Sustainability Update

The Sustainability Policy and Regulatory Update (Sustainability Update) was a comprehensive update to the Santa Cruz County General Plan/Local Coastal Program and modernization of the County Code. The project also included new County Design Guidelines and rezoning of certain properties. The goal of this update was to implement new policies and code regulations that support more sustainable communities in Santa Cruz County.

The Sustainability Update included changes to the County's land use rules and regulations, in order to support sustainable development, meet the modern needs of the community, and ensure consistency with new state laws. Key changes included in the Sustainability Update are categorized by the four main project components below: 

1. Amendments to the General Plan/Local Coastal Program
   • Incorporate a new planning horizon of 2040 for population and employment growth 
   • Reflect the vision and principles of the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan
   • Align with regional and County plans, such as the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Plan, County Strategic Plan, and Economic Vitality Strategy
   • Align with California Coastal Act and Local Coastal Program Guidelines
   • Address changes to state law since the General Plan was last adopted
   • New and revised goals, objectives, and policies, as well as implementation strategies that replaced existing programs
2. Amendments to the County Code
   • Align with updated General Plan/LCP goals and policies
   • Implement elements of the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan, including new zone districts and development standards
   • Incorporate code modernization efforts, including a new permit system and agricultural land uses
   • Update use charts in all zone districts and streamline the application process
   • Clarify and reorganize land use regulations, including relocating code sections related to transportation to new SCCC Chapter 13.16 and all procedural requirements to SCCC Title 18
3. Creation of Santa Cruz County Design Guidelines
   • Provide best practices for the design of buildings and sites to ensure functional and attractive designs that provide quality open space, gathering places, and green building and site design features.
   • Provide a flexible approach, allowing for creative designs and diverse architectural styles that meet qualitative design goals and work in conjunction with quantitative standards in the County Code.
   • Provide overarching guidelines to all project types within the county’s USL and RSL.
   • Specific guidelines are also provided for the design of multifamily, mixed used, commercial, and light industrial development, as well as streetscapes, and the Pleasure Point Commercial Corridor.
4. Amendments to the Land Use and Zoning Maps
   • The Sustainability Update included General Plan Land Use Map and Zoning Map amendments to 20 parcels throughout the County.
   • There were two types of land use changes:
     • Elimination of inconsistencies between General Plan maps and Zoning maps on 11 parcels.
     • Targeted rezoning of 9 key opportunity sites along transportation corridors: one parcel at Soquel Drive, as well as eight parcels located along Portola Drive.

The Sustainability Update focused on land use and transportation development strategy for the County.

The Housing Element (Chapter 4 of the General Plan) was not updated as part of this project because that chapter is state-mandated to be updated every eight years as a separate project. The 2023 Housing Element was certified in April 2024 and aligns with the housing rules and regulations that were introduced in the Sustainability Update. 

The Public Safety Element (Chapter 6) and Noise Element (currently Chapter 9) are not as closely tied to the focus of the Sustainability Update project. The Noise Element was just created in 2019 and is up to date. Likewise, the Public Safety Element is currently in the process of being updated. The Public Safety Element does address the theme of sustainability, but through a lens of climate change and resiliency from natural disasters.

Public outreach on this project was conducted extensively for over 10 years and across various policy efforts that were incorporated into the Sustainability Update, including the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan, Code Modernization, and the Pleasure Point Commercial Corridor.

Once these policy efforts were consolidated into the Sustainability Update, the County began a public outreach campaign online and in person that resulted in over 20 public meetings for the Santa Cruz County community to provide their input on the project. The County’s public outreach was extensive, including mailed notices, newspaper ads, public postings, press releases, a social media campaign and email outreach regularly reaching over 3,000 members of the community. A project website was also created to provide a consolidated location for members of the public to find information on project documents, upcoming meetings, as well as a survey and public comment portal.

Community Meetings (March – May 2022)

The County held a series of community meetings to introduce the public to the Sustainability Update, review project components, answer the community’s questions, and solicit public feedback. Seven evening community meetings were held in Spring 2022 focusing on six topic areas. Recordings of the Community Meetings can be found here: Sustainability Update Public Meetings.

Commission Study Sessions (May – August 2022)

In the Summer of 2022, staff conducted a series of study sessions at public meetings before County Commissions to review the Sustainability Update and identify any recommended changes. Ten study sessions were held before the following County Commissions:

• Agricultural Policy Advisory Commission
• Elderly and Disabled Transportation Advisory Committee to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC)
• Historic Resources Commission
• Housing Advisory Commission
• Interagency Technical Advisory Committee to the SCCRTC
• Latino Affairs Commission
• Planning Commission (3 study sessions)

Recordings of Planning Commission Study Sessions can be found here: Sustainability Update Public Meetings. Following the Commission Study Sessions, the public was invited to provide their input during the public hearing process. See FAQ below for more information on public hearings.

In addition to the extensive community outreach detailed in the FAQ above, the Sustainability Update was further amended as it was presented to both the public and decision makers during the public hearing process.

Planning Commission Public Hearings (August – September 2022)

Following the study sessions, the Planning Commission held three public hearings, listed below, to review draft documents and form their recommendation to the Board. Recordings of Planning Commission Hearings can be found here: Sustainability Update Public Meetings. The Planning Commission recommended approval of the project, with modifications to the General Plan and County Code amendments.

Board of Supervisors Public Hearings (November 2022 – January 2024)

After it was recommended for approval by the Planning Commission, the Sustainability Update was presented at two public hearings before the Board of Supervisors in 2022. The Board certified the project EIR, adopted the Sustainability Update project documents, and directed staff to send LCP amendments to the Coastal Commission for certification. A subsequent meeting was held in 2024 to accept the Coastal Commission’s modifications to the LCP amendments.

Coastal Commission Public Hearings (December 2023 – March 2024)

The Sustainability Update LCP Amendment package was submitted to the CCC on January 30, 2023, and deemed complete on May 24, 2023. The LCP amendments were certified at a Coastal Commission public meeting in December 2023 with proposed modifications. After the Board approved the CCC modifications in January 2024, the Sustainability Update received final certification at the Coastal Commission meeting in March 2024.

The California Coastal Act requires the California Coastal Commission to approve and certify amendments to jurisdictions’ Local Coastal Program (LCP), including both the Land Use Plan (LUP) and the Local Coastal Implementation Program (LCIP).

The Sustainability Update included amendments to some General Plan goals, objectives, policies, and implementation strategies that are also part of the LUP and noted by the initials “LCP.” The project also included amendments to some chapters of the SCCC that are part of the LCIP. These sections and chapters required Coastal Commission certification as part of an LCP amendment. Changes to the General Plan/LCP land use designation and zoning for several properties located within the coastal zone also required approval by the Coastal Commission.

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the County determined that an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was the appropriate level of environmental analysis for the Sustainability Update project.

The complete EIR document is made up of both the Draft and the Final EIR: Sustainability Update Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The Final EIR addressed all public comments received on the Draft EIR and included a mitigation monitoring and reporting program to track compliance with mitigation measures over time, as well as a Statement of Overriding Considerations and Findings for any significant impacts that cannot be mitigated. The Sustainability Update FEIR was certified by the Board of Supervisors on November 15, 2022. More information is available under the public hearings FAQ above.

Key dates for the EIR process are outlined in the following table:

In preparation for the Sustainability Update project, County staff prepared a planning and feasibility study called the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan (SSCC). Preparation of the SSCC involved an extensive public visioning process focused on community sustainability, housing choices, circulation and mobility, and urban design. Between 2012 and 2014, the County engaged in intensive public outreach for the preparation of the SSCC, including 16 community workshops held throughout the county, advisory group meetings, and stakeholder meetings. The efforts focused on visioning, the meaning of “sustainability,” focus areas, and plan concepts, as well as the links between land use and needed transportation improvements.

The SSCC vision, guiding principles, and implementation strategies served as the foundation of the Sustainability Update and was accepted as a planning study by the County Board of Supervisors in 2014. The final Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan is available under Community Plans on the CDI General Plan & Town Plans web page.

The Santa Cruz County Code was first adopted in the 1950s and was amended in a piecemeal fashion in the decades since. As a result, the County Code had become increasingly complex and challenging to navigate, and required a comprehensive effort to modernize, reorganize, and clarify land use regulations.

From 2013 to 2015, County staff engaged with the community to identify how the County Code could be improved to better serve the public and met with key stakeholders to address the needs of the modern agricultural industry. This effort included a series of five community meetings held throughout the County to solicit public feedback on proposed regulations for agricultural land, wineries and breweries, weddings and special events, and other code modernization updates, including a new planning permit system.

The Board of Supervisors reviewed the proposed code modernization and agricultural updates over the course of several public hearings and directed the code modernization effort proceed with the implementation of the Sustainable Santa Cruz County Plan and to coordinate environmental analysis. This direction initiated the Sustainability Update project.

Recognizing that Pleasure Point has a unique character and strong community identity, the County worked with the community to develop a Vision, Guiding Principles and Design Guidelines for the commercial area along Portola Drive. In addition, a conceptual plan was developed for the Portola Drive streetscape with potential improvements to the public right-of-way to benefit all users, including pedestrians and bicyclists, local business owners and residents. The Pleasure Point Vision and Guiding Design Principles and the Portola Drive Streetscape Concepts was accepted by the Board of Supervisors in December 2018 as a planning study.

The content of this study was incorporated into the Sustainability Update with changes to General Plan Chapters 2 and 3, County Code Chapter 13.10, and the creation of Appendix B to the Santa Cruz County Design Guidelines. Rezoning of certain parcels along the Portola Drive corridor were also included in the Sustainability Update Map Amendments, and environmental review for the Pleasure Point Commercial Corridor was incorporated into the larger environmental review for the General Plan, County Code and Santa Cruz County Design Guidelines.

The concept of sustainability is broad and can be defined in a variety of ways. A common definition of sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable development aims to promote environmental protection, a strong local economy, and social equity.

The term "sustainable development," as used in the Sustainability Update, links environmental protection to the wise use of urban land resources. In Santa Cruz County, this is particularly important given the relatively limited amount of urban land. Long-term protection of natural resources depends on the efficient use of limited urban land in a manner that supports the County’s social, environmental, and economic goals.

A General Plan is a comprehensive planning document that provides a set of policies and programs to guide a city or county's future growth and development in a manner consistent with the goals and quality of life desired by its citizens. These policies become the basis for all decisions related to the use and development of land within the community. The state of California requires each city and county to adopt a general plan, including unincorporated Santa Cruz County.

Before the Sustainability Update, Santa Cruz County last adopted a General Plan in 1994. 

Local Coastal Programs (LCPs) are planning tools used by local governments to guide development in the coastal zone, in partnership with the California Coastal Commission. LCPs contain the ground rules for future development and protection of coastal resources in coastal cities and counties. Each LCP includes a Land Use Plan (LUP) and measures to implement the plan, such as zoning ordinances (known as the Local Coastal Implementation Program or LCIP) .

General Plan policies that are part of the LUP are noted throughout the General Plan with the initials “LCP.” County Code chapters that are part of the LCIP are listed under SCCC Table 18.60.050-1: Local Coastal Program Implementing Ordinances.

An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is an informational document which provides public agencies and the general public with detailed information and analysis on the impacts that a proposed project is likely to have on the environment. The EIR also lists the ways in which these environmental effects might be minimized and whether there are any alternatives to such a project. An EIR may be required as part of the project review process under CEQA, or the California Environmental Quality Act.

CEQA is a state-wide statute that requires state and local agencies to identify the significant environmental impacts of their actions and to avoid or mitigate those impacts, if feasible.  Compliance with CEQA is an important aspect of the review process for any project proposed in California. You can learn more about CEQA HERE.