City of Redding General Plan Update
April 2023
Redding is in the process of updating its General Plan. By state law, any decisions relating to the physical development of a community must be consistent with the general plan. Redding’s most recent update was October 2000, over 22 years ago.
As drafted, the new General Plan language fails to require the adoption of a Climate Action Plan, which could improve Redding’s access to State grant money. Further, the proposed revisions repeatedly weaken protection of our environment. Where the existing Plan calls for protections for creek corridors and threatened species, and against pollutants, the revised draft asks the City only to “Strive to” or “Seek to” keep environments intact. Protections of parks, neighborhoods, and lands yet to be developed become a matter of the judgment of the day instead of the clearly defined requirements of the existing General Plan.
The draft City of Redding General Plan elements are at https://www.cityofredding.org/departments/development-services/planning/general-plan-and-development-guidelines.
Please submit comments regarding the City of Redding draft General Plan Update to gpcomments@cityofredding.org. You can also request to be put on a General Plan update list at the same email address. NSCA recommends calling on the City to require in the General Plan:
Development of a Climate Action Plan.
Maintain existing requirements to protect riparian corridors, flood-prone areas, and special-status species and their habitats.
Historical Background:
The City Beautiful movement came into vogue in the early twentieth century when civic leaders realized a need to improve their urban environments, making cities more livable. During this time, city development plans evolved, including both public and private land and expressing the values and goals of a community. These plans encompassed the various components of an area’s physical development while targeting inherent problems of urbanization. The development plans became known as “general plans.” The planning area includes all land under a local government’s jurisdiction as well as other land that is considered “related” to its planning. All city and county land use decisions must be consistent with their respective general plans. General plans include seven or eight categories or “elements,” often named differently from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
The elements required by the state are land use, circulation (traffic), housing, conservation, open space, noise, safety and environmental justice (if disadvantaged communities are present). See state guidance for local general plans at https://opr.ca.gov/planning/general-plan/guidelines.html, including the updated Environmental Justice Element (2020).
The City of Redding (COR)’s titles for these elements are:
1. Community Development and Design Element
2. Parks, Trails, & Recreation Element
3. Economic Development Element
4. Transportation Element
5. Public Health and Safety Element
6. Public Facilities and Services Element
7. Community Health, Wellness & Environmental Justice Element
8. Natural Resources Element
Since January 2023, the Redding Planning Commission has held several meetings to review City staff-proposed revisions to the eight elements with public comment allowed. The City has hired a consulting firm to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) regarding the staff level draft General Plan Revision. It is anticipated that the Public Review Draft General Plan will be available for further public review within the next few months, before it goes to the City Council for final review and approval.
Some community members, including NSCA members, were invited by City staff to participate in focus groups regarding City planning staff’s proposed revisions to the General Plan by element. Some citizen comments were incorporated, albeit the process was often fast-paced and sometimes unclear as to which comments by Planning Commissioners or community focus groups were included (or not) in the various iterations.
NSCA recommends that members of the public review the City of Redding draft General Plan update documents and be especially aware of their lack of specificity regarding commitment to adopting and regularly updating a robust city climate action plan. Such a plan currently does not exist and, if included, could make the City eligible to apply for more grants or strengthen grant applications. The General Plan Update draft currently only requires the city to “consider” adopting a climate action plan. See the City of Chico’s Climate Action Plan section of its General Plan for comparison. More committed language might be “Develop and adopt the City’s Climate Action plan to strategically position the City of Redding for climate mitigation and adaptation investments, especially in disadvantaged communities, with periodic reviews at least every 5 years and with robust community engagement.”
Comments are also welcome on other measures that might increase Redding’s sustainability, equity and regional self-reliance in other areas of the general plan, such as environmental justice. The Environmental Justice element includes equity issues related to public facilities, food access, safe and sanitary homes, physical activity opportunities and civic engagement. One example is tree canopy equity. Tree cover decreases summer temperatures and should be available to all.
Stopping Climate Change is not a spectator sport. We all need to take action if we are to have a chance at changing the world. —John Livingston
