In 2016, the City of Sebastopol adopted its General Plan, establishing a roadmap for how the city should grow and develop through the year 2035.
The General Plan reflects the community’s long-term priorities for economic vitality, land use, transportation, and neighborhood character. The General Plan is the “blueprint” for all future development in Sebastopol.
Many of the policies in the plan emphasize strengthening local businesses, protecting the city’s unique character, and ensuring that new development contributes positively to the local economy.
These policies help guide decisions about projects like the one currently being proposed.
The General Plan includes several policies aimed at strengthening Sebastopol’s existing local business community.
Policy EV 5: Enhance the City’s Existing Businesses, Encourage Start-up Businesses, and Support Home-based Businesses.
This policy recognizes that the long-term vitality of Sebastopol depends on supporting businesses that are already part of the community. The plan also encourages shopping locally and supports businesses that contribute to the local economy.
Policy EV 2-4: Encourage businesses and programs that emphasize and promote shopping locally.
The General Plan specifically cautions against allowing too many businesses in the same sector if it could weaken the local economy.
Policy EV 2-5:
Identify business and service needs that are underrepresented locally and encourage new development that meets the City’s needs and provides for a stronger tax base. Discourage oversupply of similar businesses in a single sector that could result in inter-business cannibalization.
This policy recognizes that adding more businesses of the same type does not always strengthen the economy. In some cases, it can divide the same pool of customers among more businesses, putting existing businesses at risk.
Sebastopol also maintains policies regulating formula businesses, which are national chains operating standardized stores under the same name and branding.
Policy LU 7-10:
Maintain Zoning Ordinance controls on formula businesses that strengthen the City’s unique character, support the local economy, and ensure the provision of needed goods and services.
These policies are designed to ensure that national chains do not undermine the qualities that make Sebastopol unique or oversaturate one area of business.
The General Plan also emphasizes maintaining development patterns that reflect Sebastopol’s character as a small, walkable community.
Policy CD 1-6:
Maintain and enforce Zoning Ordinance provisions and design guidelines that prohibit auto-centric strip development.
This policy recognizes the importance of protecting the physical character and scale of the community.
The General Plan emphasizes that a diverse and locally rooted economy is essential to Sebastopol’s future.
Page 9-1 of the plan explains:
“Providing a broader economic base is intended to improve the City’s economic vitality while increasing access for West County residents to local goods and services and local employment opportunities.”
These policies collectively emphasize that economic development in Sebastopol should strengthen the local economy, support existing businesses, and maintain the unique character of the community.
The General Plan is the city’s long-term vision for how Sebastopol should grow.
The policies above highlight several consistent priorities:
• supporting existing local businesses
• promoting shopping locally
• avoiding oversupply of similar businesses
• maintaining Sebastopol’s unique character
• ensuring development contributes positively to the community
Understanding these principles helps residents participate in the conversation about how Sebastopol grows and what kind of future the community wants to create.
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