Title
Hearing to consider an Amendment to the County of El Dorado General Plan to incorporate the Safety Element Update (General Plan Amendment GPA24-0002); and staff recommending the Planning Commission forward a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to take the following actions: 1) Adopt the Addendum to El Dorado County’s General Plan EIR, certified in May 2003 (State Clearinghouse Number 2001082030) demonstrating that the analysis in that EIR adequately addresses the potential physical impacts associated with implementation of the proposed project and the proposed project would not trigger any of the conditions described in CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 calling for the preparation of a subsequent EIR or negative declaration based on the analysis prepared by staff; and 2) Approve General Plan Amendment GPA24-0002 amending the General Plan to incorporate the Safety Element Update based on Findings as presented by staff.
Funding: General Fund
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
General Plan Amendment GPA 24-0002/Safety Element Update: Recommending the adoption of the revised Safety Element Update to the Board of Supervisors (BOS) as required by California Government Code, Section 65302. The Safety Element is a mandatory component of the General Plan. The County was required to update it to comply with statutory requirements that mandate goals and policies to address wildfire risk, establish a framework for climate adaptation and resiliency, and advance evacuation planning.
The Safety Element is also a required component of the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (Board of Forestry) Fire Risk Reduction Community List (FRRCL) application, which provides local jurisdictions an opportunity to receive grant funding priority, possible reductions in wildfire insurance costs, and possible eligibility to obtain wildfire insurance in the State. Local jurisdictions can submit a FRRCL application every two years, and it is due on April 1, 2024. The County submitted the revised draft Safety Element Update with the rest of the FRRCL application materials as a placeholder to meet the April 1, 2024 deadline. The Board of Forestry, however, also agreed to extend the deadline for the Safety Element component of the FRRCL application until June 1, 2024, to allow for the County’s BOS to possibly adopt the recently revised Safety Element Update. Any substantive revisions to the Safety Element Update, specifically in the wildfire sections, must be reviewed and approved by the Board of Forestry at its next regularly scheduled meeting, which would prevent the County from meeting the June 1, 2024, FRRCL application deadline.
A Staff Report is attached.
CONTACT
Thea Graybill, Senior Planner
Planning and Building Department