Proposed Scope of the General Plan

Purpose & Scope of the General Plan

A general plan is a document required by state law that serves as a guide to the long-term physical development of a community. A city's general plan can be thought of as a pattern or blueprint for future growth and development.

Per state regulations, a general plan must address at least the following issues: land use, circulation, housing, noise, safety, conservation, and open space (California Government Code 65302). However, a jurisdiction can craft its general plan to deal with any issue which decision makers, staff, residents, business owners, and other stakeholders deem important to the community. The Monterey Park General Plan discusses these issues in a series of six chapters called elements. These elements are:

• Land Use
• Economic Development
• Circulation
• Housing
• Safety and Community Services
• Resources

Table I-1 shows the relationship between the six elements of the Monterey Park General Plan and the state-mandated elements.

Table I-1 Relationship of Monterey Park General Plan Elements to State Mandated Elements

In addition to the six elements, this General Plan also includes an Implementation Program (see Appendix A). The Implementation Program, adopted separately from the General Plan elements and subject to annual review, identifies the specific actions the city will undertake to implement the goals and policies contained in the elements. Annual review of the Implementation Program allows the city to adjust programs and planned actions to respond to new or refocused priorities, to address annual budget constraints and/or opportunities, and to account for change in any physical condition or circumstance in the community (for example, occurrence of a natural disaster). Several supporting documents were produced during the development of the Monterey Park General Plan, including the General Plan Technical Report and the General Plan Program Environmental Impact Report (Program EIR). The technical report includes background data necessary for issue identification and plan preparation. Due to the length of these reports, they have been compiled separately and are available for review at City Hall. The background information contained in the technical reports is temporal and will become outdated as conditions change.

Because the technical reports are not incorporated into the General Plan policy document, updating the technical report will not require a General Plan amendment, although it may lead to subsequent General Plan amendments.