Table of Contents

Hazard Mitigation

The city’s comprehensive plan includes extensive hazard mitigation policy recommendations across multiple chapters. 

The plan includes a hazard risk assessment rubric and maps of vulnerable areas, infrastructure, and businesses.  

It recommends mitigating hazard risks within the built environment by limiting new development in high-risk areas (BE10); studying the location and extent of hazardous materials (CS2.G); incorporating hazard mitigation into development review (CS3.B); and mitigating flood hazards and sea-level rise through minimum freeboard elevations (W1.B.4).

Solar Energy

In the city's Comprehensive Plan, the Sustainability and the Environment element addresses solar energy. Under Objective SE3, Resource Conservation, strategies include developing and implementing new energy sources by promoting the use of renewable energy sources, including solar, and identifying opportunities for local renewable energy sources by mapping solar locations and assessing opportunities at public schools (SE3-D) (p. 31).

The Built Environment element lists "Alternative Energies in/on Historic Structures" as a challenge and notes that the City must determine if solar panels are ever appropriate on historic structures and strike a balance between protecting the built environment and encouraging changing technologies (p. 39).

In the Community Services and Facilities element, Objective CS8 on Energy includes a strategy of promoting alternative energy sources, including solar (CS8-E) (p. 105).

In the Land Use element, Objective LU8 on environmental sustainability includes strategies to amend land use-controls to protect solar access (LU8-A) and develop incentives to promote wind and solar energy development (LU8-G) (p. 126).