Housing and Land Use Committee backs submission of Salinas general plan annual progress report; schedule set for Salinas 2040 update

The Salinas Housing and Land Use Committee reviewed the city’s 2024 General Plan annual progress report and a status update on the Salinas 2040 general plan update and voted to forward the report for city council consideration.

Grant Leonard, the staff presenter, told the committee the annual progress report is required by the state of California and must be submitted by April. "This is required annually by the state of California and it is to be submitted by the April," Leonard said, and staff recommended the committee support a city council resolution approving the report for submittal to the state.

The presentation summarized public-works and park investments completed in the past year, including new bicycle facilities on East Market, sidewalk maintenance and crosswalk safety improvements; upgrades and new projects at Steinbeck and Cesar Chavez parks; and the Hebron Family Center, described as under construction. Leonard said the city completed internal administrative drafts of the Salinas 2040 update, held transportation workshops and adopted an active-transportation plan as part of the update process. He said second-quarter work will focus on preparing a public draft and the environmental impact report, with public hearings and an adoption push by the end of the year.

Lisa Brinton, community development director, described the economic development stakeholder group that has been meeting to inform the general plan update. She said the group includes the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Monterey County Business Council (MCBC) and the Salinas Unified Business Association (SUBA), plus other stakeholders and organizations that helped frame the city’s 2017 economic development element. Brinton said the working group has about "15 to 20 individuals" and that members have offered to meet monthly rather than quarterly to align with the update timeline.

Committee members pressed staff on composition and outreach for the stakeholder group. One committee member requested a transparent process for how other businesses and nonmember operators can participate in the group’s work. On financing, staff said the city is exploring infrastructure-financing tools including an enhanced infrastructure financing district (EIFD) to support infrastructure capacity for future redevelopment.

The committee received the presentation and later took formal action to support submission of the report. Council member Sandoval and Council member Barajas recorded aye votes when the motion to approve was called; the motion passed.

Next steps outlined by staff included planning-commission review and a city-council hearing schedule; staff said the public draft and environmental document work will continue through the middle of the year and staff hope to bring the general plan update to adoption by year end.

Provenance: presentation introducing the general plan item began in committee discussion at the transcript segment beginning around 142.95 seconds; committee vote to approve the item and forward for council consideration occurred later in the transcript at the segment around 2741.825 seconds.

Speakers quoted or cited in this article are those who spoke on the topic during the meeting and are included in the article’s speaker list.