General Plan 2025

A General Plan expresses the community’s goals for the future distribution and character of land uses and development, both public and private.  California planning law requires the City to prepare and adopt a “comprehensive, long-term General Plan for [its] physical development” (Government Code §65300). The General Plan is required to be comprehensive in terms of issues addressed and must include the City’s entire physical planning area. It is required to be long-term and internally consistent. Toward this end planning activities including zoning approvals and amendments, subdivision approvals, capital improvements, and redevelopment activities need to conform to the City’s General Plan.  Preparing, adopting, implementing and maintaining a General Plan serves to:

• Identify the community’s land use, circulation, environmental, and economic goals and policies as they relate to land use and development.
• Provide a basis for local government decision-making including decisions on development approvals and exactions.
• Provide citizens with opportunities to participate in the planning and decision making processes of their community.
• Inform citizens, developers, decision makers, and other cities and counties of the ground rules that guide development within the community.
• The General Plan bridges the gap between community values, policies, and goals and physical decisions such as subdivisions, land development and public works. California law (Government Code §65302) requires the General Plan include a statement of policies for each of the following elements: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open Space and Noise and Safety.

The typical content of the required elements are described below:

Land Use: Designates the general distribution and intensity of land uses, including the general location, extent of use, and type of housing, businesses, industry, open space, education, public buildings and parks.

Circulation: Identifies the general location and nature of existing and proposed circulation, including roadways (e.g. arterial, collector, and local streets), highways, transit, and other transportation facilities and modes.

Housing: Assesses the current and projected housing needs of all segments of the community and identifies land and programs to provide adequate housing to meet those needs. The City of Coalinga’s Housing Element was updated separately in 2003 and certified by the State in 2004 therefore, has not been included in the 2025 General Plan Update process.

Open Space: Identifies open space resources and provides action programs and techniques for preserving open space areas for natural resources, outdoor recreation, public health and safety and agricultural activities.

Conservation: Identifies conservation resources and issues and provides measures for conservation, development, and use of natural and cultural resources including creeks, sensitive habitat, archaeological resources and historic structures.

Noise: Identifies and evaluates noise sources in the community and develops methods to mitigate existing and foreseeable noise problems.

Safety: Establishes policies to protect the community from risks associated with seismic, geologic, flood and fire hazards.