Frequently Asked Questions (old)

A General Plan is a comprehensive policy document that provides the general framework for all land use, zoning, mobility, and environmental decisions within a community. It establishes a community’s long-term vision for the future and contains goals, policies, and actions that will shape future housing, support job growth, foster healthy and resilient neighborhoods, protect and manage natural resources, ensure community safety, and promote social and economic equity. The City of Santa Rosa’s current General Plan was last updated in 2009.

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) represents a range of community interests to advise the Project Team during the development of the General Plan Update. Members include representatives from variety of organizations and perspectives including neighborhood groups, business groups, transportation and housing advocacy groups, and environmental organizations, as well as residents representing diverse perspectives, including a variety of ages and ethnicities.

CAC members will be active participants in the planning process at each stage, from visioning through adoption. The primary role of the CAC is to act as project liaisons and to encourage the wide range of Santa Rosa community members to participate in virtual and in-person project activities (e.g., community workshops, online surveys, virtual events). CAC members will also provide feedback on GPU products and help refine materials before they are presented to the greater community.

The State of California requires each city to address environmental justice in their General Plan. The General Plan Update process includes analysis and additional background research to fully understand the needs of each neighborhood in Santa Rosa. In addition, a grant from Kaiser Permanente includes a comprehensive evaluation of community health characteristics. Both environmental justice and community health will be discussed throughout the three-year process, and policy solutions and initiatives will be included in the updated General Plan document.

Considering the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City expects there will be a continued emphasis on virtual engagement due to the ongoing need for social distancing. However, the Project Team will also conduct in-person activities as the project progresses. It is possible that even if restrictions on in-person gatherings are loosened, many people may continue to choose to keep their distance and prefer methods that allow for online and telephone participation. Our community engagement experts are at the forefront of virtual meetings, online community engagement techniques, and other strategies for interacting with the community during this challenging time, and beyond. The Project Team is committed to bridging the digital divide during COVID-19 to ensure that a broad cross-section of Santa Rosa community members can access and fully participate in all engagement activities.

Kaiser Permanente provided the City of Santa Rosa a Healthy Communities Grant that is focused on providing additional opportunities to engage under-represented communities and develop healthy cities policies and actions. This funding has allowed the City and Project Team to add, enhance, or expand upon many of the engagement activities included in this project. Additional information is available in the Community Involvement Strategy.

Latino Service Providers is a key partner of the City’s and will be involved in many community outreach and engagement events. Most of these activities will be centered around inclusive community outreach and youth engagement. Additional information is available in the Community Involvement Strategy.