General Plan Amendments

A Major General Plan Amendment is defined as a proposal which results in a substantial alteration of the municipality’s land use mixture or balance, as established in the municipality’s General Plan land use element.

Amendments to the General Plan are possible through an application and are generally driven by a property owner or developer's desire to change the land use designation of their property.

The City’s Review Process is a lengthy one, and somewhat complicated, process. It is designed to involve the residents and agencies which may be impacted by the proposed change, and provides numerous opportunities for the public to comment. It is an open and transparent process, which is well defined by State law, as well as the City’s General Plan, Codes, and procedures.

The GPA review process includes:

• Citizen Reviews – Meetings hosted by the applicant to share their proposals with the public and receive public feedback.
• Gathering of public comments via the Comment Form.
• Planning and Zoning and City Council Study Sessions – Meetings may be held to gather information from the applicant and the public.
• Formal public hearing held by the Planning and Zoning Commission, after which they will make a recommendation to City Council.
• Formal public hearings held by the City Council, after which a final decision may be made on the applications.

GPA 16-01