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What is a General Plan all about? How will it benefit the Town of Corte Madera? The following information on the General Plan update may be of interest:
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What is the General Plan? | Why is the Corte Madera General Plan being Updated? | What types of Issues will be addressed as part of the General Plan Update? | What is the Process for Updating the General Plan? | How Can I Get Additional Information about the General Plan Update?
What is the General Plan?
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Mandated by State law, each city and county must adopt a General Plan that addresses physical development in the community. The General Plan is perhaps the single most important document a local government can adopt, serving as the guiding policy document. The General Plan is often referred to as a “constitution” for decision-making by a local government.
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The General Plan is comprehensive in its scope. It identifies land use, circulation, environmental, economic and even social goals and policies as they relate to local land use and development.
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The General Plan is central to the effective management of a community’s physical and natural resources.
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The General Plan provides a basis for local decision-making.
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The General Plan informs citizens, developers, agencies, interest-groups and others of the ground rules that will guide development-related decisions in a community.
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The General Plan establishes the long-term vision for a community, and how that vision may be achieved over time (perhaps 15 to 20 years). As such, it expresses the community’s development goals and embodies public policy relative to land use.
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The General Plan provides citizens with opportunities to participate in local government and the decision-making process.
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Why is the Corte Madera General Plan being Updated?
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In order for a General Plan to be effective, it must remain current. While State law does not specify rigid requirements or timing for updating a General Plan (other than for the Housing Element), it does establish that the responsibility for determining whether a General Plan is up to date and accurate rests with each jurisdiction. The Corte Madera General Plan was adopted in 1989. Since that time, the Town has experienced population growth, economic development, residential development and other changes that should be addressed in the updated General Plan.
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Planning and development laws have changed since the General Plan was last adopted. The General Plan update will address pertinent guiding planning, development and environmental statutes as part of the Town’s General Plan.
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The General Plan update will allow for a comprehensive evaluation of infrastructure and public services and facility improvements to meet the needs of the Town in the future.
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Community interests and attitudes may have changed since 1989. As a community grows and as years pass, local interests and goals may also change. The General Plan update will allow the community to determine if its vision for the future can be achieved by utilizing the 1989 General Plan.
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The General Plan update provides opportunity for substantial citizen input on shaping the future image of Corte Madera. A series of community workshops, small group meetings, special presentations and public hearings will be held as part of the Town’s community outreach program. Additionally, the Town has created a 17-member General Plan Steering Committee to provide additional opportunity for community input on the General Plan update.
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What types of Issues will be addressed as part of the General Plan Update?
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As required by State law, the General Plan must address, through specific “elements,” Land Use, Circulation, Open Space, Conservation, Noise, Safety and Housing. All seven of these Elements will be addressed in the General Plan update (with the Housing Element update already underway).
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The General Plan Update will examine Design practices in the community, including questions and concerns related to residential construction (new single-family homes as well as additions/tear-downs of existing homes), leading to establishment of design goals and policies and a set of design standards and guidelines.
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The General Plan will address Town recreational and open space needs. This will include focused evaluation on issues such as bikeways and bicycle use in Corte Madera and connections to regional systems, pedestrian ways, and local parks.
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A special Element will be created focusing on Flooding and Flood Hazard reduction.
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Other issues to be addressed will include economic development, community facilities, schools, and environmental issues.
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Any other issues that the community determines need to be addressed in the General Plan Update.
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What is the Process for Updating the General Plan?
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The General Plan update is very much a public process. The process will therefore include a series of public meetings, in the form of workshops, small group meetings, presentations by Town staff and the Town’s planning consultants, and public hearings before the Planning Commission and Town Council.
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A special advisory group, the General Plan Steering Committee, representing Town governmental, schools, local businesses and the community at-large, has also been formed to facilitate public discussion and involvement.
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Given the complexity of the project, the General Plan update will take approximately two years to complete. Key milestone events along the way will include:
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Preparation of a Background Report by the Town’s planning consultants identifying existing conditions and data.
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Conducting a Community Preferences Survey.
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Developing preliminary General Plan Goals and Alternatives, leading to selection of a Preferred General Plan Alternative.
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Preparation of a Draft General Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) by the Town’s planning consultants.
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Action on the Final General Plan and EIR.
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How Can I Get Additional Information about the General Plan Update?
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Contact the Town of Corte Madera at 300 Tamalpais Boulevard, Corte Madera, California, 94925. Staff contacts:
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Jay Tashiro, Town Manager at (415) 927-5050
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Bob Pendoley, Interim Director of Environmental Services at (415) 927-5064
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The Town of Corte Madera has retained the firm of Pacific Municipal Consultants (PMC), planning and environmental consultants, to assist in the process of updating the General Plan.
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The PMC Project Manager for the General Plan Update is Brian Millar, who can be reached at (530)750-7076 or by e-mail at BMillar@pacificmunicipal.com.
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