DATE: March 19, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Development Services Department
TITLE: GENERAL PLAN UPDATE AND CLIMATE ACTION PLAN WORKSHOP
RECOMMENDATION
title
Staff recommends the City Council receive a comprehensive report on the City’s General Plan Update (GPU) and Climate Action Plan efforts to-date, receive public comments, and provide direction to staff on the GPU and CAP for future City Council consideration and adoption.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
On August 7, 2024, in conjunction with a Councilmember item put forth by Mayor Sanchez and Deputy Mayor Joyce, City Council, on a 5-0 vote, directed staff to prepare and present revised GPU deliverables that address the comments received and to bring them forward for review in a public workshop forum. The purpose of the workshop is to present an overview of the project deliverables prepared to date, provide an overview of the public comments received following circulation of the draft General Plan Elements and associated Environmental Impact Report last year, and provide an opportunity for further Council direction on the draft documents prior to their consideration at a future public hearing.
Purpose of General Plan
State law mandates that each city and county in California adopt a "comprehensive, long-term general plan." It is often referred to as a city’s “constitution.” General Plans typically include a set of policies and programs that constitute the “blueprint” for physical development. Within the City of Oceanside (“City”), its purpose is to establish a long-range vision for the community and to plan for future growth while addressing important community issues, such as new growth, housing needs, public services, environmental protection and economic resiliency. The General Plan expresses broad community values and goals, gives a picture of how the community should look in the future, and outlines steps to get there. Objectives such as “encourage housing development,” “support economic development,” “preserve open space,” and “support sustainable practices” are translated into policies and specific actions that are tangible and can be implemented. The plan is a basis for land-use decision-making used by policymakers, such as the Planning Commission and the City Council.
There are State-mandated "elements," or chapters, that go into a general plan. These elements make up the framework for decision-making regarding growth and development in the City. State law requires that a general plan cover at least eight mandated topics: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open Space, Noise, Safety and Environmental Justice.
GPU Phase 2 Project Scope
The first phase of the City’s GPU was adopted by the City Council in 2019, and included two General Plan elements: Economic Development Element, and Energy and Climate Action Element. These elements addressed economic development and environmental sustainability, including adoption of the City’s first Climate Action Plan (CAP).
Initiated in February 2020, the second phase of the pending GPU project includes updates to several General Plan elements and a proposed Smart and Sustainable Corridors Specific Plan (SSCSP). The preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) addressing the environmental impacts of the proposed GPU project is also being pursued. This phase of the GPU project also includes an update of the City’s CAP, the first iteration of which was adopted by the City Council in on May 8, 2019.
Following City Council adoption of the proposed GPU, it’s anticipated that the following three focused planning documents, or “project deliverables,” will be developed: Trails Master Plan (TMP), Active Transportation Plan (ATP), and South Morro Hills Community Plan (SMHCP).
The General Plan Planning Area (Planning Area), as shown in Attachment 2 (Figure 1-2 of GPU), encompasses the area addressed by the General Plan Update. The Planning Area includes Oceanside and its Sphere of Influence (SOI) - an area outside of the City limits designated by the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) as the City’s probable future boundary and service area.
The Planning Area encompasses 27,012 acres (or approximately 42 square miles); it is bordered by the Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton to the north, the unincorporated rural communities of Fallbrook and Bonsall to the northeast, the City of Vista to the southeast, and the City of Carlsbad to the south. The Planning Area’s southwestern border includes three miles of Pacific Ocean coastline. The lower San Luis Rey River, Loma Alta Creek, and Buena Vista Creek flow in a westerly direction through the Planning Area and drain into the Pacific Ocean. These waterbodies flow through alluvial areas bounded by hillsides and mesas, essentially dividing Oceanside into three distinct east-west corridors.
A portion of the Planning Area is within the state’s Coastal Zone. The City’s coastal zone lies primarily between the coastline and the inland side of Coast Highway, with inland extensions along the City’s east-west waterways. Land uses in this area are governed by the Local Coastal Program (LCP) and Land Use Plan, which is certified by the California Coastal Commission. The LCP effectively supplants the General Plan as the governing land use policy.
Community Vision and Growth Alternatives
Community Vision:
The Community Vision describes in broad terms how the City will continue to evolve over the next several decades to realize its potential as a prosperous, vibrant, sustainable, and welcoming community that plays an important role in shaping the future of the San Diego region. The Vision is not a regulatory document, but informed the creation of the Draft General Plan Elements.
Community Vision - Direction Previously Approved by City Council:
On October 6, 2021, the City Council considered and accepted the GPU Community Vision and provided guidance “to have policies in the Subarea Conservation Habitat Plan embedded within the future conservation and open space elements being prepared in conjunction with the general plan update and bring back to Council an item to suspend participation in the Subarea Conservation Habitat Plan.” Subsequently, staff brought forward an item on January 12, 2022, with a recommendation to incorporate policies from the Draft Subarea Habitat Conservation Plan into the General Plan Update and cease further efforts towards adoption of a new Subarea Plan. Copies of the October 6, 2021 City Council staff report, City Clerk’s Action Minutes, and final version of the accepted Community Vision has been included as Attachments 3-5 for reference. Copies of the January 12, 2022 City Council staff report and City Clerk’s Action Minutes have been included as Attachments 6-7 for reference.
Community Vision Summary:
The City of Oceanside will accommodate growth and change in a manner that supports a sustainable and equitable future. To limit further urban sprawl, preserve natural resources, conserve farmland, support active transportation, and enhance access to transit, the City will encourage infill and redevelopment in already urbanized areas. At the same time, the City will protect the integrity of single-family neighborhoods. The City will facilitate housing opportunities for all segments of the community. High-quality, state-of-the-art public facilities and services will be available to all community members. The City’s many assets will be leveraged to promote quality of life, economic development, and community identity and pride. To maintain environmental quality and reduce its carbon footprint, the City will advance energy efficiency, clean and renewable energy sourcing, water conservation, solid waste diversion, and carbon sequestration efforts. Through proactive measures and timely emergency response, the City will enhance its resilience to natural hazards, including those aggravated by climate change.
Alternatives:
The fundamental goal of GPU Phase 2 is to accommodate anticipated housing and non-residential growth in ways that promote quality of life, public health and safety, economic diversity, environmental quality, social equity, and state and regional priorities. There are different pathways to reaching this goal, all of which present their own opportunities, challenges, and tradeoffs. To ensure the selection of a feasible and defensible pathway, the scope of GPU Phase 2 included the preparation of project alternatives that provide for additional analysis and community engagement. Moreover, these project alternatives address requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which establish that environmental impact reports (EIRs) must consider a reasonable range of project alternatives that “would avoid or substantially lessen any of the proposed project’s significant effects.”
The project alternatives prepared for GPU Phase 2 reflected different levels and distributions of future housing and employment growth in Oceanside through the 2050 planning horizon. Assumptions about future housing are based on the number of housing units the City has historically been assigned through the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA). The most recent RHNA requires that the City demonstrate capacity for roughly 5,400 new dwelling units through the 2021-2029 planning period. Assumptions about non-residential growth were based on a market assessment prepared by Keyser Marston Associates.
The Alternatives Report prepared for GPU Phase 2 provided an overview of the GPU and its components, summarized the Community Vision and Guiding Principles (accepted by the City Council in October 2021), described baseline conditions and assumptions (including growth projections), noted similarities and differences between the two proposed project alternatives, and considered potential traffic and infrastructure impacts associated with these alternatives. The Alternatives Report also included recommendations for right-of-way improvements that support active transportation, access to transit, and traffic safety.
Alternatives - City Council approval
On August 10, 2022, the City Council affirmed Alternative B, which includes a housing growth projection that better aligns with the City’s recent RHNA allocations and the housing sites inventory of the updated Housing Element. Furthermore, Alternative B results in a higher jobs-to-housing ratio and reserves more industrial property for industrial use. While both alternatives considered promote smart growth and expanded mobility options, Alternative B better leverages transit service and multimodal connectivity within the Oceanside Boulevard Corridor. The following copy of Table 5-1 from the Alternatives report outlines the major differences between the two alternatives considered by the City Council.
The August 10, 2022 City Council staff report, City Clerk’s Action Minutes, and a full copy of the Alternatives Report are included as Attachments 8-10 for reference.
Projected Growth to Planning Horizon 2050
The General Plan establishes the City’s overall approach to growth and change within its boundaries to the year 2050, containing both a statement of the community’s vision of its long-term development as well as the goals, policies, and actions to support that vision and guide the physical growth of the City. The Plan contains policies to inform decision-making related to development, housing, transportation, environmental quality, natural and human induced hazards, community facilities and services, parks, and open space
Based on land uses proposed in the draft GPU, the citywide average for new residential development is projected to be 32 dwelling units/acre by planning horizon year 2050, which is expected to result in 17,558 new housing units and 28,400 new jobs. Of this total, 8,300 new housing units and 14,200 new jobs would be within the SSCSP Planning Area. Overall, buildout under the GPU would result in a total citywide population of 224,235 persons, which is an addition of 46,900 residents compared to the City’s current population.
The designation of a site for a specific land use in the GPU does not guarantee that it would be developed or redeveloped at the assumed density during the planning period, as future development would rely on each property owner’s own initiative and market forces. However, estimated buildout potential was used to inform the draft GPU Land Use Plan to foresee and accommodate anticipated land use needs. Buildout under the GPU would result in greater over all residential units, but less single-family dwelling units. Retail, office, industrial, and hotel uses would all be anticipated to increase under the proposed GPU.
Public Outreach: Years 2020 to 2024
Since the project’s onset, extensive community engagement in support of the planning effort have been completed. This outreach has served to inform and develop the draft GPU elements. The project team employed a wide range of engagement tools and methods, utilized multiple forms of media to foster community awareness of the project and associated events, and maintained an “open door” approach to ad hoc dialogue with community groups and individual community members.
As the COVID-19 lockdown occurred approximately three weeks after project initiation in February 2020, early outreach focused on online engagement activities. Online engagement activities drew hundreds of community members into substantive discussions on the community vision, project alternatives, neighborhood planning areas, commercial corridor revitalization, climate mitigation efforts, habitat preservation strategies, and other essential GPU topics. Once the COVID-19 lockdown was lifted, the project team shifted its focus to in-person engagement activities.
Constituting more than four years of public engagement, the GPU outreach component of the proposed project included such methods as:
• Community forums (i.e., open houses, workshops)
• Focus groups
• Regular “e-blasts” to an interested parties list, consisting of over 1,600 community members, business owners, and other stakeholders
• Online surveys
• Stakeholder interviews
• Neighborhood Planning Area “Office Hours”
• City Council discussion/general items
• KOCT videos
In particular, development of the GPU-dedicated “Onward Oceanside” webpage (onwardoceanside.com) has proven to be a valuable informational resource and “one-stop shop” for communicating updates and providing project documents.
In an effort to engage the City’s large Hispanic community, the project team has made various bi-lingual presentations at forums attended by Spanish-speaking community members, offered online surveys in Spanish, provided Spanish translation at workshops and open house events, and posted outreach materials in Spanish at the City’s community resource centers, local businesses, and local service providers.
Further details regarding the four-year comprehensive GPU community engagement effort are provided in Attachment 11 (Summary of Community Engagement Effort).
City’s 2021-2029 Housing Element
The City’s 2021-2029 Housing Element, which is one of the State mandated General Plan Elements, was adopted by the City Council on June 16, 2021, re-adopted on September 13, 2023, and certified by HCD on November 14, 2023 (6th Cycle Housing Element). Housing Element key topics include: Housing Sites Inventory; Regulatory Constraints; Special Needs Housing; and Housing Programs. The GPU would reflect any land use changes that support implementation of Housing Element programs, with particular focus on the City’s RHNA obligation to plan for the construction of 5,443 dwelling units (composed of multiple types of residential units at multiple income levels). The Housing Element identifies an inventory of Candidate Rezone Sites (comprised of vacant and underutilized sites) along Vista Way, Oceanside Boulevard, and Mission Avenue.
As part of the effort to obtain certification of the Housing Element, the City Council adopted Ordinance 23-OR0174-1 on March 8, 2023. The Ordinance up-zoned Commercial Candidate Rezone Sites that accommodate Lower Income housing from the Housing Element’s Sites Inventory and included within the boundaries of the SSCSP project area. Permitted density was increased from 29 dwelling units per acre to a range of 35 to 43 dwelling units per acre and provided for a by-right approval process for projects with at least 20 percent of the units reserved for lower income households. The Ordinance provided capacity for a potential of 3,044 units to be produced and is considered an interim step until adoption of the SSCSP. With the changes in land use designation to accommodate greater density within the SSCSP, the Housing Element estimates an additional 4,851 residential dwelling units would be accommodated within the City. Copies of the Certified Housing Element and Ordinance 23-OR0174-1 are provided as Attachments 12 and 13 respectively for reference.
Draft GPU Elements
As shown in the table below, the draft GPU includes all of the topics required under state law (land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, safety, environmental justice, and air quality), as well as additional topics of local importance - climate change and sustainability, historic and cultural resources, community design, and public health and equity. The draft GPU consolidates eight existing General Plan elements into five thematically organized updated elements, while introducing one new element, the Remarkable Community Element. Copies of the public review Draft GPU Elements have been included as Attachments for reference
Public Review of Draft General Plan Elements and EIR:
The City released draft versions of the GPU, SSCSP, CAP, and Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for public review on June 4, 2024 (CEQA requires the standard minimum 45-days for DEIR).
During the public review period, staff conducted a Community Forum on June 20, 2024 to provide a project overview, present a series of real-time polling questions, and held virtual breakout sessions on the new and GPU elements, the SSCSP, and updated CAP. The well-attended forum was primarily intended to prime participants to review and provide written comment on the project deliverables and the associated DEIR.
After extending the public comment period twice in response to public requests, the public review phase for the draft documents mentioned above closed on August 5, 2024 (62 days total). The following discussion provides a high-level summary of each draft GPU element and a high-level summary of comments received on each element during the 2024 draft GPU public review period.
Remarkable Community Element
The Remarkable Community Element (RC) is a new component of the General Plan that considers the question, “What makes Oceanside remarkable, and how do we preserve, enhance, and better leverage the City’s remarkable attributes?” Touching on land use, mobility, natural resources, and the City’s history (including that of the indigenous community), the RC is meant to complement, expand upon, and connect key themes promulgated in other General Plan elements.
The element covers such key topics as:
• Character-Defining Assets
• Neighborhood Identity/Character
• Urban Design
• Scenic Views
• Tribal Resources
• Historic Preservation
Goals and policies outlined in the RC support the following objectives:
• Strengthen the City’s sense of place;
• Preserve and enhance neighborhood character;
• Protect cultural and tribal resources; and
• Promote the City as a visitor destination.
The RC element introduces urban design goals and policies for both private development and public realm improvements intended to create a more engaging, and more visually appealing community. The RC element includes goal and policy frameworks for each of the City’s 18 designated neighborhood planning areas. These goal and policy frameworks include short descriptions of each of the planning areas that highlight their unique assets, opportunities, and constraints.
The RC element acknowledges Oceanside as a visitor destination and considers how the City can continue to grow the hospitality sector in a manner that protects and enhances quality of life for residents, and enhances the City’s reputation and brand. RC goals and policies related to the City’s hospitality sector align with the Sustainable Tourism Master Plan (STMP) prepared by Visit Oceanside in collaboration with the City, with input from residents, business owners, and other stakeholders.
In March 2024, the Oceanside City Council unanimously accepted the completed STMP report. The STMP is a 10-year plan that outlines an overall vision and strategy to develop Oceanside’s visitor economy while providing strategies for stewarding tourism towards a sustainable future. Information is guided through the best practices and criteria set forth by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. The STMP identifies an overarching vision and the experiences, infrastructure, and policies that would guide long-term sustainable, responsible development of Oceanside’s tourism industry. Concurrently, such efforts would also help ensure the long-term health of Oceanside as a destination and the quality of life for Oceanside’s residents and community as a whole.
Summary of Public Comments Received:
Public comments received on the RC element, in general, were positive. Commenters want to ensure that the City’s newly-hired Active Transportation Coordinator is involved in the development review process to ensure complete street policies are being applied to new development, that bike trail and bike lane improvements be viewed as a network, and that stand-alone bike improvements that don’t connect to other parts of the larger network should be avoided. Commenters also recommended not utilizing palm trees as part of the planting palette as part of the effort to increase the City’s tree canopy, utilizing one-way street configuration, angled parking, and other traffic calming measures in certain parts of the City, and advocating for Irving Gill style architecture be utilized for future city facilities.
Efficient and Compatible Land Use Element
The draft Efficient and Compatible Land Use (ECLU) Element guides the location, form, and character of new development throughout the City. It promulgates the principles of efficient use of limited resources, access to housing, and adequate land resources for employment-oriented uses. Goals and policies identified in the ECLU include promotion of efficient land uses to encourage walkable neighborhoods, neighborhood commercial developments, high density residential and mixed-use projects, and new development of compatible land uses especially, within mixed-use areas. The element consists of the following key topics:
• Land Use Designations
• Building Scale and Form
• Accommodation of Industrial Uses
• Parking
• Edge Conditions/Buffers
• Home Occupations
The ECLU provides direction for future development with respect to building scale and form, mixed-use design, parking, edge connections and buffers, nature in the built environment, and home occupations.
Goals and policies within the ECLU support the following objectives:
• Infill and redevelopment within the City’s major commercial corridors, at intensities and densities that support a broad mix of complementary uses, active transportation, and transit service;
• New housing in commercial districts, primarily in conjunction with mixed-use development but also in the form of standalone residential uses where appropriate;
• Industrial areas reserved primarily for industrial uses, flexible commercial land use standards (e.g., providing for low-intensity, low-impact industrial uses), new housing that increases demand for local commercial goods and services, incubator space for start-up businesses, expansion of biotechnology, research and development, precision manufacturing, healthcare, active lifestyle, and hospitality sectors.
Summary of Public Comments Received:
Comments received on the ECLU covered a broad range of topics with varied specificity. Comment topics included lack of consistency regarding growth projections provided in the document compared to other external documents the GPU has relied on, including those produced by SANDAG and HCD. Other comments received related to specific goals and policies and asked for clarification and/or modification to identified goals and policies. Below is an example of some of the comments received:
• Open Space designation should be clarified as “natural” open space with reference to the VSR for preservation and management requirements;
• That a policy is required to ensure infrastructure isn’t expanded into peripheral areas of the City;
• Add emphasis on retaining job producing land uses- not housing conversion so it is consistent with efforts to continue to improve jobs/employed residents’ ratio;
• VSR should be referenced for requirements related to the preservation, restoration and management of natural open space, as well as for policies related to edge effects and adjacency;
• Compatibility issues with Palomar and Oceanside airports need to be addressed;
• Policy regarding protection of mobile home parks as a key part of low-income housing supply and require replacement of such housing when it is removed for new development;
• Complete streets approach that makes biking and walking safe are key to reducing reliance on private automobiles;
• Sprawl development into South Morro Hills should be avoided.
The comments outlined above are just a sampling of comments received. They exemplify the variety and extent of comments that staff and the consultant team are currently working on addressing.
Integrated Mobility Element
The Integrated Mobility (IM) Element replaces the City’s Circulation Element, which was most recently updated in 2012. In accordance with state general plan guidelines, the IM element specifies the location, extent, and classification of existing and proposed major roadways, transportation routes, and transportation terminals. The IM element also considers how local transportation facilities connect to state facilities (e.g., Interstate 5, State Routes 76 and 78) and extend into neighboring jurisdictions. Key topics included in the IM (Transportation) are:
• Roadway Classifications
• Complete Streets Improvements
• Transit/Micro-Transit
• Active Transportation Facilities
• Evacuation Routes
As its title indicates, the IM element seeks to foster an integrated mobility network that provides for safe and convenient transitions between different modes of travel. To this end, the IM element includes goals and policies that call for complete streets improvements, improved access to transit facilities, “mobility hub” features, and technologies that would make it easier to find parking, plan transit trips, pay fares, etc.
Recognizing that the City’s roadway network is essentially built out, and that the City cannot build its way out of traffic congestion, the IM element promotes reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through transportation demand management (TDM) strategies, expanded active transportation facilities, expanded transit service, and new flexible fleet options. The IM element also calls upon the City to employ design elements and emerging mobility technologies to improve the efficiency of local roadways.
The goals, policies, and actions promulgated in the IM element correlate with the City’s efforts to accommodate future growth through infill and redevelopment within already urbanized areas. Specifically, the IM element prioritizes transportation investments in the City’s major commercial corridors, which are expected to transform into vibrant, walkable mixed-use environments. The IM element also aligns with the City’s climate mitigation efforts as outlined in the updated Climate Action Plan.
Summary of Public Comments Received:
Similar to the ECLU, comments received on IM covered a broad range of topics with varied specificity. Comments included a need for emphasis on developing a more comprehensive Active Transportation Plan; that Level of Service impacts need to be addressed through alternative transportation modes and improved Transportation Demand Management (TDM) policies, TDM policies should be expanded to include all land uses, not just job producing land uses; that the proposed RDO/78 interchange should be removed from the roadway network; that there needs to be a more comprehensive approach to funding transportation systems improvements, that the City should strongly advocate for regional funding support for the completion of the Inland Rail Trail and Coastal Rail Trail, and that the City should also make improvements to portions of Oceanside Boulevard that are very hazardous to cyclists.
During the public review period, the City received numerous comments regarding the proposed RDO/78 interchange. Comments were received from Caltrans indicating that proposed interchange is not a project that Caltrans has any plans for and the interchange is not included as a facility that would be funded through the Regional Transportation Plan prepared by SANDAG. Given the likelihood that the interchange would not be funded by Caltrans during the planning horizon of the GPU, staff made the decision to recommend removal of the interchange from the roadway network. In light of removal of the interchange from the roadway network, there was a need to re-run the traffic model for the project in support of the VMT and LOS analyses that have been prepared for the project. That work is ongoing and removal of the interchange will be reflected in the updated draft of the IM and FEIR.
Vital and Sustainable Resources Element
The Vital and Sustainable Resources (VSR) Element replaces the City’s Environmental Resource Management Element, which was prepared in 1975 and has yet to be updated. The VSR (Conservation/Open Space) covers such key topics as:
• Sensitive Habitat
• Farmland
• Water Resources
• Community Facilities
• Climate Action
VSR goals and policies support the following objectives:
• Conserve natural resources;
• Conserve open space;
• Protect air/water quality; and
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In accordance with Government Code 65302(d), the VSR provides an inventory of Oceanside’s natural resources based on the information available to-date and speaks to the benefits these resources provide to the community. Specifically, the VSR addresses water resources, air resources, mineral resources, farmland, and sensitive habitat. The VSR considers how impacts to these resources resulting from development and other human activities can be avoided or minimized.
Through specific policies, the VSR seeks to carry forward the fundamental purpose and intent of Oceanside’s Draft Subarea Plan (SAP) as directed by the City Council. On October 6, 2021, the City Council, during its consideration of the draft Community Vision and Guiding Principles prepared in conjunction with the GPU, voted 4-1 (Sanchez - no) to direct staff to bring an item to City Council to have the policies of the SAP embedded within the future Conservation and Open Space elements being prepared in conjunction with the GPU, and suspend participation in the SAP. On January 12, 2022, the City Council voted 3-1 (Sanchez - No) to direct staff to incorporate policies from the Draft SAP into the General Plan Update and cease further efforts towards adoption of a new Subarea Plan due to due to the burden adoption and implementation of the SAP would place on the City to acquire, restore, and manage sensitive habitat (see Attachment 6 - 1/12/22 staff report).
A key goal of the SAP is to provide a wildlife corridor between the Calavera Preserve in Carlsbad and wildland on Camp Pendleton. Known as the Wildlife Corridor Planning Zone (WCPZ), this corridor as delineated in the SAP, roughly parallels SDG&E’s high-voltage transmission line corridor. The VSR recognizes the WCPZ as delineated in the SAP and prioritizes habitat preservation and restoration within WCPZ boundaries.
The VSR identifies key restoration properties along the WCPZ, which notably include multiple City-owned parcels such as the El Corazon property. The VSR states a goal of restoring a minimum of 145 acres of native coastal sage scrub habitat within the WCPZ, a key habitat critical to the preservation of threatened species such as the California Gnatcatcher. Staff are currently coordinating with State and Federal resource agencies on methods to maximize restoration potential within the WCPZ beginning with City properties. To support this goal, the City intends to initiate a comprehensive update of its habitat inventory and mapping system. This project will update the baseline conditions from the SAP, confirm property ownership, confirm the management status of existing hardline preserves, and inform future conservation efforts consistent with the VSR. Within the WCPZ specifically, staff have begun scoping habitat management plans for the El Corazon property and are working to identify funding for coastal sage scrub restoration on adjacent city properties identified as conservation areas.
On the topics of water supply and water quality, the VSR draws upon plans and programs prepared and implemented by the City’s Water Utilities Department. On the topic of air quality, the VSR builds upon federal and state air quality standards and promotes environmental justice by focusing on air quality “hot spots” and sensitive receptors.
The VSR also describes the City’s coastal resources (beach, shoreline, public facilities) and provides a high-level assessment of their vulnerability to sea level rise and other natural hazards exacerbated by climate change. These issues will be addressed in detail in the City’s updated Local Coastal Program.
Summary of Public Comments Received:
Comments received on the VSR were comprehensive and extensive. Comments included that conservation goals outlined in the draft document need to be consistent with the adopted Regional Multiple Species Habitat Plan (MHCP); that the concept of the Wildlife Corridor Planning Zone (WCPZ) needs to be better articulated and an explanation provided about the analysis that went into creating the concept; that species level analysis is required to provide species-specific conservation measures; the need to document details of all the existing hardline preserves, to include verifying conditions, status of restoration efforts, whether conservation easements have been recorded, and the status of ongoing management of these preserves; a call for local funding for potential acquisition of lands containing sensitive habitat for endangered species and have a strategic location within the WCPZ; that the VSR should contain all the goals of the Draft SAP; and the previously included policy to allow cluster housing in the Agricultural Land Use Designation be removed.
As mentioned above, to support implementation of the VSR, the City intends to complete a comprehensive update to the sensitive habitat and conserved lands inventory. This project will evaluate existing conditions of key biological resources, confirm ownership and responsibilities over discrete preserve areas and provide recommendations for the expansion and improvement of a citywide preserve system. As much of the remaining natural habitat in Oceanside is under private ownership, it is anticipated that most preservation actions will occur in context of the development review process. The comprehensive habitat inventory update will help inform the process by clearly delineating the boundaries of ownership, vegetation, existing hardline preserves and biological planning areas such as the WCPZ. Staff intends to include a request for funding in the FY25-26 budgeting process to initiate this project in the coming year.
Safe and Resilient Environment Element
The Safe and Resilient Environment (SRE) Element addresses the State’s requirement to assess and minimize the community’s vulnerability to natural and manmade hazards. Key topics in this element include natural hazards, human-induced hazards (e.g., crime, terrorism, and cyber threats, climate adaptation. The SRE includes the following key topics:
• Natural Hazards
• Human Induced Hazards
• Climate Adaptation
• Terrorism and Cyber-Threats
• CPTED
SRE goals and policies support the following objectives:
• Understand risks associated with both natural and human-induced hazards;
• Build resilience against wildfire, flooding, landslides, drought, seismic activity, tsunamis, contagions;
• Ensure appropriate and adequate emergency response;
• Manage the production, distribution, and use of hazardous materials; and
• Create safe and secure public spaces.
Summary of Public Comments Received:
Public input received on the SRE included comments that the draft element fails to incorporate all the policies and actions outlined in the Oceanside Annex to the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (MJHMP). Commenters highlighted policies of the MJHMP that requires specific policy language be included in other General Plan Elements that address limiting access to hazardous areas, restrictions on re-zonings in areas of natural hazards and limitations on intensity of use, and that the CIP will limit expenditures on projects that encourage development in areas vulnerable to natural hazards.
Specific comments were also received on topical areas covered by the SRE including Flooding, Fire, Hazardous Materials, Airport, and Evacuation. These comments included consideration needs to be given to 500-year flood events and not just 100-year events, a need for expanded discussion about potential flood risks at the harbor and downtown and the impacts these events could have on the City’s tourism economy, and that flood analysis should consider water quality, public health issues, and potential impacts on biological resources (Flooding); that providing defensible space should consider impacts on sensitive habitats (Fire); that mention needs to be given to chemicals associated with landscaping and agricultural activities (Hazardous Materials); that policies should be added that work toward eliminating lead additives from aviation fuel (Airport); and enhancement to policies to address additional mitigation when only one access point is provided and require new development in High Fire Severity Zones to prepare evacuation studies (Evacuation).
Healthy and Livable Community Element
The Healthy and Livable Community (HLC) Element replaces the City’s Community Facilities Element, which was prepared in 1990 and has yet to be updated. While the HLC is an optional General Plan element, it addresses the state-mandated topics of open space and noise. More specifically, the element covers:
• Community Health
• Noise
• Civic Engagement
• Recreational Opportunities
• Community Facilities and Services
• Utilities/Infrastructure
The HLC responds to the community’s desire to have ready access to public facilities, as well as the community’s interest in additional and augmented public services - e.g., more libraries, more park amenities, an expanded trails network, community broadband, more community gardens and more support for urban agriculture, more harbor amenities, more resources to address homelessness, etc.
In keeping with all of the new and updated General Plan elements, the HLC addresses environmental justice and social equity issues, particularly as they relate to access to community facilities and services and participation in the local decision-making process.
Summary of Public Comments Received:
Comments received on the HLC included that in areas where there is an identified gap in available park resources and densification is being considered, prioritization should be given to addressing any shortfall in park resources, that there should be specific development guidelines that address non-traditional public spaces like public plazas, that concepts of regional trail connections should be provided, that natural habitat trail design should minimize impacts to habitat, and that wayfinding signage should be provided throughout the City.
Smart and Sustainable Corridors Specific Plan
Project Description
A Specific Plan is a planning tool used for implementing policies of the General Plan in a defined geographic area. As a regulatory document, it bridges the gap between General Plan policies and zoning regulations by establishing a land use framework (zoning) and implementation program to guide future development within the Specific Plan boundaries.
The SSCSP outlines strategies, standards, and implementation processes for the revitalization of the Mission Avenue, Oceanside Boulevard, and Vista Way commercial corridors. Through the SSCSP, the City will seek to channel a majority of future housing and employment growth into the City’s major east/west commercial corridors while maintaining the integrity of adjacent residential neighborhoods.
These corridors are envisioned as benefitting from infill and redevelopment on currently vacant and underutilized sites, streetscape and public realm improvements that enhance aesthetics and pedestrian comfort and safety, and a greater diversity of compatible uses, including residential, retail, service, and professional office uses. These revitalized corridors will afford housing and employment opportunities, support a variety of integrated mobility options, and establish a strong sense of place.
A key goal of the SSCSP is to expand mobility options by improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure within the corridors and establishing connections with other active transportation networks in the City. The SSCSP emphasizes “Complete Street” roadway improvements that seek to provide a safe means of mobility for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit vehicles, motor vehicles, and other modes.
Planning Area Setting
The SSCSP area encompasses 1,437 acres and focuses on the Mission Avenue, Oceanside Boulevard, and Vista Way corridors. These three corridors connect eastern and western reaches of Oceanside, with Mission Avenue roughly paralleling State Highway 76, Oceanside Boulevard extending along North County Transit District’s (NCTD) Sprinter rail line, and Vista Way running along State Highway 78. The corridors generally abut residential neighborhoods on both sides. All three of the corridors are bounded by hillsides and include waterways: the San Luis Rey River near Mission Avenue, Loma Alta Creek along Oceanside Boulevard, and Buena Vista Creek, running just south of Vista Way.
The Planning Area contains a diverse mix of land uses, including commercial, residential, industrial, public use, and open space. All sites within the boundaries of the SSCSP directly abut or are in close proximity to the existing roadway alignments. No corridor sites will require vehicle access through existing neighborhoods.
Corridor Land Use Overview
Mission Avenue Corridor: Mission Avenue is envisioned as a dynamic corridor that creates new opportunities for housing, commercial uses, and industrial uses. The existing corridor is primarily occupied by commercial uses with several large shopping centers. Served by high frequency bus service, the corridor provides many opportunities to introduce mixed use development. New housing in the corridor will support businesses and associated public realm improvements will enhance walkability and encourage transit ridership.
• Policies:
Ø Facilitate housing and mixed-use development projects for households of all income levels.
Ø Promote the integration of diverse dining establishments in both existing commercial centers and new mixed-use projects.
Ø Intensify production uses in industrial areas and allow a variety of light industrial, cottage manufacturing, and research and development uses.
Ø Facilitate expanded pedestrian and bicycle connections to the river.
Oceanside Boulevard: The Oceanside Boulevard corridor is envisioned as a transit-oriented corridor with a mix of shopping venues, restaurants, industry, and residential development oriented around the Sprinter rail stations, with the opportunity to revitalize Loma Alta Creek as the core of its open space and trail system. The areas within a half-mile radius of the existing Sprinter stations are identified by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) as “smart growth opportunity areas” or SGOAs - areas that are prime locations for compact, walkable mixed-use development near transit.
• Policies:
Ø Support medium-to-high density development near transit hubs and major intersections, while retaining land resources for industrial uses.
Ø Prioritize commercial uses that both support and benefit from El Corazon.
Ø Promote compatible industrial uses with higher employment densities.
Ø Allow existing, legal conforming and nonconforming industrial uses to remain in operation consistent with applicable Zoning Ordinance provisions.
Vista Way: The Vista Way Corridor contains the most significant concentration of regional commercial uses in Oceanside based on the access to Highway 78. Notable uses in the corridor include Tri-City Medical Hospital, Scripps Medical Center, Pacific Coast Plaza, and Camino Town & Country shopping center. The SSCSP envisions Vista Way remaining a regional commercial destination, while providing opportunities for more efficient land use through infill and redevelopment of strip commercial centers and associated surface parking lots.
• Policies:
Ø Expand retail, medical office, commercial recreation, and residential uses through more efficient land use.
Ø Support opportunities to expand office and medical-related uses around the Tri-City Medical Center.
Ø Introduce more housing through mixed-use development with no net loss of commercial floor area.
Land Use Designations
The SSCSP establishes land use designations on all parcels, which function as zoning districts. All land use designations are consistent with the ECLU of the General Plan.
Residential: The Medium Density Residential (MD-R) designation will allow a maximum density of 30.0 dwelling units per acre and the High Density Residential (HD-R) designation will allow a maximum density of 40.0 dwelling units per acre. MD-R will allow a range of housing types such as single-family detached/attached, low-rise multi-family, and supportive residential facilities. HD-R will allow low- to mid-rise multi-family housing.
• Policy focus: Diversity of housing options and affordability levels, supportive housing amenities, special needs housing, and live-work units.
Mixed Use: Two distinct mixed-use designations will integrate residential and commercial uses in horizontal and vertical mixed-use configurations. The Corridor Mixed Use (CoMU) designation will focus on integrating residential and compatible retail, services, and office uses to create walkable places that serve the daily needs of residents. The Centers Mixed Use (CeMU) designation will allow for more intensive development in strategic nodal locations along corridors and transit-accessible areas focused on high-density residential and a variety of community retail, restaurants, visitor serving uses, and professional offices.
• Policy focus: Mix of uses, walkable environment, public spaces, compatibility and synergy between uses, resident amenities, and appropriate commercial floor area.
Commercial: The General Commercial (GC), Neighborhood Commercial (CN), and Professional Commercial (CP) land use designations will allow a variety of commercial uses and generally apply to established commercial centers and office parks within the corridors.
• Policy focus: Flexible commercial spaces, neighborhood serving commercial uses, anchor tenants, local business support, allow low-intensity (i.e., “clean”) industrial uses, and diversity of businesses.
Industrial: The SSCSP incorporates the General Industrial (GI) and Research and Development (RD) designations provided in the General Plan. Industrial land use focuses on accommodating high technology and research development industries with than can be located near residential areas and other sensitive receptors with an emphasis on uses generally engaging in the assembly of low-bulk, high value products, and research and development. Compatible commercial uses shall also be permitted.
• Policy focus: Higher employment density, public realm improvements, preserve and expand local manufacturing capacity, and compatibility with nearby uses.
Public: The Public designation is intended to provide for a broad range of institutional, educational, religious, and community uses.
Open Space: The Open Space designation provides for public parks, public and private outdoor recreation facilities, trails, flood channels, water recharge areas, and water bodies. Public and community spaces are permitted in all open space areas, and incidental commercial uses.
Urban Design
The SSCSP provides direction for the overall design of each of the three corridors with policies that guide both private development and capital improvements. The design standards will address elements of the public realm - streetscapes, parks and gathering spaces, buildings, signage, lighting, public art, etc. - to promote lively, navigable, and aesthetically pleasing mixed-use corridors.
Streetscapes: The SSCSP envisions visually-unified pedestrian-oriented streetscapes within the corridors with design features such as wider sidewalks, landscaped parkways and expanded tree canopy, benches and street furnishings, and distinctive and visible paving at crosswalks. Private property owners and developers shall be responsible for pedestrian-oriented public realm improvements.
Parks and Public Spaces: New public spaces will largely be incorporated into new development, the public right-of-way, and existing parks within or adjacent to the corridors. Each corridor should include a variety of public open spaces - neighborhood parks, pocket parks, plazas, linear parks, paseos, and trails that provide connections between the built environment and natural areas.
Site and Building Design: New development will focus on creating pedestrian friendly environments that provide seamless transitions between buildings and street frontages. Development standards provided in the SSCSP will provide direction for building and site planning, including massing, articulation, ground floor treatment, building materials, open space, signs, and parking.
Wayfinding and Public Art: The SSCSP encourages distinctive and legible wayfinding signage and public art to facilitate navigational access for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists while also contributing to each corridor’s sense of unique identity.
Mobility
The SSCSP calls for a transition to a mixed-use pedestrian-oriented environment that includes a significant amount of new housing. Anticipated development within the corridors can be facilitated and supported by enhanced roadway efficiency, complete street improvements, improved access to transit, and site design elements in private development that accommodate all modes of travel for all ages and abilities.
Roadway Network: All three corridors are classified as arterials or secondary collectors with four- to six-lanes in various sections. The SSCSP includes recommendations for roadway improvements on specific sections of each corridor based on the availability of adequate right-of-way width. Recommended improvements include continuous sidewalk on both sides of the street separated by a landscaping strip, landscaped raised medians (except Vista Way), and separated bikeways (Class IV). Other constrained roadway segments within the corridors will maintain existing or planned configurations with recommended pedestrian, bicycle, and transit measures as roadway dimensions allow.
Pedestrian Movement: Consistent with the IM, the SSCSP establishes pedestrian route typologies with key features such as wider sidewalks, shade producing landscaping, separation from travel lanes, and crossing enhancements such as curb extensions, high visibility crosswalks with advanced stop bars, ADA curb ramps, and signalized crossing enhancements such as automated and audible pedestrian signals.
Bicycle Mobility: None of the SSCSP corridors currently have protected bicycle facilities. The SSCSP calls for the installation of Class IV separated bicycle facilities along specific segments of the corridors where feasible to make them safe, comfortable, and accessible for bicyclist of all ages. Policies in the SSCSP also support the completion of the Inland Rail Trail segment extending through Oceanside.
Environmental Quality
Goals and policies in the SSCSP emphasize that biological resources will be protected, enhanced, and expanded within the corridors, including restoration of habitat, the establishment of waterway buffers around riparian habitat, and wildlife crossings where appropriate and feasible.
Infrastructure and Utilities
Water and Sewer: Generally, water and sewer system capacity and infrastructure conditions within the Planning Area are sufficient to meet current and projected future City water and sewer system demands as analyzed in the City’s 2015 Water and Sewer Master Plans. To accommodate greater density and intensity of use within the corridors, infrastructure and public services will need to be expanded in some areas. The City would be expected to ensure that necessary water and sewer infrastructure upgrades are implemented in conjunction with new development.
Implementation and Financing
Implementation of the SSCSP requires a range of actions on part of the City, developers, and other entities, including carrying out necessary regulatory measures, providing infrastructure improvements, and securing financing.
Streamlined Development Review: The SSCSP contains detailed, objective standards to streamline development review. Projects that comply with all policies and standards in the SSCSP will be subject to ministerial review, while projects deviating from development standards shall be subject to either administrative review by the City Planner, or discretionary review by the Planning Commission.
Capital Improvements and Funding: The SSCSP identifies potential funding sources for investment in infrastructure and amenities required to implement the plan. Funding sources include Special Assessment Districts, Business/Property Based Improvement Districts (PBID), Development Impact Fees, Capital Improvement Program, Tax Increment Financing Districts, and External Grants and Loans.
Public Outreach and Comments Received
A draft of the SSCSP was released concurrently with the Draft EIR and draft elements for Phase 2 GPU. Comments letters were received addressing various components of the SSCSP. A majority of comments focused on planned pedestrian and active transportation improvements within the corridor, including the completion of the Inland Rail Trail. Comments reiterated the need for safe crosswalks and an improved pedestrian and bicycle environment, especial in proximity to Sprinter stations. Concerns were raised that incomplete sidewalks and lack of safe access to public transit stops will discourage the use of such facilities. Comments also included a request to encourage pedestrian and bicycle connections between inland and coastal areas and to construct bicycle lanes and paths as a network with full connectivity throughout the city.
Additional comments focused on increasing affordable housing percentage for senior housing and discouraging density bonus projects from applying development waivers that eliminate quality of life items such as greenspace or amenities. A request was also made to require a minimum percentage of bicycle parking for new development.
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
Project Description
Climate Action Plans (CAP) are long-range planning tools used to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), which collectively are atmospheric gases that trap heat and warm the planet. Examples of key GHGs include carbon dioxide from combustion of fossil fuels like oil and gas, methane from agriculture and waste processing, and nitrous oxide from vehicle emissions and industrial processes. GHGs are the primary contributors to human-induced climate change.
While a CAP is not mandated by law, the California Air Resources Board estimates that over 70 percent of the State’s population now live within municipalities that are implementing a CAP or similar sustainability planning program. By implementing a local CAP, cities demonstrate a commitment to sustainable land use policy, efficient resource consumption, thriving communities and a healthy environment. Within San Diego County, 18 municipalities including the City of Oceanside are currently implementing a CAP.
The City adopted its first CAP in April 2019 as part of Phase 1 of the GPU. The CAP is a dual-purpose planning document that both aligns local climate and sustainability goals with State legislation, while allowing for the streamlining of development projects under CEQA. The 2019 CAP was a key implementation feature of the Energy and Climate Action Element adopted during GPU Phase 1. Through that effort, the City committed to updating its CAP roughly every five years.
Beginning in 2020, the City embarked on Phase 2 of the GPU. Concurrently, staff and its consultants commenced drafting a CAP update that: 1) reflected new State climate legislation and efforts to consolidate sustainability initiatives into a comprehensive document, and 2) ensures consistency with the updated growth scenarios presented in the General Plan.
State legislation implemented through California Air Resources Board policies has strengthened California’s pathway to carbon neutrality. Legislative targets that drive the City’s reduction strategies include:
• SB 32 - Global Warming Solutions Act (2006) - reduce GHG emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030
• AB 1279 - California Climate Crisis Act (2022) - reduce statewide GHG emissions 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2045
The CAP update is also required for conducting a CEQA-compliant analysis of future GHG emissions associated with the projected growth identified in the GPU. For the CAP to be considered a CEQA-qualified plan, the targets must be aligned with key State legislation and the General Plan’s 2050 horizon date. The reduction measures outlined in the CAP serve to mitigate for future emissions from projected growth and other sources.
The City’s CAP analyzes projected community-wide GHG emissions, evaluates the City’s GHG reduction targets with State goals, outlines a broad range of strategies designed to reduce the City’s carbon footprint, identifies potential sector-specific GHG reduction measures, and includes a monitoring framework to track progress and update the CAP as necessary.
GHG Inventory, Projections, and Reduction Targets
For the CAP update, a community-wide analysis of the City’s baseline GHG emissions inventory by sector was completed using 2018 transportation data obtained from SANDAG. The 2018 baseline was determined to be the most recent relevant SANDAG transportation data, mainly due to atypical traffic trends from the Covid-19 pandemic that skewed subsequent data. CAP analyses include a projection of future emissions based on anticipated growth of the City’s population, housing stock, and transportation needs. The inventory also accounts for GHG reductions anticipated to occur as a result of State and Federal legislative requirements, such as new building codes, fuel efficiency standards, and future electric vehicle sale requirements.
Similar to the City’s 2019 CAP, the majority of Oceanside’s emissions as shown in the pie chart below are attributed to on-road transportation (51 percent) and energy use (natural gas (18 percent), electricity (22 percent). The remainder of emissions are assigned to solid waste management, water and wastewater operations, and off-road equipment.
Community-wide GHG Inventory (2018) by emission sector in the CAP Update
The CAP update identifies three key GHG reduction targets that drive the implementation of the City’s reduction measures over the next 20 years.
Table 1. GHG Baseline and CAP Update Reduction Target
|
Year & Basis |
GHG Reduction Target |
|
2018 (Baseline) |
-- |
|
2030 (SB 32) |
27% |
|
2045 (AB 1279) |
90% |
|
2050 (GPU Horizon) |
90% |
Proposed GHG Reduction Measures
The CAP update outlines GHG reduction measures across six focus sectors that generally align with the emissions sectors presented in the 2018 GHG baseline inventory. Some measures may provide co-benefits that cut across sectors and reduce emissions not accounted for in the inventory. The CAP update proposes 17 GHG reduction measures with a total of 103 actions across the 6 core emissions sectors. Broadly, proposed GHG reduction measures are focused on:
• Energy: Increasing the share of renewable energy delivered to customers and improving energy efficiency of new and existing development.
• Transportation: Reducing single occupant vehicle use through zoning strategies, promoting zero-emission vehicle use and electrification of the community fleet.
• Solid Waste: Improving landfill waste diversion and enhancing organic waste recycling.
• Water: Reducing consumption and promoting water use efficiency
• Carbon Sequestration: Preserving remaining working lands and expanding urban forestry.
• Local Green Economy: Supporting local business growth in sustainable sectors.
As shown in the pie chart above, the majority of the required GHG reductions must occur within the Energy (Electricity and Natural Gas) and Transportation sectors (percent total).
Land use policies proposed in the General Plan Update such as those promoting “smart growth” infill along transit corridors are expected to provide ancillary GHG reductions outside those quantified in the CAP. As a result, some GHG measures refer to and reinforce policies proposed in the GPU elements, as well as focused policies in the SSCSP. A comparison of proposed GHG reduction measures and associated actions between the 2019 CAP and current proposed CAP update is provided below.
Table 2. Comparison of Measures & Actions: 2019 CAP vs. 2025 CAP Update
|
GHG Emission Sector |
2019 CAP1 |
2025 CAP Update |
|
Energy |
5 measures; 7 actions |
4 measures; 22 actions |
|
Transportation |
5 measures; 24 actions |
6 measures; 42 actions |
|
Solid Waste |
2 measures; 8 actions |
2 measures; 12 actions |
|
Water |
3 measures; 3 actions |
2 measures; 13 actions |
|
Carbon Sequestration |
4 measures; 12 actions |
2 measures; 9 actions |
|
Local Green Economy |
N/A |
1 measure; 5 actions |
|
Total |
19 measures; 54 actions |
17 measures; 103 actions |
1The 2019 CAP assigned GHG reduction measures into emission sectors with different nomenclature from the 2025 CAP Update. For example, the 2019 CAP ‘Agriculture & Forestry’ reduction sector is now compared to Carbon Sequestration in the 2025 CAP update.
CAP Implementation and Monitoring
Meaningful implementation and tracking the progress of the proposed CAP update will require City-wide coordinated, interdepartmental efforts. Staff expect to complete an Implementation Cost Analysis prior to the Council’s adoption of the CAP and Phase 2 GPU elements that informs the financial and staffing resources needed to design, launch, and administer programs with the highest GHG reduction potential. Examples of such programs include a building energy retrofit program, expansion of City EV charging infrastructure, expanding the Citywide tree canopy, and developing ordinances that encourage building electrification.
Many of the proposed GHG reduction measures rely on existing regulatory compliance programs implemented across City departments. While it is not the intent of the City to achieve its climate goals entirely through mandates, the CAP does propose new and updated ordinances that encourage sustainable development practices. For example, in the building energy sector, the City may consider “reach codes” that go beyond the State’s minimum CALGreen building standards (Title 24, Part 6 of the CA Energy Code) requiring electrification retrofits for qualifying construction projects. Another example is revising existing ordinances for Transportation Demand Management (TDM) to lower compliance thresholds to encourage reduced single occupancy vehicle trips. In 2020 the City adopted its first four reach codes, amending the Zoning Ordinance to require qualifying projects to install onsite solar, electric vehicle charging facilities, TDMs, and urban forestry requirements.
A key component of implementation is a revised CAP “Consistency Checklist.” This optional CEQA tool may be used to evaluate future development projects for alignment with the goals and strategies of the updated CAP. The Consistency Checklist would streamline environmental review of developments and mitigate for GHG emissions pursuant to CEQA. The City’s current Consistency Checklist is largely focused on project location within smart-growth corridors and compliance with reach codes adopted under the 2019 CAP. The Consistency Checklist is being updated concurrently with the CAP and will be circulated for review prior to adoption of the updated CAP.
The CAP Update also includes a framework for monitoring and reporting progress on each sector’s GHG reduction measures, using Key Performance Indicators. Since the 2019 CAP adoption, the City has issued one comprehensive annual progress report in 2022; efforts to produce subsequent reports were challenged by limited staffing resources and the absence of full-time administrative staffing dedicated to the CAP. The CAP update calls for annual progress reporting and adaptive management of the CAP through comprehensive updates every five years.
While the City has taken the first step of dedicating a full-time Sustainability Program Administrator to oversee implementation of the CAP, there will be a need for additional appropriations in the coming year to successfully launch and monitor the CAP’s ambitious GHG reduction measures. Staff have developed a FY25-26 budget proposal and Five-Year Forecast for CAP implementation for consideration in the City’s routine annual budgeting process.
CEQA Qualified CAP
Section 15064.4 of the CEQA Guidelines requires the City, as a lead agency, to analyze the cumulative GHG emissions from projects under its approval authority and determine mitigation measures as necessary. On a programmatic basis, this includes future cumulative GHG emissions from land use policy changes as proposed in the General Plan Update.
Implementing a CAP that is supported by a CEQA-compliant analysis provides the City with an option to determine that a project’s cumulative emissions are not significant, if it includes mitigation measures consistent with an adopted CAP (CEQA Guidelines 15183.5(b)). For the CAP to be utilized as a tool for streamlining GHG analysis for future projects, it must include the elements described in CEQA Guidelines 15183.5(b). Broadly, these elements include:
• A quantification of the City’s existing GHG emissions and those projected in the future associated with growth (i.e. a GHG inventory)
• Identification of a cumulative GHG threshold below which the future GHG contributions would not be cumulatively considerable. For Oceanside these thresholds correspond to the State’s reduction targets under SB 32 and AB 1279.
• Specific measures, actions and/or performance standards that, if implemented on a project basis, will cumulatively achieve the GHG reduction thresholds.
• A monitoring framework to track the City’s progress toward achieving the GHG targets and adaptively manage and update the CAP as needed.
• Adoption of the CAP through a public process following environmental review, as done through the General Plan Update’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
Public Outreach & Comments Received
Prior to the release of the draft CAP Update, in December 2024 the City conducted a community survey <https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e793179d41a22445c4efa55/t/658394dc51ba4d2dfaec9224/1703122141768/Survey+Results.pdf> to gauge awareness towards climate change and actions to reduce carbon emissions. Across nearly 470 responses, a majority indicated an awareness of human-induced climate change and need for community action. However, it was also clear that such individual choices are constrained by high costs. Reponses also indicated a resistance to new mandates or regulations, favoring an assertive attitude towards free choice in the best interest of Oceanside’s families and businesses.
On June 4, 2024 a draft of the CAP update was released for a state-mandated 45-day public review alongside the Phase 2 GPU deliverables and Draft Environmental Impact Report. Public input was also received on the draft CAP document at an in-person GPU public forum held at the Crown Heights Community Resource Center on June 20, 2024.
The public comment period was twice extended for a total review period of 63 days. Among the approximate 150 pages of comments received in the GPU deliverables, nearly 50 pages were applicable to the draft CAP.
General comments included concerns with achieving the State GHG targets on time, the financial and logistical feasibility of the proposed GHG reduction measures, a lack of quantified cost estimates for the measures and how the City would assign resources to effective CAP implementation. More specifically, written public comments included requests for additional ordinances to strengthen building electrification, implementing a more aggressive TDM program, expanding regional transit accessibility, initiatives to preserve agricultural lands, continuing to incentivize and monitor infill along smart-growth corridors and a need to accurately and routinely quantify GHG reductions to track progress.
Additional Project Deliverables
As stated earlier in this report, the draft GPU calls for preparation of three project deliverables. Those items are described in detail below.
Active Transportation Plan and Trails Master Plan
The IM will be supported by an Active Transportation Plan (ATP) and a Trails Master Plan (TMP), both of which will promote improvements that connect pedestrians and bicyclists to commercial districts and community facilities. The ATP will consolidate the City’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plans and identify priority projects that close gaps in the City’s active transportation network. The TMP will focus on dedicated trail connections between neighborhoods and nearby recreational facilities, a key objective of the City’s recently updated Parks and Recreation Master Plan, while also facilitating the completion of the Coastal Rail Trail and the Inland Rail Trail. Other requests for trail connections (i.e. Calavera Creek Crossing) will be considered as part of the TMP.
On January 8, 2025, the City Council adopted a resolution, RES25-R0008-1, authorizing the City to apply for two grant funding opportunities to prepare an Active Transportation Plan. There are two funding sources. The first is a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Sustainable Communities grant ($650,000 requested; $74,555 City match), the other is a SANDAG Smart Growth Incentive Program grant ($650,000 requested; $65,000 City match). The earliest the City would find out results of the grant award is Summer 2025. If grant monies are awarded to the City, it is anticipated that the ATP preparation effort will require approximately one to two years to complete.
South Morro Hills Community Plan
The South Morro Hills region encompasses a 5.5-square mile (3,500 acres) area of agricultural designated land in the northeast corner of Oceanside; it is the City’s last remaining designated agricultural area. South Morro Hills has a rich history of farming and is known to produce a variety of agricultural goods including avocados, tomatoes, strawberries, cut flowers, succulents, and is home to a number wholesale horticultural nursery. While the Agricultural land use designation is primarily intended for farming, the City’s current General Plan does allow for parcels to be subdivided into 2.5 acre lots and developed with one single-family residence per parcel as long as the residential development does not interfere with agricultural activities.
In 2017 the City Council accepted the Agritourism Strategic Plan, which was intended to promote agritourism efforts as a means to provide supplemental income for farmers and help sustain farming activities. The third GPU project deliverable includes development of the South Morro Hills Community Plan (SMHCP).
A community plan is a portion of the General Plan that focuses on the issues important to a particular area within a city, thereby allowing cities to create more detailed policies that apply only to certain areas. The SMHCP will contain policies and planning guidance specific to South Morro Hills, and will focus on supporting the continued viability of farming through expanded agritourism opportunities.
“Agritourism” is tourism related to agriculture, including facilities and activities like farm stands, agricultural festivals, pick-your-own produce farms, farm tours, tasting rooms, farm stays and hotels, and event venues. Agritourism can support agricultural uses by providing new revenues for farmers, increasing public education around farming, and improving community access to fresh, local food and farm products. The Agritourism Strategic Plan outlined two tiers of new agritourism uses for South Morro Hills: Tier 1 and Tier 2.
Tier 1 is comprised of lower-intensity and lower investment uses like U-Pick operations, petting zoos, farm stands, and small bed and breakfasts. Tier 2 is comprised of higher-intensity and higher-investment uses that may require additional public infrastructure, like hotels, festivals, and larger retail operations to sell farm products. The City of Oceanside Zoning Ordinance has been recently updated to allow Tier 1 uses; this SMH Community Plan will look at how the City can plan for Tier 2 uses in a way that is sensitive to the agricultural context, supportive of farmers, and beneficial to the community as a whole.
The South Morro Hills Community Plan was initially included as a component of the broader GPU effort. Given the complexities and divergent community opinions on the future of South Morro Hills, specifically with respect to the concept of allowing clustered housing, staff, with City Council concurrence, elected to defer work on the Community Plan until the broader GPU was adopted. Because final action on the Community Plan is being deferred, the language below will be stricken from the ECLU and the VSR. In striking this language from the General Plan, staff does not mean to imply that clustered housing and other modifications to current Agricultural General Plan Land Use designation will not be considered as part of the future South Morro Hills community planning process.
Draft GPU elements will be specifically edited as follows:
ECLU (page 3-28)
Vital and Sustainable Resources (VSR) (page 5-46)
Vital and Sustainable Resources (VSR) (page 5-48)
Next Steps
Staff recommends the City Council receive a comprehensive report on the City’s GPU and CAP efforts to-date, receive public comments, and provide direction to staff on the GPU and CAP for future City Council adoption. All public comments received on the project documents during the public review period have been included for reference as Attachment 14. Given the scope and relevance of comments received on the draft EIR, staff intends to recirculate the document for public review prior to final City Council review of the GPU later this year. As noted below, prior to final presentation to the City Council, the GPU and EIR will be presented to the Planning Commission for its review and recommendation to Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Not applicable
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Draft Environmental Impact Report
The General Plan Update is accompanied by an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed project that was prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; it). The EIR also serves as the EIR for the SSCSP and the CAP. The EIR provides a detailed analysis of the potential environmental effects of the General Plan/SSCSP/CAP, evaluating alternatives, and presenting ways to reduce or avoid environmental damage. The EIR process has also informed policies that mitigate potentially adverse environmental effects of the General Plan, thus resulting in a largely “self-mitigating” Plan.
The City released draft versions of the GPU, CAP, and Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for public review on June 4, 2024 for the standard 45-days in accordance with CEQA. After extending the Draft EIR public comment period twice in response to public requests, the public review phase officially closed on August 5, 2024 (62 days of public review).
Staff notes in an effort to address public comments received on the GPU Elements, significant revisions to the IM, VSR, and CAP will be required. The required revisions to these documents will require significant updates to the DEIR, which in turn will require recirculation of the document for public review and comment. Therefore, the revised DEIR will require another 45-day public review and comment period.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
Not applicable.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
City Attorney analysis does not apply at this stage.
end
Prepared by: Sergio Madera, City Planner;
Rob Dmohowski, Principal Planner;
Justin Gamble, Sustainability Program Administrator
Reviewed by: Darlene Nicandro, Development Services Director
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Report
2. Figure 1-2 of GPU
3. October 6, 2021 City Council Staff Report
4. October 6, 2021 City Clerk’s Action Minutes
5. Community Vision
6. January 12, 2022 City Council Staff Report
7. January 12, 2022 City Clerk’s Action Minutes
8. August 10, 2022 City Council Staff Report
9. August 10, 2022 City Clerk’s Action Minutes
10. Alternatives Report
11. Summary of Community Engagement
12. Certified Housing Element
13. Ordinance 23-OR0174-1
14. Public Comments
15. Public Review Draft GPU Elements Link