City of Salinas presents draft 'Vision Salinas 2040' general plan to airport commission

Grant Leonard, AICP and planning manager for the city of Salinas, presented the draft general plan update "Vision Salinas 2040" to the San Luis Municipal Airport Commission on Feb. 26 and described it as "the guiding policy document for the city of Salinas." The plan is the city’s first comprehensive update since 2002 and includes a separate climate action plan and a new environmental justice element.

Leonard told commissioners the draft pulls policy and actions from more than a dozen prior efforts, including the downtown vibrancy plan and the Chinatown revitalization plan, and that the update reorganizes the plan around three pillars: the built environment, environmental and sustainability, and socioeconomic objectives. "We wanted to develop a list of guiding principles for its development…to make sure that the community was involved and that Salinas ended up as a vibrant, economically thriving, great place to live," Leonard said.

The presentation summarized outreach to date: 23 workshops and webinars, working groups and a council-appointed steering committee with 16 meetings, pop-up events at farmers markets and restaurants, house meetings organized through community-based organizations, and multilingual engagement that included outreach in indigenous languages. Leonard said the draft was released for public review in December and invited comments; the commission packet included a flyer for a community workshop at the Steinbeck Center on March 7.

Key changes Leonard highlighted include a new environmental justice element, a shift in transportation policy away from an emphasis on automobile-level-of-service toward transit, biking and reduced vehicle miles traveled, and a move from traditional zoning categories to "place types" that allow a greater mix of housing and business types. He said the update is designed to bring the city into compliance with state laws adopted since 2002 and to align with projects such as the airport master plan.

Commissioners pressed Leonard on definitions and local impacts. One commissioner asked, "what is their definition of environmental justice?" Leonard replied that the element focuses on health impacts from the built environment — giving examples such as proximity of an oil refinery to a playground, pesticide drift, access to health care and localized flooding that can lead to indoor mold and other contaminants. Commissioners also questioned how the economic development chapter would guard against industrial uses on agricultural land, citing the Amazon warehouse as an example of perceived mismatch between land use and the agricultural business park.

Leonard outlined next steps: continuing public engagement through the spring, release of the remaining documents including the environmental impact report (EIR), the climate action plan (CAP) and the economic development element in the coming quarter, and parallel zoning code updates to ensure compliance with the new plan (with zoning compliance work expected by June and formal adoption of the plan targeted in the fourth quarter). Leonard listed project manager John Moore as the contact for the public.

Why this matters: The general plan sets long-term development priorities for housing, transportation, economic development and environmental policy in Salinas. Changes to land-use categories, the addition of an environmental justice element and an embedded climate action plan could affect future permits, infrastructure projects and the airport’s area of influence. The city is soliciting public comment and will hold additional study sessions and hearings before council adoption later in the year.

The commission requested additional materials and clarifications; Leonard said staff will continue outreach and return with refined drafts and supporting documents. The draft and related materials remain available for public review and comment prior to the city’s formal adoption process.