Smoky Hollow is an eclectic incubator district of creative, innovative, and dynamic businesses.

The Smoky Hollow Specific Plan sets forth a forward-thinking, practical vision for the future of this eclectic, creative area. The vision and guiding principles are built upon extensive community engagement, including workshops and stakeholder interviews, City policy, and technical analysis of established conditions. In turn, every goal, strategy, and action included in this plan must both relate to and implement this shared vision.

What is a Specific Plan?

In the State of California, a specific plan is one of the many tools for implementing the goals and policies of a general plan. Specific plans implement a city or county’s general plan through the development of policies, programs, and regulations for a localized area and in greater detail. Specific plans are put in place to regulate distinct character areas that cannot be regulated through general ordinance or city-wide zoning. A specific plan establishes a link between implementing policies of the General Plan and the individual development proposals in a defined area within the city.

General Plan Consistency

The Smoky Hollow Specific Plan has a direct relationship to the City of El Segundo General Plan and provides site-specific, detailed descriptions of regulations, standards, and guidelines for implementing General Plan goals and policies. To achieve this, the Specific Plan must demonstrate that it is consistent with the General Plan, which was last comprehensively updated in 1992. (The Circulation Element was updated in 2004 and the Housing Element in 2014). The General Plan provides a citywide approach to planning for future development. It includes the seven required General Plan elements: Land Use, Circulation, Housing, Open Space (combined with Recreation), Conservation, Noise, and Public Safety, along with an Air Quality Element and Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Element. The General Plan identifies goals, objectives, and policies related to each of the chapters. The land use and development approach for the Smoky Hollow Specific Plan area is compatible with the goals, policies, and general pattern of land uses contained in the General Plan. The authority for preparation and adoption of specific plans is set forth in the California Government Code, Sections 65450 through 65457.