Lake Elsinore General Plan

The General Plan is the policy of acceptable land uses that guides the growth and development of our City.

Each city (and county) in California must prepare and adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan for the physical development of the city. The California Supreme Court has called the general plan the "constitution for future development." The City of Lake Elsinore General Plan is intended to do much more than merely meet legal requirements. The City's General Plan exists as the community's statement of its fundamental values and as a shared vision for its future development. It is intended to articulate how the citizens of Lake Elsinore view the community now and in the future, and, most importantly, how the community intends to deal with current and future planning and development issues.

The General Plan must cover the following elements (or topics): land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise, and safety. In addition, local agencies may cover other topics of local concern. These can be included in specific elements (termed "optional elements" in State law) or may be addressed in other ways within the required elements of the general plan. General plans are also required to be fully integrated and in conformance with the State's climate action planning requirements.

Lake Elsinore's General Plan

On December 13, 2011, the Lake Elsinore City Council adopted a new General Plan. The format of the City's Adopted General Plan consists of an introduction, three topical chapters, and 16 District Plans that cover specific, defined geographic areas within the City and its Sphere of Influence, to provide a more precise focus and to recognize the unique and treasured assets of the individual communities that make up the City.

The City's General Plan covers all land within the City's corporate boundaries and its sphere of influence. The General Plan's planning horizon is 2030. While the General Plan Update does not present a specific plan for individual development, it establishes a framework for future projects and actions that may be taken in furtherance of the general plan's goals and policies.