, etc.)
• Approximately $33,000 is budgeted for civil engineering services, including an assessment of water,
sewer, and drainage conditions, issues, and future needs.
• Approximately $42,000 is budgeted for on-line engagement and graphic design—two separate but
related service categories. On-line engagement includes the development, administration, and
analysis of web-based surveys. Graphic design includes book design and publishing (for the
General Plan) and the design of “collateral materials” for public meetings.
• Approximately $30,000 is budgeted for facilitation and outreach services, particularly for larger
community workshops designed to attract several hundred attendees.
• The budget also presumes the continued services of an in-house project manager at an amount not
to exceed $90,000 per year for the duration of the three years. The initial $90,000 has already
been appropriated.
A 10 percent contingency has been added to the above budgets to generate a total estimate for
consulting services of approximately $1,263,000. Subtracting the $90,000 already allocated for 2017-
18 leaves a remainder of $1,173,000.
In addition to consulting services, the budget includes just under $150,000 for other expenses
associated with the General Plan update. This includes staff overtime costs, a project intern, rental of
meeting facilities, printing costs and meeting supplies, translation and interpreter services, and
technology (including computer visual simulations, rental of automated polling devices for public
meetings, etc.). As noted earlier, an additional $60,000 (not shown in Exhibit C) would be dedicated for
the Downtown Precise Plan, if the City is awarded the OBAG grant.
All costs associated with the General Plan update would be covered through the General Plan Fund
(Fund 218), which includes proceeds from the General Plan Maintenance Fee and the General Plan
Implementation Fee. This is a reserve fund that has been accumulating revenue for this purpose since
the adoption of the last General Plan in 2004.
As of February 2018, there is over $1,800,000 in Fund 218. This Fund will continue to build at a
projected rate of about $100,000 per year during 2018-2020 as future building permits are issued. The
balance remaining in Fund 2018 after completion of the General Plan would support implementation
activities such as zoning revisions and subsequent plans, an update of the Housing Element (in 2022),
and other long-range planning initiatives.
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ANALYSIS:
Scope and Budget
The Scope presented in Attachment 1, Exhibit A is consistent with best practices in General Plan
preparation and with the preliminary scope of work approved by the City Council in February 2017. The
Work Program will provide the City with a legally adequate, forward-looking General Plan and EIR, as
well as updated data for long-range planning purposes. The community engagement tasks have been
structured to ensure inclusive participation, while recognizing schedule and budget parameters.
To provide a benchmark for the project budget, Staff compiled the costs of recent General Plan updates
in Bay Area cities. A summary of findings is provided below:
• The City of Napa (pop. 80,000) is about to launch their General Plan Update. Their proposed
budget is $1.5 million.
• Palo Alto (pop. 67,000) completed their General Plan Update in 2017. The cost was $2.8
million.
• Rohnert Park (pop. 42,600) just interviewed consultants for their General Plan Update. They
have allocated $1.0 million for the project.
• Novato (pop. 56,000) recently completed their Plan Update. Their initial consulting contract
(2008) was $973,000; however, the City selected new consultants several years later and
committed an additional $600,000 to its second team.
• Vallejo (pop. 121,000) spent $1,810,000 on their General Plan Update, which was completed in
2017; they also spent $625,000 on a Specific Plan and $560,000 on a zoning update done
concurrently with the General Plan.
• Sausalito (pop. 7,100) is in the early stages of a Plan Update; the consulting budget for the Plan
and EIR is $750,000.
• Millbrae (pop. 23,000) is nearing completion of their update; total cost is $1.3 million, but this
also includes a Specific Plan.
• Windsor (pop. 27,600) recently completed its Plan update for $535,000.
• Milpitas (pop. 77,500) has an update in process, with a budget of $962,000.
• San Leandro (pop. 90,000) completed its update in 2016, with a budget of $600,000.
Most of these cities funded their plan updates in a manner similar to San Rafael, relying on General
Plan impact fees collected on building permits. A few relied on their general funds or matching grants.
In general, the cities with smaller budgets (San Leandro, Windsor, etc.) did not have Steering
Committees and relied on their Planning Commissions and City Councils as the primary vetting bodies
for the Plan.
Of the 22 Bay Area cities surveyed by staff, the average cost per capita for a Plan Update was $20.19.
Applied to San Rafael’s 59,000 residents, this yields a total of about $1.2 million. The proposed budget
for General Plan 2040 is in line with this figure.
Contracting for Consultant Services
Staff is seeking City Council acceptance of the work program, schedule, and budget as proposed. The
next step will be to develop Request for Proposals (RFP) and/or Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for
consulting services and retain the most competitive and qualified firms. Currently, Professional
Services Agreements that are $20,000 or greater must be brought to the City Council for approval,
while contracts less than $20,000 are authorized by the City Manager. The General Plan Update will
involve at least six such agreements, including the project manager (contract extension), CEQA
consultant, transportation consultant, economist, urban designer, and civil engineer. It is also possible
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 7
that graphic design, on-line engagement, and facilitation contracts could exceed the $20,000 threshold,
each requiring separate approvals by the City Council.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
The City Clerk’s office maintains an email notification list with over 100 addresses for meetings relating
to General Plan 2040. Notice of this meeting was provided to persons on that list on March 1, 2018. In
addition, the 23 members of the General Plan Steering Committee and the 22 alternate members also
received notification of this meeting. The meeting was also announced at the General Plan Steering
Committee on February 14, 2018.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The estimated cost for the General Plan 2040 Work Program has been consistently estimated at
between $1.0 and $1.5 million. As this report summarizes, this estimated range has been refined
through the detailed work program and is now estimated to be $1.4 million. Currently, there is $1.8
million available in the General Plan Fund 218 to support program. Therefore, no additional allocation
from the City’s General Fund is required to support the Plan Update.
OPTIONS:
The City Council may consider the following options:
1. Accept the report and adopt the Resolution (Attachment 1) as proposed by staff;
2. Accept the report and adopt the Resolution (Attachment 1), with modifications; or
3. Reject the report and request additional information.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Accept the report and adopt the resolution.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution and Referenced Exhibits:
A. General Plan Work Program
B. General Plan Timeline
C. General Plan Budget by task and consulting category
2. Notice of Public Meeting
1-1
RESOLUTION NO. 14478
RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL APPROVING THE SAN
RAFAEL GENERAL PLAN 2040 WORK PROGRAM AND BUDGET
(CITY FILE NOS: GPA16-001 & P16-013)
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65300 requires that each city
and county in the State adopt a comprehensive long-range General Plan to address
community growth, physical development and planning of citywide programs; and
WHEREAS, San Rafael’s existing General Plan was adopted in 2004, with a
horizon year of 2020; and
WHEREAS, General Plan 2020 has been amended numerous times since 2004,
does not fully reflect current conditions and State requirements for General Plans, and is
approaching its intended horizon year; and
WHEREAS, on February 6, 2017, the City Council adopted Resolution 14276,
providing a Preliminary Work Program for updating the General Plan; and
WHEREAS, the Preliminary Work Program called for preparation of a more
detailed Work Program to define the specific tasks to be completed and consulting
services to be provided; and
WHEREAS, City staff has now completed the detailed Work Program, including
a budget and schedule for the project, lists of tasks and deliverables, and descriptions of
the services to be provided by consultants and by staff; and
WHEREAS, the City has sufficient funds in its General Plan Maintenance and
Implementation Account (Fund 218) to complete the General Plan 2040 and EIR,
including the costs for consultant services estimated by the Work Program; and
WHEREAS, the City wishes to solicit bids from consultants to provide the
technical services described in the Work Program in order to create a legally adequate,
technically sound General Plan; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby takes
the following actions:
1. Exhibit A is accepted as the Work Program for General Plan 2040.
2. Exhibits B and C are accepted as the guiding schedule and budget for General
Plan 2040.
1-2
3. The Community Development Department is authorized to issue solicitations for
Professional Services (RFPs/ RFQs) to complete the technical services identified
in the Work Program.
4. The total amount of Professional Services Agreements for General Plan 2040,
excluding Agreements previously executed, shall not exceed $1,173,000.
I, LINDSAY LARA, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the
foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting
of the City Council of said City held on the Monday, the 5th day of March 2018 by the
following vote, to wit:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Bushey, Colin, Gamblin, McCullough & Mayor Phillips
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
_________________________________________
LINDSAY LARA, City Clerk
EXHIBIT A: GENERAL PLAN WORK PROGRAM
EXHIBIT B: GENERAL PLAN TIMELINE
EXHIBIT C: GENERAL PLAN BUDGET
I EXHIBIT A: Work Program
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan 2040
Work Program
February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan • 2040
INTRODUCTION
Genera l Plan
Work Program
The City of San Rafael has developed thIS work program to guide the update of its General
Plan. General Plan 2040 will replace General Plan 2020 and provide the policies and actions
that will shape San Rafael's growth and development for the next two decades. This work
program ensures that General Plan 2040 complies with recent State general p lan legislation,
responds to emerging issues and demographic forecasts, and reflects input from a diverse cross-
section of the community.
The foundation for this work program is the "Summary R90rt and Preliminary Work Program"
prepared by the San Rafael Community Development Department in February, 2017. That
report included an evaluation of the existing General Plan and highlighted aspects of each
chapter (or "element") that required updating. One of the basic premises of this work program
is that General Plan 2040 will be an update of General Plan 2020, and not an entirely new plan ..
This has implications for the planning process, as well as the final work product. Much of the
existing plan, including maps and policies, will be carried forward. The work program focuses
on updating baseline data and narrative text, revisiting existing policies and actions, and
developing new policies that respond to the opportunities and challenges San Rafael will face
beyond Year 2020.
The work program includes 15 tasks, which are listed in Table 1. Tasks are organized into four
. phases and assume a roughly three-year timetable from project initiation (July 2017) to project
completion (May 2020). The organization of tasks by phase is intended to indicate a general
progression rather than a formal sequence; some of the tasks run concurrently throughout the
project while others will have a clear start and finish lime. Each task includes one or more sub-
tasks and has an associated list of deliverables or work products.
In some instances, tasks in the work program are described as being performed by the "project
team." Unless otherwise indicated, this "team" includes City staff, the contract project
manager, and technical consultants to be retained by the City. References to the "in-house"
project team include the contract project manager but exclude the other consultants. The
specific assignment of responsibilities to each party will be determined as consultant contracts
are prepared.
A p ·i·ojectScheduieand budget have been prepared for tllliiWoil P rogram and an?avallabIeas----------·-
separate attachments.
San R afael 2040 General Plan Work Program 1 Februanj 2018
SAN RAFAEL
Genera l P lan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
Table 1: General Plan Phases and Maj or Tasks
Timeline Task Description
#
Phase One (2017) 1 Reconnaissance
Phase Two (2018) 2 Commu:,"ity Engagement, Phase O ne -' 3 Determine General Plan 2040 Structure
4 Retain and Manage Technical Consultants
:0 Data Collection and Analysis
6 Policy Audit r--Develop Draft General Plan Maps 7
Phase Three (2019) 8 Test General Plan impacts on Transportation, Air Quality,
Noise, Greenhouse Gases, Public Facilities, and Other
Variables
9 Prepare Draft General Plan Document
10 Prepare Draft EIR -
11 Community Engagement, Phase Two
Phase Four (2020) 12 Plan Adoption
13 Production of Final r lan and Follow-Up Tasks
On-going (all phases) 14 Project Management and Administration
15 Supplemental Plans and Initiatives (*)
(*) file/luting proposed DOl1mtown San Rafa el Precise Plan and SUI!! involvem ent in o n~goi ng ~fJorl s such as fh!' Bi cyde-Pedestr i an J./ws fer [l lan
Update and fh e Cli/1l12fe Change Action Pla n Update .
. ,--------.. '---
]
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 2 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2 040
PHASE ONE (2017)
TASK 1: RECONNAISSANCE
General Plan
Work Program
Task 1 has largely been completed. The purpose of this task was to launch the General Plan
Update . It included the following components:
1.1 Develop Project Libra<) (completed)
This task included a review of past plans for the City, including the Generai Plans
adopted in 1962,1974,1988, and 2004, and the area plans and neighborhood plans
adopted since the 1980s. TI"le task also included a review of plans adopted after 2004
(the year the existing General Plan was adopted), such as th e Station Area Plans for
Downtown and North San Rafael, the 2015~2023 Housing Element, and the 2009 Climate
Change Action Plan.
TI"le task also included a review of paper files and electronic flIes from the 1998-2004
General Plan Update, including the Task Force binders, community meeting summaries,
technical reports, and consultant contracts. This review was important to help the
General Plan 2040 Project Team become familiar with the processes and methods used
during the last update.
The Project Library also includes documents that may influence the General Plan but
were not prepared by the Community Developme nt Department. These include
General Plans from the County of Marin and nearby cities, regional land use and
transportation pl~s (ABAG, MTC, etc.), and plans pre pared by other San Rafael City
departments. The latter category includes the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, the
Capital Improvement Program, the Climate Change Action Plan, the Downtown
Parking and Wayfinding Study, the Loc al ·Hazard Mitigation Plan, the MMWD Urban
Water Management Plan, the Sewe r System Management Plan, and others.
they may inform the current effort to update the General Plan.
San Rafael 2040 Gene ral Plan Work Program 3 Februa ry 2018
SAN RAFAEL
Ge noral Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
1.2 Recruit and Appoint General Plan Steering Commillee (completed)
A major component of Task One was the recruitment and appointment of a 23-member
General Plan Steering Committee. The composition of the Committee was determined
by the City Council in February 2017. Thirteen of the 23 positions are "non-
discretionary," meaning that the nominees come from specific boards, commissions, or
mganizations. Ten of the positions are" discretionary," including seven representing
particular interests or areas and three serving at-large. Twenty-two alternates also were
recruited, bringing the total number (members plus alternates) to 45.
The non·discretionary positions were filled through a solicitation process managed by
Staff. The Chair (or President, etc.) of each organization was contacted and asked to
agendize the selection of a nomillee on a regularly·scheduled Board meeting in August·
September, 2017. City Staff attended most of these meetings, delivered a presentation on
the General Plan Update and the role of the Steering Committee, and asked the
organization to nominate a representative plus an alternate at that time. Most of the
organizations confirmed their nominations through a formal vote.
For the discretionary positions, staff contacted various organizations and advocacy
groups, as well as individuals who expressed interest in serving on the Steering
Committee earlier in 2017. Individuals were encouraged to solicit "endorsements" and
required to submit an application form and letter of interest. Staff did focused outreach
to encourage applications where necessary. Staff also solicited applications for the" at
large" seat, which was later expanded to three at large seats plus two alternates.
'This task included development of bylaws for the Steering Committee, and
'communication with the City Council and prospective Committee members regarding
member selection. The formal selection of Committee members by the Council took
place on December 4, 2017.
1.3 Prclimin.H)' Outre,lch and En g agement (completed)
This task had a number of components, including establishing the project website,
developing a project logo, preparing collateral materials such as a General Plan 2040
----------brochure,and-delivering-p1-esentations-to-a-number-of-Eommissions--and-civic----------
organizations. More specific descriptions of these tasks are provided below:
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 4 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
• Website. A dedicated URL for the project was secured (www.sanrafe12Q4Q.QT(~). The
URL redirects to a series of tabbed pages on the City of San I~afael' s website that
provide additional information on the General Plan, including links to
downloadable files. The website includes frequently asked questions, news stories,
documents, and atmouncements of upcoming meetings and events. It also provides
links to agendas, presentations, minutes, and other materials associated with each
meeting. The website also includes a "share your ideas" page for those wishing to'
weigh in on a General Plan-related topic, and a "contact" link for those wishing to be
placed on the General Plan e-mail list.
• Logo. A project logo was developed, in order to more effectively brand the General
Plan and distinguish it from other City initiatives.
• Brochure. A three-fold printed brochure was prepared to provide a quick summary
of the General Plan Update. The brochure was distributed at the Downtown
Farmers Market and made available at various Board and Commission meetings.
• "General Plan 101" Presentation. A 26-slide PowerPoint deck, with talking points,
was prepared to introduce the General Plan Update to the community. The
presentation covers th.e purpose of the General Plan, the history of plans for San
Rafael, a summary of legal requirements, a high-level review of each chapter of the
existing Plan, and an overview of the work progratn and schedule for the update.
• Initial Outreach to Stakeholder Croups. Presentations were delivered to a number
of City Boards and Commissions (Planning, Design I~eview, Parks and I~ec, Citizens
Ad visory Committee, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee), and to civic
groups (Chatnber of Commerce, East San Rafael Working Group). This task also
included one-on-one meetings with LAFCo, TAM, and other agencies with an
interest in the General Plan Update.
• Internal Communical:ion. This task includes introductory meetings on th.e General
Plan project with Pla:tu1ing Division staff, as well as matlagers and senior staff in
Economic Development, Public Works, Community Services, and the City
Manager's Office. The purpose of th:ese meetings was to familiarize staff with the
---C;cJ1eTIll-PlantJp<ia tc and-e"tablish~pm1=i-furcD=Ul:1icatimnmdLUDrdjJlati tlff!l -. --
San Rafael 204 0 General Plan Work Program 5 February 2018
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General Pl a n
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1.4 Review GIS files and Evaluate Project Base Maps (completed)
Th is task included a review of the City's GIS files to identify existing data la yers and
potential gaps. It also included an evaluation of the base maps that w ill be u sed
throughout the proj ect.
1.5 Prepare Detailed Work Program (completed)
This task covers the completion ofthls document-the detailed work program for
General Plan 2040. The work program contains complete descriptions of each task,
deliver ables, and schedules. Hours associated with this task include drafting the
document, vetting it with staff and other appropriate parties, and making revisions as
needed.
TASK 1 DELfVERABLES
• General Plan 2040 Logo
• General Plan 2040 Website Content
• General Plan Brochure and "101" Presentation (with talking points)
• Completed Steering Committee Application and Binder (with 50+ completed applications)
• Steering Committee Bylaws
• Project Library and Annotated Bibliography of Planning Documents
• Base Maps
• Miscellaneous Staff Reports and Meeting Summaries
• Detailed Work Program
TIMELlNE
July 2017 to December 2017
----.----~
Sari Rafael 2040 Genera l Plarl Work Prog ram 6 February 2018
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General Plan
2 040
PHASE TWO (2018)
TASK 2: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PHASE ONE
General Plan
Work Program
The General Plan community outre ach and engagement program is one of the most important
tasks in the work program. The inte nt is not only to inform thepublic about the plaruung
process, but to engage the community in a meaningful dialogue about the future and
incorporate public feedback into the Plan. The intent is also to reach groups that may not
typically participate in long range planning programs, including non-English speaking
households, persons with disabilities, young families with children, and youth. As noted in the
subtasks below, major elements of the engagement strate gy include the General Plan Steering
Committee, community and stakeholder meetings, web-based questionnaires and social media,
and regular meetings with City Commissions and civic organiiations. The engagement strategy
also includes "internal" communication with City staff, including data gathering on General
Plan-related topics and keeping staff in multiple City d e partments apprise d of the Plan's
progress.
2.1 Steering Committee MCdings 1-10
It is anticipated that the Steering Committee will meet approxiinately 10 time s during
2018 (Phase Two) and 10 times during 2019 (Phase Three). The focus dming Year One
will be on establishing a vision for 2040, reviewing existing l ong-range planning policies,
and discussing broad issues related to San Rafael's future .
: The Committee meetings have been set for the second Wednesday of each month fr om 6
. to 9 PM. At le ast five calendar days prior to each meeting, an agenda packe t will be
electronically mailed with reading materials and staff rep orts. TI l e meetings will be
coUaboratively facilitated by staff, the consulting team, and a ChairNice Chair to be
elected by Committee members. Each meetin g will include one or more pre sentations
and discussion items. The meetings will be publicly noticed and open to the public,
with an opportunity for public comment consistent with Brown Act requirements. A
meeting summary will be prepared after each meeting.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 7 February 201 8
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General Plan
2040
2.2 General Plan Community Meeting ;1
General Plan
Work Program
One community-wide meeting is scheduled for Fa112018; two more are scheduled for
2019. TI,e format of eadl meeting will be determined at a later date, but the intent is to
identify community values, evaluate policy choices, and solicit feedback on long-range
pI aiming issues and proposals. The FaU 2018 meeting would introduce General Plan
2040 and include a series of exercises (possibly small group discussions or electronic
polling) to solicit input. Participants would be ci1allenged to think about the type pf
place they would like San Rafael to be in 20 years. The second meeting (Jan-Feb 2019)
would dive deeper, addressing topics such as clinlate change, affordable housing,
transportation, and the future of Downtown.
Community meetings wO',lld be widely advertised through traditional media (pre$s
releases, news articles, neighborhood newsletters, etc.), social media and w e b-based
media (Patch, Nextdoor, City website, etc.), and noticing to community, neighborhood,
and advocacy groups. Staffing for the meetings would rely on City employees,
professional facilitators, volunteers, and members of the General Plan Steering
Committee. A summary report will be prepared following each mee ting.
TI,e project team will continue to maintain and grow an e-mail data base of persons to
be notified about upcoming meetings and the release of k ey deliverables. City s taff will
also be responsible for official meeting notice pre paration, pos ting, and advertising.
2.3 Commission and Council Briefings
The community engagem'ent program will be designe d to make the most of San Rafael's
existing "civic infrastructure." San Rafae l's boards and commissions provide a vehicle
for soliciting input on specific topics s uch as parks and recreation, economic
development, bicycle and pedestrian trave l, libraries, and so on. Periodic study sessions
and scheduled discussion items with all boards and commissions will take place
throughout the Work Program.
Phase Two would include at least one presentati o n and dis cussion session with the
Planning Commission, Des ign Re view Board, Parks and Reo'eation Conmliss ion,
__ ~_~A--=d .. v~is",o,-"ry Committee on Economic Develo]2rnent and Affordable Housing,Jhg:c1e_~.nd~ _____ _
Pedestrian Adyjsory Committee, Fire Commission , and Library Board of Trus tees. The
purpose of these meetin gs is to Check in with e a ch Board/Commission on long-range
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 8 February 2018
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
planning issues, the status of the General Plan Update, and Commission ideas for future
policies. At least two br idings to the City Council also will be scheduled during 2018.
2... S!akeholder Oulreach olH! Eng.lgcmcnl
The project team will meet directly with stakeholder groups throughout Phase Two.
111ese groups would include neighborhood and homeowner associations, environmental
groups, labor organizations, business groups (Chamber of Commerce, etc.), parks and
sports groups, social service providers, realtors, the faith community, ethnic/ cultural
groups, special needs organizations, senior and youth advocates, and similar
organizations. The meetings will involve a member of the project team attending the .
organization's regularly scheduled (monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, etc.) meeting. The
intent of these meetings would be to describe the General Plan Update, solicit input on
issues of concern, and advise those present of how they can participate in the General
Plan Update.
As needed, this may also include smaller meetings with groups of organi.zational
representatives, meetings with individual Steering Committee members or groups of
Committee members, and one-on-one meetings with community members. It may also
include "pop_up" workshops ("CoHee with a Wonk," walking tours, "porch talks,"
informal chats, etc.). One of the goals of this process is to make engagement fun and
easy. -D1e project team will seek innovative, creative approaches to aclUeve this goal,
and will solicit assistance from the Steering Committee and community at large to
encourage participation.
An important component of this task will be to reach groups that have traditionally been
under-represented in the planning process. This includes focused engagement for non-
English speaking residents, the disabled community, renters persons experiencing
homelessness, and youth and young adults. The American Community Survey (2017)
indicates that 19 percent of San Rafael residents speak English "less than very well."
Approximately 80 percent 6f this popnlation speaks Spanish. 11'le project tearn will
convene one or more public meetings faciIitated in Spanish and will meet with advocacy
groups serving the Latino community and other underserved groups to ensure
representation. Spanish translation also will be available at community meetings.
A,-drl i tiDnahneetingsTould-irrclude-presentations-and-discussions-at-the-lUgh-S1:hools----
and middle schools, and direct outreach to disabled and homeless residents.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 9 Februmy 2018
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Gener,,1 Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
Other important stakeholder groups include public agencies, such as local and regional
regulatory agencies. Coordination with the following organizations w1ll occur as
needed during the project:
• Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)
• Association of Bay Area Gove rnme ntsl M e tropolitan Transportation Commission
• Bay Area Air Quality Manageme nt District (BAAQMD)
• Bay Conservation and Development Commiss ion (BCDC)
• California Department of Fo restry and Fire Pro tection (CAL FIRE)
• California Department of Esh and WildJi£e
• Caltrans
• Central Marin Sanitation Dis trict
• Citiesl Towns of Corte Madera, Lak spur, Noyato, Ro ss, and San Anselmo
• County of Marin
• Di xie School District
• Dominican Univers ity
• Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Trans portation Di s trict
• Las Gallinas Sanitary District
• Marin County LAFCo
• Marin Municipal Water District
• Marin Transit
• Regional Water Quality Control Board
• San Rafael City Schools
• San Rafael Sanitation District
• Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART)
• S tate Department of Boating and Waterways
• State Lands Commission
• Tr a n sportation Agency of Marin (TAM)
2.5 Website Maintenance, Monitoring and Updaling
1l1e proj ec t website will be updated 0(1 a continuolls basis, with n ew content pos ted at
least once a mont h. The updated content w1ll primarily be on the "Meetings and
Even ts" page. Each General Plan-related meeting (including the Stee ring Committee
---------------meetings) w ill-b e-preceded-by-posting-of-the-meeting-agenda -andagencia-attachments-----
(reports, etc.). Following the meeting, the event would be moved f rom th e "Upcoming
Meetings" column to the "Past Meetings" column, and additional information such as
San Rafa el 2040 General Plan W ork Program 10 February 2018
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Ge n eral Plan
2040
General Plan
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presentations, handouts, and a meeting summary will be posted. All linked items will
be in downloadable PDF format. The "General Plan Documents" page on the website
will be regularly updated as new content is generated. Draft reports and notices will be
posted as they are produced.
Additionally, periodic news releases will be posted on the home page ("News and
Announcements"). News releases would address major m i.1e s tones in the planning
process (release of draft reports), as well as upcoming community meetings and on-line
surveys. News releases could also address topics of broader community interest relating
to planning (such as discussions of sea level rise, transit-oriented development, or
regional land use planning activities that could influence the General Plan).
Although an e-blast would not be generated for each website update or news release, it
is anticipated that the team would periodically send an email to all addresses on the
General Plan contacts list to apprise subscribers of new content. 'This could occur at·key
pOints, such as several weeks prior to Community Workshops and hearings, rele~se of
the ErR Notice of Preparal1on, and release of the Draft General Plan.
2.6 Oil-Line Engagement Program
On-line engagement will be the feature that most distinguishes the General Plan 2040
outreach program from prior San Rafael General Plan updates. Staff has interviewed
on-line engagement vendors and intends to enter into a Service Agreement with a
preferred vendor. On-line engagement will be a particularly important tool to reach
those who cannot (or choose not to) participate in community and stakeholder meetings.
The on-line engagement service provider will establish a platform that enables residents
to weigh in on General Plan-related topics using their smart phone, tablet, laptop, or
desktop computer. Once the platform is active, the project team will work to drive
traffic to the site. Staff tr aining also will be conducted.
Applications may take various forms, including interactive discussion questions on
various planning topics (comments, and comments on other people's comments). The
service provider will monitor the content to ensure that it complies with basic ground
----rille s:-Mubile-apps-also-w il1-be·used-othese-alluw-sma..li"phonc'users-to-answer-----
questions in "the field" -providing feedback on specific places and sites proactively, or
being prompted to weigh in on specific questions when located near specific
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 11 February 2018
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
coordinates. 111ese kinds of applications can be tailored for individual districts (such as
Downtown) or the city as a whole.
Examples of on-line engagement tools may be viewed at the following links:
• Central Market Street. San Francisco
• Lakewood, Colorado
• Ga\ineay, Canada
• Mountain View, California
Digital engagement also includes on-line surveys. Whereas the on-line engagement
examples described above often require downloading an applkation or completing a
"sign-up" step, the on-line slliveys can be comp leted anonymously and w ithout
registration. Programs are designed to avo id multiple "votes" from the same device.
2.7 Media Management
Throughout Phases Two and Three, the project team will prepare press releases and
follow discussions of local long-range planning issues to the extent possible on forums
such as "Nextdoor." The team will also leverage City social media accounts, including
Facebookl Facebook Live, lnstagram, and Twitter, to generate interest in the General
Plan. City staff would also maintain commlUucation with local. news med.ia (such as the
Marin Independent Journal) and with the editors of various neighborhood and
commm1ity newsletters. A dedicated General Plan 2040 "newsletter" is not proposed,
but periodic press releases and web-based news updates would provide th e equivalent
content. The team will also work w ith the webmasters of websites operated by local
neighborhood groups and interest groups to provide content, re v iew content (as
r e queste d), and drive traffic to the General Plan website.
2.8 Development of Collateral I\later;,11s
The project team will develop " collateral material" on the General Plan for public use
and distribution. Typical products would include brochures, exhibit boards, wall
displays, post cards (announcing meetings), posters, oversized maps, and web-based
materials. These types of materials could be used -at special events such as Farmers
·~----Markets;·street-fairs ,and-pop·upworkshopso-:A.-mobiledi:spl-ay-ctJUld-also"be ·placed-at------
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 12 February 2018
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General Plan
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General Plan
Work Program
varying locations, such as Northgate Mall or the Albert Boro Community Center. Key
work products such as brochures will be translated into Spanish as resources allow l
A secondary aspect of this task will be to assist other organizations who wish to prepare
collateral materials on the General Plan. For instance, a loca l inte rest group may want to
prepare materials for their constituents explaining the importance of the General Plan.
City staff could assist in s uch efforts. TIle City may w ish to sponsor a va riety of
"co ntests" related to the Ge11eral Plan, sllch as a photo contest, an essay contest, or a
student video contest. These types of exercises can broaden public engagement and
generate a buzz about the General Plan and other planning activities. '
TASK 2 DELIVERABLES
• Monthly Steering Comrrlittee Age nda Pack ets
• G eneral Plan 2040 Community Meeting Content, including presentations, handouts,
d is plays, inte ractive exe rcis es and me e ting summaries ("what we learned")
• Staff r eports (where necessary) and meeting summaries fOT Commission / Council meetings
and stakeholder m eetings
• Website content, including news stories
• On-line engagement content, including discussion questions, geo-spatial exercises, and
summary r eports indica ting smvey findings and recommenda tions
• General Plan e xhibits, displays, and print m e dia
• Press releases and social m edia content
TIMELINE
January 2018 to December 2018
I S taff wi ll work wi th local advoc at es and paid profess ional tran s lators to trans late materials into Spanish and will
post s uch items on the project we bsite or in other lo ca tions.
Sail Rafael 2040 General Plall Work Program 13 Febru01-y 2018
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General Plan ..
2040
TASK 3: DETERMINE GENERAL PLAN 2040 STRCTURE
General Plan
Work Program
The purpose of this task is to establish the parameters for the General Plan document, including
the organization of content (the "elements") and the graphics and maps to be included. The
task will consider best practices in comprehensive planning, discuss options and choices (such
as Plan "themes") with the Steering Committee, and produce a preliminary table of contents for
the new Plan.
- --
3.1 Options for General Plan Structure
The project team will summarize best practices in general plan structure and format in
CalLfornia and around the co untry. The most re~ent OPR General Plan Guidelines will
be conside red, including State requirements for ';lew elements (such as Environmental
Justice), popular optional topics (such as Health) and different ways to organize plans to
improve their usefulness and r el eva nce.
The discussion also w ill consider the organiza tion and format of Plan directives (e.g.,
goals, policies, and programs) and ve rify that the existing structure should be retained.
The extent of "exis ting co nditi ons" text to be included in the Plan a lso will be
d e termined . Other as p ects o f Plan co ntent will be addressed, including the use of
hype rlinke d text, technical appe ndices, executive s ummaries, large format maps, and
on-line vs digital content. The discussion of options also ma y consid e r Plan la yout,
including design and format, a nd the u se of color a nd infographics.
Opti o n s will fir s t be discussed and vetted a t the s taff l evel, and the n s umma ri zed in a
Memoran dum on Plan Organizntiol1 and Format . Thi s will be brought to the St eering
Committee for discussion, w ith the Co mmittee weighing in on the options. A mong the
issues to b e covered is whether overa rc hing the m es such as s u stain ability and equity
s h ould be hi ghli ghted in e ach ch apter of the Plan, or presented as the ir own chapters.
3 .2 Develop Plan Table of Contenls
Based on the preferred Plan organization, a preliminary Table of Contents for General
Plan 2040 will be developed. Th e Table of Contents wil! include proposed chapter
-------+,ll101n:lin-gs -and",;ubheordin-gs;<l"S"Wet l-as-a-prelimitYary-listuttabllOsarrd-figures:-A
"crosswalk" from th e existin g (2020) General Pl an to the n e w (20 40) Plan will be
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Pro gram 14 February 2018
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
developed. This will also enable proposed new content to be highlighted, as well as any
content that may be removed from the Plan.
The list of figures will be accompanied by a strategy for document design and an
assessment of production needs and resources. This will also include an evaluation of
City GIS and mapping resources, and any gaps to be filled in order to create the maps to
be [included in the Plan.
T ASK 3 DELIVERABLES
• Memorandum on Plan Organization and Format
• Draft General Plan Table of Contents
• General Plan Mapping and Graphics Strategy
TIMELINE
January to May 2018
----,--_.-.--------. -----------._ .... --._----
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 15 February 2018
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Genera! Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
TASK 4: RETAIN AND MANAGE TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS
This task includes the procurement of technical sub-consultants and the subsequent
management and direction of sub-consultant work. Specific aspects of this task include:
• Preparing Requests for Proposals / Requests for Qualifications, including work programs
• Advertising the bid opportunities and responding to consultant inquiries, potentially
including consultant pre-bid conferences
• Reviewing consultant proposals and interviewing short-listed firms
• Selecting consultants and negotiating contracts
• Contract approval (Council hearings and staff reports)
• Consultant start-up tasks, including kickoff meetings, field tours, staff introductions, 311d
delivery of project-related files and documents
• Management of consultant work, including responding to consultant requests for data and
ensuring timely delivery of work products
• Reviewing and commenting on consultant work products; preparing mark-ups of
administrative drafts and requesting edits and modilications as needed
• Incorporating consultant work products into ·General Plan deliverables
• Managing consultant participation in the General Plan community engagement process,
including attendance at Steering Committee meetings, community meetings, and Council,
Board, 311d Commission rneetings.
As noted above, this task includes the preparation of Requests for Proposals, including scopes
of work. The framework for the scopes of work are included in this document. Appropriate
sections of this Work Program will be excerpted and included in the RFPs. Consult3l1ts
submitting bid proposals would be invited to elaborate on these tasks and provide further
insights into how they would appro am the work.
4 .1 Retain Environmentallmpacl Reporl Consultant
A consultant will be retained to fulfill obligations related to the Calilornia
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including preparation of a Program-level EIR. The
scope of work would include the preparation of legal notices (NOr, NOP, etc.) and
scoping meetings, collection of baseline data on CEQA topics, evaluation of potential
.. -. -"-sigruficannmpacts;cleveJopmeri:tor'rrutigation measures, ana. considerationof~--------
alternatives to the proposed project. The scope also would include production of an
Administrative Draft EIR (ADEIR), a "Screenmeck" Draft EIR (responding to staff's
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 16 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
comments and corrections on the ADEIR), a "Pllblic Review" Draft EIR, and a "Fi:n.al"
EIR (indllding responses to comments on the Draft, and CEQA-required findings and
conclusions).
Because the EIR scope would cover a range of technical topics, it is anticipated that the
selected consultant may retain sub-contractors to perform specific aspects of the work.
Some b idders may have the capacity to do this work "in house" and others may not. It
is presumed that any sub-contracts for technical services will be administered by the
prime consultant and not directly by the City. TI1e exception is for transportation
services, which the City will procure independently.
The CEQA-related technical services are listed below:
• Air quality modeling and analysis (air quality consultant)'
• Archaeological resources, potentially including update of PastFinder data
• Biological resource assessment and analysis (wildlife biolOgist)
• Cultural and historic resource assessment (preservation specialist)
• Geologic hazard assessment, including soils and erosion (geologist)
• Hydrology, flooding, and water quality resource analysis (hydrologist)
• Noise monitoring and contour mapping (acoustical engineer)
Tasks 5 and 8 provide additional infonnation on the work to be completed. As
appropriate, CEQA-related work by the technical firms also will be used in the General
Plan itself. For example, the. geologic hazard work referenced above would be used to
update the City's geotechnical review matrix and prepare the hazard maps induded in
the General Plan Safety Element.
4.2 Retain Other Technical Sub-Consultants
In addition to an EIR consultant, the City will solicit bids from qualified consultants to
perform the following services:
• Transportation. As outlined in Tasks 5 and 8, a transportation consultant will be
retained to evaluate the performance of the existing transportation system,
2 Greenhouse gas modeling is being done through the Climate Challge Action Plan Up date, now underway. The
need for additional GHG modeling will depend on the extent of changes made to land use and transportation maps,
changes to demographic forecasts, and policies to be considered during the Plan Update.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 17 Februanj 2018
SAN RAFAEL
Ge ne ral Plan • 2040
General Plan
Work Program
determine projected conditions in 2040, and identify capital projects, policies, and
strategies to ensure that the transpor tation network operates satisfactorily in the
future. The core of this task is transportation modeling. applying various
assumptions about future growth in order to project future traffic volumes. The
scope will cover all modes of travel, including autos, bicycles, pedestrians, transit,
commercial vehicles, and air and water tr a n s portation. It also will consider
transportation-related issues such as tr affic calming, parking, transportation demand
management (TOM), traffic safety, and the implications of new legislation such as SB
743. The consultant also will serve as a subject matter expert on issues relating to
technology (autonomous veh.icle s, e lectric vehicles, drone delivery, etc.) and mobility
tre nds (car-sharing, ride-sharing, e tc.). The tran-spolia tion consultant w ill be
procured directly b y the City and not as a sub-contractor to the EIR firm. How ever,
th eir work will be closel y coordinated with the EIR co n s ultant, and they will serve as
the authors of EIR sections relating to tran sp ortatio n impacts.
• Economics, As outlined in Task 5, an economics consultant will be retained to
complete an analysis of San Rafael's economy, real es t ate market, and economic
d evelopment policies and strategies' The consultant would also look at the market
feasibility and fiscal implications of differe nt land use choices as the General Plan
Land Use map is revisited, including public service costs.
• Community Design/Visual Simulation. As o utlined in T ask 5, it is anticipated that
a consultant s pecializing in architecture and corrununity design will be retained to
address residential, commercial, and mixed use design issues; and provide direction
on public s pace improvements across the city. The s cope would include .the
d evelopment of illush'ative diagrams and visual s imulations (be fo re/after
rend e rings, computer-generated £l y -throughs, e tc.). These types of d e li ve rables
could b e use d not only in the General Plan, but also in community conve r sa tions
about height, mass, density, architecture, and streets cape improvements.
• Engine ering, It is recorrunended that an engineering firm be r etained to evaluate
water, sewel~ drainage, gas/electric, and telecom utilities. Since this evaluation
would primarily inform EIR d is cussions of infrash'ucture impac ts, the firm could be
a s ub-co ntra ct or t o the EIR consultant.
3 T he City may retain a separate economics consulting frrro to do a more focused ana lysis of Downtown land use
and zoning decisions as part of a parallel effOlt.
San Rafael 2040 Genera l Plan Work Pr ogram ]8 February 2018
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
• On-line Engagement Services. As noted earlier in the work scope, the City has
already interviewed prospective vendors to create an on-line platform for
community engagement, including surveys and discu ssion forums. A preferred
vendor will be selected.
• Graphic design consultant. The City anticipates retaining a graphic d esigner to do
publication design (for the General Plan), and to assist in des igning display boards,
maps, and other exhibits u sed in th e co mmunity engagement program. Ths will
most likely be an "on-caU" service agreem ent wi th a not-to-exceed limit.
• Meeting facilita tion services. Over the course of the project, the City may retain one
or more professional meeting facilitators to assist in the design of community
workshops and the facilitation of large "town hall" style meetings. While City staff
and the City's project man ager will h ave the primary role in Steering Committee and
small group facilitation, there may be certain settings where professional facilitation
is desired. Facilitation enables staff to serve as subject matter experts, while a
neutral third party manages the proceedings and public input. It is recommended
that a "reserve" of on-call professional facilitators be established early in the process.
To the extent possible, the project team (including technical consultants) will leverage
work already done on the topiCS listed above by other San Rafael City Departments and
other agencies. For example, recent technical studies completed by TAM, th e Sanitary
Districts, the MMWD, and other agencies/districts will be reviewed and refer enced
rather than red oing these studies for Ge neral Plan or CEQA purposes.
TASK 4 DELIVERABLES
• Reques ts for Proposals (RFPs) Soliciting Consultant Proposals for EIR, Transportation,
Economics, and Community D esign Services
• Service Agreements for Selec te d Firms, accompanied by Staff reports
TIMELINE
January to May 2018
San Rafael 2040 Genera l Pl an Work P7'Ogram 19 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
TASK 5: BASELINE DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
The most labor-intensive task during the first year of the General Plan Update is collection and
analysis of baseline data. This data is essentiai to make informed policy decisions and create a
legally defensible, technically accurate, fact-based General Plan. It is also a required part of the
Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and comprises most of the volume of that document. This
task will be a collaborative effort between City staff (including the contract project manager)
and the consultants retained during Task 4.
Seventeen sub tasks are listed below. As appropriate, subtasks will begin with leick-off meetings
with City agencies and consultants. Key purposes of these meetings are to introduce
consultants to City staff and their points of contact, identify existing studies and data sources,
clarify expectati'ons and schedules, and establish communication protocol for the project.
Following the kick-off meetings, follow-up meetings will be held with City staff and outside
agencies to discuss issues related to data, policies, programs, operations, and long-range plans.
5.1 Document Population, Hou s in g, and Health Condition s
This task will update selected data in the 2015-2023 San Rafael Housing Element, which
is now about three years old and reflective of conditions in 2013-2014. Using the
American Community Survey and other demographic data sources, a profile of San
Rafael's residents will be prepared. This will include the most current data available on
rac e, age, tenure, household type, income, housing overpayment, education,
employment, length of residency, vehicle ownership, commute patterns, and special
needs (homelessness, persons with disabilities, seniors, large families, extremely low
income,etc.). It will also include Census data on San Rafael's hDuSing stock, including
housing type, condition, age, number of rooms, cost (for owners and renters), and recent
development and real estate trends. HOUSing Element data on available sites and
hOU Sing opportunities also will be updated and confirmed.'
This ta sk will also include a summary of h ealth indicators in San Rafael. The updated
P lan will acknowledge public health conditions, n'eeds, and geographic (or
demograpruc) disparities in the' city, This can help inform new policies and programs to
improve public health and h e alth care service delivery, consistent with rece nt SB 1000
'-.. --'-----'(EIWironmen1:a1JGsflce Elemenftr e qillrements.-MuchofrlUsoata-alrea'ayex iSt.s-tlil'ougn~----
'Res ubmittat of the Hous ing E lemen t to HCD as a res ult oftbese tasks is not anticipated, The intent is primarily to
id entify rece nt trend s and ensure tbat the Planning T eam is working wit h the mo st curre nt available data,
San Rafa el 2040 General Plan Work Prog ram 20 FebruanJ 2018
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HealthyMarin,org. b y ZIP Code, including life expectancy, mortality rates, enfant
mortality, obesity rates, and rates of cancer, heart disease, strokes, asthma, diabetes,
h y pertension, psychological distress, s moking, and alcoholism. Data on access to fresh
a nd healthy foods (and the location of "food d eserts") also will be reviewed. A series of
tables, charts, and diagrams will b e prepared summarizing h ea lth mdicators in San
Rafael, and comparmg conditions within the ci ty, and between the city and other Marin
County and Bay Area jurisdictions.
5.2 Doc ument Economi c and Fi sc ~1 Condition s
~-.. -.----
This task will be completed by an economics consultant, to be retained by the City in
early 2018. The intent is to update th e baseline da ta and analysis that underpins the
Economic Vitality Element of the General Plan, while also providing data :that can help
inform future land u se, transpor tation, and housing policies. The analysis will look at
San Rafael's role in the Marini North Bay eco nomy and the greater Bay Area economy.
It will also look atthe econo mic function of vario u s sub-areas within the city, such as
Downtown, Eas t San Rafael, and th e Northga te area.
The task will include a statistical analysis of San Rafael's economy, including
employment by sector, retail sale s and spending patterns, business location patterns,
unemployment, and wages. Economic and real estate market trends will be assessed,
including existing and proj ected conditions in the residential, office, retail, and
industrial markets, This task also will mclude an evaluation of existing economic
development strategies, and a s ummary of fiscal conditions and local revenue sources.
In addition to u s ing industry data, concl u sion s about the local economy will also be
informed b y interviews w ith local bus iness owners, developers, r ea ltors, and
economists. One 'of more s mall group discu ssions may be convened for this purpose.
The outcome of this task will be a comprehensive summar y report on economic and
fi scal conditions, inclu ding graph s, tables, and narrative. The work will also include an
executive s ummary, and a slide d eck sui table for presentation. Data will be dra'A'll from
s u ch sources as the U.S. Census, A merica n Community Survey, California Economic
Development D e partment, California State Board of Equalization, and p r ivate da t a
vendors s ll ch as Nielsen and CoStar,
._------. --_ .. ,,-
Data in this r eport would include:
San Rajael2040 General Plan Work Program 2] Februar'y 2018
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SWOT
• Assessing San Rafael's Economic Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
Jobs
• Employment in San Rafael by NArCS code
• Historical trends in employment and unemployment
• Identification of largest employers in San Rafael and trends
• Business license trends
• Small business characteristics and trends
• Start-ups and venture capital inves tment during recent years
Jobs-Housing Balance
• Characteristics of the San Rafael workforce (wages, labor force characteristics)
• Commute patterns (where residents work, w her.e lo cal employees live)
Retail Sales
• Taxable retail sales trends (total and per capita) by r e tail sector
• Es timates of retail leakage by sector
• Tourism and hospitality trends (hotels, re s taurants, ent ertainment)
• Consideration of the future of the retail sector given technol ogy, on-line sales, etc.
and impacts on demand for brick and mortar s pa ce
City Budget
• Summary of Sources and U Bes of Funds
• Discussion of any revenue initiatives
• Fi scal impacts of various land uses, housing types, and business types
Real Estate Market (demand for various uses)
• Building p ermit trends and volumes
• For-Sa le and Rental Housing (prices, rents, voltunes, absorption, pipe line )
• Re tail (rents, vacancy, absorption, pipeline, citywide and by district)
• Office (rents, v acancy, absorption, pipeline, citywide and by district)
• Ted, and Indush'iaI/Flex (re nts, vacancy, absorption, pipe line)
• Other (hospitals, institutional. public, etc.)
• Assessing the market potential of key opportunity s ites
Pro j ections
_.~ ... A~AG E~ections ._ .. ___ ... .. ____ .
• Likely demand for future floor space by land use and housing type
• Implications for land use and development standards
• Ince ntives an d regulatory strategies to achieve desired u ses
San Rafael 2040 Genera/Plan Work Program 22 February 2018
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For commercial and indus trial space, the evalua tion of real estate market conditions
would include an evaluation of the current inventory o f space, vacancy ra te s, as king
rents, and a review of businesses r ece ntly a ttracted t o the city (as well as businesses that
may have recently le ft the city or ch osen an a lternate location). The analysis should
consider the competitive streng ths and weaknesses of San Rafael overa ll , and of various
s ub-districts within San Rafael. It will l oo k at the types of tenants drawn to each area of
the city, and the types of employment space s that would b es t m eet employer needs in
the short, medium, and long-t erm.
With respect to retail, the analysis will consider San Rafael's competitiveness in
particular retail sectors relative to other citi es in the market area, and the city 's potential
to draw additional regional and community serving retail to Downtown and other
destinations. The analysis should help support Land Use Map decisions for commercial
activities, as well as economic deve lopment programs to capture desired activities.
Impacts of technology (on-li ne shopping) an d consumer shopping habits on the demand
for brick and mortar space will be a particularly important consideration.
5.3 Document Land Use Cond ition.
This task will b e performed by the "in-house" project team and led by the project
manager. A curre nt (2018) inventory of existing land uses will be prepared, using Marin
County Assessor Use Codes, a four-digit numbering system indicating the current us e
on every parcel in the city. For co mmercial, ins titutional, public, and other activities
whe re the U se Code m ay not be reflective of the actual land u s e, the data w ill be
confirmed (by the planning intern) through field v is its and/or aerial photos. Other
attributes of the built e nvironment (heights, densities, building condition, e t c.) may a lso
b e note d thro u g h this process.
A color code d , large-format "Existing Land U se M ap" (and GIS la yer ) w ill be prepared
displaying current land use mIormation. Variations on this map (s uch as separate maps
of vacant land, commercial parcels, indus trial parcels, Downtown "close-ups," multi-
family r es idential properties b y density, etc.) also m ay be produced. Maps of
"underutilized prope rties" (developed properties w ith hig h assessed land values and
---------. -low-assessed-improveme nt-values;-etcJwill-bc-prepared-tuidenlifypropertieswith-a--------.. --·
high likelihood of future redevelopment. Existing land uses will be summarized in
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tabular form to provide a profile of San Rafael today, and to compare existing uses with
General Plan and zoning designations.
This task will also look qualitatively at land use issues, including instances of l and use ·
conflicts between adjacent uses, development h"ends and patterns, and projects in the
development "pipeline" (including projects in nearby cities). It will also include a
discussion of opporhmity sites and locations where the existing use may be vulnerable
to change. The task also will include a summary of development regulations, such as
subdivision and zoning regulations. Existing General Plan land use categories will be
summarized and potential changes (e.g., new categories, merged categories, changes to
density ranges, etc.) will be identified for further discussion. Other City plans and
plans of other agencies (adjacent cities, Marin County, etc.) would also be reviewed. Key
development issues and concerns would be noted.
One of th e purposes of this task is to make realistic estimates of "buildout" l.roder
current zoning and General Plan designations. Quantified estimates would generally be
presente d by traffic analysis zone (TAZ), and summarized for dj£ferent neighborhoods
or districts of the city. This information provides an important foundation for
evaluating changes t o the General Plan Map that may be considered.
5..1 Document Transportation Conditions
The work described below would be completed by a h ·ansportation consultant, wi th
supporting assistance provided by the in-house project team. A Request for Proposals
will be issued in ea rly 2018 for the services described herein. The RFP w ill also cover
work described later in this work program, including the EIR analysis of General Plan
transportation impacts, mitigation measures, and capital project needs.
This task would include a combination of quantitative and qualitative work. TIle
quantitative work would focus on measllring existing and projected traffic volumes,
speeds, delays, and congestion on the San Rafael street system. It would also include
nlllnelic data on the state of San Rafa el's roads, including the number of lanes, presence
of sidewalks and medians, locations of traffic signals, presence of bicyde facilities, and
pll bhc transit stops. Much of this data already exi sts and is in the City's Geographic
·---Informaiion-Systern-(GIS)-shape "me·inventorythrough-P ublie-W-orksc-. ----
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The qualitative work would include evaluations of transit service and performance
(including Golden Gate Transit, Marin Transit, SMART, and other service providers),
paratransit and shuttles, and aviation and water transportation facilities. It would also
address the status of transportation policies relating to Complete Streets (AB 1358),
traffic cahning, signal coordination, truck r outes, and Transportation Demand
Management (TOM). The task also would look at San Rafael's parking policies,
standards, and parking management programs.,
Specific subtasks inclu de:
,4.1 Traffic Counts. The data collection effort w ill include traffic counts and turning
movements for up to 60 intersections" Separate counts of pedestrians, bicycles,
and trucks will be conducted in locations with high pedestTian and bicycle
volumes, In addition, daily road segment counts will be collected over a three-
day period at up to 40 road segment locations. The locations will be determined
collaboratively with City staff and the transportation planning consultant but
would logically include many of the same intersections that were used in
General Plan 2020, Using consistent locations can enable direct comparison of
1999-2003 data with 2018 data. Traffic counts should be taken during September-
October 2018, when school is in session and summer holidays are over.
~.4.2 Inventory and Assessment of Conditions by Mode. The tTansportation
consultant will review existing City, County, and Marin Transit GIS data on
right-of-way width, number of road lanes, presence of medians and sidewalks,
and location of bicycle lanes and transit s tops. Planned and proposed
transportation improvements and capital projects will be describe d and
summarized. 111e location of trails (including recreational trails) also will be
noted. Data will be su mmarized in a series of maps and described in nan·ative.
Gaps or inconsistencies in data will be noted, Data on transit ridership,
head ways, and service issues will be collected from transit providers, and service
issues will be cliscussed. Planned changes to services (such as the SMART
extension) will be summa.ri:ced .
. 4.3 Baseline Modeling and Analysis. The transportation consultant will evaluate
-------·----the-6tyLs -traffic ·mudehurd-the-rnoslrecentversion-o£-the-'["AMmode-l-for -their -'---._--
5 Traffic counts may be sub-conh'acted to a third party vendor and itemized as a line item in tl1e transportation
consultant's budget.
San Rafael 2040 Ge neral Plan Work Program 25 February 2018
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suitability as General Plan traffic forecasting tools. Necessary changes or
adjustments to the models will be noted (see Task fi2.). A memo will be prepared
outlining model validation results, including the job and household inputs for
traffic analysis zones (TAZs) in San Rafael. The model(s) also will be reviewed to
ensure that programmed transportation improvements in San Rafa el are
correctly coded .
5 .4 .4 Transportation Issues Profil . As noted earlier, one of the purposes of this
subtask is to document transportation issues, including safety (collision data,
Safe Routes to School, traffic calming, etc.), Transportation D em and Management
(TOM), parking policy, conunercia l goods movement, and aviation and water
transport. The profile will also consider the impacts of emerging technologies on
transportation, including autonomous vehicles, electric and alternative fuel
vehicles, and "smart city" infrastructure designed to imp rove traffic flow. It will
also look at the impacts of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as
ride-sharing and :car-sharing services, and other changes that may res hape
mobility and transportation patterns in the next two decades.
5.4.5 Summil!Y Rel'ort. The findings of Tasks 5 .4 .1 through 5.4.4 w ill b e s ummari zed
in a background report on transportation, to be pre pared co llab orativel y by the
transportation consultant and the in-house project team. The report will provide
the "setting" section of the EIR's b'ansportation section, and also help the
General Plan Steering Committee in their discussion of transportation policies.
5.5 Document Infrastructure and Utility Conditions
The project team will describe utility infrastructure in San Rafael. TI1is would primarily
b e done as a collaborative effort led by the Planning Division and the engineering
consultant, with support from Public Works. It would also rely on data and information
from service providers, including the sanitary districts, Marin Municipal Water District,
andPG&E.
The utility systems to be addressed include water, wastewater, storm drainage, and
privately-provided services such as elec b'ic, gas, and t e lecommunication. Water-related
---------·--information-wouldm clude a-description-ofwater ·supply-s01lIceS;-water-pumping-andl----
distribution syste m s, ex isting and projected water demand, planne d improvements, and
water conservation programs. H oweve r. the Plan would not include a formal Water
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 26 February 2018
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Supply Assessment (WSA) as defined by SB 610 unless development capacity in the city
is substantially increased above cmrent levels.
Wastewater-related information would include a description of sanitary sewer collection
and lift station systems, existing wastewater £lows, treatment plant capacity and
methods, and planned improvements. This would include existing and potential
reclaimed water projects, as well as sewer line replacement efforts. Storm water-related
information would describe the storm sewer system, including water quality controls
and related improvements. Energy and telecommunication information will address
existing facilities, deficiencies, and potential fuhue needs, including thos e fPl ating to
wireless communication towers, cabinets, dishes, and related infrastructure. Visual
impacts and other impacts associated with these facilities will be addressed.
For each topic above, the intent is to focus on any constraints or deficiencies that may
impact land use and environmental policies, and the status (and funding) of any plans to
expand, adapt or rebuild facilities. Impacts associated with global climate change and
sea level rise are particularly important in this regard. In addition, the regulatory
framework for infrastructure will be described (for the "Setting" section of the EIR).
Fiscal issues related to capital improvements, and operations and maintenance costs,
also will be addressed.
Information will be collected at a suffjcient level of detail to Lmderpin General Plan
policies relating to infrastruchlre. This task assumes no field work, facility evaluations,
or modeling relating to the adequacy of individual systems and will rely primarily on
information provided by the service providers through interviews, correspondence,
systems master plans, and technical reports.
5.6 Documen t Community Services and r.lciiitie5 Conditions
This task will provide a narrative description of police, fire/EMS, solid waste and
recycling, school, anGi.library service s, as well as human services such as progl'ams for
seniors and youth. A variety of metrics will be used to evaluate service levels and
determine fuhue service and facility needs. Service delivery issues, especially those
associated with growth, will be discussed for each topic area.
~~~~~.~---faci:Jitymasterptans~iH·be-reviewed.
San RaJael 2040 General Plan Work Program 27
Recent strategic plans or
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February 2018
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For police, the task will include meetings with the San Rafael Police Department to
discuss public safety and crime issues, particularly issues relating to planning and
building decisions. TIlis will include an overview of data on space and facility needs,
staffing levels, 911 calls, response times, and crime activity reports and trends. Meetings
with the County Sherriff's Department and CHP will take place to cover issues relating
to the unincorporated Planning Area and traffic safety on the state highway system.
For fire/EMS, the task will include meetings with the San Rafael Fire Deparbnent to
discuss fire prevention and response issues, and EMS services, particularly as related to
plam-ling and building decisions (including such topics as water pressure, emergency
access, road design standards, etc.). TIlis will also include an oven/iew of data on space
and facility needs, staffing levels, response times, and types of calls. Deparbnent
initiatives to reduce and mitigate fire hazards also will be summarized. Consultation
with other service providers such as CalF ire and Marin County Fire also will take place.
For solid waste/recycling, the task will include mee·tings with Marin Sanitary Service,
Zero Waste Marin, and related organizations. Data will be collected on solid waste
volumes and diversion rates, landfill volumes and capacity, and programs to further
divert waste from landfills. This will also include a narrative discussion of recycling and
composting programs and other waste reduction measures.
For schools, the task will include meetings with San Rafael Schools and the Dixie Scllool
District. Data to be collected includes Districtwide and campus school enrollment
(current and historic trends), school capacity, student generation rates, and enrollment
forecasts. Issues relating to long-term capacity and modernizatioll will be summarized,
and development impact fees will be discussed. Planning issues around school
campuses such as safe routes to school, jOint use agreements for public access, and
school-related congestion and parking issues, will be considered.
For libraries, the task will include meetings with City Library staff and collection of data
on library facilities, collection items, circulation, and daily use. Issues relating to
modernization and the changing role of libraries (an'd related space issues) will be
considered. The broader role of libraries as community centers, and places for
information exchange, self-improvement, and culture also will be addressed.
-----------~ .. --_ ..... _ .... ----------------
For human services, the task will include meetings with Community Services staff, as
well as non-profit providers. delivering services to populations with special needs,
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 28 February 2018
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including youth, seniors, and persons experiencing homelessness. The intent is to
highlight trends, issues, and implications for long~range planning.
5.7 Document Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Condition,;
This task will provide the baseline data necessary to update General Plan elements
addressing Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. It will include meetings with I
Community Services s taff and local stakeholders, along with staff in other agencies
managing local open space (Marin County, State of California, etc.). The task will
update existing General Plan inventories and maps of parks and recreational facilities. It
also will include updated inventories o.f "naturaY' open space (hillsides, wetlands, creek
corridors, etc.), and "functional" open spaces in the city (qua rries, cemeteries, .
agriculture, etc.). Information on trails, private recreation, school facilities available for
public use, shoreline access, and other recreational assets also will be gathered.
An important part of this task is to document recreational issues in the city, including
acreage and facility deficiencies, areas lacking sufficient access to parks, funding fot
operations and main tenance, joint use agree ments, competing demand for open space,
and the responsiveness of recreation programs to changing demographics and trends in
leisure services. New t ypes of parks and open spaces, such as civic plazas, pocket parks,
and privately developed open spaces, also will be discussed. Spe cific park activities and
issues such as community gardens, skate parks, and dog play areas will be addressed .
Recreational needs will be assessed based on growth forecasts, emerging trends, and
changing consumer preferences.
5.8 Document Arts and Cultural Condition s
TItis ta sk will produce a current inventory of arts and cultural resources in San Rafael
and describe the contribution of arts and culture to civic life and the loca l economy. It
will include descriptions of arts ve nues in the city, covering both the v isual and
performing arts. It will address public art, arts festivals and artist activities, resources
such as historic homes and museums, entertairunent venues, theater and music, City-
sponsored arts classes and programs, and other cultural and ethnic arts programs in the
city. It will also address the factors needed to sustain a thriving arts community in San
--~Ra:fa .. el;induding·affoIdable-housirrg-anchvOIk-spaceior-artists.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 29 February 2018
SAN RAfAEL
Gene ra l Plan
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5.9 Document Historic Resource Conditions
General Plan
Work Program
Native American tribal consultation will be initiated as required by SB 18 6 The p r oject
team also w ill meet with San Rafael H eritage, local historians, and other stak eh older
groups to ga the r existing inventories and r esources, identify policy priorities, and
discuss issues of importance. Data on known and potential resources wiD be reviewed,
I mapped, and summarized in narrative and tabular form. This task also will include a
, review of archaeological/ paleontological and ethnographic resources based on existing
data sources, including "Past Firtde r"--a citywide database of parcel-specific
! archaeological sensitivity reports for d evelop m ent proposals that involve excavation or
grading. Existing laws, regulations, and rules regarding cultural resource protection
also will be documented.
Given the broad nature of the General P lan, completion of a detailed field-based historic
, resource survey by staff an d/or consultants is beyond t h e scope of the project.' Th e
focus of this task w ill be on re viewing and up dating exis ting inventories, summadzing
existing policies and prese rva ti on programs, and determining measures to strengthen
preservation activities in the ci ty. Thi s could include identifying data gaps, futur e
su rveys to be conducted, and new programs (including funding sources) t o protect
historic resources. The Plan a lso. would e v aluate the economic benefits of preservation,
th e potential for cultural to urism. and a range of urban des ign issues associated w ith
adaptive reuse, co n text-sensitive inbll development, and modifications to existing older
stru chtres.
The discussion of eligible historic resources will include structures from the "recen t
past," including buildings and feahues that may not h ave m e t the Secre tary of the
Interior's standards for historic properties the last time the G eneral Plan was updated
(due to their age). Many structures from the 1950s and 60s may now be potentially
eligible; those that embody the architechual styles of that t im e p e riod and are
• Senate Bill 18 requires that General Plan Updates include a consultation process with Native American tribal
representatives. The process involves contacting the Native American Heritage Commission for a list of contacts,
notifying tbe contacts of the oppommity to partic ipa te , meeting with repre sentat iv es as requested, and including Plan
language addressing the treatment of Native Americi:iJl cuH urai resources. Tribal representatives are also invited to
comment on Draft plans and environmental documents .
• 7 Inlh.!'_~.Y~.'lt _t~<c.Cili recei~es_allQ!lAG grant to. prepare a p_o.~ntown Precise Plan, a mo re detailed inv entory of
historic resources would be conducted for the Downtown area with the grant funds. Suc h surveys could a lso
potenti ally be perfonned by volunteers as part of a parallel effort outside the General P lan scope, witb the findings
refere nced in th e General Plan or futur e ordinances. More detailed his toric s ur veys a lso could be id entified as a
General P lan action program.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 30 February 2018
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considered t o have potential historic merit would be identified. In addition, records on
s tructures and s ite s from earlier periods in the City's history also will be reviewed, and
potential new initiatives and programs to conserve these resources will be ·identified.
5.10 Documcnl Community DCOiign Condiliolls
San Rafael h as a high-quality visual envi.ronment, with a strong sense of i dentity 'it the
citywide and ne ighborhood levels. The ci ty's identi ty i s largely shaped b y its natural
landforms;and vistas, arehitectuIe, vegetation, and public rea lm featuIes s uch as street
trees, utilities, s ignage, and landsca ping. The General Plan plays an important role in
prov iding;policy guidance on these features, b oth in<li v idually and collectively.
Although Community Des ign is con s idered an "op tional" e le m e nt of the General Plan, it
is arguably one of the m ost important parts of the document, particularly with respect to
issues of growth and d evelopment.
This task will include an inven tory of aesthetic resources in the ci ty, including both
natural and human-made featuIes. The intent is to describe the "look and feel" of San
Rafael and identify important visual characteristics. P h otos, maps, and narrative will be
prepared identifying scenic resources, views and vistas, landmarks, and the overall form
and structure of the city. Important e dges, activity centers, and place types will be
identified. The various architectural styles fOlU1d in the city will be summarized, a nd
issues associated with Will development, home alterations and ad ditions, and n ew
consh'uction will be summarized.
This assessment will consider particular building types (single family h om es, multi-
family development, commercial developm ent, indus trial, etc.) as well as characteristic
architectural styles (Craftsman, Eichlers, etc.) and areas o f concentrated architectural
resources such as Downtown. Existing urban design guidelines, policies, and design
review processes will be summarized. Current efforts to articulate "expectations for
good design" in Downtown San Rafael and elsewhere will be s umm arized. The effects
of existing zoning regulations on design will be summarized, and b es t practices from
other cities will be summarized.
This tas k also w ill include a discussion of public realm policies and various ci v ic
------------;improvement-and-beautificationinltiatives;-such-as·street-tree-planting;-gateway ----
improvements, lU1d e rgrounding of utilities, street lighting, and landscaping. A
discuss ion of the treatment of Downtown public s pace, including civic plazas,
San Rafael 2040 G~n eral Pla n Work Progra m 3 1 February 2018
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wayfinding signage, the use of sidewalks, and pedestrian amenities, will be included.
Efforts to address aesthetic issues such as graffiti, litter, light and glare, signage, code
enforcement, view preservation, tree planting, buffering and screening requirements,
and the u se of drought-tolerant landscaping will be addressed.
It is expected that several meetings of the Steering Committee will focus on this topic,
along with one or more work sessions with the Design Review Board, the CAC, and the
Planning Commission. Stakeholder meetings ""ith local arclutects, landscape architects,
and urban design professionals may also be convened. A variety of tools such as visual
preference surveys and on-line surveys may be used to solicit broader public input, and
at least one community workshop wouLd include an exercise focused on public
sentiments toward density and urban design issues.
5.11 Document Sustainabilily and Greenhouse Gas Conditions
'111is task serves as a "crosswalk" between the current effort to update the 2009 Climate
01ange Action Plan (CCAP) and the corresponding update of the General Plan
Sustainability Element. Local initi atives to 'address climate change through land use
decisions, transportation measures, greener buildings, water conservation, solid waste
reduction, alternative energy sources, energy conservation, education, and similar
initiatives, will be summarized. Potential cl1anges to the Sustain ability ELement to
incorporate emerging CCAP recommendations will be noted.
This task would also include data collection and analysis of issues reJated to energy,
indudmg electricity and natural gas. Data relating to energy consumption, energy
conservation and efficiency, renewable fuel sources, and clean power acqlrisition
initiatives w ill be updated. Data on current energy use, recent trends, and goals for the
future (as defined by the updated CCAP) will be s ummarized. Information will be
presented at a sufficient level of detail to underpin revised Gene ral Plan actions and
programs, and provide the; basis for the "setting" section of the EIR on e n ergy~re lated
impacts. Work completed through the recent CCAP Update will be u sed wherever
possible to avoid redundant data co llection efforts.
The latest community inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions \-vi.l l be
---summarized,with-uala"reported-by-scctor:-Since·this-inventory-is ' updated-annu ally -by------
the Marin Climate and Energy Partnersh ip, it is anticipated U1at the 20 16 inventory
(anticipated to be available in 2018) will be used. The data will be compared t o the 2005
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 32 February 2018
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General Plan
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baseline to note reductions in emissions since reporting was initiate d. The CCAP
Update will generate "business as usual" projections to 2020 and 2030. Projections for
2040 also will be developed through the CCAP process, in anticipation of the General
Plan Update. The CCAP will identify and quantify reduction strategies through 2030.
Additional reduction strategies (particularly related to land use and transportation)
could be considered through the General Pla n Upda te, and used to develop modified
projections for 2040 during the General Plan EIR analysis. The GHG analysis would be
I consistent with the May 2017Bay Area Air Quality Management District guidelines,
, including current thresholds o f significance . It is presumed that the City's CCAP will
continue to be certified as a "Qualifie d GHG Re du ction Strategy" by the Bay Area Air
Quality Management District.
As part of this task, the utility of having a separate Sustainability Element in the General
Plan may be revisited. Given that the Oimate Action Plan is now a well-established
planning tool, it may not be nece ssary to repeat its policies in the General Plan. Another
option could b e to r e cognize sustainability as a crossccutting theme that underpins all
Plan elements, and to w e ave appropriate policies and actions through each element.
5.12 Do c ument ,\if ~nd W ,l l l'J" Qu ality Condition s
This task will be co mplet e d by th e CEQA consultant, or by a sub-consultant reporting to
the CEQA cons ultant. Data would be sufficient to update the Ail" and Water Quality
El e ment of the General Plan, and inform the corresponding air quality and hydrology
sec tions o f the EIR.
Ex isting air quality information will be compiled using available public sources,
including data fro m the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Bay Area Air
Quality Manage m ent Distric t (BAAQMD). Permitted source data issued by the
BAAQMD will b e used to determine e xisting sources of toxic air contaminants and other
major pollutants . A discuss ion of sensitive receptors and meteorolOgical conditions will
be provide d. TIl e various regulations governing air quality at the federal, sta te , regional,
and local leve ls will be s ummarized. Programs to improve air quality also will be
summarized, and the parameters set by the latest BAAQMD guidelines would b e
-_._ .. ------r[.evi e w eciinnarrative:-4'his-will ·inclucte-a:-discussion·of·airl1ualityTIlitigationmeasures----
and land use limitations along freeways, railroads, and other major mterials, following
CARE, BAAQMD, and CAPCOA (California Air Pollution Conh·ol Office rs Association)
San RnJa el2040 General Plan Work Program 33 Feb ruary 201 8
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guidance. Potential air quality-related health hazards and risks to residential uses and
other sensitive receptors along US 101 and 1-580 will be discusse d.
Exis ting water quality information will be summarized using data from the Regional
Water Quality Control Board, local sanitary districts, and other so urces. Regulations
governing water quality at the federal, state, county, and local levels will be
summarized. This will include a summary of the countywide Stormwater Pollution
Prevention Program and associated permits and clean water initiatives. Issues r elated to
erosion and sedimentation control, canal and nearshore sanitation, ill egal dumping, and
water quality education and outreach will be summarized based on current data and
condi tions.
5 .13 Document ~atural Resource Conditions
This task is intended to provide the baseline data and analysis necessary to underpin the
Conservation Element of the General Plan and those sections of the EIR dealing with
agricultural r eso urce s, biological re sources, mineral re sour ces, and hydrology. Again,
data co llectio n and analysis would be part of the CEQA consultant scope, wi th the in-
h o u se project team co ordinating work t asks and reviewing/ ed iting work products as
n ee d ed. It is anticipated that this task will primarily rely on existing documents,
inventories, and analyses, rathe r than on fiel d work and new resource surveys .
Windshie ld surveys may be performed. whe re n eed e d to verify information, gather
photographs, and allow for fir s t-hand docume ntation of exis ting condition s.
TIli s task would include a Slunmary of exis ting federal, s tate, and local regulations
addressing biological, agriculh.lr al, hydrological, and mineral resources. Data collected
in this task would include m aps, ta bles, a nd n arrative s ummaries of vegetati on types,
natural communities/ wildlife habitat types, and pote ntial occurrences of special s tatus
sp eci es based on th e California Natural Diversity D ata Base . Topics such as hillside
preservation, tree pro tection, tree planting, invasive p lant co ntro l, and predatory animal
control also would be cove red .
The task would also address l oca l soil types, with a focus on agricultural potential and
farmland of statewide signifi cance. It wou ld include a dis cussio n of water resources in
-------the -San-Rafael-Planning·Area;-including· ground water,·creeks,-lakes;-wethmds,and·San--·· -.-. ----
Francisco Bay . Topics such as creek and shoreline a cc ess, creek daylighting, and bank
protection would be covered . Information sources would inclu de t h e U.S. Fi sh and
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Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory, Corps of Engineers maps, and data
available from the California Department of Fi sh and Wildlife, environmental advocacy
groups and research institutions, and other sources.
Issues associated with wetlands management would be covered, with consideration
given to the impacts of rising sea level and need for adaptation strategies. Issues
associated with wetlands preservation, restoration, mitigation, and setbacks covered by
the existing 2020 General Plan will be revisited as needed. Again, no detailed surveys or
original inventories are proposed. In the event such information is provided by third
parties, it may be considered in making long-range planning policy and land use
decisions.
5.14 Document Envir(lnl\1enl~1 H.lZard Conditions
.TItis task will provide the baseline data needed to update the General Plan Safety
Element and will also cover sections of the EIR dealing with seismic hazards and
landslide potential, flooding, darn failure, wildfire hazards, aviation hazards, hazardous
materials, and emergency p r eparedness. T1Us task would a lso address the potential
impacts of g lobal climate change on San Rafael, and evaluate potential responses and
best practices r elated to climate resilience and adapt ation. Like the other natural
resource-oriented tasks, the technical work would primarily be performed by the CEQA
consulting team. The City staff team would oversee the work, edit documents as
needed, and frame discussions of issues and policy questions.
This task is primarily a "recap" of existing data sources, drawing from the existing
(2020) General Plan EIR and Te chnical Reports, the recently completed Locall-Iazard
Mitigation Plan (LHMP, 2017), and recent studies r e lating to sea level rise (BayWAVE,
the pending "Resilient by Design" exercise, etc.). It would include a summary of
existing federal, state, and local regulations gove mmg hazard reduction, mitigation, and
response, including regulations cove ring both natural and man-made hazards.
With respect to geologiC hazards, this task will document earthquake hazards such as
ground shaking, liquefaction, fault rupture, differential settlement, and earthquake-
induced landslides . Regional faults will be n1apped and a recap of earthquake
··_·---proha bi:lities-based-on-available data -will -be provided.-The text-aIs<n'<ilJ-a:ddres s .. -----
hazards associated with steep and/or potentially unstable slopes. Maps of geolOgiC
hazard and landslide risk areas will be included, using existing data sources -including
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 35 February 2018
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maps from General Plan 2000. Programs to reduce the potential for earthqual<e damage
and casualties also will be docrunented. Much of this information is already available
through the LHMP. As noted in Task 9.2.10, updating of the City's geotechnical review
matrix and slope stability maps will be included in General Plan 2040.
With respect to flood hazards, this task will document FEMA-designated 100-year and
SOO-yeaI flood zones, and other somces indicating flood prone areas in San Ralael.
Issues associated with sea level rise, coastal (bay) floo d ing., and potential 'adaptation
strategies will be reviewed. Dam failme and tsunami inundati on maps (and/or data)
will be included, .and associated issues will be discussed. Watershed maps will be
included. This task will also summarize flood control effor ts and issues related to flood
hazard mitigation, as documented by the LHMP, The location and function of pump
stations and other facilities designed to miti gate flooding will be' idenilli~d.
With respect to wildfire hazards, this task will include mapping of fire hazard severity
zones as required by SB 1241, laying the groundwork for polici es to r e duce fire risks in
the San Rafael Planning ATea. Staff will coordinate with the California Department of
Forestry and Fire Prevention, as well as the City and Marin County Fire Departments, to
ensure fhat fire hazards are an integral consideration in land use and transportation
planning. This will include a discussion of hazard mitigation measUIes such as
defensible space) vegetation management, emergency vehicle access, visibility of street
signs, and the availability of water for fire suppression.
With respect to hazardolJs materials, the discussi on would identiiy locations in the San
Rafael Planning Area where hazardous materials are stored or handled (using various
state and federal data bases). Issues associate d with leaking underground storage tanks,
groundwater contamination, s pill prevention and accidental releases, hazardous waste
clean-up, and hazardous waste transportation would be addressed. Hazards assodated
with demolition or renovation of buildings co n taining materials such as asbestos, lead-
based paint, and universal wastes also will be addressed. Information on hazardous
sites and clean-up n ee ds fmm the Canalfront Conceptual Design Plan and other local
planning documents will be referenced as appropriate.
A viation hazards would include a discussion of operations at San Rafael Airport and
. -any-other-airports-oraviation-facil:iti es 'withihe-potential-to-impact-San-Raiael-. -_ .. -_._ ...
San Rafael 2040 Ge neral Plan Work Program 36 February 2018
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The text would also summarize San Rafael's emergency preparedness programs,
including community-focused programs (such as Community Emergency Response
Team trairring), City-focused programs (Incident Command System, Standard
Emergency Management System, EOC activation, etc.), and automated notification
systems. Evacuation routes would be identified, per State General Plan guidelines.
Post-disaster recove'ry planning also will be addressed.
5.1S Document J"obe Condition,
The intent of this task is to document wrrent noise conditions in San Rafael, as well as
best practices in mitigating noise impacts. The CEQA consultant team would have the
primary responsibility for completing this task, with the City staff team providing
oversight. The task would provide the technical foundation for the 2040 General Plan
Noise Element, and the noise section of the EIR. As with the other CEQA -driven tasks,
this task would begin with an overview of existing noise regulations, including federal,
state, and local laws and programs.
An important part of this task is to document the existing noise environment in San
RafaeL This will establish a "baseline" for developing forecasts of future noise levels,
and a bencJunark for comparing changes since citywide noise measurements were jast
taken (Februru:y 2001, as part of the 2020 General Plan Update). General Pl"n 2020
included short-term (15 minute) measurements at 14 locations and long-term (24-hour)
measurements at eight locations, Noise data from other studies was also reported in
that analysis, including studies of haffic noise along Highway 101, the Miracle Mile, and
Point San Pedro Road. Traffic volumes on major thoroughfares also were used to
estimate noise levels at various distances from the centerline of each road,
TItis analysis would essentially be repeated for General Plan 2040, with a combination of
short-term measurements, long-term measurements, and estimates based on haffic
volumes used to obtain current (2018) noise levels around the city. Short-term noise
measurements should be taken at up to 20 locations, and long-term measurements
should be taken at up to 10 locations. Staff wilJ work collaboratively with the consultant
to identify the locations. A spedal focus will be placed on identifying noise levels
associated with the SMART train (with and without Quiet Zones), including both short-
-term-and "longotermimpactsc--Gther noise-sources-( such-as-noise-assodated-with'luarry~ ~ --, ---, ,---
operations and related truck traffic) also would be addressed.
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In addition to reporting noise data, the consultant will be tasked with developing a
contour diagram showing approximate noise levels throughout the City. An existing
and projected noise contour map is a required component of the General Plan. While
the focus of this map is on rraffic noise, it should also include noise associated with
SMART trains.
In addition, the narrative profile in the Existing Conditions Report will include:
o A description of the general characteristics of sound and the ways that noise is
measured.
o Results of the short-term and long-term noise monitoring performed for the General
Plan.
o Oata from other studies involving noise monitoring, including studies done as part
of project ErRs, improvement plans for Highway 101 and 1-580, and studies done
through the planning process for SMART service.
o A description of the existing noise environment, based on noise data and anecdotal
information about noise sources and noise problems in the city. In addition to
transportation-related i10ise, this would include information related to other
common noise sources in the city, including noise from industrial and business
operations, quarry operations, and domestic noise associated wi.th leaf blowers,
sirens, alarms, mechanical equipment, and similar sources.
o A discussion of the common ways in which noise is mitigated, as well as noise
control efforts (such as sound walls and sections of the Municipal Code addressing
noise).
5 .16 Document Equity and Environmental Justice Conditions
California Senate Bill 1000 (SB 1000) became effective in 2017. The bill requires that cities
and counties adopt an Environmental J llstice (EJ) Element in their general plans, or
integrate EJ goals, objectives, and poliCies into other elements of their plans. The State
recently published a toolkit to ass is t cities with this task. Some of the components
include:
o Identifying and mapping disadvantaged communities within San Rafael using Cal
-... _. EnviroScreen,income-ciata-and-ether-seurces8
8 Cal EnviroScreen is a science based tool developed by the State to identify communities that are disproportionately
burdened by pollution.
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• Providing a snapshot of the major social equity and environmental justice issues in
the city, accompanied by mem cs and maps. Issues may includ e:
o Pollution exposure and air quality, es pe cially proximity to to xic air
contaminants, die sel fumes, particulate matte r, e tc .
o Indicators which point to higher incidences of public health problems in
certain areas, or in the cooununity re l ative to other communities
o Access to public facilities (parks, libraries, health care, etc!)
o Atcess to healthy food (supermarkets, fresh produce, etc.) and nutrition
o Restrictions on mban agriculture and local food production
o Overcrowding and other ad verse housing conditions
o Housing cos t burd ens
o Housing d is pla ce me nt
o Healthy homes (hazardous building materials, mold, sanitation)
o Access to physical ac ti vity (walkable streets, etc.)
o Vulnerability to floods, e arthquake hazards, etc .
o Opportunities for community en gagement
• Community m ee tings and roundtable discUBsionsspecifically aimed at engaging
disadvantage d communities, including mee tings in Spanish
• Working with Community Based Organizations to identify issues and ensuring
inclusive, transparent discussion s about these issues
Task 5.16 le nds itself to a "professio nal report" or thesis topic for a graduate level
planning student inte rested in eguity issues. If feasible, the project team will provide an
opportunity for a graduate stll dent studying city plarming to condllct the research
behind this task, and to form ulate and present policy recommendations.
-.---------_ ..•...• _-_ .. --"""
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Wo rk Program 39 Feb11la.ry 201 8
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5.17 I'mduce Existing Conditions Report
General Plan
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This final work product of Task 5 is an Existing Conditions Report that assembles the
deliverables from Tasks 5.1 through 5.16 into a single volume. The report will provide
the "Setting" section of the General Plan 2040 EIR, and will become a teclmical appendix
to the General Plan itself. The report will be organized into chapters that roughly
correspond to the headings o£ Tasks 5.1 through 5.16. As appropriate, each chapter will
include narrative text, tables, graphiCS, and maps.
The report "ill be suitable for publication as a web-based PDF file, and will be available
to members of the Steering Committee and the public at large.
TASK 5 DELIVERABLES
• Population, Ho u.~ing, and Health Indicators WorlGng Paper
• Summary Report on Economic and Fiscal Condi tions
• Summary Report on Transportation Conditions
• Infrastructure and Utilities Working Paper
• Community Services and Facilities WorlGng Paper
• Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Working Paper
• Arts and Culture Working Paper
• Historic and Archaeological Resources Working Paper
• Communi ty De sign Working Paper
• Sustainability and Greenhouse Gas Working Paper
• A ir and Water Quality and Risk Analysis Working Paper
• Natura l Resources WorlGng Paper
• Environmental Hazards Working Paper
• Noise WorlGng Paper
• Equ it y and Environmental J ustice Working Paper
• Existing Conditions Report (compendium o f working papers and summary reports)
T!MELINE
March to December 201 8
San l<afael 2040 General Plan Work Program 40 February 2018
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TASK 6: POLICY AUDIT
General Plan
Work Program
This task provides an "audit" of existing planning documents and policies. Three major
components are included:
• First, a review of all policies and programs in the 2020 General Plan (as amended through
2017)
• Second, a review of other planning documents adopted since 2004 (when the Plan was last
comprehensively updated)
• Third, a review of State laws passed since 2004, i.ncluding topics requiring new and/or
amended policies and implementing actions
b.t Audit Gene,,,1 PiJn2l120
This task was initiated in May 2015 when the City published its General Plan 10-Year
Status Report. Although the Status Report is more than two y e ars old, many of its
'conclusions remain valid. Task 6.1 includes updating the Status Report to reflect current
conditions and actions taken over the last two years. 1n addition, Task 6.1 expands the
Scope of the 10-Year Status Report to also cover General Plan policies and longer-te rm
actions (as well as short-term actions).
The 2015 General Plan Status Report includes:
• A summary of major General Plan-related accompli shments between 2004 and 2015,
including actions that were implemente d , plans that wer e p r epare d ; and General
Plan Map and text amendments I
• A summary of General Plan action programs, including recommendations on future
edits and adjushnents to the timing of actions (e.g .; from short-term to long-term)
• An appendix, formatted as a matrix, listing each shori-term General Plan action, its
current status, and a recommendation (carry forward, delete, etc.).
Task 6.1 would expand the lO-Year Status Report to include the goals, policies and the
long-term and mid-term actions in the 2020 General Plan. The continued relevance of
each policy would be noted in the matrix-where appropriate, policies would be
discussed by the Steeling Committee to determine if editing is needed. Policy gaps also
----w"'oulabeioentifiea. ------.-------.--.. -.-..
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6.2 Audit Other Planning Documents
This task includes a systematic review of the major plans and programs adopted since
the General Plan was last comprehensively updated. Goals, policies, and actions in each
plaIUling document w ill be entered into a matl'i x indicating the source, the topic area,
and the potential implications for the General Plan.
The following documents will be included:
• 2015-2023 Housing Element
• Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (2017)
• Climate Change Action Plan (including any updates since 2009)
• Downtown San Rafael Station Area Plan (2012)
• Civic Center Station Area Plan (2012-2013)
• Downtown Parking and Wayfinding Study (2017)
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (including rece nt updates)
• Canal Neighborhood-Based Transportation P lan (2006)
• Canalfront Conceptual Design Plan and Design Guidelines (2009)
• Sea level rise "White Paper" (2014)
• Marin BayWA VE Vulnerability Assessment (2017)
• June 2017 (2017-2019) Capital Improvem ents Program
• Albert Park Master Plan (2017)
• San Rafael Essential Facilities Strategic Plan (2015)
• Adopted Complete Streets Policy
This task also w ill consider:
• Countywide transportation plans, including the Countywide Con gestion
Management Program Updates, the Fairfax-San Rafael Transit Corridor Study, the
Short-Range Transit Plan, a nd the Draft TAM Visio n Plan
• The Gen e ral Plans of adjacent cities, in.eluding the recently updated Novato General
Plan, the 2009 Corte Madera Gener al Plan, the Larkspur General Plan Update
(pau sed), and the 2007 Ross Gene ral Plan
• The 2007 Marin Coun tywide Gene ral Plan, as amended thcough 2017
• Municipal Service Reviews by LAFCo that may be underway or plarmed
------.. .---PlaIlS-or·environmental·documents-related-to-the Bettini-Transit-Eenterrelocation---"'-"-'" -
• PlaIlS or environmental document s r e lated to the SMART extension to Larkspur
• PlaIlS or envicorunental docwnents related to tl1e San Rafael Rock Quarry
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 42 February 20 18
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• Other environmental review documents in which the City served as Lead Agency
completed in the last 10 years
• Regional planning documents such as Plan Bay Area 2040 and the Bay Area Clean
Air Plan
• Age-friendly initiatives and best practice policies for age-friendly planning, design,
housing, transportation, and services
• City initiatives that are now lmderway such as the "guidelines for good design"
bemg studied by members of the Plarming Commission and Design Review Board,
and the "Resilient By Design" Challenge sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation.
ii .3 Con 5; der i'icw 51a le PI,)nn; ng Req IIi remcnls and G IIi del ines
The California Office of I'lanning and Research (OPR) published new General Plan
Guidelines in 2017. The Guidelines supersede the 2003 General Plan Guidelines and
provide direction for cities undertaking General Plan Updates from 2017 forward. The
Guidelines respond to new requirements based on recent legislation, as well as
recommended analysis, policies and actions using best practices in the field of dty
planning. Part of the" audit" of the 2020 General Plan will address any gaps between
the existing General Plan and recently approved state requirements. Among the key
topics to be considered are:
• SB 743. This State legislation changes the generally accepted method for measuring
the impacts of new development on transportation facilities for CEQA purposes,
with the intent of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It shi fts from a standard
based on tralfic congestion and delay (Level of Service, or LOS) to a new standard
based on the number of additional vehicle miles projected to be generated by new
development (Vehicle Miles Traveled, or VMT). The new standard is intended to
encollrage development near transit, as well as land use patterns that are less car-
dependent. VMT models must be developed and adopted by January 2020.
• SB 18 and AB 52. These bills require consultation with Native American h'ibes as
part of a General Plan Update, and requirements for projects which have the
potential to impact Native American resources, sllch as archaeological sites and
human remains.
-----------------.. ---------
• SB 244 and SB 1000. These two bills are aimed at integrating equity into the General
Plan process. SB 244 requires special consideration of any lower income
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 43 February 2018
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unincorporated "islands" within the Planning Area. SB 1000 requires an
environmental jus tice element in the General Plan (or environmental jus tice policies
in Plan elements).
• AB 1358. This bill requires that "Complete Streets" are addressed in the General
Plan, and further, that the Transportation Element considers the needs of all modes
of travel and not just automobiles. The City of San Rafael currently complies with
this requirement.
• AS 32 and SS 3.75. 111ese bills address greenhouse gas reduction and are largely
implemented at fue state and regional levels .. However, many of the regional
initiatives have· implications for cities and counties and affect the way local land use
and transportation plans are developed. 111e City of San Rafael's Climate Change
Action Plan addresses many of the AB 32/ SB 375 requirements at the local level.
• SB 379. This bill requires that General Plans address climate resilie ncy (typically in
the Safety Element)
• AS 2140. This bill requires a link between the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and the
General Plan Safety Element.
• SB 1241. nus bill requires that certain maps (high/very high fire hazard severity
zones) be included in the General Plan, and that fue Safety Element is reviewed by
CalFire to ensure that policies provide adequate protection from wildfire.
• AS 1739. 111is bill requires that General Plans consi der impacts on groundwater and
consider plans for groundwater basins.
• SB 1462 and SS 1468 require cities to address military readiness in their General
Plans.
In addition, there a re numerous recent legis lative require ments aimed a t streamlining
approvals for hous ing and accessory dwe lling units. Some of these requirements have
implications for General Plan policies. For example, SS 35 potentially impedes the C ity's
ability to-require a desi gn review permit or other pl alliti ng entitlement for honsing if fue
project meets certain objective criteria. The General Plan is one of several too ls that can
be used to establish those criteria. 111ere are also a number of p ending bills before the
San Rafael 2040 General Pl an Work Program 44 Februa ry 2018
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California legislature that should be monitored throughout the Plan Update for their
potential impacts on long-range plarming policies .
The product of thi s sub-task wi ll be a comprehensive inventory of potential goa ls,
policies and programs to be integrate d into the General Plan based on the n ew
requirements. Input from the Steering Committee, stakeholder groups, City
commissions, and the general public will be co nsidere d w hen evaluating exis ting
policies and considering n ew policies .
T ASK 6 DEUVERABLES
• Policy Audit of General Plan 2020
• Policy Audit of Other Planning Documents
• Matrix listing Policy and Program Implica ti ons of State General Plan legislation
TIMELINE
July to September 2018
-_ ... _-----
San Rafael 2040 Ge neml Plan Work Program 45 February 2018
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TASK 7: DEVElOP DRAFT GENERAL PLAN MAPS
General Plan
Work Program
This task will begin during Phase Two and likely continue into Phase Three. Development of
the Plan Map will be collaborative and iterative, with input from City staff, City officials, the
General Plan 2040 Steering Committee, property owners, and the public at large.
7.] Develop Land Use Categorics and LJefinitions
General Plan Land Use categories will be defined, using categories in the existing San
Rafael General Plan as the starting point. The existing San Rafael General Plan 2020 has
an unusually large number of land use categories-28 are defined in the Land Use
Eleme nt.' The Map is partiClllarly fine-grained in Downtowli San Rafael, where it
carrie s over parcel·level designations from the 1990 Downtown Vision. An alternative
approach in central business districts is to apply a single category (i.e., "Downtown")
and then rel y on a Specific Plan or zoning map to show parcel-level distinctions. This
co uld be considered during the mapping discussion.
There are other categories that could potentially be merged or modified. For example,
"mineral resources" could potentially be a subset of the conservation category and some
of the mi xe d use categories could be merged, with zoning (rather than the General Plan)
used to express appropri a te mixes. In mixed u se areas, greater consideration also could
be give n to form-based categories that focus on building mass (typically dictated b y
floor area ratio [FAR] a nd heig ht) rather than s pecific uses. nus is particularly true
Downtown, w h e re FAR could be considered in lie u of density as the metric for
regulatin g multi-fa mily and mixe d u se residential construction. Fle xibility should
continue to be an important objective in commercial, industrial, and mixed use
categories.
In residential areas (and in commercial areas where h ousing is allowed), this task would
examine whether the City sho uld shift from the current "gross density" standard to a
"net density" standard. Gro ss d e nsity is typically used in cities that are relying on
undeveloped or un-subdivided land for most of the ir growth. It recognizes that land
that must b e set aside for interior streets, easements, public llses, and open space. Net
density is the more cO .nunon standard in cities that are "built out" and relying on infill
9 General Plans in California cities typically use 12 to 18 categories, and it is very rare to iind more than 25
separate categories on a Land Use Map .
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 46 February 2018
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sites to accommodate their future growth. The net density standard excludes streets and
easements, and typically aligns with the densities allowed b y zoning (which are based
on minimum lot sizes or land area p e r dwe lling unit) The merits of making this switch
in San Rafael should be considered. Typically a n e t density struldard is 20 to 30 percent
higher than a gross density standard, although the number of units that can be produced
on a given site is the srune.
Changes in density and intensity ranges also could be considered to reflect market
conditions, development and hou s ing trends, and existing land uses and zoning. A
particularly helpful analysis will be to map existing densities and compare them with
the densities shown on the General Plan Land Use Map. In some cases there may be
significant discrepancies. In areas where little chaJ1ge is expected, it is helpful to have
the Map reflect existing conditions, both to reduce the number of non-conforming
structures and to demonstrate what build.ings of different densities actually look like.
At the conclusion of this task, the conforming zoning districts for each General Plan
designation should b e identified. For General Plrul categories with more than one
applicable zoning district, tl,e conditions for applying less intense or more intense
zoning on parcels should be specified. This could be particularly important in locations
such as Downtown, in the event that any of the categories are consolidated. The task of
identifying conforming zoning districts should also help determine where zoning
districts may need to be amended, where new districts may need to be created, ruld
where existing districts may no longer be needed.
7.2 Apply Map Designations to Arc.1S Where No Ch,mgc is Anticipakd
Once the land use categories have been finalized, they should be assigned to the General
PlaJ1 Land Use Map. It is expected that a majority of parcels will have the same
designation in the 2040 Plan as they do in the 2020 PlaJ1 . Map changes in single family
neighborhoods would generally be limited to correcting mismatches between current
designations aJ1d existing uses (or densities) and areas with obsolete designations (not
ret1ec ting recent development or open space acquisition).
-_ .. _--_._------------------.-.---
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Prograni 47 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
20 4 0
7.3 Consider Options for Potential Change Areas
General Plan
Work Program
The purpose of this task is to identify land use and transportation options for areas with
future development potential ("change areas"). These areas are likely to represent a
relatively small percentage of properties in the city. The General Plan Steering
Committee, staff in various City departments, property owners, neighborhood groups,
and community-based organizations will b e heavily involved in this process.
The options for potential change areas may vary both in use and intensity. Some of
these areas may be developed sites such as Northgate Mall while others may be
undeveloped sites addressed in the prior General plan (such as Canalways). Others may
be comprised of multiple small sites or dis tricts such as Downtown San Rafael. The
2015-2023 Housing Element provides some direction on potential change areas-but its
horizon is just eight years, and i t focus es only on residential uses. This task presents an
opportunity to think more broadly, looking furthe.r into th e future and considering other
l a nd uses. It is also an opportunity to think ab out how the values expressed during
earlier tasks in the planning process sh ould be expressed on the Land Use Map.
The evaluation of change areas covers more than ju st land use -it also covers building
mass, density, and height. Part of thi s ta s k will be to revisit e xisting the height maps
and floor area ratio (FAR) maps in th e General P lan and determine where changes could
be considered. Recommendations from previou s ly completed statio n area plans would
be considered as part of this process. likewise, the u se of h eight bonuses for projects
with community benefits (such as affordable housing) will be evaluated.
The discussion of mapping options will ultimatel y provide the basis for General Plan
alternatives, as required by the California Environme ntal Quality Act. It is anticipated
that ElR alternatives will be based on different land u se assumptions for change areas
and opportunity sites, and on different assumptions re garding building mass and
h eight. To the extent possible, the development of al t ernatives is intended to be a
"bottom up" process, driven by community input and local values. Alternatives should
be organic, and not artilicially co nstructed based on prescribed the m es (e.g., "high
growth! low gro-wth ," etc.)
------. -'.---"-.--'--Thi s-ta sk-wilhequire-the-preparation-oflarge-scale -maps-and-graphics-to ·display--------
opportunity sites and change areas, and the differe nt land use (a n d density! inte n sity!
Sa n Rafael 20 10 General Plan Work Program 48 Feb ru ary 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
heig ht) options that mi g ht be conside red in ea ch case . It will al so requi re the
preparation of narrative te xt, maps, and diagrams to e xplain what is be ing s hown.
7.4 Complete Draft Land Use !\lap
The purpose of this ta sk i s to comple te the Draft Land Use Map, building on the work
done in Tasks 7.2 and 7.3. Community feedback from Task 7.3 will be co n sidered and
"preferred" land use designations for change areas and opportunity si te s will be
mapped. A summary report will be prepared documenting proposed changes to the
General Plan Map. Each proposed map change will be nwnbered, mapped, and keyed
to a legend, indicating the acres impacted, th e current General Plan designation, the
proposed designation, the n et impact on development capacity, and the reason for the
change. 111is Work Program presumes that map work will primarily be completed "in
h01.1Se ," with assistance from the City's GIS Specialist and the planning intern.
Othe r maps communicating development standards also would be prepared at this
time, including FAR maps, height maps, a nd maps illustrating bonuses for projects with
community benefi ts. 111 ese would essentially be updated versions of existing General
Plan exhibits.
7.5 Develop Other Gener~1 Plan i\1"p'
Task 7.5 covers the development of other policy-rel ated maps in the General Plan.
VVhile most of the maps i.n the General Plan show "existing conditions," the Task 7.5
maps are "future oriented" and w ill be used to shape decisions about capital
improvem ents, d evelopment, a nd cons e rvation.
Circulation maps will display transportation facilities env isioned for the Year 2040.
T y pica lly, these maps indicate road cla ssifications, the proposed bicycle and pedes trian
netwo rk, and transit services s u.ch as the SMART train and bus routes. The Open Space
Diagram will indicate exis tin g open space and any planned improvem en ts or ex t en sions
of the park and open space system envisioned for the nex t 20 years, s llch as ne w trail s or
greenways. As n ee ded diagrams also may be prepared to illus trate clin1ate resilience
strate gies, responses to sea level rise, and hazard mitigati on. Urban form and
·---comnnllUty-tiesign-diagrams-al so may-be-preparedi:hrough-this-process-. --.--.--
San Rafael 2040 Genera l Plan Work Program 49 February 2018
~ SANRAFAEL
_ General Pfan
r51~ '2040
TASK 7 DELIVERABLES
• Recommended Land Use Category Definitions
• M ap(s) of Potential Change Areas
General Plan
Work Program
• Map(s) of Potential Options for Change Areas, including land u se, h e ight, intensity, and
community benefit "bonuses"
• Summary Reports on Options and Preferre d Designations
• Draft La nd Use Map(s), in lud in g Height, FAR , a n d "bonlls" 'Tl~r~
• Other General Plan Diagrams, including Circulation and Open Spa ce
• Collateral materials and displays for community workshops
TIMEUN E
October 2018 to April 201 9
San Rafael 204 0 General Plan Work Program 50 February 2018
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General Plan
2040
PHASE THREE (2019)
TASKS: MEASURE GENERAL PLAN IMPACTS
General Plan
Work Program
The purpose of this task is to test the impacts of the proposed land use and transportation plan
on transportation, air quality, noise, greenhouse gases, and public facilities. This provides
much of the foundational content for the General Plan EIR, including the basis fot mitigation
measures (some of which may be incorporated into the General Plan itself as policies or
actions). The analysis will also provide a clearer picture of the implications of the General Plan
and allow for refinement of maps and policies as the Public Review Draft is created.
1'1.1 Calcula te 2015-20.JO Growlh by 7on~
The purpose of this task is to quantify the amount, type, and location of growth that may
occur lmder the proposed General Plan. nus will provide the basis for Year 2040
analyses of transportation, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, noise levels,
infrastructure, and community service needs (parks, schools, etc.). TIie analyses in turn
help shape General Plan policies and actions to mitigate development impacts, identify
capital improvements, plan for public services, and sustain the quality of life.
Task 8.1 will primarily be conducted by the in-house project tearn, in collaboration with
a transportation consultant. The same traffic analysis zones (TAZs) discussed in Tasks
5.3 and S.4 will be used as the basis for reporting out the projected number of new jobs,
households, and residents in San Rafael by 2040 10
As noted in Task 5.3, Excel spreadsheets will be used to indicate population, households,
and employment (by sector) in the base year (2015) and horizon year (2040) for each
traffic zone. The increment of growth between 2015 and 2040 will be based on several
factors, including regional forecasts, proposed General Plan densities and intensities, the
location of vacant and underutilized properties, and projects that are proposed,
approved or under construction. For non-residential development, assumptions will be
made about potential employment dc·,nsities and the types of uses that may occur on key
opportunity sites. Data will be prepared for each TAZ and summarized at the citywide
-.:;:::==========:====-----:---,--:--:::--::-c,...--: .... _ ......... _. . ......... _-----.
10 For discussion purposes, 2040 is asslUlled to be the "buildou!" year of the General Plan. In some cases, additional
development capacity may exist beyond 2040. These areas will be noted as appropriate. ABAG population and
employment forecasts for 2040 will be used as a benchmark for determining how much oftbe city's potential
growtb will occur by 2040.
San Ra fael 2040 General Plan Work Program 51 February 2018
SAN nAFAEL
General Plan
IZ
2040
General Plan
Work Program
and sub-area levels. Existing traffic model forecasts for San Rafael will be used as a
benchmark for comparison.
8 .2 Traffic Modeling and Analysis
Most of the work performed !mder Task 8.2 will be assigned to a transportation
consultant, working under the direction of the General Plan tearn and key Public Works
staff. The specilic methodology to be followed for traffic modeling will be determined
through Task 5.4 .3 , as outlmed earlier in this work program. Staffs role will primarily
be to coordinate the process and review model results. The transportation consultant
will provide a recommended methodology for traffic modeling, based on their
assessment of the available options.
While the City of San Rafael has its Qwn traffic model, it is primarily used to test the
impacts of proposed development projects on streets and intersections (and to manage
operations and signal phasing) rather than to test citywide and regional growth
scenarios over a 25-year period. Modifications may be needed to align the local model
with Countywide and regional models, including the new Transportation Authority of
Marin Demand Model (T AMDM) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission
(MTC) model, or to adapt the TAM/ MTC models for local use.ll The TAM and MTC
models are based on certain assumptions about regional housing and employment
growth, commute patterns, and changes in mode split (e.g., the percentage of travelers
dTiving, using transit, walking and bicycling) in the future. 111e regional models also
consider the impacts of planned transportation improvements, including changes to the
regional street and highway network, improvements to "alternative" travel modes, and
changes associated with technology.
Another consideration in traffic modeling is how growth· related impacts will be
measured. The current model uses Level of Service (LOS), which is based on average
speed and delays at signalized intersections during the AM and PM peak hours. SB 743
has eliminated LOS as a basis for determining significant impacts cmder CEQA.
Regional models are shifting toward vehicle miles traveled (VMT)-based metrics, whim
are intended to promote reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. SB 743 will take effect
during 2018, and agencies will have an "opt in period" of approximately two years for
.---·~----jmplementation~-A-maj0Ij3aFt-of-this-task-willbe·finding-the-right-balance·between-a--~-_ ~---
II This work program assumes that TAM will be using its new TAMDM model by the time General Plan modeling
is conducted (late 2018 or early 2019}
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 52 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
1040
General Plan
Work Program
sustainability-based approach and a more traditional congestion-based approach. Given
the suburban nature of San Rafael and the built-out character of much of the
community, a hybrid approach that uses both VMT and LOS should be considered. It is
likely that the General Plan Steering Committee, and possibly the City Council and City
Attorney's Office, will be engaged in this discussion.
The initial step in Task 8.2 will be to calibrate the mode l to account fo r the factors
described above. Additional changes may be needed to reflect General Plan poliCies,
shifts in tTavel modes related to the General Plan, and proposed changes to the
hansportation network. The results of the model review, and any proposals for
changing it, should be summarized in a memorandum from the u·ansportation
consultant for review and approval. Model ",djushnents would be made after they are
discussed and confirmed.
For budgeting purposes, it is assumed that the model would project Year 2040
conditions at the same intersections that are evaluated in Task 5.4.1. One of the major
purposes of the haffic model run is to identify the need for future capital projects and
other mi.tigation measures that maintain or improve mobility over the coming decades.
Depending on the methodology, a list of capital improvements (turning lanes, signal
adjushnents, etc.) needed to offset projected impacts would be developed.
The assessment of potential improvements will consider all. modes of travel, including
transit, pedestrians, and bicyclists, as well. as motor vehicles. M odel outputs ",Iso
should be provided in a format that can be used for the air quality and greenhouse gas
analysis (see Task 8.3) and the noise analysis (see Task 8.5). The transportation
consultant may consider more focused analyses as part of this task, s uch as LOS for
bicycles and pedestrians, bus travel time estimates, collision analysis, person-delay
a nal ysis (instead of vehicle delays), and multi-modal levels of service in key areas.
8.3 Greenhouse Gas and Air Quality Modding ilnd An.llpb
Modeling of Year 2040 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air quality impacts would
be performed by the CEQA consultant as needed. The scope of this task cou1d be
reduced as a result of GHG modeling now be.ing done through the Climate Change
------A-ction-P lanUpdate .
San Rafael 2040 Ge"eral Plan Work Program 53 Febl'u.aTY 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2 j
2040
General Plan
Work Program
As noted in Task ill, th e GHG emissions model considers a "bu siness as usual"
scenario for 2040 and a second scenario which considers the reductions that would
J'esult from Climate Action P lan m eas ures, plus the preferred Land Use and
Transportation Pl ans a nd preliminary GeneJ'a1 Plan policies and actions. It is possible
that changes to the Land Use and Tran sportation Plan could cause Year 2040 GHG
emissions to increase or decrease due to such factors as changes in density, the jobs-
housing balance, accommodation of n ew travel modes and technology, and proposals
above and beyond those in the revised Climate Gange Action Plan.
Air quality modeling would occur in a manner consistent with the latest guidelines from
the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The analysis will consider short-term
emissions, associated with construction (related to development that may be
accommodated by the General Plan), including dust and exhaust emissions. It will also
consider long-term emissions, which are primarily a function of tr,affic volumes and
congestion levels in San Rafael and the Ba y Area air basin. An air quality model will be
used to analyze regional criteria air pollutant and precursor emissions from area and
mobile sources. The General Plan air quality forecasts will be compared with regional
projections and plans prepared by BAAQMD and CARB.
Stationary source emissions also will be addressed, but qualitatively. The analysis also
will consider issues such as carbon monoxide concentration (hot spots) and odors. It
will also assess health risks and other hazards associated with emissions along high
volume roadways, including Highways 101 and 580 and major arterial stTeets. Projected
pollutant levels with in buffer zones along these roadways will be considered to
determin~ the need for mitigation measures (or changes to the Laild Use Map) that
r ed uce exposure of future residents a nd workers to high con ce ntrations of air pollution
and associated health risks.
8.4 Community Services and Utilities Forecasting
Year 2040 population and employment forecasts will be used to devel op estimates of
future public facility needs. For schools, estimates of future school enrollment 'will be
develope d in consultation with the School Districts, using data on student yields from
different dwelling unit types and existing enrollment proj ections. Demographic and
- -_.-.... --·-housing-tTen ds"Would-be-eonsidered -as-partoHhis-processisince ' most-5chool·-Bistrict------·
projections only extend out a few years. Information from recent Master Facilities Plans
and Capital Facilities Programs also will be considered. A similar step will be taken for
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 54 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2 040
General Plan
Work Program
libraries, police, and fire facilitles, based on accepted service standards and consultation
with City departments. For parks, estimates will include acreages per capita forecasts,
as well as other metrics used to eval uate the need for particular types of facilities and
serVlces.
The analysis also will consider future needs for infrastructure, including water, sewer,
and storm drainage facilities. The project team will provide an evaluation of expected
future demand for these facilities based on growth forecasts. The emphasis will be on
the need for capacity upgrades, major capital projects, and extensions or improvements
to unserved or under-served areas. For water facilities, special consider a ti on would be
given to the adequacy of existing supplies and the need for additional water sources,
treatment facilities, storage facilities, and conveyance facilities.12
In general, the infrastructure analyses are presumed to be high-level qualitative forecasts
and not detailed analyses based on field work or modeling. Similarly, the General Plan
(and EIR) would not include detailed cost estimates for new facilities.
8 .5 No;'e Modeling and Analy';s
As noted in Task 5 .15, a noise contour diagram will be prepared to document existing
(2018) noise conditions in San Rafael. The Government Code also requires general plans
to include a contour diagram for the horizon year, which in this case is 2040. The CEQA
consultant will develop this diagram, using anticipated Year 2040 vehicular traffic
volumes (from the transportation consultant) and the Federal Highway Traffic Noise
Prediction ModeL Future noise associated with the SMART train and other sources also
will be depicted. The projections will also be depicted in tabular form for easy
comparison between existing and projected noise levels. Variables such as changes in
vehicle teclmology (e.g., quieter cars), new noise barriers or sound mitigation
teclmiques, and potential new noise sources will be considered.
-.-------... ~. --~~---~-~ .. --.... _--------~----.... ---..• __ ... ---
J2 The need for a formal Water Supply Assessment from the Marin Municipal Water District (consistent
with SB 610) would be determined earlier in the work program, based in the part on the consistency of
the Plan's forecasts with those in the June 2016 MMWD Urban Water Management Plan ..
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 55 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
TASK 8 DELNERABLES
General Plan
Work Program
• Spreadsheets indicating projected househ ol ds, residents, and jobs (by sector) by Traffic
Analysis Zone
• Year 2040 Traffic Model Run Outputs (multiple model runs are envisioned)
• Year 2040 Air Quality and GHG Model Run Outputs
• Year 2040 estimates of irnpacts on schools, parks, services, and utilities
• Year 2040 noise forec asts and noise contour diagram
IllVlbLiN ti
February 2019 to May 2019
.. -.. -.--_ .. _--_._--------_. -----~--
San Rafael 2 040 General Plan Work Program 56 Februanj 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
TASK 9 : I'REPARE DRAFT GENERAL PLAN
General Plan
Work Program
---
Task 9 covers drafting and production of the General Plan document. A high-quality
publication will be created, combining narrative text, tables, graphics, maps, photos, and
goal/policy/program statements.
9.1 Finalize Goals, Policies ,1nd Programs
As noted throughout this work program, General Plan 2040's:goals, policies, and
programs will be developed through an iterative process that builds on the exis ting Plan
(General Plan 2020), recently adopted plans, and community 'input. New and/or
am.ended goals, policies, and implementation programs will be drafted by the in-house
project team for vetting by the Steering Committee, City Boards and Commissions, and
stakeholder groups. New implementation programs will be needed for some of the
existing General Plan policies, as some of the programs listed in General Plan 2020 have
been completed or are no longer relevant. New policies and programs also may be
proposed to reflect b es t practices in l ong-range planning, public inout, and new legal
requirements for general plans.
Policies will be organized by General Plan Element and indexed or titled for easy
reference. Policies and programs tha t require discussion will be considered at St ee ring
Committee meetings, and potentially incorporated as discussion ques tions using on-line
engagement, small group forums, or community meetings.
9.2 Prep.He Administrative Dr.lft General Plan
This tas k covers drafting of the General Plan itself . Like the existing Plan, the document
will include an introduction and vision, topical elements, and te chnical appendices.
'The s ubjects to be covered by each element w ill be determine d during Phase Two (se e
Task 3.2). Each element will include narrative text to frame the issues, along with goals,
policies, and programs to provide fuhlre direction. Features such as text boxes, pull
quotes, and infographics will be used to make the document more user-fri e ndly. The
text will be written in clear, easy-to-read language, with minimal jargon.
til<effi.e"2020 -P lan, thefocTls-5Hlie 204o-Plan will-bF5rCpoIides ana programs falner,.----·--·----
than l ong summaries of background data. Technical appendices will b e used to provide
further detail about existing condili.ons, forecasts, and mod el results . It is anticipated
Sa n Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 57 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
that mos t users of General Plan 2040 will be accessing the docume.nt on-line.
Accord ingly, hyperlinked te xt will be used to direct the user to appendices, a s well as
cross-reference d policies and programs.
Whil e the Element titles are still unknown, the Plan will include all of the components
li sted in 9.2.1-9.2.15 below in some form. Full fonnatting of the Plan w ill tak e place in
T ask 9 .3, after administrative drafts have been revie w ed and edited.
9.2.1 Executive Summary. An Executive Summary of the General Plan will be prepared,
highlighting the Plan's major themes and the vis ion for San Rafael in 2040. The
Summary will be professionally designed and formatted and suitable for wide
disiTibution. Examples of executive summaries ar e available at the hype rlinks below:
• Sacramento County
• Seattle
• San Antonio
,9.2 .2 lntroduction. The Plan Inb'oduction will indicate the purpose of the General Plan, the
state requirements and legal foundation for the Pl an, an d th e Pl an's major themes. It
will include an overview of the General Plan update process. This chapter also will
explain how the Plan is organized, and how it may be implemented, amended, and used
in thefuhlre.
9.2.3 Vision. Like General Plan 2020 , it is expected that General Plan 2040 will incl u de an
aspirational statement that describes San Rafa el's vision for the future . The vision is
intended as an e xpression of co mmunity valu es and priorities,
: .2.4 Land Us e General Plan 2040 will mee t a ll California Government Code re quirements
for a Land Us e Element. The Ele m e nt m ay be a free-s tanding chapter (as it is in General
Plan 2020) or it may b e combine d with other topics or th e m es. At minimum, the General
Plan will include:
• The Future Land U se M ap (see Task 7) showing the extent and distribution of each
land u se
. _._ . _. __ . __ ........ _..!_pefinitions of ea<;h land use cat e gQ!Y,.i!l~lu ding s tandards for dens ity and intensi!Y_. ______ . ___ _
• Maps and O<lJ:ra tive ad dressing allowable heights
• A d is c ussion of d eve lopment capacity
San Rafael 2040 General Plan W ork Progmm 58 February 2018
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
• Citywide policies for housing, business, industrial, civic, and open space uses
• Policies (or cross-references to other policies) regarding flood hazards, as required
by GC 65302(a)
• Policies coordina ting land use and transportation decisions
• Policies on annexation, urban services, and growth management
• Policies on land use compa tibili Iy
o Policies on unique land uses requiring specific planning guidance
Currently, General Plan 2020 includes a se parate e lem ent addressing Neighborhoods,
which provides land use policies and programs for subareas of the city. Some of the
content is derived from prior neighborhood plans (several of which are now more than
30 years old). Policies for Downtown (derived from the 1990 Downtown Vision) also are
in the Neighborhoods Element. Reg ard less of whether this element is retained as an
independent chapter, the concept of having place-based policies for subareas of the City
is still valid and will be carried forward. The neighborhood-level planning discussions
will be updated as needed.
Circulation. The General Plan will meet Goverrunent Code 65302 (b) requirements for
a Circulation Element. The Element will address:
o Travel patterns, trends, and accomplishments since 2004
o The location and extent of major thoroughfares, transit facilitie s and servi ces, bus
terminals, bic ycle and pedestrian faciliti es, and water tr ansportation features
o Complete streets principles, which e nsure that the transporta tion system is d esigned
to balance the needs of all modes of travel and meet the needs o f all travelers
• The impacts of changes in u'ansportation technology and trave l preferences on
mobility and transportation system des ign (and land u se)
o Connectivity, li v ab ility, environmental, and health goals rel ating to transpor tation
• Transportation funding and revenue
o Alternate approaches to congestion management, i.ncluding Transportation D e mand
Managemen t (TONI)
o Traffic safety and traffic calming issues
o Parking management
o Good s movement
---o-Re!ationship 'of-San-RafaeJ-toTountywide-and regional -transportation-plans -
o Existing and projected traffic conditions, including planned improvements
o Plans to improv e the transit system and improv e transit access and reliability
San Rafael 2040 Ge ltera l Plan Work Program 59 February 2018
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General Plan
2040
• Plans to improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities
General Plan
Work Program
• New metrics for eval uating transportation impacts and conducting transportation
planning, including the u se of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMI) in addition to (or
instead of) Level of Service (LOS).
9.2.6 . g. The Hous ing Element addresses housing needs, opportunities, production,
and the elimination of cons.traints in the city. An update of the 2015-2023 Housing
Element is not envisioned as part of General Plan 2040. Howev er, to the extent
needed, amendments to the existing Housing Element may be prepared to ensure
internal consistency among General Plan Amendments. A full update of the HOl.lsing
Element is anticipated for 2022, roughly two years after General Plan 2040 is adopted.
9.2.7 Conservation. The General Plan will meet state requirements for a Conservation
Element, as defined by Government Code 65302(d). Presently, General Plan 2020
includes a Conservation El ement, plus a separate element addressing Air and Water
Quality, and a relatively new element addressing Sustainability.
Conservation policies will address:
• Wildlife habitat manageme nt and conserva tion
• Special status species
• Wetlands management
• Creeks, watersheds, and riparian ar e as
• Groundwater management
• Water supply and availability
• Management of oak-woodlands, urban forests, and other plant communities
• Rock, sand, and gravel quarries (mineral resources)
• Soil conservation, erosion co ntrol, and urban agriculture
• The San Rafael Canal and near-shore waters, including dredging and dredge spoils
The possibility of merging air and water quality into this Ele ment will be considered.
Similarly/some of the Sustainability Element topics (energy conservation, water
conservation, green building, green infrastructure, tree planting and urban fore s try, etc.)
could be merged into this chapter rather tl1an being place d in a separa te element.
------9.2.8 qpen 5 ace. -The 'GeneraFPlan-wi;ll-meet-state require ments-for -an'8pen"Space ·E lement;-------
as defined by Government Code 65302(e). These requirem ents recognize four basic
lypes of open space, including natural resource areas (sensitive habitat), r ecre ation areas
San Rafael 204 0 General Plan Work Program 60 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
(parks), resource production areas (agriculture and rangeland), and hazardous areas
(flood plains, fault zones, landslide areas, airport clear zones, etc.).
Presently, General Plan 2020 includes an Open Space Element, plus a separate element
addressing Parks and Recreation. 111 e organization of these topics in the new Plan ha s
yet to be determined, but these two topics could potentially be treated in the same
ch apter.
Open s pace policies will address:
• Preservation and management of open space areas
• Open space access
• Utilities and telecommunication facilities in open space areas
• Regional and multi-jL1risdictional open space networks
• Native American and archaeological resources
• Habitat conservation plans and priority conservation areas
• Open space networks and corridors
If parks are treate d in tills element, the text also would address:
• An inventory and analysis of exisling parks (Task ~
• A parks needs assessment, focLlSed on demographics, leisure trends, and user da ta
• Park service standards (acres per 1.,000; proximity to residents)
• An overview of facility conditions, deficiencies, and needs
• Proposed park improvements and new park opportunities
• Park operations and maintenance
• Park programming and funding
• Jo int use agreements and ways to augment City recreational services
~9 Noise Element! Genera l Plan 2040 will meet s tate requirements for a N o ise Element
(Government Code 65302(£)). While General Plan 2020 treats noise as a separate chapter,
many cities combine tills topic with the Safety Element (see Task 9 .2 .10) and trea t noise
as an environmental hazard.
The updated General Plan will assess noise problems in San Rafael, including maps of
existing (2018) and p rojected (2040) noise contours (reference d in eaxlier tasks). The
eenexal-PlaITwilhdentify-the -nuisdeveIs-that-are·compatible-(anrlincompatible) with-----.-.----.-
different land uses, and include policies to mitigate noise impacts and address existing·
noise problems.
San Rafael 2040 General Pl an Work Program 61 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
As in General Plan 2020, noise policies would address noise issues associated with
freeways, major surface streets, the SMART train, air traffic, construction, domestic
sources, local industrial sources, and other stationary ground sources. The relationship
between noise sources and sensi.tive receptors (homes, hospitals, schools, churches,
wildlife corridors, etc.) also will be addressed. The policies will continue to focus on the
mitigation of noise impacts through measures such as soundproofing, insulation,
landscaping and berms, building design and setbacks, buffer areas and distance
standards, operating homs and conditions for major sources, road maintenance, quiete r
pavement, and other techniques. Issues related to health and equity; (including the
proximity of lower income communities to high noise areas) will specifically be
considere d. Exposure to ground borne vibration also will be considered.
9.2.10 Safety Element. Ge n eral Plan 2040 will meet requirements for a Safety Element, as
defined by Gove rnment Code 65 302(g). The scope of this chapter is likely to go beyond
th e Safe ty Ele m ent in General Plan 2020, both to comply with recent state laws and to
incorporate public input. In addition, new State guidelines for general plans indicate
that the Safe ty El e m e nt must address g lobal climate change and resilience. These topics
are curre ntly cove r e d in San Rafa el's Sustainability Element, although the focus is on
greenhouse .gas re duction rather than adaptation. In addition, air quality (now
addressed in the Air and Water Quality El e ment) could potentially be addressed in the
Safety Element.
At mi.nimum, the Safety Eleme nt will include a discussion of existing hazards,
including:
o Earthquakes, landslid es, erosion, subsidence, and other earth-relate d hazards
o Flooding, lev ee failur e, tsunamis, seiches, and dam failure
o Wildfir e, including fir e hazard severity zones as required by SB 1241, and issues
relating to p e ak water supply requirements, minimum road widths and
clearances around structures, and evacuation routes
o Hazardous materials, including storage, transport, handling, and remediation of
contaminate d sites and groundwater plumes
o Resilience and global climate change, including adaptation to sea level rise,
extreme heat, and other extreme w e ather ev ents
-_. --. ---o-Bisaster-preparedness ,eme rgency-ope rations,haza1'd -abatement,and-post---------
disaster recovery
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
Much o f the content of this eleme nt may be drawn fro m the r e cently comple te d Loca l
Haza rd Mitigation Plan, with addition al topics covered as required b y th e Go ve rnment
Code. AB 2140 e n courages cities to adopt their LHMPs by reference as part of the
General Plan-in effect, the Sa fet y El e ment serves as a "roll up" of the key policy and
program recommendations in that documen t, augmented w ith poliCi es on additi o nal
topics not covered in the LHMP. At minimum, the LHMP w ill be cross-refe ren ced as a
General Plan appendix.
SB 379 (enacted in 2015) requires the Safety Element to include a climate change
vulnerability assessment, measures to address vulnerabilities, and a comprehensive
hazard mitigation and emergency re sponse strategy. TIlis requirement was addressed
through the recently completed u -IJi.1F; findings and recommendations from that
document will be carrie d into the General Plan. New implementation programs will be
added t o mitigate ful:1;1re h aza r ds and risks, including impacts on infrastructure,
tran sportation, and critical p ubl ic facilities.
With respect to g eo logic hazards, the existin g General Plan includes geoteclmical report
requirements in an A ppendix. The possibility of incorporating some of this language
into the Safety Element itself should be considered. The effectiveness of the existing
Plan on mitigating geotechnical hazards will be evaluated and improvements will be
made as needed. This includes an update of the existing Plan's geoteclmical review
matrix and sl o p e stability maps.
As required by State law, the City will also consult with the State Depar tment of
Conservation and Office of Emergency Services to address issues of statewide concern
and ob t ain any s t ate data relevant to hazard assessme nt in the city.
_2.11 Environmental ustice Element. As noted earlier in this work program, the Ca li fornia
Govel"llment Code was recently amended to require Environmental r ustice Elements in
local ge n er a l plans. This require ment can be met by incorporating e n vironmenta l jus tice
as a cross-cutting topic addressed in multiple elements rathe r than creating a s tand-
alolle chapter. Environmenta l justice has implications for land u se, transpor tati on,
hO lls ing, safety, noise, and natural resources, among o ther e lement t opics. Policies in
th e General Plan should address the disproportionate adverse impacts of past land use
aml:iransportation-.iecisrons·on-lo werincome-and-vulnerable-communrties-. _. -----.----
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
As noted in Task 5.16, the General Plan will address the following topics with respect to
disadvantaged communities in San Rafael:
• reducing exposure to air pollution, water pollution, and toxic materials
• improving access to public facilities
• promoting food access
• encouraging safe and sanitary housing conditions
• promoting physical activity and public health'
• promoting engagement in the public decision making process
• prioritizing improvements that address the needs of disadvantaged communities
,
9.2.12 Other Plan Element~. Tasks 9.2.4 through 9.2.11 cover the mandatory elements of the
General Plan. The Plan also will carry fOlward (and llpdate) content that is covered in
General Plan 2020' s "optional" elements, including Community Design, Economic
Vitality, Culture and Arts, Governance, Infrastructure, and Sustainability. The decision
to retain these topics as separate chapters ( elements) or merge and reorganize them will
be made once the process is w1derway; the topics themselves will be covered in either
case.
Community Design policies will continue to address city form and image,
neighborhood identity, historic preservation, views, and architecture and design quality.
The General Plan also will address the public realm, including streetscape
improvements, gateways, landscaping, signage, public art, and other issues relating to
the design of public space. It is expected that this chapter will be retained as a Plan
El ement.
Economic Vitality policies will continue to promote the economic health of the city,
including business attraction, expansion, and re tention. The policies will address issues
s uch as tourism, promotion of local retail, public-private partnerships, communication
betwee n the City and local businesses, business assistance, and the fuhrre of local retail
centers and business districts. It will als o address marketing and branding, San Rafael 's
economic d e velopment strategies, workforce development initiatives, and other iss ues
re lating to e conomic growth and pros perity. It is e xpected that this chapter will be
r e tained as a Pla n Element.
_ .. --Eult-ure-an d -Arts ' policies -will-addl'e ss-San -Rafae i's-role -as a -regional-cen tedoMhearts,----------_.
the role of the arts in creating civic cohesion and identity, and the conditions needed to
s u stain a thriving arts community_ This would include policies on arts facilities and
Sa" Rafa el 2040 Gene ral Pia" Wor k Pro gram 64 February 20 18
SAN RAFAEL
Gen eral P lan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
venues, arts programming, inclusion and diversity, and the production of housing and
other facilities that support artists in the city. Policies on historic preservation and the
protection of Native American resources will ei ther be included with these policies, or
addressed in the Community Design El ement. Policies on libraries (currently in this
Element) will be carried forward and ex panded, but potentially mov ed to another part
of the Plan.
Governance policies in the existing General Plan address multiple topics, including civic
engagement, educational facilities, child care, senior care, and partnerships. The 2040
Plan will include policies co ve ring thes e topi cs. The future of this element will depend
on how environmental justice requirem e nts are handled in the revised Plan, as many of
the Governance policies focus on eqlli ty issues . Policies on "age-friendly" planning also
should be added, either here or in o ther elements of the Plan.
Infrastructure policies in the existing General Plan cover public buildings, capital
improvements, street maintenance and street trees, water, sewer, drainage, and
telecommunication faciliti es. These policies will be updated and expanded as needed to
address issues such as fundin g constraints, technology, and sea level rise.
Sustainability policies provide a crosswalk between the Climate Change Action Plan
and the General Pl an. Many of the to pics covere d by this Element are also covered in
other elements. The City will n ee d to decide whether to retain Sustainability as a
separate chapte r or integrate these policies elsewhere. Portions of the Plan (energy and
water consel'vation policie s) were reorganized in 2016 to eliminate redundancy b etween
the Conservation and Sustainability Elements. Additional reorganization could be
considered for s u stainability policies addressing land use, transportation, urban forestry,
food production, waste reduction , green building, climate adaptation, and similar topiCS.
!/.2.13 Implementatio n. Although the current General Plan is implementation-orie nte d, listing
resp onsible parties, timeframes, and res ources for each program, it does not have an
"I mplementati on Element" per se. The intent of such a chapter, i1 included, would be to
identify the primary tools for carrying out the Planc(zoning, capital improvement
program, etc.). General Plan 2040 could also include an appendix that "rolls up" the
action programs in each element and presents them in a matrix indicating priority level,
-_ .. -----ti.rning;-fu nding-requirements;-andnther-variables.-This-provid esa-to-ol -f or mnnitoring --------.-
General Plan imple m e ntation in future years, and facilitates preparation of the annual'
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General Plan _ E
2040
General Plan
Work Program
progress report. The appendix could potentially be adopted by a separate resolution, so
it can be updated without a formal General Plan Amendment.
9.2 .14 Technical Append.ice~. The General Plan will include one or more appendices
providing technical data, backgTOund reports, and other information that does not need
to be in the body of the Plan itself. The teclmical appendices will be documents already
completed in earlier tasks, so this task primarily is associated with reformatting existing
reports for reference in the General Plan.
9.2.15 Glossary and Index (optional). As r.esomces allow, a Plan Glossary and Index could be
prepared. The index would be prepared after the document has been formatted, as page
numbers would change dming il1e formatting process.
9.3 Revise Administr~tivc Dr~ft Gcncr~1 Plan and Produce Public Review Draft
The Administrative Draft General Plan will be circulated to City staff for review, comment, and
edits. Comments on the document will be collected over a period of several weeks, and edits
will be made accordingly.
Once revisions to text, maps, and tables are complete, the Administrative Draft will be
formatted. Once the document has been formatted, it will be saved as a PDF document, printed
in color, and also made available on line as a downloadable Public Review Draft. Most
reviewers will access the document on line, but printed copies should be provided for the
Library, City Council, Planning Commission, City department heads, Steering Committee
members, other public officials, and various members of the public who may need a printed
copy. An estimated 100 copies will be printed.
A limited number of oversized copies of the 2040 General Plan Land Use Map will be prepared,
These would be foldable poster-size maps depicting General Plan land use designations
throughout the planning area. Again, most users are expected to access this map on-line, in
portable document file (pdf) format.
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General Plan • 204 0
TASK 9 DELIVERABLES
• Ge neral Plan style sheet and formatting template(s)
• Admi.nistrative Dr aft General Plan (unformatted)
• Public Review Draft General Plan (fo rmatted)
• General Plan Executive Summary (fOImatted)
• Oversized Future Land Use Map
TIMELINE
May to December 2019
. __ .. _-_._._-_._----.. ---.... --
San. Rafa el 20 4 0 General Plan. Work Program 67
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Work Program
February 2018
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General Plan
2040
TASK 10: PREPARE GENERAL PLAN 2040
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (DEIR)
General Plan
Work Program
A Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) will be prepared for the General Plan. The DEIR
will be prepared by a CEQA consultant, with guidance and oversight provided by the in-house
General Plan project team. As noted in earlier Task descriptions, the CEQA consultant is
expected to retain sub-consultants to address topics such as cultural resource impacts, biotic
resource impacts, and geologic hazards. A separate consultant (referenced earlier in this work
program) will be responsible for the transportation section of the ErR, and for providing the
inputs necessary to model air quality, noise, and (potentially) greenhouse gas impacts. Periodic
meetings between the CEQA consultant, the transportation consultant, sub-consultants, and the
in-house team should be scheduled to maximize efficiency and information exchange.
The DEIR will be consistent with the latest (2017) CEQA guidelines, and will evaluate the
potential impacts of General Plan p01icies and proposed map changes on the natural and built
environments in the horizon year of 2040. This is anticipated to be a Program EIR, which
evaluates impacts ona broader and more conceptual level than a Project-level EIR. The intent
of the Program EIR is not only to evaluate the impacts of the General Plan, but also to
streamline the approval of future private and public projects that are consistent with the
General Plan. The General Plan EIR should provide CEQA clearance for future projects on
to p ics such as greenhouse gas emissions, leaving future EIRs to focus on more localized impacts
such as traffic and noise.
As appropriate, proposed General Plan 2040 policies and programs will be cited as measures to
mitigate potential impacts. Where potential significant impacts remain, new policies and
programs may be proposed to further mitigate potential impacts or reduce impacts to less than
significant levels. These policies may subsequently be incorporated into the General Plan,
reducing the number of significant impacts and eliminating the need to call them out as
mitigation measures.
The following sub-tasks are included:13
13 Compliance with SB 18 and AB 52 (Native American Consultation) is covered in Task s U and ill.
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General Plan
2040
10.1 Notice of I'reparation (NOP) and Scoping Ses<;ion
General Plan
Work Program
A Notice of Preparation (NOP) will be prepared in accordance with the CEQA
Guidelines. Copies of the NOP will be dis tT ibuted to responsible and trustee agencies
and the State Clearinghouse. The City will be re sponsible for public notification of the
NOP and for circulating the NOP to the public and responsible agencies.
The CEQA consultant will organize a project Scoping Session. This is an opportunity to
describe the environmental review process and hear from the public on any issues of
concern. The consultant will prepare a PowerPoint presentation that reviews the
General Plan's objectives, s ummarizes the CEQA process, ide ntifies key environmental
issues, and outlines the expected schedul e for the EIR 's preparation and the public's
involvement. After the meeting, all public comments will be reviewe d and a s ummary
of issues and topics raised during the scoping session will be compiled. The scoping
session will likel y be conducted as a Planning Commission age nda item, with members
of the Steering Committee invited to attend.
10 .2 Confirm Thrcsholds of Signifie.lnee
A draft set of significance criteria will be prepared for each topical issue cov ered by the
DEIR. Early agreement on these criteria will help focus th e analyses provided in the
EIR. A number of sOurces will be used, including the CEQ A Guidelines, federal and
state regulatory agency standards, and input from City staff and the community at large.
Transportation thresholds will depend on the outcome of earlier tasks regarding the use
of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) versus Level of Service (LOS) (se e Tasks 5.4 and a1).
For GHG emissions, new thresholds were defined by BAAQMD in May 2017.
10.3 Prepare EIR I ntroduction and ['micel Description
The introduction to the ErR will describe its purpose and intended use, tiering and
streamlining opportunities, the enviromnental review process, the organization of the
EIR, its relationship to other plans and regulations, subsequent a ctions reqUire d to
implement the General Plan, an explanation of mitigation m e asures, and a description of
agencies that may use the EIR and how they may use it.
----' .,----~-------_. _._------
The Proj e ct Description will describe San Rafael's location and regional conte xt , the
ptupose of th e General Plan, the project objectives, and the General Plan Update
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 69 Febru ary 201 8
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
process. It would provide a summary of General Plan 2040' s major components and
recommendations, and highlight the major changes between General Plan 2040 and its
predecessor, General Plan 2020. These changes will likely include General Plan Map
revisions, policy revisions, new content (new e lements, etc.) and deleted content.
Changes to General Plan land use category definitions also would be noted.
Wherever possible, changes will be quantified. For example, the project description
would note the decrease or increase in acres in each land use category and the net
change in development potential under the new Plan vs the existing Plan. Year 2040
forecasts of population, households, and employment wi ll be included. Maps showing
areas changing from one land use category to another will be induded. ; The Project
Description also will include the General Plan Map, maps indicating the location of the
Planning Area (and city limits), and other maps whicl1 provide context for the ELR.
The Project Description also will discuss the intended uses of the EIR, al,1.d the permits
and approvals required to adopt and implement the General Plan.
lOA Draft Setting, Impacts, and Mitigation Measures for Each CEQA Topic
The "Setting" section of the EIR will be completed during Task 5. This information will
be brought forward and formatted for each CEQA-related topic, followed by a
discussion of impacts and mitigation measures for each subject. As appropriate, the
results of quantitative analyses conducted in Task 8 and other earlier tasks will be
incorporated.
Most of the analyses will be qualitative, with a narrative discussion of potential impacts,
followed by lists of General Plan poliCies and programs that address those impacts. This
would be followed by a discussion of potential.in1pacts that require further mitigation
(beyond the policies and programs), including those with in1pacts that are significan t
and unavoidable. The analysis will clearly describe the affected environment an.d the
impacts of projected growth by Year 2040. Construction-related impacts also will be
noted where applicable, to address future projects that may be facilitated by the General
Plan.
---. ~------. ·The disctlssion -wol:l-ld-add-ress -the topicsclistedbelowc-The-text-would-not·necessa-rily-----
follow the exact headings shown below, and could combine or reorganize these subjects
to improve readability and avoid redundancy.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 70 February 2018
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
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~O.4.1 Aes thetic and Visual Resources. The OEIR will evaluate whether the General Plan
would have a substantial adverse effect on scenic vistas; substantially damage scenic
resources such as trees, rock outcroppings, and historic resources withm a state scenic
highway; be consistent with regulations governing visual character area; or create a new
so urce of substantiallight/glare that would adversely affect day or nighttime views. As
noted above, the analysis will be at a program level of detail, and will not include '
evaluation of specific properties, v isual simulations, or quantitative light level analysis.
0.4 .2 A griculture. Potential impacts to local agricultmal reSOlUces , includmg urban
agriculture, will be analyzed and related mitigation measures will be identified. As
appropriate, the EIR will mclude 'information on direct conversion of Important
Farmland, conflicts with 3grlC1,lJt1.1ral zonmg and Williamson Act contracts, and potential
indirect impacts on ongoing agricultural operations.
~·ii .4.3 Air Quality. As noted in Task 8.3, an air quality analysis consistent with BAAQMO
requirements will be prepared as part of the evaluation of the preferred land use and
transportation plan. The resuits of the analysis, which will be an appendix to the EIR,
'will be shaped by forecasts of fUlur e traffic conditions, as well as assumptions regarding
changes in motor vehicle t e chnology. Consistency with regional forecasts will be
considered in determining the significance of air quality impacts. Short-term
(construction) emissions, including dust and exhaust, ""ill also be considered.
Operational impacts relate d to toxic air contaminants, carbon monoxide, and health
risks to sen sitive uses will be considered and appropriate mitigation meaSures wi ll be
li s ted as needed. Odor impacts a lso will be considered.
~o .4 Biologi:cal Resources. The potential impacts of General Plan 2040 on biological
resources w ill be evaluated. Mitigation measures will be identified to avoid impacts or
reduce impacts to less than Significant levels. Impacts to state or federally protected
wetlands and other sensitive natural communities will be identified. Impacts to special
status species will be assessed. Mitigating policies and programs from the General Plan
will be identified and any additional measures to reduce potentially significant impacts
will be cited.
----1tiiiA;5 Cultural Resources;-kpragram=level-assessment'of-impacts-on'cultural'resources,wiU ......... -.. ---
be conducted, building on the existing conditions data in Task 5 and the proposed
policies and map changes proposed by General Plan 2040. This ass essme nt wiII focus
Sa" Rafael 2 040 General Plan Work Program 71 Feb"uary 2018
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
on potential historic sites and structures, As noted earlier, it does not inclLlde an
exhaustive inventory of all potential historic resources in the city (although a more
comprehensive inventory could occur if the City receives a Downton Precise Plan grant),
The City's PastFinder software will be used to assess archaeological resources.
Paleontological resources will be considered with geology and soils, and tribal resources
will be assessed through a separate task (10.4 .18 ) listed below consistent with AB 52 and
the CEQA Guidelines, Mitigation measures will be recommended for potenhally
significant impacts,
10 .4.6 Energy. 111e potential effects of the General Plan on energy, resources and energy
demand ",>ill be discussed. Impacts may relate to total energy reqwrements to serve the
population in 2040, including energy associated with transportation, buildings
(e lectricity and natural gas), and other activities that affect demand, Impacts to energy
supplies, including renewable and non-renewable sou rces, will be addressed,Measures
to mitigate wasteful, inefficient, and unnecessary consumption of energy wiIl be noted.
Opportunities for energy conservation, reduction of peak energy demand, and the use of
alternative fuels will be discussed,
10.4.7 Geol ogy and Soils. Impacts relating to geology and soils include slope stability, ground
shaking, erosion, expansive soils, fault TIlpture, and differential settlement. The CEQA
consultant should evaluate General Plan 2040 for compliance with local ordinances and
requirements and standard geotechnical principles, Proposed changes to the General
Plan rela ted to geotechnical report reqwrements and s tandards will be specifically
evaluated. The evaluation also w Hl consider impacts on paleontological resources, As
appropriate, mitigation measures will be identified to reduce potential significant
impacts,
p.0.4.8 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions. The impact of General P lan 2040 on g reenhouse
gas emissions will be addressed in a manner that complies with th e most recent
gwdelines from the BAAQMD and CAPCOA. As noted Ullder Task 8.3, GHG modeling
will be conducted to the extent necessary to test the impacts of the proposed General
Plan on global climate change ,l4 T hi s would include impacts related to development,
transportation, utili ties, solid waste disposal, energy consumption, and other activities,
Construction impacts, including exhaust emissions, also will be analyzed,
--... ------._-_._---... ---._ .. _._---..... ------------_ .. _ ... _----
" GHG modeling may not be re quired if the changes proposed through General Plan 2040 do not change the
findings of the modeling don e through the CCM Update process,
San Rajael 204 0 General Plan Work Program 72 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
Ge ne ral Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
BAAQMD thres holds of s ignificance for General Plans will be used to d etermine
whether impacts are significant and if additional mitigation is required. Consis tency
with the State Scoping Plan and various regional plans addressing GHG reduction will
be documented. If needed, mitigation m easures could address energy conservation,
water conservation, renewable energy, and transportation ch<\1lges aimed at reducing
future year emissions. If it is d e rnonstnled that the Plan includes goals, policies,
standards, and implementation measures that meet or exceed state GHG reduction
mandates, subsequent projects consistent with the General Plan could be relieved of
performing GHG analysis as part of th eir CEQA compliance.
0.4.9 Hazards and Hazardous M ateri als. Pote ntial impacts of General Pla n 2040 on hazards
and hazardous materials will be evaluated. This will include "Setting" information
collected earlier in the process, follow e d by a discussion of potential impacts relating to
the propose d land use and transportation pattern. Impacts could relate to the
developme nt or redevelopment of sites where hazardous materials or' contaminated
groundwater may be present, the introduction of new uses where hazardous materials
may be handled, stored, transported, or disposed, and potential impacts on nearby
sensitive rec eptors such as schools . Impacts associated with demolition or rehabilitation
of structures (asbestos, lead-bas ed paint, etc.) also will be addressed.
Othe r hazards also will b e evaluated in this section. This would include hazards
associate d with airpor ts and aviation. It wOLlld also include wildfire hazaJ."ds and
impacts of growth on fire hazard levels, particularly in very high fire hazard severity
areas.
Mitigation measures will be identified as needed. Typical requirements could include
site specific hazardous materials investigations at future development sites, safety and
risk management plans for employers, implementation of best management practices for
ha zardous materials storage and handling, fire prevention measures, etc. Many of these
! measures will ah'eady appear as policies or programs in the General Plan, reducing the
need for additional mitigati on.
==",,-....:cHOJdrology and Water Qualit~. Potential impacts related to flooding, h ydrology,
groundwater, and water quality wi ll be evaluated. This includes risks associated w ith
----·------rldevelopmentin·£lood=prone-areas;·and the-degree-to-which-dev elopmenHacilitated-by ._-' .-------
the General Plan may e xacerbate downstream flood hazards and drainage issues . It al so
includes increased risks due to coastal flood hazards, including risks from sea level ri se.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Progrnm 73 FebruanJ 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
Impacts associated with waste discharge to surface waters, including local creeks, the
San Rafael Canal, and San Francisco Bay, will be addressed -including impacts
associated with future construction and grading activities. The potential for future land
uses to decrease groundwater snpplies or contaminate groundwater also will be
considered .
In the event the General Plan proposes alteration of existing drainage patterns or
changes to the courses of streams or cree ks, potential impacts will be addressed. Other
water quality issues, including the potential for increases in impervious surfaces and
polluted runoff, will be addressed. Discharge of pollu tants such as hydrocarbons and
heavy metals (from highway runoff) will be considered.
It is assumed that the hydrologic analysis can be completed qualitatively, without
conducting field work or developing hydrologi c m od els. Water quality impacts would
be evaluated based on existing data, r e source agency reports, and other readily available
data . It is also expected that the potential for impacts will largely b e mitigated through
policies and programs in the General Plan itself. This includes compliance with
stormwater control r egulations, participation in r e gional water quahty control
programs, and enforcement of fe deral and state water quality and flood control
regulations. As needed, adrutional mitigation measures may b e id e ntified to incorporate
best practices in future development p ropos als and address issue s relating to sea level
rise.
10.4.11 Land Use and Planning. The potential tor the Gene ral Plan to physically divide San
Rafael, conflict with other plans and regulations, and cre ate land use compatibility
issues will be discussed. The analysis will focus on any s ign.ificant policy and Map
changes proposed by the new Plan, and secondary land use impacts as s ociated with
increased traffic, noise, and emissions. Policies that mitigate these in'lpacts will be cited
as appropriate.
~0.4.12 Mineral Resource~. Potential impacts of the Gen eral Plan on known min e ral resour ce s
will be evaluated. This would include any propose d land use manges (or propose d
changes to the transportation network) at or around the San Rafael Rock Quarr y an d any
other identified mineral resources or extraction operations in the city . Impacts
--.. -associated-with-loss ofav ailab iii ty 'oHocall Tim portant-rnineral-recovery-si tes'ma Tbe '-
considered a significant impact under CEQA. Mitigation measures will be identified as
appropriate.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 74 February 2018
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Ge neral PI an
2040
General Plan
Work Program
>.:.;" • ......:.N.;.o.ise and Vibration. The impacts of the General Plan on noise and vibration will be
considered. The noise contour diagram developed in Task 85 will be used as the basis
for a discussion of noise impacts, and the potential for increased exposure to noise for
sensitive receptors. Potential noise impacts are also associated with construction, and
with operational impacts from future stationary sources (such as grow1d floor
commercial establishments beneath residential uses). An evaluation of traffic noise
impacts will be conducted. 111e sensitivity of existing and proposed uses with the
predicted noise environment will be described. The ability of General Plan policies and
actions to mitigate potential impacts will be discussed, and additional mitigation
measures will be identified if needed.
For stationary impacts, the analysis will include an evaluation of nOise-generating uses
(e.g., mechanical equipment, HVAC systems, etc.) and a discussion of how residential
areas, schools, and other sensitive receptors may be affected. Mitigating policies and
actions in the General Plan will be cited, and any additional measures needed to further
reduce impacts will be identified. Impacts associated with aircraft noise are not
anticipated, but would be evaluated if appropriate. Impacts associated with vibration
(primarily from consh'uction and transportation) will be described as appropriate.
[I;g .4.14 Population and Housing. By definition, the General Plan will facilitate planned
population, housing, and employment growth. Forecasts of this growth will be included
in the Project Description. Thus, this section of the EIR will focus On the consistency of
General Plan forecasts with regional projections (e.g., the extent to which General Plan-
related growth is "unplanned" at the regional level). It also will address issues
associated with potential future imbalances between job growth and housing growth,
the effect of commercial growth on the demand for housing, and the potential for
housing or business displacement resulting from General Plan land uses and/or policies.
The potential for the General Plan to induce growth through utility improvements,
transportation improvements, artd new public facilities also will be evaluated. Impacts
are expected to be mitigated by General Plan policies and action programs .
. 4.l 5 P ubl ic Services. Much of the analysis of impacts on public facilities, including scl1ools,
fire protection, law enforcement, parks, and other civic facilities, will be completed
----.,--------during-'IaskS~4":-ThisinformatiOlTwil1-beTeiterated;-along'wi th 'any-concerns-expressed ,----,-~-.
by service providers about project impacts and the need for new capital projects and
other mitigation measures. The secondary impacts associated with the construction of
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 75 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
new public facilities, if such facilities are deemed necessary and are accommodated by
the General Plan, would also be addressed Mitigating policies and programs in the
General Plan will be cited, and additional mitigation measures will be identified as
n eeded.
il O.4.16 Recreation. The impacts of the Plan on recreation, including the demand for
neighborhood and regional parks and other recreational facilities, will be addresse.d.
The extent to which the Plan generates the need for new recreational facilities---and the
potential impacts of these facilities-will be addressed.
10.4.17 Tran~ortation and Traffic! The impacts of General Plan 2040 on transportation will be
evaluated. Much of the evaluation will be conducted through Task 8, including
forecasts of h'avel conditions in 2040 based on General Plan land uses, expected local
and regional growth, and h'ansportation improvements. It is expected that thresholds of
significance will be. based on Veh icle Miles Traveled (VMT) as required by SB 743.
However, the General Plan transportation consultant w ill be tasked w ith presenting
several options for evaluating transportation impacts that comply with S8 743,
recogni zing that a "one size fits all " methodology would not be appropriate for Sa n
Rafael.
The transpor tation impact evaluation also wj]] look at compatibility of the General Plan
with countywide and regional transportation plans, including long-range Congestion
Management Plans prepared by the Transportation Au thori ty of Marin. Consistency
with other local t ransportation-related plans, policies and programs also would be
considered. Potential impacts on bicycle and pedes h'ia n circulation, and public h'ansit
use and transit facilitie s such as th e SMART train and the Bettini Transit Center, would
be co n sidered. The n eed for road impro vements, bicycle and pedestrian improvements,
and transit improvements associated with General Plan implementation would be
discussed, and the secondary impacts resulting from the development of these facilities
would be addressed at a broad level. Potential impacts resulting from new
transportation t echnologies and changes in travel demand patterns would be noted.
Mitigation measures would be identified for impacts tha t remain potentially sigc1ificant
even after General Plan policies and programs are implemented, keeping in mind the
-----lirni ts-imposed-by-5B7'4a ~-Where 1m pactscannot-be-fully-mitigated,significant .-.. ----------
unavoidable impacts may be documented.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Pl'Ogram 76 February 2018
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General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
ulfural Rcs Outces,. Potential impacts to tribal cultural resources will be
documented, including sites, features, sacred places, landscapes, and objects with
cultural value to a California Native American tribe. The results of earlier consultation
with Native American representatives will be documented, and additional mitigation
measuxes will be identified as needed.
0.4.1 9 Utilities and Service Systems. Potential impacts of the General Plan on water,
wastewater, stormwater drainage, e lectric power, natural gas, and telecommlmication
facilities will be documented. Impacts would consider both the d e mand for these
facilities, and the secondar y impacts (from construction and operation) in the event that
new or relocated/ reconstructed facilities are called for or necessitated by the General
Plan. The evaluation also would consider the adequacy of projected wa ter supplies to
serve the level and type of g r owth anticipated by the General Plan. The ability of
wastewater treatment facilities to handle projected sanitary sewe r flows also would be
evaluated.
Impacts on solid waste services and facilities would be specifically addressed, This
wo uld include the adequacy of landfills and transfer statio n s to a ccept or recycle waste,
and the Plan's impact on solid waste reduction and diversion targets. The Plan's
consistency with state and regional solid waste goals would be documented. As
appropriate, mitigation measures will be identified for any potentially significant
impacts.
10.5 nOCllTl1~nl Pro;"ct AltcrTIJtive, and CEQ'\-Rcqllircd Conclusions and Findings
111e alternatives to be evaluated in the EIR will be finalized by the project team. In
addition to the project, a "No Project" alternative would be developed. Task 7 provides
information on the other alternatives. According to the CEQA Guidelines, alternatives
can be evaluated in less detail than the project. Consistent with this standard, the
. analysis in the EIR will be at a qualitative level. The discussion will b e sufficiently
detailed to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of each alternative, and to provide
defensible conclusions. The consistency of eadl alternative with the objectives in the
Project Description will be a key criterion.
---' --_. --Forihe-cumulative-analysis;the-EIR-will'quali tatively-evaluatc the-potential ''€ffec ts -of ---'-''
cumulative regional growth for all CEQA topics. Each topic will b e evalu ated in the
broader context of Marin County and the Bay Area. Where no contributions to
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 77 February 201 8
SAN RAFAEL
Gene ral Pl an
20 40
General Plan
Work Program
cwnulativ e impac ts are identified, an explanation will be prov ided s upporting the
concl us ion. Whe re potential cumulative effects are identified, fea sible options' to
mitigate the proposed Plan's co ntribution will be identified. The potential grow th-
il1du cing impacts of the Plan, including impacts a ssociated with transporta tion and
infrastructure improvements, also will b e evaluated. Appropriate conclusions will be
prepa re d to fulfill CEQA require m e nts related to unavoidable significant impacts,
significant irre versible ch anges, the relationship between short-term uses and lo ng-te rm
productivity, and effec ts n o t fotmd to be s ignifi cant.
10.6 Prepare Summary of Impacts
TIUs task will produce a summary matrix that lists and briefly describes potentially significant
environmental impacts for e ach CEQA topic. Although the table will be prepared after the
impact analysis is co mpleted, it will appear at the beginning of the EIR document to inform
the reader of likely impacts. The table will be useful in preparing the EIR Mitigation
Monitoring and Reporting Program. Speci£icrni ti gation measures will be noted in the table as
appropriate.
10.7 Produce Administrative lJrafl Elf{
An Administrative Draft EIR will b e p repa re d b y the CEQA consul tant, under the
overSight of the in-house project t eam. Other sections not re ferenced abo v e, including
the List of Person s Conta c ted, Bibliography, Technical Appendices, and Table of
Contents, will be prepared. The complete document will be provided to City s taff for
rev iew and comment. S taff w ill circulate the docume nt to approp ri ate re vie wer s in City
departments and w ill assemb le a ll co mme nts into a s ing le redlined copy. The document
will be returned to the CEQA consultant for revi s ion s.
10.8 Revise Admin Draft and Produce Screencheck Draft EIR
The CEQA consultant w ill re vise the Administrative Draft EIR t o res pond to s taff
co mments a11d incorporate s taff revisions . City s taff a11d the lransportation consulta11t
w ill revise appropriate sectio n s a nd work with the CEQ A co n sultant to e nsure that all
co mments are satisfactorily addressed. A revis ed version of t h e docume nt
(",Scr eencheckHraft'4-w ill-beprovi deci -by-the <3EI2)A -consul tant -for-tity-s taff-review -in .-.. --.----
"redlined" and "clea11" formats. Review time for the Sc reencheck Draft shoul d be no
more than two weeks_
San Rafae l 2040 General Plan Work Program 78 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
Ge n eral Pl an
20 40
10.9 Publish Drait ElR (DEm) and Prepare Notices
General Plan
Work Program
The Screencheck Draft will be r evi sed by the CEQA consultant to incorporate final
comments from staff. The revised docume nt will be the known as the Public Review
Draft ErR (or "DEIR"). A limited numbe r of printe d copi es should be published; most
users of this document are expected to access it on-line in .pdf format.
The DEIR will be released for public comment and r e view. Appropriate notices will be
provided, including a Notice of Completion and the submittal of 15 copies (DVDs) to the
State Clearinghous e to b e gin the 45 -day public r eview period. Other responsible
agencies will be notified of the availability of the Draft, and an "e-blast" will be sent to
the project mailing list to announce the availability of the document for review.
TASK 10 DEL IVERA BLES
• Notice of Preparation
• Project "Fact Sheet" and Notes from Scoping Session
• Memorandum on Thresholds of Significance (Draft and Final)
• Draft Project Description
• Administrative Draft EnvirolUnental Impact Report
• Screencheck Draft Envirorunentallrnpact Report
• Public Review Draft Environrnentallmpact Report
• Notice of Completion
TIMELINE
August to December 2019
-.. --...• ----. _ .. _-------_ .... "'------
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 79 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General PI "n
2 0 4 0
General Plan
Work Program
TASK 11: COMMUNrTY ENGAGEMENT, PHASE THREE (2019)
This task cove rs commUIlity engagement activities during Phase ill of the General Plan Update~
The stTategy laid out in Task 2 will continue to be implemented, with ongoing opportunitie s for
public input, education, and e ngage m e nt. This tas k includes the following components :
• Steering Committee Meetings 11-20. It is anticipated that the SteeJling Committee will meet
approximately 10 tim~~ durin g 2019. While it is pre mature to outline the topics to be
covered at each m e eting, the focu s will be on r e vi ewing proposed policies and programs,
and resolving L and Use and Tr ans portati on Map lssues.
• General Plan Community Meeting #2. 111.is workshop will take place in January-February
2019. One possibility to be explored is to conduct this meeting as an "extended open house"
rather than! a traditional "town hall" style m eeting or workshop with breakout groups. The
extended open house involves creating a staffe d General Plan exhibit in which participants
can drop in and provide feedback on various topics (either digitally or on paper). If
pursued, the open house would feature a se rie s of topical "stations" such as transportation,
community design, and sustainability. The e xhibit can b e mobile (e.g., it would be set up in
multiple locations over a two w eek peri od) o r s tationary. The intent is to capture feedback
from a broader cross-section of the community than might otherwise attend public
meetings, and to make it more accessible and e a sier for resid ents to participate.
• General Plan Community Meeting n. A third corrummitywide meeting will take place in
Summer 2019. The purpose of this m eeting will be to dis cuss the proposed land use plan, as
w ell as proposed General Plan poliCies Or policy options. If necessaxy, this meeting could be
conducted'as a series of smalle r m e etings u s ing the s ame agenda and held in different
locations around the city (such a s elementary s chools or recreation cente r s ).
• Commission and Council Briefings. The Planning Commission and City Council will
continue to be briefed on the General Plan dur ing 2019. In addition, staff will make periodic
presentations to the Design Review Board, Bicycle Pedes trian Advisory Committee, Parks
and Re creation Commission, and Citizens Advis ory C o mmittee on topics r elating to the
Plan.
--......... __ . _·_·-.-·Stal<enolderErtga:gEment.--nceprujecneamwm W-.n:tmue m nieet v;tith h15m-e-OW'ffne"'I~' --
associations, neighborhood organizations, interest groups, commUIlity organizations,
business groups, faith-based groups, social service organi z ations, and othe r local
San Rafa el 2040 General Plan Work Program 80 Febr aan) 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
General Plan
Work Program
stakeholders to solicit input on General Plan related issues. This may include staff
attendance at the regularly s ched uled meetings of such organizations, and special meetings
convened by th e City to e nga ge m embers of specific groups. Continued efforts also will be
made t o reach under-represented populations and non-English speaking residents.
Meetings with other public agencies will lik ewise continue throughout 2019.
• Website Content Management. The project w ebsite will be maintained and enhanced
throughout 2019, with co ntent regularly update d . Content will include Steering Committee
meeting agendas and attaclunents, news re lea ses, mee ting announcements, links to articles
of interest or work products (such as the Draft Plan and EIR), and informational items on
the General Plan or planning issu es.
• On-Line Engagement) A robus t on-line engage m ent program 'wi ll continue through 2019,
incl ud ing polling of residents and busine sses on k ey policy qu estions, land u se issues,
interacti ve mapp ing (e xpression of ideas using maps), and ideas for the future of the city.
Opportunities for on-lin e participation in o th er languages also will be prov idea .
• Media Management The project team will continue t o generate press releases and will u se
soc ial media to generate interes t in th e General Plan Update. The possibility of a P lan video
(as a s tudent project or vo lunteer-initiated project) could be considered.
• Collateral Materials. On-line and print media will continue to b e cre at ed during 2019 to
communicate Plan policies, spatial data (maps), and informati on.
-----' --.-~ --~--.. -.-~-
Sa n Rafael 2040 General Plall Wark Pros ram 81 Febrllanj 2 018
SAN AAFAEL
Ganeml Pl an
20 40
TASK 11 DELIVERABLES
• Monthly Steering Committee Agenda Packets
Gene r al Plan
Work Program
• Content for General Plan 2040 Community M e e tings #2 and # 3, including presentations,
handouts, displays, interactive exercises and meeting summaries ("what we learned")
• Staff reports (where necessary) and meeting summaries for Commission I Council meetings
and stakeholder meetings
• Websi te co ntent, including news stories
• On-line engagement co ntent, including discussion questions, geo-spatial exe rcises, and
summa.ry reports indicating survey findings and recommendations
• General Plan exhibits, displays, and print media
• Press releases and social m edia content
TIMELINE
January 2019 to April 2020 (Plan Adoption)
-----_ ....... _----
San Raf ael 2040 Gen eral Pl an Wo rk Program 82 Feb ru ary 2018
~ SANRAFAEL
f§1iw lora4o
PHASE FOUR (2020)
General Plan
Work Prog ram
The tentative schedule envisions completion of a Public Review Draft by December 2019. The
final four to six months of the proj ect would cover Plan adoption, including public hearings and
outreach on the Draft Plan and Em, response to co mments on the EIR, and revision of the Draft
to create a Final Plan. Depending on time and resources, follow-up tasks (such as zoning
changes) or related planning efforts (specific plans, etc.) may also OC(\1r dUl"ing Phase Four,
extending beyond the General Plan adop tion period.
TASK 12 : PI AN ADOPTION
This task covers all work conducted b e tween the date the Plan and Em are released and the
date when they are adopted. Sub-tasks includ e public hearings, other public and stakeholder
group meetings, responses to com ments on the Draft Plan and Draft Em, and preparation of
addenda to the General Plan and Em. This will be a collaborative effort between City staff, the
consulting project manager, the CEQA consultant, and other technicil.l sub-consultants.
12.1 Tribal C0l1s11l l,1tio !1 (Sil 18 compli.1Occ)
. The project team will notify interested Native American representatives (Task 5,9) of the
availability of the OEm and Draft General Plan as required by SB 18. A 45-day comment
opportunity will be provided, running concUl'J'ently with the general public comment
period (Task 12.3).
12.2 Communicalion ,lnd Meelings on the Draft rlan and EIR
The project team will manage communication regarding tl'le Draft Plan and EIR, and
. respond to public inquiries on both documents. Members of the team will be available
to make presentations to va rious groups and organizations regarding the Plan and the
timeline/ process for adoption. Briefings to City Commissions also may occur at this
time. Essentially, this task is a continuation of the Community Engagement Program
(Tasks 2 and 11), but its focus is on informing the public of how they can comment on
Plan proposals and "what happens nex t " after the Plan is adopted. Comments on the
Plan will be record-=~_~d tracke ~ I ~!:~ parties will be strongly er.,tcC>.':'.:.ag:_d_t_o ______ ._" .. _._.
s ubmit comments in writing.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 83 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Pl an
2040
12 .3 OEIR Response to Comments
General Plan
Work Program
A 45-day review period for public comment on th e OEIR is assumed .'s Comments will
be armotated and entered into a spreadsheet as they are received. Comment letters will
be scanned and segmented by issue where there are multiple comments (or different
points requiring a response) in the same letter. At least one Planning Commission
hearing should take place before the conclusion of the 45-day review period so that the
public has a chance to comment verbally as well as in wl·iting.
At the end of the comment period, a draft "Response to Comments" document will be
prepared. This is envisioned as a collaborative effort, although the CEQA firm would
take the lead in responding to comments or delegating responses to appropriate staff or
members of the project team. A contingency budget should be included for the CE QA
consultant in the event that the number of comments (or the complexity of the
comments) substantially exceeds what is anticipated.
The Final EIR (FEIR) should incorporate the Response to Comments document, as well
as any addenda or corrections/clarifications to the Draft ElR. In a~dition, this task
includes preparation of a Mitigation Moni toring and Reporting Program, Statement of
Overriding Considerations, and the Findings on the EIR as required by CEQA. A
"Screencheck Draft" of the FEIR should be provided to the City prior to publication, in
the event that edits are required. This task also includes editing of the Screencheck Draft
(if needed) to produce the final documents. All FEIR-related documents would be
prepared by the CEQA consultant. The CEQA co nsultant also should prepare the
Notice of Determination (NOD) for Signature by the City and filing with the County
Clerk's office and State Clearinghouse.
12.4 General Plan Addendum t1
Following the end of the 45-day public comment period on the DEIR, City staff will
prepare an Addendum 'to the Draft General Plan, This is a separate document from the
Final EIR, and is not statutorily required. However, the Addendum is a useful way to
annotate public comm e nts on the Draft Plan and layout specific edits to the Plan's t ex t,
policies, maps, and graphics that reflect those comments. It is also more efficient than
. ---reprinting-the 'entire -Plan 'before it-is-adoptedc-.'The Addendum -would-list-Iine·by -line------
]5 The City may choose to extend this to 60 days if the volume ofcolTIments is unusually large, or if there are
controversial issue s that require additional public discussion.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 84 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Pliln
2040
General Plan
Work Program
e dits to each chapter of the General Plan, noting text to be added, deleted, or modified
on each page. The Addendum would be liste d as an "Exhibit" in the adopting
resolution.
12.5 r I~" n i ng Commissiun Publ ic lieari ngs
At least two noticed public heal'ings of the Planning Commission will be convened to
make a recommendation on the General Plan a.nd Final ElK As noted above, the first
hearing should occur before the end of the EIR comment period. The second hearing
would consider both tl1e Final EIR and the General Plan and Addendum. A resolution
and other appropriate attachments "rill be included with the staff report. More than two
hearings will be held if necessary.
12.6 City Council Public HCMings
The General Plan Addendum will be revised as needed to incorporate direction from the
Planning Commission. The revised Addendum ("Addendum 2") will become an
attaclunent to a resolution to be considered by the City Council adopting the General
Plan and FEIR . At leas t two hearings before the City Council will be h e ld. As needed,
the Addendum will be revised again after the first hearing (and s ubseque nt hearings) to
respond to direction provided by the City Council. More thru1 two h earings will be held
if necessary.
12.7 Administrat ion of the Adoption Process
This task covers a wide variety of adminislTative tasks relating to the Plan adoption
process, including preparation of staff reports, resolutions, presentations, press releases,
and website updates. It also covers management of Plan production and publica lion.
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 85 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
Genera! Plan
2 040
General Plan
Work Program
TASK 12 DELNERABLES
• Miscellaneous presentations and meeting summaries
• Staff re ports and resolutions (Planning Commission and City Council)
• Draft Re sponse to Comments document
• Screencheck Draft Final ErR, including Res ponses to Comments, Findings, Mitigation
Monitoring Program, Statement of Overr iding Considerations
• Final EIR
• Notice of Determination
• General Plan Addendum #1 (precedes Plan ning Commission recommend ation)
• General Plan Addendum #2 (precedes City Council adoption, i f req u ire d)
TIMELINE
Jan uary 2020 to A pri! 2020
......... --.. -----_. __ .. _ ...... _ ..... ----,
Sa n Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 86 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
TASK 13: PRODUCTION OF FINAL PLAN
1.3 .1 rroduce r-inal PI.1n
General Plan
Work Program
Task 13.1 is associated with design and publication of the final General Plan. It will
occur after the Plan has been formally adopted. Any edits or changes to the Plan made
through the adoption process---induding those annotated in the General Plan Addenda,
and other changes authorized through the public hearings-will be "flowed" ;11to the
Public Review Draft document. Graphics, maps, tables, and photos throughout the
document will be repositioned and finalized. Document formatting and layout will be
adjusted as needed, and subsequently published as the "adopted" General Plan. For
budgeting purposes, 50 color copies of a 300-page document are presumed. Digital files
corresponding to the Plan, the Land Use Map, the FEIR, and other plan publications will
be created in .pdf format, and posted to the City's website.
TASK 13 DELIVERABLES
• Final General Plan (50 copies, plus digital files)
• GIS shape files
TIM ELI N E
May 2020
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 87
--------_. --.----
February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
ALL PHASES (YEARS ONE, TWO, AND THREE)
TASK 14: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
General Plan
Work Prog r am
Good project management is essential to ensure the effective and effi cient lise of project
resources, coordinate consultant team and staff efforts, and ensure quality assurance and
control. Project management tasks include :
• Weekly meetings of the in-house team to discuss work ta sks, deadlines, deliverables, staffing
issues, policy questions, and upcoming meetings
• Hiring of temporary projec t staff (advertising, recruitin g, interviewing, personnel
management)
_. Processing of consultant invoices
• General attendance at Staff m eetings, Division meetings, etc.
• Tracking of the overall project budge t and consultant budgets
• Applying for grants and other funding sources
• Management of mailing lists
• Meeting noticing and advertising
• Arranging for meeting space a nd refres hments
• Quality Assurance and Quality Control f or all work products
• Miscellaneous email communication
• Communication and coordination a mong project team members
TASK 14 DELIVERABLES
• Project Budget Tracking Spreadsheets and Accounting
• Monthly Consultant Invoices
TIMELINE
July 2017 -May 2020
-------------------. ----------------------------------------
Sa n Rafael 204 0 Ge neral Pla11 Work Program 88 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
TASK 15: SUPPLEMENTAL PLANS AND INITIATIVES
General Plan
Work Program
This task covers additional studies and plans that may be conducted as the General Plan Update
takes place and after it is completed. The City will apply for grants throughout the General
Plan Update process to provide funding for specific plans, design gUidelines, zoning code
amendments, community engagement ptogran1s, and other initiatives that may be identified
through the General Plan process. Supplemental work may provide more detailed direction for
specific neighborhoods or sites, focused studies on particular topics, development of
supplemental policies and actions for areas of d1ange, manges to zoning regulations and maps,
and Municipal Code Amendments on particu],u subjects.
Future planning studies for Downtown San Rafael may be included in this task If the City
receives a grant to prepare a Precise Plan or Specific Plan for Downtown, including associated
CEQA clearance, a separate work scope will be prepared. Tasks in the General Plan 2040 work
scope will be adjusted accordingly to amieve economies of scale and avoid redundancies. The
Downtown Precise Plan, if prepared, would be internally consistent with the General Plan and
interpret its policies at a finer level of detail. Its focus would be regulatory, rather than policy,
effectively implementing General Plan 2040 for a specific district of the city.
TASK 15 DELNERABLES
• Grant applications, as opporhmities arise
TIMEUNE
January 2018 -May 2020
----_._----_.-
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 89 February 2018
SAN RAFAEL
General Plan
2040
----------------'----., .. -
San Rafael 2040 Gen eral Plan Work Program
General Plan
Work Program
-------------... _._-_ .. _-----
90 Feb"uanj 2018
EXHIBITB
Figure 1: General Plan 2040 Time-line
(J) ReC"OlUlIl i&.vltlll t~5k .1130 indudesJuly to December, 2017 (pilst mOlllh:o)
o SteerIng Committee MeetillS;
CommunIty Worhhop
Fl/U\l'Wlg CommlS6lon He",rjng
I CIty Council r-Ieilring
EXHIBIT C: General Plan 2040 Draft Project Budget*
Project CECIA --Indud •• Ql"Lin.
Manager, AQ, GHG, Noise, En~e;erin~ Engagenu::ntf fadUfanO'n
[and Use Ge(f~ Bio, Hydro~ Urban jnf,.-G"pl,ie ."d
PtatUier: C"I"".1 "fraus~d;tHon ECODi>m1t'S' D •• i~ stnlcmre: DesiEm Q"tre.clt TOTAL
1 R, Initation $ 30,000 $ , $ · $ · $ · $ · $ · $ 30,000
2 Community Engagement Ph, 1 $ 32,000 $ 2,500 $ 8,000 $ 2,5{ID $ 2,500 $ · $ 15,000 $ 15,000 $ 77,500
3 Determine GP Structure $ 4,000 $ · $ · $ · $ $ · $ $ 4,000
4 Consultant RFPs $ 8,000 $ · $ · $ · $ -$ · $ -$ 8,000
5 Data Collection $ 35,000 $ 250,()OO $ 40,000 $ 50,0(){) $ 15,0(){) $ 15,000 $ -$ 415,000
6 Policy Audit $ J?,500 $ -$ 2,500 $ -$ · $ · S -$ 15,000
7 Develop Maps $ 8,000 $ · $ 5,000 $ -$ 5,000 $ · $ · $ 18,000
8 Test GP Impacts $ 10,500 $ 55,000 $ 25,000 $ 5,000 $ · $ 7,500 $ · $ :103,000
9 Prepare Draft Plan $ 50,000 $ 5,000 $ 15,000 $ 20,000 $ J5,OOO $ · $ 10,000 $ 115,000
10 Prepare DrafJ EIR $ 7,500 $ 140,000 $ 20/000 $ -$ · $ 7,500 $ -$ 175,000
11 Community Ph2 $ 35,000 $ 5,000 S 12,000 $ 2,300 $ 10,000 $ · S 15,000 $ 15,000 $ 94,500
12 Plan Adoption $ 10,000 $ 15,000 $ 7,500 $ · $ · $ 2,000 $ -$ 34,500
13 Publish Final Plan $ 2,500 $ J t 500 $ -$ · $ · $ · $ 2,;)00 $ 6,500
14 Project Mgmt $ 25,000 $ 16,000 $ 5,000 $ 2,500 $ 2,500 $ LOOO $ · $ 52,000
15 Supplemental Services $ . $ -$ -$ -$ . $ . $ -$ -
SUBTOTAL $ 270,000 $ 490,000 $ 140,000 :1> 82,500 $ 60,000 $ 33,000 $ 42,500 $ 30,000 $ 1,14s,oOO
10% contingency $ 114,800
TOTAL LABOR $ 1,262,800
,~ SAN RAFAEL
~ THE aTY WITH A MISSION
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING -CITY COUNCIL
You are invited to attend the City Council meeting on the following proposed project:
PROJECT: General Plan 2040 Work Program -City Council review of General Plan 2040 Work Program to consider: a)
Approval of a detailed work program, timeline, and master budget for General Plan 2040; and b) Delegation of contracting authority
for future Professional Services Agreements in an amount not to exceed the total project budget to the City Managers office.
MEETING DATEITIME/LOCATION: Monday, March 5, 2018, 7:00 p.m. City Council Chambers, 1400 Fifth Ave at D St, San
Rafael, CA
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Barry Miller, Contract Project Manager at (415) 485-3423 or
barry.miller@cityofsanrafael.org. You can also come to the Planning Division office, located in City Hall, 1400 Fifth Avenue, San
Rafael, CA 94901. The office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4.:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
on Wednesday and Friday. You can also view the staff report after 5:00 p.m. on the Friday before the meeting at
htto :lIwww.cltyofsanrafael,orgimeetings
WHAT WILL HAPPEN: You can comment on the project. The City Council will provide comments on the Work Program and
budget, including the protocol for future consultant procurements for General Plan 2040.
IF YOU WANT TO COMMENT: You can send written correspondence by email to the address above, or by maiUhand delivery to
the Community Development Department, Planning Division, City of San Rafael, 1400 5'h Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901.
At the above time and place, all written correspondence received wi ll be noted and all interested parties will be heard. If you challenge In court the matter
described above, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at th.e public hearing described in this notice, or in written
correspondence delivered at, or prior to, the above referenced public hearing (Government Code Section 65009 (b) (2)).
Judicial review of an administrative decision of the City Council must be nled with the Court not later than the 901t> day following the daie of the Council's deciSion.
(Code of Civ.11 Procedure Section 1094.6)
Sign Language and Interpretation and assistive listening devices may be requested by calling (415) 485~3085 (voice) or (415) 485-31-98 (TOO) at least 72 hours in
advance. Copies of documents are available in accessible formats upon request.
Public transportation to City Half Is available through Golden Gate Transit, Line 22 or 23. Para~transit is available by calling Whist/estop Wheels at (415) 454·0964.
To allow individuals with environmental Hlness or multiple chemical sensitivity to attend the meeting/hearing, indIviduals are requested to refrain from wearing
scented products.
ATIACHMENT2
STAFF REPORT APPROVAL
ROUTING SLIP
Staff Report Author: Barry Miller Date of Meeting: 03/05/2018
Department: Community Development
Topic: General Plan 2040
Subject: General Plan 2040 Work Program
Type: (check all that apply) ☐ Consent Calendar ☐ Public Hearing
☒ Discussion Item ☒ Resolution ☐ Ordinance
☐ Professional Services Agreement ☒ Informational Report
*If PSA, City Attorney approval is required prior to start of staff report approval process
Was agenda item publicly noticed? ☒ Yes ☐No Date noticed: ☐Mailed ☐Site posted ☐Marin IJ
Due Date Responsibility Description Completed
Date Initial / Comment
DEPARTMENT REVIEW
FRIDAY noon
Director Director approves staff
report is ready for ACM,
City Attorney & Finance
review.
2/20/2018
☒
RB
CONTENT REVIEW
MONDAY
morning
Assistant City Manager
City Attorney
Finance
ACM, City Attorney &
Finance will review items,
make edits using track
changes and ask questions
using comments. Items will
be returned to the author
by end of day Wednesday.
Click here to
enter a date.
2/22/2018
☐
☒
LG
☒
MM
DEPARTMENT REVISIONS
WEDNESDAY
noon
Author Author revises the report
based on comments
receives and produces a
final version (all track
changes and comments
removed) by Friday at
noon.
2/27/2018
☒
PJ
ACM, CITY ATTORNEY, FINANCE FINAL APPROVAL
MONDAY
morning
Assistant City Manager
City Attorney
ACM, City Attorney &
Finance will check to see
their comments were
adequately addressed and
sign-off for the City
Click here to
enter a date.
Click here to
enter a date.
☐
☐
Finance
Manager to conduct the
final review.
Click here to
enter a date.
☐
TUES
noon
City Manager Final review and approval Click here to
enter a date.
☐