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Planning Commission recommends adoption of updated Safety Element, including wildfire and evacuation provisions
Summary
The Planning Commission voted to recommend City Council adopt an updated General Plan Safety Element that adds wildfire, evacuation-route, and climate vulnerability policies to meet state law requirements and to align with the city’s recently updated Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
The Glendora Planning Commission voted to recommend City Council adopt an updated General Plan Safety Element that adds policies and implementation measures addressing wildfire risk, evacuation routes, and climate vulnerability.
Principal Planner Hans Friedel and consultant Perry Banner (De Novo Planning Group) told commissioners the update was prepared to comply with a series of state mandates, including SB 1241 (wildfire‑related updates), SB 379 and SB 1035 (climate vulnerability and adaptation), AB 747 (evacuation routes), and SB 99 (identifying residential areas with only one evacuation route). The update was prepared in parallel with the city’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), which staff said had already cleared the state review and was under FEMA review at the time of the hearing.
Banner said recent updates to state wildfire mapping expanded areas designated as very high fire hazard severity zones and that the safety element now includes an analysis of neighborhoods that have limited ingress/egress and identifies potential mitigation measures. The element adds policies to require coordination with LA County Fire on fire protection and water supply/fire flow for new development in high‑hazard areas, to encourage vegetation management and defensible space, to maintain the city’s emergency operations plan and LHMP, and to expand community outreach on preparedness. The draft also contains a climate vulnerability assessment appendix that highlights the city’s risks from wildfire, drought and heat and recommends regional coordination and resilience measures.
Commissioners acknowledged the multi‑year effort and asked about public outreach and how the city will communicate evacuation routes and preparedness programs to residents. Staff said the city uses public events (Earth Day/Prepare Fair), web and social media and the county fire outreach programs; staff also noted that department heads, LA County Fire and the Police Department had reviewed the update. Commissioners asked for police and parks representation at future council hearings so operational questions around encampment cleanup and restroom access in the hills can be addressed by subject‑matter staff.
Action taken: The Planning Commission voted (4‑0 with one commissioner changing an abstention to a “no” for record‑keeping) to recommend that City Council find the adoption exempt from CEQA and adopt a resolution approving the updated Safety Element and incorporating the most recent FEMA flood insurance rate map by reference.
Next steps: Staff will forward the Planning Commission recommendation and the updated Safety Element to City Council for final adoption. Staff noted the LHMP has state approval and is pending FEMA concurrence.
