Upper Ridge Community Plan

Sign up for updates on the Butte County Upper Ridge Community Plan.

View the Upper Ridge Community Plan - Final (PDF).

The Upper Ridge Community Plan has been prepared to reflect Magalia's shared vision of the community's future after the devastating effects of the 2018 Camp Fire. The Plan identifies specific goals, strategies, and recommendations that will shape multiple aspects of life in the Upper Ridge, such as future housing; healthy and resilient neighborhoods; protection and management of natural resources; community safety; and social and economic equity in the Upper Ridge plan area over the next twenty years.

The Butte County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 22-038 on March 8, 2022. The Resolution accepted the Upper Ridge Community Plan and directed the Department of Development Services to include the Plan with the General Plan 2040 Update and Environmental Impact Report for adoption by the Board of Supervisors at a later date.

The Upper Ridge Community Plan was reviewed at a public hearing by the Planning Commission on January 27, 2022. At that hearing, the Planning Commission adopted Resolution PC22-01, recommending that the Board of Supervisors accept the Upper Ridge Community Plan and that plan adoption take place upon completion of environmental review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Planning Commission endorsed the public comments made at the hearing, which are summarized here:

Existing Conditions Analysis

Technical information and a broad analysis of existing conditions within the Upper Ridge Community Plan Area provide a solid foundation for the development of recommendations and alternatives.

First Community Workshop - Wednesday, January 27, 2021, from 6 to 7:30 pm [Closed]

Learn about the project and interact with other participants to brainstorm goals and objectives for shaping the Upper Ridge area in the future.

Second Community Workshop - Wednesday, May 5, 2021, from 6 to 7:30 pm [Closed]

Interact with other participants to brainstorm improvements that would enhance livability in the Upper Ridge area. Potential topics will include housing, transportation, resiliency/fire safety, communications, infrastructure, and more.

Third Community Workshop - Wednesday, May 26, 2021, from 6 to 7:30 pm [Closed]

Interact with other participants to review and discuss initial concepts and potential improvements developed by the project team after Workshop Number 2.

Fourth Community Workshop - Tuesday, June 15, 2021 (4:30 to 7 pm - Magalia Community Center, 13917 South Park Drive) [Closed]

Interact with other participants to review and discuss refined concepts and potential improvements developed by the project team after Workshop Number 3. These concepts and improvements will be incorporated into the Draft Plan to be released for public review in Fall 2021.

Upper Ridge Community Plan Survey [Closed]

The Butte County Upper Ridge Community Plan Project Team is starting a collaborative community engagement process to develop a shared vision for the Upper Ridge area. Your input will help determine priorities for the project!

Butte County General Plan 2040 Update Multi-Project Flyer (PDF)

  • Brief description and schedule of four ongoing, long-range planning projects in the County.

Upper Ridge Community Plan

The Upper Ridge Community Plan will set a vision and provide policy guidance for the areas within the unincorporated portion of Butte County north of the Town of Paradise, including Magalia and Paradise Pines area, collectively known as the Upper Ridge. The exact boundary for the Upper Ridge Community Plan will be determined during the planning process.

The 2018 Camp Fire destroyed 2,158 homes within the Upper Ridge area, along with many other non-residential structures, especially in the lower Paradise Pines subdivision. The devastation from this fire highlighted the Butte County Upper Ridge area's vulnerability to wildland fires and has changed the population, landscape, and priority of this area for many years to come.

Butte County is interested in working with current and past residents, property owners, business owners, and other interested parties to develop the Upper Ridge Community Plan. The Upper Ridge Community Council has identified many aspects of this community that would benefit from a community plan, especially in the area of fire safety, evacuation routes, land use planning, community and economic development, affordable housing, infrastructure, recreation, and quality of life. Magalia's commercial core has developed without extensive planning, and could potentially support higher density housing (under a Transfer of Development Rights, or "TDR" program), as well as a community gathering place/small plaza/ cultural center to hold special community events and to support and strengthen community character and identity.

What Is a Community Plan?

A community plan is a policy document that sets forth goals, objectives, policies, and programs to address specific issues related to a particular community. A community plan can also include a land use map identifying where land uses (such as residential, commercial, and industrial) are permitted as well as design standards or guidelines for new development.

Community plans refine the policies of a general plan as they apply to a smaller geographic area and are implemented by ordinances and other discretionary actions, such as zoning. The community plan process also provides an opportunity to identify local needs so that the plan can provide greater detail regarding important development and conservation policies within a given geographic area. The Upper Ridge Community Plan would be an extension of the Butte County General Plan, adopted by Butte County in 2010 (Butte County General Plan 2030). While the Upper Ridge planning process is underway, Butte County will be simultaneously undertaking a focused update to the General Plan.

Project Goals

  • Develop a land use blueprint for post-Camp Fire recovery and provide important policy direction for future growth, circulation, infrastructure, conservation, and development
  • Provide a locally developed and supported vision for the community's future
  • Engage the community as key decision-makers to create conditions for health, safety, and equity
  • Plan for a vibrant, youth-friendly town center providing needed commercial services
  • Explore the use of an innovative transfer of development rights program that would encourage a variety of housing types, including affordable housing
  • Include policies that would be an example throughout California for developing a resilient and fire-adapted community

Timeline

November 2020 to March 2021

  • Existing Conditions Analysis
  • Virtual Community Workshop Number 1 (January 27th, 2021 at 6 to 7:30 pm)

April to May 2021

  • Design Development
  • Virtual Community Workshop Number 2 (May 5th, 2021 at 6 to 7:30 pm)
  • Virtual Community Workshop Number 3 (May 26th, 2021 at 6 to 7:30 pm)
  • Community Workshop Number 4 (June 15th, 2021 at 4:30 to 7:30 pm, Magalia Community Center, 13917 South Park Drive)

June to November 2021

  • Feasibility and Capacity Analysis
  • Development of Transfer of Development Rights Program
  • Preparation of Draft Community Plan

November to December 2021

  • Adoption of Draft Community Plan
  • Preparation of Final Community Plan