To: Board of Supervisors
From: John Kopchik, Director, Conservation and Development
Report Title: Report on 2026 Ballot Measure to Renew the County Urban Limit Line
?Recommendation of the County Administrator ? Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ACCEPT a report from the Conservation and Development Director on a 2026 ballot measure to renew the County's Urban Limit Line (ULL) and PROVIDE direction to staff.
FISCAL IMPACT:
No fiscal impact at this time. DCD staff time associated with preparing the ballot measure is covered entirely by the Land Development Fund.
BACKGROUND:
Brief History of the Urban Limit Line
On November 6, 1990, Contra Costa County voters approved Measure C, the 65/35 Contra Costa County Land Preservation Plan (the "65/35 Plan"), which established various mechanisms aimed at containing urban sprawl and protecting resources like agricultural land and scenic ridges. The most significant and impactful of these mechanisms are the 65/35 Land Preservation Standard (the "65/35 Standard") and ULL. Pursuant to the 65/35 Standard, no more than 35 percent of the land in the county may be designated for urban uses (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) in the General Plans of the County and 19 cities, and at least 65 percent must be designated for agriculture, open space, parks, and other non-urban uses. Meanwhile, the ULL establishes a boundary beyond which no urban land uses may be designated. Working together, the 65/35 Standard and ULL limit the geographic extent of urban development in the county.
Measure C was set to expire on December 31, 2010. On November 7, 2006, county voters approved Measure L, which carried forward most of the elements of Measure C while adding provisions for periodic ULL review and establishing different processes for expanding the ULL by 30 acres or fewer and more than 30 acres. Measure L is in effect through December 31, 2026.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Compliance
The ULL ballo...
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