California law requires each City and County to adopt a comprehensive long-term General Plan for its physical development and update it periodically. A City's General Plan is its blueprint for the future and, through appropriate goals, policies, and programs, it serves as a decision-making tool to guide future growth and development. It addresses issues that impact the entire city, such as how land is used, where buildings are constructed, the locations of roads and parks, and how to keep the City safe and resilient. All city plans, zoning, and private development must be consistent with the diagrams and policies in the General Plan. 

Tracy’s General Plan was last comprehensively updated in 2006, with a major amendment completed in 2011. However, there has been a great deal of change since 2011, including significant population and economic growth and new content requirements for General Plan Updates that must be addressed to comply with current State law.

A comprehensive update to a General Plan is a complete review and revision of the General Plan that evaluates all or most elements, updates the community vision, policies, maps, and implementation programs, and ensures consistency throughout the plan.

A major amendment to a General Plan is a substantial change to one or more portions of the General Plan, such as the Land Use Element or land use map, to address a specific issue or project. It does not involve a full review of the entire General Plan.

California law does not require cities and counties to comprehensively update their entire General Plan on a fixed schedule. However, the Housing Element must be updated every eight years. Elements may be amended as needed, and jurisdictions typically undergo a comprehensive update every 10-20 years to reflect the changing needs of the community and comply with evolving state laws.

As part of the General Plan Update work program, a variety of important plans and reports will be prepared to help guide the City over the coming decades. These include:

• Existing Conditions Report: The Existing Conditions Report will describe current conditions and regulations affecting the City associated with land use and growth, circulation and mobility, market trends, historic resources, community services and facilities, conservation, climate change, safety and noise, and environmental justice.
• Visioning Report: The Visioning Report will record information obtained in community visioning workshops, stakeholder interviews, the Existing Conditions Report, City staff observations, and input from the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), Planning Commission, and City Council and will serve as a tool to concentrate the community’s attention on pivotal issues and opportunities with significant policy implications.
• Land Use Alternatives Report: The Land Use Alternatives Report will identify potential areas where change is necessary or desired, potential options for change areas, and General Plan land use categories. Land use changes (e.g., “alternatives”) will be analyzed to determine potential growth effects and the alternative’s consistency with the community’s vision.
• General Plan Document: The General Plan document will address all State-required General Plan topics (see below) and other topics of local importance, such as economic development, public services and utilities, air quality.
• Environmental Impact Report: The Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be prepared to address all potential environmental impacts associated with implementation of the General Plan. The EIR will serve as a “tiering document” to facilitate streamlined environmental review of subsequent development, planning, and infrastructure projects undertaken in the City that are consistent with the General Plan.

General Plans are divided into “elements” (i.e., chapters) based on specific topics. There are mandatory elements that Tracy must include in its General Plan: land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open space, safety, noise, air quality, and environmental justice. Local governments can organize and format their General Plans however they desire, as long as the required elements are addressed. Cities can also choose to include additional elements at their discretion, such as public facilities and services, and economic development and fiscal sustainability. Each element of the General Plan will also include specific short-, medium- and long-term steps to implement its goals and policies.

It should be noted that the Housing Element of the City’s General Plan (“General Plan”) has been recently updated for the 6^th Cycle 2023 – 2031 Housing Element Update. No updates to the current Housing Element are expected to occur during the City’s General Plan Update.

The General Plan Update process provides an opportunity for community members to discuss and weigh-in on the City’s future. We encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities to participate, including visiting a pop-up event, attending an in-person workshop or open house, and completing online surveys.

In order to collect community input in an open, engaging, and actionable way, the City has designed a series of community events where you will have the opportunity to participate in and be informed of the planning process. These include:

• Visioning Workshops: A series of Visioning Workshops will be held in late 2026 to introduce the community to the project and to provide an opportunity for the community to identify their vision, goals and priorities, and land use and transportation preferences for the General Plan Update. The dates and details of the Visioning Workshops will be  available soon.
• Open Houses: The City plans to host several Open Houses throughout the project to present and solicit feedback on key work products, in­cluding the Land Use Alternatives Report and the Draft General Plan Update. Stay tuned for more information!
• Pop-Up Events: The City will have a table at several community events throughout the planning process to raise awareness about the General Plan Update and offer accessible, in-person opportunities for the community to participate in the process.
• General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) Meetings: A General Plan Advisory Committee will meet periodically throughout the process to provide insight on specific issues, including vision/community priorities, land use and economic development objectives, mobility planning, land use alternative ideas, infrastructure and sustainability, and comments on the draft General Plan.
• Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews of groups and organizations that represent various local and regional issues that affect Tracy will be conducted to ensure that a broad range of perspectives are included early in the General Plan Update process. Feedback collected from interviews will be subject to additional input from the broader community.
• Community Surveys and Polls: The City will conduct online surveys to provide additional opportunities for members of the public to provide input on key issues and give feedback to the City as draft documents are completed. 
• Public Review Draft General Plan: The Public Review Draft General Plan and Environmental Impact Report will be made available to the entire community for review and feedback before the plan is finalized.
• Planning Commission and City Council Hearings: The City will conduct public hearings and study sessions before the Planning Commission and City Council to consider the update to the General Plan. 

The City of Tracy is committed to involving the community in the planning process. The General Plan Update process provides residents, businesses, and interested parties the chance to help guide the future of the community. A successful General Plan will reflect the community’s vision and priorities, and we believe that your voice is vital to producing a plan that will reflect your vision for the City’s future. Community input is needed to establish the long-term vision for Tracy and to identify key issues and priorities. 

Public input from every engagement opportunity is meticulously reviewed and documented to ensure that planners, City staff, and decision-makers have a full understanding of public sentiment when drafting goals and policies. Public feedback on General Plan materials, including goals and policies, will be considered throughout the process.

City staff, elected and appointed officials, business owners, developers, and citizens can reference the General Plan for guidance on what the community values and what are its priorities.

If you wish to be added to the City’s mailing list to receive project updates and invitations to community events, use the contact form to provide your information.