City of Novato

General Plan
March 1996
Summary

The Novato General Plan is a statement of the community's vision for the future. The Plan is a comprehensive, long-range plan and identifies Novato's land use, transportation, environmental, economic, fiscal, and social goals and policies as they relate to the conservation and development of land in Novato. The Plan is the result of over five years of community participation, research, and preparation. The March 1996 Plan supersedes the City's existing 1981 General Plan. This General Plan is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, environmental plans in the State of California assuring the quality, protection, and conservation of the natural and built environment. The Plan balances its responsibilities of meeting the needs of Novato's residents with meeting the needs of Novato's environs.

Goals of the Plan

The General Plan was developed through an extensive public participation process, including a community survey. Early public comments created a foundation of goals adopted by the City Council. The goals are as follows:

  1. Preserve and improve the quality of life in Novato. Conserve and where appropriate restore the natural environment and strive for high quality in the built environment that complements the natural environment.

  2. Retain and promote the small town character of Novato including preservation of the historic features and landmarks.

  3. Keep Novato relatively compact in physical size by establishing firm urban limit lines. Provide areas where land uses, densities and intensities create a gradual transition from the developed suburban area to the surrounding rural area. Coordinate with the County to maintain rural land uses within the Novato sphere of influence.

  4. Maintain and revitalize Downtown Novato as the heart of the community.

  5. Preserve, protect and enhance the natural setting throughout the community, including creeks, hillsides, ridgelines, woodlands, wildlife, native plants, wetlands and open space.

  6. Preserve bay front lands and diked wetlands for agriculture, resource restoration, conservation and recreation.

  7. Increase job opportunities and income of residents by encouraging a diversified local economy. Foster the economic vitality of Novato businesses, the City of Novato and other local governmental agencies by encouraging a healthy economy which provides for diversity of economic enterprises.

  8. Provide for a variety of housing opportunities through new construction and maintenance of existing housing for an economically and socially diverse population, while preserving the character of the community. Low and moderate income housing of all types (including mobile homes, mobile home and recreational vehicle parks) will be given special consideration.

  9. Coordinate transportation, economic and land use planning to help provide effective transit services which reduce dependence on the single-occupant automobile.

  10. Encourage local job opportunities to avoid the need to commute out of Novato for employment.

  11. Manage growth by requiring the coordination of development with adequate infrastructure, public facilities, public services and promoting conservation, reuse and recycling strategies while meeting the needs of the community with the limited land available for development.

  12. Provide and maintain greater recreational, educational, (including the College of Marin Indian Valley Campus (IVC) of Marin Community College District, and cultural opportunities for all segments of the community. Pursue all efforts with community and neighborhood organizations, nonprofit organizations, for profit organizations, and public agencies to provide care and services, including medical, counseling, recreational, educational, cultural, shelter, and housing opportunities to meet the needs of Novato's citizens.

  13. Protect the integrity of residential neighborhoods from conversion and/or intrusion of incompatible land uses. Create transition buffers separating incompatible land uses.

Implementation of the Plan

The General Plan is a document that will be used by the City Council, Commissions, staff, and the community to determine whether public and private development proposals are in harmony with the goals, objectives, policies, and programs of the Plan. The City will change the Zoning Ordinance to conform with the Plan and will adopt procedures for carrying out the Plan's policies and programs.

Highlights of The General Plan

The Plan contains nine chapters:

Appendix A, "Novato Neighborhoods," and Appendix B, "Reference Materials," are not an adopted part of the Plan but contain information relating to the General Plan.

Highlights from each chapter of the Plan are as follows:

Land Use Chapter

The Land Use Chapter contains a growth management program. The program consists of the following components:

The Land Use Designations Map illustrates the pattern of conservation and development that the General Plan envisions. Development is managed so that growth consistent with the General Plan can occur while the adequacy of infrastructure and public services is maintained. The constraints analysis is a process of investigating a site's natural resources and hazards relative to property development so that environmental values are imparted throughout project design and construction and hazards to people and property are minimized.

The constraints analysis portion of the growth management program reflects the high value the community places on protecting the rich mix of environmental resources in Novato and the concern over safety issues such as unstable slopes and flooding. Most undeveloped properties in Novato have environmental and safety constraints to consider.

The General Plan reduces the overall density from the 1981 Plan and thus many of its impacts such as traffic, noise, and pollution; protects and advocates stronger neighborhoods; enhances livability; and reduces impacts on services and infrastructure. Residential growth potential is reduced by approximately 13 percent, and nonresidential by approximately 10 percent.

The General Plan restricts new retail centers and focuses on providing corporate development like Fireman's Fund, Broderbund, Mindscape, Harris Digital, and other similar leading edge corporations, to provide a strong local economy and provide well paying job opportunities to Novato residents. This will greatly improve the jobs/housing balance in Novato reducing the amount of commute traffic and enhancing the sense of community.

Transportation

The Transportation Chapter, in conjunction with the Land Use Chapter, contains many policies and programs to tie growth to the resolution of traffic impacts created by development. The reduced development under the 1996 General Plan means lower traffic volumes than from the 1981 Plan and less congestion on local streets. The chapter also reflects the City's participation in the Marin Congestion Management Agency dealing with regional traffic issues including Highways 101 and 37. Only regional and state actions can substantially reduce congestion in the 101 and 37 corridors, but the General Plan policies and programs will ensure that Novato does its part - the Plan includes land use changes suggested by the Congestion Management Agency staff. The chapter promotes transit use and provides policies and programs to help reduce dependency on automobiles and eliminates the unnecessary intrusion of arterial streets through neighborhoods. The General Plan provides for a comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian system.

Housing

The Housing Chapter focuses on neighborhood preservation and provision of housing for all segments of the community. The chapter reflects the substantial progress the City has made in meeting Novato's fair share of homeless and transitional housing needs as well as affordable housing through the Hamilton Reuse Plan for the former military base. An affordable housing program is adopted and provides many options for development of affordable housing such as requiring a percentage of units developed to be affordable or payment of equivalent in-lieu fees. Programs included in the General Plan could provide over 1,500 units of affordable housing over and above the 783 affordable units specified in the Hamilton Reuse Plan.

The General Plan provides for significant affordable housing opportunities for Novato residents, seniors, persons working in and supporting our community and local economy. Opportunities are provided for the children of Novato residents to be able to find affordable housing and be able to remain in and be a vital part of the Novato community. Policies for greater consideration of neighborhood values in the location of larger group homes and second dwelling units are also a part of the chapter.

Environment

The Environment Chapter contains many policies and programs that strengthen Novato's identification and preservation of environmental resources. In fact, the Novato General Plan provides in the aggregate the strongest environmental protection programs of any General Plan in the state. The chapter contains policies and programs to develop the following special overlay zones for protection of environmental resources:

Additional ordinances will be developed to protect native vegetation and Novato's community forest. Policies also require the protection of species diversity and habitat. Environmental reviews will include screening for animals and plants of value on lists not required by state and federal law but important to the local area. The Environment Chapter contains policies and programs designed to reduce the impacts of development on air quality and water quality.

This chapter also contains programs for open space, parks, and recreational facilities. New in this General Plan is the consideration for preservation of locally significant open space in addition to significant Countywide open space. The General Plan provides for the development and expansion of parks and the development of many desirable community facilities including:

Safety and Noise

The Safety and Noise Chapter deals with the protection of the community from unreasonable risks associated with the effects of earthquake, flooding, landslides, slope instability, subsidence, and other known geologic hazards. Other hazards or potential hazards such as fire hazards, aviation hazards, electromagnetic fields and hazardous materials are covered in this chapter. The City's emergency response capacity is also outlined in this chapter. The General Plan protects and maintains vital City services such as police and fire.

The Noise section identifies and evaluates community noise sources and problems. Policies and programs are keyed to ensuring that development is compatible with established noise standards.

Economic Development and Fiscal Vitality

This chapter is new to the General Plan. The chapter provides a framework for the City's commitment to foster a vital and sustainable local economy that balances, and is consistent with, the broader social and environmental goals of the community. The Economic Development section describes the City's objectives, policies, and programs to strengthen and diversify Novato's economy. The second section presents objectives, policies, and programs relating to the City's financial well being and the City's ability to provide services such as police protection, parks and recreation, planning, public works, and maintenance of City parks, streets, and facilities. The General Plan provides for fiscally sound government and obligates growth to pay its fair share.

An Economic Development Commission is proposed to foster public and private cooperation and to lead to implementation of the policies and programs in this chapter.

Human Services

The Human Services element reflects Novato's interest and concern for the well being of Novato residents. This chapter defines ways Novato can better provide and coordinate services and facilities to those members of the community with special needs. The chapter outlines the City's commitment to services such as care of seniors, children, disabled persons, youth services, home services, and social programs. The City supports health care services for all segments of the community. The approval of the new Community Hospital is an example of the City's commitment to superior health care for Novato residents.

Public Facilities and Services

This chapter establishes the objectives, policies, and programs for the major public facilities and services that Novato needs to support the development envisioned in the General Plan. Public schools are provided by the Novato Unified School District. The College of Marin Indian Valley campus in Novato is provided by the Marin Community College District. Many services are provided by public agencies other than the City of Novato as follows:

The City provided services are as follows:

The Public Facilities and Services Chapter commits the City to continuing a cooperative relationship with other agencies involved in the provision of facilities and services to Novato's planned growth. Each agency retains independent decision-making authority over their area of responsibility. The City coordinates and communicates with these agencies on any development proposal. Policies also encourage the City to cooperate with local agencies on beneficial joint projects such as the reuse of wastewater.

Special attention is given in this chapter to working with utilities to accommodate the long-term needs of business and industry to take advantage of fast moving changes in technology.

Community Identity

The genesis of this chapter was to meet a community goal to retain and enhance the small town character of Novato and protect the integrity of residential neighborhoods. Objectives include ensuring that new development demonstrates quality, excellence of design and sensitivity to the character of the surrounding neighborhood. This chapter provides for establishing community design guidelines to apply as part of the Design Review process. The guidelines speak to physical building and site design, landscaping, utilities, lighting, parking, and pedestrian circulation. Policies include requiring landscaped open areas with outdoor furniture as gathering places for employees and customers in commercial, office, and industrial areas.

The Downtown is highlighted in this chapter. A specific plan for the Downtown is underway as a result of a grass roots effort started in 1993. Policies and programs in this section help support the goals of the specific plan as well as provide a framework for the Plan. The General Plan envisions the Downtown as the economic, social, and cultural center of Novato.

Archaeological and historic resources are required to be identified and protected by the policies and programs in this section. Public art is actively promoted with a program to work towards Novato becoming a center for artists in the Northbay.

Appendix A: Novato Neighborhoods

Novato Neighborhoods, while not an adopted part of the General Plan, summarizes General Plan policies that have a particular effect on the City's neighborhoods. There are seven neighborhoods that correspond with the 1992 Report Target 2000 districts established for distribution of parks and recreational facilities. Each neighborhood section describes the location, population, housing characteristics, environmental resources and hazards, major transportation facilities and public facilities in each district. It then summarizes land use policies that will guide development of major vacant or undeveloped areas in the district. The seven neighborhoods are as follows: Northwest, West, Central, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast.

Appendix B: Reference Materials

Appendix B contains information such as a map or summary of materials or documents that are referred to in the General Plan and where the documents can be located. As the Council adopts other plans, such as the Downtown Specific Plan, they can be referenced in this appendix so users of the General Plan are aware of other plans that relate to the General Plan.

Conclusion

Because there are a limited number of developable parcels in Novato, care was taken to create a balanced community. In summary, the General Plan strives to protect and continue the quality of life that Novato citizens have come to expect and enjoy while improving the economic vitality of Novato(1).

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