Vista workshops focus on general plan update

The first in a series of workshops to shape Vista’s future will kick off next week as part of the 2050 general plan update.

“Establishing the Vision” is the theme of the initial series, and the workshops will be from 6-8 p.m. in different council districts over four days. The multi-year planning and outreach process provides an opportunity for residents to address growth and help develop a long-term blueprint for the city’s future.

The District 1 workshop will be in Spanish and is scheduled for March 21 at the Linda Rhoades Recreation Center, 600 N. Santa Fe Ave.

The District 2 workshop is scheduled for March 20, at the Gloria McClellan Senior Center, 1400 Vale Terrace Drive.

The District 3 workshop is scheduled for March 22 at the Vista Innovation and Design Academy, 740 Olive Ave.

The District 4 workshop will be March 23 at Hyatt Place Vista, 2645 S. Melrose Drive.

California law requires each county and city in the state to develop and adopt a general plan that is a broad, long-range policy document that guides future development and is a comprehensive collection of goals and policies related to numerous aspects of community life.

Vista’s general plan 2030 was last comprehensively updated in 2012. In 2021, Vista adopted a state-required housing element that shows how the city will accommodate growth through 2029, and a number of legislative, market and physical changes have occurred since then that warrant a need to update the general plan.

A fact sheet on the general plan update states the goal for the update is to prepare Vista for the future while honoring its history and defining character.

Other goals include identifying a mix of land uses that will provide for sustainable development and support a wide variety of people and businesses, and creating a functional and “living” document that can be updated when necessary.