CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: October 19, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCILMEMBERS
TITLE: STUDY SESSION TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE, INVITE PUBLIC INPUT AND
TO PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF REGARDING POTENTIAL
REZONING & LAND USE MAP AMENDMENTS BEYOND WHAT WAS
RECENTLY COMPLETED AS PART OF GENERAL PLAN 2040
SYNOPSIS
The City Council is requested to conduct a Study Session to receive an update, invite public input, and provide direction to Staff regarding potential additional Rezoning and Land Use Map Amendments beyond those adopted in November 2025 to align citywide zoning with General Plan 2040. This Study Session is a follow up discussion to the March 16, 2026 City Council Study Session at which the City Council directed Staff and the City’s consultant, Mintier Harnish (Consultant), to discuss with the State of California Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) any implications for the City’s state-certified Housing Element if City Council were to make select rezoning and land use map changes to the previously adopted Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update (Ordinance No. 978), General Plan 2040, and the 2023-2031 Housing Element.
DISCUSSION
Background
General Plan: Pleasant Hill adopted the General Plan 2040 (“General Plan”) on May 18, 2023. The General Plan is a long-range planning document that guides decision making and establishes rules and standards for future development and improvements citywide. The General Plan included several implementation programs, which outlined necessary amendments to the City’s Zoning Ordinance to align underlying zoning regulations with overarching General Plan policies, a requirement of State planning and zoning law.
Housing Element: Pleasant Hill also adopted the 6th Cycle Housing Element for 2023-2031 on May 18, 2023 (certified by the State on November 22, 2023). Like the General Plan, the Housing Element also included several implementation programs that outlined requisite amendments to the City’s Zoning Ordinance to ensure regulatory consistency.
Multi-Family and Mixed-Use Zoning Ordinance Update: On January 8, 2024, the Pleasant Hill City Council adopted Ordinance No. 967 approving the rezoning of Housing Opportunity Sites identified in the 2023-2031 Housing Element, as well as Zoning Ordinance amendments to residential land use and development standards (Chapter 18.20), and introduced new mixed-use district standards (Chapter 18.22), as well as related changes to other sections of the Ordinance.
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update and Associated Rezonings: On November 17, 2025, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 978 amending the City’s Municipal Code Title 18 (Planning and Land Use) in its entirety and amending the Zoning Map to include the rezoning of 1,072 parcels throughout the city for consistency with both the 2040 General Plan and 2023-2031 Housing Element. At that meeting, based on input from the public, the City Council directed staff to return within the first six months of 2026 for a discussion regarding any potential additional Rezoning and Land Use Map Amendments.
Study Session: On March 16, 2026, the City Council held a Study Session at which members of the public noted concerns with the rezoning that occurred in November 2025. The City Council identified specific areas of concern, as summarized below:
• Mixed Use Zoning District along Contra Costa Boulevard: General Plan Focus Area 5 (West Sherman Acres/East Vivian neighborhood)
• Mixed-Use Neighborhood Zoning District along Gregory Lane: General Plan Focus Area 6 (parcels on the north side of Julian Way and at the southern terminus of Maureen Lane) • Multi-Family Residential area near Cleaveland Road and Beatrice Road (parcels at the east end of Beatrice Road)
The City Council directed staff and the Consultant to consult with HCD for input and feedback regarding possible zoning and land use designation changes related to the three areas noted above. Once the feedback was received, the City Council directed Staff to conduct a subsequent study session at which the Council and the public could review the feedback and the Council could provide further direction.
Analysis/Discussion Items
The Consultant conducted a meeting with HCD. Mintier Harnish’s full analysis and recommendations are provided in Attachment A of this staff report. The following is a summary of HCD’s feedback, based on potential modifications to the three areas noted above, and the possible implications for the City of Pleasant Hill Housing Element. o HCD monitors and reviews the agreed upon program implementation and/or lack of implementation within of the City of Pleasant Hill Housing Element. Non-compliance with Housing Element programs would trigger decertification of the Housing Element, which requires a resubmittal to HCD for its review and a re-certification of the document. o Since adopted Housing Element programs were intended to increase housing choices/intensities, a reversion to prior lower densities without any alternative actions to preserve those higher densities elsewhere will draw HCD’s attention and may lead to enforcement actions and penalties.
o Fair Housing Programs have more flexibility for modification than the sites inventory, and small changes do not immediately trigger HCD enforcement actions. However, even for Fair Housing Programs, such as Program F, the City should make up for any significant loss of capacity and housing choices in another way.
o Downzoning certain areas of the City will trigger the No Net Loss Law and the Housing Crisis Act (SB 330, 2019), and it is highly recommended to avoid this action. The City will need to navigate and consider the ramifications of not complying with existing State housing laws (e.g., susceptibility to Builder’s Remedy applications, financial penalties, among other actions).
o The City is required to maintain capacity to meet the RHNA throughout the planning period of this Housing Element (2023-2031). Changes are allowed to the sites included in the sites inventory, but an alternative action must be completed to avoid a net loss of RHNA capacity. Significant changes to the sites inventory will require updating the Housing Element Sites Inventory form, and the additional analysis of RHNA sites required as part of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Analysis. Minor changes to the sites inventory are unlikely to require an amendment to the Housing Element if the City can maintain capacity to meet the RHNA across all income categories.
Consultant Recommendation
As noted, in addition to the summary above, Mintier Harnish also provided its recommendations based on the discussion with HCD, as directed by the City Council at the March 16, 2026 meeting. Those recommendations are included in Attachment A.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this Study Session. However, if the City Council wishes to pursue any Rezoning and Land Use Map amendments, there will be additional costs for that work, which would need to be determined subsequent to this Study Session.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public Contact was made through posting of the City Council agenda on the City’s official notice bulletin board, at the Pleasant Hill Senior Center, and at the Pleasant Hill Police Department. In addition, a notice of this public hearing was published in the Contra Costa Times Newspaper on September 19, 2026. Further, notification was provided on the City’s electronic sign, A-Frames at the Police Station and Pleasant Hill Library, respectively, and notices of the meeting have also been posted on both the front page of the City’s website (www.phillca.gov) and on the project website (www.phillca.gov/2026gpstudy). Additionally, public notices were mailed to all property owners and current residents within 500 feet of all properties rezoned under Ordinance No. 978 (over 6,000 notices). Finally, the agenda and staff report were posted on the City’s website.
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION
Staff recommends that the City Council review the materials provided, receive public input, and provide feedback or direction regarding any potential additional Rezoning and Land Use Map Amendments beyond those approved as part of the adoption of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance Update (November 2025) or General Plan 2040 (May 2023), respectively.
NEXT STEPS
Staff and the Consultant will analyze all feedback received from public comments and follow any direction provided by the City Council to determine next steps.
ATTACHMENT(S)
A – Mintier Harnish Memorandum (dated October 15, 2026) B – March 16, 2026 City Council Study Session Staff Report and Attachments C – Study Session Notice
D – Public Comments Received after publication of the March 16, 2026 City Council Study Session Agenda
E – Public Comments Received Since Last City Council Study Session Prepared by: Troy Fujimoto, City Planner
Approved by: Ethan Bindernagel, City Manager