In California, the General Plan has often been described as a "blueprint for future growth" of a community. The General Plan for Modesto is best described as "a set of instructions on how to build a city."
The Housing Element is one of nine state-required parts or "elements" of a city’s general plan. The Housing Element is a policy document that describes how the City will address the housing needs of its residents. It contains housing goals, policies, programs, and resources that will help to develop, maintain and improve housing in Modesto.
Environmental analyses must be prepared for a “project,” as defined by state law, disclosing potentially significant impacts that are likely to result from the project. The Master Environmental Impact Report describes the various impacts that are likely to occur as the Urban Area General Plan is implemented.