Every city, town, and county in California must have a general plan, which is the local government’s long-term framework or “constitution” for future growth and development.  The general plan represents the community’s aspiration for its future growth and development.  The general plan contains the goals and policies upon which the City Council and Planning Commission will base their land use decisions. California State law requires that each town, city, or county must adopt a general plan for the physical development within the jurisdiction and any land outside its boundaries that bears relation to its planning.  Typically, a general plan is designed to address the issues facing the city for the next 20 years.

The general plan is made up of a collection of “elements,” or topic categories.  There are currently eight mandatory elements: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, safety, and environmental justice (in addition, air quality elements are required for cities and counties in the San Joaquin Valley). Communities may include other elements that address issues of local concern, such as economic development, community character, or urban design.  Communities can also organize their general plan any way they choose, as long as they address each of the required topical categories.

A general plan has three defining features.

General.  A general plan provides general policy guidance that will be used to direct future land use and resource decisions.

Comprehensive.  A general plan is comprehensive in nature, covering a range of topics, such as land use, housing, economic development, infrastructure, public safety, recreation, natural resources, and much more.

Long-Range.  A general plan provides guidance on reaching a future envisioned 20 or more years in the future.  To achieve the vision, a comprehensive plan includes goals, policies, and actions that address both immediate and long-term needs.

The City’s existing General Plan contains the following elements:

• Land Use (1998)
• Circulation (update 2009)
• Housing (2015)
• Parks, Open Space and Conservation (1998)
• Noise (1998)
• Safety (1998)

As a part of updating the General Plan, the City may reorganize or add to existing elements and/or may add new elements to emphasize new planning issues that have arisen since the current General Plan was adopted.

Millbrae adopted its current General Plan in 1998.  The City is preparing the update to refine the Plan, address emerging trends and recent State laws, consider new issues, and remove completed implementation measures.  This effort is intended to be a comprehensive overhaul of the existing General Plan. This planning effort will also allow the General Plan Team to implement best practices in planning to ensure Millbrae is resilient to future risks while also improving quality of life.

The General Plan is anticipated to be completed by November 2022.

Although both the general plan and the zoning code designate how land may be developed, they do so in different ways.  A general plan has a broad, long-term outlook that identifies the types of development that will be allowed, the spatial relationships among land uses, and the general pattern of future development. A zoning code regulates development through specific development standards such as lot size, building setbacks, height, and allowable uses. While the land uses shown on the general plan diagram are typically similar to the zoning map, upon adoption of the updated General Plan, the City must amend the zoning code to ensure consistency with the adopted General Plan.