HomeMy WebLinkAbout100819 Agenda - Special Joint Meeting with Planning Commission
CITY OF DIAMOND BAR
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
AND PLANNING COMMISSION
WINDMILL COMMUNITY ROOM
21810 COPLEY DRIVE
October 8, 2019
6:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER: 6:00 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
1. ROLL CALL: Council Members: Andrew Chou, Ruth M. Low, Nancy A. Lyons,
Mayor Pro Tem Steve Tye, Mayor Carol Herrera.
Commissioners: Jennifer “Fred” Mahlke, Kenneth Mok, William
Rawlings, Vice Chairperson Frank Farago, Chairperson Naila
Barlas
2. REVISED DRAFT GOAL AND POLICY LANGUAGE FOR THE GENERAL PLAN 2040
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT CHAPTERS 2 THROUGH 4
Recommended Action: Receive the staff presentation, receive public comments, and
provide any additional comments or direction on the proposed revised Goals and
Policies in Chapters 2 through 4 for inclusion in the Public Hearing Draft General Plan.
Requested By: Community Development Department
3. REVIEW OF THE GENERAL PLAN 2040 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT CHAPTERS 5
THROUGH 8, DRAFT CLIMATE ACTION PLAN AND DRAFT EIR
Recommended Action: Receive the staff presentation; receive public comments; and
provide feedback to facilitate the preparation of the Public Hearing Draft General Plan.
Requested By: Community Development Department
4. ADJOURNMENT
JOINT MEETING of the
CITY COUNCIL and
PLANNING COMMISSION
AGENDA REPORT
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER: 2
MEETING DATE: October 8, 2019
TITLE: GENERAL PLAN UPDATE – REVISED DRAFT GOAL AND
POLICY LANGUAGE FOR THE GENERAL PLAN 2040
PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT CHAPTERS 2 THROUGH 4
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive the staff presentation, receive public comments, and provide any additional
comments or direction on the proposed revised Goals and Policies in Chapters 2 through
4 for inclusion in the Public Hearing Draft General Plan.
DISCUSSION:
At the September 25, 2019 joint meeting, concerns were expressed that several draft
policies were regulatory in tone and written as directives rather than statements intended
to guide the policy implementation of the General Plan.
In response, staff has provided redline/strikeout revisions to several of the draft Goals
and Policies for Chapters 2 through 4 to more clearly express them as statements of
intent, and avoiding words and phrases more commonly associated with code regulations
(see Attachment 1).
The proposed text revisions to not alter the intent of the draft Goals and Policies. The
General Plan is the City’s governing policy document and all actions taken or authorized
by the City must be consistent with the General Plan.
Prepared by:
___________________________ _________________________
Daniel Fox Greg Gubman, AICP
City Manager Community Development Director
Attachment:
1. Revised Goals and Policies for General Plan 2040 Public Review Draft Chapters 2-4
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ATTACHMENT 1
Revised Goals and Policies for
General Plan 2040 Public Review Draft
Chapters 2 through 4
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 1
CHAPTER 2
LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Revised Goals and Policies
October 8, 2019
General
POLICIES
LU-P-1 Ensure that Require the scale and massing of new
development to provides sensitive transitions or design
techniques in building height, bulk, and landscaping to
minimize impacts on adjacent, less intensive uses, particularly
residential uses.
LU-P-3 As opportunities arise, cCollaborate with regional agencies
and neighboring jurisdictions on land use and transportation
planning in line with regional planning efforts such as the
Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities
Strategy.
LU-P-6 When appropriate, rRequire new development to pay its fair
share of the public facilities and off-site improvements needed
to serve the proposed use.
LU-P-7 As larger vacant or underutilized sites within the built
environment are developed or redeveloped, maximize
multimodal accessibility withby requiring appropriately
designed street networks, and walkable block sizes scaled to
proposed uses.
Residential
POLICIES
LU-P-8 EnsureRequire that new residential development be
compatible with the prevailing character of the surrounding
neighborhood in terms of building scale, density, massing, and
design. Where the General Plan designates higher densities,
providerequire adequate transitions to existing development.
LU-P-9 IncorporateRequire architectural and landscape design
features in new development that create more pedestrian-
friendly neighborhoods, such as orientation to the street; set -
back, or detached garages; tree-lined streets; and
landscaped parkways between streets and sidewalks.
2.0 LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 2
Commercial, Office, and Industrial
POLICIES
LU-P-12 Require Ensure that commercial uses and shopping centers
are designed in a manner compatible with adjacent
residential areas in terms of traffic and noise impacts, building
scale, and appropriate transitions and buffers.
Mixed Use
GOALS
Neighborhood Mixed Use
LU-G-16 Create a well-designed, walkablepedestrian-friendly, mixed-
use neighborhood that encourages community interaction
and healthy lifestyles while reducing reliance on automobiles.
POLICIES
General
LU-P-16 In residential mixed-use areas, require encourage the
clustering of non-residential uses at key visible locations.
LU-P-17 PromoteRequire that site designs that create active street
frontages and introduce pedestrian-scaled street networks
and street designs.
LU-P-18 Require dDevelopment toshould be sensitive to the building
form, density, massing, and scale of surrounding residential
neighborhoods.
LU-P-19 To meet the recreational needs of new residents, Require
ensure that new residential and mixed-use developments
larger than four acres to incorporate public parkland in the
neighborhoods where such developments are located.
Residential and mixed-use developments under four acres
may Require other development to provide dedicated
parkland, in lieu fees for sites under four acres, or a
combination, in accordance with Diamond Bar's park
acreage standards, to meet the recreational needs of new
residents.
2.0 LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 3
LU-P-20 EncourageRequire the consolidation and location of parking
to the rear or side of buildings.
Neighborhood Mixed Use
LU-P-22 EncourageRequire commercial development to incorporate
outdoor green spaces appropriate and usable for patrons and
visitors.
LU-P-23 Residential and mixed-use developments on For sites larger
than two acres in size should include , require the construction
of a range of housing types that meet the needs of a diversity
of income levels and household sizes.
LU-P-24 Require that bBuildings located along corridors should be
designed to face the street and define the public realm with a
mix of building patterns, ground floor transparency for
commercial uses, and pedestrian-oriented elements such as
building entrances and public outdoor spaces.
LU-P-25 Promote neighborhood interaction by providingrequiring the
provision of landscaped walkways, bikeways, and public
spaces such as parks and commercial plazas, etc.
LU-P-26 Require the consolidation and location of parking to the rear
or side of buildings. (Deleted because it is a repeat of LU-P-20)
Transit-Oriented Mixed Use
LU-P-27 To maintainpromote a healthy jobs/housing balance in the
neighborhood, each newrequire future mixed-use
developments should include a minimum nonresidential FAR of
.25to incorporate non-residential square footage that is equal
to or greater than the non-residential building inventory
existing at the time of the December 2019 General Plan
Update adoption, and encourage the development of live-
work spaces.
LU-P-28 Encourage the development of live-work spaces.
LU-P-29 Allow high-density housing at a minimum density of 20 units per
acre and up to a maximum of 30 units per acre, withat a
combined non-residential FAR of up to 1.5 to promote a
compact development pattern that reflects the area’s
proximity to transit. Allow supporting commercial uses along
Brea Canyon Road.
2.0 LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 4
LU-P-30 Require Ensure that building frontages and streetscaping to
define the public realm and encourage pedestrian activity
and comfort with a mix of building patterns, ground floor
transparency for commercial uses, and pedestrian-oriented
elements such as building entrances and public outdoor
spaces.
LU-P-31 Promotevide convenient, attractive, and safe pedestrian,
bicycle, and transit connections between the Transit-Oriented
Mixed Use neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods and
other destinations within Diamond Bar such as schools, the
Town Center, and parks.
LU-P-32 In conjunction with new development, Iimplement an overall
parking strategy for the Transit-Oriented Mixed Use
neighborhood, including consolidation of smaller parking lots
and district-wide management of parking resources.
LU-P-33 Consider amendments to the Amend Development Code
parking regulations in Title 22: Development Code of the
Municipal Code as needed to allowrequire lower parking
minimums for developments with a mix of uses with different
peak parking needs, as well as developments that implement
enforceable residential parking demand reduction measures,
such as parking permit and car share programs.
LU-P-34 EnsureRequire that development incorporates evaluates and
mitigates to extent practical noise and air quality issues related
to the proximity of the SR-60 and Metrolink.
Town Center Mixed Use
LU-P-35 Require Ensure that any reuse, redevelopment, or
refurbishment of the Town Center area maintains a
dominance of retail, dining, and entertainment uses. Allow
residential uses within the designation's permitted maximum
range, as well as offices, either on upper floors or otherwise in
locations that do not detract from the area’s predominant role
as a community shopping, dining, and entertainment
destination.
LU-P-36 Prioritize and support renovation, infill, and reuse of the existing
commercial center. Require, where appropriate, redesign and
modernization of architectural treatment and the introduction
of finer-grained pedestrian network, as well as utilization of
parking lots to create central gathering spaces and make the
Town Center more pedestrian-friendly.
2.0 LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 5
LU-P-37 Require Utilize buildings and streetscapes to define the public
realm and encourage pedestrian activity and comfort., for
example by incorporating attractive landscaping elements
and discouraging new drive through uses to the edges of the
site. Require that commercial development sites incorporate
outdoor green spaces.
To further promote these objectives, incorporate
attractive landscaping elements and usable outdoor
green spaces, and discourage new drive through uses.
LU-P-38 Promote Require that site designs that create an active street
frontage and screen off-street parking from the Diamond Bar
Boulevard and Golden Springs Drive frontages.
LU-P-39 Provide sStreetscape and intersection improvements along the
major corridors of South Diamond Bar Boulevard and Golden
Springs Drive toshould enhance connectivity, comfort, and
safety for all modes of travel, and increase accessibility to and
from surrounding areas.
LU-P-40 Study, as necessary, the implementation of safe pedestrian
connectivity between the north and south sections of the Town
Center Mixed-Use project site and at Lorbeer Middle School.
Potential strategies for achieving safe pedestrian
connectivity may include traffic calming measures along
the roadways, crosswalk visibility improvements, ensuring
adequate time for walk signals, refuge islands, bulb-outs,
bridges, and others.
LU-P-42 Avoid expanses of surface parking and requirencourage the
consolidation and location of parking to the rear or side of
buildings where appropriate.
LU-P-43 When updating the Development Code’s parking standards or
preparing specific plans, Eevaluate parking ratios for the Town
Center to balance the financial feasibility of development
projects with the provision of adequate parking for visitors.
Coordinate with developers and transit agencies to the extent
possible to provide alternative modes of transportation to
allow for reduced parking requirements.
LU-P-44 When warranted, Require a feasibility study should be
prepared for any hotels proposed in the Town Center area to
demonstrate market demand and economic viability.
2.0 LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 6
Community Core Overlay
LU-P-45 PrepareRequire that a master plan or specific plan be
prepared for any future development within the Community
Core overlay area that creates a master-planned mixed-use,
pedestrian-oriented community and regional destination.
Approximately 100 acres north of Grand Avenue is to support
a park or consolidated golf course along with additional
community or civic uses. The southern portion is to
accommodate a mix of uses emphasizing destination and
specialty retail, dining, and entertainment, including
opportunities for residential, hospitality, and community and
civic uses.
LU-P-46 Where appropriate, Rrequire development to provide
courtyards and plazas, public art, and landscaped open
spaces and pathways between buildings that promote safe
and convenient pedestrian movement.
LU-P-47 Require that bBuildings should be designed to define the
public realm and promote sidewalk activity and
neighborhood interaction in public spaces.
LU-P-48 PromoteRequire convenient, attractive, and safe pedestrian,
bicycle, and transit connections both within the Community
Core area and between the Community Core and
surrounding neighborhoods and other destinations within
Diamond Bar.
LU-P-50 Where practicable, Require that parking be consolidated and
located parking in a manner that encourages pedestrian
activity. Avoid expanses of surface parking (see Chapter 3,
Community Character and Placemaking).
Public Facilities, Open Space, and Hillsides
GOALS
LU-G-27 Designate adequate and equitably-distributed land
throughout the community for educational, cultural,
recreational, and public service activities to meet the needs of
Diamond Bar residents.
LU-G-28 Preserve open space, ridgelines, and hillsides to protect the
visual character of the city, provide for public outdoor
recreation, conserve natural resources, support groundwater
2.0 LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 7
recharge, protect existing and planned wildlife corridors, and
ensure public safety.
For the purposes of this goal, Oopen space is defined as any
parcel or area of land or water that is essentially
unimproved and devoted to open space use, which may
include the preservation of natural resources, the managed
production of resources, outdoor recreation, the protection
of public health and safety, support for the mission of
military installations, or the protection of tribal cultural
resources (California Government Code Sections 51075
and 65560). Unimproved land that is designated for other
uses is considered vacant land rather than open space but
may become open space if it is dedicated, acquired by a
public entity, or otherwise preserved in perpetuity.
Dedicated open spaces are designated on the Land Use
Diagram with the Open Space land use classification.
POLICIES
LU-P-52 When opportunities arise, Ccollaborate with public service
providers and agencies including, but not limited to, the Los
Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, Walnut
Valley and Pomona school districts, Los Angeles County
Sheriff's Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and
Walnut Valley Water District to designate and pursue
acquisition of land for public facilities as necessary to serve
unmet facility needs of Diamond Bar residents.
LU-P-56 Ensure that development on privately-owned, residentially
designated land in hillside areas is compatible with surrounding
natural areas by promoting the following design
principlesrequiring that development:
a. Minimizes—as articulated by the landform grading criteria
of the Development Code’s Hillside Management
regulationsOrdinance—excavation, grading, and
earthwork to retain natural vegetation and topography;
b. Preserves existing vistas of significant hillside features such
as ridgelines, particularly from public places;
c. Does not create unsafe conditions;
d. Incorporate site and architectural designs that areand is
sensitive to natural contours and land forms andin its site
design, including hydrological features;
2.0 LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | LAND USE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 8
e. Preserves natural watersheds, including existing vegetation
within undeveloped hillside areas to the maximum extent
feasible, including mature trees and native plant materials;
f. PermitsIncorporate fuel modification as part of the Fire
Department’sDistrict’s approved fuel modification
program;
g. Utilizes planting palettes consisting of drought tolerant, fire
resistant, non-invasive plants that are native to or
compatible with those colors similar to those of native
materials in the surrounding area; and
h. Groups plants within swale areas to more closely reflect
natural conditions within landform graded slopes.
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Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | COMMUNITY CHARACTER & PLACEMAKING 1
CHAPTER 3
COMMUNITY CHARACTER & PLACEMAKING
Revised Policies
October 8, 2019
Overall Character and Design
City Identity
CC-P-2 RequireIncorporate prominent corner architectural features,
such as prominent entries or corner towers, on new
development at key intersections or gateways.
CC-P-3 RequireEncourage new mixed-use development to
incorporate public art that celebrates the history and
character of Diamond Bar to reinforce community identity,
create unique places, and provide a basis for community
pride and ownership.
Streetscapes and Building to Street Interface
CC-P-8 Where sound walls or perimeter walls or fences are permitted,
require them tothey should be stylistically integrated with
adjacent structures and terrain, and to use landscaping and
vegetation to soften their appearance.
Parks and Open Spaces
CC-P-13 Encourage Require that landscaped common public spaces
areto be incorporated into new mixed-use development.
CC-P-16 RequireEnsure that common spaces be integrated elements of
development, coordinating landscaping and amenities with
the projects' architecture and character.
Site Planning and Parking
CC-P-21 Require sSite plans shouldto be designed to create pedestrian-
oriented neighborhoods that follow these guidelines:
a. Buildings should be oriented to the street;
3.0 COMMUNITY CHARACTER & PLACEMAKING
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | COMMUNITY CHARACTER & PLACEMAKING 2
b. Garages and parking areas should be screened and/or
located at the side or rear of properties wherever possible;
and
c. Landscaping, sidewalk conditions, and other streetscape
elements should be improved during rehabilitation and
new construction.
CC-P-23 Where appropriate and feasible, Llocate and orient active
uses (such as commercial uses and parks) along the street
edges of new mixed-use development, at street corners, or
along main roadways internal to larger developments.
Building Massing and Design
CC-P-28 Adopt Development Code standards that provide
measurable criteria to eEnsure that new development does
not cast significant shadows over existing development.
Require detailed shadow studies as part of development
review where appropriate.
CC-P-33 RequireEncourage new mixed-use and commercial
development to incorporate visual quality and interest in
architectural design on all visible sides of buildings through the
following approaches:
a. Utilizing varied massing and roof types, floor plans, detailed
planting design, or color and materials;
b. Maintaining overall harmony while providing smaller-scale
variety; and
c. Articulating building facades with distinctive architectural
features like awnings, windows, doors, and other such
elements.
3.0 COMMUNITY CHARACTER & PLACEMAKING
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | COMMUNITY CHARACTER & PLACEMAKING 3
Neighborhood Mixed Use Focus Area
CC-P-36 Develop specific building height and other development
standards through implementation mechanisms such as the
City's Development CodeZoning Ordinance and master or
specific plans.
Town Center Mixed Use Focus Area
CC-P-42 Prioritize retail and other uses that promote pedestrian activity
onRestrict the ground floor of buildings to retail and other uses
that promote pedestrian activity.
CC-P-45 Require tThe design of new development shouldto be
pedestrian-oriented, with the majority of building frontages
located at the new street edge and with entrances located
along the roadway or along pedestrian pathways or public
spaces.
CC-P-46 RequireEnsure that new buildings to employ horizontal and
vertical building articulation and diversity in color, materials,
scale, texture, and building volumes.
Transit-Oriented Mixed Use Focus Area
CC-P-52 Work with the City of Industry to hHighlight gateways and
access to the transit facilities through landscape and signage
improvements.
CC-P-56 Require a public park in the area west of South Lemon Avenue
and south of East Walnut Drive as part of a redevelopment
proposal that transitions the area in accordance with the TOD-
MU land use designation. (No longer applicable because this
area has been detached from the proposed TOD-MU district.)
CC-P-57 ImprovePromote the pedestrian comfort and safety of
crosswalks along South Brea Canyon Road and South Lemon
Avenue.
CC-P-59 Consolidate parking underground or in shared structures away
from the street edge. Wwhere possible., aAbove-grade
parking structures should be wrapped with residential uses
3.0 COMMUNITY CHARACTER & PLACEMAKING
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | COMMUNITY CHARACTER & PLACEMAKING 4
where they front onto active streets. If active uses are not
feasible, frontages should be architecturally attractive. This
may include unique designs and materials such as glass,
articulated masonry, murals, or landscaping setbacks.
Community Core Focus Area
CC-P-60 Require that bBuildings should be designed to define the
public realm and promote sidewalk activity and public spaces
for neighborhood interaction.
CC-P-62 Create a fine-grained pedestrian-scaled street network and
requireensure that buildings and streetscapes to encourage
pedestrian activity and comfort.
CC-P-63 Require that pParking should be consolidated and located in
a manner that encourages pedestrian activity. Avoid
expanses of surface parking.
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | CIRCULATION 1
CHAPTER 3
CIRCULATION
Revised Goal and Policies
October 8, 2019
Transportation Network and Street Design
POLICIES
CR-P-1 When redesigning streets, plan for the needs of different
modes by incorporatingconsidering elements such as shade
for pedestrians, safe pedestrian-friendly crossings/intersections,
lighting at the pedestrian scale, bike lanes, signage visible to
relevant modes, transit amenities, etc.
CR-P-2 Require thatPromote new street designs and efforts to retrofit
existing streets in residential neighborhoods minimize traffic
volumes and/or speed as appropriate without compromising
connectivity for emergency vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians,
and users of mobility devices.
CR-P-5 Require nNecessary transportation improvements toshould be
in place, or otherwise guaranteed to be installed in a timely
manner, before or concurrent with new development. In
evaluating whether a transportation improvement is
necessary, consider alternatives to the improvement
consistent with CR-G-1, and the extent to which the
improvement will offset the traffic impacts generated by
proposed and expected development.
CR-P-6 Require that all new development study the impact of vehicle
miles traveled (VMT) andContinue to implement congestion
mitigation measures to ensure that new projects do not
significantly increase local City congestion based on defined
level of service (LOS) standards.
CR-P-7 Support the Ddevelopment of City street design standards
that:
a. Address the needs of different modes according to
roadway classification;
b. Reduce the potential for conflicts and safety risks between
modes; and
c. Support and manage the use of transportation options that
will become increasingly popular in the future, such as
TNCs, AVs, micro-transit (privately operated transit), and
other emerging transportation technologies.
4.0 CIRCULATION
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | CIRCULATION 2
Safety
CR-P-22 Implement traffic calming measures to slow traffic on local and
collector residential streets and prioritize these measures over
congestion management where appropriate and feasible.
Transportation Demand Management
CR-P-24 As opportunities arise, cCoordinate with local, regional, and
State agencies to encourage and support programs that
reduce vehicle miles traveled, such as preferential carpool
and car share parking, parking pricing, on-site childcare,
flexible work schedules, subsidized transit passes, and
ridesharing.
Inter-Jurisdictional Coordination
CR-P-26 As opportunities arise, Ccoordinate with other jurisdictions,
including neighboring cities, Los Angeles County, San
Bernardino County, and Caltrans, on improvements to street
segments common to the City of Diamond Bar and other
jurisdictions.
CR-P-28 As opportunities arise Ccoordinate with Pomona Unified
School District and City of Chino Hills to ensure the timely design
and construction of secondary access to Diamond Ranch High
School that would not substantially increase traffic in
surrounding residential neighborhoods.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation
POLICIES
Bicycle and Pedestrian Network
CR-P-31 Consider updatingUpdate the Parks and Recreation Master
Plan using community input and best practices to identify
bicycle infrastructure needs such as gaps in the network,
prioritize facilities and improvements, and identify funding for
proposed facilities. Review and update the plan as necessary.
CR-P-32 ProvidePromote pedestrian and bicycle connectivity in
existing residential neighborhoods, utility easements, and/or
flood control channels, including connections through cul-de-
sacs to other streets or community facilities where feasible.
CR-P-34 As opportunities arise, Ccollaborate with neighboring
jurisdictions and colleges such as Cal Poly Pomona and Mt. San
4.0 CIRCULATION
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | CIRCULATION 3
Antonio College to establish a safe and efficient bicycle route
between Diamond Bar and these institutions.
Design and Programs
CR-P-36 Where appropriate, Pplant street trees and provide
landscaping along major pedestrian and bicycle routes to
provide shade and barriers between cyclists and motorists, as
well as enhance aesthetics.
CR-P-38 If warranted by demand, sStudy the feasibility of implementing
a bike share program to connect neighborhoods and major
destinations, such as the Transit-Oriented, Neighborhood, Town
Center, and Community Core Overlay mixed-use areas; local
schools and colleges; parks; and commercial centers.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Movement in Mixed Use Areas
CR-P-39 Ensure a safe environment for pedestrians and cyclists while
allowing for local traffic to access freeways in the
Neighborhood Mixed Use area through the following
strategies:
a. Traffic calming measures such as reduced vehicle speed
limits and road narrowing; (Redundant; see b below.)
a. Widening sidewalks, providing planting strips between
sidewalks and streets and providing pedestrian amenities
such as shade trees and street furniture along Diamond Bar
Boulevard;
b. Implementing traffic calming measures such as reduced
vehicle speeds, striping and signageroad diets along
Diamond Bar Boulevard;
c. Buffering bike lanes along Diamond Bar Boulevard;
d. Enhancing pedestrian crossings at the intersection of
Diamond Bar Boulevard and Sunset Crossing Road, at
Diamond Bar Boulevard and Highland Valley Road, and at
Diamond Bar Boulevard and the SR-60 on/off ramps; and
e. Incorporating multi-use pathways internal to new
development and connecting to existing development.
Safety
CR-P-42 Develop and implement Safe Routes to School and Safe
Routes for Seniors programs in collaboration with interested
4.0 CIRCULATION
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | CIRCULATION 4
stakeholders such as school districts, senior living facilities, and
community organizations to encourage active transportation
among students and seniors while ensuring student and senior
safety.
CR-P-43 When planning capital improvement programs, consider
projects that Sstrengthen the protection of cyclists in bike lanes
by implementing improvements such as increasing visibility of
lane markings and signage, increasing bike lane widths, raising
lanes, designing safer intersection crossings and turns, and
buffering lanes from traffic wherever feasible, prioritizing
bicycle lanes along arterials.
Public Transportation
GOALS
CR-G-13 MaximizeSupport the availability, efficiency, and effectiveness
of Integrate transit nodes and connections with adjacent
existing and proposed developments and destinations—such
as employment centers, commercial centers, major
attractions, and public pedestrian spaces—to make them
more accessible to transit users.
POLICIES
CR-P-46 Where feasible, Iintegrate transit nodes and connections with
adjacent existing and proposed developments and
destinations—such as employment centers, commercial
centers, major attractions, and public pedestrian spaces—to
make them more accessible to transit users.
CR-P-47 As opportunities arise, Ccoordinate with Foothill Transit,
Metrolink, and other transit providers to incorporate real-time
information systems at transit stops so that passengers will know
when their vehicle is expected to arrive.
CR-P-48 As opportunities arise, Wwork with Foothill Transit to maintain
and improve bus stops and shelters, as well as identify areas
where service can be improved or expanded to increase
system use.
CR-P-50 As opportunities arise, Ccoordinate with Metrolink and Union
Pacific Railroad (UPRR) to provide more frequent service at the
City of Industry station, including service for shorter trips, to
increase the convenience and use of transit.
CR-P-51 Continue to sSupport, where feasible, privately funded local
transit systems that are accessible for seniors, youths, and
4.0 CIRCULATION
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | CIRCULATION 5
individuals with disabilities, to ensure that all community
members have the ability to travel while decreasing
congestion.
Parking
POLICIES
CR-P-53 UpdateConsider updating parking standards in the
MunicipalDevelopment Code to ensure that they are
reflective of the community’s needs, using current data on
parking demand and taking into consideration demographics
and access to alternative modes of transportation.
CR-P-54 Consider incorporatingIncorporate criteria in the
MunicipalDevelopment Code to allow reductions in parking
requirements in exchange for VMT reduction measures.
CR-P-55 Consider the establishment of Incorporate common bicycle
parking requirements for appropriate uses— including multi-
family residential and office—in the Municipal Code.
CR-P-56 Establish requirements to provideEncourage dedicated
parking and charging stations for Eelectric Vvehicles.
CR-P-57 Consider incentives to encourage carpooling, such as
Incentivize the provision of preferential parking for high-
occupancy vehicles to encourage carpooling.
CR-P-59 As opportunities arise, Wwork with Caltrans to evaluate existing
Caltrans-operated park-n-ride facilities within the City and
expand the facilities where necessary.
Goods Movement
POLICIES
Truck Routes
CR-P-62 Revise the designation of truck routes to minimize truck traffic
through or near residential areas. Maintain truck routes with
signage between industrial areas and freeway interchanges to
discourage truck travel through residential neighborhoods,
and provide truck route information to truck routing software
providers.
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General Plan 2040: Joint City Council/Planning Commission Meeting #5 | Page 1 of 7
October 8, 2019
JOINT MEETING of the
CITY COUNCIL and
PLANNING COMMISSION
AGENDA REPORT
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER: 3
MEETING DATE: October 8, 2019
TITLE: GENERAL PLAN UPDATE – REVIEW AND DISCUSSION
OF THE GENERAL PLAN 2040 PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT
CHAPTERS 5 THROUGH 8, PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT
CLIMATE ACTION PLAN, AND DRAFT EIR
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive the staff presentation, receive public comments, and provide feedback on the
Public Review Draft General Plan Chapters 5 through 8 and the Public Review Draft
Climate Action Plan to facilitate the preparation of the public hearing draft documents.
BACKGROUND:
At the September 25, 2019 Joint Study Session, the first four chapters of the Public
Hearing Draft General Plan were reviewed. The purpose of this Joint Study Session is to
conclude the Draft General Plan discussion by covering the remaining four chapters, and
then discuss the goals and objectives of the Draft Climate Action Plan (CAP).
In addition, staff will provide an overview of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)
prepared to evaluate the potential environmental effects of implementing the General
Plan and CAP. However, it is not the intent of this meeting to receive public comments
on the DEIR; comments should be made in writing and submitted directly to the
Community Development Department no later than the end of the public review period on
October 31, 2019. Comments received by the deadline will be included in the Final EIR,
along with written responses prepared in accordance with the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA).
DISCUSSION:
Draft General Plan Chapters 5 through 8
Chapter 5 – Resource Conservation
Conservation and open space elements are among the seven general plan elements
mandated under State law. A conservation element is required to provide guidance for
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October 8, 2019
the conservation, development, and utilization of natural resources, including water
quality and hydraulic force, forests, soils, rivers and other waters, harbors, fisheries,
wildlife, minerals, and others as applicable to each jurisdiction. An open space element
is intended to ensure that cities and counties recognize that open space land is a limited
and valuable resource, and that they prepare and carry out open space plans to guide
the comprehensive long-range preservation and conservation of open space land. The
Resource Conservation Chapter is a combination of these two required elements, as
several of the issues addressed under each topic are closely related.
Local natural resources play a major role in making the Diamond Bar a unique and
desirable place to live. When asked what they love about their City, Diamond Bar
residents rank its open spaces and the diversity of plants and wildlife that inhabit those
areas alongside our safe, attractive neighborhoods and excellent schools.
The Draft General Plan recognizes that Diamond Bar is largely built out, and to preserve
and protect the character of our natural setting, most new growth must be achieved
through infill development and by accommodating intensification within the identified
focus areas. The Resource Conservation Chapter provides policies to guide the City’s
stewardship of its resources, ensuring the conserva tion and enhancement of open
spaces, biological resources, water and air quality, and cultural resources.
Chapter 6 – Public Facilities & Services
This Chapter sets forth the policy framework for the City to manage infrastructure and
services, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that public utilities, services, and
programs can meet the needs of the community into the future.
This Chapter is organized into three major topics areas: Parks and Recreation , Schools
and Community Facilities, and Utilities. The Goals and Policies applicable to these topics
emphasize the following strategies:
• Parks and Recreation
o Maintain and expand the City’s system of parks, recreation facilities, open spaces
and trails to meet current and future recreational needs.
o Prioritize the dedication new parks over the payment of in -lieu fees in conjunction
with residential development where possible.
• Schools and Community Facilities
o Continue to support efforts to maintain the excellence of our public schools
o Continue to provide all residents with access to high quality learning opportunities
in cooperation with the two school districts, the L.A. County Library system and
community organizations
o Continue to provide and expand opportunities for all residents to gather, interact,
exchange ideas, and establish and realize common goals.
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• Utilities
o Maintain and upgrade the City’s infrastructure systems to ensure that utilities and
municipal services meet the current and future needs of the City.
o Work with telecommunications providers to deliver the best services possible to
Diamond Bar residents, businesses and visitors.
Chapter 7 – Public Safety
The purpose of this Chapter is to identify the natural and man-made public health and
safety hazards that exist within the City, and to establish preventative and responsive
policies and programs to mitigate their potential impacts, particularly in light of our unique
environmental, seismic, and topographic condition s. This Chapter also addresses the
excellent public safety services provided by the L.A. County Sheriff’s and Fire
Departments, and endorses the continuation of the contract model of government for the
continuation of these services. Lastly, the Public Safety Chapter addresses noise and
serves to limit the exposure of the community to excessive noise levels.
The Chapter includes up-to-date and detailed maps of the City’s hazard areas by
category, which are to be used to guide the ongoing development of plans and strategies
to prepare for and protect the community from wildfire threats, geologic events, and other
potential hazards. The Goals and Policies emphasize partnerships with local, regional
and State agencies to ensure the City’s readiness for public safety threats through action
plans and educational efforts.
Chapter 8 – Community Health and Sustainability
The topics covered in this Chapter include relatively recent State law requirements that
general plans include “environmental justice” policies that identify any disadvantaged
communities within the Planning Area, and provide policies to reduce the unique or
compounded health risks facing those communities. The additional health -related
sections of this chapter are not required by State law, but address issues identified
through community outreach efforts to be important to Diamond Bar residents.
The Goals and Policies in this Chapter identify strategies to facilitate healthy and active
lifestyles, social connections and celebrating diversity, access to healthy food, and
climate change resilience. Many of these strategies could be incorporated into existing
or future City programs and Development Code standards.
Revisions to Draft Policy Language
Comments received at the September 25, 2019 joint meeting regarding the regulatory
tone of several draft policies in Chapters 1 through 4 used led staff to prepare rephrased
Goals and Policies for those chapters. To address similar concerns likely to be expressed
regarding the policy language in Chapters 5 through 8, staff prepared redline/strikeout
revisions to similarly written Goals and Policies in those chapters for the Planning
Commissioners and Councilmembers to consider. These revised Goals and Policies are
included in Attachment 1.
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As with Chapters 1 through 4, the proposed text revisions to not alter the intent of the
draft Goals and Policies. The General Plan is the City’s governing policy document and
all actions taken or authorized by the City must be consistent with the General Plan.
Climate Action Plan
Beginning in 2006, the State Legislature and Executive branch passed a series of laws
and Executive Orders collectively mandating that California reduce its greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. SB 97 further requires that
GHG emissions be analyzed as part of the CEQA review process (EIRs, for example).
To reach these targeted reductions, the California Air Resources Board (CARB)
recommends that local governments target six metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent
(MTCO2e) per person per year by 2030, and 2 MTCO2e by 2050.
A Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a comprehensive inventory of specific activities a public
agency should undertake to reduce greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions that originate
within its jurisdiction. The City of Diamond Bar has prepared a draft Climate Action Plan
to document how it will be able to reduce its GHG emissions in compliance with state
mandates and goals.
The Draft CAP applies broadly accepted climate science methodologies to estimate
Diamond Bar’s per capita MTCO2e emissions for the Draft General Plan’s horizon year.
Because current regulations only set forth 2030 and 2050 targets, the Diamond Bar CAP
interpolates 4 MTCO2e to be the target for 2040.
The Draft CAP finds that with the Policies set forth in the Draft General Plan, Diamond
Bar will meet its mandated GHG reduction targets without being subject to additional GHG
reduction measures. Examples of such Policies include those promoting compact, mixed -
use development in the proposed Focus Areas , and facilitating other modes of
transportation through such means as expanding the City’s bikeway network and
accommodating electric vehicle infrastructure.
In addition to validating the Draft General Plan’s role in meeting Diamond Bar’s GHG
reduction targets, the City would benefit from adopting a Climate Action Plan in two more
ways. First, CAPs are currently the most defensible approach to CEQA GHG analyses .
Previous attempts to apply statewide GHG reduction standards have been successfully
overturned by the California Supreme Court.1 Because CAPs specifically tailor GHG
reductions to the local level (which may be more restrictive than statewide standards),
they more likely to survive legal challenges.
Secondly, CAPs enable streamlined GHG analyses for future development projects.
Once a climate action plan has been adopted, later, project-specific environmental
documents may rely upon that plan and its environmental impact report to streamline
project-level evaluation of GHG impacts under CEQA. This approach has been tested
1 Ctr. for Biological Diversity v. Dep't of Fish & Wildlife, (2015) 62 Cal.4th 204, 225, as modified on denial of
reh'g (Feb. 17, 2016).
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and upheld by the California Supreme Court.2 This streamlining process should also help
to reduce costs when preparing environmental analys es for subsequent projects. For
example, if individual projects are consistent with the CAP, then GHG impacts are unlikely
to be significant and no additional mitigation and monitoring measures should be required.
On October 3, 2019, SoCalGas submitted an undated letter to the City regarding the
environmental benefits of natural gas (Attachment 2). The comments relate to Chapter 4
of the Draft CAP, which consists of optional measures to further reduce GHG emissions,
but are not required to meet our 2040 GHG target based on the methodologies used to
estimate GHG emissions.
Environmental Impact Report
The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) evaluates the potential impacts of the
proposed General Plan update and CAP in accordance with the CEQA. For purposes of
brevity, the proposed General Plan Update and CAP are collectively referred to in the
DEIR as the “Proposed Project.”
The purpose of an EIR is to inform decision-makers and the general public of the potential
significant environmental impacts of a proposed project. An EIR must also consider the
availability of mitigation measures to minimize significant impacts and evaluate
reasonable alternatives to a project that may reduce or avoid significant environmental
effects.
The DEIR prepared for the Proposed Project is a program EIR that evaluates these policy
documents as a whole, and broadly identifies the effects that may occur with their
implementation. As a programmatic document, this DEIR does not assess site-specific
impacts. Any future development project made possible by the Proposed Project would
be subject to individual, site-specific environmental review, as required by State law. The
DEIR represents the best effort to evaluate the Proposed Project given their planning
horizon through the year 2040.
The DEIR concludes that the Draft General Plan’s Goals and Policies mitigate most of
the potential impacts associated with its implementation. However, the DEIR also finds
that the Proposed Project is not entirely self-mitigating, and identifies 11 mitigation
measures that subsequent projects would be subject to. The DEIR also finds that the
number of potentially significant, unavoidable impacts is lower than it would be if the
General Plan was not updated; this is primarily due to policies encouraging mixed-use,
infill development.
Organization of the DEIR
To assist the reader in navigating the DEIR, it begins with an Executive Summary that
provides a detailed synopsis of the Proposed Project, and a summary of environmental
impact findings contained in the body of the DEIR. The Executive Summary includes
2 Center for Biological Diversity v. Department of Fish & Wildlife (2015) 62 Cal.4th 204, 230; Mission Bay Alliance
v. Office of Community Investment & Infrastructure (2016) 6 Cal.App.5th 160.
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tables that list all potentially significant impacts identified throughout the DEIR, as well as
all mitigation measures that can be imposed at the local level to reduce those impacts.
The Executive Summary provides a concise roadmap to the DEIR, and is intended to help
the reader navigate the document more efficiently by identifying areas of controversy, and
which sections most likely merit a full reading based on the reader’s expertise, interests,
areas of concern, or other criteria.
Following the Executive Summary, the DEIR is organized into the following chapters:
1. Introduction – Introduces the purpose for the EIR, explains the EIR process, and the
intended uses of the document.
2. Project Description – Describes in detail the proposed General Plan and CAP,
including the location and planning boundaries, purpose and objectives, buildout, and
implementation.
3. Environmental Settings and Impacts – Analyzes the environmental impacts of the
Proposed Project. Project Impacts are organized by major topic. Each topic area
includes a description of the environmental setting, significance criteria, methodology
and potential impacts.
4. Analysis of Alternatives – Presents a reasonable range of alternatives to the
Proposed Project including the No Project Alternative and two General Plan
alternatives; provides discussion of environmental impacts associated with each
alternative, compares the relative impacts of each alternative to those of the Proposed
Project and other alternatives, discusses the relationship of each alternative to the
Proposed Project’s objectives, and identifies the environmentally superior alternative.
5. CEQA Required Conclusions – Summarizes significant environmental impacts,
including growth-inducing, cumulative, and significant and unavoidable impacts;
significant irreversible environmental change; and impacts found not to be significant.
6. References – Lists documents and other information sources used in the preparation
of the EIR.
7. List of Preparers – Identifies the persons and organizations that contributed to the
preparation of the EIR.
8. Appendices – Includes all agency and public comments received during the public
scoping period prior to the preparation of the DEIR, as well as technical documentation
of data used for environmental analysis in the EIR.
EIR Certification
The following overview of the EIR certification process describes the procedures
mandated by CEQA that the City must follow prior to adopting the General Plan and CAP.
• Public Review – The DEIR was distributed for review to the public and interested and
affected agencies for a period of 45 days to provide comments on the sufficiency of
the document. Electronic copies were mailed to the California Office of Planning and
Research State Clearinghouse for distribution to State agencies. The City also mailed
electronic copies to various public agencies, tribal organizations and public utilities.
The DEIR was also posted on the General Plan Update website
(www.diamondbargp.com), and hardcopies were made available for review at City
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October 8, 2019
Hall and the Diamond Bar Public Library. The public comment period began on
September 16, 2019, and concludes on October 31, 2019. Comments received as of
the writing of this report consisted requests to extend the public by at least 45
additional days.
• Final EIR – Following the end of the public review period, the City, will consider all
comments and will provide written responses to comments received on the DEIR. All
comments and responses will be included in the Final EIR (FEIR). The response to
comments, a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP), Findings of Fact,
and a Statement of Overriding Considerations for any impacts identified in the EIR as
significant and unavoidable will be prepared and compiled as part of the EIR
finalization process.
• Planning Commission Hearing – The Planning Commission will conduct a public
hearing prior to adopting resolutions with recommendations to the City Council
whether to certify the FEIR and adopt the General Plan and CAP. The FEIR will be
available for public review at least 10 days before the public hearing in order to provide
commenters the opportunity to review the written responses to their comment letters.
• City Council Hearing – The culmination of this process is a public hearing where the
City Council will determine whether to certify the Final EIR, and then whether to adopt
the General Plan and CAP.
NEXT STEPS:
Should the Councilmembers and Commissioners wish to discuss these topics further, a
third Joint Meeting will be scheduled for October 22, 2019. If not, staff will prepare the
Public Hearing Draft General Plan and CAP, and Final EIR.
A Planning Commission public hearing to consider recommending certification of the Final
EIR, and adoption of the General Plan and CAP is tentatively scheduled for November
12, 2019, followed by a City Council public hearing tentatively scheduled for December,
3, 2019 to consider certifying the FEIR and adopting the General Plan and CAP.
Prepared by:
___________________________ _________________________
Daniel Fox Greg Gubman, AICP
City Manager Community Development Director
Attachments:
1. Revised Goals and Policies for General Plan 2040 Public Review Draft Chapters 5 -8
2. SoCalGas comments on the Draft Climate Action Plan
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ATTACHMENT 1
Revised Goals and Policies for
General Plan 2040 Public Review Draft
Chapters 5 through 8
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Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | RESOURCE CONSERVATION 1
CHAPTER 5
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
Revised Policies
October 8, 2019
Open Space
RC-P-1 As opportunities arise, Oobtain and designate open space
land through acquisition techniques such as:
a. Requiring the incorporation ofIncorporating open space
and recreational areas into the design of new
development projects, preserving and enhancing as open
space significant stands of vegetation, natural landforms,
and any areas of special ecological significance through
site design approaches such as clustering and ecological
planning.
b. Allowing clustering or transferring of all or part of the
development potential of a site to a portion of the site to
preserve significant environmental resources such as
natural and native habitats (oak woodland, coastal sage
scrub, etc.), natural creeks, artesian springs, vernal pools,
seeps, riverines, wetlands, riparian habitats, wildlife corridors
and linkages, and natural geological features within
proposed developments as open space.
c. Allowing for acquisition of open space lands through the
entitlement process and the transfer of densities among
land uses of like designation.
d. Collaborating with land trusts and other conservation
groups to acquire open space land through, but not limited
to, conservation easements.
RC-P-4 Maintain an inventory of open lands whichthat were set aside
for open space uses as part of previous developments
approvedals through the County prior to City incorporation,
and require verification as to the existence of any potential
open space restrictions previously approved on a subject
property prior to acceptingapproving development
proposals.
RC-P-8 WorkSupport and cooperate with the efforts of other
jurisdictions and conservation organizations to protect
prominent ridges, slopes, and hilltops in and adjacent to the
City and its Sphere of Influence to the extent feasible.
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Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | RESOURCE CONSERVATION 2
Such features include, but are not limited to, areas identified
by Los Angeles County as Significant Ecological Areas; Tonner
Canyon; the hills within Tres Hermanos Ranch; and the hillsides
along SR-57, between Diamond Bar and Brea.
Biological Resources
RC-P-9 Require, as part of the environmental review process prior to
approval of discretionary development projects involving
parcels within, adjacent to, or surrounding a significant
biological resource area, a biotic resources evaluation of the
site by a qualified biologist, requiring that time-specific issues
such as the seasonal cycle of plants and migration of wildlife
are evaluated. Such evaluation shall analyze the existing and
potential natural resources of given site following at least one
site visit as well as the potential for significant adverse impacts
on biological resources, and shall identify measures to avoid,
minimize, or mitigate any impacts that would degrade its
healthy function. In approving any permit based on the
evaluation, the City shall require implementation of mitigation
measures supported by the evaluation, or work with the
applicant to modify the project if mitigation is determined not
to be adequate to reduce the impacts to a non-significant
level.
RC-P-10 Require, to the greatest extent feasible, new development to
preserve mature native trees including oak and walnut, and
trees of significant cultural or historical value such as sycamore
and arroyo willow, etc., as set forth under the Diamond Bar Tree
Preservation and Protection Ordinance. Review the ordinance
periodically and update it as necessary to reflect current best
practices.
RC-P-11 Require that all development, including roads and trails,
proposed adjacent to riparian and other biologically sensitive
habitats avoid, to the greatest extent feasible, significant
impacts that would undermine the healthy natural functioning
of those areas. Require that new development proposed in
such locations be designed to:
a. Minimize to the greatest extent possible or eliminate
impacts on environmentally sensitive areas;
b. Protect the visual seclusion of forage areas from road
intrusion by providing vegetative buffering;
c. Protectvide wildlife movement linkages to water, food,
shelter, and nesting sites;
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Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | RESOURCE CONSERVATION 3
d. Allow wildlife and migration access by use of tunnels or
other practical means;
e. Provide vegetation that can be used by wildlife for cover
along roadsides;
f. Avoid intrusion of night lighting into identified areas through
properly designed lighting systems;
g. Avoid impacts to wetlands, natural springs and seeps and
maintain access for wildlife or when natural water areas are
removed or blocked provide a locally suitable and equal
replacement; and
h. To the greatest extent possible, prevent street water runoff
from flowing into waterways
RC-P-14 PartnerSupport and cooperate with the efforts of local school
districts, environmental groups and volunteers to offer
environmental education programs.
Water Resources
Water Conservation
RC-P-16 As opportunities arise, Ccoordinate with local water agencies
to encourage and expand the use of reclaimed water, stored
rainwater, or household gray water for irrigation and other
appropriate uses and consider construction of dual water
systems, where feasible, for development
RC-P-18 Carry out a comprehensive public outreach program to
educate residents and businesses about water conservation,
stormwater pollution prevention, and water reuse
opportunities and advantages. (This policy essentially restates
the objectives already set forth in Policy RC-P-16.)
RC-P-19 RequireEnsure new development to reduce the waste of
potable water through the use of drought-tolerant plants,
efficient landscape design and application, and reclaimed
water systems where available.
RC-P-20 RequireEncourage the implementation of the latest water
conservation technologies into new developments.
RC-P-21 RequireEnsure buildersdevelopers to provide information to
prospective buyers or tenants within the City of Diamond Bar
regarding drought-tolerant planting concepts.
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Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | RESOURCE CONSERVATION 4
RC-P-22 Require the use of mulch in landscape areas to improve the
water holding capacity of the soil by reducing evaporation
and soil compaction in accordance with the standards set
forth by state law and the City’s Water-Efficient Landscape
Ordinance. (Policy is unnecessary because the City’s Water-
Efficient Landscape Ordinance already sets forth requirements
for soil amendments and other methods to minimize
evapotranspiration.)
Water Quality
RC-P-25 Control and improve the quality of stormwater entering local
water bodies by requiring new development to incorporate
best management practices (BMPs), and Low Impact
Development (LID) strategies that support on-site retention,
detention, and/or treatment of stormwater through means
such as infiltration, evapotranspiration, biofiltration, and rainfall
harvest and use. (Policy is unnecessary because it is merely
reciting existing State water quality regulations.)
RC-P-26 Require the implementation of a stormwater pollution
prevention plan (SWPPP), and inspection by a Construction
General Permit Qualified SWPPP Practitioner (QSP), during
construction and post construction to limit land disturbance
activities such as clearing and grading and cut-and-fill; avoid
steep slopes, unstable areas, and erosive soils; and minimize
disturbance of natural vegetation and other physical or
biological features important to preventing erosion or
sedimentation. (Policy is unnecessary because it is merely
reciting existing State water quality regulations.)
RC-P-27 RequireEnsure that post-development peak stormwater runoff
discharge rates do not exceed the estimated pre-
development rate and that dry weather runoff from new
development not exceed the pre-development baseline flow
rate to receiving water bodies.
Air Quality
RC-P-33 Consult with SCAQMD when siting new facilities with dust,
odors, or Toxic Air Contaminant (TAC) emissions to avoid siting
those facilities near sensitive receptors and avoid siting
sensitive receptors near sources of air pollution. Require
proposed land uses that produce TACs to incorporate
setbacks and design features that reduce TACs at the source
to minimize potential impacts from TACs. For new or modified
land uses that have the potential to emit dust, odors, or TACs
that would impact sensitive receptors require the business
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Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 | RESOURCE CONSERVATION 5
owners to notify the SCAQMD, and residents and businesses
adjacent to the proposed use prior to business license or
building permit issuance. (New from SCAQMD Guidance)
Examples of facilities that may emit TACs as identified by the
SCAQMD include dry cleaners, gas stations, auto body shops,
furniture repair shops, warehouses, printing shops, landfills,
recycling and transfer stations, and freeways and roadways.
Refer to SCAQMD guidance for the most current list of facilities
that may emit TACs.
RC-P-34 For new or modified land uses that have the potential to emit
dust, odors, or TACs that would impact sensitive receptors,
require the business owners to obtain all necessary notify the
SCAQMD clearances or permits, and residents and businesses
adjacent to the proposed use prior to business license or
building permit issuance.
Sensitive receptors include residences, schools, childcare
centers, playgrounds, parks and other recreational facilities,
nursing homes, hospitals, and other medical care facilities.
RC-P-39 Address impacts of new development projects that may
individually have insignificant impacts on air quality, but which
together with other projects in the Planning Area may be
cumulative significant by establishing mitigation programs at
the area wide or citywide level. (Deleted because the EIR finds
air quality impacts to be significant and unavoidable due to
Diamond Bar’s location within the South Coast Air Basin. The
EIR nevertheless includes mitigation measures to reduce
project-level impacts based on the latest available technology.)
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |PUBLIC FACILITIES & SERVICES 1
CHAPTER 6
PUBLIC FACILITIES & SERVICES
Revised Goals and Policies
October 8, 2019
Parks and Recreation
Goals
PF-G-2 Provide new parks in concert with new residential
development, and strive to distribute while ensuring that
parkland is distributed equitably acrossthroughout the cCity.
PF-G-3 RequireEnsure that new development bears the costs of new
parks and recreation facilities that are needed to meet any
increase in demand resulting from the new development, or
from which the new development would benefit.
Policies
General
PF-P-6 Monitor and seek to Aactively engage in Cal Poly Pomona’s
plans for the redevelopment of the former Lanterman site, and
seek joint use opportunities for parks and recreation facilities
developed on the site.
Parks & Recreation Facilities
PF-P-7 Endeavor to Ddistribute new parks equitably throughout
Diamond Bar, striving to ensure that residents are within a ¾-
mile radius of a neighborhood park or community park.
PF-P-11 Where appropriate, Ppromote the joint development, use, and
maintenance of parks and open space facilities with adjacent
jurisdictions, the County of Los Angeles, and the State of
California.
PF-P-13 When planning and designing Develop facility,public facilities
and parks, design and site planning standards that take into
consideration accessibility, flexible use, adaptability, energy
and water efficiency, ease of maintenance, and sustainable
design elements that take advantage of the natural processes
of healthy ecosystems, while preserving historic and cultural
resources and sensitive habitats.
PF-P-17 Require thatAddress the recreational needs of all children and
adults, including persons with disabilities, seniors, and
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Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |PUBLIC FACILITIES & SERVICES 2
dependent adults, be addressed in recreational facility
planning efforts.
Trails
PF-P-18 Where feasible, Llink parks, open spaces, and regional hiking
trails with a trail network. Incorporate existing trails and bicycle
and pedestrian infrastructure, working with willing landowners
to prioritize land acquisition where necessary. Where possible,
incorporate landscaping and enhance natural features.
PF-P-19 Consider Updateupdating the Parks and Recreation Master
Plan to include standards for planning, design, management,
and maintenance of trails and pathways within parks,
preserves, open spaces, and rightsof- way. Encourage the
installation of amenities such as rest areas, benches, water
facilities, hitching posts and wayfinding signs serving trails and
scenic routes that adhere to a standard signage palette.
PF-P-20 Strive to Mmaintain the Parks and Recreation Master Plan goal
of at least one mile of recreational trails for each 10,000
persons.
PF-P-22 Consider opportunities to Ppartner with non-profit
organizations to assist in developing and managing the trails
system and providing community outreach and education.
PF-P-23 Coordinate trail planning with regional trail and open space
plans to ensure connectivity and access to the regional trail
system. (Duplicative of PF-P-19.)
Schools and Community Facilities
Policies
Schools
PF-P-26 Support and cooperateWork with Los Angeles County’s efforts
to ensure the adequate provision of library services.
Community Facilites
PF-P-28 As resources become available, Eexplore and pursue the
feasibility of developing dedicated community centers and
programming in Diamond Bar for teens, youth, and seniors.
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Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |PUBLIC FACILITIES & SERVICES 3
Utilities
Policies
Facilities
PF-P-31 Require, when appropriate, the construction of water, sewer,
drainage, and other necessary public facilities, and encourage
storm water capture prior to or concurrent with new development.
PF-P-32 Require, when appropriate, project sponsors to provide all necessary
infrastructure improvements, including the pro rata share of system-
wide improvements.
PF-P-33 Maintain a development fee structure that ensures, when
appropriate, that costs for new capital facilities and expansion of
existing facilities necessitated by the approval of new development
or intensification of existing development are funded by the
proponents or beneficiaries of projects, in proportion to the demand
created by the development.
Water and Wastewater
PF-P-36 Work withSupport the Walnut Valley Water District (WVWD) in efforts
to assess the condition of water distribution and storage systems
within Diamond Bar and plan for refurbishments as needed.
PF-P-37 Support and take part inCollaborate with the WVWD’s efforts to
develop future plans to expand the use of recycled water within
Diamond Bar as additional recycled water supplies become
available.
PF-P-38 As opportunities arise, Wwork with the Los Angeles County Public
Works Department (LACPWD) and Los Angeles County Sanitation
District (LACSD) to ensure that wastewater treatment conveyance
systems and treatment facility capacity is available to serve planned
development within Diamond Bar.
PF-P-41 As resources become available, seek cooperationWork with the
LACFCD to complete a drainage master plan for Diamond Bar with
a view to identifying any deficiencies within the city’s drainage
infrastructure system, and update it periodically, as needed.
Communications
PF-P-42 When resources are available, consider Ddeveloping a plan for the
improvement and expansion of the communications infrastructure
network to address existing infrastructure needs and development
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Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |PUBLIC FACILITIES & SERVICES 4
opportunities, and provide cost effective and efficient solutions,
including exploring the possibility of using City property and rights-of-
way for communication infrastructure sites.
PF-P-43 DeployEncourage the deployment of broadband to as many areas
in the community and key transportation corridors as possible and
pursue additional providers to increase competition and improve
quality of service.
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |PUBLIC SAFETY 1
CHAPTER 7
PUBLIC SAFETY
Revised Goals and Policies
October 8, 2019
Seismic and Geologic Hazards
POLICIES
PS-P-1 Require new emergency facilities subject to City land use
regulations and permitting requirements, including, but not
limited to, fire stations, paramedic services, police stations,
hospitals, ambulance services, and emergency operations
centers be designed to withstand and remain in operation
following the maximum credible earthquake event.
PS-P-4 Carry out a review of City-owned critical facilities that may be
vulnerable to major earthquakes and landslides and develop
programs to upgrade them.
PS-P-6 Prevent and control soil erosion and corresponding landslide
risks on public property and in conjunction with new private
development through hillside protection and management.
Flood Hazards and Protection
Policies
PF-P-7 Work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) as needed to ensure that the City's floodplain
information is up to date with the latest available hydrologic
and hydraulic engineering data.
PS-P-13 As resources become available, Rreduce the flooding impact
of a storm event by enhancing the city's green infrastructure
system to complement the gray infrastructure system where
feasible.
Fire Hazards
POLICIES
PS-P-15 EnsureRequire adherence to applicableDiamond Bar Fire and
Building Codes, including standards for minimum road widths,
and adequate access and clearance for emergency
7.0 PUBLIC SAFETY
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |PUBLIC SAFETY 2
vehicles, and the identification of all roads, streets, and major
public buildings a in a manner that is clearly visible to fire
protection and other emergency vehicles.
Hazardous Materials and Operations
GOALS
PS-G-4 Support the Eenforcement of applicable local, County, State,
and federal regulations pertaining to the manufacture, use,
transportation, storage and disposal of hazardous materials
and wastes in the City with the primary focus on preventing
injury, loss of life, and damage to property resulting from the
potential detrimental effects (short- and long-term) associated
with the release of such substances.
POLICIES
PS-P-26 Prohibit (or oppose when outside of the City’s jurisdiction) the
development of projects that would reasonably be
anticipated to emit hazardous air emissions or handle
extremely hazardous substances within a quarter-mile of a
school.
Emergency and Disaster Management
Policies
PS-P-38 Maintain, review, and update Diamond Bar's Local Hazard
Mitigation Plan as needed to take every five years, taking into
account new hazard conditions in the Planning Area and new
emergency management techniques.
Noise
POLICIES
PF-P-49 RequireEnsure that detailed site-specific noise analysis,
including the identification of noise mitigation measures, be
prepared for all development proposals located where
project noise exposure would be other than normally or
conditionally acceptable as specified in Table 7-1. With
mitigation, development should meet the allowable exterior
and interior noise exposure standards established in the Noise
Control Ordinance.
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |COMMUNITY HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY 1
CHAPTER 8
COMMUNITY HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY
Revised Goals and Policies
October 8, 2019
Active Lifestyle
POLICIES
CHS-P-2 As resources become available and appropriated through the
municipal budget process, Iimprove signs directing residents
and visitors to public parks and recreational facilities from all
parts of the community. Integrate parks and recreation
signage with bikeway and pedestrian-oriented signage
systems throughout Diamond Bar.
CHS-P-5 As opportunities and resource become available, Iimplement
street design features that facilitate walking and biking in both
new and established areas. Require a minimum standard of
these features for all new developments where appropriate
and feasible.
CHS-P-6 Support efforts to Iimprove the conditions for youth walking
and bicycling in the areas surrounding schools by working with
the school district on the Safe Routes to School program. Assess
and prioritize identified Safe Routes to School infrastructure
improvements in annual transportation improvements
budgets.
Social Connection
Policies
CH-P-11 Evaluate and make changes to the project review and
permitting process to eEncourage and facilitate incorporation
of universal lifecycle design principles (design that promotes
the ability to remain in one's house as one ages) in new
residential development, allowing community members to
stay in their homes and neighborhoods longer.
CHS-P-14 Encourage the development ofDevelop and incorporate
“destinations”—such as the clusters of commercial uses that
draw residents from the entire community into the
Neighborhood Mixed Use, the Transit-Oriented Mixed Use, and
the Town Center focus areas.
8.0 COMMUNITY HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |COMMUNITY HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY 2
CHS-P-15 Establish opportunities forEncourage the establishment of
gathering areas in new neighborhoods.
Healthy Food
Policies
CHS-P-22 Consider opportunities Seek ways to partner with regional
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as an alternative
source of fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables for Diamond
Bar residents, particularly those with limited mobility or income,
or those farthest from existing grocery stores.
CHS-P-23 Support home gardening efforts by adoptingconsidering a
Home Gardening and Urban Agriculture Ordinance or
otherwise ensuring that zoning does not prevent or restrict the
use of residential properties as vegetable gardens, and
provide residents with technical assistance opportunities in the
form of online and library resources and workshops on
gardening basics and cooking healthy meals with fresh
produce.
CHS-P-25 Explore opportunities as they arise to incorporate community
gardens into City parks and open space areas, and
encourage the Diamond Bar Community Garden and other
organizations to facilitate the development, administration,
and operation of additional community gardens in the City.
Public Health and Environmental Justice
Goals
CHS-G-10 As opportunities avail themselves, Iinvolve environmental
groups, the business community, and the general public in the
formulation and implementation of programs that enhance
public health in the City and the region.
Policies
CHS-P-25 CooperateCollaborate with the Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health and other agencies to monitor
and maintain data related to Diamond Bar health outcomes
and risk factors, and use this data to consider development or
expansion of County and City programs to best serve and
protect the Diamond Bar community.
CHS-P-26 At such time that City staffing resources are available,
Mmonitor and maintain data from CalEPA related to pollution
8.0 COMMUNITY HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |COMMUNITY HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY 3
burdens and socioeconomic vulnerabilities in Diamond Bar,
and use the data to consider development or expansion of
programs and investments to reduce the risks of
disadvantaged communities.
CHS-P-27 Recognizing the adverse health impacts associated with
compromised air quality, ensure the protection of sensitive
receptors from exposure to hazardous concentrations of air
pollutants when reviewing development proposals.
CHS-P-28 To the extent feasible, Mmanage, enhance, and improve the
City's tree canopy as a valuable ecological and public health
resource, particularly adjacent to and within sensitive use
areas located in the Air Quality Management District (AQMD)
500-foot air quality buffer.
CG-P-29 RequireIncorporate noise mitigation measures, which could
include buffers, noise barriers, or natural open space, and
vegetation, between new sensitive uses such as residential
units and schools, and major noise polluters such as SR -57 and
SR-60, the Metrolink Riverside rail line, and heavy industry.
Climate Change and Greenhouse Gases
Goals
CHS-G-11 UndertakeConsider initiatives to enhance sustainability by
reducing the community’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
protecting natural open spaces which provide CO2
sequestration, and fostering green development patterns,
buildings, sites, and landscapes.
Policies
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
CHS-P-33 PlanEncourage land uses to reduce vehicle miles traveled
(VMT), prioritizing infill development and incorporating vertical
and horizontal mixed-use development, public transit, and
active transportation facilities where appropriate, recognizing
that the transportation sector is the largest source of GHG
emissions in Diamond Bar and in California more broadly.
CHS-P-34 Demonstrate City leadership in GHG emission reduction
activities by considering incentives forgiving preference to
proposals that reduce or minimize GHG production, or provide
incentives for selecting climate friendly, or lower and/or non-
emission producing alternatives.
8.0 COMMUNITY HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |COMMUNITY HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY 4
Energy Efficiency and Conservation
CHS-P-35 Use the City's CAP as the platform when considering for
outlining and implementing measures to improve energy
conservation and increase renewable energy use in existing
and new development.
CHS-P-36 Support and cooperate Collaborate with local, regional, State,
and federal agencies on the monitoring and evaluation of
energy resources as well as the identification of energy-
efficient and alternative energy technologies and practices.
CHS-P-37 As opportunities arise, Wwork with appropriate federal, State,
and private utility agencies to identify and facilitate utility rate
revisions that would provide incentives for the conservation of
energy.
CHS-P-38 AccelerateConsider the adoption of rooftop and parking lot
solar power and/or other alternative energy usage on
developed sites in Diamond Bar through actions such as:
a. Establishing incremental growth goals for solar
power/alternative energy systems in Diamond Bar;
b. Developing guidelines, recommendations, and examples
for cost-effective solar and/or other alternative energy-
based installation; and
c. Installing solar/alternative energy technology on
availableexisting City facilitiesspaces.
CHS-P-39 SupportWork with Southern California Edison Company (SCE)
and Southern California Gas Company’s (SoCalGas) efforts to
increase public awareness of energy conservation technology
and best practices.
CHS-P-45 Support and cooperate Collaborate with the Walnut Valley
Water District, the Los Angeles County Public Works
Department, and the Los Angeles County Sanitation District in
community education efforts to reduce the consumption of
carbon-based fuels for conveyance and treatment of water
and wastewater.
Waste Reduction and Recycling
CHS-P-52 Support and cooperate with County and State regulatory
agency efforts to Rrequire commercial and industrial
generators to develop and implement a source reduction and
recycling plan tailored to their individual waste streams.
8.0 COMMUNITY HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY
Diamond Bar General Plan 2040 |COMMUNITY HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY 5
Climate Change Resiliency
CHS-P-53 Encourage the protection Protect and enhancement of areas
identified as healthy functioning ecosystems that provide the
ecological, cultural, public health and safety, and economic
value of ecosystem services, or benefits.
CHS-P-59 As resources become available, Iincrease the efficiency of
water usage in public places, such as irrigation in public parks,
and utilize drought-tolerant landscaping in City parks and
streetscapes.
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ATTACHMENT 2
SoCalGas Comments on the
Draft Climate Action Plan
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Grace Lee
Senior Planner
City of Diamond Bar
21810 Copley Drive
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
RE: City of Diamond Bar – Draft General Plan Update and Climate Action Plan
Dear Ms. Lee,
Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) is one of California’s investor -owned utilities
regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. We are the nation’s largest natural gas
distribution utility, providing energy to 20.9 million consumers throughout 500 communities.
SoCalGas’ service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles in diverse terrain
throughout Central and Southern California.
SoCalGas appreciates the opportunity to submit comments on the Draft Climate Action Plan
(CAP) and Draft General Plan Update (GPU) and strongly supports the City’s draft targets and
goals for reducing citywide emissions—primarily from buildings, transportation, and waste—in
compliance with State targets. However, SoCalGas is concerned that the Draft CAP does not
include consideration of natural synergies that exist between the natural gas system and City
goals for achieving emission reductions and local resiliency priorities, as identified both in the
Draft GPU and the Draft CAP. These primarily include the synergies between use of renewable
natural gas (RNG), and emission reductions from transportation and buildings, increased landfill
waste diversion and organics recycling, and enhancing local climate adaptation resiliency.
Therefore, as stated in our comments below, believe the Draft CAP could benefit from active
identification and incorporation of the following takeaways:
• The Draft CAP can be greatly enhanced by pursuing synergies between City waste
diversion goals and production and use of renewable natural gas
• Option E, “Promote Switching from Natural Gas to Clean Electricity,” mischaracterizes
the alleged benefits from encouraging replacement of natural gas technologies with
electric substitutes. As residential natural gas use represents only 5% of total City
emissions, and electric emissions make up a substantially larger percentage—the City’s
electricity is not 100% renewable, and therefore is not “clean”—switching from natural
gas technologies to electric may not actually reduce residential emissions.
• The renewable natural gas system is inherently resilient to climate change impacts
compared to the electric system and should be leveraged accordingly to increase local
energy system resiliency and reliability.
Robert Cruz
Public Affairs Manager
196 E. 3rd St.
Pomona, CA 91766-1806
Email: rcruz1@socalgas.com
Renewable Natural Gas
The current Draft CAP states that natural gas comprises just 9% of citywide GHG emissions.
However, Option E: Promote Switching from Natural Gas to Clean Electricity is provided as
recommended strategy to reduce citywide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and states that
replacing “inefficient and expensive natural gas water heaters with more efficient solar water
heating systems” will reduce the energy demand for residential heating. This statement greatly
mischaracterizes both the efficiency of natural gas water heaters and the alleged benefits of
solar water heaters. Regarding efficiency, solar water heaters can achieve approximately 60%-
70% efficiency1 while natural gas heaters achieve 80% efficiency and above2, and at a cheaper
cost than a solar water heating system3,4. Further, there are obvious usage disadvantages to the
customer from solar water heating systems. Systems need to be of substantial size to hold
and/or store enough hot water for residential usage, much larger than natural gas water
heaters, and they only work during the day with direct overhead sunlight. That is, these systems
are not able to provide hot water either in the morning or at night, and don’t work on foggy,
cloudy, or rainy days5. Therefore, as solar water heating systems are not only less efficient but
also more costly and provide inconsistent hot water use, the discussion within Option E does
not provide accurate information. Further, Option E states that only a 5% reduction in
emissions would be achieved from its implementation (which may be overestimated given the
above discussion). For these reasons, Option E seems to provide an expensive emission
reduction strategy that is not cost-effective and would achieve only nominal emissions
reductions at the expense of increased customer cost—SoCalGas recommends this option be
removed from the Draft CAP.
In comparison, including an option that supports building transition to use of renewable
natural gas (RNG) instead of traditional fossil natural gas, has significant carbon emission
reductions and can even be carbon negative in application, which would contribute
considerably greater and more effectively to the City’s goal to decarbonize buildings. RNG, or
biomethane, can be produced from existing waste sources including agricultural waste, waste
water, and landfills, and then upgraded to delivery quality in our pipelines. Because this energy
is produced from existing methane sources that are otherwise being emitted into the air,
unabated, capturing these emissions to produce biomethane helps reduce both regional and
local methane and GHG emissions. As a short-lived climate pollutant, methane has a greater
global warming potential than carbon dioxide—specifically, methane is approximately 28 times
more potent than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere6,7. Therefore, from a lifecycle perspective,
1Palmer, Brian. “The Best Investment Under the Sun.” February 2011.
https://slate.com/technology/2011/02/solar-water-heaters-are-they-better-than-solar-electric-panels.html
2 Rinnai. Find Your Tankless Water Heater. https://www.rinnai.us/tankless-water-heater
3 Home Depot. “How Much Does It Cost to Install a Water
Heater?.”https://www.homedepot.com/c/cost_install_water_heater
4 Home Advisor. “How Much Does it Cost to Install a Solar Water Heater?.”
https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/plumbing/install-a-solar-water-heater/
5 Palmer, Brian. “The Best Investment Under the Sun.” February 2011.
https://slate.com/technology/2011/02/solar-water-heaters-are-they-better-than-solar-electric-panels.html
6 IPCC. Global Warming Potential Values.https://www.ghgprotocol.org/sites/default/files/ghgp/Global-Warming-
Potential-Values%20%28Feb%2016%202016%29_1.pdf
7 California Air Resources Board (CARB). Understanding Global Warming Potentials.
https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/understanding-global-warming-potentials
because biomethane production removes a greater quantity of more potent GHG emissions
from the air than what it produces at end uses, its production is a carbon negative process, and
can be used to offset other uses that cannot achieve carbon neutrality. As the City is aware,
SoCalGas recently filed a request with the California Public Utilities Commission seeking to offer
RNG to all customers, which would have significant potential to significantly reduce both local
and regional GHG emissions. In fact, replacing only 20% of existing natural gas supply with RNG
achieves the same emissions reductions as electrifying the entire building sector by 2030, but at
one-third of the cost. For these reasons, RNG should be included in the draft CAP as a viable
fuel-switching option for the City’s building decarbonization strategy to achieve significant
near-term emission reduction benefits for the building sector. This would align with policies
CHS-P-36 and CHS-P-41 in the Draft GPU which support identification of efficient alternative
energy technologies and practices and support use of clean fuels.
Organic Waste Management
In addition to GHG reduction benefits, production and use of RNG has inherent synergies with
solid waste diversion, particularly organic waste. AB 1383 requires a statewide increase in
organics waste diversion of 50% by 2020, and 75% by 2025. Because biomethane can be
produced from existing waste streams, its use as a resource can contribute to city waste
diversion and reduction goals in addition to emission reduction goals. Several cities have
already incorporated such efforts as part of their waste management strategy. For example,
waste collector CR&R recently built a waste processing facility in Perris, CA that uses an
anaerobic digester to collect methane emissions from waste and uses it as renewable natural
gas to fuel their truck fleet. In addition, the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant in San
Diego collects methane gas from its wastewater digester and feeds it into the natural gas
pipeline system. UC San Diego uses this biomethane to power their campus fuel cell and uses
byproduct heat from the fuel cell as a continuous power source for chilling capacity to cool
campus buildings. Both examples demonstrate how supporting use of biomethane as a
renewable energy resource would help support the City’s Draft CAP and GPU policy priorities
promoting waste reduction and diversion as well as emission reductions. This includes Option G
in the Draft Cap, “Establish a Zero-Waste Framework,” which supports citywide adoption of a
zero waste ordinance. However, neither the Draft CAP nor the GPU include mention of policies
specifically addressing organic waste reduction. Therefore, SoCalGas recommends that the City
include organic waste reduction policies that leverage use of diverted waste for local energy
production. These would support the other policies regarding waste reduction and recycling
included in the Community Health and Sustainability Element of the Draft GPU.
Climate Adaptation/Resilience Strategies
In the Climate Change Resiliency policy section of the General Plan Update, Goal CHS-G-15
states that the City seeks to “increase the community’s resiliency and capacity to resist and
recover from social, economic, and environmental disruption from climate change impacts.”
Although SoCalGas supports the policies that advocate for increased resiliency measures, such
as CHS-P-54 which supports incorporating updated information about future climate change
hazards into City hazard mitigation and emergency planning pro cesses, the Draft GPU and Draft
CAP currently do not contain policies that address energy system resiliency or any potential
consequences from impacts to the energy system from climate change . To help address this
concern, SoCalGas would like to emphasize that energy diversification is necessary as a climate
change adaptation strategy. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change clearly states
that expanding the energy portfolio increases system reliability in a cost-effective manner, and
over-reliance on a single energy source can create avoidable and unnecessary risks for public
safety and the economy. Rather, maintaining diverse energy sources across the economy is a
prudent measure to ensure resiliency.
As seen in the recent wildfires and mudslides, as the electric system is almost entirely
aboveground, it is significantly more exposed to climate threats and, when im pacted, can not
only leave hundreds to thousands of residents without power at their homes, but also affect
operation of critical facilities. For example, in 2017 the Thomas Fire damaged electric power
lines throughout the City of Ventura. Because the City’s water pumps to supply water to
firefighters ran on electricity without any other form of backup power, firefighters were unable
to get water from the pumps to put out burning residences.8 If the water pumps had been
connected to a backup power system, such as a natural gas generator, firefighters would have
been able to access the water.
This is not an isolated anomalism. As we know, the impacts of global climate change are set to
continually increase in severity, which will result in more severe wildfires, storms, and floods.
Given the vulnerability of the electric system to such impacts, as seen not only in California but
across the country9, it seems counterintuitive to support policies that advocate relying solely on
one source of power. When the state experiences another devastating fire, the electric lines
will be heavily damaged, preemptively shut off, or both, which will cut power to thousands of
residents and could very likely take weeks to restore. In such situations, residents will be left
quite literally in the dark, with no way to heat or cool their homes, cook, or shower. Heat
sensitive uses will also be without power, including hospitals, cooling centers, and senior
centers/homes. Batteries may be able to provide temporary power but will not be able to
sustain these uses for weeks on end. Further, solar panels wil l not be able to provide charge to
the batteries during storm conditions (where there is cloud cover), or wildfires (due to smoke
obstruction). These uses will experience increased suffering during such climate events when
served by only a single energy source.
In contrast, as the natural gas system is mostly underground, it is very resilient to extreme
weather events. For example, in 2012, after Superstorm Sandy, the entire natural gas system in
the Northeast was essentially intact, allowing residents to support back-up generators, cook,
and keep warm. Businesses with natural gas-powered fuel cells were able to operate and
compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in New Jersey were used to shuttle residents to safety10.
Further, when Hurricane Harvey temporarily disabled almost 30% of the nation’s refining
capacity, CNG shuttles were able to continue operating, and hospitals that had on -site
combined heat and power systems were able to provide urgently needed medical attention,
despite flooding. These examples demonstrate the critical role natural gas infrastructure can
play in supporting local and regional energy supply resilience in the face of extreme climate
8 ICF. Case Studies of Natural Gas Sector Resilience Following Four Climate-Related Disasters in 2017.
https://www.socalgas.com/1443742022576/SoCalGas-Case-Studies.pdf
9 Ibid
10 https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/5-ways-alternative-fuels-aid-response-hurricanes-and-natural-
disasters?utm_source=EERE+Weekly+Digest+of+Clean+Energy+News&utm_campaign=f048cbec65 -
EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_09_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_96dffafa2f-f048cbec65-34678197
events. With these case studies, SoCalGas wants to emphasize the importance of energy supply
diversification, and specifically distributed generation resources such as combined heat and
power, which offer a clean, flexible, and reliable form of energy.
Conclusion
Looking forward, natural gas and renewable natural gas will continue to play an important role
in electric generation, not just for baseload central power plants, but also for flexible and
appropriately scaled natural gas peaking technologies that balance the intermittency of
renewables, help integrate them into the grid, grow the state’s renewable generation portfolio
over the long term, and help achieve State GHG emission and methane reduction goals as well
as climate resiliency goals. Decarbonizing our natural gas delivery systems keeps intact the
inherent energy efficiencies of direct uses of natural gas, at lower carbon-content, without
creating the dramatic increase in electric demand and cost which makes decarbonizing electric
generation a challenge. Further, it capitalizes on the inherent resiliency ben efits of a grounded
energy supply and avoids the increased risk from having an aboveground, vulnerable all -electric
energy supply.
The benefits of maintaining a balanced energy system have already been recognized by the
City, especially with City Council’s adoption of a Balanced Energy Resolution in April 2019
with particular support from Mayor Pro Tempore Tye and Councilmember Lyons. With this,
we believe strong alignment between City Council objectives and city planning policies
regarding balanced energy resources will create significant long-term environmental benefits
through emissions reductions and energy system resiliency.
SoCalGas appreciates your consideration of these comments and your willingness to meet with
us to further discuss the issues raised in this letter. If you have any questions, please do not
hesitate to contact me by telephone or email. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Robert Cruz
Southern California Gas Company