Carlsbad CA— The City of Carlsbad will hold a joint hearing of the City Council and Planning Commission Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1635 Faraday Ave., to hear a staff presentation and public testimony on the city’s proposed update of its General Plan. This meeting is one of the final steps in a nearly eight year process that has included dozens of public meetings, thousands of public comments and extensive technical work on what will become the blueprint for how land will be used in the city to achieve the community’s vision for the future.
The hearing is an opportunity for members of the public to provide input on the proposed General Plan update, Climate Action Plan, zoning changes, the Local Coastal Program and the Citywide Facilities and Improvement Plan, as well as the related environmental analysis. Following public testimony, the Planning Commission will set a date to deliberate and make a recommendation to the City Council.
The City Council will then set a hearing to consider final approval of the General Plan and certification of the environmental analysis. Public testimony at this City Council hearing will be limited to changes, if any, in the final environmental impact report or the General Plan made after July 18.
A General Plan explains the goals, policies and programs that will guide how the city will physically develop, look and function. It spells out where homes and businesses will be located, how people will move around the city and how the city will meet community needs for parks, arts and culture, safety, recreation and sustainability. All cities in California are required to have a General Plan and update it from time to time so it stays current with changes in regulations and community needs and values.
The General Plan documents are available on the City of Carlsbad website. Print copies are available for review at the City of Carlsbad Planning Division, 1635 Faraday Ave.; at the City Clerk’s Office, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive; at the Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane; and at Georgina Cole Library, 1250 Carlsbad Village Drive. Those wishing to submit written comments may contact Jennifer Jesser in the Planning Division at 760-602-4637 or jennifer.jesser@carlsbadca.gov.
Updating the General Plan began in 2008 with Envision Carlsbad — an extensive community visioning and outreach process that involved more than 8,000 residents, 100 community groups and organizations, scores of business owners and elected officials and city staff members. The process was guided by the 19-member Envision Carlsbad Citizens Committee, which conducted 18 public meetings and resulted in the publication of the Carlsbad Community Vision in January 2010 and the preferred land use concept, which outlines where future growth could go, in September 2012.
The draft General Plan update adheres to the nine core community values identified in the Carlsbad Community Vision, which are:

• Small town feel, beach community character and connectedness
  Open space and the natural environment
• Access to recreation and active, healthy lifestyles
• Local economy, business diversity and tourism
• Walking, biking, public transportation and connectivity
• Sustainability
• History, the arts and cultural resources
• High quality education and community services
• Neighborhood revitalization, community design and livability

The City of Carlsbad’s existing General Plan was last updated in 1994, during a time of growth. Most of the development in the City of Carlsbad has taken place since then, and the new General Plan includes changes in some areas that are either vacant or underdeveloped, but land uses will not change in most of the city.