Locals Wanted: Encinitas General Plan Workshop Slated for Tuesday

Got big ideas for Encinitas? Gather your thoughts, because a communitywide General Plan Update workshop is set for Tuesday, Nov. 16.

The workshop, which will take place from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Encinitas Community & Senior Center, will provide an opportunity for Encinitans to have their say in the $1 million project and their ideas reflected in the shared vision of the city's future. This includes input on policy development, citywide decisions and land use guidelines for the next 20 years and beyond.

"Our General Plan is the blueprint for what we want to see [for] the future of Encinitas," said Diane Lanager, the city's principal planner. Since the city's General Plan was adopted in 1989, she said, "we've never done a comprehensive update."

The public workshops are also an opportunity to educate the public about broader issues that may impact their community in the years ahead.

Not only will the General Plan Update reflect the input of the community, Lanager said, it must also address state, regional and national issues, such as greenhouse gases, sustainability and housing needs.

"We want to educate the public on what those issues are," she said.

But mostly, she said, "We want to keep Encinitas the place that we all love."

According to the Encinitas 2035 website, Phase 1 of the General Plan Update program—which included developing the vision, policy and physical framework for the update through outreach sessions—was recently completed.

The city is starting Phase 2 now, and the goal is to get City Council approval before going to the Coastal Commission, Lanager said. The General Plan Update is set to be complete in December 2011.

For more information on the General Plan Update, visit encinitas2035.info.