REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing: Action on a General Plan Amendment to the City's Open Space Element to Add Policies to Address Climate Resilience and Other Co-benefits of Open Space; to Help to Increase Access to Open Space for Everyone; and to Preserve, Enhance, and Expand a Network of Open Spaces.
Report
BACKGROUND
In 2022, the State adopted Senate Bill (SB) 1425, which requires cities and counties to review and update their Open Space elements by January 2026. The Open Space element is meant to catalog the existing unimproved sites within a jurisdiction and the likely disposition of those parcels within the timeframe of the General Plan.
SB 1425 requires cities and counties to update their open space programs to include policies addressing climate resilience and other co-benefits of Open Space, consistent with the jurisdiction's Safety element. This law also requires that jurisdictions address the issue of access to open space for everyone and to preserve, enhance, and expand a network of open spaces. Staff is bringing forth General Plan Amendment to be consistent with State Law requirements.
DISCUSSION
The City's Open Space element goals and policies are primarily contained in Chapter 5.9 of the General Plan. The General Plan defines open space lands as unimproved land which is separately defined from developed and actively managed park facilities. Open Space is defined as:
Any parcel or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of (1) the preservation of natural resources, (2) the managed production of resources, (3) outdoor recreation or (4) public health and safety.
Geographically, the City is constrained by other cities at its boundaries and is fully developed. Consequently, it has a very limited portfolio of open spaces called out in the General Plan. Amongst the open spaces are Agnews Park, Civic Center Park (the City Hall grounds) and Ulistac Open Space as the only Ge...
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