The Pismo Beach City Council has approved an update to the city’s General Plan, which has been in development for almost a decade.
Community Development Director Scot Graham said the delay was because of staff turnover and concerns from the community.
The updated plan will help guide zoning in the future and “tells you what the development patterns in the city will look like,” Graham said.
At a Tuesday meeting, council member Stacy Inman asked how the city would handle adding the 1,111 new housing units identified in the plan.
Graham called Pismo Beach “mostly built out” and said the city is unlikely to add many more housing developments, but that state law means they must plan for the possibility.
“We're required to plan for things that we, from a community standpoint, don't feel are going to happen,” Graham said.
The update includes the Coastal Land Use Plan, which applies to parts of the city considered a “coastal zone” under the California Coastal Act. It was crafted with input from the Coastal Commission, who still need to give final approval on the update.
The commission added language about using best available science to look at the potential impacts of sea level rise.
The updated plan also includes sections on environmental justice, adequate downtown parking and encouraging people visiting downtown to walk between shops and the beach.
The Pismo Beach City Council voted unanimously to approve the update to the plan.
A new draft of the city’s zoning code will go in front of the planning commission this summer.
