General Plan

The General Plan defines a community-driven vision of what our City will look like in 2050 and provides a roadmap to get us there. It establishes long-term goals and policies that will guide our community in realizing our vision for the future.

The updated General Plan will address all State requirements and will cover the following topics (also called elements):

  • Vision. Defines aspirations for San Bernardino in 2050 and is the foundation for all goals and policies in the General Plan.

  • Land Use. Guides the future development and use of land in San Bernardino through a plan diagram depicting the distribution of all types of land use to be permitted, coupled with standards for their density/intensity and goals, policies, and implementation actions associated with these uses. It will distinguish those areas to be conserved for their existing uses and densities and those in which change and new development are desired.

  • Housing. Identifies current and future housing needs for all income groups and demonstrates how to meet those needs. State law requires that this element be revised every eight years, with the deadline for adoption no later than early 2022. To comply, the 2021-2029 Element will be prepared on an accelerated schedule.

  • Economic Development: Develops a long-term policy framework that supports the City’s objectives for a vital and prosperous residents and businesses, which may address such topics as business retention, attraction, and startups; fiscal vitality; training and education; communications and marketing; tourism; development and redevelopment; and economic development culture.

  • Mobility/Circulation: Includes goals, policies, and programs for a mobility system that supports the land use plan and identified travel needs.  While addressing the traditional mode of travel, the automobile, it will also address transit, bicycling, and pedestrian activity and their interrelationships. Topics may include potential new or improved transit corridors and center locations, traffic calming, signage, maintenance, traffic signal network improvements, or methods to promote active transportation.  

  • Utilities and Infrastructure: Identifies necessary infrastructure improvements to support existing and future land uses. Systems including water, sewerage, stormwater, and energy will be addressed, including sustainable approaches to reduce environmental and climate impacts.

  • Public Services and Facilities:  Defines goals and policies for the provision of schools, community facilities, libraries, cultural facilities, police and fire protection and emergency services to support existing and future populations. Includes desired performance levels and strategies to ensure continued provision of services at these levels.

  • Parks, Recreation, and Trails: Identifies existing and planned parks, community facilities, and trails; assesses deficiencies and opportunity areas; establishes standards for their adequacy and distribution throughout the community and identifies strategies for maintenance and enhancement of these resources.

  • Energy and Water Conservation: Addresses recent legislation for conservation and climate change and establishes standards, and best practices for land development, building design, and infrastructure that promote water and energy conservation.

  • Historic and Archeological Resources: Specifies solutions to protect, preserve, restore, and enhance areas, sites, and structures possessing architectural, historical, archaeological, and/or cultural significance, and to reaffirm their continuing value as resources.

  • Noise: Updates technical components of the noise element, including maps depicting existing and future noise conditions based on the updated land use plan and their mobile and stationary sources and measures to mitigate potential excessive noise levels.

  • Safety and Resilience: The Safety Element and the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan provide the City’s comprehensive strategy to reduce the short-term and long-term potential for harm from various threats to community health and safety, including seismic, geologic, flood, severe weather, and wildfire hazards. This element will also incorporate an assessment of the community’s vulnerability resulting from potential climate change impacts and the community’s projected ability to respond to changing climate condition through short- and long-term strategies for community resilience.

  • Climate Change: The General Plan project team will identify key sources of greenhouse gas emissions sources and goals, policies, and actions that ensure efficient use of natural resources and use of low-carbon, clean, and resilient sources of energy. The General Plan will provide an integrated, sustainability, and equitable approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from City operations, City facilities, and the community across multiple sectors, including transportation, energy, waste, water, wastewater, and other sectors as appropriate.

  • Environmental Justice and Health: Defines policies that address state law and topics of concern to the community, include pollution exposure, public facilities, food access, safe and sanitary homes, and physical activity. This section emphasizes civil engagement in the public decision-making process and prioritizes improvements that address the needs of historically underrepresented communities.

 

 

General Plan Elements

The updated General Plan will address all State requirements and will cover the following topics (also called elements):

Vision

Defines aspirations for San Bernardino in 2050 and is the foundation for all goals and policies in the General Plan.

Land Use

Guides the future development and use of land in San Bernardino through a plan diagram depicting the distribution of all types of land use to be permitted, coupled with standards for their density/intensity and goals, policies, and implementation actions associated with these uses. It will distinguish those areas to be conserved for their existing uses and densities and those in which change and new development are desired.

Housing

Guides the future development and use of land in San Bernardino through a plan diagram depicting the distribution of all types of land use to be permitted, coupled with standards for their density/intensity and goals, policies, and implementation actions associated with these uses. It will distinguish those areas to be conserved for their existing uses and densities and those in which change and new development are desired.

Economic Development

Develops a long-term policy framework that supports the City’s objectives for a vital and prosperous residents and businesses, which may address such topics as business retention, attraction, and startups; fiscal vitality; training and education; communications and marketing; tourism; development and redevelopment; and economic development culture.

Mobility/Circulation

Includes goals, policies, and programs for a mobility system that supports the land use plan and identified travel needs. While addressing the traditional mode of travel, the automobile, it will also address transit, bicycling, and pedestrian activity and their interrelationships. Topics may include potential new or improved transit corridors and center locations, traffic calming, signage, maintenance, traffic signal network improvements, or methods to promote active transportation.

Utilities and Infrastructure

Identifies necessary infrastructure improvements to support existing and future land uses. Systems including water, sewerage, stormwater, and energy will be addressed, including sustainable approaches to reduce environmental and climate impacts.

Public Services and Facilities

Defines goals and policies for the provision of schools, community facilities, libraries, cultural facilities, police and fire protection and emergency services to support existing and future populations. Includes desired performance levels and strategies to ensure continued provision of services at these levels.

Parks, Recreation, and Trails

Identifies existing and planned parks, community facilities, and trails; assesses deficiencies and opportunity areas; establishes standards for their adequacy and distribution throughout the community and identifies strategies for maintenance and enhancement of these resources.

Energy and Water Conservation

Addresses recent legislation for conservation and climate change and establishes standards, and best practices for land development, building design, and infrastructure that promote water and energy conservation.

Historic and Archaeological Resources

Specifies solutions to protect, preserve, restore, and enhance areas, sites, and structures possessing architectural, historical, archaeological, and/or cultural significance, and to reaffirm their continuing value as resources.

Noise

Updates technical components of the noise element, including maps depicting existing and future noise conditions based on the updated land use plan and their mobile and stationary sources and measures to mitigate potential excessive noise levels.

Safety and Resilience

The Safety Element and the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan provide the City’s comprehensive strategy to reduce the short-term and long-term potential for harm from various threats to community health and safety, including seismic, geologic, flood, severe weather, and wildfire hazards. This element will also incorporate an assessment of the community’s vulnerability resulting from potential climate change impacts and the community’s projected ability to respond to changing climate condition through short- and long-term strategies for community resilience.

Climate Change

The General Plan project team will identify key sources of greenhouse gas emissions sources and goals, policies, and actions that ensure efficient use of natural resources and use of low-carbon, clean, and resilient sources of energy. The General Plan will provide an integrated, sustainability, and equitable approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from City operations, City facilities, and the community across multiple sectors, including transportation, energy, waste, water, wastewater, and other sectors as appropriate.

Environmental Justice and Health

Defines policies that address state law and topics of concern to the community, include pollution exposure, public facilities, food access, safe and sanitary homes, and physical activity. This section emphasizes civil engagement in the public decision-making process and prioritizes improvements that address the needs of historically underrepresented communities.

General Plan Advisory Committee

A General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) has been established to provide input, feedback, and recommendations to City staff, the consultant team, the Planning Commission, and ultimately the Mayor and City Council on key components of the General Plan. In this role, the committee serves as a liaison to and conduit with their constituent communities, informing and encouraging them to participate in venues for their input.

To find out more about the GPAC and how to participate in future meetings, click here.

Click below for more details.

The updated General Plan will address all State requirements and will cover the following topics (also called elements):

  • Vision. Defines aspirations for San Bernardino in 2050 and is the foundation for all goals and policies in the General Plan.

  • Land Use. Guides the future development and use of land in San Bernardino through a plan diagram depicting the distribution of all types of land use to be permitted, coupled with standards for their density/intensity and goals, policies, and implementation actions associated with these uses. It will distinguish those areas to be conserved for their existing uses and densities and those in which change and new development are desired.

  • Housing. Identifies current and future housing needs for all income groups and demonstrates how to meet those needs. State law requires that this element be revised every eight years, with the deadline for adoption no later than early 2022. To comply, the 2021-2029 Element will be prepared on an accelerated schedule.

  • Economic Development: Develops a long-term policy framework that supports the City’s objectives for a vital and prosperous residents and businesses, which may address such topics as business retention, attraction, and startups; fiscal vitality; training and education; communications and marketing; tourism; development and redevelopment; and economic development culture.

  • Mobility/Circulation: Includes goals, policies, and programs for a mobility system that supports the land use plan and identified travel needs.  While addressing the traditional mode of travel, the automobile, it will also address transit, bicycling, and pedestrian activity and their interrelationships. Topics may include potential new or improved transit corridors and center locations, traffic calming, signage, maintenance, traffic signal network improvements, or methods to promote active transportation.  

  • Utilities and Infrastructure: Identifies necessary infrastructure improvements to support existing and future land uses. Systems including water, sewerage, stormwater, and energy will be addressed, including sustainable approaches to reduce environmental and climate impacts.

  • Public Services and Facilities:  Defines goals and policies for the provision of schools, community facilities, libraries, cultural facilities, police and fire protection and emergency services to support existing and future populations. Includes desired performance levels and strategies to ensure continued provision of services at these levels.

  • Parks, Recreation, and Trails: Identifies existing and planned parks, community facilities, and trails; assesses deficiencies and opportunity areas; establishes standards for their adequacy and distribution throughout the community and identifies strategies for maintenance and enhancement of these resources.

  • Energy and Water Conservation: Addresses recent legislation for conservation and climate change and establishes standards, and best practices for land development, building design, and infrastructure that promote water and energy conservation.

  • Historic and Archeological Resources: Specifies solutions to protect, preserve, restore, and enhance areas, sites, and structures possessing architectural, historical, archaeological, and/or cultural significance, and to reaffirm their continuing value as resources.

  • Noise: Updates technical components of the noise element, including maps depicting existing and future noise conditions based on the updated land use plan and their mobile and stationary sources and measures to mitigate potential excessive noise levels.

  • Safety and Resilience: The Safety Element and the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan provide the City’s comprehensive strategy to reduce the short-term and long-term potential for harm from various threats to community health and safety, including seismic, geologic, flood, severe weather, and wildfire hazards. This element will also incorporate an assessment of the community’s vulnerability resulting from potential climate change impacts and the community’s projected ability to respond to changing climate condition through short- and long-term strategies for community resilience.

  • Climate Change: The General Plan project team will identify key sources of greenhouse gas emissions sources and goals, policies, and actions that ensure efficient use of natural resources and use of low-carbon, clean, and resilient sources of energy. The General Plan will provide an integrated, sustainability, and equitable approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from City operations, City facilities, and the community across multiple sectors, including transportation, energy, waste, water, wastewater, and other sectors as appropriate.

  • Environmental Justice and Health: Defines policies that address state law and topics of concern to the community, include pollution exposure, public facilities, food access, safe and sanitary homes, and physical activity. This section emphasizes civil engagement in the public decision-making process and prioritizes improvements that address the needs of historically underrepresented communities.

 

 

Meets as needed in the Board Room at 201 North “E” Street, San Bernardino, CA 92401​

This seventeen (17) member committee established by Resolution No. 2021-2, is an advisory committee established by the Mayor and City Council to assist with the update the City’s comprehensive General Plan. The GPAC serves as an important component of the public participation program providing one of the primary communication channels for the community making recommendations to the Planning Commission and the Mayor and City Council. The term of office coincides with the term of the nominating City Council member of Mayor.

Click on the following to view the General Plan Advisory Committee past and upcoming meetings, including the agenda and minutes.

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