Advanced Planning Division
About the Division
The Advanced Planning Division translates the collective vision of the community into actionable plans, through expeditious, comprehensive, and responsive long‐ range planning services. Core services include: implementation and maintenance of the General Plan and other long‐range planning documents such as the Zoning Code, Subdivision Ordinance, Housing Element, and Specific Plans, annexations, and coordination with local, regional, state, and federal agencies on land use, housing, environmental and long‐range planning initiatives.
Accomplishments
In 2018 the Division:
- Completed an Administrative Draft of the Guiding Principles for the upcoming General Plan Update and other neighborhood planning processes
- Initiated 10 Popups, 4 stakeholder meetings, and facilitated a Community Survey to refine Draft Guiding Principles based on Community feedback, priorities and input
- Staff continues to process West Area Specific Plan (WASP) EIR and Central Area Specific Plan (CASP) EIR. WASP EIR expected to be released to the public in January 2019; CASP EIR expected to be released to the public in mid-late 2019.
- Completed the Farmworker Housing Study and Action Plan for the Salinas Valley and Pajaro Valley and hosted a regional forum with over 220 stakeholders in attendance
- Assisted with the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the Salinas Travel Stop development adopted in July 2018
- Coordinated the Census LUCA (Local Update of Census Addresses) in preparation for the 2020 Census in conjunction with the GIS Division
In 2015 the Division:
- Completed the 2015‐2023 Housing Element, which was praised as a model for other cities by the California Housing and Community Development Department and winner of a 2016 Award of Excellence by the California Chapter American Planning Association.
- Guided the adoption of the Reasonable Accommodation Ordinance to facilitate development that is designed for people of all abilities.
- Initiated the environmental process for the West Area Specific Plan, part of the Future Growth Area located north of Boronda Road.
- Finalized a new City/County Downtown Government Center MOU to ensure coordination of governmental facilities development.
What We're Working On
Advancement of our Economic Prosperity through:
- The entitlement and development of the North of Boronda Future Growth Area (FGA) through the processing of the West Area Specific Plan (WASP) and Central Area Specific Plan (CASP).
- Implementation of funding mechanisms in the FGA for critical City infrastructure and services to be incorporated into a Development Agreement (DA).
Creation of a well-planned city with excellent infrastructure and high quality housing for all residents through:
- Collaboration with various partners to establish a Housing Trust Fund for the Region.
- Initiation of a comprehensive Farm worker Housing Study to develop regional solutions for affordable housing for farm workers.
- Removal of regulatory barriers to housing production.
Creation of a well-planned city with excellent infrastructure and a high quality of life through:
- Drafting of Guiding Principles based on prior community feedback for the General Plan Update and Neighborhood Planning Processes.
- Comprehensive update of the General Plan in 2019, which was last revised in 2002.
- Coordination with Public Works on ensuring a Complete Count of residents during the 2020 Census.
Visión Salinas and the General Plan Update
Visión Salinas is a unified and coordinated effort of three Salinas Planning Initiatives (the Alisal Vibrancy Plan, the Parks, Rec, & Libraries Master Plan, and the Chinatown Revitalization Plan), the community, and between various city departments. The Visión Salinas website will offer information and an event calendar on other related projects such as the El Gabilan Library Project, the new Public Safety Center Project, the Intermodal Transit Center Project, and the Carr Lake Visioning (a Big Sur Land Trust Initiative). Visión Salinas will also collect the public feedback comments from these planning processes and synthesize it into the guiding principles of the City’s General Plan Update! Its crucial that we hear from YOU about your vision for the City’s future. You can stay up to date by adding your contact information here (Vision Salinas “Get Involved” page), or check the Vision Salinas Calendar to see events that you can come to and help translate your vision into city policy. Please use this link to see the Vision Salinas calendar.
West Area Specific Plan Closer to Public Review
January 8, 2019
Staff is making the refining changes to the West Area Specific Plan and overseeing the same for the associated Draft Environmental Impact Report to prepare these documents for a 45-day public review period. The West Area Specific Plan project is located within the North of Boronda Future Growth Area between Boronda, San Juan Grade and Russell Roads (as shown on the figure titled “North of Boronda Future Growth Area, West Area Specific Plan” below).
The project will feature new urbanism principles applied to 4,340 dwelling units of high, medium and low densities provided in...
BSLT Develops a Carr Lake Vision and Garden
December 26, 2018
In 2017, Big Sur Land Trust initiated an engagement process to gather ideas from Salinas residents for a new park and open space to be developed on the 73-acre property the Land Trust has acquired at Carr Lake. The City has been a close collaborator in this process via the Vision Salinas engagement and outreach coordination, and provides assistance where needed in this rare opportunity for engagement around such a large public facility -- the City will also be facilitating the permitting and environmental review process for the park development. Big Sur Land Trust began...
Staff Attends 2020 United States Census Training
October 16, 2018
Community Development staff attended a training in September on the upcoming 2020 United States Census. The training prepared staff for the City's role in the upcoming census to ensure a complete count of all Salinas residents. The training informed staff of the push to hire temporary Census canvassers, and new technologies that create a seamless process for census canvassing, such as a mobile phone app that allows the canvassers to select their own hours for work. The training informed various tools for engaging community members in "hard to count areas." Hard to count areas include...
