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File Number: 15-351 <br />been completed so that they can be replaced with new action items to help implement the <br />General Plan in 2016-2035. <br />Land Use Map <br />The consultant team is in the process of preparing a new General Plan Land Use Map for San <br />Leandro. The Map will replace the General Plan Map which was adopted in 2002. That Map <br />was amended several times in 2002-2014, including an amendment to allow Kaiser <br />Permanente Hospital and an amendment to incorporate the Downtown-TOD Strategy. An <br />amendment to incorporate the Shoreline Development Plan is pending. <br />The scope of work did not anticipate major changes to the General Plan Map, which will carry <br />forward existing designations for the most part. However, part of the work program includes <br />an evaluation of the Map and how well it is working to guide growth in San Leandro. A <br />number of minor revisions may be proposed as an outcome of this evaluation. This could <br />include adjusting the density ranges for the residential categories to reflect actual densities of <br />development in the city, a “Community Commercial” designation on -Washington Avenue <br />between the railroad underpass and Halcyon-Floresta (in lieu of the Light Industrial <br />designation), and possible changes along Marina Boulevard to reflect the function of this <br />corridor as a major connector between the east and west sides of the city. <br />To stay on schedule and produce a Draft Plan and DraftEIR) by January 2016, staff and <br />PlaceWorks are planning to produce the draft Land Use Map by July 2015. This draft map is <br />necessary to provide sufficient lead time to complete the technical tasks associated with the <br />EIR, including traffic modeling, air quality forecasts, and noise level projections for Year 2035. <br />The draft map will be reviewed by the Planning Commission and the City Council in early <br />2016 as part of the public review process for the entire draft General Plan Update and EIR. <br />Economic Development Element <br />An “Economic Development Element” is not a mandatory part of a General Plan, but is often <br />included as an “optional” element to articulate a city’s position on local economic development <br />issues. Many cities in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties have adopted such elements and <br />use them as policy frameworks for their business attraction, expansion, and retention <br />strategies. Economic Development elements can demonstrate a community’s competitive <br />edge, outline a vision for the future of the local economy, and ensure that economic <br />development initiatives are coordinated with local land use, transportation, housing, and <br />environmental policies. <br />The original work scope for the 2015-2035 General Plan Update did not include an Economic <br />Development Element, since such an element was not included in the prior (2002) Plan. <br />Based on input from City staff, the public, and the Planning Commission during the first year <br />of the General Plan Update, there has been strong interest in adding an Economic <br />Development Element to the scope. Accordingly, the project scope was amended, and <br />$20,000 in funding was approved by the City Council in April 2015, to add this new chapter. <br />The element will largely build on the City’s existing Economic Development Strategy and <br />current initiatives, while incorporating input from key business stakeholders such as the <br />Chamber of Commerce, local business associations, and major employers and industry <br />representatives. Stakeholder meetings are anticipated during the coming months as policies <br />Page 4 City of San Leandro Printed on 6/9/2015