General Plan Amendment #24-06

The City of Merced is pursuing General Plan Amendment 24-06 to certify and adopt the Merced County Multijurisdictional Housing Element and the City of Merced 6th Cycle Housing Element for 2024-2032. As one of the seven required elements of the General Plan, this adoption includes a zoning ordinance amendment to ensure compliance with state requirements for the Regional Housing Needs Allocation. The project is designed to benefit the City of Merced and its residents, though the adoption of the Housing Element does not include the approval of specific projects; any future projects proposed as a result of this element will undergo individual evaluations for specific impacts prior to approval and development. The project is identified as statutorily exempt under Public Resources Code Section 15162, as a General Plan EIR Addendum was previously adopted in April 2025 and no substantial changes are being proposed. This exemption is supported by additional references to Public Resources Code Sections 21083, 21110, 21108, 21152, and 21152.I. The effort is managed by the City of Merced with Leah Brown serving as the Senior Planner and primary point of contact. Performance is centered within the City of Merced across multiple assessor parcel numbers.