What is your vision for Salinas?
Visión Salinas 2040 is about our community's future, goals and priorities, and above all, our people
What is Visión Salinas 2040?
Visión Salinas 2040 is the first comprehensive update to the City of Salinas’ General Plan since 2002. This project will also include a new Environmental Justice Element, the City’s first Climate Action Plan, and an update of the Zoning Code. This website is a resource to learn about all of these efforts and for getting involved.
This General Plan Update comes at crucial moment for Salinas. Much has changed in Salinas since the current General Plan was initiated in 1998 and it has grown in both size and population. New state laws have significantly altered the planning landscape, as have the effects of the state housing crisis, climate change, the global pandemic and economic devastation.
Given these circumstances, it is more critical than ever to embark on the General Plan Update. The City’s General Plan Update is an opportunity to position Salinas for equitable recovery, and an adaptable and resilient future that raises the quality of life for all in the community.
What is in the General Plan?
Every city and county in California is required to have a General Plan which guides the community’s future development. The General Plan “is a vision about how a community will grow, reflecting community priorities and values while shaping the future” (Governor’s Office of Planning and Research). We often wonder why our buildings look the way they do, why are businesses located where they are, why certain roads look different, and why certain projects are prioritized. The answers to these questions are often found in the General Plan.
The General Plan is now required to have eight mandatory elements:
Land Use
Conservation
Circulation
Noise
Housing
Open Space
Safety
Environmental
Justice
Our existing General Plan has seven of these elements (Environmental Justice was not required previously), plus optional Community Design and Economic Development elements.
The General Plan Update will be a continuation of Visión Salinas, which initiated in 2017 to coordinate the public outreach and planning efforts in Salinas. Residents, students, local organizations and agencies, and businesses will have many opportunities to become engaged in the process.
How will this affect me?
The General Plan Update will lay out a blueprint for the community's future. It is the city's chance to create more housing choice, room for our small businesses to grow, places to recreate, and put Salinas on course for sustainability. Priorities outlined in the General Plan will determine what kind of major transportation and infrastructure projects are funded. In short, the General Plan Update will affect where you live, work, and play, how you get to these places, and a lot more.
The General Plan Update is an opportunity to position Salinas for equitable recovery, and an adaptable and resilient future that raises the quality of life for all in the community.
By getting involved, you’ll learn more about what the General Plan can do and help create the Salinas you want to see!
How is it related to recent plans?
Salinas has completed numerous neighborhood and citywide plans in recent years, and the General Plan will incorporate key recommendations.
Visión Salinas was originally initiated in 2017 to coordinate outreach between planning efforts and to develop Guiding Principles for the General Plan.
Visión Salinas helped coordinate the engagement efforts of four plans:
Alisal Vibrancy Plan,
which was the first community-led plan undertaken by the City and focused on East Salinas.
Public Art Master Plan,
a strategic plan which supports local artists, artwork and secures the possibility of future public art throughout the next 10 years.
Parks Master Plan,
an updated vision for Salinas’ system of parks, open spaces, libraries, and recreational facilities and programs.
Chinatown Revitalization Plan,
a reimagined collaborative effort to transform the Chinatown.
Vision Salinas Guiding Principles
An important accomplishment in the Visión Salinas process thus far was the development of an Overarching Core Value and Guiding Principles. The Overarching Core Value for Salinas is meant to speak to the values of inclusivity, diversity, and civic engagement that Salinas takes pride in—it is a general value statement that is woven into each Guiding Principle. The Guiding Principles are topic based principles that will guide each policy and action item in the General Plan. You can learn more about the Guiding Principles and how they were created in English and Spanish!
Overarching core value: An Inclusive, Diverse and Welcoming City where all Persons can Thrive!
Economic Prosperity,
Equity and Diversity - A City where all persons have equitable access to prosperity through a diversified economy, jobs and educational/training opportunities.
Housing Opportunities
for All - A City with a diversity of housing types and affordability levels for its residents.
Healthy and Safe
Community - A City which strives to protect and improve the personal safety, health and welfare of the people who live, work, and visit.
Youth are the Future - A City where youth flourish and have equitable access to education, recreation and a healthy urban environment.
Collaborative, Inclusive and Engaged Decision-Making - A transparent and responsive City Government driven by the voices of a participatory community.
Connectivity, Access and Mobility - An active City with a well-connected, eco-friendly network of multi-modal streets, bikeways, greenways and trails, and effective public transportation options.
Livable and Sustainable Community - A well-planned City with a thriving community core and commercial corridors, excellent infrastructure.
A Community to Celebrate - A City that celebrates, promotes, preserves and honors the diversity, history, art, and culture of its community.
What is the Environmental Justice Element?
To address the inequitable distribution of pollution and the associated health effects in underserved communities of color, former Governor Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 1000 in 2016, requiring local governments to include a mandatory Environmental Justice Element in their General Plans.
"Environmental justice" is defined in California law as the fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, and incomes with respect to the development, adoption, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. “ (Cal. Gov. Code, § 65040.12, subd. (e).)
This new law aims at increasing transparency in the community engagement process, include community voice’s in planning and decision making, reduce harmful pollutants and their associated health effects, and a healthier community which includes, healthy food options, housing, public facilities, parks and recreation.
What is the Climate Action Plan?
Communities create Climate Action Plans (CAP) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the impacts of climate change. Under state law, California is required to meet certain statewide greenhouse gas emission reduction goals to help protect our environment. According to California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment Central Coast Region Report, some of the climate change effects Salinas and the greater Monterey County area could see include longer droughts, hotter temperatures, and greater precipitation variability. This increases the risks of wildfires and threatens the future of agriculture in the region. The CAP and General Plan will focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in ways that invest in equity while adapting to the impacts already affecting us today.
How can I get involved?
Which topic are you most interested in? What are your ideas for the future of Salinas? Get involved and let’s create a vision together!
For more information contact:
Monica Gurmilan
Senior Planner
831-758-7409
Se habla español
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