Safety Element

What is the Safety Element?

The purpose of a Safety Element is to include safety considerations in the planning and decision-making process by establishing policies related to future development. The Safety Element, a requirement element of the City’s General Plan, identifies natural and man-made hazards that may result in personal injury, loss of life, property damage, or environmental damage.

Since 2012, there have been several updates to Safety Element requirements to include climate change vulnerability and adaptation and greater attention to wildlife and evacuation routes. Pursuant to Senate Bill (SB) 1035, all local jurisdictions in California must update their Safety Element upon each revision of the Housing Element or Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, but not less than once every 8 years.

Safety Element Update

In 2021, the City began an update to the Safety Element. The existing Safety Element had not had a comprehensive update since the general plan was adopted in 1987. The Safety Element Update was adopted by the City Council on January 31, 2023.

The Safety Element Update was processed concurrently with the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update and Downtown Precise Plan, collectively referred to as the "Plan Orinda" project. One Environmental Impact Report was prepared for the Plan Orinda project. Visit the Plan Orinda website for up-to-date information, resources, documents, and more related to Plan Orinda.