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Livermore staff previews draft 2045 General Plan land-use map; council and residents debate Midtown, Springtown and industrial land
Summary
Staff presented the draft 2045 General Plan land-use map and timeline; public commenters urged protections for open space and industrial sites, and council discussed density bands and next steps for environmental review and further outreach.
City planning staff presented an informational update on the draft 2045 General Plan land-use map at the Feb. 24 meeting, outlining changes since last summer, a simplified color palette and next steps for environmental review and public outreach.
Principal Planner Andy Ross said the draft map reflects council direction on four focus areas (Laughlin Road, Midtown, Vasco Row and East of Greenville), merges some overlapping designations, and consolidates residential density bands to make the map easier to read. Staff said these map changes do not immediately change zoning but will be carried forward into the general-plan document and environmental review.
Public commenters raised a mix of concerns and requests. Mike Bray (Mercury Athbrick Corp.) urged that staff consider alternatives to placing significant housing in the Midtown focus area because of potential impacts to large industrial employers like McGrath, warning that losing a headquarters site would affect the local job base. John Steinbush, a local commercial broker and landowner, asked for a more thorough study of industrial and commercial land supplies and for fiscal impact analysis tied to past general-plan cycles.
Residents also questioned density concentrations in Springtown and urged more open space and continuity in outreach. "I was too hoping that ... Midtown and maybe rethink the number of housing that are planned out there," a Springtown resident said, calling for clearer community continuity and more open space consideration.
Council members thanked staff and the general-plan advisory committee for extensive work, raised technical questions (for example about how ADUs are accounted for in traffic and how narrow density bands affect housing products), and emphasized that the draft will be further refined. Staff said the Planning Commission will review the map in March, the council will consider policy direction in April or May, and the environmental impact report and further outreach are expected late summer or early fall.
Because this was an informational presentation, no council action was taken on the draft land-use map at the meeting.
