Montclair Council adopts 20‑year General Plan update after last‑minute change to healthy‑food language

Montclair — The City Council on Dec. 2 certified the environmental impact report and adopted a package of planning documents that will guide development for the next 20 years, including the 2020 General Plan update, the housing element and a Climate Action Plan.

The council voted to certify the EIR after staff and consultants described the review process and potential impacts. Greg Martin, the environmental project manager, told the council that the EIR identified mitigation measures for biological, cultural, geologic and noise impacts, but found potentially significant and unavoidable impacts in two areas: air quality and historic/cultural resources. The EIR certification resolution passed 4–1 (Council member Maru voted no). The council then adopted the general plan documents as amended.

Why it matters: The adopted package sets policy and regulatory changes that direct where growth will be concentrated (downtown, the Arrow Highway mixed‑use district and major corridors), updates zoning tools (a corridors/form‑based code and an Arrow Highway specific plan), and contains a housing element the city will submit to the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for final certification — a requirement to remain eligible for certain state housing funds and approvals.

What the council…