SAN DIEGO - Citizens are invited to attend a joint workshop being held by the City Council Land Use and Housing Committee and the Planning Commission to discuss the City’s Strategic Framework Element and City of Villages strategy. The workshop will take place on April 3 at 3:00pm in the City Council Chambers at 202 "C" Street, 12th floor.

The City Council’s Land Use and Housing Committee and the Planning Commission will discuss the draft Strategic Framework Element and Five-Year Action Plan, draft Financing Strategy and draft Pilot Village application package. The workshop will include updates from the Strategic Framework Citizen Committee and a report on public outreach efforts to date.

No formal action will be taken at this workshop. The Environmental Impact Report is still in draft form and will not be discussed at this workshop in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The City Council will hold a similar workshop on April 29, followed by a Planning Commission Hearing on May 30. The City Council is scheduled to consider adopting the Strategic Framework Element and Five-Year Action Plan in July.

The Strategic Framework Element is an update to the City's General Plan. The element employs "smart growth" concepts and proposes a City of Villages. This strategy draws upon the strengths of existing San Diego neighborhoods to improve quality of life by combining housing, commercial, employment centers, schools and civic uses together into a community with easy access to transit.

The next step after City Council adoption would involve implementation of the five-year action plan, selection of pilot villages, implementation of a public facilities financing strategy and more detailed work with communities on defining village locations in community plans.

For more information about Strategic Framework Element and City of Villages strategy, please call the Planning Department at (619) 236-6479. Additional information can be found on the City’s website at www.sandiego.gov.