What is a General Plan?
Every city and County in California is required to have a General Plan to guide long-term growth and development in the community. General Plans must include seven required “elements” that address critical issues:
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Land Use: What type and intensity of uses are allowable in the community?
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Circulation: How do people, goods and services move in and through the community?
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Housing: Where in the community should future housing be located?
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Conservation: How do we protect the natural environment, such as water, wildlife, and sensitive habitats?
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Open Space: What areas should be preserved as open space and/or parks?
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Noise: What can the community do to control noise sources, such as vehicles and equipment?
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Safety: What steps can the community take to protect against natural disasters (such as flooding, earthquakes, and landslides) and address personal safety?
Although all the required content of each element must be in a General Plan, elements can be combined or renamed. Additionally, optional elements can be included that address issues of local importance. The 1988 Woodside General Plan contains each of the seven required elements, as well as two optional elements: a Public Utilities Element, and a Historic Preservation Element added in 2009. The draft General Plan 2012 also includes an additional optional element, a Sustainability Element, to assist in addressing new State laws requiring greenhouse gas emission reductions.
General Plans are, as the name states, general in nature. A separate document, the zoning ordinance, implements the General Plan with specific, quantifiable regulations (such as setbacks and height restrictions). The General Plan and the zoning regulations must be consistent, so amendments to zoning regulations typically follow the adoption of a General Plan update.
What is the Life of a General Plan?
The General Plan is a comprehensive, long-range plan that typically involves a 15-20 year horizon.
How is a General Plan Structured?
A General Plan includes goals, policies, and strategies for each element. A goal is a broad statement of values or aspirations. A policy provides more precise directions and guides the actions of policy makers, staff, and property owners, necessary to achieve the goal. A strategy is a specific task or course of action that the Town may undertake to implement the policy and contribute to achieving the goal.
Why are we updating our General Plan?
We are updating the General Plan as Woodside’s current General Plan was adopted in 1988, and State law requires periodic review and update. Although required by State law, this update is really for the benefit of the community. It is a unique opportunity to revisit the community’s vision for the next two decades and will, to a large degree, determine what type of Town will be left to our grandchildren. The Town has had four General Plans since its incorporation 55 years ago (1956): the 1959 Town Master Plan, the 1970 General Plan, the 1976 General Plan, and the current 1988 General Plan.
