CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING COMMISSION
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
STUDY SESSION
Special Meeting October 21, 2025
6:00 P.M. Antioch Community Center
6:00 P.M. – SPECIAL MEETING/STUDY SESSION
Mayor Bernal called the Special Meeting to order at 6:05 P.M., and City Clerk Mandy called the roll.
Present: Council Members District 1 Torres -Walker, District 3 Freitas, District 4 Wilson, Mayor Pro Tem (District 2) Rocha and Mayor Bernal Commissioners Spijker, Suman, Martin, Riley, Perez, Vice Chairperson Jones, Chairperson Webber
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Bernal led the Pledge of Allegiance.
STUDY SESSION
1. GENERAL PLAN DISCUSSION
Director of Information Systems Helfenberger introduced the Study Session General Plan Discussion.
Director of Community and Economic Development Seal introduced Planning staff and the consultant, thanked staff who facilitated the meeting and gave introductory comments.
Beth Thompson, De Novo Planning Group presented the staff report dated October 21, 2025, recommending the City Council and Planning Commission hear the presentation from De Novo Planning Group regarding the General Plan Update process and Provide staff and the consultant with input regarding priorities for the General Plan Update.
Andrew Becker believed it would have been more appropriate to hear public comment after the City Council and Planning Commission responded to questions. He identified three critical issues: understanding the City's historical financial challenges and planning for development to address past program deficiencies; addressi ng land use alternatives for properties with special plan or focus area designations; and examining why the transit area along Highway 4 was overlooked. He also expressed concern that the Ci ty was unable to clearly indicate to speakers when their allocated speaker time ended.
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PLANNING COMMISSION
Special Joint Meeting
October 21, 2025 Page 2 of 8
Jacqueline Higgins, Antioch resident, questioned when the previous General Plan was adopted.
Councilmember Freitas responded it was adopted in 2003.
Juan Pablo Galvan Martinez, Save Mount Diablo, thanked the City for the presentation.
He stated he looked forward to engaging in the General Plan process and expressed interest in meeting with all stakeholders to learn about their views and discuss ideas.
Susan Austin stated she believed the most critical issue was addressing the needs for community services in the lower income areas of the City as well as improving transportation. She committed to working to see this process through.
Councilmember Freitas suggested that the City review the current General Plan to identify its successes and failures, using this assessment to guide the new plan. He commented that the new General Plan should be flexible and adaptable to legislative changes.
Additionally, he recommended a process to review the plan every 60-75 days to allow for amendments if necessary.
Question 1 - What are the top three most critical issues or opportunities you believe this General Plan Update must address to best serve Antioch’s future?
Councilmember Freitas emphasized the importance of establishing a practical General Plan that includes clear, measurable success metrics evaluated quarterly. Additionally, fostering ongoing engagement among elected officials, appointed officials, local agencies, and special dis tricts was crucial. The plan should also effectively incorporate the priorities of the Planning Commission, City Council, and community stakeholders.
Commissioner Jones concurred with Councilmember Freitas on the importance of community and local agency engagement. Additionally, she highlighted her key issues and opportunities as land use, economic development, housing, and public facilities.
Commissioner Martin also concurred with Councilmember Freitas, emphasizing that flexibility was essential to allow the plan to adapt to evolving policies at the state and federal levels. Furthermore, he identified the jobs/housing balance as a critical issue.
Councilmember Torres -Walker thanked staff for the presentation and expressed her agreement with Councilmember Freitas. She identified her most critical issues as public services, economic development, and access to affordable housing. She emphasized that the General Plan should address future growth, zoning, and development. She also concurred that a formal process for reviewing the General Plan should be established to accommodate the city's ongoing growth and changes.
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PLANNING COMMISSION
Special Joint Meeting
October 21, 2025 Page 3 of 8
Commissioner Suman responded that his most critical issue and opportunity was exploring outside funding sources to support the development of housing for mid - and low-income residents.
Councilmember Wilson mentioned that her most critical issues and opportunities included developing an organic and adaptable General Plan, facilitating interactive community discussions, maintaining a balanced approach to jobs and housing, promoting economic vitality, avoiding settling for projects, and focusing on environmental development along with the 8-80 plan. She thanked the consultant for the presentation.
Commissioner Riley highlighted that his most critical issues and opportunities included developing amenities for children and teenagers such as gyms, parks, or sports facilities and creating a localized jobs force. He also emphasized exploring industry opportunities along Wilbur Avenue and enhancing transportation infrastructure to support these initiatives.
Councilmember Rocha identified his most critical issues and opportunities as addressing high-density development, maintaining a balanced approach between jobs and housing, promoting economic growth, and ensuring fiscal sustainability.
Councilmember Freitas added that other critical issues and opportunities include d developing a plan to address emerging technologies such as AI, as well as focusing on improving quality of life and promoting economic development throughout Antioch.
Commissioner Spijker stated that his most critical issues and opportunities were affordable housing, quality of life, economic development, maintaining a jobs/housing balance, and ensuring flexibility to adapt to future changes.
Commissioner Perez responded that her most critical issues and opportunities were fostering small business growth and expanding affordable housing options.
Chairperson Webber responded that his most critical issues and opportunities include d analyzing past efforts to identify what did not work and establishing what was attainable and realistic moving forward. He also supported revisiting the General Plan periodically to ensure the city remained on track. Additionally, he emphasized that the City should be viewed as an opportunity for developers. He suggested land use designations may need to be revised to meet state and federal mandates and encourage business and industry growth. Lastly, he discussed the importance of upholding strong business code enforcement standards.
Mayor Bernal stated that he was encouraged by the involvement of the Council and Planning Commissioners in th is process. He acknowledged this meeting as Commissioner Martin’s final meeting as a Planning Commissioner and thanked him for his service. He provided a historical perspective on the previous General Plan process.
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PLANNING COMMISSION
Special Joint Meeting
October 21, 2025 Page 4 of 8
He responded that his most critical issues and opportunities include d developing a realistic approach to funding the city's desired changes, ensuring opportunities for all areas of Antioch, creating a comprehensive transportation, bicycle, and pedestrian plan, planning for future housing needs and developing a unique plan that aligned with regional plans and goals.
Councilmember Torres-Walker added that establishing partnerships with landowners to develop vacant parcels and creating opportunities for developers to align property development with Antioch's economic needs were important factors in the planning process.
Councilmember Wilson agreed with Councilmember Torres -Walker and suggested that building relationships with commercial brokers could help advance projects that would benefit the City.
Ms. Thompson appreciated the thoughtful responses and highlighted the focus on economic development and housing requirements mandated by the state.
Question 2 – Are there any specific geographic areas or corridors within Antioch (e.g., the waterfront, specific commercial districts, a neighborhood) that you feel require special attention of a focused vision during this process?
Councilmember Wilson suggested that her specific geographic focus areas or corridors that should be prioritized were the Lone Tree Way corridor, Deer Valley Road Kaiser area, and infill areas.
Councilmember Rocha responded that his specific geographic focus areas or corridors would be Somersville Road and Delta Fair Boulevard.
Councilmember Torres-Walker stated that her specific geographic focus areas included “A” Street and East 18th Street, the Sycamore corridor, Wilbur Avenue, the Marina and waterfront areas, Somersville Road and Delta Fair Boulevard, as well as green empowerment and opportunity zones, along with the highest -need areas identified by census data.
Councilmember Freitas stated that his specific geographic areas of focus were the entryways into Antioch, including areas related to water, rail, and emerging new technologies.
Commissioner Jones suggested that the General Plan should include remedies for areas that are underdeveloped. She also stated that her geographic focus areas were “A” Street and locations designated for an experienced-based business activity center.
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PLANNING COMMISSION
Special Joint Meeting
October 21, 2025 Page 5 of 8
Commissioner Perez stated that her geographic focus areas included the Deer Valley Road Shopping Center, Delta Fair Boulevard, and Somersville Road/Somersville Towne Center, with a focus on transitioning vacant areas into experience-based businesses.
Commissioner Riley suggested that the City should ensure the use of native plants and pollinators in landscape plans, as well as incorporating pollinator fly-aways.
Commissioner Suman stated that his specific geographic focus areas were the Deer Valley Plaza Shopping Center, Delta Fair Boulevard, and the AMTRAK station.
Commissioner Martin mentioned that there had been a decrease in demand for retail, and vacant areas needed to be reimagined to meet new market demands. He identified his specific geographic focus areas as the light industrial zones north of Slatten Ranch.
Additionally, he emphasized the potential for coordinating businesses to support and strengthen existing business communities.
Councilmember Freitas expressed support for mixed commercial development, particularly in downtown Antioch and at Deer Valley Plaza.
Commissioner Spijker stated that his geographic focus areas included the entryways into the City, as well as mixed commercial and residential zones, along with entertainment venues downtown. He also mentioned the possibility of creating a mechanism to assist residents who lived in aging housing.
Chairperson Webber stated that his geographic area of focus was mixed -use development in the Somersville Road area.
Mayor Bernal suggested packaging larger areas such as Somersville Towne Center , Delta Fair Boulevard at Buchanon Road, Slatten Ranch and the Waterfront.
Councilmember Torres-Walker stated that her geographic focus areas included formerly neglected properties such as the Sycamore area, “A” Street, and East 18th Street. She emphasized the importance of developing an economic development strategy to advance projects in these areas. Additionally, she discussed involving the Antioch Unified School District in discussions regarding the use of their land.
Mayor Bernal declared a recess at 8:20 P.M. The meeting reconvened at 8:36 P.M. with all Councilmembers and Planning Commissioners present.
Question 3 – Beyond fulfilling state requirements, what key achievement or outcome will define this General Plan Update as a success for the City of Antioch?
Commissioner Riley defined success by citing two key indicators: the creation of local jobs and the provision of entertainment and recreational opportunities for residents.
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PLANNING COMMISSION
Special Joint Meeting
October 21, 2025 Page 6 of 8
Commissioner Perez highlighted key indicators of success includ ing local jobs, entertainment opportunities, affordable housing, a vibrant downtown area, and thriving shopping centers.
Commissioner Jones stated she would like to see measurable outcomes that align ed goals with available resources and a focus on supporting experience-based businesses for the community.
Commissioner Suman expressed a desire to see an increase in the number of businesses, restaurants, and employers, as well as the reopening of previously closed businesses. Additionally, he supported expanding entertainment and dining experiences.
Councilmember Freitas stated that generational metrics, reimagining spaces, and defining successes were important considerations.
Councilmember Rocha stated that developing policies to encourage the reuse or repurposing of existing underutilized properties was an important strategy for community development.
Councilmember Torres -Walker emphasized the importance of establishing a clear process or review mechanism for the General Plan to assess whether the community perceived it as successful.
Commissioner Jones suggested that a starting point could be reviewing existing General Plan amendments, conditional use permits, and rezoning requests in order to identify areas where proactive measures could be taken to prevent future issues and better align development with community goals.
Chairperson Webber stated that business growth without the need for any incentives would be a key measure of success.
Commissioner Spijker stated that developing a clear vision and guide for the development of available land would serve as an important measure of success. Additionally, he emphasized the need to establish a priority list to effectively guide future development efforts and ensure alignment with community goals.
Commissioner Martin stated that the General Plan should include realistic goals and emphasized the importance of updating the zoning map to ensure it aligned with the goals and policies outlined in the General Plan.
Councilmember Wilson stated that the General Plan should identify what was missing in the region and outline how Antioch c ould respond to those needs. She also felt that the plan should realistically define Antioch’s vision for the future.
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PLANNING COMMISSION
Special Joint Meeting
October 21, 2025 Page 7 of 8
Mayor Bernal stated that the General Plan need ed to include realistic and attainable short-term actions, should be easy to understand with a simple summary, and must be a living document. Additionally, he emphasized that it should be a holistic plan that benefited the entire community.
Councilmember Freitas added that the General Plan should focus on developing achievable opportunities for success, ensuring realistic and attainable goals that can be effectively realized by the community.
Mayor Bernal added that he wanted a unique General Plan that actively engage d the community and served as a standard for the future development and growth of the area.
On motion by Councilmember Freitas, seconded by Councilmember Torres -Walker the City Council and Planning Commission unanimously extended the meeting to 9:15 P.M.
Ms. Thompson recommend ed the City Council and Planning Commission provide direction on whether a General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) should be established, and if so, the preferred model for Antioch.
Councilmember Freitas stated that he supported the appointment of at least two members of the City C ouncil to the GPAC. Additionally, he favored creating a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to facilitate occasional joint discussions. He also suggested that two members of the Planning Commission could be appointed to the CPAC, along with 6-8 additional community representatives, to ensure diverse community input.
In response to Council, Ms. Thompson summarized the functions of the GBAC and the TAC. She explained that typically city staff developed the GPAC application process and her organization prepare d the staff reports and meeting materials. She also noted that formal minutes were generally not produced, with consultants summarizing the group's direction instead.
Commissioner Jones spoke in support of the GPAC formation as previously described.
On motion by Councilmember Freitas, seconded by Councilmember Torres -Walker the City Council and Planning Commission unanimously created General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC) consisting of two members of the City Council appointed by the Mayor and two members of the Planning Commission chosen by the Planning Commission and seven members of the General Public.
Ms. Thompson thanked the City Council and Planning Commission for their time , input and enthusiasm.
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PLANNING COMMISSION
Special Joint Meeting
October 21, 2025 Page 8 of 8
Councilmember Freitas mentioned that he enjoyed the joint meeting with the Planning Commission and took a moment to recognize Commissioner Martin’s final meeting as a Planning Commissioner, thanking him for his years of dedicated service.
ADJOURNMENT
On motion by Commissioner Martin, seconded by Councilmember Torres-Walker, the City Council and Planning Commission unanimously adjourned the meeting at 9:16 P.M.
Respectfully submitted:
Kitty Eiden
KITTY EIDEN, Minutes Clerk