DATE:
March 4, 2026
04
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
APPROVAL OF A REVISED JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA AND THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO FOR THE PLANNING, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE OTAY RANCH PRESERVE AND RELATED CEQA EXEMPTION (DISTRICTS: 1 & 2)
Body
OVERVIEW
The County of San Diego (County) Board of Supervisors (Board) and the City of Chula Vista (City) City Council adopted the Otay Ranch General Development Plan/Subregional Plan (Subregional Plan) on October 28, 1993 (1). The Subregional Plan contemplated development within a series of villages that would be located within the City's and the County's land use jurisdictions in an area known as Otay Ranch, which is within the southwestern San Diego region, in the area generally surrounding the Lower Otay Reservoir. To mitigate impacts from development, the Subregional Plan also conceptualized an approximately 11,000-acre preserve system (Otay Ranch Preserve) that would be jointly managed by the County and the City in perpetuity as an entity referred to as the Preserve Owner/Manager (POM). In 1993, along with the adoption of the Subregional Plan, the Board also adopted Phase 1 of the Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Otay Ranch Preserve (Preserve), which established a comprehensive program for the long-term protection and management of sensitive resources located within the Preserve.
Due to the joint nature of planning and development for Otay Ranch, on March 6, 1996 (6), the Board approved a 30-year Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between the City and County. The JPA described the roles and responsibilities for the planning, operation and maintenance of Otay Ranch Preserve by the POM. Since 1996, the County and City have partnered collectively to operate and manage the Otay Ranch Preserve as the POM. The 1996 JPA is set to expire on March 6, 2026, and allows for a 30-year extension. The County and City worked together to update and revise the JPA to further de...
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