General Plan Update Log
As part of our commitment to keeping the Vista community apprised of the progress of the General Plan Update (GPU), Planning Division staff summarizes Vista 2030 activities as they occur.
April 14, 2008
The Pedestrian and Bike Trails Visioning Team held its first meeting at the Vista Library. In their initial task, sixteen community members joined with City staffers to create maps of significant "places" in and around the City of Vista. These places include schools, parks, entertainment and cultural venues, shopping areas, employment centers, health facilities, trailheads and transit stops. Working in small groups representing urban trails, recreational trails and bikeways, participants also began the process of identifying the various barriers that residents face in their efforts to walk and bike to such places. Attendees took home an audit form to evaluate a path of their choice, along with exhibits which illustrate differing levels of quality in the design and maintenance of pedestrian and bike facilities.
Feburary 27, 2008
City staff meets with the Building Industry Association of San Diego County to discuss the GPU and its implications for the land development community. The discussion focuses on Smart Growth concepts for the redevelopment of the City's core areas (e.g. the Santa Fe Avenue Corridor). Attendees also consider how future development will address principles of sustainability and green building.
February 20, 2008
City staff discusses the GPU with the Vista Village Business Association, emphasizing how the updated General Plan will seek to encourage economic development and promote a robust business community that not only provides for local needs but also enhances employment opportunities and the City's tax base.
November 2007 - March 2008
Under direction from City staff, consultants Jones & Stokes prepare an electronic map and GIS database links parcel-specific data with zoning, general plan, specific plan and other pertinent information related to land use and development. Among other things, this map provides a basis for evaluating the City's numerous specific plan areas in relation to the zoning and land use designations of surrounding properties.
November 2007 - January 2008
City staff review and comment on a series of baseline studies prepared by consultants Jones & Stokes. These baseline studies address current citywide conditions related to: population and housing, geology, hydrology, air quality, noise, transportation, public services and utilities, biological resources, historic and cultural resources, aesthetic resources, parks and recreational facilities, and hazards and hazardous materials. These studies also outline the existing regulatory frameworks that pertain to these issues while considering the constraints and opportunities they present.
November 15, 2007
City staff and consultants Jones & Stokes discuss the update process with South Vista Communities at the Shadowridge Country Club. The meeting emphasizes the Community Identity Element, which divides the City into eight separate planning areas. In the context of Peter's Lynch's seminal typology of urban form, which looks at the built environment as a collection of paths, nodes, edges, districts and landmarks, attendees consider how the City's current planning areas distinguish themselves from one another. The discussion provides a basis for reevaluating the current boundaries of the planning areas.
October 17, 2007
The Vista Youth Commission convene to share and discuss photographs taken by commissioners to highlight what they consider to be the community's treasures and challenges and to represent their visions for Vista's future. Working in small groups, commissioners organize their photographs around themes introduced in a draft version of Vista Vision 2030 - the overarching statement of purpose intended to guide the General Plan Update and serve as a preface to the final document. In presenting their photos, commissioners emphasize pedestrian safety, the rehabilitation and reuse of vacant properties, landscape and lighting improvements, and the value of public gathering places like Vista Village.
October 10, 2007
The City inaugurates the General Plan Update webpage, dedicated to keeping Vista stakeholders "in the loop" throughout the General Plan Update process.
September 5 and 6, 2007
CIty staff discuss the GPU with the Sunrise Kiwanis Club and the Vista Rotary Club.
August 30, 2007
The third of three community visioning workshops is held at Faith Luthern Church. Working both individually and in small groups, approximately 50 community members participate in a series of activities designed to identify Vista's treasures and challenges and formulate visions of the City's future. Participants address such issues as community design, transportation, civic events and programs, education, cultural diversity, public safety and economic development.