General Plan Guidelines
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STATE OF CALIFORNIA General Plan 2017 Guidelines GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH Director’s Message fter a multi-year effort involving literally dozens of workshops, hundreds of meetings, and A thousands of participants, I am very pleased to present the 2017 version of the General Plan Guidelines. This is the first comprehensive update since 2003, and, not surprisingly, there are many changes. In an effort to reduce time, cost, and burden, we have included hundreds of links to resources, now available by a single click. We have included an on-line mapping tool, free of charge, which allows access to state and federal and other GIS data resources. The mapping tool also allows users to download and add their own GIS layers. OPR will add additional functions to the tool in the future. We have identified changes in the law and added new sections on a number of topics including health and equity. A great deal has changed in California since 2003, and the General Plan Guidelines reflect that. Most importantly, climate change and its implications permeate almost every aspect of the Guidelines, as it must. One thing that has not changed is the importance of the general plan itself and the unique perspective each jurisdiction brings to the process and the plan vision. Going forward, OPR will be adding resources and links periodically, making the Guidelines more of a living document. We encourage you to help OPR identify the best resources and links as part of this effort. Most importantly, we hope that these Guidelines help improve the planning process and promote periodic general plan updates. DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE | i Acknowledgements Principal authors Sahar Shirazi, Elizabeth Baca, Michael McCormick, and Seth Litchney Thanks also to: AARP | Air Resources Board | Alliance of Regional Col- laboratives for Climate Adaptation (ARCCA) and member regions | American Lung Association | American Plan- ning Association | Association of Bay Area Governments | Association of Environmental Professionals | CalEPA California Air Pollution Control Officers Association | California Association of Councils of Government | Cali- fornia Coastal Commission | California Conference of Local Health Officers | California Department of Conservation | California Department of Education | California Department aof Finance | California Department of Food and Agricul- ture | California Department of Forestry and Fire Protec- tion | California Department of Housing and Community Development | California Department of Public Health | California Department of Resources Recycling and Re- covery | California Department of Technology | California Department of Toxic Substance Control | California Department of Water Resources | California Health and Human Services Agency | California Natural Re- sources Agency | California Office of Emergency Services | California Pan Ethnic Health Network | California Planning Roundtable | California Walks | Caltrans | Caltrans Aeronau- tics | Central California Regional Obesity Prevention Program | Changelab Solutions | Climate Readiness Institute at UC Berkeley | ClimatePlan | Community Health Councils, Los Angeles | County Health Executives Associate of California | Design 4 Active Sacramento | Eco- Adapt | ED West Fresno Family Resource Center | Environmental Protection Agency | Federal Emergency Management Agency | Fresno Interdenomina- tional Refugee Ministries | Fresno Metro Ministries | Governors Office of Business and Economic Development | Health in All Policies Taskforce | Institute for Local Government | Kaiser Innovation lab | League of California Cities | Local Government Commission | Local Health Departments | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Met- ropolitan Transportation Commission | Mintier Harnish | Mosquito Abatement Districts | National Institute for Standards and Technology | Native American Heritage Commission | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development | Pacific Gas and Electric | Place Works | Policy Link | Prevention Institute | Pub- lic Health Institute | Raimi & Associates | Resources Legacy Fund | Sacramento Tree Foundation | Safe Routes to School National Partnership | San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District | Si- erra Health Foundation | Strategic Growth Council | The California Endowment | The Leadership Council | The Nature Conservancy | UC Berkeley, Center for Technology and Aging | UC Da- vis | UC Los Angeles | United States Army Corp of Engineers | United States Department of Agriculture | United States Geological Service | US Department of the Interior | Walk Sacramento | White House Council on En- vironmental Quality | The Staff and Interns at the Office of Planning and Research | Participants who gave of their time to provide feedback at the many ses- sions throughout the state, and the many more who submitted comments to OPR. Design: Marketing by Design, Sacramento DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE | ii Table of Contents Director’s Message i Geographic Comprehensiveness ......................................... 19 Acknowledgements ii Regional Context ...................................................................... 19 Table of Contents iii Issue Comprehensiveness ..................................................... 21 CHAPTER 1 Internal Consistency ............................................................... 21 Equal Status Among Elements .............................................. 21 INTRODUCTION 1 Consistency Between Elements ............................................ 21 Recommendations and Sample Language 4 Consistency Within Elements ................................................22 How to Use These Guidelines 6 Area Plan Consistency ............................................................22 Statutory Requirements ...........................................................6 Text and Diagram Consistency ..............................................22 Requirement Description .........................................................6 Long – Term Perspective ........................................................22 Recommended Data ..................................................................6 Considerations for General Plans ........................................23 Recommended Policies............................................................. 7 Area Plans, Community Plans, and Specific Plans ............23 CHAPTER 2 Adoption of Another Jurisdiction’s General Plan and Joint Adoption ...................................................................24 A VISION FOR LONG-RANGE PLANNING 10 Why the General Plan Matters 10 CHAPTER 3 Local General Plans and Statewide Goals 11 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND OUTREACH 26 California’s Planning Priorities ...............................................12 Introduction 26 Process Design 28 California’s Climate Change Policy and Local Establish an Outreach Strategy ........................................... 28 Communities ............................................................................. 13 Survey of Overlapping Efforts .............................................. 30 General Plan Basics 14 Scale ........................................................................................... 30 General Plan Elements ............................................................ 15 Partnership .............................................................................. 30 Criteria for the General Plan 19 Comprehensiveness ................................................................ 19 Tribal Consultation ................................................................. 32 TABLE OF CONTENTS | iii Cultural Considerations ................................................................. 32 Diagram.......................................................................................... 49 Outreach Structure ................................................................ 33 Housing, Business, and Industry ................................................ 53 Data 33 Open Space, Including Agricultural Land, Natural Resources, and Recreation ........................................... 54 On the Horizon .................................................................................. 34 Educational Facilities ......................................................................55 Engagement Tools 35 Meetings, Workshops, and Events ...................................... 35 Public Buildings and Grounds ......................................................58 Activities .................................................................................... 36 Solid and Liquid Disposal Facilities .............................................58 Tours .......................................................................................... 36 Greenways ..........................................................................................61 Open Houses ............................................................................ 36 Identify and Annually Review Areas Subject to Flooding ......................................................................................... 62 Community Image Surveys and Photo Voice .................... 36 Design Charrettes ....................................................................37 Identification of Timberland Production Zone Lands.......... 63 Web Based Meeting and Engagement Tools ......................37 Impact of New Growth on Military Readiness Activities ..............................................................................................64