Plan Pacifica

WELCOME TO PLAN PACIFICA!

The City of Pacifica is currently working to update the Housing Element of the General Plan. This is the newest phase of the Plan Pacifica process. PIan Pacifica started in early 2019 with the simultaneous process of updating its General Plan and Local Coastal Program and developing a Specific Plan for the Sharp Park neighborhood. After much hard work by the community and staff, the City Council has approved these plans. Various implementation steps are ongoing, such as California Coastal Commission certification of the Local Coastal Program and Sharp Park Specific Plan and zoning amendments to implement the General Plan.

This site will continue to provide key updates on the General Plan, Local Coastal Program, and Sharp Park Specific Plan processes while the new focus shifts to the Housing Element update.

Please subscribe to our mailing list to stay informed on upcoming public input opportunities, meetings, and draft document review periods. We invite you to help shape the future of Pacifica!


LATEST NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

March 21st, 2025: Housing Element and Local Coastal Land Use Plan

It’s been an exciting week for the City of Pacifica as we continue to make significant progress on major planning initiatives. 

Housing Element: On March 19, the City received a letter from the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) finding that the revised draft Housing Element, which is being considered by City Council on Monday, March 24, meets the statutory requirements of State Housing Element Law. The City will still need to complete necessary rezonings before the Housing Element can be found in substantial compliance and be certified by HCD. You can read the letter here under “Housing Element Update,” and read the related staff report under the City Council’s March 24, 2025, hearing agenda.

Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP): The City of Pacifica submitted the Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP) Revised Certification Draft to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) for review and certification on March 21, 2025. The LCLUP Revised Certification Draft incorporates comprehensive revisions and modifications resulting from eleven community engagement meetings, continuous communication with CCC staff and other key community stakeholders, and the introduction of the Special Shoreline Resilience Areas. You can view the submittal here, under Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP). Thank you to all of our outstanding community members for their involvement over the course of this process to bring us closer to CCC certification! 

Update #5 – February 14, 2025: Housing Element.

On February 14, 2025:

The Community Development Department transmitted the draft updates to the City of Pacifica’s 6th Cycle 2023-2031 Housing Element to California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review. This is the critical next step in certifying our Housing Element. 

You can find the City’s submittal and response to HCD’s comments, along with the public review draft of the changes, on the Plan Pacific Project Documents page under “Housing Element Update.”

 Following HCD’s review, the Public Review Draft will be represented to the City Council for review and adoption consideration, where there will be further opportunities for comment. To complete the Housing Element process, the Housing Element requires both State certification and City Council approval. Pacifica will also need to complete the rezoning associated with adopted Housing Element prior to obtaining State certification. That process is currently underway – the City is preparing the Response to Comments and Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which will be brought first to Planning Commission, then to City Council, along with the proposed General Plan amendments and rezoning ordinance for consideration.

Update #4 – February 2025: Housing Element.

The Public Review Draft of the Revised City of Pacifica 2023-2031 Housing Element is now available for review. As a companion, we’ve also posted a Summary of Housing Elements Revisions to highlight what’s changed and why. These documents can also be found via the webpage at https://www.planpacifica.org/project-docs. Please direct comments to Housing@pacifica.gov

The Community Development Department has completed the draft updates to the City of Pacifica 2023-2031 Housing Element, which was adopted last year. This is the critical next step for the Housing Element to receive certification by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The revisions are based on HCD’s formal comments, dated March 29, 2024, and subsequent additional guidance. 

This Public Review Draft contains the revisions and is scheduled to be sent to HCD on February 14, 2025, to initiate formal certification review. Prior to making the formal submittal to HCD, a seven-day review period following State requirements is open, from February 7, 2025 to February 14, 2025, where comments can be submitted. The next step following the submittal to HCD is scheduling the Public Review Draft for review and adoption consideration by the City Council, where there will be further opportunities for comment.  

To complete the Housing Element process, the Housing Element requires both State certification and City Council approval. Pacifica will also need to complete the rezoning associated with adopted Housing Element prior to obtaining State certification. That process is currently underway – the City is preparing the Response to Comments and Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR), which will be brought first to Planning Commission, then to City Council, along with the proposed General Plan amendments and rezoning ordinance for consideration.   

Background: On January 26, 2024, the City adopted its most recent Housing Element and submitted the document to the California Department of HCD to initiate review for State certification. Since receiving comments from HCD on March 29, 2024, the City has been working with HCD on draft refinements required for certification. 

Update #3 – January 2025: Housing Element.

The City Council extended the public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Housing Element Targeted General Plan Amendments, Rezoning, and Objective Design Standards. Public comments are due by 5 PM on Monday, February 3, 2025.

Please see the January 2025 updates below for information on accessing the Draft EIR (in person and online) and submitting comments at the public comment meeting on January 14, 2025, and in writing.

Update #2 – January 2025: Housing Element Public Meeting for Comments

The City will hold a public meeting to receive comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Housing Element Targeted General Plan Amendments, Rezoning, and Objective Design Standards.

  • Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025

  • Time: 6:00 p.m.

  • Format: Virtual (no physical location)

The meeting will be held virtually with no physical location. To join, click the link below or paste it into your web browser: https://dyettandbhatia.zoom.us/meeting/register/FC9TEJ-xRoWyfEq8LlXzqg

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is available for public review at the following locations:

  1. Community Development Department
    1800 Francisco Boulevard, Pacifica, CA 94044
    During regular business hours.

  2. Public Libraries in Pacifica

    • Sharp Park Library: 104 Hilton Way

    • Sanchez Library: 1111 Terra Nova Boulevard

Additionally, the Draft EIR can be accessed online at:
www.planpacifica.org/project-docs 
(Under the section "Housing Element Targeted General Plan Amendments, Rezoning, and Objective Design Standards")

Update January 2025: Housing Element. The California Department of Housing and Development (HCD) has been conducting review of the Housing Element and continually coordinating with staff on draft refinements required for certification. A public review draft of the revised Housing Element incorporating all of the refinements will be published for public review and resubmitted to HCD for formal certification review in early 2025. The revised Housing Element will be brought to City Council for review and adoption consideration following preparation of the public review draft.

Rezoning. The City is also preparing a rezoning program for sites identified in the sites inventory of the Housing Element as required for Housing Element program implementation (Program HE-I-1) and for a certified Housing Element. The program will establish the regulatory framework and standards that need to be in place to provide for new development at Housing Element sites. The tasks include targeted General Plan amendments, municipal code amendments, rezoning, and objective development standards.

A Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) has been prepared for the rezoning program and was released on December 13, 2024, with a public review period for EIR comments ending on February 3, 2025, at 5 PM (extended by City Council) January 26, 2025. The City will also hold a public meeting to receive comments on the Draft EIR on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.. The meeting will be held virtually, with no physical location. The rezoning program and EIR will be brought for adoption consideration after completion of the draft rezoning program documents and preparation of the Final EIR.

The Draft EIR is available for public review in person at the Community Development Department located at 1800 Francisco Boulevard in Pacifica, California 94044, during business hours. The Draft EIR is also available at both libraries within the City of Pacifica: Sharp Park Library (104 Hilton Way) and Sanchez Library (1111 Terra Nova Boulevard), or available online at www.planpacifica.org/project-docs under “Housing Element Targeted General Plan Amendments, Rezoning, and Objective Design Standards.”


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General Plan

The General Plan, last updated in 1980, is the “constitution” for the city and guiding document for development and policy making in a wide range of topics. There was an extensive effort to update the General Plan between 2009 and 2012, but the Draft General Plan was not adopted by City Council. This planning process aims to update and complete the 2012 Draft, shape a forward-looking vision for Pacifica, and provide the City with a regulatory document that responds to our contemporary issues and legal context.

Local Coastal Program

This planning process will include the development of an updated Local Coastal Land Use Plan (LCLUP), a portion of the Local Coastal Plan that will be tied to the land use policies in the General Plan. California Coastal Commission approval of the Local Coastal Plan includes transferring coastal permitting authority over most new development to the City of Pacifica. The Local Coastal Program was last updated in 1980. In 2018, the City developed draft Local Coastal Plan policies related to sea level rise.

Specific Plan

The Sharp Park Specific Plan will establish a vision for a vibrant, community-focused heart of the City in the historic Sharp Park neighborhood. The Specific Plan will address and provide implementation guidance for economic development, transportation, land use and housing opportunities in the neighborhood.