HomeMy WebLinkAboutASRPC20210928 - 5.1
STUDY STUDY SESSION MEMORANDUM 5.1
TO: Planning Commission September 28, 2021
SUBJECT: Update on 2023-2031 Housing Element Community Outreach Efforts
BACKGROUND
At the Annual Planning and Goal Setting Workshop in February 2021 and again at its
publicly noticed Study Session in March 2021, the Town Council discussed the upcoming
2023-2031 Housing Element update which is anticipated to present significant land use
policy challenges for Danville due to an assigned housing target of 2,241 units in a
community with limited remaining land use capacity. These challenges are further
exacerbated by new state laws that allow financial penalties to be imposed on
communities which fail to meet their assigned targets.
After evaluating options, the Town Council directed staff to embark on a three-phased
outreach effort to inform and engage the community about this state-mandated effort
within the state-prescribed timeline:
DISCUSSION
Phase 1 - Upfront Community Education & Engagement
Consistent with Town Council direction, a comprehensive community outreach effort
was launched in Spring 2021, which included:
• Updated Town Website with factual information pertaining to Housing Element
update requirements, outline of the process, related housing legislation, frequently
asked questions (FAQs), and an email subscription option.
• Launched DanvilleTownTalks.org engagement platform that enables community
members to ask questions, provide feedback, and access recorded presentations.
2023-2031 Housing Element
Community Outreach Update 2 September 28, 2021
• Presented ‘Housing Element 101” webinar on 15 separate occasions to 9 different
audience groups to date.
• Promoted the Housing Element 101 series on local digital media outlets (Danville/San
Ramon, The Patch, The Valley Sentinel) as well as Town platforms including social
media posts, print media (Quarterly Newsletter, Recreation Guide, etc.), press
releases, and eNews on 52 separate occasions.
• Released the Initial Priorities Survey intended to gather information regarding the
housing related perspectives and concerns of the community.
When asked about the elements of the community that should be preserved,
survey respondents identified the top three priorities to be Open Space (37% of
respondents), ‘small town feel’ (27%), and parks (21%). The top identified
concerns include traffic (14%), overcrowding (11%) and parking (5%).
The questions, concerns, and feedback received from this first phase of community
engagement will be used in the next phase of the Housing Element Update – which
includes the identification and evaluation of housing opportunity sites.
Phase 2 - Community Engagement on Housing Opportunity Sites
This next phase of community engagement will build on the groundwork of Phase 1 and
is expected to occur subsequent to the release of a Draft Environmental Impact Report
(Draft EIR). This phase envisions an effort that would use a combination of online and
in-person engagement tools to solicit input on housing opportunity sites.
Phase 3 - Community Input during Public Hearing Process
The last phase of community engagement would occur during public hearings hosted in
the fall 2022 through winter 2023, when the Planning Commission and Town Council
would consider the state mandated requirements as well as the community input
provided to date and take action on the 2023-2031 Housing Element.
2023-2031 Housing Element
Community Outreach Update 3 September 28, 2021
RECOMMENDATION
Consider the community outreach strategy as presented and provide feedback,
particularly with regard to Phase 2.
Prepared by:
Tai J. Williams
Assistant Town Manager