COUNTY PLANNING
Calaveras County General Plan
MyValleySprings.com and the Calaveras Planning Coalition support a comprehensive update of the Calaveras County General Plan.
Click here to read the Calaveras County Draft General Plan Notice of Preparation, January 18, 2017
Click here to read ‘Land Use & Development Principles’
Click here to learn about the Calaveras Planning Coalition and CAP
Why does the county need a new General Plan?
The Calaveras County General Plan is our "constitution for land use". At Supervisor Study Sessions in January and March, 2006, dozens of citizens stood up and spoke to Supervisors about planning and infrastructure problems in the county. They described inadequacies and inconsistencies in the General Plan. Many of the citizens who spoke out were members of the Calaveras Planning Coalition. Our Supervisors listened.
In April, 2006, the Supervisors hired a consultant, Mintier & Associates, to study our existing general plan. In October, 2006, Mintier's General Plan Evaluation report concluded that our general plan "does not meet statutory requirements and is of limited use as a guide for day-to-day decision making concerning land use, development, and public protection."
County agrees General Plan needs updating
A county Staff Report, November 29, 2006, agreed, “The County contracted with Mintier and Associates to prepare an evaluation of the general plan and develop a work plan for preparation of the update. The evaluation report, dated October 12, 2006, states that the general plan does not meet the statutory requirements of the state Government Code.” The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors adopted a General Plan Update Work Program on December 4, 2006.
General Plan Update in progress!
"Project "kickoff" was April 2007. Public workshops were held in 2006 and 2007. Communities began giving input to the county for community plan updates and inclusion. Draft General Plan Baseline Report and Issues and Opportunities Report were issued in 2008. Additional Elements were added for Water, Economic, and Agriculture.
The General Plan Alternatives Report was released in February 2010, followed by Community Workshops in April. The Housing Element was updated and adopted in June 2010; and updated again in May 2015. The Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Report Settings Section was released in December 2012. Draft Land Use Maps were released for comment in late 2012 and early 2013.
In December, 2014, a Calaveras County Draft General Plan & Land Use Map was released for public review. From July 2015 through September 2016, the Calaveras County Planning Commission reviewed and edited the draft plan and land use map. On October 4, 2016, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Planning Commission's recommendations as the Project Description for preparation of a General Plan Update Environmental Impact Report (EIR). In January 2017, a Notice of Preparation was issued for the EIR and Scoping Comments were submitted. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the proposed Calaveras County General Plan Update was released for public comment on June 22, 2018. Click here for the Notice of Availability.
For all General Plan Presentation Materials, Reports, Draft Elements and Land Use Maps, Public Comments, and the latest General Plan Update information, visit the links below.
For more information:
Click here for Calaveras County's General Plan Update web page
Click here for CAP/ CPC's comprehensive General Plan Documents Page
Click here for ‘General Plan Public Review Draft Issues and Opportunities Report’
Click here for ‘General Plan Phase I Community Workshop’ Summary Report
Click here for 2007 ‘General Plan Update Phase 1 Community Workshop’ presentation and overview
What happens while the General Plan is being updated?
Current Board of Supervisors Discretionary Development Policy
On November 27, 2007, The Calaveras County Board of Supervisors adopted a Policy Resolution** regarding discretionary development projects pending completion of the current general plan update in an effort to forestall continued rural sprawl and provide adequate water, roads, and sewer service. The policy states:
1. All divisions of land will be served by public surface water and public sewer with the exception of those projects where: (a) all parcels to be created are in excess of 40 acres; or (b) only one additional parcel is being created. Remainder parcels shall be counted as an additional parcel; and
2. Protect onsite open space and habitat; and
3. Provide onsite roads built to the standards set forth in the County road ordinance, including provisions for maintenance of roads that are not accepted into the County-maintained road system; and
4. Encourage utilization of voluntary implementation measures of the housing element as they pertain to reaching the county’s affordable housing goals.
(**Board of Supervisors, County of Calaveras, State of California, RESOLUTION ADOPTING POLICY REGARDING CRITERIA FOR DISCRETIONARY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED PENDING COMPLETION OF THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE WORK PROGRAM AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, Resolution No. 07-242, November 27, 2007)
