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1 - Introduction 2 - Vision Statement 3 - Land Use 4 - Circulation 5 - Conservation 6 - Noise 7 - Safety 8 - Recreation 9 - Historical 10 - Community Design 11 - Glossary - Maps |
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Role of the General Plan The General Plan is a comprehensive plan for growth and development in the City of Grass Valley and the surrounding unincorporated area. Together, the City and surrounding unincorporated area are termed the Planning Area. Every county and city in California is required by State law to adopt a general plan (Article 5, Section 65300 et seq. of the Government Code). A General Plan is often compared to a "constitution" for local development, and serves as the policy basis for all land use decisions. Participants and Process The Grass Valley General Plan Update commenced June 30, 1998 with a "kickoff" meeting at the Grass Valley City Hall. From the outset, Grass Valley General Plan Update was aided by the leadership of an appointed Steering Committee. The Steering Committee had eight members, appointed by the City Council. Two were Council members, two were members of the Planning Commission, and four were Members-at-Large. Members of the Steering Committee:
The Steering Committee was appointed effective June 1, 1998, and participated in consultant selection and pre-project activities. The Steering Committee has guided General Plan activities through bi-monthly meetings with staff and consultants; sponsored Public Workshops designed to afford members of the public opportunity to participate in General Plan development; and served as the City's decision-making body throughout General Plan formulation. Staff support was provided by City Administrator Gene Haroldsen, Community Development Department Director Kyle Kollar, City Planner Bill Roberts, Associate Planner Gary Price, and Planning Commission Clerk Judy Roth. The lead consultant on the General Plan Update was Quad Knopf of Roseville, California, represented by Gene Smith, Vice President and Director of Planning. Sub-consultants are:
General Plan Elements The 1998-99 Grass Valley General Plan Update includes revisions to the following General Plan Elements:
The consulting team assisting in General Plan preparation conducted the Environmental Impact Report on the General Plan. "Issue Areas" addressed in the EIR were:
Planning Area Figure 1-1 shows the Planning Area for the Grass Valley General Plan Update. The Planning Area comprises the city limits (also shown in Figure 1-1) plus unincorporated portions of Nevada County surrounding the City of Grass Valley. Figure 1-1 also shows the current Grass Valley Sphere of Influence. City General Plans typically embrace more than just the city limits, reaching out into peripheral unincorporated areas. This practice allows General Plans, which are updated every 10 to 20 years, to include areas outside the city which: 1) are likely to be candidates for annexation during the life of the General Plan, 2) affect, and are affected by, city actions and 3) receive, or might reasonably be expected to receive, city services. All California cities have a sphere of influence, typically encompassing an area broader that the city limits. The sphere of influence is useful for purposes of planning service and facility extensions, and for establishing joint city/county land use planning and regulation prior to annexation. Goals, Objectives, Policies, and Implementation Actions and Strategies The General Plan is fundamentally a "policy document." The goals, objectives, and policies contained in the General Plan will be used to guide the city's physical growth and development during the next twenty years. By definition, a "goal" is a general expression of community values which sets a direction or ideal future end, condition, or state. An "objective" represents a specific end condition which is viewed as an intermediate step toward attainment of a goal. A policy is a specific statement to be used in guiding decision making, based on General Plan goals and objectives. Implementation actions and strategies are directives which carry out General Plan policies. Goals, objectives, policies, and implementation actions and strategies are divided into subject areas based on the various General Plan Elements. The numbering system is based upon the subject area and type of statement. The following abbreviations are used:
Facts and Figures This section contains statistics developed or used during the course of the General Plan Update (Table 1-1). TABLE 1-1 FACTS AND FIGURES, GRASS VALLEY AND PLANNING AREA
* Excludes additional acreage demand for "all other" category, above. All other includes government, institutional non-governmental land uses, self-employed workers, and home-based businesses. |
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