What will the March JPA Planning area be like in 20 years? What qualities should be preserved? How should it change? How can history be reflected in new development? These questions and others are being addressed as part of a public participation process conducted by March JPA as part of the preparation of the Vision 2030 General Plan.

California land use agencies must adopt a General Plan that combines a long-term vision with implementing policies and programs to achieve the vision. March JPA's General Plan was previously adopted in 1999, since then approximately 4.0 million square feet of job-producing development has occurred, a Specific Plan for a future medical campus has been approved, and airport infrastructure has been installed.

The Vision 2030 process is a public participation process intended to seek public input, incorporate input into the Vision 2030 plan and move forward with the adoption of an updated General Plan that reflects community input.

1.1 Public Participation

The public participation process is an on-going component of the Vision 2030 project. Starting in 2008, a process was commenced to seek input from the Community:

• The March Joint Powers Commission approved the General Plan Vision Statements at their public meeting held on April 2, 2008.
  
  
• A General Plan Advisory Committee was formed in 2008 with representation appointed by the Cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris, and the County of Riverside. Each jurisdiction has two at-large representatives (Generally Planning Commission Members) who serve on the General Plan Advisory Committee, as well as one appointed professional staff member from the agency's Planning Department. The full General Plan Advisory Committee consists of 12 members (listed below). The General Plan Advisory Committee held 14 public meetings over 20 months during which an initial version of the Vision 2030 Plan was drafted.
  
  

  City of Riverside Finn Comer Stan Brown Doug Darnell	City of Perris Sal Mancuso Henry Martin Diane Sbardellati
  Riverside County Dave Stahovich Dick Heil Damian Meins Alt: Bill Gavitt	City of Moreno Valley Rick DeJong Doug Merkt Mark Gross Alt: Richard Dozier

  
  
• Three Vision 2030 General Plan/Programmatic EIR scoping meetings/Public open house meetings are scheduled seeking input regarding the Vision 2030 General Plan and Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR), as listed below:
  
  

  Perris	June 2, 2010 City of Perris Council Chambers 101 North "D" Street, Perris, CA 92570 5:00 - 7:00 PM
  Moreno Valley	June 7, 2010 Gracious Gatherings 23706 Meyer Dr, Riverside, CA 92518 5:00 - 7:00 PM
  Riverside	June 16, 2010 Orange Terrace Community Center Gymnasium 20010 Orange Terrace Parkway, Riverside, CA 92508 5:00 - 7:00 PM

  
  Meeting Dates
  
  
• Upon completion of the Vision 2030 General Plan meetings (in June 2010), the General Plan Advisory Committee will meet on July 12, 2010 to discuss input from the scoping meetings/open house.
  
  
• The March Joint Powers Commission will be briefed on the project at a future date. Tentatively, a meeting will be held on July 21 to discuss the status of the Vision 2030 March JPA General Plan.
  
  
• A second round of Community meetings is planned in or about October 2010 (tentative) to discuss incorporation of community input. The time, place, and number of community meetings have not been determined.
  
  
• A target adoption date of February, 2011 has been established for the Vision 2030 General Update.
  
  

1.2 Emerging Themes

Through input from the General Plan Advisory Commission, several emerging themes have been developed as components of the Vision 2030 General Plan. The following list is an abbreviated list of important components within the Draft Vision 2030 General Plan. These themes provide a framework for the drafting and development of the Vision 2030 General Plan Update policies:

Development in keeping with the military heritage of March Air Reserve Base:

The unique character of the March area is in large part due to the history of the military and its effect upon Riverside County. Through the General Plan Advisory Committee discussion, the necessity of highlighting the importance of the military's contribution has produced policies, as found in Cultural Amenities Map VI-5 and Conservation and Open Space Policy 11, which will lead to the development of information way-points, monumentation, and architectural enhancements that are sensitive to the history of the base.

Incorporation of a Conscious Effort to Promote Environmental Sensitivity and "Green" Development Objectives:

The Concept of environmental sustainability is gaining mainstream attention and acceptance with issues such as climate change, diminishing natural resources, and the growing dependence on fossil fuels. However, the concept of sustainability also involves other issues such as economics, regulatory framework, and societal issues, and how they relate to the environment and its finite nature. Numerous goals and policies throughout the Vision 2030 document are crafted to achieve the concept of sustainability and are denoted with the tree icon. These policies reduce dependence on fossil fuels and other extracted underground resources; reduce dependence on chemicals and other manufactured substances; reduce activities that harm life-sustaining ecosystems; and jointly meet present and future human needs.

Job Creation and Economic Development:

The fundamental purpose of the March JPA is to replace the economic benefits to the regional economy that were lost due to the realignment of the March Air Force Base. The Economic Development Element of the Vision 2030 General Plan Update sets the framework for a balanced and stable economic base in the Planning Area. Much as the 1999 March JPA General Plan, the Vision 2030 General Plan sets a goal of creating 38,000 local jobs within March JPA. The creation of local jobs is critical in reducing the jobs/ housing imbalance in the Riverside County, as evidenced by the approximate 35% of Riverside County commuters who leave their home county to travel to work. (Source 2006 SCAG State of the Commute)

Emphasize Truck Route Limitations as they relate to Van Buren Boulevard and Alessandro Boulevard:

A truck route system which designates truck and commercial vehicle routes and provides adequately-sized and designed roadways to meet the needs of trucks and commercial vehicles is proposed as shown in Circulation Element figure IV-3. This plan complies with the truck route principles of the WRCOG Good Neighbor Guidelines for Siting New and/or Modified Warehouse/Distribution Facilites.

Pursue Trail System in the Meridian West Area:

The draft Vision 2030 General Plan takes a fresh look at open space within March JPA. The conservation and Open Space Element includes draft policies to encourage the incorporation of passive open space trails near the former weapons storage area, similar to Sycamore Canyon Park within the City of Riverside. (O/S Policy Figures VI-5 and Conservation and Open Space Policy 9).

1.3 Community Input

(This section to be added after 2010 Community Meetings)

1.4 Draft Version 2030 General Plan