CONTRA COSTA COUNTY  
Committee Meeting Minutes - Final  
Contra Costa County Planning Commission  
6:30 PM  
Wednesday, August 27, 2025  
30 Muir Road, Martinez  
CHAIR: Kevin Van Buskirk  
VICE-CHAIR: Bhupen Amin  
COMMISSIONERS: Jeffrey Wright, Donna Allen, Bob Mankin, Ross Hillesheim, Sanjiv Bhandari  
Donna Allen, Bhupen Amin, Ross Hillesheim, Bob Mankin, Kevin  
Van Buskirk, and Jeffrey Wright  
Present  
Sanjiv Bhandari  
Absent  
The public may attend this meeting in person at the above location. The public may also attend this  
meeting remotely via Zoom or call-in. Login information and call-in information is provided below.  
Persons wishing to view the meeting but not participate may view the meeting live online at:  
Persons who wish to address the Commission during public comment on matters within the  
Commission’s jurisdiction that are not on the agenda, or who wish to comment with respect to an item  
on the agenda, may comment in person, via Zoom, or via call-in. Those participating in person should  
come to the podium when called upon. Those participating via Zoom should indicate they wish to speak  
by using the “raise your hand” feature in the Zoom app. Those calling in should indicate they wish to  
speak by pushing “#2” on their phone.  
All public comments will be limited to 3 minutes per speaker. Public comments may also be submitted  
before the meeting by email at planninghearing@dcd.cccounty.us, or by voicemail at (925) 655-2860.  
Comments submitted by email or voicemail will be included in the record of the meeting but will not be  
read or played aloud during the meeting.  
For assistance with remote access, please contact County staff at (925) 494-4516  
Any disclosable public records related to an item on a regular meeting agenda and distributed by County  
staff to a majority of the Planning Commissioners less than 96 hours prior to the meeting are available  
for inspection at 30 Muir Road, Martinez, CA 94553, during normal business hours.  
The Community Development Division of the Department of Conservation and Development will  
provide reasonable accommodations to those persons needing translation services and for persons with  
disabilities who wish to participate in County Planning Commission meetings. Please contact County  
staff at least 48 hours before the meeting at (925) 655-2860.  
1.  
2.  
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE  
PUBLIC HEARINGS  
BENIOT MCVEIGHT, DK ENGINEERING (Applicant), DOBBINS  
PROPERTIES, LLC (Owner), County File CDSD23-09646,  
2a.  
CDRZ23-03270, GDGP21-00004, CDDP23-03012: The applicant requests  
approval of the Camino Pablo Single-Family Residential Subdivision  
Project, which includes approval of the following applications: General Plan  
Amendment (CDGP21-00004), Rezone CDRZ23-03270, , Subdivision  
(CDSD23-09646) and Development Plan (CDDP23-03012), to allow  
development of the southern 7.9 acres of the 23.9-acre project site consisting  
of a residential subdivision of 13 single-family residences with attached  
accessory dwelling units (ADUs) incorporated into 11 of the residences. The  
remaining 16 acres would remain as undeveloped land within a  
deed-restricted scenic easement. The project requires the following  
entitlements: 1) An 18-lot major subdivision including 13 residential lots  
(Lots 1- 13) and five open space lots (Lots A-E), 2) A general plan  
amendment to redesignate 7.9-acres from Agricultural Lands (AL) to  
Residential Low Density (RL) and to redesignate the remaining northerly  
16.0 acres of the site from Agricultural Lands (AL) to Resource  
Conservation (RC), 3) A Rezone of the 7.9-acre residential development  
area from General Agricultural (A-2) district to a P-1 Planned Unit District,  
and 4) A development plan application for the proposed P-1 district  
authorizing development of 13 one- and two-story detached single-family  
residences on the individual lots.The project includes site improvements  
providing vehicular access onto Camino Pablo via a new access road  
terminating in a cul-de-sac which would have a sidewalk on the north/east  
side. Stormwater runoff from the site would be treated by bioretention  
basins and discharged into a proposed onsite storm drain system which  
directs stormwater flow offsite into an existing storm drain system that  
ultimately discharges to Moraga Creek. Additionally, portions of the  
Camino Pablo right-of-way fronting the project would be widened to 68 feet  
in width (present width varies from 46’ to 59’) and the existing 28’ wide  
roadway would be expanded to 36 feet and include a curb and gutter on both  
sides. The existing curb and gutter on the west side of Camino Pablo would  
remain, while the existing 8-foot-wide sidewalk extending along the project  
frontage would be replaced with a new, slightly relocated 8-foot-wide  
sidewalk. The subject property consists of a vacant 23.9-acre parcel located  
at 0 Camino Pablo (immediately east of Camino Pablo/Tharp Drive  
intersection) in the unincorporated Moraga area of Contra Costa County.  
(APN: 258-290-029), Zoning A-2 General Agricultural District) AV  
APPROVE recommendations as presented, with the following modifications to the  
conditions of approval:  
REVISE COA5 to read: P-1 Development standards for the residential development shall  
refer to the R-15 Single-Family Residential Zoning District as a guideline.  
DELETE COA48  
REVISE COA49 to read: The applicant shall design and construct road improvements  
along the frontage of Camino Pablo that align with or support current or future planned  
corridor improvements (including dedicating any right-of-way to Moraga), subject to  
review and input of the Town of Moraga and the review and approval of the (County)  
Public Works Department  
.
Motion:  
Second:  
Hillesheim  
Wright  
Aye:  
Allen, Amin, Hillesheim, Mankin, Van Buskirk, and Wright  
Absent:  
Result:  
Bhandari  
Passed  
THOMAS BIGGS (Applicant) - ROBEL ASEFAW (Owner) – DAVID  
AND SANDRA GERSTEL (Appellants), County File #CDDP24-03060:  
This is an appeal of the Zoning Administrator’s decision to approve a  
Development Plan and Design Review to allow for the construction of a new  
approximately 1,643-square-foot, two-story single-family residence with an  
approximately 54-square-foot covered front porch and an approximately  
83-square-foot covered second story balcony. The project is located at 279  
Colusa Ave, in the Kensington area of Contra Costa County. (Zoning: R-6  
Single-Family Residential District, -TOV Tree Obstruction of Views, -K  
Kensington Combining District) (Assessor’s Parcel Number: 571-350-018)  
EL  
2b.  
DENY the appeal and approve recommendations as presented.  
Motion:  
Second:  
Van Buskirk  
Wright  
Aye:  
Nay:  
Hillesheim, Mankin, Van Buskirk, and Wright  
Allen, and Amin  
Absent:  
Result:  
Bhandari  
Passed  
3.  
PUBLIC COMMENTS  
None  
4.  
STAFF REPORT  
None  
5.  
COMMISSIONERS' COMMENTS  
Commissioner Hillesheim commented on the lengthy time it would take to download a staff report  
online.  
6.  
COMMUNICATIONS  
None  
THE NEXT MEETING OF THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION WILL BE  
HELD ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2025.