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Plan Morro Bay
Plan Morro Bay is the City's update of its General Plan / Local Coastal Program, as required by California state law. These long range planning documents guide development and conservation policies within the City. The project also includes a comprehensive update to the Zoning Code. The project has been generously supported with funding from the Coastal Commission, Ocean Protection Council, and California Climate Investments. To learn more about Plan Morro Bay, get involved, or provide public input, click on the links to the left.
Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
The City of Morro Bay acknowledges funding support by the Coastal Commission and Ocean Protection Council. In addition, the Plan Morro Bay Comprehensive LCP Update project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovate ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefitting residents of disadvantage communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
The update of the City's General Plan/Local Coastal Program and Zoning Code started in 2015. The City Council adopted a comprehensive update of the General Plan and Coastal Land Use Plan in May 2021 and the LCP Coastal Land Use Plan was certified by the Coastal Commission in August 2021. The Zoning Code / Implementation Plan component of the project has been drafted and the Planning Commission will be holding public hearings to review the public hearing draft final Zoning Code document. To provide input, or for any questions, feel free to contact Scot Graham, Community Development Director at sgraham@morrobayca.gov or Cindy Jacinth, Senior Planner at cjacinth@morrobayca.gov.
To view past agendas, staff reports, and presentations for Plan Morro Bay materials presented to the GPAC, either click the link to the left or click here.
Plan Morro Bay Project Documents
- Adopted Plan Morro Bay (General Plan / Local Coastal Plan) adopted by City Council on May 25, 2021 and certified by the California Coastal Commission by unanimous vote on Thursday August 12, 2021.
Zoning Code Update
- NEW! - Zoning Code / Implementation Plan (IP) Adoption Hearing Draft July 2022. Planning Commission will review the Public Hearing Draft of the Zoning Code at a public hearing on August 16, 2022. The Zoning Code was last reviewed by Planning Commission on December 7, 2021 and reflects comments received from Coastal Commission staff, updates in State law as well as public input from the Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee (GAC)
- Zoning Code /Implementation Plan (IP) Adoption Hearing Draft with track changes. This version notes changes made since December 2021.
- Draft Zoning Map
- Matrix Summary of Public Comment, Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee (GAC), and Embarcadero Master Leaseholders (EML) comments received and edit status
- Master Use Table: Land Use/Zoning Matrix
- Draft Zoning Code, version December 2021 was reviewed by Planning Commission on December 7, 2021. This version reflected incorporation of public input including GAC, and Embarcadero Master Leaseholder (EML) input. In addition edits were made from Coastal Commission input, as well as reflecting updates to State law.
- Draft 2018 Zoning Code. After the four separate modules were completed, they were incorporated in the 2018 draft Zoning Code which was reviewed by GPAC and Planning Commission (PC) with further comments and edits given over the course of nine (9) separate Planning Commission meetings in 2018.
- Zoning Modules. The Zoning Code update project started with each of the four modules below as portions of the draft Zoning Code. These were reviewed by the Planning Commission iteratively in 2017-2018. A summary of the content of each Section or Chapter and changes from existing provisions were provided in the beginning of each Section or Chapter except in Module 1 where the description was included in the Introduction.
- Module 1 - Draft Administration and Permit Provisions
- Module 2 - Draft Interpretation Provisions, District Development Standards, General Site Regulations, Definitions
- Module 3 - Use Regulations Discussed at the PC meetings of May 15, 2018, June 5, 2018, July 3, 2018, and July 17, 2018.
- Module 4 - Overlay Districts and Citywide Standards, reviewed by Planning Commission on September 18, 2018, November 6, 2018 and November 20, 2018
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Short Term Vacation Rental Ordinance. Ordinance 640 was adopted by City Council on October 27, 2020 to amend the City's Short Term Vacation Rental Ordinance. On September 9, 2021 the Coastal Commission certified the City's LCP amendment to add Title 17.41 to the Zoning Ordinance. The new short term rental ordinance will be incorporated into the updated Plan Morro Bay.
Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
- Final Environmental Impact Report certified by City Council on May 25, 2021.
- Appendices, includes Mitigation Monitoring & Reporting Program
- Draft EIR for Plan Morro Bay (review period 10/19/20 - 12/4/2020).
- Notice of Availability, 2020
- Notice of Preparation, 2017
Technical Reports:
- Low Cost Visitor Serving Accommodations Technical Memorandum, December 2017
- Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) Review and Current Conditions Mapping, January 2018
- Sea Level Rise Adaptation Strategy Report January 2018
- Circulation Element Update, Draft Technical Report, March, 2018
- Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA) SLR Assessment, August 2018.
- Lateral Access Technical Memorandum, 2019
- Lateral Access Preferred Alignment Design Poster, 2019
- Coastal Resources and Resiliency H++ Update (SLR Modeling), June 2019
Supporting Documents:
- Downtown Waterfront Strategic Plan (DWSP) adopted by City Council January 23, 2018.
- Community Baseline Assessment, May 2017 final document
- Vulnerability & Resilience Assessment, March 2017 final document
- Key Issues & Policies Report, December 2016 final document
- Vision & Values Statement, September 2016 final document
- For other documents not listed here, please refer to the project documents page.
Funding Support
The City of Morro Bay acknowledges funding support by the Coastal Commission and Ocean Protection Council. In addition, the Plan Morro Bay Comprehensive LCP Update project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovate ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefitting residents of disadvantage communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
Get Involved
The update of the City's General Plan/Local Coastal Program and Zoning Code started in 2015. The City Council adopted a comprehensive update of the General Plan and Coastal Land Use Plan in May 2021 and the LCP Coastal Land Use Plan was certified by the Coastal Commission in August 2021. The Zoning Code / Implementation Plan component of the project has been drafted and the Planning Commission will be holding public hearings to review the public hearing draft final Zoning Code document. To provide input, or for any questions, feel free to contact Scot Graham, Community Development Director at sgraham@morrobayca.gov or Cindy Jacinth, Senior Planner at cjacinth@morrobayca.gov.
General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) meetings and material
To view past agendas, staff reports, and presentations for Plan Morro Bay materials presented to the GPAC, either click the link to the left or click here.