Editing Ventura County, California (section)

=== 2040 General Plan ===
In 2020, the County of Ventura updated its [[Comprehensive planning|general plan]] to the Ventura County 2040 General Plan, as mandated by the [[California Office of Planning and Research]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Plan Guidelines and Technical Advisories - Office of Planning and Research |url=https://opr.ca.gov/planning/general-plan/guidelines.html |access-date=March 15, 2023 |website=opr.ca.gov}}</ref> This document establishes guidelines and a regulatory basis for development and policy-making in the county until it is updated again in 2040.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VC2040 General Plan Update - Purpose of the General Plan |url=https://www.vc2040.org/purpose-of-the-general-plan |access-date=March 14, 2023 |website=www.vc2040.org}}</ref> The County held surveys, workshops, advisory committees, and hearings to encourage community participation in the process of shaping and adopting the Ventura County 2040 General Plan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VC2040 General Plan Update - Community Engagement |url=https://www.vc2040.org/community-engagement |access-date=March 14, 2023 |website=www.vc2040.org}}</ref> The final 2040 General Plan, adopted on September 15, 2020, by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, is centered on the following nine elements of governance:

* Land Use and Community Character
* Housing
* Circulation, Transportation, and Mobility
* Public Facilities, Services, and Infrastructure
* Conservation and Open Space
* Hazards and Safety
* Agriculture
* Water Resources
* Economic Vitality.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=VC2040 General Plan Update - General Plan Organization |url=https://www.vc2040.org/general-plan-organization |access-date=March 14, 2023 |website=www.vc2040.org}}</ref>

The Environmental Impact Review done by the state on the Ventura County 2040 General Plan Update, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act, projects that the county will see a population increase of 13% from 2018 to 2040.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=County |first=Ventura |title=Ventura County 2040 General Plan Update |url=https://ceqanet.opr.ca.gov/2019011026/2 |access-date=March 14, 2023 |website=ceqanet.opr.ca.gov |date=January 13, 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref> As such, the review found no significant population or housing need changes anticipated for the county during this period.<ref name=":1" />

A 2020 lawsuit filed against the county by The Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business and the Ventura County Agricultural Association opposed policies in the 2040 General Plan which restricted oil and gas development, raised costs of agriculture, set high housing quality standards, and limited brush clearance.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Ventura County 2040 General Plan Update - We've Settled! |url=https://www.colabvc.org/portfolio/general-plan/ |access-date=March 14, 2023 |website=CoLAB VC |date=July 31, 2019 |language=en-US}}</ref> The suit was settled in February 2023 with the county's adoption of an Implementation Clarification for Certain Policies and Programs Contained in the 2040 General Plan, which stated the county's ongoing support of agricultural operations without altering the content of the Plan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=County of Ventura reaches settlement with CoLAB regarding 2024 General Plan – Ventura County News Channel Website |url=https://news.ventura.org/en/ventura-county-colab-settlement/ |access-date=March 15, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>