Draft Detailed Community Plans available for public review

Draft Detailed Community Plans available for public review

After two years of outreach and coordination with over 1,700 people from more than 50 unincorporated communities, the County of San Bernardino is releasing the first set of Draft Community Plans.

During 66 workshops, the public embarked on a planning process to develop a new system of Community Plans and identified values, aspirations, ideas for action, and priorities unique to each community area.  Framed by this input, the Draft Community Plans present a set of actions that can be initiated by residents, businesses, property owners, local groups, etc. to improve their community.

Draft Community Plans can now be viewed online for the communities listed below. Draft Framework and Foundation Plans will be available by early October.

• Bear Valley Communities
• Bloomington (online mid-Sept)
• Crest Forest Communities
• Helendale
• Hilltop Communities
• Joshua Tree
• Lake Arrowhead Communities
• Lucerne Valley
• Mentone
• Muscoy
  Oak Glen
• Phelan/Piñon Hills

WHAT ARE THE COMMUNITY PLANS?

The Countywide Plan effort includes updating and creating new Community Plans to guide local expectations for County services and set clear direction for the future of specified unincorporated communities.

The future of the County’s unincorporated areas is currently guided by the 2007 General Plan and 13 Community Plans. The Countywide Plan includes innovative and action-oriented updates of those documents and expands the total number of Community Plans from 13 to 27.

As stated at the community workshops, the new Community Plans replace existing 2007/2014 Community Plans, with a greater focus on community self-reliance, grassroots action, and implementation.  Goals, policies, land use and infrastructure decisions will be addressed in the Policy Plan of the Countywide Plan.

The new system of Community Plans includes a hierarchy of plan-types (see below) that ensures that planning details, tools, and resources match the conditions and needs of each community.

• Detailed Plans. Applies to communities that contain, or have the potential for, a variety of housing opportunities and supporting uses, such as commercial and industrial businesses, schools, a library, parks and recreation facilities, and religious and civic organizations.

 

• Framework Plans. Applies to communities that are primarily characterized by single-family residential properties and a limited number of supporting uses, such as a school, post office, and commercial businesses.

 

• Foundation Plans. Applies to communities that are primarily characterized by single-family residential properties.  Residents of these communities typically drive to nearby towns or cities for employment, shopping, entertainment, education, and recreation opportunities.

 

• Fundamental Plans.  Applies to communities that are primarily characterized by open space or farmland with a scattering of residential homes and/or highway commercial uses, or an area where growth is constrained by adjacent land ownership, such as federal lands and state park lands.

HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF MY COMMUNITY HAS A PLAN?

Existing Community Plans can be found at: http://cms.sbcounty.gov/lus/Planning/CommunityPlans.aspx

Updated and new Community Plans can be found at the following link once the draft plan is complete: http://countywideplan.com/cp/.

If your community is not listed separately or listed as part of a larger plan (e.g., Wonder Valley, Hinckley, etc.), you may come to any Regional Open House to provide information regarding your community and request a Fundamental Plan be considered.

HOW CAN I REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THE COMMUNITY PLANS?

Public feedback and comments regarding the Draft Plans can be submitted via the Countywide Plan website, email, U.S. mail, or by attending one of the Regional Open Houses scheduled for October 2017.

• Online through the submittal area on each Draft Community Plan’s webpage (see countywideplan.com/cp for links to each Community Plan webpage)

• Email

o   CommunityPlans@lus.sbcounty.gov

o   general contact us page

o   email link on each Community Plan’s webpage

• Attendance at one of the Regional Open Houses scheduled for October 2017

• U.S. mail:County of San Bernardino
  Land Use Services
  Attn: Suzanne Peterson
  385 North Arrowhead Avenue, 1st Floor
  San Bernardino, CA 92415-0187

ABOUT THE COUNTYWIDE PLAN AND COMMUNITY PLANS

From 2010 to 2011, the creation of a Countywide Vision included input from over 100 topical experts, 25 special districts and agencies, 18 community meetings, and over 3,600 resident surveys.  In 2015, the County launched the preparation of the first Countywide Plan, which is being developed over the course of three years to enhance coordination with the public, with outside agencies and organizations, and within the County organization itself.  It will serve as a resource for efficient and effective decision-making regarding countywide services and resources.

Visit countywideplan.com for additional information, and to sign up for text or email updates.