What is a General Plan?
California law requires each city and county to adopt a comprehensive long-term general plan. A general plan is a blueprint for the future, and through appropriate goals, policies, and programs. It serves as a decision-making tool to guide future growth and development. General Plans are important because they addresses issues that impact the entire city, such as how land is used, where buildings are built, the locations of roads and parks, and how to keep the community safe and resilient. All local plans, zoning, and private development must be consistent with the goals and policies in the general plan.
What topics are addressed in the General Plan?
General plans are divided into “elements” (i.e., chapters) based on specific topics. Per State law, the following elements must be addressed in a general plan: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, safety, noise, and environmental justice. Local governments can organize and format their general plans however they desire, as long as the required elements are addressed. Cities can also choose to include additional elements at their discretion, such as economic development. Each element of the general plan also includes specific short-, medium- and long-term steps to implement its goals and policies.
It should be noted that the Housing Element of the City’s 2003 General Plan (“General Plan”) has been updated three times since 2003, in compliance with the State Housing Element law, with the most recent update from August 2022 for the 6th Cycle Housing Element. No updates to the current Housing Element are expected to occur as a result of the City’s Focused General Plan Update or preparation of the new Brea Core Specific Plan.
What is a Specific Plan?
A specific plan is a document designed to implement the goals and policies of the General Plan, for a specific geographic area within a city. These plans contain detailed development standards, distribution of land uses, infrastructure requirements, and implementation measures for the development of a specific geographic area.
Why is the City updating its General Plan and preparing the Brea Core Specific Plan?
After a 3-year planning process, the City of Brea adopted the City of Brea General Plan in 2003, which is a comprehensive, long-term document that represents the community’s view of its future. The General Plan is comprised of five chapters: Community Development, Housing, Community Resources, Community Services and Public Safety. At the time of the 2003 General Plan preparation, the forecast and projections were based on the horizon year of 2020, and as such, the 2003 General Plan is no-longer a visioning document for the community and requires an update.
In May 2023, the City conducted an audit of its current General Plan to help identify the scope and scale of a future general plan update. This audit evaluated the topical content of each element, including existing goals, policies, and programs, for their currency and relevancy by examining the General Plan for its compliance with current State law and where it can be improved to incorporate new policies and programs that are in line with current best planning practice. Based on the results of this audit, the City expects a “focused” update to its General Plan, with the most robust updates made to the land use and circulation portions of the document.
In addition, as the phase one of larger Brea Core improvement effort, the City Council adopted the Brea Connecting the Core Active Transportation Plan (ATP) in 2020, which developed a community-driven vision of a connected and safe transportation system for all. The phase two of this effort, Brea Core Specific Plan, addressing/establishing land use and new standards and guidelines for development within the Brea Core area, needs to be initiated.
Overall, Brea is facing important demands and challenges (some new, some long-standing) on the City’s land use pattern, economy, budget, and infrastructure network. Changing demographics and economic conditions, a shifting retail environment, new and improved transit connections to the region, and new state legislation are some of the important reasons that the City has decided to update the General Plan and prepare a new Specific Plan for the Brea Core area.
What is included in the Focused General Plan Update and Specific Plan project?
The Focused General Plan Update and Brea Core Specific Plan work program includes community outreach and preparation of a variety of documents and reports that will inform the General Plan and Specific Plan documents. These include:
Vision Statement – The Vision Statement will summarize the public engagement and outreach efforts during the visioning phase, input received, and outreach outcomes. The Vision Statement will describe themes expressed by the community, the community’s goals and vision for the future, and specific issue areas that must be carefully addressed in the General Plan, Specific Plan, and/or Environmental Impact Report.
General Plan Document – The General Plan document will address all State-required general plan topics and other topics of local importance, such as economic development.
Brea Core Specific Plan – The Brea Core Specific Plan will serve as a tool to implement the General Plan for the Brea Core area . The Brea Core area is generally described as the area between Lambert Road (on the north), SR-57/Brea Plaza (on the east), Imperial Highway (on the south), and Berry Street (on the west). The Specific Plan will include a land use plan identifying the type and intensity of development allowed within the plan area, a mobility plan, an infrastructure plan, customized development standards, design guidelines, potential financing strategies, and direction regarding the administration of the Specific Plan. The elements of this Specific Plan will build upon the elements of the Brea Connecting the Core Active Transportation Plan adopted in 2020, which outlines a community-driven vision of a connected and safe transportation system within the Core area.
Environmental Impact Report – An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared to address all potential environmental impacts associated with implementation of the General Plan and Specific Plan. EIRs prepared for general plans and/or specific plans generally analyze future development at a programmatic level (i.e., higher, less detailed) and enable the City to streamline the environmental review process for subsequent projects that implement the general plan and/or specific plan. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) consideration of specific subsequent projects must still occur, but the process is generally shorter and/or more focused because it can leverage General Plan/Specific Plan EIR analyses and identification of mitigation measures. This CEQA process is generally referred to as “tiering.” In certain situations, additional analysis may be unnecessary based on information previously disclosed in the General Plan/Specific Plan EIR and a showing that the subsequent project would not result in new or more severe previously identified significant environmental effects.
What is the schedule for the Focused General Plan Update and Brea Core Specific Plan project?
The project is anticipated to take approximately two years, starting in early 2024 and ending in late 2025. During the first year, the City will evaluate existing conditions, solicit and identify community priorities, and draft the updated General Plan and Brea Core Specific Plan policy documents. During the second year, the team will evaluate the General Plan and Specific Plan and prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to analyze and address potential impacts associated with the Plans.
How can I get involved?
This planning process provides an opportunity for community members to discuss and weigh-in on the City’s future. The City encourages you to take advantage of the many opportunities to participate, including, but not limited to, visiting a pop-up event, attending an open house or Steering Committee meeting, and completing online surveys.
In order to collect community input in an open, engaging, and actionable way, the City will be hosting a series of community events where you will have the opportunity to participate in and be informed of the planning process. As specific meeting dates are determined, announcements will be posted to the website; be sure to sign up to subscribe to project updates. Future events and meetings include:
Pop-Up Events/Open House Meetings – A series of pop-up events and open house meetings will be held throughout the planning process to gather input on key topic areas, including the community’s long-term vision, goals and priorities, and land use and transportation preferences. The date and details of the pop-up events and open house meetings will be posted on this website, under the Get Involved tab.
Steering Committee Meetings – A Steering Committee will meet periodically throughout the project to provide inside on specific issues, including setting a vision/community priorities, land use and economic development objectives, mobility planning, land use alternative ideas, infrastructure and sustainability, and comments on the draft General Plan and Brea Core Specific Plan.
Stakeholder Interviews – Interviews of groups and organizations that represent various local and regional issues that affect the City will be conducted to ensure that a broad range of perspectives are included early in the planning process. Feedback collected during this stage will be subject to additional input from the broader community.
Community Surveys and Polls – The City will conduct online surveys to provide additional opportunities for members of the public to provide input on key issues and give feedback to the City as draft documents are completed.
Public Review Draft Policy Documents – The Draft General Plan, Brea Core Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report will be made available to the public for review and feedback before the plan is finalized.
Planning Commission and City Council Meetings – The City will conduct study sessions before the Planning Commission and City Council, prior to their consideration of the General Plan and Specific Plan at public hearings.
Why should I get involved?
The City of Brea is committed to involving the community in the planning process. The Focused General Plan Update and Brea Core Specific Plan process will provide residents, businesses, and interested parties the chance to help guide the future of the community. A successful General Plan and Brea Core Specific Plan will reflect the community’s vision and priorities, and the City believes that your voice is vital to producing plans that will reflect your vision for the City’s future.
How will my feedback be used?
Public input from every engagement opportunity is carefully reviewed and documented to ensure that City staff, the City’s project consultants, and decision-makers have a full understanding of public sentiment when drafting goals and policies. Public feedback on project materials, including goals and policies, is welcomed throughout the process.
City staff, elected and appointed officials, business owners, developers, and citizens can reference the General Plan for guidance on what the community values and to understand its priorities. The Brea Core Specific Plan may be utilized for detailed guidance on the desired future for this special area of the City.
How can I stay informed?
The Focused General Plan Update and Brea Core Specific Plan process will provide opportunities for community members to inspire the City’s future. There will be many opportunities to participate, including surveys, open house meetings, and public hearings. All community engagement opportunities will be posted on this webpage.
Visit the Get Involved page to view the dates of upcoming meetings and community events. If you wish to be added to the City’s mailing list to receive project updates and invitations to community events, please sign up to subscribe to project updates. You can also follow the City’s social media sites as an additional resource.
