City of Montague General Plan Update
The City of Montague is in the process of updating the General Plan to ensure that it meets current state requirements, that it continues to represent the community’s vision for itself, and that it provides the guidance necessary to accomplish this vision. The General Plan is a policy document that addresses seven topics of community importance: land use, housing, circulation, noise, safety, open space, and conservation. Each topic is typically treated to its own chapter, or element, of the general plan; however, given the strong interrelationship between open space and conservation issues, the City of Montague has chosen to combine discussion of these items into a single Open Space & Conservation Element. Aside from the City’s Housing Element, which was most recently updated in April 2024, the City of Montague General Plan was last comprehensively updated in 1989. Due to the use of more than one planning grant for the project, the General Plan update is being completed in phases. The initial phase included the City’s recent Housing Element update, the second (and current) phase includes proposed updates to the Circulation Element, Noise Element, and Open Space & Conservation Element, and the third and final phase (scheduled for early 2025) will consist of updates to the City’s Land Use Element and Safety Element. As draft elements are completed, they will be added to this page and linked below.
Housing Element Update
In April 2024, the City of Montague updated the Housing Element for the 2023-2031 planning period in accordance with State law and City housing objectives. Montague’s adopted Housing Element is available for review at https://storage.googleapis.com/juniper-media-library/93/2024/11/Montague Housing Element_FINAL.pdf.
Circulation Element Update
The Circulation Element is being updated to identify the location and extent of existing and proposed roadways and transportation routes, as well as other local public utilities and facilities, and to plan for a balanced, multimodal transportation network that meets the needs of all users, including bicyclists, children, seniors, persons with disabilities, pedestrians, motorists, and users of public transportation. The Circulation Element is further being updated to address recent legislation that places additional focus on improving air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing vehicle miles traveled in the General Plan. The draft Circulation Element is available for review at https://storage.googleapis.com/juniper-media-library/93/2024/11/Draft Montague Circulation Element_09262024.pdf.
Noise Element Update
The Noise Element is being updated to identify and appraise noise problems in the community so that noise can be effectively considered in the land use planning process. To do so, the draft Noise Element identifies existing noise sources, as well as existing and projected future noise levels in the community, and it includes strategies to protect noise sensitive uses and areas of the community where noise levels are acceptable from excessive noise exposure. The draft Noise Element is available for review at https://storage.googleapis.com/juniper-media-library/93/2024/11/Montague Noise Element Update - V1.1.pdf .
Open Space & Conservation Element Update
The Open Space & Conservation Element is being updated to address open space areas required for the preservation of natural resources, managed production of resources, outdoor recreation, maintenance of public health and safety, military installation mission support, and protection of tribal cultural resources. It is being further updated to address the conservation, development, and utilization of natural resources, to consider the effect of development in the City on natural resources on public lands, and to identify areas of the City that can accommodate floodwater for purposes of groundwater recharge and stormwater management. The draft Open Space & Conservation Element is available for review at https://storage.googleapis.com/juniper-media-library/93/2024/11/Admin Draft Montague Open Space and Conservation Element.pdf.