General Plan

About Our General Plan

Every California city must adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan. The General Plan must cover a local jurisdiction’s entire planning area and address the broad range of issues associated with the City’s development. The General Plan is the City’s constitution or blueprint for its long-range physical development.

The City of Chino Hills General Plan is the master plan for the physical development of the community and is comprised of 8 elements: 

Land Use
Circulation
Housing
Conservation
Safety
Parks, Recreation and Open Space
Noise
Economic Development

The General Plan establishes goals and objectives to guide decision-making by City officials and staff. It also identifies land use designations, including the maximum density allowed, for all properties within the City.

General Plan Update 2025

On June 10, 2025, the City Council adopted the 2025 General Plan Update to implement the recently certified Housing Element. The project also includes updating the corresponding elements to implement the Housing Element: Land Use; Circulation; Conservation; Parks, Recreation, and Open Space; Noise; and Economic Development. In addition, a comprehensive update to the Safety Element was completed. The update also amended The Shoppes and The Commons Specific Plans to incorporate housing sites identified in the Housing Element. As part of the update, Chapter 16.02 General Provisions and Definitions, 16.04 Zoning Districts Designated, 16.11 Multiple-Family Ownership Housing and Conversion to Condominium, 16.34 Parking and Loading, 16.58 Administrative Procedures, Appendix F Objective Design Standards, and 16.15 Housing Priority Districts were amended and/or add to the zoning code. Lastly, the update involved the adoption of the 2020 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, previously recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission. 

• General Plan 2025 (PDF)
• General Plan Land Use Map (PDF)

General Plan Update Subsequent Program Environmental Impact Report

As part of the City’s General Plan Update, the community was provided an opportunity to review and provide feedback on the Draft Subsequent Program Environmental Impact Report (SPEIR) and the proposed associated 2025 General Plan Elements. The City Council certified the SPEIR on June 10, 2025.

• Draft Subsequent Program Environmental Impact Report (PDF)
• Appendices to the Draft Subsequent Program Environmental Impact Report (PDF)
• Final Subsequent Program Environmental Impact Report (PDF)

Policies for the Southeast Area - Zoned 1DU/40AC

The General Plan Land Use Element establishes special policies for the Southeast Area of the City of Chino Hills. 

The policies include:

• Goal LU-1: Protect Chino Hills’ Natural Environment.
• Policy LU-1.1: Preserve Chino Hills’ Rural Character by Limiting Intrusion of Development into Natural Open Spaces.
• Action LU-1.1.17: For the southeastern portion of the City designated with an asterisk as "*40 ac. min. lot size" in the City’s Zoning Map dated January 14, 2013, as shown in Figure 3-2 of the General Plan Update EIR, retain the City’s General Plan policies and statements adopted and in effect prior to this General Plan Update. The existing designations for this southeastern portion remain unchanged by this General Plan Update and the Zoning Map Amendment.

These policies are recorded in the City Zoning Map and in the Minutes from the City of Chino Hills Council meeting of February 24, 2015, and the Minutes from the City of Chino Hills Planning Commission meeting of July 7, 2015.

• City Council Minutes from February 24, 2015 (PDF)
• Planning Commission Minutes from July 7, 2015 (PDF)