To: Board of Supervisors
From: John Kopchik, Director, Conservation and Development
Report Title: Public Review Drafts of the County General Plan and Climate Action Plan
☐Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ACCEPT report on the Public Review Drafts of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and the Climate Action Plan 2024 Update (CAP).
FISCAL IMPACT:
The costs associated with developing the updates to the County’s General Plan and CAP have been previously allocated.
BACKGROUND:
Since 2018, the Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) has been working collaboratively with other County departments to update the County’s General Plan and CAP as part of a work effort entitled Envision Contra Costa (the project homepage is available here <https://envisioncontracosta2040.org/>). The General Plan is the County’s long-range land use plan, while the CAP is the County’s strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The CAP is a key implementation document for the General Plan. The General Plan has an implementation timeline extending through 2045 and the implementation horizon for the CAP is five years.
The General Plan and CAP have been released for public review and comment and are attached to this report and available on the website. A booklet summarizing the General Plan and CAP has also been prepared and is attached to this report and available on the website. The public comment period will extend through January 31, 2024. The Draft Environmental Impact Report for both documents is expected to be released in the coming weeks.
There are four themes present throughout the General Plan:
• Community Health
• Environmental Justice
• Economic Development
• Sustainability
Every element of the General Plan, listed below, incorporates these themes.
• Land Use
• Public Facilities and Services
• Stronger Communities
• Health and Safety
• Transportation
• Conservation, Open Space, and Working Lands
• Growth Management
• Housing (note: the Housing Element was adopted earlier this year as required by State law and is updated on a eight-year cycle)
The graphic design of the General Plan includes icons for each of the four themes, to help the reader easily identify them. The General Plan includes appendices that summarize the goals and measures associated with each theme.
The CAP is organized around eight goals:
• Clean and Efficient Built Environment
• No Waste Contra Costa
• Reduce Water Use and Increase Drought Resilience
• Clean Transportation Network
• Resilient Communities and Natural Infrastructure
• Climate Equity
• Leadership
• Implementation Strategies
Within each goal, the themes in the General Plan are reflected. Where appropriate, the CAP measures and actions are identical to those in the General Plan.
Community member feedback has been the driving force behind these planning efforts. County staff have held over 130 meetings with community members, advocates, stakeholders, and officials. This collaborative effort, including over 50 community meetings and over 20 with community-based organizations, has shaped the shared vision for Contra Costa County. This report to the Board is intended to provide a high-level summary of the progress made to date and mark the beginning of the review process. The review process will include outreach through various media channels, online engagement, regional workshops/open houses, two virtual informational meetings, meetings with County Commissions, all 13 Municipal Advisory Councils, presentations at meetings of non-County Organizations (community-based organizations, interest groups, etc.) and will include translation services as needed. The attached slide presentation provides additional information on public outreach and engagement, the proposed Board review and adoption schedule and the Draft documents.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Board of Supervisors will miss an opportunity to provide additional public outreach.