A “neighborhood discussion meeting” to obtain public input on the General Plan update in progress now has been set for Tuesday, Sept. 25. 

The meeting, which is open to the entire community, will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Richman Elementary School, 700 S. Richman Ave.  Bilingual translators will be available to assist as necessary.

Bob St. Paul, senior planner for the city and coordinator of the update process, said the meeting “will allow neighborhood residents to engage in a dialogue about planning and development concerns.  Through this dialogue we hope to learn the values, priorities and visions our citizens have for Fullerton’s future.”

Mayor Pro Tem Sharon Quirk, who helped arrange for the meeting, said citizen involvement in the process is vitally important:  “We hope this type of interaction will help build a mutual trust and understanding between the neighborhood residents and city staff.”

The general plan is used by city officials to guide long-range planning and development.  The document consists of several state-mandated elements on topics such as land use, circulation, housing, resource management, and community health and safety.

State law requires cities to update their general plans every 10 years.  Fullerton’s last comprehensive update was completed in 1996.

The update process will evaluate current and future community needs, challenges and opportunities through extensive outreach efforts with Fullerton residents.  Ultimately, the updated general plan will establish the official planning policy for the City of Fullerton. 

Further information about the meeting or the update process may be obtained either by logging onto the “General Plan Update” section on the City of Fullerton website at www.ci.fullerton.ca.us, or by calling Bob St. Paul, Fullerton senior planner, at (714) 738-6559.

In addition, St. Paul noted the city has added a visioning workshop survey on the city’s website to allow citizens unable to attend meetings to provide input on the update.