Sustainable Communities Strategy & One Bay Area
I have received a lot of questions lately about the Sustainable Communities Strategy, related to the "One Bay
Area" planning process. This has been a complex process and one that has been challenging to follow, as it is
a state mandate being led by regional agencies. Local jurisdictions are being provided the opportunity to
comment on the process and draft plans, but state law assigns the authority to lead the decision making
process to specific regional planning agencies and organizations.
The Sustainable Communities Strategy is an integrated land use and transportation plan that all metropolitan
regions in California must complete under California's 2008 Senate Bill 375 (Steinberg), which requires
each of the state's 18 metropolitan areas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. Under
SB 375 each region must develop a Sustainable Communities Strategy that minimizes the environmental
impact of projected growth by focusing planning for growth in manners and in areas that are likely to produce
the least additional impact on emissions. Commonly recommended approaches promote compact, mixed-
use commercial and residential development that is walk-able and bike-able and close to mass transit, jobs,
schools, shopping, parks, recreation and other amenities.
The law assigns the responsibility for meeting its requirements to established regional agencies. In the Bay
Area, the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission
(MTC) have a joint responsibility to manage and prepare the Sustainable Communities Strategy in conjunction
with their traditional Regional Housing Needs Allocation and Regional Transportation Plan efforts.
One Bay Area is an initiative meant to coordinate efforts of the Bay Area's regional government agencies -
Association of Bay Area Governments, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the Bay Conservation
and Development Commission and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission - in partnership with the
region's 101 towns and cities to create long-range regional plan for sustainable land use, transportation and
housing. This plan is referred to as Plan Bay Area.
According to the timeline set by the State, the Bay Area's final plan is due in March 2013. The timeline calls
for a draft plan to be completed by the beginning of 2012 so it can guide the investments in the transportation
plan, to ensure consistency with the eight-year housing allocation, and make sure that environmental impact
documents are completed in time to allow for public review.
The Process So Far
On March 11, 2011 ABAG and MTC released an Initial Vision Scenario for the Sustainable Communities
Strategy. The Initial Vision Scenario served as the starting point for public comment on the development,
analysis and discussion of detailed Sustainable Communities Strategy alternatives. To read the Initial Vision
Scenario, Click here.
ABAG and MTC solicited comments from local jurisdictions (Click here to view the County of Marin's comment
letter) about the Initial Vision Scenario and from that input they developed five alternative scenarios, which are
available for review at: http://www.onebayarea.org/plan_bay_area/land_use.htm.
Each scenario identifies different housing and jobs distribution, and transportation infrastructure investments,
for each of the local jurisdictions in the Bay Area.
The County of Marin and the City of Novato are identified separately in these scenarios. The Novato City
Council reviewed the alternative scenarios at their January 10, 2012 meeting (agenda item #8) and has
submitted comments to ABAG and MTC for the allocations specific to their authority. To watch the Novato City
Council meeting, visit: http://novato.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=573.
The County of Marin sent a comment letter to ABAG on February 6, 2012 (click here to view the County’s letter).
In summary, the County believes that the projected job and housing growth in all of the scenarios is unrealistic for Marin.
Comments received by ABAG and MTC from the public and each of the local jurisdictions will be used to
inform the development of the Preferred Scenario. ABAG and MTC are expected to approve a
Preferred Scenario in May 2012, at which time it will begin environmental review. Final adoption of the Sustainable
Communities Strategy by ABAG and MTC is slated for April 2013.
Questions & Getting Involved
For more information visit the One Bay Area website at: http://www.onebayarea.org/.
For questions about the One Bay Area Plan, the public process, and/or data used to compile the reports, you can contact: Jackie Reinhart at 510-464-7994 or JackieR@abag.ca.gov
Ms. Reinhart is an ABAG Regional Planner and the designated staff person for the County of Marin.
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