TO: LINDA REICH, CITY MANAGER
FROM: WARREN MORELION, AICP, DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
SUBJECT
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Review of the Public Review Draft Chino 2045 General Plan.
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RECOMMENDATION
1) Receive a presentation on potential land use and transportation changes to incorporate into the General Plan and Zoning Code Update; and 2) Discuss and provide feedback to staff and the consultant on content to be included in the Public Review Draft General Plan.
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FISCAL IMPACT
This agenda item is a status report on the 2045 General Plan Comprehensive Update; therefore, there are no financial impacts associated with this report.
CITY OF CHINO MISSION / VISION / VALUES / STRATEGIC ISSUES
The recommendation detailed above furthers the City’s values and strategic issues that serve as key pillars on which identified priorities, goals, and action plans are built, by fostering:
• Positive City Image
• Financial Stability
• Responsible Long-Range Planning
The Draft Chino 2045 General Plan was released for public review on June 20, 2025, kicking off a 45-day public comment period that runs through August 4, 2025. Following the close of the comment period, adoption hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council are anticipated in late August and September. The purpose of this study session is to present an overview of the Draft 2045 General Plan and to provide the City Council and the Planning Commission an opportunity for initial comments and questions prior to adoption hearings. No formal action will be taken at the study session.
BACKGROUND
The Chino General Plan is the City's blueprint for the future, built on a shared vision that describes the kind of community Chino residents and businesses want and identifies actions to take to realize the vision. In late 2022, the City embarked on a comprehensive update to the Chino General Plan and Zoning Code that will guide decision-making on development and conservation through 2045. The effort involves the following distinct phases of work:
• Phase 1: Visioning, Issues and Opportunities Identification - Key objectives of this phase were to (a) establish a community-wide vision and shared principles to guide the project, and (b) conduct analysis and document existing conditions, opportunities, and constraints in Chino to lay the foundation for alternatives exploration.
• Phase 2: Alternatives Exploration - Based on the outcomes of Phase 1, this Phase involved preparation and evaluation of distinct alternatives for land use and transportation changes in key locations that respond to the existing conditions, opportunities, and constraints. The alternatives were represented conceptually with illustrations, video animations, and examples to facilitate understanding. Outreach was conducted to build consensus around which alternatives to move forward with and incorporate into the General Plan. A joint study session of the City Council and Planning Commission was held at the culmination of this Phase to confirm direction.
• Phase 3: Draft Plan, Zoning and Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) Preparation - This Phase focused on updating the General Plan to reflect Council direction and address emerging trends and new State law with guidance from the General Plan Advisory Group (GPAC). It also involved preparation of a legally defensible PEIR to identify and mitigate the environmental impacts.
• Phase 4: Adoption and Finalization - Phase 4, now underway, began with the release of the Draft General Plan and PEIR for public review on June 20 and will also involve adoption hearings in August and September of this year. The Draft Zoning Code Update will be released in the fall, and adoption is anticipated by the end of 2025.
Community engagement has been a cornerstone of the process. During Phase 1 community outreach activities, 1,060 Chino community members shared input on their priorities and preferences, which informed a set of Guiding Principles for the General Plan Update, describing the type of community residents and businesses would like Chino to be in 2045. Then, at the outset of Phase 2, a set of alternatives was developed to illustrate options for achieving the vision encapsulated in the Guiding Principles. The alternatives focused on key areas of the city where change is foreseeable, presenting potential land use, transportation, and design changes that respond to the existing conditions, opportunities, and constraints. Outside of these areas, the General Plan will maintain and preserve the existing urban form. The alternatives were refined with input from the GPAC and then presented to the community at a series of outreach events, including two public open house meetings attended by more than 250 community members, presentations to various groups and organizations, a statistical survey of a representative sample of Chino voters, and a community wide online survey that garnered 619 responses. Based on community feedback, a preferred land use plan and a set of key strategies for land use, transportation, and community character (Preferred Plan) was prepared to present the preferred ideas and concepts that have emerged from the process and reviewed with the City Council and Planning Commission at Phase 2. The Preferred Plan has guided preparation of the Public Review Draft 2045 General Plan.
ISSUES AND ANALYSIS
The Chino 2045 General Plan is a comprehensive update of the current 2025 General Plan undertaken to address emerging issues and new State laws. Key objectives for the project include preserving and enhancing local heritage and "small town" character; growing the local economy in ways that improve quality of life for local residents; modernizing the transportation system and improving options for getting around; and establishing a framework for a healthy, sustainable, and resilient community.
Organization of the General Plan
The organization of the General Plan has been slightly modified to reflect Chino's priorities for the coming years. The 2045 General Plan contains the following chapters and elements:
1. Introduction. This chapter outlines the purpose and uses of the General Plan; provides a community profile; recaps the update process; presents a shared community Vision and Guiding Principles for Chino’s future; and provides an overview of the General Plan organization, relationship to other plans, and requirements for administration.
2. Land Use and Community Character. This element satisfies the legal requirements for a General Plan land use element, describes the existing land use pattern and provides an explanation of the General Plan’s approach to citywide growth, with a map showing the desired distribution and location of land uses. It also describes the existing land use pattern, outlines a strategy for growth management and annexations, and includes land use designations with standards for density and intensity. Additionally, this element addresses community character and historic preservation, optional topics that are important priorities for the community. Policies in this element focus on revitalizing older shopping centers, fostering a vibrant downtown, supporting thriving neighborhoods, promoting ties to the past, and enhancing sense of place.
3. Economic Development. This optional element addresses a topic of local importance for Chino. It provides an overview of the population and employment context, and outlines goals and policies to support a strong, stable economy, including actions addressing positive city image; business attraction and retention; inclusive economic development; workforce development; and fiscal responsibility.
4. Infrastructure. This element addresses transportation and utility infrastructure in Chino, addressing the statutory requirements for the circulation element. It incorporates a circulation diagram that identifies major thoroughfares and transportation routes for vehicles, transit, bicycles, and pedestrians, and it includes policies for “complete streets,” roadway safety, and the efficient movement of goods. The element also identifies the location and extent of public utilities, including water, sewer, stormwater, and electricity infrastructure in Chino.
5. Parks, Recreation, and Community Services. This element satisfies legal requirements for addressing the topics of open space for outdoor recreation. This element also provides background information, and a policy framework related to parks and recreation; schools; community facilities and libraries; and police and fire services.
6. Hazards, Safety, and Noise. This element addresses risks associated with natural and humanmade hazards in Chino, including flooding, seismic events, dam inundation, wildfires, and noise. It also addresses compounded risks associated with climate change, incorporating strategies to build community resilience. It satisfies the statutory requirements for the General Plan safety and noise elements, including requirements for an assessment of emergency evacuation capacity and climate vulnerability.
7. Health and Environmental Quality. This element addresses community health - a long-standing priority in Chino - together with new requirements for environmental justice identified under Senate Bill (SB)1000 and SB535. It identifies “disadvantaged communities” in Chino and incorporates policies that address air quality and pollution exposure; physical activity; access to healthcare; healthy food access; and civic engagement and investment prioritization. It also addresses statutory requirements for the Conservation Element, with background information and policies addressing resource conservation, environmental resource protection, energy and water conservation, and reuse and recycling.
8. Implementation. This chapter describes the process for General Plan implementation, maintenance, and monitoring. It includes a table identifying near-term, mid-term, and long-term actions needed to implement general plan concepts and strategies. For each action, the responsible City departments and the timeframe for implementation are shown. Potential funding sources are also identified.
The Housing Element of the General Plan is published under separate cover, given the length of that document, the level of detailed information required for compliance with State law, and the need to update it on a shorter cycle than the rest of the General Plan.
Goals, Policies and Actions
Chapters 2 through 7 of the General Plan contain the required elements defined in State law as well as other topics of importance to Chino. Each of these elements is organized around a series of goals that describe the high-level outcomes that the community seeks to create through the implementation of the General Plan. Each goal in turn is supported by a series of policies and implementing actions that describe the steps the City will take to achieve the goals. Policies represent steps the City will take on an ongoing basis as it considers approval of proposed projects and makes decisions on investments of public funds. Actions are more specific measures intended to implement one or more policies to help reach a specified goal. Typically, an action is a discrete item done once and completed, and taken together, the actions in the General Plan constitute a “to‐do list” for the City.
The goals of the 2045 General Plan have been comprehensively updated to reflect the Guiding Principles developed with extensive community input in Phase 1. Content of policies and implementation actions from the 2025 General Plan has been carried forward to the extent it remains relevant, and the overall policy framework has been refreshed and updated to ensure it reflects the opportunities and challenges Chino will need to address over the next 20 years.
Land Use and Transportation
The General Plan Land Use Diagram (see Attachment 1: Maps LCC-4a and LCC-4b General Plan Land Use), is a foundational component of the General Plan that illustrates the long-term vision for development and conservation in the planning area with land use designations that describe the character envisioned for each neighborhood and district. Each designation includes standards for density or intensity of use. The 2045 General Plan Land Use Diagram incorporates four new designations reviewed with the City Council and Planning Commission at the end of Phase 2: Downtown; Regional Mixed Use; Boulevard Mixed Use; and Employment Mixed Use. Outside of the locations where these new designations apply, the 2045 General Plan generally maintains the existing urban form and seeks to enhance the character and quality of life in Chino's established neighborhoods and districts. It also supports continued implementation of The Preserve Specific Plan. However, as shown on Attachment 2: General Plan Land Use Changes, some targeted adjustments to the General Plan land use are proposed to better align zoning with existing uses, surrounding context, and market potential for the respective sites.
Closely correlated with the General Plan Land Use Diagram, the Circulation Diagram (see Attachment 3: Circulation Diagram) depicts the roadway network with lane configurations planned to accommodate traffic circulation under the 2045 General Plan. Typical roadway cross sections for each street type shown on the Circulation Diagram are also included. Two new street types are proposed: Downtown streets that emphasize walkability and roadway safety and rural residential roadways for residential streets in the Sphere of Influence (SOI) that may ultimately be annexed into the City. While the 2025 General Plan Circulation Diagram envisioned the widening of the roadway segments shown on Table 1, technical modeling completed for the 2045 General Plan indicates that this will not be needed to adequately accommodate future traffic volumes. The future configuration of these roadway segments on the 2045 Circulation Diagram reflects this modeling, and as a result proposed developments along these roadway segments will not need to dedicate additional right-of-way as they are approved.
|
Roadway |
Existing GP Scenario |
Proposed GP Scenario |
|
|
Classification |
# of Lanes |
Classification |
# of Lanes |
|
Central Ave from El Prado Rd to Riverside Dr |
Major Arterial |
6 |
Primary Arterial |
4 |
|
Riverside Dr from Pipeline Ave to Euclid Ave |
Major Arterial |
6 |
Primary Arterial |
4 |
|
Chino Ave from West City Limit to East End Ave |
Major Arterial |
6 |
Secondary Arterial |
4 |
|
Chino Avenue from Monte Vista Ave to Benson Ave |
Secondary Arterial |
4 |
Secondary Arterial |
2 |
|
Schaefer Ave from Central Ave to Benson Ave |
Major Arterial |
6 |
Primary Arterial |
4 |
|
Benson Ave from Francis Ave to SR-60 |
Secondary Arterial |
4 |
Secondary Arterial |
2 |
Desired Feedback
The public comment period on the Draft 2045 General Plan runs through August 4, 2025. Following the close of public comment, feedback received will be summarized and a Hearing Draft General Plan will be prepared reflecting comments. The purpose of this study session is to present an overview of the Draft 2045 General Plan and to provide the City Council and the Planning Commission an opportunity for initial comments and questions prior to adoption hearings. In particular, comments on the following topics are desired:
1. Do you have any questions about the content or objectives of the goals, policies and implementing actions in the Draft 2045 General Plan?
2. Would you recommend any refinements to policies and implementing actions in the Draft 2045 General Plan?
3. Is the implementation timeframe for actions presented in Chapter 8 (General Plan Administration & Implementation) appropriate? Would you recommend that any actions be completed sooner than shown? Would you recommend that any actions be completed later than shown?
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Maps LCC-4a and LCC-4b General Plan Land Use
Attachment 2: General Plan Land Use Changes
Attachment 3: Circulation Diagram
Link to Draft General Plan Update: General Plan Update | Chino, CA <https://www.cityofchino.org/1676/General-Plan-Update>
<https://www.cityofchino.org/1676/General-Plan-Update>