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General Plan Update
What is a General Plan?
A general plan serves as a city’s primary guide for land use and development decisions and is a key tool for shaping and improving the quality of life for residents and businesses. It is a city’s blueprint, or constitution, to guide change; thus, the City must update its General Plan periodically to respond to the changing needs and conditions of the city and region and to reflect new state laws.
Why is Santa Maria Updating its Plan?
Santa Maria’s existing General Plan contains seven topics, or “elements,” updated between 1995 and 2015. Many policies in the existing General Plan are still relevant today, but the General Plan needs to be updated because the community faces new opportunities and challenges, including population growth, housing affordability, climate change, and much more. The updated General Plan will help improve Santa Maria by creating opportunities to enhance the quality of life for all members of the community, while also preserving the things about Santa Maria that make it unique and special.
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Learn more about Santa Maria’s General Plan on the Resources page and about the project on the FAQ page.
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Project Factsheets
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