Land Use Planning 101:

Understanding The

Relationship Between The

General Plan and Zoning

April 25, 2013

Alexander P. Meyerhoff, AICP

City Manager

City of Holtville, Ca

www.holtville.ca.gov

Overview

General Plan Legal basis of the General Plan

Mandatory elements

Zoning Ordinance Permitted uses

Development standards

Time, place and manner

Land Use Entitlements Getting your project approved

Sensitivity to adjacent uses

Highest and best use

Planning in antiquity

Map of Piraeus

Port of Athens

Grid plan of city

Philadelphia (1682)

Washington DC (1793)

General Plan

Modern Planning (1902)

Garden City concept

Ebenezer Howard

British Land Planning

Illustrates urban growth

General Plan

Official policy of jurisdiction governing

Policy of Board of Supervisors/City Council

Governing physical development of jurisdiction

Outlines quality of life

Establishes the vision of a community

Goals and Objectives

Aspiration document

California’s Mandatory General Plan Elements Land Use

Circulation

Housing

Noise

Safety

Open Space

Conservation

Optional Elements Economic Development, Design, Preservation

www.opr.ca.gov

General Plans and Sustainability: Source: California Sustainability Alliance:

http://sustainca.org/tools/green_general_plan_toolkit/ggp_introduction

Zoning

Let’s Talk About Zoning

Zoning

Regulates land use, time, place and manner

Establishes land use districts “zones”,

including residential, commercial, industrial,

opens space

Establishes development standards

Scale, density and intensity of land use

Early Zoning Laws

San Francisco Zoning Ordinance (1863)

Make all regulations necessary for the

preservation of public health and prevention of

contagious disease

Los Angeles Zoning Ordinance 1909

Limited industrial uses to four areas

Supreme Court upheld in 1915

“There must be progress and if in its march

private interests are in the way, they must

yield to the good of the community.”

(Hadacheck v. Sebastian 239 US 349 (1915))

Zoning: Legal basis

The Standard City Planning Enabling Act (SCPEA) was published in 1928. The SCPEA covered six subjects:

the organization and power of the planning commission, which was directed to prepare and adopt a "master plan"

the content of the master plan for development of the territory

adoption of a master street plan by the governing body

approval of all public improvements by the planning commission

control of private subdivision of land

establishment of a regional planning commission and a regional plan

Assumptions of Early Zoning Laws

Segregation of uses would improve quality of environment

Intelligent decision to which the market would conform

Local Governments would rarely change the rules

Non-conforming uses would go away

Municipal power would be sufficient to accommodate these objectives

Zoning

Regulates Land Uses Residential: R1, R2, R3, R4

Commercial: C1, C2, C3,

Industrial: BP, M1, M2

Public/Inst.: Hospitals, Schools, Libraries, Courts

Conservation

Open Space

Agriculture

Mixed Use

Other: Transportation, Airport, Highways

Zoning

Establishes land uses for each zone

Permitted

Conditional

Prohibited

Zoning

Development Standards

Setbacks

Density (Dwelling units per acre)

Floor Area Ratio (Building area to lot size)

Building Height

Lot Coverage

Open Space

Scale and Relationship to adjacent development

Zoning

Smart Growth

Transect Planning

Performance Zoning

Regulate form of development

Less emphasis on land use

Zoning: Illustration of Principals

Thank You!