City of San Pablo
General Plan
2025 Annual Progress
Report
Prepared March 4, 2026
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 Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) 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 Plan 2035 was first adopted on April 18, 2011, by Resolution 2011-046, as the General Plan 2030 . The General Plan 2030 was subsequently amended on October 17, 2011 by Resolution 2011-015, on January 12, 2016 by Resolution 2016-001, on February 20, 2018 by Resolution 2018-025, and on April 16, 2018 by Resolution 2018-049. On July 7 2025, the plan was updated and renamed the General Plan 2035, adopted by Resolution 2025-097. The Housing Element was updated and adopted on March 18, 2024 by Resolution 2024-034, and certified by HCD on May 20, 2024.
This Resolution also encompassed the incorporation of an Environmental Justice Element into an updated Community Health & Environmental Justice Element and amendments to the Safety & Noise Element.
The General Plan 2035 provided an update and refresh to the 2030 general plan, incorporating new information and changes to the City in the 15 years since the inception of the 2030 plan. Additionally, the Rumrill Corridor Plan was included as an annex to the General Plan. The General Plan 2035 contains the eight elements required by the state at the time of passage and two additional elements that were added as amendments, as follows: Economic Development, Land Use & Physical Design, Growth Management, Circulation, Parks, Schools, Community Facilities, & Utilities, Open Space & Conservation, Community Health & Environme ntal Justice , Safety & Noise, and the Housing Element, which was updated and approved separately in 2024.
This General Plan Progress Report summarizes the General Plan implementation progress for 202 5. The City of San Pablo’s 202 5 General Plan Annual Prog ress Report will be presented to the San Pablo City Council for review and approval on March 16, 2026.
General Plan Compliance
Government Code Section 65040.2 requires the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) 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 2035 complies with the LCI’s General Plan Guidelines of being comprehensive, internally consistent, and long-range. San Pablo’s General Plan 203 5 provides a vision for the future by establishing guidelines that refle ct City policies, goals, and efforts while enhancing quality of life.
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 3
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, the Economic Development Element, and the Housing Element. These planning activities include the completion of the Sutter Green Street project, which aims to reduce flooding and improve pedestrian safety along Sutter Avenue, and progress towards the San Pablo Avenue Bridge Replacement, which will enhance traffic flow and bicycle and pedestrian safety while improving placemaking at a key intersection.
Major planning work was done on a new park in 2025, as well. McNeil Park will bring playgrounds, basketball courts, a soccer field, and more on n early 5 acres of land near Contra Costa College, helping increase access to recreation and parkland for San Pablo residents and meet the open space goals of the General Plan. A Marketing and Branding program is implementing the Economic Development Strateg y by elevating San Pablo’s identity, supporting economic development, and strengthening the visibility of our commercial districts. Three primary commercial corridors, San Pablo Avenue, 23 rd Street, and Rumrill
Blvd, are receiving a refreshed brand identit y, with new logos and messaging tailored to the City’s economic development goals.
The Planning Division has also completed several significant projects, most notably the General Plan 2035 Update and the Rumrill Corridor Plan. The Rumrill Corridor Plan created new zoning designations for the Rumrill Boulevard Priority Development Area (PDA) , and provided a tailored template for future growth and development for the corridor within the General Plan . This corridor plan complements the recently completed Rumrill Complete Streets project by providing an additional policy framework aimed at improving housing and job opportunities along the corridor. Additionally, the Planning Division undertook several major zoning ordinance amendments in order to implement the General Plan and Housing Element. These text amendments included establishing the new zoning designations of the Rumrill Corridor Plan, streamlining the approval of several types of housing, reducing barriers to development, and further promoting Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
In terms of affordable housing, the City adopted an Affordable Housing Strategy in 2020 and is actively promoting redevelopment of City owned parcels for affordable housing development, along with a number of other ho using production initiatives. This strategy is further augmented by the policies and programs set forth in the 2023 -2031 Housing Element, which was certified on May 20, 2024. Several affordable housing development projects made progress in 2025, and updat es to the Zoning Code have helped further incentivize and streamline affordable housing production.
Recent planning activities and general plan implementation measures are enumerated in Table 1 which starts on the following page.
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 4
Table 1: General Plan Implementation Measures
Planning Initiative Description Relevant General
Plan Element(s)
Relevant General Plan
Policies
Rumrill Corridor Plan Corridor Plan
element of the
General Plan Update
encouraging jobs and
housing production,
along with
enhancements to
livability, along the
Rumrill Boulevard
corridor. Adopted
July 2025.
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
current and future
generations of residents.
LU-G-9: Retain and enhance
existing commercial,
industrial, educational and
entertainment land use
areas to strengthen San
Pablo’s economic base.
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.
Adopted November
2023. Currently
pursuing funding.
Circulation, Housing C-I-33: Work with public
transit providers to upgrade
selected bus-stops with
advanced traveler
information systems (ATIS).
C-G-4: Develop a safe and
comprehensive bicycle and
pedestrian network.
C-I-27: Complete and
enhance the pedestrian
network with an
interconnected system of
walkways, continuous
sidewalks on both sides of
the street, and pedestrian
crossings.
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-4: Develop a safe and
comprehensive bicycle and
pedestrian network
OSC-G-6: Protect water
supply and quality through
conservation and good
stormwater management
practices.
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 5
Project completed
April 2025.
SN-G-2: Minimize the risks to
property, life, and the
environment due to flooding
hazards.
McNeil Park Planning underway
for a new 4.9-acre
park on Moraga Road
near Contra Costa
Community College.
Designs and funding
currently being
finalized.
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
to improve multi-
modal access and
create active
community spaces.
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
pedestrians, bicyclists,
motorists, and transit users
of all ages and abilities.
LU-G-7: Recognize the
importance of promoting
mixed-use development
within Priority Development
Areas to the vitality and
quality of life in San Pablo.
General Plan
Implementation
Zoning Ordinance
Amendments
2025 update to the
Zoning Code to
implement new land
use designations and
other changes put
forth in the General
Plan 2035 and the
Rumrill Corridor Plan.
Land Use and Physical
Design
LU-G-9: Retain and enhance
existing commercial,
industrial, educational and
entertainment land use
areas to strengthen San
Pablo’s economic base.
LU-G-7: Recognize the
importance of promoting
mixed-use development
within Priority Development
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 6
Areas to the vitality and
quality of life in San Pablo.
ADU Ordinance
Amendment
2025 Update to the
Zoning Code to bring
Accessory Dwelling
Unit ordinance into
line with current
state law. A second
2025 Amendment
Ordinance allowed
ADUs to be sold
separately as
condominiums or
tenants-in-common
properties.
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.
Housing Element Policy 1-2:
Promote development of a
variety of housing types,
sizes, and densities that
meet community needs
based on the suitability of
the land, including the
availability of infrastructure,
the provision of adequate
services and recognition of
environmental constraints.
Housing Element
Implementation
Zoning Ordinance
Amendments
Changes to the
Zoning Code to
implement the
policies of the
Housing Action Plan
of the Housing
Element, including
facilitation of new
housing construction
and reduction of
barriers for
unconventional types
of housing.
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.
Housing Element Policy 1-3:
Identify and work to reduce
or remove regulatory and
process-related barriers to
housing development in San
Pablo.
Housing Element Policy 1-5:
Continue to encourage the
provision of a variety of
housing choices and types in
the community, including
innovative forms of housing.
Marketing and
Branding Program
implementation
A comprehensive
marketing and
branding initiative
aimed at elevating
San Pablo’s identity,
supporting economic
development, and
Economic
Development
ED-I-2:
Actively work to implement
the focus areas,
programs, and action steps
laid out in the City’s
Economic Development
Strategy, including the
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 7
strengthening the
visibility of our
commercial districts.
Actions completed
include conducting
stakeholder
interviews and
community input
sessions to capture
perceptions and
aspirations for San
Pablo’s brand.
following:
Focus Area 1.
Marketing/Image
Enhancement.
The City will launch an
economic marketing
program to support the
priorities laid out in the
EDS.
ED-G-8:
Promote a positive image of
San Pablo as a
desirable place to live, shop,
visit and do business.
ED-I-18:
Encourage the formation or
reconstitution of
business organizations to
represent businesses
along 23rd Street, North San
Pablo Avenue,
South San Pablo Avenue, and
Rumrill
Boulevard.
General Plan Modifications and Amendments
San Pablo completed a significant update to the General Plan in 2025 . The City adopted its General Plan 2035 Update, including the Rumrill Corridor Plan annex, in July of 2025, marking the completion of a multi- year project to bring the document up to date with the current state of the City. As part of this project, the outdated 23rd Street Specific Plan was also repealed. The update included redesignating the land uses of 157 properties, including many in the Rumrill Corridor Plan Area, and the introduction of three new land use categories. Other changes included updating several elements to reflect major changes that have occurred in the City since the Plan’s original adoption in 2011, including the closure of Doctor’s Medical Center, the development of the Mixed Use Center South site, the redevelopment of the Old City Hall, new park and roadway projects, and overall changes in demographics and economic conditions. Additionally, the San Pablo Annex of the Contra Costa County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan was incorporated into the Safety Element. The Rumrill Corridor Plan annex established a vision for the future of the Rumrill Boulevard mixed -use corridor, laying out plans for housing and employment growth, along with improvements to livability for the neighborhood. The Corridor Plan also established three new land use designations, intended to promote mixed use, housing, and employment uses on certain sites within the plan area.
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 8
These efforts were completed with the assistance of local funds along with grants from the SB2, REAP, and PDA REAP grant programs. Dyett & Bhatia of Oakland, CA provided planning consultant services.
Major Development Applications Processed
A number of major development proposals representing a range of project types have been processed under the current 203 5 General Plan. These developments have helped advance several aspects of the Plan, including Ho using 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.
Alvarado Gardens
(Former City Hall
site)
100 units of affordable housing
with 7,000 square feet of
ground-floor commercial space
Phase 1 (50
units)
completed;
Phase 2
financing
secured,
construction
to start in
mid-2026.
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.
1723 14th Street 3 units of multifamily housing
with 1,074 square feet of
commercial space
Under
construction
Supports Land Use and
Physical Design goals by
promoting infill housing
and walkable
neighborhoods.
1820 Rumrill
Boulevard
40-unit 100% affordable
multifamily development
Planning
approved;
undergoing
revisions.
Financing
secured.
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.
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 9
2834 El Portal Drive New 4-unit apartment building Planning approved
Supports housing element
goals by providing infill
housing.
15332 San Pablo
Avenue
5,158-square foot retail
building
Planning
approved
Supports land use element
goals by adding small-
scale retail in a walkable
format.
1701 Rumrill
Boulevard
New 25,549-square foot
warehouse and manufacturing
facility for Rudy’s Refrigeration
Planning
approved
Supports economic
development element
policies calling for
increased employment
uses in sectors matching
the skills of San Pablo’s
residents.
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 Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) describing the status of implementing the General Plan Hou sing 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 2023-2031 City of San Pablo Housing Element. 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 LCI.
The 2023-2031 City of San Pablo Housing Element was adopted on March 18, 2024 and certified by HCD on May 20, 2024, replacing the 2015-2023 Housing Element.
The 2025 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 , according to State -defined income levels, during calendar year 202 5. 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 2025, the City issued building permits for one non-deed-restricted Junior Accessory Dwelling Units which is in the low -income category; 16 Accessory Dwelling Units, which are in the moderate-income category; three new Single-Family homes, which are in the above-moderate income category and three Mobile Homes, which are in the low -income category, for a total of 23 new units.
According to the 2024 APR, the City had developed 179 units out of a total of 746 units expected to be produced by 2031 under the 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), or 24% of the total allocation. San Pablo’s target goal of 746 units by 2031, include 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.
City of San Pablo General Plan Annual Progress Report 10
The 2025 report will increase the total number of units created to 202, leaving 544 units remaining to be produced by the end of the eight-year cycle in 2031. The new 6th Cycle accounts for the units permitted in 2023-2031, 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 202 and the total remaining RHNA is 544.
Additional Information Provided
Emergency Ordinances
No emergency ordinances were passed by San Pablo City Council in 2025.
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 HCD, LCI, 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 si tes, adopting VMT policies, Senate Bill 9 requirements, 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 s taff 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- 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report