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Consultant outlines 'General Plan 2050' update, outreach and programmatic EIR timeline
Summary
Consultant Laurel Reimer told the commission the General Plan update uses a 2050 horizon, aims for adoption in 2027, includes a programmatic citywide EIR, and has generated extensive outreach (5 open houses, ~49,000 mailers, GPAC of 18 members); the housing element will be handled on a separate schedule.
Laurel Reimer, the city’s general‑plan consultant, told the Planning Commission that Temecula’s General Plan update will use a 2050 planning horizon and is expected to be ready for adoption in 2027.
Reimer described the general plan as a long‑range policy blueprint that guides land use, transportation, open space and other citywide policies. The update kicked off in June 2025; the consultant team spent the first six months analyzing existing conditions and conducting outreach, and now will move into land‑use alternatives and environmental analysis.
Outreach to date has included five visioning open houses (Sept. 24–Oct. 8), a project website (temeculaca.gov/generalplan), a project listserv with roughly 230 subscribers, and a postcard mailing of about 49,000 residential and business addresses. A General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) of 18 community members has met twice and will meet again (economics topic) the night after the commission meeting. Reimer said the online “General Plan Vision and Values” survey is live, has 18 questions (including demographics), is offered in English and Spanish and will remain open through January.
Reimer emphasized that the General Plan update will not include a housing‑element rewrite; California requires the housing element be updated on a different schedule tied to regional housing‑need allocations. The housing element work will take place on the separate state planning cycle following the general plan schedule.
On environmental review, Reimer said the city will prepare a programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR) covering the entire city so future projects that are consistent with the general plan can tier off that analysis. The EIR will analyze Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) per state guidance; the general plan also will address circulation measures that previously relied on level‑of‑service metrics.
Commissioners asked about outreach balance—staff described comments as roughly split between calls for more housing and calls to slow growth—and about the survey method (largely open‑ended station boards and sticker maps at open houses). Reimer said staff will publish an outreach summary with collected notes and visuals from the engagement events.
Next steps include analysis of land‑use alternatives, a full programmatic EIR and subsequent check‑ins with the Planning Commission and City Council as the project develops.
