Supervisors hear general plan update - Next hearing April 13

On March 16 the San Diego County Board of Supervisors heard invited presentations on the update to the county’s general plan before continuing the hearing to April 13.

After an introduction from Department of Planning and Land Use (DPLU) director Eric Gibson and DPLU Advance Planning Division chief Devon Muto, the county supervisors heard presentations from economic impact consultants Gerald Trimble and David Doezema of Keyser Marston & Associates, San Diego Association of Governments planner Clint Daniels, and county groundwater geologist Jim Bennett.

Public testimony took place during October 20, November 10, and December 8 hearings, and DPLU staff responded to questions or claims raised during those three hearings on February 9. The supervisors received the staff report February 9 and reviewed that report, which included property-specific requests and responses to substantive issues, prior to the March 16 hearing.

The supervisors’ March 16 motion continuing the hearing to April 13 reaffirmed the statement of guiding principles behind the general plan update and declared an intent to avoid re-opening the Environmental Impact Report. The staff report received February 9 had noted that potential changes, including property-specific zoning, were classified as minor, moderate and major depending on their impact and whether the Environmental Impact Report for the general plan update would require revisions, and attempts will be made prior to April 13 to negotiate the moderate and major property-specific requests to minor.

The April 13 hearing will also include Board of Supervisors discussion and possible recommendations on the 27 issues addressed in the February 9 report. The density-related issues addressed in the report covered the Purchase of Agriculture Conservation Easements program, the proposed Transfer of Development Rights program, Williamson Act contracts to preserve agricultural use, fiscal impacts of density reduction, groundwater impacts, fire risk reduction, and supplemental information about density reduction. The content-specific issues were policy flexibility, future general plan amendments, specific plan areas, special study areas, residential density determination, fire response and travel time standards, acceptable levels of service for roads, and the proposed Road 3A in Valley Center. Future development and conservation issues cover deference to community plans, conservation subdivision avoidance requirements, a multi-family building allowance for planned residential developments in conservation subdivisions, subdivision design, groundwater ordinance lot sizes, alternative septic systems, and open space maintenance responsibility. Other identified issues were community and sponsor group positions, state climate change legislation, impacts to unrecorded maps of pending projects, agricultural preserve designators, and the follow-up process.

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