The Novato City Council has approved changes to the general plan safety element, incorporating climate adaptation and resiliency strategies and opting for a more cautious planning approach for areas with evacuation issues.
The safety element identifies community hazards to help the city plan for disasters. The updates come after a series of recent state laws required towns to integrate climate resilience and adaptation policies, along with other hazard mitigation plans, into their general plans.
As part of this process, the town conducted a vulnerability assessment. Shoreline and inland flooding, severe weather and extreme heat were identified as the hazards creating the most vulnerabilities in Novato.
The most vulnerable populations were identified as “low-resourced households,” or those with financial limitations that affect their ability to prepare for disasters; people of color and immigrant communities facing historical housing issues and language barriers; homeless people; and older adults who might have mobility or health problems.
Kay White, a resident who spoke at the City Council meeting on Dec. 9, asked the council to adopt the changes.
“Climate change is here now, it’s not in the future. Every summer we walk around patrolling and trying to control various fire risks,” White said. “We feel the urgency.”
City officials also met with residents to identify community concerns, which included the effects of extreme heat on daily activity, power outages affecting medical devices and the city’s ability to afford long-term adaptation strategies.
As a result of this process, Novato has made several major changes to its safety element, including adding the vulnerability assessment; updating climate resilience and adaptation goals; revising policies to address hazards and vulnerable populations; adding actions to address those vulnerabilities, including mapping residential areas with evacuation constraints; and incorporating other evacuation risk assessments.
At the meeting on Dec. 9, the council focused particularly on concerns over a map that identified parcels with only one exit route. The map is a planning tool and originally identified single-access parcels and parcels on cul-de-sacs with 10 or more dwellings. It includes a significant portion of the city.
After meeting with the fire district, the Novato Planning Commission recommended the city adjust the map to change the 10-residence threshold to 30, significantly reducing the number of applicable parcels. The change is in line with California fire code.
“Going to the the 30-unit threshold, I noticed a big difference in the map,” said Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Jacobs. “We’ve got a lot of cul-de-sacs that have 10, 12 houses on them and the threshold there will change, and I think that’s a good idea because we’d have half the city.”
“I have a little bit of concern,” said Mayor Rachel Farac. “I feel 10 to 30 is a big jump.”
Councilmembers Pat Eklund and Sandeep Karkal also expressed reservations about changing the threshold.
Ultimately, the council voted unanimously to approve the changes but keep the 10-residence threshold, voting against the recommendation from the Planning Commission.