The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors gave its unanimous approval for a comprehensive update of its General Plan on Tuesday. The plan determines where and how the County’s unincorporated communities will accommodate growth in population and jobs in the coming decades. The Board action represents the first comprehensive update to development regulations in the unincorporated areas since 1980.

The new Los Angeles County General Plan sets goals and policies on land use, mobility, air quality, conservation and natural resources, parks, noise, safety, public services and facilities, and economic development. The plan reflects the County’s commitment to regional sustainability. Highlights of the General Plan include:

· Shaping communities to align new housing with jobs, services, and transit, through policies such as the Transit Oriented District (TOD) program and mixed-use zoning category

· Rezoning of over 4,300 parcels to achieve consistency with updated land use policy maps that reflect the County’s diverse development patterns and growth policies

· Expansion of the County’s Significant Ecological Areas, where development regulations promote preservation of critical habitat linkages

· New hillside management policies that promote more sustainable site design on hillside developments

· The establishment of Employment Protection Districts to protect viable industrial land from conversion to commercial or residential uses

Also included in the General Plan is the County’s first Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP), which provides a roadmap to achieving an 11% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the unincorporated areas by 2020. Projects that demonstrate consistency with the CCAP by incorporating climate-friendly features can qualify for streamlined environmental review.

For additional information on the County’s new General Plan, contact Connie Chung (213) 974-6417 or cchung@planning.lacounty.gov