Novato General Plan 2035 was adopted by the Novato City Council on October 27, 2020, and is immediately effective. If you have questions or need guidance regarding General Plan 2035, please contact Planning Manager Steve Marshall at (415) 899-8942 or by email at smarshall@novato.org.

What is a General Plan?

The City's General Plan serves as a basis for decisions that affect the City’s growth and development such as transportation, land use, streets and infrastructure, parks, housing and neighborhoods, recreation and community facilities, downtown, the environment, public health and safety, and flooding. The General Plan is a strategic and long term document identifying goals and polices that guides and directs the City in terms of implementing policies, programs and resources. As required by State law, the City of Novato’s General Plan includes seven chapters, or "elements": land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, noise and safety.

The City's General Plan was last completely updated and approved by City Council in December 1996. The Housing Element was last updated in June, 2014, approved by the City Council on November 18, 2014 and approved by the state Housing and Community Development Department in January 2015.

Why does it need to be updated?

The General Plan is the principal policy document guiding the development and conservation of local municipalities, and is often referred to as the “constitution” of local development. The General Plan also reflects the vision and values of a community. To remain effective, a General Plan usually focuses on a time horizon of 10 years. Novato’s General Plan was last comprehensively updated in 1996; the City is looking towards 2035 with the General Plan update. New State regulations have been enacted, and our perspectives on land use and environmental issues have changed.

The General Plan update is also an opportunity to formally incorporate locally adopted climate change documents into the new General Plan. In 2009, Novato adopted a Climate Action Plan (CAP), and in May 2013, adopted an updated Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory using data from 2010. The intent is to weave climate change and adaptation strategies through the relevant chapters of the General Plan, set GHG emissions reduction targets and establish a long-term strategy to achieve those targets.   

Update Process

The General Plan update will occur as a series of discrete tasks. These tasks will be informed by public feedback collected during community workshops and through various education and outreach efforts, as well as through meetings with the various commissions and City Council.

A refined work program for the General Plan update process was presented at the October 22, 2013 City Council meeting.

A. Update of the Existing Conditions Report 

The Existing Conditions Report presents information on baseline conditions about the City of Novato. It is intended to function as a reference document to be used by all participants in the General Plan Update process. The report provides background information necessary for informed decision making and consensus building during the update process. In addition to informing our future policy work, the report will be used for introductory material in the general plan chapters and as the basis of the preparation of the Environmental Impact Report.

The City’s former general plan consultant, Design, Community & Environment, prepared a comprehensive, Existing Conditions Report nearly five years ago, in March 2009. City staff updated the report and released the new version in March 2014.  The report spans 18 chapters and covers a diversity of topics, including land use, circulation, parks/recreation, natural and cultural resources, public services, etc.

Existing Conditions Report

B. Evaluation of Existing General Plan Policies & Programs (Fall 2013 through March 2015)

City staff evaluated the policies and programs of the 1996 General Plan, identifying those that have been implemented, those that have not (and the reasons why not), and those that are no longer relevant. This work informed the redrafting of the elements and their evaluation by the City's boards and commissions. The City Council reviewed the policy and program evaluations and provided final direction to staff in order to draft new policies and programs for the General Plan 2035.

Policy and Program Evaluations

C. Identification and Resolution of Significant Policy Options - "White Papers" (through Sept 2015)

Staff prepared "white papers" on key policy issues and presented these to the Planning Commission and City Council, as well as the appropriate City boards and commissions.

White Papers

D. Study of Focus Areas (2014 through May 2015)

Focus Area Studies

E. Preparation of the Draft General Plan 2035 (through February 2020)

Staff utilized information from the Existing Conditions Report and public input, and Council direction from focus area studies, white papers, and evaluation of the 1996 General Plan policies and programs to draft the General Plan 2035. The initial draft was released in August 2016. The draft has been updated as of February 2020.

Draft Novato General Plan 2035 (February 2020)

F. Public Workshops to Gather Feedback (August through October 2016)

The City held workshops, open houses, and neighborhood meetings in order to get feedback on the draft General Plan. Comments from this process have resulted in an updated draft General Plan (Feb 2020).

G. Preparation of the Environmental Impact Report (February 2020)

Preparation of Environmental Impact Report (June 2020)

Rincon Consultants completed the Final EIR (FEIR) for General Plan 2035 in June 2020.  The FEIR includes responses to comments received on the Draft EIR for General Plan 2035, minor text edits to the EIR to amplify certain points of analyses and augment the proposed mitigation measures to clarify implementing actions.

The City's consultant, Rincon Consultants, prepared a draft Environmental  Impact Report (DEIR) to analyze the environmental impacts of the policies  and programs contained in the Draft General Plan 2035. The DEIR was available for comment beginning February 28, 2020 and ending April 13, 2020.

City Council Staff Report (June 28, 2016)

H. Public Hearings (April 2020 through June 2020)

Public Hearings (September 2020 through October 2020)

Beginning in September 2020, the Planning Commission will conduct a hearing(s) to provide a recommendation to the City Council regarding certification of the FEIR and adoption of General Plan 2035. The City Council is expected to consider certifying the final EIR and adopting General Plan 2035 in October 2020.

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