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.
- Ensuring a complete count of all City residents in the 2020 U.S. Census in coordination with Public Works and the Salinas Public Library.
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.
Community Development Welcomes new Outreach Coordinator
December 2, 2019
Community Development has welcomed Florenz Tuazon, a new Outreach Coordinator assigned to the Advanced Planning Division. She will focus her work on 2020 Census Outreach and coordinaton, and other Community Development projects such as the General Plan Update. Florenz was previously an intern at the City of Salinas Public Works Department.
Florenz is from the Phillipines and has a background in advertising and graphic design. Besides speaking English, she also speaks Tagalog and Kampangan, a language from the North of the Phillipines. Florenz hopes to create new and innovative approaches to community engagement using...
Community Meeting Draws Over 70 to Learn About West Area Specific Plan
June 12, 2019
Community Development Department Advanced Planning staff with support from other divisions in CDD held a Community Meeting Open House at Northminster Church in North Salinas regarding the West Area Specific Plan on June 10th to provide an opportunity for the public to come meet and greet staff and the development team and learn about the project. Over 70 members of the public showed up for the event. This was the sixth public meeting held on the West Area project since the draft Specific Plan and associated Draft Environmental Impact Report were released for public review...
Advanced Planning Counts in Potter the Otter for 2020 Census
June 12, 2019
Over 200 people participated in the City’s 2020 Census outreach activities at the First Friday kickoff event for the MY Town Popup Children's Museum held on June 7th at California Sate University Monterey Bay's (CSUMB) Salinas Center for Arts and Culture. The City’s Census outreach activities focused on educating (a fun and engaging way) children, families and others about the importance of the 2020 Census. All activities and outreach materials were bilingual (in Spanish and English). The outreach activities included a brief interactive Census Quiz with prizes and Lego play. Census-themed coloring books and “Count...
