City Council

10A. Public hearing to consider amendments to the General Plan to update the\nSafety Element, amend the Resource Management Element, and amend the\nLocal Coastal Program. Environmental Considerations: The action being\nconsidered by the City Council is exempt from the California Environmental\nQuality Act (CEQA) because it is not a "project" under Section 15378(b)(5) of\nCEQA Guidelines. The action involves an organizational or administrative\nactivity of government that will not result in the direct or indirect physical\nchange in the environment. Pursuant to State California Environmental Quality\nAct (CEQA) Guideline Section 15162, staff reviewed the previously adopted\nSafety Element associated environmental documents and determined that a\nsubsequent Environmental Impact Report (EIR) or a Negative Declaration\n(ND) is not required for the update to the City of Encinitas Safety Element in\nthat substantial changes are not proposed to the draft document, the\ncircumstances to which the 1995 Safety Element was adopted have not\nchanged, and no new information of substantial importance or new impacts\nhave arisen since the prior environmental documents have been certified.\nAlthough new goals, policies, and implementation programs are proposed with\nthe Safety Element update, they do not contribute to having a significant effect\nupon the environment as they are directed at avoidance of impacts through\nrecognition and control over specific conditions that may arise with a\ndevelopment project, request further study and analysis of specific topics, or\npromote educational outreach efforts. Additionally, in accordance with the\nCEQA Guidelines, the proposed General Plan Safety Element update has\nbeen determined to be an exempted project pursuant to Section 15060(c)(2)\nand 15061(b)(3) in that the proposed amendments which are primarily limited\nto policy modifications and updates in compliance with Government Code\nSection 65302 (g)(1 through 9) are not anticipated to result in a direct or\nreasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, nor will\nthe proposed changes have the potential for causing significant effect on the\nenvironment. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15382, "Significant effect\non the environment" means "a substantial, or potentially substantial, adverse\nchange in any of the physical conditions within the area affected by the project\nincluding land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise, and objects of\nhistoric or aesthetic significance. An economic or social change by itself shall\nnot be considered a significant effect on the environment. A social or\neconomic change related to a physical change may be considered in\ndetermining whether the physical change is significant." The proposed Safety\nElement update is in compliance with current State General Plan\nrequirements, will not substantially affect, potentially substantially affect, or\nchange the City’s land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise, and\nobjects of historic or aesthetic resources as all potential changes have been\nthoroughly considered and will act to protect the environment by minimizing\nthe potential spread of wildfire or any other natural disasters, which are\nintended to result in the reduction of potential short and long-term community\nrisks resulting from fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, climate\nchange, and other related hazards. Contact Person: Housing Services\nManager Dacey\nRecommended Action: 1) Adopt City Council Resolution No. 2023-50 titled\n"A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Encinitas to Adopt\nAmendments to the General Plan Safety Element, Resource Management\nElement Policy 10.1 and the Local Coastal Program"; 2) Adopt City Council\nResolution No. 2023-51 titled "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of\n8/4/23, 2:53 PM encinitas.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?view_id=7&event_id=3929\nEncinitas to Authorize Submittal of the Local Coastal Program Components of\nthe Amendments to the General Plan Safety Element and Resource\nManagement Element Policy 10.1 to the California Coastal Commission"; and\n3) Receive and file the Climate Adaptation Vulnerability Assessment that was\ncompleted as a part of the Safety Element Update.\n2023-08-09 Item 10A Safety Element Update