Staff will provide an update to the Planning Commission on the City of Orinda’s ongoing efforts to implement the Housing Element through rezoning of selected opportunity sites.
As required by State law, the City of Orinda adopted its 6th Cycle Housing Element on January 31, 2023, and received certification from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) on March 30, 2023. The certified Housing Element identifies sites to meet Orinda’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) of 1,359 units across all income levels. To comply with this mandate, the City must rezone a number of sites to allow for higher-density residential uses by early 2026.
Staff will soon bring forward a comprehensive rezoning project that includes the following sites:
Twenty-six (26) Downtown Commercial and Downtown Office sites identified in the Housing Element, along with associated Objective Design Standards for Downtown.
Five (5) Housing Element Opportunity Sites located outside of Downtown, which include undeveloped portions of properties owned by religious institutions, an undeveloped portion of the Miramonte High School campus, and the Caltrans Gateway site.
This meeting will provide an overview of the sites identified for rezoning, the process to date, and next steps. No decision will be made during this meeting.
Read the full staff report here. Additional resources include:
The Housing Element 6th Cycle document describes the actions required by HCD that the City has committed to undertake in satisfying our share of the regions RHNA.
The Plan Orinda FAQ provides a detailed overview on the overarching process and requirements.
For any questions or comments, please reach out to Associate Planner Darin Hughes at dhughes@cityoforinda.org.