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2. Code Amendment (CODE-000698-2024)
Project Address: Citywide
Project Applicant: City of Pomona
Project Planner: Alina Barron
Council District: All
City-initiated comprehensive amendment to the City of Pomona Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances (“Zoning Code Update”)
The project has reviewed to be statutorily exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). In 2014, the City of Pomona adopted an update to its general plan entitled Pomona Tomorrow (“General Plan”). As part of the 2014 General Plan, the City of Pomona certified the environmental impact report (“EIR”) for the General Plan Update, Corridors Specific Plan, Active Transportation Plan and Green Plan (State Clearinghouse No. 2012051025) (“General Plan EIR”). Several planned activities were contemplated as part of the development of the General Plan in order to implement its goals and policies, specifically, the city-wide update of the zoning and subdivision ordinances (“Zoning Code Update”) was identified as one of the planned activities. Further, the Zoning Code Update has been prepared to be fully consistent with the General Plan and no amendments to the General Plan are being considered as part of this project. Pursuant to California Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 21166 Subsequent or Supplemental Impact Report; Conditions and California Code of Regulations (CRC) Section 15162 Subsequent EIRs and Negative Declaration, it has been determined that no subsequent EIR shall be prepared for the proposed amendment to the Zoning Code Update as none of the conditions described in CRC Section 15162 exist. There are no substantial changes contemplated by the proposed project that will require major revisions of the previous EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. There are no substantial changes because the Zoning Code Update, which is identified as a planned activity by the General Plan, includes use permissions and development standards that were designed according to the designated land use place types (Activity Centers, Neighborhood Edges, Residential Neighborhoods, Special Campuses, Transit Oriented Districts, Urban Neighborhoods, and Workplace Districts), designated density and intensity transect zones (T-3 Typical, T4-B Residential Transition, T4-B Secondary Corridors, T4-B Neighborhood Edge, T4-A, Typical, T5 Typical, T6-B Typical, T6-A Downtown Core, SD Special Districts, and SC Special Campus), as well as applicable land use policies and goals for the respective land use place types and plan components (Community Design, Conservation, Economic Development, Land Use & Density, Mobility & Access, Noise & Safety, and Open Space Network). No changes or amendments to the General Plan are contemplated as part of the Zoning Code Update as it will implement the goals and policies of the General Plan as originally contemplated and analyzed in the General Plan EIR. No substantial changes have occurred with respect to the circumstances under which the proposed project are undertaken that will require major revisions of the previous EIR due to the involvement of new significant environmental effects or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects. No substantial changes have occurred because the General Plan EIR assessed the implementation of a general plan that, by its nature, considered cumulative development anticipated with future buildout under the plan within the City’s defined plan area and to date, the City has not approved development that would conflict or deviate with the General Plan and no amendments have been adopted that conflict or deviate with the General Plan. There is no new information of substantial importance, which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence at the time the previous EIR was certified, showing that: (a) the proposed project will have one or more significant effects not discussed in the EIR; (b) there are significant effects previously examined that will be substantially more severe than shown in the EIR; (c) there are mitigation measures or alternatives previously found not to be feasible would in fact be feasible and would substantially reduce one or more significant effects of the proposed project, but the City declines to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative; or (d) mitigation measures or alternatives which are considerably different from those analyzed in the EIR would substantially reduce one or more significant effects on the environment, but the City declines to adopt the mitigation measure or alternative. All substantially pertinent environmental information and feasible mitigation measures relevant to the Zoning Code Update have been analyzed in the General Plan EIR and remain relevant to the existing environment. The Planning Commission will consider adopting this exemption as part of this action.
Recommendation:
Staff recommends that the Planning Commission recommend City Council approval of the Zoning Code Update.