Meetings & Events

San Rafael General Plan 2040 and the Downtown Precise Plan were both adopted on August 2, 2021. This page provides archival links to the meetings that occurred during the General Plan Update process, including staff reports, presentations, meeting minutes, and other materials.

The General Plan 2040 Steering Committee had its 25th and final meeting on June 10, 2020. The Planning Commission began public hearings on the Plan on October 27, 2020 and completed its recommendations to the City Council on June 29, 2021. City Council hearings were held on July 19 and August 2, 2021.

Please consult the Housing Element Update page for meeting information on that project.

August 2, 2021: City Council Public Hearing on General Plan 2040 and Downtown Precise Plan
- Staff Report
July 19, 2021: City Council Public Hearing on General Plan 2040 and Downtown Precise Plan, and Certification of EIR
- Staff Report
- PowerPoint Presentation
- Video Recording of Meeting (starts at 1:13.30)
June 29, 2021: Planning Commission Public Hearing on General Plan 2040 and Downtown Precise Plan
- Staff Report and All Attachments
- PowerPoint Presentation
- Video Recording of Meeting (starts at 23 minutes into hearing)
June 15, 2021 Planning Commission Public Hearing on the Final EIR and Revisions to General Plan 2040
April 6 2021 Progress Report to the City Council and Consideration of Transportation Analysis Guidelines
March 9 2021 Planning Commission (EIR Public Hearing)
February 9 2021 Planning Commission (Wrap-Up Hearing on Downtown Precise Plan)
January 26 2021 Planning Commission (Public Hearing on Form Based Code)
January 12 2021 Planning Commission (Public Hearing on Downtown Precise Plan)
December 15 2020 Planning Commission (Wrap-Up Hearing on General Plan 2040)
November 12 2020 Planning Commission (Public Hearing on General Plan 2040 Chapters 10-14)
October 27 2020 Planning Commission (Public Hearing on General Plan 2040 Chapters 1-9)
September 15 2020 Planning Commission Informational Report and "Preview" of General Plan 2040

July 6, 2020 City Council (discussion of transportation standards)
July 2, 2020 Citizens Advisory Committee (Downtown Precise Plan presentation)
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #25 - June 10, 2020 (Zoom)
- Agenda
- Summary of April 15-23, 2020 Subcommittee meetings (Meetings 23 A-D) (Attachment 1)
- Summary of May 13, 2020 Committee Meeting #24 (Attachment 2)
- Staff Report on Draft 2040 Goals, Policies, and Programs (Attachment 3)
- 2040 General Plan Compendium of Goals, Policies, and Programs (Attachment 3A)
- Tracked Changes to Prior Version of Goals, Policies, and Programs (Attachment 3B)
- Audio Recording of Meeting (use a browser other than Firefox to open the file) - PART ONE
- Audio Recording of Meeting (use a browser other than Firefox to open the file) - PART TWO
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #24 - May 13, 2020
Arts and Culture Subcommittee (April 15, 2020)
Historic Preservation Subcommittee (April 16, 2020)
Community Services Subcommittee Meeting (April 22, 2020)
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Subcommittee Meeting (April 23, 2020)

Meetings prior to Shelter in Place are archived below

Park and Recreation Commission - March 12, 2020
- Staff Report
General Plan Steering Committee #23 - March 11, 2020 (Note: This meeting was cancelled. Agenda materials were discussed at Subcommittee meetings due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Shelter in Place Order)
- Agenda
- Attachment 1: Summary of February 12, 2020 Meeting
- Attachment 2: Staff Report on Historic Preservation Policies
- Attachment 2A: Comparison of 2040 and 2020 Historic Preservation Policies
- Attachment 3: Staff Report on Arts and Culture Policies
- Attachment 3A: Comparison of 2040 and 2020 Arts and Culture Policies
- Attachment 4: Staff Report on Community Services Policies
- Attachment 4A: Comparison of 2040 and 2020 Community Services Policies
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #22- February 12, 2020
- Agenda
- Attachment 1: Summary of January 8, 2020 Steering Committee Meeting
- Attachment 2: Staff Report on Economic Vitality Policies
- Attachment 2A: Comparison of 2040 and 2020 Economic Vitality Policies
- Attachment 3: Staff Report on Community Design Policies
- Attachment 3A: Comparison of 2040 and 2020 Community Design Policies
Planning Commission Meeting on General Plan Draft Land Use Map: February 11, 2020
- Staff Report
- Attachment A: Draft Land Use Map
- Attachment B: Draft Land Use Categories
- Attachment C: Proposed Staff-Initiated General Plan Map Amendments
- Attachment D: Applicant Submittals for General Plan Map Amendments
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #21- January 8, 2020
- Agenda
- Attachment 1: Meeting Summary for 11/13/2019
- Attachment 2: Staff Report on 2040 Parks and Recreation policies
- Attachment 2A: Comparison of 2040 and 2020 Parks and Recreation policies
- Attachment 3: Staff Report on Transportation Metrics
- Attachment 4: Staff Report on 2040 Mobility policies
- Attachment 4A: Comparison of 2040 and 2020 Mobility policies
City Council Reviews General Plan Progress Report #3 - December 2, 2019
- General Plan 2040 Progress Report #3
- Resolution Modifying General Plan Steering Committee Appointments
- General Plan Progress Report #3 PowerPoint
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #20- November 13, 2019
- Agenda
- Attachment 1 - Minutes of October 9, 2019 Meeting
- Attachment 2 - Noise Policies
- Attachment 3 - Infrastructure Policies
- Attachment 4 - Neighborhoods Element On-Line Tool
- Attachment 5 - Neighborhood Land Use Policies
CAC Meeting on Downtown Precise Plan and Form-Based Codes - November 7, 2019
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #19 - October 9, 2019
- Meeting Agenda
- ATT 1: Minutes of September 11, 2019 meeting
- ATT 2: Downtown Options Report Summary (with hyperlinks)
- ATT 3: Neighborhoods Element On-line tool
City Council Study Session - October 7, 2019
- PowerPoint from Meeting
Planning Commission Meeting - September 10, 2019
- Working Draft Options Report
- 8/29 Pop-Up Workshop Summary
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #18 – September 11th, 2019
- Meeting Agenda
- ATT 1: Minutes of August 14, 2019 meeting
- ATT 2: Introduction to SB 1000 (Environmental Justice)
- SB 1000 "ToolKit"
  - Environmental Justice PowerPoint Presentation
- ATT 3: Revised Sea Level Rise Policies and Programs
  - Sea Level Rise PowerPoint Presentation
- ATT 4: GP 2040 Draft Open Space and Conservation Element Policies
- 2020 General Plan Elements corresponding to Open Space-Conservation (for context and reference only)
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #17 – August 14th, 2019
- Agenda
- Att1: Minutes of July 10, 2019 Meeting
- Att2: Staff Report and Policy Audit on Community Design
- Att3: Principles of Good Design
- Att4: Staff Report on Place Types and Form Based Codes
City Council Reviews General Plan Progress Report #2 - July 15, 2019
- General Plan 2040 Progress Report #2
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #16 – July 10th, 2019
- Agenda
- Attachment 1: Summary of June 12, 2019 meeting
- Attachment 2: Staff Report on Downtown Profile/Economic Conditions
- Attachment 2A: Economic Conditions Report
- Attachment 3: Staff Report on Economic Vitality Element Audit
- Attachment 4: Staff Report on Infrastructure and Governance Audit
- PowerPoint presentation on economic conditions
- Economic Vitality Element PowerPoint poll and results
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #15 – June 12th, 2019
- Agenda
- Attachment 1: Summary of April 10, 2019 meeting
- Attachment 2: Summary of May 8, 2019 meeting
- Attachment 3: Downtown Precise Plan Recap
- Attachment 4: Circulation Policy Audit and Impact Discussion
- Attachment 5: Continued Discussion of Land Use Policies
- Attachment 6: Infrastructure and Governance Policy Audits
Downtown Plan Design Charrette – May 8th-11th, 2019
- Agenda
- Charrette Opening Presentation
- Charrette Closing Presentation
- Charrette Brown Bag Presentations
- Charrette Other events (Slides on walking tour, post-Charrette feedback)
- Charrette Comment Cards
- Charrette Table Exercise
- Focus Group Notes
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #13 – April 10th, 2019
- Agenda
- Att 1: Summary of March 13, 2019 meeting
- Att 2: Downtown Visioning Exercise Part 2
- Att 3: Discussion of the Parks and Recreation Element Policy Audit
- Att 4: Staff Report on Safety Element Policies
- Att4a: Environmental Hazards Policies
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #12 – March 13th, 2019
- Agenda
- Att 1: Summary of February 13, 2019 Meeting
- Att 2: Downtown Visioning Exercise
- Att 3: Strategy and Schedule for Policy Development
- Att 4: Discussion of Air and Water Quality Element Policy Audit
- Att 5: Discussion of Noise Element Policy Audit
- Att 6: Discussion of Culture and Arts Element Policy Audit
- Supplemental Handout 1: Policy Development Flowchart
- Supplemental Handout 2: 2019 Project schedule
City Council Reviews General Plan Progress Report #1 - March 4th, 2019
- General Plan 2040 Progress Report #1
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #11 – February 13th, 2019
- Agenda
- Att 1: Summary of December 12, 2018 Meeting
- Att 2: Steering Committee Status Report
- Att 3: Downtown Boundary
- Att 4: Open Space and Conservation Policy Audit
- Att 5: Updated Land Use Policies
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #10 – December 12th, 2018
- Agenda
- Att 1: Summary of November 14, 2018 Meeting
- Att 2: Safety Element/ Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Summary
- Att 3: 2020 Safety Element Policy Audit
- Att 4: Sea Level Rise and General Plan 2040
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #9 – November 14th, 2018
- Agenda
- Att 1: Summary of 10/10/2018 meeting
- Att 2: Staff Report on Round 1 Workshops
- Att 3: Staff Report on Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP)
- Att 4: Land Use Policy Evaluation
- CCAP PowerPoint Presentation
- Economic Development PowerPoint Presentation
General Plan "Round One" Workshops (October 3, 17, 27):
- Agenda: English
- Agenda: Español
- General Plan Overview Presentation: English
- Presentación general del plan: Español
- Poll: English
- Encuesta: Español
- Polling Results: All Meetings (Resultados de la encuesta: todas las reuniones)
- General Plan Madlibs: English
- General Plan Madlibs: Español
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #8 – October 10th, 2018
- Agenda
- Att 1: Summary of 09/12/2018 meeting
- Att 2: Staff Report on Agenda Item 5.A (Developer Panel)
- Att 3: Staff Report on Agenda Item 5.B (Outreach Update)
- Att 4: Staff Report on Agenda Item 5.C (GP2020 Land Use Goals, Policies, and Programs)
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #7 – September 12th, 2018
- Agenda
- Att 1: Summary of 07/11/18 meeting
- Att 2: Agenda Item 5.A: Youth Initiative
- Att 3: Land Use Categories
  - General Plan Land Use Categories PowerPoint (from meeting)
- Att 4: Land Use Exercise
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #6 – July 11th, 2018
- Agenda
- Att 1: Summary of 05/09/18 meeting
- Att 2: Summary of 06/13/18 meeting (Bus Tour)
- Att 3: Staff Report on Agenda Item 5.A (Bus Tour Recap)
- Att 4: Staff Report on Agenda Item 5.B (Proposed General Plan Outline)
- Att 5: Staff Report on Agenda Item 5.C (Revised Guiding Principles)
- Att 6: Staff Report on Agenda Item 5.D (Demographic Profile)
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #5 (Bus Tour) – June 13, 2018
- Agenda
- Att 1: Bus Tour Route
- Att 2: Bus Tour Workbook (fillable)
- Att 3: Summary of 06/13/18 meeting (Bus Tour)
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #4 – May 9, 2018
- Agenda
- Att 1: Summary of 03/14/18 meeting
- Att 2: Staff Report on Development Pipeline
- Att 2a: Active Project Location Maps
- Att 3: Staff Report on Bus Tour Ideas
- Att 4: GP Organization Options
- Att 4a: PowerPoint on General Plan Structure
- Att 5: Guiding Principles
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #3 – March 14, 2018
- Agenda
- Att 1: Summary of 2/14/18 meeting
- Att 2: Staff Report on Work Program
- Att 3: Work Program
- PowerPoint Presentation on Work Program
- Att 4: Staff Report on Eight Questions
- Att 5: Eight Question Verbatim Responses
- PowerPoint Presentation on Eight Questions
- Att 6: General Plan 2020 Vision Statement
March 5, 2018 – City Council Discussion of General Plan Work Program
- Staff Report
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #2 - February 14, 2018
- Agenda
- Item 5A-5B Attachments
- Item 5C Staff Report- General Plan Overview
- Item 5D Staff Report- Visioning Exercise
- Item 5B PowerPoint
- Item 5C PowerPoint
General Plan Steering Committee Meeting #1 - January 10, 2018, 6 PM (Falkirk Mansion)
- Agenda
- Steering Committee Bylaws
December 4, 2017: City Council appointment of General Plan 2040 Steering Committee Members
- Staff Report
November 20, 2017: City Council Study Session on San Rafael Transit Center Relocation
- Staff Report
City Council Discussion of Downtown Vision (November 6, 2017)
- Staff Report
- PowerPoint
- Video of Meeting
Parks and Recreation Commission (September 21, 2017)
- Staff Report
- PowerPoint
Planning Commission Briefing on General Plan 2040 (September 12, 2017)
Design Review Board Briefing on General Plan 2040 (September 6, 2017)
General Plan Farmers Market Exhibit (August 10, 2017)
Citizens Advisory Committee Briefing on General Plan 2040 (August 3, 2017)
City Council Study Session on General Plan Update (February 6, 2017)

Upcoming Meetings

Past Meetings