|
General
Plan State Requirements
State
law does not mandate how often the General Plan must be updated
except for the housing element, which is required to be updated
every five years. State law, however, does require that a General
Plan be updated periodically so that it remains a true reflection
of a community’s values and goals. It should also be
updated as needed to update technical information and address
locally relevant issues.
^Top
Value
of Updating a General Plan
The
benefits of a new comprehensive General Plan are numerous.
An update will do the following:
- Affirm
the City’s long-term values, continued policies,
and ongoing programs as follows:
- Confirm
the City’s long-term vision for the future
of the City.
- Incorporate
plans and reports that have been approved since
1981 including the Wilderness Park Management
Plan, Youth Master Plan, Senior Master Plan,
Recreational Needs Assessment, Village Expansion
Specific Plan, Claremont Hills and other residential
specific plans adopted since 1981, and approved
master plans for the colleges, private schools,
and retirement communities. With the incorporation
of all the above information together in the
General Plan, the plan can better serve as an
educational tool for new residents as well as
decision makers.
- Address
and balance concern to current residents to provide
a stronger basis for current decision-making as follows:
- Address
new issues that have arisen in the community such
as increased diversity.
- Incorporate
the impact of telecommunications and advance technology
on the way people live and work.
- Promote
new consensus on citywide issues such as the City’s
strategy for preserving the Claremont hillsides.
- Establish
a stronger connection between City decisions and
the General Plan.
- Provide
and update technical and environmental information
in the General Plan as follows:
- Describe
development that has occurred since 1981 and explain
how this development has affected Claremont.
- Correct
and update information in the areas of noise, seismicity,
flood zones, geology, transportation, and air quality
for use in reviewing new development projects.
- Provide
discussion of the City’s role in regional
and subregional issues including solid waste management,
congestion, air quality, and transportation.
- Address
and plan for the continued long-term fiscal stability
of the City:
- Address
the limited financial resources of the City and
how these resources may change in the future.
- Balance
and prioritize City programs and projects considering
the City’s limited resources.
- Provide
explanation of current economic development policies
and programs, and how they fit into the long-term
needs of the City.
- Provide
discussion on alternatives for funding special
programs and projects.
^Top
General
Plan Update Process
The
Planning Commission will lead the update efforts because,
by state law, it is the primary review body for the General
Plan and responsible for making the final recommendation
to the City Council. Assisting the Commission will be the
General Plan Committee made up of representatives from the
community.
Public input is another
key component of the update process. Among the methods
to be used to educate and obtain comments from the public
are a special website, newsletters and fact sheets, surveys,
three open houses, a multi-day design workshop, and approximately
40 public meetings of the council, commissions, and the
General Plan committee and subcommittees. The League
of Women Voters has offered to assist the City in public
outreach for the project, including working with the
school district to involve students and their families,
an offer which the City Council has accepted.
State law dictates that
General Plans address seven issue areas or elements:
land use; circulation; housing; conservation; open space;
noise; and safety. Additional elements can be added at
the City’s discretion. Among those that have been
considered are elements on economic development, air
quality, and public services and facilities.
^Top
Links
to General Plan Resources
The
California Govenors Office of Planning and Research
http://www.opr.ca.gov/
The
California 2003 General Plan Guidelines http://www.opr.ca.gov/planning/PDFs/General_Plan_Guidelines_2003.pdf
American
Planning Association
http://www.planning.org
California
Chapter of the American Planning Association
http://www.calapa.org/
Los
Angeles Section of the American Planning Association
http://www.la-apa.org
California
Planning Roundtable
http://www.cproundtable.org/
^Top |
Overview