From a City of Piedmont press release on Dec. 8:
At their next meetings, the Planning Commission and City Council will conduct study sessions on upcoming measures to implement Piedmont’s 6th cycle Housing Element – revisions to the City’s Zoning Ordinance, amendments to the General Plan, and the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for Housing Element implementation.
The proposed revisions will make the Zoning Ordinance and the General Plan consistent with the programs outlined in the Housing Element, which the City Council adopted in March 2023 and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) certified in November.
No action will be taken at these meetings. The study sessions offer an opportunity for community members to better understand proposed implementation measures, and for the Planning Commission and City Council to discuss these steps in detail before the City Council considers adoption, which is anticipated for February 2024.
Community members can watch and provide comment at both meetings in-person or via Zoom:
Planning Commission: Monday, Dec. 11, 5:30 p.m. (Agenda)
Staff Reports: General Plan Amendments & Draft EIR; Zoning Ordinance Updates
Piedmont City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue
Zoom: piedmont-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/81433792168
City Council: Monday, Dec. 18, 6 p.m.
Piedmont City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue
Zoom: piedmont-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/82141110391
Each participant will have the opportunity to speak once on the Housing Element Implementation Update after the presentation and before the discussion. The meeting chair will set a time limit for individual comments based on the number of participants.
Study sessions part of months-long dialogue on Housing Element implementation
Planning staff previously presented information on these implementation measures at the October and November 2023 Planning Commission meetings and Nov. 20, 2023 City Council meeting. Meeting materials and video of the discussions are available online:
• Planning Commission (Oct. 9, 2023): Staff report | Presentation | Video
• Planning Commission (Nov. 13, 2023): Staff report | Presentation | Video
• City Council (Nov. 20, 2023): Staff report | Presentation | Video
Additional meetings on these topics are planned in January and February:
• Jan. 8, 2024: Planning Commission study session
• Jan. 29, 2024: Planning Commission special meeting and public hearing
• Feb. 20, 2024: City Council consideration of Zoning Ordinance and public hearing
About the 6th Cycle Housing Element
Piedmont’s 6th Cycle Housing Element lays out an ambitious plan to accommodate 587 new homes by 2031 – a target mandated by the State of California. The Housing Element includes 7 goals, 56 policies, and 77 programs.
Several programs identified in the Housing Element have already been completed, including new incentives for the creation of affordable Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), objective design standards for multi-family and mixed-use development, and securing a “Priority Development Area” designation for areas of land near Grand Avenue and in Moraga Canyon, which increases Piedmont’s eligibility for additional State funding to support affordable
housing development in these areas.
The City is currently soliciting comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the implementation of the Housing Element for public review and comment. The Draft EIR studies the impacts of Housing Element implementation, as a whole, looking at the overall impacts to Piedmont once each of the 77 programs included in the Housing Element – including changes to the City’s Zoning Ordinance, General Plan amendments, and the
Moraga Canyon Specific Plan – are realized.
The Draft EIR is open for comment through December 18th and can be reviewed at PiedmontIsHome, the City’s online hub for housing policy and the Housing Element update.
Learn more about Piedmont’s Housing Element at PiedmontIsHome.org. With questions,
email PiedmontIsHome@piedmont.ca.gov.