§ 65356 General Plan Adoption Rules

• •The city council must vote to approve or change the city's big plan (called a general plan) for how the city will grow and develop.
• •If the city has a planning group, the council can agree with, change, or say no to their ideas. But if the council wants to make a big change that the planning group didn’t look at before, they have to send it back to the planning group first.
• •If the planning group doesn’t answer within 45 days (or the time the council gives them), it’s like they’re saying ‘okay’ to the change.
• •In some cities with special rules (charter cities), either the city council or the planning group can approve the big plan, depending on what the city’s rules say.

A city wants to build a new park where there used to be empty land. The planning group suggested making a small park with a playground, but the city council wants to add a big sports field too.

Since the council’s idea is a big change from the planning group’s original plan, they have to send it back to the planning group first. If the planning group doesn’t respond in 45 days, the council can go ahead and add the sports field to the plan.