Draft General Plan Policy Document
The Draft 2040 General Plan Policy Document was released on July 20, 2022 for public review. The Draft General Plan Policy Document outlines the goals, policies, and programs the city will adopt looking forward to 2040 on a wide range of topics, such as Housing, Economic Development, and Environmental Justice.
Notice of Preparation
This Notice of Preparation (NOP) has been issued to notify interested parties of the preparation of an environmental impact report (EIR) for the Rohnert Park 2040 General Plan (General Plan update). The City will be the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and will prepare a programmatic Environmental Impact Report (Program EIR) to evaluate the environmental effects associated with the General Plan update.
NOP Comment Period: You are invited to comment on the NOP by March 29, 2021. Please refer to the NOP for details on how to submit comments.
Click here to read the full NOP.
Newsletter #3: Land Use Alternatives
Newsletter #3 provides a snapshot of the findings from the Alternatives Report. The measures presented in this Report are intended to compare two land use alternatives and are based on the analysis of areas expected to change over the next 20 years. For an in-depth discussion of the alternatives and the alternatives analysis, please read the Public Review Draft Alternatives Report.
Public Review Draft Alternatives Report
As part of the General Plan update process, an analysis of alternative land use scenarios was developed. The Alternatives Report evaluates land use alternatives using a series of indicators to help community members and decision-makers understand the impacts and benefits of each alternative. Decisions about future land uses will influence how many people will live in the city, what kind of jobs and businesses will locate and thrive in the city, and how traffic will flow.
Let us know what you think of the alternatives by filling out this worksheet! Please return to the City by October 21, 2019. Input collected from these worksheets will be summarized and presented to the City Council for consideration.
Visioning Summary
Throughout the Fall of 2018, community members were asked to provide input on a vision for Rohnert Park. Input was collected through Mad Libs-style exercises at Founder's Day, Community Workshop #1, and two online surveys accessed through the General Plan Update website. This document summarizes the findings.
You can see what community members have said about how they envision the future of Rohnert Park in the following appendices to the Summary:
Land Use and Community Character Whitepaper
The Land Use and Community Character Whitepaper describes existing conditions related to land use and community character in Rohnert Park. It describes the planning boundaries that are used to regulate development in Rohnert Park and the key land use policies and regulations from the City’s existing General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Specific Plans, and other planning and regulatory documents. This Whitepaper also describes the current land uses that can be found within the Planning Area, as well as future development capacity.
Economics Whitepaper
The Economics Whitepaper focuses on market conditions and projections that may affect the demand for land uses planned under the General Plan Update. Within the context of regional growth patterns, the paper addresses population, housing, and job growth in Rohnert Park. It describes growing business sectors, the gaps in retail shopping opportunities that may be met through new development, as well as an analysis of hotel occupancy and potential demand for new lodging facilities.
Transportation Whitepaper
The Transportation Whitepaper describes the existing and planned transportation network of streets, bikeways, sidewalks, trails, and transit routes in Rohnert Park. It describes the latest developments in the field of transportation planning for the purpose of updating the General Plan. This Whitepaper also outlines a framework for the development of new California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) thresholds of significance in response to the State-mandated transition from automobile delay/Level of Service (LOS) to vehicle-miles traveled (VMT).
Climate Change Whitepaper
This Whitepaper describes current conditions trends, and regulatory issues pertaining to climate change as it relates to Rohnert Park. It includes an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and an assessment of climate change related vulnerabilities, such as extreme heat, precipitation, drought, wildfire, and flooding. The Whitepaper describes and builds on information from State agencies, utilities, and other organizations. The environmental implications of the General Plan Update, including its assessment and planning for climate change, will be addressed as part of the program environmental impact report that will be prepared for the General Plan Update.
Environmental Justice Whitepaper
Environmental justice concerns have been part of the legislative landscape in California for two decades. In 2016, California Senate Bill 1000 (SB 1000) was enacted. Starting January 1, 2018, it requires cities and counties to, upon the adoption of their general plan or the concurrent update of two or more general plan elements, to identify disadvantaged communities and, if identified, include an environmental justice element, or, alternatively, environmental justice goals, policies, and objectives within other elements. This bill aims to address the statewide problem of certain communities bearing a disproportionate burden of pollution and environmental hazards more than others; residents in these communities face higher rates of asthma, birth defects, cancer, and other health problems, and incompatibility in land uses and lack of infrastructure are at the forefront of environmental inequities. This Whitepaper looks at three communities within Rohnert Park that may experience environmental inequities.
Newsletter #2
Newsletter #2 provides a snapshot of the findings from each of the existing conditions whitepapers. The information presented represents a snapshot in time and will provide a baseline that will be used to develop alternatives for the community's future and analyze the environmental impacts associated with these choices.
Newsletter #1
Newsletter #1 provides an overview of the General Plan Update program.