Sonoma County kicks off General Plan update

Sonoma County today kicked off its General Plan update, a yearslong process to update the foundational planning document that shapes future growth, encourages housing and job development, fosters healthy and resilient communities, guides the protection and management of natural resources, and promotes social and economic equity.

General Plans are intended to guide development and investment through high-level policy direction over a period of 20-30 years. The current General Plan, adopted in 2008, needs a comprehensive update to address new state requirements.

“The General Plan update is one of the most important projects that the county will undertake in the new year,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “It will lay the groundwork for most of our land use, resource conservation, housing, public safety, climate and equity policies for decades. For this effort, we need a robust outreach strategy so that we can hear input from as many corners of our community as possible.”

The Board of Supervisors approved a preliminary work plan for the General Plan update and directed Permit Sonoma to move forward with hiring a consultant to begin scoping for the larger project and planning work. The first phase will be to perform a detailed audit of the current General Plan. The consultant will be expected to market the planning effort, conduct community outreach, and establish an engagement platform that will carry through the entire planning process.

Permit Sonoma estimated the cost for the General Plan update to be $7.8 million. The work is expected to be conducted over the next six years.

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Media Contact:
Matt Brown, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-3040
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403