(originally published April 23, 2015) A General Plan is the blueprint for a community's future. California state law requires that every city and county must adopt a General Plan and revise it from time to time as circumstances change. Goals, objectives and policies articulated within a General Plan are supposed to be internally consistent. Ordinances, such as a Zoning Ordinance, that implement a General Plan must also be consistent with the General Plan. Under California law, there are 7 required elements (chapters) of a General Plan: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise and safety. The Governor's Office of Planning and Research promulgates Guidelines for preparation of General Plans. 

It can be a challenge to plow through Sacramento County's General Plan and the current (1980) community plan for Arden Arcade as amended (2006). Yet a thorough understanding of these documents is helpful for area residents and businesses that seek to reverse the downward spiral of land uses and property values in the community.