Safety and Noise Element and Infrastructure, Services, and Facilities Element Update
Summary
SCH Number
2026060248
Public Agency
City of East Palo Alto
Document Title
Safety and Noise Element and Infrastructure, Services, and Facilities Element Update
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/5/2026
Document Description
The proposed project provides a policy framework for addressing emergency preparedness and response, seismic and geologic hazards, flooding, dam failure, sea level rise, emergent groundwater, fire hazards, severe weather and drought, transportation hazards, and human health hazards related to air quality. The proposed project also includes goals and policies addressing stormwater drainage, water supply, telecommunications, and solid waste, and climate change adaptation. An Existing Conditions Background Report, which discusses the natural and human-caused hazards that can affect the city, and a Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, which includes an analysis of how climate-related hazards may harm the community, have been prepared, and will be included as appendices to the General Plan. The focus of the updates to the Safety Element is to address safety-related topics. There are updates to the Infrastructure, Services, and Facilities Element because it contains some topics that are relevant to safety issues (e.g., stormwater systems, water supply, and emergency infrastructure resilience). Updates to the Safety Element and these other focused updates were made so that all safety-related topics are up to date and consistent with State law, per California Government Code Sections 65302(g) and 65302.15.
Contact Information
Name
Alvin Jen
Agency Name
City of East Palo Alto
Job Title
Associate Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
East Palo Alto
Counties
San Mateo
Regions
Citywide, Northern California, San Francisco Bay Area
Cross Streets
Citywide
Zip
94303
Total Acres
1664
Parcel #
Various
State Highways
U.S Highway 101, CA 109
Railways
Caltrain
Airports
Palo Alto Airport
Schools
Various
Waterways
N/A
Township
T05S
Range
R03W
Section
N/A
Base
N/A
Other Location Info
Citywide
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
Section 15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project establishes a framework for how to achieve its goals through policies and actions to improve public health and safety by complying with new State laws. The proposed project does not include land use or zoning changes that would result in direct or indirect growth or changes in building density and intensity. No provisions implemented under the proposed project would result in direct or indirect population growth and thus would not place additional demands on natural resources, public services, or infrastructure. In addition, the proposed project does not include any site-specific designs or proposals to develop specific projects, nor does it grant any entitlements for development projects. Although the proposed project contains policies that direct the City to explore amending land use or zoning regulations that would improve public safety and community resilience, the proposed project itself does not include these amendments. Until the details and scope of any such amendments are known, it is too speculative and premature to evaluate environmental impacts. Subsequent amendments to the City’s land use or zoning regulations would be subject to a separate CEQA review at the time the amendments are prepared, if required. Therefore, the proposed project would not have a significant effect on the environment and is exempt from CEQA review.
County Clerk
San Mateo
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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