What is General Plan?

Each city and county in California must prepare a comprehensive, long-term General Plan to guide its future.  The General Plan is a city’s constitution for future development.  The general and specific policies of the General Plan serve as the basis for the City’s land use decisions and provides both the interested public and the decision-makers a practical and implementable policy vision for the future.

This General Plan includes text describing the City’s Goals and Policies associated with each General Plan Element and illustrations mapping the generalized locations of future land uses.  Goals are general statements outlining the City’s values or intent for particular topics and are open-ended visionary expressions.  Policies are statements that help guide the City’s actions. State Law mandates that nine elements be addressed in the General Plan: land use, circulation, housing, open space, conservation, noise, safety, environmental justice, and air quality. Identified optional elements include a healthy community element.

What is the General Plan Update?

The City of Lake Elsinore is preparing a focused update to its 2011 General Plan. The proposed update will include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Update of all General Plan Elements, including changes in land use designations and development densities and standards.
• Addition of Healthy Community Element.
• Reformat of the General Plan into separate elements, rather than current format where required General Plan elements are combined into four chapters.  The  Housing Element, which was adopted by the City Council on August 23, 2022 is not part of proposed General Plan Update.

The City is also preparing an update of its Climate Action Plan. (Last adopted by the City Council on December 13, 2011..)

Ways to Participate

The General Plan is for everyone in the City of Lake Elsinore. The citizens of Lake Elsinore have a vital role through their participation in the General Plan Update process. The City will provide multiple opportunities for you to bring insight, recommendations, questions and feedback throughout the update process.

An estimated timeline of the General Plan Update process and community participation opportunities are listed below:

Additional Information/Submittal of Comments and Suggestions

For more information regarding the General Plan Update, or to submit comments and suggestions, you may call the City's Planning Division and speak to Richard J. MacHott at (951) 674-3124 Extension 209, or by email at rmachott@lake-elsinore.org.