City of Oceanside Project Alternatives

The project team will present project alternatives for GPU Phase 2 to the Planning Commission on March 14th and the City Council on April 6th.  Reflecting different distributions of future housing and employment growth, the project alternatives are meant to foster further community engagement on the General Plan Update while achieving compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  The consideration of project alternatives will lead to the selection of a preferred plan for GPU Phase 2.  The preferred plan will then be summarized in a brief Land Use and Mobility Plan that will be shared with the community and decision-makers. Visit the Project Website for more information on how to view and participate in the meetings.

 
All of the project alternatives emphasize infill and redevelopment within the City’s major commercial corridors as well as additional housing in existing single-family neighborhoods as facilitated by recent state legislation.  Two of the alternatives align with the South Morro Hills Policy Framework, while a third assumes the status quo in South Morro Hills. 
 
Alternative A (Dispersed Corridor Growth + SMH Community Plan): Housing and employment growth distributed broadly across the City’s major commercial corridors; roughly 400 additional housing units in South Morro Hill (above current General Plan/Zoning Ordinance allowances); 3,000 new single-family homes in existing single-family neighborhoods, as facilitated by state legislation (SB9); 1,500 new accessory dwelling units, as facilitated by state legislation
 
Alternative B (Transit-Focused Growth + SMH Status Quo): Roughly 33 percent of housing and employment growth focused in the Oceanside Boulevard corridor; no additional housing units in South Morro Hills (consistent with current General Plan/Zoning Ordinance allowances); 3,000 new single-family homes in existing single-family neighborhoods, as facilitated by state legislation (SB9); 1,500 new accessory dwelling units, as facilitated by state legislation
 
Alternative C (Transit-Focused Growth + SMH Community Plan): Roughly 33 percent of housing and employment growth focused in the Oceanside Boulevard corridor; roughly 400 additional housing units in South Morro Hills (above current General Plan/Zoning Ordinance allowances); 3,000 new single-family homes in existing single-family neighborhoods, as facilitated by state legislation (SB9); 1,500 new accessory dwelling units, as facilitated by state legislation
 
CEQA Guidelines Section 15126.6(a) requires that environmental impact reports (EIRs) “describe a range of reasonable alternatives…which would feasibly attain most of the basic objectives of the project but would avoid or substantially lessen any of the significant effects of the project…and evaluate the comparative merits of the alternatives.”  The project alternatives outlined above will be studied in the project EIR, along with a “No Project” alternative.
 
The Planning Commission staff report for this item will be posted here at least five days before the Planning Commission meeting.
 
Please direct questions and comments on project alternatives to Principal Planner Russ Cunningham at 
rcunningham@oceansideca.org or (760) 435-3525.

South Morro Hills Community Plan Design Workshop, March 2022
In addition to the project alternatives, the Planning Division will host a public workshop for the South Morro Hills Community Plan (SMHCP) on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in the City Council Chambers at 300 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. To ensure adequate seating, in person attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance of the workshop.
 
Community members who wish to participate via Zoom may register on the website. A Zoom link and login instructions will be provided in advance of the meeting.

Please direct questions and comments on the workshop to Principal Planner Rob Dmohowski at 
rdmohowski@oceansideca.org or (760) 435-3563.