2024-2029 Housing Element Update and Safety Element Update IS/ND

2024-2029 Housing Element Update and Safety Element Update IS/ND

The City of Sonora is updating the General Plan Housing and Safety Elements in order to align them with other General Plan Elements, as required by State law. Both updates strive to align with recently enacted State laws and meet State requirements. The Safety Element Update is intended to adopt new climate change and wildfire mitigation strategies that will help the City better prepare for possible new and more severe climate scenarios. The proposed Housing Element Update describes and analyzes the housing needs of Sonora residents and the issues confronted by the City, and provides goals, policies, and quantified objectives related to the maintenance, preservation, improvement, and development of housing. In order to receive certification of the City’s 2024-2029 Housing Element by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), the 5th and 6th Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) candidate site(s) are to be rezoned to accommodate by-right housing pursuant to Government Code Section 65583.2 (c). Specifically, Program 3.1 requires the City to amend the City’s Municipal Code by adding Chapter 17.21, entitled Regional Housing Needs Assessment Overlay Zone District (RHNAOZD), to Title 17 of the City of Sonora Municipal Code. The RHNAOZD applies to the Lemke property (APN: 044-430-055), which is zoned R3 (maximum density of 21.75 du/acre). As an overlay zone, the RHNAOZD would layer on top of the base R3 zoning regulations, leaving in place the option to develop under the base zoning, but providing the opportunity to develop the property through a ministerial by-right approval process should an applicant propose 20 percent low-income deed restricted affordable housing. The Safety Element Update (SEU) analyzes potential natural and human-caused hazards to safety in the City and provides goals, policies, and actions to minimize these hazards. The SEU evaluates hazards that may affect existing and future development and growth and provides guidelines for protecting the community and minimizing harm to the extent feasible. The goal of the SEU is to reduce the risk of injury, death, property loss, and other hardships to acceptable levels. Periodic updates of the Safety Element ensure that goals and policies remain relevant and responsive to community needs, hazard situations, and State law. The proposed project includes two policy documents that do not include any actual development of parcels. No development is proposed.

Sonora

Tuolumne

Citywide, Northern California

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Region 4 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), California State Lands Commission (SLC), Central Valley Flood Protection Board, Office of Historic Preservation, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, District 11, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, District 28, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Rights, California Department of Transportation, District 10 (DOT), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Sacramento Region 5 (RWQCB)

California Department of Transportation, District 10 (DOT), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Sacramento Region 5 (RWQCB)

Other (No development is proposed.)

General Plan Update, General Plan Amendment, General Plan Element, Rezone

Aesthetics, Agriculture and Forestry Resources, Air Quality, Biological Resources, Cultural Resources, Cumulative Effects, Drainage/Absorption, Energy, Flood Plain/Flooding, Geology/Soils, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Growth Inducement, Hazards & Hazardous Materials, Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use/Planning, Mandatory Findings of Significance, Mineral Resources, Noise, Population/Housing, Public Services, Recreation, Schools/Universities, Septic System, Sewer Capacity, Solid Waste, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, Utilities/Service Systems, Vegetation, Wetland/Riparian, Wildfire