What is the General Plan?
The General Plan is the constitution for all future developments within a city or county.
-- California Supreme Court
If you've ever bought or built a house, or rented an apartment, then you've been impacted by the General Plan. If you are a farmer or fisherman, or a consumer of local foods, the General Plan affects you. If you want timber jobs to return or want our forests preserved, then the General Plan Update is important to you. If you commute to your job, ride in a bike lane with your kids, or walk to the grocery store, the goals and policies in the General Plan matter to you.
California law requires that each county and city in the state develop and adopt a General Plan. The General Plan consists of a statement of land use and development objectives that includes goals, policies, standards and implementation measures. It is a comprehensive long-term plan for the physical development of the county or city, generally for a period of twenty years. In this sense, it is a "blueprint" for development. The Humboldt County General Plan, which guides development in unincorporated areas of the County, is currently being updated.
Humboldt County's GPU
The current Humboldt County General Plan Update began in 1999, and scores of workshops and hearings have been held to gather input on future development. In response to public input, in 2004 the Board of Supervisors adopted the Guiding Principles to help direct the update process.
After years of meetings and written input, a final draft is being reviewed by the County Planning Commission, whose recommendations will be sent to the Board of Supervisors for final approval. The are four alternatives denoting different development scenarios that range from the "environmentally superior" Alternative A to the least protective Alternative C. The Commissioners and Supervisors do not have to pick all of one Alternative or another; they can, and likely will, choose some policies from each of the alternatives.
Humboldt County's General Plan Update is divided into twelve main chapters, or Elements. There are seven state-mandated elements--Land Use, Open Space, Conservation, Housing, Circulation, Noise, and Safety--as well as several optional elements--Community Infrastructure and Services, Telecommunications, Economic Development, Water Resources, Energy, and Air Quality.
To achieve a General Plan that truly reflects the needs and vision of our communities, the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors need to hear from you.
To read the draft Plan or learn more about the County's planning process, visit the General Plan Update website at www.planupdate.org.