GP/Housing Element Advocacy

Explore

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

⁠

Meeting Agenda⁠

⁠

Public Comment⁠

⁠

Presentation⁠

⁠

2 versions of the CAP

Government Operations and Community

⁠

Screen Shot 2022-03-28 at 1.16.23 PM.png

⁠

Emissions since 2005 have overall decreased

transportation sector is the largest

Per capital emissions decreased as well

⁠

Screen Shot 2022-03-28 at 1.18.07 PM.png

⁠

8 goals and 28 strategies

10 strategies with quantifiable GHG reductions

⁠

Screen Shot 2022-03-28 at 1.19.40 PM.png

⁠

Screen Shot 2022-03-28 at 1.24.40 PM.png

⁠

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

⁠

Strategy Matrix⁠

⁠

Zoe’s Notes⁠

⁠

Letter to Sustainability Committee from November⁠

⁠

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

⁠

Provided Public Comment⁠

⁠

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

⁠

Agenda⁠

⁠

Staff Report⁠

⁠

Sadie’s Notes on Draft⁠

⁠

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.

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.