General Plan Elements & Appendices

The term “element” refers to the topics that California law requires to be covered in a general plan (Gov. Code § 65302). There is no mandatory structure or maximum number of elements that a general plan must include. Once added into the general plan, each element, regardless of statutory requirement, must be consistent with other elements. 

A General Plan typically has a time horizon that outlines the community’s vision for about 20 years, providing a long-term framework for land use and future growth.  The Housing Element however is updated on an eight year cycle per state law. Other element updates may be triggered by the Housing Element update or other state laws.   The City’s 2011 General Plan update resulted in a new General Plan Introductory Framework, a comprehensively updated Land Use Element, and new goals and policies for the remaining elements. Other previous General Plan components are still in effect as shown below.