An overview by Lisa Prazeau, President of the Escondido Chamber of Citizens

Did you miss the first workshop on April 16th? Don’t worry! The City will hold its second public workshop on April 29th, 6:30 pm, in the Mitchell Room at City Hall, 201 N. Broadway. Residents are encouraged to get involved!

The General Plan is a public-policy planning document, which guides the city’s development and generally covers a 20-year period. It is a “blueprint” for the community reflecting the vision of its residents.

Why is the General Plan update important to the community? What will the update encompass?

The General Plan Update will re-evaluate current policies, consider new standards and address several issues. Specific components covered in the document include, public safety and service standards, water and wastewater standards, transportation and traffic standards, environmental, economic, Quality of Life standards, land-use, residential and commercial development, city boundaries and population (at build-out),

Growth is inevitable (or so we’ve heard). But, “how we grow” – takes great planning. The General Plan update will determine where the growth will occur. The update will emphasize Smart Growth, as a means to accommodate the growth. Smart Growth is intended to ensure there are adequate resources and infrastructure to support future residents, as well as current resident needs. Beware, though! Some believe that Smart Growth is code for increased density, despite resources and infrastructure.

Should our population (at build-out) be increased, decreased or remain the same? How’s the traffic congestion these days? How about our schools, police, fire, city services, water supply & wastewater? Should Escondido’s Planning Area Boundary be expanded or contracted?

What elements within the General Plan should residents strive to maintain? What should residents consider in the update?

Much of our infrastructure is aging and in need of costly upgrades. Is it responsible to increase our population beyond our current plan? How does the City grow and still maintain a good quality of life? How do we grow into a more sustainable society? How can we help ensure our infrastructure and planning supports future and current residents?

Fortunately, the current General Plan has policies in place, which help ensure those objectives are met. Quality of Life standards, as well as Proposition S, The Growth Management and Neighborhood Protection Act, offer safeguards, boundaries and standards, which benefit the residents of the City.

Beware though. Four out of five Council Members oppose Proposition S; they refer to the voter-approved initiative as ballot box planning. Proposition S is a valuable tool for residents as it helps ensure quality projects in appropriate locations.

Additionally, the General Plan’s Quality of Life policies helps ensure core priorities meet a quality level of service to support residents. Unfortunately, the City has failed to achieve the majority of the minimum thresholds set by our Quality of Life standards and now inquire as to “the appropriateness of updating General Plan Quality of Life Standard thresholds”. Disturbingly, this sounds like code for degrading and/or minimizing the standards.

Proposition S and the General Plans Quality of Life standards are two of the most important safeguards residents have regarding development and should remain intact and in place.

Without a doubt, in the nineteen years since the current General Plan was adopted, our City’s needs, priorities and goals have changed. However, our quality of life priorities remain the same. Quality schools, libraries, water supply, wastewater, fire and police services remain a top priority for residents. Our city must work harder to achieve the minimum threshold standards of the General Plan’s quality of life policies; we must not allow these standards to be watered-down or degraded for the sole purpose of being able to say the city has met the quality of life standards set. If anything, these quality of life standards should be up-graded.

What is the Process? How long will it take? How much will it cost?

The first step in amending the General Plan is to establish baseline conditions. The second step is to create a draft General Plan with alternatives that will be studied and analyzed. The next step is to complete an Environmental Impact Report. Once completed, the EIR will be presented to the public for comment.

It is estimated that the General Plan Update process will take approximately three years to complete. In order for Escondido to fully adopt the (updated) General Plan, approval by vote of the people will be required and is projected to occur in 2012. Residents should not be fooled by the three years time necessary to complete this document. To thoroughly study and effectively produce a quality-planning document, time and careful consideration is in order.

Why is resident input so important? Who should get involved?

As the City’s ‘constitution’, the General Plan is one of the City’s most important documents. The plan’s policies for land-use, circulation, and environmental, economic and social goals are the basis for the City Council’s decision-making. The document must predict, project future needs and demands and the City must allocate and ensure resources to meet the challenges of increased population, energy needs and public services; all while addressing the quality of life for its residents.

To help guarantee that the document reflects a broader, balanced and more accurate vision and plan for the future, resident input is critical. Those who don’t live in the city, but whose properties abut the city’s boundaries should get involved. The General Plan update will include all those properties within the city’s ‘sphere of influence’. Interested parties should get involved early, as much of the initial conversation and goals identified during the planning workshops help shape the document.

Stayed involved! Stay informed!

Several key documents and reports factor into the outcome of which elements the General Plan identify as the demands and needs of the future. The City’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is probably the most important report in the process of the General Plan Update. It will be available for public comment and review. Residents should review this document, as the EIR covers everything from traffic and schools, to water and open space.

Throughout the update process, the City will hold public hearings, visioning workshops and presentations. These events will be posted on the City’s website, at the following address: www.escondido.org/gp-update. Residents, who wish to receive online notification of activities and events, should register with the following e-mail: generalplanupdate@escondido.org. Additionally, city staff is available to meet with organizations or groups as requested, call (760) 839-4556.

Without resident input, Escondido’s future – Our future – will be left to the will of a few individuals. It is imperative that residents engage in the update process. Ask questions. Don’t take everything as absolute truth. Offer suggestions. Speak up. Make requests.

A Great quality of life and a sense of place is something people everywhere strive to achieve. Together, with city planners, Escondido’s future – our future can be one that is inviting and healthy.