Centennial General Plan | City of San Clemente, CA

This website is to provide information and links to the City of San Clemente’s Centennial General Plan. The City hopes you find the General Plan interesting, easy to understand, and use. On February 4, 2014, the City updated its General Plan, titled as the "Centennial General Plan" to recognize the San Clemente’s centennial celebration in 2028. The General Plan provides goals and policies to guide the City towards its vision through this milestone year. San Clemente is known as the “Spanish Village by the Sea” and is comprised of various neighborhoods and communities that vary in terms of their uses, types of development and architectural character.

For a complete searchable and printable PDF of the General Plan, click here.

What is a General Plan?

California Government Code Section 65300 (et. seq.) requires cities and counties to have a General Plan. A General Plan is a comprehensive long-term policy document that sets goals (what we want to achieve) and policies (how we accomplish goals) for achieving a City’s Vision. It guides growth and development to achieve optimum results from the City's physical, economic, environmental and human resources. Per State law, General Plans are required to include seven elements (Land Use, Housing, Circulation, Noise, Safety, Open Space and Conservation). The organization of these elements and any optional elements are determined by each City.

The Centennial General Plan establishes what types of land uses will be permitted and where they can be located, allowable densities for development, and the relationship of the built environment to the natural environment. The General Plan also identifies the location and criteria for open space preservation, the basic design and phasing of the circulation system, future infrastructure and public services needs, and methods to protect environmental resources. The City’s physical form and image, economy, and social fabric are greatly influenced by the General Plan. The General Plan remarks on the crucial role the natural environment plays in sustaining community lifestyle and the local economy.

General Plan

The Centennial General Plan is made up of 13 elements: 1) Land Use; 2) Urban Design; 3) Historic Preservation; 4) Economic Development; 5) Mobility and Complete Streets; 6) Housing, 7) Beaches, Parks and Recreation; 8) Natural Resources; 9) Coastal; 10) Safety; 11) Public Services, Facilities and Utilities; 12) Growth Management; and 13) Governance. The City will adopt updates to the State mandated Housing Element more often than other elements in the General Plan. San Clemente also has a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP) and Climate Action Plan that works alongside the General Plan.

For a PDF of individual plan elements and sections, click on the links below:

General Plan Maps

The end of each General Plan element contains related maps. This page provides a folder containing all of the plan's maps for easy access.

General Plan Maps

The land use map is available in two formats:
1) PDF map books for land use designations (link here) and land use overlay districts (link here)

2) a searchable web-based GIS map. For the web map, you can turn on 'general plan' in the layer list on the right side of the screen.

General Plan Environmental Impact Report

In conjunction with adopting the Centennial General Plan, the City Council certified a Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR), Mitigation Monitoring Program according to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Since then, EIR Addendums have been completed. This page provides information and links to these documents.

General Plan Strategic Implementation Program

Since the General Plan’s adoption, progress has been made on its implementation. This page describes and links to the City’s General Plan Strategic Implementation Program and the Annual Progress Report required by State law that summarizes annual actions to implement the General Plan and Housing Element.

Strategic Implementation Program

The Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) lists Implementation Measures (IMs) the City will carry out to achieve the General Plan’s goals and policies over time. The SIP includes IMs for General Plan elements, excluding housing. The SIP groups IMs by element, references related General Plan policies, and identifies the status, priority, and lead department for overseeing the project or program. The City Council updates the SIP with the City's budget, Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP), and Capital Improvement Program to ensure the General Plan remains a dynamic, up to date, responsive guide to public decision making and expenditures. Click here to open the Strategic Implementation Program overview and program.

Annual Progress Report

State law requires the City prepare an Annual Progress Report (APR) on the implementation of the City's General Plan and Housing Element. The report is to provide information to City Council and State to assess how the General Plan is being implemented. Also, the report provides State required information regarding the City’s progress in meeting its share of regional housing needs. Click here to open the latest APR accepted by the City Council.