Mar 21 2022
Where Should Piedmont Grow?
Housing Element Community Workshop #2 [Virtual only]
Sites Considerations
Thursday, March 24th, 2022, 5:30 p.m.
|
|
.
On Thursday, March 24th, at 5:30 p.m., the City of Piedmont will host a VIRTUAL Housing Element Community Workshop, focusing on Housing Element sites. This will be the second public workshop about the 2023-2031 Housing Element update.
.
The Community Workshop on March 24th will feature an introduction to the draft 2023-2031 Housing Element and a demonstration of a new, interactive community planning tool, called The Piedmont Puzzle, hosted on Balancing Act software. During the Community Workshop, Chris Adams, president and co-founder of Balancing Act, will lead a demonstration of the new software app, which adds transparency and creativity to government policy discussions.
.
.
|
|
The Piedmont Puzzle, hosted on the Balancing Act app, is an online tool that let’s you pick where Piedmont grows in the future and what form that growth takes. Is it ADUs, apartments over ground-floor commercial, triplexes, fourplexes, tiny homes – or a mix of building types?
.
|
|
.
Chris Adams is president and co-founder of Balancing Act, which is a company that offers government transparency tools and which has been named to GovTech 100 every year since 2017. He is also a Senior Fellow at the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs.
|
|
.
[This is a request by the City, however it is not required. See below for links. ]
Community members can access the workshop in the following ways:
• Dial (669) 900-9128 and enter webinar meeting number 870-3457-5751
*Participants are asked to have a smartphone for live polling during the virtual workshop.
.
|
|
|
Confused about RHNA?
Watch these short videos for 10 things you need to know about the Housing Element. Topics covered in the videos include:
•What is the RHNA?
•What is the Housing Element?
•What are the components of the Housing Element and General Plan?
|
|
.
City staff and housing consultants LWC and Plan to Place are reviewing new ideas and suggestions made by the Piedmont community and drafting new housing strategies. These housing strategies and the locations of sites for new housing will be outlined in the draft Housing Element to be released in April 2022.
.
|
|
.
Important Upcoming Dates for Fair Housing Policy and Programs
.
March 18 – Deadline for comments on the scope and breadth of the Housing Element Environmental Impact Report (EIR). More information is available on the City website at this link. Send comments to kjackson@piedmont.ca.gov
.
April 7 – Welcome to Piedmont: Real Estate Practices In Support of an Inclusive Community, co-sponsored by City of Piedmont, Piedmont League of Women Voters, Piedmont Anti-Racism and Diversity Committee, and Piedmont Racial Equity Campaign. Event details at the City website at this link.
.
April 2022 – Release of Draft Housing Element for public review and comment.
.
.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THOSE UNABLE TO USE OR MANIPULATE A SMARTPHONE OR COMPUTER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS HOUSING ELEMENT POLICY MAKING PROCESS.
For more information call:
CITY OF PIEDMONT, CITY CLERK (510) 420-3040
PIEDMONT PLANNING DEPARTMENT (510) 420-3050
For more information and future meetings click below:
Leave a Comment
Piedmont is full now. Congestion and infrastructure problems will be worse if we get more people in this tiny town. We don’t want triplexes or fourplexes or apartment complexes. Piedmont is a great city because we DON’T HAVE those issues. Other cities in the state don’t seem to doing this if their residents don’t want it.
I’m against adding these housing units!!
As a veteran city planner I’ve learned that statistical forecasts are problematic at best, particularly going out 8-10 years as the HCD planners are doing with California’s population growth projections and corresponding future housing needs. The draft RHNA was put out in 2019, based on recent population growth trends. However, since then, for the past 2 years, the past trends were reversed. Population has actually been declining, yet HCD has failed to adjust its forecasts. In fact, the State Auditor has put out a report criticizing HCD’s statistical methodology. Numerous local jurisdictions are pushing back. The Orange County Council of Governments have filed suit over HCD’s questionable methodology.
I agree with the remarks from Bob Miller on this subject.
Piedmont Puzzle – sounds fun! Will there be 587 pieces?
I attended the last workshop and found these online meeting tools kind of superficial. They definitely crimped comment. Hopefully the Planning Department will introduce some boundaries – planning principles like increasing density near transit and shopping areas, preservation of needed open space and congestion. This is a needed exercise but I wonder how staff factors in the by right building of ADU and lot splits allowed by state law while it plans for Piedmont growth.
Use the Piedmont Housing Puzzle today to imagine where 587 new homes could be built in Piedmont at the following link – https://piedmont.abalancingact.com/housingsim