The Planning Commission of the City of Montague will host a public workshop on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Montague City Council Chambers, 230 S. 13th Street, Montague, California on the following item:
CITY OF MONTAGUE LAND USE ELEMENT AND SAFETY ELEMENT UPDATES
What is a General Plan, and what are the Land Use and Safety elements?
State law requires that each city and county in California adopt and maintain a general plan. General plans help shape and improve the quality of life for residents and businesses and serve as a community’s blueprint for development. General plans establish policies covering a wide range of topics of community importance in seven required “elements.” These elements are land use, housing, conservation, open space, noise, safety, and circulation. However, general plans, are more than policy documents. They reflect the vision, values, and priorities of a community. They define what is unique and special about the community that should be preserved, and they identify strategic ways to improve the quality of life for the community. The purposes of the Land Use and Safety elements are summarized, as follows:
- Land Use Element – Through the application of land use designations, provides an adequate supply of residential, commercial, mixed use, manufacturing, public agency, and other lands to meet the foreseeable needs of the community with defined densities and intensities of permitted development.
- Safety Element – Promotes public safety and the protection of residents and property through identification of natural and human-derived hazards with the potential to impact the City, by incorporating identified hazard and risk considerations into the land use planning process, and through the inclusion of strategies to mitigate such hazards to the extent feasible.
Why is the City of Montague updating its Land Use and Safety elements?
Aside from regular updates to general plan housing elements, as prescribed by state law, cities and counties typically update their general plans every 10 to 20 years. Prior to Montague’s recent updates to the City’s Housing, Noise, Circulation, and Open Space & Conservation elements in 2024, it had been more than 30 years since the City’s last comprehensive General Plan update. Therefore, to ensure that the City’s General Plan continues to meet state requirements, represents the community’s vision for itself, and provides the guidance necessary to accomplish this vision, the City applied for and was awarded grant funding to update the General Plan. The City is now working to complete draft updates to the Land Use and Safety elements.
Who should get involved in the General Plan Update?
The City’s goal has been to foster strong public participation throughout the General Plan update process and the City would like to hear from the entire community. To ensure the General Plan reflects the voices and spirit of Montague, the City has been hosting a series of community engagement activities, including workshops. The workshop to discuss the draft updates to the Land Use and Safety elements will be held on February 19, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council chambers located at 230 S 13th Street, Montague, California. Please tell your friends and neighbors. The City wants to hear from everyone!
JESSICA MONDAY, MONTAGUE CITY CLERK