No, the designation of a PDA for an area does not mean that high rise buildings will be developed in the community. A PDA designation is a funding and planning tool; it does not zone for or authorize land development. A PDA would help fund a community-driven planning process which would look at the density, … Continued
By nominating a PDA, San Rafael is prioritizing a community-driven planning process looking at housing, jobs and services, and intensified land uses within this area. Jurisdictions are required to conduct this process for this PDA by 2025 in order to maintain the PDA-designation. To help facilitate this process, designated funding is provided to jurisdictions with … Continued
While there are similarities and overlap, each Plan type is distinctive and have different elements and purposes. The purpose of all these plans to is conduct future planning. The different plans look at a finer level of detail for future planning a specific geographic area. The following is a description of each Plan type and … Continued
The PDA Grant Program is very specific about the type of Plan that is eligible for grants. The PDA Grant Program guidelines require the grant fund a Specific Plan, or equivalent Plan (e.g., Precise Plan). These plans includes a Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Zoning Code and General Plan amendments. These elements are important because … Continued
While a PDA is an area earmarked and prioritized for housing, jobs and services, the designation, in itself, has no impact on maintaining or preserving the small-town character of a community. If preserving the small town character is a key community goal, the community-driven planning process required by a PDA designation would control building scale, … Continued
Yes! The purpose of a PDA designation it to begin a community-driven planning process. Through this planning process, we will continue to refine the PDA boundaries based upon community input. Additionally, MTC/ABAG provides access to funding for jurisdictions with PDAs to help facilitate this process.
Yes. After a PDA has been designated, it can be removed at any time by the local jurisdiction. This process is known as a rescinding a PDA. A designated PDA can be removed by the City Council adopting a resolution rescinding the PDA. While removing the PDA is immediate, it may continue to appear as … Continued
Environment review streamlining refers to the level of environmental analysis a development project is required to perform as part of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CEQA requires that all development projects in California conduct some level of environmental analysis. In many cases, a city will conduct a comprehensive environmental analysis for a neighborhood as … Continued
No. A PDA is a tool that provides access to funding for area planning and needed and/or planned infrastructure improvements. A PDA holds no authority or power over environmental review or exemptions prescribed by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). However, a PDA can provide a funding source to develop and adopt community-driven planning processes. … Continued
No. The San Rafael General Plan 2040 update has been in process for the last two years and is near completion. A draft of the General Plan 2040 is expected to be published for public review within the next month. The designation of a new PDA would not impact the current work on or the … Continued
