From a City of Piedmont press release on Tuesday, Dec. 20:
Planning and Building staff expect to bring the city’s proposed 6th Cycle Housing Element to City Council for adoption at a special meeting on Jan. 30, 2023
Adoption of the Housing Element will mark the culmination of a public engagement process that began in Spring 2021, as well as the beginning of a new chapter as the city implements the policies and programs outlined in the Housing Element over the next three years.
Moraga Canyon Specific Plan
A key piece of the implementation process will be the creation of a Moraga Canyon Specific Plan. This initiative will study all city-owned land in Moraga Canyon, including Blair Park, Coaches Field, Kennelly Skate Park, and the city’s Corporation Yard, with the end goal of creating a detailed plan for how to maintain and improve existing city facilities, open space, and recreational amenities in this area while also incorporating 132 units of housing, 60 of which would be available to lower income households.
The city expects to issue an RFP in late January seeking professional services to lead the preparation of the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan. Staff will bring the draft RFP to the City Council for authorization at the Jan. 17, 2023 meeting. Once a consultant has been selected, the Specific Plan process is expected to take 18-24 months to complete.
Robust public participation will be critical to a successful Specific Plan process. Throughout the process the City will conduct significant and ongoing public outreach, hold community meetings and workshops, and provide a variety of options for community members to weigh in and help shape the Specific Plan. Community members can stay informed by subscribing to the City’s Moraga Canyon Specific Plan email list HERE.
Important dates and next steps
January will be a busy month for Housing Element followers. Key tentative dates include:
• Jan. 8, 2023: Comments due on Housing Element Initial Study-Negative Declaration
• Jan. 12, 2023: Planning Commission review of proposed Housing Element
• Jan. 17, 2023: City Council consideration of RFP seeking a consultant to develop the Moraga Canyon Specific Plan
• Jan. 30, 2023: Special Meeting of the City Council to consider adoption of the Housing Element
• Jan. 31, 2023: State deadline for cities to adopt a Housing Element or face penalties
The city submitted the Draft Housing Element to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for review on Nov. 18, 2022.
After the City Council adopts the Housing Element, the city will have three years to implement a substantial number of the proposed programs and regulatory changes outlined in the document. This process involves additional environmental review, which is already underway – the city is currently in the process of preparing a programmatic EIR that studies the impacts of the new homes and residents that could come to Piedmont once implementation is complete.
Visit PiedmontIsHome.org, the city’s online hub for the Housing Element update and housing policy, for more information.
For questions about the Housing Element process, write to: PiedmontIsHome@piedmont.ca.gov.
The Housing Element process requires a city to identify a sufficient number of sites, which collectively can provide the potential to accommodate the RHNA. For reasons that to my knowledge the city has not articulated, a specific plan is being proposed for one of these sites, Moraga Avenue. I know of no HCD requirement that each city do a specific plan on any one of the sites shown on their RHNA list.
With an RFP process, and the amazingly high costs of consultants, it appears that several hundred thousand of dollars will be spent without a necessity to do so.
I think it is unfortunate to build housing on Moraga. Years ago we couldn’t build a play field because of the impact it would have on residents in the area,
Moraga Rd is often backed up to Maxwelton and now that will be increased. Cars often speed down upper Pala on a very tight road. Never do we see any patrol officers in the area. This will become a dangerous road unless speed bumps are put in and traffic is directed
away from this street. It will turn our nice, quiet neighborhood into a very busy area and our area will suffer.