Project Title:
2026 Urban Limit Line Renewal
County File Number:
GP25-0001
Applicant/Owner:
N/A
Project Location:
Countywide
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Status:
Draft Environmental Impact Report pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15153
Project Planner:
Will Nelson, Assistant Deputy Director, (925) 655-2898
Staff Recommendation:
Accept comments on the adequacy of the Contra Costa County 2045 General Plan and Climate Action and Adaptation Plan 2024 Update Draft EIR as the environmental document for the 2026 Urban Limit Line Renewal.
I. BACKGROUND
On November 6, 1990, Contra Costa County voters approved Measure C (Measure C-1990), the 65/35 Contra Costa County Land Preservation Plan Ordinance (the 65/35 Plan, County Ordinance Code Chapter 82-1), which established various mechanisms aimed at containing urban sprawl and protecting resources like agricultural land and scenic ridges and hillsides. The most significant and impactful of these mechanisms are the 65/35 Land Preservation Standard (the 65/35 Standard) and Urban Limit Line (ULL). Pursuant to the 65/35 Standard, no more than 35 percent of the land within the county may be designated for urban uses (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) in the General Plans of the County and the 19 incorporated cities within the county, and at least 65 percent of the land must be designated for nonurban uses such as agriculture, open space, and parks. Meanwhile, the ULL establishes a regulatory boundary beyond which no land may be designated for urban land uses. Operating together, the 65/35 Standard and ULL limit the expanse of urban development in the county.
Measure C-1990 was set to expire on December 31, 2010. On November 7, 2006, county voters approved Measure L (Measure L-2006), which carried forward most elements of Measure C-1990 while adding requirements for a four-fifths vote of the Board of Supervisors and voter approval to expand the ULL by more than 30 acres, and periodic reviews of the ULL by ...
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