General Plan

The Sierra County General Plan acts in many respects like the "constitution" for Sierra County--especially with respect to outlining the Vision, Fundamental Goals and Policies that steer long-range land use and development in Sierra County, as adopted by the Board of Supervisors.  The fundamental purpose of the General Plan is to protect Sierra County's existing rural qualities and address local concerns as the county grows. The General Plan is organized into seventeen chapters called "elements" (with each element addressing a different topic relating specifically to Sierra County, and as mandated by State law), which Planning Department staff relies on to help direct land use decisions. The General Plan is meant to change with evolving community realities, and, therefore, is updated periodically. Monitoring the ongoing conditions and implementation of the General Plan is the responsibility primarily of the Planning Department.

Currently, staff is in the process of updating the General Plan (in tandem with a comprehensive update to the Zoning Code), with the assistance of the consulting firm Mintier-Harnish.  As soon as public review drafts of the proposed updated General Plan are available, those drafts will be posted on this site.

Download the current 2012 General Plan (with Amendments from 1996-2025).  [Note: Large file.  Approx. 61 MB PDF]

Click here to download the latest General Plan Housing Element, 7th cycle update (2024-2029).