Public Health & Community Development

Planning Division


 


Siskiyou County General Plan

The General Plan is a community's blueprint for future development. It describes a community's development goals and policies. It also is the foundation for land use decisions made by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors.

A general plan consists of at least two parts. It contains a written text describing the community's goals, objectives, and policies for development. It also contains a map (or maps) and diagrams illustrating the generalized distribution of land uses, the road system, environmental hazard areas, the open space system, and other policy statements that can be illustrated. The maps and diagrams must work together with the written portions of the plan to establish a clear view of the community's future.

The General Plan and Zoning Ordinance Are Not the Same. The General Plan is a set of long-term goals and policies that the community uses to guide development decisions. Although the plan establishes standards for the location and density of land uses, it does not directly regulate land use. Zoning, on the other hand, is regulatory. Under the Zoning Ordinance, development must comply with specific, enforceable standards such as minimum lot size, maximum building height, minimum building setback, and a list of allowable uses. Zoning is applied lot-by-lot, whereas the general plan has a community-wide perspective. 

The following General Plan Elements can be downloaded (PDF format).  For further information, please contact the Planning Department.

Conservation Element

Energy Element

Geothermal Element

HCD Approved 2009 General Plan Housing Element Update - Entire File (large 7mb)

  Smaller "Downloadable" Files

     Part 1 - Table of Contents, Introduction, Goals, Policies, and Programs
     Part 2 - Appendix A - Housing Needs Assessment
     Part 3 - Appendix B - Funding Resources and Appendix C - Glossary of Terms
     Part 4 - Appendix D - Vacant Land Inventory
     Part 5 - Area Maps
     Part 6 - Appendix E - Energy Conservation

  
Land Use & Circulation Element

Circulation Element Update

Noise Element

Open Space Element

Scott Valley Area Plan (Please contact the Planning Department for the large scale maps)

Scenic Highways Element 

Seismic Safety & Safety Element

General Plan Land Use Policies (Revised 10/09/1997)