General Plan Amendment 25-0320

2025050297

City of Laguna Beach

NOE - Notice of Exemption

5/7/2025

5/7/2025

Louie Lacasella

City of Laguna Beach

Senior Administrative Analyst

Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant

505 Forest Avenue
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

(949) 497-0736

llacasella@lagunabeachcity.net

Citywide

Categorical Exemption

State CEQA Guidelines, sections 15060(C)(2), 15061(B)(3), and15162.

Pursuant to State California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15162, staff reviewed the adopted environmental document for the 1995 Safety Element, which was also referenced for the 2021 Safety Element update, and determined that a subsequent EIR or a Negative Declaration is not required for this update to the City’s Safety Element in that substantial changes are not proposed to the draft document nor will the update involve new significant environmental impacts or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects, the circumstances to which the 1995 Safety Element was adopted have not changed, and no new information of substantial importance which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence has arisen since the prior environmental documents have been certified. Additionally, in accordance with the State CEQA Guidelines, the proposed General Plan Safety Element update has been determined to be not a project subject to CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(c)(2),15061(b)(3) and 15378(a) in that the proposed amendments which are primarily limited to policy modifications and updates in compliance with Government Code Section 65302 (g)1 through 9 are not anticipated to result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, nor will the proposed changes have the potential for causing significant effect on the environment. (See also State CEQA Guidelines, 15378 [definition of project does not include general policy and procedure making, or organizational and administrative activities by the lead agency].) Pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15382, “Significant effect on the environment” means “a substantial, or potentially substantial, adverse change in any of the physical conditions within the area affected by the project including land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise, and objects of historic or aesthetic significance. An economic or social change by itself shall not be considered a significant effect on the environment. A social or economic change related to a physical change may be considered in determining whether the physical change is significant.” The proposed Safety Element update is in compliance with current State General Plan requirements, will not substantially affect, potentially substantially affect, or change the City’s land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise, and objects of historic or aesthetic resources as all potential changes have been thoroughly considered and will act to protect the environment by minimizing the potential spread of wildfire or any other natural disasters, which are intended to result in the reduction of potential short and long-term community risks resulting from fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, climate change, and other related hazards. Further, the Safety Element update is simply incorporating the already-adopted LHMP. It can be seen with certainty that the proposed actions will not result in any foreseeable or reasonably foreseeable development that may cause significant environmental impacts. Thus, no environmental review is required.

Categorical Exemption

State CEQA Guidelines, sections 15060(C)(2), 15061(B)(3), and15162.

Pursuant to State California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15162, staff reviewed the adopted environmental document for the 1995 Safety Element, which was also referenced for the 2021 Safety Element update, and determined that a subsequent EIR or a Negative Declaration is not required for this update to the City’s Safety Element in that substantial changes are not proposed to the draft document nor will the update involve new significant environmental impacts or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects, the circumstances to which the 1995 Safety Element was adopted have not changed, and no new information of substantial importance which was not known and could not have been known with the exercise of reasonable diligence has arisen since the prior environmental documents have been certified. Additionally, in accordance with the State CEQA Guidelines, the proposed General Plan Safety Element update has been determined to be not a project subject to CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Sections 15060(c)(2),15061(b)(3) and 15378(a) in that the proposed amendments which are primarily limited to policy modifications and updates in compliance with Government Code Section 65302 (g)1 through 9 are not anticipated to result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, nor will the proposed changes have the potential for causing significant effect on the environment. (See also State CEQA Guidelines, 15378 [definition of project does not include general policy and procedure making, or organizational and administrative activities by the lead agency].) Pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15382, “Significant effect on the environment” means “a substantial, or potentially substantial, adverse change in any of the physical conditions within the area affected by the project including land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise, and objects of historic or aesthetic significance. An economic or social change by itself shall not be considered a significant effect on the environment. A social or economic change related to a physical change may be considered in determining whether the physical change is significant.” The proposed Safety Element update is in compliance with current State General Plan requirements, will not substantially affect, potentially substantially affect, or change the City’s land, air, water, minerals, flora, fauna, ambient noise, and objects of historic or aesthetic resources as all potential changes have been thoroughly considered and will act to protect the environment by minimizing the potential spread of wildfire or any other natural disasters, which are intended to result in the reduction of potential short and long-term community risks resulting from fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, landslides, climate change, and other related hazards. Further, the Safety Element update is simply incorporating the already-adopted LHMP. It can be seen with certainty that the proposed actions will not result in any foreseeable or reasonably foreseeable development that may cause significant environmental impacts. Thus, no environmental review is required.