A drone view from the Pittsburg Marina in Pittsburg, Calif., on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The Pittsburg City Council this week approved a long-anticipated general plan that maps out the city’s future for the next 20 years.
California cities and towns are required to maintain general plans and undergo comprehensive updates every 20 years. In Pittsburg, work on the updated plan began in 2018, and included more than five years of public outreach, workshops with the Pittsburg City Council and Planning Commission and environmental review.
Beth Thompson, of the De Novo Planning Group, said the draft general plan reflects the community’s values. The new plan also considered changes to state law that weren’t previously addressed, she said. Some of the changes included promoting accessibility and mobility for all transportation system users, addressing noise, safety, housing, and environmental justice issues to be sure disadvantaged communities are considered in decisions, she said.
“Once it is built on, it is very hard to get back,” said Parent, who pointed out that there are industrial areas all over the city where such businesses can locate. “If you say that you want to sustain open space, you do not take private property given to the city for an open-space purpose and zone it just to make money for the city.”
Thompson said the policies look at the impact of new development, including noise, health and safety, and address setbacks, sound walls and other changes that might be necessary.