OPEN SPACE ''ACTION PiGGRAM
Appendix #3

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STATE LAW REQUlRSyENTS FOR OPEN SPACE
ELEMSl^fi-S
State jaw defines open space as an)' area oi land

The purposes of this .section (appendix) of the
GP are to c'xpj.ain (Tie concepts and requirements
of' state law concerrting the “(tpen space'"'

or w'ater tiiat is essentially unimproyed.-and
more types of open space

devoteii to one eu-

u.5e(s), speciricallyi including

elerrjwrts of local general plans and niore
specifically, how the County of Santa Cian'i's

’

Genera! Plan fulfills the requirement for an
Open Space iiieireent -'Action Program." The

*

background information sections' which foilow
this isitrcxjuction provide the basic context for
the "vtction program/'-described in.more
aflerwan.ls.'

To better enable users of the CJP to .see the

toteiity of tl-io.; Connh-T approadi to open space

space for;

natural resourl'e preservation (e.g. wildlife

habitat);

managed productio.n.of resources
pfifni-csolls, diiTbef lands. or minenij d epos
it

’ . outdoor rectealion (e.g, historic, areas, parks

for beacit and river access, frails); smd
♦ , public heaffliabd safety (active fa u it and
laraislide areas).

The reqiurernents for open space eiemeuis

planning, ihis appendix compiles and summa
rizes the toHowing a.specls of the man}' chapters
and .seel inns of tht; Plan iiaat address liie subject:

space planning and preservation at the local

!.

government level. State iaw' emphasizes the
imporiance of open space prasen-'ation fa ti-ie

’<cy strafegies and pel ides for open spai'e
preservation;

2.

e.xishrig impkimeritetirm measures bedng

3.

employed; and
rtcominejided irnpjumentation mejunires the

legisiaiive body intends to pursue in impleinenling the stralegies and policie.s of -Liu?
Genera! Plan.

TIh.: latter, #3, represents the "Action l-h-ogwni"

<v> i-fKjuired and <fe.finc(.l by state law. VVith this
compilation, rest,ins of the I’ian should also be

able to belter undorsfi-inil how each particuiar
recummond.ition contained in the^Achon

Program" life into the overall scheme of (.!.>!i.sting
strategies and implementafion.

establishwi by the iegisiahite n-jflect the vitai

irnportanc-e the .siafe has piaced upon open

^onomy of the siafe. It furthermore asserts th,u
premaforc and/ur tinnecessary -con version of
upetispace land tc' urban uses i.';. nut in the

public interest, .-ind-thatin the face of co.nfeuiing

population growth pres.sitres, local opm spact;
plan.n.ing is ol paraiiiount importance to main-

fainJng ;md enliancing California's overall,
qiiaiity of life (pataphrases Govt, Code .sections
65561 iurd 65562).

Consequently, the open space dements of local

genera! plans. mu,st n{jt only coj'Uajtt strategies
and policies for ilu-; preservation of open space
(the "open spnee plair;"}, but also must contaifi

as f:jarl ot that; plan tin "'action program," or set

of impit-mentaiion mea,=;ures and recesmmenda-

tions .specifically intended to carry out tfxe
general strategies and policies of the jurisdiction
h.sr open space pre,servotion.

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Open Space “Action ProgramApi.vudrrii^
tHEOPEN SPACE FtAM

]>« County's Caieral Plan does-not contain any
on!i section or chapter titicit "Open Space."
ii'lnveveo the requiremerits oi'.slate law for the
open sp<u.e eic->.rT)o>n.l arr'.largely redundant to the

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content :'t’i,p,(.ijefTu;nis for other elements; siich as

the ''Safety Etemej’U/S the "Conservation
Eletneni/'and the "Land Use Btement," Conse

quently if! the CounlySs Ceneraj Plan, open
pace piB.nning and preservation is prirnarily
addressed williin tiie following chaptej^:
Growth & Developmonu RiasoufceConservaHon, Parks & Recreation, Health & Safely, and
flKM-aivJ Usn Plan, (see Appendix i)
THE OREM SPACE "ACTION PROCRAM’*

btale low n-;()uir(-.>s tliul "Evory local open .Space
pl.an .shal l contain :)ii action program consisting
of sped l ie progi-iuns which the legisfahve body
intends to pursiiB in Implcmenti)'.;,; it-s open

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The basic approaches and sirategies for (.o'eserv'ing open space ian.d.s curreritJyemploycd by file
CiHinty or Sania Claj'a consist oftfie foiiovyjiy:':
■ - Strategy #1.; ■ 'ConMnae Counlywide Growth
rVIanagement .md[ "joint Urban
-Deveioiimeni Pohde-s"

Strategy !f2: Regulate.Allowable Uaes and
- Densihes of DevelDptncnt
5tra!Ggy#3: Provide gesmomk Incentives to
Private Land Owners

sp.-icc plan" ISt'Ct. 65,5641

Strategy -fhl: Acquire Open Space for Parl«,
fiv the terin 'progfeams/ the law refers generalIv
la any of a Vrudety of tools, mechanisms,ordi
nances, ui' other means for preserving land in
open space uses and conserviiig naUiral re
source's. Only one specific type of prograino'r .

VVildl.jie Refuges, and Other
Open Space Ufses

Strategy #5: Coitducf Spedai Stadie.s, A rc-a
Pkaming,and Assessment of
Projects Under CEQ.A.

impie/nenhng measure i.s expressly required by

(. riiiidmia staU: law—that ever/ city and county
enact and /.[.qily setme type of open*sp'cice .r.(.)riinp
law, such ;}-> e>.;ciu.sive agricultural zoning
di.strif Is. f lie enactment of any other ty'pe of
prograni m- medta.nism is ifiscretiouarv on the

part of l!>t' kK'Al go'verrimen 1.
Tfie next station describes in ‘.tre-at-er detail the

general appu-iaches to open Space preservation
Iht: (...ounty of Santa Clara currently employs,
'■ixferj't'd H! gc-nera! sirategies, and a sample of
u>e existing ij-nj.denientation ma-isures within
each strategy currently in use.

in hierarchical order from

tht* broadc’sl :>l;Tfliegie.s applicable on a
co'iinlywide hasSs,.such as thejoint-urban

developmeilt poiicres of the cities, the Gounly,
and I...AFCO,down u; i:ht' ty pes of measures that
may apply only to n particuiar sub-area i)r
indivaduaf developitnent proposal administered
under Om Cuunty's regulatory iui'isdicfiort.

I

Strategy #T; '
Continue Counfywide Growth
Manag&menf and “Jotat Urban
Deveiopinent Palicies”

Existing i.vdiries and related impk'me.ntation
meas\ires undr-r this slralegy aro intended to
pmserve open space through careful and delibi-'iate managenwm of urban gmwth and dcn el
Cj'.rmenfc intiludhig:

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Open Space '’Action Program
V

Ar.’j’ai.wx ;?3

I

i Sf/alegy #2;
^ 2egu!af& Allovi'ablid Uses and

Pfovkfe Sco.nomh Incentives to

i Oemsfi^s of Dov&Jopmenf

Pfivafe Land Owners

2,1 Undertake in fnli compliance witli ail legal

3.! Utisize- mapping and iwaiyste capabiJi i ies;-i'

requirements the V(>20hiing'6f lands for
which the zfirring district i$ Identified as
mc(;nsister!{ with the applicable Cenenvl
Plan Land Use designation.!R-LU(i) 'l l
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the County';. Geograpiiic Worination

Systi.;r7i (CIS)to track and.report upon
VV'illinmsojt Act contact non-renttwal
activitv.
V

Review u,se.s permitted w'ithin the •A
Agriculiisre" zoning disti'ict for
conformiiy with the range of aHotvabie ufie.s

3,-2 Ijvalimte flie nat'ure and jsotential effect!vtv
ness of incentive.':- to encourage private
landcnvner.s Ir. take advantage of existing
policies and regulations for clustering of

dctinal in theCenera! Plan for areas deiigIV.1 ted "Agricii i tu n-r" •( R •l.l.'fi.) 21

development [iv-LUf!)4|

2.3 LstabJish iu) agricolturai coau7idifivcne>s
berk force to.study .ind ]'e(.'t,'imrnGnd ways of
nioirdaimng and enhancing die long fettn
viability bf.agtictilixire. fR"RQi)30|

Strategy i4:

Acquim Open Space for Parks,
t MldSife Uefuges, and Other
I

j Op&nSpace

2,4. Setback requirements and (serformance
sinndurds neces.snry to protecl riparian
corridors and waier resoujTe.s shonfd be

devt.sedl regarding new devek'pnienL
including building setbacks, setbacks for
sewenigt? and otiier pipelines,septic sys

tems, roads and ret.'n>;uiona} traiJsv.fogging,
and.-igricuflura.i activities. Tire presmt
regulations should be compared vvitli these
standards, and '.vricre necessary, revisiotrs
should be made lo existing policies and
regulations. (R-R('(ii .!.!)}

.0.5 .(explore potential fi.if a cooperative, educa
tional, iion-regulator)^ measures (e.g-.,:

4.1 Utilize Open Space 202(1 acqnisii ion guide
lines and priorities in reviewing and revis
ing flte Coil nly's Regional.Parks a nd Scenic

Highvvay.s PJanj a.nd in conjunction with tiie
Open Sp<)v(.'.Aijthorit5''$land acqui.silion
planning, to maximize the effectiveness of
acquisition expenditures, {see OS 2U2rip. IH-I, i.UandMI

4,2 identify ground: water recharge and '-vatershed iand.s of Kighesl priority for possible
open .space aetjuisition, feee OS 2l.)2i)
p. ili-6, ff6i

'•Ripari.'ui Values nducaiion. Roundtable") to
in.rorm and enc<)uriij.’e riparian area cemservatinn.!R -RU{0 b(b)j

2.6 identif}' th(>.se.<in.>as of greatest sensitivity to
vi.suaJ impacts of diivelnpment and apply
design ivview requirements to development
..in ring within iho;;!;.rreas (i.e., the "-d"
I i.imbinirig district), where n.t't alretidy
rix.j’.itreiJ as a coni iition oi' building site

.ippioval, {Not to apply to areas designated
Ranchiands east I'f Hwy. K.tl for which

hihiding ;.-)te approwil i.x ikiI. currentlv
required.I iP RC(i)38i

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open Space “Action Program
Appciitiix S3

; Sfraf&gy #5;
: Conduct Spsicjal Studies, Ama

i Planning, and Assessmentof
j Pmecis Under CEQA,

j

5.1 Kxpiore and develop joint aroa i.hidies,
plains, .^lul <)g.ieetnents for areas,of mutual
interest to rnultipiu jurisdictipr^, such as
Sooth Ahnaden Va-lley and h&ilsidcs, hillside,
lands within SOI of thft City of Cupertino,

and other;}. (R*GD(i)3and'4.:s<-,.‘ealyo
OS 2020, p- 111-7,#10)

5.2 explore.hinding for and developimait of
Regional.Habitat Consei'val.ion PI,ms

(R!iCPs)wilit intetested jurisdictions and
ap[.'ii'Oj'iri;iie .state and federal agende.t. {CW'
RQi)n-12S

Participatiirn of fire Ci:)unty -w.ith the SatJta
Clara VaUey Water.DislTict, other affected
g'.veer.ninenta! .agencie.s, and ruMl area land
OvviU'ix- in ti'ie District's "Comprehensive

Re,s<?rv;.)ii- Maii,igt‘rnenl Plan" program. |RKCiijCj

5.1 Mapping and storage of.spa tin! date reL';in;iing known (latural hazards tind critical
ri'sOLirces on Geographic )n.f{nToatjori
Systems technoio^ fo rarililateviafe mainienan.ce and public dissemination (d'informa
tion (e.g. gi-.>o!e,gii; liazard data, Farmland
Mapfu'ng Prograjri data,historical sitesinventories, arch.eotogical and paieonto.logtcal sites, etc.) {R-HS(i)'9, and various impie{nentation [■c>comm€nckUt(.)ns from Rosouiee

Conserva fioi'} -and Healtlt ic Si-ifety diapter-s)
SS .Rxploje establishn'ient of a viewahed

protection i.mogrsm for 'l-fiilside' areas,
utilizing the parcel consolidnliun and
clustering incentive recormncjidaUons t'f
0[>ecr Sp<ue ?02.d as a ba,sis Ic^r iho program.
7]

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