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d. Regulatory Setting <br />State Regulations <br />California Scenic Highway Program <br />Through enforcement of the California Scenic Highway Program, Caltrans protects State scenic <br />highway corridors from changes which would diminish the aesthetic value of lands adjacent to the <br />highways. However, Caltrans has not designated a State scenic highway within San Leandro. The <br />closest scenic highway is the section of the I-580 Freeway starting at the northern border of San <br />Leandro and extending north to State Route 24 in Oakland (Caltrans 2011). As discussed under <br />Section 4.1.1(b) above, the portion of the I-580 Freeway within the vicinity of the Specific Plan Area <br />is listed as an eligible State Scenic Highway but has not been officially designated as such. <br />Local Regulations <br />San Leandro 2035 General Plan <br />In accordance with California Government Code Section 65454, no specific plan may be adopted or <br />amended unless the proposed plan or amendment is consistent with the general plan. The City’s <br />2035 General Plan included provisions for the development of the Bay Fair TOD Plan Area in its 2002 <br />update. The 2035 General Plan establishes a land use designation of Bay Fair TOD Zoning District (B- <br />TOD) for the entirety of the Bay Fair TOD Specific Plan Area, deferring to the Specific Plan process to <br />establish the details of land use, design, and development for the area. This designation is reflected <br />in the City’s adopted 2035 General Plan Land Use Element and Land Use Map. <br />The 2035 General Plan Land Use Element provides the following policy guidance related to <br />aesthetics and visual resources for the Bay Fair area: <br />Policy LU-1.13: Mixed Single Family Residential/ Industrial Areas. In areas that currently <br />include a "hodgepodge" of industrial uses (such as auto body shops) and older single family <br />homes on adjacent small lots, encourage infill development that creates a more cohesive <br />character and reduces the potential for future land use conflicts. Innovative development types <br />and building forms should be encouraged in such areas. <br />Policy LU-2.9: Density Transitions. Avoid abrupt transitions from high density to low density <br />housing. Where high density development occurs, encourage such projects to step down in <br />height and mass as they approach nearby lower density areas. <br />Policy LU-8.2: Aesthetics. Upgrade the City’s commercial corridors by building upon their <br />existing strengths and improving their aesthetic qualities. The City should implement programs <br />to underground utilities, abate weeds and graffiti, eliminate litter, improve buffers to adjacent <br />residential uses, control excessive signage, and provide streetscape amenities and landscaping <br />along the corridors. <br />Policy LU-8.9: East 14th Street. Facilitate the transformation of East 14th Street from an <br />unbroken commercial “strip” into a series of distinct mixed use neighborhood centers, each <br />with a unique design identity and mix of uses. The land use pattern should emphasize a more <br />attractive and human scale of development throughout the corridor, with pedestrian-oriented <br />buildings, streetscape and transit improvements, and a lively mix of higher density residential, <br />commercial, and civic uses. <br />130