Placer County General Plan update to offer ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to shape the future  

Published June 14, 2023

The Placer County Planning Services Division is launching a three-to-five-year effort to comprehensively update the county’s general plan, a road map document that will set a new vision for the unincorporated area of the county in areas such as land use, housing, mobility, natural resource protection, climate change, environmental justice and more through the year 2050. 

The Board of Supervisors acted on Tuesday to approve a detailed strategy and scope of work to update the general plan, which includes hiring a consulting team to execute the strategy and to initiate extensive public outreach with opportunities for the community to provide input throughout the process.  

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the future of Placer County,” said Principal Planner Chris Schmidt. “Public input will be an important factor in all levels of decision making, at every step.”  

That process will include community workshops, the formation of a General Plan Advisory Committee made up of a cross-section of community leaders and volunteers. There will also be public updates at the county’s Municipal Advisory Committees, Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors meetings. 

With over 400,000 people, Placer County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country. The State of California requires a general plan to guide long-term growth and development. The last comprehensive update to the Placer County General Plan was in 1994.  

“Since 1994, the county has encountered new opportunities, challenges and trends. Perspectives on land use and environmental issues have changed within the community,” Schmidt said. “There have been significant changes to demographics and the economic environment and there have been changes to state law regarding the preparation and content of general plans that are required for all cities and counties in California.”  

A request for proposals will be released to attract a consultant team this week and preliminary work on the general plan update is expected to begin in the fall.  

For more information on the update and to sign-up for email updates and other ways to get involved, visit the county’s website.  

To view the Planning Services Division’s Tuesday presentation to the Board of Supervisors, click here.