General Plan Draft EIR
Public Comment Period through June 12, 2025
Vehicle Miles Traveled Transition
The City is pursuing an update of its General Plan Environmental Impact Report (GPEIR) to align with state requirements set by California law.
The new method is called Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), and the law requires California municipalities to:
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Use VMT to comply with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) assessments of transportation impacts.
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Develop a VMT policy guidance, including thresholds of significance, project screening criteria, and mitigation VMT reduction strategies.
VMT, which focuses the measurement on the number of miles driven for traffic, is meant to better align with state goals of environmental protection, land-use diversity, and development of multi-modal travel networks. This change toward VMT analysis is expected to:
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Align transportation impact analysis and mitigation with goals to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions.
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Reduce overall VMT with land-use planning.
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Streamline review of land-use and transportation projects.
Housing Element Rezones
If jurisdictions do not have enough zoning capacity to accommodate their RHNA allocations, they must identify within the Housing Element how they will create the necessary zoning capacity to meet their housing needs through a Housing Element Rezoning Program.
For the City of Lodi, a rezoning need was identified, which obligates the City to adopt and effectuate a rezoning program to provide residential capacity to meet the City's RHNA shortfall. As part of the GPEIR update, the City is rezoning parcels as identified within the sites inventory analysis in Housing Element Chapter 5: Sites Inventory and Analysis.
Although the Housing Element Rezoning Program focuses on creating the zoning capacity necessary to accommodate its RHNA targets, the actual development of housing is largely conducted by the private market. Increasing the residential zoning capacity of a site does not guarantee that construction will occur on that site.
General Plan Land Use Map Updates
In California, zoning ordinances must be consistent with the City's General Plan. This means that the land uses permitted by the zoning ordinance must support the General Plan's goals and policies, because the General Plan serves as the City's guiding document.
Because the General Plan must not only be internally consistent but vertically consistent with other land use and development approvals such as Specific Plans and the City's zoning and development regulations, targeted updates are being made to the City's General Plan Land Use Map and document text for consistency as part of the GPEIR and Housing Element Sites Rezoning effort.
To see proposed map amendments, scan the QR code below or visit http://bit.ly/3GPdH2L
This is to advise all interested agencies and members of the public that Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed 2025 City of Lodi targeted General Plan Update and 6th Cycle Housing Element Sites Rezones will be available for review for 45-days, April 28, 2025 through June 12, 2025, at the Community Development Department public counter located at 221 W Pine Street, Lodi, CA 95240, tel. 209-333-6711. The DEIR is also available digitally at https://www.lodi.gov/1263/Environmental-Other-Plans-Projects or at https://www.planlodi.com/general-plan-1.
Comments on the DEIR may be submitted at the Community Development Department public counter, or by email to the City Planning Division at PlanningDivision@lodi.gov
LINK TO DRAFT 2025 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (DEIR) UPDATE
Appendix A: Notice of Preparation Comment Letters
Appendix B: Air Quality & Greenhouse Gases Calculations
Appendix C: Water Infrastructure and Supply
Memorandum
Project Title: Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed 2025 City of Lodi targeted General Plan Update and 6th Cycle Housing Element Sites Rezones
State Clearinghouse Number: SCH #2023010102 at https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2024020668/2
Lead Agency/Project Applicant: City of Lodi
Project Location: City-wide
Project Description: The Draft Environmental Impact Report (2024-04) for the 2025 Lodi General Plan update and 6th Cycle Housing Element Sites Rezones represents a targeted update to the City’s existing General Plan (2010) to: 1) comply with state requirements set by California Senate Bill 743 (SB 743). SB 743 relates to analysis of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) rather than Level of Service (LOS) to determine the environmental impact of land use and transportation projects. VMT is now the required metric used to assess project impacts on the transportation system under CEQA; and 2) implement Program 1.4 of the adopted 6th Cycle Housing Element. Program 1.4 is a rezoning program to accommodate the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) allocation for the City, as identified within the Housing Element sites inventory analysis in Chapter 5: Sites Inventory and Analysis including 14.35 acres to MCO (8-35 du/ac) and 16.04 acres to RHD (15-35 du/ac), as identified in Table 72 on Page 136. The General Plan land use map and text will also be updated for consistency.
2024 General Plan Element Updates Adopted by City Council!
On December 4, 2024, the Lodi City Council adopted the Safety Element Update, Conservation Element Update, and new Environmental Justice Element. These elements were prepared to align with the newly adopted Housing Element.
Environmental Justice Element: The new Environmental Justice Element is an essential component of the General Plan that focuses on addressing environmental burdens in our community. It aims to ensure fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, when deciding on future development and establishing new City policies.
Safety Element: The Safety Element identifies potential risks to community safety and establishes policies and programs to protect the community from those risks. Topics addressed include evacuation routes, flood and fire hazards, emergency shelters, emergency response services, and emergency communication programs.
Conservation Element: The Conservation Element is being updated in conjunction with the Safety Element to identify rivers, creeks, streams, flood corridors, riparian habitats, and land that may accommodate floodwater for purposes of groundwater recharge and stormwater management, which are covered in the Safety Element.
Environmental justice is the response to the tendency of low-income and racial minority communities bearing a disproportionate burden of hazardous or degraded environments (e.g., freeways, landfills, hazardous waste facilities, poor working conditions) than the general population. Historically, this is due to a lack of meaningful opportunities for these communities to participate in the planning process, sometimes leading to discriminatory practices, such as redlining, that have segregated communities and pushed low-income and racial minority populations to areas with poor air quality, pollution, and other health hazards. Environmental justice policies and programs work to overcome these trends and undo the effects of discrimination in land use decisions.
Why was the Environmental Justice Element created?
State law requires cities and counties with disadvantaged communities to identify environmental justice policies whenever two or more elements are adopted or updated concurrently. Since the City of Lodi updated its Housing Element, Safety Element, and Conservation Element as part of this 2024 Housing Element Update process, the City also adopted a new Environmental Justice Element to be in compliance with State law.
The Safety Element is one of the required elements of the general plan. The purpose of the Safety Element is to reduce the risk of death, injuries, property damage, and economic and social dislocation resulting from fires, floods, drought, earthquakes, landslides, climate change, and other potential hazards in the community. The Safety Element identifies potential risks to community safety and establishes policies and programs to protect the community from those risks. Topics addressed in the Safety Element include evacuation routes, flood and fire hazards, emergency shelters, emergency response services, and emergency communication programs.
How is the Safety Element connected to the Housing Element Update?
State law requires the Safety Element to be revised each time the Housing Element is updated to address flood and fire hazards and identify any evacuation challenges associated with updated land use designations in the Housing Element. The City updated the Safety Element in 2024 as part of the Housing Element and General Plan Update.
The Conservation Element establishes goals and policies for the preservation, enhancement, and management of a jurisdiction’s natural resources. Lodi’s Conservation Element addresses agricultural and soil resources, biological resources, cultural and historic resources, hydrology and water quality, energy and climate change, and air quality.
The Conservation Element was updated in 2024 in conjunction with the Safety Element to identify rivers, creeks, streams, flood corridors, riparian habitats, and land that may accommodate floodwater for purposes of groundwater recharge and stormwater management, which are covered in the Safety Element.