Sebastopol’s General Plan is not simply a planning document.
It is the community’s adopted blueprint for how the city should grow, evolve, and protect the qualities that make Sebastopol unique through the year 2035.
The General Plan exists specifically to guide decisions like this one.
After years of public meetings, community input, workshops, and debate, residents helped shape a long-term vision centered on:
The General Plan itself states:
“The General Plan is intended to serve as a constitution for future development within the city.”
That matters because land use decisions are supposed to follow the community vision already adopted by the city — not simply react to individual projects one at a time.
California law requires cities to make planning and development decisions that are consistent with their adopted General Plan.
The General Plan is designed to provide long-term stability, consistency, and predictability for residents, businesses, and future development.
Without that consistency, long-term planning loses meaning.
The question before Sebastopol is not simply whether another grocery store can be built.
The question is whether the proposal aligns with the economic and community goals the city already adopted through its General Plan.
What the General Plan Says: Support Existing Local Businesses
Economic Vitality Goal EV-1
The General Plan identifies locally owned businesses as a foundation of Sebastopol’s economy and community character.
The plan emphasizes protecting and strengthening businesses that already serve the community and contribute to the city’s unique identity.
Land Use and Economic Vitality Policies
The General Plan repeatedly emphasizes preserving the distinct small-town character that makes Sebastopol different from chain-dominated commercial areas found elsewhere.
The document recognizes that Sebastopol’s identity is directly tied to its independent businesses, local agriculture, arts, culture, and community-centered economy.
The General Plan supports economic development that complements and strengthens the local business ecosystem — not development that undermines existing locally rooted businesses.
Sebastopol’s economy depends heavily on:
The plan recognizes that preserving this ecosystem is critical to the city’s long-term economic health.
The General Plan specifically acknowledges concerns about formula retail and the impact national chains can have on community character and local economic diversity.
The city adopted policies intended to ensure that future development remains compatible with Sebastopol’s unique identity and existing business environment.
Sebastopol’s local businesses are not just storefronts — they are part of an interconnected local economic system.
Local businesses:
Economic studies consistently show that locally owned businesses generate greater local economic impact than national chains because more dollars stay within the community.
Sebastopol’s identity also has economic value.
Visitors come here because the city feels different:
That uniqueness supports tourism, downtown vitality, and long-term economic resilience.
Sebastopol already has multiple grocery stores serving the community.
The issue before the Planning Commission is not whether residents can buy groceries.
The real question is whether the city will uphold the long-term vision residents already established through the General Plan — a vision centered on locally rooted businesses, economic resilience, and preserving the character that makes Sebastopol unique.
The decisions made today will shape the future of Sebastopol for decades to come.
Join Us
