City of Oceanside - File #: 26-1559

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Action Details	Meeting Details	Video
6/24/2026	1	City Council			Not available	Meeting details	Not available

DATE: June 24, 2026

TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers

FROM: Development Services Department

TITLE: CONSIDERATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, GENERAL PLAN UPDATE, CLIMATE ACTION PLAN UPDATE, SMART AND SUSTAINABLE CORRIDORS SPECIFIC PLAN AND GREENHOUSE GAS SIGNIFICANCE THRESHOLDS - APPLICANT: CITY OF OCEANSIDE

RECOMMENDATION

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Staff recommends the City Council:

1) Certify the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Onward Oceanside Project (Phase 2 of the Comprehensive General Plan Update, Smart and Sustainable Corridors Specific Plan, and Climate Action Plan Update) and adopt the Findings of Fact, Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program per CEQA Guidelines §15093; and

2) Adopt a General Plan Amendment (GPA21-00003) for the Onward Oceanside Project (Phase 2 of the Comprehensive General Plan Update, Smart and Sustainable Corridors Specific Plan, and Climate Action Plan Update) per Government Code §65300; and

3) Adopt Guidelines and Thresholds for Determining Significance of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines §15064.7.

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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS

GENERAL PLAN UPDATE

Purpose of General Plan

California Government Code Section 65300 requires each city and county in California to adopt a "comprehensive, long-term general plan." The purpose and intent of the general plan is to forecast growth, with implementation policies focused on growth management throughout the city. A general plan is also used to project future demand for services, such as sewer, water, roadways, parks and emergency services.

The General Plan serves as the “constitution” for the city with its guiding policies focused on growth management. The policies implement programs that constitute the “blueprint” for private/public development within the City of Oceanside (“City”). The General Plan ‘s purpose is to establish a long-range forecast for growth management throughout the city and to plan for the community in areas such as, housing, public services, circulation, open space, and environmental protection. The General Plan includes broad community values and goals reflective of the city’s demographics and describes how the community will develop in the future with tangible steps to get there. Objectives within each element guide growth with narratives such as “create economic development,” “preserve open space,” and “support sustainable practices.” These objectives are translated into practical implementation methods such as policies, maps, and specific actions. The Plan is a basis for land-use decision-making used by policymakers, such as the Planning Commission and the City Council.

The General Plan consists of state-mandated "elements," or chapters, that structure growth and development of the built environment. 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 1 & 2 Project Scope

The first phase of the City’s GPU update was adopted by the City Council in 2019 and included two General Plan elements: the Economic Development Element, and the Energy and Climate Action Element. These elements addressed economic development and climate action, resulting in the adoption of the City’s first Climate Action Plan.

Initiated in February 2020, the second phase of the proposed GPU project includes updates to several General Plan elements and the proposed Smart and Sustainable Corridors Specific Plan (SSCSP). Following City Council adoption of the proposed GPU, 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). Phase 2 of the GPU update also includes an update of the City’s CAP, the first iteration of which was adopted by the City Council on May 8, 2019, via Resolution 19-R0256-1.

The Housing Element was not part of the GPU Phase 2 effort to update the General Plan Elements. Instead, the Housing Element was subject to the state requirement for the implementation of the 6^thHousing Cycle. The City’s 2021-2029 Housing Element was adopted by the City Council on June 16, 2021, re-adopted on September 13, 2023, and certified by HCD on November 14, 2023. The Housing Element key topics included Housing Sites Inventory, Regulatory Constraints, Special Needs Housing, and Housing Programs.

The General Plan Planning Area (Planning Area), as shown in Attachment 4 (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 document for the City’s Coastal Zone.

Community Vision

Since the GPU’s inception, the Community Vision, Organizing Themes and Guiding Principles served as a framework for the GP. It identified key policy issues and priorities that emerged through community engagement, technical assessment, interdisciplinary staff dialogue, and analysis of relevant state and regional priorities.

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 it informed staff of community input reflected in the creation of the Draft General Plan Elements.

A summary of the Community Vision is provided below.

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.

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 in the conservation and open space elements of the general plan update.”

Projected Growth to Planning Horizon 2050

The General Plan forecast the City’s overall approach to growth management 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.

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 16,875 new housing units and 28,500 new jobs. Of this total, 8,300 new housing units and 14,500 new jobs would be within the SSCSP Planning Area. Overall, buildout under the GPU would result in a total citywide population of 222,435 persons, which is an addition of 45,100 residents compared to the City’s current population. These buildout assumptions do not include growth associated with the implementation of SB 79 (Weiner) which goes into effect on July 1, 2026. Future growth assumptions associated with this legislation are speculative and premature to reasonably project at this time. Instead, potential additional growth is expected to be evaluated and addressed in conjunction with the City Council’s future consideration of a Local Alternative Transit Oriented Development Plan as discussed at the June 3, 2026 City Council meeting in conjunction with Council’s consideration of an interim SB 79 implementing ordinance considered on that date.

It should be noted that the land use designation of a site in the GPU does not guarantee development or redevelopment based on 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 overall residential units, but fewer single-family dwelling units. Retail, office, industrial, and hotel uses would all be anticipated to increase under the GPU.

Public Outreach: Years 2020 to 2024

Since the project’s onset, extensive community engagement in support of the planning effort has been completed, which 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. As a result, staff believe this effort engaged more community members than otherwise would have been engaged. 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 General Items discussion

• KOCT videos

One social media effort in particular advanced public awareness with the development of the GPU-dedicated “Onward Oceanside” webpage (onwardoceanside.com). It has proven to be a valuable informational resource and “one-stop shop” for communicating updates and providing project documents.

In an effort to better engage the City’s Hispanic community, the project team has made various presentations at various 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 9 (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 (6^th Cycle Housing Element). Housing Element key topics include: Housing Sites Inventory, Regulatory Constraints, Special Needs Housing, and Housing Programs. The GPU reflects any land use changes that support implementation of Housing Element programs, with particular focus on the City’s RHNA obligation 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. The subject sites were identified as parcels suitable for upzoning to meet the density requirements identified under the cities RHNA obligation. As part of the effort to obtain certification of the Housing Element, the City Council adopted Ordinance 23-OR0174-1 on March 8, 2023 to “up-zone” Commercial Candidate Rezone Sites from the Housing Element’s Sites Inventory. The ordinance up-zoned the area from 29 dwelling units per acre to a range of 35 to 43 dwelling units per acre. Per this action, staff objective was intended to provide efficiency, and a streamlined “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. Following approval of the specific plan, existing zoning would be superseded by the specific plan applicable density and Article 30, Section 3042 will be repealed.

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 10 and 11, respectively, for reference.

GPU Elements

As shown in the table below, the draft GPU includes all of the topics required under state law (land use, circulation, conservation, open space, safety, and noise), 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.

As part of the review of the GPU Phase 2, the project was determined to be an Environmental Impact Report and subject to CEQA Guidelines 15082(a) and 15375 requiring a Notice of Preparation (30-day comment period) and Scoping Meeting held June 9, 2021. Following the initial public review period, the City released draft versions of the GPU, SSCSP, CAP, and Draft 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, series of real-time polling questions, and breakout sessions on the new GPU elements, the SSCSP, and updated CAP. The forum was primarily intended to prime participants to review and provide written comments 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).

A City Council workshop was held on March 19, 2025 to update the Council on the project status and the public comments received, and to receive direction to bring the GPU back for adoption at a later date. At the workshop the Council also directed staff to pause the South Morro Hills Community Plan and reconsider after adoption of the remaining project deliverables (Attachment 8).

Following significant changes to the General Plan and associated documents, additional updates to the Draft EIR were required to match new information. The documents were recirculated for Public Review in December 2025 to February 2026. Following close of public review in February 2026, comments were received, compiled and followed by a response to comments (RTC’s) for issues raised regarding the FEIR. These comments were further made publicly available as required under CEQA Guidelines Section 15088(b) on May 8, 2026 (RTC part of EIR).

The following elements were revised:

• Efficient and Compatible Land Use Element

• Integrated Mobility Element

• Safe and Resilient Environment Element

• Remarkable Community Element

• Vital and Sustainable Resources Element

• Healthy and Livable Community Element

The following sections provide a 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

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 introduces urban design goals and policies for both private development and public realm improvements intended to create a safer, more navigable, more engaging, and more visually appealing community. The RC includes goals 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 acknowledges Oceanside as a visitor destination and evaluates opportunities for a market where the City permits for the continued growth in varying sectors. One specific sector is hospitality, where opportunities for this use are considered and designed in a manner that protects and enhances the 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.

Public comments received on the RC in general were positive. Comments included the following requests: confirm that the City’s 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 do not 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 Element (“ECLU”) 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.

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 documents the GPU has relied on and those available from 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 Vital and Sustainable Resources Element (“VSR”) for preservation and management requirements;

• A policy is required to ensure infrastructure is not 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;

• The 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;

• A policy should be developed regarding protection of mobile home parks as a key part of low-income housing supply; it should require replacement of such housing when it is removed for new development;

• A 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.

Integrated Mobility Element

The Integrated Mobility Element (“IM”) replaces the City’s Circulation Element, which was most recently updated in 2012. In accordance with state general plan guidelines, the draft IM specifies the location, extent, and classification of existing and proposed major roadways, transportation routes, and transportation terminals. It 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 draft IM are:

• Roadway Classifications

• Complete Streets Improvements

• Transit/Micro-Transit

• Active Transportation Facilities

• Evacuation Routes

The IM seeks to foster an integrated mobility network that provides safe and convenient transitions between different modes of travel throughout the city. To this end, the IM 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 is limited by varying state laws permitting greater density in urban areas and close proximity to public transit. The draft IM promotes policies which reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through transportation demand management (TDM) strategies, expanded active transportation facilities, expanded transit service, and new flexible fleet options. The draft IM 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 draft IM correlate with the City’s efforts to accommodate future growth through infill and redevelopment within already urbanized areas. Specifically, the draft IM prioritizes transportation investments in the City’s major commercial corridors, which are expected to transform into vibrant, walkable mixed-use environments.

Similar to the ECLU, comments received on the draft IM covered a broad range of topics with varied specificity. Comments included:

1. A need for emphasis on developing a more comprehensive ATP; that Level of Service impacts need to be addressed through alternative transportation modes and improved TDM policies;

2. That TDM policies should be expanded to include all land uses, not just job producing land uses;

3. That the proposed RDO/78 interchange should be removed from the roadway network;

4. That there needs to be a more comprehensive approach to funding transportation systems improvements;

5. That the City should strongly advocate for regional funding support for the completion of the Inland Rail Trail and Coastal Rail Trail;

6. That the City should also make improvements to portions of Oceanside Boulevard because of very hazardous conditions for cyclists.

During the public comment 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 remove the interchange from the roadway network. With the 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.

Vital and Sustainable Resources Element

The VSR 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 Draft Subarea Plan and additional information available to date. The VSR addresses the benefits these resources provide to the community and methods required to conserve and protect them. Specifically, the VSR addresses water resources, air resources, mineral resources, farmland, and sensitive habitat. The VSR implements policies reducing impacts to resources from development and other human activities that can be avoided or minimized.

For example, the draft VSR will advance fundamental policies from the Oceanside Draft Subarea Plan (SAP) as directed by the City Council in January of 2022. Prior to this direction, on October 6, 2021, City Council had initially considered adopting the SAP policies with the draft Community Vision and Guiding Principles prepared in conjunction with the GPU. The vote ended 4-1 (Sanchez - no). Instead, staff were directed 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.

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 is 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. 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.

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.

Comments received on the VSR were comprehensive and extensive. Comments are summarized below:

1. Conservation goals outlined in the draft document need to be consistent with the adopted regional Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MHCP);

2. 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;

3. Species level analysis is required to provide species-specific conservation measures;

4. 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;

5. A call for local funding for potential acquisition of lands containing sensitive habitat for endangered species and having a strategic location within the WCPZ;

6. 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 the 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.

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.

Comments received on the SRE included 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 mentioned below:

1. 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);

2. Defensible space should consider impacts on sensitive habitats (Fire);

3. Mention of chemicals associated with landscaping and agricultural activities (Hazardous Materials);

4. Inclusion of policies that work toward eliminating lead additives from aviation fuel (Airport);

5. Enhancement of 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.

Comments received regarding the HLC are below:

1. Identify gaps in available park resources,

2. Prioritization should be given to addressing any shortfall in park resources;

3. Specific development guidelines addressing the inclusion of non-traditional public spaces like public plazas;

4. Consideration of regional trail connections;

5. Natural habitat trail design should minimize impacts to habitat, and that wayfinding signage should be provided throughout the City.

Project Deliverables

As stated at the start of this report, the GPU calls for preparation of three project deliverables. Those items are described in detail below:

1. 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 resolution 25-R0008-1, authorizing the City to apply for grant funding from the Caltrans Sustainable Communities grant program to prepare an Active Transportation Plan. The City was awarded $595,000 through the Caltrans grant and initiated a request for proposals to identify a consultant to complete the ATP. On January 28, 2026, the City Council approved a contract with Alta Planning Design, Inc. to prepare the ATP, with expected completion by 2028.

2. 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 of wholesale horticultural nurseries. 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 second GPU project deliverable once the plan is approved includes development of the South Morro Hills Community Plan (SMHCP).

3. Trails Master Plan

A well-connected trails network is a critical component of a livable community, promoting active recreation and a healthy lifestyle for Oceanside residents and serving as a point of attraction for visitors. Throughout the General Plan process, many Oceansiders expressed their desire for a more safe and comprehensive system of trails to link the City together and provide access to safe recreation and alternative modes of transportation.

The City will prepare a Trails Master Plan that will focus on completing the City’s “spine” trails and linking these trails to parks and other key destinations through a secondary trails network.

Smart and Sustainable Corridors Specific Plan

Project Description

Pursuant to Government Code Section 65450, following the approval of a General Plan, a Specific Plan may be utilized to prepare a specific plan for the systematic implementation of the GP. The 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 Smart and Sustainable Corridors Specific Plan (SSCSP outlines objectives, standards, and implementation processes for the revitalization of Mission Avenue, Oceanside Boulevard, and Vista Way commercial corridors. The Specific Plan will funnel a majority of future housing and employment growth into the City’s major east/west commercial corridors to accommodate growth in an area where capacity remains available. Focusing on these three main corridors will maintain the integrity of adjacent residential neighborhoods.

These corridors were assessed as having a greater development capability along main thoroughfares in the city. Each corridor will benefit from in-fill 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 in-fill 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 Element 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 adequate 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 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 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 development standards 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 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 bicyclists 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 will ensure that necessary water and sewer infrastructure upgrades are implemented in conjunction with new development.

Implementation and Financing

Successful implementation of the SSCSP will require 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 to build out such improvements. Implementation of these measures will require the identification of a funding mechanism as further described below.

Capital Improvements and Funding: The SSCSP identifies potential funding sources for investment in infrastructure and amenities required to implement the plan. Funding sources may include Special Assessment Districts, Business/Property Based Improvement Districts (PBID), Development Impact Fees, Development Agreements, Capital Improvement Program, Tax Increment Financing Districts, and External Grants and Loans.

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.

Public Outreach and Comments Received

A draft of the SSCSP was released concurrently with the Draft EIR and draft elements for Phase 2 GPU. Comment letters were received addressing various components of the SSCSP. A majority of comments focused on 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, especially 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. A request was also made to require a minimum percentage of bicycle parking for new development.

Climate Action Plan Update

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 (CARB) 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 CAP is a dual-purpose planning document that aligns local climate and sustainability goals with State legislation, while allowing for the streamlined review of GHG emissions for future 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 the consultant team commenced drafting a CAP update that: 1) reflects new State climate legislation and efforts to consolidate sustainability initiatives into a comprehensive document, 2) ensures consistency with the updated growth scenarios presented in the General Plan, and 3) establishes measurable, feasible and flexible actions to achieve communitywide emissions reductions.

State legislation implemented through CARB policies has strengthened California’s pathway to carbon neutrality. Legislative targets that drive the City’s emissions reduction strategies in the CAP 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 also supports the CEQA analysis of future GHG emissions associated with the projected growth identified in the GPU. For the CAP to be considered a CEQA-qualified plan, it must contain specific components identified in CEQA Guidelines (Sec. 15183.5) and include targets aligned with key State legislation and the General Plan’s 2050 horizon date.

The City’s CAP analyzes projected community-wide GHG emissions, aligns the City’s GHG reduction targets with State goals, identifies 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 inventory of the City’s baseline GHG emissions by sector was created using 2018 transportation data obtained from SANDAG and by modeling emissions from other sectors. The 2018 baseline year was determined to be the most relevant to avoid atypical traffic and emissions conditions that were skewed from the Covid-19 pandemic. The CAP analyses include a projection of future emissions based on anticipated growth of the City’s population, housing stock, and transportation needs reflected in the GPU. 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 are attributed to on-road transportation (51 percent) and energy use (natural gas (19 percent), electricity (21 percent). The remainder of emissions are assigned to solid waste management, water and wastewater operations, and off-road equipment.

The CAP Update identifies three key GHG reduction targets that drive the implementation of the City’s reduction measures over the next 20 years, based on State legislation and the GPU planning horizon:

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 baseline emissions inventory. Some measures 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 104 actions across the six core environmental sectors. Broadly, proposed GHG reduction measures are focused on:

• Energy: Increasing the share of renewable energy delivered to customers and improving building energy efficiency of new and existing development.

• Transportation: Reducing single occupant vehicle use through zoning and Transportation Demand Management 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.

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 in addition to 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 summary of the quantified GHG reductions by CAP measure for each milestone year is provided in Table 2. While the measures included in the CAP Update would be sufficient to achieve the 2030 GHG reduction target, additional future measures and actions would be needed to achieve the 2045 and 2050 targets due to the scale of change needed. The CAP Update is intended as an adaptable framework and will evaluate performance over time to refine the measures as new information becomes available with the intent of achieving the targets.

Table 2. Quantified GHG reductions by CAP Measures & Remaining Gap

CAP Measure (Sector)	2030	2045	2050
Energy Supply & Building Construction	26,032¹	177,733	179,368
Reducing Transportation Emissions	3,749	24,241	5,946
Reducing Water Consumption	430	0	0
Solid Waste landfill diversion	23,579	26,917	28,029
Carbon Sequestration	1,726	10,356	13,232
Total GHG Reductions from Measures	55,516	239,346	226,575
Reductions Needed to Meet Target	37,000	266,000	253,000
Target Met?	Yes	No	No
Remaining Gap to Target	(18,516)	26,754	26,425

¹Values shown in MT/CO2e (Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent)

It should be noted that AB 1279 (codified in 2022 and upon which the 2045 milestone target is based) is the most ambitious State legislative climate goal to date. As of 2026, the City’s CAP Update is one of only four other CAPs in the San Diego region that attempts to address this goal. A majority of other jurisdictions in the region are implementing CAPs that were adopted prior to AB 1279 becoming law. While the CAP Update is aligned with AB 1279’s goals, neither legislation nor CARB assigns sole responsibility to individual cities to achieve the statewide goals. Rather, local jurisdictions are encouraged to contribute collectively to statewide efforts using local authority and available policy tools, such as Climate Action Plans.

CAP Implementation, Monitoring and the Consistency Checklist

Implementation of the actions in the CAP Update will require a coordinated, interdepartmental effort. In FY25/26 the City created a dedicated Sustainability & Climate Action operations budget to oversee administration of the CAP. An Implementation Cost Analysis is currently underway and expected to be complete in mid to late 2026. The analysis will inform future budget and staffing requests to administer the measures in the CAP and facilitate timely reporting of progress to the public.

Many of the proposed GHG reduction measures rely on existing regulatory compliance programs already being implemented across City departments. While it is not the intent of the City to achieve its climate goals entirely through mandates, the CAP also proposes new and updated ordinances that encourage sustainable development practices. Examples of significant proposed measures include:

• Adopting a comprehensive Energy Conservation Ordinance by 2027 requiring energy-efficient retrofits for qualifying existing building modifications through local amendments to the Building Energy Code.

• Updating the existing Transportation Demand Management (TDM) ordinance by 2027 to lower compliance thresholds and creating a standard TDM plan for projects to follow.

• Establishing an in-lieu fee program to fund shade tree planting in public spaces where new development cannot accommodate by 2028.

• Adopt the completed Active Transportation Plan by 2028.

The CAP Update includes a new CAP Consistency Checklist for internal review of discretionary projects subject to CEQA. (Attachment 13). The CAP Update estimates Oceanside’s future emissions based on the most recent growth projections. Future projects will be required to demonstrate consistency with local plans, policies and regulations adopted for the purpose of reducing GHG emissions. A project will be able to streamline its CEQA review for GHG emissions if it is consistent with the General Plan land use designations, zoning ordinance and includes applicable CAP measures in the project design as conditions of approval. By being consistent with adopted policies, a project must show consistency with the GHG reduction measures by using the existing programmatic EIR. In doing so, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15064(h)(3), 15130(d), and 15183(b), a project’s incremental contribution to climate change resulting in the project’s emissions may be determined “not” cumulatively considerable.

The CAP Update also includes a framework for monitoring and reporting progress of actions using Key Performance Indicators. Progress will be documented through annual reports shared with the City Council and made available to the public. The CAP is intended to be updated at a minimum of every five years to keep pace with legislative, regulatory and technological changes affecting the City’s approach.

With the effective date of SB 79 (Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act) coinciding with CAP adoption, the growth assumptions used in the CAP Update and GPU may change due to State-mandated upzoning surrounding qualifying transit stops. Development intensity within the City’s major transit corridors may supersede that which was expected in the CAP Update. The implementation of qualified TOD Alternative Plan to comply with SB 79 will update the growth expectations thus inform an interim update to the CAP if warranted.

Guidelines for Determining Significance of GHG Emissions

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. On a project basis, this includes future discretionary development projects subject to CEQA and the updated policies in the GPU. Future projects can streamline and tier their emissions analysis from the CAP Update, provided they demonstrate consistency by incorporating GHG reduction measures and actions as project features and Conditions of Approval. This is a key strategy to ensure GHG emissions from future private development and City projects is accounted for and addressed.

The GHG Guidelines incorporate a formal CEQA threshold of significance based on a project’s consistency with the Climate Action Plan Update and were developed in accordance with the CEQA Guidelines Section 15064.7(b). The City has developed two tools to support evaluation of future projects with this threshold:

1. A new CAP Consistency Checklist that evaluates a project with respect to consistency with land use and zoning growth forecasts, as well as applicable implementation measures and actions of the 2026 CAP Update.

2. New quantitative thresholds that allow for comparison of a project’s GHG emissions with the 2026 CAP Update GHG reduction targets on a per service population basis.

Adoption of the GHG Guidelines and thresholds of significance by resolution (Attachment 3) are a separate action from, but complimentary to, adoption of the CAP Update and GPU. All future discretionary development projects subject to CEQA will be required to utilize one of the two pathways for demonstrating CAP consistency, and all projects must complete the Checklist to the extent feasible. Project design and operational features that are documented in the CAP Checklist will be required as Conditions of Approval.

Public Outreach & Comments Received

Prior to the release of the draft CAP Update, in December 2024 the City conducted a community survey to gauge awareness towards climate change and actions to reduce carbon emissions. Across nearly 470 responses, the 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. 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. On August 7, 2024, Council 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. 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, and at the March 19, 2025 City Council GPU workshop.

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.

In addition, per the March 19, 2025 GPU Workshop, Council directed staff to update the land use figure 3-3 in the ECLU to amend the El Corazon Specific Plan designation to a mix of Open Space and Specific Plan land use designations to ensure that those areas currently planned for public use (parks, open space and public facilities) are clearly identified as such by the ECLU. In doing so, the public use areas will maintain the preserve and open space general plan designation while parcels currently eligible for commercial or residential development per the terms of the current El Corazon Specific Plan will retain the Specific Plan land use designation. This edit was incorporated into the General Plan subsequent to the Planning Commission’s consideration of the GPU on May 18, 2026, and is now included as part of the June 24, 2026 City Council hearing packet.

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW

The General Plan Update is accompanied by a Programmatic Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) (SCH 2021050529) for the proposed project that was prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (15168). The FEIR serves as the SSCSP and the CAP. The FEIR 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 impacts. The FEIR process has also informed policies that mitigate potentially adverse environmental effects of the General Plan, thus resulting in a largely “self-mitigating” Plan.

As part of the review of the GPU Phase 2, the project was determined to be an Environmental Impact Report and subject to CEQA Guidelines 15082(a) and 15375 requiring a Notice of Preparation (30-day comment period) and Scoping Meeting held June 9, 2021. Following the initial public review period, the City released draft versions of the GPU, CAP, and Draft PEIR for public review on June 4, 2024, for the standard 45-days in accordance with CEQA. After extending the Draft PEIR public comment period twice in response to public requests, the public review phase officially closed on August 5, 2024 (62 days of public review).

To address the public comments received on the GPU Elements, significant revisions to the IM, VSR, and CAP were required in 2025. As such, the revisions to these documents also required significant updates to the DPEIR which triggered a second 45-day public review and comment period. The documents were re-released for Public Review in December 2025 to February 2026. Following close of public review in February 2026, comments were received, compiled and followed by a response to comments for issues raised regarding the FEIR. These comments were further made publicly available as required under CEQA Guidelines Section 15088(b) on May 8, 2026 (RTC part of EIR).

Due to the revisions, there were significant and unavoidable environmental effects detailed in the FEIR that cannot be mitigated to a level below significance. As required by CEQA Guidelines Sec. 15091 and 15093, Findings of Fact for each significant effect and a Statement of Overriding Considerations (Exhibit B to Attachment 1) have been prepared to substantiate that the project’s specific benefits in relation to housing, economic opportunity, improved mobility, expansion of parkland, biological resource preservation and implementation of the Climate Action Plan Update outweigh the potential unavoidable adverse environmental impacts. These unavoidable impacts, as described in detail in Exhibit B of Attachment 1, include the following EIR sections:

• Air Quality (Plan Consistency Standards [Operation])

• GHG’s (all thresholds)

• Noise (Ambient Noise)

• Public Services (Fire Protection, Police Protection)

Utilities and Sewer Systems (New or Expanded Facilities)

FISCAL IMPACT

The City Council awarded a contract to Dyett & Battia in the amount of $3,665,616 for a total not to exceed amount of $3,665,616, to assist with the management and preparation of the General Plan Update. It is anticipated that the adoption of the GPU will be completed within budget.

Additionally, the City of Oceanside General Plan Update is a policy document, and the adoption of the document will not result in a direct fiscal impact. Fiscal impacts associated with any future development will be evaluated as part of the entitlement process and at the discretion of the decision-making body.

In response to public interest related to implementation costs for the CAP Update, the City is underway with an Implementation Cost Study with the Energy Policy Initiatives Center. The study will identify funding and staffing needs to successfully implement CAP measures through 2031. Revisions made to the CAP measures in late 2025 prior to recirculation has delayed completion of this study. Once complete in mid-2026, staff intend to brief the Planning Commission and City Council on its outcomes and will be used to inform future fiscal year budget requests for the Sustainability & Climate Action Program.

COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT

On May 18, 2026, the Planning Commission was presented with the proposed project and received written and oral testimony from the public on the GPU elements, CAP Update, SSCSP and associated FEIR. After due consideration and hearing oral comments from 13 members of the public, the Planning Commission voted 6-1 (Gonzales - No) to recommend City Council certification of the project’s FEIR and adoption of the General Plan Amendment for the GPU Phase 2 Onward Oceanside Project. Included in the motion to recommend City Council adoption was direction to staff to include an action in the CAP Update that supports the use of agricultural conservation easements for the preservation of Oceanside’s remaining farmland, with no financial commitment from the City. This direction has been added as Action CS-2.5 to the CAP Update for Council’s consideration at the adoption hearing.

At the same meeting, the Commission was presented with the proposed GHG Guidelines and Thresholds and after due consideration and hearing oral comments from one member of the public, voted 7-0 to recommend City Council adoption of the GHG Guidelines and Thresholds.

CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS

The City Council is authorized to hold a public hearing in this matter. Consideration of the matter should be based on the testimony and evidence presented at the hearing. The supporting documents have been reviewed and approved as to form by the City Attorney.

end

Prepared by: Oscar Romero, City Planner

Justin Gamble, Sustainability Program Administrator

Reviewed by: Brian Thomas, Acting Development Services Director

Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager

ATTACHMENTS:

1. City Council Resolution (Certification of FEIR)

2. City Council Resolution (GP, SSCSP, CAP)

3. City Council Resolution (GHG Guidelines and Significance Thresholds)

4. Figure 1-2 of GPU

5. October 6, 2021 City Council Staff Report

6. City Clerk’s Action Minutes from October 6, 2021 City Council Meeting

7. Community Vision

8. Minutes from March 2025 City Council GPU Workshop

9. Community Engagement

10. Certified Housing Element

11. Ordinance 23-OR0174-1

12. Public Review Final GPU Elements

13. Draft CAP Consistency Checklist

Legislation Details