City of San Pablo
General Plan
2023 Annual Progress
Report
Prepared March 4, 2024
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 2
Introduction
Government Code Section 65400 requires Cities in California to prepare a report annually regarding the status of the City’s General Plan/Coastal Land Use Plan (General Plan) and progress in its implementation (General Plan Progress Report) and to provide the General Plan Progress Report to the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) and the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The General Plan Progress Report provides for the annual review of the General Plan to assess the level of implementation and effectiveness of the General Plan as a guide for orderly growth and development, preservation and conservation of open space land and natural resources, and the efficient expenditure of public funds. The General Plan Progress Report also provides information regarding the City’s progress in meeting its share of regional housing needs.
The General Plan is the City’s official policy that guides decisions affecting future physical development and change within the City. San Pablo’s current General P lan 2030 was adopted on April 18, 2011, by Resolution 2011-046. The Housing Element was updated and adopted on April 6, 2015 by Resolution 2015-068. A required update to the Housing Element is currently underway, and will be presented to City Council on M arch 18, 2024 for formal adoption. After adoption, HCD will have 60 days to review and certify the updated Housing Element.
The 2030 general plan replaced the previous General Plan, which dated to 1996. The General Plan contains the seven elements that were required by the state at the time of passage and two additional elements, as follows: Economic Development, Land Use & Physical Design, Growth Management, Circulation, Parks, Schools, Community Facilities, & Utilities, Open Space & Conservation, Health, Safety & Noise, and the Housing Element, which was subsequently updated and approved separately in 2015. The City of San Pablo is currently undergoing an update to the General Plan, including the addition of the state-mandated Environmental Justice Element. The updated General Plan is estimated to be completed and adopted in early 2025.
This General Plan Progress Report summarizes the General Plan implementation progress for 202 3. The City of San Pablo’s 202 3 General Plan Annual Progress Report will be pre sented to the San Pablo City Council for review and approval on March 4, 2022.
General Plan Compliance
Government Code Section 65040.2 requires the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) to adopt and periodically revise the State General Plan Guidelines (GPG) for the preparation and content of general plans for all cities and counties in California . The San Pablo General Plan 2030 complies with the
OPR’s General Plan Guidelines of being comprehensive, internally consistent, and long-range. San Pablo’s General Plan 2030 provides a vision for the future by establishing guidelines that reflect City policies, goals, and efforts while enhancing quality of life. The General Plan was released prior to the issuance of recent guidelines, such as required consultation with Native American tribes, collaborative planning with military lands and facilities, and the inclusion of an Environmental Justice element. As a result, the plan is not consistent with these updated guidelines. However, the plan’s Health element covers many of the topics that are mandated in the Environmental Justice element. An ongoing update to the General Plan
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 3
will incorporate the new state -mandated Environmental Justice Element, as well as appropriate consultation with all relevant outside parties.
General Plan Implementation Measures
The City of San Pablo has taken a range of measures to implement goals and policies from the General Plan. A number of projects, initiated across multiple departments, have furthered the goals of many of the elements of the General Plan, such as the Circulation Element , the Land Use and Physical Design Element, and the Housing Element. These planning activities include the Rumrill Complete Streets Project, which encourages multiple modes of transportation and support s future growth and active living, increases safety with improved lighting and additional pedestrian crosswalks, improve s water quality, reduces minor flooding, increase s greening along the corridor, and improve s the sustainability and economic vitality of area. Similarly, the Sutter Green Streets project aims to reduce flooding and improve pedestrian safety along Sutter Avenue. Two new parks have also undergone significant planning work in 2023. The Bush Street Pocket Park will bring a small, neighborhood -scale playground to the Old Town neighborhood, while McNeil Park will bring a larger recreational facility with a soccer field to a site near Contra Costa College. These projects aim to expand the parkland area of San Pablo and promote active recreation in the community.
The City has also adopted two long-range transportation and development plans. The Transit -Oriented Development (TOD) Master Plan project creates a framework to center future growth and development around public transportation, bringing together the city’s housing and climate goals and furthering the policies of the Housing, Land Use and Physical Design, and Circulation elements. The Contra Costa College Mobility Hub project was also adopted, laying out multi-modal transportation improvements in the area of Contra Costa College that will set the stage for potential future transit -oriented development in the area.
The Planning Division has also initiated the creation of a Priority Development Area (PDA) for the Rumrill corridor, to be included as part of the General Plan Update. This corridor plan will complement the ongoing Rumrill Complete Streets project , by providing an additional policy framework aimed at improving housing and job opportunities along the corridor. This PDA will update the zoning and land use regulations in the corridor to be in alignment with current development priorities and enhance economic development.
In terms of affordable housing, the City adopted an Affordable Housing S trategy in 2020 and is actively promoting redevelopment of City owned parcels for affordable housing development, along with a number of other housing production initiatives. T his strategy will be further augmented by the policies and programs set forth in the 2023 -2031 Housing Element, which is currently in Draft form expecting formal adoption on March 2024.
Recent planning activities and general plan implementation measures are enumerated in Table 1 on the following page.
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Table 1: General Plan Implementation Measures
Planning Initiative Description Relevant General
Plan Element(s)
Relevant General Plan
Policies
Sutter Avenue Green
Street
Street improvements
to reduce flooding,
improve street
safety, and
implement green
infrastructure on
Sutter Avenue.
Circulation, Open
Space &
Conservation, Safety
& Noise
C-G-5: Develop a safe and
comprehensive bicycle and
pedestrian network
OSC-G-5: Protect water
supply and quality through
conservation and good
stormwater management
practices.
SN-G-2: Minimize the risks to
property, life, and the
environment due to flooding
hazards.
Broadway - El Portal
Bike Lane
New bicycle facilities
planned along
Broadway Avenue
and El Portal Drive, in
conjunction with the
Contra Costa College
Mobility Hub.
Circulation C-G-5: Develop a safe and
comprehensive bicycle and
pedestrian network.
C-I-14: Expand and maintain
a safe and comprehensive
bicycle system that connects
the City’s neighborhoods to
regional bicycle routes
Contra Costa College
Mobility Hub
Conceptual plan
identifying multi-
modal mobility
improvements for the
area surrounding
Contra Costa College
in support of creating
a mobility hub with
transit-oriented
development;
implementation
planned in
conjunction with the
Broadway-El Portal
Bike Lane.
Circulation, Housing C-I-29: Work with public
transit providers, Contra
Costa College, and property
owners to identify and
develop a future Major
Transit Hub along San Pablo
Avenue near Mission Plaza.
C-G-5: Develop a safe and
comprehensive bicycle and
pedestrian network.
C-I-21: Complete and
enhance the pedestrian
network with an
interconnected system of
walkways, continuous
sidewalks on both sides of
the street, and pedestrian
crossings.
Transit-Oriented
Development Master
Plan
Plan to create a
strategy and guiding
policies for future
transit-oriented
development in San
Pablo, in support of
Circulation, Housing,
Land Use and Physical
Design, Growth
Management
LU-G-1: Promote a
sustainable, balanced land
use pattern that responds to
existing and future needs of
the City, as well as physical
and natural constraints.
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 5
meeting regional
housing needs and
greenhouse gas
reduction goals.
GME-G-4: Promote mixed-
use, high density infill
development and support
land use patterns that make
more efficient use of the
transportation system
C-G-7: Facilitate the use of
public transportation in San
Pablo by making it more
comfortable and convenient
Bush Street Park Planning and funding
complete for a new
park on Bush Street
Parks, Schools,
Community Facilities,
and Utilities
PSCU-G-1: Provide an
expanded, high quality, and
diversified park system
which allows varied
recreational opportunities
for the entire community.
PSCU-I-1: Seek to achieve a
standard of 3.0 acres of
parkland per 1,000
residents.
PSCU-I-3: Develop new park
and recreation facilities and
continue to upgrade existing
ones with universal
accessibility, durability, and
low maintenance in mind.
PSCU-I-6: Acquire land for
mini-parks in Old Town and
other neighborhoods where
parks are needed.
Rumrill Boulevard
Complete Streets
Project
The Rumrill Complete
Streets Project is an
overhaul of Rumrill
Boulevard with the
goals to:
-Develop a
“Complete Street”
that encourages
multiple modes of
transportation and
supports future
growth and active
living
-Increase safety with
improved lighting and
additional pedestrian
crosswalks
Land Use and Physical
Design, Circulation
LU-G-11: Recognize the
importance of the mixed-use
areas along San Pablo
Avenue, San Pablo Dam
Road, 23rd Street, and
Rumrill Boulevard to the
vitality and quality of life in
San Pablo.
C-I-1: Design and operate
city streets based on a
“Complete Streets” concept
that enables safe,
comfortable, and attractive
access and travel for
pedestrians, bicyclists,
motorists, and transit users
of all ages and abilities.
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-Improve water
quality, reduce minor
flooding and increase
greening along the
corridor
-Increase the
sustainability and
economic vitality of
area
Rumrill Boulevard
Priority Development
Area
Corridor Plan
element of the
General Plan Update
encouraging jobs and
housing production
along the Rumrill
Boulevard corridor
Land use and Physical
Design. Housing
LU-G-3: Preserve and
strengthen the City's overall
image and create a safe,
walkable and attractive
urban environment for the
current and future
generations of residents.
LU-G-7: Retain and enhance
existing commercial,
industrial, educational and
entertainment land use
areas to strengthen San
Pablo’s economic base.
McNeil Park Planning underway
for a new park on
Moraga Road near
Contra Costa
Community College
Parks, Schools,
Community Facilities,
and Utilities
PSCU-G-1: Provide an
expanded, high quality, and
diversified park system
which allows varied
recreational opportunities
for the entire community.
PSCU-I-1: Seek to achieve a
standard of 3.0 acres of
parkland per 1,000
residents.
PSCU-I-3: Develop new park
and recreation facilities and
continue to upgrade existing
ones with universal
accessibility, durability, and
low maintenance in mind.
San Pablo Ave/23rd
Street Bridge
Replacement
Planning underway to
replace a seismically
unsafe bridge and
revamp the
intersection of
several major arteries
Circulation, Land Use
and Physical Design
C-I-1: Design and operate
city streets based on a
“Complete Streets” concept
that enables safe,
comfortable, and attractive
access and travel for
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 7
to improve multi-
modal access and
create active
community spaces.
pedestrians, bicyclists,
motorists, and transit users
of all ages and abilities.
LU-G-11: Recognize the
importance of the mixed-use
areas along San Pablo
Avenue, San Pablo Dam
Road, 23rd Street, and
Rumrill Boulevard to the
vitality and quality of life in
San Pablo.
ADU Ordinance
Amendment
Update to the Zoning
Code to bring
Accessory Dwelling
Unit ordinance into
line with current
state law
Land Use and Physical
Design, Housing
LU-G-5: Promote a variety of
housing types and prices
within neighborhoods to
serve the economic needs of
all segments of the
community.
H-3.3.1: Promote second
units. Continue to promote
the development of second
units as an affordable
housing alternative in single-
family areas, with reduced
setback requirements.
General Plan Modifications and Amendments
No amendments were made to the General Plan in 2023. The City of San Pablo is currently in the process of updating its general plan and housing element . The second draft of the Housing Element w as completed in September 2022. Review comments from HCD were received on January 3, 2023. Following two previous submittals and a second review letter from HCD, the City has finalized the requested revisions and made a further revised second draft of the Housing Element update available on February 16, 2024. The second draft was presented to Planning Commission for adoption recommendation on February 27, 2024 along with the new Health and Environmental Justice Element including amendments to the Health Element of the General Plan and ame ndments to the Safety and Noise Element of the General Plan, and will be presented to City Council on March 18, 2024 for formal adoption. After adoption, HCD will have 60 days to review and certify the updated Housing Element. The General Plan Update will include a Master Plan for the Rumrill Boulevard Priority Development Area and a new Environmental Justice Element . The planning effort has completed preliminary reports and is currently completing additional public engagement, policy analysis, map preparation, and environmental assessment. An Existing Conditions report and a market study have been completed for the Rumrill corridor. These efforts are being completed with the assistance of local funds along with grants from the SB2, REAP, and PDA REAP grant programs. Dyett & Bhatia of Oakland, CA is providing planning consultant services.
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Major Development Applications Processed
A number of major development proposals representing a range of project types have been processed under the current 2030 General Plan. These developments have helped advance several aspects of the Plan, including Housing Element goals and key Land Use and Physical Design policies. Table 2 below describes a selection of recent major developments that have been processed in the City of San Pablo.
Table 2: Major Development Applications Processed
Address Description Status General Plan Relevance
2812 Chattleton
Lane
20 units of townhouse-style
attached single-family housing,
8 of which have accessory
dwelling units
Under
construction
Supports housing element
goals by providing
different options of
housing types for different
income levels. One unit
will be affordable to a low-
income household.
13717 San Pablo
Avenue
91 units of multifamily housing
(19 affordable) with 9,175
square feet of ground-floor
commercial space.
Planning
approved;
plan check in
progress
Supports housing element
goals and provides a new
mixed-use development
that conforms with the
goals of the San Pablo
Avenue Specific Plan and
Mixed-Use Center South
Regulating Plan by
providing commercial
economic opportunity
along with housing for a
mixed income population.
2432-2442 22nd
Street
8 units of multifamily housing Planning
approved;
plan check in
progress
Supports housing element
goals and provides a
“missing middle housing”
development opportunity
for smaller infill sites.
2600 Moraga Road 125,159 square foot personal
storage facility
Completed Supports the natural
constraints posed by the
site and would be
generally compatible with
the other institutional
uses in the vicinity. The
project would also help to
minimize the risks of
property damage and
personal injury posed by
the seismic hazard on the
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 9
site. A General Plan
Amendment was
completed in 2021 to
adjust the land use
designation on the site.
2555 El Portal Drive 54 units of microunit supportive
housing
Adaptive
building
reuse, under
construction
Supports housing element
goals by providing 100%
affordable permanent
supportive housing
Alvarado Gardens
(former City Hall
site)
100 units of affordable housing
with 7,000 square feet of
ground-floor commercial space
Under
construction
Supports housing element
goals by providing in-fill
housing for low income
levels and supports the
economic base of the city
by providing a retail
mixed-use component on
the ground level.
2364 Road 20 64 units of multifamily housing,
including 6 affordable units
Planning
approved
Supports housing element
goals by providing high
density infill housing,
including 6 units
affordable to very low
income households
1982-1988/1992 23rd
Street
Expansion of an existing mixed-
use building containing a
grocery store and 2 multifamily
units, adding 7 new multifamily
units and 4,462 square feet of
new commercial space
Planning
approved,
plan check in
progress
Supports housing element
goals by providing infill
housing with ground-floor
commercial uses. Supports
the goals of the 23rd Street
Specific Plan by expanding
walkable commercial
options in proximity to
housing along the
corridor.
WSS Shoes New 10,000 square foot
commercial building for a shoe
store
Planning
approved,
plan check in
progress
Supports Land Use and
Physical Design goals by
encouraging a safe,
walkable environment
along the San Pablo
Avenue corridor.
1723 14th Street 3 units of multifamily housing
with 1,074 square feet of
commercial space
Planning
approved,
plan check in
progress
Supports Land Use and
Physical Design goals by
promoting infill housing
and walkable
neighborhoods.
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 10
1820 Rumrill
Boulevard
40-unit 100% affordable
multifamily development
Planning
approved
Supports housing element
goals by providing infill
housing for low-income
residents.
San Pablo Police
Headquarters and
Regional Training
Facility
New headquarters building for
the San Pablo Police
Department with attached
regional training facility
complex
Under
construction
Supports safety element
policies by improving the
facilities and training
opportunities for the
Police Department.
Housing Element Annual Progress Report
California Government Code Section 65400 requires general law cities to prepare and submit an Annual Progress Report (APR) to HCD, and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) describing the status of implementing the General Plan Housing Element. The APR includes information on the City’s progress in addressing the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) and the status of housing policies/programs listed in the 2015 -2023 City of San Pablo Housing Elem ent. HCD provides forms and instructions for preparation of the APR. The APR provides a snapshot of housing unit production across affordability levels and includes an update on housing program implementation. The APR is required to be considered by the City Council at a public meeting, during which it should receive any public comments.
Once accepted by the Council, the APR is sent to HCD and OPR.
The 2015-2023 City of San Pablo Housing Element was adopted on April 6, 2015 and certified by HCD on May 26, 2015. A required update to the Housing Element is currently underway as part of the General Plan/Housing Element Update project. The first draft of the City’s 2023 -2031 Housing Element update was made available on August 19, 2022 at https://www.sanpabloca.gov/2804/General -Plan-Housing- Element-Update and following public review and hearings by the San Pablo Planning Commission and City Council, it was submitted to HCD for review on September 30, 2022. Review comments from HCD were received on January 3, 2023. Following two previous submittals and a second review letter from HCD, the City has finalized the requested revisions and made a further revised second draft of the Housing Element update available on February 16, 2024. The second draft was presented to Planning Commission for adoption recommendation on February 27, 2024 and will be presented to City Council on March 18, 2024 for formal adoption. Afte r adoption, HCD will have 60 days to review and certify the updated Housing Element.
The 2023 APR (Attachment A, Table B) includes the number of housing units for which the City issued building permits, both in the aggregate and by affordability levels ac cording to State -defined income levels, during calendar year 2023. The APR also identifies progress made on implementation programs included in the City’s Housing Element. It should be noted that timelines assigned to the various implementation programs are estimates only, and are subject to resource availability and Council Priority Workplan conformance. As indicated on the report, during 2023, the City issued building permits for 50 deed-restricted multi -family units which are in the low -income category; 13 accessory dwelling units, which are in the moderate -income category; 3 junior accessory dwelling units, which are in the low - income category, and 10 new single-family homes, which are in the above-moderate income category for
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 11
a total of 76 new units. N ot shown on Table B is a new mobile home units that counts as a non -deed- restricted low-income unit.
According to the 2022 APR, the City had developed 164 units out of a total of 449 units expected to be produced by 2023 under the 5th Cycle Regional Housin g Needs Allocation (RHNA). The 2023 report will increase this number to 240, leaving 209 units remaining to be produced by the end of the eight -year cycle in 2023. Because HCD has released the new 6th Cycle of Regional Housing Needs Allocation for the 2023-2031 period, San Pablo has a new target goal of 746 units by 2031, including 173 at the very low - income level, 100 at the low- income level, 132 at the moderate- income level, and 341 at the above moderate-income level. The new 6th Cycle accounts for the u nits permitted in 2023 as well as any units permitted during the Projection Period of June 30, 2022 to January 30, 2023. The total units permitted to date for the new 6th cycle is 137 and the total remaining RHNA is 609. Next year’s Housing Element Annual Progress Report will include information on progress for the new Housing Action Plan included within the updated 2023-2031 Housing Element.
Additional Information Provided
Emergency Ordinances
No emergency ordinances were passed by San Pablo City Council in 2023.
Interagency Coordination
As part of the General Plan Update effort, and as a recipient of REAP funds from Bay Area Metro (ABAG/MTC), the City of San Pablo has been an active participant in a variety of training and interchange programs hosted by H CD, OPR, and Bay Area Metro. The City is a member of the Contra Costa Collaborative sponsored by ABAG, which involves a number of working groups and informational exchanges on key topics such as creating missing middle housing, use of public engagement mapping tools to identify housing sites, adopting VMT policies, Senate Bill 9, and fulfilling requirements for the Environmental Justice and Housing Elements.
The City also works closely with the Contra Costa Transit Authority to provide growth management reports pursuant to Measure J. The Community Development Director is a member of the Contra Costa Planning Directors group and an SB 9 study group hosted by CCTA and of the Sustainability Exchange hosted by Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development. City staff are also represented on the Community Steering Committee of the Community Emission Reduction Plan (CERP) for the Richmond- North Richmond-San Pablo Community, hosted by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
ATTACHMENT:
A- 2023 Housing Element Annual Progress Report