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The following general policies of the Land Use Element of the General Plan are applicable to the study area and proposed development: 1. The County will promote the separation of urban centers as physically distinct units through the preservation of open space and prime agricultural areas. 2. Necessary expansion of urban centers and all rural residential development will be facilitated in a manner least disruptive to the agricultural surroundings and resources. 3. Urban growth will take place in areas within and adjacent to urban centers, precluding further random skip and ribbon developments. 4. All possible means will be used to ensure that all existing urban areas are provided with basic services, including storm drainage, sanitary sewers, water supply, and solid waste disposal, and that all future urban development will coincide with planned extensions of these basic services. a. In urban centers with municipal sewer and water, residential expansion within growth areas shown on the General Plan will require the extension of municipal facilities. b. Further expansion of rural centers, until such time as they have municipal sewer and water, should not be encouraged. The General Plan designates the study area for agriculture. Agriculture and related activities constitute a major portion of the economic base of San Joaquin County. A major objective in planning for land utilization in an agriculturally prominent county such as San Joaquin County is to conserve and enhance this important segment of the economy and to protect the resources upon which it is based. The General Plan Land Use/Circulation Map for the study area is presented in Figure 3.1-2. Specific principles in the General Plan that relate to agriculture on this site include: 1. The resources upon which agriculture is based will be protected, and the utilization of these resources for agricultural purposes will be encouraged. 2. Intensive agriculture such as orchards, vineyards and row crops will be supported and protected where soils of high quality are found and water is or will be available. 3. Further fragmentation of agricultural land outside of areas designated for urban expansion will be permitted only in areas designated for rural residential development. The soils in the study area are classified as prime agricultural soils, although extensive parcelizatlon in the last 35 years has resulted in varying degrees of urban encroachment in the area at a time when the economic viability of agricultural production is not particularly strong. See Section 3.1-3