What is a General Plan?
A General Plan is a document, required by State law, that addresses issues related to the physical development, growth and conservation of City resources. The Plan expresses broad community values and goals, gives a vision of how the City should look in the next 20 years, and outlines steps to get there. The seven required elements are covered in Santa Monica’s General Plan along with one optional element:

• Land Use
• Circulation
• Housing
• Conservation
• Open Space
• Noise
• Safety
• Historic Preservation

What is a Land Use Element?
As one of the seven required elements of a General Plan, the Land Use Element addresses issues such as how land use types (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) are distributed and located throughout the City, the heights and sizes of buildings, and the connection of the street trees, parkways, sidewalks, and landscaping to the environment. The Land Use Element charts a course for the City’s future physical development. What Is a Zoning Ordinance?
A Zoning Ordinance is a codified document that specifies the land use and design standards permitted throughout the City, based on a series of districts. The Zoning Ordinance provides the “teeth” to achieve the broad policy goals of the General Plan. It addresses issues such as: the height and bulk of buildings, the relationship of buildings to the street and to one another, permitted land uses, and permit approval procedures.

Why are we updating the Land Use Element and Zoning Ordinance?
The last comprehensive development of the Land Use Element of the General Plan took place in the early 1980s with adoption in 1984. Subsequent revisions were made in 1987, 1993 and 1998. Because the policies and goals of the current Land Use Element have been largely accomplished during the past 20 years, it is now time to revisit these policies and frame the City’s land use and urban design vision for the next 20 years.

The Zoning Ordinance will be updated concurrently with the Land Use Element update so that the broad policies and goals of the Element are directly translated into standards that can be implemented on a day-to-day basis. The Zoning Ordinance update will also guarantee that the Code is clear, accessible, and easily administered.

Why do we need your input?
The General Plan is our plan for the City’s future. If you live, work, or own a business or property in the City, we want you to be involved in shaping your community. We want to know what you value most in the City and what you think should be protected. What would you like to see changed or improved? What opportunities should the community pursue? We need your ideas and suggestions!