Previous issues of the Sentinel contained discussions of the goals of the General Plan. These eight Goals provide the broad vision for how our community should develop in the future. The General Plan is divided into three sections

(1) Community Development, (2) Transportation, and (3) Environmental Resource Management. Each section contains policies through which the goals of the General Plan are realized. The policies are in turn implemented by municipal code ordinances, which provide specific boundaries for development projects.

General Plan Goals (Eight)

Lead to .........

General Plan Elements (Three) Containing Community Policies

Lead to .........

Municipal Ordinances

When the Planning Commission or City Council reviews a project, specific "findings" have to be made. These findings must demonstrate that a project satisfies our municipal ordinances as well as the goals and policies of the General Plan.

In this issue of the Sentinel we provide a brief discussion of the policies of the Transportation section of the General Plan. As La Habra Heights moves forward with the Roads Restoration Program, it is important to review what community policies exist to guide that program.

There are fifteen policies in the Transportation Section of the General Plan, four

of which are pertinent to the Roads program:

Design and improve streets so as to retain the rural character of the City (Policy No. 3).

Prohibit the installation of curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and streetlights except where necessary for safety (Policy No. 4).

Make road widths compatible with the rural character of the City and the environment (Policy No. 5).

Remove vegetation and walls and regrade slopes that pose serious safety hazards by seriously restricting sight distances (Policy No. 6).

The Roads Restoration Program approved by City Council completely conforms to these policies. No changes will be made to road widths or grades. No new curbs, gutters, sidewalks, or street lights are planned. Also, an ordinance requiring brush removal from frontages (see next page) has been recently passed by City Council. This ordinance is necessary in order to repave or seal the roads, but its implementation also greatly improves our safety by restoring sight distances to what they were in the past.

Some residents have argued that they should not have to clean up their frontage. They believe it is unfair or somehow contrary to the General Plan to do so, yet the General Plan specifically calls for maintenance of frontages (Policy No. 6) in the interest of safety. The founders of our City recognized that we need to provide safe access for our families while beautifying our community.

The General Plan goals and policies control all community development, both public and private, in La Habra Heights. When projects are considered by City Council, the Planning Commission, or City staff, decision-makers are supposed to be mindful of their responsibility to uphold all of our community standards. But public institutions are only effective when dedicated citizens participate in the decision-making process.