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San Diego General Plan — Conservation Element
To become an international model of sustainable development and conservation. To provide for the long-term conservation and sustainable management of the rich natural resources that help define the City’s identity, contribute to its economy, and improve its quality of life.
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The General Plan sets out a long-range vision and comprehensive policy framework for how the City should plan for projected growth and development, provide public services, and maintain the quailities that define San Diego over the next 20 to 30 years. The purpose of the Conservation Element is to become an international model of sustainable development and conservation. The General Plan outlines long-term conservation and sustainable management of the rich natural resources that help define the City’s identity, contribute to its economy, and improve its quality of life. The San Diego General Plan was recognized by the California Attorney General’s Office as the first to effectively address climate mitigation and adaptation. It accomplishes this by linking the objectives to progressive, long-term goals by a variety of State agencies and organizations.
Public outreach took place throughout the General Plan Update process. Since January 2003, over 250 workshops, forums, presentations, and working meetings have been held with community planning groups, the Community Planners Committee (CPC), the general public, and stakeholder and interest groups. Workshops and presentations have been given to the full San Diego City Council, the Land Use & Housing (LU&H) Committee of the City Council, and the Planning Commission.
Results: The General Plan, with the Conservation Element, was approved by Council in March 2008. The State Attorney General’s Office has identified San Diego as a model for how to integrate and implement the Governor’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals.
Issues/Barriers: Determining how to calculate and evaluate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as part of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review is a challenge.
Overall Impact – The General Plan Update is a program of citywide significance that has drawn a great deal of public comment. The Draft General Plan was a long-range policy document that does not result in direct impacts to specific properties or individuals, as there are no changes to the application of land use designations or zoning with the General Plan Update. However, some property owners were concerned that the identification of their properties will have an impact on their property rights.
The update to the General Plan, with its emphasis on directing new growth to areas served by transit, will better position the City to compete for TransNet Smart Growth Incentive Funding, state bond measure Proposition 1C funds, and other smart growth funding sources. Action items identified in the General Plan Action Plan, which will be brought forward at a later date, will have fiscal impacts due to staffing and budgetary needs for the implementation of the updated General Plan.
Required under State law, the State Attorney General’s (AG) Office commented on the City’s Conservation Element. The recommended changes were incorporated, and the AG was ultimately were very pleased with the document. (See City’s letter to AG)
City Planning and Community Investment Department, City of San Diego
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