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

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.