Guidelines nearly ready for review

A draft document re-write of the city’s General Plan — the guidelines for progress as related to city ordinances, community standards and conformation to state law — is nearly completed, according to Robert Stanley, La Cañada’s planning department director.

The city created its current General Plan in 1980, not too long after the city was incorporated. Since then, there was a land use revision to the plan in 1993, air quality and traffic circulation modifications made in 1995, but not much else has changed in that original document, Stanley said.

Despite this, there have been several governmental requirement changes that make it necessary to overhaul the entire document, he added.

That’s why the city last year created a General Plan Advisory Committee, appointed by the City Council and made up of city staff, committee commissioners and other community members, as well as a consultant, Jones and Stokes.

The advisory committee has met about 13 times since the spring of 2008 and has visited various elements of the plan, such as housing, open space, recreation, conservation, safety, noise, and circulation (streets and trails).

Still to be discussed is the air quality element, Stanley said, adding, “They want to bring it back to 1995, and make people conserve energy, use more green technology and reverse a lot of the harmful effects of the past 14 or 15 years.” The General Plan Advisory Committee is expected to release its draft of the document in the fall. Then, residents will have a more than 45-day comment period, due to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, to review the document and make suggestions at public hearings to be scheduled at both upcoming planning commission and City Council meetings.

After any necessary revisions are made, the document will be approved by the City Council.

Stanley said it is important for people to take a look at the plan, and make any suggestions or comments, when the plan becomes available, in order to help shape the future of this city.

The Valley Sun and the city’s website will let people know when the plan is available for public review.