Yucaipa General Plan

The electronic version of the Yucaipa General Plan is available as Adobe Acrobat PDF files, which will require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. The electronic versions are accessible by selecting the appropriate section listed below.

State Planning and Zoning Law mandates that every city shall adopt a "comprehensive, long-term general plan" for the physical development of the community.  Each general plan must address 7 mandatory "elements": land use, circulation, open space, conservation, housing, noise and safety.  These elements, along with other optional elements, contain the official policies and standards under which all development proposals are evaluated, and along with certain maps, they provide a vision of the community's future.

With the adoption of Yucaipa's first General Plan in 1964, the County of San Bernardino established a "blueprint" for the physical development of the community that has created the foundation for all future growth.  This plan designated the size and location of all major roadways, it also established the predominant land use intensity of each neighborhood, and at full build-out, it would have resulted in a population in excess of 100,000 residents.

Today, the City contains approximately 18,000 dwellings and approximately 49,000 people, and current projections indicate that by the year 2040, the City may be fully developed with 25,456 residences and a population of 68,700 people.  Clearly, this amount of growth is substantial, but the City's current General Plan, which was adopted in 1992, contains a number of growth management measures that are intended to mitigate the impacts that are associated with this projected growth in population.

A few of these measures include the elimination of 7,489 dwelling units from the prior land use plan, programs to identify and preserve the Valley's natural resources, and the establishment of Development impact Fees on new development that will provide the infrastructure needed to accommodate the City's ultimate population.  Current data indicates that the average annual growth rate from 1960 to 2040 should equal 1.25%, or approximately 687 residents per year, which is well below the rates of most Southern California communities.

The major goals and objectives of the City's General Plan, which are intended to preserve the community's "rural atmosphere" are based on the priorities that were identified by a large cross-section of the community.  With 7,230 acres, or 37% of the City's total land area now designated for Rural Living land uses, the Rural Living Land Use District, with a 1 acre minimum lot size, will continue to represent a significant opportunity for current and future residents to pursue a semi-rural lifestyle.

In addition, the maximum number of dwelling units now permitted at build-out will have an overall average density of 1.30 homes per acre.  Compared to most Inland Empire cities, which typically average more than 4 dwellings per acre, this level of development reflects a relatively low level of land use intensity.  Coupled with the City's hillside development regulations, which will preserve approximately 6,400 acres in a natural and undisturbed state, Yucaipa should always retain the scenic qualities that enhance the community's unique identity.