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Contra Costa

Unincorporated, Contra Costa

December 7th, 2023: Green Empowerment Zone (GEZ) Meeting

This is the inaugural meeting.

Agenda:

1. Pledge of Allegiance

2. Welcome by Assemblymember Tim Grayson, Congressman John Garamendi and Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia.

3. Introductions.

4. Elect Chair and two Deputy Chairs. Supervisor Gioia to be the first chair.

5. Review and adopt bylaws. (County staff)

6. Discuss the addition of the City Richmond as a participating jurisdiction. (Chair)

7. Background and operations: a. Review history and scope of authority of the GEZ. (Assemblymember Grayson and County staff) b. Update on grant agreement with GoBIZ related to the GEZ. (County staff) c. Request for concurrence for the County to seek proposals to assist the County with staffing the GEZ Board. (County staff)

8. Informational presentations: a. UC Berkeley Labor Center Research Proposal b. BioMADE Bioindustrial Manufacturing Innovation Institute

9. Discuss and set a regular meeting schedule. (Chair)

10. Discuss agenda for next meeting. (Chair)

11. Public comment on items not the agenda. 12. Adjourn.

March 28, 2022: Sustainability Committee - Karen

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Meeting Agenda⁠

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Public Comment⁠

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Presentation⁠

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2 versions of the CAP

Government Operations and Community

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Emissions since 2005 have overall decreased

transportation sector is the largest

Per capital emissions decreased as well

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8 goals and 28 strategies

10 strategies with quantifiable GHG reductions

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Should we push for net carbon neutrality by 2040?

no cost estimates yet for goals and strategies

Marti commented on behalf of 350 CC

4 main points

bold and actionable

target absolute emissions reductions, 2040 instead of 2050

measurable and time bound strategies

measurable and time bound so implementation approaches flow

Issue with per capita reductions since population growth targets are not being enacted as well → we need absolute targets

lots of comments

March 21, 2022: CAP Planning Meeting w/ 350CC - Karen + Zoe

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Strategy Matrix⁠

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Zoe’s Notes⁠

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Letter to Sustainability Committee from November⁠

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March 9, 2022: County Planning Commission - Stronger Communities - Karen

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Provided Public Comment⁠

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Upcoming Meetings

April 13 - Health and Safety Element

April 27 - Transportation Element

May 11 - Conservation, Open Space, and Working Lands Element

February 23, 2022: County Planning Commission - Land Use + Public Facilities Study Session - Karen

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Agenda⁠

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Staff Report⁠

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Sadie’s Notes on Draft⁠

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Public Comment

Hello! My name is Karen Rosenberg and I am a Resilience Fellow with Greenbelt Alliance. For those unfamiliar with GA we are an environmental non profit organization that works to address the climate crisis through the protection of open space and increasing climate smart housing.

I would like to commend you all for taking on this task and giving an opportunity for the public to provide feedback and input. We are happy to see language in the Land Use Element encouraging infill, transit oriented, and low impact development, and clustering. We were also very excited to see that your driving goals are centered around providing all types of housing, preventing sprawl, and planning for a jobs/housing balance.

We would like to see these great land use principles and policies strengthened through measurable actions that not only include language like "periodically reevaluate" or "consider funding", but instead, actions that include timelines that can provide greater transparency and as well as accountability. We love for you to consider incorporating language like focuses on not only how these goals and policies will be achieved but by when and evaluated how often.

While we have not yet seen what is in the safety element, there must be some reasonable alignment between these sections, especially as it relates to appropriate land uses in places vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding, and subsidence. We would like to see that language strengthened in the policies and actions in section B2 (Commercial and Mixed Uses) related to compatible uses in the face of sea level rise and with additional language acknowledging the need for a comprehensive study of land use options for decommissioned contaminated industrial sites.

In the Public Facilities element we were excited to see inclusion of language around green infrastructure, green benefits districts, park access, and nature-based solutions. We think the policies and actions are comprehensive and specific, but we would like to see consistent use of planning for SLR at a 2100 level, which should also include language linking that level to best available science to determine how that time equates to a projected water level and other impacts.

And finally, as with the Land Use element, adding measurable timelines and milestones will help make this General Plan actionable, transparent, and effective.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak and we look forward to weighing in on this process further.

Item 4a

EMR didn’t include alt for commercial amenities

VMT emissions issue

Subdivision map indicates 13% will be single story housing > still market rate but higher affordability than 2 story units

This is not a by-right project!

Issues of emergency and air quality

Access road for fire emergency

Existing zoning heavy in industrial

Study Session

General Notes

Last CAP update 2015

Next Steps

March 9 - Stronger Communities Element

March 23 - Health and Safety Element

April 13 - Transportation Element

April 27 - Conservation, Open Space, and Working Lands Element

HE somewhere in this

Do new dwelling units take into consideration

4/5 bay are oil refineries in County → provided lots of econ dev and jobs - comment from Ross Hillesheim

Discussion of renewable energy are not considered industrial uses and will be addressed in another element

Wants language about sustainable energy uses

Land Use Element

Public Facilities and Services

February 9, 2022: Contra Costa Housing Element Community Conversation - Zoe

CCC Draft Housing Element available for public review March - April 2022

Planning Commission and or Board of Sups meetings on Drafts May- June 2022

Prepare Draft Env Review March-August 2022

Submit Draft to HCD (90 day review)

2nd HCD review (60 day review)

Adoption Hearing Dec 2022 - January 2023

HCD Certification (60 day review) January 2023 - March 2023

Policies Zoe recommended:

Subsidize and develop incentives for building housing targeted towards vulnerable populations in high-opportunity areas, especially along transit-rich, commercial, and social service corridors.

Provide financial assistance and education to lower income, small property owners to add housing (such as ADUs) and rehabilitate existing units that are healthy and resource efficient.

Green construction raining program: Expand green construction training and apprenticeship programs to grow the local pool of skilled labor and reduce construction costs.

Parking policy zoning reform: to eliminate or reduce the number of parking spaces a developer is required to build, instead making it market driven.

Implement a policy of Retreat or Managed Retreat program for areas at-risk of repeated damage due to climate change hazards, such as areas of high subsidence, extreme wildfire risk, and floodplains to allow for natural modification of the landscape and reduction in risk to property and life.

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North Richmond HE Site List

North Richmond HE Site List

Name

Column 2

Column 3

Notes

Open

There are no rows in this table

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Housing-Element-NOP-Final.pdf (envisioncontracosta2040.org)⁠

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Draft Housing Element Notes

County Residents

Senior population is one of the fastest growing groups.

County Housing

This is especially true in the unincorporated areas, where single-family dwellings comprise 79.7 percent of the housing stock. Multi-family units account for 15.9 percent of the housing units, while the remaining 4.4 percent are mobile homes. Although home prices are more affordable in Contra Costa County than in most areas in the Bay Area, housing affordability is still an important issue affecting many residents in the county.

Neighborhood and housing quality is another issue in unincorporated county areas. Approximately 60 percent of the housing stock in unincorporated areas was built before 1980 and another 28 percent was built between 1980 and 1999. This indicates that a large portion of the housing stock is more than 30 years old, the age when most homes begin to have major repair or updating needs. T

Focus Group Feedback:

Developers: Have had conversations with planning staff at a site for about 150 affordable units and the County came back asking if they could make it more dense but the tax credit scoring is based on cost and their firm can’t go more than three or four stories before the project would not allow for funding based on density. They look at how to get projects funded within the arena of complicated tax credits. While the Housing Element might allow for density at 40-50 units per acre, in reality they can only build maybe 35 units per acre to get a tax credit award.

When the County is identifying Housing Element sites or prioritizing sites, it would be great to keep the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) scoring system in mind so they are close to transportation, shopping, health amenities, and schools, because if they don’t secure the amenity funds, they will not get funded or get a tax credit authorization.

Input Received Through General Plan Update Outreach

Since March 2019, the County has held over 40 meetings focused on unincorporated communities to discuss community-specific issues. At these meetings, many community members expressed the need for more affordable housing in a variety of densities/housing types that is not concentrated in specific communities and neighborhoods.

They also called for housing that is accessible to transit and other important services, like grocery stores.

Residents would like the County to support non-traditional forms of housing that can increase affordability, like tiny homes and ADUs, and suggested that the County inventory vacant and/or public land that is available for affordable housing development.

Furthermore, participants would like to see tenants’ rights be protected and avoid future displacements or rent hikes for residents living in these communities.

Housing Needs Assessment

Housing Constraints

Market Constraints

A survey of sales price listings of vacant lots in unincorporated communities across the county in November 2021 finds that most lots for sale tend to be smaller.

Based on pro forma work detailing construction costs of two recent multifamily developments, the average cost to construct an apartment unit in the unincorporated areas is approximately $526,797 (including the cost of land and impact fees).

The more costly development was Galindo in the Central sub-region, which cost $1,008,601 per unit, while some portions of the Legacy development in the West sub-region cost less, at $571,788 per unit.

Site Analysis

Because developing greater density on smaller sites can be more difficult, these sites are considered more suitable for addressing the moderate income RHNA.

Small Sites: Some of the sites included in the sites inventory to address the lowerincome RHNA consist of multiple parcels, some of which are smaller than 0.5 acres, and some sites included are one parcel that is smaller than 0.5 acres. Only sites that correspond to a similar track record of development under the same owner or those with strong potential for parcel assemblage or consolidation due to owner interest and/or common ownership have been included in the inventory to address the lower-income RHNA. (see Appendix A sites exhibits).

Potential Hazards: Some residential neighborhoods and sites listed in the Sites Inventory are vulnerable to fire, flooding and other hazards risks in unincorporated Contra Costa County. Some potential housing sites have been eliminated from the sites inventory due to their location in hazard zones.

The updated Safety Element, which is being prepared currently as part of the Comprehensive General Plan Update, will include additional new policies to further promote hazard reduction.

Infrastructure and Public Service Constraints

Many of the County’s affordable housing developments are located in infill locations in areas already served by existing infrastructure. While such infill sites are beneficial in that they don’t require the extension of services, provide housing near public transit and jobs, encourage economic growth in urban areas, and thus promote “smart growth” development principles3 , they may face other challenges to development

RHNA Progress

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How will they make sure the ADUs are required for very low and low income groups?

Parking requirements are too high. They should switch to maximums and work on limiting how much parking is allowed the closer a project is to transit.

They should allow ministerial approval of up to 4plexes in single family zones.

Encourage them to at minimum pilot a reduction of fees for subsidized affordable housing and tiny/ smaller units that are designed to be affordable.

Only one bullet point about bike amenities. Should add higher capacity bike parking to accomodate e-bikes, cargo bikes, and trikes in new developments to encourage biking for everyday needs.

Didn’t note community opposition as a constraint.

Local Opportunities to Further Reduce Energy Use and GHG Emissions

Good recommendations.

Water- and energy-saving incentives/rebates offered to households,

Use of water-efficient landscaping and energy efficient irrigation systems,

Use of photovoltaic systems,

Reduced reliance on private vehicles

Use of permeable paving materials for cooling and water conservation

Seek or support applications for affordable housing funds from agencies that reward and offer incentives for affordable infill housing and affordable housing built close to jobs, transportation, and amenities (e.g., HCD’s Multifamily Housing Program and California Tax Credit Allocation Committee).

Housing Goals

HE-A2.5 Action: Maintain consistency with ADU state law in the County Ordinance Code. Promote ADU construction in high resource areas/areas of concentrated affluence... The County will monitor production of ADUs as the planning period progresses and will consider implementation of additional actions if numbers of ADUs are not meeting target numbers anticipated in this Housing Element.

HE-A2.8 Action: Amend the County Ordinance Code to include an ordinance authorized pursuant to Senate Bill 10 unless determined infeasible or nonbeneficial

What are the major transit locations and do they already have draft EIRs that can be cross checked?

Goal HE-3 Increase the supply of appropriate and supportive housing for special-needs populations. social and economic resources among all communities in the county so that Impacted Communities are not disproportionately burdened by environmental pollution or other hazards.

HE-A4.1

New Construction: HOME and CDBG (in support of new construction) funds are used for new construction of single-family homes.

Why is this limited to single-family homes?

HE-A6.2

This is missing ministerial approvals. Perhaps for projects with 15-20% affordable housing at or under 80% AMI.

HE-A6.3 Action: Continually monitor development impact fees (transportation, drainage, park, etc.) and proposed increases.

What are some of the fees that can be reduced? This would be especially burdensome on small units designed to be affordable by design.

Goal HE-8 Promote energy-efficient retrofits of existing dwellings and exceeding building code requirements in new construction.

Pretty good. Also ties in the CAP and expresses the need to update it. Current plan was updated in 2015.

Chapter 5 Environmental Analysis

Policy 3-19: Buffers shall be provided between new industrial development and residential areas by establishing setbacks, and park-like landscaping or other appropriate mechanisms. [We could expand on this to focus on resilient infrastructure]

Policy 3-21: The predominantly single-family character of substantially-developed portions of the County shall be retained. Multiple-family housing shall be dispersed throughout the County and not concentrated in single locations. Multi-family housing shall generally be located in proximity to facilities such as arterial roads, transit corridors, and shopping areas. [Multiple problematic issues with this policy. Need to remove.]

Draft EIR Notes

Executive Summary

Table 1 Summary of Environmental Impacts, Mitigations and Levels of Significance After Mitigation

Impact 5.8-1: Implementation of the proposed project is projected to result in emissions that would exceed the unincorporated County’s GHG reduction target established under Executive Order S-03-05 or progress toward the State’s carbon neutrality goal. [Potentially Significant]

The County shall prepare a Climate Action Plan (CAP) to achieve the GHG reduction targets of Senate Bill 32 for year 2030. The CAP shall be completed within 18 months of certification of the Housing Element EIR. The CAP shall be updated every five years to ensure the County is monitoring the plan’s progress toward achieving the County’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target and to require amendment if the plan is not achieving specified level.

Impact 5.18-1: Buildout of the proposed project would not substantially impair an adopted emergency response plan or emergency evacuation plan. [Potentially Significant]

WILD-1 Project applicants for development in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone or WUI area shall prepare a Traffic Control Plan to ensure that construction equipment or activities do not block roadways during the construction period. The Traffic Control Plan shall be submitted to the applicable Contra Costa County Fire Protection District for review and approval prior to issuance of building permits.

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