URP 3510 Study Guide - Specific Plans, Subdivision Map Act, and CEQA

Vocabulary flashcards covering Specific Plans, the Subdivision Map Act, and CEQA concepts from URP 3510 Quiz 2 review.

Specific Plan (SP)

A planning instrument that implements the General Plan (GP) for a particular geographic area by providing a focused vision and customized zoning, development standards, and guidelines.

RED (Resolution)

The formal approval or certification of an environmental document associated with a specific plan.

OSP (Ordinance Specific Plan)

The official approval of a specific plan enacted through local ordinance.

Specific Plan Standards

Mandatory, legally binding development requirements that a project MUST satisfy, including maximum building heights, minimum parking ratios, setbacks, and floor area ratios.

Specific Plan Guidelines

Flexible advisory recommendations that a project SHOULD try to meet, such as preferred architectural styles and street furniture types.

Specific Plan Applications

Focus types for specific plans, including Master Planned Communities, Large Scale Multiple Owners, and Revitalization or TOD (Transit-Oriented Development).

Subdivision

The division of any unit or units of improved or unimproved land, or any portion shown on the latest assessment roll as a unit or as contiguous units, for the purpose of sale, lease, or financing.

Vesting Tentative Tract Map

A type of subdivision map similar to a Tentative Map, except that its approval confers a vested, absolute right to proceed with development in compliance with codes in place at the time of approval.

Final (Tract) Map

A map in substantial conformance with an approved or conditionally approved Tentative Tract Map (TTM), prepared in compliance with the City Subdivision Code and the Subdivision Map Act.

Parcel Map

A map required for the subdivision of $4$ or fewer parcels, which does not require city or county engineer approval or a public hearing after original approval.

Tract Map

A map required for the subdivision of $5$ or more parcels, requiring approval from both the City/County Engineer and the City Council/Board of Supervisors, as well as a public hearing.

Numbered Lots

Lots designated on a subdivision map that are privately owned.

Lettered Lots

Lots designated on a subdivision map that are community owned.

CEQA Mitigation Measures

Actions designed to avoid, minimize, rectify, reduce or eliminate, or compensate for potential environmental damage caused by a project.

Statutory Exemption

A CEQA exemption where an entire class of projects is determined by the State Legislature to be too important to be changed, requiring no environmental review.

Categorical Exemption

A CEQA exemption applied to an entire class of projects that typically do not have a significant effect on the environment.

Initial Study Checklist

A preliminary analysis tool used under CEQA to summarize analysis, determine whether an EIR or Negative Declaration must be prepared, and identify potential environmental effects.

Negative Declaration (Neg. Dec.)

An environmental document prepared under CEQA when a project results in no impact or a less than significant impact on the environment.

Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND)

An environmental document prepared under CEQA when potential environmental impacts are identified but reduced to less than significant levels with mitigation incorporated.

Environmental Impact Report (EIR)

A detailed CEQA document prepared when a project has any potentially significant impact, analyzing environmental effects and discussing ways to mitigate or avoid them.

CEQA Addendum

A document making minor technical changes or additions to an adopted Negative Declaration or certified EIR when minor project or document changes occur.

Supplemental or Subsequent EIR

A revised environmental review prepared when substantial project/document changes occur, new information of substantial importance arises, or new significant impacts/mitigation measures become feasible.

CEQA Consistency Analysis

An evaluation comparing a revised project against the original project to determine if the new project's environmental impacts were analyzed in the previous document.