Summary: Friday, March 28, 2014 I don’t know how long it’s been since I started talking about the Capitola General Plan Update, here on the Land Use Report. I do remember many times, though, over the last several years, that I have advised listeners that the City of Capitola is in the process of updating its General Plan, and that business owners and residents should be getting involved. A general plan is a city or county’s most important planning document, sometimes called a “Constitution for land use.” State law requires every city and county to have a general plan, addressing key planning issues specified in state law; state law further requires, once a general plan has been adopted, that each permit and planning decision of that jurisdiction be “consistent” with the General Plan. If you care about land use, you need to care about the provisions found in your city and county General Plan. Many people get interested in land use policies only when a specific project is proposed. By then, the basic principles have already been established in the general plan, and it may be too late to make changes Bottom line: get involved when general plan policies are being considered. For business owners and residents in Capitola, that time is now! Your final chance to weigh in will come during a public hearing scheduled before the Capitola City Council on Thursday, April 3rd, at 7:00 p.m. There is more information at kusp.org/landuse. More Information: Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog City of Capitola Website Current Capitola General Plan Capitola General Plan Update
