The City of Sierra Madre General Plan is a long-range policy document which lays out the framework for all future growth and development within the City. The General Plan is the blueprint that sets the basis for future policy decisions, in that it organizes the desires of the Sierra Madre community with respect to the physical, cultural, economic, and environmental character of the City. Most importantly, the Sierra Madre General Plan is a community-based document that reflects the community values and character as expressed in its goals and policies, while also serving as a technical document which provides information about the City. The General Plan shall be used as a guide by the City’s decision makers to achieve the community’s vision and preserve the history, character, and shared values of the community for future generations.
The General Plan is intended to be both a long‐term and a dynamic document and must be periodically updated to respond to changing community needs. Unlike the housing element, which is required by State law to be updated every five years to eight years, a General Plan does not expire and is not required to have a specific time frame. The City updated its 1996 General Plan; updating the General Plan is done to ensure that the plan is are flection of the community’s values and goals. The update process also allows the City to reflect on challenges of the past years and use these experiences to shape new policy.
On July 14, 2015, the City Council adopted the 2015 General Plan and certified the General Plan Environmental Impact Report pursuant to Resolutions 15-43 and 15-44.
Complete GP Final.pdf
The State's Housing Element Law mandates that all local governments adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community by adopting housing plans as part of the General Plan and updating its Housing Element every eight years. On July 26, 2022, the City Council approved the 2021-2029 Housing Element update to the Sierra Madre General Plan, consistent with statutory requirements, and the Department of Housing and Community Development recognized that the City is in full compliance with California Housing Element Law, Article 10.6 of the Government Code. For details and to learn more about the Housing Element update process, visit the Housing Element page here.
City of Sierra Madre's 6th Cycle (2021-2029) Adopted Housing Element
The State Law required all local governments to update and amend other elements in the General Plan with the next Housing Element update. Updates to the Land Use, Circulation, and Safety Elements of the General Plan were adopted by the City Council on November 9, 2021.
Adopted Land Use Element update
Adopted Circulation Element update
Adopted Safety Element update
At the May 23, 2023 City Council meeting, the City Council approved General Plan Amendment 23-01, to update the Safety Element of the General Plan to include a link to the online location of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.
Adopted Safety Element update 2023
Government Code Section 65400 requires the City to annually prepare a report regarding the status of the City’s General Plan and progress in its implementation (General Plan Progress Report) and provide the General Plan Progress Report to the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The City's most recent General Plan Progress Reports are provided below:
