Bay Area
Environmental Review of Housing Plan to Begin
The Marin County Board of Supervisors held a joint session with two agenda items with the Marin County Planning Commission on April 12, one focused on programs and policies related to the mandated update of the Countywide Plan and one specifically about parcels of land where new housing could be created. It’s all part of the Housing Element update of the Countywide Plan for the years 2023-2030. The State of California requires every municipality to update its Housing Element every eight years.
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Marin working to meet needs and state mandates with Housing Element update
Courtesy of Marin County
After accepting more input about long-term housing plans for Marin County’s unincorporated areas, the Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) is submitting a list of properties to a consulting firm to begin environmental analysis to identify the best places for future housing.
The Marin County Board of Supervisors held a joint session with two agenda items with the Marin County Planning Commission on April 12, one focused on programs and policies related to the mandated update of the Countywide Plan and one specifically about parcels of land where new housing could be created. It’s all part of the Housing Element update of the Countywide Plan for the years 2023-2030. The State of California requires every municipality to update its Housing Element every eight years.
The session about programs and policies centered on the preservation of existing housing, including short-term rental properties and accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. Another cited goal was to take steps to address longstanding vacant homes and maximize the use of all homes for longer-term residents rather than temporary vacationers. In rural and coastal West Marin, a popular vacation spot, about 10% of all properties are used as short-term rentals, eliminating their possible use as much-needed living spaces for the local workforce.
The Housing Element update, which needs to be completed by January 2023, will explore ways to achieve goals to expand housing options and address the need for more affordable housing. Marin County is among the most expensive counties in the country in which to live.
The second session about specific housing sites resulted in a list that will be submitted for environmental review. As it works to comply with the Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA), planners worked with residents and elected officials to identify parcels throughout all five supervisorial districts that could serve as housing locations. The County has been directed to plan for at least 3,569 new units in unincorporated areas during the eight-year cycle that begins in 2023.
Two larger properties on the list have been designated as regional housing sites that could handle comparably large numbers of RHNA units and lessen the overall number of properties that could be converted to housing:
- the undeveloped area just north of Novato city limits on the west side of Highway 101 near Mount Burdell, loosely called the Buck Center property, and;
- the undeveloped flatlands east of 101 and the Marinwood neighborhood called the St. Vincent property.
Otherwise, the County is focusing on infill — vacant properties adjacent to developed ones — rather than creating homes on parcels that have never been developed. Choosing sites near existing developments, business districts, and transportation hubs aligns with longstanding goals in adapting for gradual population growth.
Land owned by schools, houses of worship, businesses, nonprofits, private owners, and the county government is open for consideration as part of the County’s update. RHNA units must be distributed among all income categories, from extremely low to above moderate.
The environmental review, set to take place this spring and summer, will examine how any proposed housing development might affect nearby traffic, schools, quality of life, and be vulnerable when faced with environmental hazards. A joint session of the Board and Planning Commission is tentatively set for June 14 for a public review of the programs and policies portion of the Housing Element update. In August, a draft of the environmental impact report (EIR) will be made public and open for comment.
CDA staff has mentioned at previous meetings that defying the RHNA mandate and planning for little or no growth of housing choices will result in less local control in project reviews and more streamlined project approvals. The consequences of noncompliance with housing requirements could be stiff. If a jurisdiction does not meet its housing goals, it becomes ineligible for state funding to serve local transportation needs and may be subject to statewide streamlining rules, which allow for housing development with limited public review process. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has a new division that is designed to enforce accountability with plans to meet housing needs.
Questions and comments can be emailed to staff and phone inquiries can be made to (415) 473-6269. Regular updates can be found on the Housing and Safety Elements update webpage.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of February 19 – 25, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 19 – 25, 2025
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Activism
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Rep. Lateefah Simon to Speak at Elihu Harris Lecture Series
The popular lecture series is co-produced by the Oakland-based Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center and Peralta Community College District. Jeffries’ appearance marks the 32nd lecture of the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series, which has provided thousands of individuals with accessible, free, high-quality information.
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By Scott Horton
United States House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8) will be a speaker at the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series on Friday, Feb. 21.
The event will be held at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, 10 Tenth Street in Oakland, at 7 p.m.
The popular lecture series is co-produced by the Oakland-based Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center and Peralta Community College District. Jeffries’ appearance marks the 32nd lecture of the Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series, which has provided thousands of individuals with accessible, free, high-quality information.
The overarching goal of the lecture series is to provide speakers from diverse backgrounds a platform to offer their answers to Dr. King’s urgent question, which is also the title of Jeffries’ latest book: “Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community?”
In addition to Jeffries, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) will also speak.
“Certainly, now is a time for humanity, in general, and Americans in particular to honestly and genuinely answer Dr. King’s question,” said Dr. Roy D. Wilson, Executive Director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center and Executive Producer of the lecture series.
“Dr. King teaches that time is neutral but not static. Like the water in a river, it arrives and then quickly moves on,” continued Wilson. “We must urgently create conditions for listening to many different answers to this vital question, and generate the development of unity of action among all those who struggle for a stronger democracy.”
In his book, Jeffries shares his experience of being unanimously elected by his colleagues as the first African American in history to ever hold the position of House Minority Leader.
In January 2023 in Washington, Jeffries made his first official speech as House Minority Leader. He affirmed Democratic values one letter of the alphabet at a time. His words and how he framed them as the alphabet caught the attention of Americans, and the speech was later turned into a book, The ABCs of Democracy, bringing Congressman Jeffries rousing speech to vivid, colorful life, including illustrations by Shaniya Carrington. The speech and book are inspiring and urgent as a timeless reminder of what it means to be a country with equal opportunities for all. Jeffries paints a road map for a brighter American future and warns of the perils of taking a different path.
Before his colleagues unanimously elected him Minority Leader in 2022, Jeffries previously served as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and as an Impeachment Manager during the first Senate trial of the 45th President of the United States.
Jeffries was born in Brooklyn Hospital, raised in Crown Heights, grew up in the Cornerstone Baptist Church and he is a product of New York City’s public school system, graduating from Midwood High School. Jefferies went on to Binghamton University (BA), Georgetown University (master’s in public policy) and New York University (JD).
He served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2012.
Admission is free for the Feb. 21 Barbara Lee and Elihu Harris Lecture Series featuring Congressman Jeffries. Please reserve seats by calling the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center at (510) 434-3988.
Signed copies of his book will be available for purchase at the event.
Alameda County
After Years of Working Remotely, Oakland Requires All City Employees to Return to Office by April 7
City Administrator Jestin Johnson recently told city unions that he is ending Oakland’s telecommuting program. The new policy will require employees to come to work at least four days a week. These new regulations go into effect on Feb. 18 for non-union department heads, assistant and deputy directors, managers, and supervisors. All other employees must be back at work by April 7.
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By Post Staff
The City Oakland is requiring all employees to return to the office, thereby ending the telecommuting policy established during the pandemic that has left some City Hall departments understaffed.
City Administrator Jestin Johnson recently told city unions that he is ending Oakland’s telecommuting program. The new policy will require employees to come to work at least four days a week.
These new regulations go into effect on Feb. 18 for non-union department heads, assistant and deputy directors, managers, and supervisors. All other employees must be back at work by April 7.
The administration may still grant the right to work remotely on a case-by-case basis.
In his memo to city unions, Johnson said former President Joe Biden had declared an end to the pandemic in September 2022, and that since then, “We have collectively moved into newer, safer health conditions.”
Johnson said “multiple departments” already have all their staff back in the office or workplace.
The City’s COVID-era policy, enacted in September 2021, was designed to reduce the spread of the debilitating and potentially fatal virus.
Many cities and companies across the country are now ending their pandemic-related remote work policies. Locally, mayoral candidate Loren Taylor in a press conference made the policy a central issue in his campaign for mayor.
City Hall reopened for in-person meetings two years ago, and the city’s decision to end remote work occurred before Taylor’s press conference.
At an endorsement meeting last Saturday of the John George Democratic Club, mayoral candidate Barbara Lee said she agreed that city workers should return to the job.
At the same time, she said, the city should allow employees time to readjust their lives, which were disrupted by the pandemic, and should recognize individual needs, taking care to maintain staff morale.
The John George club endorsed Lee for Mayor and Charlene Wang for City Council representative for District 2. The club also voted to take no position on the sales tax measure that will be on the April 15 ballot.
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