Dana Point staff present circulation and economic development updates; commission to take formal action June 23

City planning staff and consultants presented draft updates to the circulation and economic development elements of the Dana Point General Plan at a Planning Commission hearing on June 9, 2025. The commission discussed policies on multimodal transportation, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) analysis, truck‑route designations required by state law (AB 98), micro‑mobility, and economic development goals tied to the city’s role as a visitor destination.

Principal Planner Chris Johnson opened the staff presentation and said the General Plan update process has included extensive outreach, a General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), and multiple reviews by the commission and city council. Johnson said staff and the consultant team recommend the commission discuss the draft updates and provide direction; a follow‑up hearing is scheduled for June 23, when staff will seek a formal recommendation to the city council.

Consultant presenters from PlaceWorks and Farr & Peers summarized the proposed changes. Corey Witter (PlaceWorks) described the public outreach and the decision by GPAC to recommend no change to the land use element — a choice Johnson and the consultants tied to the potential need to amend the city’s Local Coastal Program if land use were changed. Steve Gunnels (PlaceWorks, chief economist) outlined the draft economic development element, saying it focuses on three goals: citywide economic development that balances local‑serving and visitor‑serving businesses, support for mixed‑use redevelopment while retaining commercial space, and periodic economic analysis rather than prescriptive directives.

Transportation consultant Steve Brown (Farr & Peers) summarized circulation recommendations: adoption of multimodal goals, development of VMT study guidelines, and delineation of truck routes to comply with AB 98 (the state law requiring jurisdictions to adopt truck routes by 2028). Brown also described work to reconcile Dana Point’s road classifications with OCTA’s Master Plan of Arterial Highways, identification of bicycle and pedestrian network gaps, and follow‑up implementation steps for bicycle parking, micro‑mobility (e‑bikes, neighborhood electric vehicles), transit coordination with OCTA, and parking efficiency strategies.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about implementation and standards. Topics included: whether and when to use physical separation for bike lanes versus buffered or striped lanes; how micro‑mobility and e‑bike rules will be handled as state legislation evolves; the city’s continued use of Level of Service D as a local standard and the shift to VMT for CEQA; Vision Zero/safe‑systems language; requirements for bicycle showers and secure storage in larger nonresidential developments; trolley stop design and flexibility; and whether the city should pursue a dedicated on‑demand transit (dial‑a‑ride) service. Consultants and staff said many of the specifics will be developed during implementation and future studies, and they recommended coordination with OCTA and other regional agencies.

Staff noted concurrent steps in the overall update timeline: preparation of a CEQA addendum to the 1991 General Plan EIR (possible because no land use changes are proposed), staff review of VMT and traffic impact assessment guidelines, OCTA coordination on roadway classifications, and a pending CAL FIRE review of safety/wildfire hazard map updates (CAL FIRE review expected by July; staff targets an August hearing for the safety element). The commission provided feedback and requested clarifications on several policies; no formal vote was taken on the elements during the June 9 session. The Planning Commission is scheduled to consider formal action on the general plan updates at its June 23, 2025 meeting; staff would then proceed to city council later in the summer.