Title
Public Workshop to Review and Comment on the April 2022 Draft Housing Element and the proposed Zoning Code Amendments to Accommodate the Regional Housing Needs Allocation for the Period 2023-2031 in Compliance with State Law
Body
To: Honorable President and
Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Housing Element workshop provides an opportunity for the Planning Board and the public to review and comment on the April 2022 Draft Housing Element and the proposed zoning code amendment to permit, facilitate and encourage development to accommodate the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the 2023-2031 Housing Element cycle. The draft Housing Element is attached as Exhibit 1. The draft Zoning Amendments are attached as Exhibit 2. Both documents are available for public review at www.alameda2040.org <http://www.alameda2040.org> or www.alamedaca.gov <http://www.alamedaca.gov>.
No final action is required at this time. Staff is requesting Planning Board and community comments on the draft documents.
BACKGROUND
As described in the draft Housing Element, the City of Alameda is in the third year of work to update the Housing Element to ensure compliance with State Housing Law. As described in prior staff reports and the draft Housing Element, the City of Alameda (City) must identify lands that can be feasibly developed for housing during the 2023-2031 period to accommodate over 5,353 units, per State of California Government Code requirements. State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) guidelines require that the City provide a minimum 15% to 30% buffer to avoid “no net loss”. With a 20% “buffer”, the City’s 5,353 unit RHNA increases to approximately 6,400 units.
DISCUSSION
After three years of discussion about housing in Alameda, the City must now prepare to complete work on the Housing Element in 2022. Over the course of the last three months, the Planning Board has held six (6) public workshops to review and comment on draft zoning amendments and programs designed to encourage and facilitate the construction of housing in specific districts and areas of the city to meet the RHNA and address fair housing requirements. The workshops and hearings have considered:
• Amendments to the R-1 Single Family Zone to increase housing opportunities and comply with SB 9 in single family zoning districts.
• Amendments to increase housing at shopping center sites.
• Amendments to address special needs housing in all zoning districts.
• Amendments to the CC District to increase housing opportunities and address special needs housing on Park Street and Webster Street.
• Amendments to the R-2 through R-6 residential districts to increase housing opportunities and address special needs housing in all residential districts.
• A program to build 1,489 units at Alameda Point and a separate public workshop to review zoning amendments for residential districts.
These recent workshops informed the draft zoning amendments shown in Exhibit 2.
During this same period, the staff/consultant team has been working on the April 2022 Draft Housing Element to ensure that the draft Element includes all of the mandatory sections and information required by State Housing Government code, including:
• Goals and policies,
• Programs, which are specific actions and commitments to address housing needs to accommodate the RHNA and fair housing statutory requirements,
• Site inventory (the site inventory lists the specific locations and parcels that are available and that are, or will be, zoned appropriately to accommodate the RHNA and address fair housing deficiencies in the existing zoning)
• Review of the past Housing Element programs,
• Fair housing analysis,
• Housing conditions and needs analysis,
• Housing constraints analysis, and
• Housing resources analysis.
The draft Housing Element is attached as Exhibit 1.
Schedule. The upcoming milestones in the Housing Element update public process include:
April 5- May 9. Housing Element Public Review Period. On April 5, 2022, the City initiated a 30 day public review period for the draft Housing Element to solicit public comments on the draft document. The 30-day period ends on May 9, 2022. The Planning Board will also be conducting a public meeting to take comments on the Housing Element on Monday May 9, 2022. Staff has also scheduled a public workshop for the City Council on April 19, 2022.
May - August. Housing Element HCD Review Period. After considering the changes suggested by the public and making any necessary changes to the Housing Element, the City will send the draft document to HCD for their review. Within 90 days, HCD will transmit their comments on the draft document for public, Planning Board, and City Council review.
May - August. Zoning Amendments Planning Board Public Hearings. While HCD is reviewing the draft Housing Element, staff plans to continue work with the Planning Board and community to continue to refine and improve the draft Zoning Amendments shown in Exhibit 2. (The zoning amendments will not be sent to HCD in May, and the Planning Board will not complete its final recommendations on the Zoning Amendments until the City has heard back from HCD on the adequacy of the Housing Element.)
August - September. Address HCD Comments. Upon receipt of the comments from HCD, staff will prepare amendments to the Housing Element and the Zoning ordinance amendments, if necessary, to address any inadequacies identified by HCD. These amendments will be considered by the Planning Board at public hearings in September.
October. Planning Board Final Recommendations. In October, the Planning Board will hold a public hearing and transmit its final recommendations to the City Council on the draft Housing Element and zoning amendments.
November/December. City Council Final Actions. In November or December, the City Council will hold public hearings and take action to approve the draft Housing Element and Zoning Amendments.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On November 30, 2021, by Resolution No. 15841, the City Council certified a FEIR (State Clearinghouse No. 2021030563) under CEQA, and adopted written findings, a Statement of Overriding Considerations, and a MMRP for the General Plan Amendment to update the Alameda General Plan (General Plan EIR), which evaluated the environmental impacts of 12,000 additional housing units in Alameda over 20 years, including 5,353 housing units to accommodate the RHNA between 2023 through 2031.
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15162 and 15163, none of the circumstances necessitating further CEQA review are present with respect to the General Plan Amendment EIR. The proposed project to update the Housing Element of the General Plan would not require major revisions to the General Plan Amendment EIR due to new significant impacts or due to a substantial increase in the severity of the significant environmental effects. There have been no substantial changes with respect to the circumstances under which the project would be undertaken that would require major revisions of the General Plan Amendment EIR due to new or substantially increased significant environmental effects. Further, there has been no discovery of new information of substantial importance that would trigger or require major revisions to the General Plan Amendment EIR due to new or substantially increased significant environmental effects. For these reasons, no further environmental review with respect to the General Plan Amendment EIR is required.
CLIMATE IMPACT
Accommodating the RHNA supports the region’s Sustainable Communities Strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A decision by the City to not meet the RHNA would likely have a negative impact on the region’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
RECOMMENDATION
That the Planning Board review and comment on draft Housing Element and Zoning Amendments shown in Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 2.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Allen Tai, City Planner
Henry Dong, Planner III
Brian McGuire, Planning Technician
Exhibits:
1. Draft Housing Element
2. Draft Zoning Amendments