SJC ALUCP and AIA Amendment

SJC ALUCP and AIA Amendment

The Santa Clara County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) serves as a policy-making body for lands around Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC) through the adoption of an Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP), formerly known as a Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), to guide orderly development of the area surrounding SJC. The ALUC makes land use consistency determinations regarding the proposed adoption or amendment of certain types of land use policies or regulations that affect property within the Airport Influence Area (AIA) designated in the ALUCP. The ALUC functions to implement State law (Public Utilities Code Section 21670 et seq.) to protect the public health, safety, and welfare and minimize the public’s exposure to excessive noise and safety hazards within the AIA. The AIA serves as the boundary within which the City of San José or the City of Santa Clara must refer General Plan Amendments, Specific Plans, Zoning Ordinance revisions and building regulation changes to the ALUC. The ALUC renders decisions of either consistency or inconsistency with the adopted SJC ALUCP. If the ALUC determines the proposed adoption or amendment is inconsistent with ALUCP policies, the referring agency may only proceed if the proposal is amended to be consistent with the ALUCP, or, if the governing body of the affected City overrules the ALUC’s determination by a 2/3 vote of the entire legislative body. If an overrule is considered, at least 45 days prior to the decision to overrule the ALUC, the local agency shall provide the ALUC and the California Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics (Division) a copy of the proposed overrule decision and accompanying findings. The ALUC and the Division may provide comments to the local agency’s governing body within 30 days of receiving the proposed decision and findings. While the ALUC and Division comments are advisory, they must be included in the public record of any decision to overrule the ALUC. This initial study involves reviewing an amendment to the SJC ALUCP that (i) modifies the boundaries of the AIA, (ii) amends the ALUCP text and maps related to the AIA, and (iii) makes other minor amendments to the ALUCP (collectively, the “Project”). The Project reflects the updated SJC 2020 Airport Master Plan (“Airport Master Plan”) and encompasses lands most affected by noise and safety impacts from SJC. This will ensure that the proposed adoption or amendment of land use policies and regulations affecting these lands will be reviewed by the ALUC for consistency with the SJC ALUCP, thereby minimizing public exposure to noise and safety hazards. This action will be undertaken pursuant to the ALUC’s authority under Public Utilities Code § 21675. The amendment will affect parcels within the cities of San José and Santa Clara. The Airport Master Plan forecasts SJC operation levels through 2037. The proposed AIA is based on data prepared and analyzed for the Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport Noise Assessment for the Master Plan Environmental Impact Report by BridgeNet International (“Airport Master Plan EIR”), identifying the 65 dB Community Noise Equivalent Level (CNEL) contours and the Safety Zones in that EIR with a 50% increase in operation levels (the “65 dB + 50 percent CNEL contour). The entire proposed AIA is shown on Figure 1, below. Specific sections of the AIA are shown in more detail on Figures7a through 7d and 8a through 8c, below. This methodology was chosen by the ALUC after evaluating various options and conducting numerous public meetings and discussions. The 65 dB + 50 percent CNEL contour also includes all properties within the Safety Zones identified for SJC. The SJC AIA update is intended to encompass all areas subject to potential significant noise and safety hazards from SJC during at least the next 20 years (i.e., through 2044). The proposed AIA boundary relies on easily identifiable features, including street arterials, rail lines, and waterways. (See Table 1, below.) No lands proposed to be added to the AIA are located within any of SJC’s Safety Zones. Therefore, any potential development restrictions on the parcels being added to the AIA would be limited to building heights and noise-related restrictions and mitigations.

San Jose, Santa Clara

Santa Clara

Northern California

California Air Resources Board (ARB), California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bay Delta Region 3 (CDFW), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Transportation, District 4 (DOT), California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning (DOT), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Highway Patrol (CHP), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Natural Resources Agency, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, San Francisco Bay Region 2 (RWQCB), Office of Historic Preservation, California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT)

California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics (DOT)

Transportation:Air/Heliport (ALUCP and AIA Update), Transportation:Other (San Jose International Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan)

Amendment to Existing San Jose International Airport ALUCP and AIA Boundary

Air Quality, Land Use/Planning, Noise, Population/Housing