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Housing and growth will be the main topics of conversation during the Danville Town Council’s study session on Tuesday morning, when town officials will gather virtually to discuss the regional housing needs allocation (RHNA), the 2022-2030 Housing Element update and how they can best keep residents informed on the issue.
The eight-year Housing Element cycle is set to present significant policy challenges to Danville, according to town officials, who say the cycle may allocate 2,241 units that need to be built in Danville — a four-fold increase from the prior cycle.
Town staff said Tuesday’s morning’s council discussion will be designed as a study session, with no formal actions to be taken, focused on the public outreach process for the new Housing Element.
“These challenges occur within the political backdrop of a governor that aspires to aggressively build 3.5 million new units by 2025, a State Legislature that seeks to wrestle regulatory control of housing approvals from local governments, and intensifying pressure from pro-housing groups that view having a large housing supply as the main solution to the state’s affordable housing and homeless crises,” town staff said in a report to the council.
Additionally, town staff say that these challenges are compounded by new state laws that allow financial penalties to be imposed on communities that fail to meet their assigned targets within the eight-year timeline.
To help prepare residents for the housing effort, town staff will discuss a public outreach effort during Tuesday’s meeting.
Part of the planned outreach process will include informing residents about where housing opportunity sites will be located and allowing locals to take part in the public hearing process for prospective sites.
According to assistant to the town manager Diane Friedmann, the information and engagement provided in the outreach effort will be used to inform the community on “on the challenging land use decisions that would arrive before the Planning Commission and Town Council in late 2022 and early 2023.”
Residents can view the Danville Town Council’s study session on RHNA at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday (March 9), via video teleconferencing application Zoom, which can be accessed using Webinar ID 894 7659 1108.
Residents can provide live comments during the meeting, by signing into the Zoom meeting and clicking the “Raise Your Hand” option in Zoom. When the agenda item is opened to public comment speakers can press the option and will have up to three minutes to share their comments.
Residents can also submit comments for the meeting by contacting the city clerk at 925-314-3307 or cityclerk@danville.ca.gov prior to 4 p.m. on Monday.
