Board receives 2024 general plan annual report; staff directed to submit state filings and begin implementation

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on March 25 received the county's 2024 general plan annual report and directed staff to submit the report to the state and proceed with work described in the implementation program.

The annual report summarizes progress on the county's Climate Action Plan (CAP), housing element and other general plan programs and identifies near-term work for 2025. The report notes the CAP was adopted in November 2024 and that the county has begun a coordinated implementation effort this year.

Jacob Daw, senior planner with Planning and Environmental Review, presented the report and told the board, "the cap was, after many years of hard work, was adopted in November 2024. And, with that, the kinda real work now begins here in 2025." The report highlights several items the county intends to pursue this year, including grant-funded studies and zoning updates to speed housing production.

Why this matters: the county says implementation of the CAP and several housing element programs will shape how much housing and infrastructure are permitted and built across unincorporated areas. Staff reported a mix of one-time and ongoing actions designed to unlock infill sites, support affordability, and remove regulatory barriers.

Key points from the presentation and the board's discussion: - Grants and targeted implementation: Planning reported the county won a federal HUD program grant (Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing) of about $2.7 million to fund infill and housing efforts, including infrastructure studies and land-use updates for Stockton Boulevard and North Watt Avenue corridors, adaptive-reuse work and housing-streamlining efforts. - Environmental justice and outreach: the county said it won a regional COG (Council of Governments) Engage, Empower, Implement (EEI) grant to fund deeper stakeholder engagement in the North Highlands environmental-justice community. - Housing production and permits: staff said 2024 permit activity included issuance of just under 1,200 residential permits. Planning also reported receipt of five new affordable housing project submittals totaling about 265 units, roughly 235 of which are proposed as deed-restricted for low- to very-low-income households. - Housing needs profile: board members discussed the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) tallies. Planning staff said the highest remaining need in the current cycle remains in the "above moderate" category even as the county focuses on very-low and low-income housing production. - Zoning and entitlements: Deputy County Executive Dave DeFonte told the board "your board did rezone a whole host of properties this past year" and said county rezoning and ongoing zoning-code updates are intended to create more buildable sites and accelerate production.

Board action: Supervisors moved, seconded and voted unanimously to receive and file the 2024 general plan annual report and to direct staff to submit the report to the Governor's Office of Planning and Research and the California Department of Housing and Community Development and to proceed with the implementation program outlined in the report.

The report also noted that a full general plan update will be required before the plan's 2030 horizon, and staff said additional funding will be needed to complete a comprehensive update.

Looking ahead: staff told the board they will return with workshops and specific proposals this year on topics identified in the work program, including targeted zoning updates, rescission or amendment of Special Planning Areas (SPAs) and Master Plans (MPAs), and additional CAP implementation measures.