Frequently Asked Questions

State law requires the County to adopt "a comprehensive, long-term general plan for [its] physical development" ( Government Code §65300). A General Plan contains official County policy regarding the location of housing, business, industry, roads, parks, and other land uses, protection of the public from noise and other environmental hazards, and conservation of natural resources. The legislative body of the County (i.e., the Board of Supervisors) is responsible for adopting a General Plan, Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision, and other ordinances to regulate land uses and to carry out the policies of the General Plan.

• El Dorado County Adopted General Plan

According to state planning law ( Government Code §65302), a General Plan must address seven (7) subjects as they relate to future countywide development: land use, circulation (transportation and traffic), housing, conservation, open space, noise, and safety. A county may also choose to address other subjects in conjunction with or in addition to the seven mandatory subjects. In its General Plan, El Dorado County also addresses agriculture and forestry, public services, parks and recreation, and economic development.

For more information on the structure and legal requirements of a General Plan, or to see a list of planning related terms and acronyms, please view the following sites:

• A Citizen's Guide to Planning; Published by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research
• The California General Plan Glossary; Published by the California Planning Roundtable

Yes, theEl Dorado County General Planwas adopted by the Board of Supervisors on July 19, 2004. Subsequent to adoption, a referendum measure that would affect implementation of the plan was filed with the County. On March 8, 2005, the voters upheld the Board’s July 2004 adoption of the new general plan.

State planning law simply states that a jurisdiction shall "prepare, periodically review, and revise, as necessary, the general plan" ( Government Code §65103[a]). The County’s General Plan provides guidance through 2025. General Plan Policy 2.9.1.2 requires regular five-year reviews. Periodic revisions may be needed. An exception is the Housing Element, which must be updated more frequently pursuant to state law. The Housing Element of the General Plan was revised in 2009 and again in 2013.

The Board of Supervisors may consider general plan amendments up to four times a year. The County may accept applications for amendment, or initiate amendments by resolution of the Planning Commission or Board of Supervisors at any time.

The General Plan recognizes that development patterns in the County will change, new laws affecting land use will be passed, events will occur that will require changes, and imperfections will be discovered as the County implements the General Plan.

On April 4, 2011, the Board of Supervisors received afive-year review of the General Plan. The review concluded that the basic General Plan goals and assumptions are still valid. The review also revealed areas within the General Plan that could be improved to better address the development of moderate-income housing, the creation of jobs, the loss of sales tax revenues and the promotion and protection of the agriculture and natural resource industries in the County.

On November 14, 2011, the Board adopted a Resolution of Intention to consider amendments to the General Plan. The proposed policy changes are said to be “targeted” because they are limited to addressing only the areas of the General Plan thought to be inhibiting achievement of these goals and objectives. Therefore, the Targeted General Plan Amendment proposes changes to policies related to Land Use Designations as described in the Board of Supervisors Resolution of Intention 182-2011.

The General Plan designates planned land uses in the County, such as Commercial, Industrial, Residential (with densities ranging from Multi-Family to Rural Residential), Agricultural, Natural Resources and Open Space. The Targeted General Plan Amendment does NOT modify any General Plan land use designations as shown on the map, except where necessary to correct a small number (one tenth of one percent of existing parcels) of errors discovered subsequent to the adoption of the General Plan in 2004. These corrections are identified on the Draft General Plan Amendment map. Parcels proposed for corrections are identified on the maps by a black and white border:

Privately initiated General Plan Amendment applications which propose to change land use designations are NOT a part of the Targeted General Plan Amendment or LUPPU.

• Draft General Plan Amendment map

Yes. Increases in allowable densities are being considered as a result of changes in State law. As part of the environmental review, analysis is being done to consider increasing the allowable densities on land designated Multi Family and on the residential components of mixed used development projects allowed on lands designated Commercial. The Board will consider density changes following completion of the environmental review.

California Government Code 65583.2(c)(iv) and (e) requires jurisdictions within Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) of populations greater than 2,000,000 to allow for up to 30 units per acre when identifying sites to meet the low and very low housing allocation categories. The 2010 census confirmed the Sacramento Metropolitan Statistical Area, of which El Dorado County is a part, has exceeded the 2,000,000-population threshold. The County’s current allowed density range for lands designated as multi-family is 5 to 24 dwelling units per acre. The Targeted General Plan Amendment considers increasing the maximum density to 30 dwelling units per acre.

Recent adoption of state law (Senate Bill 375) recognizes the benefits of encouraging mixed-use as one option for achieving state air quality objectives. One of the primary incentives in this legislation is the opportunity for streamlining certain CEQA requirements for mixed use projects that allow for 20 dwelling units per acre. The County’s current allowed maximum density for the residential component of a mixed-use development project is 16 dwelling units per acre in a Community Region and 4 dwelling units per acre in a Rural Center. The Targeted General Plan Amendment considers increasing the maximum density to 20 dwelling units per acre for all residential components of a mixed-use development.

A fundamental characteristic of the General Plan is the identification of three (3) distinct planning concept areas. These planning concept areas include:

1. Multiple Community Regions
2. Rural Centers, and
3. a single Rural Region which consists of all lands not included in either a Community Region or Rural Center

The intent of the General Plan, through the application of these planning concept areas, is to provide for a more manageable land use pattern.

The General Plan defines a Community Region as urban limit areas…where the urban and suburban land uses will be developed (Objective 2.1.1). Community Regions are …those areas which are appropriate for the highest intensity of self-sustaining compact urban-type development or suburban type development within the County based on the municipal spheres of influence, availability of infrastructure, public services, major transportation corridors and travel patterns, the location of major topographic patterns and features, and the ability to provide and maintain appropriate transitions at Community Region boundaries (Policy 2.1.1.2).

Existing Community Regions identified on the General Plan Land Use map are: Cameron Park, Camino/Pollock Pines, Diamond Springs, El Dorado, El Dorado Hills, Shingle Springs, and the City of Placerville and immediate surroundings (Policy 2.1.1.1).

Rural Center boundaries establish areas of higher intensity development throughout the rural areas of the County based on the availability of infrastructure, public services, existing uses, parcelization, impact on natural resources, etc. (Policy 2.1.2.2).

Existing Rural Centers identified on the General Plan Land Use map are: Chrome Ridge, Coloma, Cool, Fairplay, Garden Valley, Georgetown, Greenwood, Grey’s Corner, Grizzly Flat, Kelsey, Kyburz, Latrobe, Little Norway, Lotus, Mosquito, Mount Aukum, Mount Ralston, Nashville, Oak Hill, Phillips, Pilot Hill,

Pleasant Valley, Quintette, Rescue, Somerset, and Strawberry (Policy 2.1.2.1).

Both Community Region and Rural Center boundaries are shown on the General Plan land use map.

No. The Targeted General Plan Amendment does not include changes to the outer boundaries of the Community Regions or Rural Centers identified on the General Plan land use map. The Camino/Pollock Pines Community Region Boundary Amendment (Resolution 110-2009) considered dividing the Community Region of Camino/Pollock Pines into three separate Rural Centers -- Pollock Pines, Cedar Grove, and Camino. The Board of Supervisors included this task in the project review with the adoption of the Resolution of Intention for the Targeted General Plan Amendment.

No. The proposed Targeted General Plan Amendment does not eliminate or diminish existing allowed agricultural uses for personal use.

No. The Targeted General Plan Amendment proposes an amendment to Policy 8.1.3.2 which provides a limited buffer for lands within a Community Region by adding language similar to General Plan policy 8.4.1.2 to bring the forest resources and agriculture lands buffering policies into consistency with one another.

As discussed in Question 6 above, based on the outcome of the General Plan five year review and recent changes in State law, the Board of Supervisors is considering the amendments to policies within the Traffic and Circulation Element (TCE). The TCE policies are being reviewed to determine if an improvement can be made to promote the development of moderate income housing, the creation of jobs, the loss of tax revenues and the protection of the agriculture and natural resource industries in the County. Other changes have been made to clarify language, bring terms to current industry standard, and to update referenced document titles since the adoption of the General Plan. Additionally, the Board is considering changes necessary to meet recent changes in State Law.

Yes. The Board of Supervisors has directed the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) which fully reviews the potential impacts resulting from the Targeted General Plan Amendment. The EIR provides the Board of Supervisors with a range of options to consider in determining the best course of action to address the constraints found as part of the 5-year review. The EIR neither approves nor denies the Targeted General Plan Amendment. The focus of the EIR is on good faith disclosure of environmental impacts. Final content of the Targeted General Plan Amendment is a policy decision made by the Board of Supervisors.

The Targeted General Plan Amendment will focus on the objectives outlined in the Resolution of Intention adopted by the Board of Supervisors on November 14, 2011. To ensure the General Plan remains viable, the Targeted General Plan Amendment will also address recent changes in state laws, recent changes in market demand and current development patterns, and the availability of new information. The process will include and consider amendments that support the agricultural and natural resource industries in the County.

The environmental review is a process mandated under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) which is a statute that requires state and local agencies to identify the significant environmental impacts of their actions and to avoid or mitigate those impacts, if feasible.Click here for more information on CEQA.

The Targeted General Plan Amendment and Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update EIR is scheduled to take approximately 18-24 months, starting February 2012 and concluding by Summer 2014. Should the Board of Supervisors add or delete something that would change the conclusions in the EIR, particularly if the change would result in a new or worsened significant environmental impact, then the EIR may need to be revised and recirculated for public review before the Board can take final action. If this were to happen it may extend the timeline beyond 2014.

Potential impacts of the proposed changes in the Targeted General Plan Amendment and Zoning Ordinance Update will be analyzed and presented in the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The DEIR will be circulated for public review and comment prior to any action by the Board of Supervisors. On October 1, 2012, the County released the Notice of Preparation (NOP) with an attached Environmental Checklist that outlines the anticipated impacts from the proposed Targeted General Plan Amendments and Zoning Ordinance Update. The Public Comment Period for the NOP provided an opportunity for public agencies and the public to identify significant environmental issues and reasonable alternatives and mitigation measures that should be explored in the DEIR. Click here for additional information about the Notice of Preparation process.

• Notice of Preparation
• Enviromental Checklist

Yes. Initial discussion of this can be found in the Environmental Checklist attached to the Notice of Preparation. 18. Will this effort delay any development projects currently under consideration? No. Existing planning policies will guide current projects. 19. How can I get involved and provide input? The Targeted General Plan Amendment and Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update process places a strong emphasis on public involvement. The County hosted seven community workshops held between March 2012 and April 2012 to provide interested individuals with the opportunity to learn about the process and to participate in interactive exercises. All project related information will be posted at the Long Range Planning web page under the Land Use Policy Programmatic Update. Please subscribe to the Long Range Planning site to receive automatic e-mail notifications when new information becomes available.

• Land Use Policy Programmatic Update
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Public input received at public meetings of the Board of Supervisors or Planning Commission will be taken into consideration as part of the public record. All public comments received in writing will be distributed to the Board of Supervisors throughout the process. Only the Board of Supervisors can amend the proposed Targeted General Plan Amendment and Zoning Ordinance Update content. No final decisions or actions as to the Targeted General Plan Amendments or the Zoning Ordinance Update have been made. In fact, any final action cannot be taken until after the Final EIR is completed and the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors hold public hearings and deliberations on the proposal based on the findings of the environmental review.

Basically, zoning divides the County into districts that are compatible with the General Plan Land Use Designations and establishes various development and use regulations within each type of district. There are generally two broad categories of regulations in the zoning districts:

1. those that regulate physical and structural uses, i.e. regulation of the construction of buildings and structures; and,
2. those that prescribe the nature and extent of the allowable uses of the land, i.e. specific uses allowed in a particular zoning district.

The General Plan is a long-range policy document that looks at the future of the community. A zoning ordinance is the local law that spells out the immediate, allowable uses for each piece of property within the community. The purpose of zoning is to implement the policies of the General Plan. Zoning must be consistent with the General Plan.

The County’sZoning Ordinancehas not been comprehensively updated in over 30 years. It has been amended many times resulting in a patchwork of provisions and dated regulations. On November 14, 2011 the Board of Supervisors adopted a Resolution of Intention to comprehensively update the County’s Zoning Ordinance.

Every parcel in the unincorporated areas of El Dorado County is assigned a General Plan Land-Use designation and a Zone District. General Plan designations identify generalized permitted land uses such as Commercial or Multifamily Residential. Zone Districts, which by law must be consistent with the General Plan designations, provide more detail on permitted uses and development standards. A single General Plan designation may be consistent with a number of different zone districts. For example, a parcel designated Medium Density Residential in the General Plan could have a Zone District of residential one-acre (R1A), residential two-acres (R2A), residential three-acres (R3A) or residential estate five-acres (RE-5).

Yes. Portions of the County's Zone District maps are not consistent with General Plan Land Use Designations or policy.

The Board is considering adding new zones and eliminating obsolete zones to ensure consistency with the General Plan. Therefore, Zone District maps are being updated to rezone parcels that are currently inconsistent with the General Plan. This consistency is required by State law (Government Code §65860). Proposed Zone District maps are available for review online or in the lobby of the County Building C located at 2850 Fairlane Court. Parcel specific inquiries can be made at via the Parcel Data Inquiry.

The Zoning Ordinance Update will not dictate densities on any given parcel. Densities are established in theGeneral Plan(See Land Use Element, Policy 2.2.1.2). Bringing the Zone District map consistent with existing General Plan Land Use Designations potentially increases allowable densities on those parcels currently NOT consistent with their General Plan Land Use Designation. Although allowable densities may increase on these particular parcels, it does not necessarily mean that the maximum allowable densities are achievable. For examples, other General Plan policies, development standards in the Zoning Ordinance or physical constraints of the site could prevent development the allowable maximum density. In addition, General Plan Policy 2.2.5.7 states "Where a zoning district applied to given land is consistent with the General Plan land use designation, the County reserves the right to deny development plans providing for permitted uses where adequate findings for approval (including adequate public facilities and services) cannot be made”.

The Zoning Ordinance Update will change some allowed uses, development standards and permitting requirements. However, the County’s goal in revising the Zoning Ordinance has been to minimize changes to allowed uses, development standards and permitting requirements, per Board direction.

The Board of Supervisors conducted a five-day workshop in July 2012 to discuss the draft of the Zoning Ordinance Update including specific topics such as animal raising and keeping and home occupation. The Board members and the public raised a number of concerns, both general and very specific. At the conclusion of the workshops, the Board directed staff to prepare a revised Zoning Ordinance, including the following changes:

1. Avoid adding new regulations, except where required by changes in state law or a specific requirement of the General Plan. Some regulations will be unchanged from the current Zoning Ordinance.
2. Minimize changes in development standards to avoid making existing uses, structures and lots inconsistent or “non-conforming”.
3. Ease or expand allowed uses to:
   • Enhance job creation,
   • Retain a greater capture of sales tax revenue,
   • Reduce constraints to the development of moderate housing,
   • Promote and protect Agriculture and Natural Resources, and
   • Where applicable, legalize ongoing compatible uses.

No. The proposed Zoning Ordinance Update does not eliminate or diminish existing allowed agricultural uses for personal use. The proposed Zoning Ordinance Update supports additional agricultural uses beyond those currently allowed, in keeping with the County’s goal to promote and protect agriculture.

In 2008 the Board of Supervisors directed staff to prepare a comprehensive update of the Zoning Ordinance to bring the Ordinance consistent with the General Plan. This consistency is required by State law ( Government Code §65860). The County’s Zoning Ordinance has not been comprehensively updated in over 30 years. It has been amended many times over that 30 year period resulting in a patchwork of provisions and dated regulations.

The comprehensive update includes a complete reformatting of the current Zoning Ordinance to bring the document into a more contemporary and user-friendly format. As part of the reformatting, whole sections were moved, merged or deleted. Additionally, new sections were added, and existing sections were completely rewritten which makes it difficult to distinguish between new and rewritten provisions. The combination of the comprehensive reformatting and comprehensive rewriting of the document does not lend itself to a direct comparison of the current Zoning Ordinance and the Public Review Draft of the proposed updated Zoning Ordinance utilizing the “Track Change” tool provided by Microsoft’s Word software program. Essentially the entire document would be stricken out and there would be no way to figure out whether any given provision was moved, deleted, merged or rewritten.

Since the magnitude of the reformatting and rewriting precluded the use of the “track changes” tool, it seemed more useful to start with the initial Public Review Draft and to show changes that are made to that document through the Zoning Ordinance Update process. The current “strike-out” version on the website reflects changes made to the initial Public Review Draft of the Zoning Ordinance after the Board of Supervisor Zoning Ordinance Workshop held the week of July 16-20, 2012.

Yes. The Board of Supervisors has directed the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) which fully reviews the potential impacts resulting from the comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update. The EIR provides the Board of Supervisors with a range of options to consider in determining the best course of action to address the constraints found as part of the 5-year review. The EIR neither approves nor denies the Zoning Ordinance Update. The focus of the EIR is on good faith disclosure of environmental impacts. Final content of the Zoning Ordinance is a policy decision made by the Board of Supervisors.

The environmental review is a process mandated under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) which is a statute that requires state and local agencies to identify the significant environmental impacts of their actions and to avoid or mitigate those impacts, if feasible.

The Targeted General Plan Amendment and Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update EIR is scheduled to take approximately 18-24 months, starting February 2012 and concluding by Summer 2014. Should the Board of Supervisors add or delete something that would change the conclusions in the EIR, particularly if the change would result in a new or worsened significant environmental impact, then the EIR may need to be revised and recirculated for public review before the Board can take final action. If this were to happen it may extend the timeline beyond 2014.

Potential impacts of the proposed changes in the Targeted General Plan Amendment and Zoning Ordinance Update will be analyzed and presented in the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). The DEIR will be circulated for public review and comment prior to any action by the Board of Supervisors. The County released the Notice of Preparation (NOP) with an attached Environmental Checklist that outlines the anticipated impacts from the proposed Targeted General Plan Amendments and Zoning Ordinance Update. The Public Comment Period for the NOP provided an opportunity for public agencies and the public to identify significant environmental issues and reasonable alternatives and mitigation measures that should be explored in the DEIR. Additional information about the Notice of Preparation can be found at: http://ceres.ca.gov/ceqa/flowchart/lead_agency/Notice_of_Prep.html

Yes. Initial discussion of this can be found in the Environmental Checklist attached to the Notice of Preparation.

No. Existing planning policies will guide current projects.

The Targeted General Plan Amendment and Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update process places a strong emphasis on public involvement. The County hosted seven community workshops held between March 2012 and April 2012 to provide interested individuals with the opportunity to learn about the process and to participate in interactive exercises. All project related information will be posted at the Long Range Planning web page under the Land Use Policy Programmatic Update. Please subscribe to the Long Range Planning site to receive automatic e-mail notifications when new information becomes available.

Public input received at public meetings of the Board of Supervisors or Planning Commission will be taken into consideration as part of the public record. All public comments received in writing will be distributed to the Board of Supervisors throughout the process. Only the Board of Supervisors can amend the proposed Targeted General Plan Amendment and Zoning Ordinance Update content. No final decisions or actions as to the Targeted General Plan Amendments or the Zoning Ordinance Update have been made. In fact, any final action cannot be taken until after the Final EIR is completed and the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors hold public hearings and deliberations on the proposal based on the findings of the environmental review.