Port of San Diego has published a so-called framework report with updates to its master plan for the approximately 6,000 acres of land and water within its jurisdiction.

The integrated planning process began in 2013 and has included extensive public outreach.

The framework report outlines objectives of the port master plan update, including: Modernizing the plan by prioritizing key planning features and clearly defining land and water use guidelines for development, with enough built-in flexibility to be able to quickly adjust to market demands. Simplifying the plan in order to streamline the permitting process for developers, investors, and District staff to more effectively and efficiently process projects. And balancing the needs of development with those of valuable natural resources so that the two can harmoniously co-exist in a manner that is fiscally sustainable.

According to a prepared statement, comprehensive planning ideas are contained in the report to guide all projects in the following key areas: Land use, water use, and mobility; public access and recreation; natural resources; safety and resilience; and economic development.

Port staff will use the report to begin drafting a master plan, which will be followed by review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act.

There will be additional opportunities for public input throughout the remainder of the process.

The report is the last step in the visioning phase of integrated planning. It has emerged from a comprehensive process of analysis and investigation – all informed by extensive public outreach, including over 100 interviews with stakeholders and agencies, public workshops and board meetings.

The planning has been strategically designed to enable development at the port to continue concurrently with the planning process. The published framework report will be used as a tool for evaluating various location-specific initiatives currently underway within the port, such as the Harbor Island Rental Car Lot Redevelopment, the Central Embarcadero Redevelopment, the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal Modernization, the National City Balanced Land Use Plan and the Pond 20 Mitigation Bank Development.