All cities and counties in California are required to have a general plan, which serves as the blueprint for conservation and development, adopted by the City Council. It lays out the City’s long-term vision, and includes text, diagrams, and maps to communicate how the vision will be implemented. The Plan provides a framework for decision-making in the city and is used by government officials such as the Planning Commission and the City Council as development projects are reviewed and as capital investment decisions are made. Individual development projects must demonstrate consistency with General Plan policies as they are proposed.

A general plan is also called a comprehensive plan because it covers the entire geographic area within City limits – both privately-owned and publicly owned properties – and a broad range of issues including physical, social, and economic development. It is the City’s primary planning document and under State law, the zoning code that implements the General Plan must be consistent with it.

The General Plan and Zoning Code go hand-in-hand. The General Plan establishes broad, long-term policies to guide both private sector development and City investments. The Zoning Code implements General Plan policies through detailed development regulations that specify what activities can happen where, and that specify standards for the height and design of new buildings. State law requires that the Zoning Code be consistent with the General Plan. Los Altos’ Zoning Code will be updated after adoption of the General Plan to ensure consistency.

The General Plan is not just about land use. It is a broad document that considers all aspects of how the City will develop and change. The General Plan established policies, which can be implemented more specifically through more focused policy documents, such as the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, Complete Streets Master Plan, and Capital Improvement Plan.

The General Plan covers all public and privately owned land within the City limit. However, the State of California encourages cities to look beyond their borders when preparing a General Plan, as issues are not necessarily confined to political boundaries. Accordingly, the planning area for Los Altos covers an approximately 7.5-square mile area that includes Los Altos’ City limit and Sphere of Influence (SOI), as shown on the map below.

State law requires that a general plan cover eight topics, which are referred to as “Elements.” These include: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Conservation, Open Space, Noise, Safety, and Environmental Justice.

Los Altos’ current General Plan was adopted in 2002, with a planning horizon of 2020. While the City has recently completed updates to the Housing and Safety Elements, the General Plan has not been comprehensively updated since 2002 and the Plan needs to be revised to ensure alignment with community priorities. Emerging technologies, demographic changes, and new State law are also triggering the need for an update. In short, the time is right for the community to come together and define a shared vision for the future, clearly articulate goals and priorities, and for the City to put in place new policies that will guide decision-making over the next two decades.

An environmental impact report (EIR) is a detailed analysis of how the environment would be affected by a plan or a development project. It analyzes impacts on a range of environmental resources, identifies alternatives to the proposed plan or project, and presents ways to reduce or avoid environmental impacts. Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a general plan update is considered a project and thus requires an EIR to be completed in conjunction with the plan. Community members and other government agencies can contribute at two different phases in the EIR process. The first phase is the Scoping Period which starts with the release of a Notice of Preparation (NOP) announcing that an EIR is going to be prepared and asks the public to comment on the scope of the EIR. The second phase is when the Draft EIR is released, and public comments are invited. Public comment is also welcomed when the Final EIR is considered at public hearings before City decision-makers.