PMPU Draft Program EIR & Draft PMPU
Continuing robust public outreach in the Port of San Diego’s planning for the “future of the Port,” more formally known as the Port Master Plan Update (PMPU), the public and stakeholders were invited to review and provide feedback on the Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the PMPU between November 23, 2021 and January 10, 2022. Port staff is now preparing responses to the public comments received and preparing the Final Program EIR and Draft PMPU. Staff anticipates seeking Board approval on the Final Program EIR and Draft PMPU in summer 2023.
The Port of San Diego is updating our Port Master Plan, a water and land use plan that designates specific areas of San Diego Bay and the surrounding waterfront for maritime, fishing, visitor-serving commercial, recreational, conservation, and institutional uses. The plan determines where port activities should take place, where recreational amenities should be located, and where commercial uses like hotels, restaurants, and visitor-serving retail may be built.
- Volume I: Draft Program EIR
- Volume II: Appendices A through I
- Draft PMPU (also available as Volume III to the Draft Program EIR)
- Draft PMPU (with tracked changes)
- Draft PMPU EIR Resumen Ejecutivo
- Aviso de Disponibilidad PMPU EIR (Mas Tiempo)
- Comments received on the Draft PMPU and Draft Program EIR during the public review period (updated 2/9/2022)
The Draft EIR includes analysis of potential environmental impacts such as, but not limited to, air quality, climate change, traffic, noise, and natural resources. The Draft PMPU includes goals, policies and development standards that reflect extensive input from the public, stakeholders, and the Board of Port Commissioners. We welcome and encourage all feedback and are grateful the community is engaged in the PMPU process.
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The Future of the Port
The Port of San Diego has been conducting a comprehensive and inclusive Integrated Planning initiative to update our Port Master Plan, which is similar to what is known as a General Plan in a city or county. This effort is often referred to as “the future of the Port" and supports the Port's mission to develop San Diego Bay for multiple purposes and uses for the benefit of the people of the State of California (Port Act).
Launched in 2013 by Chair Ann Moore, the Port Master Plan Update process began with an Integrated Planning effort to ensure a holistic, thoughtful, and balanced approach to future water and land uses for generations to come. Tailored for the unique needs of the Port, it began by understanding both maritime and non-maritime uses on San Diego Bay, then looking inland to examine how the Port, San Diego Bay and the tidelands affect the entire region, including critical upland links.
How We Got Here
The Port is now in the fourth of five stages of a multifaceted and comprehensive approach for managing and planning the business of the Port in a balanced way. This five-phase planning process will culminate with an updated Port Master Plan:
- Vision Statement and Guiding Principles
- Framework Report
- Port Master Plan Update Discussion Draft and Revised Draft
- Environmental review pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Current Phase)
- California Coastal Commission Certification (2024)
*Phase 1 and 2 make up the Integrated Planning Vision.
Questions and comments about the PMPU can be emailed to pmpu@portofsandiego.org.
Public Outreach
This planning process is based on comprehensive analysis and investigation, all informed by extensive public outreach, including:
- Over 6,300 respondents to two online surveys;
- Nearly 3,000 comment letters on the PMPU Discussion Draft released in 2019;
- Over 400 comment letters on the Revised Draft PMPU released in 2020;
- Over 450 meetings with key stakeholders and partner agencies;
- 40 public Board workshops/meetings; and
- 19 open houses and community meetings.
Goals
- Balance the needs of development with those of valuable natural resources
- Prioritize key planning features and clearly define land and water use guidelines for development, with enough built-in flexibility to be able to quickly adjust to market demands
- Protect opportunities for public access and parks on the waterfront for all Californians and visitors to enjoy
- Streamline the permitting process for developers, investors, and Port staff to more effectively and efficiently process projects
Timeline/Schedule
Integrated Planning process begins with extensive public outreach, including more than 100 interviews with stakeholders and agencies, public workshops and Board of Port Commissioners meetings. HKS Urban Design Studio/Randy Morton is hired to lead Phase 1.
Vision Statement and Guiding Principles are accepted by the Board of Port Commissioners.
Framework Report is accepted by the Board in November 2015, concluding the visioning phase.
Initiation of Port Master Plan Update and scenario planning. Port staff begin working with the architectural firm, AECOM, to produce a draft updated Port Master Plan document.
- 1/10/2017: PMPU Progress Report to Board
- 3/9/2017: PMPU Public Board Workshop #1
- 3/23/17: Public Open House #1 to learn about and discuss the PMPU
- 4/12/17: PMPU EIR Scoping Meeting
- 4/27/17: PMPU Public Board Workshop #2
- 5/11/17: Public Open House #2 to learn about and discuss the PMPU
- 5/25/17: PMPU Public Board Workshop #3
- 7/11/17: PMPU Presentation to the Board
- 8/8/17: PMPU Public Board Workshop #4
- 8/10/17: Public Open House #3 - recap of 8/8/17 Board Workshop
- 10/12/17: 2017 Silver Bernays Award of Excellence – Community Relations (Port of San Diego/Nuffer Smith Tucker), Public Relations Society of America
- 11/14/17: PMPU Public Board Workshop #5
- 11/15/17: Public Open House #4 - recap of 11/14/17 Board Workshop
- 12/5/17: PMPU Public Board Workshop #6
- 12/12/17: PMPU Public Board Workshop #7
- 3/28/18: PMPU Public Board Workshop #8
- 7/17/18: PMPU Public Board Workshop #9
- 8/14/18: PMPUPublic Board Presentation and Discussion
- 11/1/18: PMPU Public Board special meeting - Environmental Justice Policy Considerations
- 12/13/18: Port Seeks Input on Embarcadero Planning District Via Online Survey
- 12/18/18: PMPU Public Board Presentation and Discussion
- 1/30/19: Public Open House #5 - Embarcadero Planning District
- 2/12/19: PMPU Board Workshop #10
- 2/25/19: PMPU Board Workshop #11
- 3/14/19: PMPU Board Workshop #12
- 4/25/19: PMPU Discussion Draft released for 90-day public review period
- 4/30/19: PMPU Board Workshop #13
- 6/6/19: Community Discussion Event #1 - Port of San Diego Administration Building
- 6/12/19: Community Discussion Event #2 - La Mesa Community Center
- 6/20/19: Community Discussion Event #3 - Palomar College Rancho Bernardo Education Center
- 6/27/19: Community Discussion Event #4 - Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve
- 7/15/19: Community Discussion Event #5 - Coronado Community Center
- 8/28/19: Community Discussion Event #6 - Portuguese Hall in Point Loma
- 9/16/19: Board of Port Commissioners Meeting - Manchester Grand Hyatt
- August 4, 2020: PMPU Board Workshop #14 (North Embarcadero)
- October 20, 2020: Revised Draft PMPU released for public review until November 17, 2020
- December 7, 2020: PMPU Board Workshop #15 (Revised Draft)
- Draft Program EIR circulated for public review (November 8, 2021 - January 10, 2022)
- Prepare responses to public comment and prepare the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (January 2022-Summer 2023)
- Port Board to consider approval of the Final Program EIR and Draft PMPU (Anticipated in summer 2023)
- Processing of the PMPU with the California Coastal Commission (Anticipated 2023-2024)
- California Coastal Commission considers certification of the PMPU (Anticipated in 2024)
- Port Board approves the PMPU as certified by the Coastal Commission (Anticipated in 2024)
Award-Winning Outreach
The Integrated Planning initiative has been recognized as innovative, forward-thinking and inclusive, winning notable awards from professional planning, environmental, public affairs and architectural organizations. Recent awards for this initiative include: