Appendix A: Relationship to Other Documents

Countywide Design Guidelines
Appendix A: Relationship to Other Documents

The Countywide Design Guidelines are intended to work in-concert with existing and future policy and regulatory documents.

A.1 Sacramento County General Plan

The Sacramento County General Plan guides the County to the year 2030 by establishing goals and policies that address land use, circulation, economic development, and urban design issues. Reviewed by the Planning Commission and adopted by the Board of Supervisors, the General Plan serves as a basis for decisions that affect aspects of everyday life, from where residents live and work to how they move about. The General Plan is implemented by decisions that direct the allocation of public resources and that shape private development. In essence, the General Plan is the blueprint for the community’s vision of Sacramento County.

A.2 Sacramento County Housing Element

The Sacramento County Housing Element is part of the General Plan. The goal of the Housing Element is to promote an adequate supply of decent, safe and affordable housing to meet the needs of all residents of Sacramento County. Design concepts influence the built environment, and land use decisions play an important role in protecting the public health, safety, and welfare of the County’s citizens, shaping the pattern of community development, and in promoting physical activity.

A.3 Sacramento County Zoning Code

The Sacramento County Zoning Code is the County’s major implementation tool for the General Plan. The Code regulates structures and uses of property within designated zoning districts by, for example, setting limits on building height, requiring setbacks, and specifying the percentage of a site which must be landscaped. These Design Guidelines complement the Zoning Code by providing urban design and architectural direction that the Zoning Code does not.

A.4 Community and Specific Plans

Good design that is pedestrian scale in execution that uses a palette of rich visual and architectural features can create vibrant settings that benefit residents, business owners, and visitors.

A community or specific plan is a detailed plan for the development of a particular area. Falling under the broader umbrella of the General Plan, these plans provide more restrictive standards for the types of uses permitted, development criteria (setbacks, heights, landscape, architecture, etc.), design guidelines, and circulation and infrastructure improvements. Specific plans are often used to ensure that multiple property owners and developers adhere to a single common development plan, as well as to provide flexibility in development standards beyond those contained in the Zoning Code.

A.5 Commercial Corridor Plans

A commercial corridor plan is a detailed plan for the development of a segment of a major thoroughfare. These plans provide standards for the types of uses permitted, development criteria (setbacks, heights, landscape, architecture, etc.), design guidelines, and circulation and infrastructure improvements. These plans are identified in the Zoning Code.

A.6 Special Planning and Neighborhood Preservation Areas

Special Planning Areas (SPA) and Neighborhood Preservation Areas (NPA) are districts or neighborhoods where additional flexibility in uses and/or development standards beyond those contained in the Zoning Code is desirable due to unique characteristics of area. These areas are identified in the Zoning Code.