General Plan 101
What is a General Plan?
The state of California requires every city and county in California to adopt a General Plan, which is the local government’s long-term blueprint “for the physical development of the city and any land outside its boundaries that bears relation to its planning.” The General Plan represents the community’s view of its future and expresses the long-term growth and development goals. It addresses issues that impact the entire city, such as how land is used, where buildings are built, the locations of roads and parks, safety, noise, and more.
The General Plan contains the goals and policies upon which the City Council and Planning Commission will base their land use decisions. All city plans, zoning, and private development must be consistent with the diagrams and policies in the General Plan.
Why is the City updating its General Plan?
Following incorporation, the City of Lathrop adopted its General Plan in 1991. During the ensuing quarter century, the city has experienced exponential growth and maturation into an established community. An updated General Plan will allow the City to:
• Identify a unified vision befitting of its current, mature standing;
• Address the changing demographic and economic conditions that have resulted from the community’s growth;
• Provide more focused direction in the city’s major growth areas;
• Account for new state legislation;
• Provide adequate environmental review to enable development streamlining; and
• Reflect regional planning efforts.
The City's current General Plan has served Lathrop well over the past 25 years, but a modern General Plan will help reflect contemporary community values and priorities and provide the framework to balance a high quality-of-life with economic opportunities and fiscal conditions over the next 20-25 years. The goals, policies, and actions of the General Plan will serve as the City’s roadmap for future decision-making and provide the community, staff, and elected and appointed officials with clear direction on where the City wants to go and what needs to happen in order to get there.
What topics does the General Plan address?
General Plans are divided into elements based on specific topics. There are seven mandatory elements: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, safety, and noise. State law allows local governments to organize and format their general plans however they desire, as long as the required topics or elements are addressed. Cities can also choose to include additional elements, such as community character, economic development, or community health and wellness.
The updated General Plan’s proposed organization is as follows:
1. Land Use and Community Character
2. Housing (The element was recently updated, so it will not be included in this update process.)
3. Circulation
4. Noise
5. Safety
6. Conservation and Open Space
7. Economic Development
8. Air Quality
9. Public Facilities and Services
10. Community Health and Wellness
11. Administration and Implementation
What is the schedule and process for the General Plan Update?
The Lathrop General Plan Update will take place over a two-and-a-half-year period from December 2017 to approximately July 2020.
The major steps in the General Plan Update process are as follows:
1. Document Existing Conditions
To prepare a meaningful General Plan, existing conditions must be understood and documented. Through the compilation of the Existing Conditions Report, the project team will identify development patterns, natural resources, socioeconomic conditions, and environmental constraints in the City and will identify the regulatory environment for each topic. This report will be a resource for the City Council, the Planning Commission, the consultant team, and the public throughout the remainder of the General Plan Update process.
2. Vision, Opportunities, and Land Use Alternatives
During the project’s second phase, city staff and the consultant team will engage the community to identify the community’s vision for Lathrop’s future, the Lathrop’s core values, and key opportunities and land use options. Public input will be collected in the Opportunities and Constraints and Land Use Alternatives Reports, the documents that will primarily guide the update to the General Plan.
3. General Plan Update
Based upon Lathrop’s existing conditions and the community’s shared vision and identified key opportunities and land use options, the consultant team will prepare a comprehensive update to the General Plan. To ensure that General Plan captures the community’s preferences for future development, City staff and the consultant team will engage the public throughout the updated General Plan’s development.
4. Environmental Review
Because a General Plan is considered a project under the California Environmental Quality Act, the City must determine the potential environmental impacts associated with implementing the General Plan. To satisfy all potential environmental impacts, the City will prepare a Program-level Environmental Impact Report (EIR). This will allow the EIR to serve as a “tiering document”, facilitating streamlined environmental review of all subsequent development and infrastructure projects undertaken in the City which are consistent with the General Plan. The EIR will be released simultaneously with the Public Review Draft General Plan, providing the community with the opportunity to review and comment.
5. Adoption
The Final General Plan will be presented to the Planning Commission and the City Council at public hearings, with the City Council having the authority to adopt the document. The community will have the opportunity to provide input to both bodies during the hearings
How can I participate in the General Plan Update process?
The General Plan Update process provides an opportunity for community members to discuss and weigh in on the City’s future. We encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities to participate, including meetings, workshops, and public hearings.
In order to collect community input in an open, engaging, and actionable way, the City has designed a series of community venues and events where you will have the opportunity to participate in and be informed of the planning process. These include:
Visioning Workshops — Three Visioning Workshops will be held to introduce the community to the project and to provide opportunities for the community to identify their vision, goals and priorities, and land use preferences for the General Plan Update.
Stakeholder Interviews — Interviews of groups and organizations that represent various local and regional issues that affect Lathrop will be conducted to ensure that a broad range of perspectives are included early in the General Plan update process. Feedback collected during this stage will be subject to additional input from the broader community.
Open House — This community workshop will present the key issues that the General Plan Update addresses, the City’s primary goals and policies related to each General Plan element, and the draft land use map.
Public Review Draft General Plan — The Public Review Draft General Plan and Environmental Impact Report will be made available to the public for review and feedback before the plan is finalized. will be presented to the entire community in order to receive feedback and input.
Planning Commission and City Council Hearings — The City will conduct public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council to consider the update to the General Plan. Community members are encouraged to attend these meetings.
Why should I participate?
The City of Lathrop is committed to involving the community in the planning process. The General Plan Update process provides residents, businesses, and interested parties the chance to help guide the future of the community. A successful General Plan will reflect the community’s vision and priorities, and we believe that your voice is vital to producing a plan that will reflect your vision for the city’s future. Community input is needed to establish the long-term vision for Lathrop and to identify key issues and priorities.
How will my feedback be used?
Public input from every engagement opportunity is meticulously reviewed and documented to ensure City staff and decision-makers have a full understanding of public sentiment when drafting goals and policies. Public feedback on General Plan materials (including goals and policies) will be considered throughout the process.
How can I stay informed about participation opportunities and the project’s progress?
Visit the Get Involved page to view the dates of upcoming meetings and community events. If you wish to be added to the City’s mailing list to receive project updates and invitations to community events, use the contact form and request to be added to the mailing list. The General Plan Update process is an opportunity for community members to discuss the city’s future. There will be many opportunities to participate, including meetings, workshops, and public hearings. All of these opportunities will be posted on this website.
