HomeMy WebLinkAboutGP2040 Steering Committee 2018-03-14 Agenda Packet (2)
AGENDA
SAN RAFAEL GENERAL PLAN 2040
STEERING COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
WEDNESDAY, March 14, 2018, 7:00 P.M.
MARIN COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, 1111 LAS GALLINAS AV
SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA
Sign interpreters and assistive listening devices may be requested by calling 415/485-3085 (voice) or 415/ 485-3198 (TDD) at least 72 hours in
advance. Copies of documents are available in accessible formats upon request.
Public transportation to 1111 Las Gallinas Avenue is available through Marin Transit Bus 257. Paratransit is available by calling Whistlestop
Wheels at 415/454-0964.
To allow individuals with environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity to attend the meeting/hearing, individuals are requested to refrain
from wearing scented products.
PURSUANT TO COMMITTEE BYLAWS ADOPTED BY THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL ON DECEMBER 4, 201 7, ALL GENERAL PLAN COMMITTEE MEETINGS
WILL END NO LATER THAN 9.00 PM.
1. WELCOME
2. RECORDING OF MEMBERS PRESENT AND ABSENT
3. ACCEPTANCE OF MEETING SUMMARY
Attachment 1: Summary of Feb 14, 2018 Meeting
4. PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA. This portion of the meeting is reserved for
persons desiring to address the Committee on matters not on this agenda. The law does not permit
Committee action or extended discussion of any item not on the agenda except under special
circumstances. If Committee action is requested, the item may be placed on a future agenda.
5. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ITEMS
A. General Plan 2040 Work Program – Staff will provide an overview of the General Plan Work
Program, including the Community Engagement Strategy. Questions and comments from the
Committee are encouraged. Recommended time allowance: 30 minutes
Attachment 2: General Plan 2040 Work Program Staff Report
Attachment 3: General Plan 2040 Work Program
B. Committee Feedback on “Eight Questions” -- Staff will provide a short briefing on responses to
the “Homework Assignment” from the February meeting, including recurring themes and shared
goals from the Committee’s responses. Recommended time allowance: 25 minutes
Attachment 4: Staff Report and Summary
Attachment 5: Full Responses
C. Revisiting the General Plan Vision - The Committee will discuss the “Vision” statement from San
Rafael General Plan 2020, taking into consideration the thoughts shared during the “Eight
Questions” exercise. Committee members will discuss aspects of the Vision that should be revised
or updated, and potential language to be added. Recommended time allowance: 40 minutes
Attachment 6: Staff Report and Vision
Hyperlinks in this version of the
agenda are illustrative only. The
attachments are provided with the
transmittal email. The web-based
version contains active hyperlinks.
2
6. COMMITTEE ALTERNATE COMMENTS – Any committee alternates who are present will have an
opportunity to share thoughts on the discussion items presented under Item 5. Recommended time
allowance: 10 minutes
7. GENERAL BUSINESS ITEMS
A. Next meeting: Wed., April 11, 2018 (BioMarin, 750 Lindaro St.)
B. Staff Announcements
C. Member Announcements
8. PUBLIC COMMENTS (1-3 minute time limit per speaker)
ADJOURNMENT
I, Anne Derrick, hereby certify that on Friday, March 9, 2018, I posted a notice of the March 14 General Plan
2040 Steering Committee meeting on the City of San Rafael Agenda Board.
Summary of General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Meeting * February 14, 2018 Page 1
MEETING DATE: March 14, 2018
AGENDA ITEM: 3
ATTACHMENT: 1
Summary of San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Meeting
Meeting #2 February 14, 2018
6:00-9:00 PM at 750 Lindaro Street
Attendance
Members Present: DJ Allison, Jenny Broering, Bella Bromberg, Maribeth Bushey, Bill Carney,
Omar Carrera, Berenice Davidson, Richard Hall, Eric Holm, Linda Jackson, Margaret Johnston,
Bonnie Marmor, Drew Norton, Stephanie Plante, Kate Powers, Pam Reaves, Jeff Rhoads, Jackie
Schmidt, Roger Smith, Sparkie Spaeth, Eric Spielman, Karen Strolia, Cecilia Zamora
Members Absent: None
Alternates Present: Hilda Castillo, Robert Miller, Judy Schriebman, Leslie Simons
Staff Present: Raffi Boloyan, Anne Derrick, Rob Epstein, Paul Jensen, Barry Miller
Note: Members of the public were also present at this meeting
Welcome/ Roll Call
Barry Miller called the meeting to order at 6:05 PM and took roll call. Barry reviewed the agenda.
Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda
None
Briefing on the Brown Act
Robert Epstein, San Rafael City Attorney (CA), gave a description and summary of the Ralph M. Brown
Act, which guarantees the public’s right to attend meetings and governs the conduct of public meetings
and the protocol for communication between members. His presentation focused on how the rules applied
to Steering Committee members. Committee members were encouraged to use the handout included
in the agenda packet as a reference for future action.
Questions and responses from Committee members are highlighted below:
Are the Committee Meetings considered public meetings subject to Brown Act rules?
o Yes, and the public is allowed/encouraged to attend.
How does the Brown Act apply to email communication between members?
o Members need to be careful with email, and there are risks of violation because emails can
be easily forwarded. Email should be reserved for topics like meeting times and not for
purposes of deliberating over items on an Agenda. CA Epstein discourages the use of Email
or social media posts as they are very easily shared among a lot of people.
If email is limited, how can Committee members communicate with their alternates?
o CA Epstein noted that email is an appropriate way to coordinate with your Alternate about
not being able to be present at a particular meeting, etc. He used the analogy of a “buddy
system” – it’s OK to communicate with your alternate to share information about upcoming
meetings, etc.
Summary of General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Meeting * February 14, 2018 Page 2
If a Committee Member posts a comment/ editorial/ letter on the Marin IJ and other Committee
Members read that article, is this considered a potential Brown Act violation?
o Members should avoid blogging on topics on the agenda for upcoming Steering Committee
meetings. The appearance of member comments in of print and social media is often debated
among City Attorneys re: Brown Act. He recommends inviting interested persons to the
meetings rather than advocating a position to the press or on-line. He urged Committee
members to steer clear of getting into a dialogue and giving opinions on policy issues, as this
could violate the Brown Act if the discussions are shared with other Committee members.
If you are a representative of a Stakeholder group and a member of that group asks how the Steering
Committee is going, how does one respond?
o Honest reporting out about a given topic at a given meeting is fine. However, if a Committee
member were to divulge an opinion on a given item on the upcoming Agenda, that could be a
problem.
If a Steering Committee Member represents an organization and needs to have open communication
with them about their issues and concerns, what is the best way to solicit/share this information?
o The best way is to let the constituents know what the issues are and make it clear that you, as
a Committee member really want to know what people think. However, refrain from giving
your opinion and let them know that you would prefer to wait to be with other Committee
Members (at a noticed meeting) before discussing an item.
It was further mentioned that the best way for Committee members to communicate with the City
Attorney’s office is to go through Staff; they will refer inquiries to the City Attorney’s office. CA Epstein
further recommended using “BCC” when sending emails to other Committee Members, to avoid emails
being forwarded.
Meeting Bylaws, Protocol and Code of Conduct
Barry Miller delivered a PowerPoint presentation on the Steering Committee bylaws, meeting protocol,
and the code of conduct for future meetings. This included a calendar for future meeting topics.
In response to a question about meeting noticing and publicity, Project Manager (PM) Miller responded
that noticing varied depending on meeting type. All Committee meetings will be publicly noticed, with
agendas posted at least 72 hours before the meeting. However, other types of meetings—such as
community workshops—will aim for a larger audience and be advertised more broadly. Some types of
meetings, such as focus groups, etc., may not be publicly noticed.
A Committee member asked if General Plan 2040 was a brand new plan or merely an update of General
Plan 2020. PM Miller indicated that it was an update. Committee Member Linda Jackson (who was
Project Manager of the 2020 Plan) indicated that General Plan 2020 was itself an update of General Plan
2000. The fact that it is an Update does not preclude major changes, new elements and major policy
shifts.
Summary of General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Meeting * February 14, 2018 Page 3
General Plan “101” (Project Overview)
Project Manager Barry Miller gave a presentation on State General Plan laws and requirements, and the
San Rafael General Plan 2020, going over each element. The presentation may be accessed on the project
website. The summary below focuses on Committee member comments, questions, and responses.
How does the City’s General Plan align with the Marin County General Plan?
o PM Miller remarked that the General Plan Update is an iterative process whereby the City
participates in updates to the County General Plan and the County Planning Department will
be consulted as we prepare General Plan 2040. Miller indicated that staff had met with the
Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) which is a County agency that deals with
annexations and services in the unincorporated areas around each city.
Is the San Rafael Planning Area Boundary already established and are there any plans to change it
during GP 2040?
o Community Development Director (CD) Jensen remarked that the Plan Area has changed
once since the last General Plan. St Vincent / Silveira Ranch in North San Rafael is no
longer in the Plan Area.
Will Committee Members be provided with maps showing physical features such as water sheds, etc.
o Links to on-line maps will be provided depending on the Subject area being discussed at
future meetings; in a few instances, hard copies of maps may be distributed.
Does the Circulation Element address transportation needs of disabled residents?
o Yes. The Element looks at special needs, services, and identifies gaps and how to close them.
Is the City required to abide by State Laws concerning traffic, i.e. SB743, if it disagrees with State
policies and finds that these laws do not make sense locally?
o The specific law mentioned (SB 743) changes the way cities can measure traffic congestion.
This is something the Committee will need to discuss. We will try to find a method that is
consistent with State Law but also reflects San Rafael’s land uses, densities, and road system
With respect to the Housing Element, does the City merely have to show it has the “capacity” to meet
its the Fair Share of the region’s housing requirement—or does it have to build the units?
o The former applies at this time, unless things change. PM Miller noted that this was the
subject of several bills in Sacramento,
When will the Regional Agency assign San Rafael its new housing needs numbers and how will this
timeline interact with General Plan 2040 and the next Housing Element?
o CDD Director Jensen answered that the current Housing Element sunsets in 2023 which is
about three years past the forecasted completion of the General Plan 2040. However, he
stated the numbers from the Regional Agency are generally provided to Cities ahead of time
to review. We do not expect to see any housing numbers from the Regional Agency during
the course of the Steering Committee’s work. He predicts the allocation number will go up.
A Committee member observed that the City has done a good job of building the number of units
required by the state—but we all need to be wary of SB 828, a proposed bill that would increase the
quotas that are imposed on cities and have a “rollover” effect as the quotas are reset every four years.
Summary of General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Meeting * February 14, 2018 Page 4
The new bill ignores the fact that cities do not build housing and penalizes cities for things they do
not control. SB 828 will also penalize cities that don’t meet the quota and result in a bypassing of
local zoning, environmental, and design review requirements.
PM Miller went on to describe the other Elements of the General Plan.
Where will the General Plan address adaptation to sea level rise?
o It is an important consideration. At minimum, this will be addressed in the Safety, Land Use,
Transportation and Sustainability. It may also be addressed elsewhere in the Plan.
How will the Safety and Noise Elements affect decisions about where housing is located?
o Safety and noise policies could discourage or limit housing in areas next to freeways, due to
high air pollution and noise levels. There are also Environment Justice issues to be
addressed.
PM Miller explained the “optional” Elements.
The General Plan seems to favor Downtown over other areas like East San Rafael and the West End.
o While it is true that there is a strong focus on Downtown, there are policies in the General
Plan that cover all neighborhoods, and address other business districts in the City.
PM Miller described legislation approved since the last General Plan Update that is impacting the General
Plan process, including a variety of senate and assembly bills (see presentation).
How does SB 35 affect the General Plan?
o CDD Jensen indicated it allows certain types of multi-family projects “by right” (no
discretionary review) if the developer pays a prevailing wage and meets other criteria. It
could affect land use and housing policy, but is not a General Plan bill per se.
Can staff provide a summary of each legislative bill
o Brief summaries are in the staff report.
At the conclusion of the presentation, a Committee member pointed out that the agenda packet included a
link to a 2016 survey of all cities/counties in California regarding their General Plans. She asked if San
Rafael’s responses to this survey could be provided to Committee members. CDD Jensen indicated that
this could be done. Another Committee member asked that the work program be provided to Committee
members further in advance of the March 14 meeting to provide more time for review. Miller responded
that he would provide a link to the work program by March 1.
Eight Questions About San Rafael’s Future
PM Miller opened the next agenda item, pointing out that any committee members who wished to submit
responses to the “eight questions” handout should do so by March 1. A Committee member asked for
clarification about the intent of the questions. Miller remarked that the exercise would provide a sense of
what the Committee feels are the big issues, as well as shared goals and areas of disagreement. Miller
further noted that due to the large size of the group and the limited time available, we would not cover all
the questions at this meeting.
Summary of General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Meeting * February 14, 2018 Page 5
PM Miller asked the group to discuss the first question: What is precious here (in San Rafael) that we
do not want to lose? Responses from Committee members are highlighted below:
The intersection of urban vibrancy and 10,000 acres of open space
Neighborhoods and their uniqueness and how neighbors care for each other
A real place, not pretentious, but with urban issues and challenges
A great place to both work and live—qualities that are unique and unusual. A mix of vibrant
commercial areas and nice neighborhood residential areas.
A connection to history, as the oldest place in Marin County—a real home town. There is no other
City in the World that has the history and landscape that San Rafael has.
The historic nature of San Rafael should be protected. Don’t level our history and turn San Rafael
into another San Jose
A traditional Downtown that dates from before the automobile, which makes it quite compact and
walkable. Walkable neighborhoods where you run into people you know, unlike living in a larger
City like San Francisco.
Small town character. The challenge is how to accommodate growth while maintaining this
character.
San Rafael does a great job partnering with other agencies, for example the public art display at
Winward and Kerner was collaboration between the City and the Trust for Public Land.
The open space in Terra Linda and being able to walk to a hiking area and not having to take a car to
a trailhead.
The Bayshore and the variety of landscapes along the waterfront.
San Rafael is the “destination” city of Marin County and a “hometown” place that feels welcoming to
those who visit.
It is a very well-run city compared to other cities in Marin and it makes an effort to respond to its
citizens.
There was a follow-up discussion regarding several Committee members’ use of the word “vibrant.” A
member felt this word was overused and concerned that it’s meaning could be misconstrued and
manipulated. It was further requested that anecdotal remarks about residents both living and working in
the city be supported by hard data before they are accepted as truth, as this was not common in his
neighborhood. Another member clarified that the intent of the word “vibrant” was to describe the
excitement of our downtown with diversity, shops, restaurants, music, art, etc.
PM Miller asked the second question: What is terrible about San Rafael that we want to change?
Responses expressed were:
Lunch in the public school system is inadequate, not healthy, and needs to be better.
San Rafael is the top city for unfunded benefits, which increases the risk of bankruptcy. Another
negative is pressure from the outside (other Agencies, for example) to create transit-oriented
development, which is misaligned with the values and wishes of the neighborhoods.
Heavy traffic congestion, and how difficult it is to get from one end of the City to another.
Surface street congestion is having a negative impact on livability.
The devastating risks of climate change, including sea level rise and flooding. City policies may
allow land uses that undermine protection and could worsen future hazards. Some City Departments
appear to be siloed from each other, which inhibits the ability of staff to think “outside the box” and
solve these potential problems. Need to be more flexible when it comes to climate change response.
Summary of General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Meeting * February 14, 2018 Page 6
Traffic congestion, particularly along major arterials like Second and Third streets. There is also a
need for traffic calming in the areas along Highway 101 and around the Transit Center.
We do not celebrate our creeks like other cities do. We need to have a more environmentally
sensitive storm sewer system—and not concrete chutes.
The City needs to provide better housing opportunities for immigrants and service workers and
“missing middle” income housing for families and seniors.
There are extreme disparities among residents. The City needs to better understand the needs of
“disadvantaged” groups; find out who they are and collaborate with other agencies to provide
assistance.
The top issues during the last General Plan Update were (1) traffic near 101; (2) traffic on local roads
and (3) the need for affordable housing, especially for those who work here and want to live here and
stay here and retire here. These issues are still with us today. Also, San Rafael has a large immigrant
population. A segment of the city’s residents is dealing with the threat of being stopped on the street
by ICE and deported. This creates palpable fear, makes people reluctant to enjoy public space, and
has a bad impact on the community.
Chronic homelessness—particularly among persons with mental illness—adversely affects our
residents and also makes others wary of visiting downtown.
The REST program has helped with the homeless issue, but when it concludes what will happen to
the displaced residents?
We need to see data on how our residents are getting to work, where they work, and what mode of
transportation they are using before we set policies on these topics.
San Rafael is the most progressive City in Marin County. 50% of student body is Latino, and many
are not attaining the skills and education needed to succeed in tomorrow’s work force. Also, keep in
mind that a majority of the County’s Latino residents are US citizens.
PM Miller asked the third question: What is missing in San Rafael? Responses included:
Equity in the school system among kids in the Canal. Also, public restrooms and bike lanes.
The City’s website should be available in Spanish
Homelessness should be an Element in the General Plan. What is missing is active watershed
restoration, implementation of green infrastructure projects so that water does not go into concrete
channels but rather into the ground. Also, San Rafael could do a better job linking neighborhoods
together to form a more cohesive identity.
A more accessible and prominent waterfront; the Canal should be our front yard, not our back wall
Better access and egress to and from East San Rafael, which currently seems cut off from the rest of
the city
More resources to adequately implement policies that are important to citizens
A walkway between the Canal neighborhood and Montecito Shopping Center. The idea ran into
conflict when a member from the Coast Guard indicated that Maritime laws would prohibit such a
walkway. Other options to achieve this connection should be pursued—federal regulations are
challenging.
Property taxes have gone up; there needs to be more balance and integrity from policy makers on tax
measures and following through on laws that we have passed
More affordable housing is needed to create greater diversity. The City is losing its diversity due to
economic disparity etc.
Summary of General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Meeting * February 14, 2018 Page 7
Election of Chair and Vice Chair
Barry Miller indicated the Committee would now elect a Chair and Vice Chair. He noted that he had sent
out several emails in advance of the February 14 meeting asking for nominations. He reminded members
that the Chair did not have additional authority, but merely would chair the meetings, ensure that they
start and end on time, and moderating the dialogue and feedback. The Chair would also attend a monthly
meeting with staff to discuss the agenda. He went over nominations he received from the Committee
members, which included Berenice Davidson, Stephanie Plante, and DJ Allison. Members also had
suggested Kate Powers, Bill Carney, and Omar Carrera as potential Vice Chairs.
Berenice Davidson indicated that because she chaired the Planning Commission, she would decline the
opportunity to serve Committee Chair. DJ Allison indicated he would decline due to schedule
commitments. Jeff Rhoades moved that Stephanie Plante be named the Chair of the Committee.
Stephanie spoke about her qualifications to serve as Chair. Eric Holm expressed interest in being Chair
also and discussed his qualifications. Candidates Plante and Holm were asked to leave the room. The
motion went to a vote of the remaining members. Stephanie was elected as Chair. The Committee
subsequently moved to name Omar Carrera as Vice Chair, with a majority voting yes.
Comments from Alternates
PM Miller asked if the Alternates present at the meeting had any comments. One Alternate expressed that
North San Rafael was under-represented in the General Plan and should be addressed in more detail in the
updated Plan.
General Business
PM Miller stated that the next meeting will be at a different location and that the information would be
sent to the Committee Members soon.
CD Director Jensen announced that the CD Department was going to the City Council on February 24 to
request approval to submit an application for a $500,000 grant to do a plan for Downtown San Rafael.
Public Comments
An audience member announced an upcoming event at Albert Park and indicated he would encourage
people to attend future Steering Committee meetings.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 PM.
General Plan Work Program Summary * March 14, 2018 Page 1
MEETING DATE: March 14, 2018
AGENDA ITEM: 5.A
ATTACHMENT: 2
REPORT TO GENERAL PLAN 2040 STEERING COMMITTEE
Subject: General Plan Work 2040 Program
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A detailed work program has been prepared for General Plan 2040. The work program identifies data to
be collected and analyzed, specific technical tasks to be performed, the methodology for updating
policies and maps, and strategies for community engagement. It will provide the basis for professional
services agreements for consultants to be retained over the next two years, and will guide City staff
working on the Plan Update. Fifteen tasks and more than 100 sub-tasks are listed in the work program.
A schedule and budget for this work also has been prepared.
This staff report provides the context for the work program and general information on the tasks. The
Community Engagement Strategy also is highlighted. Committee feedback on the work tasks is
welcome. If you feel there is specific data that should be collected or analyzed, or specific community
engagement tasks that should be considered, please let us know.
REPORT
Initiation of General Plan 2040
In February 2017, the San Rafael City Council approved the Summary Report and Preliminary Work
Program for San Rafael General Plan 2040. The report included a preliminary work program to initiate
General Plan 2040. This document provided a strategy for the General Plan Update, and a profile of the
major issues to be addressed in each element. However, it was not a detailed task-by-task work
program.
In July 2017, the City retained Barry Miller as a part-time contract project manager to manage the
General Plan Update. One of Barry’s first tasks was to prepare a detailed work program, using the
February 2017 Report as a starting point. The detailed work program is intended to provide a “road
map” for the General Plan Update, and a basis for Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for consultants to
complete some of the technical tasks.1 The detailed work program 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.
1 For those who may be unfamiliar with the term, an “RFP” (Request for Proposal) is a document issued by the city that solicits
proposals from consultants to perform a particular scope of services. The bidding process is typically followed by interviews with
the most qualified and cost-competitive firms, and the selection of a firm for a Professional Services Agreement.
General Plan Work Program Summary * March 14, 2018 Page 2
Status of Work Program
The full work program, including the schedule and budget, was approved by resolution by the San Rafael
City Council on March 5, 2018. The Council also authorized staff to prepare RFPs for consultants to
prepare the Environmental Impact Report (including background studies), and to conduct various tasks
relating to traffic and transportation analysis, economics, urban design, and engineering. RFPs also may
be issued to assist with meeting facilitation, graphic design, and other aspects of the Plan Update. Staff
will be drafting and releasing several RFPs during April 2018.
As we prepare the RFPs, there is an opportunity to request specific data (or analysis) from prospective
consultants, provided these requests align with the general description of each task and respect the
budgetary limits and schedule for the General Plan Update.
Summary of Work Program
The complete work program is Attachment 4 to this packet. Committee members should not feel
obligated to read the entire 90-page document, but may wish to browse it to get a sense of the tasks
and work flow. Those who are interested are invited to provide comments at the March 14 meeting, or
to submit comments via email before April 2. Your comments will be considered as we draft RFPs.
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. Table 1 provides a summary of the 15 tasks.
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 Work 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, including chapter headings and the 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.
General Plan Work Program Summary * March 14, 2018 Page 3
Task Description
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.
10 Prepare Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). This covers all CEQA-related tasks, including
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.
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).
General Plan Work Program Summary * March 14, 2018 Page 4
Summary of Community Engagement Strategy
Work program Tasks 2 and 11 may be of particular interest to Committee members. The tasks provide a
strategy for engaging San Rafael residents and businesses in the Plan Update, and ensuring that the Plan
and its policies reflect local values and preferences. The strategy aims to make the process as inclusive
as possible, with a focus on engaging those residents who often do not participate in civic processes.
This includes non-English speaking households, youth and younger families, and renters, among others.
Measures to engage those who do often participate also are included.
Key elements of the Community Engagement Strategy include:
Monthly meetings of the General Plan Steering Committee
Periodic Briefings, study sessions, and informational reports to the City Council and City Boards and
Commissions
Staff attendance (presentations, discussions, solicitation of feedback) at the regular meetings of
established organizations, such as neighborhood and homeowner groups, advocacy groups, interest
groups, etc.
Working with these same organizations to help them outreach to their members on Plan-related
topics
Large community workshops (three are planned, in September 2018, February 2019 and Fall 2019)
Focus group meetings and small group discussions on specific issues and topics
Interviews/ direct meetings with service providers, key individuals, and organization representatives
Press releases and media announcements
Project website, with regularly updated content and announcements
E-mails (announcing meetings, newly posted documents, news items, etc.)
Social media posts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) using the City’s account
Following posts and discussion threads on Nextdoor, local blogs, Marin I.J. Forum, etc.
On-line engagement, including responses to open-ended discussion questions, surveys, and geo-
spatial exercises (identifying ideas or opinions using a map, dropped “pins” with notes, etc.)
Spanish language outreach, including joint efforts with local organizations
Mobile displays, brochures, exhibits
Youth outreach, including collaborative efforts with the local school districts, Dominican, and youth
organizations
Contests (send us your best photo, make a video, etc.)
Outreach to other agencies and organizations, particularly those providing services or addressing
planning issues in San Rafael
As a General Plan Committee member, you are an ambassador to the community. We welcome and
encourage your thoughts on how to best work with your neighbors or constituents, as well as with the
community at large. Your comments and feedback on this topic are encouraged at our Committee
meeting on March 14.
MEETING DATE: March 14, 2018
AGENDA ITEM: 5.A
ATTACHMENT: 3
General Plan 2040
Work Program
February 2018
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 1 February 2018
INTRODUCTION
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 plan 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 Report 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 time. 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 project schedule and budget have been prepared for this Work Program and are available as
separate attachments.
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 2 February 2018
Table 1: General Plan Phases and Major Tasks
Timeline Task
#
Description
Phase One (2017) 1 Reconnaissance
Phase Two (2018) 2 Community Engagement, Phase One
3 Determine General Plan 2040 Structure
4 Retain and Manage Technical Consultants
5 Data Collection and Analysis
6 Policy Audit
7 Develop Draft General Plan Maps
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 Plan and Follow-Up Tasks
On-going (all phases) 14 Project Management and Administration
15 Supplemental Plans and Initiatives (*)
(*) Including proposed Downtown San Rafael Precise Plan and staff involvement in on-going efforts such as the Bicycle-Pedestrian Master Plan
Update and the Climate Change Action Plan Update.
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 3 February 2018
PHASE ONE (2017)
TASK 1: RECONNAISSANCE
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 Library (completed)
This task included a review of past plans for the City, including the General Plans
adopted in 1962, 1974, 1988, and 2004, and the area plans and neighborhood plans
adopted since the 1980s. The task also included a review of plans adopted after 2004
(the year the existing General Plan was adopted), such as the Station Area Plans for
Downtown and North San Rafael, the 2015-2023 Housing Element, and the 2009 Climate
Change Action Plan.
The task also included a review of paper files and electronic files 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 Development Department. These include
General Plans from the County of Marin and nearby cities, regional land use and
transportation plans (ABAG, MTC, etc.), and plans prepared 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 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, the MMWD Urban
Water Management Plan, the Sewer System Management Plan, and others.
The Project Library includes a combination of paper documents located in the Planning
Division and digital files that can be accessed and downloaded via the City’s website.
An annotated bibliography has been prepared listing these documents and noting how
they may inform the current effort to update the General Plan.
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 4 February 2018
1.2 Recruit and Appoint General Plan Steering Committee (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
organizations. 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 nominee 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 Preliminary Outreach and Engagement (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 presentations to a number of Commissions and civic
organizations. More specific descriptions of these tasks are provided below:
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 5 February 2018
Website. A dedicated URL for the project was secured (www.sanrafel2040.org). The
URL redirects to a series of tabbed pages on the City of San Rafael’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 announcements 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 the 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 program and schedule for the update.
Initial Outreach to Stakeholder Groups. Presentations were delivered to a number
of City Boards and Commissions (Planning, Design Review, Parks and Rec, Citizens
Advisory Committee, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee), and to civic
groups (Chamber 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 Communication. This task includes introductory meetings on the General
Plan project with Planning Division staff, as well as managers and senior staff in
Economic Development, Public Works, Community Services, and the City
Manager’s Office. The purpose of these meetings was to familiarize staff with the
General Plan Update and establish protocol for communication and coordination.
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 6 February 2018
1.4 Review GIS Files and Evaluate Project Base Maps (completed)
This task included a review of the City’s GIS files to identify existing data layers and
potential gaps. It also included an evaluation of the base maps that will be used
throughout the project.
1.5 Prepare Detailed Work Program (completed)
This task covers the completion of this document—the detailed work program for
General Plan 2040. The work program contains complete descriptions of each task,
deliverables, 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 DELIVERABLES
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
TIMELINE
July 2017 to December 2017
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 7 February 2018
PHASE TWO (2018)
TASK 2: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PHASE ONE
The General Plan community outreach and engagement program is one of the most important
tasks in the work program. The intent is not only to inform the public about the planning
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 strategy include the General Plan Steering
Committee, community and stakeholder meetings, web-based questionnaires and social media,
and regular meetings with City Commissions and civic organizations. The engagement strategy
also includes “internal” communication with City staff, including data gathering on General
Plan-related topics and keeping staff in multiple City departments apprised of the Plan’s
progress.
2.1 Steering Committee Meetings 1-10
It is anticipated that the Steering Committee will meet approximately 10 times during
2018 (Phase Two) and 10 times during 2019 (Phase Three). The focus during Year One
will be on establishing a vision for 2040, reviewing existing long-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 from 6
to 9 PM. At least five calendar days prior to each meeting, an agenda packet will be
electronically mailed with reading materials and staff reports. The meetings will be
collaboratively facilitated by staff, the consulting team, and a Chair/Vice Chair to be
elected by Committee members. Each meeting will include one or more presentations
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.
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 8 February 2018
2.2 General Plan Community Meeting #1
One community-wide meeting is scheduled for Fall 2018; two more are scheduled for
2019. The format of each 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
planning issues and proposals. The Fall 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 challenged to think about the type of
place they would like San Rafael to be in 20 years. The second meeting (Jan-Feb 2019)
would dive deeper, addressing topics such as climate change, affordable housing,
transportation, and the future of Downtown.
Community meetings would be widely advertised through traditional media (press
releases, news articles, neighborhood newsletters, etc.), social media and web-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 meeting.
The 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 key deliverables. City staff will
also be responsible for official meeting notice preparation, posting, and advertising.
2.3 Commission and Council Briefings
The community engagement program will be designed to make the most of San Rafael’s
existing “civic infrastructure.” San Rafael’s boards and commissions provide a vehicle
for soliciting input on specific topics such as parks and recreation, economic
development, bicycle and pedestrian travel, 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 presentation and discussion session with the
Planning Commission, Design Review Board, Parks and Recreation Commission,
Advisory Committee on Economic Development and Affordable Housing, Bicycle and
Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Fire Commission, and Library Board of Trustees. The
purpose of these meetings is to check in with each Board/Commission on long-range
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 9 February 2018
planning issues, the status of the General Plan Update, and Commission ideas for future
policies. At least two briefings to the City Council also will be scheduled during 2018.
2.4 Stakeholder Outreach and Engagement
The project team will meet directly with stakeholder groups throughout Phase Two.
These 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 organizational
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 (“Coffee with a Wonk,” walking tours, “porch talks,”
informal chats, etc.). One of the goals of this process is to make engagement fun and
easy. The project team will seek innovative, creative approaches to achieve 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 of this population speaks Spanish. The project team will
convene one or more public meetings facilitated 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.
Additional meetings could include presentations and discussions at the high schools
and middle schools, and direct outreach to disabled and homeless residents.
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 10 February 2018
Other important stakeholder groups include public agencies, such as local and regional
regulatory agencies. Coordination with the following organizations will occur as
needed during the project:
Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)
Association of Bay Area Governments/ Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD)
Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Caltrans
Central Marin Sanitation District
Cities/ Towns of Corte Madera, Lakspur, Novato, Ross, and San Anselmo
County of Marin
Dixie School District
Dominican University
Golden Gate Bridge, Highway, and Transportation District
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)
State Department of Boating and Waterways
State Lands Commission
Transportation Agency of Marin (TAM)
2.5 Website Maintenance, Monitoring and Updating
The project website will be updated on a continuous basis, with new content posted at
least once a month. The updated content will primarily be on the “Meetings and
Events” page. Each General Plan-related meeting (including the Steering Committee
meetings) will be preceded by posting of the meeting agenda and agenda attachments
(reports, etc.). Following the meeting, the event would be moved from the “Upcoming
Meetings” column to the “Past Meetings” column, and additional information such as
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 11 February 2018
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 milestones 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, release of
the EIR Notice of Preparation, and release of the Draft General Plan.
2.6 On-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 training 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
rules. Mobile apps also will be used—these allow smart phone 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
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 12 February 2018
coordinates. These 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
Gatineau, Canada
Mountain View, California
Digital engagement also includes on-line surveys. Whereas the on-line engagement
examples described above often require downloading an application or completing a
“sign-up” step, the on-line surveys can be completed anonymously and without
registration. Programs are designed to avoid 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
Facebook/ Facebook Live, Instagram, and Twitter, to generate interest in the General
Plan. City staff would also maintain communication with local news media (such as the
Marin Independent Journal) and with the editors of various neighborhood and
community newsletters. A dedicated General Plan 2040 “newsletter” is not proposed,
but periodic press releases and web-based news updates would provide the equivalent
content. The team will also work with the webmasters of websites operated by local
neighborhood groups and interest groups to provide content, review content (as
requested), and drive traffic to the General Plan website.
2.8 Development of Collateral Materials
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-up workshops. A mobile display could also be placed at
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 13 February 2018
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.1
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 local interest group may want to
prepare materials for their constituents explaining the importance of the General Plan.
City staff could assist in such efforts. The City may wish to sponsor a variety of
“contests” related to the General Plan, such 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 Committee Agenda Packets
General Plan 2040 Community Meeting Content, including presentations, handouts,
displays, interactive exercises and meeting summaries (“what we learned”)
Staff reports (where necessary) and meeting summaries for Commission / Council meetings
and stakeholder meetings
Website content, including news stories
On-line engagement content, including discussion questions, geo-spatial exercises, and
summary reports indicating survey findings and recommendations
General Plan exhibits, displays, and print media
Press releases and social media content
TIMELINE
January 2018 to December 2018
1 Staff will work with local advocates and paid professional translators to translate materials into Spanish and will
post such items on the project website or in other locations.
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 14 February 2018
TASK 3: DETERMINE GENERAL PLAN 2040 STRCTURE
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
California and around the country. The most recent OPR General Plan Guidelines will
be considered, including State requirements for new elements (such as Environmental
Justice), popular optional topics (such as Health) and different ways to organize plans to
improve their usefulness and relevance.
The discussion also will consider the organization and format of Plan directives (e.g.,
goals, policies, and programs) and verify that the existing structure should be retained.
The extent of “existing conditions” text to be included in the Plan also will be
determined. Other aspects of Plan content will be addressed, including the use of
hyperlinked text, technical appendices, executive summaries, large format maps, and
on-line vs digital content. The discussion of options also may consider Plan layout,
including design and format, and the use of color and infographics.
Options will first be discussed and vetted at the staff level, and then summarized in a
Memorandum on Plan Organization and Format. This will be brought to the Steering
Committee for discussion, with the Committee weighing in on the options. Among the
issues to be covered is whether overarching themes such as sustainability and equity
should be highlighted in each chapter of the Plan, or presented as their own chapters.
3.2 Develop Plan Table of Contents
Based on the preferred Plan organization, a preliminary Table of Contents for General
Plan 2040 will be developed. The Table of Contents will include proposed chapter
headings and subheadings, as well as a preliminary list of tables and figures. A
“crosswalk” from the existing (2020) General Plan to the new (2040) Plan will be
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 15 February 2018
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.
TASK 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
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 16 February 2018
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, and
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 modifications 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, and Commission meetings.
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. Consultants
submitting bid proposals would be invited to elaborate on these tasks and provide further
insights into how they would approach the work.
4.1 Retain Environmental Impact Report Consultant
A consultant will be retained to fulfill obligations related to the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), including preparation of a Program-level EIR. The
scope of work would include the preparation of legal notices (NOI, NOP, etc.) and
scoping meetings, collection of baseline data on CEQA topics, evaluation of potential
significant impacts, development of mitigation measures, and consideration of
alternatives to the proposed project. The scope also would include production of an
Administrative Draft EIR (ADEIR), a “Screencheck” Draft EIR (responding to staff’s
General Plan
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 17 February 2018
comments and corrections on the ADEIR), a “Public Review” Draft EIR, and a “Final”
EIR (including 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 bidders 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. The 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)2
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 information 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 included 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 Change Action Plan Update, 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 d uring the Plan Update.
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 18 February 2018
determine projected conditions in 2040, and identify capital projects, policies, and
strategies to ensure that the transportation 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 transportation. It also will consider
transportation-related issues such as traffic calming, parking, transportation demand
management (TDM), 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 vehicles, electric vehicles, drone delivery, etc.) and mobility
trends (car-sharing, ride-sharing, etc.). The transportation consultant will be
procured directly by the City and not as a sub-contractor to the EIR firm. However,
their work will be closely coordinated with the EIR consultant, and they will serve as
the authors of EIR sections relating to transportation impacts.
Economics. As outlined in Task 5, an economics consultant will be retained to
complete an analysis of San Rafael’s economy, real estate market, and economic
development policies and strategies.3 The consultant would also look at the market
feasibility and fiscal implications of different land use choices as the General Plan
Land Use map is revisited, including public service costs.
Community Design/Visual Simulation. As outlined in Task 5, it is anticipated that
a consultant specializing in architecture and community design will be retained to
address residential, commercial, and mixed use design issues; and provide direction
on public space improvements across the city. The scope would include the
development of illustrative diagrams and visual simulations (before/after
renderings, computer-generated fly-throughs, etc.). These types of deliverables
could be used not only in the General Plan, but also in community conversations
about height, mass, density, architecture, and streetscape improvements.
Engineering. It is recommended that an engineering firm be retained to evaluate
water, sewer, drainage, gas/electric, and telecom utilities. Since this evaluation
would primarily inform EIR discussions of infrastructure impacts, the firm could be
a sub-contractor to the EIR consultant.
3 The City may retain a separate economics consulting firm to do a more focused analysis of Downtown land use
and zoning decisions as part of a parallel effort.
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 19 February 2018
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 discussion forums. A preferred
vendor will be selected.
Graphic design consultant. The City anticipates retaining a graphic designer to do
publication design (for the General Plan), and to assist in designing display boards,
maps, and other exhibits used in the community engagement program. This will
most likely be an “on-call” service agreement with a not-to-exceed limit.
Meeting facilitation 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 manager will have 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, the Sanitary
Districts, the MMWD, and other agencies/districts will be reviewed and referenced
rather than redoing these studies for General Plan or CEQA purposes.
TASK 4 DELIVERABLES
Requests for Proposals (RFPs) Soliciting Consultant Proposals for EIR, Transportation,
Economics, and Community Design Services
Service Agreements for Selected Firms, accompanied by Staff reports
TIMELINE
January to May 2018
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 20 February 2018
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 essential 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 subtasks are listed below. As appropriate, subtasks will begin with kick-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 expectations 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, Housing, and Health Conditions
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
race, 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 housing 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
housing opportunities also will be updated and confirmed.4
This task will also include a summary of health indicators in San Rafael. The updated
Plan will acknowledge public health conditions, needs, and geographic (or
demographic) disparities in the city. This can help inform new policies and programs to
improve public health and health care service delivery, consistent with recent SB 1000
(Environmental Justice Element) requirements. Much of this data already exists through
4 Resubmittal of the Housing Element to HCD as a result of these tasks is not anticipated. The intent is primarily to
identify recent trends and ensure that the Planning Team is working with the most current available data.
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 21 February 2018
HealthyMarin.org. by ZIP Code, including life expectancy, mortality rates, infant
mortality, obesity rates, and rates of cancer, heart disease, strokes, asthma, diabetes,
hypertension, psychological distress, smoking, and alcoholism. Data on access to fresh
and healthy foods (and the location of “food deserts”) also will be reviewed. A series of
tables, charts, and diagrams will be prepared summarizing health indicators in San
Rafael, and comparing conditions within the city, and between the city and other Marin
County and Bay Area jurisdictions.
5.2 Document Economic and Fiscal Conditions
This task will be completed by an economics consultant, to be retained by the City in
early 2018. The intent is to update the baseline data and analysis that underpins the
Economic Vitality Element of the General Plan, while also providing data that can help
inform future land use, transportation, and housing policies. The analysis will look at
San Rafael’s role in the Marin/ North Bay economy and the greater Bay Area economy.
It will also look at the economic function of various sub-areas within the city, such as
Downtown, East San Rafael, and the Northgate area.
The task will include a statistical analysis of San Rafael’s economy, including
employment by sector, retail sales and spending patterns, business location patterns,
unemployment, and wages. Economic and real estate market trends will be assessed,
including existing and projected conditions in the residential, office, retail, and
industrial markets. This task also will include an evaluation of existing economic
development strategies, and a summary of fiscal conditions and local revenue sources.
In addition to using industry data, conclusions about the local economy will also be
informed by interviews with local business owners, developers, realtors, and
economists. One of more small group discussions may be convened for this purpose.
The outcome of this task will be a comprehensive summary report on economic and
fiscal conditions, including graphs, tables, and narrative. The work will also include an
executive summary, and a slide deck suitable for presentation. Data will be drawn from
such sources as the U.S. Census, American Community Survey, California Economic
Development Department, California State Board of Equalization, and private data
vendors such as Nielsen and CoStar.
Data in this report would include:
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 22 February 2018
SWOT
Assessing San Rafael’s Economic Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
Jobs
Employment in San Rafael by NAICS 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 investment during recent years
Jobs-Housing Balance
Characteristics of the San Rafael workforce (wages, labor force characteristics)
Commute patterns (where residents work, where local employees live)
Retail Sales
Taxable retail sales trends (total and per capita) by retail sector
Estimates of retail leakage by sector
Tourism and hospitality trends (hotels, restaurants, entertainment)
Consideration of the future of the retail sector given technology, on-line sales, etc.
and impacts on demand for brick and mortar space
City Budget
Summary of Sources and Uses of Funds
Discussion of any revenue initiatives
Fiscal impacts of various land uses, housing types, and business types
Real Estate Market (demand for various uses)
Building permit trends and volumes
For-Sale and Rental Housing (prices, rents, volumes, absorption, pipeline)
Retail (rents, vacancy, absorption, pipeline, citywide and by district)
Office (rents, vacancy, absorption, pipeline, citywide and by district)
Tech and Industrial/Flex (rents, vacancy, absorption, pipeline)
Other (hospitals, institutional, public, etc.)
Assessing the market potential of key opportunity sites
Projections
ABAG projections
Likely demand for future floor space by land use and housing type
Implications for land use and development standards
Incentives and regulatory strategies to achieve desired uses
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 23 February 2018
For commercial and industrial space, the evaluation of real estate market conditions
would include an evaluation of the current inventory of space, vacancy rates, asking
rents, and a review of businesses recently attracted to the city (as well as businesses that
may have recently left the city or chosen an alternate location). The analysis should
consider the competitive strengths and weaknesses of San Rafael overall, and of various
sub-districts within San Rafael. It will look at the types of tenants drawn to each area of
the city, and the types of employment spaces that would best meet employer needs in
the short, medium, and long-term.
With respect to retail, the analysis will consider San Rafael’s competitiveness in
particular retail sectors relative to other cities 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 development programs to capture desired activities.
Impacts of technology (on-line shopping) and consumer shopping habits on the demand
for brick and mortar space will be a particularly important consideration.
5.3 Document Land Use Conditions
This task will be performed by the “in-house” project team and led by the project
manager. A current (2018) inventory of existing land uses will be prepared, using Marin
County Assessor Use Codes, a four-digit numbering system indicating the current use
on every parcel in the city. For commercial, institutional, public, and other activities
where the Use Code may not be reflective of the actual land use, the data will be
confirmed (by the planning intern) through field visits and/or aerial photos. Other
attributes of the built environment (heights, densities, building condition, etc.) may also
be noted through this process.
A color coded, large-format “Existing Land Use Map” (and GIS layer) will be prepared
displaying current land use information. Variations on this map (such as separate maps
of vacant land, commercial parcels, industrial parcels, Downtown “close-ups,” multi-
family residential properties by density, etc.) also may be produced. Maps of
“underutilized properties” (developed properties with high assessed land values and
low assessed improvement values, etc.) will be prepared to identify properties with a
high likelihood of future redevelopment. Existing land uses will be summarized in
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 24 February 2018
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 land use
conflicts between adjacent uses, development trends and patterns, and projects in the
development “pipeline” (including projects in nearby cities). It will also include a
discussion of opportunity 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 the purposes of this task is to make realistic estimates of “buildout” under
current zoning and General Plan designations. Quantified estimates would generally be
presented by traffic analysis zone (TAZ), and summarized for different neighborhoods
or districts of the city. This information provides an important foundation for
evaluating changes to the General Plan Map that may be considered.
5.4 Document Transportation Conditions
The work described below would be completed by a transportation consultant, with
supporting assistance provided by the in-house project team. A Request for Proposals
will be issued in early 2018 for the services described herein. The RFP will 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. The
quantitative work would focus on measuring existing and projected traffic volumes,
speeds, delays, and congestion on the San Rafael street system. It would also include
numeric data on the state of San Rafael’s roads, including the number of lanes, presence
of sidewalks and medians, locations of traffic signals, presence of bicycle facilities, and
public transit stops. Much of this data already exists and is in the City’s Geographic
Information System (GIS) shape file inventory through Public Works.
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 25 February 2018
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 calming, signal coordination, truck routes, and Transportation Demand
Management (TDM). The task also would look at San Rafael’s parking policies,
standards, and parking management programs.
Specific subtasks include:
5.4.1 Traffic Counts. The data collection effort will include traffic counts and turning
movements for up to 60 intersections.5 Separate counts of pedestrians, bicycles,
and trucks will be conducted in locations with high pedestrian 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.
5.4.2 Inventory and Assessment of Conditions by Mode. The transportation
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 stops. Planned and proposed
transportation improvements and capital projects will be described and
summarized. The location of trails (including recreational trails) also will be
noted. Data will be summarized in a series of maps and described in narrative.
Gaps or inconsistencies in data will be noted. Data on transit ridership,
headways, and service issues will be collected from transit providers, and service
issues will be discussed. Planned changes to services (such as the SMART
extension) will be summarized.
5.4.3 Baseline Modeling and Analysis. The transportation consultant will evaluate
the City’s traffic model and the most recent version of the TAM model for their
5 Traffic counts may be sub -contracted to a third party vendor and itemized as a line item in the tra nsportation
consultant’s budget.
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 26 February 2018
suitability as General Plan traffic forecasting tools. Necessary changes or
adjustments to the models will be noted (see Task 8.2). 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 Rafael are
correctly coded.
5.4.4 Transportation Issues Profile. 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 Demand Management
(TDM), parking policy, commercial 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 improve 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 reshape
mobility and transportation patterns in the next two decades.
5.4.5 Summary Report. The findings of Tasks 5.4.1 through 5.4.4 will be summarized
in a background report on transportation, to be prepared collaboratively by the
transportation consultant and the in-house project team. The report will provide
the “setting” section of the EIR’s transportation 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. This would primarily
be 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,
and PG&E.
The utility systems to be addressed include water, wastewater, storm drainage, and
privately-provided services such as electric, gas, and telecommunication. Water-related
information would include a description of water supply sources, water pumping and
distribution systems, existing and projected water demand, planned improvements, and
water conservation programs. However, the Plan would not include a formal Water
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 27 February 2018
Supply Assessment (WSA) as defined by SB 610 unless development capacity in the city
is substantially increased above current levels.
Wastewater-related information would include a description of sanitary sewer collection
and lift station systems, existing wastewater flows, treatment plant capacity and
methods, and planned improvements. This would include existing and potential
reclaimed water projects, as well as sewer line replacement efforts. Stormwater-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 future needs, including those relating 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 sufficient level of detail to underpin General Plan
policies relating to infrastructure. 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 Document Community Services and Facilities Conditions
This task will provide a narrative description of police, fire/EMS, solid waste and
recycling, school, and library services, as well as human services such as programs for
seniors and youth. A variety of metrics will be used to evaluate service levels and
determine future service and facility needs. Service delivery issues, especially those
associated with growth, will be discussed for each topic area. Recent strategic plans or
facility master plans will be reviewed.
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 28 February 2018
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. This 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 Department to
discuss fire prevention and response issues, and EMS services, particularly as related to
planning and building decisions (including such topics as water pressure, emergency
access, road design standards, etc.). This will also include an overview of data on space
and facility needs, staffing levels, response times, and types of calls. Department
initiatives to reduce and mitigate fire hazards also will be summarized. Consultation
with other service providers such as CalFire and Marin County Fire also will take place.
For solid waste/recycling, the task will include meetings 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 School
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 modernization 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 (and 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,
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 29 February 2018
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 Conditions
This task will provide the baseline data necessary to update General Plan elements
addressing Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. It will include meetings with
Community Services staff 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 of “natural” open space (hillsides, wetlands, creek
corridors, etc.), and “functional“ open spaces in the city (quarries, 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 for
operations and maintenance, joint use agreements, competing demand for open space,
and the responsiveness of recreation programs to changing demographics and trends in
leisure services. New types of parks and open spaces, such as civic plazas, pocket parks,
and privately developed open spaces, also will be discussed. Specific 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 Conditions
This task 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 local economy. It
will include descriptions of arts venues in the city, covering both the visual and
performing arts. It will address public art, arts festivals and artist activities, resources
such as historic homes and museums, entertainment 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
Rafael, including affordable housing and work space for artists.
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 30 February 2018
5.9 Document Historic Resource Conditions
Native American tribal consultation will be initiated as required by SB 18.6 The project
team also will meet with San Rafael Heritage, local historians, and other stakeholder
groups to gather existing inventories and resources, identify policy priorities, and
discuss issues of importance. Data on known and potential resources will be reviewed,
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 “PastFinder”--a citywide database of parcel-specific
archaeological sensitivity reports for development 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 Plan, completion of a detailed field-based historic
resource survey by staff and/or consultants is beyond the scope of the project.7 The
focus of this task will be on reviewing and updating existing inventories, summarizing
existing policies and preservation programs, and determining measures to strengthen
preservation activities in the city. This could include identifying data gaps, future
surveys to be conducted, and new programs (including funding sources) to protect
historic resources. The Plan also would evaluate the economic benefits of preservation,
the potential for cultural tourism, and a range of urban design issues associated with
adaptive reuse, context-sensitive infill development, and modifications to existing older
structures.
The discussion of eligible historic resources will include structures from the “recent
past,” including buildings and features that may not have met the Secretary of the
Interior’s standards for historic properties the last time the General Plan was updated
(due to their age). Many structures from the 1950s and 60s may now be potentially
eligible; those that embody the architectural styles of that time period and are
6 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 the contacts of the opportunity to participate, meeting with representatives as requested, and including Plan
language addressing the treatment of Native American cultural resources. Tribal representatives are also invited to
comment on Draft plans and environmental documents.
7 In the event the City receives an OBAG grant to prepare a Downtown Precise Plan, a more detailed inventory of
historic resources would be conducted for the Downtown area with the grant funds. Such surveys could also
potentially be performed by volunteers as part of a parallel effort outside the General Plan scope, with the findings
referenced in the General Plan or future ordinances. More detailed historic surveys also could be identified as a
General Plan action program.
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 31 February 2018
considered to have potential historic merit would be identified. In addition, records on
structures and sites 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 Document Community Design Conditions
San Rafael has a high-quality visual environment, with a strong sense of identity at the
citywide and neighborhood levels. The city’s identity is largely shaped by its natural
landforms and vistas, architecture, vegetation, and public realm features such as street
trees, utilities, signage, and landscaping. The General Plan plays an important role in
providing policy guidance on these features, both individually and collectively.
Although Community Design is considered an “optional” element of the General Plan, it
is arguably one of the most important parts of the document, particularly with respect to
issues of growth and development.
This task will include an inventory of aesthetic resources in the city, including both
natural and human-made features. The intent is to describe the “look and feel” of San
Rafael and identify important visual characteristics. Photos, maps, and narrative will be
prepared identifying scenic resources, views and vistas, landmarks, and the overall form
and structure of the city. Important edges, activity centers, and place types will be
identified. The various architectural styles found in the city will be summarized, and
issues associated with infill development, home alterations and additions, and new
construction will be summarized.
This assessment will consider particular building types (single family homes, multi-
family development, commercial development, industrial, etc.) as well as characteristic
architectural styles (Craftsman, Eichlers, etc.) and areas of 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 summarized. The effects
of existing zoning regulations on design will be summarized, and best practices from
other cities will be summarized.
This task also will include a discussion of public realm policies and various civic
improvement and beautification initiatives, such as street tree planting, gateway
improvements, undergrounding of utilities, street lighting, and landscaping. A
discussion of the treatment of Downtown public space, including civic plazas,
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 32 February 2018
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 use 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 with local architects, 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 Sustainability and Greenhouse Gas Conditions
This task serves as a “crosswalk” between the current effort to update the 2009 Climate
Change Action Plan (CCAP) and the corresponding update of the General Plan
Sustainability Element. Local initiatives 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 changes to the Sustainability Element to
incorporate emerging CCAP recommendations will be noted.
This task would also include data collection and analysis of issues related to energy,
including electricity and natural gas. Data relating to energy consumption, energy
conservation and efficiency, renewable fuel sources, and clean power acquisition
initiatives will be updated. Data on current energy use, recent trends, and goals for the
future (as defined by the updated CCAP) will be summarized. Information will be
presented at a sufficient level of detail to underpin revised General Plan actions and
programs, and provide the basis for the “setting” section of the EIR on energy-related
impacts. Work completed through the recent CCAP Update will be used wherever
possible to avoid redundant data collection efforts.
The latest community inventory of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be
summarized, with data reported by sector. Since this inventory is updated annually by
the Marin Climate and Energy Partnership, it is anticipated that the 2016 inventory
(anticipated to be available in 2018) will be used. The data will be compared to the 2005
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San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 33 February 2018
baseline to note reductions in emissions since reporting was initiated. 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 Plan Update, and used to develop modified
projections for 2040 during the General Plan EIR analysis. The GHG analysis would be
consistent with the May 2017 Bay Area Air Quality Management District guidelines,
including current thresholds of significance. It is presumed that the City’s CCAP will
continue to be certified as a “Qualified GHG Reduction 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 Climate Action Plan is now a well-established
planning tool, it may not be necessary to repeat its policies in the General Plan. Another
option could be to recognize sustainability as a cross-cutting theme that underpins all
Plan elements, and to weave appropriate policies and actions through each element.
5.12 Document Air and Water Quality Conditions
This task will be completed by the CEQA consultant, or by a sub-consultant reporting to
the CEQA consultant. Data would be sufficient to update the Air and Water Quality
Element of the General Plan, and inform the corresponding air quality and hydrology
sections of the EIR.
Existing air quality information will be compiled using available public sources,
including data from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Bay Area Air
Quality Management District (BAAQMD). Permitted source data issued by the
BAAQMD will be used to determine existing sources of toxic air contaminants and other
major pollutants. A discussion of sensitive receptors and meteorological conditions will
be provided. The various regulations governing air quality at the federal, state, regional,
and local levels will be summarized. Programs to improve air quality also will be
summarized, and the parameters set by the latest BAAQMD guidelines would be
reviewed in narrative. This will include a discussion of air quality mitigation measures
and land use limitations along freeways, railroads, and other major arterials, following
CARB, BAAQMD, and CAPCOA (California Air Pollution Control Officers Association)
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guidance. Potential air quality-related health hazards and risks to residential uses and
other sensitive receptors along US 101 and I-580 will be discussed.
Existing water quality information will be summarized using data from the Regional
Water Quality Control Board, local sanitary districts, and other sources. 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 related to
erosion and sedimentation control, canal and nearshore sanitation, illegal dumping, and
water quality education and outreach will be summarized based on current data and
conditions.
5.13 Document Natural 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 resources, biological resources, mineral resources, and hydrology. Again,
data collection and analysis would be part of the CEQA consultant scope, with the in-
house project team coordinating work tasks and reviewing/ editing work products as
needed. It is anticipated that this task will primarily rely on existing documents,
inventories, and analyses, rather than on field work and new resource surveys.
Windshield surveys may be performed where needed to verify information, gather
photographs, and allow for first-hand documentation of existing conditions.
This task would include a summary of existing federal, state, and local regulations
addressing biological, agricultural, hydrological, and mineral resources. Data collected
in this task would include maps, tables, and narrative summaries of vegetation types,
natural communities/ wildlife habitat types, and potential occurrences of special status
species based on the California Natural Diversity Data Base. Topics such as hillside
preservation, tree protection, tree planting, invasive plant control, and predatory animal
control also would be covered.
The task would also address local soil types, with a focus on agricultural potential and
farmland of statewide significance. It would include a discussion of water resources in
the San Rafael Planning Area, including groundwater, creeks, lakes, wetlands, and San
Francisco Bay. Topics such as creek and shoreline access, creek daylighting, and bank
protection would be covered. Information sources would include the U.S. Fish and
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Wildlife Service National Wetland Inventory, Corps of Engineers maps, and data
available from the California Department of Fish 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 Environmental Hazard Conditions
This 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, dam failure, wildfire hazards, aviation hazards, hazardous
materials, and emergency preparedness. This task would also address the potential
impacts of global climate change on San Rafael, and evaluate potential responses and
best practices related to climate resilience and adaptation. 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 Technical Reports, the recently completed Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan (LHMP, 2017), and recent studies relating to sea level rise (BayWAVE,
the pending “Resilient by Design” exercise, etc.). It would include a summary of
existing federal, state, and local regulations governing hazard reduction, mitigation, and
response, including regulations covering 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 mapped and a recap of earthquake
probabilities based on available data will be provided. The text also will address
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
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maps from General Plan 2000. Programs to reduce the potential for earthquake damage
and casualties also will be documented. 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
500-year flood zones, and other sources indicating flood prone areas in San Rafael.
Issues associated with sea level rise, coastal (bay) flooding, and potential adaptation
strategies will be reviewed. Dam failure and tsunami inundation 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 efforts and issues related to flood
hazard mitigation, as documented by the LHMP. The location and function of pump
stations and other facilities designed to mitigate flooding will be identified.
With respect to wildfire hazards, this task will include mapping of fire hazard severity
zones as required by SB 1241, laying the groundwork for policies to reduce fire risks in
the San Rafael Planning Area. Staff will coordinate with the California Department of
Forestry and Fire Prevention, as well as the City and Marin County Fire Departments, to
ensure that fire hazards are an integral consideration in land use and transportation
planning. This will include a discussion of hazard mitigation measures such as
defensible space, vegetation management, emergency vehicle access, visibility of street
signs, and the availability of water for fire suppression.
With respect to hazardous materials, the discussion would identify locations in the San
Rafael Planning Area where hazardous materials are stored or handled (using various
state and federal data bases). Issues associated with leaking underground storage tanks,
groundwater contamination, spill prevention and accidental releases, hazardous waste
clean-up, and hazardous waste transportation would be addressed. Hazards associated
with demolition or renovation of buildings containing materials such as asbestos, lead-
based paint, and universal wastes also will be addressed. Information on hazardous
sites and clean-up needs from the Canalfront Conceptual Design Plan and other local
planning documents will be referenced as appropriate.
Aviation hazards would include a discussion of operations at San Rafael Airport and
any other airports or aviation facilities with the potential to impact San Rafael.
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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 training), 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 recovery planning also will be addressed.
5.15 Document Noise Conditions
The intent of this task is to document current 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 benchmark for comparing changes since citywide noise measurements were last
taken (February 2001, as part of the 2020 General Plan Update). General Plan 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 traffic 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.
This analysis would essentially be repeated for General Plan 2040, with a combination of
short-term measurements, long-term measurements, and estimates based on traffic
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 will work collaboratively with the consultant
to identify the locations. A special focus will be placed on identifying noise levels
associated with the SMART train (with and without Quiet Zones), including both short-
term and long-term impacts. Other noise sources (such as noise associated with quarry
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 traffic noise, it should also include noise associated with
SMART trains.
In addition, the narrative profile in the Existing Conditions Report will include:
A description of the general characteristics of sound and the ways that noise is
measured.
Results of the short-term and long-term noise monitoring performed for the General
Plan.
Data from other studies involving noise monitoring, including studies done as part
of project EIRs, improvement plans for Highway 101 and I-580, and studies done
through the planning process for SMART service.
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 noise, 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 with leaf blowers,
sirens, alarms, mechanical equipment, and similar sources.
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 Justice (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 assist cities with this task. Some of the components
include:
Identifying and mapping disadvantaged communities within San Rafael using Cal
EnviroScreen, income data and other sources8
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 metrics and maps. Issues may include:
o Pollution exposure and air quality, especially proximity to toxic air
contaminants, diesel fumes, particulate matter, etc.
o Indicators which point to higher incidences of public health problems in
certain areas, or in the community relative to other communities
o Access to public facilities (parks, libraries, health care, etc.)
o Access to healthy food (supermarkets, fresh produce, etc.) and nutrition
o Restrictions on urban agriculture and local food production
o Overcrowding and other adverse housing conditions
o Housing cost burdens
o Housing displacement
o Healthy homes (hazardous building materials, mold, sanitation)
o Access to physical activity (walkable streets, etc.)
o Vulnerability to floods, earthquake hazards, etc.
o Opportunities for community engagement
Community meetings and roundtable discussions specifically aimed at engaging
disadvantaged communities, including meetings in Spanish
Working with Community Based Organizations to identify issues and ensuring
inclusive, transparent discussions about these issues
Task 5.16 lends itself to a “professional report” or thesis topic for a graduate level
planning student interested in equity issues. If feasible, the project team will provide an
opportunity for a graduate student studying city planning to conduct the research
behind this task, and to formulate and present policy recommendations.
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5.17 Produce Existing Conditions Report
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 technical appendix
to the General Plan itself. The report will be organized into chapters that roughly
correspond to the headings of Tasks 5.1 through 5.16. As appropriate, each chapter will
include narrative text, tables, graphics, and maps.
The report will 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, Housing, and Health Indicators Working Paper
Summary Report on Economic and Fiscal Conditions
Summary Report on Transportation Conditions
Infrastructure and Utilities Working Paper
Community Services and Facilities Working Paper
Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Working Paper
Arts and Culture Working Paper
Historic and Archaeological Resources Working Paper
Community Design Working Paper
Sustainability and Greenhouse Gas Working Paper
Air and Water Quality and Risk Analysis Working Paper
Natural Resources Working Paper
Environmental Hazards Working Paper
Noise Working Paper
Equity and Environmental Justice Working Paper
Existing Conditions Report (compendium of working papers and summary reports)
TIMELINE
March to December 2018
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TASK 6: POLICY AUDIT
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, including topics requiring new and/or
amended policies and implementing actions
6.1 Audit General Plan 2020
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 years 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. In addition, Task 6.1 expands the
Scope of the 10-Year Status Report to also cover General Plan policies and longer-term
actions (as well as short-term actions).
The 2015 General Plan Status Report includes:
A summary of major General Plan-related accomplishments between 2004 and 2015,
including actions that were implemented, plans that were prepared, and General
Plan Map and text amendments
A summary of General Plan action programs, including recommendations on future
edits and adjustments to the timing of actions (e.g., from short-term to long-term)
An appendix, formatted as a matrix, listing each short-term General Plan action, its
current status, and a recommendation (carry forward, delete, etc.).
Task 6.1 would expand the 10-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 Steering Committee to determine if editing is needed. Policy gaps also
would be identified.
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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
planning document will be entered into a matrix 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 recent updates)
Canal Neighborhood-Based Transportation Plan (2006)
Canalfront Conceptual Design Plan and Design Guidelines (2009)
Sea level rise “White Paper” (2014)
Marin BayWAVE Vulnerability Assessment (2017)
June 2017 (2017-2019) Capital Improvements Program
Albert Park Master Plan (2017)
San Rafael Essential Facilities Strategic Plan (2015)
Adopted Complete Streets Policy
This task also will consider:
Countywide transportation plans, including the Countywide Congestion
Management Program Updates, the Fairfax-San Rafael Transit Corridor Study, the
Short-Range Transit Plan, and the Draft TAM Vision Plan
The General Plans of adjacent cities, including the recently updated Novato General
Plan, the 2009 Corte Madera General Plan, the Larkspur General Plan Update
(paused), and the 2007 Ross General Plan
The 2007 Marin Countywide General Plan, as amended through 2017
Municipal Service Reviews by LAFCo that may be underway or planned
Plans or environmental documents related to the Bettini Transit Center relocation
Plans or environmental documents related to the SMART extension to Larkspur
Plans or environmental documents related to the San Rafael Rock Quarry
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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 underway such as the “guidelines for good design”
being studied by members of the Planning Commission and Design Review Board,
and the “Resilient By Design” Challenge sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation.
6.3 Consider New State Planning Requirements and Guidelines
The California Office of Planning 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 city
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 shifts from a standard
based on traffic 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
encourage 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 tribes as
part of a General Plan Update, and requirements for projects which have the
potential to impact Native American resources, such 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
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unincorporated “islands” within the Planning Area. SB 1000 requires an
environmental justice element in the General Plan (or environmental justice 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.
AB 32 and SB 375. These bills address greenhouse gas reduction and are largely
implemented at the 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. The 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 resiliency (typically in
the Safety Element)
AB 2140. This bill requires a link between the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and the
General Plan Safety Element.
SB 1241. This bill requires that certain maps (high/very high fire hazard severity
zones) be included in the General Plan, and that the Safety Element is reviewed by
CalFire to ensure that policies provide adequate protection from wildfire.
AB 1739. This bill requires that General Plans consider impacts on groundwater and
consider plans for groundwater basins.
SB 1462 and SB 1468 require cities to address military readiness in their General
Plans.
In addition, there are numerous recent legislative requirements aimed at streamlining
approvals for housing and accessory dwelling units. Some of these requirements have
implications for General Plan policies. For example, SB 35 potentially impedes the City’s
ability to require a design review permit or other planning entitlement for housing if the
project meets certain objective criteria. The General Plan is one of several tools that can
be used to establish those criteria. There are also a number of pending bills before the
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California legislature that should be monitored throughout the Plan Update for their
potential impacts on long-range planning policies.
The product of this sub-task will be a comprehensive inventory of potential goals,
policies and programs to be integrated into the General Plan based on the new
requirements. Input from the Steering Committee, stakeholder groups, City
commissions, and the general public will be considered when evaluating existing
policies and considering new policies.
TASK 6 DELIVERABLES
Policy Audit of General Plan 2020
Policy Audit of Other Planning Documents
Matrix listing Policy and Program Implications of State General Plan legislation
TIMELINE
July to September 2018
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TASK 7: DEVELOP DRAFT GENERAL PLAN MAPS
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.
7.1 Develop Land Use Categories and Definitions
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
Element.9 The Map is particularly fine-grained in Downtown San Rafael, where it
carries 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 rely on a Specific Plan or zoning map to show parcel-level distinctions. This
could 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 mixed use categories could be merged, with zoning (rather than the General Plan)
used to express appropriate mixes. In mixed use areas, greater consideration also could
be given to form-based categories that focus on building mass (typically dictated by
floor area ratio [FAR] and height) rather than specific uses. This is particularly true
Downtown, where FAR could be considered in lieu of density as the metric for
regulating multi-family and mixed use residential construction. Flexibility should
continue to be an important objective in commercial, industrial, and mixed use
categories.
In residential areas (and in commercial areas where housing is allowed), this task would
examine whether the City should shift from the current “gross density” standard to a
“net density” standard. Gross density is typically used in cities that are relying on
undeveloped or un-subdivided land for most of their growth. It recognizes that land
that must be set aside for interior streets, easements, public uses, and open space. Net
density is the more common 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 find more than 25
separate categories on a Land Use Map.
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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 by zoning (which are based
on minimum lot sizes or land area per dwelling unit.) The merits of making this switch
in San Rafael should be considered. Typically a net density standard 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 same.
Changes in density and intensity ranges also could be considered to reflect market
conditions, development and housing 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 change 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 buildings of different densities actually look like.
At the conclusion of this task, the conforming zoning districts for each General Plan
designation should be identified. For General Plan categories with more than one
applicable zoning district, the 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, and
where existing districts may no longer be needed.
7.2 Apply Map Designations to Areas Where No Change is Anticipated
Once the land use categories have been finalized, they should be assigned to the General
Plan 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 Plan. Map changes in single family
neighborhoods would generally be limited to correcting mismatches between current
designations and existing uses (or densities) and areas with obsolete designations (not
reflecting recent development or open space acquisition).
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7.3 Consider Options for Potential Change Areas
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 be 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 districts 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 it focuses only on residential uses. This task presents an
opportunity to think more broadly, looking further into the future and considering other
land uses. It is also an opportunity to think about how the values expressed during
earlier tasks in the planning process should be expressed on the Land Use Map.
The evaluation of change areas covers more than just land use—it also covers building
mass, density, and height. Part of this task will be to revisit existing the height maps
and floor area ratio (FAR) maps in the General Plan and determine where changes could
be considered. Recommendations from previously completed station area plans would
be considered as part of this process. Likewise, the use of height bonuses for projects
with community benefits (such as affordable housing) will be evaluated.
The discussion of mapping options will ultimately provide the basis for General Plan
alternatives, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act. It is anticipated
that EIR alternatives will be based on different land use assumptions for change areas
and opportunity sites, and on different assumptions regarding building mass and
height. To the extent possible, the development of alternatives is intended to be a
“bottom up” process, driven by community input and local values. Alternatives should
be organic, and not artificially constructed based on prescribed themes (e.g., “high
growth/ low growth ,” etc.)
This task will require the preparation of large-scale maps and graphics to display
opportunity sites and change areas, and the different land use (and density/ intensity/
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height) options that might be considered in each case. It will also require the
preparation of narrative text, maps, and diagrams to explain what is being shown.
7.4 Complete Draft Land Use Map
The purpose of this task is to complete 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 considered and
“preferred” land use designations for change areas and opportunity sites will be
mapped. A summary report will be prepared documenting proposed changes to the
General Plan Map. Each proposed map change will be numbered, mapped, and keyed
to a legend, indicating the acres impacted, the current General Plan designation, the
proposed designation, the net impact on development capacity, and the reason for the
change. This Work Program presumes that map work will primarily be completed “in
house,” with assistance from the City’s GIS Specialist and the planning intern.
Other maps communicating development standards also would be prepared at this
time, including FAR maps, height maps, and maps illustrating bonuses for projects with
community benefits. These would essentially be updated versions of existing General
Plan exhibits.
7.5 Develop Other General Plan Maps
Task 7.5 covers the development of other policy-related maps in the General Plan.
While most of the maps in the General Plan show “existing conditions,” the Task 7.5
maps are “future oriented” and will be used to shape decisions about capital
improvements, development, and conservation.
Circulation maps will display transportation facilities envisioned for the Year 2040.
Typically, these maps indicate road classifications, the proposed bicycle and pedestrian
network, and transit services such as the SMART train and bus routes. The Open Space
Diagram will indicate existing open space and any planned improvements or extensions
of the park and open space system envisioned for the next 20 years, such as new trails or
greenways. As needed diagrams also may be prepared to illustrate climate resilience
strategies, responses to sea level rise, and hazard mitigation. Urban form and
community design diagrams also may be prepared through this process.
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TASK 7 DELIVERABLES
Recommended Land Use Category Definitions
Map(s) of Potential Change Areas
Map(s) of Potential Options for Change Areas, including land use, height, intensity, and
community benefit “bonuses”
Summary Reports on Options and Preferred Designations
Draft Land Use Map(s), including Height, FAR, and “bonus” maps
Other General Plan Diagrams, including Circulation and Open Space
Collateral materials and displays for community workshops
TIMELINE
October 2018 to April 2019
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PHASE THREE (2019)
TASK 8: MEASURE GENERAL PLAN IMPACTS
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 for 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.
8.1 Calculate 2015-2040 Growth by Zone
The purpose of this task is to quantify the amount, type, and location of growth that may
occur under the proposed General Plan. This 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.). The 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 team, in collaboration with
a transportation consultant. The same traffic analysis zones (TAZs) discussed in Tasks
5.3 and 5.4 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 densities and the types of uses that may occur on key
opportunity sites. Data will be prepared for each TAZ and summarized at the citywide
10 For discussion purposes, 2040 is assumed to be the “buildout” 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 of the city’s potential
growth will occur by 2040.
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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 under Task 8.2 will be assigned to a transportation
consultant, working under the direction of the General Plan team and key Public Works
staff. The specific methodology to be followed for traffic modeling will be determined
through Task 5.4.3, as outlined earlier in this work program. Staff’s 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 own 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 (TAMDM) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission
(MTC) model, or to adapt the TAM/ MTC models for local use.11 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
driving, using transit, walking and bicycling) in the future. The 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 under CEQA.
Regional models are shifting toward vehicle miles traveled (VMT)-based metrics, which
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
implementation. A major part of this task will be finding the right balance between a
11 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).
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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 model to account for the factors
described above. Additional changes may be needed to reflect General Plan policies,
shifts in travel modes related to the General Plan, and proposed changes to the
transportation network. The results of the model review, and any proposals for
changing it, should be summarized in a memorandum from the transportation
consultant for review and approval. Model adjustments 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 traffic model run is to identify the need for future capital projects and
other mitigation measures that maintain or improve mobility over the coming decades.
Depending on the methodology, a list of capital improvements (turning lanes, signal
adjustments, 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. Model outputs also
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, such as LOS for
bicycles and pedestrians, bus travel time estimates, collision analysis, person-delay
analysis (instead of vehicle delays), and multi-modal levels of service in key areas.
8.3 Greenhouse Gas and Air Quality Modeling and Analysis
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 could be
reduced as a result of GHG modeling now being done through the Climate Change
Action Plan Update.
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As noted in Task 5.11, the GHG emissions model considers a “business as usual”
scenario for 2040 and a second scenario which considers the reductions that would
result from Climate Action Plan measures, plus the preferred Land Use and
Transportation Plans and preliminary General Plan policies and actions. It is possible
that changes to the Land Use and Transportation 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 new travel modes and technology, and proposals
above and beyond those in the revised Climate Change 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 traffic volumes and
congestion levels in San Rafael and the Bay 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 streets. Projected
pollutant levels within buffer zones along these roadways will be considered to
determine the need for mitigation measures (or changes to the Land Use Map) that
reduce exposure of future residents and workers to high concentrations of air pollution
and associated health risks.
8.4 Community Services and Utilities Forecasting
Year 2040 population and employment forecasts will be used to develop estimates of
future public facility needs. For schools, estimates of future school enrollment will be
developed in consultation with the School Districts, using data on student yields from
different dwelling unit types and existing enrollment projections. Demographic and
housing trends would be considered as part of this process, since most School District
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
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libraries, police, and fire facilities, 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 evaluate the need for particular types of facilities and
services.
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 consideration 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 Noise Modeling and Analysis
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 technology (e.g., quieter cars), new noise barriers or sound mitigation
techniques, and potential new noise sources will be considered.
12 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..
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TASK 8 DELIVERABLES
Spreadsheets indicating projected households, 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 impacts on schools, parks, services, and utilities
Year 2040 noise forecasts and noise contour diagram
TIMELINE
February 2019 to May 2019
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TASK 9: PREPARE DRAFT GENERAL PLAN
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 and 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 existing Plan
(General Plan 2020), recently adopted plans, and community input. New and/or
amended 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 best practices in long-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 that require discussion will be considered at Steering
Committee meetings, and potentially incorporated as discussion questions using on-line
engagement, small group forums, or community meetings.
9.2 Prepare Administrative Draft General Plan
This task covers drafting of the General Plan itself. Like the existing Plan, the document
will include an introduction and vision, topical elements, and technical appendices.
The subjects to be covered by each element will be determined during Phase Two (see
Task 3.2). Each element will include narrative text to frame the issues, along with goals,
policies, and programs to provide future direction. Features such as text boxes, pull
quotes, and infographics will be used to make the document more user-friendly. The
text will be written in clear, easy-to-read language, with minimal jargon.
Like the 2020 Plan, the focus of the 2040 Plan will be on policies and programs rather
than long summaries of background data. Technical appendices will be used to provide
further detail about existing conditions, forecasts, and model results. It is anticipated
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that most users of General Plan 2040 will be accessing the document on-line.
Accordingly, hyperlinked text will be used to direct the user to appendices, as well as
cross-referenced policies and programs.
While the Element titles are still unknown, the Plan will include all of the components
listed in 9.2.1-9.2.15 below in some form. Full formatting of the Plan will take place in
Task 9.3, after administrative drafts have been reviewed 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 vision for San Rafael in 2040. The
Summary will be professionally designed and formatted and suitable for wide
distribution. Examples of executive summaries are available at the hyperlinks below:
Sacramento County
Seattle
San Antonio
9.2.2 Introduction. The Plan Introduction will indicate the purpose of the General Plan, the
state requirements and legal foundation for the Plan, and the Plan’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 the future.
9.2.3 Vision. Like General Plan 2020, it is expected that General Plan 2040 will include an
aspirational statement that describes San Rafael’s vision for the future. The vision is
intended as an expression of community values and priorities,
9.2.4 Land Use. General Plan 2040 will meet all California Government Code requirements
for a Land Use Element. The Element may be a free-standing chapter (as it is in General
Plan 2020) or it may be combined with other topics or themes. At minimum, the General
Plan will include:
The Future Land Use Map (see Task 7) showing the extent and distribution of each
land use
Definitions of each land use category, including standards for density and intensity
Maps and narrative addressing allowable heights
A discussion of development capacity
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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 coordinating land use and transportation decisions
Policies on annexation, urban services, and growth management
Policies on land use compatibility
Policies on unique land uses requiring specific planning guidance
Currently, General Plan 2020 includes a separate element 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. Regardless 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.
9.2.5 Circulation. The General Plan will meet Government Code 65302 (b) requirements for
a Circulation Element. The Element will address:
Travel patterns, trends, and accomplishments since 2004
The location and extent of major thoroughfares, transit facilities and services, bus
terminals, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and water transportation features
Complete streets principles, which ensure that the transportation system is designed
to balance the needs of all modes of travel and meet the needs of all travelers
The impacts of changes in transportation technology and travel preferences on
mobility and transportation system design (and land use)
Connectivity, livability, environmental, and health goals relating to transportation
Transportation funding and revenue
Alternate approaches to congestion management, including Transportation Demand
Management (TDM)
Traffic safety and traffic calming issues
Parking management
Goods movement
Relationship of San Rafael to countywide and regional transportation plans
Existing and projected traffic conditions, including planned improvements
Plans to improve the transit system and improve transit access and reliability
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Plans to improve bicycle and pedestrian facilities
New metrics for evaluating transportation impacts and conducting transportation
planning, including the use of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) in addition to (or
instead of) Level of Service (LOS).
9.2.6 Housing. The Housing Element addresses housing needs, opportunities, production,
and the elimination of constraints in the city. An update of the 2015-2023 Housing
Element is not envisioned as part of General Plan 2040. However, 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 Housing
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 Element, plus a separate element addressing Air and Water
Quality, and a relatively new element addressing Sustainability.
Conservation policies will address:
Wildlife habitat management and conservation
Special status species
Wetlands management
Creeks, watersheds, and riparian areas
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 control, 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 Element will be considered.
Similarly, some of the Sustainability Element topics (energy conservation, water
conservation, green building, green infrastructure, tree planting and urban forestry, etc.)
could be merged into this chapter rather than being placed in a separate element.
9.2.8 Open Space. The General Plan will meet state requirements for an Open Space Element,
as defined by Government Code 65302(e). These requirements recognize four basic
types of open space, including natural resource areas (sensitive habitat), recreation areas
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(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. The organization of these topics in the new Plan has
yet to be determined, but these two topics could potentially be treated in the same
chapter.
Open space policies will address:
Preservation and management of open space areas
Open space access
Utilities and telecommunication facilities in open space areas
Regional and multi-jurisdictional open space networks
Native American and archaeological resources
Habitat conservation plans and priority conservation areas
Open space networks and corridors
If parks are treated in this element, the text also would address:
An inventory and analysis of existing parks (Task 5.7)
A parks needs assessment, focused on demographics, leisure trends, and user data
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
Joint use agreements and ways to augment City recreational services
9.2.9 Noise Element. General Plan 2040 will meet state requirements for a Noise Element
(Government Code 65302(f)). While General Plan 2020 treats noise as a separate chapter,
many cities combine this topic with the Safety Element (see Task 9.2.10) and treat noise
as an environmental hazard.
The updated General Plan will assess noise problems in San Rafael, including maps of
existing (2018) and projected (2040) noise contours (referenced in earlier tasks). The
General Plan will identify the noise levels that are compatible (and incompatible) with
different land uses, and include policies to mitigate noise impacts and address existing
noise problems.
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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 sensitive 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 hours and conditions for major sources, road maintenance, quieter
pavement, and other techniques. Issues related to health and equity (including the
proximity of lower income communities to high noise areas) will specifically be
considered. Exposure to groundborne vibration also will be considered.
9.2.10 Safety Element. General Plan 2040 will meet requirements for a Safety Element, as
defined by Government Code 65302(g). The scope of this chapter is likely to go beyond
the Safety Element 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 Safety Element must address global climate change and resilience. These topics
are currently covered in San Rafael’s Sustainability Element, although the focus is on
greenhouse gas reduction rather than adaptation. In addition, air quality (now
addressed in the Air and Water Quality Element) could potentially be addressed in the
Safety Element.
At minimum, the Safety Element will include a discussion of existing hazards,
including:
Earthquakes, landslides, erosion, subsidence, and other earth-related hazards
Flooding, levee failure, tsunamis, seiches, and dam failure
Wildfire, including fire hazard severity zones as required by SB 1241, and issues
relating to peak water supply requirements, minimum road widths and
clearances around structures, and evacuation routes
Hazardous materials, including storage, transport, handling, and remediation of
contaminated sites and groundwater plumes
Resilience and global climate change, including adaptation to sea level rise,
extreme heat, and other extreme weather events
Disaster preparedness, emergency operations, hazard abatement, and post-
disaster recovery
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Much of the content of this element may be drawn from the recently completed Local
Hazard Mitigation Plan, with additional topics covered as required by the Government
Code. AB 2140 encourages cities to adopt their LHMPs by reference as part of the
General Plan—in effect, the Safety Element serves as a “roll up” of the key policy and
program recommendations in that document, augmented with policies on additional
topics not covered in the LHMP. At minimum, the LHMP will be cross-referenced 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 response strategy. This requirement was addressed
through the recently completed LHMP; findings and recommendations from that
document will be carried into the General Plan. New implementation programs will be
added to mitigate future hazards and risks, including impacts on infrastructure,
transportation, and critical public facilities.
With respect to geologic hazards, the existing General Plan includes geotechnical report
requirements in an Appendix. 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 geotechnical review
matrix and slope stability maps.
As required by State law, the City will also consult with the State Department of
Conservation and Office of Emergency Services to address issues of statewide concern
and obtain any state data relevant to hazard assessment in the city.
9.2.11 Environmental Justice Element. As noted earlier in this work program, the California
Government Code was recently amended to require Environmental Justice Elements in
local general plans. This requirement can be met by incorporating environmental justice
as a cross-cutting topic addressed in multiple elements rather than creating a stand-
alone chapter. Environmental justice has implications for land use, transportation,
housing, safety, noise, and natural resources, among other element topics. Policies in
the General Plan should address the disproportionate adverse impacts of past land use
and transportation decisions on lower income and vulnerable communities.
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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 Elements. Tasks 9.2.4 through 9.2.11 cover the mandatory elements of the
General Plan. The Plan also will carry forward (and update) 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 underway; 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
Element.
Economic Vitality policies will continue to promote the economic health of the city,
including business attraction, expansion, and retention. The policies will address issues
such as tourism, promotion of local retail, public-private partnerships, communication
between the City and local businesses, business assistance, and the future of local retail
centers and business districts. It will also address marketing and branding, San Rafael’s
economic development strategies, workforce development initiatives, and other issues
relating to economic growth and prosperity. It is expected that this chapter will be
retained as a Plan Element.
Culture and Arts policies will address San Rafael’s role as a regional center for the arts,
the role of the arts in creating civic cohesion and identity, and the conditions needed to
sustain a thriving arts community. This would include policies on arts facilities and
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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 either be included with these policies, or
addressed in the Community Design Element. Policies on libraries (currently in this
Element) will be carried forward and expanded, but potentially moved 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 covering these topics. The future of this element will depend
on how environmental justice requirements are handled in the revised Plan, as many of
the Governance policies focus on equity issues. Policies on “age-friendly” planning also
should be added, either here or in other 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 facilities. These policies will be updated and expanded as needed to
address issues such as funding constraints, technology, and sea level rise.
Sustainability policies provide a crosswalk between the Climate Change Action Plan
and the General Plan. Many of the topics covered by this Element are also covered in
other elements. The City will need to decide whether to retain Sustainability as a
separate chapter or integrate these policies elsewhere. Portions of the Plan (energy and
water conservation policies) were reorganized in 2016 to eliminate redundancy between
the Conservation and Sustainability Elements. Additional reorganization could be
considered for sustainability policies addressing land use, transportation, urban forestry,
food production, waste reduction, green building, climate adaptation, and similar topics.
9.2.13 Implementation. Although the current General Plan is implementation-oriented, listing
responsible parties, timeframes, and resources for each program, it does not have an
“Implementation Element” per se. The intent of such a chapter, if included, would be to
identify the primary tools for carrying out the Plan (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,
timing, funding requirements, and other variables. This provides a tool for monitoring
General Plan implementation in future years, and facilitates preparation of the annual
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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 Appendices. The General Plan will include one or more appendices
providing technical data, background reports, and other information that does not need
to be in the body of the Plan itself. The technical 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 resources 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 during the formatting process.
9.3 Revise Administrative Draft General 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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TASK 9 DELIVERABLES
General Plan style sheet and formatting template(s)
Administrative Draft General Plan (unformatted)
Public Review Draft General Plan (formatted)
General Plan Executive Summary (formatted)
Oversized Future Land Use Map
TIMELINE
May to December 2019
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TASK 10: PREPARE GENERAL PLAN 2040
DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (DEIR)
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 EIR, 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 policies 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 on a 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
topics 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 Tasks 5.9 and 12.1.
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10.1 Notice of Preparation (NOP) and Scoping Session
A Notice of Preparation (NOP) will be prepared in accordance with the CEQA
Guidelines. Copies of the NOP will be distributed to responsible and trustee agencies
and the State Clearinghouse. The City will be responsible 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, summarizes the CEQA process, identifies key environmental
issues, and outlines the expected schedule for the EIR’s preparation and the public’s
involvement. After the meeting, all public comments will be reviewed and a summary
of issues and topics raised during the scoping session will be compiled. The scoping
session will likely be conducted as a Planning Commission agenda item, with members
of the Steering Committee invited to attend.
10.2 Confirm Thresholds of Significance
A draft set of significance criteria will be prepared for each topical issue covered by the
DEIR. Early agreement on these criteria will help focus the analyses provided in the
EIR. A number of sources will be used, including the CEQA 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) (see Tasks 5.4 and 8.2).
For GHG emissions, new thresholds were defined by BAAQMD in May 2017.
10.3 Prepare EIR Introduction and Project Description
The introduction to the EIR will describe its purpose and intended use, tiering and
streamlining opportunities, the environmental review process, the organization of the
EIR, its relationship to other plans and regulations, subsequent actions required to
implement the General Plan, an explanation of mitigation measures, and a description of
agencies that may use the EIR and how they may use it.
The Project Description will describe San Rafael’s location and regional context, the
purpose of the General Plan, the project objectives, and the General Plan Update
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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 elements, 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 will be included. Maps showing
areas changing from one land use category to another will be included. The Project
Description also will include the General Plan Map, maps indicating the location of the
Planning Area (and city limits), and other maps which provide context for the EIR.
The Project Description also will discuss the intended uses of the EIR, and the permits
and approvals required to adopt and implement the General Plan.
10.4 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 impacts that require further mitigation
(beyond the policies and programs), including those with impacts that are significant
and unavoidable. The analysis will clearly describe the affected environment and 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 discussion would address the topics listed below. The text would not necessarily
follow the exact headings shown below, and could combine or reorganize these subjects
to improve readability and avoid redundancy.
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10.4.1 Aesthetic and Visual Resources. The DEIR 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 within a state scenic
highway; be consistent with regulations governing visual character area; or create a new
source of substantial light/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, visual simulations, or quantitative light level analysis.
10.4.2 Agriculture. Potential impacts to local agricultural resources, including urban
agriculture, will be analyzed and related mitigation measures will be identified. As
appropriate, the EIR will include information on direct conversion of Important
Farmland, conflicts with agricultural zoning and Williamson Act contracts, and potential
indirect impacts on ongoing agricultural operations.
10.4.3 Air Quality. As noted in Task 8.3, an air quality analysis consistent with BAAQMD
requirements will be prepared as part of the evaluation of the preferred land use and
transportation plan. The results of the analysis, which will be an appendix to the EIR,
will be shaped by forecasts of future traffic conditions, as well as assumptions regarding
changes in motor vehicle technology. Consistency with regional forecasts will be
considered in determining the significance of air quality impacts. Short-term
(construction) emissions, including dust and exhaust, will also be considered.
Operational impacts related to toxic air contaminants, carbon monoxide, and health
risks to sensitive uses will be considered and appropriate mitigation measures will be
listed as needed. Odor impacts also will be considered.
10.4.4 Biological Resources. The potential impacts of General Plan 2040 on biological
resources will 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.
10.4.5 Cultural Resources. A program-level assessment of impacts on cultural resources will
be conducted, building on the existing conditions data in Task 5 and the proposed
policies and map changes proposed by General Plan 2040. This assessment will focus
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on potential historic sites and structures. As noted earlier, it does not include 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 potentially
significant impacts.
10.4.6 Energy. The potential effects of the General Plan on energy resources and energy
demand will be discussed. Impacts may relate to total energy requirements to serve the
population in 2040, including energy associated with transportation, buildings
(electricity and natural gas), and other activities that affect demand. Impacts to energy
supplies, including renewable and non-renewable sources, will be addressed. Measures
to mitigate wasteful, inefficient, and unnecessary consumption of energy will be noted.
Opportunities for energy conservation, reduction of peak energy demand, and the use of
alternative fuels will be discussed.
10.4.7 Geology and Soils. Impacts relating to geology and soils include slope stability, ground
shaking, erosion, expansive soils, fault rupture, 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 related to geotechnical report requirements and standards will be specifically
evaluated. The evaluation also will consider impacts on paleontological resources. As
appropriate, mitigation measures will be identified to reduce potential significant
impacts.
10.4.8 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions. The impact of General Plan 2040 on greenhouse
gas emissions will be addressed in a manner that complies with the most recent
guidelines from the BAAQMD and CAPCOA. As noted under 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.14 This would include impacts related to development,
transportation, utilities, solid waste disposal, energy consumption, and other activities.
Construction impacts, including exhaust emissions, also will be analyzed.
14 GHG modeling may not be required if the changes proposed through General Plan 2040 do not change the
findings of the modeling done through the CCAP Update process.
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BAAQMD thresholds of significance for General Plans will be used to determine
whether impacts are significant and if additional mitigation is required. Consistency
with the State Scoping Plan and various regional plans addressing GHG reduction will
be documented. If needed, mitigation measures could address energy conservation,
water conservation, renewable energy, and transportation changes aimed at reducing
future year emissions. If it is demonstrated 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 their CEQA compliance.
10.4.9 Hazards and Hazardous Materials. Potential impacts of General Plan 2040 on hazards
and hazardous materials will be evaluated. This will include “Setting” information
collected earlier in the process, followed by a discussion of potential impacts relating to
the proposed land use and transportation pattern. Impacts could relate to the
development 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 receptors such as schools. Impacts associated with demolition or rehabilitation
of structures (asbestos, lead-based paint, etc.) also will be addressed.
Other hazards also will be evaluated in this section. This would include hazards
associated with airports and aviation. It would also include wildfire hazards 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
hazardous materials storage and handling, fire prevention measures, etc. Many of these
measures will already appear as policies or programs in the General Plan, reducing the
need for additional mitigation.
10.4.10 Hydrology and Water Quality. Potential impacts related to flooding, hydrology,
groundwater, and water quality will be evaluated. This includes risks associated with
development in flood-prone areas, and the degree to which development facilitated by
the General Plan may exacerbate downstream flood hazards and drainage issues. It also
includes increased risks due to coastal flood hazards, including risks from sea level rise.
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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 supplies 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 creeks, 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 pollutants 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 hydrologic models. Water quality impacts would
be evaluated based on existing data, resource agency reports, and other readily available
data. It is also expected that the potential for impacts will largely be mitigated through
policies and programs in the General Plan itself. This includes compliance with
stormwater control regulations, participation in regional water quality control
programs, and enforcement of federal and state water quality and flood control
regulations. As needed, additional mitigation measures may be identified to incorporate
best practices in future development proposals and address issues relating to sea level
rise.
10.4.11 Land Use and Planning. The potential for the General Plan to physically divide San
Rafael, conflict with other plans and regulations, and create land use compatibility
issues will be discussed. The analysis will focus on any significant policy and Map
changes proposed by the new Plan, and secondary land use impacts associated with
increased traffic, noise, and emissions. Policies that mitigate these impacts will be cited
as appropriate.
10.4.12 Mineral Resources. Potential impacts of the General Plan on known mineral resources
will be evaluated. This would include any proposed land use changes (or proposed
changes to the transportation network) at or around the San Rafael Rock Quarry and any
other identified mineral resources or extraction operations in the city. Impacts
associated with loss of availability of locally important mineral recovery sites may be
considered a significant impact under CEQA. Mitigation measures will be identified as
appropriate.
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10.4.13 Noise and Vibration. The impacts of the General Plan on noise and vibration will be
considered. The noise contour diagram developed in Task 8.5 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 ground floor
commercial establishments beneath residential uses). An evaluation of traffic noise
impacts will be conducted. The 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 construction and transportation) will be described as appropriate.
10.4.14 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, and new public facilities also will be evaluated. Impacts
are expected to be mitigated by General Plan policies and action programs.
10.4.15 Public Services. Much of the analysis of impacts on public facilities, including schools,
fire protection, law enforcement, parks, and other civic facilities, will be completed
during Task 8.4. This information will be reiterated, along with 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
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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
needed.
10.4.16 Recreation. The impacts of the Plan on recreation, including the demand for
neighborhood and regional parks and other recreational facilities, will be addressed.
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 Transportation 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 travel conditions in 2040 based on General Plan land uses, expected local
and regional growth, and transportation improvements. It is expected that thresholds of
significance will be based on Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as required by SB 743.
However, the General Plan transportation consultant will be tasked with presenting
several options for evaluating transportation impacts that comply with SB 743,
recognizing that a “one size fits all” methodology would not be appropriate for San
Rafael.
The transportation impact evaluation also will look at compatibility of the General Plan
with countywide and regional transportation plans, including long-range Congestion
Management Plans prepared by the Transportation Authority of Marin. Consistency
with other local transportation-related plans, policies and programs also would be
considered. Potential impacts on bicycle and pedestrian circulation, and public transit
use and transit facilities such as the SMART train and the Bettini Transit Center, would
be considered. The need for road improvements, 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 technologies and changes in travel demand patterns would be noted.
Mitigation measures would be identified for impacts that remain potentially significant
even after General Plan policies and programs are implemented, keeping in mind the
limits imposed by SB 743. Where impacts cannot be fully mitigated, significant
unavoidable impacts may be documented.
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10.4.18 Tribal Cultural Resources. 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
measures will be identified as needed.
10.4.19 Utilities and Service Systems. Potential impacts of the General Plan on water,
wastewater, stormwater drainage, electric power, natural gas, and telecommunication
facilities will be documented. Impacts would consider both the demand for these
facilities, and the secondary 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 water supplies to
serve the level and type of growth anticipated by the General Plan. The ability of
wastewater treatment facilities to handle projected sanitary sewer flows also would be
evaluated.
Impacts on solid waste services and facilities would be specifically addressed. This
would include the adequacy of landfills and transfer stations to accept 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 Document Project Alternatives and CEQA-Required Conclusions and Findings
The 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 be sufficiently
detailed to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of each alternative, and to provide
defensible conclusions. The consistency of each alternative with the objectives in the
Project Description will be a key criterion.
For the cumulative analysis, the EIR will qualitatively evaluate the potential effects of
cumulative regional growth for all CEQA topics. Each topic will be evaluated in the
broader context of Marin County and the Bay Area. Where no contributions to
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cumulative impacts are identified, an explanation will be provided supporting the
conclusion. Where potential cumulative effects are identified, feasible options to
mitigate the proposed Plan’s contribution will be identified. The potential growth-
inducing impacts of the Plan, including impacts associated with transportation and
infrastructure improvements, also will be evaluated. Appropriate conclusions will be
prepared to fulfill CEQA requirements related to unavoidable significant impacts,
significant irreversible changes, the relationship between short-term uses and long-term
productivity, and effects not found to be significant.
10.6 Prepare Summary of Impacts
This task will produce a summary matrix that lists and briefly describes potentially significant
environmental impacts for each CEQA topic. Although the table will be prepared after the
impact analysis is completed, 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. Specific mitigation measures will be noted in the table as
appropriate.
10.7 Produce Administrative Draft EIR
An Administrative Draft EIR will be prepared by the CEQA consultant, under the
oversight of the in-house project team. Other sections not referenced above, including
the List of Persons Contacted, Bibliography, Technical Appendices, and Table of
Contents, will be prepared. The complete document will be provided to City staff for
review and comment. Staff will circulate the document to appropriate reviewers in City
departments and will assemble all comments into a single redlined copy. The document
will be returned to the CEQA consultant for revisions.
10.8 Revise Admin Draft and Produce Screencheck Draft EIR
The CEQA consultant will revise the Administrative Draft EIR to respond to staff
comments and incorporate staff revisions. City staff and the transportation consultant
will revise appropriate sections and work with the CEQA consultant to ensure that all
comments are satisfactorily addressed. A revised version of the document
(“Screencheck Draft”) will be provided by the CEQA consultant for City staff review in
“redlined” and “clean” formats. Review time for the Screencheck Draft should be no
more than two weeks.
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10.9 Publish Draft EIR (DEIR) and Prepare Notices
The Screencheck Draft will be revised by the CEQA consultant to incorporate final
comments from staff. The revised document will be the known as the Public Review
Draft EIR (or “DEIR”). A limited number of printed copies 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 review. Appropriate notices will be
provided, including a Notice of Completion and the submittal of 15 copies (DVDs) to the
State Clearinghouse to begin the 45-day public review 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 DELIVERABLES
Notice of Preparation
Project “Fact Sheet” and Notes from Scoping Session
Memorandum on Thresholds of Significance (Draft and Final)
Draft Project Description
Administrative Draft Environmental Impact Report
Screencheck Draft Environmental Impact Report
Public Review Draft Environmental Impact Report
Notice of Completion
TIMELINE
August to December 2019
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TASK 11: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PHASE THREE (2019)
This task covers community engagement activities during Phase III of the General Plan Update.
The strategy laid out in Task 2 will continue to be implemented, with ongoing opportunities for
public input, education, and engagement. This task includes the following components:
Steering Committee Meetings 11-20. It is anticipated that the Steering Committee will meet
approximately 10 times during 2019. While it is premature to outline the topics to be
covered at each meeting, the focus will be on reviewing proposed policies and programs,
and resolving Land Use and Transportation Map issues.
General Plan Community Meeting #2. This 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 meeting or workshop with breakout groups. The
extended open house involves creating a staffed 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 series of topical “stations” such as transportation,
community design, and sustainability. The exhibit can be mobile (e.g., it would be set up in
multiple locations over a two week period) or stationary. 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 easier for residents to participate.
General Plan Community Meeting #3. A third communitywide meeting will take place in
Summer 2019. The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss the proposed land use plan, as
well as proposed General Plan policies or policy options. If necessary, this meeting could be
conducted as a series of smaller meetings using the same agenda and held in different
locations around the city (such as elementary schools or recreation centers).
Commission and Council Briefings. The Planning Commission and City Council will
continue to be briefed on the General Plan during 2019. In addition, staff will make periodic
presentations to the Design Review Board, Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Parks
and Recreation Commission, and Citizens Advisory Committee on topics relating to the
Plan.
Stakeholder Engagement. The project team will continue to meet with homeowner
associations, neighborhood organizations, interest groups, community organizations,
business groups, faith-based groups, social service organizations, and other local
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stakeholders to solicit input on General Plan related issues. This may include staff
attendance at the regularly scheduled meetings of such organizations, and special meetings
convened by the City to engage members of specific groups. Continued efforts also will be
made to reach under-represented populations and non-English speaking residents.
Meetings with other public agencies will likewise continue throughout 2019.
Website Content Management. The project website will be maintained and enhanced
throughout 2019, with content regularly updated. Content will include Steering Committee
meeting agendas and attachments, news releases, meeting 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 issues.
On-Line Engagement. A robust on-line engagement program will continue through 2019,
including polling of residents and businesses on key policy questions, land use issues,
interactive mapping (expression of ideas using maps), and ideas for the future of the city.
Opportunities for on-line participation in other languages also will be provided.
Media Management. The project team will continue to generate press releases and will use
social media to generate interest in the General Plan Update. The possibility of a Plan video
(as a student project or volunteer-initiated project) could be considered.
Collateral Materials. On-line and print media will continue to be created during 2019 to
communicate Plan policies, spatial data (maps), and information.
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TASK 11 DELIVERABLES
Monthly Steering Committee Agenda Packets
Content for General Plan 2040 Community Meetings #2 and # 3, including presentations,
handouts, displays, interactive exercises and meeting summaries (“what we learned”)
Staff reports (where necessary) and meeting summaries for Commission / Council meetings
and stakeholder meetings
Website content, including news stories
On-line engagement content, including discussion questions, geo-spatial exercises, and
summary reports indicating survey findings and recommendations
General Plan exhibits, displays, and print media
Press releases and social media content
TIMELINE
January 2019 to April 2020 (Plan Adoption)
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PHASE FOUR (2020)
The tentative schedule envisions completion of a Public Review Draft by December 2019. The
final four to six months of the project would cover Plan adoption, including public hearings and
outreach on the Draft Plan and EIR, response to comments 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 occur during Phase Four,
extending beyond the General Plan adoption period.
TASK 12: PLAN ADOPTION
This task covers all work conducted between the date the Plan and EIR are released and the
date when they are adopted. Sub-tasks include public hearings, other public and stakeholder
group meetings, responses to comments on the Draft Plan and Draft EIR, and preparation of
addenda to the General Plan and EIR. This will be a collaborative effort between City staff, the
consulting project manager, the CEQA consultant, and other technical sub-consultants.
12.1 Tribal Consultation (SB 18 compliance)
The project team will notify interested Native American representatives (Task 5.9) of the
availability of the DEIR and Draft General Plan as required by SB 18. A 45-day comment
opportunity will be provided, running concurrently with the general public comment
period (Task 12.3).
12.2 Communication and Meetings on the Draft Plan and EIR
The project team will manage communication regarding the Draft Plan and EIR, and
respond to public inquiries on both documents. Members of the team will be available
to make presentations to various 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 next” after the Plan is adopted. Comments on the
Plan will be recorded and tracked. Interested parties will be strongly encouraged to
submit comments in writing.
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12.3 DEIR Response to Comments
A 45-day review period for public comment on the DEIR is assumed.15 Comments will
be annotated 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 writing.
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 CEQA
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 EIR. In addition, this task
includes preparation of a Mitigation Monitoring 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 consultant 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 #1
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 comments on the Draft Plan and lay out specific edits to the Plan’s text,
policies, maps, and graphics that reflect those comments. It is also more efficient than
reprinting the entire Plan before it is adopted. The Addendum would list line-by-line
15 The City may choose to extend this to 60 days if the volume of comments is unusually large, or if there are
controversial issues that require additional public discussion.
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 85 February 2018
edits to each chapter of the General Plan, noting text to be added, deleted, or modified
on each page. The Addendum would be listed as an “Exhibit” in the adopting
resolution.
12.5 Planning Commission Public Hearings
At least two noticed public hearings of the Planning Commission will be convened to
make a recommendation on the General Plan and Final EIR. As noted above, the first
hearing should occur before the end of the EIR comment period. The second hearing
would consider both the Final EIR and the General Plan and Addendum. A resolution
and other appropriate attachments will be included with the staff report. More than two
hearings will be held if necessary.
12.6 City Council Public Hearings
The General Plan Addendum will be revised as needed to incorporate direction from the
Planning Commission. The revised Addendum (“Addendum 2”) will become an
attachment to a resolution to be considered by the City Council adopting the General
Plan and FEIR. At least two hearings before the City Council will be held. As needed,
the Addendum will be revised again after the first hearing (and subsequent hearings) to
respond to direction provided by the City Council. More than two hearings will be held
if necessary.
12.7 Administration of the Adoption Process
This task covers a wide variety of administrative 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 publication.
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 86 February 2018
TASK 12 DELIVERABLES
Miscellaneous presentations and meeting summaries
Staff reports and resolutions (Planning Commission and City Council)
Draft Response to Comments document
Screencheck Draft Final EIR, including Responses to Comments, Findings, Mitigation
Monitoring Program, Statement of Overriding Considerations
Final EIR
Notice of Determination
General Plan Addendum #1 (precedes Planning Commission recommendation)
General Plan Addendum #2 (precedes City Council adoption, if required)
TIMELINE
January 2020 to April 2020
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 87 February 2018
TASK 13: PRODUCTION OF FINAL PLAN
13.1 Produce Final Plan
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---including those annotated in the General Plan Addenda,
and other changes authorized through the public hearings—will be “flowed” into 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
TIMELINE
May 2020
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 88 February 2018
ALL PHASES (YEARS ONE, TWO, AND THREE)
TASK 14: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Good project management is essential to ensure the effective and efficient use 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 tasks, deadlines, deliverables, staffing
issues, policy questions, and upcoming meetings
Hiring of temporary project staff (advertising, recruiting, interviewing, personnel
management)
Processing of consultant invoices
General attendance at Staff meetings, Division meetings, etc.
Tracking of the overall project budget and consultant budgets
Applying for grants and other funding sources
Management of mailing lists
Meeting noticing and advertising
Arranging for meeting space and refreshments
Quality Assurance and Quality Control for all work products
Miscellaneous email communication
Communication and coordination among project team members
TASK 14 DELIVERABLES
Project Budget Tracking Spreadsheets and Accounting
Monthly Consultant Invoices
TIMELINE
July 2017 – May 2020
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 89 February 2018
TASK 15: SUPPLEMENTAL PLANS AND INITIATIVES
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 programs, 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 change, changes to zoning regulations and maps,
and Municipal Code Amendments on particular 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 achieve 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 DELIVERABLES
Grant applications, as opportunities arise
TIMELINE
January 2018 – May 2020
General Plan
Work Program
San Rafael 2040 General Plan Work Program 90 February 2018
3/15/2018
1
SAN RAFAEL GENERAL PLAN 2040
WORK PROGRAM
Presentation to General Plan 2040 Steering Committee
March 14, 2018
Detailed Work Program
•Road map for GP 2040
•Lists milestones and deliverables
•Data collection and analysis tasks
•Key issues to be addressed
•Basis for RFPs and consulting contracts
•Includes community engagement strategy
•CEQA compliance
•Budget and schedule
3/15/2018
2
Major Tasks
Year Task # Description
2017 1 Reconnaissance
2018 2 Community Engagement, Phase One
3 Determine General Plan 2040 Structure
4 Retain and Manage Technical Consultants
5 Data Collection and Analysis
6 Policy Audit
7 Develop Draft General Plan Maps
2019 8 Test impacts on Transportation, Air Quality, Noise, GHGs,
Public Facilities
9 Prepare Draft General Plan Document
10 Prepare Draft EIR
11 Community Engagement, Phase Two
2020 12 Plan Adoption
13 Production of Final Plan and Follow-Up Tasks
On-going 14 Project Management and Administration
15 Supplemental Plans and Initiatives (*)
Technical Consultants
CEQA compliance
Hydrology
Biology
Geology
Air Quality/ GHG
Noise
HazMats
Aesthetics
Architecture
Public Space
Historic Resources
Environmental Transportation
Traffic counts
Modeling/ analysis
Complete streets
Bike/ped/transit
Traffic calming
Parking
Technology
Design
Economics
Real estate market
Jobs-housing data
Economic development
Fiscal impacts
Engineering
Utilities
Civil engineering
Engagement
Facilitation
Focused Outreach
On-Line Technology
3/15/2018
3
Work to be done “in house”
•Demographic Analysis
•Health and Wellness Indicators
•Equity and environmental justice
•Land Use Analysis
•Evaluation of Community Services
and Facilities
•Parks and Recreation Needs
•Arts and Cultural Assessment
•Sustainability “crosswalk” with
CCAP
•Managing overall planning
process
•Facilitating public input and
communication
•Data collection and
analysis on other topics
•Policy audit
•Plan Maps
•Developing and evaluating
alternatives
•Drafting and vetting the
General Plan
Community Engagement Strategy
•+/- 20 meetings
•Sounding board for
policies and actions
•Liaison to community
organizations and
constituent groups
STEERING COMMITTEE
3/15/2018
4
Community Engagement Strategy
•Three planned
•September 2018
•Jan-Feb 2019
•Summer 2019
•Widely publicized
•Variable formats
•Town Hall
•Open house/ stations
•Breakout groups
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
Community Engagement Strategy
Periodic briefings to:
•City Council
•Planning Commission
•Design Review Board
•Parks and Rec Comm.
•Citizens Advisory Comm.
•Bicycle-Ped Advisory Comm.
COUNCIL AND
COMMISSION BRIEFINGS
3/15/2018
5
Community Engagement Strategy
•“We come to you”
•GP Team member
attends regularly
scheduled mtg of
established organization
•GP is one of several
items on agenda
NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOC.
AND ORGANIZATION MTGS
Community Engagement Strategy
•City brings together
groups of stakeholders
with shared interests
•Useful for discussion of
particular topics such as
homelessness, sea level
rise, Downtown design
SMALL GROUP
DISCUSSIONS
3/15/2018
6
Community Engagement Strategy
•GP Team sets up exhibit
at Farmers Market,
shopping center, library,
etc.
•Passers-by can “drop in”
and offer feedback
POP-UP MEETINGS AND
MOBILE EXHIBITS
Community Engagement Strategy
•Non-English speaking
residents
•19% of San Rafael residents
speak English “less than
very well”
OUTREACH TO UNDER-
REPRESENTED GROUPS
•Youth
•Young adults and families
•Others?
3/15/2018
7
Community Engagement Strategy
•Consultation and
coordination with
service providers
•Joint participation in
long-range planning
and capital facilities
planning
COORDINATION WITH
PARTNER AGENCIES
Community Engagement Strategy
•Press releases
•Outreach to Marin IJ and
other local media
•Media interviews and
contacts
•Working with
neighborhood newsletter
editors
MEDIA RELATIONS
3/15/2018
8
Community Engagement Strategy
•Intro/Overview
•Project FAQs
•Meetings/Events
•Agendas and
Attachments
•Workshops
•Documents
•Past Plans
•New Materials
•Feedback links
•Contacts
•Email sign-up
PROJECT WEBSITE
Community Engagement Strategy
ON-LINE ACTIVITIES
3/15/2018
9
Community Engagement Strategy
ON-LINE SURVEYS
Community Engagement Strategy
CONTESTS
3/15/2018
10
Committee Feedback
•Questions/ comments about:
•Overall work program
•Data to be collected and analyzed
•Community Engagement Strategies
SAN RAFAEL GENERAL PLAN 2040
WORK PROGRAM
Discussion
Responses to Eight Questions- Summary Memo * March 14, 2018 1
REPORT TO GENERAL PLAN 2040 STEERING COMMITTEE
Subject: Responses to “Eight Questions” Visioning Exercise
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
At the February 14, 2018 Meeting, the General Plan 2040 Steering Committee discussed its responses to
eight questions about San Rafael’s future. Most Committee members also responded to the questions
in writing. This report provides a synopsis of the responses. It provides a profile of strengths,
weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the City’s future, as expressed by members of the Steering
Committee. Attachment 5 includes the verbatim responses themselves.
REPORT
At the February 14 2018 Meeting, the General Plan 2040 Steering Committee discussed its responses to
eight questions about San Rafael’s future. The questions highlighted aspects of the city that are valued
or need improvement, things that are missing, and external forces shaping the quality of life.
Committee members were given the option of responding to the questions in writing. Twenty
Committee members did, providing thoughtful and insightful answers. With so many responses, there
were many different ideas and opinions expressed. However, there were common threads and themes,
and many shared goals and concerns. The responses provide a foundation for editing the current
General Plan goals and revisiting the General Plan 2020 Vision for San Rafael’s future (drafted roughly 15
years ago).
Responses to Question 1: What is precious here that we don’t want to lose?
This question asked Committee members to think about the things that make San Rafael a great place to
live and work—the valued and cherished aspects of the community and its greatest strengths. Recurring
responses were:
Open Space and the sense of being a refuge from the urban Bay Area
Physical beauty and aesthetics, proximity to nature (woods, hillsides, wetlands, bay)
Walkable and historic downtown—a true and authentic civic gathering place
Small town/Small city character
Diversity and inclusion; welcoming persons of all backgrounds
Culture of good government, accessible leadership and civic engagement
Neighborhoods and strong sense of identity– a “community of communities”
MEETING DATE: March 14, 2018
AGENDA ITEM: 5.B
ATTACHMENT: 4
Responses to Eight Questions- Summary Memo * March 14, 2018 2
Creative and innovative spirit
Balance between urban life, neighborhoods, and open space
Excellent schools, parks, and services
The full list of responses is in Attachment 5.
Responses to Question 2: What’s almost good that we need to make better?
This question asked Committee members to think about the things in San Rafael that were “pretty
good” but could be better with a little bit of work. Recurring responses were:
Pedestrian and bicycle safety—overall walkability
Congestion and traffic—ability to get around town
Aging parks and community facilities in need of investment
Waterfront accessibility and the general state of the waterfront
Affordable housing and services for the homeless
The arts, culture, entertainment, and dining scene
Older, shabby shopping centers
Architectural design standards and architectural quality
Overcoming anti-immigrant sentiment and being more inclusive
The public transportation system
The Downtown business district, including preservation of historic buildings, sensitive infill, and
more programmed activities
The full list of responses is in Attachment 5.
Responses to Question 3: What is terrible that needs to change?
This question asked Committee members to identify the City’s greatest weaknesses, and areas where
San Rafael is falling short. Traffic and housing were the primary responses, with many also mentioning
climate-related hazards such as sea level rise and wildfire. Recurring responses were:
Intolerable traffic congestion
Not enough affordable/ workforce housing
Inequities and limited opportunities for lower income and immigrant households
Lack of sufficient parking in specific locations
Climate-related hazards, particularly flooding and sea level rise
Homelessness
Trash and litter
Creeks are not valued and have been ruined
Fiscal constraints and responsibilities
Pedestrian and bicycle safety, and better cycling behavior
More visionary, thoughtful, and environmentally aware planning
The full list of responses is in Attachment 5.
Responses to Eight Questions- Summary Memo * March 14, 2018 3
Responses to Question 4: What’s missing?
Question 4 asked respondents to identify missing features that could improve the quality of life or make
San Rafael a better place. The “threads” common to many of the responses are listed below:
More unity—community gathering places and events that bring people together
More sensitive treatment of creeks and awareness of watersheds
Better access to the waterfront and identity as a waterfront city
More housing options, including seniors, emergency responders, formerly homeless
Better commercial services—restaurants, hotels, places to go, choices for local workers and
residents
More economic equality and access to good education/ services
More focus on North San Rafael / Terra Linda; sometimes feels like the City ignores these areas
Safer, more walkable neighborhoods and viable commercial centers
More cohesive and higher-quality architecture
Emergency preparedness
More partnerships (public/private, neighborhoods/city, seniors/youth, etc.)
The full list of responses is in Attachment 5.
Responses to Question 5: What’s happening nearby that we should take advantage of?
Question 5 asked Committee members to identify things the City should be doing given its location in
the San Francisco Bay Area, and its relationship to other cities and counties in the region. Key messages
in the responses included:
Learn from the Sonoma County wildfires and be prepared for the next disaster
Recognize San Rafael as the hub of the County, the gateway to the North Bay, and a destination
city—home to special events and entertainment that draws visitors from other communities
Encourage more environmentally responsible planning
Work regionally and borrow ideas from other cities to address greenhouse gas reduction and
climate resilience/ sea level rise
Walkable town centers—housing belongs in locations with good connections to regional workplaces
Embrace the fact that San Rafael is culturally diverse and has issues related to equity
Improve public transit connections to the rest of the Bay Area
Be a vanguard and regional leader on issues such as climate, transportation planning, and
homelessness
Individual committee members expressed different views on issues like transit-oriented development,
with some in support and others opposed. The full list of responses is in Attachment 5.
Responses to Question 6: What’s happening nearby that we should be worried about?
Committee members were asked how changes in nearby cities and the surrounding region might be
negatively impacting San Rafael. This question asked about worries and concerns relative to the future
Responses to Eight Questions- Summary Memo * March 14, 2018 4
of the Bay Area and Marin County. Almost all respondents mentioned housing and transportation in
their responses, with many aspects of the current situation described. Key concerns were:
Traffic congestion
The lack of housing supply and resulting affordability problems (loss of economic diversity, long
commutes and traffic, inability to attract and retain employees, etc.)
Regional homelessness problem
Increasing susceptibility to climate-change related disasters, including fire and flooding
Suburban sprawl and diminished environmental quality, including lack of reliable water supply
Culture of fear in the immigrant community—which divides people and erodes trust
Intrusive state laws that take away local control
Income inequality and the loss of the middle class
Unfunded pension liabilities
Impacts of the growing senior population
The full list of responses is in Attachment 5.
Responses to Question 7: What do we aspire to be?
Question 7 touched on the idea of a vision for 2040. It asked Committee members to articulate what
they’d like San Rafael to be known for in that Year. Some Committee members drafted full vision
statements, while others jotted down a few descriptive words or goals. Most of the responses
referenced the issues mentioned in Questions 1-6, but with a focus on innovation, integrity, inclusion,
authenticity, and environmental stewardship.
Excerpted responses included:
“The city in Marin that has a little bit of everything”
“A hip city of art and innovation”
“A multi-cultural giving-back community that promotes healthy lifestyles”
“The first town in Marin to reach zero net GHG emissions—demonstrating how to remedy climate
change wile readying our community for its impacts”
“The most diverse and inclusive city in the Bay Area. A friendly city that focuses its economy on
innovation, arts, and tourism.”
“On the forefront of innovation for transportation, self-driving cars, zero emission efforts, energized
youth”
“Celebrate (San Rafael’s) connection to the car”
“Lacking in stratification and prejudice, we aspire to represent who we are and who we will be
demographically, culturally, and socially in 2040 and beyond. Ever aware and representative of our
common values and abilities.”
“The largest, most inviting, most fun place in Marin—a welcoming community to all.”
“A complete community, well integrated across income levels and cultures, and with the natural
environment”
Responses to Eight Questions- Summary Memo * March 14, 2018 5
“A comfortable, world class, multi-cultural, walkable, bicycle-friendly, safe, clean diverse city, with
neighborhoods a downtown, businesses, cultural attractions, interesting architecture—a city that is
accessible to the disabled and sustainable for generations in the future”
“Let’s be known for our willingness to change and embrace the future—solve the solvable
problems”
“A community of gathering places safe for all”
“A great fiscally sound small city with a wonderful and walkable downtown, highly diverse
population, a strong economy, a great quality of life for our residents”
“A great place to go shopping, with a lovely natural environment and historic buildings”
“Good design, simple and effective planning, a city that serves its residents—a place people like to
live in.”
“More of the same---but just a little bigger and more accommodating to younger people”
“A culturally diverse, livable community that offers all people the opportunity to be connected to
community life and have the resources and support they need to thrive and achieve their life
potential”
“The hub and destination city for Marin—with a strong economic base, that embraces diversity and
encourages a multi-cultural community that supports each resident.“
The full list of responses is in Attachment 5.
Responses to Question 8: How do we get started?
Question 8 asked Committee members to imagine that they were the Mayor—and explain what they
would do to address the issues raised in the earlier questions. There were fewer recurring themes in the
responses, but several respondents mentioned the same things, including:
Tap into local talent, imagination, knowledge, and vision
Learn from other cities
Improve design quality
Strive for equity, gender equality, compassion, and inclusion
Other comments made by individual committee members included:
Emphasize political integrity and honesty
Overarching focus on climate change and being a greener city
Engage the schools
Question the benefits of TOD in light of autonomous cars and local preferences
Proactively address pension reform and infrastructure funding needs
The full list of responses is in Attachment 5.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 1
REPORT TO GENERAL PLAN 2040 STEERING COMMITTEE
Subject: Responses to “Eight Questions” Visioning Exercise – VERBATIM RESPONSES
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report presents the verbatim responses to the eight questions about San Rafael’s future. Twenty
Committee members replied. The responses are anonymous and are presented in random order for
each question.
RESPONSES
QUESTION 1: What is precious here that we don’t want to lose?
Think about the things that make San Rafael a great place to live or work—the things you cherish and value about the
community. What are the city’s greatest strengths?
San Rafael’s small town character
SR’s unique services and shops in and around downtown (not chain stores)
We need to preserve SR’s viewshed of surrounding hills and Mount Tam.
Its historic character and location in Marin County, California.
Its strong ‘Park and Recs’ infrastructure specifically the walking paths – Shoreline Park / Bay Trail; the path
along the Mahon Creek near downtown and bike paths along the 101 corridor. Its fixed recreational structures
such as pools, tennis courts, ball fields and bocce ball court.
The charming downtown street scape. It seems to have a nice mixture of commercial use such as restaurants,
entertainment venues, and businesses, etc.
Its proximity to the bay and the canal.
Its historical landmarks such as the San Rafael Mission and the Frank Lloyd Wright designed civic / county
government center.
The partnership with the Trust for Public Trust for the construction of a high quality and aesthetically pleasing
community garden at Kerner and Windward Way. Nice repurposing of this vacant lot.
The City’s embracing green/renewable technologies such as solar panels on municipal properties and
improvements to street lighting.
It has been nice to see the upgrading and replacement of old architectural structures such as the rebuilt Bahia
Vista Elementary school or the new fire station on 3rd ST across from Trader Joe’s etc. This gives the
impression that San Rafael is continually improving its key infrastructure for the 21 st century.
Fourth Street has reasonable parking that allows easy access to Main Street. We need to examine how we can
replicate that model in other high density neighborhoods that are struggling with high car density for parking.
MEETING DATE: March 14, 2018
AGENDA ITEM: 5.B
ATTACHMENT: 5
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 2
Question 1, continued
Our access to the environment; the open space hiking and the bay; parks.
Our “small town” atmosphere, where walking along downtown 4th street like I did as a kid still feels fun. Our
old Victorian houses, leafy tree lined streets. Places to hang out.
The volunteer program and the Green Streets team.
Access to fresh local food from West Marin, etc.
Back streets for exploring.
Creeks flowing through back yards.
Restaurants and pubs that have lively atmospheres at night.
An approachable City Council you can talk to.
The library on 5th Street.
The things that make working in San Rafael great are many of the same things that make it a great place to live:
the physical beauty of the area, especially water view, marshes, the canal, the hills and charming
neighborhoods. Among the City's strengths arts and culture, convenient shopping, and good schools. I value the
diversity that the immigrants bring to our community. San Rafael is made internationally famous as the home
of Frank Lloyd Wright's Marin County Civic Center, which draws visitors from around the world. San Rafael
manages to provide big city arts and entertainment, yet it is a City with small town feel.
Among the things I cherish are the Farmers' Markets, enjoying walks with beautiful views, and the dedication o f
residents to making San Rafael an even better place for all. I do not want to lose our wetlands, our small town
feel -- or the ability to drive in San Rafael without gridlock.
Walkable downtown, feels family friendly
Can be a “destination” for anyone coming to Marin County, with the Civic Center and Mission
Lots of coffee shops and places for networking; professionals who are diverse
Downtown Farmers Market is great
Our natural habitat that should be accessible to all.
What makes San Rafael a great place to live and/or work is our diversity. Diversity in all its context (cultural,
religious, racial, age, etc.) plays a key role in the economic growth of our City. We need to make sure that we
build strategies and opportunities in an intentional way to continue empowering +the participation of diverse
voices in the city's decision-making processes. Diversity, inclusion and tolerance must become fundamental
elements of our society. Politicians, leaders in general, must continue to work on the implement ation of policies
and create a culture that encourages the growth of these elements throughout the city structure and at all levels.
Terra Linda is surrounded by beautiful open space with lots of hiking.
The community is fairly walk-able and cycle-able.
There is diversity within San Rafael, including a vibrant Latino community
One can find almost everything one needs in San Rafael, thriving local business to meet every need, good
restaurants, and entertainment.
SR Government is inclusive and pro active in civic engagement.
SR has a small city feel to it and has all the amenities (transportation, access to open space, great downtown,
local economy, etc.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 3
Question 1, continued
Beautiful nature surrounding the area; make sure that environmental stewardship is a priority
Our diverse community with various levels of socio -economic groups allows for the best cultural experience
in all of Marin
The wide range of nonprofit organizations that brings communities together: i.e., Salvation Army, Ritter House,
St Vincents, Bloom
A sense of belonging to the community. Not everyone shares this but many of us feel we live in a place where
we all want good things for our entire community. This includes a caring for people who don’t look like us.
San Rafael is also a practical sort of town. Our leaders act in a professional manner, they listen to the
community, but they also make decisions without an excessive amount of infighting and blame.
San Rafael is a well-balanced community. We have all kinds of people and all kinds of businesses. People also
respect the fact that San Rafael is a place to do business, not just a place to live
San Rafael is a Community of Communities. Our character as a small town, while maintaining a vibrancy of a
larger city of culture, economic presence, diversity, and dignity for all is truly precious
Sense of being a hometown, where you know people living here
As it changes, still a place we love
A downtown that is fun to go to—with favorite shops
Neighborhoods
One of San Rafael’s greatest strengths is its ability to balance the intersection of urban life with residential
neighborhoods and great amounts of dedicated open space. San Rafael is diverse and bustling in a County that
is 50% open space. We need to protect both the open space and the urban center.
The preservation of undeveloped open spaces interspersed throughout the City and along ridgelines
Our downtown core with a “main street” feel
Feeling that San Rafael is a small town amongst the larger Bay Area metropolis (a refuge from dense urbanized
East Bay and SF)
Diversity of the population, politically aware and sensitive elected officials, quality healthcare available for all,
urban/suburban combination, beautiful physical environment with accessible open space, shore line, city, county
and state parks, many unique neighborhoods with neighbors caring for neighbors, quality public and private
education K-university.
San Rafael is an authentic city, a real place not precious or pretentious. We have some urban challenges and are
focused on how we can make our city better, and more equitable while improving our quality of life.
We are a small city composed of many distinct communities defined by topography, watersheds, ethnic
enclaves, and different histories.
San Rafael has a rich cultural history that has endowed us with an interesting cultural geography and excellent
inventory of historic buildings.
We have a great downtown with a wonderful main street. Out Downtown has buildings representatives of most
of our history. We are missing only buildings from the Spanish/Mexican period due to the destruction of the
mission in the late 19th century.
Our landscape has great variety and we have one of the best and most varied bay shores in the bay area. We
have incredible access to open space, recreation and trails.
We have an approachable and responsive city government.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 4
Question 1, continued
I love our views of grassy and wooded hillsides, the ability to walk out of my door and be in a grassy field
within 2 minutes. Our small scale suburban/rural environment.
I don’t want to see Terra Linda become urbanized - many residents like me chose Terra Linda precisely because
it is not urban. I am concerned by pressure from the state, and a vocal minority advocating rapid urbanization.
I want to maintain the peace and quiet. Before the Quiet Zone was introduced the noise of the train horn was
horrific.
The design of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Civic Center is terrific. Don’t spoil this wonderful valley.
We need to preserve the tax base - being careful not to embrace too much subsidized housing, or take on
projects that either destabilize delicate city finances or drive up taxes that drive away the middle class or make
our town a place people can’t afford to stay in.
The Historic built environment – both on 4th street and in the close in neighborhoods, San Rafael has wealth in
Historic buildings which is invaluable, and should be preserved for future generations.
Natural Beauty, especially the view of Mt. Tam from most of the city – this makes San Rafael unique, and
several neighbors have already approached me worrying that the City intends to destroy it.
Best governed City in all of Marin, and probably all of the Bay area.
Small town feeling – friendly neighborhoods, walkable.
Community—seeing people I know when walking around the neighborhood or downtown.
Nature—hills, Bay, creeks (spotted owls and pileated woodpeckers a mile from 4 th Street).
A traditional downtown—compact & walkable, with history and trees, welcoming, human scale.
A creative community—open to innovation, flexible, adventuresome.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 5
QUESTION 2: What is almost good that we need to make better?
Where do we get a “B” on our report card? Think about the things that are pretty good but could be better with a little bit
of work. What are our big opportunities for improvement?
Leadership and involvement. Understanding of mutual benefit. A commitment of neighborhoods to identify
and foster activities in public and private partnership to bridge gaps of mutual needs and accomplishment.
Successful civic engagement
Lack of affordable housing
GHG reductions-engagement of schools in this effort
With the arrival of SMART, perhaps our biggest opportunity (and our biggest challenge) is to improve transit --
and the design of our transit center.
We have some great arts programs, but we have opportunities for even greater. We can improve our canal
waterfront.
Our website needs to be available in Spanish ((other languages?)
Our website needs to give the public better access to City activities, plans, and projects. Public Works in
particular needs more transparency and accessibility.
Inclusion is an area that we can improve. San Rafael is in an excellent position to lead the conversation and take
concrete actions to create a more inclusive society. The inclusion strategy should incorporate development
projects in areas such as, but not limited to, affordable housing (for all segments of the workforce), transit
access, protected bike lanes, parks and infrastructure
We need to make business and development more streamlined. It is ok to say “no” but if we are saying “yes”
let’s make it easy to do business here. This helps keep the place vibrant.
Our architecture is often 2nd rate.
Improvement to some of the major streets – pot holes and traffic flow issues.
Need to maintain the canal waterway as navigable.
Waterfront improvement opportunities along the canal – similar to what has been done by the Terrapins Cross
Roads collaboration.
The need to dedicate resources to existing Park and Recs physical plants for maintenance things as exterior and
interior painting, roofs, energy efficient bathrooms, broadband Internet access, libraries etc.
The City has done a reasonable job on repurposing retail / commercial space such as the Marin Health and
Wellness Campus, Mi Pueblo market, the San Rafael theatre (which is a venue for the Mill Valley Film
Festival). But there are other opportunities to explore such as the Marin Square shopping center that has just
languished. Coming from the south it is the first view of the city and its state of disrepair is apparent.
Improvements to the park and play areas surrounding the B Street park. When I look at the Mill Valley
Community Center I wish that our community center was similar. It seems like it is old and tired in appearance.
In contrast the MVCC is a jewel used by citizens across the age spectrum.
The last TWO City plans have said we need to update the list of Historic Buildings in SR – this has never been
done. Third time is the charm?
Not all neighborhoods have a city park. Montecito/Happy Valley does not have one.
Some city parks are dangerous because of drug use, etc.
Since so many horrible new laws are coming out of Sac, it appears that the newly developed Design Guidelines
for Downtown need to be formally adopted and made mandatory, or else they may be able to be ignored
completely.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 6
Question 2, continued
Our downtown can be better. It lacks a great public place: a town square for programmable activities and
celebrations.
Our historic resources need to be better loved and restored to their best condition to provide future generations
long term enjoyment and cultural diversity (in the geographer’s definition).
Focus on improving pedestrian and bicycle access and safety from major regional bike highways like the north -
south greenway to local trail and walkway segments such as along Mission Avenue next to San Rafael High
School, and abandoned or misused pathways leading to downtown from the close in neighborhoods (remnants
from the railroad era).
Have higher aspirations for design in our public realm downtown our sidewalks squares and plazas: better
design, pavements, amenities and public art.
Step up the quality of our architecture. Avoiding design by committee. Enabling architects and project
proponents to do their best work expressive of our time just as our historic buildings are expressive of theirs.
Invest in our transportation infrastructure and reduce the north/south - east /west movement conflict Downtown
along the 101/SMART corridor.
Implement a strong economic development strategy to improve our fiscal resilience and pay for civic
improvement.
Protect our immigrant community and make sure they have affordable housing, opportunity for personal
improvement and a good quality of life.
Produce more housing in walkable, transit accessible locations particularly Downtown, at Northgate, the Civic
Center and a Point San Quentin (ferry/rail terminal).
Public transportation is pretty good. It is possible to get from Terra Linda to downtown, and fairly easy to get
into San Francisco by bus and ferry. Local transportation linking parts of the City could improve. Parking
downtown is available, but more free parking would bring more customers to downtown businesses.
The City could make better use of its waterfront. It should be a real asset
Many lovely local parks; often not well maintained or monitored.
More emphasis on the City's history and heritage.
Downtown getting better but still needs attention, collaboration with County of Marin, communication with
residents, emergency preparedness, built environment improvements for older adults and disabled, more
opportunities/activities for seniors and youth
Ability to easily get around to different areas safely and happi ly. Sidewalks are sometimes narrowed by poles or
hampered by too many car crossings. When trees are removed, walkways get very hot and unpleasant.
Traffic that’s heavy is also less pleasant to walk or bike along. The Promenade at the mall is a good exampl e of
an almost made it: it’s not a completely safe path because of the many car crossings. Bikers would rather ride in
the street where traffic is more predictable. Walking around a parking lot without a barrier or trees making it
pleasant just fails. It looks like an afterthought rather than a true Promenade. It’s disconnected from upstream
and downstream because the city lacked what was needed to really make the Promenade, as desired by the
community, a reality.
The recent work to address the most costly homeless folks with a full suite of programs, a stable place to live,
etc was terrific and needs to be expanded or continued. The root causes of homelessness need to be addressed.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 7
Question 2, continued
I’d like to see more use of traffic circles instead of 4-way stops. People don’t understand (or choose not to
understand) how 4 way stops work. It’s difficult to cheat a traffic circle. Also it avoids cars slowing down
(wasting gas / generating emissions) when they don’t need to slow down.
I’d like to see traffic lights installed at Las Pavadas and Las Gallinas or make it a traffic circle. This junction
gets very busy during school drop off time. People don’t take their turn.
I’d like to see the city take leadership encouraging adoption of electric vehicles and residential solar, where
reasonable giving small tax breaks and promoting these good behaviors.
Preparing for future transportation shifts now.
Implementing policies that cut greenhouse gas emissions.
A more safe and comfortable pedestrian experience, a planned network of pathways.
Walkability—complete pleasant paths connecting all neighborhoods to community destinations (shopping,
work, recreation, activities). Bikes as well. Complete streets.
Culture & arts—build on downtown arts district, performances spaces, connect better to Dominican.
The low income housing crisis. Too many people can’t afford to live in Marin anymore.
The REST program. Find permanent housing for the homeless men.
Need more public/ community facilities like parks, soccer fields (and improvements to the ones we already
have)
4th Street offers great sitdown dining options, but more healthy and take away options would be good. Need
more healthy take out services, i.e., vendors selling food from tents or carts? Inexpensive, quick, and healthy
North San Rafael commercial areas are dumpy—Northgate Mall especially
How can we be a welcoming and inclusive place for all residents in a time of heightened racism and anti -
immigrant sentiment?
Livability: The sense of livability seems to be in decline. I see surface street congestion getti ng worse and
worse. Short trips are getting harder to make. Walking and biking (especially in Central San Rafael) feelings
increasing unsafe around vehicles especially when I am with my family. I feel very uneasy about traffic safety
when walking around with my kids. 4th Street (the heart of our downtown) is the most dangerous street for a
walker or biker in San Rafael when you look at the number of vehicle accidents (something I learned recently
through my work on the BPAC).
I also see a lot of the parks and public spaces in decline or disrepair (e.g. Albert Park, Boyd Park, transit center).
We need to do more to make the enjoyment of our downtown core and public spaces better.
Walkable downtown, feels family friendly
Downtown activities that keep the city “alive” in the evenings (Fairfax has this quality)
Celebrate Arts Downtown and other activities that highlight the richness of our Arts community – need to do
more of this
Downtown is a big opportunity, it is good but could be better with more mixed use development, better transit
planning and less cars.
Efforts to provide support and other services for the homeless are beginning but could be improved by
executing on ideas like moving Ritter, consolidating services and building a wrap around facility.
Diversity. We acknowledge our ethnic communities but have not made room for everyone.
SMART. More trains and more track will ultimately help achieve a livable density
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 8
QUESTION 3: What is terrible that needs to change?
What are the City’s greatest weaknesses? Where are we really falling short?
Creeks/watersheds are not recognized or celebrated. The concrete ditch that is the north fork of Las Gallinas
Creek and Santa Margarita Creek are ugly and sad reminders of a time when the environment was no t valued;
the City continues to treat Las Gallinas Creek as though it were no more than this concrete ditch. Madrone
Creek is nearly invisible to City residents.
Homelessness and cost of housing. We need to figure out how to create more affordable housin g without
creating even more unaffordable housing. The method of making a small percentage of any development
"below market price" while impacting neighborhoods and traffic adversely should change. The proposed
development at Four Points Sheraton is a case in point. More emphasis should be placed on working with non -
profit housing organizations like EAH to create true below market developments and in promoting junior units,
second units and shared living.
Despite a good county-wide MCSTOPPP program, City Public Works continues to ignore its principles, putting
in new curb and gutter on all street projects. The City's desire to appear "green" is contradicted by the lack of
attention to green principles in infrastructure.
Many sidewalks are in disrepair and discourage walking
Traffic, pedestrian safety, affordable and low-income housing, NIMBYism, preparation for sea level rise, better
solution for homeless
Congestion around transit area.
Exiting highway at central San Rafael exits regularly have huge backups.
Bicycle and pedestrian safety
Traffic congestion-campaign to make riding the bus ‘cool’ (similar to campaign of smoking ‘not cool’)
Homelessness
Garbage in our freeways and streets-campaign to reduce it
True outreach and engagement of disadvantaged communities-develop programs to engage youth in ‘trades
programs’, develop internship programs with private and public sectors/utilize more HS students from
disadvantaged families
Increase partnerships to accomplish common goals (private, government, non-profit partnerships)
Stifling traffic and inadequate transit—we need to create a community where driving is optional.
Not enough workforce housing—we need a lot more to support a thriving local economy.
Failing social equity—we’re losing our social and economic diversity and opportunity.
Homelessness and its impact on the entire community.
Petty crime.
Traffic, although I am not sure there is anything we can do about this.
Even though San Rafael is one of the most progressive cities in the County, we still have very low academic
success with students of color. Latinos represent approximately 50% of the student population in the San
Rafael District.
% San Rafael HS graduates met the UC/CSU requirements to attend California State Schools without remedial
coursework or the skills needed for success in our economy (source www.marinpromise.org): 26.5% of
Economically Disadvantaged graduates; 28.4% of Black/African American graduates; 37.4% of
Hispanic/Latino graduates.
Latinos are playing a fundamental role in the local economy and if we continue with this trend the future
workforce is not going to have the skills and knowledge required to cover the labor demand.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 9
Question 3, continued
Traffic
Homelessness
Emergency/Disaster Preparedness
Surface street congestion: the amount of surface street congestion in a small town like this is crazy to me. I
sometimes spend 15-20 minutes trying to travel the 8 blocks from my house the 101 on ramp. We aren’t doing a
good job of managing the sources of local street congestion or in creating viable alternatives to local driving.
We should be making it more comfortable, easier, and safer to walk or bike in areas where congestion is a
problem (especially for school kids). If we can’t fix the congestion, we should at least be providing safe and
efficient alternatives to the people that want to walk or bike.
Lack of housing for people who work here or who rent and want to stay
Need places for business expansion
Car-focused street improvements. We need people-focused improvements; fewer signals, innovative roadway
changes
Climate change; sea-level rise preparedness
I would place the greatest weakness on a lack of Vision in Planning, which includes utilizing the latest science
and Regenerative Design principles to make happen the massive shift in building and the ways we manage our
landscape that we need to survive Climate Chaos.
Watershed Planning to daylight and restore creeks for drought proofing the landscape. Gallinas C reek is in a
ditch that is crumbling. Restoring the creek could and should be the leading part of a Master Plan rethinking of
the Freitas Parkway corridor. A true Promenade would be a safe, aesthetic, and environmentally pleasing path
that would take advantage of the fact that we have a creek running through the neighborhood. Creek restorations
in other areas have breathed new life into towns that have done this. A safe Promenade path would make it
possible for more kids to safely hike or bike to school (which is a major source of traffic in the morning). A
traffic study to determine where Freitas parkway could be reduced to 2 lanes total, or lanes reduced, needs to be
done.
If the Sheraton in Terra Linda is redeveloped, the traffic coming off 101 and turni ng from the mall onto Freitas
is a nightmare already. This intersection already needs to be redesigned for safety for drivers, bikers and
pedestrians. Are there opportunities to restore the hillside and creek in the ditch near there, or to make it better?
Is that the best place for what is being proposed? Housing at the mall, where there is already parking and
services in walking distance, would be a better place. Can the city start to lay down some ground rules for what
it wants and needs rather than being at the whim of private property developers? This would actually help
developers create a more acceptable plan from the start.
Litter & homelessness. These two go hand in hand. The Green Streets team could be expanded to help solve
both problems: give people meaningful work and reduce litter that is an eyesore and environmental and safety
hazard. Continue the cigarette butts for vouchers/food cash. Continue to address the root causes of
homelessness. Provide financial support for first time homebuyers that are local workers by a loan program
(like SF).
Lack of Vision in Planning. When SLR flooding happens, or a fire destroys buildings or neighborhoods, how do
we want to rebuild? We need to incorporate the latest Living Building, Regenerative Building Princ iples into
planning and have plans ready, not scramble afterwards and end up doong things the old way that got us into
this mess in the first place. SMART should never have come into SR without having a plan for the Transit
Center in place first. Planning should happen first, from a coherent, shared vision, not as an afterthought or in
response to private whims. We need to scale back home size to leave more room for water infiltration, trees and
other environmental features that serve us by filtering water, air, pollutants and noise.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 10
Question 3, continued
Even though the City makes an honest effort to address the causes and solutions to climate disruption, the
general plan has not made it possible to adopt policies or ordinances to respond to newer information. Even
though the City is deeply concerned about sea level rise and flooding, it still allows land use practices that
undermine our protection from these very real and devastating hazards. Our departments, especially public
works, are siloed from the each other. This has been a tradition in most jurisdictions and limits the ability of
staff to think outside the box to create a better solution for our response to climate disruption. Purple pipes, rain
catchments, watershed habitat, zero emissions buildings, permeable pavement, and so forth.
Safety for pedestrians on our sidewalks and street crossings. There are far too many intersections that are not
properly controlled and are made even more dangerous due to drivers who are aggravated by gridlock or other
issues of entitlement or impatience.
Embracing change as a positive force- good growth improves our quality of life, makes our city more fiscally
sound and pays for civic improvement.
Reducing flood risk in flood prone areas particularly the central San Rafael valley floor.
Proactively preparing for climate change and sea level rise.
Proactively responding to long term challenges in mobility and transportation and harnessing regional resources
to solve regional transportation issues within our city boundaries.
Forthrightly addressing long term pension obligations and their impacts on our city’s fiscal health.
Creating a more demographically diverse community – a place for immigrants, our children and grandchildren
(forthrightly addressing our part in the regional housing problem).
Protecting existing and creating new housing opportunities for our immigrants, service employees and their
families and seniors.
Creating missing middle housing for our children and downsizing seniors.
Building more active adult communities including go - go, slow-go and no-go housing opportunities
Coming to terms with density.
Need to maintain the canal waterway as navigable.
Improvements to the canal waterfront access and street scape.
Improvements to public transportation.
Parking, parking, parking!!
Improvements to land management in a high land-use demand area.
Need to keep abreast with street sweeping and trash that could enter the nearby waterways.
(Need) economic resources to actualize our plans for community improvement.
Concerns about responding to sea level rise. While there is some seed funding it probably will be quite
expensive.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 11
Question 3, continued
Traffic - infrastructure is at capacity, Sonoma is adding more housing at a very rapid rate further adding
burdens to our stretched road system. The train and bikes won’t carry enough people to make a meaningful
difference
Taxes are very high and driving people away; we need to be better custodians of taxpayers funds
Homelessness - we are seeing more panhandling at stores and traffic lights. I am very concerned by the fire
risks when it’s dry. We’ve had a fire created by homeless right after the Napa fire. We need better ranger patrols
to spot and eliminate illegal homeless encampments.
Cyclists - we need to encourage better cycling behaviour. Schools should give training in adhering to the rules
of the road. Traffic lights and stop signs should be obeyed. People should cycle with traffic not against it. Police
need to enforce rules to all traffic - cars and bikes.
Ballot measures - we need to ensure voters are well informed and not misled by ballot measures. We need
ballot measures to be in plain English and present facts. We should strive to ensure people with high school
English understanding, or Spanish, are presented information in a manner that they understand. Subjective
language and buzzwords in ballot measures should be avoided.
Traffic, in general
Little development of E San Rafael (City used to promote a Latino Farmers Market in the Canal)
More awareness of Terra Linda and E San Rafael – too much on downtown when $$ come from those areas
Lunch food in the public school system is horrible not providing adequate healthy nutrients for students
Downtown is a big opportunity, it is good but could be better with more mixed use development, better transit
planning and less cars.
Efforts to provide support and other services for the homeless are beginning but could be improved by
executing on ideas like moving Ritter, consolidating services and building a wrap around facility.
Diversity. We acknowledge our ethnic communities but have not made room for everyone.
SMART. More trains and more track will ultimately help achieve a livable density.
Creeks and waterways in SR have been put underground, trashed, ignored, etc. – they should be restored to at
least be good for wildlife habitat.
Lack of adequate parking on the EAST side of Downtown, where the demand is (SMART, bus station, etc) ,
while the City parking garages are all way further WEST. (the parking study said there is adequate parking, but
I was on that committee, and the consultant finally admitted that they did not take WHERE the parking was into
account – all parking was just “downtown” . We have a huge and growing “senior” population in SR and
Marin – not everyone can walk or ride a bike everywhere.
Surface street congestion which lately has frequently been actual gridlock on major streets.
Homeless people endangering themselves and others on downtown streets
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 12
QUESTION 4: What is missing?
Are there things missing from our community that could improve the quality of life or make San Rafael a better place?
Housing is missing from our community. And/or a program to take better advantage of the excess number of
bedrooms in single family homes in our City.
We need more public/private partnerships to help drive development, like the Bettini Transit Center.
A revitalization of the canal, create pathways for planning to face the canal not back onto it. Bring back the
waterfront.
Let’s reach an agreement on what is developable at Canalways and create a vibrant housing community with
additional parking for the overcrowded canal area. We don’t have any more time to be at a stalemate in
development.
Let’s relish the future instead of fearing it.
Better access and egress to and from East San Rafael.
A world class shoreline in Central San Rafael
Better use and access to the Canal, however, we must protect our maritime activities and respect private
holdings along the estuary.
Community events that bring the city together could tackle the lack of cohesiveness as a city
Cultural appreciation and knowledge of the history of our city! There is such rich history of this city, rooted in
the Spanish Mission that still exists on 5th Street, and some kind of way to get the public learning about its city
would be really exciting.
Revamp parks Albert Park, Boyd Park, Gerstle Park, Pickleweed Park
A community center of hangout center designed specifically for teenagers for weekends (Friday and Saturday
nights)
This location would offer a cafe/ restaurant with dining options, a foosball table/ pool table, cards, music/
dancing/dj/karaoke night. We could even organize local high school bands to play (San Rafael HS, Marin
Academy)
A place for entertainment where teenagers can go and hang out, alcohol free. Could help eliminate substance
abuse problems in our county (huge issue in our county—teen chemical dependency is worse here than in many
counties in the nation due to the affluence of our area)
A swap-meet once a month. Super high-end garage sale. People would be able to clean out their homes
Money raised can go to a cause. Different cause every month. Or revenue can go to City of SR.
Salvation Army often turns down donations bc they have too many donations
Outdoor drive-in movie theater during the warm summer nights could be set up in fairground civic center
An indoor sports center/ arena
A program (like San Francisco’s – see Spotswood’s column in the IJ Feb 11, 2018) to make it possible for first
responders who work in SR to actually LIVE here – in a true serious emergency, they might not be able to get
here, other than those on duty when the emergency started.
Clean and beautiful creeks.
Solutions to homelessness that would provide housing for the chronically homeless.
A quality downtown hotel.
A world class museum.
Better integration of Canal District residents into our community.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 13
Question 4, continued
Affordable housing, supportive services, constructive work to keep people from homelessness.
Lively residential—overcoming the sterility of tract housing with tree, paths, diversity.
Mixed use commercial—make car-dominated shopping centers & strips places where people also live.
Lively work environments—evolve industrial zones into live/work districts, with good connectivity
Need more walkable neighborhoods; i.e., more/better neighborhood centers
Need more homes for people to live here (and not commute from elsewhere)
More bicycle parking, sheltered from rain
Public restrooms
One street that is walkable/bikable without cars
A better public transportation system. The benefits and importance of improving public transportation impacts
everyone, including those who do not use it at this time. Public transportation services in America’s most
congested cities saved travelers 1.1 billion hours of added travel time
More housing for seniors and disabled – we do not have much that accommodates people that can’t manage a
SFR. Our apartment stock is ancient.
More affordable housing for all people.
Better schools
Active watershed restoration and green infrastructure wherever possible with CIP projects.
Stronger community representation and planning as part of the whole; there are missing pieces to the larger
puzzle.
San Rafael seems to be split between “the city” in 94901 and “Terra Linda” in 94903. This could be OK but
there is a lack of vision on this side at the city council level, which always seems to have its major focus on
Downtown.
Terra Linda deserves a fresh look at what we have that we can emphasize, wh at is ugly that needs to change,
and the opportunities we have to create a strong, integrated community that remains fractured by Freitas
Parkway and Highway 101.
We deserve to have our best feature, the creek, be taken out of the 1950’s gray infrastructu re ditch and restored,
as much as it can be, to a functioning creek, integrated with the community rather than constricted between
traffic lanes. Then the Promenade, as envisioned by our community years ago, could be a reality. Many pieces
of this plan have been done; it is up to the city to move this to the front burner, rather than relegating Terra
Linda to a side yard. I am hopeful that having district elections, Terra Linda will get the attention to its features
that it deserves.
Accessible care to preschoolers
Programs that links seniors with children; it’s such a positive experience for the elderly when children are
around them.
Equality in access to education-huge disparity on education rates between whites and minorities
For being a waterfront city, we lack much of a real connection between our town and the Bay. We need to
create better public access, connections, and opportunities to experience the Canal and Bay (e.g. walking paths,
boat/kayak launches, waterfront dining or retail, a public pier). We have the Bay Trail out along Pickleweed
area, but it would go a long way to bring that kind of waterfront connection up the canal to our City core. Most
of the businesses along our canal waterfront don’t even face the canal.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 14
Question 4, continued
San Rafael is a real city and has many communities and socio economic communities, we are far too siloed and
need to have greater bridging, to allow more cross polarization of thought, word, and deed. We are lacking in
Unifiers, this can be solved through community champions to create unifying bonds through greater interaction.
Terra Linda lacks high quality restaurants.
Terra Linda doesn’t have any big events like parades. These all happen downtown.
Safe and secure walking and biking paths for all neighborhoods, especially the canal district, are needed.
Vehicles speed throughout San Rafael and often don’t stop at stop signs. This causes a breakdown in the
community, and fear of playing and walking in our neighborhoods.
There are often no sidewalks even available to get across busy intersections or to transit.
A Response to light pollution, sound pollution, water pollution and air pollution is missing or inadequate.
More intergenerational opportunities, opportunities for the many neighborhoods to become more engaged and
cohesive, improvements to the built environment to support older adults, children and families (sidewalks, more
benches, public toilets, etc.)
Public transportation to all neighborhoods.
In many cases, what’s missing is a true partnership between the city and its residents. It often feels very
adversarial.
The concept plan to create a more natural channel for Las Gallinas Creek, moving the street to one side and the
creek to the other, with only 2 lanes of traffic and improved wal king and biking paths should be incorporated
into the City Plan.
Terra Linda should have a neighborhood plan, or maybe several.
Terra Linda does not really seem to be part of the City. Most people in Terra Linda feel that the City
government ignores our area.
There seems to be no overall architectural style in downtown San Rafael; all the buildings appear to be a
hodge-podge.
More celebration of and integration of our Spanish speaking immigrant population.
The Terra Linda pool is the only public pool in San Rafael, and the City seems to want to pack as many bodies
into it as possible to maximize revenues. It would be nice for folks in other parts of the City to have a pool they
could use near one of the other rec centers, and for the Terra Linda pool to be less crowded.
One or more youth recreation centers for High School age kids.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 15
QUESTION 5: What is happening nearby that we should take advantage of?
We are part of a large metropolitan region with over 7 million people. Are there things we as a City should be doing given
our location? What’s our future relationship to the rest of Marin County and the Bay Area?
Better public transit connections to the East Bay and SF to accommodate workers going in and out and to
accommodate Marinites who want to get to BART.
Create a more robust tourism plan to attract visitors as they go north to the wine country and west to the open
space areas
Better regional planning and economic coordination with Sonoma and East Bay Counties
An active and genuine interest in solving problems related to equity.
Greater participation in Cultural event to create interaction among diverse residence; open neighborhood
parties, film festivals, winter fest, New Years Eve, Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick’s Day, LGBT celebration.
Inclusion is the best unifier of a community.
Let’s be a leader for transportation, climate action, community wellness.
Learn to govern and make decisions without relying on or holding onto the past.
Thursday Farmers Market. But could use a little revamping
Bring in more food trucks
Design a legit performance stage (where local artists can perform, talented HS students, open mic night)
Bring in a DJ to play dance music (like Fort Mason Off the Grid)
Art in public places ordinance
More cultural venues/ activities (Arts Plan)
Intergenerational Center
Welcome meeting—annually in September for new SR residents
I see other cities in Marin getting fantastic, safe and separated regional bikeways and walkways that really
connect their populations together and provide safe and efficient alternatives to driving. The Sausalito/Mill
Valley Path, the connectors to Tam Valley, the Corte Madera/Larkspur Path are great examples. In the East Bay
they have the Ohlone Trail and the Iron Horse Trail. I want that ki nd of safe infrastructure here.
The City needs to strategize on how to protect San Rafael from being paved over completely with 8 story ugly
buildings, mandated by Sacramento.
SR should be more of a destination city by having more special events like the June street painting festival,
after-Thanksgiving sledding/Explore how to make it more of a tourist destination -it already has excellent
restaurants
Planning for sea level rise adaptation
Part of a regional multi-modal transportation network.
Stronger connection to other parts of Marin including baylands as a whole, open spaces, and agricultural lands
of West Marin
Partnering with the entire region to create solutions for transit, low income housing, and response to Climate
Disruption
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 16
Question 5, continued
Santa Rosa will hopefully be looking at better design to truly fireproof their area —which does not mean cutting
down all the trees! There is more dead wood and toxins in a home than in the forest. Earthen homes, and
restoring water to the landscape, will continue to be the best way to create fire safe areas, along with not
building in historically fire prone areas. Don’t allow houses to be built in forests where people then cut down
the trees to be fire safe! This accelerates Climate Change. Green Streets and LID principles need greater
acceptance; the city needs to show the way, as they have done in Portland and Seattle. There is a LOT of
information out there but also a lot of data gaps; we need to be nimble and take what is good, follow it to see i f
it performs as we expected and change or improve it as needed. For example, permeable pavers and permeable
concrete have been around for a long time; we need to make this a priority over asphalt and impervious
surfaces. While more expensive in the short term, they pay dividends over time. This way of looking at the full
spectrum of Ecosystem Services when looking at the economic balance sheet needs to be integrated in our
permits, design planning and policies. Flagrantly steal what works from other communities! Get staff out to
other areas and conferences to learn new things so that they approach problems with fresh eyes.
Because San Rafael is centrally located, the city could become a hub for the County, supporting regionalization
of certain services and improved coordination.
San Rafael could provide leadership on particular issues, such as homelessness, since our numbers are small
enough to actually make an impact, compared to other larger jurisdictions like SF or Oakland.
Marin is the rural playground of the region - enjoyed by hikers, cyclists and those who enjoy nature. We need to
continue to offer this as an option to residents of the region, and preserve our wonderful environment, avoiding
caving into pressures from adjacent rapid job growth in SF or rapid housing growth in Sonoma County.
Affordable housing
Code enforcement for existing structures to create a high quality housing stock for future generations.
Impact of homelessness
Impact of natural disasters i.e., fire, flooding and earthquake disruptions.
We are the gateway to the Bay Area from the North Bay, Wine Country and Redwood Empire. Let’s think more
broadly about the transportation improvements we want to reduce the imp act of through trips on our community
such as: elevated rail through downtown, better transit stations, a high quality north -south greenway including
the segment between the top of Porto Suelo Hill and North Point San Pedro road (with a safe connection to the
civic center), and 101 and 580 improvements. As Daniel Burnham said “Make no small plan for they have no
magic to stir the hearts on men (and women)”. We can attract the resources if we can agree on what we want.
We need to do our part to build more housing in the right places in and around downtown and near transit and
sensitive infill in more suburban location including ADU’s.
Do away with housing inspections at time of transfer – this eliminates functioning second units.
We could be an important center for tech workers and younger people to live—walkable town centers with
good transit connections to the thriving regional economy and culture.
We should be protecting our shoreline and wetlands.
We should be looking at more public transportation options to the East Bay.
Our relationship with the rest of Marin County will be affected by the SMART expansion --by driverless
vehicles; we need to be looking to the long range impacts of these changes
We need to be collaborating with Sonoma County in particular to prepare for the next disaster (earthquake, fire,
etc.) as Sonoma County learns from all the mistakes that were made during the recent firestorms. We should
take advantage of lessons learned.
Also, right here in San Rafael, we need to be planning for the closure of the San Rafael Rock Quarry--this site
will present a challenge and an opportunity for San Rafael.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 17
Question 5, continued
Remember that the Bay is the heart of the 'Bay Area'. We are in an area where ecological restoration is planned
regionally and being taken seriously, and draws on a wealth of expertise from our world class universities and
research institutions. Let’s make sure our City becomes a leader in fighting climate chan ge as well as adapting
to it.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 18
QUESTION 6: What is happening nearby that we should be worried about?
How are changes in nearby cities and the surrounding region negatively affecting San Rafael? What do you worry about
when you think about the future of the Bay Area and Marin?
Sonoma is rapidly adding housing at a rate outpacing infrastructure for traffic, possibly water.
The state is passing increasingly intrusive and onerous planning laws removing local control.
We need to ensure we don’t outstrip (outgrow) our water supply. We take a lot of water from Sonoma County
which is also growing. Global warming is reducing reliable rains. We need to plan for - not plunge headlong
into more droughts and water crisis.
Affordable housing
Code enforcement for existing structures to create a high quality housing stock for future generations.
Impact of homelessness
Impact of natural disasters i.e., fire, flooding and earthquake disruptions.
Pressures for growth and the pressures and consequences related to growth.
Income inequity
Climate Change and weather instability have moved the planet into a crisis situation but our planning and
design and ways of doing things are glacially slow to adapt. We need to be more nimble. As well as slowing or
halting bad projects, we need to be encouraging good projects, based on the sound principles of building
Natural Capital, not merely “sustaining” it. We are in debt environmentally and cannot run things at a
“sustainable” level and hope to survive. Every project needs to be looked at with this filter: does this truly help
stop Climate Change? Does it sequester carbon and water? Does it filter the air? Does it create a resilient
landscape that resists drought and fire? How will we manage when sea level rise chokes off Hi ghway 101 north
and south? Where will people go when the flooding is permanent? These problems and their solutions need to
be integrated now, while we still can.
The other institutional change is based on cities everywhere catering to businesses and the money they bring in
vs housing and local residents and the services that are needed to provide for them. This has created a tragic
situation of horribly inflated housing costs while large corporations continue to not provide their workers a fair
wage that would allow them to buy homes, save money and live well. This is starving the body politic as people
need to work 2 jobs or more to survive, leaving less time for family and community. The city should take a firm
stand on wage equality and not let any store open in the city without guaranteed fair wages and benefits and full
time employment. The outsourcing of these costs by the Targets and WallMarts are bankrupting our country.
We cannot continue to court businesses without taking into account their worker s and their needs. Traffic is a
nightmare, and only one aspect of this policy of business over all. Business and homes need to grow together.
Right now we are top heavy in SF and Silicon Valley and it’s having a devastating effect on surrounding East
Bay and Marin.
We bear a disproportionate burden of homeless persons in our community due to the services available here and
need help in better address this challenge.
Marin’s aging population is averse to change. Change is a characteristic of a healthy city and region. We claim
to care for others as a blue city but are unwilling to make small sacrifices in our city to accommodate the needs
of our city and region for our own and others wellbeing.
We need more space for young people.
It is too difficult to get things done that need to be done.
If we don’t find ways to mitigate our challenges we will suffer.
If we don’t respond to climate change we will be mugged by reality (George Shultz)
We need a sense of civic purpose not unlike the City Beautiful era a century ago.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 19
Question 6, continued
Housing affordability and availability is bad everywhere in the Bay Area. I think it is 1) driving up the prices
and scarcity of housing in San Rafael, and 2) pushing more and more development into North Marin and
Sonoma County, ultimately generating increasingly worse traffic in San Rafael
Pensions eating up our revenue and spending, leaving less for services.
Worried that San Rafael and Marin will become bedroom community. Need to attract and retain more
businesses
Embrace tourism strategies
See above (re: protection from ugly 8 story buildings)
Backup of vehicles trying to get to the East Bay from 101 causing daily back up a nd sometimes gridlock on
East Francisco, Mission, Grand, etc.
Rising home/rent prices leading to less diversity, less access to services for residents and eventually an
“economically- gated” community.
Climate change and sea level rise with associated impacts to neighborhoods and the Downtown, and the region;
drought and resulting prolonged water shortages
Life expectancy increasing dramatically throughout the state and cities are not prepared
No good strategies to date to reduce the number of homeless in the Bay Area and Marin. Approaches to the
issue regionally are often not effectively coordinated
The lack of affordable housing throughout the Bay Area.
Traffic.
Affects of climate change--sea level rise, firestorms, flooding, drought, etc.
I fear Terra Linda in particular could become more of a bedroom community; few people who work in local
businesses can afford to buy here, more commuting to San Francisco.
Traffic generally.
Climate change is here; we should double down on climate change adaptation. F lood zone areas may need to be
redefined and building restrictions in flood areas strictly adhered to.
The current political context has created fear in the immigrant community. Fear separates people, and this
separation can create unexpected problems that can affect the whole community. We need to continue building
trust through transparency and highlighting the values and principles of our city.
I worry about the impact of immigration policies and detention/ deportation of SR residents who are an inte gral
part of our economy. Will children need homes? Will families become homeless if a parent is deported? Will
sons be at risk without their fathers? I worry also about the impact of pension liabilities (and health care for
retirees) on being able to provide City services in the long run.
Climate impacts—sea level rise, wildfire, drought, extreme heat events.
Loss of affordability & diversity—how can we remain an inclusive community, and become more so?
Suburban sprawl—cars taking over everything.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 20
Question 6, continued
Legalization of marijuana. Marijuana dispensaries should not come into Marin b/c would be too accessible for
teenagers to get pot would change the culture of our community. Amount of teens vaping/ smoking has been
rapidly increasing and teen drug epidemic in Marin is a very real threat.
Traffic congestion because of the SMART train, traffic especially getting worse around Central SR exit.
Homelessness: we need to take strides to end the homelessness problem in San Rafael
How investing in group homes, which will allow people to end the cycle of bouncing from shelter to shelter
and give them a chance to actually get on their feet.
Bolstering job training programs and sponsoring organizations that can provide such services .
I worry that we have priced everyone out of Marin. Where do teachers and fire and police personnel live if the
cost of living is so much higher than the median wage?
We should be worried about those who lack empathy and interject entitlement and intolerance as thei r belief
systems and deliberations.
There is investment in the public section (BioMarin for ex) but the housing shortage is not being addressed.
Employee retention is a challenge/losing work force due to high living costs and therefore increasing traffic
congestion
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 21
QUESTION 7: What do we aspire to be?
What should San Rafael be known for in the Year 2040? What’s our vision for the city’s future?
A complete community, well integrated across income levels and cultures and with the local natural
environment.
Good Design. Simple and effective planning. A city that serves its residents. A place people like to live in.
Better connections with small local transportation systems. Places to hang out. Places for youth to be that are
safe. A diverse community where differences are enjoyed and celebrated.
A community of gathering places safe for all.
Many land use decisions can be made that have multiple co-benefits: greening and naturalizing our creeks that
create community corridors that can also address flood protection or the reverse, water sequestration.
We should aspire to truly represent our Community. Lacking in stratification and prejudice; we aspire to
represent who we are and who we will be demographically, culturally, and socially in 2040 and beyond. Ever
aware and ever representative of our common values and abilities. From many, One.
On the forefront of innovation for transportation, self-driving cars, zero emission efforts, energize youth to
reduce GHG emissions
Reduce commute hours for residents-focus on local economy
Reduce driving – campaign to use buses/ferry/carpool
Great place to go to enjoy shopping, lovely natural environment, and historic buildings.
Should be the hub and destination city for Marin
Affordable and mixed housing that is successful
Strong economic base with targeted business sectors, including bringing back a small business/entreprenur
incubator type organization (like Renaissance Center)
Embrace diversity and encourage multicultural community that support each resident
Support education for all, including preschool, and make sure that all students are graduating from high school
and moving on to higher education opportunities
More of the same, but just a little bigger and more accommodating to younger peo ple.
I think we should aspire to continue being a city that has a little bit of everything: residential homes for people
to raise families, quieter neighborhoods for people to retire to; bustling downtown area that people can get
excited about going to on a Friday night, beautiful open spaces that the entire city is able to appreciate and use
San Rafael should be known for being the Jack of All Trades City, as I would like to call it. We’ve got nature,
we’ve got schools, we’ve got city life, but also a more suburban feel
A multi-cultural giving back community that promotes healthy lifestyles
A “hip city” full of art and innovation
The largest most inviting most fun place in Marin
Known as a welcoming community to all
A great place to raise a family
A great place to grow older
A great place to have a business
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 22
Question 7, continued
A culturally diverse, livable community that offers all people the opportunity to be connected to community life
and have the resources and support they need to thrive and achieve their life potential.
The most diverse and inclusive city in the Bay Area. A friendly city with the environment that focuses its
economy on innovation, arts and tourism.
We are a great fiscally sound small city with a wonderful and walkable downtown, highly diverse population, a
strong economy and a great quality of life for our residents.
We have low crime and great opportunities.
Our downtown has a modest skyline similar in scale to a small hill. The tops of taller buildings add character to
our skyline. Our new and old buildings offer interesting design variety to our townscape.
East San Rafael has enjoyed a renaissance as a key economic and social engine for our cit y and has improved
access to transit, the regional road system and the rest of the city.
Northgate has evolved into a walkable mixed-use village and a district in its own right.
Our homeless population is quickly housed and assisted to achieve stability and self-reliance.
Our emigrants and service employees have stable housing and pursue their dreams.
We have mobility options including great transit, trails, sidewalks and roadways. We have a fine new mixed -use
transit center and elevated SMART rail downtown and a brand new multimodal rail/ferry terminal at Point San
Quentin.
Our city is implementing a resilient shore to protect our community from flooding to mitigate climate change.
We have a world class shore along the bay with improved habitat for wildlife and thoughtfully designed public
assess compatible with the needs of the natural environment.
The Canal is an active maritime and recreation oriented estuary and a valued place in our city.
We manage our woodlands and open space to minimize fire danger
Our historic resources are protected, loved and well integrated into our city’s fabric.
Our buildings have been strengthened to survive earthquakes and minimize loss of life.
Our suburban neighborhoods retain their scale, character and charm. Urb an design, street trees and public art
are part of our DNA contributing to the richness of our lives.
We have grown to respect and celebrate different points of view and value collaboration in the pursuit of shared
goals.
The first town in Marin to reach zero-net-greenhouse-gas emissions—demonstrating how to remedy climate
change, while readying our community for its impacts—and building a thriving economy and inclusive
community in a beautiful place.
Innovative transportation
An incubator of projects for a better urban/suburban interface.
Diverse government with more voices, engaged citizens, healthy families
Greater neighborhood synergy
Let’s be known for our willingness to change, embrace the future.
Solve the solvable problems.
I like being the City in Marin that really does have a little bit of everything. Whether it’s a certain kind of
business, outdoor activity, dining type, etc; San Rafael has everything where a lot of places in Marin don’t. I’d
like to build on that further. Have more kinds of events, hold onto the diversity in people and businesses that we
already have, etc.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 23
Question 7, continued
I would like to see San Rafael celebrate it’s connection to the car - it was the backdrop to the movie American
Graffiti - we should celebrate this. We have hosted great car shows and even been the start of the Great Race. I
would like to see San Rafael better take advantage of this.
A comfortable, world class, multi-cultural, walkable, bicycle friendly, safe, clean, diverse City--with
neighborhoods, a downtown, businesses, cultural attractions, interesting architecture -- a City that accessible for
the disabled and sustainable for generations in the future.
QUESTION 8: How do we get started?
If you were the Mayor, what would you do next?
Convene the vision, build the regulatory framework, provide the incentives.
Make Climate Disruption the City’s overarching focus, especially through the lens of environmental equity. All
decisions should be made with “Does it help mitigate climate change or does it increase our GHG footprint?”
“Does it add to a solution to adapt to inevitable climate change hazards such as sea level rise or does it ignore
the future and waste precious dollars and our ability to protect our people and our natural world?”
Fire the Design Review Board.
Work on Pensions
I actually do not think there is a lot one mayor can do. His main task is to lead by setting the tone for the
community – integrity, vision, imagination,
We are off to a good start and have great opportunity in this Committee. To better become representative of our
residents, to be more understanding of community and environment. To make a safer and ever more beautiful,
enjoyable, and livable City. Our Steering Committee is now met, let us be open, cari ng, responsible, and
equitable in our deliberations.
Help recruit new City Council members where necessary, to make sure that they are honest (there is tons of
history elsewhere of District elections causing all kinds of corruption problems), & care ab out the entire City,
not just one District. Of course, advocating for local issues is important, but people who care only and
exclusively about one District will endanger the excellent track record San Rafael has for good governance.
Design and promote “Vision Team” of residents and businesses in the various districts of San Rafael. Each
district has its own particular needs. Sometimes are are Central San Rafael -centric.
Study and implement best practices of U.S. cities similar to San Rafael
Bring more people into the discussion and decision-making. Draw on the expertise of locally based, world
renowned research institutions
If Mayor, I would commit to bold and innovative leadership as we begin the General Plan 2040 process. I
would research best practices from other comparable communities, encourage staff and the community to take
risks in the process and work closely with other cities in the County and in the region to assure alignment and a
coordinated approach to the larger system issues that cross borders and boundaries. I would be open to change.
San Rafael General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Verbatim Responses to “Eight Questions” Exercise
March 2018 24
Question 8, continued
Pay down unfunded pension debt and ensure the city is financially solid.
Work to improve the homeless problem - through finding more short term housing but also discouraging
panhandling and anti-social behavior. We should follow New York’s example.
Discard transit oriented development - it is diametrically opposed to the kinds of development people want to
see in Terra Linda and driving transit adoption is a fools errand. Plus autonomous cars are coming.
There is a lot of talent in Marin and we have a lot of problems locally, regionally, and globally that are effecting
us all. We have the Resilient by Design team looking at the Canal. Can we do similarly with some other
pressing SR problem? Form a Blue Ribbon Commission of Visionary Thinkers to put some plans together —
staff is not in a position to do this. Or like Palo Alto which hired a Sustainability Coordinator to bring about
high level changes. We need a high level trained Environmental Expert who can oversee DPW and Planning in
order to bring about the needed changes in construction, operations and maintenance to create a more resilient
city and show residents how it can be done. We need to have some better design. On e BioMarin type building
was ok; the block of them look less than desirable and create a corporate presence like an industrial park rather
than a community.
I don’t know. Tough job.
Create a clearer path to gender equality in government and employment.
Embrace the opportunity of cannabis delivery, production and sales.
Be bold in leading other Marin cities into the future.
Thankfully I’m not the mayor. I support his continued good judgment and leadership and encourage him to
commit some of his energies to assuring continual improvement of our city for the future while dealing with the
challenges of the present.
An assessment of land / properties that are vacant and under - utilized.
Focus on the most vulnerable members of the community. Develop a comprehensive plan to empower
innovation, inclusion, with clear actions and milestones to become a sustainable and green city by 2040.
Have more community festival type events
Host something like a “Bottlerock” once a year at the Fairgrounds, draws tourism
I would try to harness the energy and talents of residents that are dedicated to the future of San Rafael by
engaging them in visioning the future. To do this, I would provide as much information to them as possible in
order that they can give helpful suggestions to solve some of San Rafael's most challenging problems. I would
also be asking City staff for projections on how the changes in the Federal Tax Code will affect San Rafael in
coming years--and how proposed changes in infrastructure funding will impact our planning. We will need to
know what funds can be counted on to create the improvements we envision.
SWOT tour of desirable places? Maybe important in 2019? Survey satisfaction and needs? Expert insights?
Assure everyone that we have what we need to do this
Engage school district/private schools in initiative to reduce GHG (encourage composting at all levels),
Make riding the bus cool again
Promote government jobs by developing internship programs
3/15/2018
1
Eight Questions About
the Future of San Rafael
GENERAL PLAN 2040 STEERING COMMITTEE
MARCH 14, 2018
What is
precious
here that
we don’t
want to
lose?
3/15/2018
2
Strengths (things to preserve)
•Open Space and access to nature
•Aesthetics
•Balance (urban life, neighborhoods,
open space)
•Walkable, historic, authentic
downtown
•Small town/Small city character
•Diversity and inclusion; welcoming
persons of all backgrounds
•Accessible leadership, culture of
civic engagement
•Neighborhoods and strong sense
of identity– a “community of
communities”
•Creative and innovative spirit
•Excellent schools, parks, and
services
What is
almost
good that
we need to
make
better?
3/15/2018
3
Opportunities (things to make better)
•Pedestrian and bicycle safety—
walkability
•Congested streets
•Aging parks and community facilities
•Our waterfront /shoreline
•Housing opportunities
•The arts, culture, entertainment,
shopping, and dining scene
•Architectural quality
•Anti-immigrant sentiment
•Public Transit
•Downtown
What is
terrible
that needs
to change?
3/15/2018
4
Weaknesses (things to fix)
•Intolerable traffic congestion
•Not enough affordable/ workforce
housing
•Inequities and limited opportunities
for lower income and immigrant
households
•Lack of parking in specific locations
•Climate-related hazards, particularly
flooding and sea level rise
•Homelessness
•Trash and litter
•Condition of our creeks
•Fiscal constraints and
responsibilities
•More visionary, thoughtful, and
environmentally aware planning
Gaps (What’s missing)
•Community gathering places and
events
•More sensitive treatment of creeks
•Better waterfront access
•More housing options
•Better commercial services
•More economic equality and access
to education
•More focus on North San Rafael /
Terra Linda
•More walkable neighborhoods and
viable commercial centers
•Higher-quality architecture
•Emergency preparedness
•Partnerships
3/15/2018
5
External Opportunities
•Learn from the 2017 wildfires – be prepared
•Leverage our role as a hub and destination
•Encourage more environmentally responsible planning
•Follow best practices in GHG reduction and climate resilience
•Improve walkability
•Address equity
•Improve public transit connections to the rest of the Bay Area
•Be a vanguard and regional leader
External Threats
•Traffic congestion
•Lack of housing supply (relative to job creation)
•Homelessness
•Climate-related natural disasters
•Diminished environmental quality/ lack of water
•Culture of fear in the immigrant community
•Intrusive state laws that take away local control
•Loss of the middle class
•Unfunded pension liabilities
•Silver “tsunami”
3/15/2018
6
Your Vision
“The city in Marin that has a little bit of everything”
“A hip city of art and innovation”
“On the forefront of innovation for
transportation, self-driving cars, zero
emission efforts, energized youth”
“The most diverse and inclusive city
in the Bay Area. A friendly city that
focuses its economy on innovation,
arts, and tourism.”
“The first town in Marin to reach zero net GHG
emissions—demonstrating how to remedy climate
change wile readying our community for its impacts”
“The
largest, most
inviting,
most fun
place in
Marin—a
welcoming
community
to all.”
“A complete community,
well integrated across
income levels and
cultures, and with the
natural environment”
“Let’s be known for our willingness to change and
embrace the future—solve the solvable problems”
“A great fiscally sound small city with a
wonderful and walkable downtown, highly
diverse population, a strong economy, a
great quality of life for our residents”
Eight Questions About
the Future of San Rafael
GENERAL PLAN 2040 STEERING COMMITTEE
MARCH 14, 2018
Developing a Vision for General Plan 2040 Staff Report * March 14, 2018 1
MEETING DATE: March 14, 2018
AGENDA ITEM: 5.A
ATTACHMENT: 6
REPORT TO GENERAL PLAN 2040 STEERING COMMITTEE
Subject: Developing a “Vision” for General Plan 2040
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
General Plan 2020, which was adopted in 2004, included a “Vision” for San Rafael’s future. That vision
is now 15 years old. At the March 2018 Committee meeting, we will discuss possible changes and
revisions. The 2020 Vision is included on the next page of this report.
REPORT
Many General Plans begin with a “Vision” for the community’s future. The intent is to describe the kind
of place the city will be in the plan’s horizon year. The Vision is an aspirational statement meant to
express the values of the community and its hopes for the future. General Plan Vision statements are
typically one or two pages long.
The 2020 General Plan Vision is on the next page of this report. It is a single page, with 283 words
attempting to capture the City’s broadest goals. The vision highlights the City’s natural features and
environment, diversity and human capital, neighborhoods, history, economy, culture, schools, and
transportation system.
Committee members are asked to look the Vision over, and suggest edits or changes to reflect emerging
issues and priorities. Think about the responses to the “eight questions” (see Attachments 4 and 5) as
you review the Vision—are there elements that sound outdated? Are there topics that are missing?
Revisions will be discussed at the March 14 meeting, with the goal of having an updated Vision for 2040
available for Committee review at the April committee meeting.
Developing a Vision for General Plan 2040 Staff Report * March 14, 2018 2
San Rafael General Plan 2020 Vision
In 2020…
Life in San Rafael is cause for celebration.
We revere our natural setting, bathed in a Mediterranean climate, nestled in grassy wooded hills,
with shoreline vistas and wetlands rich with wildlife and vegetation.
We are enriched by our diversity. Our community includes a broad mix of individuals, families
and business enterprises of various racial, cultural and economic backgrounds. We are a vibrant
community of consensus builders, with innovative leaders and active and informed residents.
Our distinctive neighborhoods provide housing for people at all stages of life, at all income
levels.
We honor our historic roots as a Mission City, one of the oldest in California. We have restored
and maintained landmarks, including the Frank Lloyd Wright - designed Marin Civic Center,
Falkirk Cultural Center, the Boyd Gate House and the Rafael Film Center.
San Rafael's healthy economy is a product of our commitment to business vitality across a broad
spectrum of enterprise. Our vigorous economy plays a key role in providing jobs, housing, safe
and attractive neighborhoods and a well-maintained infrastructure.
San Rafael is a gathering place with exciting events offering a wide selection of cultural and
entertainment venues and excellent restaurants. Our inspirational setting, cultural diversity, and
community prosperity set the stage for a thriving arts community.
We have great schools and teachers. We are dedicated to providing a quality education for our
children and ongoing educational opportunities for all.
Our role as the economic, cultural, political, and social services center of Marin County is
enhanced by excellent transportation. Our efficient system accommodates vehicles while
encouraging walking and biking as safe, appealing and practical alternatives.
Small wonder that we are wont to exclaim: “We are living well in San Rafael.”