What is the General Plan?

The General Plan is the principal policy and planning document for guiding future conservation, enhancement and development in the City. It represents the basic policy direction of the City Council on community values, ideals and aspirations to govern a shared environment through 2030. The General Plan addresses all aspects of development including land use, transportation, housing, public facilities and infrastructure and open spaces, among other topics.

California State law requires that the General Plan be comprehensive, internally consistent and long-term. Although required to address certain issues specified in State law, the General Plan may be organized in a way that best suits the City. The plan must be clearly written, available to all those concerned with the community's development, and easy to administer.

The City of San Carlos General Plan will be designed to meet these requirements. The Plan will articulate a vision for the city's long-term physical form and development and will provide direction for the day - to - day decisions of the City Council, its commissions and City staff. In particular, the General Plan serves six related purposes:

1. Policy Determination. The General Plan enables the City Council to define a set of policies that govern the future physical development of the community and determine a general physical design showing how the policies will be implemented.
2. Policy Effectuation. The General Plan provides a framework for the City Council to compare and evaluate specific projects.
3. Communication. The General Plan provides a forum for the City Council to communicate its vision for the future of the City to citizens and key stakeholders.
4. Conveyance of Advice. The General Plan provides a coherent, unified structure for the Planning Commission to advise the City Council on the development issues, and to allow the City to provide advice and recommendations to County and State government.
5. Education. The document, and the process of creating and revising it, provides a forum for the City Council to educate themselves and others on the problems and opportunities of the City.
6. Action Plan. The General Plan includes specific actions that the City will take in order to meet its planning goals. These actions constitute a work program for the Planning Commission and City staff over the life of the General Plan.

In order to be used in the ways described above, the General Plan must contain the following characteristics and information:

• Define a realistic vision of what the City intends to be in the long-term.
• Express the policy direction of the City in regard to the physical, social, economic, cultural and environmental character of the city.
• Serve as a comprehensive guide for making decisions about the land use, community character, economic development, circulation, open space, the environment, and public health and safety.
• Contain a general level of information to allow for flexibility of future conditions and ideas. As such, the General Plan should be designed to allow amendment in the future.
• Chart the course of coordinated development and conservation that will preserve the character and heritage of San Carlos.
• Serve as the City's "constitution" for land use and community development. That is, it is to provide the legal foundation for all zoning, subdivision and public facilities ordinances, decisions and projects - all of which be consistent with the General Plan.
• Be in a clear and easy to understand form that encourages public debate and understanding.