To: Board of Supervisors
From: John Kopchik, Director, Conservation and Development
Report Title: Adoption of Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
A. OPEN the public hearing on the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update, RECEIVE testimony, and CLOSE the public hearing.
B. CERTIFY that the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) prepared for the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update, State Clearinghouse No. 2023090467, was completed in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and State and County CEQA Guidelines, was reviewed and considered by the Board of Supervisors before project approval and reflects the County’s independent judgement and analysis.
C. CERTIFY the FEIR prepared for the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update.
D. ADOPT the CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations, and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program.
E. SPECIFY that the Department of Conservation and Development, located at 30 Muir Road, Martinez, CA, is the custodian of the documents and other material that constitute the record of proceedings upon which the decision of the Board of Supervisors is based.
F. ADOPT the General Plan Adoption Findings in support of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan.
G. ADOPT Resolution No. 2024-XXX adopting the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update.
H. DIRECT staff to file a Notice of Determination with the County Clerk.
FISCAL IMPACT:
To understand the fiscal implications of the proposed Contra Costa County General Plan Update, Contra Costa County engaged BAE Urban Economics as a subconsultant to PlaceWorks to conduct a fiscal impact analysis that projects the increased General Fund expenditures and revenues that could be expected as a result of the net increase in development that is anticipated under the proposed GPU. Separately, BAE worked closely with Contra Costa County staff to evaluate the cost implications to the County for the actions contained in the proposed Climate Action and Adaptation Plan update related to County operations and service. BAE’s full reports were included in the September 10, 2024, report to the Board on finalizing the general Plan and Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. Below is a summary of the findings and proposed next steps.
General Plan: New development is projected to generate a small annual surplus (the report estimates approximately $2.8 million) to the County’s General Fund by the new General Plan’s 2045 horizon year. This result considers new revenue generation potential and anticipated expenditure increases attributable to new development under the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan (Exhibit A), and indicates the General Plan and associated development has the potential to improve the County’s fiscal health, assuming there are no significant changes to the County’s General Fund expenditure and revenue structures in the intervening years. From a modeling sensitivity standpoint, the projected surplus, which equals approximately five percent of the projected expenditure increases, provides a modest buffer against unanticipated revenue decreases or expenditure increases.
Climate Action and Adaption Plan: The Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update (CAAP; Exhibit B) specifies many actions that will require significant resources for full implementation, including one-time capital costs as well as operations and maintenance costs; however, the financial implications for the County are limited by the fact that a number of the specified actions are already being undertaken or required by other agencies (and thus do not represent new costs imposed by the CAAP), can be self-funded, or will likely be undertaken only when new external funding can be secured, such as from various State or federal grant programs that align with CAAP activities and support State and federal policy objectives. The most tangible new cost implications for the County include the in-kind staff time required to implement and monitor the CAAP strategies and actions. County staff estimate that two additional full-time employees (FTEs), one in DCD and one in the Public Works Department, would be required to fully implement the CAAP and the total additional annual cost of staff salaries and benefits for these new FTEs would be approximately $500,000. This assumes that the County will continue funding the existing four FTE positions that currently support CAAP implementation and will continue to make annual allocations to the Sustainability Fund at or above current levels.
Next steps: As explained above, the Public Works and Conservation and Development Departments estimate that funding for one additional full-time staff member in each department may be necessary to more effectively handle CAAP implementation responsibilities. The departments plan to work with the CAO to pursue this matter further and may return to the Board in the near future for a subsequent appropriation adjustment or seek to address this through future budget allocations.
BACKGROUND:
I. Envision Contra Costa Overview
Envision Contra Costa is the County’s program to update its General Plan, Zoning Code, and Climate Action Plan (CAP). These planning documents were adopted in 1991, 1947, and 2015, respectively. Piecemeal amendments to the General Plan and Zoning Code have been adopted over the years, but they have never been comprehensively updated. The CAP, while adopted much more recently, has become dated because of changes in State law, continued growth in our understanding of climate change, and technological advancements that have provided new tools and methods for addressing climate change. The Board of Supervisors in December 2017 directed the Department of Conservation and Development (DCD) to prepare comprehensive updates to all three documents, with specific instruction to weave the themes of environmental justice, economic development, community health, and sustainability throughout the updated General Plan.
Substantive work on Envision Contra Costa began in September 2018 following an involved process to bring on a consultant with expertise in General Plan updates. Public outreach began in February 2019 and has been ongoing. Staff from DCD and other County departments, particularly Public Works and Health Services, as well as the Envision Contra Costa consultant, PlaceWorks, have since conducted or otherwise been involved in over 170 public and community-sponsored meetings where community members, advocates, stakeholders, and decision-makers had opportunities to provide comments. Numerous letters and emails have also been received. The public’s robust participation has profoundly influenced the final drafts of the 2045 General Plan and CAAP.
II. CEQA Analysis
The project is subject to the requirements of CEQA. The Draft EIR (Exhibit C) prepared for the project identifies potentially significant impacts in the following environmental topic areas:
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Agricultural and Forestry Resources |
Mineral Resources |
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Air Quality |
Noise |
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Biological Resources |
Transportation |
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Cultural and Tribal Resources |
Wildfire |
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Geology and Soils |
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While most impacts identified in the Draft EIR are either less-than-significant or can be mitigated to less-than-significant levels, 12 impacts in the topic areas bolded above are considered significant and unavoidable. Though some mitigation exists for some of these impacts, they cannot be mitigated to less-than-significant levels. Each impact identified in the Draft EIR is discussed in detail in the CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations (Exhibit F), as is the justification for adopting the 2045 General Plan despite its significant and unavoidable impacts. Also presented in Attachment F is a discussion of the various project alternatives that were analyzed in the Draft EIR and the reasons for rejecting these alternatives.
The Draft EIR was made available for public review and comment between February 9 and April 8, 2024. On March 18 the Zoning Administrator held a hearing to provide members of the public with an opportunity to submit oral comments; one person testified. The County received fourteen comment letters on the Draft EIR, with most coming from public agencies. Section 2 of the Final EIR (Exhibit D) includes responses to all written and oral comments received during the comment period. None of the public comments necessitated significant changes to the project or Draft EIR, and all Draft EIR edits made in response to public comments are shown in Section 3 of the Final EIR. The Final EIR (which incorporates the Draft EIR), Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (Exhibit E), and CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations were prepared in compliance with CEQA and the State and County CEQA Guidelines.
III. Integration of the 2045 General Plan and Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
The 2045 General Plan and CAAP were developed in tandem. The four themes in the General Plan are reflected in the CAAP, particularly environmental justice. The Board’s Sustainability Committee provided significant guidance for the environmental justice content in both plans, as did the County’s Sustainability Commission. Staff also held a series of community workshops on environmental justice as the policies were developed. Additional outreach and engagement for the General Plan and CAAP was conducted jointly. Beginning in October 2023, staff offered briefings on the draft plans to community-based organizations, industry trade groups, and other interested parties. Discussing the documents together allowed staff to illustrate the importance of the CAAP’s goals in the larger context of the General Plan and demonstrate how the CAAP will be used to implement the General Plan.
The two plans are tightly integrated, to the point where the same language related to land use appears in both, and the CAAP references General Plan policies and actions. Such cohesion is atypical and affords the County opportunities to use its land use authority to ensure that key values and goals in the General Plan and CAAP are realized. This is essential for making Contra Costa County a cleaner, healthier place to live and work.
The close integration of the General Plan and CAAP also provides development projects with a simpler path to comply with the requirements of CEQA as they relate to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Once adopted, the CAAP will constitute a qualified GHG reduction plan for reducing GHG emissions within the County’s jurisdictional boundary to meet State targets consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5(b) for the years 2030 and 2045. Projects that are consistent with General Plan and CAAP requirements related to GHG emissions and reductions will be presumed to have less-than-significant GHG impacts under CEQA.
IV. Final Edits to the 2045 General Plan and Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
A. Board of Supervisors Meeting to Review Draft Plans
On September 10, 2024, the Board of Supervisors held a public meeting to review proposed edits to the Draft 2045 General Plan and Draft CAAP as recommended by the County Planning Commission (CPC) at a meeting it held on August 28. After accepting public testimony, the Board voted unanimously to direct staff to prepare final drafts of both plans incorporating the edits recommended by the CPC, with the following additional edits to the General Plan:
1. Agreeing with a public speaker representing 350 Contra Costa Action, the Board directed that the following text be added to Health and Safety Element Policy HS-P1.7, subpart (d): “or to a higher standard when determined necessary and feasible on a case-by-case basis.”
2. Supervisor Gioia provided various edits to the Community Profiles for East Richmond Heights; El Sobrante; Kensington; Montalvin Manor, Tara Hills, Bayview, and Rollingwood; and North Richmond.
All edits specified by the Board, including those recommended by the CPC on August 28, have been incorporated into the final drafts of the 2045 General Plan and CAAP.
B. Staff-Initiated Edits to the 2045 General Plan
During final review of the General Plan following the September 10 Board meeting, staff identified several opportunities to improve accuracy, clarity, and effectiveness. The following staff-initiated edits are incorporated into the final draft of the 2045 General Plan:
1. All elements: Maps have been updated to reflect completion of the Faria property annexation to the City of Pittsburg.
2. Stronger Communities Element: Community Profiles have been updated with the newest Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps, which became effective April 1, 2024.
3. Land Use Element page 4-2: The County’s method for calculating residential densities has been clarified.
4. Land Use Element Table LU-1: The Housing Element Consistency (HE-C) District has been added to the “Consistent Zoning” list for most residential and mixed-use land use designations. The HE-C District had not yet been adopted when the Draft General Plan was published in October 2023. The F-1 Water Recreational District has also been added to the “Consistent Zoning” list for the Residential Low-Medium Density and Residential Medium Density land use designations. Previous exclusion of the F-1 District was an oversight.
5. Land Use Element Figure LU-1: Minor edits were made to the Land Use Map to improve accuracy and resolve discrepancies and anomalies, particularly related to topography and existing building locations. For example, several buildings in El Sobrante were split by two land use designations and this was corrected. The existing General Plan Land Use Map and the October 2023, September 2024, and October 2024 versions of the Draft Land Use Map can be viewed and compared at https://www.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=92d542bcb39247e8b558021bd0446d18 by opening the Layers List and selecting the desired version(s) of the map.
6. Transportation Element page 5-7: Text was added introducing new Figure TR-3, which illustrates corridors with high incidence of pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile collisions, and Figure TR-3 was added. While not required for the County’s General Plan, these edits support the objectives of Senate Bill 932, which aims to improve safety for non-motorized transportation modes.
7. Transportation Element page 5-17: The description of Community-Based Transportation Plans (CBTPs) has been corrected and Action TR-A5.3, which supports implementation of CBTPs, was added. The Contra Costa Transportation Authority has adopted CBTPs affecting the unincorporated communities of North Richmond, Tara Hills, Bayview, Rollingwood, and Bay Point.
8. Transportation Element Figure TR-4 (formerly Figure TR-3): The illustration of the Caldecott Tunnel as separate and distinct road classification has been removed and the legend has been adjusted accordingly.
9. Conservation, Open Space, and Working Lands Element page 7-39: The description of scenic routes has been improved in connection with edits to Figure COS-12 (formerly Figure COS-10) to depict scenic routes, particularly their State and County designations, more accurately.
10. Conservation, Open Space, and Working Lands Element page 7-46: The text has been updated to acknowledge the Board’s recent adoption of a replacement for the All-Electric Building Ordinance.
C. Public Comments Submitted After the September 10, 2024, Board Meeting
Several comment letters were submitted after the September 10 Board meeting and are summarized below. None of the proposed edits discussed below are reflected in the final draft of the General Plan except for the Board’s edit to Health and Safety Element Policy HS-P1.7, subpart (d).
350 Contra Costa Action and Sunflower Alliance, September 16, 2024
350 Contra Costa/Sunflower Alliance submitted a letter (Exhibit I-1) suggesting the following edits to the 2045 General Plan:
1. Health and Safety Element Policy HS-P1.7, subpart (c). The commenter proposed an edit regarding modernization of existing industrial facilities so that this policy, inclusive of the edit specified by the Board on September 10, would read as follows (proposed new text is underlined; staff’s recommended changes to the proposed edits are in italics)
Policy HS-P1.7
Encourage modernization projects at existing industrial facilities that support State energy and climate goals and achieve all of the following:
(a) Improved community and worker health and safety.
(b) Enhanced environmental protection.
(c) Significant reductions in criteria pollutants, TACs, and GHGs using Best Available Retrofit Control Technology when applicable.
(d) Timely remediation of preexisting and future on- and off-site contamination as a component of the project or through a fully funded work program that restores the site to a condition suitable for commercial or industrial use, or to a higher standard when determined necessary and feasible on a case-by-case basis.
Staff Comment: The purpose of Best Available Retrofit Control Technology (BARCT) implementation is to reduce criteria pollutant emissions from industrial sources. BARCT is a best practice requirement found in Air District regulations for existing facilities, which are expected to upgrade to BARCT standards as part of new projects. Staff recommends adopting the proposed edit with the modification shown above, acknowledging that BARCT is not always applicable.
2. Stronger Communities Element, Business Innovation Section (page 3-25). The commenter proposed the following edits to the narrative text (strikethrough indicates text proposed for deletion; proposed new text is underlined):
Petroleum refineries have been some of the largest employers and strongest economic drivers in the county for over 100 years. While demand for refined products remains significant and will persist until replacement alternative technologies exist for current uses are deployed at the requisite scale, the long-term future of these facilities is uncertain, and two of the four Contra Costa refineries have transitioned their operations as global and national energy trends shift toward carbon-free and renewable energy sources.
Staff Comment: Staff recommends adopting the proposed edits because they improve the narrative text’s accuracy.
3. Conservation, Open Space, and Working Lands Element, Energy Resources Section (page 7-44). The commenter proposed the following edits to the narrative text citing controversy around the environmental benefits of biofuels (strikethrough indicates text proposed for deletion; proposed new text is underlined; staff’s recommended changes to the proposed edits are in italics):
Contra Costa County has long been an energy producer. Coal mining began in the 1850s, as indicated previously. The first petroleum refinery in the Bay Area opened in Rodeo in 1896 and the county has historically been home to a small oil and natural gas production industry. However, energy production in Contra Costa County is evolving as reliance on fossil fuels decreases and the State enacts more aggressive policies to combat climate change. In recent years, the State has increased support for a transitioning to cleaner-burning biofuels through investments in technology, infrastructure, and production. Biofuels, including biomethane, biodiesel, and gasoline and diesel fuels derived from renewable sources instead of petroleum, can reduce reliance on traditional fuel sources, improve air quality, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Embracing the future, Consistent with current State policy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve air quality, two former of the four petroleum refineries in the county have already begun converting converted their operations from refining crude oil to processing cleaner biofuels.
Staff Comment: Staff recommends adopting the proposed edits, as modified, because they improve the narrative text’s accuracy.
Rodeo Citizens Association, October 8, 2024
Staff’s August/September 2024 recommended edits to the Draft 2045 General Plan included a new action, SC-A9.3, calling for the County to nominate the Phillips 66 San Francisco (Rodeo) Refinery and surrounding industrial areas, including the Phillips 66 Carbon Plant site near Franklin Canyon, as a Priority Production Area (PPA). The commenter submitted a letter (Exhibit I-2) asking the County to reconsider inclusion of this action in the General Plan, with specific objection to inclusion of the Carbon Plant site in the PPA.
Staff Comment: For decades the Carbon Plant site and areas to the south and southeast have been designated Heavy Industry in the General Plan. Land immediately west of the Carbon Plant, also owned by Phillips 66, has been designated Business Park, which allows a mixture of commercial, office, and light industrial uses. In 2023 Phillips 66 indicated their desire for the site of the Carbon Plant itself to retain its Heavy Industry land use designation and supported other portions of the property being redesignated to less intense land use designations, such as Agricultural Lands and Resource Conservation. Because the Business Park designation does not exist in the 2045 General Plan, a portion of the area designated Business Park in the existing General Plan is proposed for redesignation to Light Industry. The combined area designated Heavy Industry and Business Park/Light Industry was reduced from 238.8 acres in the existing General Plan to 113.4 acres in the 2045 General Plan, a 52.5 percent reduction.
The PPA program, administered by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, identifies industrial clusters and prioritizes them for economic investment and protection from competing land uses. Pursuant to Action SC-A9.3, the County would nominate the 113.4 acres designated Heavy Industry and Light Industry for inclusion in the Rodeo PPA. The remainder of the site would not be included. Designation of the Heavy Industry/Light Industry portion of the site as a PPA is consistent with goals and policies in the 2045 General Plan supporting economic development, particularly in the area encompassed by the County’s Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative. Staff recommends against deleting or modifying Action SC-A9.3.
Save Mount Diablo, October 8, 2024
The commenter submitted a letter (Exhibit I-3) supporting adoption of the 2045 General Plan and CAAP.
Friends of Pleasant Hill Creeks, October 23, 2024
The commenter submitted a letter (Exhibit I-4) supporting adoption of the 2045 General Plan and CAAP.
Bara Sapir, October 23, 2024
The commenter submitted an email (Exhibit I-5) asking whether the County plans to provide additional resources to address an increase in the animal population associated with new residential development?
Staff Comment: CEQA does not require an analysis of domestic animal population increases associated with residential development and the issue is not addressed in the General Plan. Many public services may be tangentially affected by additional residential development. The County’s annual budgeting process determines the levels to which these services will be provided.
D. Additional Staff-Recommended Edits to the 2045 General Plan
Staff recommends adoption of the following edits that are not reflected in Exhibit A:
1. Amend Land Use Element Policy LU-P2.4 as follows:
Deny applications for major subdivisions outside the ULL. and successive Discourage minor subdivisions of lots outside the ULL that were created through previous subdivisions would subdivide any parcel created by a subdivision map recorded after November 5, 2024.
The purpose of this edit is to clarify that the stipulation discouraging minor subdivisions applies to parcels outside the Urban Limit Line that are created after the 2045 General Plan is adopted.
2. Add the following footnote to Land Use Element Table LU-1 - Land Use Designations regarding the Agricultural Lands land use designation:
Maximum density of 1 unit/5 acres may be allowable for projects that achieve an effective density of no more than 1 unit/10 acres by conserving at least 50 percent of the project site in perpetuity through fee simple dedication to a public agency or accredited land trust, or creation of a conservation easement with equivalent effect. This provision is not applicable within the Delta Primary Zone.
The purpose of this edit is to provide flexibility for subdividing and simultaneously conserving rural land. To illustrate, under the 2045 General Plan as written, an individual owning 40 acres may be able to subdivide their property designated Agricultural Lands into four 10-acre lots with no land remaining for conservation because lots must be at least 10 acres. This footnote provides flexibility to subdivide the 40-acre property into four 5-acre lots and conserve the remaining 20 acres. The density of four units on 40 acres would be maintained while conserving 50 percent of the acreage.
2. Amend Land Use Element Table LU-1 as follows to clarify consistency between various land use designations and zoning districts:
Residential Low-Medium Density (RLM), Consistent Zoning: R-12, R-10, R-7, R-6, F-1, T-1, HE-C
Residential Medium Density (RM), Consistent Zoning: R-6, F-1, D-1, M-6, M-9, M-12, M-17, T-1, HE-C
Resource Conservation (RC), Consistent Zoning: All A- districts; Potentially Consistent Zoning: P-1 All non-A- districts
The T-1 and M-12 residential zoning districts were inadvertently omitted from the table. These zones are consistent with the densities and uses allowed in the RLM and RM land use designations. The RC land use designation exists throughout the county, appearing in rural areas as well as within subdivisions, commercial corridors, and industrial facilities. Because the RC designation appears in such diverse contexts, and is therefore paired with many different zoning districts, it is appropriate to specify that it is potentially consistent with all non-agricultural zoning districts.
V. County Planning Commission Hearing of October 23, 2024
Government Code Section 65353 requires the County Planning Commission to hold a public hearing to recommend action on adoption of the 2045 General Plan. Government Code Section 65354 requires such recommendation to be transmitted to the Board of Supervisors in writing. The County Planning Commission held a public hearing to review the 2045 General Plan and CAAP on October 23, 2024. One member of the public spoke. Following deliberation, the Commission voted 6-0, with one member absent, to adopt Resolution No. 3-2024 (Exhibit H) recommending that the Board of Supervisors certify the Final EIR and adopt the 2045 General Plan and CAAP, incorporating the changes to the General Plan described under Section IV above, except for the changes described in Section IV.D.3. These minor edits to Land Use Element Table LU-1 are a new, non-substantive staff recommendation for the Board’s consideration.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update would not be adopted.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
and for Special Districts, Agencies and Authorities Governed by the Board
RESOLUTION NO. 2024-XXX
A RESOLUTION OF THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ADOPTING THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY 2045 GENERAL PLAN AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY CLIMATE ACTION AND ADAPTATION PLAN 2024 UPDATE
Recitals
A. Government Code Section 65300 requires each county and city in California to adopt a “comprehensive, long-term general plan” for its physical development.
B. In December 2017, the Board of Supervisors directed the Department of Conservation and Development to prepare comprehensive updates to the Contra Costa County General Plan 2005-2020 and Contra Costa County 2015 Climate Action Plan, a project that came to be known as “Envision Contra Costa.”
C. From 2018 through 2024, the County conducted extensive outreach as part of Envision Contra Costa. This included, but was not limited to, maintaining a project website and conducting or participating in over 170 meetings where members of the public and decision-makers were able to provide comments on the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update as these documents were being drafted.
D. On October 17, 2023, the County published the Draft Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update for public review and comment. The public review period for the Draft General Plan and Climate Action and Adaptation Plan ran from October 17, 2023, to April 22, 2024.
E. The Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan Health and Safety Element incorporates by reference the current Contra Costa County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), as required by AB 2140 to increase opportunities for financial assistance under the California Disaster Assistance Act. The LHMP was developed in accordance with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and followed the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan guidance.
F. Government Code Sections 65302, 65302.5, 65302.7, and 65563, and Public Resources Code Section 2762 require the County to submit pertinent sections of the Draft General Plan to the State Office of Emergency Services, California Geological Survey, State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Secretary of the Resources Agency, and State Mining and Geology Board for review and comment prior to adoption. The County has complied with all requirements of these statutes.
G. The State of California has established climate goals and targets to achieve a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas below 1990 levels by 2030 (Senate Bill 32, 2016) and 85% reduction in greenhouse below 1990 levels and net carbon neutrality by 2045 (Assembly Bill 1279, 2022).
H. The Climate Action and Adaptation Plan includes strategies and actions to increase the County’s resilience to changing climate conditions and that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the unincorporated areas of the County by a minimum of 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 85% below 1990 levels by 2045, and positions the County on a path toward carbon neutrality.
I. The Climate Action and Adaptation Plan has been prepared to satisfy the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15183.5(b) elements for a qualified greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction plan. Once adopted, the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan will constitute a qualified GHG reduction plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the County’s jurisdictional boundary to meet State targets consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5(b) for the years 2030 and 2045.
J. Pursuant to the requirements of CEQA, the County published a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), State Clearinghouse No. 2023090467, analyzing the potential environmental impacts associated with adoption and implementation of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update. The public review period for the DEIR ran from February 9, 2024, to April 8, 2024.
K. On September 10, 2024, the Board of Supervisors reviewed staff-recommended edits to the Draft General Plan and Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. The Board directed County staff to prepare the final drafts of the General Plan and Climate Action and Adaptation Plan with the staff-recommended edits and other edits directed by the Board. These edits have been incorporated into the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update.
L. On October 16, 2024, pursuant to the requirements of CEQA, the County published a Final Environmental Impact Report (Final EIR), State Clearinghouse No. 2023090467, incorporating the DEIR, responding to comments on the DEIR, and presenting revisions to the DEIR, including any clarifications based on the comments and the responses to the comments. The County also published a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program to provide a record of mitigation monitoring measures. The County also published proposed CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations, presenting written findings and statements required for certification of the Final EIR and approval of the proposed project.
M. Pursuant to Government Code Sections 65353 and 65354, the County Planning Commission conducted a noticed public hearing on October 23, 2024, to consider providing a written recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on certification of the Final EIR, adoption of the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, adoption of the CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations, and adoption of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update, and voted 6-0 to provide such recommendation.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors resolves as follows:
1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and are incorporated by reference.
2. Notice of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors hearing on the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update and the environmental review documents was given as required by law and the actions were conducted in accordance with CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines.
3. All individuals, groups, and agencies desiring to comment were given adequate opportunity to submit oral and written comments on the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update and the environmental review documents. These opportunities for comment meet or exceed the requirements of State law, including CEQA.
4. All comments submitted during the public review and comment period on the DEIR were responded to adequately.
5. The Final EIR was completed in compliance with CEQA and the State CEQA Guidelines, reflects the independent judgment and analysis of the County of Contra Costa, and was reviewed and considered by the Board of Supervisors before adoption of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update. The Board approves and certifies the Final EIR, which is attached as Exhibit D to the staff report accompanying this resolution and incorporated by reference.
6. The Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program is adequately designed to ensure compliance with the mitigation measures during project implementation. The Board adopts the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, which is attached as Exhibit E to the staff report accompanying this resolution and incorporated by reference.
7. The Board considered all significant impacts, mitigation measures, and project alternatives identified in the Final EIR. The significant adverse effects of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update either have been reduced to an acceptable level or are outweighed by specific overriding considerations of the proposed project. The Board adopts the CEQA Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations, which are attached as Exhibit F to the staff report accompanying this resolution and incorporated by reference.
8. The Board reviewed and considered the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and all documentation comprising the foregoing, as presented to the Board concurrent with this resolution, and finds that the 2045 General Plan is consistent with the requirements of State law, specifically Government Code Section 65300 et seq.
9. The Board makes the required findings to adopt the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan as set forth in Exhibit G, which is attached to the staff report accompanying this resolution and incorporated by reference.
10. The Board repeals the Contra Costa County General Plan 2005-2020 in its entirety and adopts the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan, which is attached as Exhibit A to the staff report accompanying this resolution and incorporated by reference, in its entirety. The 2045 General Plan shall henceforth constitute the General Plan of the County of Contra Costa, subject to any future amendments adopted pursuant to the requirements and procedures of applicable law relating to the amendment of general plans.
11. The Board reviewed and considered the Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update and all documentation comprising the foregoing, as presented to the Board concurrent with this resolution, and finds that the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan is consistent with the State’s GHG reduction targets, including Assembly Bill (AB) 1279, which codified the State’s commitment to be carbon neutral by 2045.
12. The Board repeals the Contra Costa County 2015 Climate Action Plan in its entirety and adopts the Contra Costa County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update, which is attached as Exhibit B to the staff report accompanying this resolution and incorporated by reference, in its entirety.
PASSED AND ADOPTED on November 5, 2024, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
ATTEST: MONICA NINO, _____________________________
Clerk of the Board of Supervisors Board Chair
and County Administrator
By: ______________________ [SEAL]
Deputy