| |  San Carlos General PlanMost of the chapters or "Elements" of The City's existing General Plan are over 25 years old. The Circulation Element was updated within the past five years and will not be substantially modified as part of this update process. a. Project Background
In February of 2006 the San Carlos City Council developed a Strategic Plan which included and objective to select a consultant to update the General Plan and prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Additionally, on March 13, 2006 the City Council adopted a General Plan Surcharge Fee to assist in the funding of a General Plan Update. In March of 2007 the City released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to qualified Urban Planning consultants. City staff received four proposals for the General Plan Update, and ultimately chose Design, Community and Environment (DC&E) as the consulting firm to assist in the process. The DC&E team offers extensive experience with General Plan updates and have completed or contributed to dozens of General Plans for cities and counties across the state. Also included in the DC&E team are additional subconsultants who will provide technical assistance on issues such as traffic, historic resources, air quality and noise.b. New Elements and Existing Elements that will be Updated
General Plans are required by State law to address seven topics, or "elements." These are land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise and public safety. A General Plan may be organized, while other optional elements may be added. In consideration of San Carlos' unique characteristics and needs, the following elements will be included in the General Plan Update: Land Use: The Land Use Element will include descriptions of all land use designations and will describe the range of allowed uses, densities and intensities. NEW - Environmental Management: The Environmental Management Element will cover topics such as tree preservation, green building practices, recycling, watershed and creeks, air quality, energy efficiency, wildlife habitat protection, and resource management and conservation. NEW - Parks and Recreation: The Parks and Recreation Element will address the provision of parks, open space, recreational programs and recreational facilities in San Carlos. Noise: The Noise Element will address major noise sources in the city. Seismic Safety: The Seismic Safety Element will look at ways minimize risk to the community from earthquakes and other geologic hazards. Community Safety: The Community Safety Element will include methods to protect the community from risks to life, health, and property from natural and human-made hazards including ensuring adequate provision of police and fire services. Housing: The Housing Element will undertake meeting existing and projected housing needs for all economic segments of the community.
c. Elements That Were Previously Updated
The Circulation Element will not be updated as this has been previously updated within the last five years. Minor modifications will be made to this element so that they will be stylistically consistent with the remainder of the updated General Plan.  | |
