The following is a quote from the 2005 County General Plan:

The General Plan sets forth broad goals, objectives, and policies. Implementation requires translating these broad statements to specific actions, systematically evaluating progress, and active community participation. In this regard, follow-up planning efforts will involve the preparation of Community Development Plans, Capital Improvements Program, and an annual report.

Community Development Plans

The Community Development Plans are intended to be the forum for community input into managing growth and coordinating the delivery of government services to the community. The Community Development Plans will translate the broad General Plan statements to specific actions as they apply to specific geographical areas.

A Community Development Plan should direct physical development and public improvements within a specific area. The Community development Plan may contain detailed land use and zoning guide maps, plans for roadways, drainage, parks, and other infrastructure and public facilities, architectural design guidelines, planning for watersheds and other natural features, and any other matters relating to the planning area.

The Planning Director or Council may initiate a Community Development Plan. Each Community Development Plan shall have a steering committee composed of members appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council. The members shall be broadly representative of the affected communities.

The steering committee shall work in conjunction with the Planning Department and with any professional consultants hired to assist in the preparation of the plan. The exact boundaries of the planning area may be determined during the preparation of the plan.

It is not mandatory that there be a Community Development Plan for each region. Although the previous General Plan called for Community Development Plans, in the thirty years since the enactment of the first General Plan, only one Community Development Plan has been enacted by ordinance, one by County Council Resolution, and two by Planning Commission Resolution. Time, cost, the degree of effort, and, in some cases, the inability to achieve a sufficient consensus, has been the limiting factors.

The need for a Community Development Plan for a particular area should be assessed considering a number of factors, including how much is public infrastructure challenged by recent or anticipated growth and whether there are significant efforts to change the zoning and land use in the area.

After the steering committee has recommended approval of the Community Development Plan, it shall be forwarded to the Planning Commission for its review and recommendation to the County Council. The County Council may modify or amend the Community Development Plan before enacting it by ordinance, but it shall give the steering committee and the Planning Commission an opportunity to review and comment upon substantive amendments and modifications before final adoption of the plan.

In the process of creating the Community Development Plan, it may be determined that the General Plan should be amended. The Planning Director or County Council may initiate amendments to the General Plan, and the steering committee may recommend amendments, that would be enacted at the same time as the Community Development Plan, or as a follow-up to the Community Development Plan. If there is a direct conflict between the Community Development Plan and the General Plan, the General Plan shall be controlling.

The Community Development Plans shall focus on action. The courses of action specified in each element of the General Plan need greater detail and need to be coordinated by district. The Community Development Plans shall identify appropriate governmental actions that include:

Regulatory actions. Regulations rely on government's police power to control what people can and cannot do in the interest of the public's health, safety, or welfare. The County administers and enforces various regulations to control land use. These regulations include the zoning code, subdivision code, flood control code, grading code, sign code, and building code. The County also administers requirements imposed by the Federal and State governments, such as the Coastal Zone Management Act and the State Land Use Law. The Community Development Plans shall recommend amendments as appropriate to the codes, maps, or administration and enforcement.

Incentive measures. Where regulatory controls are the government's "sticks", incentives are the "carrots" to encourage certain actions. Too often, regulation is the solution. Regulation can be restrictive, reactive, and divisive. Incentive measures, on the other hand, can invite creative "win-win" solutions. Examples of incentive measures include property tax exemptions such as for agricultural or native forest dedications, expedited permit processing, density bonuses, and discounted facility fees. Community Development Plans shall consider appropriate incentive measures to achieve various objectives, as applicable.

Acquisition actions. Where significant resources are located on private property, it may be more appropriate for government to purchase the development rights or fee simple title rather than to severely regulate the owner’s use of the property. Obviously, purchasing in reaction to development proposals is expensive. The Community Development Plans shall identify acquisition priorities, as appropriate, and seek means to leverage financing by working creatively with the landowner, other levels of government, land trusts, and/or nonprofit groups.

Capital budgeting actions. The County annually prepares a capital improvements budget where public facility projects (new construction or major repairs) are identified. The budget is accompanied by a six-year capital improvements program (CIP). The CIP process is explained in more detail below. The Community Development Plans shall identify and prioritize public facility projects important to the community. The CIP shall take into consideration the recommendations in the Community Development Plans, recognizing that the CIP must reconcile competing interests for a limited amount of funds.

Programs. Certain community needs do not necessarily require land or a new facility, but rather a focused commitment of time and money towards achieving specific objectives. These operational projects are referred to as programs. Examples include an after-school youth program, neighborhood watch program, or mediation training program. Too often, resources are diverted to studies that could be more effectively used for pilot programs that actually try to achieve results and provide lessons through action. Community Development Plans shall identify desired programs and the community’s role in planning and implementing the programs.

Development/Redevelopment. In very special situations, it may be appropriate for government to take the lead and act as developer either singly or as a public/private partnership. These situations arise when the private market fails to address certain needs, such as very low income housing, or when the situation is quite large-scale, complex, and especially requires government's power of eminent domain to assemble land for redevelopment. Community Development Plans shall identify desired projects for public development or redevelopment, and shall coordinate input from appropriate agencies such as the Office of Housing and Community Development or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.