Project Title:
Envision Contra Costa 2040, Comprehensive Zoning Code Update – Study Session
County File(s):
#CDZT24-00001
Applicant/Owner:
N/A
Site Address/Location:
Countywide
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.
Project Planner:
Joseph W. Lawlor Jr, AICP, Principal Planner, (925) 655-2872
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.
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 t...
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