General Plans, Ordinances & Policies

General / Specific Plans

A General Plan is a long range policy document approved by the Board of Supervisors to guide physical, economic, and environmental growth. State law requires the County to have a General Plan which contains seven elements: Land Use; Transportation; Housing: Open Space; Conservation; Safety and Noise. The plan expresses the County's vision for the future and is the roadmap for achieving the community's desired quality of life. It is an assessment of current and future needs, and the resources needed to implement the goals and policies established. As the needs of the County change, the Planning Department with citizen comment and input makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors to reflect the direction for the future and to update the General Plan.

Currently available general plans:

Castro Valley (20.496MB)*
Eden Area
- Cover (778 KB)*
- Title Page (149 KB)*
- Table of Content (74 KB)*
- Introduction (2.8 MB)*
- Vision (2.7 MB)*
- Land Use (9.4 MB)*
- Circulation (6.7 MB)*
- Parks and Recreation Element (2.5 MB)*
- Public Facilities (449 KB)*
- Noise (7.8 MB)*
- Public Safety (6.5 MB)*
- Green House Gas Action (128 KB)*
- Glossary (249 KB)*
- List of Preparers (87 KB)*
East County Area (4.023MB)*
Scenic Route Element General Plan (1.50MB)*

Updating of the Castro Valley General Plan is currently in progress. Please see the following website for more information:

http://www.castrovalleygeneralplan.org/

Elements of the General Plan currently available online:

These following sections of the General Plan may be viewed or purchased at the Permit Center, Zoning Counter at 399 Elmhurst Street, Hayward, CA 94544:

Conservation Element
Scenic Route Element
Airport Land Use Plan
Noise Element
The Recreation Plan

Specific Plans

A specific plan is a tool for implementing the General Plan. It is the link between the goals and policies of the General Plan and the development of a defined geographical area. A specific plan provides the standards for development within designated parts of the unincorporated county.

Currently available specific plans:

Ashland and Cherryland Business Districts (14.234MB)*
Castro Valley Central Business District (10.841MB)*
Fairview Area (1.920MB)*
Madison Avenue (2.135MB)*
San Lorenzo (3.783MB)*
Little Valley (4.441MB)*
South Livermore Valley (3.421MB)*

To purchase a hard copy of any of the plans, go to the Permit Center, Zoning Counter at 399 Elmhurst Street, Hayward, CA 94544.

* Portable Document Format (PDF) file requires the free Adobe Reader.