Area Plans

In addition to the countywide Land Use Element, land use in community areas is governed by Area Plans. Area Plans possess the same regulatory authority as the countywide land use policies, serving to further refine those policies to address the needs of a particular community or area. An Area Plan must be internally consistent with the county General Plan, but need not address all the General Plan issues required by Government Code Section 65302, as long as the county General Plan satisfies those requirements.

Area Plans have been adopted for every major population center in the county with the exception of Paradise. Those policies are included in this Land Use Element, and are considered when reviewing development proposals in those areas. General environmental information for the Area Plans is contained in the county Master Environmental Assessment (MEA).