See the Downtown Precise Plan page for more information.

The Project Area encompasses the downtown Village District and Theatre District. The Orinda BART station and parking lots are not included in the Project Area.

No, ConnectOrinda (Downtown Streetscape Master Plan) identified streetscape and transportation projects for public infrastructure. The DPP is focused on private property.

Objective Design Standards are standards that involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official. Senate Bill 35 (SB 35), effective January 1, 2018, creates a streamlined ministerial approval process for certain housing projects. Projects eligible under SB 35 can only be subject to objective design standards.

Staff began work on the DPP in January 2020.

The Downtown Precise Plan was adopted by the City Council on January 31, 2023. The adopted DPP and Appendices can be viewed in the Library. The City is currently working on implementing the Vision & Guiding Principles of the DPP.

See the Housing Element page for more information.

Every city and county in California is required to update their Housing Element every eight years. The prior 5th Cycle Housing Element was adopted in 2015 and planned for the period of 2015-2023. The 6th Cycle Housing Element must be adopted prior to January 31, 2023 and plans for the period of 2023-2031.

The Housing Element must plan for where 1,359 new units could be constructed. It is not a construction mandate that requires the City to build 1,359 units. It is ultimately up to property owners and developers to propose and construct housing units.

See the HCD Housing Element Sites Inventory Guidebook for a complete description of the types of sites that can be included in the Housing Element sites inventory.

See the Sites Inventory section of the Housing Element page for more information on the RHNA sites.

On January 31, 2023, the City Council adopted the draft Housing Element. The adopted Housing Element was submitted to the Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD) for a 60-day review and on March 30, 2023, HCD found the adopted Housing Element to be in full compliance. The City is currently working on implementing the goals, policies, and actions of the adopted Housing Element.

See the Safety Element page for more information.

Pursuant to Senate Bill 1035 approved in 2018, all local jurisdictions in California are required to update their Safety Element upon each revision of the Housing Element or Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, but not less than once every 8 years. Updating the Safety Element concurrently with the Housing Element met this requirement.

On January 31, 2023, the City Council adopted the Safety Element. The adopted Safety Element can be viewed in the Library. The City is currently working on implementing the goals, policies, and actions of the adopted Safety Element.

Plan Orinda is made up of the Downtown Precise Plan, 6th Cycle Housing Element Update, and Safety Element Update. The three were processed concurrently as the Plan Orinda project.

All three planning efforts will impact the future of Orinda. The Housing Element and Safety Element updates address housing and safety considerations citywide while the Downtown Precise Plan focuses on downtown. Discussions related to development, housing and potential hazards overlap between the three processes. All three planning efforts are required to analyze the potential environmental impacts pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). One Environmental Impact Report (EIR) has been prepared for the three planning efforts.

The City Council is the deciding body for plan adoption, general plan and zoning amendments, and other important actions. The Downtown Planning & Housing Element Subcommittee (made up of two City Councilmembers) and the Planning Commission will make recommendations to the City Council as appropriate.