PMPU Final Program EIR & Final 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 Notice of Completion of the PMPU along with the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) is available to review. The Final PEIR includes the latest draft of the PMPU, which is called the Final Draft PMPU. A tracked changes version of the Final Draft PMPU is also available to show the text changes made since the Draft PMPU was published in the fall of 2021. Click on the links below to view/download the latest documents.
Notice of Completion of the PMPU
Final PEIR - Volume 2 of 4 (includes Executive Summary)
Final Draft PMPU (with tracked changes)
Final Draft PMPU - What's Changed Summary
Notice of Completion of the PMPU (Español)
FINAL DRAFT PMPU - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (español)
The Port Master Plan is a water and land use plan that designates specific areas of San Diego Bay and the surrounding waterfront for a variety of uses including maritime, fishing, visitor-serving commercial, recreational, environmental conservation and protection, and navigation. 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.
Public Meetings
Additionally, the public is invited to attend an upcoming virtual meeting for a refresher on the PMPU process, to review what changes have been made as a result of public and stakeholder feedback to date, and to provide additional feedback. Each meeting will have the same agenda and presentation and will allow time for comments and Q&A:
- Tuesday, December 12 at 6 p.m.
- RSVP and get meeting link here: https://forms.office.com/r/HyQBkxCd8u
- Thursday, December 14 at 1 p.m.
- RSVP and get meeting link here: https://forms.office.com/r/ytkPeW8sb0
The Final Draft PMPU reflects extensive input from the public, stakeholders, and the Board of Port Commissioners. The Final PEIR includes responses to the comments received during the Draft PEIR public review period between November 8, 2021 and January 10, 2022. It also contains revisions made to the PEIR as a result of those comments; however, the analyses of the potentially significant environmental impacts and mitigation measures remain essentially the same as those provided in the Draft PEIR. The Draft and Final PEIR incorporate the required analyses of environmental impacts associated with air quality, climate change, traffic, noise, biology, public services and recreation, among others.
The Port welcomes and encourages all feedback at the virtual meetings and is grateful that the community is engaged in the PMPU process. The Board of Port Commissioners is anticipated to consider certifying the Final PEIR and adopting the Final Draft PMPU at a Special Session meeting on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. The public, interested organizations, and government agencies are encouraged to submit testimony, statements, and evidence relative to the Final Draft PMPU and Final PEIR at the Special Session BPC Meeting, or in written form prior to that meeting. Written information should be submitted to the attention of the District Clerk, San Diego Unified Port District, 3165 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92101 or at PublicRecords@portofsandiego.org.
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.
The Port is updating its Port Master Plan to reflect changes in the needs and priorities of Californians and the region’s growth. The current plan was approved in 1981 – over 40 years ago. The objective is to create a holistic, thoughtful, and balanced approach to future water and land uses on and around San Diego Bay for generations to come.
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 (Anticipated for 2025)
*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)
- Prepared responses to public comment and prepare the Final Program Environmental Impact Report (January 2022-Summer 2023)
- Release of the Final PEIR with the Final Draft PMPU. (Current step, documents to be published on December 6, 2023.)
- Port Board to consider certification of the Program EIR and adoption of the PMPU (Anticipated in February 2024)
- Processing of the PMPU with the California Coastal Commission (Anticipated spring 2024 - summer/fall 2025)
- California Coastal Commission considers certification of the PMPU (Anticipated in late 2025)
- Port Board approves the PMPU as certified by the Coastal Commission (Anticipated in late 2025)
- California Coastal Commission accepts the Port’s approval of the PMPU (Anticipated in late 2025)
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: