[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6529634,"mediaKeyId","3797331-4a636c2b76307b7f28ee86818c343777","parentId",3797331,"title","Salinas planning staff sets timeline for Vision Salinas 2040: public review draft due in July, zoning overhaul to follow","audioSeconds",9007,"startMs",189000,"endMs",9196000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3797331-4a636c2b76307b7f28ee86818c343777&start=189&end=9196","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3797331-4a636c2b76307b7f28ee86818c343777/thumbnail_189000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6529634/Salinas/Monterey-County/California/Salinas-planning-staff-sets-timeline-for-Vision-Salinas-2040-public-review-draft-due-in-July-zoning-overhaul-to-follow","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529634-97259c54aa79d1701ccaf94ec0a69443/orig.mp4?Expires=1770975278&Signature=EBqgxkRhVFs9DEYbtQ1zxbOiyKoQN7WuVBZwGPVbYwXbRlY0O8rIskFBh2zkEhKMFwLE4BYX2vjZKJQkQWhGiL34T6MnIXT~9jons2vBiLrH8nITrHRSG9aAjZNNIJceFUcFfTr273oVPMLFWsANnyFuE25M89iZaahSTmsNVA6nVu0hYDAIu8Hf63FQJXhGGLCh6SeU4vvpyrKg-gvlnMtBiMIKYQVs~bv3m2Jh8ZFjGvIpaFwSPBxb~qNtb7udEB3bh0-XWPtP-5FK3fE1sodF5ilQv1QLBDGO6ueQ8NUXOBhsgn3SdUCGqxt~LtBVZ81BHpp0vhJ4SQk5ai0mHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Salinas","date","2025-06-11T14:47:23Z","article","City planning staff presented a near-term timeline and key priorities for the Vision Salinas 2040 general plan update at a June 10 joint special meeting of the Salinas City Council and Planning Commission. The presentation said a public review draft will be released in late July and accompanied by public workshops and a 30‑day comment period, followed by an environmental impact report (EIR) and a separate climate action plan that will trigger a mandatory 45‑day EIR comment period.

The general plan, which staff described as “the city’s guiding policy document and vision for future development,” will organize content under three broad pillars — built environment, environment and sustainability, and socioeconomic systems — and incorporate new and existing planning work dating back to 2002 and engagement conducted since 2021.

Project manager Jonathan Moore told the council and commissioners that the update incorporates recent local plans (including the Economic Development Element and neighborhood planning efforts) and state law changes. Moore said the update will add new materials such as a health and environmental justice element, a climate action plan, and an eventual zoning-code overhaul. “Most of the current general plan, with the current notable exceptions, is still remaining from the last comprehensive update, now more than 20 years ago,” Moore said.

Why it matters: staff said the document will both reflect long‑standing local planning work and bring the city into compliance with newer state requirements while setting policy direction for housing, circulation, parks and climate adaptation. The draft will form the basis for project review, environmental analysis and a multi‑phase zoning update intended to align zoning with the plan’s new place‑type approach.

Key outcomes and schedule
- Public review draft release: late July, followed by a 30‑day public comment period and summer workshops. Moore said the climate action plan and EIR will follow and will open a 45‑day comment window once released.
- Zoning code update: staff proposed a three‑phase zoning-code effort, starting with priority fixes and work to align code with the general plan after adoption; a council resolution to select a consultant for the zoning update was listed on the June 17 council agenda.
- Implementation: each chapter will include an implementation matrix (goals, policies, actions, time frames, responsible departments) to guide subsequent work and annual reporting.

What’s new in the plan
- Place types: the draft will introduce a place‑type land‑use system intended to focus design and flexibility rather than only traditional land‑use categories.
- New/optional elements: Moore described a new health and environmental justice element required by recent state legislation, and said the plan will also include a climate action plan, an environmental conservation/safety focus (including climate adaptation), and optional elements such as public safety and arts, culture and youth.
- Links to other plans and projects: the draft draws on more than 30 local planning documents. Staff highlighted the downtown Alisal Vibrancy Plan, parks/rec and libraries master plan, and several adopted specific plans and future‑growth area discussions as inputs.

Funding, feasibility and constraints
Staff flagged implementation challenges: major infrastructure (for example, new regional bypasses discussed historically) would be costly and could increase vehicle miles traveled (VMT), complicating compliance with state VMT guidance and greenhouse‑gas targets. Moore said some historic roadway concepts were removed because they are fiscally and environmentally difficult to justify without committed funding and because they can increase VMT rather than reduce it.

Engagement and next steps
Moore and other staff members said the process has been bilingual and relies on a steering committee, frequent public workshops and targeted outreach to stakeholders such as business groups and neighborhood organizations. The draft plan will be followed by more public meetings, and staff said they will return with a second draft and environmental documents before formal adoption hearings later this year.

Public and commission concerns highlighted at the meeting included park maintenance and walkability, the adequacy of local infrastructure, water supply and seawater intrusion, and coordination with regional planning and transportation partners. Commissioner and council questions focused on data sources for population projections, how housing and economic policies will be organized, and the timeline and phases for the zoning-code update.

Ending: Staff emphasized that the draft is intended to be a policy framework to guide implementation and that the zoning code rewrite and EIR will follow the public review draft. The council and planning commission offered direction on topics to emphasize in the draft, and staff said they will return with more detailed maps, an engagement schedule and the zoning consultant contract on June 17.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","LIVE COVERAGE *SPECIAL* Joint Salinas City Council & Planning Commission Meeting of June 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City planning staff presented a near‑term timeline and key priorities for the Vision Salinas 2040 general plan update at a June 10 joint special meeting of the Salinas City Council and Planning Commission, saying a public review draft will be released in late July followed by an environmental impact report and a phased zoning‑code update.","taxTitle","Salinas, Monterey County, California","taxId",4681,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6529629,"Salinas staff and developers cite permitting backlog as barrier to housing; city plans staffing increases",109,1915000,2024000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3797331-4a636c2b76307b7f28ee86818c343777&start=1915&end=2024","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3797331-4a636c2b76307b7f28ee86818c343777/thumbnail_1915000.jpg","/articles/6529629/Salinas/Monterey-County/California/Salinas-staff-and-developers-cite-permitting-backlog-as-barrier-to-housing-city-plans-staffing-increases","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6529629-ba374feabdbbb8b3b0236fc61d0aa6c1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770975278&Signature=PokjcNoqpfd4z5TelRT68oIZqT95fS5lgeHNlvQdBBdFbXmt1TMsTPAHCMrJXri6~6igOOhJylSgNZGMPENPNUlxRKKD-~EXaBVGaphFUboM3wWg1uRuT~ynApYJhdIJT2Y54lUh2ncDZsqZAY-uppmYP0jgDdLVLMgKFu7rJ5cJu5w9ihR3~pBRyusDIIW6YOYto0ckVOSude82JrnC~g7V-U3DbYykeZCrXi7wxXsqPzLLLCWnFgZP8wxu9eUN7JGmR54h1lNO76xQvVxJwjCa9~09bIvS1pqsbVV9BCGcBUcxEj24XrvMkSR3PS3sc7gIB3pm-uEn97cis1Kudw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City officials and building‑industry representatives at the June 10 joint special meeting of the Salinas City Council and Planning Commission said the city’s permitting capacity is a limiting factor for housing production and that staffing and procedural changes are underway to speed reviews.

A planning‑department staff member told the council that, “for a city of our size, with the volume of permits and applications that are coming through, we are understaffed.” The staffer said the department has been adjusting workflows, hiring consultants for internal assessments and recently added a plan checker I position; more permit‑services positions will be proposed in the upcoming budget process.

Why it matters: developers and residents at the meeting connected permitting delays and limited inspection capacity with slower housing production. Staff said unresolved staffing and code clarity issues make review times longer, and staff and council members discussed using a zoning‑code update to reduce subjectivity and streamline permit decisions.

Evidence of demand and staff response
- Permit demand: the planning director said the city had received tentative‑map applications for over 5,400 homes and approved a central‑area tentative map for more than 1,600 units; staff said model‑home and building permits for those projects are expected in the coming months.
- Staffing steps: staff reported hiring a new plan checker I and said that through the budget process the city will propose additional permit‑services positions to increase intake, plan review and inspection capacity.
- Zoning reforms: staff said a zoning‑code update — proposed in three phases — will first address “low‑hanging fruit” and consistency issues between the general plan and code, then proceed to a full rewrite after general plan adoption to reduce ambiguity in plan implementation.

Industry concerns
Christy Cromings, representing the Central Coast Builders Association, told the council the permit center has been under‑resourced for many years and urged streamlining to accelerate ADU approvals and other housing work.

Council and commissioner discussion focused on whether staffing alone is sufficient or whether changes to process design and training are also needed. Several commissioners recommended engaging architects, contractors and developers to co‑design permitting improvements and create a permitting playbook to standardize reviews.

Ending: Staff said they will return with a staffing proposal as part of the budget process and with a consultant recommendation for the zoning‑code update; no formal action or vote on staffing took place at the June 10 meeting.","Officials and developers said permitting capacity is constraining housing production in Salinas. Staff acknowledged the permitting group is understaffed, said the city has recently hired a plan checker and will propose more positions in the next budget, and noted a pending zoning‑code update intended to streamline reviews.","actionData","errors"]

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Salinas planning staff sets timeline for Vision Salinas 2040: public review draft due in July, zoning overhaul to follow

Salinas staff and developers cite permitting backlog as barrier to housing; city plans staffing increases