At their next meeting, the Planning Commission will conduct a study session on upcoming measures to implement Piedmont’s 6^th cycle Housing Element – revisions to the City’s Zoning Ordinance, amendments to the General Plan, and Environmental Review for Housing Element implementation.

The proposed revisions will make the Zoning Ordinance and the General Plan consistent with the programs outlined in the Housing Element, which the City Council adopted in March 2023 and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) certified in November.  

No action will be taken at this meeting. The public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report closed on December 18^th. However, the study session offers an opportunity for community members to better understand proposed implementation measures, and for the Planning Commission to discuss these steps in detail before making a recommendation to the City Council for adoption.

Watch and comment in person or online via Zoom

Community members can watch and provide comment in-person or via Zoom:

Planning Commission: Monday, January 8^th, 5:30pm (Agenda | Staff Report)
Piedmont City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue
Zoom: piedmont-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/81433792168

Each participant will have the opportunity to speak once on the Housing Element Implementation Update after the presentation and before the discussion. The meeting chair will set a time limit for individual comments based on the number of participants. 

Study sessions part of months-long dialogue on Housing Element implementation

Planning staff previously presented information on these implementation measures at the October, November, and December 2023 Planning Commission meetings and the November 20 and December 18, 2023 City Council meetings.

Meeting materials and video of these discussions are available online:

• Planning Commission (October 9, 2023)
  • Staff report | Presentation | Video
• Planning Commission (November 13, 2023)
  • Staff report | Presentation | Video
• City Council (November 20, 2023)
  • Staff report | Presentation | Video
• >Planning Commission (December 11, 2023):
  • Video
  • General Plan Amendments and Draft EIR: Staff Report | Presentation 1 | Presentation 2
  • Zoning Code Update: Staff Report | Presentation
• City Council (December 18, 2023):
  • Staff report | Video
  • Presentation: General Plan Amendments
  • Presentation: Zoning Code Amendments
  • Presentation: Draft Environmental Impact Report

Additional meetings on these topics are planned later in January and in February:

• January 29, 2024: Planning Commission special meeting and public hearing
• February 20, 2024: City Council consideration of Zoning Ordinance and public hearing

About the 6^th Cycle Housing Element

Piedmont’s 6^th Cycle Housing Element lays out an ambitious plan to accommodate 587 new homes by 2031 – a target mandated by the State of California. The Housing Element includes 7 goals, 56 policies, and 77 programs.

Several programs identified in the Housing Element have already been completed, including new incentives for the creation of affordable Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), objective design standards for multi-family and mixed-use development, and securing a “Priority Development Area” designation for areas of land near Grand Avenue and in Moraga Canyon, which increases Piedmont’s eligibility for additional State funding to support affordable housing development in these areas.

Learn more about Piedmont’s Housing Element at PiedmontIsHome.org. With questions, email [email protected].