03/20/2026
Notice of Preparation of a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report for the Housing Element Update and Rezone Project
Notice of Public Scoping Meeting
The general public is hereby informed that a Notice of Preparation (NOP) has been prepared to notify agencies and interested parties that the City of Calexico (City), as the Lead Agency, will prepare a Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the proposed Housing Element Update and Rezone Project (Project). The City will be the lead agency under the CEQA for the project. The Notice of Preparation with the corresponding maps can be downloaded from the following link:https://calexicoca.govoffice3.com/vertical/Sites/%7B342ED706-1EBB-4FDE-BD1E-9543BAD44C09%7D/uploads/Final_NOP.pdf
Project Description
The Project consists of the following components: 1) the City of Calexico 6th Cycle 2021–2029 Housing Element, 2) associated General Plan Amendments, and 3) Zoning Amendments. The proposed project does not approve specific development projects. The Housing Element is the City’s main housing policy and planning document that identifies housing needs and constraints, sets forth goals, policies and programs that address these needs and constraints, and plans for projected housing needs for all income levels over an eight-year planning period that coincides with a Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) from the Southern California Association of Governments (S**G). The 6th Cycle 2021–2029 Housing Element Update identifies suitable sites throughout the City, that can adequately accommodate the required housing capacity set forth by the City’s RHNA, which for the 2021-2029 Sixth Cycle planning period is 4,868 housing units. Because the existing land uses throughout the City do not currently have the prescribed residential densities to meet the City’s RHNA, of the 53 sites in the Sites Inventory, 34 sites have been identified as candidate housing sites for rezoning.
Scoping Period and Public Scoping Meeting
The NOP scoping period closes at 5:00 p.m. on April 20, 2026. All comments concerning this environmental document must be submitted in writing to Michael Coyne, AICP, Planning & Building Director, at [email protected], prior to the close of the public comment period. The City will hold a scoping meeting to provide an opportunity for agency staff and interested members of the public to submit comments, either written or verbal, on the scope of the environmental issues to be addressed in the Program EIR. The scoping meeting will be held on Thursday, April 9, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the City of Calexico Camarena Memorial Library, 850 Encinas Ave., Calexico, CA 92231. The scoping meeting will have an introductory presentation followed by public questions and answers. Written comments regarding relevant issues may be submitted at the meeting. As environmental documentation for this project is completed, it will be available for review at the City’s Planning & Building Department located at Calexico City Hall, 608 Heber Avenue, Calexico, CA 92231, and online at: calexico.ca.gov
