What is a General Plan? 

The state of California requires that cities adopt a General Plan to guide their long-term physical growth and development. A General Plan represents a community’s view of its future and expresses its long-term growth and development goals. It addresses issues that impact a city, such as how land is used, where buildings are built, the locations of roads and parks, safety, noise, and more. General Plans contain the goals and policies upon which city councils and planning commissions base their land use decisions. All city plans, zoning, and development projects must be consistent with a city’s General Plan. 

1973 Martinez General Plan 

The City's current General Plan was adopted in 1973. Several amendments have been incorporated since then, including the City’s adoption of the General Plan Transportation Element in 1992, Housing Element Update in 2011, and Growth Management Element in 2013. A copy of the City's current General Plan document can be accessed from the "1973 General Plan" page. 

General Plan 2035

The City began a comprehensive update to the current General Plan in 2010. The General Plan Update is titled “General Plan 2035” and is intended to provide policy guidance for future decision-making in the following topic areas: land use; open space and conservation; historic and cultural resources; parks and community facilities; circulation; public safety; noise and air quality; environmental justice and disadvantaged communities; and growth management.

The City utilized a General Plan Update Task Force to help craft a vision for the General Plan 2035 document. The Task Force met 20 times between 2010 and 2012. During these meetings, the Task Force had the opportunity to review background material and discuss possible challenges for the General Plan Update. The City also conducted community outreach meetings and surveyed the community at large. 

Initial Draft General Plan 2035 

The City’s outreach process resulted in the completion of an Initial Draft General Plan 2035 document and Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR). These documents were circulated for public review and comment in 2015 and were the subject of various public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council. The Initial Draft General Plan 2035 document and Draft EIR were last reviewed by City Council in 2016. Copies of the Initial Draft General Plan 2035 document and Draft EIR can be accessed from the "Initial Draft GP 2035" page.

1st Revised Draft General Plan 2035 

Due to land use litigation and City staffing limitations, little progress was made toward the completion of the General Plan Update after 2016. With the arrival of new staff and additional resources devoted to this important project in 2021, a significant revision to the Initial Draft General Plan 2035 document was prepared and made available for public review and comment. The 1st Revised Draft General Plan 2035 document was released on November 5, 2021 and it can be accessed from the "1st Revised Draft GP 2035" page.

2nd Revised Draft General Plan 2035

On August 8, 2022, the City released the 2nd Revised Draft General Plan 2035 document with the accompanying Revised Draft EIR. Both documents can be accessed from the "2nd Revised Draft GP 2035" page and they are currently available for a 45-day public review and comment period ending at 5:00 PM on Thursday, September 22, 2022.

A joint City Council-Planning Commission meeting is currently scheduled for Wednesday, August 31st at 6:00 PM to receive direction on the general plan density proposals for certain properties located in the Downtown and waterfront areas. The agenda packet for this meeting will be posted to the "Meetings and Agendas" page within 72 hours of the meeting.