Known as the “City of Gracious Living,” Upland has grown from its early days as a model colony developed by the Chaffey brothers into an attractive residential community with diverse industries, retail businesses, and services. With the graceful elegance of Euclid Avenue, the “Route 66” history of Foothill Boulevard, a cherished downtown, and the dramatic backdrop of Mt. Baldy, there is a unique sense of history and identity here. 

Now, a century after the City first incorporated, the City has initiated a comprehensive update to the General Plan to guide future growth and development. This two-year effort will result in an updated General Plan, Airport Land Use Plan, Zoning Code, and supporting environmental documentation. 

A key component of the update effort is citizen participation in visioning where and how growth should occur. As an Upland property owner, resident, or business owner, the City invites community feedback, input, and ideas for the future. Please join Upland in envisioning our “Next Steps”.

The General Plan: “Constitution” for Local Development

Every City in California is required to have a “General Plan” – a document that guides the future development of the city. The General Plan lays out a vision for a community’s future, as well as a series of goals and policies describing how the community might achieve that vision. Because General Plans are required by state law – and because it is general, rather than specific, in nature – it is often referred to as the legal “constitution” for development in a community.  The General Plan establishes the foundation for zoning and other decisions about land use and also lays out policies for public investment in roads, parks, and other public infrastructure. 

Although there is no specific timetable to update a General Plan, most Cities update their plans approximately every 10 to 15 years.  Upland’s General Plan was last updated in 1982.

The General Plan can be organized however each City chooses. Typically, however, the General Plan begins with an overall “vision” for the future of the community, followed by a series of goals and policies on a variety of topics.  By law, the Upland General Plan must cover seven specific topic areas (known as “Elements”), and may include many “optional” Elements as well. Elements may stand alone as a single topic or be combined with related topics if the City chooses.  For example, the City’s current General Plan combines the Open Space and Conservation Elements.

The seven required Elements are:

• Land Use. The Land Use Element gives a broad overview of where different types of buildings and developments will be located in the community and sets ranges for density and intensity of development. The “density” of development refers to the spacing of buildings and the “intensity” to the height and massing of buildings. A common example of “low-density” and less intensive development is single-family residential, as opposed to apartment buildings. The Land Use Element also includes citywide policies dealing with land use planning.
• Housing. Under state law, the Housing Element must identify potential sites to build housing at a variety of densities and for all income groups, including low- and moderate-income residents.  The Housing Element also must lay out the City’s programs and policies for affordable housing.
• Circulation. The Circulation Element identifies the current roadway network and all transportation improvements needed to accommodate the changes envisioned in the General Plan, including roadways and public transit.  Other modes of transportation may also be considered such pedestrian and bicycle circulation within the community. The Circulation Element is prepared in conjunction with the Land Use Element, so the relationship between development and travel can be taken into account. 
• Conservation. The Conservation Element lays out the City’s policies for maintaining air and water quality, soils, wildlife, as well as solid waste disposal and recycling.  Many of these areas are subject to state and federal environmental regulation separate from the General Plan. Sustainability and “green” concepts as they relate to new development or redevelopment within the City will also be addressed in this Element. In the City’s existing General Plan, the Conservation Element is combined with the Open Space Element described below. 
• Open Space. The Open Space Element contains the City’s policies on preserving and maintaining open space.  The current Open Space Element is combined with the Conservation Element and includes an inventory of both Upland’s outdoor recreation resources (i.e., parks and riding/biking trails) and its natural resources (i.e., water, soil, agriculture, mineral, and fish and wildlife).
• Safety. The Safety Element is focused on policies relating to natural hazards, such as earthquakes and geologic hazards, flooding and dam failure, wildland fire, and hazardous materials and waste, as well as emergency preparedness and response. 
• Noise.  The Noise Element contains an analysis of the likely noise level in all locations of the City if all development contemplated in the General Plan occurs.  It also includes policies on how to deal with potential noise problems, such as separating noisy land uses from residences.  It must be crafted in conjunction with the Land Use element. 

The following optional elements and/or topics are being considered for inclusion in the Upland General Plan Update, and may stand alone or be combined with other topics:

• Community Character/Urban Design. This Element will include policies related to the design of buildings and public areas in order to enhance community design and identity. These policies will likely seek to preserve Upland’s small-town character.
• Economic Development. The Economic Development Element will address issues related to the local economy and the City’s own fiscal health.  This Element will include policies designed to shape commercial development and job growth, enhance Upland’s economic role in the region, and improve the City’s own solvency.  The Element will also include a series of measurable “indicators” to help assess whether the General Plan is working to improve the local economy.
• Park and Recreation. The Parks and Recreation Element will provide an inventory of the City’s existing and proposed parks, recreational facilities, and local and regional recreational trails and areas. This Element will also lay out polices to improve those facilities as needed in the future.  
• Historic and Cultural Resources. This Element will include policies to protect the City’s scenic views, historic and cultural resources, including historic buildings, structures, and districts that are on the City’s Local Register or are eligible for listing on the Local Register. This Element will be combined with the existing Scenic Highways Element. 
• Public Facilities and Services. The Public Facilities and Services Element will assess the ability of public service agencies, such as the police and fire departments, to keep up with demand in the future given the city’s future growth.  This Element will also contain policies designed to make sure the City can build and improve public facilities, such as fire stations, required to keep up with this need.
• Air Quality, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Efficiency. The current General Plan contains an Air Quality Element.  The new plan will include an element covering broader topics, including greenhouse gas emissions (required by state law) and energy efficiency.
• Mineral Resources Element. Upland still has many active mining operations.  The Mineral Resources Element will contain goals and policies laying out how to conserve Upland’s mineral resources for future use in the production of aggregate materials.

Process and Schedule

Because it has been almost 30 years since the Upland General Plan was last comprehensively revised, the General Plan Update process is expected to take the better part of two years to complete.  Revising the General Plan will require several phases, including the following:

• Visioning, October 2008 to May 2009. Through a series of public workshops and other efforts to reach out to the community, the “Visioning” components of the General Plan process will focus on identifying elements that are unique to the City and the specific goals and objectives that will help the City continue to prosper.
• Existing Conditions Report, October 2008 to February 2009.  This comprehensive overview of the City’s current conditions on a wide variety of topics will help draw preliminary conclusions and begin discussions regarding the issues, opportunities and constraints facing Upland. 
• Special Study Areas: Alternatives Development, March to September 2009.  Upland is a mostly built-out city and most areas of the City are not likely to change.  However, a few areas of the City are likely to experience development during the 20-year time horizon of the General Plan.  Based on input from the community, this phase will create likely development scenarios for selected portions of the City considered likely to change.  Based on the results of the public meetings, a preferred scenario will be selected, along with associated policies.
• City-Wide Alternatives, August to December 2009.  During this phase, alternative development scenarios for the entire city will be developed – including not only expected private development in the Special Study Areas but also public investment Citywide in roads, parks, and so forth.  Again based on public meetings, a preferred scenario will be selected, which will become the foundation for the General Plan and its policies.
• DraftAirportLand Use Plan, October 2008 to February 2010. Upland has an unusual resource in Cable Airport.  Through the Airport Land Use Plan – a document required by state law – the City will create a long-term vision for development around the airport and create policies to discourage incompatible development. This phase will engage the City, airport proprietor, community members and other stakeholders.
• Draft General Plan, September 2009 to May 2010. Once all the preferred scenarios and basic policies have been agreed upon, a draft General Plan will be developed for public release and review.
• Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR), September 2009 to March 2010.  The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that potential environmental impacts of implementation of the General Plan be assessed. The EIR is a public, technical document that discloses potential impacts, as well as measures to mitigate those impacts. Like the draft General Plan, a draft EIR will be released for public review.
• Zoning Code Update, November 2009 to March 2010. The City will also be updating its Zoning code to reflect the changes in the General Plan.  A draft of this document as well will be released for public review.
• Public Review and Adoption, February 2010 to August 2010. During this phase, public Planning Commission hearings and an open-house style workshop will be held to solicit input on the draft documents. The final General Plan, EIR and Zoning Code will then be prepared and discussed at public Planning Commission hearings and ultimately be considered for certification and adoption by the City Council.