In 1968, the Board of Supervisors passed Policy I-1, which outlined the creation of community and subregional planning areas. In this policy, the Board directed the Department of Planning and Development Services to create and maintain these areas. The community boundaries reflect commonality of interest, topography, access, and existing district boundaries to the greatest extent possible. If and when the boundaries of community and subregional plan areas are revised, voting precinct boundaries are also to conform to these new boundaries.

Each area has a set of locally elected volunteers to hold meetings and organize local citizen participation. Representative planning and sponsor groups were formed within the communities and subregions of the unincorporated area for the purpose of advising and assisting the Director of Planning & Development Services, the Zoning Administrator, the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors in the preparation, amendment and implementation of community and subregional plans.