The General Plan

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The General Plan

• ESP 171 Urban and Regional Planning
• S. Handy
• 4/15/08

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Recap
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Power at Local Level
Federal
Federal government chooses NOT to take power
Default is power at state level
State
States choose to delegate power to locals
Local
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Lets think

• When someone says, Ive got a plan, what do
  they mean?

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http//www.design.asu.edu/apa/proceedings97/ames.h
tml
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Source http//www.ncl.org/publications/online/VSP
Handbook.pdf
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Where are we? Where are we goingWhere do we want
to be? How do we get there?
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Purpose of Plan

• the comprehensive plan is supposed to be the
  supreme document guiding the future physical
  development of a community the set of policies
  from which all decisions flow. - F S
• Expression of what community wants
• Guide to decision making

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California Requirements

• Every city and county must adopt a
  comprehensive, long-term general plan for
  physical development
• Key characteristics
• physical plan
• long-range plan
• comprehensive
• statement of policy

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New edition scheduled for 2007
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Required Elements of a General Plan
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Optional Elements of a General Plan (numbers of
cities and counties in 2003)

• Parks and Recreation (194)
• Economic (123)
• Public Facilities (114)
• Design (113)
• Air Quality (101)
• Seismic (94)
• Scenic Highways (89)
• Growth Management (85)
• Historic Preservation (82)
• Transportation (67)

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Environmental Implications?

• Throughout the General Plan!
• General Plan adoption and amendments subject to
  the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
  more next week!
• Plus

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In addition

• Area or Community Plans
• Part of the General Plan
• Specific Plans
• Way of implementing General Plan

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Consistency Requirements

• equal status among elements
• consistency between elements
• consistency within elements
• text and diagram consistency
• area plan consistency

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Consistency with State Plans
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Contents

• Text
• Vision, goals, objective, policies, programs
• Maps, diagrams
• Location of existing and future land uses,
  facilities, etc.

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Land Use Element
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http//www.culvercity.org/it/maps/Map05_GeneralPla
nLandUse.jpg
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http//www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/current
/advance/cddmap.htm
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Building Blocks

• How much growth is expected?
• Population and housing projections from
  Department of Finance
• What are constraints on land development?
• Maps of developable land as a function of
  existing development, available infrastructure,
  and natural features (slopes, soils, seismic,
  flooding, etc.)

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Roseville, CA
http//www.roseville.ca.us/ed/demographics/populat
ion/projected_population.asp
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http//www.co.monterey.ca.us/gpu/Maps/HCD_Maps.htm
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Consistency Issues

• Ex. Circulation element what if transportation
  system cant handle new development?
• Expand roadway capacity?
• Move development to areas with capacity?
• Adopt policies to reduce vehicle trips?
• Reduce amount of development allowed?

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Housing Element
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http//www.city.davis.ca.us/cdd/gpupdate/pdfs/Hous
ing_SC_FINAL_REPORT_3_20_08_SM.pdf
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General Plan Process

• a long, expensive, messy, often frustrating,
  often exciting process.
• FS

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http//www.cityofdavis.org/cdd/GPUpdate/pdfs/20070
411/gp_up_process_chart_for_032207_SC.pdf
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Timing

• Initial adoption
• within 30 months of incorporation
• Adoption of updates
• usually every 10-15 years
• Adoption of amendments
• up to 4 times per year

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Roles

• Planning staff
• prepares the plan, may hire consultants
• Planning commission
• approves the plan and sends it to city council
• City council
• adopts the plan

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Public Involvement

• Public hearings required, including notice
• Citizen advisory committees common but not
  required

Whose vision?
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Others

• Consultants
• Esp. smaller cities
• Esp. for technical work
• Courts
• Enforcement of state planning laws
• Challenges consistency of zoning with GP,
  internal consistency of GP

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Do they work? Do they do more than fulfill a
legal requirement?
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http//www.ci.brea.ca.us/docs/BreaGeneralPlan.pdf
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Questions

• How to make it happen?
• On Thursday!
• How long will the vision last?
• Only time will tell!

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Austin, TX1928 Plan
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Austin,TX1958 Plan
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Neighborhood Concepts
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Austin c.2000
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Sunnyvale c.2000
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Davis c.2000
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Next time

• Implementing the Plan zoning, et al.
• Read
• A Citizens Guide pp. 6-10
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8