Housing Element

We’ve received several great questions about the community suggested sites and wanted to address those.

Does a suggested site automatically become a future housing site? The answer is: No. Only sites that meet State established criteria could be considered a potential Housing Element site. One of the criteria is development viability, such as (but not limited to) the willingness of the property owner to potentially develop future housing on it. For example, a suggestion to develop HOA-owned open space may not be viable if the HOA does not support it.

Can the list of the sites be downloaded? The answer is two-fold. In a few months, a list of all suggested sites and a determination of whether they meet State criteria will be made available. In the meantime, all sites suggested by the public can be viewed by clicking on the Housing Site Suggestion Map located at https://danvilletowntalks.org/housingelement?tool=map#tool_tab

What’s next? Town staff is currently evaluating all suggested sites against the State criteria. All qualified sites suggested by the public and those carried over from prior housing elements will be featured on an online Housing Plan Simulation tool. Through this tool, community members can create and recommend their own ‘housing plan’ with assigned units and densities on various sites. Look for this tool - and workshops on how to use it - in June 2022.

Please feel free to ask questions by either posting in the Question & Comments section of the project page or by emailing talkhousing@danville.ca.gov.

At the close of the Housing Site Suggestion Map engagement process in April 2022, community members had dropped 281 ‘pins’ or suggestions on 99 separate sites to consider for housing development. As illustrated by the map, the most recommended sites are located along the I-680 corridor as well as major roadways such as San Ramon Valley Boulevard and Camino Tassajara.

A staff analysis is currently underway to evaluate all suggested sites against criteria published by the State Department of Housing and Community Development (State HCD). Sites that meet State HCD criteria will be featured on the next online Housing Plan Simulation tool. Through this tool, community members can create and recommend their own ‘housing plan’ with assigned units and densities on various sites. Look for this tool - and workshops on how to use it - in late June 2022.

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In this month's Town Talks installment, Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich hosted Chief of Planning David Crompton, Deputy Development Services Director Diane Friedmann, and Administrative Analyst Cat Bravo to discuss the latest on Danville's Housing Element Update and the current phase of community outreach. Mayor Arnerich and Town staff answered questions from residents as Danville confronts the task of planning for at least 2,241 new homes in the next eight-year Housing Element cycle (2023-2031).

Town Talks with the Mayor is held on the first Friday of each month via Zoom. For details of upcoming events and previous videos, please visit www.DanvilleTownTalks.org/town-talks-with-the-mayor.

Frequently, after delivering a presentation about the Housing Element, we will field a question that is akin to: “What happens if Danville chooses not to comply with State-imposed standards and adopt a Housing Element that charts our own vision for the future?”

It’s a fair question. The answer, unfortunately, is rather ominous.

Penalties for non-compliance include court-imposed fines of up to $600,000/month and potential lawsuits. Beyond the cost of fines and legal defense, the courts are now authorized to mandate compliance. What does that mean? It means that the courts can approve certain housing development on the Town’s behalf. In addition, the courts can suspend the Town’s ability to issue building permits.

For those who are interested in the details, we’ve attached a memo prepared for the Encinitas City Council by one of California’s top legal experts on housing issues. A housing ‘enforcement’ flow chart, acquired from the State HCD website, is also included.

The community is invited to contribute ideas on where new housing could be accommodated by dropping ‘pins’ on an online “Housing Site Suggestion Map.” This map will be available at www.DanvilleTownTalks.org/HousingElement from March – April 2022. Community members can learn how to use this online interactive tool at any of the “Housing 201” Workshops. Use the registration feature on this site to secure your spot!

All sites suggested will be evaluated against the California Department of Housing and Community Development site criteria. Feedback will be used to inform a list of potential housing opportunity sites in the next phase of the Housing Element update effort.

Town staff presented to the Chamber of Commerce.

On July 9, 2021, The Town of Danville submitted an appeal for a revision of its share of the regional housing need for the 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). On Friday, September 24, 2021, Danville presented its case to the ABAG Administrative Committee. Of the seven local cities presenting cases on Friday, none were successful in adjusting their allocations.

The likelihood of success for any RHNA appeal is very low due to two main factors: the narrowly defined legal grounds for an appeal and because any reduction in one city's RHNA means it must be offset with increases to other cities. Community members wishing to find out more about the appeal process can visit: https://abag.ca.gov/our-work/housing/rhna-regional-housing-needs-allocation/2023-2031-rhna-appeals-process.

While the appeal process was underway, Danville continued to move forward with its Housing Element Update as a parallel process. Danville is currently expected to provide a minimum housing target of 2,241 units, a four-fold increase from the assignment of 557 units in the current housing element cycle. Although the Town of Danville is not required to build housing, it is the responsibility of local governments to plan for housing by ensuring that there are sufficient lands to accommodate the housing assignment. This is accomplished by updating the Housing Element to identify the parcels where housing could be built. The next phase of community outreach will include an additional tool on the DanvilleTownTalks.org engagement platform that will engage residents to solicit input on housing opportunity sites.

How can the community find out more and get involved?

The Town is encouraging community participation and input so that the final plan balances the mandate to accommodate growth while preserving Danville's history and character.

To find about more about Danville's Housing Element Update and sign up for updates, or add your comments and feedback, please visit www.DanvilleTownTalks.org

To learn more about the Town's Legislative Advocacy, visit https://www.danville.ca.gov/738/Legislative-Advocacy

You can also email questions to talkhousing@danville.ca.gov

For additional information, contact Public Information Officer Nicola Shihab at (925) 314-3336 or nshihab@danville.ca.gov.