Title
Planning and Building Department, Planning Division, Long Range Planning Unit, recommending the Board:
1) Receive and file the General Plan 2021-2025 Five-Year Review;
2) Receive and file the 2025 General Plan Annual Progress Report;
3) Receive and file the 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report; and
4) Direct staff to initiate a Comprehensive General Plan Update for El Dorado County.
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
General Plan 2021-2025 Five-Year Review
General Plan Policy 2.9.1.2 requires monitoring of El Dorado County’s (County) General Plan every five (5) years. The prior Five-Year Review was conducted on April 2, 2024 (Legistar file 24-0222) for the 2016-2020 period.
This locally mandated review is distinct from the State-required Annual Progress Reports submitted to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI). The five-year review (Attachment F) provides a comprehensive evaluation of whether growth patterns and development trends remain consistent with the assumptions and policies established in the General Plan. If monitoring results indicate significant deviations, the County is required to consider adjustments through a General Plan amendment, ensuring that land use policies remain relevant and effective.
The primary purpose of this report is to assess the validity of the General Plan’s foundational assumptions and evaluate progress toward implementing its policies and objectives. The General Plan serves as the County’s blueprint for growth, balancing competing interests such as housing, transportation, economic development, and resource conservation. This report examines population growth, housing trends, water supply conditions, agricultural viability, and transportation levels of service, among other factors. By analyzing these elements, the report provides the Board with the information necessary to determine whether the General Plan continues to reflect current realities and supports the County’s long-term vision.
Since the adoption of the 2004 General Plan, demographic, economic, environmental, and regulatory conditions have evolved significantly. Population growth has slowed dramatically, housing affordability challenges have intensified, and climate-related risks such as drought and wildfire have become more pronounced. These changes raise questions about the continued validity of assumptions made two decades ago. This report evaluates whether those assumptions remain accurate and identifies areas where policy adjustments may be necessary to maintain alignment with present-day conditions and emerging trends.
By monitoring growth patterns and policy implementation, the County ensures that development occurs in a manner consistent with adopted goals and community priorities. The report also provides a clear record of progress on implementation measures, highlighting achievements and identifying remaining tasks. This process allows the Board, stakeholders, and the public to understand how well the General Plan is functioning and where improvements are needed.
This report also serves as a foundation for informed decision-making about the future of the General Plan. While the 2004 General Plan has guided growth for over 20 years, many of its assumptions and strategies no longer fully reflect current realities. The findings presented here will help determine whether a comprehensive update is appropriate to modernize policies, address emerging challenges, and ensure consistency across all elements. Updating the General Plan will allow the County to preserve its natural rural character while adopting a forward-looking approach that supports sustainable growth, economic stability, and resilience amid environmental and regulatory changes.
While this report recommends initiating a comprehensive update to the General Plan, it is important to note that certain elements remain current and will be largely retained. The Housing Element, updated and certified by HCD in 2022, provides a robust framework for meeting state housing mandates and addressing affordability challenges. Similarly, the Safety Element was updated in 2024 to incorporate wildfire risk mitigation, climate adaptation strategies, and evacuation planning. These recent updates reflect modern planning practices and regulatory requirements. As part of the comprehensive update, these elements will be integrated with other components of the General Plan to ensure consistency, and their core policies will remain intact, preserving the substantial work already completed and maintaining compliance with state law.
General Plan Annual Progress Report
California Government Code Sections 65400 and 65700 as well as County General Plan Policy 2.9.1.1 require preparation of a General Plan Annual Progress Report (General Plan APR) for each calendar year on the status of General Plan implementation to be presented before the Board and submitted to HCD and LCI.
The 2025 General Plan APR (Attachment A) includes six (6) sections: 1) Introduction, 2) Major Planning Activities in 2025, 3) General Plan Overview, 4) General Plan Elements, 5) General Plan Implementation Plan, and 6) Planning and Development Activities. Appendix A provides the County’s growth monitoring charts (Attachment B), and Appendix B provides a list of the incomplete General Plan Implementation Measures (Attachment C). Appendix C provides the 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (Attachment D).
Housing Element Annual Progress Report
California Government Code Section 65400 establishes the requirement that each local jurisdiction prepare a Housing Element Annual Progress Report (Housing Element APR) on the status of the General Plan Housing Element and provide a progress update on implementation using forms and definitions adopted by HCD. The Housing Element APR is used for reporting various metrics of housing development in the County and the status of its Housing Element implementation measures.
The Housing Element APR shows the County’s annual progress in meeting its share of regional housing needs and describes the County’s efforts to remove governmental constraints to the maintenance, improvement, and development of housing. Of the 491 total housing units permitted in the County in 2025, 48 were very low-income, 32 were low-income, 1 was moderate-income, and 410 were above-moderate income. In previous years, the County utilized the 2020 Sacramento Area Council of Government’s (SACOG) Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) affordability methodology to categorize ADUs in each of the affordability categories. This year, HCD updated its guidance to specify that ADUs designated as moderate income or below must be supported by a study conducted within the past two years. At the time that these documents were drafted, SACOG did not have an updated methodology for the County to use. For this reason, ADUs in this year’s APR were reported as above moderate income. However, SACOG is working to provide the County with an updated methodology that will be used for the 2025 APR. HCD provides the opportunity to correct a previously submitted APR form and the County will do so once guidance has been provided from SACOG which is expected on or shortly after April 1, 2026 (HCD due date for APR).
A comprehensive summary of the Housing Element APR data, which includes key housing metrics such as building permits issued by affordability and units categorized by structure type; a summary table of the County’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) progress; and the status of the County’s Housing Element Implementation Measures, is provided in Attachment E. The 2025 Housing Element APR data (General Plan APR Appendix C) is provided in Attachment D.
ALTERNATIVES
N/A
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Chief Administrative Office, Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience (OWPR)
Chief Administrative Office, Parks and Trails
Department of Agriculture
Department of Transportation
Economic Development
El Dorado County Sheriff's Office of Emergency Services
El Dorado Water Agency
Environmental Management
Health and Human Services Agency
CAO RECOMMEDATION/COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost associated with this item. Funding for the staff time associated with this item has been included in the Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Thea Graybill, Planning Manager, Long Range Planning Unit
Planning and Building Department