City of Hercules
General Plan Update
October 14, 2025
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Project Understanding
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Opportunities and
Constraints
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The Hercules General Plan Update
The General Plan Update
• Focused update of Land Use,
Circulation, Economic Development,
Open Space and Conservation, and
Noise Elements.
• Vision for 2050 that builds on City’s prior
work and reflects community priorities.
• Reflect recent City initiatives, plans and the
Housing Element, and align future land uses
with Hercules Hub, New Town Center area,
and MTC/ABAG PDA projects.
• Economically feasible, housing-focused
infill supported by multimodal mobility
and infrastructure improvements.
• Compliance with State laws and
strategies to streamline entitlement.
Opportunities and Challenges
• Desirable place to live with a strong sense of
community, a high quality of life and good access
to jobs, schools, open space and recreation.
• Established history of planning for compact growth
and transit-oriented, mixed-use development through
the Central Hercules and Waterfront Plans.
• County’s Measure J program and Urban Limit Line
promote compact, infill development.
• Significant development projects in the pipeline include projects in the New Town Center, Waterfront and the
Hercules Hub.
• Ongoing implementation of local and regional
mobility and active transportation plans.
• Market conditions have slowed implementation
of development plans. Economic development
strategies must adapt to current realities.
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Project Team, Qualifications and Experience
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√
Our Team
Raimi + Associates
Project Management, Community Engagement, Land Use & Open Space, Urban Design and Regulations (from Berkeley Office) Strategic
Economics
Market, Feasibility, &
Econ Dev Element
Ron Whitmore
Principal-in-Charge
Matt Raimi
Advising Principal
Mitali Ganguly
Project Manager
Gina Kotos
Open Space
Michelle Hernandez
Land Use & Engagement
Rincon
Consultants
CEQA/ EIR, Noise Element
Fehr & Peers
Transportation,
Circulation
Element
BKF
Engineers
Infrastructure
Sophia Knappertz
Planner + GIS Lead
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Relevant Experience
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Mid-Sized Suburban Cities
• City of Beaumont General Plan Update
• City of Coachella General Plan Update
• City of Davis General Plan Update
• City of Indio General Plan Update
• City of Palmdale General Plan Update
• City of Petaluma General Plan Update
• City of Santa Maria General Plan Update
• City of Santa Monica Land Use Element Update
• City of South Gate General Plan Update
• City of Thousand Oaks General Plan Update
• City of Ventura General Plan Update
What We Bring: Extensive General Plan Expertise
Smaller Cities
• City of Culver City General Plan
• City of East Palo Alto General Plan Update
• City of Hermosa Beach General Plan Update
• City of Marina General Plan Update
• City of Mountain View General Plan Update
• City of Ojai General Plan Update
• City of Palm Desert General Plan Update
• City of Seaside General Plan Update
• City of South San Francisco General Plan Update
• City of West Hollywood General Plan Update
With Rincon, Fehr & Peers, Strategic Economics, & other leading firms, R+A is leading the update of the State’s Guidelines for General Plans, Specific Plans, and Tribal Consultation.
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Local Area Plans
• Downtown Davis Specific Plan (Mitali)
• Downtown San Rafael Precise Plan (Mitali)
• Woodland Neighborhood Plan (Mitali)
• Castro Valley Business District Specific Plan
• Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan
• East Palo Alto: Westside Area Plan, Ravenswood Specific Plan • Palo Alto San Antonio Road Area Plan
• Mountain View: Downtown, El Camino Real, East Whisman, North Bayshore, Terra Bella Specific/Precise Plans
• San Leandro Bay Fair BART TOD Plan
• Santa Clara El Camino Real Specific Plan
• South San Francisco Lindenville Specific Plan
• Sunnyvale Moffett Park Specific Plan
• Walnut Creek North Downtown Specific Plan
What We Bring: Relevant Area Plan Experience
• Over 35 Area Plans at various scales and contexts
• Specialize in crafting place-specific visions and policies • Focus on achievable, community-supported built outcomes
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Local Housing Studies, Zoning Updates
• Sacramento Missing Middle Housing study (Mitali)
• Santa Rosa Objective Design Standards (Mitali)
• Housing Plan, Modesto, CA (Mitali)
• Downtown Orinda Objective Design Standards (Mitali)
• Downtown Davis Form-Based Code (Mitali)
• Downtown San Rafael Form-Based Code (Mitali)
• Zoning Analysis, Objective Design Standards, Palo Alto, CA • Citywide TDM Ordinance, Mountain View, CA
• Milpitas Housing Opportunity Districts
• North Downtown Design Guidelines, Walnut Creek, CA
What We Bring: Local Housing + Zoning Experience
• Deep understanding of housing types, form-
based zoning, and objective design standards
• Effective policies with realistic outcomes
• Streamline General Plan implementation
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Community Engagement
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• Establish community trust. Engage early,
collaborate with a wide range of groups, report
back on outcomes.
• Meet people where they are. Mix informal and
formal events to hear from a variety of voices.
• Community-led process. Have challenging
conversations early, clearly communicate trade-offs
necessary to shape the desired community vision.
• Provide options for how to participate. Mix in-
person and online activities to allow community
members to participate at their comfort level.
• Use graphics. Focus on “showing” rather than
just “telling” – help people understand the
possible outcomes of different choices.
• First languages. Make it easy for residents to
participate in the language they are comfortable
with, whether it be Spanish, Chinese, or Tagalog.
Our Engagement Approach: Core Principles
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Hercules General Plan Engagement
10 Steering Committee Meetings 4 Community Workshops 2 Informational Forums 4 Online Surveys Project Website 10 Stakeholder Meetings
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Highlights of our Approach
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Senior-Level Involvement
• Principals engaged meaningfully at all stages
• Experienced, multi-disciplinary team
• Collaborative, committed to project success
Grounded in Collaboration + Experience
Community as a Partner
• Engagement strategy customized for project
• Extensive toolkit of engagement tools
Community
City StaffConsultant
Team
Successful
Plan
Project Management
• Established protocols for quality control
• Team coordination and workflow
• Manage budget and timeline
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• Engagement
Round 1
• Existing
Conditions
Analysis
Part 1 – Issues,
Opportunities, and
Vision
• Focus Areas, Vision,
& Land Use Options
• Engagement Round 2
• Preferred Land Use
Option
Part 2 – Land Use
Direction
• Policy
Frameworks:
• Engagement
Round 3
Part 3 – Policy
Development
• Draft Elements
and EIR
• Engagement
Round 4
Part 4 – General
Plan Elements, EIR,
and Adoption
High-Level Approach
Thank you!