Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California

Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California Developed in cooperation with the California Department of Conservation

sgc.ca.gov

Welcome Sustainable Community Planning in California: Action Yields Results Planning for sustainable communities is critical – and not only to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that change our climate, but also for cleaner air, more integrated and efficient energy, water, and resource management, economic vitality, and healthier and more equitable neighborhoods. Initiated in 2010, the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentives Program supports locally-driven, sustainable planning activities throughout California. A total of 125 planning projects were funded through the program, resulting in significant changes in how communities conduct planning processes to achieve local and regional priorities while advancing the State’s climate goals. This report – Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California – shares some of the grantees’ achievements and provides practitioners with examples of how to implement sustainable planning solutions. These include overcoming local and regional sustainability challenges, building additional support and capacity within government structures, successfully extending outreach and partnerships to non-traditional audiences, and creating holistic, cross-sectional metrics and outcomes that improve the long-term development of neighborhoods and communities. By providing best practices and lessons learned, this report is intended to empower other communities with the approaches, methods, and tools to effectively chart their own plans. In doing so, the Strategic Growth Council hopes to foster knowledge-sharing to stimulate continued thinking and innovation needed to achieve California’s climate goals. On behalf of the Strategic Growth Council and the Department of Conservation and with appreciation for the efforts of all of the program grantees, I am pleased to present the following brochure illustrating some of the best practices and successful projects carried out by fourteen of the grantees.

Sincerely,

Randall Winston, Executive Director

Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California

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2 California Strategic Growth Council

Introduction California, a Global Leader in Sustainability California’s history and future are built upon its land and its people. The State is home to the most diverse population in the United States. Its natural beauty, alongside world class cities and thriving communities, draws visitors and residents alike to support the State’s innovative economy, spur its entrepreneurial spirit, and sustain its creative culture. Together, California’s people, communities, and natural resources support its status as the sixth largest economy in the world*. California is also a global leader in protecting the environment. For decades, State legislation, regulations, and executive orders enacted by the Governor have been at the forefront of global and national efforts to successfully address the interconnections of public health, water resources, open space, economic growth, urban systems, equity, and resiliency. More recently, California has demonstrated bold leadership in combatting climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions. In the 2006 landmark Assembly Bill 32, the State committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 40 and 80 percent below 1990 levels, by 2030 and 2050, respectively. A sustainability mandate of this magnitude necessitates significant, enduring change in cities and communities across the state. It relies on capitalizing on local, multiple-benefit solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate preparedness while concentrating on critical sustainability commitments, such as water conservation, clean air, and healthy open spaces.

Importantly, communities across the state have applied this grant assistance towards tackling pressing sustainability concerns, often inventing innovative planning and public involvement practices.

Many of the established approaches that municipal engineers, planners, and administrators rely on need recalibration in order to generate a holistic approach that can accomplish an extensive, diverse set of goals. Communities themselves must transition to new practices that can simultaneously address their local needs and aspirations and move California closer to meeting sustainability mandates. However, accomplishing local change requires resources, community engagement, and technical

* Source: Vibrant Communities and Landscapes: A Vision for California in 2050

Across California, community-driven plans funded by the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentives Program are making major strides in meeting priorities for greenhouse gas reduction, public health, economic vitality, and environmental resource protection. Source: Joan Isaacson


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California’s diversity of people, places, and resources is reflected in the multitude of sustainable planning approaches employed in grantfunded plans. Many new plans directly benefit economically disadvantaged communities. Source: Strategic Growth Council

expertise. That is, local communities often need help to get started. In advancing California’s sustainability objectives and planning priorities, the State funded multiple local assistance programs to help cities and counties study and implement solutions. With California’s diversity of geography, economies and people, the most effective solutions are ones that reflect a community’s unique character, resources, opportunities, and culture.

Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentives Program In partnership with the California Department of Conservation’s Division of Land Resource Protection, the California Strategic Growth Council launched the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentives Program in 2010. This program, funded through the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 (Proposition 84), awarded grants to cities, counties, and regional agencies to fund local and regional plans and planning activities. The 125 resulting projects began building on a foundation of sustainable communities established throughout California, while incorporating the state’s climate goals by focusing on reducing vehicle miles traveled and other sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Designed to support the challenges associated with adopting land use plans and integrating strategies that transform a community, this grant program supported the creation of long-term prosperity and equity, protection of the local flora and fauna, and promotion of healthy and safe neighborhoods. With ten million new residents expected to join communities throughout California cities by 2050, another driver for the grant program was to proactively address how to build vibrant communities for a growing population while holding up the environmental tenets that the state has cherished for generations. To this end, grantees were responsible for incorporating regional transit priority projects (SB 375) into their activities, encouraging new housing and economic activity around the twelve proposed High Speed Rail stations, and expanding regional transit systems in order to realize the many benefits from this public investment in transportation infrastructure. The grant program not only supported sustainable planning solutions in urban and suburban areas, but also reduced development pressures on some of the state’s most valuable resources. Known for its work in agricultural conservation, farmland mapping, and local assistance grants, the Division of Land Resource Protection found that the Program furthered its mission of protecting California’s natural and working lands.

Grant Program Accomplishments For more information about Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentives Program, go to www.sgc.ca.gov/Grant-Programs/ SCPGI-Program.html 4 Introduction

California has made unprecedented progress in transforming regional and community planning as part of the Grant Program. A total of 125 grants totaling $66 million were awarded to cities, counties, metropolitan planning organizations, regional transportation

planning authorities, councils of governments, and joint power authorities across California over six years in three competitive application processes. Grant awards ranged from $100,000 to $1 million, depending on a project’s area size, extent of technical studies, and the intensity of the project’s focus on engaging all segments of a community and leading efforts to forge partnerships with government agencies and key stakeholders. Importantly, communities across the state have applied this grant assistance towards tackling pressing sustainability concerns, often inventing innovative planning and public involvement practices. The shape and form of the grant-funded plans and planning activities have been driven by the range of conditions, aspirations, and needs found in California’s highly urbanized centers, smaller cities and towns, inland agricultural valleys, mountain regions, and coasts. The program’s explicit focus on economically disadvantaged communities has brought planning resources to California residents most vulnerable to the effects of climate change and other adverse environmental conditions. Climate action plans, general plan updates, specific and community plans, infill and transit-oriented development plans, zoning ordinances, sustainable community strategies, community-based infrastructure plans, agricultural and rural community conservation plans, and affordable housing preservation plans are among the types of plans and planning activities completed using grant program funds.

All of the grant recipients and projects listed in Appendix A are recognized by the Strategic Growth Council for demonstrated leadership in taking local action to achieve greenhouse gas reduction mandates and other essential sustainability priorities.

Emphasis on Implementation With 125 planning projects underway and/or completed, the Strategic Growth Council worked with the Department of Conservation to conduct this retrospective review of best practices, with particular emphasis on successful implementation. Local and regional plans accomplish the important task of establishing policies and guidelines to align future development, investments, and improvements with sustainability goals. However, achieving the measurable reductions needed to reach the State’s greenhouse gas emissions targets rely on real projects moving forward for implementation. Successful planning policies and programs continue to build thorough technical analysis and professional expertise. The most viable plans with the greatest probability for successful implementation reflect best planning practices and are adaptable to local conditions and opportunities. Planning policies that result in effective, positive action in one community may have low probability of implementation in another community because of differences in resources, needs and goals. Furthermore, plans highly focused on unique local opportunities create more robust paths for actualizing meaningful change than plans that aim for sheer comprehensiveness.

Funding from the Grant Program has made it possible for local jurisdictions to use new, innovative activities to meaningfully involve community members and other stakeholders, especially those who are typically underrepresented in public dialogue. Source: Dyett & Bhatia


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In the Strategic Growth Council’s retrospective review of the 125 grantfunded planning projects, these success factors for implementation emerged: ee Locally-Driven Solutions: Focusing plans on one or several

targeted opportunities for achieving change seem to have better implementation traction than plans that try to address all potential possibilities, including many that do not line up with local geography, resources, and culture. ee Local/Regional Connection: Creating consistency between

Featured Projects With Page Numbers Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan . . . . . . . . 10 Blue Lake Climate Action Plan . . . . . . . . . 13 Burlingame General Plan Update . . . . . . 17 Butte County’s PowerButte Guide to Utility-Scale Solar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 CAPtivate: A Healthy Western Riverside County . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Community Parks and Recreation Plans in Los Angeles County . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Fresno General Plan Update . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Goleta Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Lake Tahoe Sustainable Communities Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Merced Programmatic Climate Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 North Coast Resource Partnership’s Integrated Regional Planning for Healthy Communities, Functional Watersheds, and Viable Economies . . . . 47 Rural and Urban Approach for Sustainable Communities Strategy and Metropolitan Transit Plan Implementation in the Sacramento Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Southeastern San Diego Community Plan Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit for Los Angeles County . . . . . . . 60

6 Introduction

regional land use, environmental, and transportation planning and local plans and projects. This includes both regional frameworks adaptable to local implementation in communities with diverse needs and conditions, and local plans that incorporate vision and implementation concepts from a regional plan. ee Agency Collaboration for Action: Achieving the efficiencies of

multi-benefit sustainability planning requires collaboration with other departments and agencies responsible for public works, public health, land use, transportation, water management, air quality, etc. Not only can agency collaboration result in more solution- and action-oriented plans, but it can also create lasting partnerships that accelerate future implementation. ee Effective Community Engagement: The best plans are born from

participatory processes involving cross-sections of communities that could be affected by plan implementation or have an interest in the outcomes. Meaningfully involving the public often requires formulating customized engagement programs where the involvement activities meet the communication needs of the communities and consider people’s interests, time limits, comfort level and experience in civic dialogue, and preferences for on-line and in-person interaction. Effective community engagement bolsters the confidence of elected officials when making tough approval/ adoption decisions and creates positive political momentum for plan implementation.

Featured Grant-Funded Planning Projects The diversity in communities, places, and plan types represented in the projects funded by the Grant Program speaks to what makes California unique, dynamic, and resilient. Accordingly, the Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California report features grant-funded planning projects that show promise for activating effective, meaningful

Los Angeles County Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit

change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet other sustainability objectives, while also addressing the particular needs of that community. The Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California report features 14 grant-funded planning projects, which are listed in the sidebar on this page. They are examples of grant-funded planning projects that incorporate the types of implementation success factors described above. The featured projects also span the multiple diversity spectrums that characterize the grant program, including: ee Plan Types, such as climate action plan, general

plan, zoning and development regulations, corridor plan, community and specific plan, regional sustainable community strategy, infill and transitoriented development plan, and open space and resource conservation plan. ee Geographic Regions, from Southern California to

the Central Coast, Central Valley, East Mountains, Bay Area, and Northern Coastal California. ee Landforms and Built Environments, such as

California’s major urban centers, suburbs, and

Illustrations in many of the plans convey how communities’ improvements will achieve multiple sustainability benefits.

smaller cities and towns, located in coastal plains, inland valleys, mountains, and deserts. ee Economic and Social Resiliency, from

communities marked by relative prosperity to economically disadvantaged communities. The map on page 9 shows the locations of the featured projects.

Contents of This Report Short sections depicting the 14 featured planning projects follow this Introduction, in alphabetical order according to project names. While the sections provide a quick overview of the focus of the planning projects and sustainability benefits for California, they also highlight the factors that pave the way for successful implementation and change. At the end of each section is a point of contact for project inquiries and the website address where the plan is posted. Some of the websites have additional information about the planning process, community engagement program, and/or technical studies.

Featured projects in the following sections show how plans focused on local sustainability opportunities and needs can add up to important progress in meeting California’s greenhouse gas reduction mandate. Source: (left and right) Strategic Growth Council; (center) City of Goleta


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8 California Strategic Growth Council

City of Blue Lake

Sustainable Community Planning Grant and Incentives Program

North Coast Resource Partnership

Butte County Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

Locations of

Featured Projects

Sacramento Area Council of Governments

City of Burlingame

City of Merced

City of Fresno

LA County Metro

City of Goleta

Western Riverside Council of Governments

County of Los Angeles

City of Anaheim

City of San Diego


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Project Highlight

Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan Anaheim is one of California’s most populous cities. Covering 50 square miles, it is home to more than 348,000 residents, 124,000 private sector workers, and more than 2,950 City employees. Anaheim Canyon is located in the northern portion of the City, 25 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Anaheim Canyon is crossed by a BNSF/Metrolink rail line and sits at the intersection of several major State Routes. Anaheim Canyon has long been a commercial and industrial hub, first supporting Orange County’s early 20th century agricultural industry. During the mid-late 20th century, Anaheim Canyon was home to the nation’s defense and aerospace industries which, led by Boeing, once once employed nearly 30,000 people there. The legacy of their work is innovation that still drives technology today, including data-processing systems, radar systems, general-purpose digital computing, and navigation systems for ships, submarines, missiles, aircraft and space vehicles. While most of the aerospace and defense companies left Anaheim Canyon in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a result of economic competition and military reorganization, the area’s freeway-convenient location and industrial footprint have attracted many new manufacturers. In addition, in 2012, Kaiser Permanente completed a $245 million hospital in the heart of the area, joined in 2015 by the 1.35 million square foot Anaheim Concourse business park. The area now boasts almost 3,000 companies and 72,000 jobs, making it the second largest jobs center in the city. Despite this economic revival, the area empties out at night due to lack of housing, restaurants, and other amenities.

The Project The Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan envisions a new sense of community in the area, centered around an urban village of apartments and condominiums, shops and restaurants, and the Metrolink commuter station. By providing workers with a convenient, vibrant place

to live, the City aims to foster a business environment attractive to a wide variety of industries while also encouraging sustainable development. The overarching goals of the Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan are to: 1. Create a successful business climate with flexible regulations. 2. Help local businesses meet State and regional sustainability mandates. 3. Engage private stakeholders in creating new economic development strategies. 4. Create a comprehensive vision that is supported by business owners, property owners, and the greater community. 5. Improve the physical image of the public realm to help promote economic growth. The Anaheim Canyon Metrolink Station provides a regional transit connection. Source: City of Anaheim, Planning and Building Department

10 Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan

The Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan will encourage new infill development by providing a package of incentives that attracts the local business community, thereby focusing well-planned and sustainable development in Anaheim’s existing urban footprint. The Specific Plan will remove obstacles to the reuse of existing structures and underutilized properties through flexible, easy-to-use zoning standards. The plan also establishes a safe and accessible multimodal transportation network that accommodates vehicles, rail transit, pedestrians, and bicyclists. By encouraging the development of housing adjacent to where people work as well as alternative transit options, the Plan will reduce emissions from transportation and encourage a healthier community. In order to expedite projects, the City also provided a Developer’s Toolkit, a quick guide to the plan. It outlines the various development areas designated within Anaheim Canyon and the kind of businesses and operations permitted there. In addition, it prioritizes public projects, improvements, and investments to give investors a better understanding of the City’s commitment and changes they can expect to see in the future. This attention to facilitating implementation is already bearing fruit, as the City has already received several development proposals consistent with the Specific Plan, including a proposal to develop a substantial mixed-use project adjacent to the Metrolink station.

Local/Regional Connection

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Repurposing industrial and manufacturing uses to housing uses to reflect new sustainability goals and worker preferences for reduced commutes. ee Developing new housing opportunities near the Metrolink station in order to better balance housing/transit access with jobs in the area.

A number of strategies applicable to the Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan were included in the Orange County Sustainable Communities Strategy. Specific Measures in the Specific Plan operationalize the Sustainable Communities Strategy’s aims for housing, transportation, jobs, and open space conservation.

Agency Collaboration for Action The City of Anaheim collaborated extensively with other agencies for the development and implementation of the Specific Plan, particularly the The Orange County Water District, the largest landowner in Anaheim Canyon. The City also worked closely with the Orange County Transportation Authority, the California Department of Transportation, and the Orange County Flood Control District. As a result, collaborative innovations occurred, such as the decision to use existing Orange County Water District detention basins as recreational facilities. New housing developments will ease worker commutes. Source: City of Anaheim, Planning and Building Department


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Effective Community Engagement Development of the plan included a broad communitybased process that engaged local business and property-owners, partner agency staff, elected and appointed officials, and the local workforce. Early community engagement in the planning process began with the existing Anaheim Canyon Advisory Group, which previously provided input on economic development initiatives. The City was able to leverage this existing stakeholder group—comprised of local business owners and operators, developers, real estate professionals and community members—to gather input on the issues and opportunities facing Anaheim Canyon. By utilizing an existing network of community members, the City was able to benefit from the investment of time that committee members had already made in understanding the issues facing Anaheim Canyon and work with them to make a difference for the future. In addition to the work of the Advisory Group, the City conducted a detailed survey, held a large community workshop, created a website, and held meetings with elected and appointed officials. The “amenities survey” asked what specific types of amenities stakeholders in Anaheim Canyon thought should be added or expanded in the area. It was distributed at the Community Workshop, at the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink Station, and local restaurants in order to broaden the scope of outreach.

Sustainable Benefits for California Implementation of the Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Economic Prosperity ee Housing affordability ee Improved infrastructure systems ee Infill and compact development ee Reduced automobiled usage and fuel consumption ee Reduced greenhouse gas emissions ee Revitalized urban and community centers

For More Information Name:

Susan Kim, Principal Planner

Agency:

Anaheim Planning and Building Department

Telephone: 714-765-4958 Email:

[email protected]

Website:

www.anaheim.net/anaheimcanyon

Above: Incorporating Complete Streets and Green Streets features will offer a more sustainable environment that expands mobility and access at the human scale. Below, left to right: Major employers such as Kaiser Permanente provide high quality jobs in Anaheim Canyon. Community members and area stakeholders provided feedback during a Community Workshop. Installing off-road bicycle amenities will broaden bicycle and pedestrian connectivity. Source: City of Anaheim, Planning and Building Department

12 Anaheim Canyon Specific Plan

Project Highlight

Blue Lake Climate Action Plan Blue Lake, a small town of 1,253 people, lies 300 miles north of San Francisco in Humboldt County’s Mad River Valley. While Blue Lake has a small downtown business district, the region’s transition away from logging has left the town with little industry of its own. Most residents commute to work in nearby towns like Arcata and Eureka. The town borders 91 acres of land belonging to the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe, which runs the Blue Lake Casino & Hotel. The Tribe also operates the Blue Lake Rancheria Transit System, a bus line that serves both the Casino and the City of Blue Lake, connecting them with Arcata, McKinleyville, and Eureka. Starting in 2008, the Tribe began actively reducing its carbon footprint. Projects included the construction of a highly energy efficient hotel and the installation of solar arrays and a biomass-to-electricity system. To date, the Tribe has reduced energy consumption by 35 percent from 2008 levels—work that earned it recognition as a 2015 Climate Action Champion from the Obama Administration. Nestled amongst the North Coast redwoods, the City of Blue Lake recognized the likelihood of regional impacts of climate change, including decreased precipitation and loss of snowpack, increased vulnerability to extreme weather events, and a higher incidence of forest fires. City staff also anticipated that recent changes in State law would eventually require the City to plan for climate change in their General Plan and consider greenhouse gas emissions during California Environmental Quality Act review. However, because of its small size, Blue Lake operates on a very limited budget and has scant resources for planning. With the backing of a progressive community and the nearby example of the Tribe, the city seized the opportunity offered by the Grant Program to fund a comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Blue Lake.

The Project

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The overarching goals of the Blue Lake Climate Action Plan are: (1) to reduce the amount of carbon emissions caused by the community, (2) to increase the city’s energy security, and (3) to improve the local economy. The Plan provides a framework to reduce city emissions to 16% below 2005 baseline emissions.

Aerial of Blue Lake, 2016. The Mad River curves past the city on the lower left. The Blue Lake Casino and Hotel is located on Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe land in the upper left. Source: Streamline Planning Consultants


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In partnership with the Redwood Coast Energy Authority, the City completed a greenhouse gas inventory to better understand the main sources of emissions. In Blue Lake, electricity, natural gas, and propane consumption contribute 46 percent of community emissions; transportation contributes 32 percent; industrial point sources contribute 11 percent; and solid waste decomposition makes up the remainder.

Source: City of Blue Lake

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Providing a tailored “Citizen’s Guide” to residents outlining the steps they can take to reduce their carbon footprint. ee Devising strategies that both bolster the local economy and cut emissions, like a Green Business Certification program and a Farmers Market. ee Supporting regional pilot projects like the RePower heat pump installation program: residents get new energy efficient heating at low prices, and the City benefits from project analysis about performance and economic viability for the rest of their residents. ee Collaborating with the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe to build upon the Tribe’s expertise in climate action and to provide expanded transit options for both City and Tribe residents.

Based on this analysis, the Plan identifies six focus areas for emissions reductions and outlines specific actionable items to cut emissions. Options range from larger infrastructure investments to smaller behavioral changes. The City Council rigorously scrutinized these goals before accepting the Plan to ensure that they could be accomplished given available resources. Listed below: the focus areas, the percent they contribute to the total reduction goal, and example actions: ee Local Government Actions (1.3%): LED streetlights; use of EPA

Procurement Guide for purchases ee Energy Efficient Homes (12%): home weatherization; ordinance

requiring home energy retrofit at time of sale; use of heat pumps ee Energy Efficient Businesses and Community Spaces (8.8%): green

business certification; more stringent energy standards for new construction; a farmers market ee Improved Alternative Transportation Options (65%): expanded

bus routes and stops; carpool and carshare programs; voluntary tire pressure checkpoints ee Renewable Energy Sources (8.8%): solar arrays; PG&E Green

Option program ee Solid Waste Reduction (4%): local food waste anaerobic digester;

curbside recycling The Plan outlines each action and the steps to implementation, sets a target number of adopters, quantifies the emissions the action would eliminate, and calculates the action’s relative cost effectiveness (amount of emissions reduction per dollar spent). In addition, it also identifies potential lead and partner agencies and which groups will bear the burden of the cost. Because of the small size of the City government and the fact that the main sources of emissions result from residents’ homes and transportation choices, the Climate Action Plan places a heavy emphasis on the role of the average citizen in implementing climate conscious

14 Blue Lake Climate Action Plan

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Example of plan action, which quantifies avoided emissions and cost effectiveness in the upper right hand corner. Source: Blue Lake Climate Action Plan

practices. The Plan includes a “Citizen’s Guide to Greenhouse Gas Reduction,” providing residents ten easy actions to cut their carbon footprint at home and at work as well as other lifestyle changes they may take to make a difference. The City largely takes the role of advocate by providing information to residents on opportunities to cut emissions and venues where Carshare cost estimate obtained from http://www.calstart.org/Libraries/Policy_Documents/Compendium_Sustainable_Community_Tra they can access further information and/or funding. nsportation_Strategies_Preliminary_Draft.sflb.ashx 8

working with PG&E to install LED streetlights; installing a solar array at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre; and working to establish a local farmers market and cooperative.

Local/Regional Connection Prior to Blue Lake’s Climate Action Plan, the City of Arcata produced a greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan and the County of Humboldt adopted an Energy Element for its General Plan. No analysis of this kind had been done in any of the smallest communities in the County. As a result, good data—particularly on traffic patterns—for use in the greenhouse gas inventory analysis was hard to find. The City of Blue Lake worked closely with Caltrans and the County of Humboldt to obtain more complete data, which provided them with a more accurate carbon footprint and also facilitated better emissions tracking on a county level.

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Since the Plan was accepted in late 2014, the Blue Lake community has made significant strides in implementation. These include collaborating with the Tribe to add bus stops to the Blue Lake Rancheria Transit System; improving trails and downtown recreation areas; facilitating residents’ access to Redwood Coast Energy Authority and Redwood Community Action Agency programs that give rebates for energy efficiency and weatherization investments;

The City’s partner, Redwood Coast Energy Authority, has since used the Blue Lake framework to create a template climate action plan to simplify the process for other rural communities. They are now sharing that document with other jurisdictions in Northern California and are spearheading climate action plans for Humboldt County as a whole and for individual cities in the area.

Below, left to right: Solar panels were recently installed with the assistance of Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) at the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre in the City’s Downtown. An Electric Vehicle Charging Station was installed at City Hall, also with the RCEA’s assistance. Source: RCEA. The Mad River Old Crows, a community group, coordinated with the City to develop a small pocket park on City-owned property. Source: City of Blue Lake.


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Left to right: Citizens’ Committee meets at Mad River Brewery to discuss energy efficiency programs for residents. Jerome Carman of RCEA presents at Town Hall. Source: RCEA

Agency Collaboration for Action The planning team broadly engaged City government, specifically the Department of Public Works, the City Engineer, the Building Official, the Planning Commission, and City Council. Perhaps more importantly, they actively looked for outside partners with the capacity to share knowledge or spearhead implementation of some aspect of the plan. These partners included the Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe, the Chamber of Commerce, the Redwood Community Action Agency, and local businesses. Early collaboration helped the City secure community buyin and facilitated smoother implementation of new regulations born out of the Plan.

grant period and continues to meet intermittently to assist implementation. To generate community interest, the Committee identified community members who had invested in energy efficiency improvements and planned an open house tour where the public could visit their homes to learn about options and their cost. The committee and other community groups did much of the work to disseminate information about the plan throughout the community.

Sustainability Benefits for California Implementation of the Blue Lake Climate Action Plan will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of:

ee Given their own active participation in climate ee mitigation, Tribe members served as valued advisors. ee They reviewed the City’s initial grant documents and suggested how the City’s plan could be used ee to address water quality in the Mad River and the protection of cultural resources. Furthermore, the Tribe, as the operator of the town’s only public transit system, was deeply involved in negotiating additional stops and expanded the hours of service, crucial aspects to the implementation of the Climate Action Plan.

Energy efficiency and conservation Improved infrastructure systems Reduced automobile usage and fuel consumption Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

Effective Community Engagement Two town hall meetings were held during the planning period to give community members the opportunity to discuss topics in more detail. Residents came prepared with ideas in hand. One group of attendees was so galvanized by the first town hall that formed their own Citizens’ Informal Working Committee. This Citizens’ Committee met regularly during the

16 Blue Lake Climate Action Plan


Garry Rees, Consulting City Planner

Agency:

Streamline Planning Consultants-SHN


[email protected]

Website:

bluelake.ca.gov/city/sgc

Project Highlight

Burlingame General Plan Update The bayside city of Burlingame is just four and a half square miles and sits between two major economic hubs—San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Despite its location in California’s second largest metropolitan area, the city maintains much of its original small town charm. It incorporated in 1908, shortly after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake sent residents flocking south to less densely populated environs. By the mid-1960s, the City had evolved into tree-shaded, pedestrian-scale neighborhoods of single-family homes and multi-family rentals. The original Southern Pacific train depot now serves CalTrain, the commuter train line connecting San Francisco with San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties—and acts as a reminder of Burlingame’s early role as a gateway on the journey to San Francisco. The station anchors a robust shopping and dining district along Burlingame Avenue. Just north of the city line, the final stop on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) at Millbrae is within walking distance. Burlingame’s location, transit access, good schools, and small town character make it a popular home base for families and young professionals alike. The city is now home to nearly 30,000 and median home prices range between $1.4 and $3 million depending on the neighborhood, notably higher than the San Mateo County median price of $1.1 million.

The Project Burlingame’s existing General Plan was created nearly five decades ago, in 1969. Rather than proceed with piecemeal changes to the city’s specific plans, the City Council decided it was time to reconsider the entire community’s vision for the future. To this end, they launched an update to its General Plan to be completed in late 2017.

City planners were cognizant of the fact that similar planning efforts in other coastal cities have failed when residents felt excluded from—or simply indifferent towards—the planning process or its goals. Burlingame residents are cautious when it comes to changes to their beloved community, so the City has spent a year and a half conducting extensive community outreach and generating a discussion about strategies for building a more sustainable community while maintaining the many positive qualities residents value.

Residents enjoy Burlingame’s pedestrian-friendly streets and small town charm. Source: City of Burlingame.


17

Source: City of Burlingame

Nearly a half century old, the existing General Plan was not designed to keep up with current housing demands driven by the Bay Area’s booming economy. The City’s outreach team discovered that while residents feel strongly about preserving the character of the city, many recognize the need for more housing, particularly affordable housing and increased diversity of housing. The December 2016 City Council session on growth established projections for population, housing, and employment growth through 2040. With Burlingame’s population expected to grow by 10% per decade, the City anticipates planning for an additional 3,000 housing units.

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Protecting treasured neighborhoods while allowing for new developments and modes of living in underutilized areas. ee Updating the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance concurrently, in order to provide design guidelines and regulations that will shape new developments that fit in with the character of existing areas. ee Limiting new development in areas subject to Sea Level Rise and developing resilience strategies for development that already exists in those areas. ee Focusing new development in areas close to transit and other services and allowing the possibility of higher densities for projects with more sustainable features.

18 Burlingame General Plan Update

Through community input, the City identified “areas of stability” and “areas of change”—i.e., parts and features of the town they wanted kept largely as is and parts they would like to see changed. As a result, the City is exploring a land use concept that will preserve most existing residential neighborhoods, while allowing the development of new housing near the Downtown Caltrain and Millbrae BART/Caltrain stations. The community identified Rollins Road—an area convenient to the Millbrae Station that lacks the neighborhood-feel that distinguishes much of Burlingame—as an area ripe for transformation. In the commercial stretch of California Drive near the center of town, the City will consider allowing housing on second floors of businesses in an effort to revitalize the area. California Drive, which runs from Millbrae in the north to the southern San Mateo city limits, is also the centerpiece of the city’s multi-modal transportation strategy, which would upgrade bike and pedestrian accommodations along the broad roadway, expanding the transit options for commuters traveling both to-and-from and within the city. Burlingame does not have space for new parks, but improved planning along the Bay would allow the City to connect gaps in the Bay Trail, and new developments would be required to include parks and open space. Furthermore, restored natural space along the Bay provides the additional benefit of mitigating against sea level rise and flooding.

Local/Regional Connection Burlingame’s General Plan would help implement the Bay Area’s regional planning effort, Plan Bay Area, which includes the region’s Sustainable Communities Strategy and 2040 Regional Transportation Plan. Plan Bay Area aims to meet 80 percent of the region’s future housing needs in Priority Development Areas, which include a swath of Burlingame along the CalTrain line and the Bayside. The land use map under consideration

“By embarking on a plan that identifies in Burlingame would allow mixed land use and higher development intensity in this area in order to meet the Plan Bay Area objectives. In addition, the updated General Plan would incorporate analysis from San Mateo County’s Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment into its Safety Element. The City also intends to update its Climate Action Plan to integrate it fully into the new General Plan.

Agency Collaboration for Action The planning team formed a Technical Advisory Committee early in the process, with representatives from every department, including Fire, Police, Public Works, and the City Manager’s Office. The Committee

“areas of change” and “areas of stability,” it has allowed the process to be productive.” – Kevin Gardiner, Planning Manager provides a forum for inter-departmental collaboration and a means to keep every department up-to-date on the process. The General Plan is an opportunity to formalize the City’s working vision: therefore, every department will also submit specific objectives it would like to see incorporated into the General Plan. According to the team, this commitment to information sharing and openness to feedback has “allowed the project to be something that is shared and has ownership amongst the departments.”

Burlingame’s emerging land use concept shows where new mixed-use and increased density projects could be implemented near the transit lines, while existing neighborhoods (in yellow) remain largely untouched. Source: City of Burlingame.

Proposed Land Use Concept


19

Left to right: Residents participate in “pop up” community survey boards on Burlingame Avenue. The public considers proposed land use concepts at a Community Workshop. Source: MIG, Inc. and the City of Burlingame.

Effective Community Engagement Since the General Plan had not been updated within the lifetime of many of its residents, the planning team began its process by explicitly asking community members to share their vision for the city. Some Burlingame residents were protective of the city’s history and character and wary of significant changes that might be proposed by the Plan. As a result, planners have positioned the plan as an opportunity to protect the Burlingame’s best assets, while identifying areas that could benefit from changes. The team collected community input through stakeholder interviews with members of the City Council, Planning Commissioners, business owners, and residents, as well as through pop-up sidewalk activities, an online survey, and community workshops. In addition, a Community Advisory Committee has held monthly discussions. This variety of tools helped the planners develop a nuanced understanding of the community’s needs: the pop-up sidewalk meetings and online survey reached segments of the Burlingame community who would not otherwise be engaged in a general plan update. For instance, to gauge community sentiment, the sidewalk pop-ups used interactive exercises with printed poster boards and “voting” stickers. The activity successfully engaged all age groups— especially families with young children—and allowed for informal and educational discussions. Meanwhile, the Community Advisory Committee has provided a forum to explore single issues in more depth,

20 Burlingame General Plan Update

particularly those around sustainability, transportation, and resource conservation that have been identified in other venues as community priorities. The General Plan process presented an opportunity for education: in 2016, Burlingame High School students developed design concepts for future uses of the Bayfront area, which were presented at the second community workshop. University of California, Berkeley graduate students learning about stakeholder engagement hosted an outreach event at the Burlingame Caltrain station to engage commuters and young professionals about their thoughts and perspectives related to the future vision for the city.

Sustainable Benefits for California Implementation of the Burlingame General Plan Update will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Housing affordability ee Infill and compact development ee Reduced automobile usage and fuel consumption ee Reducing greenhouse gas emissions


Kevin Gardiner, Planning Manager

Agency:

City of Burlingame


[email protected]

Website:

www.envisionburlingame.org

Project Highlight

Butte County’s PowerButte Guide to Utility-Scale Solar Butte County lies at the northeastern end of the Sacramento Valley, extending eastward into the northern Sierra Nevada foothills. The County is largely rural in character. Urban land uses comprise less than 5% of the total land area. Residential and commercial development is dispersed throughout the unincorporated county, resulting in transportation activity typical for a rural, unincorporated county. Most of the building stock was constructed before adoption of California’s energy-efficient Title 24 building code in 1978. Agriculture is a significant sector of the Butte County economy, and a key component of future economic growth strategies. Butte County’s agricultural businesses have taken steps to reduce costs and improve yields by reducing water and fertilizer use, thereby also providing greenhouse gas emissions reduction benefits.

The Project Butte County had originally intended to streamline permitting for utility-scale solar development through the adoption of a renewable energy overlay and amendment to the zoning ordinance. However, after significant consultation with stakeholders, particularly the Farm Bureau and Cattlemen’s and Cattlewomen’s

Associations, this approach was revised. Stakeholders were specifically concerned about the potential impacts of utility-scale solar facility development on grazing lands in Butte County. During the initial analysis of suitability, grazing lands had been identified as some of the most suitable for solar development.

Solar Overlay Policy Background PowerButte Components:

PowerButte

» Utility-Scale Solar Guide

Climate Action Plan

Energy (CCE) » Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program » Rooftop Solar » CAP monitoring and implementation

Adopted 2014

Zoning Ordinance Adopted 2012

General Plan

Adopted 2010, updated 2012

» Community Choice

The County decided not to make any changes to the Zoning Ordinance or change any permitting processes. The existing permit process, as set forth under the Zoning Ordinance, will remain unchanged: a Conditional Use Permit would still be required to develop utility scale solar facilities in Butte County. Instead, the County is creating a PowerButte Guide. The Guide will provide valuable information to staff, decisionmakers, and the public on the subject of utility-scale solar energy development in Butte County, but will not authorize or enable utility-scale solar energy facility development.


21

PowerButte: Guide to Utility Scale Solar in Butte County

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Listening to the significant concerns of stakeholders who felt strongly that the designation of agricultural lands for energy generation was not a viable solution for the County’s economy. ee Incentivizing utility-scale solar by providing tools for evaluating land suitability. ee Strengthening collaboration between County departments and other County-wide agencies. ee Reducing GHG emissions through interventions that can be implemented in rural Butte County, rather than focusing on transportationbased reduction measures that are used in more urban environments.

The PowerButte Guide to Utility-Scale Solar Facilities will include the constraints and opportunities modeling that has already been completed. This work will continue to be refined based upon the Planning Commission’s direction and public comment. The resulting map tool will provide users and members of the public with detailed assessments for all parcels located in the County. The Guide is anticipated to include an articulation of the vision and guiding principles for solar energy development in Butte County, an opportunities and constraints analysis, recommended standards and design criteria, best practices for low impact development and a mapping tool to help planners, landowners and developers assess site suitability. These resources will help interested stakeholders gauge the economic viability of solar projects, which could generate individual projects willing to go through the extra step of requesting a Conditional Use Permit—or at a minimum, give residents the tools to quantitatively evaluate trade-offs. While still underway, efforts to develop the Butte County Guide to Utility-Scale Solar have increased awareness of renewable energy issues, how the County responds to them, and what the trade-offs are with their development. This is the first dialogue with the public in Butte County on this issue of renewable energy development, and it has helped to set the stage for further discussions of this important issue in the County’s future.

Local/Regional Connection This project is an implementation measure from the County’s 2014 Climate Action Plan to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Implementation of this measure is intended to help Butte County meet its state recommended 202 GHG reduction target, which it has identified at 15% below baseline 2006 levels. This supports regional and statewide sustainability efforts.

Agency Collaboration for Action Butte County collaborated with a broad cross section of County Departments and Agencies through the project’s stakeholder meetings. The Agricultural Commissioner, Butte County Cooperative Extension, Butte County Resource Conservation District and the Butte County Air Quality Management District were all engaged in the discussions around this planning project. The exchange of information around

22 PowerButte Guide to Utility-Scale Solar in Butte County

Stakeholder meetings helped the County better understand how residents perceived solar power. Source: Dan Breedon, Butte County

this project helped to strengthen ties between these organizations and bring more attention to the County’s Climate Action Plan and renewable energy development.

Effective Community Engagement Butte County engaged stakeholders prior to convening formal stakeholder meetings. This provided an opportunity to be less formal and yet provide a detailed overview of the project and recruit stakeholders for involvement. A strong initial list of stakeholders emerged from this effort. Ultimately, County staff found that stakeholders would come and go based on availability and interest. While there were nearly 50 stakeholders on the list, a core group of 15 or so were dedicated to attending meetings. Others stayed involved via email and website postings, as well as direct communications. Following direct outreach to stakeholders, the County conducted public workshops in geographically diverse parts of the County. Workshops helped to provide broad context and communicate information to the public. More focused community meetings were held in specific communities that would be most impacted by the Renewable Energy Overlay. Staff found it difficult to bring the public to the table to discuss issues that were not directly and immediately influencing them economically or from a land use regulation standpoint. Because of a smaller turnout

at one meeting, the County modified its outreach approach to a less formal approach of tabling in hightraffic areas. For example, one unanticipated success occurred at a sustainability expo held at a local brewery. This helped provide exposure for the project both with attendees, as well as in the local media. Following the initial phases of community engagement, County staff reflected on the need to identify stakeholder needs and concerns early on in the project, recognizing that greenhouse gases reduction and fulfilling General Plan goals are not objectives with mass appeal. Future outreach to stakeholders may focus more on community benefits and the goals of free, plentiful, and clean power for Butte County.

Sustainable Benefits for California Implementation of the PowerButte Guide to UtilityScale Solar will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Economic Prosperity ee Energy efficiency and conservation ee Natural resources and agricultural lands protection

and preservation ee Reduced greenhouse gas emissions


Dan Breedon, Principal Planner

Agency:

Butte County


[email protected]

Website:

power.buttecounty.net/


23

Project Highlight

CAPtivate: A Healthy Western Riverside County The Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) represents 17 cities in the western half of Riverside County, as well as the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, the Eastern and Western Municipal Water Districts, and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. In 2012, members adopted the WRCOG Sustainability Framework, which outlined goals for quality of life in Western Riverside County. The Framework provided a starting point for dialogue about sustainability and its importance to the region. In addition to this framework, WRCOG spearheaded multiple very successful funding mechanisms (e.g. the HERO Program and the Western Riverside Energy Leadership Partnership) for energy efficiency projects. In June 2014, they substantively expanded their sustainability leadership by completing a subregional climate action plan that establishes a single subregional emissions goal to be met collectively by all participating cities. WRCOG represents a diverse group of cities that range in population from 8,000 (Calimesa) to 300,000 (Riverside) and are home to a highly variable mix and intensity of commercial, residential, and industrial uses. Among communities, there is also a wide disparity in average incomes, the range of urban and rural lifestyles, and accessibility of transit. As a result, it was logistically challenging to propose a one-size-fits-all sustainability strategy. In addition, WRCOG recognized that getting a climate action plan adopted and implemented would be challenging given the region’s political dynamics.

12 WRCOG jurisdictions participated in the Subregional CAP: Banning, Calimesa, Canyon Lake, Eastvale, Hemet, Jurupa Valley, Norco, Perris, Riverside, San Jacinto, Temecula, and Wildomar. Source: WRCOG.

24

CAPtivate: A Healthy Western Riverside County

The Project WRCOG’s Climate Action Plan, dubbed CAPtivate: A Healthy Western Riverside County, establishes a subregional emissions target of 15% below 2010 levels by 2020 and 49% below 2010 levels by 2035. Twelve of WRCOG’s member cities are participating in the subregional climate action plan; the other six member cities already have adopted local climate action plans. CAPtivate identifies feasible actions WRCOG communities can take before 2020 and also highlights more innovative approaches that will be needed to meet the 2035 target. From the beginning, the WRCOG team positioned the climate action plan as vital for the economic and public health of the community. They described climate mitigation, energy efficiency, and water conservation as ideal ways to keep dollars in the local economy, create new green jobs, and improve public health and community quality of life. Cities were reminded that a subregional approach reduces total administrative costs and enables cities with more capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to off-set jurisdictions with more limited opportunities— allowing the subregion as a whole to more cost-effectively meet their targets. The plan organizes greenhouse gas reduction measures into four categories and provides strategies within each. In addition, it identifies co-benefits (e.g. economic, health, energy security benefits) for every action in the plan and highlights them with a system of icons. The categories and examples include: ee Energy: planting trees to reduce urban heat island effect (Co-

benefits: reducing home energy costs; enhancing visual aesthetic of the community) ee Transportation and Land Use: providing end of trip facilities (Co-

benefits: improving public health; increasing access to transit) ee Solid Waste: providing green waste and compost collection

(Co-benefits: preserving natural resources by reusing as mulch; extending life of regional landfills) ee Water: meeting state requirement to reduce urban per capita water

use (Co-benefits: saving money on energy and wastewater; saving natural resources) Some measures apply to participating cities uniformly, because they reflect compliance with a state law (e.g., the Low Carbon Fuel Standard) or result from programs administered by a utility serving multiple jurisdictions (e.g., utility rebates). For other, more local measures,

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Devising a subregional approach wherein diverse cities can (1) capitalize on local opportunities in order to contribute to a single subregional emissions reduction target AND (2) benefit from the economies of scale, lower administrative costs, and greater publicity of incentives only possible via collaboration. ee Creating different levels (silver, gold, platinum) of plan engagement in recognition of the range of resources and political conditions within member cities. ee Providing a sister document with “plug and play” general plan and zoning ordinance text for each CAPtivate measure to make implementation as simple and non-resource intensive as possible.


25

Graphic ads used to promote the health benefits of climate action measures. Source: WRCOG

participating cities have voluntarily committed to a participation level that can be implemented given their specific community constraints and opportunities. These levels range from “Silver” level programs, smaller initiatives that could be promoted through a city’s website, to “Platinum” level programs that require codification through a local ordinance. Communities that committed to Gold and Platinum level programs achieved more greenhouse gas reductions with fewer programs, but Silver level programs offered cities more flexibility to implement the plan even in the face of opposition within their City. In addition to committing to a level of action, each city defined 2020 progress indicators, measureable outcomes that will confirm the city is on track to meet its pledge. WRCOG recognized that even with political support for the plan, cities were also hampered by lack of funding and limited or no staff dedicated to sustainability. While CAPtivate’s emissions reduction strategies are relatively simple in concept, implementation can be tricky. Therefore, WRCOG went a step further with their plan and created a “plug and play” implementation toolkit. For each applicable action listed in CAPtivate,

the toolkit provides specific general plan policy language and zoning ordinance text, as well as examples of other jurisdictions already implementing the strategy. Also, WRCOG provided participating cities with a tracking and monitoring tool to help them measure their progress implementing these measures.

Local/Regional Connection WRCOG provides a venue for cooperative regional planning and reduces administrative costs for member cities. The regional prevalence of conservative politics, however, minimizes the support for any policies perceived to make a city less economically competitive, a perception that often extends to sustainability programs. Ensuring local implementation of the CAPtivate plan, therefore, required (1) city buy-in and (2) the identification of any specific local barriers to adoption and implementation. By utilizing WRCOG’s existing committee structure and standing meeting schedule, the CAPtivate working group interfaced with decisionmakers who might not otherwise have engaged with climate issues. In targeted presentations to the City Managers Technical Advisory Committee and WRCOG’s Executive Committee (comprised of local elected officials), the team tied greenhouse gas reduction to economic and health indicators, quantifying the co-benefits from the proposed climate mitigation strategies. Their dedication to pursue consensus-building strategies among the cities paid off: the City of Calimesa used the subregional template to adopt their local CAP in 2014; Riverside, Eastvale, Hemet, Perris and Wildomar adopted their local CAPs in 2015; and WRCOG staff is in the process of working with the remaining six cities to ensure 100% adoption. Example of a greenhouse gas mitigation strategy from the plan with three participation levels described. Source: CAPtivate: A Healthy Riverside County

26 CAPtivate: A Healthy Western Riverside County

Participants learn about CAPtivate via hands-on activities at the Farmers’ Market in Downtown Riverside. Source: WRCOG

Agency Collaboration for Action The WRCOG Planning Directors Technical Advisory Committee, which included representatives from all twelve cities, served as the CAPtivate working group, increasing their meeting frequency as they took ownership of the plan. In addition to presenting regularly to elected officials, the Committee developed a stakeholder engagement plan that included outreach to relevant city departments in each jurisdiction, including Planning, Public Works, Utilities, and Human Resources.

at existing WRCOG events, e.g. WRCOG Energy Summit and Advancing the Choice Expo, and other stakeholder conferences ee Residents of Western Riverside: pop-up events

throughout the subregion; a CAPtivate Mind Mixer Website, where any member of the public could leave feedback or ideas throughout the planning process

Sustainable Benefits for California

Implementation of CAPtivate: A Healthy Western In addition, the team approached state and regional Riverside County will help to advance many of regulatory agencies early to secure their support. Representatives from the Governor’s Office of Planning California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: and Research, California Air Resources Board, and South Coast Air Quality Management District, and ee Clean air and water Southern California Association of Governments were ee Economic Prosperity actively engaged in CAPtivate. ee Energy efficiency and conservation

Effective Community Engagement

ee Equity

WRCOG’s stakeholder engagement plan solicited input ee Public health from multiple levels — elected officials to individual ee Reduced automobile usage and fuel consumption citizens. Though some greenhouse gas mitigation ee Reduced greenhouse gas emissions strategies will require government action, others require behavioral change on the part of residents. The following strategies were used by WRCOG to reach a range of different populations: ee City officials and employees: one-on-one

meetings with participating cities; presentations to city councils, planning commissions, and other WRCOG standing committees ee Other government and regulatory stakeholders

and technical partners: presentations to the Riverside Transit Agency, Riverside Green Accountability Performance Committee, South California Association of Governments; booths


Jennifer Ward, Director of Government Relations

Agency:

WRCOG


[email protected]

Website:

www.wrcog.cog.ca.us/community/sustainability


27

Project Highlight

Community Parks and Recreation Plans in Los Angeles County Six unincorporated communities located within a highly urbanized area of Los Angeles County are the focus of the Community Parks and Recreation Plans: East Los Angeles, East Rancho Dominguez, Lennox, Walnut Park, West Athens-Westmont, and Willowbrook. Located within the urban core of Los Angeles County, all six communities are primarily residential communities with commercial uses along major corridors. Because of their established community identities, generally well-defined boundaries, and unique histories, they have remained unincorporated, rather than become parts of adjacent cities. Prior analysis by the County indicates that the six communities are substantially underserved by parks and recreational facilities. Also, they are generally characterized by relatively low income, high levels of crime, and childhood obesity.

The Project The Community Parks and Recreation Plans analyze and address the unique park, recreation, and urban greening needs in each of the six communities. Each plan starts with examination of local demographics, existing parkland and recreational facilities, parkland gaps, current recreation programs, trees and tree canopies in existing parks, transportation and connectivity to parks, and availability of land for recreational purposes. This baseline information,

combined with input from the public involvement process, informs a detailed assessment and prioritization of local park and recreation needs. The needs assessment in turn informs a green space vision, design concepts for potential new urban park and trail projects, and strategies to address the identified needs. Implementation is also addressed, including partnership and funding opportunities and detailed next steps for actualizing the green space vision and strategies.

Park Need by Study Area Very Low

Moderate

Very High

Low

High

Not Participating

28 Community Parks and Recreation Plans in Los Angeles County

Left to right: New park development implementing the community’s sustainability ideas is already underway, including this park in Willowbrook. County Analysis identified the six communities as highly underserved by parks and recreational facilities. Source: County of Los Angeles

The plans are intended to make all six communities more sustainable by creating additional parks, green spaces, and recreational amenities for residents. Implementing the plans will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by significantly increasing the number of residents who can walk, bicycle, and take transit to parks, and incorporating alternative energy production facilities, green building practices, and improved water efficiency in irrigation equipment, low-water plants, and recycled water for irrigation. Another focus of the plans is carbon sequestration from tree planting at existing and future parks, trails, and other community places. All of these improvements will increase the quality of life and health in the six communities, which in turn will advance economic and social sustainability. The community process for the six Community Parks and Recreation Plans was so successful that the County Departnment of Parks and Recreation applied a similar approach countywide. The 2016 Los Angeles Countywide Comprehensive Parks & Recreation Needs Assessment represents a historic undertaking to engage all communities in Los Angeles County in a collaborative process for future decisionmaking on parks and recreation. Five metrics for community park needs were quantified for 189 study areas. The massive community engagement program incorporated traditional methods and social media, including workshops conducted by parks departments and community-based organizations, resulting in identification of priority projects and cost estimates. In the November 2016 election, a new funding mechanism for park improvements was passed by voters in the form of a new parcel tax, as part of the Safe, Clean Neighborhood Parks, Open Space, Beaches, Rivers Protection and Water Conservation Measure (Measure A). This new funding, which has special provisions for high need communities, can be tapped for projects identified in the Community Parks and Recreation Plans for East Los Angeles, East Rancho Dominguez, Lennox, Walnut Park, West Athens-Westmont, and Willowbrook.

Source: County of Los Angeles

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Better use of existing public facilities, such as a “park plaza” in unused space next to an existing library, including exercise equipment and outdoor seating for reading books. ee Creative sites for new park spaces close to residents, including several that are currently being acquired by the County. ee Coordination with local water and power providers for creating parks and trails within utility corridors.

Local/Regional Connection The six Community Parks and Recreation Plans represent unique solutions for actualizing sustainability objectives in the two primary regional frameworks: the 2016-2040 Regional Transportation Plan/ Sustainable Communities Strategy (RTP/SCS) for the Southern California Association of Governments region and the Unincorporated Los Angeles County Community Climate Action Plan 2020 (CCAC). The RTP/ SCS advances a vision where many communities are more compact, seamlessly served by numerous public transit options, people live Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California

29

closer to daily destinations and live more active and Health and Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust) healthier lifestyles, and economies grow. Similarly, the and development of the six plans. For example, the CCAC greenhouse gas reduction approach focuses community input received during development of the on transportation and compatible six plans helped the Department compact development, but it also of Public Health to secure grant establishes strategies related to water funding to prepare pedestrian plans “While some may think conservation, green building and in West Athens-Westmont and of recreation as ‘fun and energy, and land conservation and Walnut Park. games’...opportunities tree planting.

Agency Collaboration for Action

for recreation and physical activity help

Effective Community Engagement

Community involvement was at the heart of the planning process – the problems faced by these six plans were formulated “from communities, such as the ground up.” The customized process for each community was high levels of obesity based on the project goals, as well and related diseases, as an understanding of the particular gang violence, and issues in the community. In each stress related to finances of the six communities, the County Department of Parks and Recreation and the economy.” partnered with local community-Clement Lau, based non-profit organizations, Departmental Facilities including the Los Angeles Planner Neighborhood Land Trust and From Lot to Spot, to engage community One example of this collaboration is their partnership members in discussions about vision, needs, priorities, on community engagement, as described under implementation ideas, and partnership opportunities. Effective Community Engagement below. Another Methods included stakeholder interviews, focus example is cross-pollination between a study of groups, questionnaires/surveys, community health and safety in public spaces in three of the workshops, design workshops, tabling events, communities (completed by the Department of Public community tours, and youth programs. The use of

Collaboration between the County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Regional Planning, Public Health, and Public Works departments resulted in very positive outcomes during formulation of the plans. Most of the interaction took place as part of the County’s Healthy Design Workgroup. The staff across the four departments became better acquainted with each other’s projects, and together they identified opportunities to complement and support each other’s efforts.

address a variety of

Community members of all ages provided input on ideas and priorities, as a result of the County’s many engagement activities. Source: County of Los Angeles

30 Community Parks and Recreation Plans in Los Angeles County

multiple methods helped to increase the number and diversity of participants. Meeting fatigue among many community members was recognized by the project team, and extra effort was paid to maintaining engagement. Tactics included partnering with other County departments on outreach activities addressing multiple projects, such as at the Willowbrook Recreation, walking, neighborhood connections, urban forestry, health, water efficiency, and Community Fair. The project community culture are integrated into the park plans, as shown in this Walnut Park illustration. team also proactively Source: County of Los Angeles addressed concerns about planning discussions not Sustainability Benefits for California leading to tangible outcomes by keeping community Implementation of the Community Park and Recreation members apprised about potential Measure A funding Plans will help to advance many of California’s opportunities for implementation. sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Equity ee Public health ee Reduced automobile usage and fuel consumption ee Water conservation ee Energy conservation and efficiency ee Revitalized urban and community center


Clement Lau, AICP, Departmental Facilities Planner

Agency:

Department of Parks and Recreation, County of Los Angeles

Telephone: 213-351-5117

Sustainability benefits are quantified in each plan. Source: County of Los Angeles

Email:

[email protected]

Website:

https://goo.gl/N7lb6o


31

Project Highlight

Fresno General Plan Update Originally three square miles and home to 4,000 residents, the City of Fresno was incorporated in 1885, having grown around a railroad stop in the Central Valley. After WWII, however, a soaring population and increasingly universal access to cars radically changed the pace and character of Fresno’s growth. As part of its highway expansion program, the California Department of Highways connected Routes 99, 41, and 180 in a loop around downtown, redirecting traffic around the city’s core rather than through it. The highways facilitated the movement of a growing population onto inexpensive land north and east of the once vibrant downtown, which now housed decreasing numbers of residents and businesses. Low-density suburbs, in which many residents did not have easy access to public facilities or transportation, became the norm. With a population of 520,000, Fresno is now California’s fifth largest city. It includes a significant Latino population, a long-established African American community, and one of the nation’s largest groups of Hmong, Cambodian, and Lao refugees. It sits at the heart of a vibrant agricultural region and is one of the initial stations planned for California’s High-Speed Rail system. Fresno’s economy, however, is under pressure. In 2010, median household incomes were 35% below state average and the unemployment rate of 16.9% was well above state average. More families were living below the poverty line. The city was also quickly depleting its groundwater and struggling with water and air quality issues. With the city on the verge of bankruptcy, the Mayor declared a fiscal emergency. City officials and the Mayor agreed: the General Plan Update, originally conceived before the recession hit, needed to signal a game change—and even more importantly, to operationalize it.

Figure I-1 :

Historic Growth Patterns

Figure I-1 :


RD NT


A FRI

RD

1895-1945

COPPER AVE

NT


A FRI

1946-2011

WILLOW

AVE

AVE CHESTNUT

AVE

1/2

AVE

KINGS CANYON RD

AVE HIGHLAND

JENSEN

180

AVE

AVE

0

99

The Project

180

AVE

DE WOLFE AVE

TEMPERANCE

AVE

FOWLER

AVE

AVE

KINGS CANYON RD

MCKINLEY

AVE

FOWLER

AVE

AVE

RD

AVE

DE WOLFE AVE

TEMPERANCE

AVE LER FOW AVE

AVE

CLINTON

CLOVIS

AVE

AVE PEACH

AVE CHESTNUT

WILLOW

AVE

JENSEN AMERICAN AVE

AVE AVE CLOVIS

AVE

AVE PEACH

CHESTNUT

WILLOW

AVE

AVE MAPLE

LANE NORTH AVE

MAPLE

AVE

CLOVIS

AVE

CHESTNUT

AVE

AVE

EAST

CHERRY

CEDAR

ORANGE AVE

AVE

OLIVE

MCKINLEY

HIGHLAND

AVE

AVE

AVE

ST

FIRST

AVE

FOWLER

CEDAR

MAPLE AVE

MAPLE AVE

CHESTNUT

ST FRESNO

ST

CEDAR

CENTRAL

1

AVE

NORTH

2

4

MILES JENSEN

AVE

AVE

Source: City of Fresno Development and Resource Management Department, 2010.

AVE

41

32 Fresno General Plan Update

AVE

KINGS CANYON

BUTLER

SHIELDS

AVE

AVE

AVE

AVE

JENSEN

TULARE

LANE

AVE

ORANGE AVE

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The fiscal emergency prompted the City to adopt a creative non-profit style funding model for the General Plan Update: it applied for the first round of Strategic Growth Council funding, claimed a cut of incoming federal Energy Efficiency and

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ee Revitalizing downtown to attract and retain the “knowledge workers” who prefer vibrant urban centers and who will help Fresno close their skills gap – as well as increasing property values and tax revenue.

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Rather than expand the city’s sphere of influence, its anticipated boundaries as it grows, the Plan maintains Fresno’s current boundaries, planning for 51% of new units to be developed as infill on vacant or underutilized lots and the remaining 49% in growth areas along its edges. Intensive land use and mixed use development is intended to support greater use of the planned bus-rapid transit system, and to justify the necessary infrastructure and utility expansion needed to support more industry in the area. Also, it protects surrounding agricultural land from the creep of subdivisions along the city’s edges.

TEMPERANCE JENSEN

Disclaimer: This map is not a final product and is for illustrative purposes only, to facilitate conversation around the topic(s) represented. Growth Area boundaries are conceptual and highly generalized. More precise illustrations and maps with definitive boundaries should be additionally consulted within this Element. There may be errors or omissions and if any are found, please contact the City of Fresno DARM Department staff at 559-621-8003 or Contact Us at www.fresno.gov/newplan.

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Conceptual Urban Form Diagram: transportation lines run out from the primary center in Downtown Fresno to smaller activity centers, beginning along Blackstone Ave. Source: City of Fresno

Additionally, the Plan fosters the expansion of the export-oriented industry sectors—particularly those that leverage the region’s strengths in agriculture and food—via appropriate zoning and streamlined permit approval. The Plan reserves 3,625 acres of vacant land in six clusters within the planning area where the City will expand infrastructure and utilities needed for industrial development.

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Source: City of Fresno

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The Fresno General Plan purposefully links its citizens’ quality of life and economic stability to its decisions about land use. It lays out policies and implementation strategies through 2035 and focuses on revitalizing Downtown Fresno as the city’s center. Smaller “activity centers” will be built along the city’s central transportation corridors, where movement will be facilitated by a bus-rapid transit system. Each of these activity centers, as well smaller infill zones throughout the city, will strive to become a Complete Neighborhood, which the City envisions as a neighborhood with as many services as possible within walking distance. Creating walkable neighborhoods—all connected via public transit— will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.

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Legend

Conservation Block Grants (part of the 2009 stimulus funding), and then requested grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the California Energy Commission. In total, the team brought in nearly $8 million in grant funds, largely by leveraging the initial Strategic Growth Council money. This move saved 30 jobs on the planning staff and enabled the City to hire a consulting team.

ee Passing the Infill Development Act and BUILD Act, which waive fees on eligible infill projects and identify public and private loans, incentives, and tax rebates that would help to close the risk gap between investing in infill versus greenfield development. ee Promoting “catalyst projects” in Downtown, the Fulton Corridor, and Mixed-Use Centers to stimulate private investment. ee Designing a park and trail system that delivers recreation opportunities, mobility around the city, scenic and air quality buffers along transit corridors, and enhanced groundwater infiltration.


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In the past, when Fresno The City should continually treat its land needed additional water for its growing population, it use, economic, and fiscal performance Fresno seeks to be a role would annex new areas to model for good growth as fundamental, and integrally linked the City to expand its sphere management planning, of influence. To disrupt components that over the long-run will environmental quality, that pattern, the General and a strong economy, rise and/or fall together. Plan maintains the current particularly within the sphere of influence, thereby San Joaquin Valley. With incentivizing the investment needed for new treatment its emphasis on dense development that facilitates facilities for water from the San Joaquin and Kings walkability and the protection of natural resources, the Rivers. The new water treatment plant will reduce General Plan actionizes the Smart Growth Principles groundwater use by more than half and cost less to laid out by the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint, a operate than pumping water from the aquifer. The collaborative output of eight Metropolitan Planning General Plan calls for the implementation of Fresno’s Organizations in the Valley. In addition, Fresno led the Urban Water Management Plan, which outlines design and organization of the Smart Valley Places projects for extensive water conservation, groundwater Network, a partnership with 13 other Central Valley recharge, stormwater collections, and ultimately the cities that builds on the Blueprint by supporting smart growth land use and transportation projects. The use of its recycled water in green spaces and for General Plan also complies with the Fresno Council industrial uses. of Governments’ Sustainable Communities Strategy adopted in 2014, which will allow the City to capitalize Effective Community Engagement on California Environmental Quality Act streamlining The City of Fresno was determined to include its opportunities for future projects. residents in the creation of the General Plan— Sprawl and unincorporated community development particularly those who would not normally participate competes with and threatens the success of in the planning process—and to give them the tools sustainable development within city boundaries. necessary to voice their needs and understand their Fresno hopes the General Plan will position it to work with other Central Valley cities and regional Fresno v General organizations to pass policies to curb those trends. Plan

Agency Collaboration for Action Every department was challenged to contribute to this new vision of Fresno, and one of the seminal achievements of this collaboration was the transformation of the Utility Department’s approach to procuring water for the city. Traditionally, groundwater pumped from the underlying aquifer supplied 88% of Fresno’s water supply, supplemented by surface water. The city’s water table had fallen 100 feet in 80 years due to overdraft, contributing to groundwater contamination in about half the city’s service area.

34 Fresno General Plan Update

Expanded Tax Base

Higher Quality of Life Improved Social & Economic Conditions

Higher Property Values & Household Incomes

Attracts New Residents & Employers

By developing more densely within its current boundaries, Fresno aims to preserve the surrounding agricultural land. Source: City of Fresno

choices. To connect with immigrants and poor or disenfranchised residents, the City partnered with community organizations that already had long standing relationships within these communities, including Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries, the West Fresno Family Resource Center, and the Fresno Metro Ministry. Together, they were able to generate monetary and logistical support for outreach from the California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities grant program and ultimately reach more than 4,000 residents.

City staff made over 100 presentations to neighborhood, business, educational, social, and non-profit groups and held more than 20 workshops addressing various parts of the proposal and alternatives report. In April 2012, the City Council’s meeting to vote on the General Plan alternatives attracted more than 350 people. 80 of the 86 who gave testimony spoke in favor of Alternative A, the most environmentally progressive and fiscally sustainable selection, which the City Council approved with only minor changes.

In summer 2011, the outreach team funded a series of potlucks, featuring food and music from Laos, Mexico, and the American South. Attendees were taught key planning terms in Spanish, Mixteco, Hmong, and English, and were introduced to planning concepts and tools via mapping activities, role-play, and group dialogue. Art projects were encouraged as a way for community members to express themselves. Between August and November, organizers conducted more than 850 individual interviews with residents in multiple languages, which they distilled into nine community priorities that serve as the General Plan framework.

Sustainability Benefits for California

Planning alternatives built from this input were shared with the community for feedback. The planning team contrasted plans using RapidFire impact assessment, a tool that projects the impacts of different planning choices. For instance, RapidFire provides each alternative’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, household costs, land consumption, vehicle miles traveled per capita and fuel use, public health, building energy, water consumed, and operations and maintenance costs. These analyses helped residents better understand how different plan choices would impact their own expenditures and the environment.

Implementation of the Fresno General Plan will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Clean air and water ee Economic Prosperity ee Equity ee Improved infrastructure systems ee Infill and compact development ee Reduced automobile usage and fuel consumption ee Revitalized urban and community centers


Keith Bergthold, Executive Director

Agency:

Fresno Metro Ministry

Telephone: 559-485-1416, ext 101 Email:

[email protected]

Website:

https://www.fresno.gov/darm/general-plandevelopment-code/


35

Project Highlight

Goleta Bicycle/ Pedestrian Master Plan West of Santa Barbara, the City of Goleta stretches up the coast between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. Though the City incorporated in 2002, sizeable areas to its east, west, and north remain unincorporated. Goleta surrounds the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) campus and the unincorporated area of Isla Vista—both of which can only be accessed via local city roads and bicycle/ pedestrian paths or State Route 217. This unique geography, as well as the fact that many residents commute to jobs in Santa Barbara, makes the City’s transportation needs uniquely interconnected with those of its neighbors. Goleta has seen a wide variety of land uses over the past century. Originally an agricultural area, it is now home to several business parks, shopping plazas, the Santa Barbara airport, and a handful of light industry. The city is bisected by the US 101 Freeway, which makes for relatively distinct communities above and below the highway. To the north, tract housing is intermingled with newer condominium developments and gated communities, as well as lower-density homes in the foothills. To the south is Old Town Goleta, a small commercial area and less

Source: City of Goleta

36 Goleta Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan

affluent residential district between State Route 217 and the airport. Further west beyond the airport, a large shopping mall of big box stores anchors a residential district of homes and high-density apartment blocks, many of which serve the UCSB community. Despite the relative isolation of some neighborhoods and the frequent lack of bicycle or pedestrian facilities, both forms of transit remain prevalent. According to a survey conducted by the City, 50 percent of residents said they walk regularly to get around town, while 71 percent bike and 81 percent drive. The local Bike Coalition estimates seven to ten percent of residents commute daily by bicycle. A combination of factors, including sizeable populations of students and less affluent service workers, helps explain higher-than-average use of walking and biking.

The Project Since incorporation, the City has utilized Santa Barbara County’s Bicycle Master Plan to prioritize the creation of bike paths, parking racks, and other amenities. The Goleta Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan kicked off in 2016 and is targeted for completion in Spring 2018. Unlike the County plan, the City’s new plan will be based on the specific needs of Goleta residents, as identified during the outreach process, and crucially, will also include planning for pedestrian facilities. The Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan will establish infrastructure improvements needed to facilitate bike and pedestrian travel and provide criteria for prioritizing projects. The City aims to eliminate barriers to bike and pedestrian travel, to increase the miles of bike and pedestrian “path”, and to improve public education around the benefits of these modes of alternative transport. The plan will include a list of potential projects that fulfill these goals, thereby reducing congestion, travel times, and total greenhouse gas emissions, while also promoting public health and equity. This vetting process for projects will also strengthen future grant applications to the State’s Active Transportation Program, which the City will need to supplement limited local funding. Concurrently, the City is developing roadway design standards, which will set requirements for road design that include bicycle and pedestrian amenities.

Source: City of Goleta

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Creating a community-based plan that prioritizes projects based on the constituent needs of a very ethnically and socioeconomically diverse community. ee Integrating Goleta’s bicycle and pedestrian facilities with those of Santa Barbara and the surrounding unincorporated areas to create a functioning regional transit network. ee Making alternative transit safer and more broadly accessible, spurring fewer car trips and healthier residents.

In July 2014, the City adopted a Climate Action Plan, which set goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 11 percent below 2007 levels by 2020 and 26 percent below 2020 levels in 2030. One of the Climate Action Plan’s strategies is to create a comprehensive bicycle network that encourages bicycle commuting and reduces peak-hour car trips. The Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan will implement that vision and allow the City to meet its emissions targets on time.


37

The aforementioned alternative transportation survey was central to their planning effort, identifying existing transit and transportation patterns and preferences. It also investigated what prevents people from walking or biking more, as well as where they would like expanded bicycle and pedestrian facilities. In order to allow people to give even more specific feedback about their own neighborhoods or commutes, the City provided an interactive online map in which users can tag locations and leave comments. To date, comments include requests for new bicycle infrastructure (e.g. “Can we have a separate bike lane here?”) and specific fixes (e.g. “The street lights here do not always register a cyclist crossing.”). Some commenters identify where the city has already provided safe, enjoyable biking (e.g. “Cathedral Oaks biking is awesome.”).

Local/Regional Connection Goleta is closely interconnected with its neighbors— Santa Barbara proper, UCSB, Isla Vista, and the other surrounding unincorporated areas, and the efficacy of the Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan depends heavily on the City’s ability to integrate its new bike and pedestrian system with the surrounding existing and planned systems. To create a shared space for

collaboration, the City has formed a Technical Advisory Group with representatives from the City of Santa Barbara, the County of Santa Barbara, UCSB, local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations, and community groups. The Advisory Group discussions will provide opportunities to integrate regional needs and City priorities. The Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan is intended to support the regional Santa Barbara County Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)/Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) 2040, which was passed in 2013. The SCS has performance measures related to environment, mobility and system reliability, equity, health and safety, and a prosperous economy. The projects that will be included in the Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan will be evaluated on their ability to contribute to these metrics— and once implemented, they will help advance overall regional sustainability.

Agency Collaboration for Action Representatives from many departments are contributing to both the community outreach effort and more technical aspects of the plan. For example, the City Manager’s team spearheaded the community outreach plan and materials, while members from the Public Works, Planning and Environmental Review, and Neighborhood Services Departments helped produce Spanish versions of all the materials. Members of

Left to right: Participants at the community workshop held at the Encina Royal Senior Living Community leave specific comments about the pedestrian and bike facilities in their area. Students use a dedicated pedestrian path to safely commute to and from school. Source: City of Goleta

38 Goleta Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan

Left to right: Dedicated bike lanes on streets like Santa Marguerita and Cathedral Oaks make biking safer and more enjoyable, according to community feedback. Source: Teresa Lopes, City of Goleta. Large and expanding UC Santa Barbara student housing complexes, where bike use is ubiquitous, sit just south of the Goleta city boundary. UCSB has extensive bike paths across its campus, and one of the City’s goals will be to integrate these with their own into a network that serves commuting and recreational needs across the Goleta, Santa Barbara, and the surrounding unincorporated areas. Source: Peter Iannone.

Planning were instrumental in making the community workshops a success, and in partnership with Public Works, reviewed proposals and selected a consultant to produce the final plan. The team effort required to initiate the Plan and gather community feedback has fostered teamwork and comradery, strengthening cross-departmental relationships.

Effective Community Engagement The Goleta City staff planned a multi-pronged outreach effort intended to reach across age groups and language barriers. They made their community survey available in English and Spanish, both online and in print. They distributed print surveys at the Goleta Library, Community Center, and City Hall. The survey was promoted via press release, the City’s Monarch Press newsletter, and social media, and targeted e-mails about the survey were sent to individuals signed up for bicycle and pedestrian information through the City. To date, 1,050 responses have been collected, by far the most received for any City project. The effort has succeeded in engaging community interest: 32 percent of respondents voluntarily submitted their emails asking to be kept up-to-date on the Plan’s progress. In addition to surveys, the team hosted booths at the local Lemon Festival and the city farmers market during September, which together received 250 visitors. Since these are non-political events that attract wide

swaths of the community, the outreach team was able to interface with residents who might not have heard about the project through traditional communication channels. Community workshops in November and December at the Goleta Valley Community Center, UCSB, and a senior housing association meeting room attracted a diverse cross-section of ages and ethnicities and provided opportunities to comment in person. Each attracted 35 to 50 attendees.

Sustainable Benefits for California Implementation of the Goleta Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Equity ee Improved infrastructure systems ee Public health ee Reduced automobile usage and fuel consumption ee Reduced greenhouse gas emissions


James Winslow, Sr. Project Manager

Agency:

City of Goleta


[email protected]

Website:

www.cityofgoleta.org/projects-programs/bicycle-projects/ bicycle-pedestrian-master-plan-project


39

Project Highlight

Lake Tahoe Sustainable Communities Program The Lake Tahoe region straddles the California-Nevada state line, spanning five counties and one city. The unique environmental and jurisdictional challenges facing the Tahoe Basin prompted the ratification of a Bi-State Compact by Congress in 1969, creating the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA). This compact gave TRPA the authority to establish environmental quality standards (called “thresholds”) and adopt a Regional Plan to achieve those thresholds. In recent years, the focus of the Regional Plan for TRPA has expanded to address climate change and an evolving economic landscape. Unpredictable snowpack and lake levels, as well as increased greenhouse gas emissions, have forced the Tahoe Region to plan for expanding year-round tourism activities, adaptive lake access strategies, and innovative approaches to resource management. Overnight and day visitors can more than triple the Region’s population during peak periods. The majority of the Tahoe region’s greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to transportation, as well as electricity and natural gas consumption. In addition, over the past decade more of the region’s housing stock has been converted to vacation rentals and secondary homes. From 2000 to 2010, the percentage of secondary residences used for recreation or seasonal use increased from 39 percent to 44 percent of all homes. Between 2000 and 2007, the Region lost almost 2,000 jobs, and currently has an unemployment rate of between 13 and 19 percent, depending on the area. Employment in the gaming industry, traditionally a major economic driver in the Tahoe Region, has declined by 50 percent since its peak in 1996. However, total employment in recreation and hospitality increased from 2000 to 2007.

Map of the Lake Tahoe Region and area plan boundaries. Area plans give jurisdictions greater power over local planning while helping to achieve regional goals. Area plans implement sustainability practices by concentrating mixed-use development in bikeable and walkable town centers. Source: TRPA

40 Lake Tahoe Sustainable Communities Program

The Project The Lake Tahoe Sustainable Communities Program is a Basin-wide program, housed within TRPA but supported by a partnership of local agencies, organizations, jurisdictions and the community. This program was established with funding from both Round 1 and 2 of the Grant Program. Round 1 funding was used to establish the Sustainability Framework and Vision; create a GHG emissions inventory and reduction targets; create a Sustainability Action Plan Toolkit and Economic Development Strategy, devise a Sustainability Indicators Reporting Plan, and develop a framework and initiation process for local Area Plans. The second Round of funding has been used to develop Area Plans consistent with the Regional Plan; create an online development rights tracking system, produce a sustainability indicator dashboard; and publicize their inaugural Annual Report and a “long range business plan” for sustainability initiatives to be implemented by community volunteers. Among this vast body of work supported by the Grant Program, a few components stand out. The work accomplished by TRPA is unique in its scale, as well as in its involvement of community members, not only in development of the plans, but in implementation as well. The use of a public-private partnership for implementation is unusual, but an appropriate match for the Lake Tahoe Region, where involved and passionate community members are willing to join forces with Agency staff. The Lake Tahoe Sustainable Communities Program has far reaching benefits for California and Nevada residents, as well as for the global community of visitors for whom Lake Tahoe is a very special place. The work completed with funding from the Grant Program has helped to plan for better transportation, land use, and conservation decisions region-wide. The Sustainability Framework and supporting plans and programs provide the tools needed by staff, community members and decision makers to continue to work toward the achievement of State goals. Beyond these benefits, the formal institutional commitment made by TRPA in adopting an internal strategic objective to “become a leader in environmental and sustainability programs” as part of their Agency Strategic Plan helps to memorialize this important change.

Source: Design Workshop, Lake Tahoe

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Balancing conservation goals and economic growth with a marketplace for development rights. ee Encouraging the concentration of development in town centers, in order to protect more sensitive areas from degradation. ee Creating an online development rights tracking system, helping to make this local solution more effective.

Local/Regional Connection The jurisdictional complexity of the Tahoe Basin means that all sustainable planning decisions must be made considering the local and regional impacts and implementation options. While TRPA retains regional planning responsibility, it has delegated local land use decisions


41

to the Counties and Cities within the Basin through a system of Area Plans to support the Regional Plan and Sustainability Framework. It helps remove barriers to economic development and revitalization, while also ensuring consistency with and progress toward regional goals.

“Much of the recent success in improving transportation end energy infrastructure in Lake Tahoe has been a direct result of advocacy and on-the-ground action by the grassroots Sustainability Collaborative.” — Joanne Marchetta, Executive Director, TRPA

Agency Collaboration for Action The coordination between TRPA and local government partners developing Area Plans is remarkable in its collaborative approach to communitybased planning to impact local land use decisions. While interagency collaboration is essential for all of TRPA’s work, the Lake Tahoe Sustainable Communities Program is remarkable for its ability to collaborate and inspire progress in areas where it does not have jurisdiction or regulatory authority. For example, in order to achieve the protection of the Basin’s water supply, TRPA has partnered with downstream users in both California and Nevada to manage forest fuels and aquatic invasive species. Partnership—in many forms—has been a foundational tenant of TRPA’s success with sustainability initiatives.

Effective Community Engagement The development of each component of TRPA’s sustainability framework relied on multiple forms of community involvement. However, what is most unique about the program is the role of the Lake Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative in implementing the Program’s plans. The Lake Tahoe Sustainability Collaborative was convened to serve as a grass roots organization that would implement long term sustainable actions, especially those associated with citizen behavior change. The Collaborative includes six working groups: Communications and Outreach, Community Mobility, Conservation of Natural Resources, Economy-Education-Culture, EnergyWater-Waste-Efficiency, and Human Health & Social Well-Being. The Collaborative membership is open to those who want to participate, with different levels of involvement offered. The working groups have been responsible for a variety of implementation actions, such as bike to school weeks, advocacy for alternative transportation projects, community solar and energy efficiency projects, and local food programs in the schools. The TRPA says, “Much of the recent success in improving transportation end energy infrastructure in Lake Tahoe has been a direct result of advocacy and on-the-ground action by the grassroots Sustainability Collaborative.”

The implementation framework for the Lake Tahoe Sustainability Action Plan. The plan addresses greenhouse gas emissions reduction, as well as climate change adaptation strategies. Recommendations for sustainability measures are then integrated into Regional and Area Plans. Source: TRPA.

42 Lake Tahoe Sustainable Communities Program

In the long term, it is anticipated that the Sustainability Collaborative will continue to function as a stand-alone organization. The role of Sustainable Communities Program funding in its inception cannot be overstated. It was essential for this group to have initial seed funding in order to develop the capacity it now has, thus extending the reach of the TRPA’s sustainability program.

Sustainable Benefits for California Implementation of the Sustainability Action Plan, Regional Plan, and Area Plans, will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Clean air and water ee Economic Prosperity ee Energy efficiency and conservation ee Equity ee Improved infrastructure systems ee Infill and compact development ee Natural resources protection ee Reduced automobile usage and fuel consumption ee Reduced greenhouse gas emissions ee Water conservation


Devin Middlebrook, Sustainability Program Coordinator

Agency:

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency


[email protected]

Website:

http://laketahoesustainablecommunitiesprogram.org/

Top to bottom: Aerial view of planned greenbelt in the Tahoe Valley Area Plan, designed to connect neighborhoods and commercial areas, treat stormwater runoff, promote open space, and connect multiple bike and pedestrian paths. Source: City of South Lake Tahoe. Community members brainstorming a regional sustainability vision and goals during a collaborative workshop as part of the sustainability plan development. Source: TRPA.


43

Project Highlight

Merced Programmatic Climate Action Plan Located in the northern San Joaquin Valley, the City of Merced is home to approximately 45% of Merced County’s population. The City of approximately 80,000 residents is the location of the newest University of California campus as well as being an important planned stop on California’s High Speed Rail system. The City’s economic base has traditionally been agricultural and light industrial. With the recent investments in higher education and transportation, however, the city may see significant change in the coming century. The City has the opportunity to shape future growth in a way that protects its natural resources and stimulates the local economy.

The Project In 2012, the City of Merced developed its first generation Climate Action Plan. This plan was developed with funding from the Federal Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants funds. It established a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and outlined implementation actions. The Plan was developed in collaboration with an 18-member Climate Action Plan Advisory Ad-Hoc Committee. In 2013, the City of Merced embarked on creation of a suite of tools to implement the Climate Action Plan, which included an urban design manual that graphically demonstrates the City’s development policies and codes in a user-friendly format. These tools became

known as the Programmatic Climate Action Plan and the development of these were funded by the Grant Program. Key outputs included: 1. An update to the 2008 GHG Emission Inventory. 2. A monitoring protocol and tool. 3. A selection of feasible and effective projects and programs to achieve the City’s adopted greenhouse gas reduction target. Projects were selected based on cost effectiveness, anticipated greenhouse gas emissions, and ability to be monitored. 4. A list of potential development-related code amendments that could help implement Climate Action Plan strategies and mitigation measures. 5. A user-friendly Unified Design Manual (UDM) to make regulations easier to understand and ensure their effectiveness in achieving greenhouse gas emissions. 6. Qualification for Permit Streamlining through California Environmental Quality Act.

At the City’s Resource Efficiency Fair, residents give feedback on what kinds of energy efficiency actions they participate in or would consider participating in. Source: Bill King, City of Merced

44 Merced Programmatic Climate Action Plan

In pursuing a Programmatic Plan, the City will achieve two objectives: first, it improved the likelihood of the achieving the goals set out in the initial Climate Action Plan. Second, it front-loaded the assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from various projects, thereby providing more predictability to investors interested in developing in Merced. By qualifying for Permit Streamlining under the Environmental Quality Act, the City’s identified projects can be expedited for development. City planners have completed all work on the Programmatic Plan and hope to take it to the City Council for review and potential adoption before the end of 2017.


Source: City of Merced

As the seat of Merced County, the City of Merced is already a regional hub for government, business and industry. With the 2005 opening of University of California Merced adjacent to the City, Merced became an educational center for the San Joaquin Valley and California. Future plans to locate a California High Speed Rail station in downtown Merced are poised to strengthen the city’s ties to the State’s larger metropolitan regions, in turn preparing the City for future economic and population growth. Against this backdrop, the need for a comprehensive sustainability plan for the City becomes clear.


Locally-Driven Solutions ee Providing certainty and predictability to those investing in Merced while also achieving greenhouse gas targets by introducing a permit streamlining process for new development projects that meet Climate Action Plan targets.

The work to complete the City’s Programmatic Climate Action Plan relied on the participation of a number of different organizations and divisions within the City of Merced. The Plan’s components were varied—from the internal assessment of municipal operations’ impacts on greenhouse gas emissions to the urban design direction of the Unified Design Manual—and thus required a diversity of expertise to develop.

Effective Community Engagement The City of Merced recognized the importance of engaging a representative cross-section of community members in the development of the Programmatic Climate Action Plan. Building off recent civic engagement in the City’s Zoning Code update, City Staff knew that engaged residents would be willing to attend regular meetings over the course of the project. As such, the City of Merced convened an adhoc advisory group of local residents and business leaders to identify opportunities for Climate Action Plan implementation and to review and provide input on project deliverables. This committee met seven times over the course of Plan development. Through an innovative partnership with the Local Government Commission, the City and its technical consultant also hosted a series


45

Community-based organizations and public agencies presented information about their programs and services at Merced’s Resource Efficiency Fair. Source: Bill King, City of Merced.

of public workshops, including a City-Wide Resource Efficiency Fair. There, 34 local community-based organizations and neighboring or regional public agencies shared programs and services around water conservation, recycling, energy-efficiency, reduced utility bills, and alternative transit. Approximately 70 community members and exhibitors attended to learn what conservation-related actions local government agencies, non-profit groups, schools, and businesses are engaged in locally. A summary of conservationrelated actions by the City to date was presented. In addition to games, activities, and booths, the fair was a great place to connect with local leaders/ organizations, share ideas, and learn how to stay involved in the project. Community input was gathered and results summarized. Following this kick off to the Plan’s public process, the City collaborated with the Local Government Commission to host more focused workshops for deeper discussions about economic prosperity and healthy communities.

and comment on the draft Unified Design Manual and associated information about potential code revisions.

Sustainable Benefits for California Implementation of Merced’s Programmatic Climate Action Plan will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Economic Prosperity ee Improved infrastructure systems ee Infill and compact development ee Natural resources and agricultural lands protection

and preservation ee Public health ee Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

Two stakeholder meetings with the local development community, consisting of engineers, surveyors, architects, planners, and builders were held. These meetings gave stakeholders dedicated time to review

UDM


Kim Espinosa, Planning Manager

Agency:

City of Merced, Planning Division


[email protected]

Website: https://www.cityofmerced.org/depts/cd/planning/ programmatic_climate_action_plan.asp

Sample schematics let guidelines easily integrate into project plans Pictures give examples of successful design

The intent of the guidelines is clearly spelled out

Design considerations provide details for multiple types of projects

46 Merced Programmatic Climate Action Plan

The Design Manual graphically demonstrates the City’s development policies and codes in a user-friendly format. Source: City of Merced.

Project Highlight

North Coast Resource Partnership’s Integrated Regional Planning for Healthy Communities, Functional Watersheds & Viable Economies California’s North Coast region stretches from north of San Francisco Bay to the Oregon border. Spanning 19,000 square miles, Tribal lands and the seven North Coast counties (Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Modoc, Siskiyou, Sonoma, and Trinity) make up 12 percent of the State’s land. Steep mountains, riverine valleys, vast agricultural areas, and dense stands of redwood, fir, and oak characterize the area and make access challenging. The population remains sparse —only two percent of the state’s total— and largely rural. According to U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, nearly 90 percent of residents are economically disadvantaged, and 57 percent are severely economically disadvantaged. The North Coast is home to ecosystems that sustain biological diversity, provide abundant, clean drinking water, and sequester carbon. Yet past resource extraction industries, Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California

47

like logging and mining, have also left a legacy of environmental issues. Triple bottom line solutions— those that maintain healthy communities, functional watersheds, and viable local economies— are needed. Yet, faced with degraded natural resources and failing built infrastructure and with limited political leverage at the state level, North Coast communities have long found it difficult to fund and launch the kinds of projects needed to improve quality of life while also protecting the region’s natural resources. Araujo Dam Restoration. Source: NCRP

The Partnership Locally-Driven Solutions ee Using GIS spatial analysis to find areas where projects can improve economic vitality, public health, and ecosystem function simultaneously. ee Expanding NCRP’s focus to more actively incorporate climate mitigation and adaptation work—and thereby capitalize on the North Coast’s role as a natural resource-rich region with extensive opportunities for carbon sequestration. ee Executing numerous studies to establish the state of natural and human capital in the region—and in turn, inform plans and projects that align rural localities’ socio-economic and public health needs with State objectives for climate change mitigation and water security.

When Proposition 50 made $50 million available for Integrated Water Management Planning in 2002, North Coast counties decided the only way to compete for the funds was to join together. In 2004, they— along with the 34 Tribes who also hold land in the region— formed the North Coast Resource Partnership (NCRP), with the intent to ensure access to clean and reliable drinking water supplies, as well as working toward ecosystem conservation, energy independence, climate adaptation, public safety, and economic vitality in the region. The NCRP has been awarded funding through Propositions 50, 84, and 1, as well as the California Energy Commission. Oversight and direction are provided by a Policy Review Panel and Technical Peer Review Committee, both staffed with county and Tribal representatives. NCRP projects support localities with the technical expertise and resources they need to solve pervasive natural and built infrastructure problems, such as failing water supply and wastewater systems. The NCRP tracks the multiple benefits of all projects through metrics that include economic benefits such as jobs and local economic impact, water supply, quality, and habitat enhancement measures, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Since the NCRP’s founding, California’s policy landscape has changed considerably. AB32 and SB 375 now require statewide cuts in greenhouse gases and integrated transportation and land use planning to foster more sustainable communities. The NCRP has expanded its work to include these objectives, building on a decade of good governance, trust-building, and collaboration. While the partnership has worked extensively to improve natural capital for human and ecosystem benefits, it sees opportunities to pair that work with more investment in the infrastructure and alternative energy resources of the region—and in the process, to pioneer a sustainable communities strategy designed for rural areas.

48 North Coast Resource Partnership’s Integrated Regional Planning

The Project With funding from the Grant Program, the NCRP has funded a set of studies that will enhance the partnership’s ability to plan for climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as regional environmental, economic, and community resiliency. Grant money has funded regional assessments related to carbon sequestration, climate adaptation, renewable energy, natural capital valuation, local land use planning, and economic development. These include: ee A regional renewable energy analysis and

greenhouse gas accounting framework (a collaboration with Schatz Energy Research Center and Redwood Coast Energy Authority); ee Regional mapping of forest-based carbon

sequestration (a collaboration with the Climate Action Reserve and Dogwood Springs Forestry); ee Application of the Basin Characterization Model

to understand likely climate change impacts at the regional and local levels (a collaboration with USGS and Pepperwood Foundation); ee A regional economic valuation of natural capital

(e.g. land-based carbon) and regional economic analysis, which will enable the North Coast to document the values and multiple benefits of its natural assets (a collaboration with Earth Economics and EcoNorthwest); ee A regional climate change adaptation analysis,

which will pinpoint areas particularly vulnerable to climate change and opportunities to mitigate those impacts. Also, the NCRP has issued a series of subgrants to counties and Tribes to perform more localized assessments supporting the aforementioned analyses and to develop localized models, strategies, and tools. Together, these studies will expand the NCRP’s understanding of areas of vulnerability and sources of resilience within the region. This will allow the NCRP to weave climate change planning together with existing objectives into a truly integrated multibenefit strategy—one that will achieve on-the-ground outcomes for the region and its communities.

The Sustainable Communities Planning Grant has funded a sea level rise vulnerability analysis. Pictured here, the area around Eureka in Humboldt County in which sea level rise could be as much as five feet in some spots. Source: NCRP

Most of these assessments are nearing completion. In early 2017, the NCRP will hold a technical summit with its many partners and consultants to examine the new data within a GIS spatial-analysis framework. Looking at the results of the many analyses across the North Coast landscape, the team will look for opportunities to maximize on-the-ground benefits for public health, the economy, and watersheds. For instance, areas where forest management would yield high water recharge and carbon sequestration opportunities could overlap with important watersheds for improving drinking water quality. Opportunities for biomass energy generation might overlap with areas where forest management is needed or there is high vulnerability to catastrophic wildfire. These areas might in turn overlay areas where particular species are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. With this information about areas of opportunity in hand, the NCRP will invite their members, partnering NGOs, State agencies, and past funders to join them in April for a NCRP Strategy Session in Sonoma County. There, they will present integrated strategies Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California

49

and get feedback from the panel on where to place their emphasis in the context of new and upcoming legislation and funding opportunities.

Local/Regional Connection The NCRP’s success as a regional collaborative is based on two guiding principles: (1) to work on common ground issues and (2) to respect local autonomy. Early on in the partnership, there were multiple conflicts among stakeholders, but the group made a conscious decision to set those aside in order to work on issues all of them faced. In addition, the NCRP provides solutions that allow local jurisdictions to choose whether to participate or to opt out, depending on their specific needs. Recognition of the independence and diversity of jurisdictions within this vast region extends to the NCRP’s careful use of language. For instance, the NCRP tracks multiple benefits for every project, but counties and cities participating in an energy conservation project may frame it in terms of its climate benefits or its contribution to energy independence and lower energy bills, depending on their constituents’ priorities. Rather than a top-down relationship, the NCRP sees itself as a mechanism to sync the needs of localities with State policies and priorities. Many of the North Coast counties do not have a population large enough—nor enough resources—to advocate their

agenda at a state level, but as a representative for the whole region, the NCRP can articulate its unified needs and its importance as a source region to help the State achieve its climate, water, and biodiversity objectives. Many State agencies and their programs are geared toward urban areas, but the NCRP’s size allows the North Coast to more effectively attract funding and then redirect it in ways that address rural problems.

Agency Collaboration for Action While the governance of the NCRP is led by county and Tribal representatives, its Memorandum of Mutual Understanding binds the partnership together and convenes nearly 100 local governments, water providers, non-governmental organizations, watershed groups, resource conservation districts, and other stakeholder groups who are actively involved in NCRP projects. The diversity of participants has provided the partnership with a much broader capacity to plan and implement effective projects throughout the region. The partnership is particularly notable for the active participation of the North Coast Tribes. From the outset of the effort, the Tribes were invited to participate, and the recognition and use of Tribal Ecological Knowledge was included as an explicit program goal. Early on, Tribal representatives presented a proposal to have representatives in the governance structure, an offer that was welcomed by the NCRP leadership.

The rich natural resources of the North Coast make it a source region, providing a wealth of ecosystem services like carbon sequestration and water recharge that benefit the entire state. From left to right, Eel River, Humboldt County, Point Arena, Mendocino County, and Scott Valley, Siskiyou County. Source: NCRP

50 North Coast Resource Partnership’s Integrated Regional Planning

Left to right: Tribal Representation and the integration of Tribal Ecological Knowledge in NCRP planning is a vital part of the partnership’s success in addressing the ecological and economic concerns of the entire region. Conferences around the region keep local constituents up-to-date on project progress and lessons learned. Representatives on Policy Review Panel participate in project review. Source: NCRP

Effective Community Engagement Given its broad constituency, the NCRP has prioritized community and stakeholder outreach since its inception. Via this outreach, the partnership keeps localities informed of opportunities to provide input on regional priorities, to participate in the planning process, to identify important projects, and to apply for technical assistance and funding for these projects. Regular outreach includes: ee Quarterly meetings of the NCRP Policy Review

Panel and Technical Peer Review Committee, attended by regional stakeholders and elected officials; ee Regional conferences which present learning

related to technical and scientific assessments, project outcomes, and lessons learned; ee Workshops for local agencies and non-profit

partners multiple times per year in all areas of the region to provide information on opportunities for funding of NCRP objectives; ee A regional website with thousands of followers; ee Technical support to economically disadvantaged

communities to ensure their ability to participate and apply for funding; ee Regional polling to determine highest priorities,

to evaluate financial need of stakeholders, and estimated costs of projects; ee Small meetings and small group engagement on

particular themes and topics (e.g. forest carbon sequestration and forest health; failing water/ wastewater infrastructure and GHG emissions); ee Targeted Tribal outreach, integration, planning, and

project solicitation.

While all these efforts are important, NCRP’s credibility is dependent on the leadership and governance by locally elected Tribal and county officials. This representative approach ensures transparency and accountability for the NCRP. Since most land use decisions are made at the local level, this local leadership and governance is a critical component of successfully engaging the public.

Sustainability Benefits for Californ1ia Implementation of the North Coast Resource Partnership’s Integrated Regional Planning for Healthy Communities, Functional Watersheds and Viable Economics will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Economic Prosperity ee Energy efficiency and conservation ee Equity ee Improved infrastructure systems ee Natural resources and agricultural lands

conservation ee Public health ee Reduced greenhouse gas emissions ee Water supply and quality For More Information Name:

Karen Gaffney, Ecologist

Agency:

West Coast Watershed


[email protected]

Website:

www.northcoastresourcepartnership.org


51

Project Highlight

Rural and Urban Approach for Sustainable Communities Strategy and Metropolitan Transit Plan Implementation in the Sacramento Region

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Fresh Food Outlets with a half-mile Buffer

A population density map reveals the largely rural character of the Sacramento Region. Source: SACOG. 0

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52 Sacramento Region Rural and Urban Approach for Sustainable Communiies Strategy T S 220

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Sources: Esri, HERE, DeLorme, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, MapmyIndia, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community

of Governments (SACOG) is the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization and is responsible for developing a regional transportation plan every four years. SACOG has utilized funding from all three rounds of Grant Program to advance its efforts to plan for a sustainable Sacramento Region at the local government level. Emphasis was initially placed on furthering the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy which focuses on the rural areas of the region. More recently, SACOG has focused their Sustainable Communities Planning Grant-funded work on technical assistance in implementing the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy (MTP/SCS).

The Project The work funded by the Grant Program is diverse and has resulted in a variety of planning documents and case studies. What is unique about the projects SACOG initiated with Grant Program funding is how they have addressed both urban and rural issues with equal focus and deliberation, recognizing the significance of the rural contributions to the Sacramento Region’s future. The keystone piece of these planning efforts has been the Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS) program that undertook landmark efforts in rural land use and economic development research. RUCS acknowledged that rural economic vitality relies on wise land use decisions, but detailed planning for agriculture is typically unavailable. With this in mind, they executed a series of case studies and extensive stakeholder engagement to support rural economic development decision-making. RUCS studies utilized cutting edge modeling and analysis tools; topics included: ee Agriculture and Wildlife Habitat: assessed how cropland can double

Source: SACOG Staff

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Developing an approach to rural land use and economic development strategies that has fundamentally changed the way SACOG plans for the future of the Sacramento Region. ee Providing technical assistance to local governments to enhance their ability to achieve the objectives of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategies, helping to speed the implementation of these important planning efforts.

as wildlife habitat and the economic and environmental trade-offs of land use changes ee Local Food System Assessment: examined how Delta farmers can

remain viable by tapping into the demand for locally grown food and agritourism activities ee Food System Multipliers: analyzed how crop production, particularly

of specialty crops, fits into the larger food system (aggregation, processing, distribution) and fuels urban and rural job growth ee Food Hub Feasibility Analysis: provided tools to jurisdictions

and developers to create “food hubs,” agricultural infrastructure (including packing, processing, storage, marketing, and distribution) centers that help locally grown food reach the market. Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California

53

All of RUCS work aimed to identify Local/Regional Connection strategies that leverage and enhance By entering a new As a metropolitan planning the value of existing agricultural organization and regional era of planning and open lands. Proactive rural transportation agency, SACOG planning provides a means by which for both rural and helps link local governments with stakeholders can forecast and prepare urban communities planning resources that prepare the for possible futures and incorporate region to thrive in the future. Acting within the region, that with similar planning conducted as the bridge between the regional for urban areas. An integrated planning SACOG is advancing and local, SACOG helped prepare approach, like the RUCS project, the practice of rural communities for sustainable can help decision-makers better economic development strategies regional planning in understand the tradeoffs in setting in locations such as Yuba and Yolo planning objectives, while also offering California. counties. In more urban locations a means by which to link both rural like Sacramento, Davis, Placerville, and urban lands to local and regional Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Isleton, transportation planning and other infrastructure Rancho Cordova, Colfax and Winters, SACOG helped investments. provide financial and technical resources to develop economically viable infill strategies. In addition to the accomplishments of the RUCS project, SACOG has completed technical assistance work to aid in implementing the MTP/SCS, funded by the Grant Program. SACOG staff worked with participating local governments to identify opportunities for the grant funding to help them implement practices that are consistent with the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy (MTP/SCS). For example, SACOG would work with local governments to convene a public discussion, to provide examples of successful efforts in similar places, and to help them develop a strategy for implementation.

SACOG’s efforts to support both rural and urban efforts to advance long-range planning and implementation of the SCS have been appreciated by participating local governments. Furthermore, this balance has helped SACOG to respond to earlier critiques of the regional blueprint process that rested heavily on urban development and growth. By entering a new era of planning for both rural and urban communities within the region, SAGOC is helping to advance the practice of regional planning in California.

In 2008, SACOG engaged a range of local farmers and agricultural enterprises, including Yolo Land & Cattle Co, to host agricultural tours, with the aim of educating government representatives about the production, processing, transportation and regulatory challenges and opportunities. Source: SACOG Staff

54 Sacramento Region Rural and Urban Approach for Sustainable Communiies Strategy

Government representatives learn about opportunities to bolster the region’s ag economy on 2008 RUCS’ farm tours. Source: SACOG Staff

Agency Collaboration for Action As a regional agency, SACOG takes a multi-disciplinary approach to all planning. All departments within SACOG worked collaboratively to achieve successful implementation of the MTP/SCS—including modelers, transportation planners, land use planners, transit planners, and communications departments. SACOG staff support their local government partners, particularly through technical assistance programs such as the one funded by the Grant Program.

Effective Community Engagement The Sacramento Region is host to a diversity of community types, each with their own unique culture of civic engagement. Public involvement objectives and practices varied, depending on each community’s individual situation. In some cases, the participating local government made a substantial effort to engage stakeholders in developing a collective vision for a stronger, more viable commercial district through one-on-one engagement and numerous in-person meetings and phone calls. Following these efforts, many groups found that the bonds amongst business and property owners were much stronger, creating momentum towards collective action. In the case of RUCS project stakeholder engagement, the project emphasized innovative outreach and community engagement, including a number of farm tours in 2008. As one of the foundational initiatives under RUCS, SACOG engaged a range of local farmers and agricultural enterprises to host agricultural tours with the aim of educating

government representatives about the production, processing, transportation and regulatory challenges and opportunities. Whether the planning effort was associated with RUCS or with a technical assistance program, SACOG staff made an effort to design an engagement program to best met the needs of that particular community in addressing the issues that were most important to them.

Sustainable Benefits for California Implementation of the SACOG’s RUCS and MTP/SCS will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Economic Prosperity ee Equity ee Improved infrastructure systems ee Infill and compact development ee Natural resources and agricultural lands protection

and preservation ee Reduced greenhouse gas emissions ee Revitalized urban and community centers

For More Information Name: David Shabazian, Rural-Urban Connections Strategy Manager Agency:

Sacramento Area Council of Governments


[email protected]

Website:

www.sacog.org/rural-urban-connections-strategy


55

Project Highlight

Southeastern San Diego Community Plan Update Southeastern San Diego is a vibrant, diverse community located just east of Downtown San Diego. The western portion of the area was settled early in the city’s history and was directly connected to the city center by streets and the railroad. The community was home to both large estates, where San Diego’s elite lived, and modest cottages, where many working families lived. After World War II, with large tracts of rural land available in the eastern portion of the community, Southeastern San Diego experienced major physical and population growth. It was one of the few communities in San Diego with housing available to working class families and non-white residents. In the postwar period, freeways were also constructed around and through the neighborhood, bringing great changes to the neighborhood. Today, Southeastern San Diego is one of the most culturally diverse and inclusive neighborhoods in San Diego. It is served by the San Diego Trolley and bus lines, a traditional street grid in much of the area, and regional freeways. Eight distinct neighborhoods make up the area, mostly with lower density residential development. Underutilized commercial corridors and industrial areas have opportunity for new economic activity that could benefit residents. Compared to San Diego at large, the Southeastern San Diego community is younger, contains far more Spanish speakers, and has significantly lower household incomes (just half of the citywide household median income).

The Project The Southeastern Community Plan creates a policy structure to achieve the following community vision, formulated during the extensive community engagement process:

“Southeastern San Diego is a diverse, inclusive, and vibrant place to live and work, experiencing a renaissance while celebrating its distinct history. The community promotes economic well-being, with a job-ready population, active employment areas, and cottage industry, and investment by property owners.

The community’s sustainability assets include central city location, transit infrastructure, walkable scale, strong identity, and natural creek. Source: Dyett & Bhatia

56 Southeastern San Diego Community Plan Update

The low-density character of its neighborhoods is maintained, while the corridors are enhanced with a vibrant mix of retail, restaurant, cultural uses, jobs, and higher density housing along the transit corridors. Parks are safe, well-maintained, and full of community-serving amenities. The community benefits from its strong connections to the rest of the region. Movement within the community is enhanced with good north-south connections and attractive, well-lit, and pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, making it easy to get around car-free.” Source: Dyett & Bhatia

Structurally, the Southeastern Community Plan incorporates nine chapters addressing land use, mobility, urban design, economic prosperity, public facilities/services/safety, recreation, conservation and sustainability, historic preservation, and arts and culture. Consistent with the City’s more recent community plans, these topical chapters include goals that express broad intent, and policies that establish the specific direction, practice, guidance, or directives that need to be developed further and/or carried out through implementing plans by the City or other agencies. The chapters also contain easy-to-read maps showing policy applications as well as illustrations showing how envisioned improvements and development may look. Importantly, a concluding chapter of the Southeastern Community Plan delineates implementation mechanisms for realizing the community vision, including necessary actions and key responsible parties. As part

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Preserving existing single-family and historic neighborhoods while planning for mixed-use high density growth and development in close proximity to the transit corridors and stations. ee Utilizing the traditional street grid for walking and cycling in addition to vehicles. ee Passing local history, stories, and culture to future generations through public art, food, music and dance. ee Leveraging a natural creek corridor and urban forestry for recreation, nature interactions, public health, bicycle and pedestrian connections, climate cooling, carbon sequestration, and beauty.

Illustrations of mobility and mixed-use development helped the community to formulate policies that will enhance livability and safety. Source: Dyett & Bhatia


57

of the process, barriers to development were removed by transitioning development regulations from a local planned district ordinance to the citywide Land Development Code.

Local/Regional Connection The Southeastern Community Plan Update represents a major implementation step for three foundational regional plans: The San Diego Association of Governments Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy and the City of San Diego Climate Action Plan and General Plan City of Villages Strategy. Not only does the plan guide new transitoriented development opportunities integrated with the character and identity of established neighborhoods, it also sets forth multi-modal transportation improvements to make it easier for existing residents to bike and walk to transit stations, school, work, parks, and shopping. Trip reduction features are coupled with other sustainability actions, such as urban forestry for cooling and carbon sequestration, community farming, local jobs, natural open space experiences, housing for multiple income levels, and continued cultivation of San Diego’s local culture. When added together, these plan components will enhance Southeastern San Diego as a fantastic place that retains existing residents and businesses and attracts new ones, thereby achieving significant

Arts and culture recommendations reinforce community identify by connecting the past with the present and future. Source: Dyett & Bhatia

58 Southeastern San Diego Community Plan Update

Examples of the City of San Diego community outreach that resulted in new ideas and input from many residents new to planning. Source: City of San Diego

One particularly noteworthy tactic for achieving rich dialogue was connecting people to the built environment with on-the-ground

energy conservation and greenhouse gas reduction benefits by avoiding new green field development.


At the onset of the Southeastern outreach activities Community Plan conducted around the Update project, the community. City convened an Internal Working Group of various departments, disciplines, and agencies. The Internal Working Group included representatives from the Fire, Police, Transportation, Development Services, and Park & Recreation (including Open Space division) Departments, as well as the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Internal Working Group members became the coordinators for their departments’ review and input on the incremental technical studies and draft plan materials prepared during the planning process.

An award-winning community engagement program resulted in new ideas and input from many residents new to planning. Source: M.W. Steele Group

Effective Community Engagement The inclusive, innovative community engagement program has earned multiple awards from planning advocacy organizations. The City, working with its consultant team, created new activities to widen the circle of involvement and include community members who might not normally participate due to language barriers, schedule constraints, and/or previous experience with civic process. The City-sponsored community planning group convened public meetings and workshops on vision and goals, opportunities and challenges, and alternatives, which is the standard process for community plan updates in San Diego. Spanish translation was integrated into all meeting components. Also, the community planning group provided the official community recommendations on the plan. The project team also found success in several nontraditional engagement tools, which resulted in input from a greater number and diversity of community members. The new tools informed people about community planning, why it is important, and what it can accomplish. These new tools included:

ee Office Hours: Members of the City’s planning

team set up a table at locations in the planning areas and the pop-up events, giving community members an opportunity to drop by for one-onone conversations. Small conversations like this proved easier for some people and provided a setting where they could delve into the questions, ideas, and issues of greatest interests to them. ee Self-Guided Walking Tour: The tour activity was

provided as a brochure, complete with a map showing the route and points of interest, and a card for making notes and giving input.

Sustainability Benefits for Californ1ia Implementation of the Southeastern San Diego Community Plan Update will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Equity ee Revitalized urban and community centers ee Infill and compact development ee Reduced automobile use and fuel consumption ee Economic prosperity

ee Clean air and water ee Three “Pop-Up” Installations: 1) Chalkboard Chats, ee Housing affordability

with self-standing chalkboards and project exhibits at high foot-traffic locations to spark dialogue; 2) Pop-up Feedback Tree, for distributing information about the plan, display maps, and graphics, as well as “leaf comment cards;” and 3) Feedback Survey Boxes, comprised of durable metal suggestion boxes, painted with a thoughtprovoking question in both English and Spanish (such as, “What makes a street safe?”), with a holder for note paper and pens.

For More Information Name

Tait Galloway, Program Manager

Agency

Planning Department, City of San Diego

Telephone

(619) 533-4550

Email

[email protected]

Website

https://www.sandiego.gov/planning/community/profiles/ southeasternsd/plan


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Project Highlight

Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit for Los Angeles County Los Angeles County, one of the Country’s largest and most populous counties, is experiencing a transformational expansion of the public transportation system. In 2008, LA County voters approved Measure R, a half-cent sales tax increase, and then in 2016, they approved Measure M to extend that tax in perpetuity to fund the expansion of the public transportation system as well as connecting to multimodal networks. This unprecedented expansion of the public transportation system is being led by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), the transportation planner, designer, builder and operator for a service area that covers 1,433 square miles and 88 local jurisdictions in LA County. Metro firmly recognizes the critical relationship between a successful public transportation system and comprehensive community planning. As such, Metro administers a grant program that funds local jurisdictions to develop and adopt transit-supportive regulatory documents. To further the regional advancement of holistic, comprehensive transit supportive plans, Metro secured a grant from the Strategic Growth Council to develop the Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit (the Toolkit). Grounded in research, the Toolkit, is a comprehensive resource with LA County-relevant best practices, case studies, and over 50 tools that that LA County communities can utilize to advance equitable, sustainable, transitsupportive planning in LA County.

A glimpse of the toolkit’s accessible online format shows a wealth of case studies, recommendations and examples, all available in one place.

60 Los Angeles County Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit

The Project Knowing that successful transit networks are reliant on land use and urban planning patterns that support transit ridership, Metro identified a need to support local governments in LA County with the development of transit-supportive regulatory documents and policies. Ten characteristics that support the creation of Transit-Supportive Places were defined by research. The 10 characteristics should be used together to achieve development patterns and transportation systems that create livable places while increasing transit ridership and reducing greenhouse gases emissions. With these goals in mind, Metro began the Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit in 2014. The online Toolkit serves as a comprehensive research-based resource for government staff, bringing together a wide range of research, tools and case studies in one accessible location. The Toolkit will help to leverage Metro’s multi-billion dollar investment in transit, while supporting local government efforts to comply with State direction regarding greenhouse gas reduction. The Toolkit includes a wide range of policy and regulatory tools that have been successfully implemented throughout Southern California and across the State to promote Transit-Oriented Communities. It is geared towards local governments, advocates and developers in Metro’s service area and contains a number of policy and regulatory tools, research on the characteristics of transit-supportive places, and analytical models to evaluate the benefits of Transit-Oriented Development, among other topics. The following information is in the Toolkit: ee Characteristics of Transit Supportive Places Characteristics: A description of the 10 key elements of transit-supportive places with research describing the benefits of each (see page 60 for an illustration of the 10 elements). The characteristics describe how neighborhood design, roadways, pedestrian facilities, business districts, and other factors can collectively can increase transit ridership. ee Policy and Planning Tools: Specific policy, planning and regulatory tools spanning Land Use and Planning, Transportation and Parking, Urban Design, and Affordable Housing. Tools include samples of policy documents like specific plans, zoning codes, and general plans that cities and counties can refer to for best practices and ideas to adapt to their own communities.

Source: LA Metro

Locally-Driven Solutions ee Creating an online Toolkit provides a central and convenient location for resources that local governments can use to advance transit supportive planning in LA County. ee Coordinating with other regional initiatives, like the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative sustainability work, to help leverage the impact of the project. ee Engaging with local government staff who will be using the toolkit on a dayto-day basis in order to design an interface and content that best meets the needs of Toolkit users.

ee Environmental Analysis Tools: A description and link to online analytical tools that help communities understand the benefits of transit-supportive places. The Toolkit explains the differences between different environmental and health planning analytical tools that are available to local governments and are frequently used to quantify the environmental benefits of policy decisions. Community-Based Planning for a Sustainable California

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The toolkit illustrates how transit supportive planning concepts can be applied across the region based on community size. As illustrated at right, all planning concepts are marked with a “size,” so that cities can immediately identify which policies would best fit their city. Source: LA Metro

ee Economic Benefits: A description of the economic benefits of transit-supportive places as well as information regarding a variety of funding and financing options available for local governments to support transit-supportive community development. ee Outreach and Communication Best Practices: Methods for engaging the community in the decisionmaking process in a way that supports transit. The Toolkit includes examples from other communities who have engaged residents and decision makers in innovative ways.

agencies with strategies to better adapt to climate change and respond to State mandates regarding greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability, such as Assembly Bill 32 and Senate Bill 375. Funding for both programs is provided by the Sustainable Communities Program from the Strategic Growth Council. The Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit is a critical component of the Framework since it addresses integration of transportation and land use, some of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the region.



The Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit and website is part of a larger effort called A Greater LA: The Framework for Regional Climate Action and Sustainability, currently under development by the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability. This framework will provide local

An important component of online Toolkit development has been the ongoing coordination with staff in the cities that comprise Los Angeles County and the County itself. Additionally, Metro administers the Transit-Oriented Development Planning Grant Program, a competitive grant program that focuses on encouraging the adoption of transit supportive regulatory documents. The Transit-Oriented Development Planning Grant Program is available to Los Angeles County jurisdictions.

Key Characteristics of Transit-Supportive Communities

1

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3

4

5

6

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8

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62 Los Angeles County Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit

Effective Community Engagement LA Metro engaged agency stakeholders in an iterative development progress for Toolkit elements. Metro staff conducted a series of Advisory Forums early in the process to identify the specific needs of future Toolkit users. Through the Advisory Forums, Metro staff learned that local government staff had a particular

The toolkit highlights ten key characteristics of transit-supportive communities. These include (1) compact design, (2) complete neighborhoods, (3) street & network connectivity, (4) site and parking layout & building design, (5) affordable housing, (6) business retention & expansion, (7) transit prioritization, (8) parking management, (9) transportation demand management, and (10) pedestrian & bicycle circulation. Source: LA Metro

At left, above a schematic depicts these concepts in a small city. Below, transitoriented development is applied to a larger city. The toolkit explores how key transit-oriented development concepts on the opposing page (numbered 1-10) can be implemented depending on a city’s size and resources. Source: LA Metro

interest in specific tools, local case studies, specific funding opportunities, and flexible applications adaptable to a variety of communities. By taking draft materials to stakeholders to work though in a workshop setting, LA metro staff received valuable input. By working with the users of the final product, Metro staff was able to design a superior and more useful product. Upon completing the draft Toolkit, Metro held a soft launch with potential users that helped inform the final product.

Sustainable Benefits for California Use of the Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit will help to advance many of California’s sustainability objectives, particularly in the areas of: ee Economic Prosperity ee Energy efficiency and conservation ee Equity ee Infill and compact development ee Reduced automobile usage and fuel consumption

For More Information

ee Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

Name:

Elizabeth Carvajal

ee Revitalized urban and community centers

Agency:

Transportation Planning Manager, Metro Countywide Planning & Development


[email protected]

Website:

https://www.metro.net/projects/tod-toolkit/


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64 Project Highlight - Specific Title

Appendix California Sustainable Communities Planning Grant Program Complete List of Awards In total, the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentives Program funded 125 planning projects. Funding was issued in three cycles in 2010, 2011, and 2013-14. All grantees are identified below, organized by funding round and listed alphabetically by plan name.

ROUND 1 (2010) FUNDING GRANTEES Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments Joint Work Program for the Sustainable Communities Strategy Butte County Association of Governments Coordinated Development of the 2010 RTP/ SCS for the Butte County Area City of Adelanto North Adelanto Plan: Establishing a New Paradigm for a Successful and Sustainable Desert Community City of Arvin Air Quality & Health Element & Comprehensive Green Zoning Code General Plan Update City of Calimesa Sustainability Planning Targeted General Plan Update City of Calipatria Zoning Ordinance & General Plan Update City of Capitola Targeted General Plan Update City of Chino Hills Open Space Management Plan City of Clovis Shaw Avenue Corridor Plan City of Concord Preparation of Climate Action Plan & Natural Resources Conservation Plan City of Corcoran General Plan Update City of Dana Point Doheny Village Plan

City of Farmersville Comprehensive Infrastructure Master Plan

City of South Gate Completion of a Comprehensive Form-Based Zoning Code

City of Fresno Strategic Centers Solution for SB375 Implementation City of Anaheim The Canyon Specific Plan

City of South San Francisco Climate Action and Pedestrian Plan

City of Fullerton Downtown Core and Corridors Specific Plan (DCCSP) City of Los Angeles South Los Angeles Green Alleys Master Plan City of Merced Bellevue Corridor Community Plan City of Monterey Park A Healthy and Green Monterey Park City of Morgan Hill Solar Highways Pilot Project - Creating Solar Power in Excess Freeway Right of Way City of Richmond Form-Based Code for Richmond’s Commercial Corridors City of Riverbank SR 108 Relinquishment and Reinvestment Plan City of San Diego Southeastern San Diego Community Plan Update City of San Luis Obispo General Plan Land Use and Circulation Elements Update City of Santa Monica Memorial Park Master Plan

City of Stockton Climate Action Plan City of Victorville Civic Center Community Sustainability Plan County and City of San Francisco Green Connections - Linking EDC’s to Public Amenities and Open Space Fresno Council of Governments San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Roadmap Program Kings County Association of Governments County-Wide Climate Action Plan Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency Collaborative Sustainable Communities Program Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Association of Bay Area Governments One Bay Area: A Community Strategy for a Sustainable Region Sacramento Area Council of Governments Integrating and Implementing the Sustainable Communities Strategy and the Rural Urban Connections Strategy Sacramento County Folsom Blvd. Transit Rail Corridor Implementation Project: Infrastructure technical studies & GHG reduction modeling San Diego Association of Governments Planning Grant & Incentive Program; Regional SB 375 Plus Funding


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San Luis Obispo Council of Governments SLOCOG 375+ San Luis Obispo County Phase One Strategic Growth Implementation Santa Barbara County Association of Governments Enhanced Sustainable Community Strategy Santa Cruz County Planning and Community Development Department Sustainable Community & Transit Corridors Plan Shasta County Regional Transportation Authority Beta-SCS & Regional GIS/Climate Change Accountability Platform Southern California Association of Governments Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentive Program Stanislaus County Regional Sustainability Toolbox (RST) Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization Tahoe Basin Partnership for Sustainable Communities Town of Mammoth Lakes Zoning Code Update Yolo County Sustainable Zoning Code and Development Standards Yuba County Unified Development Code and Climate Action Plan Western Riverside Council of Governments CAPtivate Western Riverside County: Subregional Climate Action Plan

ROUND 2 (2011) FUNDING GRANTEES Association of Bay Area Governments Plan Bay Area Implementation Baldwin Park Development of a Sustainable Community Element

66 Appendix

Butte County Association of Governments MTP/SCS Transit and Non-Motorized Transportation Plan

City of South Gate Specific Plan for Tweedy Mile and Hollydale Areas

City of Blue Lake Climate Action Plan and Targeted General Plan/Zoning Ordinance Update

City of Tulare Improvement Standards (TIS) Update Project

City of Brawley Climate Action Plan and General Plan Amendments

City of Vallejo Integrated Revitalization Program for Sustainable Progress

City of Calexico Climate Action Plan, Agricultural Element and Targeted General Plan Update

City of Watsonville Climate Action Plan

City of Chico Infill Development and Sustainable Design Project City of Clovis Central Clovis Specific Plan Update City of Coalinga Zoning Ordinance Project City of East Palo Alto General Plan and Zoning Code Update City of Gridley Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, Development Code Update, and Infill Design Guidelines City of Hawthorne Downtown Hawthorne Specific Plan City of Live Oak Downtown Reinvestment Plan City of Long Beach Southeast Area Specific Plan (SEASP) City of Merced Programmatic Climate Action Plan and Implementing Codes City of Oakland The Oakland Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative City of Oroville Sustainable Code Update and Climate Action Plan City of San Jose Urban Village Master Plan and Zoning Revisions for East Santa Clara Street and Alum Rock Avenue

Coachella Valley Association of Governments Coachella Valley Parkway 1e11 Fresno Council of Governments San Joaquin Valley Greenprint, Modeling and SCS Completion Project Hermosa Beach Comprehensive Blueprint for Sustainability and a Low Carbon Future Humboldt County North Coast Integrated Regional Planning Healthy Communities, Functional Watersheds and Viable Communities Los Angeles County Master Plan for Sustainable Parks and Recreation - Phase One Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority A Greater L.A.: The Framework for Regional Climate Action and Sustainability Mono County Sustainable Communities Policy Project Mountain View Zoning Code Update Sacramento Area Council of Governments Implementing MTP/SCS: A Rural and Urban Approach San Diego Association of Governments Implementing the SANDAG Sustainable Communities Strategy San Luis Obispo Council of Governments SLOCOG Prop 84- SCS Development Santa Barbara County Association of Governments Sustainable Strategy for Jobs, Housing, and Commuting

Santa Clara County Silicon Valley 2.0: A Climate Action and Adaption Plan for Strategic Growth, Reliable Infrastructure, Working Ecosystems, and a Healthy and Prosperous Region Shasta County Regional Transportation Authority Regional SCS Collaborative Solano County Regional Climate Action Planning Program Sonoma County Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Implementation Program (GRIP) Climate Action 2020 Southern California Association of Governments Building Sustainable Communities in Southern California

City of Antioch Downtown Specific Plan City of Arroyo Grande Central Coast Collaborative CAP Implementation and Monitoring Program

County and City of San Francisco San Francisco Railyard Alternatives and I-280 Boulevard Feasibility Study

City of Burlingame General Plan Update

Los Angeles County West Carson Transit Oriented Development Specific Plan

City of Colton Downtown Sustainable Development Code City of Cudahy Enabling Just and Sustainable Growth in Cudahy City of Davis Downtown/University Gateway District Plan City of Escondido Updated Area Plans for a Combined South Escondido Boulevard/South Quince Street Target Area

Tulare County AAA Water and MT Sewer Project (Allenworth, Alpaugh, Angiola, and Matheny Tract)

City of Goleta Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan

Ventura County Saticoy Area Plan Update: Creating a Sustainable and Vital Community

ROUND 3 (2013-2014) FUNDING GRANTEES Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) Plan Bay Area Implementation Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments Sustainable Communities Strategy Implementation Project (SCSIP)

City of West Sacramento Pioneer Bluff Redevelopment Master Plan

City of Avenal General Plan Update and Sustainability Implementation Programs

Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization Enhancing the Tahoe Basin Sustainable Communities Program

Tulare County Sustainable Highway Corridor Plan

City of West Hollywood WeHo:ACTS (Active and Communityoriented Transportation Solutions)

City of Hawthorne Hawthorne ECO-Village Revitalization Plan City of Holtville General Plan and Service Area Plan Update City of Los Angeles Sustainable and Equitable Planning for Infill in Transit Priority Areas (Planning for Infill) City of Pasadena Climate Action Plan (CAP) & Form-Based Code to Implement General Plan City of Redding Update to the Downtown Redding Specific Plan Incorporating Infill Development Needs of the Sustainable Communities Plan City of Sacramento Intermodal Phase 3 Master Plan

Butte County Renewable Energy Overlay

City of San Diego Balboa Avenue Station Area Plan

City of Anaheim West Anaheim (Beach Boulevard) Corridor Specific Plan

City of San Jacinto Downtown Specific Plan

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Sustainable South Bay Transportation and Land Use Implementation Framework Madera County Transportation Commission Implementing a Sustainable Energy Roadmap for the San Joaquin Valley Sacramento Area Council of Governments Accelerating Local Implementation of Sacramento Region Metropolitan Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy Santa Clara County Driving to Net Zero: Decarbonizing Transportation in Silicon Valley Santa Cruz County Monterey Bay Community Power Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) Phase 1 Technical Study Sonoma County Transportation Authority Shift Sonoma County Southern California Association of Governments Sustainable Communities Strategy Implementation in Southern California Through Sustainability Projects Tulare County Disadvantaged Communities Infrastructure and Planning Policy Analysis


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Prepared by:

04282017

sgc.ca.gov