Plan Overview
This chapter provides an overview of the Palmdale 2045 General Plan, including the General Plan Update process and how the document can be used.
In late 2018, the City of Palmdale initiated a multi-year effort to update their General Plan (Palmdale 2045) and conduct the environmental review in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The goal of Palmdale 2045 is to provide decision-makers, City staff, and the community with a General Plan that aligns with community values and is responsive to market opportunities. The General Plan update is an opportunity for the City to position itself for success over the next 20-plus years by responding to anticipated changes, capitalizing on regional infrastructure investments, and recent State legislation. This General Plan offers the City a roadmap to identify strategies for enhancing community character and quality of life, expanding economic development opportunities, managing growth, addressing impacts of climate change, and improving outcomes for public health and sustainability.
What is a General Plan?
A General Plan is a city policy document required by state law that provides a “long term, comprehensive, integrated, internally consistent and compatible statement” of goals and policies that reflect local conditions and community vision. The law requires that a General Plan address the following nine mandatory subject areas, or “elements”:
Purpose of the
General Plan
The purpose of Palmdale 2045 is to serve as the blueprint for the City’s vision. The General Plan is the primary legal document that identifies and guides long-term growth, development, and decision-making in the City. The process is strongly anchored in community input and articulates specific steps to guide future land use and planning. The information contained in the individual sections or Elements that comprise this General Plan will shape the physical development of the City. As such, Palmdale 2045 will serve to inform residents, developers, decision-makers, and other cities of the ground rules for development within the City.
Glossary
Outcomes, indicators, and targets are provided to track progress of the General Plan implementation over time.
Each element contains goals and policies responding to the key issues associated with achieving the community’s vision and are intended to provide clear direction in how the City will implement the overall vision of this plan. In addition, General Plan policies are supported by complementary policies across elements. As such, policy implementation should be considered a package that is interwoven throughout the General Plan. Together, the General Plan language creates a hierarchy of goals and policies that will be mandated, encouraged, or allowed by the City over the next 20 years.
Overall statement describing the envisioned end state for the community. Goals are broad in both purpose and aim but are designed specifically to establish directions and outcomes.
Specific position statements that support the achievement of goals and serve as guides to the City Council, Planning Commission, other City commissions and boards. City staff also use the policies when reviewing development proposals and making other decisions. Policies seek to achieve the goals by mandating, encouraging, or permitting certain actions. Certain policies are critical and must be implemented. Thus, compliance with the policy or action is mandatory. Language used to describe this intent includes will, must, require, prohibit, conduct, maintain, and implement. Other policies are strongly encouraged by the City, but total implementation may not be possible; thus, compliance is not mandatory. Language used to describe this intent includes should, may, encourage, consider, explore, allow, discourage, and promote.
Each element contains actions necessary to implement the adopted goals and policies and the time frame for their completion. Responsible entities are also noted.
Outcomes, indicators, and targets are provided to track progress of the General Plan implementation over time.
Each element contains goals and policies responding to the key issues associated with achieving the community’s vision and are intended to provide clear direction in how the City will implement the overall vision of this plan. In addition, General Plan policies are supported by complementary policies across elements. As such, policy implementation should be considered a package that is interwoven throughout the General Plan. Together, the General Plan language creates a hierarchy of goals and policies that will be mandated, encouraged, or allowed by the City over the next 20 years.
Overall statement describing the envisioned end state for the community. Goals are broad in both purpose and aim but are designed specifically to establish directions and outcomes.
Specific position statements that support the achievement of goals and serve as guides to the City Council, Planning Commission, other City commissions and boards. City staff also use the policies when reviewing development proposals and making other decisions. Policies seek to achieve the goals by mandating, encouraging, or permitting certain actions. Certain policies are critical and must be implemented. Thus, compliance with the policy or action is mandatory. Language used to describe this intent includes will, must, require, prohibit, conduct, maintain, and implement. Other policies are strongly encouraged by the City, but total implementation may not be possible; thus, compliance is not mandatory. Language used to describe this intent includes should, may, encourage, consider, explore, allow, discourage, and promote.
Each element contains actions necessary to implement the adopted goals and policies and the time frame for their completion. Responsible entities are also noted.
Plan Implementation & Maintenance
The Palmdale 2045 General Plan will be implemented over an extended period (20+ years, with a time horizon of 2045). During this time, the long-range planning efforts for Palmdale will continue using the goals and policies as a guide. However, a General Plan is a living document, and presents the outcomes desired by the community based on current goals and local conditions. As the City grows and changes, it may become necessary to amend specific policies and implementation actions as economic and demographic conditions change and while new ideas about growth and conservation are formed.
California Government Code requires that the planning agency “render an annual report to the legislative body (City Council) on the status of the Plan and the progress in its implementation” (Section 65400(b)). State law further requires that the Housing Element be reviewed and updated at least once every eight years.
As part of this annual review, the City will consider progress in the context of the indicators presented within this General Plan. Similarly, each year, the Planning Commission must review the Capital Improvements Program to ensure the planned infrastructure investments are consistent with this General Plan. State Law also encourages annual reviews of implementation actions and recommends that the entire General Plan be thoroughly reviewed every five years to ensure it is still consistent with the community’s goals.
Community members, neighborhood groups and local organizations are encouraged to get involved in the on-going planning efforts of the City and to participate in the implementation of the General Plan. By active, thoughtful involvement, residents can be part of the process of shaping and growing Palmdale to make it an active, prosperous, and welcoming City place to live, work, and raise a family.
Any part of a General Plan may be amended to accommodate changing conditions. Property owners, developers, the Planning Commission, the City Council, or City staff may propose amendments. The Planning Commission and the City Council must review any proposed changes at public hearings and the potential of environmental impacts must be evaluated in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
