Newsletter #1 l October 2008
San Joaquin County General Plan Update San Joaquin County Citizens: In June 2008 the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors approved a three-year program to update the County General Plan. The General Plan was last comprehensively revised in 1992 and the time has come for an update to reflect changing conditions in the County.
What is a General Plan? Every city and county in California is required by State law to prepare and maintain a planning document called a general plan. A general plan is designed to serve as the jurisdiction’s “constitution” or “blueprint” for future decisions concerning land use, infrastructure, public services, and resource conservation. All specific plans, subdivisions, public works projects, and zoning approved by the County must be consistent with the General Plan. The current General Plan Update program approved by the Board of Supervisors is designed to update the 1992 General Plan. The program will: Provide a description of current conditions and trends shaping San Joaquin County; Identify planning issues, opportunities, and challenges that should be addressed in the General Plan; Explore land use and policy alternatives; Provide a vision and framework for future development within the County; Provide guidance in the planning and evaluation of future land use patterns and resource preservation decisions in the unincorporated areas (vs. incorporated cities) of the County; Ensure that the General Plan is current, internally consistent, and easy to use; and Provide the public opportunities for meaningful participation in the planning and decision-making process. A general plan typically has three defining features: General. As the name implies, a general plan provides general guidance that will be used to direct future land use and resource decisions. Comprehensive. A general plan covers a wide range of social, economic, infrastructure, and natural resource factors. These include topics such as land use, agriculture, housing, circulation, utilities, public services, recreation, biological resources, and many other topics. Long-range. General plans provide guidance on reaching a future envisioned 20 or more years in the future (the proposed General Plan will look out about 20 years to the year 2030). To help achieve this envisioned future, the updated General Plan will include policies and actions that address both immediate and long-term needs.
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Community Workshop Locations See Page 4 for dates, times, and exact locations of community workshops.
San Joaquin County General Plan Documents The General Plan Update process will take about three years to complete, wrapping up in Spring 2011. As the General Plan is prepared, a number of major documents will be available for public review and comment. These documents are described below. Background Report. This document provides a snapshot of the conditions, trends, and regulations that are influencing San Joaquin County today. Compiling this information will involve reviewing existing studies and documents; and contacting appropriate agencies and organizations. The information on existing conditions will be used to better understand the issues facing the County and lead to the development of a plan that helps the County address each issue appropriately. This document will also be used as the “environmental setting” portion of the environmental impact report that will be prepared for the General Plan. Issues and Opportunities Report. Based on public input from the community workshops, the Focus Group meetings, and direction from the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors, the Issues and Opportunities Report will provide a summary of the critical policy and program issues to be addressed in the General Plan. This report will also present opportunities for guiding future land development and identifying natural resource areas that may war-
rant protection. The focus of the General Plan Update will be identified. Alternatives Report. Based on information gathered during the Issues and Opportunities phase, the Alternatives Report will outline alternatives for future growth within the County. The County will work with the community, Planning Commission, and Board of Supervisors to evaluate possible solutions to key issues and develop an overall vision for the future of San Joaquin County. Goals and Policies Report. This report is the essence of the General Plan. It contains the land use and circulation diagrams, goals, and policies that will guide future development within the County. It also identifies a set of implementation measures to ensure the policies of the General Plan are carried out. Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR prepared for the General Plan will meet the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors will use the EIR during their consideration of the draft General Plan to understand and address the potential environmental implications of the General Plan prior to adoption of the Final General Plan.
What’s Covered in the General Plan? The San Joaquin County General Plan will address the following topical areas under the three main chapters of: 1) Community Development, 2) Pubic Health and Safety, and 3) Resources: Economic Development. This topic area addresses the County’s growing population and employment base and prospects for future economic development. Land Use. This topic area will address the future growth and physical development of the County. The topic area will cover the following: land use types and distribution; population and building density/intensity; and urban boundaries. It will also include a land use diagram that will guide future land uses within each of the County’s 13 Planning Areas. Climate Change. This topic area will address ways to reduce the production of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. It will also address the potential influences of climate change on water supply, agriculture, flood risk, biological resources, and air quality. Agriculture. This topic area will address issues of agricultural land preservation and conversion, agricultural zoning, the Williamson Act, confined animal facilities, right-to-farm, agricultural buffers, inter-jurisdictional agreements, conservation easements, and land trusts. Housing. This topic area will address existing and future housing needs facing all San Joaquin County residents.
Public Facilities and Services. This topic area will address the following: public facilities and services, including water service; wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal; storm drainage and flood protection; schools; general government services; fire protection; law enforcement; solid and hazardous waste disposal; and gas/electric services. The funding and financing of public facilities and services will also be addressed. Natural Resources. This topic area will address the conservation, development, and use of natural resources and will also deal with plans and measures for preserving open space and scenic resources. Scenic Resources. This topic area will address the primary scenic resources in the County including the Delta and other rural and agricultural aspects that contribute to the County’s scenic quality. Recreation and Cultural Resources. This topic area will address outdoor recreational opportunities (e.g., parkland and resources for outdoor recreation such as wildlife refuges and the Delta), and conserving the historic and cultural resources of the County. Safety. This topic area will address a number of public safety issues, including air quality, noise, seismic and geologic hazards, flooding hazards, fire hazards, aircraft hazards, and hazardous materials. Noise. This topic area will address noise impacts from traffic, railroad operations, aircraft, stationary noise sources such as industries, and other sources that affect the ambient noise environment.
Transportation and Circulation. This topic area will provide guidance on the movement of people and goods in and through the County. The element will address roads and highways, transit, airports, bicycles, pedestrians, and the movement of goods. Page 2
General Plan Update Steps in Updating the General Plan
General Plan Update Website The General Plan website provides a one-stop location to get the latest information on the General Plan program. The website will provide up-to-date information on upcoming events and allow anyone to download copies of meeting minutes/agendas and documents/reports prepared for the General Plan.
www.sjcgpu.com
Keep Up To Date During the General Plan Update process, the County will maintain a mailing list of individuals who want to be kept informed on the latest program events. If you would like to be added to this list, please sign up online at www.sjcgpu.com or write to:
Ray Hoo Senior Planner Community Development Department San Joaquin County 1810 East Hazelton Avenue Stockton, CA 95205 Page 3
Project Initiation Coordinate with County staff and conduct the first round of community workshops…………. …………….………June 2008 - November 2008
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Background Report Collect information on current conditions and trends and prepare the Background Report ……………...……….July 2008 - February 2009
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Housing Element Prepare a comprehensive update of the 2004 Housing Element……….July 2008 - June 2009
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Issues & Opportunities Work with focus groups, Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, and the public to identify key issues and opportunities……………………. …….……………………...December 2008 - May
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Alternatives Report Develop a range of alternatives based on issues and opportunities identified in Phase 4 and develop a vision statement…………………………... ………………………...May 2009 - October 2009
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Goals and Policies Report Draft a set of goals, policies, and implementation programs that achieve the County’s desired vision……………… September 2009 - April 2010
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Environmental Impact Report Assess the environmental implications of the proposed Draft General Plan…………………….. ……………………..November 2009 - May 2010
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Public Review Review and comment on the proposed General Plan at hearings with the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors……………………….. ……………………..May 2010 - November 2010
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Final Documents and Adoption Prepare the final General Plan and EIR following public review and hearings………………... ……………………..October 2010 - March 2011
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Development Title Revise the Development Title to carry out the overall land use policy direction of the updated General Plan……...……..July 2008 - May 2011
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How Can You Be Involved? Newsletters During the General Plan Update, a series of newsletters, like this one, will be prepared to provide an overview of the progress being made and the direction being pursued. Community Workshops A number of community workshops will be held to gain input on issues and opportunities, alternative futures, and the General Plan documents. Dates will be posted on the website when they are available for workshops open to the public.
Focus Groups Focus groups will be created to provide the General Plan Consultant Team and County staff feedback at four points during the update program. The focus groups will address the following: agriculture; natural resources and the Delta; transportation and circulation; land use, housing, and economic development; services, utilities, water resources, and safety. Each focus group will include about 8-10 members.
Workshops/Study Sessions/Hearings Workshops will be held in the County’s communities and with the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. At the end of the process, formal public hearings will also be held to consider the General Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
Upcoming Workshops
Photo of the Delta by D. Searls
Community
Date/Time
Meeting Location
Manteca
Tuesday 10/7/08, 7pm
Brock Elliott Elementary, Multi Purpose Room 1110 Stonum Lane, Manteca, CA 95337
Ripon
Wednesday 10/8/08, 7pm
City of Ripon Community Center 334 West Fourth Street, Ripon, CA 95366
Escalon
Thursday 10/9/08, 7pm
Escalon Library 1540 Second Street, Escalon, CA 95320
French Camp
Monday 10/13/08, 7pm
French Camp Elementary, Multi Purpose Room 241 East Fourth Street, French Camp, CA 95231
Lammersville/Tracy
Tuesday 10/14/08, 7pm
Larch Clover Center 11157 West Larch Road, Tracy, CA 95304
Lodi
Wednesday 10/15/08, 7pm
Lodi Grape Festival, Jackson Hall 413 East Lockeford Street, Lodi, CA 95240
Stockton/Delta
Monday 10/20/08, 7pm
Public Health Auditorium 1601 East Hazelton Avenue, Stockton, CA 95205
Mountain House
Tuesday 10/21/08, 7pm
Mountain House Community Services District 230 S. Sterling Dr., Ste. 100, Mountain House, CA 95391
Morada
Wednesday 10/22/08, 7pm
Newman Springs Christian Fellowship 4799 East Foppiano Lane, Morada, CA 95212
Lockeford/Clements
Monday 10/27/08, 7pm
McDonald Building (or Lockeford School House) 19456 North Jack Tone Road, Lockeford, CA 95237
Woodbridge
Wednesday 10/29/08, 7pm
Elks Lodge 19071 N. Lower Sacramento Road, Woodbridge, CA 95258
Thornton
Thursday 10/30/08, 7pm
New Hope Elementary, Multi Purpose Room 26675 North Sacramento Road, Thornton, CA 95686
Linden
Monday 11/3/08, 7pm
Linden High School, West Gym 18527 East Front Street, Linden, CA 95236
Lathrop
Wednesday 11/5/08, 7pm
Lathrop Elementary, Multi Purpose Room 15851 South Fifth Street, Lathrop, CA 95330
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