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 proposed revisions to the April 2022 Draft Housing Element to permit, facilitate and encourage development to accommodate the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for the 2023-2031 Housing Element cycle. Exhibit 1 displays all of the changes to be made to the April 2022 Draft Housing Element in response to community comment and review and further technical review. Public comments received on the draft are attached as Exhibit 2. All documents are also 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 the Planning Board and the community provide 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 Housing Element period to accommodate over 5,353 units, per State of California Government Code requirements. Under AB 686, cities are also required to affirmatively further fair housing through “deliberate action to explicitly address, combat, and relieve disparities resulting from past and current patterns of segregation to foster more inclusive communities.” This means the Housing Element must not only achieve a numeric goal of 5,353 units, but also demonstrate that new housing opportunities are equitably distributed throughout Alameda neighborhoods.
DISCUSSION
Over the course of the last three months, the Planning Board has held seven public workshops to review and comment on the draft Housing Element, 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.
On April 5, 2022, the City provided the public with a 30-day period to review and comment on the April Draft Housing Element. During the period, the City received over 135 pages of written public comments. In addition, comments were received at two Historical Advisory Board workshops, two Planning Board workshops, and one City Council workshop during the public comment period, which ended on May 9, 2022. The comments received during the 30-day comment period informed the changes to the Draft Element shown in Exhibit 2.
On May 16, 2022, the City published revisions to the April 2022 Draft Housing Element in response to public comments and further technical review by staff, consultants, sister agencies, and preliminary conversations with HCD staff. The revisions are shown in Exhibit 1.
Housing Element Completion Schedule: Next Steps. The next steps in the Housing Element update process are:
May 23-25, 2022. Housing Element HCD Review Period. Upon final review by the Planning Board on May 23, 2022, staff will prepare the Draft Housing Element document for review by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), which is a required review under State Housing Law, before the Planning Board may make any final recommendations to the City Council for adoption of the document. Within 90 days (late August 2022), HCD will transmit their comments on the draft document for public, Planning Board, and City Council review.
June - August 2022. Zoning Code Amendments. While HCD is reviewing the draft Housing Element, staff plans to continue work with the Planning Board and community to further refine and improve the draft Zoning Code Amendments.
September 2022. Address HCD Comments. Upon receipt of the comments from HCD, staff will prepare amendments to the Housing Element and the Zoning Code 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.
October 2022. 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 Code Amendments.
November/December 2022. City Council Final Actions. In November or December, the City Council will hold public hearings and consider adoption of the Housing Element and Zoning Code Amendments.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On November 30, 2021, by Resolution No. 15841, the City Council certified a Final Environmental Impact Report for the Alameda 2040 General Plan (State Clearinghouse No. 2021030563) in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, and adopted written findings, a Statement of Overriding Considerations, and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program 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 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 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 EIR due to new or substantially increased significant environmental effects. For these reasons, no further environmental review with respect to the General Plan 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
Staff recommends the Planning Board review and comment on draft Housing Element.
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building and Transportation Director
Allen Tai, City Planner
Henry Dong, Planner III
Brian McGuire, Planning Technician
Exhibits:
1. May 16 Revisions to April 2022 Draft Housing Element
2. Public Comments