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San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Awards Announced

Award_CoP_General_Plan_thumbThree years ago, the eight regional planning agencies in the San Joaquin Valley came together in an unprecedented effort to develop a coordinated valley vision – the San Joaquin Valley Regional Blueprint. This eight county venture is being conducted in each county, and has recently been integrated to form a preferred vision for future development throughout the Valley to the year 2050.

In an effort to recognize plans, policies and projects that are “Blueprint friendly”, the Valley’s regional planning agencies created an awards program specifically designed for this purpose. Nominations were solicited from throughout the San Joaquin Valley for a number of categories. The judges reviewed the nominations and selected several for their efforts to reflect the Blueprint Principles. Because this was the first year of the program, the judges took the liberty of modifying some of the categories in order to better describe several of the nominations that were submitted.

The following awards will be presented by the Regional Policy Council at the Fall Policy Conference luncheon on October 2, 2009 in Fresno.

Award of Achievement
Community Plan - Unincorporated Community
Merced County ~ Hilmar Community Plan

Award of Achievement
Master Planned Community
Harlan Ranch ~ “A Clovis Community"

Award of Achievement
General Plan - Small Jurisdiction
City of Porterville General Plan

Award of Achievement
Community Plans - Unincorporated Community
Kings County General Plan ~ 4 Community Plans

Award of Merit
General Plan - Small Jurisdiction
City of Tracy General Plan

Award of Merit
Master Planned Community
Copper River Ranch

Award of Merit
Sustainable Development Policies
Kings County General Plan ~ Land Use & Resource Conservation Elements

Honorable Mention

  • City of Bakersfield Mill Creek
  • City of Tracy Growth Management Ordinance and Guidelines
  • City of Madera: Vision Madera 2025
  • City of Shafter: OSIP (Oakland Shafter Inland Port)

The Blueprint Principles were used as the criteria to judge the submittals.

  • Create a range of housing opportunities and choices
  • Create walkable neighborhoods
  • Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration
  • Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
  • Make development decisions predictable, fair and cost effective
  • Mix land uses
  • Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty and critical environmental areas
  • Provide a variety of transportation choices
  • Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities
  • Take advantage of compact building design
  • Enhance the economic vitality of the region
  • Support actions that encourage environmental resource management

The Blueprint Awards program is sponsored by the San Joaquin Valley Regional Policy Council (representing the eight SJV COGs), the Central Section of Cal Chapter APA (American Planning Association), AIA (American Institute of Architects) San Joaquin Chapter and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

The Award Judges represent several sectors:

  • Mayor Ann Johnston, City of Stockton
  • Fresno Council of Governments – Tony Boren, Executive Director
  • American Planning Association – Bruce O’Neal, AICP
  • American Institute of Architects – Dave Phillips, AIA
  • Federal Reserve Bank, San Francisco – Darryl Rutherford
  • Building Industry Association – Mike Prandini
  • Tejon Ranch – Barry Hibbard

Award of Achievement

award_cop_thumbGeneral Plan - Small Jurisdiction
City of Porterville General Plan

The Porterville 2030 General Plan seeks to establish a well-defined compact urban form, with neighborhood centers, improved open space amenities and streets and agricultural buffers. The hillside areas to the east of town are especially important to the attractiveness of the community and receive adequate attention in the General Plan. The Plan directs a majority of future growth eastward into the foothills that lie directly east of the community, away from the valley floor and prime farmland. It includes an agricultural “green belt” along the western and southern edges of the community as well as preservation of rocky hill and important archeological and environmental areas nearby. The Plan reestablishes downtown as the retail, cultural and entertainment core of the community where an active effort exists to preserve historical buildings and the historical architecture.
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