In June and July of 2001, after almost two years of extensive public outreach, the Monterey County Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors adopted the following Twelve Guiding Objectives for the Monterey County General Plan. These Guiding Objectives express what the citizens and residents of Monterey County want their General Plan to accomplish. This Community General Plan is based on these Twelve Guiding Objectives, which are hereby incorporated and made a formal part of this General Plan.

Guiding Objective #1
Preserve the unique character of areas throughout Monterey County as represented by the different Area Land Use Plans.

Guiding Objective #2
Identify land that is adequate and appropriate for the residential, commercial, and industrial development needs of Monterey County during the next twenty years, taking into account land located within the cities, existing legal lots of record, and resource and infrastructure constraints.

Guiding Objective #3
Preserve a distinction between urban and rural areas. Channel new growth to areas already committed to an urban level of development (e.g., cities, areas directly adjacent to cities, and densely developed unincorporated communities). Preserve rural areas for resource-based industries (e.g., farming, livestock grazing, mining), natural resource protection, and open space recreation uses.

Guiding Objective #4
Strongly encourage new commercial, industrial, and residential development to provide actual, new, permanently affordable living quarters, including housing for people with low, very low, and moderate incomes who live and/or are employed in Monterey County. Promote density, creative and innovative design concepts, and employer-produced housing which will increase affordable housing opportunities convenient to the workplace. Promote a healthy job and housing balance in all areas.

Guiding Objective #5
Promote the development of walkable communities that meet the daily needs of their residents, offer a high quality of life for their residents, and reduce the need for automobile trips.

Guiding Objective #6
Promote, preserve, and support agriculture and the industries that serve it. Promote industries that preserve and support environmental quality or serve the local needs of our communities.

Guiding Objective #7
Minimize development of commercially viable agricultural land. Ensure that recognized needs for growth are met by infill and contiguous, compact development.

Guiding Objective #8
Provide adequate infrastructure and public services for existing residents and businesses. Ensure that infrastructure and public services are available, fully funded, and constructed concurrently with new development. Ensure that new development neither increases the infrastructure and public service cost for existing residents and businesses nor reduces their quality of service by any significant amount.

Guiding Objective #9
Provide long-term protection of identified resource-rich and critical habitat areas.

Guiding Objective #10
Protect the visual integrity of ridgelines, designated scenic corridors, and other identified sensitive visual resources throughout Monterey County.

Guiding Objective #11
Seek to provide an adequate and sustainable water supply while protecting the county’s watersheds and marine environment, including surface water, ground water, and aquifer recharge areas.

Guiding Objective #12
Provide a clear statement of county land use values and policies to provide clarity in the county’s permit processing system and to simplify review of projects that are consistent with the General Plan.