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Focused General Plan Update
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.
The City's Land Use and Mobility Update project includes a focused update to three of the City's General Plan Elements.
Why is the City Updating these General Plan Elements?
Certain components, or elements, of Glendale’s General Plan date back to the 80s and 90s, and a lot has changed since then. New housing developments have been built, new businesses and industries are thriving, new modes of transportation are the norm, and the City has grown significantly. Glendale is facing important demands and challenges (some new, some long-standing) on its land use pattern, infrastructure, circulation network, and housing needs.
Despite the lack of a recent comprehensive update to the General Plan, Glendale has maintained a strong commitment to sustainability, multimodal mobility, and responsible growth management, and has successfully implemented this vision in various neighborhoods of the City. The City is now looking forward to consolidating progressive policies in its various strategic, community, neighborhood, and mode-specific plans into one cohesive citywide framework.
The overall project will intertwine the preparation of a focused General Plan Update (Land Use, Circulation, and Housing Elements) with the update of the City’s Transportation Model and the institution of a Transportation Impact Mitigation Fee – an approach that will most efficiently advance Glendale’s vision of a safe and healthy community with quality mobility infrastructure that is balanced by sustainable land uses.