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Project Title: |
Envision Contra Costa 2040, Comprehensive Zoning Code Update - Study Session |
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County File(s): |
#CDZT24-00001 |
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Applicant/Owner: |
N/A |
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Site Address/Location: |
Countywide |
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California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Status: |
No actions are proposed as part of the Study Session for the project. Environmental review for the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update will be completed prior to adoption. |
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Project Planner: |
Joseph W. Lawlor Jr, AICP, Principal Planner, (925) 655-2872 |
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Staff Recommendation: |
Conduct a Study Session on the Envision Contra Costa 2040 Comprehensive Zoning Code Update, accept public comments, and provide input to staff on the progress to date and on priorities for future study sessions. |
I. BACKGROUND
On November 5, 2024, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan, which sets the County’s long-range vision and includes actions that call for changes to the Zoning Code (County Ordinance Code Title 8 - Ordinance 382). The Zoning Code is the primary tool for implementing the General Plan, and State law requires that zoning be consistent with the most recently adopted General Plan.
The Zoning Update Report (ZUR), which identified issues with the current Code and recommended updates, was reviewed by the County Planning Commission on May 22, 2024, and by the Board of Supervisors in June 2024. The Comprehensive Zoning Code Update, the first since the Code’s adoption in 1947, began in August 2024 and is proceeding in three phases: (1) Draft Code Development, (2) Public Review of the Code, and (3) Code Adoption. The project is currently in Phase 1.
The update has four goals: (1) General Plan Consistency, aligning regulations and procedures with the 2045 General Plan; (2) Accessibility, ensuring the Code is accessible and easy to use; (3) Transparency, establishing a clear and transparent planning review process; and (4) Modernizing Uses and Regulations, supporting land uses and regulations that reflect existing development patterns or provide visionary regulations where appropriate.
II. OUTREACH PLAN
A Zoning Code Update Outreach Plan guides engagement with the public, key stakeholders, Municipal Advisory Councils (MACs), the County Planning Commission, and the Board of Supervisors. It identifies outreach objectives, methods, and logistics, builds on community input from the 2045 General Plan, and will be refined as the project proceeds. Outreach activities include meetings with the Board of Supervisors, the Commission, and the MACs; community workshops, stakeholder meetings, and surveys; and webpage updates, e-blasts, social media, news releases, and informational materials.
This is the Commission’s second study session during Phase 1, following the May 22, 2024 study session on the ZUR. Up to two additional Commission study sessions are anticipated during Phase 1.
III. PROGRESS UPDATE
The ZUR found that the current Code is unintuitively organized, that permit procedures are unclear and split between Title 2 (Administration) and Title 8 (Zoning), and that the zoning districts do not align with the 2045 General Plan. The draft Code addresses these issues as follows:
(1) Division 82 - Administration and Procedures: Consolidates zoning administration and procedures in one place in Title 8.
(2) Division 84 - Base Zoning Districts: Aligns the base districts with the 2045 General Plan land use designations, consolidates the current districts into fewer, clearer districts (see examples below), and makes greater use of tables, lists, and diagrams.
(3) Division 86 - Overlay Zoning Districts: Removes outdated overlays, including the Boat Storage (-BS), Design Control (-B), and Transitional (-T) overlays, while keeping the remaining overlays.
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Residential General Plan Land Use Designation |
Current Residential Zoning Districts |
Proposed Residential Zoning District |
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Residential Very-Low Density (RVL) |
R-100, R-65, R-40, HE-C |
R-1 |
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Residential Low Density (RL) |
R-40, R-20, R-15, R-12, HE-C |
R-2 |
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Residential Low-Medium Density (RLM) |
R-12, R-10, R-7, R-6, F-1, T-1, HE-C |
R-3 |
IV. SPECIFIC PLANS AND AREAWIDE P-1 DISTRICTS
Development in several areas of the County is governed by specific plans, dating from Shell Ridge (1977) to Dougherty Valley (2014), or by areawide Planned Unit (P-1) zoning districts. Many of these documents are outdated, add a layer of review on top of the General Plan and Zoning Code, and are not consistent with the 2045 General Plan.
Staff proposes to move their provisions into the appropriate regulatory documents and then retire each specific plan or areawide P-1, as appropriate. Depending on their nature, provisions would be relocated to the General Plan, the base zoning districts, overlay zoning districts, or the County’s Objective Design Standards. For example, the goals and policies of the Alhambra Valley Specific Plan (1992) would be incorporated into the General Plan Community Profile for Alhambra Valley, and the permitted, conditional, and prohibited land uses of the North Gate Specific Plan (1991) would be addressed by the base zoning district for each property.
V. STUDY SESSION
The purpose of this study session is to update the Commission on the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update and receive its feedback on the progress to date, including the approach to specific plans and areawide P-1s. Staff also requests the Commission’s input on which of the following topics to prioritize for future study sessions:
(1) Permitting pathways and authorities;
(2) Allowed uses;
(3) Development standards and design review/guidelines; and
(4) Other topics of interest to the Commission.
Next, staff will continue drafting the Code, including Division 88 (Regulations for Specific Uses) and Division 810 (Supplemental Regulations). Upcoming outreach includes MAC meetings, a Board of Supervisors study session, and future Commission study sessions.
VI. DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY
The adopted 2045 General Plan, the Zoning Update Report, and other Envision Contra Costa 2040 documents are available at <https://envisioncontracosta2040.org/documents/>
Attachments:
A. Comprehensive Zoning Code Update PowerPoint Presentation