Item 2 - Staff Report.Safety Element Update
PREPARED BY: JENNIFER ARMER, AICP
Planning Manager
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
GENERAL PLAN COMMITTEE
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 10/26/2022
ITEM NO: 2
DATE: October 21, 2022
TO: General Plan Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Consider a General Plan Amendment to Add Policies to the Hazards and Safety
Element. Location: Townwide. General Plan Amendment Application GP-22-
002.
RECOMMENDATION:
Consider a General Plan amendment to add policies to the Hazards and Safety Element.
BACKGROUND:
On June 30, 2022, the Town Council approved the 2040 General Plan. On August 16, 2022,
signatures were submitted to the Town in support of a referendum on the Land Use and
Community Design Elements of the approved 2040 General Plan. The referendum propos es
that the Land Use and Community Design Elements of the 2040 General Plan be repealed.
Once the referendum signatures were verified by the County Registrar in late September, the
2040 General Plan Land Use and Community Design Elements were suspended in accordance
with Elections Code Section 9237.
On October 4, 2022, Town Council approved a Resolution to confirm suspension of the 2040
General Plan Land Use and Community Design Elements and provide that the 2020 General
Plan Land Use and Community Design Elements govern during the suspension period.
State Law requires that any General Plan or Housing Element update conducted after January 1,
2014, include review and update of the Safety Element to address the risk of fire for land
classified as very high fire hazard severity zones (VHFHSZ’s) [Gov. Code, § 65302, subd. (g)(3)].
Some of the language in the Community Design Element adopted as part of the 2040 General
Plan was prepared in coordination with the California Board of Forestry, for compliance w ith
this State law.
PAGE 2 OF 2
SUBJECT: Hazards and Safety Element Update/GP-20-001
DATE: October 21, 2022
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DISCUSSION:
As part of the review by the California Board of Forestry, two policies within the suspended 2040
General Plan Community Design Element were identified with specific wording added to
reference the VHFHSZ:
Policy CD-5.2 Hillside Development Limitation
Limit hillside development, specifically in VHFHSZ’s, to mitigate wildfire risk.
Policy CD-6.1 Least Restrictive Development Areas
All development, including those in VHFHSZ’s, is required to adhere to the Least
Restrictive Development Areas (LRDA) to ensure minimal disturbance of the
natural environment and to avoid wildfire and geological hazards.
For simplicity, staff’s recommendation is to add these as new policies in the 2040 General Plan
Hazards and Safety Element under Goal HAZ-2 as Policies HAZ-2.10 and HAZ-2.11.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
As of the drafting of this report, no comments from the public have been received.
CONCLUSION:
The Committee should review the proposed amendments and provide a recommendation of
approval to the Planning Commission and the Town Council.